Podcast appearances and mentions of john holiday

This is the second part of an episode begun last week featuring the cream of the crop of today's young artists. As with the performers heard last week, they represent the finest opera and classical singers working today; it is my distinct pleasure (and honor) to present them to you. They include sopranos Francesca Pia Vitale and Ewa Płonka; mezzo-soprano Beth Taylor; countertenors John Holiday, Key'mon Murrah, and Reginald Mobley (pictured); tenors Laurence Kilsby and Zachary Wilder; baritones Artur Ruciński and Theo Hoffman; and bass-baritones Philippe Sly, Joseph Parrish, and Georg Zeppenfeld in repertoire ranging from Monteverdi and Vivaldi to Rebecca Clarke, Hall Johnson, and Paul McCartney. It has been my pleasure to hear many of these singers live and I look forward to hearing them all again in person (and as soon as possible!) Countermelody is a podcast devoted to the glory and the power of the human voice raised in song. Singer and vocal aficionado Daniel Gundlach explores great singers of the past and present focusing in particular on those who are less well-remembered today than they should be. Daniel's lifetime in music as a professional countertenor, pianist, vocal coach, voice teacher, and journalist yields an exciting array of anecdotes, impressions, and “inside stories.” At Countermelody's core is the celebration of great singers of all stripes, their instruments, and the connection they make to the words they sing. By clicking on the following link (https://linktr.ee/CountermelodyPodcast) you can find the dedicated Countermelody website which contains additional content including artist photos and episode setlists. The link will also take you to Countermelody's Patreon page, where you can pledge your monthly or yearly support at whatever level you can afford.

The Pensacola Opera is bringing John Holiday to Pensacola this Sunday and Monday. On Sunday, he will do an intimate concert at The Establishment, followed by a reception at the home of Holly Benson. For tickets, visit here.John Holiday will perform a public concert on Monday, February 19, at 7:30 p.m. in the Rolfs Music Hall at the Center for Fine and Performing Arts (Building 82) on the Pensacola campus. Ticket prices are $20 for adults, $16 for seniors and military, $14 for UWF faculty and staff and non-UWF students and $7 for high school students. UWF students get in free with a valid Nautilus card. For more information or to reserve tickets, please contact the CFPA Box Office at 850.857.6285 or visit uwf.edu/tickets.

Learn more about Daniel Bernard Roumain and Marc Bamuthi Joseph's opera We Shall Not Be Moved and contextual historical elements pivotal to the opera: the 1985 police bombing of MOVE headquarters and the 2011 Pennsylvania education budget crisis which saw the closing of 24 schools within the School District of Philadelphia. Interviews include Philadelphia resident in 1985 Eric Owens, former SDP Principal Otis Hackney, arts administrators and creators Valerie Gay and Nina Ball, countertenor John Holiday, and the composer and librettist - Daniel Bernard Roumain and Marc Bamuthi Joseph. Mike Bolton hosts. To learn more about Mike, visit michaeljbolton.com. Video of Osage Avenue in 2015, the site of the 1985 police bombing can be seen at https://youtu.be/QOANsBbkbpA. News coverage from 1985 can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X03ErYGB4Kk. The Philadelphia Inquirer archive about the bombing is located here: https://www.inquirer.com/move-bombing. The final project of the Hip H'opera program, a series of Oral History videos from those impacted by the themes in We Shall Not Be Moved called The Un/Sung Stories of We Shall Not Be Moved: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpbhbGwbWvNLbpl50NUkvISzeE7sZQG6L

Heavy Traffic Radio with Bogl and John Holiday - 14 Jan 2023 by Sub FM

Eric, Alex, and Chris dive into their Week 16 review for the fantasy football semi-finals. (eeeeeek)     Twitter: @TheCommishFFP TikTok: @TheCommishFFP Website: www.thecommishbrand.com      For all our latest updates regarding the Dynasty Fantasy Football - follow us on: Twitter: @Dynasty_Addicts

Anna Singer spoke with John Holiday, who sings the role of Idaspe in Quantum Theater's production of "Idaspe" at the Byham Theater October 7th through the 15th.

