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Is your practice patient- or production-driven? The answer should be purpose-driven. Kiera talks about how shifting your core values in a certain way can actually grow everything else. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Schedule a Practice Assessment Leave us a review Transcript: The Dental A Team (00:00) Hello, Dental A Team listeners. This is Kiera and I am excited. This is a podcast built just for you by you. If you ever want me to make a podcast for you, just email in Hello@TheDentalATeam.com or go to our website, TheDentalATeam.com and click on the podcast tab. You can submit topics for me to record for you. And today is a great one and I'm super excited about it. Someone asked production focus versus patient focus striking the right balance. Does it have to be both? So is your practice driven by numbers or by people? And does it have to be a choice? I'm super jazzed. I'm super excited because this is the type of juicy stuff I like to get into because this is what offices talk about all the time. Oh my gosh, we're production focused. Well, that means you're not patient focused. Oh my gosh, you're patient focused. That means you're not production focused. Does it have to be? There's tension. It's tension. It's like, are you on the right side or the left side? Are you blue or are you Which side are you on? Like there's tension here, production focus versus patient focus. Does it really have to be this debate? So I love this. Email me. You guys are love a good pen pal. Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. I like pen pals. You guys remember that? If you want to write me a letter, you can send me a letter. It's in Verdi, Nevada on the website, P.O. Box. I think it's 635 Verdi, Nevada. No clue what it is, but I will get it and I'll send you a postcard back. So pen pal for real, email us. You guys, really do love a good pen pal. I will seriously send you a letter back. So ⁓ write me. I would love to hear from you. But I'm curious, does it have to be production focus or patient focus or can it be both? Is it the chicken or the egg? I definitely think that there has to be a way because the most successful practices integrate production and patience. So the answer is yes, it can be both. And I don't care what side of the coin you're on. I'm gonna teach you that you can actually be on both sides of the coin and still maintain your ethics. like your ethical integrity, all of that. You guys, this is the Dental A Team. I'm obsessed with dentists. I'm obsessed with dental teams. I'm obsessed with making you happy. I'm obsessed with positively impacting this world in the greatest way possible. And that's why we built this podcast free for you to give you all the tips and tricks. And all I ask in return is that you leave us a review and share this with somebody that can change their life. My goal is to have this podcast into the hands of every single dental office out there. And guys, you are crushing it. We are in the millions of downloads and I can't do that without you. So please today. share, download, or leave us a five star review. That means the world to me and I do read those reviews. So thank you. Thank you for everybody who reads those reviews. I appreciate each of you. So today I want to talk about patient focused version of production focused because you know, I got a pen pal out there. production focused means that we're focused on high volume, goal driven, and we're going to probably have burnout. Like that's the drive. It is a lot of times ego. That's okay. So when I'm talking to you. You can test yourself right now. Are you ready? I'm gonna say, hey, what is your production? Now, to answer that, what's your production? If you just told me your number in gross, you're a little ego driven and I love you for it. And I'm gonna tell you that that is one of the worst things to do because there's no way for us you to ever collect it. I was talking to a practice the other day and they're like, yes, Kiera, we are a $7 million practice and we had a million dollars worth of write-offs. And I was like, well, shoot. So. You're actually, think they actually have two million. So you're not a seven million, you're a five million. That's a bit of a minute. So you're actually a five million dollar practice and I'd rather talk about real numbers because then I can actually truly get you to seven million rather than feeding your ego at this. So that tends to be the case where you're, if you, you might be a bit production. If you're presenting those in gross, ⁓ present them in, it's okay to your buddies. You can present in gross. To me, to here, to this conversation in real life. please, please, please present them in net, what you can actually collect. Now, if we're too patient focused, we tend to run at a slower pace, high trust, but we risk a lot of inefficiency and you actually risk the, like, you really do run a risk of you're not looking at the numbers and you actually can create a really, really, really scary spot where you actually are in like profit row where you have no money. ⁓ And so you gotta have both. We've got to have production where we're able to serve our patients and we've got to care about our patients. We've got to make sure that both of those come together because that's a true business. This is what we're looking for. So I just want you to look at yourself right now and I want you to audit you and your practice. Where do you lean more? Okay. So do you lean a little more left? Do you lean a little more right? Do you lean a little more production focused or do you lean a little more patient focused? It's okay. There's no right or wrong. I just want you to like really look at yourself and assess what route do you fall? because it's gonna help you, okay? So where are you? We're not like all patient or all production, but which way do you lean? I want you to answer that. You can pen pal me. Remember, I got pen pals out there. So be another pen pal for me. And then step two is I want you to marry metrics with meaning, which isn't that cute? Yes, chat GPT helped me on that one. Marry metrics with meaning, I love that. I was like, that is such a good way to bring this to the table. So we want you guys to be like in the middle, we're not production, we're not patient, we're purpose. Did you love that? Another P, we're not patient, we're not production, we're purpose driven. So what this is going to be is you can actually like increase case acceptance to outcomes, not quotas. So it's not like we need 20 crowns, we need to help this many patients. help team members see, like I love Tiff, she said this, she was like, production is the measuring stick to see how many patients we're serving. That feels so much better than like we got to hit 150,000. No, 150,000 shows is how many patients were able to serve. Let's quantify that up to how many patients and now let's put that up to 200,000 and serve that many patients. So we'll help you guys see that like this is a reflection of care. It's not like just, I don't know, like a number on a scorecard. It's people. You guys, all that production was people that we were able to change their lives. That's what we do in Dental A Team. I literally like, when we talk about our numbers, for a while I put up numbers and it was just a number. So you can tell it's a little bit more production focused rather than patient focused. And it didn't matter to me. And then when I was like, okay, we're going to go out and I want to serve, like I want Dental A Team to serve 500 dental practices. Like in one year, I want us to have that many that to me, like think of how many lives we're going to change. Cause my ultimate goal is impact to possibly impact this world in the greatest way possible. So I was like, all right, let's put an audacious goal out there. I want to serve 500 offices. Yeah, you can join us. Yes, of course. And like now it became funds. Like the number is tied to people. Cause I ultimately care about people. care about impact. Money can have impact, but it doesn't drive me. What drives me is changing people's lives. Life is my passion, dentistry is my platform. So how can you help your team see that? So we have to help them see like for me with teams, case acceptance, I'm just saying like that's how many smiles you were able to like truly benefit. There's so many lives you're able to change. I believe the case acceptance is life changing. I was the patient on the other side of that coin. who literally had my life changed by identities. So when we shifted like KPIs are metrics, yes, but metrics have meaning and their purpose. So what does this case acceptance actually reflect? What does this production actually reflect? What did these new patients numbers actually reflect? And when we look at it as this like patient centric, it becomes so much more fun. I did this in a team meeting the other day where, gosh, we were sitting there and I was like, all right, rattle off to me like why you guys go to Chick-fil-A? And they're like talking about it. Not one of them said price. Not one of them. Not one of them when I talked about McDonald's said price. So when I looked at this, I thought, okay, people go to Chick-fil-A for the experience. And I thought, how can we become a more patient centric