Podcasts about James Stephenson

James Stephenson didn't take the traditional route to entrepreneurship—he left school early, started DJing at 16, and was throwing parties before most of us figured out what a side hustle was. That early hustle gave him the foundation to build something entirely different years later: oHHo, a plant-powered wellness brand combining CBD, creativity, and really good flavor. From the UK rave scene to the U.S. wellness space, James brings his full story and all the vibes to this episode.Tyler and James get into the nitty-gritty of launching a business in a highly regulated and fast-evolving industry. We're talking kitchen-table product drops, surprise pivot moments, and a husband-wife co-founder duo making it work through clear roles, good communication, and shared vision. James talks openly about challenges like supply chain chaos, growing complexity, and the decision to stay scrappy (and cash-conscious) even as they scale.This episode isn't just about infused beverages and cannabis topicals—it's a blueprint for building a brand that feels like you. James' passion for music, flavor, and intentional lifestyle design runs deep in oHHo's DNA. If you're into startups, wellness, or just love hearing how someone turns a festival food truck into a multi-product wellness brand, hit play on this one.TakeawaysCreativity can be your business superpower. From DJ to CBD innovator, James built oHHo with soul.Know your lane—and your partner's. Co-founding with a spouse takes clarity, patience, and teamwork.Start small, stay scrappy, scale smart. Growing slowly gave oHHo the flexibility to build sustainably.Flavor matters. In a crowded space, standing out starts with a product people actually want to consume again.Customer connection is key. Physical stores, community events, and music-driven activations create brand magic. TakeawaysCreativity can be your business superpower. From DJ to CBD innovator, James built OhHo with soul.Know your lane—and your partner's. Co-founding with a spouse takes clarity, patience, and teamwork.Start small, stay scrappy, scale smart. Growing slowly gave OhHo the flexibility to build sustainably.Flavor matters. In a crowded space, standing out starts with a product people actually want to consume again.Customer connection is key. Physical stores, community events, and music-driven activations create brand magic.Chapters00:00 Introduction to oHHo and James Stevenson02:40 James's Journey from Music to Entrepreneurship05:40 Transitioning to the Cannabis Space07:59 Building oHHo: Early Challenges and Strategies10:56 Customer Acquisition and Retail Strategy12:32 Navigating Partnerships and Family Dynamics14:19 Product Expansion and Market Differentiation16:58 Challenges of Complexity in Business18:41 Future Plans and Product Launches21:15 Personal Life and Work-Life Balance27:58 Final Thoughts and Call to Action

On today's episode of the Eurovoix Podcast, we reflect on a dramatic Grand Final in Basel - and ask where Eurovision goes from here.James Stephenson is your host as he gets to ask JJ personally how he felt waiting for that dramatic split-screen to end during Saturday night's final, and you'll hear JJ's reaction in today's show. And, for the rest of it, he and the rest of the Eurovoix Podcast team break down Austria's victory, all the shocks and surprises, and ask whether more needs to be done to protect the voting system.On this final episode of the Eurovision 2025 season, we'd like to thank all of you for listening to Wrap-Up over the last nine months. Our story began when we learned we were heading to Basel, and it ended in the room with the winner - congratulations to Austria, and good luck for the contest in 2026!CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHost: James StephensonContributors: Alistair Brown, Anthony Granger, Darshan Bijuvignesh, Davide Conte, Franciska van Waarden, Meg Davies, Neil Farren, Sem Anne van Dijk, Steven Heap, Tamara VecicEditor: James StephensonAnd the Winner of Eurovision 2025: JJ (Austria)Want to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

Today on the Eurovoix Podcast, we have our full lineup for the biggest music show in the world - the Eurovision Grand Final.James Stephenson is your host in Basel as, just minutes after Semi-Final 2 finished, we break down the 10 qualifiers and analyse what went wrong for those who missed out. Neil Farren and Sem Anne van Dijk join us to go over the whole semi-final and look ahead to see if anybody can challenge Sweden for this year's Eurovision title.The rest of the Eurovoix Podcast team will be reacting to all the surprises too, from Australia's milkshake falling flat and Czechia waving "Kiss Kiss Goodbye" to the contest. And, as the final is just a day away, we'll be looking ahead to it by interviewing some of the stars competing.You'll hear from Swiss hometown hero Zoë Më as she prepares her "Voyage" for the Basel stage, and German duo Abor & Tynna join us to talk about what makes "Baller" unique. And, uniquely, we have a chance to speak to artists hours after they qualified - you'll hear from Portugal's NAPA about their feelings about making it to the final, and we'll speak to Ziferblat for a third time about their experience at Eurovision.So if you love Eurovision, go there with us. Listen to Wrap-Up throughout the contest in Basel, and make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts to make sure you don't miss a moment!CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHost: James StephensonContributors: Alistair Brown, Darshan Bijuvignesh, Davide Conte, Franciska van Waarden, Meg Davies, Neil Farren, Sem Anne van Dijk, Steven Heap, Tamara VecicEditor: James StephensonAnd our Guests from Eurovision 2025: Zoë Më (Switzerland), Abor & Tynna (Germany), NAPA (Portugal) & Ziferblat (Ukraine)Want to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

Today on the Eurovoix Podcast, we react to a semi-final full of shocks - and look ahead to the next with two stars looking to qualify.James Stephenson is your host in Basel as, only minutes after the results were announced, he and the team react to the big stories. Neil Farren and Sem Anne van Dijk join just metres from the St. Jakobshalle Arena to go through all the qualifiers and non-qualifiers - from Belgium's shock exit to Portugal's incredible inclusion.We've also got all the reaction from the rest of our team who were watching Eurovision at home to the results of last night. Not only that, we'll be running through which songs are where in the Grand Final running order, and at one point Sem Anne van Dijk makes an elaborate hot chocolate order.And we're not just looking back - we march on towards Semi-Final 2! We'll run through the 16-strong lineup for Thursday's show and speak to two artists fighting for a place in the final - Klavdia from Greece and Princ from Serbia!So if you love Eurovision, go there with us. Listen to Wrap-Up throughout the contest in Basel, and make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts to make sure you don't miss a moment!CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHost: James StephensonContributors: Alistair Brown, Anthony Granger, Daniel Stridh, Darshan Bijuvignesh, Davide Conte, Franciska van Waarden, Meg Davies, Neil Farren, Steven Heap, Tamara VecicEditor: James StephensonAnd our Guests from Eurovision 2025: Klavdia (Greece) and Princ (Serbia)Want to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

Today on the Eurovoix Podcast, it's Eurovision week - and we're hearing from the stars of Semi-Final 1 as they prepare for the performance of their lives.James Stephenson hosts today's Wrap-Up in Basel as we chat to some of the biggest contenders at this year's contest. You'll hear from Cyprus's Theo Evan about the staging he calls "impossible", speak to Klemen about his heartfelt ballad "How Much Time Do We Have Left", and chat to Justyna Steczkowska about coming back to Eurovision after 30 years with "Gaja".And, not only that, we speak to the contest favourites KAJ from Sweden about "Bara Bada Bastu" - and we have a special intro from them!Across the rest of this Monday episode, we'll wrap up the 15 songs competing in the first semi-final, and the rest of our Eurovoix Podcast team will tell you what they're expecting and hoping for from Tuesday night's show. We'll also chat about the Big 5 and Switzerland as their stagings are revealed ahead of show week.So if you love Eurovision, go there with us. Listen to Wrap-Up throughout the contest in Basel, and make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts to make sure you don't miss a moment!CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHost: James StephensonContributors: Alistair Brown, Anthony Granger, Daniel Stridh, Darshan Bijuivgnesh, Davide Conte, Franciska van Waarden, Julien De-Re, Meg Davies, Neil Farren, Sem Anne van Dijk, Steven Heap, Tamara VecicEditor: James StephensonAnd your Eurovision 2025 Guests: Theo Evan (Cyprus), Justyna Steczkowska (Poland), Klemen (Slovenia), KAJ (Sweden), Marko Bosnjak (Croatia), Mamagama (Azerbaijan), Tommy Cash (Estonia) & Claude (Netherlands)Want to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

James Stephenson is a pioneer in holistic athlete development, where elite performance and human wellbeing are inseparable. A two-sport international athlete for Great Britain, Olympic coach, and ordained Anglican minister, James brings a rare blend of high-performance experience, spiritual depth, and social impact to his work in sport. For nearly a decade, James has lived with his family on the Zambian/DRC border, using sport as a vehicle for community empowerment, identity, and healing. His mission goes beyond medals—he's focused on the deeper purpose of sport: to elevate lives, foster connection, and unlock human potential. James believes coaching is less about imposing frameworks and more about holding space—helping athletes explore who they are, what they value, and how sport can serve their growth beyond performance. He champions emotional intelligence, positive language, and values-based development as the new frontier of excellence in sport. This week, James shares his journey from elite competition to global impact, the power of asking better questions, and why true success means aligning with your soul. If you've ever felt the tension between chasing results and living fully—this conversation is your permission to reimagine what's possible. Talking Points: Why elite sport must evolve from performance obsession to purpose orientation What indigenous cultures can teach us about community, wisdom, and wellbeing The difference between a career built on knowledge and a life rooted in wisdom How validating values like love, connection, and joy transforms athletes Coaching as holding space—not solving, but listening deeply Reclaiming sport's true essence: self-actualization, not just achievement The power of language in shaping athlete identity and internal dialogue How wellbeing and spiritual fulfillment can elevate—not detract from—performance Creating freedom for athletes to explore who they are, not just what they do If you enjoy this episode please leave a review on iTunes or Spotify platforms, and by doing this you will actively help in spreading this content to the practitioners that need it. Resources Men Behind Sport Support The Coach Toolbox The High-Performance Coach's Guide to Lasting Change Gaia Games Summit 2026: Join the Movement! Connect with Stevo: Linkedin

Today on the Eurovoix Podcast, we're turning our eyes on the second semi-final stagings - and our mics to two of the contenders.James Stephenson hosts today's Wrap-Up as we arrive in Basel for the biggest song contest in the world, and Daniel Stridh is already meeting up with the acts. Dan starts by catching up with “Milkshake Man” Go-Jo from Australia about his entry, and there's time to stop by with Katarsis to hear all about the story and emotion behind “Tavo Akys”.But that's not all we have for you. We'll be going through every song from Semi Final Two and how they're shaping up in the rehearsals. We'll run through Armenia's “Survivor” on Parg's treadmill, see what Malta's Miriana Conte is “Serving” on stage, and take a deep dive in black and white with Austria's JJ and his big contender “Wasted Love”.And later on in the show, we'll be seeing how the betting odds are shaping up ahead of Eurovision next week. Our next show on Monday will be recorded entirely in Basel and will be your ultimate Semi Final One preview!So if you love Eurovision, go there with us. Listen to Wrap-Up throughout the contest in Basel, and make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts to make sure you don't miss a moment!CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHost: James StephensonContributors: Alistair Brown, Daniel Stridh, James Stephenson, Julien De-Re, Meg Davies, Neil Farren, Steven Heap, Tamara VecicEditor: James StephensonWant to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

Today on the Eurovoix Podcast, Eurovision 2025 becomes a reality, with the first 15 competing songs taking to the stage for rehearsals in Basel.Steven Heap is your host as Wrap-Up takes a look at how the first semi-final stagings are shaping up. We'll be taking a closer look at whether KAJ are still the ones to beat in Basel with "Bara Bada Bastu", seeing whether the hype around Cyprus's "Shh" is justified, and diving deep into revamped stagings from Croatia and Albania.We've also got time to go over everything we've seen from the first rehearsals for semi-final one - from Iceland's boat to Poland's ropes, we've got you covered. And, during the show, we'll also chat about Käärijä and Baby Lasagna being added to the Eurovision interval act line-up, and we'll see which stars will be handing out the douze pointe as this year's spokespersons!At the end of the show, we'll compare Eurovoix's two methods of predicting Eurovision 2025, too - we'll have the final results from the Your Voix vote, and see what The Model is projecting as we arrive in Switzerland.As Eurovision 2025 begins, Wrap-Up is here to bring you every moment of the contest. We'll be back on Friday with a first look at the songs in the second semi-final as well as the Big 5 and hosts Switzerland, so don't miss it!CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHost: Steven HeapContributors: Alistair Brown, Franciska van Waarden, James Stephenson, Neil Farren, Sem Anne van Dijk, Tamara VecicEditor: James StephensonWant to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

This week on the Eurovoix Podcast, all eyes are turning to Basel - and their plans for Eurovision 2025 are firming up fast.Franciska van Waarden hosts this week's Wrap-Up as we analyse the Eurovision alumni coming back to the contest, whether there is a chance for the COVID-hit class of 2020 to perform their songs again, and if Celine Dion may make a special appearance as Eurovision returns to Switzerland.We'll also talk about the Eurovision 2025 postcards after we obtained their locations, discuss the ongoing OGAE poll to see which songs are standing out to Eurovision's biggest fans, and ask whether new rules on flags will help or hinder the contest in maintaining political neutrality.And, at the end of the show, we revisit our Eurovision sweepstake selections - and Sem Anne van Dijk begins to interview himself. Really.For that and so much more, make sure you listen to Wrap-Up, your Eurovision news show. And, as rehearsals begin in Basel next week, we'll have two special shows for you to enjoy as we see what each country is bringing to the stage!CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHost: Franciska van WaardenContributors: Daniel Stridh, Darshan Bijuvignesh, Davide Conte, James Stephenson, Julien De-re, Meg Davies, Neil Farren, Sem Anne van Dijk, Steven HeapEditor: James StephensonWant to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

This week on the Eurovoix Podcast, we've got you covered as the countdown to Eurovision 2025 starts to get even quicker.James Stephenson is your host on Wrap-Up this week as we reflect on this Easter weekend's pre-party in Madrid, Spain, and we ask whether those parties and promo tours really make an impact on the Eurovision leaderboard.We'll also see which songs are predicted to make it out of the competitive second semi-final in the next round of Your Voix, and we're previewing more of this year's songs, too. From the man climbing faster than anyone in the odds for Czechia to Malta's entry that has everyone talking, we'll see which ones look to have the best chance of success in Basel.And, at the end of our show, an Easter treat, as we go on a different kind of Easter egg hunt: for the most random, unhinged and hilarious Eurovision facts!For all the latest from Eurovision as Basel draws nearer, make sure you don't miss a moment. Listen to Wrap-Up every Monday morning (from now on!) from 07:00 CET!CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHost: James StephensonContributors: Alistair Brown, Darshan Bijuvignesh, Franciska van Waarden, Neil Farren, Tamara VecicEditor: James StephensonAnd from Eurovision 2025: Adonxs (Czechia 2025), Emmy (Ireland 2025) and Sissal (Denmark 2025)Want to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

