Podcast appearances and mentions of louis symphony orchestra

In this episode of House of Lou, Veronica welcomes Kate Pollmann and Jessica Conway, owners of Sugarcoat Home, to talk about shopping estates sales, finding treasures where (and when!) you least expect them, and how we can all create beautiful, unique spaces when we follow our heart’s desire. Kate and Jessica also share Sugarcoat’s origin story, insights about working together, and their hopes and dreams for the future of their business. Hint: There’s more travel ahead for them—and, possibly, the chance for us to join them on one of their adventures! These women are passionate about the home, antiques, and living life to the fullest. So, get ready for a lively conversation with two of St. Louis’ most exciting retail owners. This episode is sponsored by NCJWSTL The Resale Shop and supported by St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. Don’t miss Couturier, October 22–25 at The Resale Shop. For over 60 years, this premier resale event has featured high-quality designer clothing and accessories for women, men, and children, plus unique home décor—all at a fraction of the cost. Proceeds support programs that improve the lives of women, children, and families. New to podcasts? Follow these instructions to start listening to our shows, and hear what you’ve been missing! Mentioned in this episode: Sugarcoat Home Ambacht Marci Marsh Abode by Parklyn Interiors Candice Wideman Miriam Switching Post St. Louis Magazine‘s Dream Kitchens Architect & Designer Awards ModernSTL: Ridgewood Home Tour Landmarks Association: Cathedral Basilica: An Illustrated Timeline Persimmon Festival & Tree Giveaway You may also enjoy these articles from SLM: The inventory at Sugarcoat Home in St. Louis is curated by two friends Where to shop for vintage, resale, and consignment fashion in St. Louis A guide to vintage shopping in St. Louis More episodes of House of Lou See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Powell Hall, the century-old home of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, has reopened after a two-year, $140 million expansion and renovation. STLPR arts and culture senior reporter Jeremy D. Goodwin talks about the hall's transformation. Then, newly appointed composer-in-residence Kevin Puts, a St. Louis native and Pulitzer Prize- and Grammy Award-winning composer, discusses the world premiere of his song cycle "House of Tomorrow" and what he's looking forward to with the orchestra's opening concert of the 2025-26 season.

Friday marks the reopening of Powell Hall after a two-year, $140-million dollar renovation and expansion. The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra will mark the occasion with three concerts this weekend. As St. Louis Public Radio's Jeremy Goodwin reports, a recent sneak preview offered a taste of the changes.

Powell Hall is reopening this weekend after a two-year, $140 million renovation project. KMOX's Stuart McMillian was on hand for rehearsal, as the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra was tuning up for its first performance back home, and gives us an idea of what it was like.

Cannabis-friendly restaurants. Ozempic menus. Dirty sodas and focaccia sandwiches. These are just a few of the trends George and Cheryl picked up on in St. Louis Magazine’s annual A-List, a celebration of the best of all that the region has to offer. Using this year’s A-List as a jumping off point, the co-hosts shine a light on what they anticipate will come to define eating and drinking in St. Louis in the coming year. Tune in for their insights and see what’s in store for the area’s food scene. This episode is sponsored by St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. The new season kicks off its first Young Friends Night with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in Concert. Friday, October 3 at Powell Hall. Get tickets. New to podcasts? Follow these instructions to start listening to our shows, and hear what you’ve been missing! Have an idea for a future Arch Eats episode? Send your thoughts or feedback by emailing podcasts@stlmag.com. Hungry for more? Subscribe to our Dining newsletters for the freshest coverage on the local restaurant and culinary scene. And follow George (@georgemahe) and SLM on Instagram (@stlouismag). Interested in being a podcast sponsor? Contact Lauren Leppert at lleppert@stlmag.com. Mentioned in this episode: Made. By Lia, 610 Rue St. Francois, Florissant, 314-551-2383.dohmo, 9538 Olive, Olivette, 314-222-3518.Vampire Penguin, 12 S. Euclid, CWE, 706-294-5600.Twisted Rolls Chimney Cakes, 14640 Manchester, Ballwin, 636-386-5025.Melt ‘n’ Dip, 11575 Manchester, Ballwin, 636-220-1168.Café Ganadara, 6413 Hampton, Saint Louis Hills. 314-802-7044.Spoonful Dessert Cafe, 12943 Olive, Creve Coeur, 314-485-1757.The Moniker, 1000 Washington, Downtown, 314-932-5602.Aperi, 4317 Manchester, The Grove, 314-405-8333.Big Chief Roadhouse, 17352 Manchester, Wildwood, 636-458-3200.Off Elm, 8709 Big Bend, Webster Groves, 314-502-9272.Dirty Pop, Mobile pop-upCrispy Sips, Mobile pop-upSodie, Mobile pop-up, 573-450-7162.Pop n Sons, Mobile pop-upChicken n Pickle, 1500 S. Main, St. Charles, 636-229-9700.Puttshack – St. Louis, 3730 Foundry Way, Midtown; 314-887-7888.Topgolf – St. Louis (Chesterfield & Midtown), Multiple locationsFive Iron Golf, 8015 Forsyth, Clayton, 314-608-9089.Flight Club, 7710 Forsyth, Clayton, 314-887-7020.The Hub at the District, 17057 N. Outer 40, Chesterfield, 636-812-0580.Cottle Village Farmstead + Distillery, 6470 State Rte N, Cottleville, 636-268-2123.Katie’s (Crestwood location), 9635 Watson, Crestwood (opens late fall 2025)The Mexican STL, 9615 Watson, Crestwood, 314-525-5025. (opens September 2025)4 Hands + Peacemaker – Kirkwood, 150 W. Argonne, Kirkwood, 314-287-6688.Noto/Bormio, 5105 Westwood, St. Peters, 636-317-1743.Cibo, 7489 Delmar, U CityMarconi Mercato, 2030 Marconi, The Hill, 314-380-9003.Neon Greens, 4176 Manchester, The Grove, 314-899-0400.Expat BBQ, 3730 Foundry Way, Midtown, 314-924-9728.Union Loafers, 1629 Tower Grove, Botanical Heights, 314-833-6111.Sakatanoya Revolving Sushi Bar & Ramen Bar, 6683 Delmar. U City.Big Mouth Sandwich Co. (inside Perennial Artisan Ales and The Mack), Multiple locationsGarden Variety Deli, 3131 Morganford, Tower Grove South, no phoneEuphoria Kitchen + Kocktails, 5916 Delmar, East Loop, 314-256-1045. You may also enjoy these SLM articles: St. Louis Magazine’s A-List Awards 2025 Editors’ Favorites: Food, Drink & Nightlife Readers’ Choice: Food & Drink See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Trombone Corner Podcast is brought to you by Bob Reeves Brass and The Brass Ark.  Join hosts Noah and John as they interview Amanda Stewart, of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. About Amanda: Amanda Stewart is currently the Associate Principal Trombonist of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, a position she began in the Fall of 2014. Born in Oakland, Maryland, she began playing the trombone at the age of six. Her studies started with Harold Hudnall and continued with Dr. H. Keith Jackson, current Dean of the College of Creative Arts of West Virginia University. She received her bachelor of music degree from The Juilliard School, studying with Joseph Alessi. As an orchestral musician, Ms. Stewart has played with numerous orchestras. She was Principal trombonist of the San Antonio Symphony for eight seasons, Assistant Principal trombonist of the Lyric Opera of San Antonio for four seasons, and Associate Principal trombonist of the New York Philharmonic for two seasons. Ms. Stewart has also been a regular substitute and extra player with the Boston Symphony and has toured with them internationally. She has also performed with the Baltimore, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, National, North Carolina, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Toronto Symphonies. Ms. Stewart has also spent several summers performing in the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra. In other performing capacities, Ms. Stewart is a current member of the trombone ensemble, STL Trombones. She has also performed as a member of the Burning River Brass and the San Antonio Brass. During her tenure as a member, Ms. Stewart performed twice as a soloist with the San Antonio Symphony. She has also appeared as a guest artist at the International Trombone Festival and the International Women's Brass Conference. As an educator, Ms. Stewart currently teaches at Washington University in St. Louis, and has taught privately at several other universities, namely Our Lady of the Lake University, St. Mary's University, Rutgers University, Trinity University, and McKendree University. For part of the 2025 Spring Semester, she served as an adjunct Assistant Professor of Music at Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music. Also, Ms. Stewart has also given masterclasses at many national universities and conservatories, including the New England Conservatory, Rice University, and The Juilliard School. Ms. Stewart is an Edwards artist, performing on Edwards trombones and Griego Mouthpieces.

Damon has had series regular roles in The Big Door Prize, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey starring Samuel L. Jackson (both for Apple TV), Black Lightning (CW), Criminal Minds (CBS), The Player (NBC), The Divide (AMC), Prime Suspect (NBC), Dick Wolf's Deadline (NBC), Strange Brew (FOX), and Finkleman (NBC), as well as guest star/recurring appearances on Happy Face (Paramount+), as well as Your Honor (Showtime), Super Pumped (Showtime), The Comey Rule (Showtime), Dirty, John (Bravo), Goliath (Amazon), Bates Motel (A&E),The Newsroom (HBO), Suits (USA), Empire (FOX), Rake (FOX), Law & Order (NBC), Law & Order Criminal Intent (NBC), Conviction (NBC), The Unusuals (ABC), Hack (CBS), Third Watch (NBC), and Drift (ABC). He appears in the upcoming Lear Rex, starring Al Pacino and The Drama, directed by Kristoffer Borgli, as well as Damien Chazelle's Academy Award-winning films Whiplash and LaLa Land, This is Forty, The Last Airbender, Helen at Risk, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, Unfaithful, The Loretta Claiborne Story, and Nicki Micheaux's Summer of Violence. As a conductor, he was appointed the first-ever Principal Guest Conductor of the Cincinnati Pops. He served as American Conducting Fellow of the Houston Symphony and held the post of assistant conductor of the Kansas City Symphony. His conducting appearances include the Boston Pops, Philadelphia Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke's, Detroit Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Toledo Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony, Florida Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, Long Beach Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, Princeton Symphony, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo, NHK Orchestra of Tokyo, Orquesta Filarmonica de UNAM, Charlottesville Symphony, Brass Band of Battle Creek, NYU Steinhardt Orchestra, Kinhaven Music School, Vermont Music Festival, Michigan Youth Arts Festival, Brevard Music Center, and Sphinx Symphony as part of the 12th annual Sphinx Competition. 

In this episode of The Bandwich Tapes, I sit down with William James, Principal Percussionist of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. We talk about his journey through the world of orchestral percussion, from early influences and summer programs to the high-pressure world of auditions. Will shares thoughtful insights on what it takes to succeed as a modern percussionist, both musically and administratively.We dig into the evolving expectations placed on orchestral players, the challenges of recording and venue acoustics, and how creativity, flexibility, and technology are reshaping the field. We also reflect on the importance of great teachers, the value of building a strong repertoire, and the ongoing role education plays in both our lives.Will's passion for percussion extends far beyond performance—he's a dedicated educator, chamber musician, and author. His contributions to the percussion community have had a lasting impact, and I was grateful for the opportunity to delve deeper into his story.About William James: William James is the Principal Percussionist of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. He won the position at just 25, following studies at Northwestern University and the New England Conservatory. A versatile performer and educator, Will has played with top orchestras across the country, given solo recitals, taught masterclasses nationwide, and authored The Modern Concert Snare Drum Roll. You can learn more about William at: williamjamespercussion.comMusic from the Episode:Scirocco (Michael Burritt)Thank you for listening! If you have any questions, feedback, or ideas for the show, please contact me at brad@thebandwichtapes.com.The theme song, Playcation, was written by Mark Mundy. 

Eric Dundon - St. Louis Symphony Orchestra - 6-10-25 by

The Heidi Glaus Show 6-10-25 - Erik Siemers on FEMA money, the latest from L.A., and The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra by

Darryl McDaniels, a founding member of RUN-DMC, is celebrating the legacy of Hip Hop this week with the St Louis Symphony Orchestra and the Sugar Hill Gang. He rejoined Chris and Amy for a lengthy conversation about his legendary career.

After performing at various venues for its past two seasons, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is gearing up to return to Powell Hall. The $140 million expansion and renovation will include an education and learning center, rehearsal space and places for the community to gather before and after performances. Music director Stéphane Denève and President and CEO Marie-Hélène Bernard discuss the past two nomadic seasons and how they're looking forward to returning to Powell Hall in September.

