Podcasts about Conservatory

Over the weekend, San Francisco's Conservatory of Flowers announced that their corpse flower, named 'Scarlet,' would be blooming in the next 7 to 14 days. It's an event that usually makes the news because these flowers can take up to ten years to reach their first bloom and they can smell like… death. But they're also endangered. And one of the Conservatory's neighbors, the California Academy of Sciences, has been working with a national effort to preserve this rare plant's DNA. KALW's Wren Farrell took a look at the program in 2024 when the Academy's corpse flower ‘Mirage' had its own bloom. 

One San Francisco band has been going strong for 144 seasons. Today, we're hitting the high notes with the Golden Gate Park Band's music director. Then, the Conservatory of Flowers' corpse flower is about to bloom again. Plus, we stop by the San Francisco dragon boat festival!

A long-time hospitality business owner says Aucklanders need to get out and support local businesses if they don't want them to go under. Tricky Hartley, owner of Wynyard Quarter eatery The Conservatory spoke to John Campbell.

The Poisonous Bouquets Revealed the Conservatory s Criminal HeartBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dark-mysteries-the-strange-and-unusual-podcast-2026--5684156/support.Darkest Mysteries Online

Jack O'Neill is often credited with inventing the first wetsuit and selling it out of one of the nation's first surf shops near San Francisco's Ocean Beach. But many people don't know that a UC Berkeley physicist had a big role in the wetsuit's early invention too. It's an invention that changed the sport of surfing forever. Now, people surf all kinds of cold locations due to the availability of flexible neoprene suits that keep them warm. Additional Resources: The Wetsuit Changed Surfing -- We've Got a Berkeley Physicist to Thank for It Read the transcript for this episode A Bay Curious Adventure: History in Bloom at the Conservatory of Flowers Event Sign up for our newsletter Got a question you want answered? Ask! Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Gabriela Glueck. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale and Olivia Allen-Price. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Molly Gebrian is a professional violist with a background in neuroscience. She is the author of Learn Faster, Perform Better: A Musician's Guide to the Neuroscience of Practicing. Holding degrees in both music and neuroscience from Oberlin College and Conservatory, New England Conservatory of Music, and Rice University, her area of expertise is applying the science of learning and memory to practicing and performing. Previously, Dr. Gebrian was the viola professor at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and the University of Arizona. After a decade of teaching viola at the collegiate level, she joined the faculty at New England Conservatory of Music in Fall 2024 as the inaugural Teaching Artistry Scholar-in-Residence to teach about the science of practicing.   https://www.mollygebrian.com/ https://www.mollygebrian.com/music-and-the-brain https://www.amazon.com/Learn-Faster-Perform-Better-Neuroscience/dp/0197680070/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1419D… https://www.youtube.com/@DrMollyGebrian https://youtu.be/uN9TsKNAPeU We want to thank our sponsors ANNA and Alpensong

Biographical Bytes from Bala #055 for mid-May 2026: Tour starts at the Conservatory, River Section starts at the BODE plot.  Join me on an audio guided tour of the River Section of Laurel Hill West, one of the original four segments when the cemetery opened in 1869. You won't miss and of the fancy mausoleums or Tiffany studio stained glass, since they came later. You will meet the Father of Scientific Management and the Mother of Mother's Day, the man who literally changed two sports and his sister who wrote for The New Yorker, a man who decorated several rooms in City Hall and Masonic Temple, and a woman whose work is primarily at The Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., the first doctor to take care of Phineas Gage after the tamping bar incident (it wasn't a crowbar), and a bride who wore her dress for the first time in her coffin. Plus ... oh, I don't know, maybe a couple of dozen more. I promise you at least two or three stories you will want to tell others. 

GOP candidates for U.S. Senate are crisscrossings Kentucky in the final days before the primary election, a new poll shows a Trump-backed candidate leading an incumbent in a Kentucky Congressional race, Sen. Paul brings in a CIA officer who testified about a COVID cover-up, and two spirits giants in Kentucky won't merge after all.

This week, we are thrilled to sit down with one of today's leading natural horn artists, Sadie Glass!  Assistant Professor of Horn and Brass-Percussion Program Director at the Conservatory of Music at the University of the Pacific, Sadie is also one of the four inaugural university faculty ambassadors for The Alphorn Project. Through her innovative work with historical instruments and modern pedagogy, she has become an influential voice in the growing alphorn community. Sadie performs with many of North America's leading period-instrument ensembles, including Portland Baroque Orchestra, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, and American Bach Soloists. In California, she is a member of the Monterey Symphony and performs regularly throughout the Bay Area with ensembles including the San Francisco Symphony and Santa Rosa Symphony. In addition to her university teaching and performing career, Sadie serves on the faculty of Cormont Horn Camp and has appeared as a guest artist, clinician, and performer at alphorn and horn festivals throughout the United States, including many regional and national International Horn Society Symposiums, the Northwest Alphorn Festival, Santa Fe Alphorn Festival, and the Northern California Alphorn Festival. You can find her sharing her expertise at several upcoming festivals!   Upcoming Opportunities to Connect: Northern California Alphorn Festival: Stockton, CA | August 6–9, 2026 Santa Fe Alphorn Festival: Santa Fe, NM | November 5–9, 2026   Explore Sadie's work here: Official Website: sadieglasshorn.com Instagram: @ive_got_no_valves YouTube: @sadieglass3831 University Profile: Pacific.edu Directory Horn Camp: horncamp.org Horn Camp Faculty Bio: Sadie Glass Leavenworth Workshop: leavenworthalphorns.org AANA- The Alphorn Association or North America

Do you want to get into the arts? Meredith Walker, the Director of Admissions at the Norwalk Conservatory, made a stop at the Post Road Diner for the WICC Brown Roofing Melissa In The Morning Diner Tour, to talk about what the conservatory is, what they do and how to become a part of it.

Jon Hansen, host and executive producer of the Block Club Chicago Podcast, joins Wendy Snyder (in for Bob Sirott) to share the latest Chicago neighborhood stories. Jon has details on: This Lincoln Square Mentalist Is Reviving Chicago Tavern Magic, One Brewery At A Time: After leaving her corporate job to pursue magic full-time, Brielle Kawalek […]

Anthony came to chat about his new series, starting with The Conservatory. A cozy mystery, featuring Miss Lily, homeopathy, tarot, and a whole lot else besides. 

Artspeak Radio, Wednesday, April 22, 2026, 9am -10am CST, 90.1fm KKFI Kansas City Community Radio, streaming live audio www.kkfi.org Producer/host Maria Vasquez Boyd welcomes artists GK Callahan & Laura White, Consuelo Cruz Belger Arts, & Cody Joliff Powell Gardens CEO, Director Teisha M. Bankston & Artistic Director Unicorn Theater Ernie Nolan. GK CALLAHAN & LAURA WHITE- Englewood Art Center presents Laura White- In Full Bloom, a solo exhibition by KC blind artist Laura White. On view from March 20 through May 16, 2026, with an opening reception on Friday, March 20 at 6:00 PM.“You have never seen anything like this — neither have I.” —White In Full Bloom is an immersive, cheeky, tactile exhibition featuring beaded quilts and sculptural works created from beads and found materials. Inspired by the artist's love of gardening and nature, the work draws from her favorite flowers- flowers she can no longer see, but continues to engage with through memory and touch. White's practice expands the tradition of American quilt-making into a richly textured visual and sensory language, expressed through bold, large- scale works. Drawing on her background in graphic design, White constructs her quilts through a monumental reinterpretation of fused beading toys, resulting in surfaces that pulse with color, pattern, labor, and intention. The imagery within each work emerges from White's visual memory, formed before she lost her eyesight due to retinitis pigmentosa and usher syndrome. Because of her limited vision, White often collaborates with friends and family in selecting colors, embedding each piece with a communal authorship that mirrors the social histories of traditional quilts. The result is work that is at once deeply personal and collective. Art reentered White's life in 2016 through a collaborative project that reignited her studio practice and led to local recognition. Her work has since been exhibited in the KC area and at institutions, including the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. In Full Bloom marks a significant moment in White's artistic journey — not a return, but a flourishing. The exhibition invites viewers to slow down, to experience art through touch, memory, and presence, and to reconsider long-held assumptions about vision, access, and who art is for. About Englewood Arts: Englewood Arts Center is dedicated to assisting the community through development of residential and commercial incentives, public art, art events, art programs, philanthropy and community outreach solutions, which result in a thriving community with engagement and pride. Englewood Arts is located at 10901E. Winner Rd. Independence, MO www.englewoodarts.art TEISHA M. BANKSTON, Director & ERNIE NOLAN, Artistic Director of Unicorn Theatre Don't Touch My Hair By Douglas Lyons May 6 – 24, 2026 Unicorn Theatre | Levin Stage Directed by Teisha M. Bankston About the Show: Don't Touch My Hair Written by Douglas Lyons | Directed by Teisha M. Bankston Don't Touch My Hair is an exploration of Black womanhood, identity, and cultural ownership, with a sharp comedic wit. The play follows lifelong best friends Eemani and Jade, who, during a casual afternoon together, are launched into a surreal hallucination. It's a journey that transports them through time to confront historical and cultural oppressors. Through humor, imagination, and sharp dialogue, the two women confront the past to reclaim their power. The play is filled with satire and social commentary, using comedy as a lens for examining serious social issues. Rather than centering pain, Don't Touch My Hair creates space for laughter, reflection, and conversation. Why It Matters Don't Touch My Hair's power comes from shifting the conversation about racial injustice and confronting it through humor and the joyful bond of women. It invites audiences to engage with complex issues in a way that is thought-provoking and deeply human. Key Themes & Takeaways Black Identity At its core, the play examines the significance of Blackness as both a personal and political expression. It challenges audiences to consider who “owns” culture and what it means to reclaim it. Boundaries “Don't touch my hair” represents the right to personal space, respect, and self-definition. The play highlights how Black women's bodies and identities are open for commentary, and pushes back against that norm. The “Angry Black Woman” Stereotype The story interrogates the societal expectation that Black women must shrink themselves to be accepted. It confronts stereotypes that label assertiveness as anger, and instead presents characters who are expressive, complex, and unapologetically themselves. Comedy as a Tool for Confrontation Rather than approaching racism solely through trauma, the play uses humor to disarm and engage. By making audiences laugh, it opens the door for deeper reflection on difficult topics without centering harm done to Black people. Friendship & Joy Eemani and Jade's relationship is a common thread throughout the story. Their bond reflects the importance of safe spaces where Black women can exist fully, speak freely, and find joy while navigating challenges. Eemani and Jade light up to unwind, but their blunt is laced with more than weed. A wild hallucination gives them superpowers to confront the past in a hilarious, eye-opening journey. This electrifying play celebrates Black womanhood and self-discovery. Unicorn Theater is located at 3828 Main St. KCMO www.unicorntheatre.org CONSUELO CRUZ, Vice President Marketing & Community Engagement Belger Arts & CODY JOLIFF Powell Gardens CEO POWELL GARDENS AND BELGER ARTS DEBUT COLLABORATIVE GLASS FOUNTAIN INSTALLATION On view during Painted Garden (May 2-June 21, 2026) in the Conservatory Powell Gardens, Kansas City's botanical garden, announces the Fountain Project, a one-of-a-kind glass installation created in collaboration with Belger Arts by a collective of glass artists. The installation will be on view May 2 through June 21, 2026, in the Conservatory at Powell Gardens. The piece created as part of the Fountain Project, titled Teaming with Life, will launch the Gardens' spring art-focused event, Painted Garden. Selected through a national call for artists, the Fountain Project brings together an eight-person collective of glassmakers from across the United States: Abigail Amundson, Michael Carson, Keegan O'Brien, Jacqueline Polofka, Ori Shir, Lauryl Sidwell, Brandon Smith, and Tyler Suter. The team includes three lead gaffers and six assistants who worked collaboratively to fabricate and install the large-scale piece. The artists gathered at the Belger Glass Annex to create the fountain's intricate functional and decorative components using traditional glassblowing techniques before assembling the installation onsite at Powell Gardens. Their work transforms the Conservatory into a tranquil retreat inspired by the landscapes of the Midwest prairie. At the center of the space, the fountain is adorned with luminous blown-glass forms that echo the shapes and colors of prairie blossoms. Soft golds, lavender tones, and prairie blues shimmer in the light, creating a peaceful atmosphere where visitors are invited to slow down, sit in a rocking chair, and enjoy the interplay of glass, water, and spring blooms. The result is a serene environment where art, nature, and heritage come together in quiet harmony. About the Artists • Abigail Amundson is an emerging multimedia artist based in Corning, New York, whose work explores the intersection of nature and spirituality. She recently graduated from Bowling Green State University and works with the Corning Museum of Glass Hot Glass team. • Michael Carson, originally from Indiana, focuses on functional blown glass inspired by historical Venetian techniques. He has worked with studios across the Midwest and with the Corning Museum of Glass Hot Glass team. • Keegan O'Brien, based in Kansas City, earned his BFA from Bowling Green State University. His sculptural glasswork explores light and material, and he currently works as a gaffer at Monarch Glass Studio. • Jacqueline Polofka is the artist behind Double Dipped Studios on Kelleys Island, Ohio. A graduate of Bowling Green State University, she specializes in blown glass and previously worked at institutions including the Corning Museum of Glass and Chrysler Museum of Art. • Ori Shir is co-owner of Shir Glassworks in Greenfield, Massachusetts. His nature-inspired glasswork ranges from functional to sculptural and is exhibited nationwide. • Lauryl Sidwell is a Kansas City-based artist who transitioned from stained glass to hot glass in 2023 and continues to expand her practice through studio work and classes. • Brandon Smith is a glass and mixed-media artist, blacksmith, and educator based in Pennsylvania. He holds an MFA from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and leads the glass program at Keystone College. • Tyler Suter is a resident artist at Belger Arts Center in Kansas City whose sculptures in glass and ceramics are inspired by organic forms and the natural world. Powell Gardens 1609 NW US Hwy 50 Kingsville, MO 816.697.2600 www.powellgardens.org The Fountain Project installation is on view daily from May 2 through June 21, 2026 in the Conservatory at Powell Gardens. For more information about Painted Garden and upcoming events, visit powellgardens.org. May 2: Unveiling of the Belger Arts-Powell Gardens Fountain Project at Powell Gardens. Nine artists from across the country were selected from an open call to create a blown glass fountain. They arrive in Kansas City on April 23. • Gallery Collections: Here Comes the Sun (April 3 - May 30); Dog Days (June 5 – August 1) • June 6: Exhibition Openings for Annual Resident Artist Exhibition; Beat the Heat • June 29-August 7: Kids and Teen Camp • Ongoing ceramics and glass classes Our programs this year are in partnership with Handwork: Celebrating American Craft 2026, a nationwide semi quincentennial initiative to showcase the importance of the handmade throughout history and in contemporary life.