This week on the Eurovoix Podcast, we're catching up with the world of the world's biggest song contest in the second part of our coverage from London.James Stephenson is your host as the team visits the London Eurovision Party in the UK's capital, where we share our highlights from the show, and we take a look at the new plans Basel has announced for fans travelling to Eurovision next month.We're continuing our song previews, with Austria's "Wasted Love" and the United Kingdom's "What The Hell Just Happened?" under the microscope, and we'll find out which 10 songs you think will qualify from the first semi-final as we look back at the first week of Your Voix.And make sure you stick around until the end of Wrap-Up to hear the headlines of the latest projection from The Model - exclusively on the Eurovoix Podcast!If you love Eurovision then, for now, Remember Tuesday! We'll be airing our next Wrap-Up on Tuesday at 07:00 CET after Easter, and then Mondays once again from there.CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHost: James StephensonContributors: Alistair Brown, Davide Conte, Franciska van Waarden, Meg Davies, Neil Farren, Steven Heap, Tamara VecicEditor: James StephensonWant to hear all our interviews from LEP? Make sure you check out our Eurovoix Podcast Special where we chat to nine of this year's acts about their entries!Want to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

In the first of a two-part special, the Eurovoix Podcast is at the London Eurovision Party to speak to several of this year's Eurovision contenders.On this show, James Stephenson and Darshan Bijuvignesh interview artists from all across Europe looking to make an impact at the contest in Basel next month. They range from older acts like San Marino's Gabry Ponte and Poland's Justyna Steczkowska, to younger artists like Croatia's Marko Bosnjak and Iceland's Væb.There's also a chance to learn more about this year's artists. James speaks to Belgium's Red Sebastian about his decision to take on a stage name, Australia's Go-Jo about his upbringing in a self-sustaining community, and Czechia's Adonxs about how his time in London shaped his artistry today. You'll also hear from six Latvian fairies as Tautumeitas also drop by to chat.And, at the end of the show, Darshan meets his favourite artists of this year, Shkodra Elektronike from Albania - and he has a special gift just for them. Tomorrow, we'll be back with your regularly scheduled Wrap-Up covering all that happened at LEP, the latest news from Basel, more of our song previews and a chance to hear what British Eurofans think of this year's songs - from the pub!Make sure you come back at 07:00 CET on Tuesday 15 April for Part 2, and every week for the Eurovoix Podcast - on Tuesday next week because of Easter, and Monday after that!CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHost: James StephensonContributors: Darshan BijuvigneshEditor: James StephensonAnd our guests from the London Eurovision Party: Gabry Ponte (San Marino 2025), Marko Bosnjak (Croatia 2025), Justyna Steczkowska (Poland 2025), Red Sebastian (Belgium 2025), Væb (Iceland 2025), Tautumeitas (Latvia 2025), Go-Jo (Australia 2025), Adonxs (Czechia 2025) and Shkodra Elektronike (Albania 2025)Want to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

This week on the Eurovoix Podcast, we're in Amsterdam for Eurovision in Concert - and conversations with this year's biggest stars. Steven Heap hosts Wrap-Up in the United Kingdom this week while James Stephenson travels to The Netherlands to visit Eurovision in Concert, the year's first major pre-party. There, he spoke to Finland's fan favourite Erika Vikman about her song "Ich Komme" and what she might have planned for her performance in Basel.But that's not all - we had the chance to speak to four more of this year's Eurovision line-up. You'll hear from Lithuanian rockers Katarsis about how they're bringing the energy to perform "Tavo Akys", catch up with Ziferblat on their first trip out of Ukraine in years, and James interviews his own country's act - Remember Monday. There's even one of the most unhinged interviews we've ever had on Wrap-Up, as Tommy Cash brings pure chaos to the show as he chats about Espresso Macchiato! And with six more of our Eurovision song previews, we keep assessing which songs are looking strong ahead of the contest in May.For all the build-up to Eurovision, Wrap-Up is here every Monday at 07:00 CET to bring you the world of the world's biggest song contest, wherever you are.CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHost: Steven HeapContributors: Darshan Bijuvignesh, Davide Conte, Franciska van Waarden, James Stephenson, Neil Farren, Sem Anne van Dijk, Tamara VecicEditor: James StephensonAnd our guests from Eurovision in Concert: Erika Vikman (Finland 2025), Katarsis (Lithuania 2025), Ziferblat (Ukraine 2025), Tommy Cash (Estonia 2025) and Remember Monday (United Kingdom 2025)Want to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

This week on the Eurovoix Podcast, we meet two of the most-talked about artists competing at Eurovision 2025.James Stephenson is your host on Wrap-Up as he heads to London for a brief meeting with Remember Monday in one of the city's most prestigious theatres - and there's a surprise singalong! Meanwhile, Sem Anne van Dijk travels to Hilversum in The Netherlands to meet their new artist Claude and find out the story behind his entry "C'est La Vie". While we've been meeting artists, the artists have also been meeting their fate in this week's semi-final running order announcements. We'll chat about which songs are performing where, which countries have benefitted from their positioning, and which nations we think might find their route to the final more difficult.The team is also continuing its song previews of the Eurovision 2025 line-up, with Ukraine and Spain in the spotlight, and we're getting a glimpse into what Basel looks like ahead of the contest with someone who went there this week - Ding-a-dong co-host Marco Dreijer!If you can't get enough of Eurovision, then just Remember Monday. Wrap-Up releases every Monday at 07:00 CET to bring you the world of the world's biggest song contest, wherever you are.CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHost: James StephensonContributors: Alistair Brown, Darshan Bijuvignesh, Neil Farren, Sem Anne van Dijk, Steven Heap, Tamara VecicEditor: James StephensoSpecial Guest: Marco DreijerAnd from Eurovision 2025: Remember Monday (United Kingdom 2025), Ace Bowerman (Creative Director, United Kingdom 2025), Ziferblat (Ukraine 2025) and Claude (The Netherlands 2025)Want to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

This week on the Eurovoix Podcast, the build-up to Basel goes to the next level as our Eurovision song previews return.Franciska van Waarden is your host as the Wrap-Up team starts its deep dive into the line-up to see who's contending for the Eurovision crown. First up, we drink from Tommy Cash's Espresso Macchiato for Estonia, preview Slovenia, Poland and Iceland's chances, hear from KAJ as we ask whether "Bara Bada Bastu" can really win it all and preview the first of the Big 5 - Italy.We're also on top of all the big news this week, from a whole handful of song revamps to the latest acts announced for this year's Eurovision pre-party season. You'll also hear all the updates from Eurovision's big Heads of Delegation meeting, including new faces at the top and the first piece of running order information for this year's contest. And, at the end of the show, the whole team is here to choose an entry for our annual Eurovision sweepstake - so, who do you think will make the right pick?If you all the latest Eurovision news, insights and interviews (including with the UK's act soon!), then all you have to do is remember Monday. Listen to Wrap-Up every week from 07:00 CET!CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHost: Franciska van WaardenContributors: Alistair Brown, Daniel Stridh, Darshan Bijuvignesh, Davide Conte, James Stephenson, Julien De-re, Meg Davies, Neil Farren, Sem Anne van Dijk, Steven Heap, Tamara VecicEditor: James StephensonAnd from Eurovision 2025: KAJ (Sweden 2025)Want to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

This week on the Eurovoix Podcast, we have the full line-up of songs for Eurovision 2025 - and we've spoken to three of their performers.James Stephenson hosts as we head back to Stockholm for a chance to hear from Denmark's Sissal, Norway's Kyle Alessandro and Ireland's Emmy as they talk about their journey to the contest so far, and how they're feeling ahead of Eurovision in May.We'll also react to the last songs to be released, including Cyprus, Switzerland and Georgia, and look up to the sky as France finally reveals its much-anticipated entry "Maman" with Louane performing on a floating platform in the middle of Paris's biggest stadium!And, at the end of the show, we ask how Eurovision 2025 could play out. The Model, Eurovoix's data simulation of the Eurovision Song Contest, returns for 2025 to make its first projection on this episode of Wrap-Up before anywhere else.The race to Switzerland is becoming a sprint - keep up by listening to the Eurovoix Podcast! For new episodes of Wrap-Up, remember Monday and tune in every week from 07:00 CET.CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHost: James StephensonContributors: Darshan Bijuvignesh, Franciska van Waarden, Julien De-re, Neil Farren, Steven HeapEditor: James StephensonAnd our guests from Eurovision 2025: Sissal (Denmark 2025), Kyle Alessandro (Norway 2025) & Adam Woods (Melodifestivalen 2023, 2024) and Emmy (Ireland 2025)Want to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

This week on the Eurovoix Podcast, we travel to Sweden for a Melodifestivalen match-up like no other - and chat to the winners!Steven Heap hosts this week's Wrap-Up as Eurovision national final season draws to a close, while James Stephenson travels to Stockholm to bring you into the Melfest bubble. We catch up with KAJ and Måns Zelmerlöw throughout the contest, speak to the historic winners, and find time to sing Tattoo with Dolly Style!We'll also bring you the reaction from Portugal and San Marino as they select their Eurovision entries, ask how far JJ and Adonxs can go with their opera-inspired songs for Austria and Czechia, and we'll take a moment to talk about Eurovision's biggest kant-roversy - why Malta will need to change their contest contender.And, of course, we'll go over the UK's entry, What the Hell Just Happened? by Remember Monday, and start to ask what their hopes are of climbing the mountain that is the Eurovision scoreboard in Switzerland. So, travel to Sweden, catch up with all the latest entries, and get your Eurovision news every week - all you have to do is remember Monday and listen to Wrap-Up at 07:00 CET!CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHost: Steven HeapContributors: Alistair Brown, Davide Conte, Franciska van Waarden, James Stephenson, Meg Davies, Neil Farren, Tamara VecicEditor: James StephensonAnd our guests from Melodifestivalen 2025: KAJ, Måns Zelmerlöw and Dolly Style!Special Thanks: Daniel Stridh, GJ KooijmanWant to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

This week on the Eurovoix Podcast, we bring you six new songs from seven great days in Eurovision - and one of us comes ninth in a national final!Franciska van Waarden brings you the highlights from another weekend of contests across Europe. we'll show you a spinning dancer from Serbia, serve you a slice of poison cake from Croatia, and meet a dreamer from Denmark as we hear from DMGP winner Sissal.She'll also catch up with Anni of ESC Factful fame for her thoughts on Abor & Tynna winning Germany's Chefsache, and get a quick word from our very own Daniel Stridh as they finished ninth in Dora as part of the staging team behind Fenksta's entry "Extra"!Then, James Stephenson tags in to take you through the internally selected songs released this week. We'll hear how Claude's song for the Netherlands has impressed earlier than intended, Liv from Aussievision joins us to talk about her country's new Milkshake Man, Go-Jo, and we'll ask the question on everyone's lips - when will the UK announce their entry? So, if you want the latest news from the world of Eurovision, all you have to do is remember Monday. Listen to Wrap-Up every Monday at 07:00 CET and keep up with the world's craziest contest!CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHosts: Franciska van Waarden, James StephensonContributors: Alistair Brown, Daniel Stridh, Davide Conte, Neil Farren, Meg Davies, Sem Anne van Dijk, Tamara VecicEditor: James StephensonGuests: ESC Factful, Liv from AussievisionAnd from Eurovision 2025: Sissal (Denmark 2025)Want to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

This week on the Eurovoix Podcast, we bring you all the biggest news from another week in Eurovision - and a big chat with one of this year's acts!Franciska van Waarden is your guide as we discover who Italy is sending to the contest after Olly's withdrawal, feel out the "VÆB" of Iceland's new entry, and we figure out which songs could be set to compete for Germany and Portugal this year.The show also heads back to Malmö to catch up on Melodifestivalen. We'll chat to Swedish Eurovision journalist Tobbe Ek about how this year is shaping up, and whether Måns Zelmerlöw has what it takes to win in Sweden - and in Switzerland.And, later on in the show, don't miss an exclusive in-depth chat with one of this year's most exciting artists. James Stephenson sits down with Ziferblat for a conversation about their song "Bird of Prey" and how they plan to represent Ukraine on the Eurovision stage in Basel.You'll hear all of that in today's Wrap-Up - and for more like this every week, make sure you follow us and tune in every Monday at 07:00 CET for all the latest Eurovision news.CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHost: Franciska van WaardenContributors: Alistair Brown, Darshan Bijuvignesh, Davide Conte, James Stephenson, Neil Farren, Sem Anne van DijkEditor: James StephensonSpecial Guest: Tobbe EkAnd from Eurovision 2025: Ziferblat (Ukraine 2025)Want to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

This week on the Eurovoix Podcast, we are covering more national finals than ever before - six of them all in one weekend!James Stephenson is your host as we try and make sense of the madness of Italy's Festival di Sanremo, including a set of shocking results and why their winner Olly might not compete at Eurovision in Basel.There's also plenty of other trips to take around Europe, too. We'll find out which artist has broken an ESC record in Poland, how Norway and Lithuania have decided to select songs that are musical polar opposites, and react to Sunday night's show in Armenia as they pick Parg for Eurovision 2025.And, later on in the show, we'll get our espresso macchiato to go as we check in with ESC Gabe in Estonia and ask him about Eesti Laul and their new Eurovision entry, Tommy Cash. We'll also be putting some of our early contest predictions to him - with hilarious results.So, want the best bits from six national finals all in one place? Then make sure you listen to Wrap-Up today, and keep up with Eurovision every Monday from 07:00 CET.CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHost: James StephensonContributors: Darshan Bijuvignesh, Davide Conte, Franciska van Waarden, Meg Davies, Neil FarrenEditor: James StephensonAnd our special guest: ESC GabeWant to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

This week on the Eurovoix Podcast, we travel to Tampere in Finland for one of the biggest national finals of the Eurovision Season - UMK.James Stephenson and Franciska van Waarden co-host the show from Tampere as they react to Erika Vikman's victory, and also hear from fellow contenders Costee, Neea River, Goldielocks and Nelli Matula!While they've been in Finland, the rest of our team was keeping up with all the action on this year's "Super Saturday", with four other national finals to cover. We'll analyse the latest Eurovision 2025 songs from Ukraine and Latvia, ask whether the EBU will be serving a ban to the Maltese winner's lyrics, and chat to Reylta as we find out more about Ireland's show.We'll also take you to Copenhagen to chat to Sissal and Tim Schou as they're announced in the line up for Dansk Melodi Grand Prix, and you'll hear all the latest news from the world of the world's biggest song contest.From Tampere, and the rest of Europe, to everyone around the world - this is your weekly Wrap-Up. CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHosts: Franciska van Waarden, James StephensonContributors: Daniel Stridh, Davide Conte, Meg Davies, Neil Farren, Sem Anne van DijkEditor: James Stephenson (overseen by Franciska van Waarden)Our UMK Guests: Costee, Neea River, Goldielocks, Nelli MatulaFrom the world of Eurovision: Reylta (The Late Late Show Eurosong 2025), Sissal and Tim Schou (DMGP 2025)And from Eurovision 2024: Windows95Man (Finland 2024)Want to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

This week on the Eurovoix Podcast, we have four national finals and four new songs to talk about for Eurovision 2025.Franciska van Waarden is your host this week as we bring you all the best from Greece, Slovenia and Spain's selections over the weekend. Not only that, we'll take you to Belgium to meet the winner of Eurosong 2025, Red Sebastian, and find out what he's planning for his entry "Strobe Lights" in Basel!There's also time to assess how Klavdia, Klemen and Melody's winning entries will fare, and we'll wrap up everything else you need to know from around the world of the world's biggest song contest, too.Two new countries have confirmed their artists for Eurovision this year - we'll introduce you to JJ from Austria and Louane from France later on in the show.As the national final frenzy begins, make sure you listen to Wrap-Up for the best news, interviews and more every Monday at 07:00 CET!CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHost: Franciska van WaardenContributors: Alistair Brown, Darshan Bijuvignesh, Davide Conte, James Stephenson, Neil Farren, Sem Anne van DijkEditor: James StephensonAnd our Special Guest: Red Sebastian (Belgium 2025)Want to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

