Listening with Leckrone

Welcome to Listening with Leckrone, a new podcast produced by Sam Taylor. In each episode, our host, Mike Leckrone, legendary music educator and former director of the University of Wisconsin-Marching Band, will explore moments in popular music history, pairing musical samples with historical context and anecdotes.

Listening with Leckrone is available on Apple Podcast or PodBean.

Check out our Episode Guides for more information, music credits, and full transcripts.

Meet Mike Leckrone

Professor Mike Leckrone joined the staff of Four Seasons Theatre in 2020 as an Artistic Associate and brings his considerable knowledge of jazz, musical theatre, and popular music to FST audiences in online Zoom classes, the forthcoming "Listening with Leckrone" podcast, and an upcoming new series of outreach events at Cafe Coda jazz club.  In addition, Leckrone and FST staff will collaborate on the development of an original Great American Songbook show each season.

Recently retired after 50 years at the helm of the University of Wisconsin Marching Band, Mike Leckrone is a legendary performer and educator whose musical arrangements, halftime shows, UW Varsity Band Spring Concerts, and popular music history courses have been enjoyed by thousands.  His many accolades include the “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the Wisconsin Foundation for School Music in 2007, the “Spencer Tracy Award for Distinction in the Performing Arts” from the Wisconsin Historical Society in 2010, and the Michael St. John Lifetime Achievement Award from the Madison Area Music Association in 2013.

Meet Sam Taylor

Sam Taylor is a Madison-based performer, teaching artist, and podcast producer. His involvement with Four Seasons Theatre spans over 15 years, from joining their early youth theatre productions, to sitting in on bass for the orchestra of She Loves Me, to performing on-stage in Spamalot (Prince Herbert, Not Dead Fred, et. al) and both productions of All is Calm. In addition to Four Seasons Theatre, Sam often collaborates with Children's Theater of Madison as a performer, music director, and teaching artist. Previous credits include Freaky Friday (Music Director), Stellaluna (Voice Actor/Musician), and Matilda (Rudolpho). Outside of theater, he serves as a songwriter/teaching artist for Overture Center's Lullaby Project, in which he helps new or expecting mothers compose original lullabies. Sam received a Bachelor of Arts in Music and Psychology from Lawrence University in Appleton, WI.