Podcasts about millennium stage

The Kennedy Center will host "Funny Arabs" at the Millennium Stage on Saturday, September 9th at 6 p.m. Admission is free and tickets are already live.

In Episode 63 of Change the Story / Change the World, Liz Lerman shared stories about her early years and her creative path as a choreographer, teacher, and as a lifelong practicing heretic. In this Episode, (64) we hear about Wicked Bodies, her latest work, exploring the ugly, the beautiful, and the sublime embedded in the age-old story of witches. Special Thanks to the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts for their support of Liz Lerman's work and the use of an excerpt from the Wicked Bodies trailer. BIOLiz Lerman is a choreographer, performer, writer, teacher, and speaker. She has spent the past four decades making her artistic research personal, funny, intellectually vivid, and up to the minute. A key aspect of her artistry is opening her process to everyone from shipbuilders to physicists, construction workers to ballerinas, resulting in both research and experiences that are participatory, relevant, urgent, and usable by others.Called by the Washington Post “the source of an epochal revolution in the scope and purposes of dance art,”[4] she and her dancers have collaborated with shipbuilders, physicists, construction workers, and cancer researchers.[5] In 2002 she won the MacArthur Genius Grant;[6] in 2009, the Jack P. Blaney Award in Dialogue acknowledged her outstanding leadership, creativity, and dedication to melding dialogue with dance, and the 2017 Jacob's Pillow Dance Award.[7]She founded the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange in 1976 and led the company's multi-generational ensemble until July 2011, when Lerman passed the leadership of her company to Cassie Meador;[8] the company is now called simply Dance Exchange.[9] .[10]Under Lerman's leadership Dance Exchange appeared across the U.S. in locations as various as the National Cathedral,[11] Kennedy Center Opera House,[12] and Millennium Stage,[13] Lansburgh Theatre,[14] Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center,

Liz LermanIn chapter one of our conversation with Liz Lerman we'll talk about her early years, her career as a heretic, the critical response process, the Heisenberg Uncertainty, the power of the horizontal, and how dance can make the world a better place. BIOLiz Lerman is a choreographer, performer, writer, teacher, and speaker. She has spent the past four decades making her artistic research personal, funny, intellectually vivid, and up to the minute. A key aspect of her artistry is opening her process to everyone from shipbuilders to physicists, construction workers to ballerinas, resulting in both research and experiences that are participatory, relevant, urgent, and usable by others.Called by the Washington Post “the source of an epochal revolution in the scope and purposes of dance art,”[4] she and her dancers have collaborated with shipbuilders, physicists, construction workers, and cancer researchers.[5] In 2002 she won the MacArthur Genius Grant;[6] in 2009, the Jack P. Blaney Award in Dialogue acknowledged her outstanding leadership, creativity, and dedication to melding dialogue with dance;[citation needed] and the 2017 Jacob's Pillow Dance Award.[7]She founded the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange in 1976 and led the company's multi-generational ensemble until July 2011, when Lerman passed the leadership of her company to Cassie Meador;[8] the company is now called simply Dance Exchange.[9] .[10]Under Lerman's leadership Dance Exchange appeared across the U.S. in locations as various as the National Cathedral,[11] Kennedy Center Opera House,[12] and Millennium Stage,[13] Lansburgh Theatre,[14] Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center,[14][15]