Show Notes: John Milbauer explains that, although he didn't graduate from Harvard, his education and career followed a unique path involving music and academia. John reflects that his focus has been a combination of music and ideas, but the structure of academia often separates the two. He mentions his role as Dean of the School of Music at DePaul University in Chicago where they are bringing the two together to provide musicians with a more holistic approach to creative development and expression. Choosing a Career Path At 17 John was accepted into both Harvard Summer School and Aspen Music Festival, and he had to choose which one to attend. He chose Harvard after the advice that young musicians should not pursue music if they can pursue a career in a different field that offers a better chance at success. He describes his love for music and his initial excitement at Harvard, including taking calculus and expository writing. John applied to Harvard's admissions in seventh grade; to him it represented a world of ideas, culture, sophistication and globalism that small town Wisconsin did not offer. Leaving Harvard for a Conservatory John recounts his childhood in northern Wisconsin and his early musical training with Joan Moffitt. He explains how many music instructors tend to teach students bad habits that have to be unlearned later. He explains that he needed purely technical training and he realized that Harvard wasn't set up to provide technical training in music studies, and so, in the middle of his sophomore year, John left Harvard for a conservatory. He details his educational journey from Harvard to Eastman to Juilliard, highlighting the importance of technical training, and the relationship between the mind and body when pursuing creative development.  A Career As a Pianist John pursued his career as a pianist. He talks about his time at the Hungarian Liszt Academy on a Fulbright. He explains the challenges of being a musician in their 30s, including the need for a stable job with benefits. John shares his experience as a piano faculty member at three universities, including the University of Arizona. He describes his decision to pursue a mid-career Master's in Public Administration at the Kennedy School of Harvard, influenced by his 25th reunion. Moving to a Career in Higher Education Administration John talks about going back to Harvard at 49. He realized he needed  broader knowledge, particularly about developing economies, and goes on to explain his decision to pursue a career in higher education administration, influenced by his Kennedy School education. John describes his role as Dean of the School of Music at DePaul University and his efforts to integrate music and academia. He highlights the importance of combining his musical skills with his understanding of economics and government, and shares three key takeaways from his Kennedy School education: economic complexity, the importance of imagination, and the need to resist quantifying good deeds. He explains how these lessons have influenced his work at DePaul, including his approach to growing the school's programs. Harvard Reflections John discusses the importance of imagination in music and the arts, influenced by his class with Roberto Unger. He highlights the role of values in his work, influenced by his class with Rohit Deshpanda at Harvard Business School. John also recounts a special performance with Steve Balderston, a long-time faculty member at DePaul, which helped build trust within the community, and shares a memorable performance of John Cage's Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano, which attracted a full house.   A Vision for DePaul School of Music John discusses the importance of revealing the beauty in music rather than imposing his own interpretation. He outlines his vision for the DePaul School of Music, including its role as a top orchestral training institution. He emphasizes the importance of diversifying the curriculum to include recording arts and performing arts management. John discusses the need for conservatories to focus on specialized training while maintaining a broad educational approach, and he highlights the potential for DePaul to become a leader in complex and diversified higher education in the arts. Timestamps: 05:14: Early Musical Training and Harvard Experience 10:27: Career in Music and Academia 16:02: Transition to DePaul University  21:55: Impact of Kennedy School Education  28:01: Personal and Professional Highlights 34:04: Vision for DePaul School of Music  Links: Faculty: https://www.depaul.edu/faculty/john-milbauer Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/43vQxUUaMmzDFTKBND7u2B?si=34e1d0776d604cfb DePaul University:  https://magazine.depaul.edu/s/1906/23/interior.aspx?sid=1906&gid=2&pgid=4425   This episode on The 92 Report:  https://92report.com/podcast/164-john-milbauer-pianist-and-conservatory-leader/ *AI generated show notes and transcript  

Our next guest on A2 THE SHOW is Giovanni Nehme, a Lebanese singer based in Dubai blending Western opera with Oriental sounds like maqam and tarab.From discovering his voice in Beirut to reinventing himself after major life challenges, Giovanni shares his journey of identity, creativity, and resilience. We also dive into authenticity in music, the impact of AI, and staying true to your art in a digital world⭐IG: @giovanninehme

Deborah Wondercheck didn't start the Arts and Learning Conservatory(ALC) because she thought it was a good idea. She started it because she'd lived the alternative, and she knew exactly what kids lose when the arts get cut.Today, ALC serves roughly 3,700 students annually across nearly 50 schools in Southern California. Since 2004, more than 35,000 kids have encountered the arts through the organization for the first time. It started with 21 kids, a string ensemble, and a few cast members doubling as nuns.In this episode of the Charity Charge Show, Deborah walks through the personal story that led to Arts and Learning Conservatory, how the organization has grown from a garage operation to a facility with a 200-seat theater, and what advice she has for nonprofit leaders still figuring out the early stages.

In this episode of the Ali & Callie Artcast, we sit down with Karin Wedemeyer, founder and Executive Director of the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint, to explore her vision for this dynamic and deeply valued cultural hub in downtown Sandpoint. Karin shares the Conservatory's origin story and how it has grown into an international school of performing arts rooted in a classical framework while remaining open, inclusive, and community-focused. We talk about what it means to offer accredited programming alongside a mission that emphasizes collaboration, cultural exchange, and artistic excellence. From the very first notes of a beginner to the refined mastery of advanced performers, the Conservatory's dedicated faculty inspires students of all ages and backgrounds to discover, and deepen, their musical talents. This conversation highlights how music education can build confidence, connection, and a lifelong love of the arts, welcoming everyone from the very young to the very old. To learn more about classes, performances, and upcoming events, visit sandpointconservatory.org.

Garfield Park Conservatory and Botanical Garden - Indianapolis IndianaThe 136-acre Garfield Park Conservatory and Botanical Garden is the oldest of the Indianapolis city parks.The 136-acre facility includes a conservatory, sunken garden, the Garfield Park Arts Center and the MacAllister Center for the Performing Arts. The Conservatory includes a large collection of tropical plants, live birds and a koi pond.The sunken gardens have an impressive fountain as well as a wonderfully landscaped gardens with huge beds filled with all kinds of blooming flowers. From the Book East Central Indiana Day Trips The Author's WebsiteThe Author on LocalsThe Author on FacebookThe Author on TwitterThe Author on RumbleThe Author on YouTubeThe Author's Amazon Page

San Francisco's Golden Gate Park is at the heart of city life. Created in 1870 when the land was mostly sand dunes, the park is now one of the crown jewels of the city by the bay and is a must-visit for anyone traveling here. World famous institutions like the Conservatory of Flowers, De Young Museum, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco Botanical Gardens and Japanese Tea Gardens are located in the park, but there are just as many hidden trails, magical dells and places to get lost. We explore some of the hidden delights of Golden Gate Park that even devoted locals might not know about. And, we'll tell the epic story of how this park got built in the first place. Additional Resources: Golden Gate Park Was Once Miles and Miles of Sand Dunes Read the transcript for this episode A Very Curious Walking Tour of Golden Gate Park Sign up for our newsletter Got a question you want answered? Ask! Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale and Olivia Allen-Price. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mary Balmana grew up in San Francisco and has driven down Monterey Boulevard near the Glen Park neighborhood hundreds of times. She often notices a large, beautiful Victorian building tucked between the houses and apartment buildings that dominate the block. And she's wondered, what's the story with it? How did such a grand building end up in such an unassuming spot? Additional Resources: The Eccentric Personalities Behind Sunnyside Conservatory, a 120-Year-Old Garden in San Francisco Read the transcript for this episode Sign up for our newsletter Got a question you want answered? Ask! Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Katrina Schwartz. Bay Curious is made by Christopher Beale and Olivia Allen-Price. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Admission to music programs and conservatories is a specialized process that involves more steps than simply sending application material and essays to the admissions office. This week Megan is joined by Darren Sacks, a professional double bassist and music college admissions expert to discuss key aspects of music education and the audition preparation. Darren shares: the importance of early music lessons and private instruction quality participation in youth orchestras and summer festivals the significance of developing musical maturity, technical proficiency, and consistent practice systems guidance on selecting appropriate instructors and maintaining professional standards throughout the application process the significance of choosing appropriate pieces that showcase a student’s current level without being too challenging Darren discusses the importance of finding a balance between coaching and consulting when selecting a one-on-one music instructor for students, emphasizing the need for instructors to demonstrate and provide practical examples alongside guidance. He shared his approach of combining tough love with empathy to help students improve, using examples like helping a student win an all-states competition after an initial setback. If you are interested in learning more, you can find Darren at: Home Page: www.darrensacksbasscoach.com Instagram: @darrensacks.bostonbass Specifically parents of double bassists or students interested in orchestral double bass, if parents click on the “Work With Me” page, they can schedule a phone call with Darren to book a Zoom Audition Strategy Call + 30-Minute Playing Session for their child. The post 619: From Local Youth Orchestras to Top Conservatories – Strategies that Win the Audition with Darren Sacks appeared first on The College Prep Podcast.

