
This Stevie Wonder Podcast Features the Obamas, Questlove, and Berklee Professor Berklees Rick McLaughlin talks to host Wesley Morris on The Wonder of Stevie, a seven-episode podcast on Stevie Wonders iconic music.
By
Tara Bellucci
October 1, 2024
Thomas Hawk/Flickr
Ready for a deep-dive into Stevie Wonder? Released in September, The Wonder of Stevie is a seven-episode podcast that explores the iconic songs of the music legend. Focusing on the five albums released from 1972 to 1976, the podcast is hosted by Pulitzer-winning culture critic Wesley Morris and produced by Barack and Michelle Obama's Higher Ground Productions with Audible, Questlove's Two One Five Entertainment, and Stevie Wonder himself.
Rick McLaughlin, who teaches The Music of Stevie Wonder class at Berklee, is a guest on episode 2, Talking Book, about the album of the same name. McLaughlin tells Morris about the experience of waiting in line to buy the album on release day, and then dropping the needle and hearing the opening notes of You Are the Sunshine of My Life, the records first track.
On a Tuesday morning, you go to the record store, youre first in line and theres 50 other people behind you. You buy that record and you take it home. And the first thing you hear is that kind of chiming sound, McLaughlin says. Its an electric piano. What he plays is actually this whole tone scale thing. Its weightless.
In the same episode, Questlove describes the song as a downright gorgeous sonic equivalent to the Mona Lisa, saying that it's not even in his top-50 Stevie Wonder songs because of Stevie's Steph Curry level of marksmanship, and that he takes for granted Stevie Wonder's gift of songwriting. Morris replies: That's why we're doing this show.
Rick McLaughlin
Other guests on the podcast include the Obamas, Smokey Robinson, Dionne Warwick, King Britt, Babyface, Ray Parker Jr., and Janelle Mon e. Episode 7 features Wonder in conversation with President Obama and Morris as they talk about his legacy and impact.
Many years ago, I proposed a course on Stevie Wonder to Berklee, and I have been teaching that course since 2015, McLaughlin wrote on Instagram. It's a blessing to be able to work with students, listening deeply to Stevie's music and working to understand not only how his music works, but why we feel the way we do when he tells the stories he does.
Related Categories
News
Most Popular
Jim Lucchese
Image by Kelly Davidson
Jim Lucchese Named Berklee's Fifth President A 20-year music industry veteran and a committed artist advocate with deep Berklee roots, Lucchese sets the tone for a new era at the institution.
Latest
Courtesy of The Roku Channel
Charlie Puth's Comedy Show Is a Silly, Star-Studded Satire of Reality TV All six episodes of The Charlie Puth Show are now streaming for free on The Roku Channel.
Boston Conservatory Orchestra Presents Telling the Story at Symphony Hall The program celebrates the art of storytelling through orchestral favorites and a contemporary composition.
Berklee and Can We Talk Celebrate Healing Power of the Arts in BIPOC Communities Arts Activation 2024: Harmony and Healing (October 19) unites artists, thought leaders, and healthcare professionals to explore the arts' ability to heal and connect.
Read All
Subscribe The latest sounds, stories, and ideas, sent to your inbox weekly.
North America Stories
11/05/2026
New production unit features not only wealth of Ross gear but also Sony cameras, Canon lenses, and a Calrec Argo S audio board...
11/05/2026
Solid State Logic (SSL) has announced TCA Tour, a portable fly-away audio production system built from System T components for broadcast, touring, and live prod...
11/05/2026
Riedel Communications has announced it will serve as Official Connectivity Integ...
11/05/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D) and NETGEAR AV have announced a plugin that automates network configuration for G&D KVM-over-IP deployments on NETGEAR AV Line infra...
11/05/2026
The Famous Group (TFG) and Elite Edge, a production studio specializing in live-action production, show opens, set design, and fabrication for sports and live e...
11/05/2026
The native of S o Paulo, Brazil, will play a crucial role in the broadcaster'...
11/05/2026
Cobalt Digital will exhibit its IPMX/ST 2110 product lineup at BroadcastAsia 2026 (Stand 5D2-4), anchored by the COBALT blueCORE family of standalone signal pro...