https://www.zaksandler.com/ https://www.instagram.com/bipolar_broadway/ Zak Sandler has played piano on Broadway for Wicked, Mean Girls, Motown, and The Color Purple. His original musical about his mental health journey, Inside My Head, premiered at the NY Theatre Barn, was selected as a semi-finalist at the O'Neill Theater's National Music Theater Conference, and presented at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage. Zak revised the show as a writer-in-residence at the Kennedy Center's REACH page-to-stage festival in January 2022. He is touring the show - which includes a group discussion - to colleges, high schools, mental health and non-profit organizations, medical schools, companies, and anyone else who wants to host this inspiring, life changing event. Virtual performances are available, though in-person is preferred! In addition to Inside My Head, Zak is creating a docuseries about the connection between mental conditions and creativity, called Insanely Talented. He is co-writing three shows with the brilliant and lovely Adele Powers: Anthem, a musical that explores why we sing the national anthem (conceived by Rachel Payne); a musical about a unicorn called That Musical About a Unicorn; and a musical about Judaism, called Happy Challah Days: A Jewish Revue-ish. Zak is also arranging and co-orchestrating Unlimited, a musical revue of the work of Stephen Schwartz's (composer of Wicked, Pippin, Godspell, and Children of Eden, and soundtracks of the Hunchback of Notre Dame, Prince of Egypt, Pocahontas, and Enchanted). Zak has won several music awards including the Fenno Heath Award for writing the new Yale song, the Neva Greenwood award for writing a symphony in 8th grade, the Mount Vernon Piano Competition (playing “Rhapsody in Blue” with the Mount Vernon Orchestra in 8th grade), and was selected as a composer for the Johnny Mercer Songwriters Project at Northwestern (a mixture of a thrilling week of writing, and a deep depression). https://www.insidemyheadmusical.com/ Zak graduated from Yale with a BA in music composition in 2008 - two years after his exhilarating and terrifying first psychotic episode. He is very glad that he returned to school for the following semester, following his psychiatrist's advice. Beyond musical theater, Zak is an avid mental health activist, speaking about his mental conditions on “This is Actually Happening” (podcast with 45K+ plays), and “Moments of Clarity” (radio show with 1M+ listeners). In 2018, he won the Young Leader Award from the New York State chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), and is a featured speaker with This is My Brave, RespectAbility, and the JED Foundation. Zak's hobbies include barbershop singing (he is a member of the Alexandria Harmonizers, a choir of 60 people who age from their 20s to 80s!), playing golf, watching college basketball, spending time with his cats, eating fancy food (usually vegetarian), traveling (he has been to 48 US states and 26 countries), and, after years of resisting TV, watching shows like “Grace and Frankie” and “The Ultimatum” with his fiancee, Lenna. He feels incredibly grateful to have her and the rest of his family and friends in his life. Zak tries not to use phrases "mental illness" or "bipolar disorder", because he feels they imply there's something wrong with him (although he knows those terms fit well for some of us). He prefers the terms “mental conditions” and simply, “bipolar”. https://soundcloud.com/zaksandler/mental-episode-1-from-a-bit-too-much-about-me --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bravemaker/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bravemaker/support

I recently had the honor of sitting down with the brilliantly gifted Broadway pianist, Zak Sandler. Sandler has played piano on Broadway for Wicked, Mean Girls, Motown, and The Color Purple. His original musical about his mental health journey, Inside My Head, premiered at the NY Theatre Barn, was selected as a semi-finalist at the O'Neill Theater's National Music Theater Conference, and presented at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage. Zak revised the show as a writer-in-residence at the Kennedy Center's REACH page-to-stage festival in January 2022. He is touring the show - which includes a group discussion - to colleges, high schools, mental health and non-profit organizations, medical schools, companies, and anyone else who wants to host this inspiring, life changing event.  Zak has won several music awards including the Fenno Heath Award for writing the new Yale song, the Neva Greenwood award for writing a symphony in 8th grade, the Mount Vernon Piano Competition (playing “Rhapsody in Blue” with the Mount Vernon Orchestra in 8th grade), and was selected as a composer for the Johnny Mercer Songwriters Project at Northwestern (a mixture of a thrilling week of writing, and a deep depression). Zak graduated from Yale with a BA in music composition in 2008 - two years after his exhilarating and terrifying first psychotic episode - in part thanks to the excellent medical care, and psychotherapy, from a favorite practitioner in New Haven.  Beyond musical theater, Zak is an avid mental health activist, speaking about his mental condition on “This is Actually Happening” (podcast with 45K+ plays), Jaison Thomas' Brand Identity Podcast, and “Moments of Clarity” (radio show with 12M+ listeners). In 2018, he won the Young Leader Award from the New York State chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), and is a featured speaker with This is My Brave, RespectAbility, and the JED Foundation.

