Agile Vocalist

Send us a Text Message.Mx. Flamenco is a dancer, actor, singer and comedienne who shares her unique blend of performance with the San Francisco Bay and beyond. In this conversation we explore the sounds of flamenco as a dance form and how she brings it together in her ongoing series of world premiere collaborations with artists of other genres. Tachíria is working on her one-woman show and finishing her Masters degree after being a working professional flamenco dancer since the age of 14. More about Agile Vocalist, including artist biographies, liner notes and additional visual material for every episode can be found on the Agile Vocalist web site. Follow Agile Vocalist on IG Subscribe to Agile Vocalist on YouTube Support Agile Vocalist, a privately funded labor of love dedicated to the arts! Leave a tip here.

Send us a Text Message.Part two with Edgardo covers the power of music that's connected to dance forms, origins of Edgardo's band, Candela, and his eye-opening process of how he used to create original music as he was waiting tables in a restaurant.If you find yourself in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2024, check out Edgardo's newest on Thursday nights at Fame Venue in San Francisco. Come hear the music and dance!Be sure you don't miss part 1 of the conversation here. More about Agile Vocalist, including artist biographies, liner notes and additional visual material for every episode can be found on the Agile Vocalist web site. Subscribe to Sound Cocktails, the politely very intermittent and always refreshing, podcast newsletter here. Find Agile Vocalist on IG Visit the Community Page of the YouTube channel. Support Agile Vocalist, a privately funded labor of love dedicated to the arts by leaving a tip here.

Send us a Text Message.Edgardo Cambón is a Uruguayan-born singer who fell in love with percussion after setting aside guitar and getting early exposure singing as a young boy. As a teacher band leader and Latin music business man now, Edgardo continues to perform. His musical career has taken him throughout South America, Europe, and Africa. Since1986, he's been in high demand in the U.S.In this two-part conversation, we cover his career, his love of music and how he discovered drums by treating his guitar first as a percussion instrument. Edgardo brought a unique vision of his music to the U.S. and we talk about his artistic process and current musical endeavors in part 2 of the conversation. Watch for that continuing part 2 of this episode in May. More about Agile Vocalist, including artist biographies, liner notes and additional visual material for every episode can be found on the Agile Vocalist web site. Subscribe to Sound Cocktails, the politely very intermittent and always refreshing, podcast newsletter here. Find Agile Vocalist on IG Visit the Community Page of the YouTube channel. Support Agile Vocalist, a privately funded labor of love dedicated to the arts by leaving a tip here.

Poet Ali is a poet, compelling performer, lyricist, performance artist and inspirational speaker whose performances and presentations focus on connection with ourselves and our environments. As a soulosopher and entertainer, he is a inspires us to use our gifts to catalyze self-discovery and well-being. As an Iranian-American, Ali gives talks for both youth as well as adult audiences and his unique form of spoken word stands out and isn't easily categorized.His TED Talk, the Language of Being Human, has been viewed more than 1 million times on YouTube and is frequently used middle school educational  resource.  @PoetAli  More about Agile Vocalist, including artist biographies, liner notes and additional visual material for every episode can be found on the Agile Vocalist web site. Subscribe to Sound Cocktails, the politely very intermittent and always refreshing, podcast newsletter here. Find Agile Vocalist on IG Visit the Community Page of the YouTube channel. Support Agile Vocalist, a privately funded labor of love dedicated to the arts by leaving a tip here.

21 Guests and 27 episodes later, Agile Vocalist has hit its three year mark (which is kind of amazing for a podcast). Thank you to my season 3 guests:Cellista, Alphabet Rockers, Rob Jensen and Warren Trezevant, Sonic Runway creators, sound healer & instructor, Melissa Felsenstein, taiko artist Janet Koike, and carillonist, Simone Browne for their amazing sound and arts stories in season 3!Listen to this epsiode to learn how to get yourself listener gifts to unleash your inner vocalist (and upgrade your wellness). You'll also get a sneak peep about our upcoming guest!More about Agile Vocalist, including artist biographies, liner notes and additional visual material for every episode can be found on the Agile Vocalist web site. Subscribe to Sound Cocktails, the politely very intermittent and always refreshing, podcast newsletter here. Find Agile Vocalist on IG Visit the Community Page of the YouTube channel. Support Agile Vocalist, a privately funded labor of love dedicated to the arts by leaving a tip here.