practice that uses metrics to see how we're doing of serving those patients? That's what it is. That's how you marry metrics with meaning. These numbers on a KPI scorecard are telling me the vitals of how good we're serving our patients. So when I look at our hygiene, I wanna know, are we diagnosing perio or are we doing bloody profies? When I look at Florida, you guys, I'm a huge proponent of Florida. If you're not, that's okay, we can still be friends. I'm here to also teach you holistic. I love Florida. Florida changed my life. It prevented so many cavities for me, like truly was life-changing. So I'm like, absolutely, give it to patients. So when I look at your hygiene numbers, I'm not looking at like, did you get your eight out of eight today? I'm looking at like, did you help proactively prevent decay on all of your patients today? Of course, if they don't want it, that's fine. But like, let's use our words, words are free. Let's set it up in a way to help more patients say yes. I am patient centric with production numbers and using words to get the results I'm looking for. I'm looking for outcomes, not effort. One of my favorite, favorite, favorite lines, and it's probably gonna become like a core value. My team doesn't know this, you guys, is we measure our, we measure by outcomes, not activity. ⁓ we measure it by outcomes. not activity because I can sit here and say, I served this many patients, but if I didn't close any cases, I did not get the outcome of helping truly get them the smiles and the health that they deserve. Bottom line. So then step three is you got to change your culture. You got to have a culture that supports both. It's got to be efficiency and empathy. It's got to be production and patient. It's got to be like truly driven. And I've got so many offices like Kiera, I don't want to my team about the numbers. That's fine. You don't have to. But can't we also help them see that the numbers are helping more patients? Every team I've ever gone into has told me the reason they're in tennis tree is to help change patients' lives. That's why they're here. So when I look at this, I'm like, okay, if that's why we're all here, how do we know that we're actually helping the number of patients that we could? Like genuinely somebody tell me, how do we actually know in a tangible, non-emotional way? How do I know? So we've got to help people see that like, okay, fantastic. We have a culture where when we hit our numbers, We know we serve the patients that we're set here to serve. Period. You're not gonna go away from that and helping people see that numbers equate the outcomes we're looking for. Numbers help us serve patients. And on the flip side, when we, like you guys, there's a book called Unreasonable Hospitality. Have your team do fun things like that where we celebrate the birthdays, the weddings, the anniversaries, the celebrations. We have like a little gift basket on the side where we can quickly go and have some fun with those people to make this magic moment for our patients. have magic moments that produce results. Team training, we gotta do patient and production language. We've gotta be empathetic. So for me to say like, my gosh, I'm so excited that you don't work with Dr. Jones. Dr. Jones is incredible. They're gonna take great care of you. Let's get you scheduled for this appointment. I know Dr. Jones definitely wants to get you back. I've got Monday or Wednesday, which works best for you. That was patient and production centric, both in the same exact equation. when I talk to them about case acceptance, it's like, perfect. So here's the treatment that Dr. Jones diagnosed for you. This is your total out of pocket. This is your insurance estimate. This will be your total when I see you on Wednesday. What questions do you have for me? I want you to be rock solid moving forward. Again, production and patient focus. I want them to be so solid. I'm genuinely so concerned about them. I really want them to be solid. If they tell me they got to talk to their spouse, absolutely, 100%. I want you to talk to your spouse. Help me what questions they're going to ask. That way I can make sure you're fully prepped when you chat with them. That's production and patient focused. A cancellation calls in. my gosh, what's going on? Tell me, like, ⁓ I've been so worried about you. Like help me understand where you at, what's going on. Like, are you okay? Tell me like, you're sick. Like, my gosh, what's going on? I know there's been a bug going around. Someone says I can't make it from work. my gosh. Like, I'm so sorry to hear that. Tell me what's going on. Let's find a solution. I know Dr. wanted to see you. I can't wait to see you and I know there's gonna be a solution for us. Production and patient focus. And I think when teams see that you don't have to be one or the other, production focus can come across aggressive, patient focus can come across non-aggressive and very like twiddling my thumb sometimes. And so I'm like the true win is the middle ground. The true win is where we see that patients need to feel loved. and important and that they're humans. And they also need to see that we love them so much. And we're going to make sure that they get the treatment that they need to get done. And we're going to help use our words to make sure it's easy for them to say yes. Both are doable. Both are right. Both are necessary. This is how you guys are able to have it. And so I think you guys can have conversations with the team. How can we be patient and production focused? How can we marry the two because we know the best practices are both. They are, there's not one lever that's stronger than the other. Both are married together as a perfect whole, two perfect complete whole. How can we be more, if you know from, remember we did an audit, if you know you're a little more production focused, how can you be a bit more patient focused? Have that come up in the team. If you know you're a bit more patient focused, how can we be a bit more production focused? And I know you might be bristling on both sides. Production focused people might think that, my gosh, it's a complete waste of time to be patient focused. Patient focused people, they're like, my gosh, you'll maybe be aggressive and like force these people into treatment. The answer is no to both of those. Us treating people like human beings, production focused teams will actually make those patients want to be here more. Our teams that are more patient focused, turning more production focused, it's gonna help us make sure that we're not missing things on the patients, that we're not doing inadequate care. And that actually that patient's not leaving confused and that they truly know what they need to do. And it's very clear of next steps for them. Clear is kind. Being direct is kind. Loving people as people is kind. So I'd really encourage you to adopt this into your practice. And if you struggle with this, if your doctor is like, ⁓ I am not having that team meeting, I'm not having that conversation, great. That's why we have a job. That's what we love to do. Our job is to align doctors and team members to help team members see that production is patient focused and to see that patient focus is production focused. Both sides are necessary. You need both of them. And so to be able to help you and your team get there, I think is a beautiful thing. So I would really, really, really encourage you to be patient and production focused, both of them. Look to see where you could be a little bit more on whichever side you don't naturally lean to. I know you can already do more on the side that you naturally lean to. Go the other side. I want you to think about it. I want you to bring that into your culture. And I'd really encourage you. And if you struggle with this or you're like, I don't really know how to do this, reach out. Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. It's not just about this. It's about other goals. It's about other spaces. It's about other awkward conversations that you just don't know how to navigate. It's about getting your team and you doctors rowing in the exact same direction. And that's what we're here to do. So reach out. Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. And as always remember, patient and production is purpose driven dentistry. And that's what you're here to do. And I know that you're here for that. I know that you care so much about your patients and that's why I wanted to really bring this up. So thanks for the pen pal. Thanks for writing. I'd love to hear from more of you. Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. Go to our website, give me some more topics and reach out. I'd love for you to be one of our 500 practices. We get to help love serve and have that be the purpose to positively impact and change your life for the better. Not just your practice, but you as a person. Because at the end of the day, I care about you as a human being. I care about you thriving. I care about you having the practice of your dreams and having the team of your dreams because I care about you as a human. So reach out and as always know that I'm rooting for you. Know that I care about you. Know that I adore you as always. Thanks for listening. I'll catch you next time on the Dental A Team Podcast.