Joe Uehlein is the founding President of Voices for a Sustainable Future and the Labor Network for Sustainability. Joe is the former Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO's Industrial Union Department and former director of the AFL-CIO's Center for Strategic Campaigns. Joe spent 35 years doing bargaining, organizing, public policy, and strategic campaign work in the labor movement. Joe also served on the United Nations first commission on global warming from its founding in 1988 until 2003. In the early 1970's he worked in an aluminum mill in Mechanicsburg, PA as a member of the United Steelworkers of America, and then on heavy and highway construction projects as a member of the Laborer's International Union of North America. Joe is most often seen fronting The U-Liners, his band of 19 years: www.uliners.com. Joe's been playing (guitar & vocals) in bands for nearly 54 years, since the age of 13, and has played all across the U.S., as well as in Japan, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, Great Britain, and Venezuela. Joe's music over the years has spanned genres from rock'n roll to bluegrass, folk to jazz, country to Motown, and more. From his early days growing up along the banks of the great Lake Erie, and working in an aluminum mill in Central Pennsylvania and on heavy and highway construction, and playing with Billy Wray & the Expressions, Joe developed a keen interest in Rock & Roll, Soul, and the Folk and Country sounds of working class music. Joe has performed with Pete Seeger, Lester Chambers of The Chambers Brothers, Dave Alvin, Steve Earle, Tom Morello, Boots Riley, Jill Sobule, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer, Emma's Revolution, John Kadlecik, Billy Bragg, John McCutcheon, Si Kahn, and with the punk band, the Dropkick Murphys. Joe has also performed at all of Washington, DC's finest venues, including Gypsy Sally's, the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage, The Birchmere, Strathmore Music Hall, IOTA Club, Jammin' Java, the Hamilton, Howard Theater, the Black Cat, and more. Joe has also played NYC's Knitting Factory, Starlight Ballroom, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Bally's in Las Vegas, among other fine venues. http://joeuehlein.com/

Join in the 21st annual All-Star Christmas Day Jazz Jam, a Millennium Stage tradition, with host and vibraphonist Chuck Redd, drummer Lenny Robinson, trumpeters Robert Redd and Tom Williams, bassist James King, and vocalist Delores King Williams. Merry Christmas Everyone ! Team UNPLUGGED.

