And now, here's a soothing musical interlude......
The Musical Innertube

The Musical Innertube

Don Rooney and John Timpane talk with people you'd talk with, if you had a microphone

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 WHY IS THIS PODCAST CALLED THE MUSICAL INNERTUBE?

Back in college, John and Don hosted a radio show. Once, they went on the air to introduce "a soothing musical interlude"...but they misspoke, and instead introduced "a soothing musical innertube," and the name stuck.

WHAT'S THE PODCAST ABOUT?

John and Don talk to interesting people about their interesting lives, hobbies and obsessions. 

Recent Episodes

Dec. 25, 2025

The Musical Innertube Presents a Christmas Play: A Christmas Carole

Santa's elves have a singing problem.  Santa has a toy delivery problem.  Can these two wrongs combine to make everything right?
Dec. 24, 2025

The Musical Innertube Presents a Christmas Play - Santa Gets Scrooged

Here's a classic holiday tale of corporate takeovers, fever dreams, ghosts, reindeer burgers and elf abuse, full of holiday cheer and warmth!  Merry Christmas!
Dec. 22, 2025

The Musical Innertube - Volume 2, Number 192 - Bill Trousdale and Everyone's Favorite Songs

Happy Holidays!  It's time for end-of-the-year lists, but we've done that one better.  Here are some all-time favorite songs from John, Don, and music historian Bill Trousdale!  Some are obscure, some familiar  - maybe they'll become your favorites, too! +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++…
Dec. 1, 2025

The Musical Innertube - Volume 2, Number 191 - Gina School

Are you indecisive?  Are you always worrying about what to do, and what not to do? Well, worry no more!  Here is your complete guide to living - just enroll in Gina School! Author, teacher and life coach Gina Barreca tells us the whys and wherefores about her new book.

About the Hosts

Don Rooney Profile Photo
Don Rooney

Co-Host

Don has appeared as an air personality on radio stations in Maryland, New Hampshire, Kansas and Florida. He later became a radio news reporter and anchor in Atlanta and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. In Harrisburg, he moved to television, as a news reporter and weatherman. Moving across town to the Pennsylvania state Capitol, Don then spent 18 years as a public relations official with the Pennsylvania State Senate.

John Timpane Profile Photo
John Timpane

Co-Host

John has been a college English professor, and is the author of several books on poetry and other subjects. For over 20 years, John worked at the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper, where he served as editorial page editor, features writer, book editor and theater critic.

Recent Blog Posts

Oct. 20, 2025

A Thurber (maybe!) for Tabitha!

One of our favorite author-poet-teachers is in line for a major award!  (No, not the leg lamp from A Christmas Story! We're talking MAJOR award here!) Lee Upton's 2024 novel Tabitha, Get Up! has been named as a semi-final…

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May 23, 2025

Podcasts by Friends of the Podcast

We here at the Musical Innertube know you like to listen to podcasts. But we've also heard from those of you who say, "John and Don, the Innertube is only 30-40 minutes long!  How do we fill the many other minutes of the week?" Here are two su…

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May 7, 2025

PBS is now Ten Times Better!

Keep an eye on the program listings of your local PBS station to catch Ten Times Better, the short film made by Jennifer Lin - the one we talked about back in Episode 151: The Musical Innertube - Volume 2, Number 151 - Jennifer Lin talks about her …

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Reviews

John McPhee episode excellent!

"Dear John, I have always wanted to wrlte a Dear John letter. .... Anyway I LOVED your Episode about John McPhee. I have to buy that work. I think I begin reading him rather late, The Control of N…"

Tom Heywood | July 1, 2025

Good Radio!

"Interesting interviews of interesting people, informative and entertaining."

National Park lover | May 16, 2025