Rico Peterelli preschenta tuns da chor che al stattan spezialmain a cor. Quest'ura da «Noss chors» porta tuns Haydn, Orff, Verdi, Mozart ed anc blers auters.
I denne episoden dykker vi ned i trendrapporten CIO Analytics 2025, som er Nord-Europas største IT-undersøkelse. Vi har spurt nærmere 1300 IT-ledere om hva de er opptatt av akkurat nå, og hva de tenker fremover. Rapporten viser et tydelig bilde: Norske virksomheter styrker sikkerheten som aldri før, men få øver på kriser. Samtidig eksploderer AI-bruken, mens verdiskapingen fortsatt er minimal. Hvorfor måles nesten halvparten av IT-sjefene fortsatt på budsjett fremfor forretningsverdi? Og selv om bærekraft er en del av strategien, mangler måling av effekt – et gap som kan avgjøre hvem som lykkes.Ukens gjester er Mali Hole Skogen, teknologi- og bærekraftsdirektør i TEK Norge, og Petter Moe, CTO i Atea.Programleder er Christian Brosstad, Atea. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Kaum eine Branche hat so viele Quereinsteiger wie die Logistik. Viele Firmen suchen dringend Busfahrer. Fahren kann jeder, oder? Die Gewerkschaft Verdi hat die Arbeitsbedingungen untersucht und verlangt Verbesserungen.
El programa de esta noche viene ocupado por una animada conversación con el director de Radio Nacional, Roberto Santamaría. Escuchamos y comentamos las siguientes músicas:Verdi: Rigoletto: Bella figlia dell'amore (cuarteto)Verdi: Don Carlo: Dio, che nell'alma infondere (dúo)Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor: Chi mi frena in tal momento (sexteto)Wagner: Tannhäuser (final del primer acto)Rossini: La gazza ladra (obertura)Rossini: La cenerentola: Dolce speranzaEscuchar audio
Today I'm chatting with the oh-so-talented out recording artist Cornelius Versa. Raised on a soundtrack of LeAnn Rimes, Brooks & Dunn, and Verdi, Cornelius blends country storytelling with the drama of his classical roots. His debut album, “The Crystal Cowboy,” is a wide-open jukebox of heartache, rebellion, and queer identity, tracing the road to finally finding his voice. At its core, the new collection is a country album, but the listening experience is bigger than that blending touches of classical arrangements, opera, folk, rock, and pop — or as he likes to call it, “Operatic Americana.” “The Crystal Cowboy,” is available now on all major music platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. You can find him on Instagram at instagram.com/corneliusversa, his official website corneliusversa.com, and on YouTube at youtube.com/@corneliusversa
Today I'm chatting with the oh-so-talented out recording artist Cornelius Versa. Raised on a soundtrack of LeAnn Rimes, Brooks & Dunn, and Verdi, Cornelius blends country storytelling with the drama of his classical roots. His debut album, “The Crystal Cowboy,” is a wide-open jukebox of heartache, rebellion, and queer identity, tracing the road to finally finding his voice. At its core, the new collection is a country album, but the listening experience is bigger than that blending touches of classical arrangements, opera, folk, rock, and pop — or as he likes to call it, “Operatic Americana.” “The Crystal Cowboy,” is available now on all major music platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. You can find him on Instagram at instagram.com/corneliusversa, his official website corneliusversa.com, and on YouTube at youtube.com/@corneliusversa
Herzlich willkommen zum Hamburg Update – Ihrem wöchentlichen Blick auf die wichtigsten Ereignisse aus der Hansestadt. Heute haben wir eine besonders spannende Mischung aus Kulturerbe, lang erwarteten Comebacks und aktuellen politischen Querelen
Moin, wir sollten mehr auf Muslime hören – das sagt der Vorsitzende der Jüdischen Gemeinde Philipp Stricharz. Denn Muslime können oft besonders gut vor Islamisten warnen. Und er hat mit uns über seine Sorgen gesprochen, denn aktuell wird ja auch in Hamburg das jüdische Lichterfest Chanukkah gefeiert, das in Australien gestern angegriffen wurde. Maiken Was war heute in Hamburg los? Maiken Nielsen und Ole Wackermann werfen im wöchentlichen Wechsel zum Tagesende einen Blick auf die News und das aktuelle Stadtgeschehen. Das sind die Nachrichten heute mit Maiken Nielsen am Montag, 15.12.2025 +++ANTISEMITISCHER ANSCHLAG IN SYDNEY: POLITIKER IM NORDEN BESTÜRZT+++ Der antisemitische Anschlag im australischen Sydney am Sonntag hat auch bei norddeutschen Politikerinnen und Politikern und Antisemitismusbeauftragten Bestürzung ausgelöst. Zwei Angreifer hatten eine jüdische Chanukka-Feier attackiert und mit Schüssen 15 Menschen getötet und mindestens 40 Menschen verletzt. Mehr dazu: http://www.ndr.de/sydney-reaktionen-100.html +++ÖFFENTLICHER DIENST: HUNDERTE TEILNEHMER BEI WARNSTREIK IN HAMBURG+++ Mit Trillerpfeifen und Plakaten hat die Gewerkschaft ver.di am Montag auf ihre Tarif-Forderungen im öffentlichen Dienst aufmerksam gemacht. Mehrere Hundert Teilnehmerinnen und Teilnehmer versammelten sich am Vormittag bei einer Streikkundgebung vor der Europa Passage in Hamburg. Mehr dazu: http://www.ndr.de/kurzehh-1822.html +++AZUBI GRIFF KOLLEGIN MIT MESSER AN: SIEBEN JAHRE GEFÄNGNIS+++ Überforderung, Hilflosigkeit, Hass: Im Juni hatte ein Auszubildender in einem Harburger IT-Unternehmen eine Kollegin niedergestochen. Am Montag verurteilte das Hamburger Landgericht den 26-Jährigen wegen versuchten Mordes zu einer Haftstrafe von siebeneinhalb Jahren. Mehr dazu: http://www.ndr.de/prozess-426.html Du hast Feedback zur Folge oder Wünsche für Recherchen? Unsere Podcast-Hosts erreichst du über den Messenger in der NDR Hamburg App, in den Social-Media-Kanälen von NDR Hamburg und via E-Mail an hamburgheute@ndr.de. Alle Folgen des Podcasts findest du unter www.ndr.de/hamburgheute
Müzik Yolculuğu'nun bu bölümünde Prof. Dr. Michael Kuyucu, Sezen Aksu'nun sahne kıyafetlerini kime verdiğini açıklıyor.
