The Scene, from Indiana Public Radio

This week, Scott Simon regals us with tales about tails! The NPR legend has a new book "Ulysses S. Cat and Other Animals I Have Known" chronicling a lifetime of remarkable relationships with pets. He even reveals which pet he named after IPR!Also: We'll sit down with Yaniv Segal, Orchestra Indiana's Artistic Director and Principal Conductor, ahead of the final concert of their current season (Saturday, May 9). That show will open with his original composition “…the light that breathes…” We'll celebrate Mother's Day in the U.S. with "The Inside of Bones"—a Beautiful Thing from Kelly McMasters. And, our usual "WAYWO" and Arts Calendar check-ins!

This week, we join a Fencing Club class at Cornerstone Center for the Arts in Muncie! Instructor Christian Achgill (and his intermediate-level students) take Michelle and Jen through the basics—culminating in a back-and-forth bout!Also in the show: we talk to metal artist Tracy Davidson, who's made sculptures as big as trees and as small as earrings; she explains how she started jewelry-making as a form of pain management. We'll hear three local musicians (Laura Switzer, Cari Cambridge, and Foxxy) go Behind the Song. And, "WAYWO" takes us onto the stage with Zeus Currie!

The Pop team has the week off to nurse our spring allergies, but we're listening back to some of our favorite interviews: James Edwards (Director of Horticulture at Minnetrista) and Erica Oliver (Environmental Education and Greenhouse Coordinator at the Dr. Joe and Alice Rinard Orchid Greenhouse) Chris Barnes of gospel soul duo The Sensational Barnes Brothers Indy 500 wreath-maker Julie Harman Vance

This week, we sit down for a conversation with educator, writer, and editor Jill Christman. Jill's most recent memoir "The Heart Folds Early" took her almost 20 years to write—emerging after multiple different iterations, pushback from publishing houses, and being shelved by the writer herself. Jill tells us why she ignored the advice she gives her writing students, and why now was the right time to finish the book.Also: we'll speak with Alex Chadsey, bandleader of jazz trio Duende Libre, who will bring their international influences to Pruis Hall on April 23. He explains how the band came to be and what audience members should look forward to. And we once again extend our Arts Calendar to discuss "Art for the People," a weekend-long celebration of public art in Muncie!

This week, we talk to two sets of artists that have teamed up! Jenni and John Marsh just finished directing "The West Wind" at Muncie Civic Theatre. It's the third play they've written together, and they'll take us into their collaborative creative process. And: Ruthie Berkey and Randy Eyestone are both musicians in their own right, but they've teamed up for performances across East Central Indiana—including the Pop studios.Also in this show, we get driven straight to summer with Candace Angelica Walsh's Beautiful Thing "Playing Hooky," and we'll talk with respected glass artist Brent Cole!

This week, we get a taste of culinary offerings in ECI: Prabhu Krishnan welcomes us into Bayleaf Indian restaurant in Muncie; Jeff Clark and chef Jason Reynolds from the video series "A Taste for Whiskey" banter ahead of their educational appearance at Public Media Pours; and Cheryl Crowder (Muncie Downtown Development) and Lindsay Montgomery (Aerial Annex) preview a different beverage-themed event.We'll also take a detour Up North to hear about "Trout Lilies" with writer Ginny MacDonald.

This week... we're still recovering from celebrating our 100th episode! So we're listening back to some of favorite trips in past seasons: we find local artists on the floor of the 2025 Indiana Artisan Marketplace, we look to the skies with members of the Academy of Model Aeronautics, and The Ball State Studio Band brings us into their rehearsal. We'll also have a brand new arts calendar!

This week, we're celebrating our 100th episode by doing the show live! We'll be joined by NPR's Stephen Thompson for a national perspective on pop culture right now. We'll chat with filmmaker and local history expert Chris Flook about the history of arts and culture in East Central Indiana. We'll also check in with some of our favorite "WAYWO" guests, do our Arts Calendar live, and laugh at some of the audio that didn't make it into our previous 99 episodes. Join us!