Recognized by Opera News as “one of the finest singers of his generation,” American bass-baritone Ryan McKinny has earned his reputation as an artist with something to say. His relentless curiosity informs riveting character portrayals and beautifully crafted performances, reminding audiences of their shared humanity with characters on stage and screen. This season, McKinny brings his agile stage presence and comedic skill to performances of Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro on both U.S. coasts. He first appears as the titular Figaro in a Richard Eyre production at New York City's Metropolitan Opera, with an all-star cast that includes Golda Schultz, Lucy Crowe, Isabel Leonard, and Adam Plachetka. He then makes his Seattle Opera debut reprising the role in a Peter Kazaras production, under the baton of Alevtina Ioffe. In between productions – and coasts – McKinny joins collaborative pianist Kathleen Kelly for a recital at the Lied Center of Kansas, featuring works by Schumann, Debussy, Mahler, and Kurt Weill. In summer 2022, he joins the Boston Symphony at Tanglewood as the title character in Don Giovanni, with Andris Nelsons on the podium. He concludes the season with the Philadelphia Orchestra at Saratoga Performing Arts Center, appearing as soloist in Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Offstage, McKinny continues to adapt the beauty of his art form to the film screen, collaborating on a documentary with Jamie Barton and Stephanie Blythe. Through his work with Helio Arts, he commissions artists to write, direct, and film original stories, leveraging his personal power to help elevate new voices and visions in the classical performing arts world. During the pandemic, he has partnered with artists like J'Nai Bridges, Russell Thomas, John Holiday, and Julia Bullock to create stunning and innovative performances for streaming audiences at Dallas Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, On Site Opera, and the Glimmerglass Festival. McKinny's recent debut as Joseph De Rocher in Jake Heggie and Terrence McNally's Dead Man Walking at Lyric Opera of Chicago was hailed by the Chicago Tribune as an “an indelible performance...an acting tour de force buttressed by a warmly inviting voice.” He has also appeared as the title character in Don Giovanni (Washington National Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera), Escamillo in Carmen (Semperoper Dresden, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Staatsoper Hamburg, Houston Grand Opera), and Mozart's Figaro (Washington National Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Houston Grand Opera). McKinny made a critically acclaimed Bayreuth Festival debut as Amfortas in Parsifal, a role he has performed around the world, including appearances at Argentina's Teatro Cólon, Deutsche Oper am Rhein, and Dutch National Opera. Other Wagnerian roles include Kurwenal in Tristan und Isolde (Deutsche Oper Berlin, Houston Grand Opera, Canadian Opera Company), Biterolf in Tannhäuser and Kothner in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, both at the Metropolitan Opera, Wotan in Opéra de Montréal's Das Rheingold, Donner/Gunther in Wagner's Ring cycle (Washington National Opera, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Houston Grand Opera), and the titular Dutchman in Der fliegende Holländer (Staatsoper Hamburg, Milwaukee Symphony, Glimmerglass Festival, Hawaii Opera Theater). McKinny is a frequent guest artist at Los Angeles Opera, where he has sung Count Alamaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia, and Stanley Kowalski in Previn's A Streetcar Named Desire, opposite Renée Fleming as Blanche DuBois, and at Santa Fe Opera, where he has appeared as Jochanaan in Salome and Oppenheimer in Doctor Atomic. An alumnus of the Houston Grand Opera Studio, Mr. McKinny has made a number of important role debuts on the HGO mainstage, including the iconic title roles of Don Giovanni and Rigoletto. McKinny is a long-time artistic collaborator of composer John Adams and director Peter Sellars, having appeared in Sellars productions of Adams' Girls of the Golden West (San Francisco Opera, Dutch National Opera) and Doctor Atomic (Santa Fe Opera), in addition to Adams' Nixon in China with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He has also performed under Sellars' direction in Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex (Sydney Festival), Tristan und Isolde (Canadian Opera Company), and Shostakovich's Orango with the London Philharmonia and Los Angeles Philharmonic, the latter comprising Esa-Pekka Salonen's final concerts as music director. Other recent orchestral engagements include Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 and a double bill of Michael Tilson Thomas' Rilke Songs and Mahler's Des Knaben Wunderhorn with San Francisco Symphony, Mahler's Symphony No. 8 and Bernstein's Mass with Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with Cleveland Orchestra and National Symphony, Rossini's Stabat Mater at Grant Park Music Festival, Britten's War Requiem with Marin Alsop and Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and Oedipus Rex with Chicago Symphony. McKinny benefited from early educational opportunities at the Aspen Music Festival, where he sang his first performance of Winterreise accompanied on the piano by Richard Bado, and at the Wolf Trap Opera Company, where he sang Barone di Kelbar in Verdi's Un giorno di regno, Le Gouverneur in Rossini's Le comte Ory and Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro. McKinny made his Carnegie Hall debut in Handel's Messiah with the Musica Sacra Orchestra while still a student at the Juilliard School. The first recipient of Operalia's Birgit Nilsson Prize for singing Wagner, McKinny has also received the prestigious George London-Kirsten Flagstad Award, presented by the George London Foundation to a singer undertaking a significant Wagnerian career. McKinny represented the United States in the 2007 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition, where he was a finalist in the Rosenblatt Recital Song Prize, and he was a Grand Finalist in the 2007 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, captured in the film The Audition.

Mentor-Protégé lineage! Ultimate cuisine guidance!Removing ego from the situation! Bassist and composer, Marcos Varela is an unending encyclopedia of musicians, scenes, and cultures. In this episode, we chat about a shared dedication between athletes and musicians, how the process of scoring a film influenced his approach as a producer, and a diplomatic perspective on recounting our “gigs from hell”. FEATURED RELEASE:Marcos Varela“San Ygnacio” (2016) Getting to Know: Marcos!Marcos Varela, an equally skilled doubler at both acoustic and electric bass, is among the most highly respected bassists/musicians in the American and International Jazz/music scene. His talents have also earned him many awards (YoungArts, Creative Capital, Jazz Road) and accolades as a musician, composer, producer, band leader, and educator.In his hometown of Houston, Texas, Varela attended the renowned High School for the Performing & Visual Arts, which paved the path for him to NYC to attend the storied New School on scholarship. As a professional musician, he continues to be very active in the New York jazz and contemporary music scene, and has made a name for himself as one of the most in-demand bassists in the City and worldwide. He regularly performs with a wide variety of ensembles and band leader including: The Mingus Big Band, Nasheet Waits, John Holiday, George Cables, Ingrid Jensen, ‪Billy Hart‬, Antoine Roney, Charli Persip, ‪Clifton Anderson‬, ‪Jason Moran‬, ‪Geri Allen‬, ‪The Last Poets‬, ‪Leslie Odom, Jr‬., Frank Lacy's Vibe Tribe, ‪Kendrick Scott‬, ‪Billy Harper‬, ‪Tyshawn Sorey‬, and Bob Mover, among countless others. Watch the full interview on our YouTube channel here!