Un Preventivo che presenta un deficit di 97 milioni e che non piace a nessuno. Tant'è che sul tavolo del Gran Consiglio, che inizierà la discussione domani, ci sono tre rapporti (erano quattro, inizialmente). Quello di maggioranza - firmato da PLR e Centro – è l'unico che approva, anche se a denti stretti, quasi integralmente la proposta governativa. Quello di minoranza proposto da Ps e Verdi, chiede invece un'inversione di tendenza, abolisce molte voci di riduzione della spesa, aumenta le entrate e conta sugli utili della Banca Nazionale, che quest'anno dovrebbero essere sostanziosi. C'è poi quello targato Lega e uno Udc, che in sostanza rimanda il dossier al Governo, chiedendo di proporre entro 60 giorni un Preventivo che chiuda in pareggio, agendo solo e unicamente sulla spesa. Rapporti completamente diversi quindi gli uni dagli altri, a dimostrazione che nemmeno stavolta si è arrivati a trovare una convergenza sui conti dello Stato e che non esiste – al momento – una maggioranza garantita a favore di uno dei tre rapporti. Insomma, si potrebbe finire – e non sarebbe la prima volta – a dover tornare ad occuparsi del Preventivo a gennaio o febbraio…Ne parliamo con:MATTEO QUADRANTI, capogruppo del PLR, co-relatore del rapporto di maggioranzaMAURIZIO AGUSTONI, capogruppo del Centro co-relatore del rapporto di maggioranza IVO DURISCH, capogruppo del PS, relatore del primo rapporto di minoranza MICHELE GUERRA, deputato della Lega, relatore del terzo rapporto di minoranza (Il secondo – dell'Udc – è stato ritirato e il gruppo democentrista ha aderito al rapporto a firma Lega)
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Crédits musicaux : Rob - It's a blast (BO du film 'Radiostars'), jingles produits par Pure Jingles [https://purejingles.com/]Voix off : Estelle Hubert [https://estellehubert.com]ContactPar mail : contact@vocast.fr [https://www.vocast.fr/contact.html]X : @DesOndesVocast [https://x.com/DesOndesVocast]
Casta diva, prima donna, Maria Callas. Fully available for Supporter Club members only. Credits : “Aida (Preludio)” by G. Verdi (1871) - “Norma (Cavatina)” by V. Bellini (1831) - “Tosca (Atto II)” by G. Puccini (1900)Diventa un supporter di questo podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/pillole-di-italiano--4214375/support.
ab 1:44 Min. - E.T.A. Hoffmann - Die große Hörspieledition | Mit Jens Wawrczeck, Horst Tappert, Marie Gruber, Rudolf Wessely, Lina Carstens u.v.a. | 9 Std 21 Min. | DAV / SWR, DRA, rbb, ORF || ab 10:35 Min. - Dorothee Elmiger: Die Holländerinnen | gelesen von Heike Warmuth | 4 Std. 47 Min. | Argon Verlag || ab 15:54 Min. - Weihnacthstipps für Erwachsene | Opera re:told: „Rigoletto“ von Verdi | Text und Erzähler: Frederic Böhle | Musik: Ensemble Gutenberg Winds von der Hochschule für Musik Mainz | ca. 1 Std. 30 Min. Verlag Buchfunk || Joachim Meyerhoff: Man kann auch in die Höhe fallen | Live-Autorenlesung | 12 Std. 30 Min. | Argon || Hauke Hückstädt (Hrsg.): Lies! Das zweite Hörbuch in einfacher Sprache | Mit Texten von Ferda Ataman, Christoph Biermann, Paul Bokowski, Elisa Diallo, Saskia Hennig von Lange, Kristof Magnusson, Annette Pehnt, Tonio Schachinger, Julia Schoch u.a. | Gelesen von den Autorinnen und Autoren, sowie von Max v. Pufendorf | 8 Std. 21 Min. | Speak low || Thomas Brasch: Das Unvereinbare in ein Gedicht (Hörbuch des Jahres 2025)| gelesen von Lars Eidinger, musikalisch begleitet von George Kranz | 1 Std., 23 Min. | Kulturmanufaktur von Dussmann - Das Kulturkaufhaus || ab 28:34 Min. - Weihnachtstipps für Kinder: | Bibi Dumon Tak: Regenwurm und Anakonda | Inszenierte Lesung mit Musik von Sarah Schüddekopf | Mit Jodie Ahlborn, Cathlen Gawlich, Julian Greis, Vanida Karun, Matti Krause, David Nathan | 2 Std. 50 Min. | Ab 8 Jahren | Hörbuch Hamburg || Madlen Ottenschläger: Otto fährt los - Weihnachten in Finnland | Gelesen und gesungen von Martin Baltscheit | Sounddesign, Komposition und Musik: Alexander Vičar | ab 4 Jahren | ca. 1 Stunde | Der Hörverlag || Tom Percival: Der Junge in den falschen Schuhen (Kinder-Hörbuch des Jahres 2025) | Gelesen v. Benito Bause | 4 Std. 45 Min. | ab 8 Jahren | Argon Verlag
Erzieherinnen, Sozialpädagogen, Polizisten und Lehrerinnen - sie und andere Beschäftigte des öffentlichen Dienstes der Länder sollen bald mehr verdienen. Wie viel mehr, das wird ab heute zwischen Gewerkschaften und Arbeitgeberseite verhandelt. Insgesamt geht es um mehr als 2 Millionen Beschäftigte der Länder. Nur für Hessen wird separat verhandelt. Verdi und der Deutsche Beamtenbund fordern sieben Prozent mehr Geld - mindestens aber 300 Euro pro Monat, wovon vor allem die unteren Gehaltsgruppen profitieren sollen. Es werden schwierige Verhandlungen - darüber hat im Thema des Tages Moderator Oliver Fritzel mit Birgit Harprath, unserer Tarifexpertin aus der BR-Wirtschaftsredaktion gesprochen.
Lehrer, Polizisten, Justizangestellte - für die Beschäftigten des öffentlichen Dienstes der Länder beginnen heute die Tarifverhandlungen. Verdi fordert sieben Prozent mehr Lohn. Den Arbeitgebern ist das zu viel.