The Pop of Culture podcast is going to be a little late this week... because we're doing the show live to celebrate our 100th episode! Join us Friday, March 20th at 12:00 p.m. on IPR's airwaves, via the Ball State Public Media App, or on indianapublicradio.org.If you can't listen live, we'll have the show up as soon as possible—and we still like you just as much!

We first heard from Indiana's Poet Laureate Curtis L. Crisler after he had been selected for the role in 2024. This week, he joins us in-studio to share how he's moving now that he's been selected for a second term. We'll learn about the "Chitlin Circuit," how Motown influences his work, and the new poetry form he's pioneering.Also in this show: Ball State University's Department of Theatre and Dance is bringing the classic musical "Cats" to Emens Auditorium for one weekend only March 20 - 22; we cat-ch up with Avery Nienhuis (Rum Tum Tugger) and Vivian VerHulst (Grizabella) to learn about the show! We'll also discover our latest Story Behind the Song with Annette Miller.

This week, we meet writer and poet Mark B. Hamilton. He has a new book of poems inspired by Captain William Clark's (of Lewis & Clark) journal entries as they voyaged west. He also took the 8,000-mile journey himself, so we have to ask him about that incredible experience.We also immerse ourselves in the the David Owsley Museum of Art's visiting exhibition of "Nora Krug: Belonging," which details the author and illustrator's work on their memoir grappling with their German heritage, and their illustrations for Timothy Snyder's "On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century." Nora Krug will give a talk on Ball State's campus Wednesday, March 11. We'll bring in film and television awards expert (and professor) Monica Sandler for a preview of the Academy Awards. And finally, we'll sit down with Stephanie Michaels (Cornerstone Center for the Arts) and Karen Fisher (Muncie Artists Guild) to learn about two exhibitions for young artists.

This week, award-winning playwright Alice Tuan steps into our studios to have a Conversation Between the Coasts. She was on Ball State's campus after being commissioned to write a play and workshop that play with students; she tells us about that experience, why sitting in discomfort is important, and creating art in the age of constant feedback.Also on the show: Melody A. Lynch is the COO of a not-for-profit utility co-op—a job that brings a lot of stress. She picked up painting during the COVID-19 pandemic and shares how it's a source of calm away from her day job. And speaking of painters, we've been doing Paint Month for "What Are You Working On?" in February, and today is our last exhibit!

This week, Sara McKinley (Carnegie Library Manager and Archivist) and Melissa Gentry (Supervisor of the Map Collection at Ball State University Libraries) give us a sneak peek of their panel event "Women of Whitely: At the Heart of Muncie's Black History" happening Thursday, February 26 at the historic Shaffer Chapel Museum in Muncie. They'll use archival material and "story maps" to tell the stories of significant women in Muncie's history!We'll also take a journey... right back to East Central Indiana! Members of The Barricade Boys join us from Florida and the U.K. before their "Broadway party" bursts into Emens Auditorium. And we'll visit florist Sharon Grubbs at Foister's Flowers & Gifts to learn how they prep for major holidays (hint: Valentine's Day).

The Pop Team is off this week, so enjoy some relevant favorites:- Indiana Poet Laureate Curtis L. Crisler- Fort Wayne band SUN.DYLE- "Beautiful Things" writer Robert Earle- Fine artist Anne Maddox ...and we'll pop up with a new episode next week!

This week on Pop of Culture, we meet Heather Taylor and Casey Morgan of Cocoa & Cream Collective—a new bakery opening in Yorktown... soon! They take us through the process of opening a new small business and why their team is truly a collective.We'll also catch up with musician Nick Kendall of Time for Three, a genre-bending trio with a new album based on the works of Emily Dickinson. The tile game Mahjong is having a moment, so we asked local expert Raquel Santoni to give us the basics. And Maya Doss kicks off our first-ever themed month of "WAYWO!"

This week, we're immersed in the visiting exhibition "Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley: Let the World See." Minnetrista Director of Curation & Exhibition Sebastián Encina explains how their team chooses exhibitions, and why this one was so important to bring to East Central Indiana.Also in this show: we chat with 2026 NPR Tiny Desk Contest judges Anamaria Sayre and Robin Hilton, "Arts Alive" artist Jeffrey Gibson talks about the changing art world, and we interview Samantha Rowe—a balloon artist!