Chris JenkinsDean of Lawrence University Conservatory of MusicLawrence Universitychristopher.s.jenkins@lawrence.eduhttps://www.lawrence.edu/conservatory

Fluent Fiction - Dutch: Forging New Traditions in the Heart of the Conservatory Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/nl/episode/2026-01-26-23-34-02-nl Story Transcript:Nl: De lucht in het regenwoud conservatorium was zwaar, doordrenkt met vocht en de geur van natte aarde.En: The air in the regenwoud conservatorium was heavy, drenched with moisture and the scent of wet earth.Nl: De geluiden van exotische vogels zweefden door de lucht als een melodie van verre oorden.En: The sounds of exotic birds floated through the air like a melody from distant places.Nl: Anouk keek omhoog naar het glazen dak, waar het zonlicht door het groene bladerdak priemde.En: Anouk looked up at the glass roof, where the sunlight pierced through the green canopy.Nl: Het was een plek vol leven en toch voelde ze zich alleen.En: It was a place full of life and yet she felt alone.Nl: Met haar broer Jasper en zus Lotte liep Anouk over de slingerende paden.En: With her brother Jasper and sister Lotte, Anouk walked along the winding paths.Nl: Haar gedachten dwaalden af naar vroeger, vakanties waar elke zomer de hele familie samenkwam.En: Her thoughts drifted back to the past, to vacations where the entire family would gather every summer.Nl: Maar nu waren de ouders gescheiden en voelde alles anders.En: But now the parents were divorced, and everything felt different.Nl: Zou de familie ooit nog hetzelfde zijn?En: Would the family ever be the same again?Nl: "Herinner je je de reis naar de bergen nog?"En: "Do you remember the trip to the mountains?"Nl: vroeg Jasper plotseling, terwijl hij een groot groen blad aanraakte.En: Jasper suddenly asked, while touching a large green leaf.Nl: Anouk knikte en glimlachte kort.En: Anouk nodded and smiled briefly.Nl: "Ja, dat was zo leuk," zei ze zacht.En: "Yes, that was so fun," she said softly.Nl: Maar binnenin haar woedde een strijd.En: But inside, a struggle raged.Nl: Ze wilde niet dat de mooie herinneringen zouden verdwijnen.En: She didn't want the beautiful memories to disappear.Nl: Ze wilde de tradities behouden.En: She wanted to preserve the traditions.Nl: Terwijl ze verder liepen, voelde Anouk de spanning tussen haar en Lotte groeien.En: As they walked further, Anouk felt the tension between her and Lotte growing.Nl: Lotte was degene die graag vasthield aan hoe het altijd was geweest.En: Lotte was the one who liked to hold on to the way things always had been.Nl: Jasper, daarentegen, wilde vooruit.En: Jasper, on the other hand, wanted to move forward.Nl: "Waarom kunnen we geen nieuwe tradities maken?"En: "Why can't we create new traditions?"Nl: vroeg hij, zijn stem klonk vastberaden.En: he asked, his voice sounding determined.Nl: Lotte snoof.En: Lotte scoffed.Nl: "Het zal nooit meer hetzelfde zijn."En: "It will never be the same again."Nl: Anouk wist dat ze iets moest doen.En: Anouk knew she had to do something.Nl: Ze verzamelde al haar moed en sprak.En: She gathered all her courage and spoke.Nl: "Laten we iets nieuws proberen, hier en nu.En: "Let's try something new, here and now.Nl: Laten we een traditie beginnen in dit regenwoud conservatorium."En: Let's start a tradition in this regenwoud conservatorium."Nl: Het voorstel leidde tot een verhitte discussie.En: The proposal led to a heated discussion.Nl: Oude wonden openbaarden zich en pijnlijke waarheden kwamen naar voren.En: Old wounds revealed themselves, and painful truths came to the surface.Nl: "Ik wil de familie niet verliezen," zei Anouk uiteindelijk, met tranen in haar ogen.En: "I don't want to lose the family," said Anouk finally, with tears in her eyes.Nl: "Maar het is tijd om verandering te omarmen."En: "But it's time to embrace change."Nl: Ze stonden stil bij een open plek onder een gigantische palm.En: They stood still at a clearing under a giant palm.Nl: De spanning in de lucht leek te breken.En: The tension in the air seemed to break.Nl: Lotte zuchtte en ontspande.En: Lotte sighed and relaxed.Nl: "Misschien heb je gelijk.En: "Maybe you're right.Nl: Misschien is het tijd voor iets nieuws."En: Maybe it's time for something new."Nl: Jasper glimlachte.En: Jasper smiled.Nl: "We zijn nog steeds een familie, zelfs als dingen veranderen."En: "We're still a family, even if things change."Nl: Samen spraken ze af om elk jaar naar het conservatorium te komen.En: Together they agreed to come to the conservatory every year.Nl: Een nieuwe traditie was geboren.En: A new tradition was born.Nl: Terwijl ze door het dichte groen verder liepen, voelde Anouk de last van haar schouders glijden.En: As they walked further through the dense greenery, Anouk felt the burden slide off her shoulders.Nl: Ze besefte dat, hoewel de dingen veranderden, de liefde en band tussen haar en haar broers en zus de ware constante was.En: She realized that although things changed, the love and bond between her and her siblings were the true constants.Nl: Anouk keek naar de zonnestralen die door de bladeren schenen.En: Anouk looked at the sunbeams shining through the leaves.Nl: Veranderingen zouden komen, en dat was goed.En: Changes would come, and that was okay.Nl: Ze begreep nu dat nieuwe herinneringen even waardevol waren als de oude.En: She now understood that new memories were just as valuable as the old ones.Nl: En dat was een traditie die ze graag zou willen voortzetten.En: And that was a tradition she would gladly continue. Vocabulary Words:air: luchtconservatory: conservatoriumheavy: zwaardrenched: doordrenktmoisture: vochtscent: geurcanvas: bladerdakpeer: priemewinding: slingerendepierce: priemeexotic: exotischemelody: melodiegather: samenkwamendivorced: gescheidenleaf: bladstruggle: strijdpreserve: behoudentension: spanningembrace: omarmenrevealed: openbaardentruths: waarhedenburden: lastconstants: constantebond: bandvaluable: waardevoltradition: traditiechange: veranderingsiblings: broers en zusgathered: verzameldedetermined: vastberaden

"Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey and special guest Kanon SuginoIn this episode of "Dance Talk” ® , host Joanne Carey interviews dancer and choreographer Kanon Sugino, who shares her journey from a young dancer in New York to a recipient of the Clive Barnes Award. Kanon discusses her experiences at LaGuardia High School, the challenges of company life, and the differences between modern and contemporary dance. She reflects on her cultural identity as a Japanese American dancer and how it influences her choreography. Kanon encourages artists to take up space and share their voices through art.Kanon Sugino is a Japanese American dancer and choreographer born and raised in New York. She attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts and SUNY Purchase College, graduating Summa Cum Laude with a BFA in Dance and a BA in Arts Management. Kanon has worked with Nimbus Dance, and is currently a company dancer with Doug Varone and Dancers and MICHIYAYA Dance. She has performed in works choreographed by Doug Varone, Bill T. Jones, Keerati Jinakunwiphat, Jie-Hung Connie Shiau, Norbert De La Cruz lll, Gregory Lau, Fredrick Earl Mosley, Peter Chu, Darrell Grand Moultrie, MICHIYAYA, Merce Cunningham, Martha Graham, and more. As a choreographer, she has presented work at the We Belong Here: AAPI Festival, split bill performances at Arts On Site and the Triskelion Theater, and self-curated shows at the Puffin Room Art Gallery and the Triskelion Theater.During her time at Purchase College, she took on the role of co-leader of the Conservatory of Dance's Racial Equity Group, and was awarded the Distinguished Leadership Award for her work. Additionally, Kanon was named the Jadin Wong Fellow for Dance with Asian American Arts Alliance as well as an Honored Artist for Dance with the Clive Barnes Foundation in 2024. Kanon has taught at SUNY Purchase's Conservatory of Dance, New York Theatre Ballet, and at Doug Varone and Dancer's summer and winter intensives in addition to various colleges in the U.S. while on tour with the company.Learn more about Kanon:⁠https://www.kanonsugino.com/⁠“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey "Where the Dance World Connects, the Conversations Inspire, and Where We Are Keeping Them Real."⁠⁠⁠https://dancetalkwithjoannecarey.com/⁠⁠⁠Please leave us a Review.Please help support the podcast:⁠⁠⁠https://gofund.me/e561b42ac⁠⁠

“I remember when I performed at Carnegie Hall for the first time. It was transformative. I remember taking the stage and just being in complete awe. I looked out, and it was just incredible. When I heard the sound, it was even more incredible. I used to say that my favorite part of my job was standing right at the stage door and watching every choir singer come and take the stage for the first time. They would look out and just be in complete awe. Now that I'm production manager, my new favorite part of my job is when conductors come off the stage and I get to tell them, ‘turn around, go back, they're still clapping for you.'” - Eric Spiegel“Living abroad gave me a whole new perspective and appreciation for my home country. It taught me a lot about other cultures and how to work with different people and have a certain cultural sensitivity and sensibility. I could not recommend it enough. We're trying to grow and enhance the kinds of international opportunities that we provide. It's such a collaborative, educational experience that goes way beyond one or two concerts. We know for many people who travel with us, it might be their first time in Europe. We try to make sure that it's special in every possible way that we can.” - James RedcayA native of Allentown, Pennsylvania, James Redcay joined MidAmerica Productions in April of 2015. A graduate of New York University, Redcay spent years in New York City as an accomplished pianist, composer and teacher, performing and composing for numerous concerts and institutions. During this time Redcay also held the position of Composer-in-Residence at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ. After graduating from NYU, Redcay moved abroad to Macao, where he taught music at the Conservatory of Macao and created and managed large-scale arts and entertainment programs and daily operations for Sands China Ltd., a subsidiary of Las Vegas Sands. After six fruitful years, Redcay relocated to the United States and now resides in Michigan.Eric Spiegel holds a Master of Music Education degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, as well as a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Miami Frost School of Music, with experience teaching middle and high school vocal/general music. As a performer, Eric has sung and acted in choirs, jazz groups, a cappella ensembles, and musicals across the United States and around the world. Eric conducted the Brooklyn, NY chapter of HaZamir: The International Jewish High School Choir for seven seasons, including in performances at David Geffen Hall and Jazz at Lincoln Center, and has served as MidAmerica Productions' head of production for concerts at Carnegie Hall since 2023.To get in touch with James & Eric, you can visit midamerica-music.com or find MidAmerica on Facebook (@midamerica.productions) or Instagram (@midamericaproductions)Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.Podcast music from Podcast.coPhoto in episode artwork by Trace Hudson

This week, we're talking all about NCTC's production of Ruthless! — the campy, darkly hilarious musical that turns ambition and innocence completely on their heads.