The sounds of bells in towers is a common experience to many around the world. But the reality is there is an entire profession devoted to carillons-- actual lever and pedal instruments making the sounds of bells you hear. Carillons exist all over the U.S., Europe and other parts and are commonly heard from the top of towers and built structures.This interview features Simone Browne, professional carillonist and UC Berkeley student who shares how she found the profession and its effects on the audible worlds immediately around the instruments. More about Agile Vocalist, including artist biographies, liner notes and additional visual material for every episode can be found on the Agile Vocalist web site. Subscribe to Sound Cocktails, the officially intermittent, polite, and always refreshing, podcast newsletter here. Find Agile Vocalist on IG Visit the Community Page of the YouTube channel. Support Agile Vocalist, a privately funded labor of love dedicated to the arts by leaving a tip here.

Janet Koike is the Founder of Rhythmix Cultural Works in Alameda, California. She is also the Artistic Director of Maze Daiko ensemble. In this episode she shares her journey from textile fashion design to tap dance to playing taiko, the Japanese drum. Janet's experiences bringing remind us all of the alluring power of sound, how artists are ambassadors for new paradigms, and the power of community that can be created when you bring performing art forms together.  Note: An earlier version of this episode was published Dec. 30, 2023 but the episode has now been corrected in her bio about her relationship with San Francisco Taiko Dojo.More about Agile Vocalist, including liner notes and additional visual material for every episode can be found on the Agile Vocalist web site. Subscribe to Sound Cocktails, the officially intermittent, very polite, but always refreshing, podcast newsletter here. Find Agile Vocalist's on IG Visit the Community Page of the YouTube channel. Support Agile Vocalist, a privately funded labor of love by leaving a tip here.

Have you ever pondered what it might be like to experience a moment of tranquility amidst the chaos of daily life? Melissa Felsenstein, the founder of Innersounds Meditation, reveals how sound healing can be your haven. Melissa used this therapeutic technique to conquer her personal battles with anxiety and depression, but she's also refined it into a unique formula to certify a new generation of sound practitioners.Sound healing has many benefits including healing the nervous system and creating calm to allow the body to work better. Melissa provides an insider's look at her 200-hour professional sound healing practitioner course, designed to equip aspiring practitioners to become a professional sound healers. We talk about the process of crafting crystal bowls and gongs and the differences between them. From achieving meditative states, reducing insomnia, to balancing chakras, Melissa lets listeners taste the experience: at the end of the episode there is a mini sound bath. More about Agile Vocalist, including liner notes and additional visual material for every episode can be found on the Agile Vocalist web site. Sound Cocktails, the officially intermittent, very polite, but always refreshing, podcast newsletter is how you can hear about new episodes first. Subscribe to get sips stirred with a dash of audiophile wonder sent to your email. You can also find Agile Vocalist's creator on IG Get even more lively content on the Community Page of the YouTube channel.

What does it take to synchronize light and sound? Co-creators Rob Jensen and Warren Trezevant, talk about their work creating Sonic Runway, an art installation conceived at Burning Man. Sonic Runway immerses the spectator in colorful synchronized visuals that animate the speed of sound.Hear the story behind their meticulous creation process, making the exhibit first for Burning Man in 2003 and how its success grew to transform it into a traveling exhibit to sites around the U.S., England, Canada, and finally to a replicated exhibit in Chengdu China. Listen in as we explore the myriad ways the Sonic Runway has reshaped the perception of sound for thousands of people around the world. Sonic Runway is a communal experience that has left audiences smiling, marveling and connecting with each other. Watch and listen to the Runway in action here. More visuals and information about this episode can be found at: https://agilevocalist.com/2023/10/01/watching-sound-t…warren-trezevant/More about Agile Vocalist, including liner notes and additional visual material for every episode can be found on the Agile Vocalist web site. Sound Cocktails, the officially intermittent, very polite, but always refreshing, podcast newsletter is how you can hear about new episodes first. Subscribe to get sips stirred with a dash of audiophile wonder sent to your email. You can also find Agile Vocalist's creator on IG Get even more lively content on the Community Page of the YouTube channel.