This week, we learn about two singer-songwriters—one real, one fictional. Author Lori Rader-Day returns to the show with her new murder mystery "Wreck Your Heart," set in the country music scene of Chicago (yes, really). Later, we hear a performance from multi-genre musician Katie Jo Robinson, recorded live for Pop of Culture.Also in this episode: A Beautiful Thing set "In the Delivery Room," and sculptor Chet Geiselman shares what he's working on!

This week we're rocking with local band Pothole, who identify their sound as "765 PUNK." Bandmates Carter Minton and Lawson Sanchez take us through the process of their soon-to-be-released "sister" EPs. Also in this episode: artist Tashema Davis takes us into a new exhibition centering women of color in the community at Kennedy Art Center, and we'll get a taste of "Destination: Munchie" from Destination: Muncie.

Welcome to Season 3! Lots to get to...We'll start with two different takes on the medium of glass: documentarian Chris Flook tells us what surprised him during his new documentary about collecting Ball jars ("The Hobby"); artist Jessica Calderwood takes us through the process for her new metal and glass series honoring textile patterns from diverse communities across East Central Indiana ("Threads of Home).Also in this episode: a Beautiful Thing from Diane Gottlieb ("Mondegreen") and Maya Doss asks Olivia Willard, "What Are You Working On?"

The Pop of Culture team is readying Season 3!As we celebrate the new year, we picked some of our favorite segments from last season, like our visit to the Ball State Studio Band, our delightful chat with comedian and cartoonist Dan Wright, the times we've ended up recording in the dark (which has somehow happened twice), and many more!

Pop of Culture explores the vibrant cultural tapestry of East Central Indiana. Join hosts Jennifer Blackmer, Michelle Kinsey, and Dr. Kara Duquette as they delve into regional arts, showcase local events, and engage in insightful conversations with artists and curators. From small business spotlights to in-depth art analyses, Pop of Culture aims to amplify the voices of Indiana's artistic community, enriching your life with the diverse spirit of our state.

This week we are turning back the pages and reminiscing on the great show that has been The Scene. The Scene is unfortunately ending after this season but we couldn't leave without saying goodbye. Come hangout with past and current engineers as we celebrate The Scene and share stories from our time on air.

This week on The Scene, our producers will be featuring artists and bands that they have each worked with here on The Scene over the period of our last season. Given this is the last season of The Scene, we all enjoyed sitting down and listening to the various genres, and musical influences that Indiana has to offer. Join us!

Join us on this week's podcast episode where we'll be taking some time to look back and listen to some of the favorite tunes from Liam VanOverwalle's time here on The Scene in a Liam's choices episode. The lineup for this episode includes acts from Clint Breeze & the Groove, Seaux Chill, The Brothers Footman, Caleb McCoach, Jomberfox, Village Elder, and Lung.

For Paul's choices episode, we will be featuring six different local Indiana artists and bands. Paul has been an engineer and producer for the scene for two seasons now. He will be sharing music from the start of his time as an engineer and producer back from season 11 up through season 12 of The Scene. On this episode we'll be featuring both pre-released music from Johnny Macc, Monarch, and Overlook. We will also be featuring  artists that have been recorded either live or in studio. This includes Porch Kat, Shoot Down the Sun, and Mickey Young. Tune in to get an inside scoop on Paul's choices and his time here on The Scene from Indiana Public Radio!

This week we are looking back on the time we shared with Scene Engineer Jacob Holtzman. Join us as he discusses and shares music from some of his favorite episodes. Come learn some behind the scenes info (no pun intended) and why being apart of The Scene meant so much to Jacob.

Tune in this week as we listen to KC King and Allison Victoria here on The Scene from Indiana Public Radio!

In this episode of the Scene, we're gonna be taking a look back and listening to a variety of rock music from some of the past artists featured on the scene for a special midwest rock variety rewind episode!  We'll be diving into some music from bands like There are Ghosts, Dopacetics, and Blue Dream.