On Tuesday 28 January, the draw for the semi-finals of Eurovision 2025 was held. And today for a Eurovoix Podcast special, we went to Basel to see it live.Not only that, but we've spoken to the biggest names in Eurovision for their feelings about the contest - including the Executive Supervisor, Martin Österdahl, himself.James Stephenson chats with Martin in a conversation that covers the fallout from Malmö, his excitement for Basel, and whether more can be done to bring countries back to the contest. But Österdahl is only the beginning - we've also chatted to his new colleague Martin Green, the ESC Director, about how he's settling into his role and how changes like the new Code of Conduct will impact the event. You'll also hear from Contest Producer and Eurovision legend Christer Björkman and from a returning guest, the President of Basel's cantonal government Dr. Conradin Cramer!If this isn't a special, nothing is - make sure you listen to today's Eurovoix Podcast from the Eurovision 2025 draw, and join us for new episodes of Wrap-Up every Monday from 07:00 CET.CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHost: James StephensonFilming and Recording: Daniel StridhEditor: James StephensonAnd our Special Guests: Martin Green (Director, Eurovision Song Contest)Christer Björkman (Contest Producer, Eurovision Song Contest)Dr. Conradin Cramer (President of the Cantonal Government of Basel-Stadt)Martin Österdahl (Executive Supervisor, Eurovision Song Contest)THEME MUSIC: Steve Brian - 1986 (Edited by James Stephenson) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EBBF_Y-ZFwWant to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

This week on the Eurovoix Podcast, we find the next competing song for Eurovision 2025 - and lose a country along the way.On this episode of Wrap-Up, we head to Luxembourg to see their national final live and in person. Neil Farren takes you to the Grand Duchy to capture the experience of the show, and meets their new Eurovision act Laura Thorn as she discusses her hopes for the contest.However, we also react to the shock withdrawal of Moldova from the competition after two decades, and Steven Heap takes a heartfelt look back at some of the highlights of one of the contest's most memorable nations. And that's not all - we're on top of all the major news from the contest this week. We'll be diving deep into Ireland's chances with Conor & Lou from Éirevision as they tell us what it's been like to meet the six artists competing at Eurosong 2025, bring you to Basel to see who the new Eurovision hosts are, and ask what mascot would be perfect for the world's biggest song contest.There's also an exciting announcement at the end of the show, so stick around to find out what we're up to next!Want to keep up with this crazy Eurovision season? Listen to Wrap-Up, the weekly news show from the Eurovoix Podcast, every Monday from 07:00 CET.CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHost: James StephensonContributors: Alistair Brown, Davide Conte, Franciska van Waarden, Neil Farren, Steven Heap, Sem Anne van DijkEditor: James StephensonLuxembourg Song Contest Guests: Laura Thorn (Luxembourg 2025), Julien Salvia & Ludovic-Alexandre Vidal (songwriters, Luxembourg 2025)And from the world of Eurovision: Conor & Lou from ÉirevisionTHEME MUSIC: Steve Brian - 1986 (Edited by James Stephenson) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EBBF_Y-ZFwWant to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

Hello, and let me offer you an apology - there's no full episode of Wrap-Up this week.However, despite not being able to bring you a full show this Monday, that doesn't mean that the world of Eurovision has come to a stop. And with all the news from the last seven days, we've got something a little different to make sure you don't miss a beat. This week, we've tried to condense the entire week of Eurovision news, songs and absolutely inexplicable Moldovan auditions into a shorter timeframe. Much shorter, in fact. We're bringing you all the top lines summing up the last seven days in two minutes.So we hope you enjoy something new this week, but don't worry. The Eurovoix Podcast will be back to normal service next Monday as we take you to Luxembourg for the first national final of 2025 - the Luxembourg Song Contest. See you there!CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHost: James StephensonEditor: James StephensonTHEME MUSIC: Steve Brian - 1986 (Edited by James Stephenson) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EBBF_Y-ZFwWant to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

Happy New Year - Happy New Eurovision! And this week on the Eurovoix Podcast, Wrap-Up returns to weekly episodes for 2025.On our first show of the year, we catch up with all that's happened in the world of Eurovision over the holidays. We dive deep into the David vs Goliath story of Festivali i Kenges in Albania, and discuss how Zjerm beat Karnaval with MJ from The Phoenix ESC!The team also takes a look at how this year's national finals are shaping up across the continent. We'll explain which artists are set to impress for Finland at this year's UMK, look at Croatia's chances of going one better than their second place last year, and ask what one artist in Malta is serving.And, if you're new to Eurovision, don't worry - we'll get you caught up with the world's craziest contest by explaining all the drama from Eurovision 2024, and looking ahead to what we can expect from this year's contest in Basel, Switzerland.A brand-new year means a brand-new contest - but its still the same Wrap-Up. Listen to today's Eurovoix Podcast, and listen every Monday from 07:00 CET from today until May.CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHost: James StephensonContributors: Alistair Brown, Anthony Granger, Daniel Stridh, Davide Conte, Franciska van Waarden, Neil Farren, Sem Anne van DijkEditor: James StephensonAnd our guest: MJ from The Phoenix ESCTHEME MUSIC: Steve Brian - 1986 (Edited by James Stephenson) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EBBF_Y-ZFwWant to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

'Twas the last episode of the Eurovoix Podcast before Christmas, and all through Europe, many countries were stirring, Montenegro in particular.We discuss the drama around Montesong 2024, NeonoeN's withdrawal, and the second first song of Eurovision 2025 - Dobrodošli by Nina Žižić. We'll also have all the latest from around the continent, including Czechia's artist for the contest, reaction to this year's Sanremo artists and the competing songs for Estonia, Latvia and Albania.Also, as Basel reveals its branding for Eurovision next year, we take you to Switzerland to speak to the people behind the production. Daniel Stridh chats to stage designer Florian Wieder, the show's artistic director Artur Deyneuve, and the Executive Producers of Eurovision 2025, Reto Peritz and Moritz Stadler about the show's identity and their hopes for the contest.And, with Christmas and the New Year around the corner, there's time for us to reveal our wishlist for next year's contest. We'll also reveal what our votes are for ESC 250 - some more surprising than others.Don't miss the final Wrap-Up of 2024 - it's a Christmas cracker! We'll also be returning to weekly shows from 2025 until Eurovision next May, meaning you'll never miss a beat of the journey to Basel.CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHost: James StephensonContributors: Alistair Brown, Anthony Granger, Daniel Stridh, Darshan Bijuivgnesh, Davide Conte, Neil Farren, Sem Anne van Dijk, Steven HeapEditor: James StephensonEurovision Wishlist Guests: MJ & Liv from The Phoenix ESC and Andreea Gheorghe, Pressnter of Douze Points on Riverside RadioAnd our special guests in Basel:Florian Wieder, Stage Designer, Eurovision 2025Artur Deyneuve, Artistic Director, Eurovision 2025Reto Peritz & Moritz Stadler, Executive Producers, Eurovision 2025THEME MUSIC: Steve Brian - 1986 (Edited by James Stephenson) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EBBF_Y-ZFwWant to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

We have a surprise show for you! On this Eurovoix Podcast Special, we're in Stockholm, Sweden as the 30 acts who will compete at Melodifestivalen 2025 are revealed.James Stephenson is your host while Daniel Stridh visited SVT's press conference, where he got to speak to some of the biggest names competing at next year's contest.We chat to Karin Gunnarsson, the Contest Producer of Melodifestivalen, about how the songs and artists get selected, catch up with Klara Hammarström as she announces her comeback to the competition, and meet a former Melfest and Eurovision winner as Måns Zelmerlöw returns.We'll also be running you through some of the other big names competing, find out which of the debutants to look out for, and start speculating who might get the chance to fly Sweden's flag in Basel at Eurovision 2025.Enjoy this Eurovoix Podcast special, and make sure you check out our Eurovision news show Wrap-Up to catch up on all the latest from the contest, wherever you are!CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHost: James StephensonContributors: Daniel Stridh, Franciska van WaardenEditor: James StephensonAnd our Special Guests from Melodifestivalen 2025:Måns Zelmerlöw, Klara Hammarström, Karin GunnarssonTHEME MUSIC: Steve Brian - 1986 (Edited by James Stephenson) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EBBF_Y-ZFwWant to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

This month on the Eurovoix Podcast, we head to the Spanish capital Madrid for a different kind of Eurovision - the Junior Eurovision Song Contest.James Stephenson is your host in Spain as we react to the results - including a historic winner - speak to some of the talented youngsters competing, and ask why Junior Eurovision is such a big part of the Eurovision calendar. But that's not all - in a bumper month of Eurovision news, we'll catch you up on what you might have missed from around the continent. We ask whether Stefan Raab is the man to turn around Germany's fortunes, chat about new national finals in Slovenia and Poland, and analyse Australia's place in the contest after confirming they'll compete for their 10th anniversary.And, in Basel, there's a Eurovision vote with a difference - a referendum on the contest itself that could change the way its staged completely!So, wherever you are, come with us to Madrid and stay for so much more - the Eurovoix Podcast gives you the latest Eurovision and Junior Eurovision news, wherever you are.CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHost: James StephensonContributors: Alistair Brown, Anthony Granger, Davide Conte, Franciska van Waarden, Neil Farren, Rebecca Jefferson, Steven HeapEditor: James StephensonGuests: Tim Jumawan (That Eurovision Site), GJ Kooijman (Ding-a-Dong - dé Eurovisie Songfestival Podcast), Gabe Milne (ESC Gabe), Jakub Ratzka (@kubasaak)And our Special Guests from the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2024: Enya Cox Dempsey (Ireland), Artem Kotenko (Ukraine), Ramires Sciberras (Malta), Titouan (France), Victoria Nicole (Portugal)THEME MUSIC: Steve Brian - 1986 (Edited by James Stephenson) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EBBF_Y-ZFwWant to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

This month on the Eurovoix Podcast, the saga of the summer comes to an end as the Netherlands confirm they'll compete in Eurovision 2025.Steven Heap is your host as we dissect the Dutch decision, and catch up with all the latest news from the world of the world's biggest song contest.There's the UK's plans for finding their next Eurovision hit, an exclusive chat with Swedish journalist Tobbe Ek about the current state of Melodifestivalen (and those Måns Zelmerlöw rumours), and there's also a look ahead to the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in Madrid next month.We haven't forgotten its Halloween this week either - so the Eurovoix Podcast team is facing its fears and telling the tales of their ultimate Eurovision horror stories at the end of the show!So give us a listen, if you dare - the Eurovoix Podcast gives you the latest Eurovision news, wherever you are.CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHost: Steven HeapContributors: Alistair Brown, Anthony Granger, Darshan Bijuvignesh, Davide Conte, Franciska van Waarden, James Stephenson, Meg Davies, Neil Farren, Sem Anne van DijkEditor: James StephensonAnd Special Guest: Tobbe EkTHEME MUSIC: Steve Brian - 1986 (Edited by James Stephenson) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EBBF_Y-ZFwWant to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

De dag nadat Nederland hoort dat we toch naar het Eurovisie Songfestival 2025 in Bazel gaan, maar zonder Joost Klein praten we bij met Taco Zimmerman. Hij is de algemeen directeur bij omroep AVROTROS en heeft zich de laatste maanden bezig gehouden met alles wat er speelde rondom Eurovision. Met hem praat GJ Kooijman bij over onder andere de nieuwe maatregelen die onder andere door de AVROTROS zijn gevraagd om het beter te maken voor toekomstige artiesten, de onderhandelingen met de EBU, de schok die door Malmö ging op de vrijdagmiddag van de finale en of Joost carte blanche had gekregen voor 2025. Veel meer wordt er besproken in deze speciale bonus aflevering van Ding-a-Dong, de Eurovisie Songfestival podcast van Nederland. Marco Dreijer en GJ Kooijman nemen je twee-wekelijks mee in het Eurovisie Songfestival 2025 in Basel, Zwitserland en Junior Songfestival 2024 in Madrid! Ze bespreken de laatste Eurovision nieuwtjes waaronder al het laatste nieuws over de nog steeds actuale diskwalificatie van Joost Klein en de deelname van Nederland natuurlijk, kijken vooruit naar het Songfestival 2025 in Zwitserland en nog veel meer. Je wekelijkse Eurovision Update is hier... Met dank aan Gabe Milne, James Stephenson, Sem-Anne van Dijk en de AVROTROS. ⁠Wil je Marco en GJ supporten richting Bazel? D⁠⁠at kan via ⁠https://petjeaf.com/eurovisionpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Het kan eenmalig of op regelmatige basis. En je krijgt er leuke extra's voor terug... Reageren op de uitzendingen? Dat kan: mail naar info[at]songfestivalpodcast.nl!