Rob Spera is a film and television director, educator, and the author of Film/TV Director's Field Manual: 70 Maxims to Change Your Filmmaking. With decades of experience directing features, episodic television, and theatre, Rob brings a deeply practical, human-centred approach to directing and leadership. In this conversation, we discuss:Why Rob describes his book as an “anti-textbook”The idea that the camera's job is to photograph subtextBuilding non-redundant frames that invite the audience to participateWhy kindness and psychological safety are essential creative toolsLetting go of control and empowering collaboratorsWhat “write what you know” really meansHow directors can practise their craft between jobsFilm/TV Director's Field Manual – available via Amazon and Rob's websiteHAPPY HOLIDAYS!This podcast is completely independent and made possible by listener support. If you'd like to help me keep making these episodes, you can join my Patreon community here: https://patreon.com/jamiebenning Watch more on YouTube:Check out the Filmumentaries YouTube channel for behind-the-scenes clips and extra content: https://youtube.com/filmumentariesAll my links

Catherine (Katie) Ulissey, wife and research partner of geologist Dr. Robert Schoch, found her early years shaped by dance. Conservatory trained, she turned professional at the age of 16, performing with classical ballet and contemporary dance companies, and later transitioning to musical theater, performing on Broadway in a number of productions including the original cast of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom of the Opera". Her early childhood in Saudi Arabia sparked a lifelong fascination with ancient mysteries. Katie and Dr. Schoch met at a conference on the topic in 2007 and married on Easter Island in 2010. Together, they have co-authored works exploring ancient civilizations and their connections to cosmic events. Katie has contributed significantly to her husband's research, including connecting Easter Island's previously undeciphered rongorongo script to global “plasma petroglyphs” first identified by renowned physicist Dr. Anthony Peratt of Los Alamos National Laboratory. This discovery shifted her husband's research toward our Sun as the probable cause of the end of the last ice age. Related to this, she noticed giant Lichtenberg patterns emanating from beneath the Great and Second Pyramids on the Giza Plateau (dendritic patterns would be consistent with plasma ejected during massive solar outbursts). More recently, she has offered an hypothesis regarding the potential “Ancient and Intentional Burial of Ancient Egypt” (in similar fashion to Göbekli Tepe). She holds a B.A. from Emerson College (2002) and stays connected to her dance roots by teaching ballet at Wellesley College. She is the author of a children's book, “Adriana and the Ancient Mysteries: The Great Sphinx”, published in German, Italian, and English (revised edition).Dr. Robert M. Schoch, a full-time faculty member at the College of General Studies at Boston University since 1984, and a recipient of its Peyton Richter Award for interdisciplinary teaching, earned his Ph.D. in Geology and Geophysics at Yale University in 1983. He also holds an M.S. and M.Phil. in Geology and Geophysics from Yale, as well as degrees in Anthropology (B.A.) and Geology (B.S.) from George Washington University. In recognition of his research into ancient civilizations, Dr. Schoch was awarded (in 2014) the title of Honorary Professor of the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy in Varna, Bulgaria. In 2017, the College of General Studies at Boston University named him Director of its Institute for the Study of the Origins of Civilization (ISOC).In the early 1990s, Dr. Schoch stunned the world with his revolutionary research that recast the date of the Great Sphinx of Egypt to a period thousands of years earlier than its standard attribution. In demonstrating that the leonine monument has been heavily eroded by water despite the fact that its location on the edge of the Sahara has endured hyper-arid climactic conditions for the past 5,000 years, Dr. Schoch revealed to the world that mankind's history is greater and older than previously believed. The subsequently excavated 12,000-year-old megalithic site of Göbekli Tepe in Turkey confirmed these assertions.Dr. Schoch's more recent research has focused on the cataclysmic events that ended Earth's last ice age, circa 9700 BCE, simultaneously decimating the high civilizations of the time. The overwhelming evidence drawn from varying disciplines, put forth in his book Forgotten Civilization: New Discoveries on the Solar-Induced Dark Age (2021), points to enormous solar outbursts as the cause.Dr. Schoch has been quoted extensively in the media for his work on ancient cultures and monuments around the globe. His research has been instrumental in spurring renewed attention to the interrelationships between geological and astronomical phenomena, natural catastrophes, and the early history of civilization. He has appeared on numerous radio and television shows and is featured in the Emmy-winning documentary The Mystery of the Sphinx, which first aired on NBC in 1993.The author and coauthor of books both technical and popular, Dr. Schoch's works include Phylogeny Reconstruction in Paleontology (1986), Stratigraphy: Principles and Methods (1989), Voices of the Rocks (1999), Voyages of the Pyramid Builders (2003), Pyramid Quest (2005), The Parapsychology Revolution (2008), Forgotten Civilization: The Role of Solar Outbursts in Our Past and Future (2012), Origins of the Sphinx (2017), and the 2nd edition (revised and expanded) of Forgotten Civilization, subtitled New Discoveries on the Solar-Induced Dark Age (2021), among others. Dr. Schoch is also the coauthor of an environmental science textbook used in universities across the United States, and he has contributed to numerous magazines, journals, and reviews on geology, ancient civilizations, parapsychology, and other topics. His works have been translated into a number of languages and distributed around the world.Besides his academic and scholarly studies, Dr. Schoch is an active environmental advocate who stresses a pragmatic, hands-on approach. In this connection, he helped found a local community land trust devoted to protecting land from harmful development, serving on its Board of Directors for many years. And despite acknowledging that our Sun is a major driver of climate on the planet, Dr. Schoch takes an active part in “green” politics; for over a decade he served as an elected member of his local city council.In 1993, an extinct mammal genus was named Schochia in honor of Dr. Schoch's paleontological contributions.It was at the instigation of the late John Anthony West (1932—2018) that Dr. Schoch first began studying the age of the Sphinx. The chamber beneath the Sphinx's paw, which Dr. Schoch, working with Dr. Thomas Dobecki, discovered in the early 1990s and which many people believe is an ancient archive or "Hall of Records" remains unexplored.In 2010 (and grateful to the dignitaries who made it possible), Dr. Schoch married former ballet and Broadway dancer Catherine Ulissey in both civil and traditional Rapanui ceremonies on Easter Island.Dr. Schoch's website is www.robertschoch.com.- - - - -Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/earth-ancients--2790919/support.

Snow continues to blanket the Chicago area so it might be hard to think about planting and nature but at the Garfield Conservatory, there's a program designed for teens to think green all year round.

Snow continues to blanket the Chicago area so it might be hard to think about planting and nature but at the Garfield Conservatory, there's a program designed for teens to think green all year round.

Snow continues to blanket the Chicago area so it might be hard to think about planting and nature but at the Garfield Conservatory, there's a program designed for teens to think green all year round.

Episode 307 of UnSpun with Jody Vance and George Affleck delivers a packed week of drama — a surprise pipeline agreement, a budget that's “zero” in name only, poll shocks in Vancouver, and another chaotic turn in US politics.Here's what's inside:

Send us a textDescriptionThe Musician's Life in the Romantic Era in 60 Seconds. Take a minute to get the scoop!Fun FactFranz Liszt was the 19th-century equivalent of a rock star. Fans reportedly fought over his discarded gloves and hair strands, a frenzy dubbed Lisztomania. While his performances caused swooning in concert halls, his income often relied more on teaching and touring than on the sale of his compositions.About Steven, HostSteven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.Support the show

In this bonus episode, I chat with Daniel Kumapayi about his upbringing as a double bassist, his experience studying at the University of Michigan, and the founding of the Pan Africanist art music foundation, Àkójọpọ̀. Make sure you check out the amazing resources on their website and follow their social media to stay up to date on their projects!Quick correction: at 10:47, we meant to mention San Fransisco Symphony, instead of Conservatory.TW: brief mention of suicide 25:13–25:50Àkójọpọ̀'s websiteÀkójọpọ̀ on FacebookÀkójọpọ̀ on InstagramOptimize GrantDetroit Public School pay high school students for tutoringBawo NdiyabongaGet in touch with me at: hermusicacademia@gmail.com

Konstantin Efimov was born in 1958 in St. Petersburg, Russia, the elder (by 10 years) of two sons born to Igor Efimov, well-established movie actor, and his wife, Irina, whom he met while attending Moscow's prestigious Maly Theater School.  Irina performed on stage until a few days before Kostia's birth.  "That must be why I enjoy being on stage so much," says Kostia, who goes by his childhood nickname.  His parents chose to live in St. Petersburg to be close to Igor's elderly mother.  In 1961, they signed a five-year contract with the Theater Group of the Soviet Army Force, performing in East Berlin.  KGB regulations, however, did not allow them to bring Kostia, then age 2-½ with them.  He stayed, as an "insurance policy," with his grandmother, Valya, living in a communal apartment that housed nine families (33 people) in 11 rooms, all sharing the same hallway, kitchen and bathroom.  "The bathtub was always filled with laundry," Kostia recalls.  "We took our baths twice a week in the community bathhouse."  As a child, Kostia displayed a tremendous interest in music, spending much time in front of the radio in his grandmother's tiny room.  At age 4, a present was delivered to him from his parents -- a 1937 Wolkenhauer upright piano, upon which he soon learned to play hundreds of Russian folk songs.  "It became the center of life in our home," Kostia remembers.  "Even my pet rooster, Peter, used the lid as his favorite perch, and he would sit there and listen while I played."  Kostia's parents returned from East Germany in July of 1965, when he was 7.  His grandmother died of a stroke the following month.  The same year, Kostia was accepted into a special music preparatory school of the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory.  For the next 11 years, each day involved four to six hours of piano practice.  At the school he met his first great influence, teacher Tamara Karetkina.  "I was her first student," Kostia recalls.  "She was a tremendous pianist and a beautiful woman, very much resembling Jacqueline Bisset.”  Because of his talent, Kostia and other elite prodigies were forbidden to play sports, for fear of hand injuries.  At 14, Kostia, who loved basketball, broke a finger in his right hand during a clandestine pick-up game.  "I was so frightened," Kostia says. "The thought of not being able to play again was so horrifying!  It was worse than death for me.  I didn't tell my mother that I did it playing basketball; I told her I fell down carrying my briefcase."  While his right hand healed, Kostia passed the time mastering pieces written by Ravel and Scriabin for left hand.  Ravel's piece was composed in honor of a pianist who lost his right hand during World War I.  At 18, Kostia entered the famed St. Petersburg Conservatory.  Here he met and studied under Vladimir Nielsen, one of the last great masters of Russian Romanticism.  He completed his Conservatory studies in 1982 with advanced graduate degrees in four disciplines:  concert (solo) pianist, pianist for chamber ensemble, accompanist, and piano teacher.  Following graduation, Kostia performed throughout Russia, Eastern Europe and Scandinavia as a soloist, with orchestras, with ethnic ensembles and his own jazz-fusion group.  Typically, Conservatory graduates move into teaching.  "I decided to go another way.  I was already involved with jazz and pop performances, and I was pretty well known as an arranger, so I wanted to explore new music.  Friends introduced me to Oscar Peterson, and modern jazz and progressive rock bands like Genesis, Yes and King Crimson.  It was very different, extremely energetic, and absolutely spontaneous, like myself.  I am definitely a free spirit, and playing this music allowed me a certain level of freedom that I wasn't able to explore in classical music."  Kostia received a proposal from the St. Petersburg Cultural Center to start, essentially, an experimental music group.  "This was 1982," he says, "and things were warming up a little bit."  Kostia called the group “ARS” -- Latin for "art.”  While working with ARS, Kostia started composing and arranging music for movies, documentaries and theatrical productions.  He freelanced as an arranger, working on a number of soundtracks for the various stage productions.  His skills as a performer led him to work with some of the well-established Russian composers (i.e., Alfred Schnitke, Vladislav Uspensky, Vladislav Panchenko), and a number of Soviet pop stars, including Marina Kapuro and Aleksander Rosenbaum, among others.  During a visit to the United States in 1989 with the Soviet-American Cultural Exchange project "Clay Stomp," Kostia had an opportunity to perform for his first American audience at the Milwaukee Art Museum, where he shared the stage with Narada artist David Lanz.  That day changed Kostia's life forever.  The next morning he received a call from Narada records offering him a recording contract.  From 1989 until 1997, Kostia worked extensively on various Narada projects as a performer, arranger and producer, including David Arkenstone's Grammy-nominated In the Wake of the Wind, and Narada's most celebrated recording, Nutcracker.  Kostia's music appeared on more than a dozen of Narada's collections and compilation albums.  In 1992, Kostia and David Arkenstone collaborated on the first album ever endorsed by the United States Olympic Committee, Spirit of Olympia.  In 1994, Narada released Kostia's first piano solo album Suite St. Petersburg, which he describes as "a piano portrait of my beloved city."  1996 brought another critically acclaimed piano album, Ten Pebbles, where Kostia revisits some of his most cherished memories.  Both albums won him respect and recognition of his fellow musicians and the love of fans around the world.  Beginning in 1997, Kostia started a series of recordings with North Sound Music Group dedicated to piano idols of pop music.  That year, he released Kostia's Interpretations of Billy Joel followed by Kostia's Interpretations of Elton John in 1998.  The success of these projects led to a number of tribute recordings completed with world renowned instrumentalists such as Daryl Stuermer, guitarist from Genesis and Phil Collins Band; Paul McCandless, Windham Hill artist and reed and saxophone player from the band Oregon; and Windham Hill guitarist, Alex De Grassi.  In 1999, Kostia composed the soundtrack for the motion picture Czar of Make Believe from Italian director Daniel Alegi, which won an award for Best Short Film at the Rhode Island International Film Festival. In 2001, Kostia released Piano Ocean, an album of original music recorded in collaboration with ex-Narada star Spencer Brewer.  At the same time, he composed the soundtracks for a motion picture, The Play in the Modern Style, and a short film of Alex Boguslavsky entitled Blue Lamp.  New Millennium also brought several other exciting projects to Kostia as well – a collaboration between LEGO and George Lucas Film, celebrated short animated film “Star Wars: “Revenge of the Brick.”; new Alex Boguslavsky's film “My Little Philosopher”; a pilot for an independent motion picture “Slow Poison.”; a collaboration with legendary band Sweetbottom (original Indi fusion group) – “Sweetbottom Live”; several new albums with old band mate, Daryl Stuermer – “GO!”, “Rewired”, “Retrofit”; debut album of Carmen Nickerson “Tomorrow Is Another Day” etc. One of Kostia's compositions made it to the world renown TV series “Sex and the City.”  In addition to collaborations with well-established music groups and individual artists, Kostia has had his music performed by the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Utah Symphony Orchestra, the internationally famed Veronica String Quartet, and Present Music cellist, Paul Gemainder, to name a few.  Currently, Kostia is at work composing music for his next CD, performing solo piano concerts around the country, and recording and performing with the Daryl Stuermer Band.  Future plans?  "I am thinking about something I always wanted to do – a series of pieces for chorus, poem for string quartet, and six pictures for piano and orchestra," says Kostia.  His journey continues.  "Musical Columbus," as he is often called by journalists, is again on the way to discovering new worlds for himself and his fans. Kostia plays regularly at Fox River Congregational Church where he is a composer in residence.  