Our second of two featured artists on this week's Homegrown series episode is Meghan Cristeen Martin & the 1900, an alternative Americana trio based in Indianapolis. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the newly formed band from 2020 had to refocus their efforts to best represent themselves as a trio. With releases such as Lydia, Too Much Noise, and The Garage Country demos, Meghan Cristeen Martin & the 1900 have been able to resurge as a local Indianapolis-based band. This performance was taken from the 2021 Garfield Park Arts festival. With elements of garage rock, Americana, and country, this performance is one that you do not want to miss!

Our first of two featured artists on this week's Homegrown series episode is Native Sun, an Indianapolis-based band that intertwines traditional hip hop with gospel, rock, jazz, and soul. Led by bassist B Meeks, drummer Sleepy, and emcee B Young, Native Sun sets itself apart from other traditional hip-hop groups because of how they have implemented live instrumentation to beats and samples. Native Sun can be found on basecamp and on Facebook. This performance was recorded from the 2021 Garfield Park Arts Festival. With elements of soul, and the use of live instrumentation over traditional hip hop beats and samples, this live 2021 performance from Native Sun is one you do not want to pass up!

This week we are looking at Galaxy News Radio! A local band from Anderson, Galaxy News Radio was kind enough to sit down with us for an interview where we talk about origins of the band, recent live shows, and reminisce together on our recording session for The Scene. With good fun and better friends this is a fun episode to tune into!

On this episode of The Scene we are taking a special look at Galaxy News Radio! An Anderson based band, Galaxy News Radio spent some time with us this past fall cutting some of their favorite songs of theirs live! We had a bunch of fun as we recorded together in Ball State's MMP studios. Enjoy!

Join us this week as we delve into the music of Village Elder from their performance at the 2021 Wide Eyed Music Festival. Be sure to tune in to hear more from The Scene on Indiana Public Radio!

Join us this week as we delve into the music of Lung from their performance at the 2019 Virginia Avenue Music Festival. Be sure to tune in to hear more from The Scene on Indiana Public Radio!

Our third and final featured artist this week on The Scene from Indiana Public Radio, is that of Mickey Young, a hip-hop artist from Indianapolis. Drawing inspiration from Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and Chance the Rapper, Mickey Young aspires to offer positive energy and entertainment for his audience. Mickey Young can be found on SoundCloud at itsmickeyyoung, and on Instagram at @itsmickeyyoung. This performance was captured from the Chreece music festival hosted at the White Rabbit Cabaret from 2019. Tune in!

Our second of three featured artists this week on The Scene from Indiana Public Radio, is Manon Voice, the hip hop emcee, poet and social justice advocate from Indianapolis. According to manonvoice.com, she has become a trusted voice in the arts and activism community. She expresses her voice by participating in workshops and public speaking events to amplify the richness of the human narrative. Manon Voice can be found at https://www.manonvoice.com/. This performance was taken from the Chreece music festival hosted at the White Rabbit Cabaret in 2019. Tune in!

Our first of three featured artists this week on The Scene from Indiana Public Radio, is J Stokes, an alternative trap/hip hop artist from Indianapolis. Jeremiah Stokes can be found at: jeremiahstokes317 on SoundCloud, and online at https://do317.com/artists/jeremiah-stokes. This performance was taken from the Chreece music festival hosted at the white rabbit cabaret in 2019. Tune in!

This week on The Scene we are celebrating Black History Month by looking at Sleepy Nap Vibe's Juneteenth performance at The Jazz Kitchen! Scene regular Richard ‘Sleepy' Floyd put together a star studded cast of African American performers, musicians, and poets at The Jazz Kitchen to commemorate the nation's first official celebration of Juneteenth. With moving performances and a fantastic ensemble of Indiana's talent, this is an episode you do not want to miss!

Join us this week as we bring you music from Deadfoot, a punk rock group who the Scene was able to record at the Wide-Eyed Music Festival. This episode contains strong language that has been beeped, so listener discretion is advised.