The Eurovoix Podcast is back with another packed episode with everything that has happened in Eurovision this September and more.Franciska van Waarden is your host as we have the honour of speaking to Dr. Conradin Cramer, the President of the cantonal government of Basel-Stadt. In an exclusive interview, he spoke to James Stephenson about the city's plans for hosting the contest, the challenges that come with it and how exciting it is to have the Eurovision Song Contest at your doorstep.We also have a look at the national and internal selection news, including Greece's new national final, while we try to find out why countries change their selection method. There's also an update on everything you need to know about the upcoming Junior Eurovision Song Contest in Madrid this November.You'll find all that and more on a brand-new Eurovoix Podcast – the latest Eurovision news, wherever you are.CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHost: Franciska van WaardenContributors: Alistair Brown, Anthony Granger, Darshan Bijuvignesh, James Stephenson, Meg Davies, Neil Farren, Sem Anne van Dijk, Steven HeapEditor: James StephensonAnd Special Guest: Dr. Conradin CramerTHEME MUSIC: Steve Brian - 1986 (Edited by James Stephenson) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EBBF_Y-ZFwWant to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on FacebookFollow Eurovoix on ThreadsWant to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

Hello, stranger - after a summer off, the Eurovoix Podcast is back for Eurovision 2025!On our first show of a brand-new Eurovision year, we find out about our new host city of Basel, discuss Montenegro returning to the contest, and chat about all the other big news you might have missed over the last few months in the world's biggest song contest.As the fallout from Eurovision 2024 continues, Eurovoix's James Stephenson and Sem Anne van Dijk speak to GJ Kooijman and ESC Gabe about the latest developments in the Netherlands and Joost Klein's situation after his disqualification in Malmö in May. And, there was a whole other Eurovision last month - Eurovision Young Musicians! Neil Farren was watching on, and he spoke to some of the musicians themselves, including contest winner Leonard Baumgartner from Austria.There's all that and more on a brand-new Eurovoix Podcast - new season, new theme music, same Wrap-Up.CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHost: James StephensonContributors: Alistair Brown, Darshan Bijuvignesh, Davide Conte, Franciska van Waarden, Meg Davies, Neil Farren, Sem Anne van Dijk, Steven HeapEditor: James StephensonGuests: GJ Kooijman, ESC Gabe, Hugo Svedberg (Eurovision Young Musicians - Sweden), Sebastian Egebakken Svenoy (Eurovision Young Musicians - Norway), Leonard Baumgartner (Eurovision Young Musicians - Austria)THEME MUSIC: Steve Brian - 1986 (Edited by James Stephenson) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EBBF_Y-ZFwWant to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on FacebookFollow Eurovoix on ThreadsWant to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

On today's episode of Wrap-Up, we give you our immediate reactions to a dramatic, dynamic and often chaotic Grand Final of Eurovision 2024.James Stephenson and Sem Anne van Dijk bring you to the Malmö Arena just moments after Nemo's stunning victory for Switzerland and bring you their reactions to their victory and press conference. And, after the disqualification of Joost Klein, we speak with GJ Kooijman from Ding-a-Dong - Een Eurovisie Songfestival Podcast about the fallout in the Netherlands from the news. Not only that, Eurovoix's Daniel Stridh joins us to explain why Nemo said to them that Eurovision needs some fixing.We've also got the reaction from everyone in the Eurovoix Podcast team to Nemo's win, but also other results from the night - Norway's shock last place, the UK's shock nil points, and Ireland's best result at the contest since 2000.Eurovision may be over - but the Eurovoix Podcast isn't done yet. Find out more about a crazy day in contest history, wherever you are.CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHost: James StephensonContributors: Alistair Brown, Anthony Granger, Daniel Stridh, Darshan Bijuvignesh, Davide Conte, Franciska van Waarden, Meg Davies, Neil Farren, Sem Anne van Dijk, Steven HeapEditor: James StephensonGuests: GJ Kooijman from Ding-a-Dong - Een Eurovisie Songfestival PodcastTHEME MUSIC: Roald Velden - Last Flight Home (Richard Bass Remix) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_4E7z9GrwYWant to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

On today's episode of Wrap-Up, we've reached the end of our journey - tonight, the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest will crown a new winner.But there's been chaos behind the scenes, as Joost Klein has been disqualified from the Eurovision Song Contest after an investigation into an incident on Thursday night, following almost 24 hours of chaos and confusion. James Stephenson and Sem Anne van Dijk bring you the latest from Malmö as it is coming in.Beyond that, though, the Eurovoix Podcast team is here to preview tonight's final - the big contenders, the potential surprises, the running order and the betting odds to give you the complete picture of the final before it happens. The day we've all been waiting for has arrived - so sit back and prepare for it with the Eurovoix Podcast. Let the Eurovision Song Contest begin!CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHost: Franciska van WaardenContributors: Darshan Bijuvignesh, Davide Conte, Gerry Avellino, Neil Farren, Steven Heap, James StephensonEditor: James StephensonTHEME MUSIC: Roald Velden - Last Flight Home (Richard Bass Remix) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_4E7z9GrwYWant to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

On today's episode of Wrap-Up, we go back to Malmö in the minutes following Semi-Final Two of the Eurovision Song Contest.James Stephenson and Sem Anne van Dijk bring you their reaction to the results, including countries returning to the final, big contenders falling by the wayside and Latvia stunning Europe to make it to Saturday for the first time since 2016.You'll also hear from the Eurovoix Podcast team as they take the results in where they watched the contest from around the world last night. And, after a late night announcement, we'll bring you the full running order for Saturday's Grand Final, too.So if you loved watching Eurovision last night live, then relive it with us - live from Malmö and broadcast to the world, this is the Eurovoix Podcast.CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHost: James Stephenson, Sem Anne van DijkContributors: Alistair Brown, Anthony Granger, Davide Conte, Meg Davies, Neil Farren, Steven HeapEditor: James StephensonTHEME MUSIC: Roald Velden - Last Flight Home (Richard Bass Remix) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_4E7z9GrwYWant to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

On today's episode of Wrap-Up, we turn our attention to the second semi-final of Eurovision 2024, which is happening tonight!Steven Heap is your host as we preview tonight's show and discuss who has the best chances to qualify, and we have reaction from yesterday's rehearsals to help you work out your favourites! Sem Anne van Dijk was also in the arena for last night's jury show, and we got him to record his immediate thoughts for us.Not only that, we'll be chatting to some of the contenders performing tonight. James Washak speaks to Greece's Marina Satti, whose song "Zari" has a staging made up of almost one single shot, while James Stephenson catches up with Denmark's Saba as she gets ready to perform "Sand" on tonight's show.There's all that as well as an update on the betting odds, how The Model's predictions are stacking up against reality, and so much more. So get ready for another amazing night by spending your day with the Eurovoix Podcast.CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHost: Steven HeapContributors: Anthony Granger, Darshan Bijuvignesh, James Washak, Neil Farren, Sem Anne van Dijk, James StephensonEditor: James StephensonGuests: Marina Satti (Greece), Saba (Denmark)THEME MUSIC: Roald Velden - Last Flight Home (Richard Bass Remix) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_4E7z9GrwYWant to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

On today's episode of Wrap-Up, we take you to Malmö just moments after the conclusion of the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest.James Stephenson watched the show live in the arena, while Sem Anne van Dijk watched live on television in the Eurovision press centre. Together, they go over all the big stories from the night, including Ireland's first qualification in six years, strong performances from favourites Croatia and Ukraine, and the surprise exits of Poland and Australia.You'll also hear from the Eurovoix Podcast team who were watching the show all over the world last night to get their reaction. And, as the running order draw took place after the show, there's a rundown of who will be performing where in Saturday's Grand Final.So if you want to go back over last night's show, then do it with us - live from Malmö and broadcast to the world, this is the Eurovoix Podcast.CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHost: James Stephenson, Sem Anne van DijkContributors: Darshan Bijuvignesh, Davide Conte, Franciska van Waarden, Neil Farren, Steven HeapEditor: James StephensonTHEME MUSIC: Roald Velden - Last Flight Home (Richard Bass Remix) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_4E7z9GrwYWant to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

On today's episode of Wrap-Up, the Eurovoix Podcast brings you the launch of Eurovision 2024 - the turquoise carpet.James Stephenson has landed in Malmö and went straight from the airport to this year's Eurovision launch. There, he chatted to more Eurovision artists than you can count with two hands, including some of the big contenders for the crown - you'll hear from Switzerland's Nemo, Italy's Angelina Mango and the Europapa from the Netherlands, Joost Klein.There's a chance for a few deeper questions, like what Kaleen thinks about the rise of dance at Eurovision and what Aiko's learned about grief since writing Pedestal. And there's also time for the artists to have a bit of fun, including Dons from Latvia's self-deprecating humour and Megara's annoyance that 11:11 is performing in slot 10.So, if you want to get closer to Eurovision, we're already here. Listen to the Eurovoix Podcast all week, with a daily show to bring each part of this year's contest to you. That's Eurovision every day, everywhere.CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHost: James StephensonEditor: James StephensonGuests: ISAAK (Germany), Kaleen (Austria), Mustii (Belgium), Raiven (Slovenia), Fahree & Ilkin Dovlatov (Azerbaijan), Angelina Mango (Italy), Aiko (Czechia), Dons (Latvia), Iolanda (Portugal), Nemo (Switzerland), Megara (San Marino), Besa (Albania), Natalia Barbu (Moldova) and Joost Klein (Netherlands)THEME MUSIC: Roald Velden - Last Flight Home (Richard Bass Remix) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_4E7z9GrwYWant to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

On this week's episode of Wrap-Up, the Eurovoix Podcast heads to London to see Eurovision 2024 up close and personal.London-based James Stephenson took the quick trip on the tube to the London Eurovision Party, where he got to chat to some of this year's biggest contenders. Belgium's Mustii opens up about his Shakespearean past, we get all things girlbop from Sarah Bonnici and Nutsa Buzaladze, and James chats about his two loves - Eurovision and football - with two twins: Marcus & Martinus.Also, the team reacts to some of the best performances from London, previews more of the songs competing at Eurovision 2024 with special guest Valentine Villain from Eurovision Hub, and there's more news from Malmö with the contest is only a month away.So, hello Europe - this is London calling. For all things Eurovision this week, listen to Wrap-Up, the weekly Eurovision news show from the Eurovoix Podcast.CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHost: James StephensonContributors: Darshan Bijuvignesh, Davide Conte, Franciska van Waarden, Meg Davies, Neil Farren, Steven HeapEditors: James Stephenson, Sem Anne van DijkGuests:Eurovision 2024 Artists: Mustii (Belgium), Marcus & Martinus (Sweden), Sarah Bonnici (Malta), Nutsa Buzaladze (Georgia), Dons (Latvia), Nemo (Switzerland)And from the Eurovision community: Valentine Villain from Eurovision HubSpecial Thanks: Daniel StridhWant to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

On this week's Wrap-Up, the Eurovoix Podcast starts looking ahead to the Eurovision Song Contest in 50 days time.With all 37 songs now out, host James Stephenson and the team start to analyse the runners and riders, and there's help from Conor & Lou at Éirevision as we assess Bambie Thug's chances for Ireland.We'll also discuss the rule changes to the contest announced on Monday - and what the Big 5 performing in the semi finals could mean for their fortunes - and later on we introduce The Model - the Eurovision prediction that has everyone talking! There's even time to talk ferrets. Yes, ferrets. Ferrets are just as important for organising the contest as the songs, apparently. Who knew?CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHost: James StephensonContributors: Alistair Brown, Darshan Bijuvignesh, Franciska van Waarden, Meg Davies, Neil Farren, Sem Anne van Dijk, Steven HeapEditor: James StephensonGuests: Silvester Belt, Luna, Conor and Lou from Éirevision THEME MUSIC: Roald Velden - Last Flight Home (Richard Bass Remix) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_4E7z9GrwYWant to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

On this week's Wrap-Up, the Eurovoix Podcast heads to Stockholm for the final of Melodifestivalen.James Stephenson took the trip to Sweden to get a glimpse of just how big Melfest is - and you'll hear more than half of this year's finalists discuss their experience and give their reactions to Marcus & Martinus's landslide victory.Also in Sweden, James had the chance to speak to four Eurovision artists who had already been announced - Lithuania's Silvester Belt, Poland's Luna, Denmark's SABA and Gåte from nearby Norway.We'll also bring you all the other news from around the world of Eurovision, including new songs from Greece and Australia, artist announcements from Azerbaijan and Armenia, and another national final winner in Portugal.Want to know more about Eurovision? Join us now!CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHosts: James Stephenson & Meg DaviesContributors: Alistair Brown, Anthony Granger, Darshan Bijuvignesh, Davide Conte, Sem Anne van DijkEditors: James Stephenson, Sem Anne van Dijk and Emily Grace (YouTube)Melfest WKND Guests: Silvester Belt, Luna, SABA and GåteMelodifestivalen Guests: Medina, Smash Into Pieces, Dotter, Jacqline, LIAMOO, Annika Wickihalder, Jay Smith and Cazzi Opeia (twice, in honour of her double entry) THEME MUSIC: Roald Velden - Last Flight Home (Richard Bass Remix) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_4E7z9GrwYWant to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

Led by conductor Delyana Lazarova, people experienced Aaron Copland's iconic tone poem Appalachian Spring in its original 13-piece version, along with the world premiere of a new companion work by James Stephenson—as Houston Contemporary Dance Company, choreographed by Founding Artistic Director Marlana Doyle.

It is exciting to speak to another musician with whom I have more in common that usual. not only are we both alumni of both Interlochen Arts Academy and New England Conservatory of Music but I find in his music a similar attraction to musical language and style.  This episode is one that I crafted out of our initial audio discussion, trying to incorporate into the episode many examples of Jim Stephenson's prodigious production.  As always my reasoning is many layered.  I want to introduce Stephenson's music to the widest possible audience of course but I also wanted to hear in his own words how he sees music, for example how deeply it is rooted in his many years as a working and professional trumpeter, and how what he composes is unafraid to connect with and touch the listener.  Luckily for me he is a most articulate guest on where contemporary classical music is today as well as its history.  I hope you enjoy this one as much as we enjoyed being able to take the time to get inside the music. Links to Jim's Beautiful Music  Website: https://composerjim.com/composer/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/composerjim/?hl=en Works: https://composerjim.com/works/ https://www.cedillerecords.org/artists/james-m-stephenson/ Media, Reviews : https://composerjim.com/about/media-kit/ More about Jim Leading American orchestras, instrumentalists, and wind ensembles around the world have performed the music of Chicago based composer James M. Stephenson, both to critical acclaim and the delight of audiences.  The Boston Herald raved about “straightforward, unabashedly beautiful sounds,” suggesting “Stephenson deserves to be heard again and again!” A formal sense of melody and tonality characterize his works, each embedded in a contemporary soundscape. These qualities, coupled with the composer's keen ability to write to each occasion, have led to a steady stream of commissions and ongoing projects. James M. Stephenson came late to his full-time composing career, having first earned a degree from the New England Conservatory in trumpet performance, and then going on to perform for 17 seasons in the Naples Philharmonic in Florida. The composer is largely self-taught and presents a musical voice that is truly individual. Colleagues and friends encouraged his earliest efforts and enthusiasm followed from all directions. As his catalog grew, so did his reputation. That catalog now boasts concertos and sonatas for nearly every instrument, earning him the moniker “The Concerto King” from Chicago Symphony clarinetist John Yeh. With such prolific output, Stephenson's music is well represented in recordings. Nearly all of his solo brass works (over 50) have been professionally recorded, and in total, his extensive catalog for all instruments can be heard on over 30 CDs. James Stephenson is also a highly sought-after arranger and conductor, rounding out his constantly busy schedule. His arrangements have been  performed/recorded/broadcast by virtually every major orchestra in the country, including the Boston Pops, Cincinnati Pops, New York Pops, and more. Jim originally hails from the Greater Chicago area, as does his wife Sally. In 2007 the couple, along with their four children, returned to the region to pursue the life they now share.be heard on over 30 CDs. James Stephenson is also a highly sought-after arranger and conductor, rounding out his constantly busy schedule. Jim originally hails from the Greater Chicago area, as does his wife Sally. In 2007 the couple, along with their four children, returned to the region to pursue the life they now share. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mitch-hampton/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mitch-hampton/support

I'm joined by James Stephenson as we dive into a preview of Tesla's Q3 earnings expectations, China risks, macro concerns, and more. James Stephenson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ICannot_Enough Youtube: @James Stephenson Previous James Stephenson interviews on my channel: https://youtu.be/MSdE0-g_VdQ https://youtu.be/XXV9oZyUNc0 https://youtu.be/WbhOaPxwmaw Social

Elon Musk's favorite retail $TSLA analyst, James Stephenson, walks us through his detailed forecast and financial analysis. How much is TESLA stock underpriced today if we compare it to the trend line over the last several years? What are forecasts for vehicle production, earnings, GM, cash for Tesla? What's the likelihood TSLA stock will rise in the second half of this year barring economic conditions? Follow James on Twitter: @ICannot_Enough Follow James on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/jrs97t Follow me on Twitter: @teslaherbert Podcasts available on your favorite podcast app Known as "the $TSLA Milestones Guy" join me as a 3 time startup founder with a product background to get to know the community better, highlight key $TSLA milestones that are coming next, and record the events as they happen. Timestamps: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:04:12 Stephenson Indicator: is TSLA underpriced? 00:13:46 Vehicle Production Forecast 00:25:08 When does GigaTexas become profitable? 00:33:21 How accurate is James's analysis? 00:35:50 Earnings Forecast 00:40:52 FSD Take Rate 00:51:47 Gross Margins 01:00:23 When Subscription model? 01:05:39 Cash Flow 01:11:56 TSLA Stock rises on second half of year? 01:18:32 James' prediction for stock price eoy 01:20:38 James' opinon about Analysts If you like this content I would greatly appreciate your likes and shares! https://youtube.com/c/brighterteslaherbert #Tesla #ElonMusk #$TSLA #FSD #teslabot #economy #technology --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/brighter-tesla-herbert/support

Tesla | TSLA Analysis, Future Cash Flows with James Stephenson

In celebration of my 50th Yale College Reunion, and to affirm the literary bonds I forged then and have continued with other poets in my class, I read poems by my Yale classmates: William Logan, Timothy Murphy, Cal Nordt, James Stephenson, and Jamie Stern. I end my program with my own poems.  I include, too, a poem for Ukraine by Ihor Kalnyets.