This episode of The Other Side of the Bell, featuring women's trumpet trailblazer, founder of the International Women's Brass Conference, and 40-year First Trumpet of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Susan Slaughter, is brought to you by Bob Reeves Brass. This episode also appears as a video episode on our YouTube channel, you can find it here: "Susan Slaughter trumpet interview"   About Susan Slaughter:   Born in McCordsville, IN, Susan Slaughter started playing trumpet at the age of 10. Graduating from Indiana University with a coveted performer's certificate, Susan auditioned for and won the Principal Trumpet position in 1967 with the Toledo, Ohio Symphony.   Susan then joined the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra in l969 and four years later became the first woman ever to be named Principal Trumpet of a major symphony orchestra.   In 1992, Susan founded the International Women's Brass Conference, an organization dedicated to provide opportunities and recognition for women brass musicians. As a fund-raising effort to support the International Women's Brass Conference, Ms. Slaughter organized and produced the very popular Holiday Brass Concerts, which are now in their second decade, and are performed each December in the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis. Other cities in the United States are holding their own Holiday Brass Concerts to help support the ever-growing International Women's Brass Conference.   In 1996, Ms. Slaughter founded Monarch Brass, an all women's brass ensemble, which has toured in the United States and Europe to critical acclaim.   Susan appears regularly in area recitals and religious programs, and has been a frequent soloist with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, as well as with several other ensembles throughout the country. Her work is represented on a number of Saint Louis Symphony releases, including the highly acclaimed recordings of Mahler's Symphony No. 2, Prokofiev's Symphony No. 5, Gershwin's Piano Concerto in F, Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, Barber's Capricorn Concerto, and most recently, John Adams' Doctor Atomic. Many of these and other recordings have been nominated for or won Grammy Awards. Susan has performed with Wynton Marsalis, Kathleen Battle, Christine Brewer, Doc Severinsen, Al Hirt in duets, amongst others.   She has served on the faculty of the Grand Teton Orchestra Seminar and the National Orchestra Institute, and has been lecture/recitalist at the International Trumpet Guild, while also serving on its board of directors.   Since the 1980's, Susan has performed the National Anthem and “God Bless America” on an annual basis for the St. Louis Cardinals Baseball Club and, at the invitation of the Baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent, performed the National Anthem at Game 3 of the 1991 World Series, played in Atlanta between the Braves and Twins (link).   Some of the awards and recognition Susan has received over the years include nomination by Ladies Home Journal for its annual Woman of the Year award, a special Leadership Award in the Arts from the Young Women's Christian Association, the American Federation of Musicians, Local 2-197 Owen Miller Award for loyalty, dedication and fairness in actions and deeds, and the 2007 Arts and Education Council Award for Excellence in the Arts.   Susan has studied over the years with Herbert Mueller, Bernard Adelstein, Arnold Jacobs, Robert Nagel, Claude Gordon and Laurie Frink, and retired as Principal Trumpet from the Saint Louis Symphony on September 1, 2010.   Podcast listeners! Enter code "podcast" at checkout for 15% off any of our Gard bags! Visit trumpetmouthpiece.com for more info.     Episode Links: Holiday Brass Los Angeles Brass Alliance website https://www.instagram.com/losangelesbrassalliance/  International Women's Brass Conference, May 19-24, Hartford, Connecticut. Register: myiwbc.org Sign up sheet for valve alignments: bobreeves.com/iwbc International Trumpet Guild Conference, May 27-31, University of Utah, Salt Lake City. Sign up sheet for valve alignments: bobreeves.com/itg William Adam Trumpet Festival, June 19-22, Clarksville, Tennessee. williamadamtrumpet.com  Sign up sheet for valve alignments: bobreeves.com/williamadam Greg Wing, Reflections on a Grateful Journey, available on Apple Music   Podcast Credits: “A Room with a View“ - composed and performed by Howie Shear Podcast Host - John Snell Cover Art - Susan Slaughter Audio Engineer - Ted Cragg

In this episode, step into the world of Disney magic with Mostly Superheroes as host Logan Janis sits down with Susan Egan (Broadway's original Belle, voice of Meg in Hercules) and Adam J. Levy (Co-Executive Producer, Broadway's Moulin Rouge) to talk all things Disney Princess – The Concert. This internationally acclaimed production brings over 30 iconic Disney songs to life, featuring Broadway stars, breathtaking visuals, and unforgettable performances. Susan and Adam dive into the evolution of the show, the magic of performing live, and how audiences worldwide continue to connect with these beloved stories. Don't miss this behind-the-scenes look at what makes the concert a must-see event, including its upcoming performances with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra on May 9th and 10th. Get your tickets now at www.slso.org. Learn more about Susan Egan at https://susaneganofficial.com/about and Adam J. Levy at https://linktr.ee/adamjlevy Watch highlights from the concert at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU3c5Af34oM&t=1 Subscribe, review and shares are appreciated! Enjoy! www.mostlysuperheroes.com ©2025 Carrogan Ventures, LLC

Watch the full episode here: https://mostlysuperheroes.com/posts/slso-disney-princess-the-concert-st-louis-2025 In this episode, step into the world of Disney magic with Mostly Superheroes as host Logan Janis sits down with Susan Egan (Broadway's original Belle, voice of Meg in Hercules) and Adam J. Levy (Co-Executive Producer, Broadway's Moulin Rouge) to talk all things Disney Princess – The Concert. This internationally acclaimed production brings over 30 iconic Disney songs to life, featuring Broadway stars, breathtaking visuals, and unforgettable performances. Susan and Adam dive into the evolution of the show, the magic of performing live, and how audiences worldwide continue to connect with these beloved stories. Don't miss this behind-the-scenes look at what makes the concert a must-see event, including its upcoming performances with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra on May 9th and 10th. Get your tickets now at www.slso.org. Learn more about Susan Egan at https://susaneganofficial.com/about and Adam J. Levy at https://linktr.ee/adamjlevy Watch highlights from the concert at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU3c5Af34oM&t=1 Subscribe, review and shares are appreciated! Enjoy!

Chris and Amy are joined by founding member of Run DMC Darryl McDaniels to discuss how he's performing with the Sugarhill Gang and St. Louis Symphony Orchestra at Stifel Theatre coming up on May 8th.

Can food truly be medicine? What if science and cooking came together to make plant-based eating both powerful and practical? In this episode, we explore the science behind plant-based nutrition and how to bring it to life in your kitchen with Chef Caryn Dugan and Dr. Jim Loomis. Chef Caryn Dugan is the founder of the Center for Plant-Based Living, the nation's first plant-based culinary education center. After facing personal health challenges, she turned to a whole food, plant-based diet and never looked back. Caryn is a certified instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) and has trained under leading experts in plant-based nutrition. Dr. Jim Loomis is an internal medicine physician, lifestyle medicine expert, and Medical Director at PCRM. He has served as the team doctor for the St. Louis Rams and Cardinals, as well as the tour physician for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. Dr. Loomis is a strong advocate for food as medicine and has been featured in the documentary The Game Changers. Together, Caryn and Dr. Loomis co-host The Doc and Chef, a YouTube series where science meets cooking. Each episode breaks down a health topic—Dr. Loomis explains the research, and Caryn brings it to life with a practical, delicious recipe. Tune in now and learn how to bring the power of plants to your plate! #ThriveBitesPodcast #plantbasedfamily #wfpbfamily   Chef Caryn Dugan →Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plant_based_center/ → Website: CPBL-STL.com

Chris and Amy welcome Stéphane Denève, Music Director of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, to discuss the orchestra's 146th season and the grand reopening of Powell Hall at the Jack C. Taylor Music Center. Denève shares insights on the excitement surrounding the renovation, the emotional impact of the orchestra's performances, and highlights of the upcoming 2025-2026 season, including world premieres, major symphonic works, and collaborations with renowned soloists. Plus, a look at Powell Hall's acoustics compared to other world-class concert venues and the important role of the orchestra's chorus.

Chris and Amy discuss the delayed launch of sports betting in Missouri and its impact on the state. They also analyze Elon Musk's push for federal government efficiency, questioning the potential risks of hasty job cuts. Later, Stéphane Denève, Music Director of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, joins the show to discuss the orchestra's 146th season and the grand reopening of Powell Hall at the Jack C. Taylor Music Center. Denève shares insights on the excitement surrounding the renovation, the emotional impact of the orchestra's performances, and highlights of the upcoming 2025-2026 season, including world premieres, major symphonic works, and collaborations with renowned soloists. Plus, a look at Powell Hall's acoustics compared to other world-class concert venues and the important role of the orchestra's chorus. To wrap the hour, "Did You See This?" features a shocking story of a death row inmate who chose death by firing squad.

In the first hour, Chris and Amy discuss the delayed launch of sports betting in Missouri and its impact on the state. They also analyze Elon Musk's push for federal government efficiency and the risks of hasty job cuts. Later, Stéphane Denève, Music Director of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, joins to talk about the grand reopening of Powell Hall at the Jack C. Taylor Music Center and the excitement around the 146th season, featuring world premieres, major symphonic works, and collaborations with renowned soloists. In Hour 2, Chris and Amy share their humorous take on an email from their boss asking for 5 weekly accomplishments or risk losing their jobs, echoing the recent Musk-inspired directive. They also discuss the potential impact of federal job cuts and hear from Matt Pauley about the latest from Cardinals spring training, including Nolan Arenado's adjustment, automated strike zone testing, and early standout performances. Hour 3 continues with Chris and Amy analyzing the controversy surrounding Musk's email to federal employees, causing confusion among government agencies. Chris Cillizza joins to break down Trump's shifting policies on Ukraine and Russia, and the show wraps up with a discussion on St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones' challenges and concerns about federal budget cuts impacting the city.

The Horn Signal is proudly brought to you by Bob Reeves Brass. Join hosts John Snell and Preston Shepard as they interview horn players around the world.  Today's episode features Greg Roosa, 2nd horn of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. About Greg: Gregory Roosa was appointed Second Horn of the Los Angeles Philharmonic by Gustavo Dudamel in September 2012. Prior to that he held the Fourth Horn position in the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra beginning in 2003. His previous positions include Fourth Horn with the Kennedy Center Opera and Ballet Orchestra, and Fourth Horn with the Colorado Symphony in Denver. A native of Troy, Michigan, Roosa attended the University of Illinois and studied with Ralph Froelich at the University of South Florida. In 1992, he moved to Chicago to study with Dale Clevenger, Principal Horn of the Chicago Symphony. He was a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago for three seasons. Active as a freelance musician in the Chicago area for eight years, Roosa played in the Broadway shows Ragtime, Phantom of the Opera, and Miss Saigon. He also played with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, including a European tour and two recordings. Roosa has appeared as soloist and clinician at numerous universities and horn workshops around the world. Roosa has performed with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Queensland Orchestra in Australia, as well as with the Florida Orchestra and Detroit Symphony in the U.S. He was a member of the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra from 1999 to 2012, where he met his wife, Amy Jo Rhine, the Third Horn of LA Phil. Together they have two young boys, Norton and Sutton.