What did you do this summer? What's left still to experience? Better yet, what did you hear? July is a liminal space and time to dive into the creative. This summer soundscape is an annual season pause so you can listen to July. Traveling through California, Oregon, and landing in Washington at performing arts family camp, you're invited to come along for the auditory ride. Catch up with any Agile Vocalist episodes you may have missed now as new episodes start rolling out again in September.  More about Agile Vocalist, including liner notes and additional visual material for every episode can be found on the Agile Vocalist web site. Sound Cocktails, the officially intermittent, very polite, but always refreshing, podcast newsletter is how you can hear about new episodes first. Subscribe to get sips stirred with a dash of audiophile wonder sent to your email. You can also find Agile Vocalist's creator on IG Get even more lively content on the Community Page of the YouTube channel.

In 2007, Tommy Soulati Shepard and Kaitlin McGaw formed Alphabet Rockers to make music that makes change. This episode discusses how they met, the wide variety of their performing backgrounds and how they, 3 professional children artists and a host of other artist collaborators use hip hop to put a child's experience at the heart of its message. The Alphabet Rockers mission is to create music that disrupts racism, educates and fills children and adults with messages of hope and joy.  Tommy and Kaitlin talk about how a parent's role is so important in nurturing a child's growth and confidence. Their work encourages both children and adults to reflect on their own experiences, actions, non-actions and to ponder the role of silence.More about Agile Vocalist, including liner notes and additional visual material for every episode can be found on the Agile Vocalist web site. Sound Cocktails, the officially intermittent, very polite, but always refreshing, podcast newsletter is how you can hear about new episodes first. Subscribe to get sips stirred with a dash of audiophile wonder sent to your email. You can also find Agile Vocalist's creator on IG Get even more lively content on the Community Page of the YouTube channel.

Exposed to cello at an early age, Cellista broke away from her classical cellist training to follow her calling to create and collaborate with other art forms including beatboxers, spoken word artists, dancers, and musicians. Her work continues to reflect on and engage the cultural circumstances she experiences around her and she produces what she calls stage poems inspired by French Realists that include pillars of music, film, dance and literature. Liner notes and more information about this episode can be found at: https://agilevocalist.com/2023/05/21/taking-cello-to-vibrations-with-cellista/More about Agile Vocalist, including liner notes and additional visual material for every episode can be found on the Agile Vocalist web site. Sound Cocktails, the officially intermittent, very polite, but always refreshing, podcast newsletter is how you can hear about new episodes first. Subscribe to get sips stirred with a dash of audiophile wonder sent to your email. You can also find Agile Vocalist's creator on IG Get even more lively content on the Community Page of the YouTube channel.

Season 2 has concluded. This episode is how you can (wherever you are!) share in the podcast festivities (listening, sending me an email). Listen as I review the guests we had over the past year, sing you a little song, and recognize some of the amazing people who've supported me in this journey. Season 3 is coming!Listen and then send me an email- this podcast is now big enough that I don't know who you are. Really! Tell me what you do while you listen. Be honest you podcast lullabye types! Hear my supporters and get a listen back to some of what this season's guests have shared. I look forward to hearing from you in the pixels for a change!More about Agile Vocalist, including liner notes and additional visual material for every episode can be found on the Agile Vocalist web site. Sound Cocktails, the officially intermittent, very polite, but always refreshing, podcast newsletter is how you can hear about new episodes first. Subscribe to get sips stirred with a dash of audiophile wonder sent to your email. You can also find Agile Vocalist's creator on IG Get even more lively content on the Community Page of the YouTube channel.

Chelle Jacques is a career musician, bandleader, educator and more. In this episode she shares the story of her recently launched Daughters of the Delta Project featuring the musical contributions from the women artists of Louisiana we so rarely hear about. She also shares how she got involved with The Recording Academy, best known for producing the annual Grammy Awards. She now serves in a leadership position with the organization's California/Colorado chapter.Hear about the business of art, Chelle's powers of manifestation, and her experience being an artist and an educator who has touched the lives of thousands via San Francisco Symphony's Adventures in Music, Oakland School for the Arts, and more.Liner notes for this episode can be found here.More about Agile Vocalist, including liner notes and additional visual material for every episode can be found on the Agile Vocalist web site. Sound Cocktails, the officially intermittent, very polite, but always refreshing, podcast newsletter is how you can hear about new episodes first. Subscribe to get sips stirred with a dash of audiophile wonder sent to your email. You can also find Agile Vocalist's creator on IG Get even more lively content on the Community Page of the YouTube channel.