Onight Live we have @AgeNewton Jacob Turner, we also hear from Rob Roberts @EastLeedsRL1sts , Paul Couch @LockLaneOpenAge , Richard Tate @EnglandUnisRL Men's Head coach and James Stephenson, Team Manager - Women's side talking President's Cup, @AdyAos is back too!

Classical Trumpeter Mary Elizabeth Bowden has built a rapidly ascendant career as a soloist, praised for her “splendid, brilliant” playing (Gramophone Magazine) and the clarity, purity, and power of her sound. A Gold Medal Global Music Award Winner, Opus Klassik Nominee, and Yamaha Performing Artist, Mary has also worked to establish a new repertoire for the trumpet through creative, collaborative commissioning projects and award-winning albums. Her upcoming season includes additional performances of the Fung concerto with the Santa Fe Symphony, Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, Shenandoah Conservatory Orchestra, and San Diego State University Orchestra. Mexican composer Gina Enríquez Morán has been engaged to write a concerto for Mary to be premiered by the World and European Brass Association. Bowden is slated to perform Ellen Taaffe Zwilich's American Concerto with the Las Vegas Philharmonic in 2022. She will also make her debut in Turkey with a performance of Lowell Lieberman's concerto alongside the Izmir State Symphonic Orchestra. Bowden will also embark on a five-week tour with the Kassia Ensemble, performing a program of trumpet and string quartet arrangements featuring both core classical and contemporary works. Mary has released two recordings on Summit Records: her debut album, Radiance (featuring new American works), and her second solo album, Rêverie with the Kassia Ensemble. Rêverie was featured as one of the Top Albums of the Year for the Global Music Awards and on Textura Magazine's Top Ten Classical Albums of the Year. In addition to her acclaimed performances of core classical repertoire, Mary has worked to build a new repertoire for her instrument through performances of contemporary works, as well as commissioning projects with composers such as James Stephenson, Rene Orth, Catherine McMichael, Joseph Hallman, and an upcoming recording featuring works by Reena Esmail, Tyson Davis, Vivian Fung, Sarah Kirkland Snider, and Clarice Assad. Among her many creative projects, Mary is a founding member and artistic leader of Seraph Brass, an ensemble of America's top female brass players that was awarded the 2019 American Prize in Chamber Music and has performed around the world. The group's debut album, Asteria, released on Summit Records, won the Silver Medal Global Music Award, and they performed on part of Adele's 2016 North American tour.  Mary earned her Bachelor of Music degree from The Curtis Institute of Music, and her Master of Music degree from the Yale School of Music. Learn more about Mary Bowden: www.maryelizabethbowden.com Learn more about Bob Reeves Brass: www.bobreeves.com   

Tesla's surprise Q4 delivery blowout, impact on Q4 earnings, 2022-2023 earnings projections, TSLA stock price expectations, Stock Split, Risks. James Stephenson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ICannot_Enough 6/25/21 James Stephenson interview, https://youtu.be/XXV9oZyUNc0 3/29/21 James Stephenson interview, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbhOaPxwmaw Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 00.52 - How Tesla deliveries 308k vehicles in Q4 03:00 - How will impact Q4 earnings? 11:02 - What is tax deferred favorability of $1.6B 14:55 - Tesla's improving earnings 20:30 - When Tesla reaches 40% gross margins and why 23:30 - Simple TSLA valuation calculation 25:20 - What does Tesla use its cash on in future 29:11 - Risks 34:11 - Tesla stock split 35:30 - Expected TSLA price range in 2022 Social

Our sponsor: Houghton Horns - Use code "Mergen" for 10% off all trumpet accessorieswww.houghtonhorns.comHoughton Horns virtual equipment consultation video -Equipment consultationKnown for his strong and beautiful sound, Mergen is currently a member of the trumpet/cornet section of “The President's Own” United States Marine Band. He also performs with the Blossom Festival Band in Ohio and is a founding member of Valor Brass. In addition, Mergen has performed with the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C., the Washington Symphonic Brass, the Singapore Symphony in the Republic of Singapore, the Harrisburg Symphony in Pennsylvania and the Choral Arts Society of Washington. He was a Fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center in Lenox, Massachusetts, and attended the Aspen Music Festival. He has worked with conductors Seiji Ozawa, Leonard Slatkin, Osmo Vanska, John Williams and Bramwell Tovey.Dedicated to education, Mergen currently serves as guest artist and applied faculty at the Penn State Honors Music Institute teaching trumpet. In addition, he has given numerous master classes at world-class institutions including The Juilliard School, University of Michigan, Eastman School of Music, University of Illinois and many others. He has brought his passion for music education to middle and high schools in the Washington D.C. area as part of the Marine Band's “Music in the Schools Initiative,” formulating a rich program for brass quintets, which he has led in numerous performances. Mergen also maintains a studio of private trumpet students.As an active soloist, Mergen's solo performances include numerous appearances with the “The President's Own” United States Marine Band and most recently with the Allentown Band, which was televised in Pennsylvania. He sounded Taps for the White House moment of silence in observance of 9/11 in 2018 and 2019 as well as the 2017 nationally televised Memorial Day Concert at the US Capitol. He also co-commissioned Hanging by a Thread, a four-movement work for solo trumpet and solo tuba with wind ensemble by James Stephenson and with his brother Paul gave the U.S. premiere with the DePauw University Concert Band in 2018. Recordings of his solo performances can be heard on both the “The President's Own” United States Marine Band YouTube channel and website. Additional non-solo recordings include numerous volumes of the U.S. Marine Band's annual recording as well as the Valor Brass recording Inaugural.Mergen began his musical journey at age nine. His early studies included The Juilliard School Pre-College and the Kinhaven Music School summer program. He received his Bachelor in Music degree in both Trumpet Performance and Music Education from the University of Michigan, his Master of Music degree in Trumpet Performance from Eastman School of Music, and he completed the Doctor of Music Arts degree in Performance from The Catholic University of America in 2008. He is honored to have studied with Charles Daval, Charles Geyer and the late Armando Ghitalla.A lifelong learner, when not performing or teaching, Mergen further channels his passion for music into creating arrangements for brass quintet and trumpet ensemble, and exploring the history of the trumpet and cornet.Support the show (https://thatsnotspit.com/support/)

James Stephenson grew up without a father in the home. He realized that he missed out on a lot of lessons that dads usually teach their sons. Because of his background he decided to start the YouTube Channel mystepdad.org to help young men learn some important lessons about life skills and growing up. Perhaps the most important lesson he teaches is helping these young men build their self esteem and realize that they have enormous worth. As gentlemen, we all should rise up to meet the needs of any fatherless among us. 

James Stephenson — the man praised by Elon Musk on Twitter for his excellent insights — joins us for a deep dive into his $TSLA forecasting method with a step-by-step walkthrough of 3Q21 results. The visual component of this LIVE presentation will be broadcast on Miro at this address: bit.ly/3kKHuMN Download the Callin app for iOS and Android to listen to this podcast live, call in, and more! Also available at callin.com

Ed plays a concert at Ravinia, Melanie podcasts on minimal sleep. This week's movie: THE LETTER (1940) directed by William Wyler, and starring Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall, and James Stephenson. Mel and Ed make book recommendations with similar themes. Send podcast comments and suggestions to Melanded@whothehellarewe.com Don't forget to subscribe to the show!

