Backstage Burrow with Sadie

Hyper and history obsessed; uncovering the roots of today’s music. Host of “Backstage Burrow”. https://sadie.omg.lol/

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Sadie's Backstage Burrow: The Official Intro

What this show is all about...! 🐰🎧

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Backstage Burrow — How Humans First Locked Down Their Tunes (Part 1)

Ep6-2026

Hi everybunny! Welcome back to the Backstage Burrow! 🐰🌾 Today, we are running zoomies through time to uncover the wild, weird, and wonderful roots of how humans first figured out how to lock down their tunes in a tangible way. Long before you could just drop a link or print sheet music, passing down songs meant relying entirely on a high-stakes game of oral tradition and human memory—from intense apprenticeships in India to 1,000-year-old court traditions in Japan. But what happens when ancient civilizations try to "freeze" sound onto Sumerian stone tablets, Chinese bells, or Greek inscriptions? 📜🗿

In this episode, we dive down the rabbit hole to explore the mind-blowing difference between relative and absolute pitch, and we’ll tease the massive Medieval crisis that hit when an empire demanded everyone sing their religious chants the same way. How do you invent a code for something you can only hear? Grab your snacks and tune in to see how we trapped sound waves—and stick around for Part 2 to meet a frustrated Italian monk who helped change human creativity forever! ✨

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🐰 A Note from the Burrow: Digging into the archives (and taking a breather!)

Hey everyone! It’s been a bit quiet in our cozy little tunnel lately, and I wanted to check in. I know I’ve been away from the desk for a minute, but the truth is, the "backstage" has been a little chaotic with other work, and I haven’t had the headspace to properly uncover the wild stories I want to share with you.

I’m taking another week or two to reset so I can keep bringing you the wild, weird, and wonderful deep dives you expect.

🥕 A Little Teaser for the Wait:

I am currently deep in the archives of Medieval and Renaissance Europe! I’m uncovering how the birth of music notation wasn't just about writing things down—it actually triggered a massive wave of innovation. I’m so excited to share these discoveries once I’m back at 100%!

I also want to say a massive thank you for being the most patient fellow burrowers a bunny could ask for. Having you all hanging out in this burrow with me is what makes these deep dives so special, and I’m so grateful you’re willing to wait while I get the Burrow back in order.

Stay curious, and I'll see you in the Burrow soon!

— Sadie 🥕🎸

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Backstage Burrow Ep5-2026: Moog v. Buchla: The Analog Revolution

Hop into the burrow with me, everybunny! Today we’re tracing the wild history of the synthesizer — from room‑sized, paper‑tape‑programmed giants in the 1950s to the voltage‑controlled modular marvels that shaped the sound of the ’70s and ’80s. We’ll meet the brilliant minds behind the Moog and Buchla synths, explore how culture shaped their designs, and see how one groundbreaking album launched synths into the mainstream. Get ready for waveforms, wobblies, filters, and a whole lot of musical magic!

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Backstage Burrow Ep4-2026: How One File Format Sparked a Music Revolution

Today we’re hopping headfirst into a wild story in music history — the tale of the teeny‑tiny MP3 that changed EVERYTHING. We’ll explore the 80s, 90s, and early Internet chaos… So fluff up those ears and wiggle those whiskers — we’re digging deep into how one humble audio file burrowed its way into our pockets, our playlists, and the entire future of streaming!

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Backstage Burrow Ep3-2026: Pipe Dreams

🎶🐰 Dive into the fascinating history of music with the Hydraulis, an ancient marvel from 3rd century BCE! Discover how Ctesibius of Alexandria invented the world's first keyboard instrument, revolutionizing sound and harmony and paving the way for Western music traditions. 🎹✨

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Backstage Burrow Ep2-2026

🎸🐰 From quiet strummer to cultural thunder — how the electric guitar found its voice.

Take a cozy hop into the hidden history of amplification, innovation, and rebellious noise as we trace the guitar’s journey from back‑row rhythm keeper to electrified icon. From Hawaiian lap steels to “broomstick with pickups” prototypes, this episode uncovers how marginalized musicians, bold tinkerers, and a few happy accidents reshaped American sound.

Major source for this episode: Braun, Hans-Joachim. "Music and Technology in the Twentieth Century." Johns Hopkins University Press, 2002.

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Backstage Burrow Ep1-2026 - Charles Ives: The Musical Agent of Chaos!

🎶🐰 Dive into the chaotic genius of Charles Ives!

Join me, your resident bunny‑host, on a whirlwind hop through American music history as we explore how one curious, chaos‑loving composer helped shape a truly original, national sound. Inspired by his father’s wild sonic experiments, Charles grew up to create rule‑breaking, ahead‑of‑its‑time masterpieces. This episode uncovers how barn dances, marching bands, hymns, and pure creative mischief fused into something unmistakably American. Let’s hop into the noise and find the music hiding inside everyday life.

Two important sources of information for this episode are:

Swafford, Jan. “Ives the Man: His Life | Charlesives.org.” Charlesives.org, 1998, charlesives.org/ives-man-his-life.

Koopol eires Celfon. “Leonard Bernstein on Charles Ives Symphony N 2 (SUB SPA).” YouTube, 7 Aug. 2011, www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MMkP3aZIxw. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.

Homepage | Charles Ives Society

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Something cool is coming soon… So keep your ears pricked and your eyes alert on this space!