On this weeks podcast we continue to honor Black History Month by celebrating Maya Angelou for being the first African American Woman on the US quarter. We talk about the excessive force lawsuit against Fresno PD which plans to change the treatment to the homeless. We continue the podcast by supporting our local music scene with BKR Raps newest music video called "Simon" featuring John Holiday and K. Pizzle which can now be streamed on Youtube. Then we support our local sports as basketball is coming to an end, and baseball is now in season. Be sure to support all your local buisnesses, artists, and podcasts. Have a blazin' week! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/theblazepodcast/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/theblazepodcast/support

Co-hosts Carol Anderson and Jeff Counts sit down with John Holiday prior to his Utah Opera debut in his signature role in Jonathan Dove and April de Angelis' Flight. Many, not familiar with the opera world will know John Holiday from season 19 of NBC's The Voice. John is one of the most sought-after countertenors (a cis-male that sings in a mezzo-soprano range) in the opera scene. John shares anecdotes about his career as an artist and educator in a pandemic world. One of the gems of the discussion was around John's TEDx talk, “The Monsters Under My Bed,” that focuses on family dynamics and how you can find your worth, despite the situation. You can find that talk here: https://www.johnholiday.com/media# Does John have a story that he would like to see set as an opera? Find out in this amazing conversation with John Holiday.

Co-hosts Carol Anderson and Jeff Counts discuss the comedy, energy, music, and emotion of a colorful cast living out an unexpected overnight delay. John Holiday from season 19 of NBC's The Voice makes his Utah Opera debut in his signature role in the opera that has entertained audiences around the world and speaks to us of the realities of our shared humanity – Jonathan Dove and April de Angelis' critically acclaimed opera, Flight.

Episode 8: Tim Welcomes internationally acclaimed tenor, Russell Thomas.   Tim drinks a Chimay and Russell a fancy lemonade. Tim and Russell reminisce about their first meeting at The Aspen Music Festival, and how that summer was pivotal for Russell on his artistic path. Russell tells how he fell in love with Opera by flipping through radio stations. They discuss Russell's approach to technique, the importance of being able to ask questions during the learning process, and just how far he's willing to go to work with the right teacher. They chat about what Russell thinks about while singing an aria and his complex internal balancing act. Russell also shares about his ‘big break' and the long process of putting himself out there. Russell speaks about his time at the Metropolitan Opera and the disparity in how he was treated there. He speaks to the impact that James Levine, John Fisher, and Ken Noda had on his artistic development. Russell talks about growing up in a primarily Cuban neighborhood in Miami, coming to understand his racial identity until he entered the classical music community and moved away/lived on his own, and repeatedly being pulled over by the police for driving in his own neighborhood. Russell shares a response to an early audition, and how this comment fueled Russell's drive to succeed. They discuss whether things are changing for BIPOC people and the general futility of hosting panels as a supposed action, the importance of white people joining the conversation about race today, and how white outrage is not enough. Russell talks about his new position at Los Angeles Opera as Artist in Residence. He reveals how he got the job and his vision for his work there. They talk about Russell's hopes for someday running an opera company, how racial disparity in the operatic world affects the makeup of general directors at companies across the country, and how this appointment at impacts his trajectory. More information on the program Russell is developing as part his tenure there, the HBCU Opera Career Comprehensive, can be found on the Los Angeles Opera Website here: https://www.laopera.org/about-us/hbcu-opera-career-comprehensive/ Tim shares more about the history and etymology of the Mvskoke and Seminole peoples in this episode during the land acknowledgement at the opening of the show. At the beginning of every episode, Tim and Russell perform a land acknowledgement, and Russell comments on how his ancestors were not brought to this land willingly as part of his acknowledgement. If you want to know more about land acknowledgments, and the original tenants and cultures of your current location, Tim suggests using the Native Land App https://apps.apple.com/us/app/native-land/id1194356597 or at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ca.nativeland.NativeLand&hl=en&gl=US We heard a clip of Russell singing Roberto Devereux with San Francisco Opera info on that production can be found here: https://sfopera.com/devereux Russell talked about Vanished, a project with Ryan McKinney and Dallas Opera. Here is the info on that: Vanished – The Dallas Opera (NOW) Ryan McKinney has taken the last year to transform himself into a fully-fledged filmmaker and his latest work, “Vanished” might be his most impressive yet. The work, starring Russell Thomas and John Holiday, explores music by Gluck, Monteverdi, and Janáček assembled into a new narrative. https://www.thedallasopera.tv/products/vanished The story Tim mentioned for CBS Sunday morning is a story on interracial marriage for the anniversary of the Supreme Court Case Loving vs. Virginia, which did away with racial barriers in marriage. The link to that story is here: https://www.cbsnews.com/sunday-morning/ You can find Tim's Website here: timothylongmusic.com Special Thanks to Martha Redbone for her permission to use her song “Medicine Man” for the opening credits. More of her work can be found here and you can subscribe to her Youtube channel here. More information on Foundry Arts, the producer of Unequal Temperament, is available at www.thefoundryarts.com Foundry Arts is a lab for opera using collaboration and partnership to invest in artist development, dialogue, and expression, to sustain a rich, diverse, equitable, inclusive, and sustainable cultural landscape.