I talked to Frida the parrot as she was on exhibit as part of a larger an immersive art experience. This Agile Vocalist episode dives into animal sounds and share a one-of-a-kind recording of my interactions with a parrot I went to “interview.” Our interactions proved some of the most varied from any she'd had with other humans, and it marveled her owners, the hosts and artists at San Francisco's Gregangelo Museum.Liner notes and more are available at:  https://agilevocalist.com/2022/12/30/animal-sounds-frida-and-metamorphosis/Agile Vocalist information, including a blog and stories about sound creators can always be found on the Agile Vocalist web site. Sound Cocktails, the officially intermittent and very polite, but always refreshing, podcast newsletter is how you can hear about new episodes first. Subscribe to get sips sent to your email. You can also find Agile Vocalist's creator on IG Get even more lively content on the Community Page of the YouTube channel.

Folk and classical musician, composer, arranger, instrumentalist, and vocalist Moira Smiley has a broad repertoire of mystical and passionate music that pulls your heart strings. And if you sing, you may find yourself learning something she's written. Her songs, arrangements, artistic collaborations, body percussion sequences, and more have captured audiences shifting some from spectator into participant.  With her move from California back to Vermont, where she was raised, Moira continues to create art informed by her belief that singing creates community. Her work embodies the sounds of a hopeful future and folds in the rich wisdom of her past. Pictures, liner notes, and an episode transcript can be found at:  https://agilevocalist.com

What's it like to lead the edge of change in the arts? Vocalist, Marisa Winter (Diva Marisa) has done that with her career and she remains driven to offer new audiences music in context. As a classically trained opera singer and Burning Man performer, she shares the impact Burning Man has made on experiential art everywhere. Marisa's early life vocal experiences at first caused her to reject opera, but then she fell back in love with dedication required. In this conversation, we explore the ways she's brought opera to the Playa, the circus and to corporate events, the trapeze, her front porch and more. Marisa Winter BioDiva Marisa is a maverick singer and performer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. As a  conservatory-trained opera singer, Marisa has sung with the San Francisco Opera, the Oakland East Bay Symphony, Chris Brubeck, and multiple times in recital with Frederica von Stade. Marisa also sings opera on the trapeze in various settings, including the Thunderdome at Burning Man. Her signature aria is Diva Dance from the movie The Fifth Element.Pictures, liner notes, and an episode transcript can be found for this (and every!) episode on Agile Vocalist. Go to the episode page. 

Growing up in England, Opal Louis Nations was passionate about soul music and followed his calling to perform it amid England's soul and blues scene. In this interview Opal shares the roots of the painful history of gospel music and its evolution through decades of the 20th century to the 1960s. The episode includes rare music from his vast vinyl collection along with Opal's candid and brilliant humor in his short story, The Three Gospel Brushes. In addition to writing, producing, and being a dedicated musical historian, Opal shares his talents as a visual artist (you'll have the visit the web site to see those!). Opal's latest effort is co-producing the film How They Got Over, which is commanding new attention in 2021 for its historical portrayal about the rise of shout gospel.Opal Louis Nations was born in Brighton, England. During the mid-sixties he worked as lead vocalist in London clubs with the late Alexis Korner's Band and later his own group, The Frays. He helped popularize American soul-based R & B and gospel music in Great Britain. It was through his efforts that black American gospel artists visited England to perform in various major cities. He also became part of one of England's first integrated gospel groups, The Ram John Holder Group. With The Frays and later as a soloist, he recorded for Decca Records in London. In 1968, he turned his back on singing and began a career as an experimental fiction writer of sometimes strange, sometimes humorous works that have appeared in over 600 small press magazines worldwide. Opal launched a literary magazine, Strange Faeces, which featured experimental poetry, fiction and art by fresh young poets and writers and was published by Opal from 1970-1981. Opal's fiction has won him The Perpetua and Pushcart Prizes and some of his sound-poems have been included in the T.V. series “Man and His Music,” hosted by Yehudi Menuhin. Opal moved to San Francisco, California in 1973 and to Oakland, CA in 1981 after living in Canada and on the East Coast. He was a host of R&B / Gospel shows for KPFA Radio as well as the world music program, “Harmonia Mundi.” Opal is an avid collector of historical music and memorabilia. His vast record collection includes R&B, gospel, soul, rock & pop, world music and rockabilly music. He's also an incredible artist!