durée : 00:14:05 - Disques de légende du vendredi 28 novembre 2025 - Le plus fameux maestro du Metropolitan Opera dirige La Traviata dans le film-opéra de Franco Zeffirelli de 1983, avec Plácido Domingo et Teresa Stratas. Le film fut un immense succès, critique comme commercial. Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
Benedetta Lanza"Motovelodromo. La cassetta dei ricordi"Graphot Edizioni / scritturapuraPresentazione del libro a più voci nato dal progetto della “Cassetta dei ricordi”dedicato al Motovelodromo di Torinocon proiezione del documentario Memorie del Velò, che raccoglie le interviste pubblicate nel volume Motovelodromo. La cassetta dei ricordia cura di Stefano Delmastro, Laura Giachino e Benedetta Lanzapubblicato in coedizione da Graphot e Scritturapura Mercoledì 26 novembre ore 18 – Motovelodromo “Fausto Coppi”corso Casale 144, Torino Intervengono, tra gli altri, Beppe Conti, Fabrizio Rostagno, Carlo Pestelli, Angela Vecchione, Marco PollaroloMercoledì 26 novembre alle ore 18 nello spazio di Al Velò Sport Bistrot del Motovelodromo “Fausto Coppi”, in corso Casale 144 a Torino, verrà presentato il volume nato dal progetto della “Cassetta dei ricordi”, ideato per raccogliere da testimoni diretti e indiretti che a vario titolo hanno frequentato in diverse stagioni il Motovelodromo torinese - inaugurato nel 1920 - le storie più significative legate a quel luogo leggendario della città, tanto quelle sportive – dal ciclismo al rugby passando per il calcio, il football americano e il baseball – quanto quelle di altro genere – dalla musica operistica ai concerti rock –, fino alle esperienze più personali e di quartiere.Intitolato Motovelodromo. La cassetta dei ricordi e curato da Stefano Delmastro, Laura Giachino e Benedetta Lanza, che hanno selezionato il materiale testuale e fotografico raccolto e poi pubblicato in coedizione dalle case editrici Graphot e Scritturapura, il libro raccoglie oltre trenta testimonianze, spesso diversissime, in forma di memorie, racconti e immagini, volte a salvaguardare e condividere momenti, anche privati, di quegli oltre cento anni di storia di un luogo chiave nell'immaginario di Torino, e non solo, qual è il Motovelodromo “Fausto Coppi” - confidenzialmente chiamato Velò -, uno dei più antichi velodromi d'Italia, l'impianto sportivo più antico del Piemonte, monumento sotto tutela della Soprintendenza dal 1994, che ha superato decenni di degrado, fino alla rinascita dal 2021 a oggi e negli anni a venire.Alla presentazione - a cui, tra gli altri, interverranno Beppe Conti, opinionista di Rai Sport che con Graphot e Scritturapura ha pubblicato Storia e leggenda del Motovelodromo, il giornalista Carlo Pestelli, Fabrizio Rostagno di Sport 4 Good, la società di rigenerazione e gestione del Motovelodromo di Torino, la scrittrice Angela Vecchione, che leggerà brani del suo racconto di invenzione sul Velò, l'antropologo e narratore Marco Pollarolo -, verrà inoltre proiettato il documentario Memorie del Velò, realizzato da Francesco Dragone (regista) Mattia Cavaliere (operatore e editor) e Valentina Grani (produttrice), che raccoglie le interviste di sportivi e testimoni di un tempo e di oggi presenti nel volume.Dalla voce di giornalisti, scrittori nonché da quella delle molte altre persone che hanno vissuto quella che potremmo chiamare un'esperienza di vita legata al Motovelodromo e che hanno voluto condividerla, emerge un ritratto più ampio e rotondo, più personale e al tempo stesso più radicato nel territorio di un luogo che, pure, ha visto le imprese di ciclisti indimenticabili come Coppi e Bartali, le sfide dei rugbisti, le “botte da orbi” dei primi scontri del football americano, le mitiche partite di calcio del Grande Torino e della Nazionale negli anni '20 e '30 del Novecento e, ancora, il “Torneo di guerra” del 1944 o la messa in scena di opere come la Carmen di Bizet e l'Aida di Verdi, i concertoni dei Pooh, di Francesco De Gregori e dei Roxy Music.I testimoni e gli autori in ordine di apparizione nel libro sono: Fabrizio Rostagno, di Sport 4 Good, la società di rigenerazione e gestione del Motovelodromo di Torino; Carlo Pestelli, che in queste pagine tratteggia la storia dell'impianto sportivo e di quanto vi è accaduto; Armando Baietto, l'architetto che dirige il recupero della storica struttura; Beppe Conti, giornalista e autore del precedente volume sul Motovelodromo edito da Graphot e Scritturapura; Franco Bocca, esperto di ciclismo che al Velò ebbe per la prima volta un incarico da giornalista sportivo; Bruna Messina, moglie dello storico campione di ciclismo Guido Messina; Nicoletta Savio, figlia del dirigente sportivo del mondo del ciclismo Gianni Savio; Marco Ballestracci, scrittore veneto che qui ricorda la storica squadra del Torino giocarvi il campionato del '44 dopo che lo stadio Filadelfia era stato bombardato; Michele Bietto, giocatore di rugby quasi centenario che ricorda le proprie imprese sportive; Bruno Bertola, che da bambino viveva accanto al Velò, dove ha imparato a giocare a baseball dai soldati americani e incontrato l'attore Tyrone Power; Emilia Morelli, giocatrice di softball nel dopoguerra e anche una volta diventata mamma; Angelo Marello, novantenne ipertifoso di Coppi, tanto da farsi promotore del monumento che poi è stato dedicato al campionissimo a pochi passi dal Motovelodromo; Federico Molinario, che qui racconta della nascita, nell'estate del 1977, del football americano e della squadra dei Tori Torino che aveva Tuttosport come “media partner”, del Torino degli anni '20 e '30 e della figura del prozio, il calciatore Vittorio Staccione, attivo antifascista che venne deportato e morì a Mauthausen; Guido Barbero, appassionato tifoso ultraottantenne autoctono di Madonna del Pilone, il quartiere del Velò; Bruno De Mari, ciclista dalle buone prospettive, fino a quando gli arrivò la chiamata della Marina Militare; Piergiorgio Bensi, ex ciclista ottantatreenne anni che auspica la creazione di un piccolo museo degli sport nel Motovelodromo; Dario Ghibaudo, corridore dilettante che si allenava sull'altissima pista del Velò; Paolo Ranzani, fotografo che racconta i suoi primi scatti sportivi al Velò negli anni '90 del secolo scorso; Joseph Geminale, giocatore e grande appassionato di football americano negli anni '80 del Novecento; Tiziano Paraporti, che racconta le sue giornate di tifoso e giocatore di football americano al Motovelodromo con il padre, il quale gli aveva trasmesso la sua passione; Angela Bernasconi, segretaria, coordinatrice e tifosa della squadra di football americano dei Tauri; Benedetto Pasqua, ottimo conoscitore del rugby torinese; Massimo Tocci, che delinea i recenti sviluppi della “battaglia” di cittadini e associazioni che, infine, è sfociata nel nuovo impianto ristrutturato; Benedetta Lanza, che ogni giorno si reca in bici al Velò, suo luogo di lavoro, costeggiando il Po; Vittoria Bussi, la 38enne record woman mondiale dell'ora su pista per cui il Motovelodromo è diventato un imprescindibile luogo di allenamento; Andrea Rastello, organizzatore e pistard, ovvero ciclista specializzato nelle corse su pista; Mario Ginevro, che anche grazie al Velò è diventato istruttore di ciclismo e ciclomeccanica; Angela Vecchione, scrittrice che qui propone l'unico racconto inventato ad hoc sul Motovelodromo; Massimiliano Camerlo, che