Broadway Drumming 101 is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.In this episode of Broadway Drumming 101, I chat with the legendary Jonathan Haas about his incredible journey from studying liberal arts to becoming a virtuoso timpanist and professional musician. We talk about his groundbreaking work in Broadway and orchestral music, his passion for drumming, and his thoughts on navigating the challenges of the entertainment industry.Highlights from the Episode:* Jonathan's Journey: How he transitioned from liberal arts to music and became a timpanist with the St. Louis Symphony before moving to New York to study at Juilliard.* NYU Broadway Percussion Seminar: The creation of a one-of-a-kind program that brought over 400 students from around the world to learn from Broadway professionals, observe live pits, and engage with union leaders.* Broadway Experiences: Jonathan shares stories about his early days as a sub on Broadway, a memorable sword accident during Pirates of Penzance, and the lessons he learned.* Making Connections: Why being a good person and building relationships is essential for success in the music industry.* The Role of Luck and Hard Work: Jonathan reflects on serendipity, the reality of hard work, and balancing dreams with practical goals.Key Takeaways:* Aspiring percussionists need to sound exactly like the person they're subbing for—the best compliment is being mistaken for the regular.* Always respond promptly to emails and calls, and don't take on tasks you're not ready for.* Hard work, connections, and adaptability are crucial in building a sustainable career in entertainment.Subscribe and Don't Miss Out!Make sure to subscribe to Broadway Drumming 101 on your favorite podcast platform and turn on notifications to be the first to hear this inspiring episode with Jonathan Haas!Virtuoso timpanist Jonathan Haas has raised the status of the timpani to that of a solo instrument throughout his unique career that has spanned more than twenty years. From classical concertos to jazz and rock & roll, from symphonic masterpieces to the most experimental compositions of living composers, Haas has championed, commissioned, unearthed and celebrated music for his instrument, becoming, as Ovation magazine hailed him, "The Paganini of the timpani."His concerts on the world's most prestigious musical stages and his ground-breaking recordings have delighted critics and listeners on both sides of the ocean. The New York Times wrote, "Wherever one finds a percussion instrument waiting to be rubbed, shook, struck or strummed, [Haas] is probably nearby, ready to fulfill his duties with consummate expertise... he is a masterful young percussionist."Most recently, Haas has garnered widespread praise and attention for his performances of Philip Glass' Concerto Fantasy for Two Timpanists and Orchestra, a piece conceived by Haas and completed because of his quest to spotlight the timpani. The Concerto Fantasy features not only two timpanists, but also 14 timpani, all placed downstage in front of the orchestra. In 2000, Haas performed the world premiere of the piece with the American Symphony, and he has subsequently performed it at Carnegie Hall and in Phoenix, New Jersey, Baltimore, Pasadena, Long Beach (California), St. Louis and Mexico City. Haas also performed the European premiere with the BBC Symphony in London, the world premiere of a chamber orchestra version with the Iris Chamber Orchestra in Memphis, the Czechoslovakian premiere with the Prague Symphony Orchestra at the International Music Prague Spring Festival, the Norwegian premiere with the Bergen Philharmonic, and he will perform the Australian premiere with the Sydney Symphony and the Turkish premiere with the Istanbul Philharmonic.Haas' successful efforts to expand the timpani repertoire have led him to commission and premiere more than 25 works by composers in addition to Philip Glass such as Stephen Albert, Marius Constant, Irwin Bazelon, Eric Ewazen, Thomas Hamilton, Robert Hall Lewis, Jean Piche, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Andrew Thomas, and many others.Haas built the world's largest timpani and debuted it in 2003 at the Aspen Music Festival. This unprecendented, incredible instrument -- nearly 6' wide and nearly 4' tall – beats the world's second-largest timpani — a 48-incher used by Amsterdam's Concertgebouw Orchestra — by almost half.Haas' recordings include the trail-blazing 18th Century Concertos for Timpani and Orchestra and Johnny H. and the Prisoners of Swing, both on Sunset Records. The latter was named for his jazz group and features innovative renderings of jazz compositions featuring "hot timpani" in front of a full jazz ensemble. His rediscovery of Duke Ellington's brilliant composition for jazz timpani, "Tympaturbably Blue," is included on this recording, as are other jazz standards played on a set of ten kettledrums.Demonstrating a remarkable versatility as a musician, Haas has performed and recorded with Emerson, Lake and Palmer, played on the Grammy Award-winning recording Zappa's Universe, recorded with Aerosmith, Michael Bolton, Black Sabbath, and explored heavy metal with his rock group Clozshave.The rarest of modern virtuosi, Haas embarked on his career as a solo timpanist by performing the only solo timpani recital ever presented at Carnegie Recital Hall in 1980. As an orchestral soloist, he made his debut with the New York Chamber Orchestra under Maxim Shostakovich and his European solo debut with the Bournemouth Sinfonietta. He made his French debut performing Andrez Panufnick's Concerto for Percussion, Timpani and Orchestra with the Orchestra de la Garde Republicaine. He was the soloist in the Druschetsky Concerto for Eight Timpani, Oboe and Orchestra with the Aspen Chamber Orchestra. He has also performed as a solo timpanist for the Distinguished Artists Recital Series at New York's 92nd Street ‘Y' and as a guest artist with the Lincoln Center Chamber Society, the Chamber Music at the ‘Y' Series, and the Newport Chamber Music Festival. He has championed new music by presenting adventuresome programming such as The Music of Frank Zappa, showcasing the music of Edgar Varese and Frank Zappa, under the auspices of Lincoln Center's Great Performers Series.Haas is the principal timpanist of the New York Chamber Orchestra, the Aspen Chamber Orchestra and EOS Ensemble, principal percussionist of the American Symphony Orchestra, and a member of the American Composers Orchestra. He performs with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, New York Pops, and New Jersey Symphony and has performed and recorded with the New York Philharmonic, the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.A graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, Haas received his Master's Degree from the Juilliard School as a student of Saul Goodman. An inspiring teacher, he has been the director of the Peabody Conservatory Percussion Studio for twenty years and a faculty artist of the Aspen Music School, and he conducts the percussion ensembles at both schools. He has presented master classes throughout the United States and internationally at the Toho Gauken, Hanoi Conservatory, Paris Conservatory, and the Graz Percussion School. Sharing his enthusiasm for music with young people, he has presented over two hundred concert-demonstrations with his "Drumfire" program, under the auspices of the Lincoln Center Institute, the New York Chamber Symphony's Sidney Wolff Children's Concert Series, and the Aspen Festival Young Person's Concert Series.As active an entrepreneur as he is an artist, Haas heads Sunset Records, Kettles and Company, and Gemini Music Productions which contracts musicians for Lincoln Center, New York Pops, and many other organizations. He also works closely with percussion industry manufacturers Pearl/Adams, Promark and Zildjian, among others.Clayton Craddock founded Broadway Drumming 101, an in-depth online platform offering specialized mentorship and a carefully curated collection of resources tailored for aspiring and professional musicians.Clayton's Broadway and Off-Broadway credits include tick, tick…BOOM!, Altar Boyz, Memphis The Musical, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Ain't Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations, Cats: The Jellicle Ball, and The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical. As a skilled sub, he's contributed his talents to Motown, Evita, Cats, Avenue Q, The Color Purple, Rent, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical, Hadestown (tour), and many more. He has also appeared on major shows, including The View, Good Morning America, Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the TONY Awards, and performed with legends like The Stylistics, The Delfonics, Mario Cantone, Laura Benanti, Kristin Chenoweth, Kerry Butler, Christian Borle, Norm Lewis, Deniece Williams, Chuck Berry, and Ben E. King.Clayton proudly endorses Ahead Drum Cases, Paiste Cymbals, Innovative Percussion drumsticks, and Empire Ears.Learn more about Clayton Craddock here: www.claytoncraddock.com Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe

Adam Wainwright joins Tom Ackerman to discuss his upcoming concert with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra on February 22 at the Stiefel Theater. He shares his excitement about performing with the symphony, his experiences opening for major artists like the Zac Brown Band, and the talented musicians on his team—including his daughter

British rock legend David Bowie called on saxophonist Donny McCaslin and his band to record Bowie's album, “Blackstar,” after checking out the jazz group's performance at the 55 Bar in Greenwich Village. Bowie never had a chance to to perform its songs live because he died two days after the album's release in 2016. With the backing of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, “Blackstar Symphony” will have its Midwest premiere this Friday at Stifel Theater.

When The Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles for their third Super Bowl win in a row, tight end Travis Kelce will once again be in the spotlight. His journey from football star in the Midwest, to international fame. Plus, STLPR's Jeremy Goodwin talks to jazz player Donny McClaslin about how he set out to adapt David Bowie's album “Blackstar,” ahead of his performance with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.

Get ready for an exciting upcoming episode of Broadway Drumming 101! I'll be talking with the legendary timpanist Jonathan Haas about his groundbreaking work with the NYU Broadway Percussion Seminar. Jonathan shares how the program started, its impact on over 400 students worldwide, and how it gave young musicians a real taste of Broadway—playing with top percussionists, sitting in active pits, learning about unions at Local 802, and getting advice from icons like contractor John Miller.We'll also dive into how a simple lunchroom conversation sparked the creation of the NYU Broadway Orchestra Program. You won't want to miss these incredible behind-the-scenes stories about Broadway music education and what it takes to succeed.Subscribe now to Broadway Drumming 101 on your favorite platform and turn on notifications so you'll be the first to know when this episode drops!Virtuoso timpanist Jonathan Haas has raised the status of the timpani to that of a solo instrument throughout his unique career that has spanned more than twenty years. From classical concertos to jazz and rock & roll, from symphonic masterpieces to the most experimental compositions of living composers, Haas has championed, commissioned, unearthed and celebrated music for his instrument, becoming, as Ovation magazine hailed him, "The Paganini of the timpani."His concerts on the world's most prestigious musical stages and his ground-breaking recordings have delighted critics and listeners on both sides of the ocean. The New York Times wrote, "Wherever one finds a percussion instrument waiting to be rubbed, shook, struck or strummed, [Haas] is probably nearby, ready to fulfill his duties with consummate expertise... he is a masterful young percussionist."Most recently, Haas has garnered widespread praise and attention for his performances of Philip Glass' Concerto Fantasy for Two Timpanists and Orchestra, a piece conceived by Haas and completed because of his quest to spotlight the timpani. The Concerto Fantasy features not only two timpanists, but also 14 timpani, all placed downstage in front of the orchestra. In 2000, Haas performed the world premiere of the piece with the American Symphony, and he has subsequently performed it at Carnegie Hall and in Phoenix, New Jersey, Baltimore, Pasadena, Long Beach (California), St. Louis and Mexico City. Haas also performed the European premiere with the BBC Symphony in London, the world premiere of a chamber orchestra version with the Iris Chamber Orchestra in Memphis, the Czechoslovakian premiere with the Prague Symphony Orchestra at the International Music Prague Spring Festival, the Norwegian premiere with the Bergen Philharmonic, and he will perform the Australian premiere with the Sydney Symphony and the Turkish premiere with the Istanbul Philharmonic.Haas' successful efforts to expand the timpani repertoire have led him to commission and premiere more than 25 works by composers in addition to Philip Glass such as Stephen Albert, Marius Constant, Irwin Bazelon, Eric Ewazen, Thomas Hamilton, Robert Hall Lewis, Jean Piche, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Andrew Thomas, and many others.Haas built the world's largest timpani and debuted it in 2003 at the Aspen Music Festival. This unprecendented, incredible instrument -- nearly 6' wide and nearly 4' tall – beats the world's second-largest timpani — a 48-incher used by Amsterdam's Concertgebouw Orchestra — by almost half.Haas' recordings include the trail-blazing 18th Century Concertos for Timpani and Orchestra and Johnny H. and the Prisoners of Swing, both on Sunset Records. The latter was named for his jazz group and features innovative renderings of jazz compositions featuring "hot timpani" in front of a full jazz ensemble. His rediscovery of Duke Ellington's brilliant composition for jazz timpani, "Tympaturbably Blue," is included on this recording, as are other jazz standards played on a set of ten kettledrums.Demonstrating a remarkable versatility as a musician, Haas has performed and recorded with Emerson, Lake and Palmer, played on the Grammy Award-winning recording Zappa's Universe, recorded with Aerosmith, Michael Bolton, Black Sabbath, and explored heavy metal with his rock group Clozshave.The rarest of modern virtuosi, Haas embarked on his career as a solo timpanist by performing the only solo timpani recital ever presented at Carnegie Recital Hall in 1980. As an orchestral soloist, he made his debut with the New York Chamber Orchestra under Maxim Shostakovich and his European solo debut with the Bournemouth Sinfonietta. He made his French debut performing Andrez Panufnick's Concerto for Percussion, Timpani and Orchestra with the Orchestra de la Garde Republicaine. He was the soloist in the Druschetsky Concerto for Eight Timpani, Oboe and Orchestra with the Aspen Chamber Orchestra. He has also performed as a solo timpanist for the Distinguished Artists Recital Series at New York's 92nd Street ‘Y' and as a guest artist with the Lincoln Center Chamber Society, the Chamber Music at the ‘Y' Series, and the Newport Chamber Music Festival. He has championed new music by presenting adventuresome programming such as The Music of Frank Zappa, showcasing the music of Edgar Varese and Frank Zappa, under the auspices of Lincoln Center's Great Performers Series.Haas is the principal timpanist of the New York Chamber Orchestra, the Aspen Chamber Orchestra and EOS Ensemble, principal percussionist of the American Symphony Orchestra, and a member of the American Composers Orchestra. He performs with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, New York Pops, and New Jersey Symphony and has performed and recorded with the New York Philharmonic, the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.A graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, Haas received his Master's Degree from the Juilliard School as a student of Saul Goodman. An inspiring teacher, he has been the director of the Peabody Conservatory Percussion Studio for twenty years and a faculty artist of the Aspen Music School, and he conducts the percussion ensembles at both schools. He has presented master classes throughout the United States and internationally at the Toho Gauken, Hanoi Conservatory, Paris Conservatory, and the Graz Percussion School. Sharing his enthusiasm for music with young people, he has presented over two hundred concert-demonstrations with his "Drumfire" program, under the auspices of the Lincoln Center Institute, the New York Chamber Symphony's Sidney Wolff Children's Concert Series, and the Aspen Festival Young Person's Concert Series.As active an entrepreneur as he is an artist, Haas heads Sunset Records, Kettles and Company, and Gemini Music Productions which contracts musicians for Lincoln Center, New York Pops, and many other organizations. He also works closely with percussion industry manufacturers Pearl/Adams, Promark and Zildjian, among others.Clayton Craddock founded Broadway Drumming 101, an in-depth online platform offering specialized mentorship and a carefully curated collection of resources tailored for aspiring and professional musicians.Clayton's Broadway and Off-Broadway credits include tick, tick…BOOM!, Altar Boyz, Memphis The Musical, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Ain't Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations, Cats: The Jellicle Ball, and The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical. As a skilled sub, he's contributed his talents to Motown, Evita, Cats, Avenue Q, The Color Purple, Rent, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical, Hadestown (tour), and many more. He has also appeared on major shows, including The View, Good Morning America, Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the TONY Awards, and performed with legends like The Stylistics, The Delfonics, Mario Cantone, Laura Benanti, Kristin Chenoweth, Kerry Butler, Christian Borle, Norm Lewis, Deniece Williams, Chuck Berry, and Ben E. King.Clayton proudly endorses Ahead Drum Cases, Paiste Cymbals, Innovative Percussion drumsticks, and Empire Ears.Learn more about Clayton Craddock here: www.claytoncraddock.com Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe

(00:00-11:00) Jackson's either out sick again or with Brian Windhorst breaking down the Lebron/Luka trade. Jim Edmonds will join us at 7:45. Rough one for Robbie Avila and the Billikens on Friday. Big road win for Mizzou against Mississippi State. Our best people are on the camera situation. (00:00-00:00) Edmonds off the Cardinals broadcasts. Waino at the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. Today felt like a Florida morning here in STL. TMA returning to Spring Training next week. Jack Flahrety back with Detroit. Tim hasn't released his MLS power rankings. Hoosier aficionados. (00:00-00:00) Trouble with the alderman meeting with the Rams money. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

(00:00-11:00) Jackson's either out sick again or with Brian Windhorst breaking down the Lebron/Luka trade. Jim Edmonds will join us at 7:45. Rough one for Robbie Avila and the Billikens on Friday. Big road win for Mizzou against Mississippi State. Our best people are on the camera situation. (00:00-00:00) Edmonds off the Cardinals broadcasts. Waino at the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. Today felt like a Florida morning here in STL. TMA returning to Spring Training next week. Jack Flahrety back with Detroit. Tim hasn't released his MLS power rankings. Hoosier aficionados. (00:00-00:00) Trouble with the alderman meeting with the Rams money. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Broadway Drumming 101, I sit down with Jonathan Haas, a percussion legend who revolutionized the timpani and built an extraordinary career performing with major orchestras, rock bands, and jazz icons. We talk about what it really takes to make it on Broadway—the hard work, the unexpected breaks, and the reality of starting at the bottom. Jonathan shares real-world advice and stories from his career, giving you a no-nonsense look at the industry. If you're serious about breaking into Broadway or curious about what it takes to succeed as a musician, you have to listen to this episode!Virtuoso timpanist Jonathan Haas has raised the status of the timpani to that of a solo instrument throughout his unique career that has spanned more than twenty years. From classical concertos to jazz and rock & roll, from symphonic masterpieces to the most experimental compositions of living composers, Haas has championed, commissioned, unearthed and celebrated music for his instrument, becoming, as Ovation magazine hailed him, "The Paganini of the timpani."His concerts on the world's most prestigious musical stages and his ground-breaking recordings have delighted critics and listeners on both sides of the ocean. The New York Times wrote, "Wherever one finds a percussion instrument waiting to be rubbed, shook, struck or strummed, [Haas] is probably nearby, ready to fulfill his duties with consummate expertise... he is a masterful young percussionist."Most recently, Haas has garnered widespread praise and attention for his performances of Philip Glass' Concerto Fantasy for Two Timpanists and Orchestra, a piece conceived by Haas and completed because of his quest to spotlight the timpani. The Concerto Fantasy features not only two timpanists, but also 14 timpani, all placed downstage in front of the orchestra. In 2000, Haas performed the world premiere of the piece with the American Symphony, and he has subsequently performed it at Carnegie Hall and in Phoenix, New Jersey, Baltimore, Pasadena, Long Beach (California), St. Louis and Mexico City. Haas also performed the European premiere with the BBC Symphony in London, the world premiere of a chamber orchestra version with the Iris Chamber Orchestra in Memphis, the Czechoslovakian premiere with the Prague Symphony Orchestra at the International Music Prague Spring Festival, the Norwegian premiere with the Bergen Philharmonic, and he will perform the Australian premiere with the Sydney Symphony and the Turkish premiere with the Istanbul Philharmonic.Haas' successful efforts to expand the timpani repertoire have led him to commission and premiere more than 25 works by composers in addition to Philip Glass such as Stephen Albert, Marius Constant, Irwin Bazelon, Eric Ewazen, Thomas Hamilton, Robert Hall Lewis, Jean Piche, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Andrew Thomas, and many others.Haas built the world's largest timpani and debuted it in 2003 at the Aspen Music Festival. This unprecendented, incredible instrument -- nearly 6' wide and nearly 4' tall – beats the world's second-largest timpani — a 48-incher used by Amsterdam's Concertgebouw Orchestra — by almost half.Haas' recordings include the trail-blazing 18th Century Concertos for Timpani and Orchestra and Johnny H. and the Prisoners of Swing, both on Sunset Records. The latter was named for his jazz group and features innovative renderings of jazz compositions featuring "hot timpani" in front of a full jazz ensemble. His rediscovery of Duke Ellington's brilliant composition for jazz timpani, "Tympaturbably Blue," is included on this recording, as are other jazz standards played on a set of ten kettledrums.Demonstrating a remarkable versatility as a musician, Haas has performed and recorded with Emerson, Lake and Palmer, played on the Grammy Award-winning recording Zappa's Universe, recorded with Aerosmith, Michael Bolton, Black Sabbath, and explored heavy metal with his rock group Clozshave.The rarest of modern virtuosi, Haas embarked on his career as a solo timpanist by performing the only solo timpani recital ever presented at Carnegie Recital Hall in 1980. As an orchestral soloist, he made his debut with the New York Chamber Orchestra under Maxim Shostakovich and his European solo debut with the Bournemouth Sinfonietta. He made his French debut performing Andrez Panufnick's Concerto for Percussion, Timpani and Orchestra with the Orchestra de la Garde Republicaine. He was the soloist in the Druschetsky Concerto for Eight Timpani, Oboe and Orchestra with the Aspen Chamber Orchestra. He has also performed as a solo timpanist for the Distinguished Artists Recital Series at New York's 92nd Street ‘Y' and as a guest artist with the Lincoln Center Chamber Society, the Chamber Music at the ‘Y' Series, and the Newport Chamber Music Festival. He has championed new music by presenting adventuresome programming such as The Music of Frank Zappa, showcasing the music of Edgar Varese and Frank Zappa, under the auspices of Lincoln Center's Great Performers Series.Haas is the principal timpanist of the New York Chamber Orchestra, the Aspen Chamber Orchestra and EOS Ensemble, principal percussionist of the American Symphony Orchestra, and a member of the American Composers Orchestra. He performs with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, New York Pops, and New Jersey Symphony and has performed and recorded with the New York Philharmonic, the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.A graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, Haas received his Master's Degree from the Juilliard School as a student of Saul Goodman. An inspiring teacher, he has been the director of the Peabody Conservatory Percussion Studio for twenty years and a faculty artist of the Aspen Music School, and he conducts the percussion ensembles at both schools. He has presented master classes throughout the United States and internationally at the Toho Gauken, Hanoi Conservatory, Paris Conservatory, and the Graz Percussion School. Sharing his enthusiasm for music with young people, he has presented over two hundred concert-demonstrations with his "Drumfire" program, under the auspices of the Lincoln Center Institute, the New York Chamber Symphony's Sidney Wolff Children's Concert Series, and the Aspen Festival Young Person's Concert Series.As active an entrepreneur as he is an artist, Haas heads Sunset Records, Kettles and Company, and Gemini Music Productions which contracts musicians for Lincoln Center, New York Pops, and many other organizations. He also works closely with percussion industry manufacturers Pearl/Adams, Promark and Zildjian, among others.Clayton Craddock founded Broadway Drumming 101, an in-depth online platform offering specialized mentorship and a carefully curated collection of resources tailored for aspiring and professional musicians.Clayton's Broadway and Off-Broadway credits include tick, tick…BOOM!, Altar Boyz, Memphis The Musical, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Ain't Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations, Cats: The Jellicle Ball, and The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical. As a skilled sub, he's contributed his talents to Motown, Evita, Cats, Avenue Q, The Color Purple, Rent, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical, Hadestown (tour), and many more. He has also appeared on major shows, including The View, Good Morning America, Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the TONY Awards, and performed with legends like The Stylistics, The Delfonics, Mario Cantone, Laura Benanti, Kristin Chenoweth, Kerry Butler, Christian Borle, Norm Lewis, Deniece Williams, Chuck Berry, and Ben E. King.Clayton proudly endorses Ahead Drum Cases, Paiste Cymbals, Innovative Percussion drumsticks, and Empire Ears.Learn more about Clayton Craddock here: www.claytoncraddock.com Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe

Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day, a time to honor the millions of people murdered by the Nazis. Students in middle school and high school will soon be learning some of that history through music, in a curriculum created by the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum. Three contributors to the project speak to STLPR's Jeremy Goodwin about what they took away--and hope students do, too.

The sound of music took center stage at the St. Louis County Justice Center in Clayton this week. Two St. Louis Symphony Orchestra musicians visited the women's residence to announce “Melodies of Hope,” a music education program for people incarcerated there. We talk with STLPR Arts and Culture reporter Jeremy Goodwin about his coverage of the new program. We also meet Dustin Politte-Bender, a music therapist overseeing the Maryville University students leading music exercises in the program.

Members of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra performed before women inmates at the St. Louis County jail Tuesday with the goal of inspiring them to learn an instrument. Stuart McMillian has details.