Arianna Ross – The Truman Charities Podcast: A Community of Caring with Jamie Truman Episode 012 Arianna Ross Guest is Arianna Ross: Her company Story Tapestries aims to provide equitable access to the arts as a source to develop yourself and the community to shift the culture of inclusivity and narrative of the community. She has presented and taught over 840,000 people. For 23 years, she has been known for her ability to entertain, engage and educate children and adults with equal success helping them to find their voice and tell a story. She believes in the power of combining the arts, language, and STEM with social emotional approaches to support individual and the community growth and to create an environment where the building of cultural capital, growth, innovation, collaboration, listening and learning happens. Furthermore, she has performed and taught workshops and residencies across the United States, Canada, India, Vietnam, and Brazil in festivals, concert halls, schools, community centers and hospitals. Some of those venues have included The Reach at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Artist, The National Theatre Family Series, Hillwood Museum, Multiple Smithsonian National Museums, The Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage, East TN State University, Alternate Roots Week, American Alliance for Theatre and Education.  She has received funds to accomplish the work of closing the circle through VSA, Wells Fargo, Trawick Foundation, MD State Arts Council, NBC Universal, GEICO, Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, Fitzgerald Auto, The Blair Family Foundation and The Kennedy Center. Listen to this uplifting Truman Charities episode with Arianna Ross about her emphasis on teaching children the arts. Here is what to expect on this week's show: How Arianna founded her Story Tapestries and what got her into the arts. Her background in storytelling, teaching and performing for 23 years and counting. The programs she offer and what makes them different from so many other organizations and how each program in her school are catered to that specific theme. Arianna's outdoor event in Baltimore on July 28th and what to experience at this event.   Connect with Arianna: Guest Contact Info: Website- https://storytapestries.org/program-item/storytapestries-arianna-ross/ Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/StoryTapestries/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our twenty-first official episode of Meet Me At Mill Mountain: The Podcast features Priyanka Shetty, the playwright and star of MMT's 2021 production of The Elephant In The Room. Join Payton Moledor, the Assistant Artistic Director of Mill Mountain Theatre, as she talks to Priyanka about her journey from India to Virginia and beyond as well as her multi-facited career as a playwright, performer and director. Priyanka Shetty is an actor, director and playwright. She graduated with a Master of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Virginia and served as a Faculty member at the University of Virginia, Department of Drama. Priyanka is the author of two original plays – her one-woman show The Elephant in the Room, and #Charlottesville constructed verbatim from interviews with residents of Charlottesville, VA who speak about the city in light of the white supremacist rallies and events of August 11-12, 2017. Priyanka is currently working on her third play The Wall which deals with the immigrant experience in America. www.priyankashetty.comThe Elephant in the Room, part of Mill Mountain Theatre's 2021 season, premiered at CATCO/Evolution Theatre in Columbus OH in March 2019 and kickstarted The Elephant on the Road Tour at Yale University in April 2019. Since then Priyanka has performed at several venues across the country and her most recent performance was on the Millennium Stage at The John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington DC. TEITR won the 2020 Broadway World Awards for Best Actor of the Decade (Professional) and Best Play of the Decade (Professional) as well as the 2019 Broadway World Awards for Best Lead Actor in a Play (Professional), Best Play (Professional), and Best Director of a Play (Professional.) Priyanka is excited to continue touring with this performance and taking it to The Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2022.Mill Mountain Theatre strives to inspire, entertain, enrich, educate, and challenge audiences of Southwest Virginia through high-quality, professional theatrical productions and experiences. Meet Me At Mill Mountain: The Podcast explores all of the buzz words in Mill Mountain Theatre’s mission statement.

Priyanka Shetty is an actor, director, and playwright on a mission. She graduated with a Master of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Virginia and currently serves as a Faculty member at the University of Virginia, Department of Drama. Priyanka is the author of two original plays – her one-woman show The Elephant in the Room, and #Charlottesville constructed verbatim from interviews with residents of Charlottesville, VA who speak about the city in light of the white supremacist rallies and events of August 11-12, 2017. Priyanka is currently working on her third play, The Wall which deals with immigration issues in America. The Elephant in the Room premiered at CATCO/Evolution Theatre in Columbus OH in March 2019 and Priyanka kicked off The Elephant on the Road Tour at Yale University in April 2019. Since then she has performed at venues across the country and her most recent performance was on the Millennium Stage at The John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington DC.Priyanka is inspired by the description of The Fool card in the Tarot: “It is an excellent example of following your bliss; trust and take a chance, live on the edge, be bold and confident, take things one day at a time and enjoy the ride."Join us as we talk to Priyanka about the challenges in following your bliss, writing and performing your own story, and how turns in the road provide the strength to discover purpose and passion.