This continuing conversation with Indian classical music vocalist, Vidya Srinivasan gives us insights into how she balances a multi-dimensional life with music and how music is a tool as frequently used in her work life as it is in her personal life as a creator and performer.Vidya Srinivasan was introduced to the world of music at age 2 by her parents. Enrolled in music school at age 3 to learn Carnatic music, she gave her first solo concert at age 5. She holds a degree in Carnatic music. Vidya has performed in 4 Indian TV shows in Tamil and Telugu and numerous stage shows. Her voice appeared in Sapthaswarangal and Ennodu Paatu Paadungal, both popular Tamil reality music TV shows.Vidya sings in 4 different languages and likes to experiment across different music types to create hybrid mashups. Music is her favorite escape from her work in technology and Vidya often opens her tech talks with a song.Vidya has been the General Chair of Grace Hopper conference since 2019. Her love of tinkering with tech and has won her awards at Hackathons and so far she has filed 21 patents for her work.This episode is part 2 of a two-part series about Vidya.More visual information, liner notes, and an episode transcript can be found for this (and every!) episode on Agile Vocalist.com

Working in technology, it's rare to find someone whose passion is as deeply in the arts as it is in the sciences. With very early life training in Carnatic music, Vidya Srinivasan's career journey is filled with insights about how she uses a music as a tool for creativity, problem-solving, and as a means for processing life's emotional rhythms. In this two-part episode, we explore her career, the basics sounds and flavors of Indian classical music, and Vidya's abundant wisdom as well as her life turning point when she realized going full-into being a singer wasn't a sustainable path for her personally.Vidya Srinivasan was introduced to the world of music at age 2 by her parents. Enrolled in music school at age 3 to learn Carnatic music, she gave her first solo concert at age 5. She holds a degree in Carnatic music. Vidya has performed in 4 Indian TV shows in Tamil and Telugu and numerous stage shows. Her voice appeared in Sapthaswarangal and Ennodu Paatu Paadungal, both popular Tamil reality music TV shows.Vidya sings in 4 different languages and likes to experiment across different music types to create hybrid mashups. Music is her favorite escape from her work in technology and Vidya often opens her tech talks with a song.Vidya has been the General Chair of Grace Hopper conference since 2019. Her love of tinkering with tech and has won her awards at Hackathons and so far she has filed 21 patents for her work.More visual information, liner notes, and an episode transcript can be found for this (and every!) episode on Agile Vocalist.com 

Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir singer Mary Ford talks about her career with the group and her life roots with the art form. Mary chose the gospel at a crossroads after nearly losing her life on her honeymoon. The power of music on and inside the body as well as the unifying spirit it brings to audiences and performers is featured in this conversation with Mary. Mary Ford has been a vocal performer for 45 years. She has sung a capella, as an accompanied soloist and most recently has been a member of the The Left Coast Sextet, an all women's jazz ensemble. She's sung for 34 years with the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir. Mary is a mother, spouse, retired psychologist and bodyworker, as well as an active artist, writer and adventurer. She works with several local nonprofits as an advisor, teacher and donor activist, and is dead serious about economic and racial justice. Mary is a boogie boarder and rabidly competitive pickleball player.More visual information, liner notes, and an episode transcript can be found for this (and every!) episode on Agile Vocalist.com

In this conversation with audio engineer, Brian Walker, we talk through Brian's work learning the JackTrip technology. Use of JackTrip dramatically reduces audio latency while preserving original audio quality. The technology allows musicians to make music together synchronously via the internet and can be used for either rehearsals or live performances. This episode contains performance examples using JackTrip from the San Francisco Girls Chorus as well as Brian's singing group, Worldsong.Brian Walker is an audio engineer who has had an extensive career recording, mixing and mastering audio for gaming experiences, consumer products, text-to-speech applications, and personal voice assistants. He's worked for LeapFrog Enterprises, Facebook, and Google.  An expert in live direct-to-two-track recording, Brian spent the earlier part of his career as a touring Front-of-House engineer and Tour Manager for artists performing in the US, Canada, Europe and Asia. Brian is the Freight & Salvage's staff engineer and works on projects for Articulate Audio at San Francisco Bay Area-based venues, along with festivals and other venues.More visual information, liner notes, and an episode transcript can be found for this (and every!) episode on Agile Vocalist.com