Holiday traditions. All of us have them. In this episode, hosts George Mahe and Cheryl Baehr dive into a few holiday essentials for St. Louisans—the dishes, the drinks, the places, and the feel good stuff we look forward to experiencing every year. Get the dish on classic traditions including: Where to find the best baked goods in town—for gifting, or indulging yourself The most festive spots in St. Louis to soak up the holiday spirit Classic Christmas Eve dinner options The coziest fireplaces for warming up on chilly nights Why fruitcake deserves a second chance … and plenty more seasonal delights! Tune in and get ready for some memorable—and delicious—holiday fun! Listen and follow Arch Eats on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever podcasts are available. This episode is sponsored by Gateway Arch Park Foundation and supported by St. Louis Symphony Orchestra . Winterfest, presented by Bank of America and World Wide Technology, is open downtown through December 31. Experience ice skating, s’mores, igloos, food and drinks, and more. Learn more. Have an idea for a future Arch Eats episode? Send your thoughts or feedback by emailing podcasts@stlmag.com. Hungry for more? Subscribe to our Dining newsletters for the freshest coverage on the local restaurant and culinary scene. And follow George (@georgemahe) and SLM on Instagram (@stlouismag). Interested in being a podcast sponsor? Contact Lauren Leppert at lleppert@stlmag.com. Mentioned in this episode: Clementine’s Ice Cream: Multiple locations. Missouri Baking Co.: 2027 Edwards, The Hill, 314-773-6566. Anheuser-Busch Brewery Lights: 1200 Lynch, Soulard, 314-577-2626. Grant’s Farm: 10501 Gravois, Grantwood Village, 314-843-1700. Sam’s Steakhouse: 10205 Gravois, Grantwood Village, 314-849-3033. Our Lady of the Snows: 442 S DeMazenod, Belleville, 618-397-6700. BEAST Craft BBQ: 20 South Belt West, Belleville, 618-257-9000. Tavern on Main: 301 East Main, Belleville, 618-233-6246. Grüv Wine Bar & Bistro: 223 E Main, Belleville, 618-416-2471. Candy Cane Lane: 6500 Block of Murdoch Avenue, St. Louis Hills. holidaylighthopping.com Ted Drewes: Multiple locations, 314-481-2652. Peno (Feast of Seven Fishes dinner): 7600 Wydown, Clayton, 314-899-9699. Bolyard’s Meat and Provisions: 2733 Sutton, Maplewood, 314-647-2567. Kenrick’s Meats and Catering: 4324 Weber, Affton, 314-631-2440. Yen Ching: 1012 S. Brentwood, Richmond Heights, 314-569-3463. The Cheshire: 6300 Clayton, Richmond Heights, 314-647-7300. Basso: 7036 Clayton, Richmond Heights, 314-932-7820. Fox & Hounds: 6300 Clayton, Richmond Heights, 314-647-7300. Cyrano’s Café: 603 East Lockwood, Webster Groves, 314-963-3232. Tucker’s Place: Multiple locations. Del Pietro’s: 1059 South Big Bend, Richmond Heights 314-224-5225. SqWires: 1415 S 18th, Lafayette Square, 314-865-3522. Sasha’s: Multiple locations. Edera: 48 Maryland Plaza, Central West End, 314-361-7227. Assumption Abbey: 2860 State Highway OO, Ava, Missouri, 417-683-5110. Collin Street Bakery (Texas): Multiple locations, 800-267-4657. toogoodtogo.com You may also enjoy these SLM articles: Over 25 holiday pop-up bars in St. Louis STL restaurants with fireplaces Where to order Christmas and Christmas Eve dinner in St. Louis More episode of Arch Eats See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lynn & Carl speak with Eric Dundon from the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra about their upcoming holiday productions. Then out west with Ryan Cooper to talk about St. Charles Christmas Traditions. Lynn then talks new releases: Mancini on Great Performances, Beatles '64, Moana 2, Spellbound and Maria. Plus the USAF band is playing for FREE!

It's time to celebrate Christmas with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra! Julia Paine, 2nd bassoonist with the St Louis Symphony Orchestra, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about how she became a professional bassoon player and why she still loves playing, what she loves about playing Christmas music with the SLSO, and all of the upcoming Christmas performances. Find details for these performances at slso.org. A Baroque Christmas Friday, December 6, 10:30am CST Saturday, December 7, 7:30pm CST The Pillsbury Theatre at Washington University's 560 Music Center 560 Trinity Ave., St. Louis, MO 63130 Celtic Woman Christmas Symphony Sunday, December 8, 7:00pm CST Stifel Theatre 1400 Market Street, St. Louis, MO 63103 IN UNISON Christmas with Take 6 Friday, December 13, 7:30pm CST Stifel Theatre 1400 Market Street, St. Louis, MO 63103 The Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert Saturday, December 14, 7:00pm CST Sunday, December 15, 2:00pm CST Stifel Theatre 1400 Market Street, St. Louis, MO 63103 Mercy Holiday Celebration Tuesday, December 17, 7:30pm CST Wednesday, December 18, 7:30pm CST J. Scheidegger Center for Performing Arts at Lindenwood University 2300 W. Clay St., St. Charles, MO 63301 Saturday, December 21, 2:00pm CST Sunday, December 22, 2:00pm CST Stifel Theatre 1400 Market Street, St. Louis, MO 63103 How to Train Your Dragon in Concert Saturday, December 28, 7:00pm CST Sunday, December 29, 2:00pm CST Stifel Theatre 1400 Market Street, St. Louis, MO 63103 New Year's Eve Celebration Tuesday, December 31, 7:30pm CST Stifel Theatre 1400 Market Street, St. Louis, MO 63103 As you grab your morning coffee (and pastry, let's be honest), join hosts Andy Bates and Sarah Gulseth as they bring you stories of the intersection of Lutheran life and a secular world. Catch real-life stories of mercy work of the LCMS and partners, updates from missionaries across the ocean, and practical talk about how to live boldly Lutheran. Have a topic you'd like to hear about on The Coffee Hour? Contact us at: listener@kfuo.org.

In this episode, host Veronica Theodoro sits down with Marcella Hawley, an artist, botanical illustrator, and creative director who has contributed her talents to Martha Stewart Living and the Mary Engelbreit Home Companion. Many in the St. Louis community may also know Marcella for her stunning front garden in Webster Groves, lovingly called "The Slope of Possibility." Filled with thousands of vibrant flowers, the garden is a living tribute to her mother and embodies Marcella's belief in the transformative and healing power of gardens. Here, Marcella takes us on a personal journey, filled with insights about life, loss, and rebirth. Marcella also fills us in on the exciting new project she plans to launch early next year. It's an episode filled with inspiration and hope and one that you won't want to miss.  Listen and follow House of Lou on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode is sponsored by The Repertory Theater of St. Louis and supported by the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. This December, The Rep and STAGES St. Louis present: Million Dollar Quartet Christmas. Join Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins for a rock n' roll celebration. Don't miss the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale on repstl.org. Got an idea for a future House of Lou episode?  We love hearing from our audience. Send your thoughts or feedback to Veronica at vtheodoro@stlmag.com or to podcasts@stlmag.com. We can't wait to hear from you! Looking for more inspiration? Subscribe to our Design+Home newsletter to receive our latest home, design, and style content in your inbox every Wednesday. And follow Veronica (@vtlookbook) and St. Louis Magazine on Instagram (@stlouismag). Interested in being a podcast sponsor? Contact Lauren Leppert at lleppert@stlmag.com. Mentioned in this episode: Sharon Dorram Color at Sally Hershberger  Johanna Ortiz  (see photo of showroom) Schumacher x Johanna Ortiz  New York School of Interior Design  Marcella Hawley  Martha Stewart Mary Engelbreit Greater St. Louis Daffodil Society  Jason Delaney/PHS Daffodils  Missouri Botanical Garden  Brent & Becky's Bulbs  Dutch Growers  ColorBlends  John Scheepers, Inc. Van Engelen, Inc.  QDaffs Home Depot This Naked Mind  Great Dixter House & Gardens  Fergus Garrett Fennel Cooking School  Top cooking and mixology classes in St. Louis Reimagining Home: Design for All Ages and Abilities Gardening Heals with Marcella Hawley  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We explore requiems today, specifically an upcoming performance of Mozart's Requiem with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra! First, the Rev. Brian Hamer, US Navy Chaplain, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about what a Requiem is and what texts make up a requiem, which ones are familiar to Lutherans, and how we can appreciate the beauty of requiems in light of our Lutheran doctrine. Read Chaplain Hamer's writing on the Requiem at whatdoesthismean.org/lifted-voice--brian-hamer/rescuing-the-requiem-the-sanctus. Then, mezzo-soprano Kelley O'Connor, performing the upcoming Mozart Requiem with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about her journey to becoming a professional vocalist, some of her favorite performances and composers, what makes Mozart's Requiem unique, and what she loves about singing this Requiem. Find more from Kelley at kelleyoconnor.com. Find more information about this performance from the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra on November 9 & 10 at shop.slso.org/8089. As you grab your morning coffee (and pastry, let's be honest), join hosts Andy Bates and Sarah Gulseth as they bring you stories of the intersection of Lutheran life and a secular world. Catch real-life stories of mercy work of the LCMS and partners, updates from missionaries across the ocean, and practical talk about how to live boldly Lutheran. Have a topic you'd like to hear about on The Coffee Hour? Contact us at: listener@kfuo.org.

: Alan Stewart, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra's Associate Principal Percussionist, shares his insights on performing live to Disney's Coco at the Stifel Theatre. He details the challenges of syncing live music with film, juggling over 20 instruments, and the physical demands of the performance. Stewart also emphasizes the joy of introducing young audiences to symphonic music, sharing nostalgic moments from performances of scores like Batman and How to Train Your Dragon. Families are encouraged to attend and engage with the musicians after the show. Tickets are still available for November 2 and 3!

On November 6, St. Louis will roll out new short-term rental regulations, requiring operators to obtain permits to address noise, absentee landlords, and neighborhood concerns. Key rules include a two-night minimum stay, a visible display of house rules, and the presence of a local contact for quick responses. Operators in single-family zones must also attend a public hearing. As Cat Neville delves into these changes, she also highlights exciting upcoming events in St. Louis, such as "A Beautiful Noise" at the Fox, the Cherokee Street Jazz Crawl, "Luminary After Dark," and "Coco in Concert" with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra will be chanelling the Day of the Dead for it's next performance. The Orchestra will be performing music from the popular animated film Coco at the Stifel Theater this weekend. Alan Stewart, Associate Principal Percussionist, joins Megan Lynch with details.

Conductor Leonard Slatkin took the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra to new heights during his 18 years at the helm. He talks about a weekend of concerts and events celebrating his 80th birthday, and his favorite moments conducting works by Gershwin and Tchaikovsky. Along with Slatkin, we get to know composer Cindy McTee, whose work “Timepiece” will be part of the program at the Touhill.

Raymond Bisha's podcast spotlights two classic recordings in the Vox Audiophile Edition that were first released in the mid-1970s and feature two former music directors of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra in their prime – Walter Susskind, who directs orchestral extracts from Smetana's opera The Bartered Bride, and Jerzy Semkow, who leads a performance of Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade, one of the most popular suites in the entire orchestral canon.

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra kicks off its 145th season this month, and this week on the podcast, we sat down with Music Director Stéphane Denève. This season is a bit unique as it's a nomadic season, and historic Powell Hall is undergoing a major expansion and renovation. Stéphane shares his excitement for the upcoming season, which includes shows for everyone, including movie lovers, families and kids, and the most enthusiastic symphony fans. The season kicks off with their free concert in Forest Park on September 19. For more information and the full schedule of shows for the season, visit slso.org and if you haven't seen the renderings for the future of Powell Hall, head to our Meet St. Louis Instagram and Facebook pages.

Join Brendan Fitzgerald, Assistant Principal Double Bass for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, as he shares his comprehensive approach to preparing for and succeeding in orchestra auditions. From practicing at half tempo and balancing practice with a full-time job to managing nerves with beta-blockers, Brendan covers all aspects of his preparation process. Learn how to handle the audition day, manage your workload, and ensure your best performance under pressure. Don't miss his key takeaways for musicians looking to secure a professional orchestra position. Check out Brendan's past podcast appearance here as well as his appearance on Ryan Beach's podcast.     Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!   Connect with us: all things double bass double bass merch double bass sheet music   Thank you to our sponsors!   Upton Bass Rosin, developed by Gary Upton, boasts an excellent feel, response, and tone for double bass bows. Gary believes it's the best bass rosin available. It's appreciated by users like Blake Hinson from the New York Philharmonic for its quality and performance.  Learn more about Upton's rosin, basses, and more at uptonbass.com. Carnegie Mellon University Double Bass Studio is a valued part of an innovative fine arts community in a top research university. Students receive weekly private lessons and solo classes with Micah Howard, and Peter Guild teaches weekly Orchestral Literature and Repertoire. They encourage students to seek lessons and guidance from local bassists. Members of the Symphony, the Opera, and the Ballet provide annual classes and individual attention. Visit Micah's website to sign up for a free online trial lesson here. theme music by Eric Hochberg

On this week's episode of ‘New Classical Tracks,' English horn player Cally Banham and her ensemble Cortango, made up of musicians from the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, present their latest album featuring a classical twist on the Argentine tango. Listen now!

Mike Mills sold over 60 million albums as bassist and songwriter with R.E.M., which emerged from the college-rock scene of the 1980's to become one of the world's most successful bands. Now he's blending genres with his concerto for orchestra and rock band. Mills and violinist Robert McDuffie will perform it Friday with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, in a program that also includes orchestral interpretations of R.E.M. songs.

Many Asian people in the area say they miss spending the holiday with family back home, but they try to keep the traditions alive in St. Louis. And, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra will perform a musical melding of Radiohead and Brahms.