Arizona Theatre Company’s Sean Daniels (Artistic Director) and Chanel Bragg (Associate Artistic Director) will be hanging out with director Reginald Douglas and playwright Brian Quijada Reginald Douglas is a director, producer, and advocate dedicated to creating new work and supporting new voices. He has worked at theaters across the country, including directing work at Eugene O’Neill Center, TheaterWorks Hartford, CATF, Everyman Theatre, Weston Playhouse, Pittsburgh CLO, Theatre Squared, Playwrights Center, Profile Theatre, Kennedy Center, The Lark, New York Theatre Workshop, and City Theatre Company in Pittsburgh, where he served as the Artistic Producer from 2015-2020. Reginald currently works as the Associate Artistic Director at Studio Theatre in Washington, DC and serves on the Board of Directors of the National New Play Network. www.reginalddouglas.com Brian Quijada is an actor, playwright, and composer who’s original work has been developed and produced all across the country. His hip hop solo show Where Did We Sit on the Bus? has been produced at Victory Gardens, Teatro Vista (Jeff Award), Ensemble Studio Theatre (Drama Desk Nomination), Boise Contemporary, 1st Stage, and City Theatre Pittsburgh. His plays have been developed at The Millennium Stage at The Kennedy Center, Pittsburgh CLO’s Spark Festival, Victory Gardens’ Ignition Festival, New Stage and Film’s Powerhouse Festival, and The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s National Musical Theatre Conference. Commissioning institutions include Seattle Repertory Theater, A.R.T., and The Kennedy Center. #ATC #ArizonaTheatreCompany #WeAreArizonaTheatreCompany #HangandFocuslive #HangandFocus #ATCSomwhereOvertheBorder #SomewhereOvertheBorder #ATCDigitalSeason #ATCEducation Student registration: https://arizona-theatre-company.coursestorm.com/ #ATCGivingCorner Have your donation matched through January 29, 2021: https://donate.arizonatheatre.org/give/305704/#!/donation/checkout #ATCGhostlight

1. Jonathan Bailey Holland - Halcyon Sunhttps://open.spotify.com/track/0gNqRo5CX9g9lehiRN7HbX2. Julius Eastman - Prelude to The Holy Presence of Joan D’Archttps://youtu.be/uD2X0CwLxXI3. Jasmine Barnes - Sometimes I Cryhttps://www.jasminebarnescomposer.com/recordingsYou can listen to these before or after the episode, or you can pause our podcast and go listen to each piece as we introduce them. Panelists:A native of Columbus, OH, Tirzah Washington started singing at a very early age. Tirzah received her Bachelor’s of Music in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from Oakwood University in 2014. While in college, she enjoyed singing with the Aeolians, the premier traveling choir of Oakwood University. Tirzah was able to sing in many different countries with the choir including Wales, England, and Russia. Tirzah was able to continue training to be an opera singer and voice teacher at Peabody Institute, the School of Music for Johns Hopkins University. Tirzah received her Master of Music in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from Peabody Institute in 2016. Tirzah loves to perform and has had the opportunity to sing on several stages in the Columbus area. One of her most recent achievements was receiving the Theatre Roundtable Award for Excellence in a Lead Role in a Musical for her performance as Celie in The Color Purple. She has been able to perform in many musicals including The Color Purple (Celie), Dreamgirls (Effie Understudy), Hair (Dionne), The Rocky Horror Show (Magenta), and Saturday Night Fever (Candy). Tirzah believes that music in any form has the power to change the world. She is excited to share her talents in any setting.Baritone Rahzé Cheatham is a performer with a strong foundation in music, theatre art, and dance applications. This 2020-21 season, they appeared on the digital stage in the world premiere of Mallory, a chamber opera by Baltimore-based composer Nathaniel Wolfgang Parks, adapted for the brand new PoCo Podcast of the Podcast Opera Company. Later, Rahzé returns in the premiere another chamber opera, Our Final Thoughts on Arthur S. Hellerman, by James Warner Duquette. Previously, Rahzé joined Marin Alsop’s production of Leonard Bernstein’s ​MASS​ as a blues soloist and a member of the Street Singer ensemble. Further, they were featured as Hannah before in Laura Kaminsky’s chamber opera, ​As One​, opening at the newly redesigned Motorhouse in Baltimore, MD and closing on the John F. Kennedy Center Millennium Stage in Washington, DC. Rahzé currently holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and a Music Theory from the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University.Soprano, Carly M. Henderson holds a Bachelors of Music from Peabody Conservatory, under the direction of William Sharp. At Peabody, Carly premiered the role of Louisa in Now We Are Met by Andrew Posner; covered the role of Rose Maurrant in Kurt Weill’s Street Scene; performed as a Sprite in Massenet’s Cendrillion; in the chorus of Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail; and in the chorus of Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites. In the 2017-2018 season, she performed as Actor 2/Girl 3 in Courtney Kalbacker’s production of Errollyn Wallen’s Anon, including on the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center.More information at pauseandlisten.com. Pause and Listen was created by host John T.K. Scherch and co-creator/marketing manager Michele Mengel Scherch.