In this continuing conversation about Jennifer Hollis's music-thanatology work (part 2 of a 2-part episode), she shares her perspective on the future of music-thanatology and Harps of Comfort, an organization she formed that has adapted with virtual music to the circumstances of Covid-19.  Jennifer Hollis is a writer, music-thanatologist and project director for Harps of Comfort, an organization that provides virtual harp and vocal music to isolated COVID-19 patients. Jennifer is the author of Music at the End of Life: Easing the Pain and Preparing the Passage. Her essays and articles have appeared in The New York Times, the Washington Post, Harvard Review, and her poems have won international awards. She has been a certified music-thanatologist offering harp and vocal music to patients for decades and was president of Music-Thanatology Association International for 6 years. Stories about her work have appeared on NPR, in the Boston Globe, and several podcasts. She has a degree in child development and a master of divinity from Harvard Divinity School.This episode is part 2 of a two-part series. Information and details for part 1 can be found here.More visual information, liner notes, and an episode transcript can be found for this (and every!) episode on Agile Vocalist.com

There is a little-known branch of the performing arts that brings harp and vocal music to the bed side of the dying. It's called music-thanatology. In this part 1 episode with music-thanatologist Jennifer Hollis, she shares what music-thanatology is and the amazing discoveries she made about the field researching her book about the power of music in medicine.Jennifer Hollis is a writer, music-thanatologist and project director for Harps of Comfort, an organization that provides virtual harp and vocal music to isolated COVID-19 patients. Jennifer is the author of Music at the End of Life: Easing the Pain and Preparing the Passage. Her essays and articles have appeared in The New York Times, the Washington Post, Harvard Review, and her poems have won international awards. She has been a certified music-thanatologist offering harp and vocal music to patients for decades and was president of Music-Thanatology Association International for 6 years. Stories about her work have appeared on NPR, in the Boston Globe, and several podcasts. She has a degree in child development and a master of divinity from Harvard Divinity School.This episode is part 1 of a two-part series about JenniferMore visual information, liner notes, and an episode transcript can be found for this (and every!) episode on Agile Vocalist.com

Part 2 of my 2-part conversation with San Francisco Bay Area vocalist, Pamela Rose.  Originally published:  March 2021 as a celebration of International Women's Day.Pamela Rose is a  jazz and blues vocalist who has thrilled local and international audiences for decades with her swinging, soulful style. Rose has performed at clubs and jazz and blues festivals throughout the United States, Germany, and Denmark. She has six recordings to her name. In recent years, Rose has toured nationally with her critically acclaimed show Wild Women of Song: Great Gal Composers of the Jazz Era and her more recent Blues is a Woman, a collaborative show among five exceptional blues musicians that tells the remarkable story of women and the blues. Liner notes, visual information, and a transcript of this (and every) episode can always be found on Agile Vocalist.com.Part 1 of this conversation is available here or wherever you get your podcasts.  

Agile Vocalist's inaugural compact audio memoir episode. This episode is a personal reflection on and for our world navigating Covid-19 and the treacherous realities of 2020. This compact audio memoir was created as an expression of gratitude for all the people who powered us through 2020:  healthcare workers, essential workers, all those whose work is “now seen.” I am so thankful for them and the perils they faced putting their lives at risk to simply “go to work.”This audio memoir is also a tribute to those who are still here, those who lost their loved ones, those who are still home isolated and trying to protect their health as they await the vaccine. You may still want –very much– to scream. These 6 minutes are to say “I hear you!”This episode was originally published in March 2021. More visuals, a transcript, and a link to the interactive "sounds of emotions" tool referenced in this episode (created by UC Berkeley researchers) can be found on the Agile Vocalist web site. 

San Francisco jazz and blues vocalist, Pamela Rose has thrilled local and international audiences for decades with her swinging, soulful style. Rose has performed at clubs and jazz and blues festivals throughout the United States, Germany, and Denmark. She has six recordings to her name. In recent years, Rose has toured nationally with her critically acclaimed show Wild Women of Song: Great Gal Composers of the Jazz Era and her more recent Blues is a Woman, a collaborative show among five exceptional blues musicians  that tells the remarkable story of women and the blues. Originally published:  March 2021 as a celebration of International Women's Day.  This episode is part 1 of a two-part series about Pamela.More details and liner notes about this episode can be found on Agile Vocalist.com.