Dream of a lush place where plants get bedtime stories as the buds bloom.This is a special release from the SWM Vault. It's been remastered and re-edited, but it might be a little looser than a new episode. If you want access to the full vault, you can join Sleep With Me Plus at sleepwithmepodcast.com/plusGet your Sleep With Me SleepPhones. Use "sleepwithme" for $5 off!!Are you looking for Story Only versions or two more nights of Sleep With Me a week? Then check out Bedtime Stories from Sleep With MeLearn more about producer Russell aka Rusty Biscuit at russellsperberg.com and @BabyTeethLA on IG.Show Artwork by Emily TatGoing through a hard time? You can find support at the Crisis Textline and see more global helplines here.HELIX SLEEP - Take the 2-minute sleep quiz and they'll match you to a customized mattress that'll give you the best sleep of your life. Visit helixsleep.com/sleep and get a special deal exclusive for SWM listeners!ZOCDOC - With Zocdoc, you can search for local doctors who take your insurance, read verified patient reviews and book an appointment, in-person or video chat. Download the Zocdoc app to sign-up for FREE at zocdoc.com/sleep PROGRESSIVE - With the Name Your Price tool, you tell Progressive how much you want to pay for car insurance, and they'll show you coverage options that fit your budget. Get your quote today at progressive.comKINDRED - Kindred is a members-only home swapping network. It isn't a hotel. It isn't a short-term rental. It's a smarter way to travel where each stay feels like home. Apply now at LiveKindred.com and use code SLEEP to join for free. Plus, you'll earn 5 nights of travel credit just for signing up!ODOO - Odoo is an all-in-one management platform with a suite of user-friendly applications designed to simplify and connect every aspect of your company in one, easy-to-use software. Odoo is the affordable, all-in-one management software with a library of fully-integrated business applications that help you get MORE done in LESS time for a FRACTION of the price.To learn more, visit www.odoo.com/withmeUNCOMMON GOODS - Uncommon Goods scours the globe for original, remarkable, handmade things. Surprise your friends and family with unique - and even personalized! - gifts this holiday season. Head to uncommongoods.com/sleep for 15% off! Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The conservatory gates have closed for good and HHN 34 is now just a memory. The question is, was it a good memory? We review all aspects of Halloween Horror Nights in Orlando for HHN 2025. Was Terrifier the shining IP it was expected to be? Did Horrors of the Wyatt Sicks impress non-believers? We'll not only discuss the houses, zones, and shows but we'll of course provide our final rankings for them.10% off Horrors Untold:https://horrorsuntold.com/product/horrors-untold/aff/5/Follow HHN 365 on social media:Instagram HHN365Twitter @HHN365TikTok: @HHN365podJoin our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/jUD9nZav2UMerch: HHN365.comFeatured audio is courtesy of White Bat Audio

Find more of my photos on PixelFed   Read more on this topic: Koi Pond in Tropical Conservatory, Sherman Library and Gardens, Corona del Mar, California Tibouchina Flowers, Sherman Library and Gardens, Corona del Mar, California [Photography] Thunbergia, Sherman Library and Gardens, Corona del Mar, California [Prints Available] Garden Sculpture, Sherman Library and Gardens, Corona del Mar, California Coleus, Sherman Library and Gardens, Corona del Mar, California [Prints and More Available]

Find more of my photos on PixelFed Read more on this topic: Tibouchina Flowers, Sherman Library and Gardens, Corona del Mar, California [Photography] Garden Sculpture, Sherman Library and Gardens, Corona del Mar, California Coleus, Sherman Library and Gardens, Corona del Mar, California [Prints and More Available] Thunbergia, Sherman Library and Gardens, Corona del Mar, California [Prints Available] Brunfelsia lactea (Lady of the night), Sherman Library and Gardens, Corona del Mar, California [Photography]

Find more of my photos on PixelFed Read more on this topic: Koi Pond in Tropical Conservatory, Sherman Library and Gardens, Corona del Mar, California Tibouchina Flowers, Sherman Library and Gardens, Corona del Mar, California [Photography] Garden Sculpture, Sherman Library and Gardens, Corona del Mar, California Coleus, Sherman Library and Gardens, Corona del Mar, California [Prints and More Available] Thunbergia, Sherman Library and Gardens, Corona del Mar, California [Prints Available]

Oğulcan Borova, Head of the Trainee and Studio Company Programs at the Grainger Academy, joins us to explain how the school is structured. The Conservatory provides intensive training, while the Trainee and Studio Company levels serve as postgraduate bridges to professional careers. Borova also discusses Winning Works, the academy's program where guest choreographers set new creations on students, offering them invaluable real-world experience. He also shares how mentorship, performance experience, and financial support combine to help dancers bridge the gap between the classroom and company life. Learn more about the Grainger Academy on their website Links: Shop Our Back to Dance Guide Buy Corrections Journals Support Ballet Help Desk Instagram: @BalletHelpDesk Facebook: BalletHelpDesk TikTok: @BalletHelpDesk

In this episode of the Join Us in France Travel Podcast, titled “Sarah Bernhardt with Elyse Rivin,” host Annie Sargent explores the fascinating life of France's most famous actress. Sarah Bernhardt wasn't just a performer — she was a global icon, an artist, and one of the most daring women of her time. Listen to this episode ad-free Born in Paris in 1844, Sarah rose from humble beginnings to dominate the French stage and the world's imagination. She acted at the Comédie-Française, starred in productions across Europe and America, and brought passion, emotion, and intensity to every role. Her talent was unmatched, her lifestyle eccentric, and her personality unforgettable. In this lively conversation, Elyse Rivin explains how Bernhardt became the first true international celebrity. They discuss her collaborations with Victor Hugo, her friendship with Alphonse Mucha, and her larger-than-life persona that helped define the Belle Époque in Paris. Annie and Elyse also explore where you can still trace Sarah Bernhardt's legacy today — at the Théâtre du Châtelet, the Petit Palais, or her tomb at Père Lachaise Cemetery. You'll hear how she inspired generations of artists and became a symbol of creativity, independence, and fearless ambition. In the magazine segment, Annie talks about tipping in France and the revival of bouillon restaurants, those classic Paris eateries known for affordable French comfort food and lively atmosphere. If you love French culture, theater, history, and travel, you'll enjoy this deep dive into the life of an extraordinary woman who helped make Paris the artistic heart of the world. Table of Contents for this Episode [00:00:15] Introduction to Sarah Bernhard [00:00:31] Today on the podcast [00:01:05] Podcast supporters [00:01:37] Bootcamp 2026 [00:02:29] Magazine part of the Podcast [00:03:02] Newsletter [00:04:36] Annie and Elyse about Sarah Bernhard [00:06:36] Early Life and Family Background [00:12:22] Education and Early Career [00:13:26] Joining the Conservatory of Dramatic Art [00:16:04] Her Only Child [00:17:19] Rise to Stardom [00:20:05] Sarah the Eccentric [00:21:32]  Supporting Playwrights and Writers [00:23:31] The Eccentric Life of Sarah Bernhard [00:25:06] Defending Zola and Dreyfus [00:25:52] A Feminist and Advocate [00:26:45] Triumphant Tours in the United States [00:29:13] Adventures and Performances Abroad [00:29:49] Artistic Patronage and Personal Pursuits [00:30:26] A Legend on Stage and Screen [00:34:59] Remembering Sarah Bernhard [00:43:14] Thank you Patrons [00:45:30] VoiceMap Tour Review [00:47:21] Tipping in France [00:50:36] Bouillon Parisien [00:51:41]  What is bouillon cuisine? [00:59:04] Next week on the podcast [00:59:26] Copyright More episodes about French Culture

(00:55) A state-of-the-art kitchen hidden beside a glasshouse, garden-fresh herbs clipped minutes before class, and a room wired like a studio so every chop and sauté is easy to follow—this week we head inside Phipps' Botany Hall Teaching Kitchen with Culinary Programs Manager Tess Monks to see how Pittsburghers learn to cook together. (08:24) We dig into the secret sauce: produce from the Phipps gardens, botanical beverages that blend plant science with bar craft, and the bread-art phenomenon of botanical focaccia that sells out on sight. Tess has built the program from a blank slate in 2018, partnering with chefs who bring deep cultural roots and plant-forward imagination, and expanding into culinary medicine. (33:06) We also step outside the classroom. Chef Kate Romane shares her Monday refuge at Hey Babe in East Liberty—yes to the crispy eggplant and a dialed in wine list—while Thai cook and PBS Great American Recipe contestant Suwanee Lennon guides us through an approachable Thai Larb. If this speaks your language, subscribe, share with a friend who needs kitchen inspiration, and leave a quick review—what guest should we feature next?Support the showLiked the episode? We'd love a coffee!

