One of Pittsburgh’s more prominent podcasts, Marta on the Move, marks its third anniversary next month. The podcast, produced in her Crafton home by Marta Napoleone Mazzoni, covers anything and everything that interests her, from her trip to Morrocco to the Netflix show Stranger Things. And people listen.
Mazzoni, a sales manager for Aldo’s Food, a wholesale distributor owned by her family, launched Marta on the Move in July 2014 in DIY fashion. “I figured it out completely on my own,” says Mazzoni. She had a lot to learn — not just how to be an engaging host and insightful interviewer, but also technical tasks like audio editing. “I just stumbled through it like anyone else would,” she says.
Most episodes feature a guest, and these have included local bigwigs like Bill Peduto, and national celebrities including Alec Baldwin. She says the podcast now receives 1,500 to 2,000 downloads a month.
Mazzoni says she started the podcast in part to revive “the lost art of communication.” Her approach is conversational. Recently, in the 83rd episode, she sat down with beloved WQED producer Rick Sebak. As she delved into his background, listeners were treated to sides of Sebak they perhaps didn’t expect, as he discussed everything from his favorite cupcake in Pittsburgh to his one-time aspiration to become a cartoonist. The two shared laughs as they talked in her home.
“They’re really off-the-cuff, candid and comedic,” she says of her interviews.
Recently, she did a live show as a part of Move X Create, a local event that encourages creative thinking and includes meditation and yoga. “It was a nice opportunity for adults to take a break from everything they have to do as adults,” Mazzoni says.
Her July 2 episode features Rico Gagliano, co-host of public radio’s nationally broadcast Dinner Party Download. That show is one of two (along with podcast The Nerdist) that initially got her into podcasting. The July 2 episode includes tips for new podcasters; Mazzoni was excited to speak with someone who has left such a mark on her. “That meant a lot to me,” she says.
The enthusiasm she brings to her show is palpable. “I don’t know what you’re getting out of it, but I know what I’m getting out of it,” she says.