On this weeks episode we talk about what we did over the week. We then start the podcast talking about the crime/murders that have yet to be solved. We then continue with another review of BKR Raps UNMIXED/UNMASTERED SONG called "Black Aunt Viv" which was produced by John Holiday and cuts by NV the TURNTABLIST. We then continue to support our Fresno State Diamond Dog's, Bulldog Softball, and our Fresno Grizzlies. Be sure to support all your local businesses, artists, and podcasts. Have a great week! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/theblazepodcast/message

BLACK OPERA LIVE is a weekly live interview program featuring candid conversations and in-depth discussion with Black opera stars of today, legends of the stage, emerging artists, composers, conductors and many more! In our first episode, we revisit a conversation between host Kenneth Overton and international performer John Holiday, professional countertenor and finalist on season 19 of NBC's The Voice. He has performed throughout the United States touring with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and around the world. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/blackopera/support

  On Tuesday's Houston Matters: HISD recently revised its sick leave policy informing principals that unless contact tracing shows a staff member is exposed to COVID-19 on campus, educators and school staff have to quarantine at home using their personal leave. But could the district be backtracking on that? News 88.7’s education reporter Laura Isensee has details. And a federal judge in Houston Tuesday is hearing arguments over the DACA program. The hearing stems from... Read More

After five hours of fanfare last week, The Voice came to an end and crowned 15-year-old Carter Rubin the winner. We're disappointed for our favorite, John Holiday, but know he'll continue to do amazing things.Baby Ballroom also wrapped up its second of two seasons, with another very extra party put on by Warren and his long-suffering minions (his daughters' dance partners, Thor and Kirill). We'll miss all these cute little ballroom babies, who we know are not so little anymore; look them up on Instagram, if you dare.Next week, Round 2 will be on hiatus while we bring you some holiday-season speed rounds. We'll be back on January 5 to discuss Bridgerton, Shonda Rimes' period drama (dropping on Netflix on Christmas Day).

Months after The Voice blind auditions aired on NBC, the show has just crowned its season 19 winner - and this year, it's 15-year-old Carter Rubin of Team Gwen who came out on top. Carter ended up scoring the most votes from American viewers after the singer gave two moving finale performances. First, he won fans over with his powerful rendition of Miley Cyrus's "The Climb." Surprising everyone, Carter then chose to sing his own original song called "Up From Here." In order to win the competition, Carter had to beat out his fellow equally gifted finalists Desz (from Team Kelly), John Holiday (from Team Legend), Jim Ranger (from Team Blake), and Ian Flanigan (from Team Blake), who all gave stunning performances this past Monday night. The very first time Carter walked on stage, both John Legend and Gwen Stefani knew he had star potential. In his blind audition, Carter ultimately picked Gwen as his mentor after both coaches begged him to join their teams. From then on, Gwen continued to picked Carter to advance in the battle and knockout rounds. In the live shows, at-home audiences proved furthermore with their own votes that they loved Carter's talent as much as Gwen did. When Carter was named the winner of The Voice by host Carson Daly, the artist's fans at home couldn't contain their excitement online. "Congratulations on the win!! Carter has been a favorite since. The beginning!!! He is so talented to be so young!!" one viewer tweeted. "Way to go GWEN! Carter is phenomenal!!!," another said. Of course, this year was extremely competitive and the level of talent was high. Because of this, fans of the other finalists - in particular, runner up Jim Ranger's fans - seemed disappointed. " Ok, Carter is Good. But, it should have been JIM RANGER!!" someone tweeted. "@Jimranger is the winner in our hearts," a different fan declared. "Well that was disappointing. Carter was good but in my book you had the real winner with Jim," a viewer said. Fan reactions aside though, we know one person besides Carter who is super excited right now - his coach, Gwen. Carter's victory marks Gwen's first and only win on The Voice since first joining the show in season 7. Making things sweeter, she denied her fiancé, Blake Shelton, his eighth win overall. Tuesday night's finale marked the end of another season of The Voice. Until the show returns next year (likely in February), Carter will be the show's reigning champion. We can't wait to see where Carter's career goes next! Carter Rubin sings his original song Up From Here https://youtu.be/NIy6A4drobU

Months after The Voice blind auditions aired on NBC, the show has just crowned its season 19 winner - and this year, it's 15-year-old Carter Rubin of Team Gwen who came out on top. Carter ended up scoring the most votes from American viewers after the singer gave two moving finale performances. First, he won fans over with his powerful rendition of Miley Cyrus's "The Climb." Surprising everyone, Carter then chose to sing his own original song called "Up From Here." In order to win the competition, Carter had to beat out his fellow equally gifted finalists Desz (from Team Kelly), John Holiday (from Team Legend), Jim Ranger (from Team Blake), and Ian Flanigan (from Team Blake), who all gave stunning performances this past Monday night. The very first time Carter walked on stage, both John Legend and Gwen Stefani knew he had star potential. In his blind audition, Carter ultimately picked Gwen as his mentor after both coaches begged him to join their teams. From then on, Gwen continued to picked Carter to advance in the battle and knockout rounds. In the live shows, at-home audiences proved furthermore with their own votes that they loved Carter's talent as much as Gwen did. When Carter was named the winner of The Voice by host Carson Daly, the artist's fans at home couldn't contain their excitement online. "Congratulations on the win!! Carter has been a favorite since. The beginning!!! He is so talented to be so young!!" one viewer tweeted. "Way to go GWEN! Carter is phenomenal!!!," another said. Of course, this year was extremely competitive and the level of talent was high. Because of this, fans of the other finalists - in particular, runner up Jim Ranger's fans - seemed disappointed. " Ok, Carter is Good. But, it should have been JIM RANGER!!" someone tweeted. "@Jimranger is the winner in our hearts," a different fan declared. "Well that was disappointing. Carter was good but in my book you had the real winner with Jim," a viewer said. Fan reactions aside though, we know one person besides Carter who is super excited right now - his coach, Gwen. Carter's victory marks Gwen's first and only win on The Voice since first joining the show in season 7. Making things sweeter, she denied her fiancé, Blake Shelton, his eighth win overall. Tuesday night's finale marked the end of another season of The Voice. Until the show returns next year (likely in February), Carter will be the show's reigning champion. We can't wait to see where Carter's career goes next! Carter Rubin sings his original song Up From Here https://youtu.be/NIy6A4drobU