Dima Orsho is an established and seasoned performer, recorded artist, and collaborator with renowned international musicians. Dima had amazing performances as a soloist on world-class stages, such as The Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, The Millennium Stage at The Kennedy Centre, The Opera Bastille and Theatre de la Ville in Paris, Bimhuis Amsterdam, Pierre Boulez Saal in Berlin, The Media Park of Cologne, The Library of Congress, Brucknerhaus in Linz, Bozar in Brussels, The National Theater in Taipei & The National Theater in Almaty Kazakhstan and Damascus Opera House. We sat with Dima and chatted about the beginnings, her journey, and her vision. Stay tuned until the end of the episode for a delightful surprise :) Episode Music: Bassel and The Supernaturals Finale Music: Bukaat Daoo Music 

In this episode, Amy Beth Horman discusses guiding young musicians toward a professional career and, more specifically, the mindsets and practicing habits she thinks they should acquire in order to reach their goals. Amy Beth has wonderful wisdom on the dispositions that can make a huge impact on the progress of young (and less young!) musicians and you will find this chat highly valuable! Amy Beth elaborates on: Her journey from a budding violinist to an accomplished violinist and teacher and how it comes full circle with her nurturing her own daughter through her own musical endeavors Beyond the Triangle – why she created the podcast and how she hopes it can help parents negotiate the demands and struggles of raising a young artist The mindsets and habits that help rapid progress: o   The importance of growth mindset o   Healthy commitment to the fundamental work o   How to efficiently spread work over time and keep track to make sure we cover everything o   How using etudes as exercises can help fix specific issues in repertoire How important our disposition is in our development and how prioritizing this can really positively affect progress and enjoyment of music making Spaced repetition technique and how extremely effective it can be when established What she noticed about Ava's development and how we can apply it to our own practice The importance of performing a lot, seek out opportunities, in order to learn and get comfortable with performing How to use a timer in our practice The importance of grit   ALL ABOUT guest: On Instagram (avaluwho): https://www.instagram.com/avaluwho/ Articles on violinist.com: https://www.violinist.com/directory/bio.cfm?member=hormanviolinstudio Beyond the Triangle: On iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-the-triangle-podcast/id1435435674?mt=2 On Podbean: https://beyondthetriangle.podbean.com/ A few YouTube performances: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbN78MIe6RQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgjA-4oRv54 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9Jcx2rH2y8 Her book recommendation: Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance Angela Duckworth   Biography Amy Beth Horman's appearances are always eagerly anticipated. The Washington Post has described her as being both a "winter tonic" and “having the stuff of greatness.” A graduate of the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique in Paris, Ms. Horman won the highly coveted Premier Prix. A winner of both the high school and college divisions of the National Symphony Orchestra's Young Soloists Competition, she debuted with the NSO at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall at the age of sixteen, performing the third movement of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. Among many other awards, Ms. Horman received the Deane Sherman Award (2000) as one of Maryland's most promising young artists and the Amadeus Career Grant (2001) from the Amadeus Orchestra. She has appeared as a soloist with numerous orchestras including The Fairfax Symphony, Piedmont Symphony, Bay Atlantic Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, Orchestre de Meudon, Washington Sinfonietta, Symphony of the Potomac, McLean Symphony, Northwest Indiana Symphony, Amadeus Orchestra, Loudoun Symphony, Ars Nova Chamber Orchestra, and The New Mexico Symphony among others. Amy Beth served as resident soloist in The PanAmerican Symphony for four years. Other engagements in the Metropolitan area include those at the Kennedy Center's Terrace Theater and on its Millennium Stage, Constitution Hall and at the Strathmore Hall for the Performing Arts. She has been featured on French-Swiss television and on American cable television and radio broadcasts.   If you enjoyed the show, please leave a review on iTunes!  I truly appreciate your support! Visit www.mindoverfinger.com for information about past and future podcasts, and for more resources on mindful practice.   THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme!  Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson. Also a huge thank you to my awesome producer, Bella Kelly!   MIND OVER FINGER: www.mindoverfinger.com https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/   Join the Mind Over Finger Tribe here!  https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfingertribe/

