What does it take for a place to hear its own story in the music? On The Jersey Made Podcast, host Buzz Knight talks with renowned music historian Bob Santelli to explore how New Jersey’s sounds, stories, and stubborn sense of identity became part of the soundtrack of America.

Santelli’s journey begins at the Jersey Shore. He remembers discovering the Beatles, playing in local bands, and seeing Bruce Springsteen perform for the first time in 1968—an experience that connected him to the energy of the Jersey music scene. When he realized his greatest strength was writing rather than performing, he followed that instinct into music journalism. It was the start of a remarkable career devoted to preserving and sharing music history.

Along the way,  Bob Santelli helped shape some of the country’s most important music institutions, including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Seattle’s Experience Music Project, and the Grammy Museum. Now, as founding director of the Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music at Monmouth University, he is bringing that experience home—to New Jersey, the Shore, and the place where Springsteen’s story began.

The Center is not simply a Springsteen museum. Santelli explains how it explores the artist’s creative process while using his work to open a wider window onto the history of American music. It’s a place where music storytelling connects individual songs and artists to the experiences, communities, and cultural shifts that shaped the nation.

The conversation also traces the distinctive New Jersey music history that helped create the Jersey sound. Positioned between New York and Philadelphia, the state developed a determined, independent musical identity all its own. Springsteen’s songs gave listeners a way to recognize that identity—and take pride in calling New Jersey home. From Asbury Park and the Stone Pony to the broader Jersey Shore music scene, the state’s music heritage is woven into its geography and everyday life.

For Bob Santelli, building the Center in New Jersey is both a professional mission and a personal act of giving back: to Monmouth, to the Shore, and to the music that shaped his life. His reflections make a compelling case for the cultural impact of music—and for why popular songs can sometimes bring American history to life more vividly than a textbook.

Join host Buzz Knight for an insightful conversation about music history, New Jersey musicians, iconic New Jersey artists, and the power of a hometown sound. Whether you love Bruce Springsteen, the Jersey music scene, or the stories behind the songs, this Jersey Made podcast offers a warm, thoughtful look at how music helps a place understand who it is—and invites the rest of America to listen.