In this episode of Arch Eats, George Mahe and Cheryl Baehr pick their favorite romantic restaurants, just in time for Valentine's Day. Get their recommendations, including old-school classics and contemporary options, all the way down to the specific table. (See table number information below.) They also share their itineraries for a special day out with a significant other, including top picks for all three meals. Discover which neighborhood Cheryl dubs "Romance Row." Plus, learn about Valentine's Day specials and edible gifts for your lover (because what says "romance" like a chicken tender bouquet)? The episode concludes with a microrant about to-go boxes and a simple way to fix the problem. As George notes, "Romance knows no season," so check out these top romantic and cozy restaurants any time of year. Listen, follow, and review Arch Eats on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever podcasts are available. This episode is sponsored by St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.  Join your St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and the IN UNISON Chorus on February 23 at Stifel Theatre for a one-of-a-kind celebration of Black History Month, featuring Grammy- and NAACP Image Award-winning vocalist BeBe Winans. Get tickets at slso.org. Have an idea for a future Arch Eats episode? Send your thoughts or feedback to podcasts@stlmag.com. Hungry for more? Subscribe to our Dining newsletters for the freshest coverage on the local restaurant and culinary scene. And follow George (@georgemahe) and SLM on Instagram (@stlouismag). Interested in being a podcast sponsor?  Contact Lauren Leppert at lleppert@stlmag.com. Mentioned in this episode: Tony's Family Farms Napoli restaurants: multiple locations Tony's: 105 Carondelet Plz, Clayton, 314-231-7007.  The Crossing: 7823 Forsyth, Clayton, 314-721-7375. Westchester: 127 Chesterfield Towne, Chesterfield, 636-778-0635. Olive + Oak: 216 W. Lockwood, Webster Groves, 314-736-1370. Twisted Tree Steakhouse: 10701 Watson, Sunset Hills, 314-394-3366 Sidney Street Café: 2000 Sidney, Benton Park, 314-771-5777 (table # 30). Paul Manno's Restaurant: 75 Forum Shop Ctr, Chesterfield, 314-878-1274 (corner booth #13) Bailey's Chocolate Bar: 1915 Park, Lafayette Square, 314-241-8100 (Bar: leather chair deuce #321 and love seat #312 | Dining Room: large love seat #414) and POP: (far corner end of banquette #12) Brass Bar: 4584 Laclede, CWE, 314-454-0600 Annie Gunn's: 16806 Chesterfield Airport, Chesterfield, 636- 532-7684 (fireplace tables #15 and 16 or small snug #6) Brasserie by Niche: 4580 Laclede, CWE, 314-454-0600. akar: 7641 Wydown, Clayton, 314-553-9914.  Bistro La Floraison: 7637 Wydown, Clayton, 314-725-8880. Mainlander: 8 S. Euclid, CWE, no phone Wright's Tavern: 7624 Wydown, CWE, 314-390-1466. Grace Meat + Three: 4270 Manchester, The Grove, 314-533-2700. Songbird: 4476 Chouteau, The Grove, 314-781-4344. Asador Del Sur: 7322 Manchester, Maplewood, 314-802-8587. Idol Wolf: 1528 Locust, Downtown West, 314-325-0360. Ivy Café: 14 N. Meramec, Clayton, 314-776-9377. Bowood by Niche: 4605 Olive, CWE, 314-454-6868. Bar Moro: 7610 Wydown, Clayton, 314-932-1088. You may also enjoy these SLM articles: A Valentine's Day guide to St. Louis restaurants The top romantic and cozy restaurants in St. Louis Ask George: Are heart-shaped pizzas still popular for Valentine's Day? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Embark on an enlightening conversation with Heather Mckenzie Patterson and Katherine Sandoval Taylor, co-founders of On Stage Collective, as they recount their journey from college vocal performance majors to pioneers in the immersive performance program landscape. From adapting to major changes during their studies to overcoming setbacks caused by COVID-19, their unwavering dedication and problem-solving spirit shine through. Through auditions and immersive learning, they've empowered aspiring performers, shaping the future of arts education. Join their exciting journey as they gear up for their upcoming New York show, continuing to offer aspiring artists a chance to shine and fulfill their dreams within a supportive and transformative community at On Stage Collective. Guests: Heather McKenzie Patterson and Katherine Sandoval Taylor Host: Mary Sturgill Producer: Isabella Martinez TRANSCRIPT MARY: Hi everyone. Welcome to this episode of the Class E Podcast. I am your host Mary Sturgill. This podcast is brought to you through a partnership between the Hill Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and the Communication Studies Department here at Furman University. This is also the podcast where we talk to entrepreneurs and innovative thinkers about their endeavors, and we share their stories with you in hopes of inspiring you. And today we welcome guests Katherine Sandoval Taylor and Heather Mckenzie Patterson, who are both Furman alumni and founders of the immersive production company On Stage Collective. Katherine and Heather, welcome to the show.  Katherine: Thank you for having us. Heather: Thank you so much, Mary.  Mary: Yeah, absolutely. I wanted to start because I was of course looking at your all's career paths and your accolades and stuff and you have been… both of you have been in some of my favorite operas and performances. Can you talk and Katherine, we'll start with you. Can you talk about some of your favorite shows that you've been in? Katherine: Yeah. So um, gosh, I've been so fortunate to really be able to check off a lot of bucket list roles in my career. Some of my favorites, I guess, have been Maria in West Side Story. That was a role that I was looking forward to playing my entire life. And I have played that role twice. Love. One of those was actually in South Carolina, with an opera company in South Carolina, and we rehearsed at Furman. So that was really cool. Another one of my favorite roles was from Light in the Piazza. I played Clara and that was a really beautiful production. Another favorite stage memory of mine was when I did two national tours, two national jazz tours. And that was a really great experience, kind of like living the tour bus life for a while. That was fun, and I really got to kind of explore a different side of my voice that I didn't… I haven't had the opportunity to perform that much with, but it was really… it was a really cool experience doing that tour. And I worked with some incredible musicians and singers that I learned a lot from. So yeah, those are some of my favorites.  Mary: Yeah, I love that. Okay. Heather, what about you? Heather: Sure. Um, I would say that, gosh, it's been a minute since I've sung any opera, but I would say that…I did that with Arbor Opera Theater up in Michigan. After I finished my master's up there at Michigan State. And another role that was… I actually only completed scenes of this but it was Sophie from Deb Rosenkavalier..and that's one my favorite operas of all time. So that was really fun. Got to revisit that a couple of times. And I would say one of my most like meaningful memories was singing at Carnegie Hall, which I had done a few times versus a chorister in high school. That was of course like, oh my gosh, I can't believe we're here on the stage. You know, really exciting. And then I went back as a singer with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and chorus. We went there a couple of times and we sang Peter Grimes, the full opera concert version of the opera there. And while we were in rehearsal for that, I was singing in the chorus it was a big chorus for that and I, the soprano walked down to the front and I was like, next time I'm on this stage, I'm going to be out front in a big poofy gown as a soloist and I even said it to a friend of mine and of course next year like that's, that's where I'm going to be next time and it was one of those like manifest moments where that's what happened. So the next time I got to perform there was as a soprano soloist with a big choral orchestral work, we were singing a Schubert mass, and I bought the big pink gown and sang at the front of the stage with one of my favorite conductors. And it was a blast and probably the best part was just that I had a lot of friends and family come to the performance from all over the country. We had a big party afterwards and so that was just really special to celebrate. Like I saw my parents, you know, in the 12th row like oh my gosh, freaking out. It was really nice to have that memory with people that I love.  Mary: Yeah, I love that idea of manifesting that, you know, speaking that into existence right? I think that's what well, I think a ton of artists do that no matter what, you know, whether they're performing arts or the you know, different kind of art, but I think that that spirit that comes with just being an artistic person kind of drives that in you and you and you have to believe them, right?  Katherine: Yeah, definitely.  Heather: And it can be scary, I think even like I would call myself a recovering perfectionist. And so I would be like, if those perfectionists out there know you don't want to even do something unless you know you're going to be awesome at it like the best perfect at it, right?  Mary: Yeah.  Heather: And so manifesting something like that or saying something out loud that could easily never happen. Like that could easily never work out for you. I wouldn't, it's not in my nature to want to really, like put it out there unless I knew for sure I could just make it happen. Mary: Right. Right. I don't think you're alone in that.  Heather: It was a leap of faith, you know? Mary: Yeah, for sure. I don't think you're alone in that. I think all entrepreneurs and innovative thinkers have that. I mean, we talk to other entrepreneurs on this podcast and they want to get the best, most perfect product or iteration of whatever their venture is right out there. When in fact, we should just literally just do it, right?  Katherine: Yeah, sometimes Heather and I joke about the phrase that we need to implement in our lives a bit more, which is better done than perfect. Because sometimes, as Heather said, being a perfectionist, I would also lope myself into that category of recovering perfectionist. I feel like being a perfectionist can sometimes hold you back from opportunities and, and at least taking that first step to try and that's important to kind of acknowledge that sometimes you do have to take that leap of faith just to maximize your potential.  Mary: Yeah, absolutely. 100% I love that. Say that phrase again. I want to make sure our listeners get that.  Katherine: Better done than perfect.  Mary: Yeah, better done than perfect. That's my new motto. Heather: Always within reason. Mary: Of course. Yes. Absolutely. We always put our best foot forward anyway. So you guys have known each other for a long time. You were roommates here at Furman?  Heather: Yes, we were. Longer ago than I care to say.  Mary: So you're both vocal performance majors while you were here. And of course, you both went on to get higher degrees and stuff. But was there any competition between you for roles and stuff while you're here?  Heather: Oh, that's so funny. Well, I want to clarify that I started out as a vocal performance major, but I did change my major to a BA in voice. And that was because I wanted to double major with psychology. Mary: Oh, that's great.  Heather: At least at the time, you couldn't get like a Bachelor of Music in one thing and a Bachelor of Arts in something else. You had to get a Bachelor of Music in two things and a Bachelor of Arts in two things. And I remember the conversation sitting down with Dr. Thomas, the department chair at the time, to like deliver this news that I wanted to change my major and how was that going to affect my scholarships and was I going to be allowed to do it, you know? And so I…he said, yes, of course, Heather, we will support you doing that and so I was able to shift. And as much as I could, I tried to take like the classes that the performance majors were taking. And so it was just a matter of like, oh, I guess I'll just overload every semester that I'm here to get in all of the credits for both majors. But there were things that I didn't get to take because I wasn't a performance major, just specific classes. One of them I think, Kat you'll know the…Was it a counterpoint class that you had to take a class…that I didn't have to take and by then we were roommates and so she was just like, I hate this. Katherine: She could have helped me. Heather: But to answer your question about competition… I mean, I don't think so. I never would… I'm very competitive with myself. But with the people that I love, like my my ride or die BFFs I don't want to compete with them at all, you know, like I want to celebrate them and to be honest, if there was ever a time where that might happen like, I mean Kat, you can say if this is not true, but I would just not want to audition like I would just want…if I knew it was something that best friend like Kat really wanted, like, I just wouldn't want to audition for that. I would be like, you know her hype girl for that role rather than like, out of my way let me try, you know. I don't recall any competition. Katherine: No, I don't…Heather and I aren't competitive with each other. And I feel like it's just kind of like a personality trait that we both share. We weren't competitive then with each other and we're not competitive now. I feel like you know, I feel very strongly about surrounding myself with strong, talented, passionate women. And being surrounded by strong, talented, passionate women encourages you to be better at what you do. It's not about competition. It's about lifting each other up and empowering each other and learning from each other. And that's something that Heather and I… I've always really respected and looked up to Heather and learned a lot from her and I feel like that hasn't changed. We did that in college. I felt the same way then that I do now… that we empower each other and motivate each other. So, no, there was never any competition between us.  Mary: Yeah, I love what you say about empowering each other and uplifting each other. And I think both of you have been teachers for close to 20 years now. What has informed… how is that experience and your performance experience informed On Stage Collective and what you're doing now? Katherine: Oh, 100% Yeah. Such a large can of worms.  Heather: Well, the reason that we began the company was out of our two studios. So just the background information is that yes, we both have been teaching in different iterations for years. Then we honed our own private studios. I taught at a few universities for over 10 years, 12,13 years, something like that, but we were both building our private studios of voice and piano. And we both think big and we want what we put out there to be excellent. And I think it's been important to both of us to provide great opportunities for our performers, our students to be able to do big things, big performances, big opportunities. And so before, before COVID, we were talking about like, where maybe if we partner up, we're in totally different cities, totally different states. But what if we brought our students together? And really this was… Kat brought this idea to me. What if we partnered together with the students in our studio? And could we do a performance somewhere excellent that they don't have access to and even we don't have access to on our own, but could we pool our resources, pool our students, our talent base, and make something really incredible? And that was like the first conversation. You know, how it started was just to do something with our own two studios that we couldn't do on our own. Kat,  would you agree with how that started? Katherine: Right. And it just kind of took off from there. So we were thinking big, and we took that leap of faith like we just talked about. It was a little bit scary. And I mean, honestly, it felt impossible to think about performing. I mean, fast forward to where we ultimately decided we wanted to try to perform which was 54 Below at Broadway's living room. I mean, every famous Broadway star you can think of has stood on that stage and has… and behind that microphone. And so that was a little bit intimidating and seemed out of reach. And we just put…we're such big thinkers…it was something we wanted to try for at least and then we surprised ourselves and then we had a full, all of a sudden, we had a full cast of people from all over the country ready to perform with us and make this big event happen. And it kind of just like snowballed from there.  Mary: So talk a little bit about that process. And how did you, you already had some of the students, but did all of your students participate in that and how did that kind of come to fruition?  Heather: Yeah, we auditioned them because, you know, I know what my students sound like, but not Kat's students and vice versa. So, we wanted to make it as fair as possible too, you know, and have an outside person judge and choose who would be performing. So we brought in a panel of people, not just the two of us, but other music directors to listen to all of the singers and they didn't know whose student was coming, you know which student was coming from which studio. And so the students submitted videos, I think two full songs, and we had the panel and ourselves rank the singers and came up with kind of like, okay, our max number of singers was such and such number. And so not everyone got to go from our studios and not everyone from our studios auditioned, but we selected people from that audition, and it was basically half and half. Half students from Kat's studio and half from mine. Now, this was pre COVID. And I did want to back up because when Kat mentioned the leap of faith…I feel like the first leap of faith was… I remember where I was standing. We were on a call and it was like should we just call 54 below like is that a thing? Can we just call them? Let's call them. So we did, you know, go to the website, call the number. This was a better done than perfect situation because we didn't we didn't have anything formulated yet or planned or when or who, what. We just called and that got the ball rolling and I think that built the confidence because it was just a normal person on the other side of the phone who just walked us through their requirements and what it would take to be selected, to be able to perform there. And then it's just steps, you know, one foot in front of the other, do this thing, and this thing, then this thing. And so that first cast, I think it was like 24,26, 28 singers, something in that number, and it's foggy because that group did not end up performing at 54 below. And that is because our first cast was set to perform July 2020. So we all know what that means. So we had planned and this was just the two of us putting on lots of different hats and utilizing every skill we'd ever learned or gained to auditioning singers to craft the show to pick the music to assign the songs to the singers to arrange songs like over the phone. How does this chord sound for this because that cannot be a trio… Mary: Wow. And you did that over the phone?  Heather: Yeah. Before zoom was a thing. We were just on the phone trying to arrange songs together. And we did and the singers learned the music. It was so exciting. And it was I think April 2020 that we had to go, all right, if we don't make a choice right now to postpone or cancel this production, like we'll be within the 90 days of owing all of the money that we owe to the hotel and all the things right so we have to call it at some point. And it's it felt still like oh so optimistic April 2020 us. You know, or maybe by July like this, this virus will just burn up in the summer heat and it'll go away. And that did not happen. And so we did. We postponed it at that point to say okay, cast, we're gonna we're gonna try to do this again, but we need to, you know, wait and we tried to do it the following summer, July 2021. But unfortunately, I think there was some kind of whatever strain had come out that previous winter by December 2020. It still wasn't looking good. Mary: Right.   Heather: And people were still worried about going. It was almost worse then. And so we decided to, at that point, sadly cancel. So we had to just say… just end it. And that was heartbreaking. Really difficult to deliver that news to the cast. And then that is when that was like a big shift for us, which was okay, we're not… that's over but we just can't give up on this dream. We've worked so hard. We've put all these pieces together. We know we can do it. But when and how? And we were watching our own students in our studios every performance that they were in that year got canceled. Every graduation, every prom, you know all of our events after the other. Yes, our college students, just devastating. And talking to our singer friends, our teacher friends, directors just, it's just obliterated and it was so so sad. And so then we were like, Gosh, why can't we just open this up to anyone? We don't have to limit this to our own students. Everybody is just dying for a chance to perform again. Why don't we contact everyone we know? All of the choir teachers, theater directors, singers, voice teachers across the country, this network of people that we now know from our performing and teaching and grad schools and stuff and ask them Hey, do you have students who would want to audition for this? We're going to do this. It's going to happen and now we're opening it up to anyone and everyone. And you know, the first iteration was video auditions. So we could still do that, you know, no problem, of course. And so we did, and we were able to build two casts of singers and perform two performances in 2022, which was so satisfying. Many of the singers were still coming from our own studios, so that was especially satisfying to see them performing after all this time. Even some of them who were in that first 2021 cast that was supposed to perform…sorry 2020. But now with singers who…Maine, California, Florida, Michigan, like all… Katherine: Washington State. Mary: All over the country.  