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

Paul protects his personal space at a recent show, while Tony fears rogue flying mic stands. Plus a recap of our last Millennium Stage show with Olivia Mancini & The Mates! Tracklisting: The Obsessives – Surfer Rosa [The Obsessives] The Duskwhales – Good Times [Sorrowful Mysteries] Near Northeast – Indali [True Mirror] Caz Gardiner – […]

The Tuahine Troupe from Hawaiinuiakea Hawaiian School of Knowledge at the University of Hawaii at Manoa performed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. Friday, July 6, 2012. The performance on the Kennedy Centerʻs Millennium Stage was part of the 2012 Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

OK Go returns to the stage in the Concert Hall at the Kennedy Center to perform “Here It Goes Again.” But this time, audience participation isn’t limited to the camera crew. This time, Damian brings an audience member onstage to play guitar with the band! In SD.

OK Go returns to the stage in the Concert Hall at the Kennedy Center to perform “Here It Goes Again.” But this time, audience participation isn’t limited to the camera crew. This time, Damian brings an audience member onstage to play guitar with the band! In HD

OK Go returns to the stage in the Concert Hall at the Kennedy Center to perform “Here It Goes Again.” But this time, audience participation isn’t limited to the camera crew. This time, Damian brings an audience member onstage to play guitar with the band! In SD.

OK Go returns to the stage in the Concert Hall at the Kennedy Center to perform “Here It Goes Again.” But this time, audience participation isn’t limited to the camera crew. This time, Damian brings an audience member onstage to play guitar with the band! In HD

In the third part of our interview with OK Go, frontman Damian Kulash talks about how the accessibility of his musical idols influenced how OK Go interacts with their fans.

In the third part of our interview with OK Go, frontman Damian Kulash talks about how the accessibility of his musical idols influenced how OK Go interacts with their fans.

In the third part of our interview with OK Go, frontman Damian Kulash talks about how the accessibility of his musical idols influenced how OK Go interacts with their fans.

In the third part of our interview with OK Go, frontman Damian Kulash talks about how the accessibility of his musical idols influenced how OK Go interacts with their fans.

In the second part of our interview with OK Go, frontman Damian Kulash talks about how experiencing a New Orleans second line parade helped him rethink his place in the music industry.

In the second part of our interview with OK Go, frontman Damian Kulash talks about how experiencing a New Orleans second line parade helped him rethink his place in the music industry.

In the second part of our interview with OK Go, frontman Damian Kulash talks about how experiencing a New Orleans second line parade helped him rethink his place in the music industry.

In the second part of our interview with OK Go, frontman Damian Kulash talks about how experiencing a New Orleans second line parade helped him rethink his place in the music industry.

In the first part of our interview with OK Go, frontman Damian Kulash discusses the importance of arts education.

In the first part of our interview with OK Go, frontman Damian Kulash discusses the importance of arts education.

In the first part of our interview with OK Go, frontman Damian Kulash discusses the importance of arts education.

In the first part of our interview with OK Go, frontman Damian Kulash discusses the importance of arts education.

You walk down the red carpet; an usher shows you to your seat under the sparkling chandeliers. Just what you’d expect when attending a performance in the Concert Hall at the Kennedy Center. But this isn’t a typical performance in the Concert Hall. This is OK Go performing for a packed house being filmed by almost two dozen professional and amateur videographers. The confetti cannons burst into the air, and in a frenzy of sight and sound, the band takes the stage with their hit, “Do What You Want” in HD.