One of the key fundamentals to knowing how to or continuing to finance your business is understanding your cost structure and cash flow. We discuss the role of fixed and variable costs and how to create a model of how you are going to pay your fixed costs. Action Items: Access our FREE Resources Subscribe to The Biz Sherpa Newsletter Follow The Biz Sherpa on LinkedIn Follow The Biz Sherpa on Instagram Follow the Biz Sherpa Facebook Page Subscribe to The Biz Sherpa Youtube Channel Subscribe to The Biz Sherpa Podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast or Stitcher. Connect with Craig on LinkedIn TRANSCRIPTION: Speaker 1: From his first job flipping burgers at McDonald’s and delivering The Washington Post, Craig Willett counts only one and a half years of his adult life working for someone else. Welcome to The Biz Sherpa podcast with your host, Craig Willett. Founder of several multimillion-dollar businesses and trusted advisor to other business owners, he’s giving back to help business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs achieve fulfillment, enhance their lives, and create enduring wealth. The Biz Sherpa. Craig Willett: This is Craig Willett, The Biz Sherpa. Thanks for joining us today on today’s episode. I’m excited to have you with me. You know, as I look back on the guests that we’ve had so far in the last year, I’m grateful for each one of them. Each has a story with examples that really paved the way for us to learn. As we apply the principles that they’ve learned, we can avoid some of the pitfalls that come. In the last episode that I had with you a month ago, I shared with you some ideas about how to finance the startup of your business or the ongoing operations. And one of the key fundamentals at the base of starting a business and knowing how to finance it, or continuing to finance it, is to understand your cost structure and your cash flow. Today, I’m hoping that we can tackle those issues. In every business that I’ve ever started or been involved with, there’s a three to five year time horizon that it will take for you to feel that you’re comfortable. I’m not saying profitable, because I think you can hit profitability much sooner than that. But when I say comfortable, I’m talking about successful. That it has an energy in and of itself that is not so dependent on you as the business owner. Now that’s the assumption that you are actively involved in the business. And of course, I think most small business owners are. In fact, I think the pitfall is that many of us find that the business owns us rather than us owning the business. One of the ways a business can own you is by going into debt. And then you feel the pressure to repay it. I’m not saying debt is bad. I think there are ways and times where you should take on debt to finance some shortfalls or some seasonal needs in the business. As a business owner, you’re the equalizer, though. You are the equalizing force, whether you hire someone or whether you spend the extra hours yourself to get a particular task or job done. There are dangers in that because you can become distracted and lose focus on what’s important and the money making part. So saving costs at the expense of bringing in profitable business isn’t always the best choice. But sometimes as business owners, we find a way to do both. Now, when you really are looking to understand your costs, you really need to look at two really main factors. One is your fixed costs. That would be your overhead—commonly referred to as rent, marketing costs, insurance costs, costs to operate an office, utilities, and things like that. And then there’s your variable costs. If you produce a product, then it’s the cost to produce the product, both in labor and materials to do that. And if you’re transactional-based, then there are commissions and those become variable costs because they’re a percentage of the revenue you bring in. So you really need to understand what those are. Once you understand what your fixed costs are, then you need to develop a model of how to pay for those fixed costs on a recurring basis. Some people call this a break-even model, where you look at what is it going to take to bring in the costs, the revenue I need to cover my fixed costs, including your salary. And once you figure that number out, that will tell you how much in sales you need to have. Now that doesn’t mean you use that to set your goals, but it certainly gives you an idea to determine whether it’s realistic to incur the costs that you’re going to take on in order to achieve the revenue that you’re aiming for. You know, sometimes we get very optimistic when we start a business, right? And we want to do more and better than we think we can. Often I find that that’s the case. Sometimes we under shoot or under commit to what we think we can do and our product takes off. That’s a good problem to have. So I’d rather be conservative in the startup stage because it will help you determine the right amount of money that you need to have to finance your startup. I remember that you as a business owner have to really take into consideration those costs. I remember when I started my development business, that I sat down and decided, “If I’m going to tell people they can own their building for less than rent then I truly, personally, needed to make sure I owned our office building in one of our projects.” So in our very first project, I owned one of the buildings. In the process, though, here’s how I made up for it. I worked out of my living room until the first building was completed. And I worked out of a trailer in our second project until that first unit was completed. Now that building was bigger than what I needed for my young and fledgling development company business, but I built it out to accommodate a lot more people that we grew in to occupy the entire building at one point. But we rented out the other units as executive office suites, and were able to supplement our payment by the rent that we were able to charge and some of our overhead costs to operate the business, such as a receptionist. And it allowed us to pay for more because people wanted to use our conference room as well. Now, you need to live the part and you need to look at ways that you can save. One of the dangers is also putting a stress on the business that you demand too much for your own personal living expenses. I think I talked about this once before, and you need to be careful that you are living as economically as possible so that you don’t have to draw as much money out. That will allow you to own more if you’re offering equity, you won’t have to dilute as much to get more money, or you won’t have to borrow as much in taking on some of that additional risk just to cover your personal expenses. Then there are some costs that, really, you can’t afford not to incur. I remember when we were into our second project, that I had listed it with a nationally recognized brokerage firm. They were located in Phoenix. My project was located in Mesa, Arizona. They would get phone calls from the sign that they put on it, but rather than meet the people face to face, they would fax them information sheets. And then the people would, or would not get back to them. After a while I got tired of reports of a number of people being interested and inquired and that they had sent information, but had no real follow-up. I decided that I needed to take marketing into our own hands. This took some of my time and it meant that I had to hire a sales staff. Now some of that sales staff needed to be supported, so there were costs associated with that as well. The lion’s share of the costs were going to be commissions, but as you can imagine, there are still costs and time associated with it. We went from 3 million sales in those first two years to over the next 10 years doing nearly 700 million in sales. It was a great move, a cost I couldn’t not afford because I needed to do that, to get that personal, one-on-one attention that I wanted for the potential buyers of our product, of our buildings. Now, if you remember, I think I’ve told this story too, but I remember the first sign I got when I took down the brokerage firm’s sign and put up our sign. It was a doctor, he was driving around looking for a new office space. He said, “You know, I just drove by your sign. And I’m looking for new office space I need to be in, in the next four months.” He said, “It says that I can own it. It said own for less than rent. I didn’t know I could own my own office building.” At that point I knew that if I control their message, rather than just “For sale,” or “For lease,” that we controlled our message with our sign and with a live person who could walk them through that process. Then we could articulate turning those phone calls into buyers who are satisfied and refer their friends. This became a very dynamic decision for us. So when you’re looking at those costs, look at those that may seem like something you can do, but also look at it as maybe something you cannot not afford to do. You know, it’s really important to understand cash flow. Why? Because you need to understand how much capital it’s going to take for your business and when you need the capital, and when you’ll be able to repay that capital. Having that understanding of being able to forecast your cash flow and understand your cost structure will make the discussions you have with banks when you need to borrow on a line of credit, or with family and friends who you might need to borrow from for a short period of time, that will allow you to set expectations of when it will be repaid. I shared this before. I had a bank one time that kept asking me to come in every year and meet with their senior loan committee, including some members of the board. And I thought to myself, “Well, why are they having me do this?” Finally, I was so curious that I finally asked a loan officer one time, “I love coming in and making presentations to your bank, in fact, the senior management of your bank. But do you mind if I ask why they have me come in?” And he said, “Craig, you see, they want to make sure they set aside enough money this coming year to meet your needs because you’ve always paid them back before you said you would, and you’ve always met or exceeded the cash flow projections that you gave them.” That is very rare, I guess, in many circles. So you want to be sure that you have a good understanding of that. If you don’t, you can hire experts. We’ll have Matt Waller on from Henry and Horne CPA firm. He’ll talk about how you can manage and use outside resources to help you understand and make better forecasts so that you can manage your relationship with your lenders or with your investors, or even just for your own safety and peace of mind. You want to also be sure you understand your cash flow so you know what kind of commitments you can make. Early on in your business, you’re going to be signing a lease for a store or an office or a warehouse or a factory, and you need to understand what those costs are going to mean, how long of a term you’re going to have to sign for, what that guarantee means in terms of dollars and cents so you know how much you can commit for. You might also be buying equipment and how you finance that, whether you lease it or you buy it. Those are very important parts that can play a key role in determining in those critical first three years of your business, whether you’re one of the businesses that succeeds or you’re one of the businesses that struggles. Now I understand that costs don’t take a business down. They do make it difficult when they can’t sell. So you have to articulate with your customers— and we’ve talked a lot about that on niche marketing. We’ve talked a lot about pricing. We’re not here to talk about that today, but as I mentioned in financing your business, a large percentage of businesses—I think it’s nearly 90%, 85% of businesses—when they go to hire an individual, need some sort of financing in order to commit to employees. So I think it’s important to know your cost structure, so you can understand whether you have adequate cash flow. There’s nothing like having to turn to your first employee and say, can you wait an extra week for your paycheck? I’m sure it starts to make them nervous and may affect their performance at work. I’ve often talked about being able to relax. I understand that the first three years of a business, and even maybe up to five years, the business does own a good part of your time, and certainly a good portion of your mind. Whether it’s at night or in your quiet time, it still sneaks in and you still try to solve the problems and try to figure out how to make it work. And I admire that. I think that’s very important, but I also think that you need to find ways to set it aside. I had a client early on in my CPA career that told me I should have a hobby. And I asked him his and he shared with me his two hobbies. And through the years I’ve sought to do different things. One of the hobbies I’ve worked on is watercolor painting. Another one of the hobbies that I’ve worked at is golf. And that doesn’t sound like a hobby, because sometimes it’s very discouraging, but it does allow you to get your mind off of it if you can do it. But it’s a game that you have to learn to shut down and relax; otherwise, the muscles aren’t going to help you hit the ball in a straight direction and it can be very frustrating. I would say that you need to find what those are and find them early on because you do need to give time for your mind to rest. And when you put your mind at rest, you come back and are able to focus and are able to solve those problems. When our mind is burned out, we can’t have our subconscious work on helping us solve our problems. So when I’ve hit difficult times, I’ve found it helpful to have had hobbies and other interests and have been able to take vacations so that I have the reserve energy it takes to put in 110% of my time to solve during difficult times. Because they will come. We don’t know what they’ll be. If we knew what they’d be, we’d plan for them in advance and it wouldn’t take any extra of our time, right? So you want to really understand your cost structure. As you look at your cost structure, consider what kind of profits you need to retain in the business to grow and have longevity. You also know how much you can share with your employees or with your partners. I wouldn’t distribute all profits. I think that’s not a good idea. You do want to set aside money, though, on a regular basis outside the company so that you have a separate stream of income and assets to rely on during the difficult times. Sometimes you may be called upon to put those into the business, and I think that’s very important. Other times you may be able to lean on those to live off of rather than take money out of the business. So I think they will help build your longevity in business. Now we talked about our profit. We talked about our cash flow. Now we talked about our cost structure, fixed and variable costs. For each business, those can be a little bit different. I’m not going to go into details, but that’s something you can work on, and I have a worksheet associated with this podcast on our resource page at www.BizSherpa.co. You can go there and look and work out what you’re fixed and your variable costs are. And there’ll be a break-even formula at the bottom for you to calculate what your break-even point is, based on your cost structure. Now with that in mind, you also need to understand the difference between cash flow and profits. Often it’s really easy for business owners to slip into this and believe me, I understand, and I understand where you are on this. And I’m not making any accusations here, but I don’t know how many times as a CPA I had clients who called me from among the 700 small business clients I had and said, “Craig, you know, we’re running out of cash. We’re just not making money.” And I thought to myself, “Well let’s sit down and look and see how much money you’re making and what’s happening to the cash.” Let me walk you through a very basic scenario and I’ll put up the slide right now so that you can see it. But the basic scenario is a t-shirt business. Let’s say that you go into business and you sell $15,000 worth of t-shirts that cost you $5 per t-shirt. And that’s a thousand t-shirts. So a thousand t-shirts at $15 is $15,000 in sales in the first month. And then your cost is $5, so your cost is $5,000. So 15,000 minus the 5,000 gives you $10,000 of profit. That’s your gross margin, not your profit. So now you have to look at your fixed costs. Let’s assume your fixed costs are rent of $3,500, insurance of $3000, utilities $425, advertising $500, interest at $400 and salaries of $4,000, or $9,125 in expenses. You made $875 that month in profit. But your cash flow may not reflect that. Let’s say you had a loan and that you had to produce—because you thought you would sell more than a thousand t-shirts, so you made 5,000 t-shirts or spent $25,000 on t-shirts that month to produce them. Your sales were $15,000, so you collected $15,000, you incurred a cost of $25,000 just to produce the t-shirts. So you’re in the hole $10,000 before you even get out the door to sell. Now you have $9,000, $9,125 of expenses, so you have negative cash flow of $19,125. Now you might ask, how did you get to a negative balance, it’s because you had cash in the bank when you started. It was either your money or a loan. But let’s say you drew down $19,000 that month, so you’re feeling pretty weak, but it was your first month in business. And maybe your t-shirts take off and start to sell, and then next month you sell 4,000 t-shirts. That would bring in $60,000. Guess what? They cost you the extra $20,000, $5 a shirt, 4,000 t-shirts, $5 a t-shirt, 4,000 t-shirts. That means $20,000. You brought in $40,000 before your expenses of 9,000. Now all of a sudden you’re up $31,875 if positive cashflow the next month, if you produce no more t-shirts. So you can see the swings that can take place in cash flow. Your profitability won’t swing that much. Let’s go through that profitability calculation. It’s $60,000 minus $20,000, so you made $875. You won’t always necessarily have a negative cash flow month. Let’s look at why you had negative cash flow. You made 5,000 t-shirts. They cost you $5 each. There’s $25,000. You only brought in 15. So you’re $10,000 in the hole, and then you incurred $9,125 of expenses. So your negative cash flow was $19,125. But hold on, this was your first month in business. You had cash in the bank so you’re able to cover that, but you don’t want to go $19,000 in the hole every month, right? That’s not a winning proposition in business. Let’s say the next month you sell all 4,000 remaining of the 5,000 t-shirts and produce no more. At $15 a shirt you bring in $60,000. You incur, from a cash flow standpoint, no more costs to produce because you already paid it the prior month and you incur $9,125 of operating expenses. So you have $50,875 of positive cash flow in your second month of business. Now it’s probably not prudent to not have inventory to start your third month in business, but great that you sold out. What was your profitability? The profitability would be the $60,000 in sales, less $5 a t-shirt for 4,000 t-shirts or $20,000. So you have $40,000 gross margin, less your 9,125 of fixed costs, to result in $30,875 of profit in your second month of business. Imagine that. Now if your t-shirts take off, that’s great, but you can see that how you invest your money in inventory and equipment and other costs can determine your cash flow. That’s the key to operating an effective business, understand your cash flow. It’s not always easy to predict sales, but you need to be careful to be not overstocked. You know, the last thing you want to do is have too much invested that you can’t make it productive. So you need to determine how to start your business and how to grow it so that it becomes productive. The best problem to have is to sell out and not be able to deliver. The worst problem to have is to not get the sales you are expecting, and to have too much money in a product that’s not selling. So these secrets of understanding cash flow and understanding costs together—they harmonize and they allow you to become in charge of your future. As I mentioned, it’s so often easy for us as business owners to get confused. We work hard and then trying to figure out what the finances look like also adds burden to it. If that’s you, hire someone to help you, but look back and always have a finger on the pulse of where you are on your cash flow and on your profitability. As you understand your cost structure, you’ll make better business decisions. After all, that’s what it’s about. And when you make better business decisions, you’re in a happier mood. You’re more able to interact with your customers and your employees, and be able to really achieve the friendships and achieve the relationships to mine that emotional reward that comes from owning an effective and successful business. After all, it’s success that we’re after. Remember, many people start their business to make money, but I say you start a business so that you can exceed other people’s expectations. When you understand that, the money seems to take care of itself. No one ever started a business that really meant to take care of other people, and didn’t really have … No one ever regretted starting a business with the objective to help other people. If we start solely to make money, people are going to sense that, and they’re going to shy away from us because they feel that we’re only after their wallet. I’m grateful that I was able to get an education in accounting. Now that doesn’t mean that every business owner should be an accountant. I don’t recommend that either, because sometimes we’re too conservative and may miss opportunities. But my education gave me the opportunity to understand those costs and to be able to effectively manage them. I suggest that if you don’t understand those, that you find people who you can surround yourself with who will. As you do so, you’ll make better decisions, you’ll meet the expectations of the people that help you finance your business, whether it’s friends, family, yourself, or a bank. And the better you do at that, the more successful you’re going to be. They’ll look forward to understanding your situation when you need seasonal borrowing, and be able to lend to you during those times when you need it, because you’ve been able to prove that you know and understand your costs and are able to repay each time you borrow. This is extremely important. I think part of that’s called integrity, but some of it is just understanding your market and your business. I hope this, combined with niche marketing and pricing, will help you. Pricing is very important in this component. You can always discount, but it’s very hard to raise prices. I think you watch James Stephenson, who talked about that. He started low and got some market share, but he’s found it very hard with some of those initial accounts to raise the price, even though the quality of the service that they give doesn’t even compare to what they originally were doing. And I think that’s important for us to take into heart, that we need to value our own services. Someone once told me if you don’t value it and highly value it, no one else will. I wish you continued success. Thanks for joining me on today’s episode. This is Craig Willett, The Biz Sherpa. Speaker 1: Be sure to go to our website to access the resources related to this episode at www.BizSherpa.co. If you enjoyed this show, tell your friends about us and be sure to rate our podcast. Craig would like to hear from you, so share your thoughts in the Facebook community @BizSherpa.co. Follow us on Twitter @BizSherpa_co and on Instagram @BizSherpa.co.

Bonus Ep. 7.Nick and Dani take the opportunity to discuss the career of Bette Davis.We talk about her work, her brilliance as an actress, and all those that have collaborated with her.The films we discuss include: 'Of Human Bondage' (1934, John Cromwell), starring Leslie Howard, Frances Dee alongside Bette Davis'Jezebel' (1938, William Wyler), starring Bette Davis and Henry Fonda'The Letter' (1940, William Wyler), starring Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall and James Stephenson'The Little Foxes' (1941, William Wyler), starring Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall and Teresa WrightThis episode coincides with the Bette Davis: Hollywood Rebel season at the BFI Southbank that is taking place this month.Link: AFI Salute To Bette DavisTwitter: @kinotomicContact Us: kinotomic@gmail.com

I ask James Stephenson to go over his top 5 slides from his 69-tweet 2021 Q2 Tesla forecast thread, https://twitter.com/ICannot_Enough/status/1404122391027060736. James Stephenson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ICannot_Enough View 3/29/21 appearance by James Stephenson, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbhOaPxwmaw Social

I ask James Stephenson to go over his top 5 slides from his 69-tweet 2021 Q2 Tesla forecast thread, https://twitter.com/ICannot_Enough/status/1404122391027060736. James Stephenson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ICannot_Enough View 3/29/21 appearance by James Stephenson, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbhOaPxwmaw Social

On February 12, 1946, Isaac Woodard was returning home to North Carolina from Camp Gordon in Augusta, GA on a Greyhound bus. Woodard, a decorated veteran of the Pacific theater, asked the driver if there was time for him to use the restroom while on a scheduled stop. The driver grudgingly agreed, and the trip continued without incident until they reached Batesburg, SC, where the driver called local authorities and had Woodard arrested. What followed was one of the nation’s most heinous hate crimes, and the attack left Woodard permanently blind. Less than two weeks later in Columbia, TN, a second Black veteran who also served in the Pacitic theater, James Stephenson, was the victim of an attempted lynching after shopkeepers called police on him for allegedly disturbing the peace. It wasn’t until well-known figures like Orson Welles and Langston Hughes began to publicly call out these racist attacks committed by law enforcement that President Truman finally began to address some of the racial injustices and violence being committed across the nation, ultimately culminating in the desegregation of the military in 1948.

In February, Fringe was in full swing and the hilarious Hans The German accordian player dropped in. The Bunch also chatted to Aussie legend Ernie Dingo, twin comedians Ben & James Stephenson from The Stephenson Experience cracked us up as did the one and only Ben Elton!