ricorda una stagione di concerti visti gratis dal muretto a fondo campo del Velò al confine con le vecchie case popolari; Ernesto Gavassa, barbiere di zona che racconta la vita di tutti i giorni tra la bocciofila di quartiere e il Motovelodromo; Maurizio Ternavasio, giornalista che ha da poco pubblicato per Graphot un libro su Madonna del Pilone, il quartiere del Motovelodromo; Gianluca Poggio e Enrique Jiménez, che hanno ridato vita a uno storico marchio di birra artigianale, la Bosio-Caratsch, e ne raccontano i legami con lo sport e il Velò.GRAPHOT è una casa editrice indipendente torinese da sempre legata al territorio. Ha in catalogo la collana “Borghi di Torino”, dedicata ai quartieri della città, e “Stories”, libri corali in cui sono i cittadini a raccontare i loro luoghi del cuore. Alla storia locale affianca la saggistica sportiva: dopo i libri sul calcio e su diversi altri sport, oggi dedica grande spazio ai campioni e alle imprese del ciclismo. SCRITTURAPURA è una piccola casa editrice indipendente nata a fine 2002 a Villa San Secondo, un paesino tra le colline del Monferrato astigiano, da sempre gravitante tra Asti e Torino, con un punto d'appoggio anche nel quartiere torinese del Motovelodromo, Madonna del Pilone. Pubblica letteratura straniera dalle terre dentro e fuori i confini d'Europa e autori italiani.Diventa un supporter di questo podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/il-posto-delle-parole--1487855/support.IL POSTO DELLE PAROLEascoltare fa pensarehttps://ilpostodelleparole.it/
Every hundred or so episodes, I feel compelled to pay a return visit to beloved Hungarian diva Sylvia Sass, for there's always something new and delicious to discover! I've cleaned up another former bonus episode and expanded it with a half-dozen extra tracks, from Verdi to Mozart, from her definitive Bluebeard's Castle to arie antiche topped with a bracing blast of verismo. Then I link up with the previously published bonus episode which samples live excerpts from the two legendary 1976 Verdi performances (Giselda and Violetta) that put Sass on the fast track to operatic superstardom, then pivot to selections from stage works by Offenbach, Respighi, and Gounod that generously flout all of Sylvia's musical and vocal virtues. Especially treasurable are a number of performances of art song by Liszt, Schumann, Schubert, Strauss, Wagner, and Kodály that explore more deeply her career-long commitment to art song. Plus that, three pop selections recorded between 1983 and 2004, simply irresistible to me and (I hope) to you as well! Sass lovers, you're in for a feast! Countermelody is a podcast devoted to the glory and the power of the human voice raised in song. Singer and vocal aficionado Daniel Gundlach explores great singers of the past and present focusing in particular on those who are less well-remembered today than they should be. Daniel's lifetime in music as a professional countertenor, pianist, vocal coach, voice teacher, and author yields an exciting array of anecdotes, impressions, and “inside stories.” At Countermelody's core is the celebration of great singers of all stripes, their instruments, and the connection they make to the words they sing. By clicking on the following link (https://linktr.ee/CountermelodyPodcast) you can find the dedicated Countermelody website which contains additional content including artist photos and episode setlists. The link will also take you to Countermelody's Patreon page, where you can pledge your monthly or yearly support at whatever level you can afford.
This past September 19th, we observed the anniversary of the death in 1992 of the great Welsh bass-baritone Geraint Evans at the age of 70. A vivid actor and a skilled singer, he both began and ended his career at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, but was a treasured guest at opera houses all over the globe. In 1966, London/Decca records released a recording designed to give full display to his musical, stylistic, and dramatic versatility. In its US issue it was entitled, appropriately enough, Three Centuries of Baritone Art, and in it many of his greatest roles are highlighted, as well as a number of parts, unusual or uncharacteristic for him, which he never performed onstage. Needless to say, his Mozart roles are in the forefront, as is his exceptional characterization of Verdi's Falstaff, to which he brought a light buffo touch while still retaining a full vocal palette bolstered by a vivid characterization. On this episode, I supplement this album with a delightful recording of Evans singing from Mahler's Knaben Wunderhorn, a wrenching one of his legendary Wozzeck, and a monumental one of Elegy for a Prince, a work for voice and orchestra by William Mathias, written for and dedicated to Evans, who sang the premiere in 1972 and subsequently recorded it in 1977. Countermelody is a podcast devoted to the glory and the power of the human voice raised in song. Singer and vocal aficionado Daniel Gundlach explores great singers of the past and present focusing in particular on those who are less well-remembered today than they should be. Daniel's lifetime in music as a professional countertenor, pianist, vocal coach, voice teacher, and author yields an exciting array of anecdotes, impressions, and “inside stories.” At Countermelody's core is the celebration of great singers of all stripes, their instruments, and the connection they make to the words they sing. By clicking on the following link (https://linktr.ee/CountermelodyPodcast) you can find the dedicated Countermelody website which contains additional content including artist photos and episode setlists. The link will also take you to Countermelody's Patreon page, where you can pledge your monthly or yearly support at whatever level you can afford.
Die teure Rentenreform droht die schwarz-rote Koalition zu zerreißen. Dabei ist schon das alte System nicht mehr finanzierbar: immer weniger Beitragszahler sollen immer mehr Rentner, Kranke und Pflegebedürftige durchbringen. Droht jetzt der große Crash des Generationenvertrags? Die beiden Wirtschaftsjournalisten Dietmar Deffner und Holger Zschäpitz diskutieren darüber, wie die Sozialversicherungen finanziert werden können – ohne die junge Generation komplett zu überfordern. Die beiden legen außerdem ihre aktuellen Portfolio-Positionen von M bis R offen. Weitere Themen: -Deutsche sind ETF-Sparmeister in Europa – was hinter dem Boom steckt -Butter so günstig wie seit 2017 nicht mehr – warum sich Weihnachtsbäcker jetzt bevorraten sollten -Gefährliche Gehaltsforderung im öffentlichen Dienst – warum Verdi und Beamtenbund falsch liegen -Crypto im Ausverkauf – wohin Bitcoin & Co fallen könnten DEFFNER & ZSCHÄPITZ sind wie das wahre Leben. Wie Optimist und Pessimist. Im wöchentlichen WELT-Podcast diskutieren und streiten die Journalisten Dietmar Deffner und Holger Zschäpitz über die wichtigen Wirtschaftsthemen des Alltags. Schreiben Sie uns an: wirtschaftspodcast@welt.de Impressum: https://www.welt.de/services/article7893735/Impressum.html Datenschutzerklärung: https://www.welt.de/services/article157550705/Datenschutzerklaerung-WELT-DIGITAL.html
A cura di Paolo PellegriniGiuseppe Verdi, Luisa MillerLuisa, Montserrat CaballéRodolfo, Luciano PavarottiMiller, Sherrill MilnesWalter, Bonaldo GiaiottiFederica, Anna ReynoldsWurm, Richard Van AllanLaura, Annette CelineContadino, Fernando PavarottiLondon Opera ChorusNational Philharmonic OrchestraPeter Maag, direttore