The Voice's top 5 performance show was very entertaining, with skilled performers and a good variety of music. We're glad we have a rooting interest in John Holiday--otherwise it would be very tough to decide where to direct our votes. Next: We'll discuss the winner (who will be revealed Tuesday, December 15) and our overall impressions of the show.On Baby Ballroom, season 2 continues to bring us new people when we would really like to keep following the old people. Like what happened to the Mia of Jamie-and-Mia?! Next: Episodes 5, 6, and 7 of season 2 (the end).

On The Voice, the top 9 were revealed (last Tuesday) and performed (Monday night), and just like that, the finale is almost here! We're still rooting for John Holiday but there's not a single vocalist in this group that we'd vote against. Next: The finals.On Baby Ballroom, season 2 brought some fresh new adorableness, but we miss the old adorableness. Please come back, Jack and Emily and Arjun and Isobel and Max and Olivia! Next: Season 2, episodes 3 and 4.

December 4, 2020 Words. I love me some words. Always have. My second grade teacher Mrs. Keefe caught onto that very early. Using my words got me through graduation. The teachers all came together and agreed to give me more writing time. It kept me interested in school. It was a lot better than being who I was. An injured hockey player with his knee swollen bigger than an old oak tree down by the lazy river. Three knee surgeries kept me out of school. But the teachers wouldn’t let me stop. Words! They let me use my words. I had a great conversation with John Holiday from NBC’s The Voice yesterday. I thought I loved words until I sat down with John. Oh my! His passion for words electrifies the atmosphere. He’s having a difficult time writing. I get it. He’s on one of the biggest shows on the planet! Words don’t always have to be used. As writers we’re all different. We craft our way through the process of thought coming up with our own set of plans and rules. Sadly we also feel a huge guilt trip when we can’t live up to our daily expectation. Melissa De La Cruz and I talked about her limitations. She’s written fifty books. She stays strong because writing to her is a job and nobody gets in front of her weekend. Not even a passion to write. Because I’m a daily writer. I make it my discipline to show up every day. It’s my open conversation. A spiritual walk. A place to reshape a frame of mind as well as plan things out. When I do get hired to write. I’m not so much the free form thinker. I dig in. The personality changes. The goals are set and met. A completely different personality. I do wonder a lot about words. How many of them do we physically use? Not say! Use… Most radio stations have 350 songs on their daily playlist. What’s on our daily verbal list? How are you using your words? These Covid days have quieted a lot of creative minds. We’ve gotten busy trying to catch up while not get caught up in all the drama. Words today have been silenced because of what we believe and all we really want is peace. So we stop using our words. Things are building up. You’re gonna pop. When you do. Make sure you choose your words wisely. Grow forward and outward. Use your words.

December 4, 2020 Words. I love me some words. Always have. My second grade teacher Mrs. Keefe caught onto that very early. Using my words got me through graduation. The teachers all came together and agreed to give me more writing time. It kept me interested in school. It was a lot better than being who I was. An injured hockey player with his knee swollen bigger than an old oak tree down by the lazy river. Three knee surgeries kept me out of school. But the teachers wouldn’t let me stop. Words! They let me use my words. I had a great conversation with John Holiday from NBC’s The Voice yesterday. I thought I loved words until I sat down with John. Oh my! His passion for words electrifies the atmosphere. He’s having a difficult time writing. I get it. He’s on one of the biggest shows on the planet! Words don’t always have to be used. As writers we’re all different. We craft our way through the process of thought coming up with our own set of plans and rules. Sadly we also feel a huge guilt trip when we can’t live up to our daily expectation. Melissa De La Cruz and I talked about her limitations. She’s written fifty books. She stays strong because writing to her is a job and nobody gets in front of her weekend. Not even a passion to write. Because I’m a daily writer. I make it my discipline to show up every day. It’s my open conversation. A spiritual walk. A place to reshape a frame of mind as well as plan things out. When I do get hired to write. I’m not so much the free form thinker. I dig in. The personality changes. The goals are set and met. A completely different personality. I do wonder a lot about words. How many of them do we physically use? Not say! Use… Most radio stations have 350 songs on their daily playlist. What’s on our daily verbal list? How are you using your words? These Covid days have quieted a lot of creative minds. We’ve gotten busy trying to catch up while not get caught up in all the drama. Words today have been silenced because of what we believe and all we really want is peace. So we stop using our words. Things are building up. You’re gonna pop. When you do. Make sure you choose your words wisely. Grow forward and outward. Use your words.