Interview with James Stephenson, fellow Tesla shareholder, and prominent Tesla Twitter community member. James has been fighting the FUD with incredible analysis on Twitter for years, and has even been applauded by Elon Musk for his insight. In this podcast we discuss how Tesla has evolved in the two years since we were featured in a Wall Street Journal article about the company going private at $420 per share #funding secured

James Stephenson, author, coach, mentor, speaker Tell us about you, your story, your background, and/or your business?: Mechanical Engineer turned corporate trainer. I wrote a book and left the corporate world to start my own coaching and training business. Presently I work with couples having strain in their relationship over money getting establish the habits that grow their wealth, while they're growing closer together. I also recently launched a 501(c)3 in support of teenage boys growing up without fathers called MyStepDad.org. What “Knowledge” or “golden nuggets of wisdom” do you want to share with our audience?: - Having two people working together on their finances is actually a tremendous advantage, though for many couples, the money feels like the biggest challenge. - It's not the differences in the money perspectives that cause stress in a relationship, as much as it is the need to be right. What is one challenge you would like to extend to our audience to apply in their lives?: - Commit to your relationship first. If two people are committed to their relationship they can work through the money differences. Put effort into improving your relationship. How can our listeners find out more about you/your business/your book/etc.? (i.e. website, social media group, landing page, etc.) : www.mentorwithjames.com How can our listeners contact you personally? (i.e., cell phone, email, social media handle, etc.): www.mentorwithjames.com Do you have a gift you would like to share with our audience? (i.e., content, resources, free stuff, discounted stuff, invitations, etc.): www.couplesfinancebreakthrough.com/FREE Music Cred: Scouting by Eveningland --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/circle-of-knowledge/support

Colonel Jason K. Fettig is the 28th Director of “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band. In this episode we discuss his career, the Marine Band, and even talk performance practice for Sousa marches. Topics: Jason’s background growing up as a clarinet player and what are some of the important early lessons he learned. The audition process for the Marine Band and the story of how he almost didn’t go to the audition and how he was able to finish up his student teaching after winning that gig. Jason’s rise through the ranks of the Marine Band and some thoughts about leadership. An interesting bit of history about the instrumentation of the band and some not to be missed stories and anecdotes from Jason’s time as Director the Marine Band. Performance practice and Sousa marches and yes, it is okay to slow down right before the final strain! Links: Colonel Jason Fettig “The President’s Own” Marine Band The Complete Marches of John Philip Sousa Mozart: Serenade for 13 Winds in B-flat major, K. 361 "Gran Partita" Stephenson: Symphony no. 2 "Voices" Biography: Colonel Jason K. Fettig is the 28th Director of “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band. He joined in 1997 as a clarinetist and soon became a frequently featured soloist with both the band and the Marine Chamber Orchestra. After serving four years in the organization, he was select­ed as an Assistant Director, and he conducted his first concert with the Marine Band Aug. 1, 2001. He was commissioned a first lieutenant in July 2002, promot­ed to captain in August 2003, and became the band’s Executive Officer the following year. He was promot­ed to major in August 2007 and to lieutenant colonel in July 2014, one week before assuming leadership of “The President’s Own.” He was promoted to his present rank in August 2017 in the Roosevelt Room by President Donald J. Trump. He is the third Director of “The President’s Own” to be promoted to colonel in a White House ceremony. As Director, Col. Fettig is the music adviser to the White House and regularly conducts the Marine Band and Marine Chamber Orchestra at the Execu­tive Mansion and at all Presidential Inaugurations. He also serves as music director of Washington, D.C.’s historic Gridiron Club, a position held by ev­ery Marine Band Director since John Philip Sousa. In his first years as Director, Col. Fettig has led the band for numerous major national events both at the White House and throughout the country. He conducted national broadcast performances for the 200th Anniversary of the Star Spangled Banner at Ft. McHenry in Baltimore, a special Veterans Day performance with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in Salt Lake City, and an appearance on the David Letterman Show at the invitation of Michelle Obama in New York. He leads frequent concerts throughout the Washington, D.C., area and across the country during the band’s annual national tour. Live performances by the Marine Band under his direction are often heard on National Public Radio. Col. Fettig is a fervent advocate for both traditional and contemporary American music and remains dedicated to the ongoing development of music for wind band. In recent years, he has conducted world premières of substantial new works by James Stephenson, Jacob Bancks, David Rakowski, Adam Schoenberg, David Conte, and Narong Prangcharoen. Throughout his career with the Marine Band, Col. Fettig has been deeply committed to music education and has taken an active role in the evolution and expansion of the many educational initiatives of “The Presi­dent’s Own.” In addition to helping refine the Music in the Schools and Music in the High Schools programs, he has made it a priority to maintain a significant presence in schools throughout the nation during the band’s national concert tours. He also began an interactive and theatrical Young People’s Concert series in 2006 and authored, hosted, and conducted this popular annual event until 2015. In 2014, shortly after assuming com­mand of the Marine Band, Col. Fettig launched an ambitious project to re-record all of the marches of John Philip Sousa and provide free performance and educational materials online to schools throughout the world. Col. Fettig is a 1993 graduate of Manchester Central High School in New Hampshire and holds two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (UMass) in both clarinet performance (1997) and music education with an emphasis in conducting (1998). In 2005, he earned a master’s degree in orchestral conducting at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD) where he served as assistant conductor for two productions of the Maryland Opera Studio. He studied clarinet with Michael Sussman and David Martins, and his principal conducting teachers were Malcolm W. Rowell and James Ross. Additionally, Col. Fettig has par­ticipated in workshops with several renowned conductors including Osmo Vänskä and Otto Werner Mueller. Col. Fettig has represented the Marine Band on numerous occasions as a soloist, adjudicator, and clini­cian, and regularly conducts both concert bands and orchestras for all-state and honor festivals. In 2014, he was elected as a member of the prestigious American Bandmasters Association.

"Fanfare For An Angel" by James Stephenson and presented by Ben Elgin playing 4 different parts on the trumpet.

February 2020 marks the 5 year anniversary of my excommunication from the Mormon church. In a desire to protect myself against the possibility of slander or misinformation from the church or its apologists (as was experienced by former church members such as Fawn Brodie, Simon Southerton, and Kate Kelly during their disciplinary councils), I recorded all of the interviews I had with my bishops (James Stephenson and Brian Hunt) and stake presidents (Mark Jensen and Bryan King) leading up to my disciplinary council/excommunication. As I have been opposed to Mormon Disciplinary Councils from my childhood on, it was always my intention to publish these interviews as a matter of public record - but I decided to hold off on publishing them for several years. In light of the recent changes made to the Mormon church's disciplinary council process, and on the 5th anniversary of my excommunication, I am publishing them now.

February 2020 marks the 5 year anniversary of my excommunication from the Mormon church. In a desire to protect myself against the possibility of slander or misinformation from the church or its apologists (as was experienced by former church members such as Fawn Brodie, Simon Southerton, and Kate Kelly during their disciplinary councils), I recorded all of the interviews I had with my bishops (James Stephenson and Brian Hunt) and stake presidents (Mark Jensen and Bryan King) leading up to my disciplinary council/excommunication. As I have been opposed to Mormon Disciplinary Councils from my childhood on, it was always my intention to publish these interviews as a matter of public record - but I decided to hold off on publishing them for several years. In light of the recent changes made to the Mormon church's disciplinary council process, and on the 5th anniversary of my excommunication, I am publishing them now.

February 2020 marks the 5 year anniversary of my excommunication from the Mormon church. In a desire to protect myself against the possibility of slander or misinformation from the church or its apologists (as was experienced by former church members such as Fawn Brodie, Simon Southerton, and Kate Kelly during their disciplinary councils), I recorded all of the interviews I had with my bishops (James Stephenson and Brian Hunt) and stake presidents (Mark Jensen and Bryan King) leading up to my disciplinary council/excommunication. As I have been opposed to Mormon Disciplinary Councils from my childhood on, it was always my intention to publish these interviews as a matter of public record - but I decided to hold off on publishing them for several years. In light of the recent changes made to the Mormon church's disciplinary council process, and on the 5th anniversary of my excommunication, I am publishing them now.

February 2020 marks the 5 year anniversary of my excommunication from the Mormon church. In a desire to protect myself against the possibility of slander or misinformation from the church or its apologists (as was experienced by former church members such as Fawn Brodie, Simon Southerton, and Kate Kelly during their disciplinary councils), I recorded all of the interviews I had with my bishops (James Stephenson and Brian Hunt) and stake presidents (Mark Jensen and Bryan King) leading up to my disciplinary council/excommunication. As I have been opposed to Mormon Disciplinary Councils from my childhood on, it was always my intention to publish these interviews as a matter of public record - but I decided to hold off on publishing them for several years. In light of the recent changes made to the Mormon church's disciplinary council process, and on the 5th anniversary of my excommunication, I am publishing them now.

February 2020 marks the 5 year anniversary of my excommunication from the Mormon church. In a desire to protect myself against the possibility of slander or misinformation from the church or its apologists (as was experienced by former church members such as Fawn Brodie, Simon Southerton, and Kate Kelly during their disciplinary councils), I recorded all of the interviews I had with my bishops (James Stephenson and Brian Hunt) and stake presidents (Mark Jensen and Bryan King) leading up to my disciplinary council/excommunication. As I have been opposed to Mormon Disciplinary Councils from my childhood on, it was always my intention to publish these interviews as a matter of public record - but I decided to hold off on publishing them for several years. In light of the recent changes made to the Mormon church's disciplinary council process, and on the 5th anniversary of my excommunication, I am publishing them now.

February 2020 marks the 5 year anniversary of my excommunication from the Mormon church. In a desire to protect myself against the possibility of slander or misinformation from the church or its apologists (as was experienced by former church members such as Fawn Brodie, Simon Southerton, and Kate Kelly during their disciplinary councils), I recorded all of the interviews I had with my bishops (James Stephenson and Brian Hunt) and stake presidents (Mark Jensen and Bryan King) leading up to my disciplinary council/excommunication. As I have been opposed to Mormon Disciplinary Councils from my childhood on, it was always my intention to publish these interviews as a matter of public record - but I decided to hold off on publishing them for several years. In light of the recent changes made to the Mormon church's disciplinary council process, and on the 5th anniversary of my excommunication, I am publishing them now.

This week we're talking to RA member James Stephenson about his history in football, his rise as an entrepreneur, growing his car shop and radio show, and his drive to always be a better version of himself. Thanks for listening - give us a share, leave us a like/review wherever you listen to podcasts, and let us know what you want to see in future episodes! Romeo Athletics is New England's premier coach-led gym for functional fitness and athletic performance. We're here to help you lose fat, gain muscle, and transform your body into a healthy, head-turning work of art. Learn more about the gym: https://romeoathletics.fitness/ Find us on Instagram: @RomeoAthletics and @EBourcier

Sigma Tour Greatest Hits. OnTourAge 018 Sigma Tour Greatest Hits. A look back at some of the most memorable moments for the Alarm’s 2019 Sigma Tour of The United States.

Sigma Tour Greatest Hits. OnTourAge 018 Sigma Tour Greatest Hits. A look back at some of the most memorable moments for the Alarm’s 2019 Sigma Tour of The United States.

The Circle of Knowledge podcast is produced by Amplified Minds. Amplified Minds helps professionals scale their businesses and achieve their goals by providing 1-on-1 Accountability Partners and positioning invaluable resources through true mastermind and professional events. Amplified Mind's Accountability Programs have a 98.5% achievement rate. This episode features a mastermind discussion by Jon Kovach Jr. with James Stephenson, author of the book, Small Steps, Big Feat. James is also the creator and founder of Triumph Training, helping people break the paycheck to paycheck cycle and build a truly wealthy life. This discussion covers small steps to build a wealthy life and how growth comes outside the comfort zone - Small steps done consistently add up over time - Who you are around is who you will become - www.mytriumphtraining.com To reach James Stephenson, visit her Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/JamesStephenson46 Purchase the book: https://mytriumphtraining.com/book/ For more information about Amplified Minds visit https://www.amplifiedminds.com/ Join the Circle of Knowledge FaceBook Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2328758190687628/ music: Scouting, by Eveningland --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/circle-of-knowledge/support

Riccardo Muti leads Gershwin's cinematic An American in Paris and two piccolo concertos featuring the CSO's own Jennifer Gunn. Also on the program is the world premiere of a bass trombone concerto by James Stephenson, a composer of "straightforward, unabashedly beautiful sounds" (The Boston Herald), featuring Charles Vernon of the world-famous Chicago Symphony Orchestra brass.

Today's guest in this second episode of the Fischoff Effect series is Dorival Puccini, trumpet player and founding member of Axiom Brass. In this series, I bring you five former winners of the competition to talk about their experience preparing for and competing at Fischoff, and about the wonderful adventures and opportunities that have followed their win! My guests this week are Blaise Magniere from the Avalon String Quartet, Dorival Puccini from Axiom Brass, Matt Landry from the Akropolis Reed Quintet , Christopher Whitley from the Thalea String Quartet, and Lydia Reah from the former Kairos String Quartet!  Whether you are a musician about to compete at the competition, or a music lover looking for a fresh approach to practicing and preparing for a concert, make sure to subscribe and tune in everyday, because those conversations are bursting with inspiration and EXTREMELY useful information!  Each group has a unique and motivating story and my guests are so generous with their insightful tips and advice!    About Fischoff Founded in 1973 in South Bend, Indiana, the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition has grown to become the largest chamber music competition in the world, attracting the finest and most talented young musicians from around the globe. and is one of the most prestigious classical music prizes attainable today. Since its founding, more than 6,000 musicians have participated, many of whom have gone on to distinguished careers in music performance and education.  The Fischoff is also deeply committed to music education and partners with competition alumni to bring free, innovative Arts-in-Education programs directly to children in their own schools and community centers. Since 1995, nearly 50,000 children, youth and adults have received free educational programming of the highest order. Website: http://www.fischoff.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheFischoff Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fischoffchambermusic/     Meet Axiom Brass – 2010 Senior Wind Division Bronze Medal & 2011 Fischoff Educator Award Dorival Puccini, Jr. , Michael Hawes | Matthew Bronstein, horn | Corey Sansolo, trombone |           Kevin Harrison, tuba   http://www.axiombrass.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/axiombrass/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/axiom_brass/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/AxiomBrass5   Praised for their “high level of musicality and technical ability” and for their “clean, clear and precise sound,” the award-winning Axiom Brass Quintet has quickly established itself as “one of the major art music groups in brass chamber music.” As the only Brass Quintet in 27 years to ever win the prestigious Chamber Music Yellow Springs Competition (2012), and the only American ensemble to ever win the Preis der Europa-Stadt Passau in Germany (2012), Axiom has also been named winners of the 2008 International Chamber Brass Competition and prize-winners of the 2016 M-Prize,  2010 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition, the Plowman Chamber Music Competition, and the Jeju City International Brass Quintet Competition in South Korea. Axiom Brass is dedicated to enhancing the musical life of communities across the globe and educating the next generation of musicians. Axiom's commitment to education and their blend of virtuosic performances and dynamic teaching have inspired young audiences around the nation, earning the ensemble the 2011 Fischoff Educator Award.  Their educational concert “Let's Make Music” has captivated thousands of elementary and middle school students in the U.S.  Since 2011 the ensemble has been featured as brass quintet-in-residence for the National Brass Symposium, sharing the stage with principal brass players from the Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic and Atlanta Symphony. Internationally recognized for their groundbreaking programming, their repertoire ranges from jazz and Latin music to string quartet transcriptions, as well as original compositions for brass quintet.  Axiom Brass' performances have captured the hearts and imaginations of their audiences, leading the ensemble to national radio and television appearances as well as concerts in Asia, Europe and across the U.S. Axiom's dedication to brass repertoire has led the ensemble to commission and premiere several new works, including Avian Capriccio by Augusta Read Thomas, Axiom by Liduino Pitombeira, A Martyred Village by David Faleris, Celestial Suite by James Stephenson and For Then and Now by Laurence Bitensky. For Celestial Suite, Axiom Brass partnered with the New York Philharmonic Brass Quintet, the Chicago Symphony Brass Quintet, the Chicago Chamber Musicians and the Fischoff Chamber Music Society, as well as with the Digital Visualization Theater of the University of Notre Dame and Professor Keith Davis. Highlights of Axiom's past seasons have included concerts in the Dominican Republic, Germany, Portugal, Spain, China, South Korea and Japan; a four-week residency at the Grand Tetons Music Festival; the release of their début album New Standards, clinics and performances at the 2010, 2012 and 2015 Midwest Clinic, their New York debuts at Symphony Space and Merkin Hall, masterclasses at The Juilliard School and Manhattan School of Music, as well as recitals, masterclasses and solo appearances with orchestras and bands around the U.S. In October of 2013, Axiom gave the American premiere of Fantasia Flamenca and the world premiere of Raimundo Penaforte's Concertice for brass quintet and orchestra under the baton of David Lockington and the Modesto Symphony, followed by the 2015 midwest premieres of Bernard Rands' Adieu for quintet and strings, and the Midwest premiere of Fantasia Flamenca with the Grand Rapids Symphony. During the 2016/17 season Axiom commissioned and premiered ten new works as a celebration of the ensemble's 10th anniversary. Axiom Brass performs exclusively with the Blackbinder automatic scroll app for iPads. Axiom Brass performs exclusively on Mutec Mutes.   If you enjoyed the show, please leave a review on iTunes!  I truly appreciate your support! Visit www.mindoverfinger.com for information about past and future podcasts, and for more resources on mindful practice. THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme!  Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson. Also a huge thank you to my producer, Bella Kelly!   MIND OVER FINGER: www.mindoverfinger.com https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/   Join the Mind Over Finger Tribe here!  https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfingertribe/