Joining Lisa this week is Talise Campbell, Associate Professor of Music at Oberlin College & Conservatory and Executive Founding Artistic Director and Choreographer of Djapo Cultural Arts Institute. Djapo Cultural Arts Institute is a professional performing arts company specializing in the preservation and understanding of African diasporic works through performances, school assemblies, residencies, and workshops. In today's episode, Talise reflects on the theme of musical place through her artistic work as a dancer, choreographer, teacher, and leader. Season 7 co-host George Blake provides context on musical influences and places Talise describes. He also connects Talises's insights about the importance of broadening children's and family's musical exposure to the ideas of musical hopes and dreams in parenting musically.Mid-episode music credit: “Sandia: Of the Blood” performance, created by Talise Campbell and Weedie Braimah, performed by Djapo Cultural Arts Institute Company. Recorded by Ideastream Public Media. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzU5xEstS60Episode 48 ShownotesDjapo Cultural Arts Institute websiteYoutube, “How dances are created at Cleveland's Djapo Cultural Arts Institute to honor West Africa”Youtube, Talise Campbell - "Talent is nothing without character"Karamu House Archives housed @ CWRUThe Cultural Arts Center @ Disciples Christian Church (Cleveland Heights)

Wow! What a fabulous trip chatting with Anděl We laughed so much and she reminded me how playful improv really is! She is a highly sought after improv coach and director and her performances are truly inspiring! Anděl Sudik is a director, improviser, actor and writer based in L.A. and Chicago known for her explosive energy onstage and in the classroom as well as her experiential teaching style. She considers herself proactively pessimistic and infused all her work-no matter how abstract- with organic honesty and emotional grounding. She was born in Chicago, raised in California and moved back to Chicago at the tender age of 17 to study comedy and improvisation. She is a faculty member of the Second City Training Center programs; A-E, Conservatory, Health and Wellness, Advanced and Teen and Youth program and has taught her workshops all over the states and the world(The Nest OH, The Improv Shop St. Louis, Monkey Business Institute Madison, OLLIE Northwestern, CLIP U of C, OKC, The Improv Retreat, WI, Improv Utopia East, Providence Fest, Red Rocks Fest, Gladstone Fest, The New Movement NOLA, Iceland, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Ireland, N. Ireland, BIG IF, Neverending, Oslo Fest etc.) As an actor she is an alum of Boom Chicago in Amsterdam, the Second City Touring Company and performed in the Jeff Award award winning Second City ETC revue “We're All in this Room Together.” She has also produced countless successful two-man shows as Arch&Anděl(The Public House, Annoyance, OoB Festival) and improvisational experiences(Obits a theatrical experience exploring the lives of those that have passed) as well as directed in Chicago at Second City, iO and the Annoyance. Anděl's deep well of performance experience and her hands-on, in depth work within the disciplines of long form improvisation, short form, sketch and theater make her a thoroughly well-rounded and open minded conduit for art, creation, polish and playfulness. She values time efficiency, and recognizes that the most powerful thing we bring to the table is us. Whatever we are. She does not update her website enough. Connect with her at: website: https://www.yesandel.com insta @the_proactive_pessimist