On The Voice, we're jumping in to the season already in progress and trying to figure out what is going on. We know this much: We're rooting for Team Legend's John Holiday (watch his audition [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM5dJQXxdIY]; it's worth the 5 minutes!), and this show has a better handle on the virtual audience than Dancing With the Stars. Next: Top 17 Results (tonight, 12/1) and Top 9 Perform (Monday, 12/7). On Baby Ballroom, the Zig Zag Dance Factory celebrates the end of season 1 with a nice, low-stakes, non-competitive party for all the kids, featuring lots of eye makeup and buff dudes in tiny shorts. Next: Season 2, episodes 1 and 2.

He wants to learn to fly, love egg mcmuffins and encourages students to listen to their teacher. Countertenor star from The Voice John Holiday goes Beyond the Mic. Beyond the Mic with Sean Dillon is the conversation series where actors, artists, authors, and more go deeper than a traditional interview. They go “Beyond the Mic”.

In this episode, I visit with more artists from this 19 season on "The Voice" on NBC: Julia Cooper, John Holiday, Tanner Gomes, and Chloe Hogan. Daphne Maxwell Reid, best known as Aunt Vivian on the Fresh Prince of Bel Aire, talks about the upcoming reunion show and her movie "The Business of Christmas" available December 1. Host of BET News, Marc Lamont Hill talks about his new book, the pandemic, and how we can make change together. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/camerondole/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/camerondole/support

Join us as we go to Wisconsin to talk with superstar, John Holiday, about not only his operatic career as a countertenor, but his journey of being a contestant on NBC's The Voice. https://www.johnholiday.com/

On this week’s Roundabout Roundup: Terri invites brides- and grooms-to-be to check out Wedding Dance School, from Dancing with the Stars pros Pasha Pashkov and Daniella Karagach [https://weddingdance.school/]. Nicole likes keeping her clothes smelling fancy with Downy Unstopables [https://downy.com/en-us/fabric-softener/downy-unstopables/]. And Catherine is now watching DWTS's Monday-night competitor, The Voice [https://www.nbc.com/the-voice], and following competitor John Holiday [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM5dJQXxdIY].

In January, WQXR’s James Bennett, sat down with opera singer John Holiday to talk about the relationship of black America with opera. Holiday explains how he personally navigated this space, how the stories of opera might seem far away from today’s realities (yet still convey meaning), the chamber opera We Shall Not Be Moved which premiered at Opera Philadelphia in 2017, and the importance of storytelling and all voices being heard. We Shall Not Be Moved is available for streaming on the Opera Philadelphia's website till the end of August.   James Bennett, HostMax Fine, ProducerRosa Gollan, ProducerLukas Krohn-Grimberghe, Executive Producer

John Holiday knows he is supposed to be a good human being. John and Kai discuss how the church was a big part of his upbringing (10:02), how his grandmother influenced his style and personhood (14:25), and what made him so sure that he was a countertenor, despite starting off college as a tenor (23:30). They also talk about the reason he waited until his 25th birthday to come out to his grandmother (26:15), and the important lesson he shares with all of us dealing with toxic relationships (36:25). 

Catfishes!: The Rock Opera at the Gargoyle Theatre Promises to Delight, Disgust, and Despair by Jorb Jarvis, Daily Albacore Quay Gazette The Gargoyle Theatre, known primarily in Albacore Quay for its middle-of-the-road theatrical productions and its excellent Children's Theatre Tuesdays, is staging its riskiest venture yet: a world premiere rock opera penned by a local writer.  According to Lloyd Webb-Andrews, who wrote the shows ambitious book and score, Catfishes! is a pensive meditation on the natural lifecycle of the catfish, as well as a deep, exhaustive examination of the trouble of the human psyche in absentia of nature. The show's orchestra features local experimental percussionist St. John Holiday, known for his work with crotales in water, as well as insta-famous drummer The Sticc, and lighting design by long-time Gargoyle technician and first-time designer, Bishop St. John.  Still, I can't help but wonder if The Gargoyle would have been better served by selecting a less ambitious, or more relatable show for their first ever rock opera. Les Mis, for example, which is a reliable crowd-pleaser, would perhaps be easier for audiences to fully immerse themselves in, as the identifiable human characters might make it easier for audiences to relate to the story being told. While judgement should likely be withheld until the show finally opens, one inside source who asked to remain anonymous let this reporter in on a secret: infighting between the orchestra and technical crew, as well as some financial issues, have led the show down a precarious path, with some involved doubting whether the show will even go up at all!  All in all, the show is slated to be the experience of a lifetime, whether for better or for worse. You heard it here, folks, from The Daily Albacore Quay Gazette: be sure to get a ticket so you don't miss your chance. It'll be a story worth telling either way.  Catfishes!: The Rock Opera opens for previews on September 17th, with opening night on the 24th. Tickets are now available from the box office, boxoffice@gargoyletheatre.com.    This month on The Unexplored Places, join a group of obnoxious musical theatre adults playing a disastrous group of obnoxious musical theatre adults in this three-part Fiasco. Fiasco is by Jason Morningstar. The playset Fiasco! A Rock Opera is by Zach W. Lorton. Episode art is taken from the cover of the playset. support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/unexploredcast twitter: @unexploredcast music by Andrew: https://andrewperricone.bandcamp.com/