Today, Corban is joined by his friend James to discuss (but mostly gripe) about season three of Netflix's adaptation of A Series of Unfortunate Events. They also take some time to complain about French and tell some jokes.   Show Notes: Brett Helquist | Instagram Jusqu’auboutiste | Oxford Dictionaries   Recommendations of the Week: Corban: Listen to the “Unfortunate Associates” podcast. James: The West Wing   Chapter Markers: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:03:32 - Follow Up 00:04:21 - Thought(s) of the Week 00:06:46 - Jusqu’auboutiste: Word of the Day 00:08:57 - Joke Time 00:14:03 - A Series of Unfortunate Events S3 00:58:32 - Recommendations of the Week 01:00:37 - Goodbyes   Follow Us: Corban on Twitter Sofia on Instagram Rocket to Anywhere on Twitter Rocket to Anywhere on Instagram   Music By: Podington Bear at the Sound of Picture Library  

This week, we find the Gipper embarking upon his self-described "Errol Flynn of the Bs" period with the first of 4 "Brass Bancroft" not-so-extra-vaganzas. Loosely based on "material compiled" from the memoranda of ex-Secret Service honcho W.H. Moran (a close second in sexiness to Admiral Chester Nimitz), the films deliver a nice little wallop on behalf of the New Deal Deep State.   This unassuming programmer comes out swinging with a scene of callous criminality that's sure to shock even the most jaded connoisseur of contemporary borderland psychosis. The rest of the film doesn't quite live up to its demented overture, but it zips along at a nice clip (at least when Little Foy Lost Eddie Jr.'s limp clowning isn't center stage) and it certainly marked a step up in the studio standings for its aspiring star.   The film also features the brilliant James Stephenson in a sinister supporting role, Ila Rhodes as the fungible fiancee, Rosella Towne as a rather more interesting trysting partner, and the immortal John Litel as... Saxby!    Novel suggestion: Peter Delacorte's Time on My Hands Follow us at: Facebook Follow Romy on Twitter at @rahrahtempleton Follow Gareth on Twitter at @helenreddymades Follow David on Twitter at @milescoverdale   "Driving Reagan theme' by Gareth Hedges

This week, we find the Gipper embarking upon his self-described "Errol Flynn of the Bs" period with the first of 4 "Brass Bancroft" not-so-extra-vaganzas. Loosely based on "material compiled" from the memoranda of ex-Secret Service honcho W.H. Moran (a close second in sexiness to Admiral Chester Nimitz), the films deliver a nice little wallop on behalf of the New Deal Deep State.   This unassuming programmer comes out swinging with a scene of callous criminality that's sure to shock even the most jaded connoisseur of contemporary borderland psychosis. The rest of the film doesn't quite live up to its demented overture, but it zips along at a nice clip (at least when Little Foy Lost Eddie Jr.'s limp clowning isn't center stage) and it certainly marked a step up in the studio standings for its aspiring star.   The film also features the brilliant James Stephenson in a sinister supporting role, Ila Rhodes as the fungible fiancee, Rosella Towne as a rather more interesting trysting partner, and the immortal John Litel as... Saxby!    Novel suggestion: Peter Delacorte's Time on My Hands Follow us at: Facebook Follow Romy on Twitter at @rahrahtempleton Follow Gareth on Twitter at @helenreddymades Follow David on Twitter at @milescoverdale   "Driving Reagan theme' by Gareth Hedges

Today, I speak with composer Jim Stephenson.  Among many other topics, we discuss his transition from performer to full-time composer, why it's important to look inside and listen to our instinct, why we need to have the right mindset in building a career we love, and how to harness focus in our work.   Jim's story is a testament to the incredible things that can happen when one follows a calling and takes a leap of faith forward.  His approach to following a path is highly inspirational and I know you'll love this discussion!  (Not only that, but Jim graciously agreed to let me use his Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra as the Mind Over Finger Podcast's musical theme!  So his music has been greeting you at the beginning and end of each episode of the podcast!) We elaborate on: His journey, from trumpet player to composer How and why he got started composing How he moved forward with his new career Why it's important to look inside and listen to our instinct Why we need to have the right mindset in regards to building a career we love How we are in charge of defining our lives and creating the passionate story that we want to tell Why it's important to be genuine His compositional process How he has the audience and musicians in mind when he writes How he learns his best lessons from performances of his works How he harnesses focus in the work studio The importance of figuring out when you do your best work and how to organize your day in a way that suits you Why good stage presence is important   ABOUT JIM: Website: https://composerjim.com YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC18hLfX0xDhRkaUaRcKyiUA Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Stephenson-Music-95151931586/ Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/composerjim/ Twitter : https://twitter.com/ComposerJim   Leading American orchestras, instrumentalists, and wind ensembles around the world have performed the music of Chicago based composer James M. Stephenson, both to critical acclaim and the delight of audiences.  The Boston Herald raved about “straightforward, unabashedly beautiful sounds,” suggesting “Stephenson deserves to be heard again and again!”  A formal sense of melody and tonality characterize his music, each embedded in a contemporary soundscape.  These qualities, coupled with the composer's keen ability to write to each occasion, have led to a steady stream of commissions and ongoing projects. Other upcoming premieres also include his 3rd symphony in April at the Frost School at University of Music, a piece based on model trains for the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra in February, and a multi-media tone poem for the Quad City Symphony also in April. Additionally, Compose Yourself!, Stephenson's landmark young-audience work has now been performed over 300 times since its creation in 2002, engaging children in New Zealand and Canada and across the U.S. Additional  premieres include Carnegie Hall in May, 2017 (Chamber Music Charleston) and in the summer, 2017, a Music Academy of the West premiere of “Martha Uncaged” – with the composer conducting – and a west-coast premiere of his violin concerto at the famed Cabrillo Music Festival. The 2017-18 season will see a new “Low brass concerto” with the Minnesota Orchestra and Osmo Vänskä. The Devil's Tale (2013), a sequel to Stravinsky's famous “Soldier's Tale” has become a highlight of Stephenson's extensive chamber music output, having already garnered much critical praise for its recent recording (“a most remarkable work” – Fanfare Magazine) and numerous performances, including at noteworthy venues such as Ravinia and Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center. James M. Stephenson came late to his full-time composing career, having first earned a degree from the New England Conservatory in trumpet performance, and then going on to perform 17 seasons in the Naples Philharmonic in Florida.  As such, the composer is largely self-taught, making his voice truly individual and his life's work all the more remarkable.  Colleagues and friends encouraged his earliest efforts and enthusiasm followed from all directions.  As his catalog grew, so did his reputation.  That catalog now boasts concertos and sonatas for nearly every instrument, earning him the moniker “The Concerto King” from Chicago Symphony clarinetist John Yeh.  The vast majority of those compositions came through commissions by and for major symphony principal players, in Chicago, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Minnesota, Washington DC, St. Louis, Oregon, Milwaukee, and Dallas, among others.  A major break came from the Minnesota Commissioning Club, which led to two works (violin concertos) receiving premieres in 2012—by Jennifer Frautschi with the Minnesota Orchestra under Osmo Vänskä and by Alex Kerr with the Rhode Island Philharmonic under Larry Rachleff.  Other international soloists for whom Stephenson has composed include saxophonist Branford Marsalis and trumpeter Rex Richardson, whose concerto has been performed on five continents.  With such prolific output, Stephenson's music is well represented in recordings.  Nearly all of his solo brass works (over 50) have been professionally recorded, and in total, his extensive catalog for all instruments can be heard on over 30 CDs. James Stephenson is also a highly sought-after arranger and conductor, rounding out his constantly busy schedule.  His arrangements have been performed/recorded/broadcast by virtually every major orchestra in the country, including the Boston Pops, Cincinnati Pops, New York Pops and more.  On the podium, Stephenson has led orchestras in Chattanooga, Bozeman, Charleston, Ft. Myers, Modesto, and Wyoming, in addition to numerous concert bands.  With the Lake Forest Symphony, near his Illinois home, he has not only conducted but also has served for seven years as Composer-in-Residence. Jim originally hails from the Greater Chicago area, as does his wife Sally.  In 2007 the couple, along with their four children, returned to the region to pursue the life they now share.   If you enjoyed the show, please leave a review on iTunes!  I truly appreciate your support! Visit www.mindoverfinger.com for information about past and future podcasts, and for more resources on mindful practice. THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson (our guest today!) who graciously provided the show's musical theme!  Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson. Also a huge thank you to my producer, Bella Kelly!   MIND OVER FINGER: www.mindoverfinger.com https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/   (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, which helps cover some of the costs associated with the production of the podcast.  Thank you for your support.)

News editor for BBC News and Current Affairs James Stephenson joins Roger Bolton to discuss how BBC Radio should be covering man-made climate change. As new presenters are announced on Radios 2 and 4, listeners react to the choices. And podcast fans love Intrigue: The Ratline but can it work as well for a radio audience? Members of staff are being encouraged to enrol on a course detailing the BBC's approach to climate change coverage and an editorial policy note distributed last month stated “you do not need to include outright deniers of climate change in BBC coverage”. News coverage of the recent IPCC's report has left listeners with mixed opinions on whether there's been a change of tone in the reporting. Roger puts your thoughts to James Stephenson, who accepts presentation errors were made recently. Hot on the heels of Eddie Mair's departure from PM, Chris Evans announced he was leaving too. As their replacements are announced, we hear your thoughts on Evan Davis and Zoe Ball being appointed as their replacements. Intrigue: The Ratline is both a traditional broadcast programme and an extended podcast. A story of love, spies and genocide, podcast listeners have been gripped. Editor Hugh Levinson sits down with Roger to discuss the popular ten-part series and the need to penetrate the podcast market. Presenter: Roger Bolton Producer: Will Yates A Whistledown production of BBC Radio 4.

If Wyoming Steve Gibson didn't exist, those darned culture industry stupidity profiteers would've had to invent him. What's that? He doesn't exist? Hot damn! The Gipper takes a back saddle to Dick Powell once again in 1938's COWBOY FROM BROOKLYN, a film that (as contemporaries were quick to observe) did absolutely nothing for any of the talented people involved in its creation.    An elaboration of the (white) cultural appropriation narrative popularized by earlier Powell vehicles like BROADWAY GONDOLIER, this lower-drawer Lloyd Bacon musical comedy does derive a bit of satiric energy from Warner Brothers' obvious contempt for all things rural and countrified, but the film's central conceit (that people will put up with - and possibly even laugh at - 90 minutes' worth of Dick Powell running screaming from squirrels and barnyard fowl) is so catastrophically misguided that most viewers will have fallen off this irritating bull long before its Gender Panic Rodeo finale.    Can a movie with Priscilla Lane, Ann Sheridan, James Stephenson, Pat O'Brien, Granville Bates, Hobart Cavanaugh, Elisabeth Risdon, Dick Foran, Dick Powell, and Ronald Reagan be all bad? 12-year old Dave would never have believed it, but...  Try watching this one under hypnosis and see if that helps.     Now is a time for choosing. Choose RED TIME FOR BONZO!   Outro Music: "Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride" performed by Dick Powell & Priscilla Lane, music by Richard A. Whiting & lyrics by Johnny Mercer Follow us at: Facebook Follow Romy on Twitter at @rahrahtempleton Follow Gareth on Twitter at @helenreddymades Follow David on Twitter at @milescoverdale   Intro Theme: "Driving Reagan" by Gareth Hedges

If Wyoming Steve Gibson didn't exist, those darned culture industry stupidity profiteers would've had to invent him. What's that? He doesn't exist? Hot damn! The Gipper takes a back saddle to Dick Powell once again in 1938's COWBOY FROM BROOKLYN, a film that (as contemporaries were quick to observe) did absolutely nothing for any of the talented people involved in its creation.    An elaboration of the (white) cultural appropriation narrative popularized by earlier Powell vehicles like BROADWAY GONDOLIER, this lower-drawer Lloyd Bacon musical comedy does derive a bit of satiric energy from Warner Brothers' obvious contempt for all things rural and countrified, but the film's central conceit (that people will put up with - and possibly even laugh at - 90 minutes' worth of Dick Powell running screaming from squirrels and barnyard fowl) is so catastrophically misguided that most viewers will have fallen off this irritating bull long before its Gender Panic Rodeo finale.    Can a movie with Priscilla Lane, Ann Sheridan, James Stephenson, Pat O'Brien, Granville Bates, Hobart Cavanaugh, Elisabeth Risdon, Dick Foran, Dick Powell, and Ronald Reagan be all bad? 12-year old Dave would never have believed it, but...  Try watching this one under hypnosis and see if that helps.     Now is a time for choosing. Choose RED TIME FOR BONZO!   Outro Music: "Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride" performed by Dick Powell & Priscilla Lane, music by Richard A. Whiting & lyrics by Johnny Mercer Follow us at: Facebook Follow Romy on Twitter at @rahrahtempleton Follow Gareth on Twitter at @helenreddymades Follow David on Twitter at @milescoverdale   Intro Theme: "Driving Reagan" by Gareth Hedges

Roger Bolton hears listener views on the Sir Cliff Richard verdict and finds out about the new wave of World Service podcasts. BBC News executive James Stephenson discusses the corporation's Brexit coverage and Chris Mason talks about accents in politics. This week, a legal ruling awarded Sir Cliff Richard £210,000 in damages against the BBC with the judge saying some of the news coverage of a police raid on Sir Cliff's home infringed his privacy rights in a "serious" and "somewhat sensationalist" way. Citing concerns with the precedent set down in the case, the BBC has stated that it is considering an appeal. We hear listeners' views. Brexit has been a constant feature in the Feedback inbox and, this week, listeners have been asking why the BBC hasn't put more resources into investigating what they see as Brexit "scandals". Roger puts those concerns to the BBC's News Editor, James Stephenson. Death in Ice Valley, an investigative podcast that looked into the death of an unidentified woman in Norway in 1970, has been downloaded and streamed more than 2.7 million times. It's the BBC's most successful new podcast launch. BBC World Service Podcast Editor Jon Manel, who commissioned the series, joins Feedback to discuss how his network is looking to reach new audiences. And a recent Radio 4 documentary looked at accents and politics, asking Could the PM Have a Brummie Accent? It caught the imagination of many Feedback listeners. Chris Mason, BBC Political correspondent and Yorkshireman, talks about why he took on the topic. Producer: Will Yates A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.