Asians and Asian Americans are numerous within the classical music industry, but their identities are often politicized and racialized in this Eurocentric musical genre. For the third episode of Obbligato on APEX Express, Isabel Li discusses this intersection with Mari Yoshihara, Professor of American Studies at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and Professor at the Center for Global Education at the University of Tokyo, Japan; author of many books, including Musicians from a Different Shore: Asians and Asian Americans in Classical Music (2007) and Dearest Lenny: Letters from Japan and the Making of the World Maestro (2019). Tonight's episode features music by Chinese American composer Zhou Tian. To learn more about Mari and her work, please visit her website: https://www.mariyoshihara.com/index.html  Musicians from a Different Shore: https://tupress.temple.edu/books/musicians-from-a-different-shore-2 Dearest Lenny: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/dearest-lenny-9780190465780?cc=jp&lang=en&  Transcript  Opening: [00:00:00] Apex Express Asian Pacific expression. Community and cultural coverage, music and calendar, new visions and voices, coming to you with an Asian Pacific Islander point of view. It's time to get on board the Apex Express.    00:00:53 Isabel Li  Good evening. You're listening to KPFA 94.1 FM. My name is Isabel Li and I'm delighted to be hosting a new edition of Obbligato on Apex Express, which is a semimonthly segment specifically about AAPI identities in classical music. Tonight's guest is someone I have been incredibly excited to speak to because her writings have actually very much informed my studies and research. In fact, her books are exactly about the subject matter of Obbligato. I am honored to be speaking to Mario Yoshihara, Professor of American Studies at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and Professor at the Center for Global Education at the University of Tokyo, Japan; author of many books, including Musicians from a Different Shore: Asians and Asian Americans in Classical Music, published in 2007, and Dearest Lenny: Letters from Japan and the Making of the World Maestro, which was published in 2019. Welcome to Obbligato on Apex Express. Mari, how are you doing?  00:01:55 Mari Yoshihara  I'm doing fine. Thank you for having me.  00:01:58 Isabel Li  Of course, my first question for you is how do you identify and what communities are you a part of?  00:02:06 Mari Yoshihara  Oh well, that's actually a little bit complicated I am. I am a Japanese woman who have spent a little bit over well, maybe not more than a little more than half of my life in the United States. Born in New York but raised in Tokyo, educated mostly in Japan, but also earned my graduate degrees in the United States and most of my academic career has been in Hawaii, so I've been in American academia for almost 30 years now, but I also have a dual appointment with the University of Tokyo in Japan. So I split my time between Japan and Hawaii now.  00:02:54 Isabel Li  Can you tell us a little bit about your work and your books? I had a chance to read Musicians from a Different Shore, but how would you summarize your research to someone who might not have read your book?  00:03:04 Mari Yoshihara  So I am a scholar of American studies, which is an interdisciplinary field that has anything to do with America broadly defined. And within that, my area of expertise is about, well, I would say I'm a scholar of US cultural history. US Asian relations, mostly US, East Asian relations, especially in the cultural dimension, cultural studies, gender studies, Asian American studies, etc. And so I have written a number of books, both in English and Japanese, but the one that you're referring to, Musicians from a Different Shore, is a book that I did research for more than 20 years ago and was published in 2007. It's a study of Asians and Asian Americans and classical music. So it was partly historical in that I examined the ways. which Western music, so-called western classical music, was introduced to East Asia and how also East Asians became have become so successful and prominent in this field that is generally considered a white European elite art form, so it was partly historical, but then the rest of the book was based on my ethnographic field work and interviews among Asians and Asian Americans in classical music looking at how well who these people are in the first place and then also how musicians, Asian and Asian musicians themselves, understand the relationship between their racial and cultural identity on the one hand, and their practice of Western classical music on the other, so that was my study.   And then I also wrote another book called Dearest Lenny. It's about—the subtitle is Letters from Japan and the Making of the World Maestro. It's about Leonard Bernstein's relationship with two very special individuals in Japan. And through that story, I interweave an account of various things. For one thing, how Leonard Bernstein became a world maestro and also the relationship between politics and arts, gender, sexuality, art and commerce, etcetera, etcetera. So that was my most recent book published in English and then, I'm sure we'll talk more about this, but I'm currently doing a follow up research on the on Musicians from a Different Shore, taking into account all the changes that have been taking place in the classical music industry in the United States in the past, I would say five years or so especially so that's my that's the abbreviated version of my research.  00:05:55 Isabel Li  That's really cool, and I also want to ask you about these changes, if you can talk a little bit about the classical music world. I feel like classical music is one of those genres that seems to be unchanging on the outside. But as a scholar of classical music, what types of changes have you observed that has influenced how AAPI identities play into this world?  00:06:18 Mari Yoshihara  Yeah, I think especially in the last, I would say, yeah, 5 to 10 years, especially in the last five years, classical music industry in the United, I mean I say specifically in the United States because I don't see the similar kind of changes taking place in Japan where I'm currently located. And I also don't really know the situation in Europe. But the field of classical music in the US is changing. I think most significantly because of movements like the Black Lives Matter movement and also with the onset of COVID and the rise of anti Asian hate, there's been a lot more heightened awareness about how issues of race and also class shapes classical music. So there's a lot more vibrant conversations and debates about these topics in the industry and also in terms of AAPI community, are the biggest changes, the biggest change I'm seeing is that Asian and Asian American musicians themselves are being a lot more vocal and active in issues of race and racism in the field and there I've encountered many Asian and Asian American musicians who have, for instance, you know organized events or organizations, or taken up various forms of advocacy and activism on these issues. So compared to, say, 20 years ago, 20, 25 years ago, when I was doing the original research, I see a lot more kind of, you know, explicit awareness and awareness and articulation of these issues by Asian and Asian American musicians themselves.  00:08:12 Isabel Li  That's really interesting. Just because classical music is also one of those genres, that doesn't seem like a genre that most people explicitly associate with politics or activism. What are some examples of these, like activist movements that you've observed within the Asian American community in classical music?  00:08:32 Mari Yoshihara  So for instance, some Asian and Asian American musicians are are becoming a lot more vocal about the actual like racism or sexism that they have themselves experienced, or that they witness in the industry, like in in schools, conservatories, orchestras, opera companies, etc. Either through the media or you know their own writing, and also like speaking up within the organizations that they work in. So that's one. There are other kinds of advocacy and activism in that they demand more diverse repertoire, and I think the repertoire is in terms of the industry industry changes. That's the area that's changing the most, the the kind of repertoire that many orchestras for instance perform have become a lot more– I mean overall it's still very white, European centered– but in terms of the actual numbers of pieces that are performed, works by living, composers and composers of color, women composers, etcetera. That is significantly increased in the last 10 years and that is, you know significantly to do with the advocacy and activism on the part of, you know, artists of color.  So yeah, so things like that and then, you know, many Asian, Asian American artists are doing their own programming, for instance, like event organizing programming. So yeah, those are the areas that I see changes. I see things happening that I didn't see 25 years ago.  00:10:20 Isabel Li  Definitely. I remember reading your book, and your book has been published since 2007, so a lot of changes have happened since then. But in general, when you did your research at first, what how would you summarize the dynamic of Asian identities, Asian American identities in this very Eurocentric field, it's a juxtaposition of two different cultures and identities that a lot of people also observe in orchestras. There's a large population of Asian and Asian American musicians, conductors just in general. It's a very large population, but yet this identity is still not quite represented in media. It's not quite seen, so talk to us a bit about this juxtaposition and how you observe these dynamics in your research.  00:11:10 Mari Yoshihara  Yeah. So. The thing is, Asians and Asian Americans are indeed numerically overrepresented in classical music, in the sense that compared to the general public, the the the proportion of Asians and Asian Americans in the overall US population, the number of Asian and Asian Americans in classical music indexed by things like the student body at major conservatories or membership roster of US orchestras, etcetera, Asians and Asian Americans percentage is higher than the general population, right. So in terms of the numbers, Asians and Asian Americans are, quote unquote overrepresented. But those numbers are not reflected in the actual like voice, power and influence that they have in the industry.   So that was my finding back 2025 years ago and I think that's still true today. Also, the thing about Asian, Asian American musicians is that it's a racialized category. They are seeing and treated as Asian. It's this racial category. But their identities and experiences as Asians is not at all uniform, right?   Some of these Asian musicians are Asian Americans, like multi generational Asian Americans whose parents or grandparents or great grandparents etcetera have come to the United States and they themselves are U.S. citizens. So that's one group.   Many Asian musicians working in the United States are people who were born and raised in Asia, places like China or South Korea, Japan, etcetera, and came to the United States as international students to study music, often at the college level, college conservatory level, so obviously these people have very different sense of identity and experience as Asians compared to say, you know 3rd, 4th generation Chinese Americans or 1.5 Korean Americans.   There are other people who live in the United States because they were very talented, very young musicians, and the whole whole family immigrated to the United States specifically for their music education. So Midori, the famous violinist, Midori is a case, example of this, but there are also a number of other, especially among Koreans and Chinese. There are families, the whole family immigrated to the United States when the child was a very promising musician at age 7 or something. So that's one group. They too have a different sense of identity and experience of Asians than the two former groups that I that I talked about.   There are other people who also came to the United States because not because of the music education, but because of their parents' profession, for instance. And they have transnational kind of family ties and you know, they move, they go back and forth between US and Asia, for instance. And then there are also mixed roots families where one parent is Asian and the other is non Asian.   And then there are also Asians who were born and raised in Europe for other parts of the globe and then came to the United States, for either personal or professional reasons.   So in other words, they're all Asians in terms of their racial identity. But what that means is really quite diverse and their experience as Asian and Asian American musicians is also quite diverse. So it's not as if you know, just because they're Asian, they share some kind of experience and identities around which they coalesce. So that's, you know, that was true 20, 25 years ago. And I think that's still true today.  More and more Asian musicians are coming to the United States to study, study or work in classical music, but especially because of this, like new influence, this Asian category is becoming even more diverse. However, because of the COVID, you know the rise of Anti Asian hate during the COVID pandemic, I think that heightened the awareness of, you know, these different kinds of Asians, the heightened awareness that they are Asians. First and foremost, you know, in, in that in the sense of being racialized in the United States. So I have talked with a number of musicians, Asians and Asian American musicians, who did not really, hadn't thought about their Asianness before. It wasn't at the forefront of their identity before, but during this rise of anti Asian hate it they became they basically became more politicized. You know, they had quite a politicized language and awareness to think about race and racism especially against Asians and Asian Americans.  00:16:31 Isabel Li  Yeah, that's a great point. It is a such a diverse group and there are so many different identities, even within just the Asian American framework AAPI, as a label is very, very diverse. And that applies to classical music as well. But I think there's also this social perception of Asian and Asian Americans as a group that also relates to the model minority stereotype that's historically been present and, for example, a lot of people might think of, like a young Asian or Asian American musician as being like a prodigy because they are technically skilled at their instrument, where like these social perceptions that exist both in media and in the culture around us, why do you think that is?  00:17:15 Mari Yoshihara  Well, that as you said, there is a model minority myth and there is a stereotype of Asians and Asian Americans as being very studious and diligent, but also quiet, right? I mean, they just quietly follow, like, obedient, obediently follow the instructions and that translates in the field of music as the stereotype that Asian musicians are technically very proficient but artistically non expressive. I mean, that's a very common stereotype that yeah, you know, practically any Asian, Asian Americans in classical music have been subjected to, you know, quite regularly and frequently. And I think that, yeah, that just comes with the overall kind of racial stereotype of Asians and Asians and Asian Americans in American society at large. And also the fact that, you know, classical music, especially in terms of instrumental performance, it is an area that is, it's something that is, indeed, technically very demanding, right? You need many, many years of disciplined training and a lot of practice. And there is a myth of merit– well, no, not entirely a myth– but there is this this very, you know, dearly held faith in meritocracy in classical music. The idea that if you have the chops you will be rewarded, you will be recognized and you know, no matter what kind of great artistic idea you might have, if you can't play the notes, you can't play the notes. That kind of ethos of meritocracy is particularly strong in classical music because of the technical demands of the genre, and that and that kind of, you know, goes hand in hand with the model minority methods for Asian Americans.  00:19:20 Isabel Li  Definitely. That's really interesting and another part of your book that was quite fascinating to me when I first read it was chapter 3. You talked about the intersection of gender as well as, you know, racial identity in classical music. The chapter is called Playing Gender and you talk about, I think at large don't necessarily associate classical music with a discipline that provides a stable job. It is an art form and there is kind of an uphill battle for artists in a sense like a starving artist myth there. We're not even a myth. Like if there's a starving artist image, whereas the image of a very successful classical musician there's this duality that you also mentioned in one of your other chapters about class. So what really interested me in for this chapter was that there was this intersection of power in classical music of who would go down the path that might not be traditionally as successful. How do you think gender dynamics play into this and how do you think they might have shifted within the last two decades or so?  00:20:20 Mari Yoshihara  Huh. I'm not sure if it has shifted all that much in the last two decades, but as you said, because music I mean, not just classical music, but music. Like, you know, arts in general is a field that is very like economically insecure in terms of career, right?   But at the same time. Classical music is associated with kind of, you know, bourgeois identity and just kind of overall cultivation and so, many Asian, Asian American parents are very eager to send their kids to, say, piano lessons, violin lessons, cello lessons, etcetera. To, you know, give them a well-rounded education and also because it is considered useful tool, you know, when you're going to college and stuff like, you know being, you know, being able to show that you're very talented violinist, for instance, is believed to help your college application.  So there's this, you know, both stereotype and reality that like, you know, places like Julliard Pre-College, very competitive, you know, school, like music education program for kids is filled with Asian, Asian American, you know, students and their parents who are waiting, waiting for them to come out of school.   So there's that. But how gender plays into this is that while both men and women are do study music at a young age. When it comes to, you know, choosing say, college, like what they would, what they would pursue at the college level, far fewer male students tend to choose music as their college major or go to conservatory and pursue it as a as a career. But I think it's both their own choice. And also especially for Asian and Asian Americans, like parental pressure to not pursue music professionally because of, you know, financial insecurity.   So there's that, and also how that plays into the actual experiences of Asian, Asian Americans musicians who do study music is that I have heard from a number of female Asian musicians that either their peers or especially their teachers are doubtful that they are actually serious about music. There is a stereotype that, you know, say for instance, Japanese or Korean female students at Juilliard School, Manhattan School or whatever, they are there because they, you know, they want to study music and then find a good husband and marry, you know, a lawyer or doctor or engineer or something. [laughs] And and not that that doesn't happen. But that's a stereotype of, you know, that's a racialized and gender stereotype that comes from these, you know, gender and class and racialized dynamics.  00:23:35 Isabel Li  And just for clarification, is the classical music world at large still a male dominated field?  00:23:41 Mari Yoshihara  Yes. Oh yes. Definitely. I mean, it depends on the segment of you know, I mean classical music is itself quite diverse. So if you look at, for instance, the string section, especially the violin section of the New York Philharmonic for instance, you will find that like, I think the majority of those violin players are Asian women, perhaps. But if you look at say for instance, the Faculty of Conservatories or music directors and major orchestras and said, I mean still very male dominated.  00:24:23 Isabel Li  Yeah. Yeah, definitely. I like how your book also has so many different layers for each chapter. So Chapter 3 was about the gender intersection with this, with this identity, and Chapter 4, was it Chapter 4, I believe it was about class, Class Notes, and you've already mentioned a little bit about how class plays into the perception of music, how class influences gender even. But there's a statement in there that you said that, “it's misleading to characterize Asian musicians as just coming from the upper middle class.” And it makes sense that people would think of musicians coming from this economic bracket, because classical music is an in and of itself a very kind of expensive undertaking. You need so many lessons, so many instruments. But tell us why this statement would be misleading.  00:25:15 Mari Yoshihara  Because I mean, first of all, most of the overwhelmed, I would say overwhelming majority of the Asian, Asian American musicians that I interviewed come from middle class backgrounds, many of them from so-called like professional executive class backgrounds in, meaning that their parents hold these professional executive positions, right. And that's why they were able to afford advanced musical studies from a fairly young age. They need, you know, sustained and disciplined and often costly, you know, lessons, you know, competitions, etcetera, auditions, travel, etcetera. So that's for sure, yeah.   At the same time, there are also Asian musicians who come from less privileged backgrounds, you know, immigrant families who have, because quite a few. I mean overall Asian American population, many immigrants experience downward social mobility upon immigrating to the United States because of, you know, oftentimes linguistic barriers or you know, or plain old racism. And so you're not Asian families that immigrate to the United States, like, for instance, if the parents have professional positions back in South Korea, oftentimes they become, you know, for instance, you know, small business owners and they experience downward social mobility. I mean, that's a very common scenario. Yeah, so now all Asian, Asian American musicians grow up in a privileged environment.  00:27:06 Isabel Li  Definitely a great point. Now before we move on to some discussions about Mari's research. First of all, thank you for tuning in to Obbligato on APEX Express, we'll be taking a short music break and as mentioned earlier, a great way to increase diversity within classical music is to uplift works by living composers. If you're listening to my first.  00:27:26 Isabel Li  Episode 2 months ago, you'll know that I featured music by Chinese American composer Zhou Tian. I'm happy to say that coming up next is one of Zhou's compositions inspired by a trip to Italy. This is a piece called Hidden Grace performed by the Formosa Trio.  27:45 – COMP MUSIC – Hidden Grace  00:35:34 Isabel Li  That was a piece called Hidden Grace, composed by Zhou Tian for a fascinating instrumentation of flute, Viola and heart coming up for our second piece. In this interview, break another movement by Zhou Tian, the third movement of his double concerto for violin and Viola, called Rendezvous.  35:58 – COMP MUSIC – Double Concerto for Violin and Viola, III. Rendezvous  00:41:09 Isabel Li  Noah Bendix-Balgley on violin, Shanshan Yao on viola, and the Hangzhou Philharmonic, playing the third and final movement of Zhou Tian's Double Concerto for violin and viola. So back to the conversation with Professor Mari Yoshihara.  00:41:25 Isabel Li  As you also mentioned before, you're working on an updated version of Musicians from a Different Shore. Can you talk–I don't know how much you can talk about your, like upcoming projects, but are you using similar research methods to what you've done before using ethnographic field work? You've mentioned the new changing dynamics of classical music in the United States with new waves of activism and awareness. What are some new topics of your chapters that you might focus on? So for your 2007 publication, you talked about your gender and class and how these intersect with identity. Are there any new things that you're drawing upon here?  00:42:02 Mari Yoshihara  Yeah. So I'm using basically the same research method. I'm interviewing actually some of the same people that appeared in Musicians from a Different Shore. Some people kept in touch with over the years, I've gone back to them and interviewed them to see the trajectories of their careers since the first time I interviewed them. But then I've also interviewed a bunch of other, you know, new musicians that I'm speaking with for the first time. So it's essentially an interview and ethnographic fieldwork-based research.  I told you earlier about I think one of the biggest changes is, as I said before, the activism and advocacy on the part of Asian, Asian American musicians themselves. So I have one chapter about that. Like, what? How? What kinds of advocacy and activism they're engaged in.   Another big change that I'm seeing is that compared to 20 years ago, there are a lot more Asian musicians in the field of opera.  00:43:01 Isabel Li  Ohh yeah.  00:43:02 Mari Yoshihara  Uh. Both as singers. Yeah, many of them singers, but also in other, you know, like for instance opera, you know, pianist for opera or be opera directors, et cetera. There are many more Asians in this particular field than what I saw 20 years ago. And I talked about this a little bit in my first book, but opera is a very particular kind of field within classical music.   How race plays into opera is very different from other areas of classical music because it's a theatrical art form. It's visually oriented, you know art form. And because singers have to be cast in order to, you know, sing on stage. So the racial politics in opera, you know, unfolds very differently from, say, for pianists or cellists or conductors or or composers.   So I now have a whole chapter about opera, especially Madame Butterfly, that this very fraught work, you know, opera that many Asian and Asian Americans have love hate relationships. A lot of pigeon-holing that happens in that through that opera. But also, production of new opera by Asian and Asian American artists, composers, directors, singers, etcetera. So I have a whole chapter about that.   And then I also will have another chapter about, you know, what it means to, you know, sit at the table, basically. Like stand on the podium and sit at the table, stand on the podium. Not only, I mean I will, I will have a whole discussion about Asian and Asian Americans conductors, but not only in that literal sense of, you know, standing at the podium, but like being at the table like in other words, not only, Asian and Asian American musicians playing music that are given to them and they are assigned to them that they're hired to play, but also having a real voice in the organizational and institutional dimensions of classical music industry. So the kinds of people, Asians, who are in these positions more executive positions with decision making power what their experiences are like. I'm going to have a chapter about that.   So those are some of my ideas. I'm still in the middle of the project, so I can't. I can't see the whole picture, but those are some of my current ideas.  00:45:48 Isabel Li  I see. And do you have an idea of when this book will be published or an updated version?  00:45:54 Mari Yoshihara  Well [laughs], my goal rather ambitious goal is to have it published in 2027, because that would be 20 years since Musicians from a Different Shore, so that would be ideal if I can make that.  00:46:08 Isabel Li  Well, yeah. Nice. That's really exciting, definitely. I will also kind of bridge, I guess my part of the research into this part of the interview, since I'd love to talk to you a little bit more about how classical music in general is portrayed in media.   So as I've introduced myself before, I had a back, I have a background in media studies as well as music history and theory. And what was really interesting to me in my senior thesis while I was doing research for that was I coined this term and it could just be loosely associated with the genre of film. But it's the “classical music film.” So think of any narrative fictional film you can think of with a classical musician in there. So it could be like Amadeus, where I think of like Tár. If you watch Tár like a lot of these depictions are quite understandably white and European, but they my senior thesis I've never really seen any depictions of Asian American or Asian classical musicians? I was wondering if you have ever watched a film like that, or could maybe talk a bit about maybe the lack of representation in media, how media plays into how people perceive classical music as a genre as a whole.  00:47:23 Mari Yoshihara  That is a very interesting question. I think you know, because of the stereotype of Asian and Asian American model minority and model minority stereotype often is associated with, you know, violin or piano-playing Asian American kids, I think. Asian, Asian American characters who are, you know, these kind of musical classical music geniuses appear here and there. But the ones that center on such a character as the main, you know, like the protagonist, come to think of it, I'm not sure if I've seen. I mean, I've seen several Korean dramas, you know, character, but those are Korean dramas, not Asian American, so more American works with Asian classical musicians…  00:48:21 Isabel Li  And I think also classical music as a genre is. It's interesting because classical music is also kind of underrepresented. It's not quite in the mainstream. And then one of my final questions for you is I do also want to take a second to acknowledge that your book was actually one of the only books that I could find about this topic. I think there are not that many other books about Asian and Asian Americans in classical music. I think there are a few other books and a few and definitely some papers that talk about this, but what got you interested in this field? And I don't know if you think there's a scarcity of information, but do you think there's relative scarcity of information about this topic?  00:49:01 Mari Yoshihara  Yeah. So how I got into it is. So I was a pretty serious student of piano when I was a child. That's like, yeah, that really kind of preoccupied my childhood and adolescence. But then I, for various reasons I ended up not going to a music Conservatory and became an academic.   And then once I entered academia and became a scholar of American studies, all I was studying was like race, gender, class. I mean, that's what  we do in American studies. And my first book, which was originally my doctoral dissertation, was a cultural history of orientalism and white women. So that was a study of the intersections of race and gender and to some extent class in American history.   So once I finished that book, I was thinking about what projects to work on next. And I happened to turn on the TV, and it just so happens that the Vienna Phil New Year's concert, conducted by Seiji Ozawa was playing on the TV and that was sort of my “aha” moment because I had always known or, you know, kind of generally aware that Asians and Asian Americans are, if not necessarily overrepresented, but, you know, they're quite numerous, you know. They're present. Their numerical presence is quite notable in classical music that is often associated with white, you know, European culture, elite culture.  So I was kind of curious about that phenomenon, but I hadn't really thought too much about it until I watched Seiji Ozawa were conducting the Vienna Phil. And that's when I thought, well, maybe I can kind of combine my classical music background and my academic training in studies of race, gender, class into this project. So that's when I decided to work on. You know, this topic of Asians and Asian Americans, classical music.  I think the reason that there hadn't been at least a book-length study on the topic until my book is that for one thing, classical music is considered to be kind of a very abstract absolute form of music. This ethos that it is kind of transcends– that it is a universal, transcendental kind of genre, that is sort of above things like politics or race or gender. Like it shouldn't matter that these, you know, individual identity, racialized gender identity shouldn't matter vis-à-vis the universalism of classical music. I mean that kind of ethos is very strong in this particular genre of music. I think that has a lot to do with it.   And also the study of classical music until rather recently, like musicological study of classical music, really tended to be focused on the study of composers and their works, right? It was the textual that, like it, was an analysis of Beethoven Symphony or, you know, Bach Fugues, etcetera. Yeah. It was really focused on the study of the score, the study of the composer's ideas, as reflected in the score, I mean that was the centerpiece of musicological approach to classical music.  And so sort of more sociological anthropological study of the musical practice is a relatively new approach in in the field of musicology. I'm not a musicologist. So that's not how I'm trained. But I think the academic approach to classical music was not very, kind of, open to the kinds of topics that I raised in Musicians from a Different Shore.  00:53:12 Isabel Li  Definitely. I see. And my very final fun question for you is can you name three of your favorite classical music pieces for any recommendations you have for the audience who might be listening, who might be wondering what they will listen to next?  00:53:27 Mari Yoshihara  Well, OK well. Pieces well, because I wrote a book about Leonard Bernstein. I mean, I ended up– I wrote a book about Leonard Bernstein. Not necessarily because I was an avid fan of Bernstein. It just kind of happened this this project. But nonetheless of while I was doing research and writing the book I did listen to a lot of Bernstein. I and I have come to really love Bernstein music and so. And you know, of course, everybody knows West Side Story, but he actually wrote many other pieces that may not be as well known.   Well among the pieces that I like, I like…which one should I choose? I will choose. Ohh well, I'll choose a piece that I learned myself as a pianist.  I learned the piece called “Touches” that he wrote. It was a commission piece for the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, and it's kind of yeah, it's a chorale and variation. So that's very interesting and very interesting and very Bernstein-esque so well.   I'll OK, as an American study scholar. I'll, I'll stick with American pieces. I like someone Barber a lot. I like Barber “Excursions,” which I also learned to play.  00:55:04 Isabel Li  Yeah.  00:55:09 Isabel Li  Tough question.  00:55:11 Mari Yoshihara  Umm, Mason Bates piece that I also learned, “White Lies For Lomax.” This one was also, I believe…was it commissioned by the Cliburn? But no, maybe it wasn't. Yeah, I think it was commissioned. But anyway, I played it at the Van Cliburn International– the amateur competition of the Cliburn competition.  I did all these. So like Bernstein, Bates, Amy Beach piece I also played. Yeah, I'll stop there. I I wish you had prepped me for that then [laughs]–  00:55:42 Isabel Li  Oh my gosh. Great responses.  00:55:46 Mari Yoshihara  Hard to think on the spot.  00:55:47 Isabel Li  Yeah, I totally get that. Whenever people ask me for my favorite composer, I never have an answer. No, so I totally get it.   Well, thank you so much for your time, Mari. And thank you for your wonderful insights. I'll put the link to your books so that people can learn about your works on APEX Express on kpfa.org. So thank you so much for your time, Mari.  00:56:07 Mari Yoshihara  Thank you.  00:56:09 Isabel Li  As mentioned, please check our website kpfa.org to find out more about Mari Yoshihara, her scholarship, and links to two of her books. We thank all of you listeners out there. Keep resisting, keep organizing, keep creating and sharing your visions with the world. Your voices are important.  00:56:31 Isabel Li  APEX Express is produced by Miko Lee, Jalena Keane-Lee, Preeti Mangala Shekar, Anuj Vaidya, Swati Rayasam, and Cheryl Truong. Tonight's show was produced by Isabel Li. Thanks to the team at KPFA  for their support. Have a great night.  [OUTRO MUSIC]  The post APEX Express – 09.04.2025 – Obbligato with Mari Yoshihara appeared first on KPFA.