In this episode we recap the weekend and I share a couple things we did this past week. Then we visit Dionysus Brewing and Lengthwise Brewing out of Bakersfield,CA. The Blaze gives his thoughts about hosting The Open Tab Podcast with my friends Saul and Juan HK. We showcase a new brewery in the Central Valley, Night Monster Brewing, and was able to talk to the Owner/Head Brewer Adrian Barerra. In this podcast we also give a quick review of BKR's Lemon Bars EP featuring The Points, and John Holiday, . This has been a great month for our local sports teams and they need our support. The playoffs are at it's juciest, and you can get my prediction on who will be in the NBA Finals. Keep tuning because we are just getting started! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/theblazepodcast/message

William Simpson on drug disposal solutions ~ "A lot of people are pulling together to try to find some things that work. The sweet spot of this will be finding a combination of solutions. There's no silver bullet here that's going to help us from an epidemic perspective. . . We need to find the solutions that work. . . DisposeRx is 10 to 30 seconds . . . " Williams Simpson, Director and President, DisposeRx William Simpson: In ten to thirty seconds I'm breaking the chain of abuse, and that's brilliant. Brian Wilson: As the Director and President of DisposeRx William Simpson is passionate about his product. He's also passionate about his team, about preventing addiction, and about educating people on the simplest ways to dispose of their medications. He sat down to share his passion and to talk about a certain kind of medication that people don't often think of as being dangerous. Brian Wilson: How did you come to be associated with this project? How and Why William Simpson Signed on With DisposeRx William Simpson I was very lucky. I got introduced to Dr. John Holiday. Met here in D.C. I was up for a different meeting, and I was told I got to meet this guy. He's got a really interesting ideas - met at a hotel - and told me a great story and an unbelievable idea of how he came up with the idea, the importance of disposal, the importance of doing it from the way that it was, and got me hooked on the idea of site of use, which is, in our opinion, the vial which the medication is dispensed. From that point, started to do research and looked at how important this topic was when you look at medication management, and you look at us as consumers of what we do and the amount of medication that's actually left in our medicine cabinets. About 40% of us have unused medication. Over 600 million prescriptions go unused a year, sitting in our medicine cabinets, so you've got about 125 million households and about 600 million vials of unused medication. Brian Wilson: Families are now coming to understand that having those drugs in the medicine cabinet is such a danger. Unused or Expired Medications Left in Medicine Cabinet can be Diverted for Misuse William Simpson It really is. From a health perspective, from a financial perspective, the value is having medicines that we're on therapy with. And with all the complications of understanding which medications we're supposed to be taking, which medications we're not supposed to be taking, you don't need to have the complexity of adding additional medications to that mix. From that perspective and the dangers of leaving medications unused, not just from a standpoint of opioids, but there's a litany of other medications that are dangerous to leave that can be diverted for misuse. Even think about things like antibiotics. If you think about becoming resistant to antibiotics, and we've all not taken our antibiotics correctly, and we all do misuse medications at times. To do this in the right way and have something when you think about medication management and how we should manage our own, having a disposal mechanism that we can use as consumers at home is very simple. Brian Wilson: The miracle of modern pharmacology is that we have these amazing drugs that can help us. When we have the right symptoms, we get the right drug, we get better. But our responsibility with that drug does not end when we start to feel better. We have another responsibility. That's to make sure it's disposed of properly. Responsibility to Manage AND Properly Dispose of Medications William Simpson Correct. I'm not a doctor, so I don't want to ever tie my doctors' hands of what they can and cannot prescribe to me. That is their practice. That is what they need to know and do.

Tonight, it’s a ‘Chalk Talk’ double header. Our team responds to a recent article in ‘The New Yorker’ magazine on African-American countertenor John Holiday. And then, we look at why one of Britain’s most distinguished singers has accused fellow devotees of Richard Wagner of repeated attempts to undermine her position and “rewrite history”... But first, we ‘Crunch the Numbers’ on English National Opera’s 2018 season on the Dodson Scale™. Find out how ENO stacks up against its European rivals... Plus at 9.40 pm, it’s the ‘Two Minute Drill’: everything you need to know from the past week in Operaland, and our hot takes on those stories... www.facebook.com/OBSCHI1/

In repertoire encompassing George Frideric Handel’s Giulio Cesare in Egitto to Jonathan Dove’s Flight and beyond, countertenor John Holiday’s expressive and richly beautiful voice has made him an increasingly sought after artist, possessing a “vocal instrument that threatens to equal the name artists in his range.” (Herald Times) Mr. Holiday is the recipient of the Marian Anderson Award from The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Washington National Opera. As an advocate of new works, John Holiday will make his debut with Opera Philadelphia singing the role of John Blue in a world-premiere of Daniel Roumain's We Shall Not Be Moved, a production directed by the award-winning Bill T. Jones that will also be seen at the Apollo Theater in New York and Hackney Empire in London. Also in the 2017-2018 season, Mr. Holiday will debut at Florida Grand Opera as Orfeo in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice and his debut in Flight as the Refugee at Des Moines Metro Opera. 