You walk down the red carpet; an usher shows you to your seat under the sparkling chandeliers. Just what you’d expect when attending a performance in the Concert Hall at the Kennedy Center. But this isn’t a typical performance in the Concert Hall. This is OK Go performing for a packed house being filmed by almost two dozen professional and amateur videographers. The confetti cannons burst into the air, and in a frenzy of sight and sound, the band takes the stage with their hit, “Do What You Want” in HD.

You walk down the red carpet; an usher shows you to your seat under the sparkling chandeliers. Just what you’d expect when attending a performance in the Concert Hall at the Kennedy Center. But this isn’t a typical performance in the Concert Hall. This is OK Go performing for a packed house being filmed by almost two dozen professional and amateur videographers. The confetti cannons burst into the air, and in a frenzy of sight and sound, the band takes the stage with their hit, “Do What You Want” in SD.

You walk down the red carpet; an usher shows you to your seat under the sparkling chandeliers. Just what you’d expect when attending a performance in the Concert Hall at the Kennedy Center. But this isn’t a typical performance in the Concert Hall. This is OK Go performing for a packed house being filmed by almost two dozen professional and amateur videographers. The confetti cannons burst into the air, and in a frenzy of sight and sound, the band takes the stage with their hit, “Do What You Want” in SD.

The Palestinian and Moroccan musicians performed on the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, which offers free shows 365 days a year as part of the Performing Arts for Everyone Initiative. See how the musicians go from a sound check to actual performance. More: artsedge.kennedy-center.org/cultureconnect

The Palestinian and Moroccan musicians performed on the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, which offers free shows 365 days a year as part of the Performing Arts for Everyone Initiative. See how the musicians go from a sound check to actual performance. More: artsedge.kennedy-center.org/cultureconnect

JAPAN! culture + hyperculture was marked by a festive Otsukimi (Japanese moon-viewing) evening featuring a special Millennium Stage performance of “Trancework” and “Eternal Now” by shodo performing artist Koji Kakinuma, accompanied by the taiko group AUN. The event took place outside under the full moon on the Kennedy Center's South Plaza. Koji Kakinuma is an artist. He began studying traditional Japanese monochrome brushwork at the age of five. Kakinuma’s rise through the Japanese art world has been meteoric, winning one prestigious competition after another, having his life and paintings featured in several televised documentaries, and being invited to demonstrate and show his work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Kakinuma has constantly sought to break free from the strictures of his classical training and to express himself in innovative, experimental ways. His most recent work, The Warrior Ideal was selected as the title artwork for the 2007 season of Japan’s most popular long-running television show, The Taiga Drama Series. ARTSEDGE, the Kennedy Center's arts education network, supports the creative use of technology to enhance teaching and learning in, through, and about the arts, offering free, standards-based teaching materials for use in and out of the classroom, media-rich interactive experiences, professional development resources, and guidelines for arts-based instruction and assessment. Visit ARTSEDGE at artsedge.kennedy-center.org.

Beijing Traditional Music Ensemble's extensive repertoire and virtuoso musicians demonstrate the range of distinctive styles that developed in each region for erhu (fiddle), pipa (lute), and other instruments. To watch the entire sixty minute show visit the Millennium Stage archives http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/millennium/artist_detail.cfm?artist_id=CHINTRADMU

Artists of the Yi and Wa ethnic groups from Yunnan Province-the most ethnically diverse in China-demonstrate their unique folk traditions in this excerpt from the Kennedy Center's free Millennium Stage show. For more about the traditional arts of the Yunnan people, check out our Sounds of China PodPage http://www.artsedge.kennedy-center.org/content/3899/podcast.html. To watch the entire sixty minute show visit the Millennium Stage archives http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/millennium/artist_detail.cfm?artist_id=yunnan.