Spotlight On is now . . . The Tonearm!
The Tonearm
The Tonearm
The people and ideas moving culture forward. With host Lawrence Peryer.
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The Tonearm
Latest Episode

Patrick Smith: Bebop, Brass Bands, and a Bookstore

With ‘Words Underlined’ out now on Lit Soc Records, saxophonist Patrick Smith talks about the trio format's peculiar difficulty, what he learned from Mark Shim in New York, and why Toronto lets him play everything.

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Recent Episodes

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Patrick Smith: Bebop, Brass Bands, and a Bookstore
Feb. 22, 2026

Patrick Smith: Bebop, Brass Bands, and a Bookstore

With ‘Words Underlined’ out now on Lit Soc Records, saxophonist Patrick Smith talks about the trio format's peculiar difficulty, what he learned from Mark Shim in New York, and why Toronto lets him play everything.
Listen to the Episode
Stephen Vitiello: The Punk Attitude of Collaborative Sound Art
Feb. 15, 2026

Stephen Vitiello: The Punk Attitude of Collaborative Sound Art

From teenage punk guitarist to internationally exhibited sound artist, Vitiello reflects on his World Trade Center residency, the influence of Nam June Paik and Fred Frith, and treating every element—from architecture to collaborators—with equal respect.
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Lawrence English: Capturing the Impossible Trio
Feb. 8, 2026

Lawrence English: Capturing the Impossible Trio

The Australian composer and Room40 founder discusses his new collaborative album 'Trinity' with Stephen Vitiello, his theory of relational listening, and why he spent eight years interrogating the meaning of live performance before returning to the stage.
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Noah Franche-Nolan: Music-Making as Spiritual Practice
Feb. 1, 2026

Noah Franche-Nolan: Music-Making as Spiritual Practice

The JUNO-nominated Vancouver pianist and composer discusses his new trio album Rose-Anna, a record rooted in family, grief, and the quiet power of music passed down through generations.
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Michael Hallsworth: Escaping the Hypocrisy Trap
Jan. 25, 2026

Michael Hallsworth: Escaping the Hypocrisy Trap

From Boris Johnson's pandemic parties to climate change denial, the author of 'The Hypocrisy Trap' traces how exposed inconsistency poisons trust and how societies can balance calling out harmful behavior with tolerating human imperfection.
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John Mlynczak: Why NAMM Still Matters in 2026
Jan. 18, 2026

John Mlynczak: Why NAMM Still Matters in 2026

NAMM's president and CEO joins us to discuss the shift from traditional retail to influencer-driven content creation in the music industry and why preparing students to thrive in the future matters more than teaching techniques.
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About the Host

Lawrence Peryer Profile Photo
Lawrence Peryer

Executive Producer & Host

LP is a lifelong music fan turned industry innovator who has spent his career helping artists forge meaningful connections with their audiences. From pioneering early digital communities to producing Grammy-nominated box sets and award-winning retail experiences, his work lives at the intersection of creativity, technology and fandom. He's hosted The Tonearm since it initially launched as Spotlight On in February 2020.

Reviews

Curiosity

"Whether I’m considering science, poetry, carpentry, or music, nothing opens the door to enlightenment wider than the (spoken or unspoken) phrase “I’m curious…” If there’s a secret sauce to Spotlight …"

Harry Landers | April 8, 2025

Excited for future episodes!

"It feels like we get to hear a behind the scenes conversation. Thanks for providing insight from key leaders in the live events industry!"

Ashley Bland | April 29, 2020

An easy yet insightful listen

"It’s special to get a behind the scenes look of how guests on the show have navigated their life to live out their passion in music and reflect on how they got to where they are today."

815ams | Aug. 4, 2022

Interesting and Insightful

"I love hearing interviews with people from all spaces of the pop culture spectrum. Lawrence is a natural host and the podcast always has the most interesting questions. I look forward to seeing who t…"

JNO(ctrl) | Aug. 4, 2022

Keep getting better!

"Great series of podcasts and interviews from people across the entirety of the live music space. Such a treat to hear LP speak with his guests about life, music, art and everything in between. 10/10 …"

relly124 | Nov. 11, 2022

One of the More Entertaining Music Chat Podcasts Out There

"I think Lawrence is one of the best under-the-radar podcast interviewers in podcast-land. These shows feel like fly-on-the-wall conversations, with Lawrence often prompting his guests into pleasantly…"

General Zubon | Sept. 22, 2023

Brilliant

"As one of Lawrence’s interview subjects, I can tell you I was really impressed with his preparation and insightful questions as well as his professional and comfortable vibe. I really enjoyed chattin…"

joebrent | March 12, 2025

Just what we needed

"This is exactly what the industry needed at this time - measured insights and analysis from various sectors. Please keep them coming."

jimilayne | April 29, 2020

Very Insightful and Thoughtful Conversation

"Really enjoyed the first episode and learning more about Ben and his other projects. Keep em comin’!!!"

cheftricci4 | March 5, 2020

Peak behind the curtain

"Super fun to finally see these interviews come out!"

lperyer | Feb. 6, 2020

So fun!

"A great inside look at the music industry!"

Jonny_electric | Feb. 6, 2020
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