11/05/2026
Interra Systems will exhibit at BroadcastAsia 2026 (Stand 5C1-10), demonstrating...
11/05/2026
T-Mobile is serving as a technology partner for the 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, deploying 5G connectivity and ...
11/05/2026
Vizrt has announced it has been named an Official Technical Supplier of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, in partnership with host broadcaster ORF. The 70th edi...
11/05/2026
The WNBA and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have announced a multi-year partnership making AWS the Official Cloud and Cloud AI Partner of the WNBA. AWS is also joini...
11/05/2026
Austrian private broadcaster kronehit publicly awarded SLG Broadcast AG and Lawo...
11/05/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
11/05/2026
L3Harris has completed more than 50% of a nationwide effort to rebuild the invisible backbone of America's airspace....
11/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/05/2026
As Asia Pacific's streaming market continues to evolve, operators across the region are rebalancing their strategies and shifting their focus from subscribe...
11/05/2026
LONDON, MAY 11, 2026 QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will showcase its latest innovat...
11/05/2026
Cobalt Digital's BroadcastAsia Line-up Highlights Flexible End-to-End IPMX/ST 2110 Ecosystem
Award-winning blueCORE standalone signal processors at the he...
11/05/2026
Encompass Digital Media, in partnership with VideoMagic International, announced at NAB 2026 the launch of Altitude Intelligence, an AI-powered platform designe...
11/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/05/2026
Alfalite, the only European manufacturer of LED screens, has completed a major new corporate installation in Spain with the upgrade of the auditorium at Torre I...
10/05/2026
Berklee Honors Jacob Collier, Jill Scott, and Vinnie Colaiuta at 2026 Commenceme...
09/05/2026
New SoundApp ARA Plugin Transforms Boris FX CrumplePop
Jessie Electa Petrov May 9, 2026
0 Comments
CrumplePop 2026.5 streamlines music, voice, and cin...
09/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
NBC's 9:16 live-production workflows power Courtside Live, Rinkside Live, Vi...
08/05/2026
Native 1080p HDR productions will rely on a mix of remote workflows from Bristol and Los Angeles
Despite another prosperous WNBA season in 2025, there was no g...
08/05/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
08/05/2026
Players Era, an EverWonder Studio company, and ESPN have announced a multi-year ...
08/05/2026
BFBS (British Forces Broadcasting Service) has announced the selection of Syname...
08/05/2026
UFC and Joe Hand Promotions, UFC's exclusive commercial distributor in the U...
08/05/2026
Ease Live, an Evertz company, has announced it has been granted US Patent No. 12,556,777 for its graphical overlay technology for interactive live streaming. Th...
08/05/2026
Ateme has announced that VTVcab has deployed Ateme's OTT platform to power its VTVprime streaming service in Vietnam. The deployment covers live and on-dema...
08/05/2026
Amagi has announced the availability of its In-Content Ads offering via the Amagi ADS PLUS marketplace, providing programmatic access to ad formats inserted dir...
08/05/2026
Young broadcaster will deploy 11-camera complement on large chunk of games, At ...
08/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...
08/05/2026
FOX Sports, America's English-language home for the FIFA World Cup 2026, and...
08/05/2026
Molly Gordon and Ben Platt appear in Theater Camp. (Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures)
By Lucy Spicer
Her character is the beloved founder of the AdirondACTS...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Riedel Communications today announced its return as a sponsor of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, where the company will serve as the Official Connectivity ...
08/05/2026
For the second straight year, Miri Technologies Inc. has been honored with a pair of coveted awards at the broadcast, media and entertainment industry's pre...
08/05/2026
Nine Alumni Nominated for Tony Awards More than 20 alumni contributed to this year's Tony-nominated productions.
May 7, 2026
By
Tori Donahue
Boston Co...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Liberty University on why broadcast technology isn't just a technical invest...
08/05/2026
COW Jobs: UGC, On-Camera Video Content
Brie Clayton May 7, 2026
0 Comments
UGC, On-Camera Video Content
April 17, 2026Documentary Editor - US,......