P.J. Hoffman was a musician, performer, songwriter, & social justice worker in his youth, playing violin, French horn, tuba, guitar and piano, including 4 years with a group called The Mystics. But one day he woke up without the gift of music which he had always had within, and he ended up on a different path for decades. Retirement brought him back to his gift and his roots, born out of 1960's folk music and activism, resurrecting & updating his slate of music.

It's been 20 years that Northern Spirit Radio has been broadcasting, and to celebrate that milestone we've set up a John McCutcheon concert event both streaming online and right here in-person, in Eau Claire, WI, on Sunday October 5^th, 2025, starting at 6:30 pm Central Time. Get more info and tickets on the NorthernSpiritRadio.org website. I've interviewed John several times, including live at a Quaker gathering at Grinnell College in Iowa on July 4^th, 2019.

We've had Annie Patterson as a guest many times on NSR programs, but today we're going full-spectrum on Annie. She's known by many as a folk singer and the co-creator of the group singing songbooks, Rise Up Singing and Rise Again, but she also performs a variety of music genres like swing, blues, soul, gospel and more with groups like Dear Ella and Girls from Mars, and others.

Noel Paul Stookey's first band was the Birds of Paradise, but he rose to prominence in the 1960s as part of Peter, Paul & Mary, and has produced around 19 solo albums. Noel's music & work are deep in healing & connecting directions, including OneLightManyCandles.org and MusicToLife.org, both which he helped found.

Pat Humphries & Sandy O are the members of Emma's Revolution, an entity with its own soul & mission, beautiful music to call forth the deepest of emotions, both grief and joy, always with the aim of steering the world toward justice & healing. If only we could unite the world like Pat & Sandy blend & weave their voices & instruments, peace and justice would already be the norm.

Michael Johnathon is a farmer - a songfarmer - and he cultivates folk music from his log cabin just outside of Lexington, Kentucky, by his personal writing, playing and touring, through his 20 albums, but also via the radio and video show called WoodSongs that he's been broadcasting on hundreds of stations for the past 18 years.

Geof Morgan was a pioneer in the men's music that emerged around 1980 and which was so transformational for so many. Geof's path began in New England, matured and deepened in Nashville, and then migrated to Bellingham, Washington. His healing work continued all the while, though Geof's music lay largely dormant for decades, till about 6 years, where it sprung fully back to life. Geof released the album Morning Rising last year, with new breadth and depth.

Reggie Harris has always been full of music & inspiration, but never more so than as he finishes his 7th decade on the planet.

John McCutcheon is classic & cutting-edge folk music. An amazing singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, he has now produced 40 albums, performed with all kinds of musical greats, like Pete Seeger, Tom Chapin, Tom Paxton, and Carrie Newcomer. He's witty, deep, creative, prolific, and he's in person for this interview on July 4th, 2019, at Grinnell College as part of the FGC Gathering.

Music is deep in Bob Reid's genetics, both from his father's record store and his mother's performing.