Heather: Yeah. Singers from all over who were just craving performing again. And that was really, really nice to fulfill the dream that we had set out to accomplish and also be fulfilling the dreams of all of these young artists. That was just spectacular. Mary: You know, I think you know, 2020 threw a complete loop and especially for those of you who started companies quite right before and… but we do have a lot of entrepreneurs who really either started right before or during and it was a great time… I will say this, it was a great time for planning and for iterating right? Like figuring out okay, this didn't work because… obviously you guys ran into a brick wall, right? And, but so many people would stop at that point, right? That's.. We failed… you know, COVID took us out, you know, kind of thing. How did you and because I'm sure those thoughts entered your minds at some point. And Katherine, I'll start with you on this one. How did you kind of push those thoughts out and keep going? Katherine: Well, I mean, at the root of it, I feel like artists specifically, I can't speak to other entrepreneurs and different, on different platforms. But artists at the heart of everything are resilient. I mean, look at Broadway artists, Broadway was probably the last, the last group of people that went back to work. They were out the longest, and then… but resilience, you know, wins the race. So I feel like even in my own studio, we were.. I was creating opportunities for my students that were unique. And it pushed my thinking outside of the box in a really exceptional great way that I am grateful for, because it made me think about art, performance art, and singing and acting in a different way than I ever had to one thing that we… in my own studio we started doing during COVID, and we have maintained this project to date, was I produce professional music videos for my students, and I partner with a cinematographer. We started that because of COVID because all of our performances for the year shut down. I was on Zoom teaching all of my regular lessons. And so we decided to do these outdoor music video shoots with a cinematographer that I hired and I directed the shoots and every, every music video had a different theme and a different concept and a different aesthetic. And that was a product of COVID and that's the resilience in artists that you see. It doesn't surprise me that there are other entrepreneurs that kind of like… used the COVID time as a springboard to launch their dreams into reality to kind of regroup, put their nose down, and think about what they wanted to do and kind of get a plan and I feel like that's exactly what Heather and I did. We, you know, if we would have if COVID wouldn't have happened and we would have gone on to do the performance as we planned, it would have been about 25 of our singers from each of our studios and it would have been wonderful, and it would have been great. But what happened in 2022 was phenomenal. And we were so lucky to have so many of those same singers back with us and I was thrilled for them, but to also add other people into the mix, to give those people that we didn't know until now the same opportunity to fulfill those dreams was just… it's just so exciting and it's just it was an amazing experience for us to watch I think especially because Heather and I are both people who love being on the stage and we have had many, many opportunities to fulfill those dreams of our own being front and center performing on grand stages. But to give that back to not only our students, but to really any performing artist that is looking for that opportunity. That is just so fulfilling.  Mary: Yeah. And I think COVID showed us there are different ways of doing things. We don't always have to do things the conventional ways… we can work remotely or do things remotely and I mean, you might not have had the people from St. Louis or from Washington state if you had not had that experience maybe.  Katherine: Exactly.  Mary: Yeah. Yeah. I love that. Heather:  You know what, Mary, I was trying to think back to how long Kat and I were deliberating, giving up, you know, we're just not doing it when COVID hit and I can't even remember a single conversation that we had about not moving forward. Mary: I love that.  Heather: And not trying again. And that's not to say that we're special. I think it's exactly what Kat was saying about artists being resilient. It's, you know, how many times have we auditioned for things and gotten a no? If you aren't already thick skinned from getting rejections as a performer, maybe it would be difficult to persevere. But that's the name of the game. That's what this is like, you know how… so many no's before you get a yes. This was just another no that we just had to move past and maybe maybe it's rose colored glasses looking backwards. I know it was really scary. And I know there was some floundering as to you know, what does this look like next, but I just don't think we were ever ready to throw in the towel. It was just, it was just a wait and plan and ideate and come up with something better. So I'm very grateful. So so grateful to have a partner and best friend forever ride or die. That was my partner that just doesn't give up. No one I know… And this is just me. I'm just gonna like wax poetic here about Kat, but I don't know anyone..anyone, any person in my life who has persevered more than she has both professionally and personally. So I look up to her. I admire her so much for that. And that encourages me to not give up and to persevere. And so it was, although so scary, I wouldn't have wanted to face it with anyone else because I knew that she wasn't going to give up, I wasn't gonna give up, we're just going to, you know, keep moving forward. And I know that not all partnerships are rosy, or perfect and anything like that. And certainly we've had our conflicts and our challenges, but I think our relationship was forged at Furman in those beginning stages of really crafting who we are as people and artists and that just builds a beautiful foundation for our professional partnership. So I'm grateful for that. Mary: We've talked a lot on this podcast about especially when you're starting out on ventures you have to be extremely selective about who you partner with, who you hire, who are your first hires, and those kinds of things. And I think this is a prime example of, you know, this was probably a natural partnership just because you guys have been friends for so long and you both have the same interest and the same talents and want to get to the same place and help people get there too, right? One of the things that I was thinking about is that my students sometimes when I give them a project or they pitch their projects to me, right? And then they pitch their idea and then they start throwing up roadblocks about why they might not be able to do this idea. And my comment to them is don't place roadblocks where there aren't any right? And so I think that's a good kind of philosophy that you guys, you know, kind of have too, is that even though you know the 2020 one got shut down, that's a temporary, you know, thing, right? And we can work around it. We can go around that road that roadblock right? We've talked a little bit about the audition process and that kind of thing. What's so… I guess impressive to you guys about the just that immersive learning that you guys promote and supply the space for for your folks? Heather: Kat, do you want to take that or do you want me to? Katherine: Why don't you start Heather, I'll jump in though. Heather: Sure. Yeah, so that's really important to us. I think. And that comes from the fact that we have been performers and teachers. So we know in our own experience as performers that you learn by doing and every performance you learn something every show that you're in, you take away things that you use in the next project, the next contract and same with teaching. We're always learning as teachers, right? So I think that although we know how important training is and education, and what we do for a living is teach singers how to sing. But then you really have to do the thing to gain the most from it. It's also like learning a foreign language. How do you really establish fluency in that language? By immersing yourself, by going to that country, and being around people speaking that language. So it's the same with what we do. And that's what we were initially looking for for our own students… was an immersive experience. These students who say I want to go sing on Broadway. Well, have you been to Broadway? Have you walked the streets of New York City? Have you been in a New York City rehearsal space? Let's go do that. Let me take you there and you can experience that life and you can work with Broadway stars, guest artists to impart wisdom to you and then you can perform on that stage at 54 below where these other famous people have performed and decide for yourself is this really is this…do I want this more than anything? Now that I've been here now I'm inspired to go after it and really do the work that it takes to get here for real for real. So that's what we continue to aim for. And that's, you know, the mission is to for it to be immersive and experiential and, and, you know, there are a lot of programs out there that provide classes and you can go to even New York and do other camps and those kinds of things. And a lot of times it's classes and they bring in maybe also Broadway stars to teach classes and to do q&a sessions. And maybe they perform a song with these folks at the end or you know, but are they the stars of the show? That's what we wanted to do. We really wanted to make our performances feature these young artists. The young artists aren't the backup singers. They're not in the background. They are on the stage. They are doing the performing.  Katherine: They are the show. They're the show. Mary: Yeah, like that. Yeah.  Heather: And that's how they learn best and grow and are challenged and we've had singers come back and do the next year's show too, because they know that they will continue to gain experience and the education of a lifetime from doing the thing. And so that's been really encouraging to see as well. Mary: Yeah. Katherine, do you want to add anything to that? Or that was actually a pretty good answer.  Katherine: Heather was talking a bit about how giving them this real life New York experience. I feel like in a way not to say what we're what we do the week that we're in New York is perfect and glossy and there are no blood, sweat and tears put in. But I will say it's kind of giving these artists a taste of the New York experience the New York performing experience in New York rehearsal experience, the New York Broadway experience, the tourist experience, all of those things without moving to New York to have to, you know, pound the pavement and go to all the auditions and get a million nose in New York City. I will tell you getting a million no's is always difficult. But getting a million no's in New York City when you've moved there for you know, to pursue your dream is really difficult. So we're not saying that we're, we're, you know, pushing all of those things aside and giving them this path to Broadway. But what we are giving them is an opportunity to experience all of those things for a week without having to move to New York City to try to go to a million auditions to do one performance at 54 below. We're giving that to them kind of in a really neat little fun, awesome package with a bow on top. Mary: I always tell my students how do you know you want to do something until you actually do it? Right? You might think you want this this life, right? But you don't know until you actually do it and you're either gonna fall in love with it or decide that's not for me. Right? And this is a great way for your students to do that without the expense of living in New York. And like you say pounding the pavement working three or four jobs and going through auditions and classes and things like that. Heather: And I feel like you know, there we've had several, there are two people that are coming to mind, that have made life shifts, career shifts, school shifts based on our program, and that is incredible to see. I know. I know one person specifically I'm thinking of, she attended… She was one of our original cast members. Then she came back for our first actual performance in 2022. She performed again in 2023 and after the 2022 performance, she texted me and said, I've changed, I'm changing my major. I'm going to be a music major and I've decided I have to live in this city. I have to perform here and that is what I'm destined to do. And that was amazing. I've also seen people come, you know that said, you know, I'm not I'm specifically not pursuing a professional career and performing but I will be back to perform with you every year because this is the best of both worlds. I get to live my life as an accountant. And I get to come and perform in New York City, not just like in a church basement, but like on the stage of 54 Below. I mean, you're getting the best of both worlds. And so I love to hear stories like that, from either sides of that. People who are making a life shift and saying I have to do this for the rest of my life. Or people who are going to say, you know, I'm not going to do only this for the rest of my life. But this gives me that opportunity that I would never have if I didn't do your program.  Mary: And that's important too, right? Because it creates a life balance. It gives people that creative outlet, they get to hang out with people who have the same interest and work on their personal craft. I love that. So what's next for On Stage Collective? Heather:  We are excited to be opening auditions for our next New York cabaret, which is going to be next June. So the date of that performance will be June 15. So the week leading up to that will be our immersive week in New York City. And auditions are officially open already. So in the audition is filling out an application, attaching a photo of yourself, headshot type photo and uploading too, one minute video cuts and that's it. So we're excited about that. Mary: And they can do that at onstagecollective.com? Heather: They can. Yeah, they head to our website. Our social media handle is onstage collective official. And so we always post information there as well about what's upcoming. But really excited to go back. I think one thing that really solidified this past performance this past June in New York was our team. So that first go around, it was just Kat and me doing all the things and that was a fun time but what was really special is honing our full staff. So we have an incredible music director and an incredible production assistant stage manager. We have found great band members to join On Stage. We have an incredible photographer and videographer. And now we've got this beautiful group who work really well together. All creative, artistic, passionate, hard workers. And, and that's been really fun. So we're able to now continue with that same group rather than reinvent the wheel every time, which is exhausting like any listener knows. So this feels really good to settle into our group, our staff, and it feels like you know, a family of sorts. And so now we know I mean our music director Jeremy Jacobs is like Johnny on the spot. He's so creative, can do anything. Kat always jokes that whenever we ask him hey Jeremy, what do you think of this or can you do this? His answer is always absolutely. Like who doesn't love hearing that? You know? Right, he's ready for anything. He's so excellent with our  cast members, both our youngest members who are the youngest, 13 years old all the way through our adult members, you know, the accountants who are coming to live out their dreams in these performances. So that's been really fun. We had a great group for this past year and hoping to continue those collaborations with those artists. Mary: Yeah, those kind of yes-men are great.  Heather: Yes-men and women are wonderful to have around.  Katherine: I would like to add, you know, the auditions are open and sometimes a misconception that is out there. I'm not sure how it's out there but people kind of like select themselves out of these auditions by saying like, Oh my god, well, I'm too old. I can't do that. Like I mean that's I'm that's not for me. Or my daughter is too young. She's only 13. She can't perform in New York City. We this past cast I don't know if our youngest,  our youngest was 14. I mean, yeah. So we accept cast members for this same show from ages 13 through adults. And that's something that makes a show really exciting and interesting. These… it's a variety of people not only from different walks of life and different career paths in different parts of the country, but different ages in different places in their lives. And that's really cool.  Mary: Yeah, that is really cool. What, how many folks can you take at one time?  Heather: It's about 25 in a cast. It's all online. If you go to our website on stage collective.com, there's an auditions page that will show you what we are currently casting for… what opportunities are open. And you can click on the application there. Pretty short application. You upload a headshot, two videos, one minute cuts of two songs, and we accept singers on a rolling basis. So as we receive them, our panel will listen to the auditions and make casting decisions. And we'll cast them in specific types of roles whether it's a lead role or a supporting role, that kind of thing. And once our cast is full, it's full. Mary: All right, so before I let you guys go this afternoon, I want to have each of you give a piece of advice to a young entrepreneur in the arts. And when I… when I use the term entrepreneur, I'm talking about not just people who have created their own businesses, right, because I think that artists by nature are entrepreneurial in spirit because they have to go out and sell themselves you know, to the directors and the producers and the people who are making the decisions about roles and whatnot. So Kat, I'll start with you. Can you talk a little bit about some advice that you would give young artists and entrepreneurs? Katherine: Yeah, so I was thinking about this question earlier. And the fact is, so I have two pieces of advice. But the fact is, when I was thinking about it, I wanted… I was like, how can this advice not sound intimidating? Because the fact is, being an entrepreneur, being an artist, being a human nowadays, it's just hard. It's just really difficult. So there are challenges and they're low moments. But the two pieces of advice that I would say are really important, and I think about this all the time, like probably every single day. The first thing is, you've got to have hard work, dedication and commitment and those things pave your path to success. There are very few exceptions and very few shortcuts to a path to success. It really comes down to hard work, dedication, and commitment. If you want anything bad enough, you have to be ready to put the work in. There is no… there just not a lot of shortcuts. The second piece of advice that I would say… this applies to artists. When I first heard about this concept, it was about being an artist, being a singer, but I feel like it really applies to anyone either an entrepreneur or just a person living their life. I feel like it's really important… I tell my students this all the time, it's really important to establish a small inner circle of trusted people, colleagues, artists, coaches, therapists, friends that are there for you and help you in whatever you're doing, whether it's business, whether it's artistry, whether it's just your friends, but because the fact is, everyone has an opinion. And sometimes there are just too many cooks in the kitchen. And everyone's opinion is not always helpful to you on your journey. So it's important to have those trusted inner circle of people that you can go to and say, hey, like for instance, I have a business coach. I don't get business advice from just every person on the street, but I guarantee you every person on the street has an opinion on how I should run my business. That is not…that is not useful for me on my journey and, and in the worst case scenario, it's actually traumatizing to hear everyone's opinion about you at all times as an artist specifically, everyone has a thought on the way your voice sounds. Everyone has a thought on your performance. And if you listen to every single person who had an opinion about your voice, or your business or the way you're living your life, it would be traumatizing. So it's very useful for me as an artist and an entrepreneur and as a person in general to have an inner circle of people that I trust, that I know I can go to, and that their opinions are valuable to me. They matter and they affect me and everyone else gets a nice, very polite, thank you very much. I Mary: I think we should learn that phrase. Thank you very much and then take what we want, leave what we want, right? Because I believe what you say is so true about everyone's gonna give you an opinion. I don't know how many entrepreneurs I've talked to on this podcast that say that every single one of them have faced naysayers, you know, and if you face too many and you open that circle up too big then it can be paralyzing, in fact, right? Katherine: And I'm not saying that there shouldn't be people that tell you no… that tell you when you're making a mistake. Heather would be the first person to tell me if I was making a mistake, and I appreciate that. I don't build an inner circle based on people who are yes men. And yes women. I build my inner circle based on people that I trust, and that their opinions and their advice is valuable to me.  Mary: Yeah. All right, Heather, why don't you take that question? Heather: Yeah, I'll say that my first piece of advice because I've got two also…goes hand in hand with that, which is after you surround yourself with that inner circle of people whose advice you trust….after that, you have to trust your gut. What do you have without your gut? You know, you have to trust your gut and so take all of that information, hone all of that down and then believe it and trust what your gut is telling you to do. And sometimes it will go against some of the advice that you receive. And that can be really scary, but sometimes you have to do that. And the second piece of advice goes with that, which is don't be afraid to fail. So trusting your gut might mean making a mistake and having to learn from that. We have made mistakes in our business. We have hired people that didn't work out or spent money on things that didn't bring value to our company and to our clients. And those are hard lessons, but we improve… we get better because of them. So trust your gut and the fear is but what if I fail? Well, what if you do? Then you're going to learn and you're going to brush yourself off and do better the next time. So that's my advice for people, for students, for college kids, or especially artists and entrepreneurs. Mary: Yeah. Ladies, thank you so much. This has been a great conversation and I could probably talk to you all afternoon, but I know we're all busy. Katherine: Thank you for having us.  Heather: Thank you so much Mary. Mary: Yeah, absolutely. So just to remind everybody, you can get in touch with them. Just go to onstage collective.com If you want to find out more about those auditions and the kinds of things that they're doing with their students. So that does it for this episode of the Class E Podcast. Remember, this podcast is brought to you through a partnership between the Hill Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and the Communication Studies Department here at Furman University. Remember, you can catch the podcast two ways now. You can check us out on our YouTube channel as well as of course listening to wherever you listen to your podcast, but make sure that you don't miss an episode by hitting that subscribe button so you're notified when new episodes are released. This episode is produced by Communication Studies major Isabella Martinez. Thank you for tuning in. I'm Mary Sturgill. Until next time everybody, dream big.

