Inside the unlikely origins of NPR's Tiny Desk concerts

By Sacha Pfeiffer,

Robin Hilton, Kara Frame, Linah Mohammad, Gabriel J. Sánchez

Published November 15, 2025 at 5:05 PM EST

From a spontaneous jam to a global series, this is the story of Tiny Desk told by its creators.

Sacha Pfeiffer

Sacha Pfeiffer is a correspondent for NPR's Investigations team and an occasional guest host for some of NPR's national shows.

See stories by Sacha Pfeiffer

Robin Hilton

Robin Hilton is a producer and co-host of the popular NPR Music show All Songs Considered.

See stories by Robin Hilton

Kara Frame

Linah Mohammad

Prior to joining NPR in 2022, Mohammad was a producer on The Washington Post's daily flagship podcast Post Reports, where her work was recognized by multiple awards. She was honored with a Peabody award for her work on an episode on the life of George Floyd.

Gabriel J. Sánchez

Gabriel J. Sánchez is a producer for NPR's All Things Considered. Sánchez identifies stories, books guests, and produces what you hear on air. Sánchez also directs All Things Considered on Saturdays and Sundays.

Inside the unlikely origins of NPR's Tiny Desk concerts

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