The Cello Sherpa Podcast Host, Joel Dallow, interviews cellist Clive Greensmith. Clive has been Professor of Cello at the Colburn School Conservatory of Music since 2013. Clive shares about his incredible journey as cellist of the World renowned Tokyo String Quartet for their final 15 years, his position as Principal Cellist of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London, and how those two distinctive careers compared to each other. With his vast teaching experience, Clive also shares about his teaching philosophy, offers advice to young musicians, and much more. For more information on Clive: https://www.clivegreensmith.com/You can also find Clive on Instagram and Facebook: @clivegreensmithIf you are looking for in person/virtual cello lessons, or orchestral repertoire audition coachings, check out www.theCelloSherpa.comFollow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Bluesky @theCelloSherpaFor more information on our sponsor: www.CLEAResources.com 

Walking in San Francisco has its joys – but also its dangers. We hear what safety advocates have tried to do to tip the scales. Then, an author takes us back to the gay scene in 1990's SF. Plus, the Conservatory of Flowers' corpse flower recently bloomed, but what's next? 

In this episode of the RIP Tour Podcast, hosts Ash, Lizz, and Gary discuss the latest announcements for Halloween Horror Nights, including the new original house 'El Artista' and the overarching theme of the event, 'The Conservatory.' They reflect on their experiences at Spooky Empire, the importance of fan engagement, and the potential return of iconic characters. The conversation highlights the excitement surrounding the event and the expectations for future announcements, as well as the significance of immersive experiences for attendees.Chapters00:00 Welcome and Introductions01:52 Exciting Announcements and Schedule Overview04:06 Discussion on Horror Nights Structure and Themes08:39 Spooky Empire Event Insights10:44 Original Announcement: El Artista13:52 Initial Reactions to El Artista19:35 Exploring the Theme and Aesthetics23:22 Overall Theme: The Conservatory26:36 The Importance of Halloween Horror Nights for Fans29:09 Nostalgia and Immersion: The Role of Queue Line Videos32:11 Interactive Experiences: Engaging Fans in New Ways34:11 The Future of Halloween Horror Nights: Sequels and Original Content41:15 Sergio: A New Character or an Icon?47:32 RIP Intro - 35 Second Version 2.wavKeywordsHalloween Horror Nights, Horror Nights announcements, El Artista, Spooky Empire, Horror Nights icons, Horror Nights theme, Universal Orlando, haunted houses, Horror Nights podcast, Horror Nights updatesThe RIP Tour Podcast is an Orlando-based year-round podcast with 70+ years combined experience of ⁠#HHN⁠. Join your tour guides Gary, Tim, Ash, Lizz, & Jason for News, Speculation, & History!Follow Us On Social Media:Twitter: ⁠  / riptourpodcast  Instagram: ⁠  / riptourpodcast  ⁠Help Support the show: ⁠https://riptourpodcast.myspreadshop.com/