durée : 02:28:45 - France Musique est à vous du samedi 15 novembre 2025 - par : Gabrielle Oliveira-Guyon - Ce samedi, place à un programme riche et contrasté : Chostakovitch, Mahler, Mozart, Verdi, Bartók ou encore le compositeur bulgare Lajos Bardos. - réalisé par : Emmanuel Benito Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
===== MDJ Script/ Top Stories for November 14th Publish Date: November 14th Commercial: From the BG AD Group Studio, Welcome to the Marietta Daily Journal Podcast. Today is Friday, November 14th and Happy Birthday to Alec John Such I’m Keith Ippolito and here are the stories Cobb is talking about, presented by Times Journal GHC has highest enrollment growth among state colleges Cobb Sheriff’s Lt. Col. Dewayne Morris laid to rest after lifetime of public service Cobb’s proposed stormwater fee receives mild criticism Plus, Leah McGrath from Ingles Markets on pesticides All of this and more is coming up on the Marietta Daily Journal Podcast, and if you are looking for community news, we encourage you to listen and subscribe! BREAK: MATCH MAGIC GIVEATHON STORY 1: GHC has highest enrollment growth among state colleges Georgia Highlands College is on a roll. Over the past three years, enrollment has jumped 23%, now nearing 6,000 students—a record-breaking pace that’s earned GHC top honors from the USG Board of Regents for the fastest growth among state colleges. “This growth shows how deeply connected we are to the communities we serve,” said President Mike Hobbs. “As Northwest Georgia grows, we’re here to prepare graduates for meaningful careers and help businesses thrive.” Statewide, the University System of Georgia hit an all-time high this fall with 382,142 students, driven by a surge in in-state enrollment. Ready to join? Apply by January at apply.highlands.edu. STORY 2: Cobb Sheriff’s Lt. Col. Dewayne Morris laid to rest after lifetime of public service Dewayne Morris, a man who lived and breathed public service, was laid to rest Tuesday after passing on Nov. 7 at the age of 63. A lieutenant colonel with the Cobb Sheriff’s Office and a retired sergeant from Cobb County Police, Morris dedicated his life to law enforcement. From his early days at Powder Springs PD to his decades with Cobb Police—where he earned two Meritorious Service medals—he was known for his leadership, grit, and heart. But Dewayne wasn’t just a cop. He loved fast cars, Diet Mountain Dew, Little Debbies, and cheering for the Braves and Hawks. He never met a stranger. A true hero. STORY 3: Cobb’s proposed stormwater fee receives mild criticism Cobb County’s proposed $4.75 monthly stormwater fee is back on the table, but this time, the backlash is quieter—at least for now. Last year, the idea sparked packed meetings and fiery opposition. This week? A handful of speakers, mostly supportive or cautiously critical. The fee would nearly double the stormwater budget, funding overdue repairs, new equipment, and even regional detention projects. Homeowners would pay $4.75 a month, while businesses, churches, and schools would be charged based on impervious surfaces. Critics still call it a “tax,” and some HOAs argue they’re being double-billed. A final vote is set for Nov. 20. We have opportunities for sponsors to get great engagement on these shows. Call 770.799.6810 for more info. We’ll be right back. Break: STRAND THEATRE STORY 4: Peer-led mental health center coming to Marietta’s First Presbyterian A new drop-in mental health center is set to open at First Presbyterian Church near Marietta Square, offering something rare: a space for connection, not just treatment. Run by NAMI Cobb, the center will focus on peer-led therapy—think group activities, coffee chats, and one-on-one support with trained specialists who’ve been there. “It’s about community,” said Neill Blake, NAMI Cobb’s programs director. “Sometimes, just coffee and conversation can be life-changing.” Opening early next year, the free center will feature art therapy, games, meditation, and more. For those battling isolation, it’s a lifeline. “Loneliness makes everything worse,” Blake added. “This could save lives.” STORY 5: OUT AND ABOUT: 5 things to do this weekend in Cobb County — Nov. 14 - 16 Atlanta Opera: ‘La Traviata’ This weekend’s your last chance to catch Verdi’s La Traviata at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. Performances are Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3:30 p.m. It’s sung in Italian (don’t worry, there are subtitles) and runs about 2.5 hours. Tickets start at $35—grab yours at atlantaopera.org. World of Illumination: Candy Rush Six Flags White Water in Marietta transforms into a glowing wonderland starting Friday! The World of Illumination’s Candy Rush drive-thru features gingerbread villages, sugar plum fairies, and more. Open select nights through Jan. 4, 6–10 p.m. Tickets: $39–$49. Details at their website. ‘Sanders Family Christmas’ at The Strand The Strand Theatre’s Sanders Family Christmas continues this weekend. Expect music, laughs, and a little inspiration with Pastor Oglethorpe and the Sanders Family. Shows: Friday/Saturday at 3 & 8 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets: $41–$54. Big Shanty Bazaar Step into the Renaissance this Saturday at Kennesaw’s Art Station! From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., enjoy artisans, live music, axe throwing, archery, and even pony rides. Free admission, plus early visitors snag commemorative gifts. NFC Fight Night at The Battery Ready for some action? Live MMA fights hit The Battery Atlanta this Friday. Doors open at 6 p.m., fights start at 7. Check the Battery’s website for details. And now here is Leah McGrath from Ingles Markets on pesticides We’ll have closing comments after this. Break: Ingles Markets 8 Signoff- Thanks again for hanging out with us on today’s Marietta Daily Journal Podcast. If you enjoy these shows, we encourage you to check out our other offerings, like the Cherokee Tribune Ledger Podcast, the Marietta Daily Journal, or the Community Podcast for Rockdale Newton and Morgan Counties. Read more about all our stories and get other great content at mdjonline.com Did you know over 50% of Americans listen to podcasts weekly? Giving you important news about our community and telling great stories are what we do. Make sure you join us for our next episode and be sure to share this podcast on social media with your friends and family. Add us to your Alexa Flash Briefing or your Google Home Briefing and be sure to like, follow, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Produced by the BG Podcast Network Show Sponsors: www.ingles-markets.com Strand Marietta – Earl and Rachel Smith Strand Theatre Cobb Foundation | Nonprofit Empowerment and Collective Giving in Cobb Cobb See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Was sind Ihre Top Ten der Chormusik? Sie haben abgestimmt, und wir stellen Ihre größten Chorhits vor. Mit dabei ist auch Giuseppe Verdis eingängiger Gefangenenchor "Va pensiero" aus der Oper "Nabucco".
Wir kommen zu Platz 7 unserer Umfrage nach dem beliebtesten Chorstück: Sie haben für Giuseppe Verdis "Messa da Requiem" gestimmt.