Join us this week as we bring you music from Stealing Volume, an Indianapolis punk rock group who the Scene was able to record at the Wide-Eyed Music Festival. This episode contains strong language that has been beeped, so listener discretion is advised.

Join this week as we delve into the music of Caleb McCoach and his band! First up we will take a listen to Caleb's performance from the Johnsongs studio in the Murphy arts building in downtown Indianapolis. Then next up well take a look at their amazing performance at the 2021 Wide Eyed music festival. This is one of my favorite episodes this season so be sure to tune in!

This week, we're featuring the dance pop Ball State University Music Media Production alumni and artist Johnny Macc, and the music from his latest 202020s visual album. We will also be featuring an exclusive interview with Johnny Macc, where he talks about his life as an artist, his upbringing as a Ball State University Music Media Production alumni, and the process behind his latest visual album. Tune in!

Join us this week for an awesome set of episodes showcasing the Indy Music Co-op! A communal studio and recording space, IMC just wrapped up their crowdfunding campaign and is getting ready to launch into their new endeavor! The Scene was lucky enough to go down to Indy for their celebration and were able to catch some great artists, like Rob Dixon & Triology! Tune into this episode to hear this funky jazz group lay down some heavy licks' as they celebrated IMC.

This week we are celebrating the work and ideas of the Indy Music Co-op! A communal recording and rehearsal space, Indianapolis music has a brand new spot to go to thanks to founders Kai McGinnis and Sleepy Richard Floyd. Tune into this episode as we chat with the founders about the space and all things music.

Join us this week for an awesome set of episodes showcasing the Indy Music Co-op! A communal studio and recording space, IMC just wrapped up their crowdfunding campaign and is getting ready to launch into their new endeavor! The Scene was lucky enough to go down to Indy for their celebration and were able to catch some great artists, like Moxxie! Tune into this episode to hear this trios rockin' performance as they kicked off IMC's celebration with a bang.

As a special treat for the holidays, we're proud to bring you IPR's production of This American Carol, our radio drama broadcast on Friday, Dec. 17, live from Sursa Performance Hall. This American Carol is a contemporary comedy mashup of A Christmas Carol and The Office, as told in the style of NPR's This American Life.  The new production is written for IPR by award-winning playwright, screenwriter and professor of theatre at Ball State University, Dr. Jennifer Blackmer. The main character is Carol, a successful branch manager who has a misguided idea of what celebrating the holidays at work actually means.  Carol, who wants things done in a very specific way, won't listen to anyone's input and, after a fit of epic proportions (her staff literally fear for their jobs), she decides to cancel the party. The next day, three mysterious meetings pop up on Carol's Outlook calendar (ghosts) who come along to teach Carol that respecting your coworkers and listening to them not only makes for a good team, but they can also become the family you need but never had.

As we close out the semester, the Scene's producers Abigail Bache, Liam Vanoverwalle, Jacob Holtzman, and Paul Butler sat down to share some of our favorite tracks from S12 so far! Tune in to hear our top picks (and maybe a good joke or two)!

This week on The Scene from Indiana Public Radio, we will be featuring local Indiana artists and their music that was recorded, mixed mastered, and produced by student members of the student-run record label, Beneficence Records. We will be featuring AmeriKKKen, Brother o Brother, Five Ever, Porch Kat, and Chives who are a part of Beneficence Record's Benny Gratis series.

Our second episode of the week features Hawktail! Continuing on with our Crossroads format, Hawktail is a Tennessean bluegrass band that we were fortunate enough to catch at the Ouibache Music Festival. Featuring some of the current top bluegrass players, this is an episode you do not want to miss!

This week we are kicking off our Crossroads format by showcasing the rockin' band Trauma Illinois! Hailing from the Cincinnati area, Trauma Illinois are a dynamic power trio that crushed their performance at Music at the Mansion, a concert series set against the backdrop of the Lanier Mansion in Madison Indiana.

For this episode, we are bringing you the Emmett Cohen Trio, a group lead by New York pianist and composer Emmett Cohen. The Emmett Cohen Trio is a jazz group that plays all over the country, and the Scene was able to catch a show this summer at the Ouibache Music Festival!