In this episode of House of Lou, Veronica is joined by Shannon Callahan, outreach specialist at Bring Conservation Home, and Susie Van de Riet, owner of St. Louis Native Plants, to discuss the popular topic of native plants and "rewilding" outdoor spaces to their natural state. St. Louis' landscape, climate, and rich biodiversity makes it an ideal environment for cultivating native plants. Shannon and Susie share why we should care more about our local flowers, shrubs, and trees and how to restore original flora and animal habitats to your property. Plus, Veronica touches on exciting updates happening around her home, including refinishing an antique secretary desk and renovating the original tile work on the front entrance of the house. Get updates and photos from these projects on Veronica's Instagram (@vtlookbook) or in the weekly Design+Home newsletter. Listen and follow House of Lou on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or most places podcasts are available. Thank you to St. Louis Symphony Orchestra for sponsoring this episode. Join your St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and music director Stéphane Deneve on February 2 as international sensation and St. Louis favorite, violinist Augustin Hadelich, returns for Samuel Barber's lyrical Violin Concerto. Get tickets at slso.org. Got an idea for a future House of Lou episode?  We love hearing from our audience. Send your thoughts or feedback to Veronica at vtheodoro@stlmag.com or to podcasts@stlmag.com. We can't wait to hear from you! Looking for more inspo? Subscribe to our Design+Home newsletter to receive our latest home, design, and style content in your inbox every Wednesday. And follow Veronica (@vtlookbook) and St. Louis Magazine on Instagram (@stlouismag). Interested in being a podcast sponsor? Contact Lauren Leppert at lleppert@stlmag.com. Mentioned in this episode: Top-performing native plants for the St. Louis area (SLM) Bring Conservation Home St. Louis Audubon Society U City in Bloom Missouri Botanical Garden The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center Shaw Nature Reserve St. Louis Native Plants The Sustainable Backyard Tour St. Louis garden and house tours (SLM) Whitmire Wildflower Garden Native Plant Garden Tour Quarrelsome Coffee Greenscape Gardens (Sue Leahy) St. Louisan Sue Leahy wasn't much of a gardener until she got hooked on native plants Papillon Perennials Missouri Wildflower Nursery Forrest Keeling Nursery Forest Relief Pure Air Native Sue Wheeler - Wheeler Refinishing Wild Ones Orchid Show Photography class at Missouri Botanical Gardens Darning and Mending class at Perennials Pulitzer Arts Foundation (Inside Tadao Ando building) County Glass See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.