Joshua is an award-winning actor, comic, writer, beatboxer, and educator whose path into the arts was punctuated by overcoming a speech impediment. The episode also includes his live improv soundscape performance as a meditation for 2021.   Joshua's various performances have received admiration from Norman Lear to Prince. He has collaborated with artists such as Slash (Guns and Roses), poet Ursula Rucker, and Wayne Brady. Joshua has dropped beats for Drop the Mic, a segment of The Late, Late Show with James Corden. This episode was originally released in February 2021. More episode visuals and Liner Notes about this episode are available the Agile Vocalist web site.

What is it like to be a modern-day disc jockey(DJ) artist? How, with sound alone, does a DJ engage people they've never met to celebrate, raise the energy, hop onto a dance floor, and come together for a shared experience? I talk engagement and the craft of DJing, including the craft of Dance Floor Architecture in this interview with veteran DJ, Justin James. His work leading Justintertainment, an events company with a team of DJs for hire, helps us to understand the power and skill needed to bring unique sound and music experiences to the people.Short Guest BioFor years, DJ Justin (Just-IN) has brought energy, electricity and one-of-a-kind musical experiences to events throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. Known for orchestrating the perfect crescendos at occasions of all kinds, DJ Just-IN ties together unique musical sounds to create the perfect soundtrack for any event.A great DJ is an artist and Justin is skilled in his craft. With deep musical knowledge and a love of all genres, he is able to connect with diverse audiences and match his mixes to what they want to hear. He is a  Professional Dance floor Architect. Outside of DJing Justin enjoys spending time doing just. about anything outdoors with his family. More visual information, liner notes, and an episode transcript can be found for this (and every!) episode on Agile Vocalist.com

In celebration of Agile Vocalist's 1-year anniversary, this epilogue takes you back through an unexpected trend that emerged with many of my guests about creativity. The theme was this:  people are often most creative and get their sound practice and ideas... in the bathroom, specifically the shower. Cars were also a theme as havens for creating. Who knew?Talking about bathrooms, showers, cars & visions for the arts (post-pandemic) are my guests from the past year (in order of app(H)earance):Chloe Medanic-Watt (intro/outro)Rachel MedanicOpal Louis NationsJoshua Silverstein & Joshua at Spoken Funk eventPamela RoseVidya SrinivasanMary FordBrian WalkerBeauty Awaits, courtesy Harps of ComfortJustin James & his mix:  Rare vol. 15, DJ Just-IN Radio #12Podcast theme music:  LoopermanAll podcast listeners (and non-listeners looking for a little fun & to learn something) are invited to take the 1-year anniversary quiz! A little music knowledge and some observation powers will get you 6+ right answers...which enters you in a drawing to win podcast swag, Girl Scout cookies & other fun things that will show up in your mailbox. Drawing offered only to U.S. & Canada residents. 

Dr. Makiko Hirata (“Dr. Pianist") is on a mission to promote the power of music to heal and unite. In this episode, she talks about reconciling her training in classical piano with being a woman in music as well as how musicians have a role to play as first responders in times of climate catastrophe. She has shifted her career from being an "Olympian pianist” performer who uses performance to demonstrate ever increasing mastery of challenging piano pieces to instead playing simpler pieces that better connect and resonate with her audiences.Bio:Dr. Hirata collaborates with neuroscientists to quantify the benefit of music and promote the power of music as an overlooked social resource through speaking engagements, workshops and writing. Her doctorate is a DMA, Doctorate of Musical Arts from Rice University. In addition to her concerts, she collaborates with neuroscientists to quantify the benefit of music and promote the power of music as an overlooked social resource through speaking engagements, workshops and writing. More visual information, liner notes, and an episode transcript can be found for this (and every!) episode on Agile Vocalist.com 

Betsy Blakeslee's work has connected refugees with the healing power of music for two decades. She directed expressive arts programs for refugee youth in Bosnia and Croatia during the wars of the 1990s. Since 2016, her Expressive Arts Refuge team and Moira Smiley have been running similar programs at refugee camps in France, Greece, and Lebanon.In this episode she shares stories of how her experiences as a volunteer have touched the lives of Sudanese and Syrian children. She talks about how expressive arts- music and body percussion touch and shift traumatic experiences, especially for those fleeing war and violence. Betsy gives us before and after stories, a demo (with me) of music and body movements she teaches, as well as how brain science is truly behind why music creates belonging and connection among people. Betsy Blakeslee is the co-author on forthcoming book about the Calais Jungle refugee camp in Calais, France. More visual information, liner notes, and an episode transcript can be found for this (and every!) episode on Agile Vocalist.com