The Four Corners is that area of the southwest where Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico come together. It is rich in Pre-Columbian history and gorgeous western landscapes. Today Bill Naiman and I discuss a few of the icons of this area: Monument Valley, Canyon de Chelly, Mesa Verde and some lesser known locations. Canyon de Chelly in far northeastern Arizona is very near the small town of Chinle, AZ in the Navajo Nation. Nearby accommodations are limited to the town of Chinle and to the national monument campground. The Anasazi ruins can be viewed from the canyon rim, but to really see the canyon you need a Navajo guide. I recommend Beauty Way Jeep Tours owned and operated by Leander Staley. www.canyondechellybeautywayjeeptours.com 928-674-3772 Monument Valley lies within the Navajo Nation on the Arizona-Utah border. You can see part of Monument Valley by paying $20 per car and driving the 17-mile auto tour route.  If you want more than the typical tourist photos, you need a Navajo guide. I recommend John Holiday who can be reached at 435-444-9760. John is a very nice guy and a great photo tour guide.  He lives in Monument Valley and knows it well. He will get you to the right spots for sunrise and sunset on time and in the best spots. Accommodations in Monument Valley are limited consisting of Goulding’s Lodge and Campground and The View hotel. I’ve stayed in the Lodge and the campground.  The campground is quite nice.  The lodge is pretty basic.  If you want something fancier, check out The View hotel with its wonderful views of Mittens and a price to match. Mesa Verde is a national park located in southwest Colorado near the town of Dolores. There is a great visitors center at the park entrance just east of Dolores.  To see the actual ruins you need to drive into the park 21 miles which requires about an hour. Much of the park is above 7,000 feet and may be closed in winter. To see all parts of the park, you need to arrive after May 1st. Ranger led tours actually take you into the ruins, but again only after May 1st. Check the park website for actual dates and information about the tours which should be reserved well in advance.  www.nps.gov There are accommodations in the park, but once again they do not open until mid-April. See their website at www.visitmesaverde.com or call 800-449-2288. Other lodging is available in nearby Dolores or Cortez, CO. Photos by Kirby Flanagan:    White House, Canyon de Chelly Cliff Palace, Mesa Verde Photos by Bill Naiman:    Stars At First Light, Monument Valley Monument Valley, Infrared, B&W Monument Valley, Behind the Hotel Resources: Canyon de Chelly, Its People and Rock Art, Campbell Grant http://astore.amazon.com/flanaganfotos-20/detail/0816505233   Canyon de Chelly, The Story Behind The Scenery, Charles Supplee, Doug and Barbara Anderson http://astore.amazon.com/flanaganfotos-20/detail/0887140424 Ancient Ancestors of the Southwest, Gregory Schaaf, Lewis Kemper   http://astore.amazon.com/flanaganfotos-20/detail/1558682554 Mesa Verde, Life/Earth/Sky, Susan Lamb http://astore.amazon.com/flanaganfotos-         20/detail/158071031X The Ancient Southwest, A Guide to Archaeological Sites, Gregory McNamee, Larry Lindahl http://astore.amazon.com/flanaganfotos-20/detail/1933855886  Thanks for listening! Leave us a review on iTunes if you enjoyed this podcast. Kirby kirby@flanaganfotos.com https:photographingthewest.net  https://flanaganfotos.com   

“All I have is a voice.” ― W.H. Auden “I was never particularly fond of my voice.” — David Bowie   Countertenor John Holiday says that he’s never wanted to emulate anyone else’s voice, and that instead, he’s tried to find and be true to his own. And the unique sound that he belts out will make you believe that he alone can produce anything like it. But as it turns out, there’s a whole history behind voices like his. Learn all about the countertenor voice, as well as it’s historical relationship to the castrati in this episode. John also teaches about the opera world’s embrace of gender fluidity for art’s sake throughout the ages.  Audio production by Todd “Tremolo” Hulslander with side eye from Dacia Clay. Music in this episode includes: Skyline Sessions: John Holiday, “Stille amare” by G.F. Handel:   David Daniels, “Ombra mai fu,” Xerxes by Handel:   Alessandro Moreschi, “Ave Maria”:   Ewa Podleś, La Cieca “Voce di donna o d’angelo” from La Gioconda by A. Ponchielli. Marian Anderson & William Primrose, 2 Songs for Contralto, Viola & Piano by Johannes Brahms John Holiday, “Crude furie” from Serse by Handel (from Operalia, The World Opera Competition – part 2)

Like many of my guests, I met John Holiday at LA Opera. We happened to be staged together, and every night we’d exchange pleasantries before the curtain rose. We hit it off and managed to keep in touch here and there, mostly through Facebook. I greatly admire his talent, work ethic and attitude, but mostly, he’s an easygoing and very decent human being. Enjoy. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

For over 40 years, Valerie Holiday has been delighting audiences worldwide singing lead with the award winning, record-breaking, number-one-selling group The Three Degrees (When Will I See You Again, Dirty Ol' Man, Year Of Decision, Take Good Care Of Yourself, to name but a few).  Now it's time to make the showbiz world a few degrees hotter as Valerie returns to her roots, bringing her undeniable talent and beauty to the stage as a solo performer, alongside her continued work with The Three Degrees.   In her own words, "On the 2nd of December, I was born to Mary and John Holiday in Newark, New Jersey. My early years were spent in Jacksonville, Georgia. I'd often entertain myself singing my rendition of church songs. Sunday morning church services, those prayer meetings and singing songs that were always good for the soul and prayers of getting ready for the Resurrection Day echo in my mind. Most of those songs, I still remember the words to today, and they have helped to keep my spirits lifted and my life on a positive focus. Some years later, we moved to Dorchester, Massachusetts, where we had family nearby. We joined a new church with a children's choir. This is where, I guess, my formal vocal and performing training began. With my soul in the music and a better understanding of the words, I could express the songs that would have the congregation  standing in agreement."