“My job is to make people love choral music as much as I do, and that's a lot. I really love choral music. My job is to say ‘you should care about this.' You might care about it because it's ravishingly beautiful or because it has a story to tell you. Even if you're not a person who relates to choral music, you can relate to stories. We're going to weave some sort of through-line through this program that tells you something about life that we hope resonates with you whether you're a musician or not.”Joshua Habermann is in his seventeenth season as Artistic Director of the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, one of the nation's premiere professional chamber choirs. Since joining the ensemble, he has broadened its repertoire to include choral-orchestral masterworks and unique concert experiences ranging from early music to new commissions. Under his leadership, the Desert Chorale has been featured at regional and national conferences of the American Choral Directors Association, and its summer and winter festivals are among America's largest choral events.Habermann's experience with symphonic choruses spans over three decades, encompassing the full range of the choral-orchestral repertoire. From 2011 to 2022 he was director of the Dallas Symphony Chorus, where highlights included Bach's St. Matthew Passion, the Requiem Masses of Mozart, Brahms, and Verdi, Elgar's Dream of Gerontius, Bernstein's Kaddish Symphony, Rachmaninov's The Bells, and Vaughan-Williams' Sea Symphony. He is a frequent guest conductor, and in 2022-2023 prepared Handel's Messiah, Ravel's Daphnis and Chloe, and Benjamin Britten's War Requiem for the San Francisco Symphony.A passionate advocate for music education, Joshua Habermann is a regular clinician for state and national events and has led honor choirs and choral festivals in North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America. In 2024, he conducted Cantatas 72, 73 and 92 for Bach Santiago (Chile), a concert series dedicated to the first full cycle of Bach Cantatas in South America. He currently teaches choral literature at the University of North Texas.As a singer (tenor), Habermann has performed with the Oregon Bach Festival Chorus under Helmuth Rilling and Conspirare under Craig Hella Johnson. Recording credits include Requiem and Threshold of Night, both GRAMMY® nominees for best choral recording. Recordings as a conductor include The Road Home and Rachmaninov's All Night Vigil with the Desert Chorale.To get in touch with Joshua, you can find him on Facebook (@joshua.habermann) or visit the Santa Fe Desert Chorale website, desertchorale.org.Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.Podcast music from Podcast.coPhoto in episode artwork by Trace Hudson
Welcome to BlinkOpera, the Atlanta Opera's bite-sized journey into the heart of great storytelling. In this episode, baritone Anthony Clark Evans guides us through the sweeping emotion and dramatic power of Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata—one of the most beloved works in the operatic canon. Evans walks us into the glittering world of Parisian high society, where the radiant courtesan Violetta Valéry discovers a love that promises renewal yet demands impossible sacrifice. With warmth and insight, he unpacks the opera's unforgettable moments: the effervescent brilliance of “Sempre libera,” the tenderness of Violetta and Alfredo's countryside idyll, and the heartbreaking intensity of the final act. Whether you're discovering La Traviata for the first time or returning to a longtime favorite, this quick dive illuminates why Verdi's masterpiece continues to move audiences around the world. Let's begin.
Rufus Wainwright is a singer-songwriter and composer renowned for his distinctive voice and the theatricality of his performances. Born into a family of folk musicians, his mother was Kate McGarrigle and his father is the songwriter Loudon Wainwright III. Since his debut in 1998, his 11 studio albums have been characterised by their candid autobiographical themes, with songs about addiction, sexuality and fraught family dynamics. He has also worked as a classical composer, with his operas Prima Donna and Hadrian, and a choral piece called Dream Requiem. As a performer he has created musical tributes to Judy Garland, Shakespeare's Sonnets, the songs of Kurt Weill, and most recently has staged symphonic versions of his much-loved Want albums.Rufus Wainwright tells John Wilson about his earliest musical experiences, singing with his mother and aunties in Montreal, Canada where he spent his early years. He chooses The Wizard Of Oz as one of his formative creative influences and explains why the film's star, Judy Garland, became such an important musical role model for him. Rufus reveals how hearing Verdi's Requiem at the age of 13 led to a lifelong love of opera and an aspiration to write classical compositions. He also recalls the impact that seeing La Dolce Vita, director Federico Fellini's masterpiece about wealth and decadence in 1960s Rome, had on him as a teenager. Producer: Edwina Pitman
Welcome to 5 Things to Know, the Atlanta Opera's quick, insightful guide to the essential elements behind each production. In this episode, we focus on Giuseppe Verdi's La traviata, ahead of performances on November 8, 11, 14, and 16, 2025, at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. Your guide today is conductor Evan Rogister, who distills the five most important aspects of this beloved masterpiece—what to listen for, what to watch for, and why this opera continues to captivate audiences around the world. Rogister explores the emotional depth of Violetta's journey, the dramatic power of Verdi's score, the social tensions driving the plot, and the moments of musical brilliance that define the work. Whether you're preparing for your first visit or brushing up before returning to a favorite, this episode offers a clear, engaging roadmap to enrich your experience of La traviata. Let's get started.
Bugün 05 Kasım 2025 #dogatakvimi
Enrique Mazzola, is music director at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, who recently announced his extension through the year 2031. In the 2025-26 season, Enrique makes debuts at Staatsoper Berlin with Verdi's Un ballo in Maschera and at Opera de Paris with Rossini's Cenerentola. At the Lyric Opera, he is currently leading productions of Medea, Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci and Cosi fan Tutti.Notable symphonic debuts include Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse,Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Orchestra of the Age ofEnlightenment, Oslo Philharmonic, New Japan Philharmonic, Taipei Symphony, UtahSymphony, Detroit Symphony, Luxembourg Philharmonic, Brussels Philharmonic,Staatsphilharmonie Nürnberg, and Swedish Radio Symphony. Other highlights includeperformances with Vienna Symphony, London Philharmonic and Bern Philharmonic.Enrique works regularly with young musicians, among them at Accademia Teatroalla Scala, Académie de l'Opéra national de Paris, Opéra Studio de l'Opéra national duRhin, Accademia del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, the Lyric's Ryan Opera Center, andCodarts of Rotterdam. He has given conducting masterclasses.And, as you'll hear, Enreique Mazzoli is also renowned as a champion of bel cantoopera,
In this episode, caregiver coach and dementia-care trainer Kat Verdi joins Valerie to break down what families need to know about independent living, assisted living, memory care, and buy-in communities across the Garden State. From understanding the real differences between care types to asking the right “what if” questions before signing a contract, Kat shares compassionate, practical advice based on more than a decade of hands-on experience. You'll walk away knowing how to spot red flags, what to expect financially, and why transparency is key on both sides. Whether you're just beginning to explore options or already deep in the process, this conversation will help you move from confusion to clarity - and, as always, help make it doable. CLICK HERE for our DOABLE DOWNLOAD with FULL SHOW NOTES Follow us on INSTAGRAM for more doable tips! Need help finding senior living or care? BECOME A CLIENT TODAY! We can help with your search for senior living & care wherever you live! www.clearpathsls.com Would you like to share your story and be a guest on our show? Guest Application Email us at connect@desperatelyseekingseniorliving.com with your senior living questions. www.desperatelyseekingseniorliving.com Hit subscribe ✅ and spread the word!
(00:23) Kritik an Anna Netrebko überschattet Verdi-Premiere in Zürich. Weitere Themen: (05:43) Wenn Tote noch etwas zu sagen haben – das Musical «Grand Finale» feiert Uraufführung in Basel. (09:52) Eine Künstlerin ist zu entdecken: Gertrud Goldschmidt im Zentrum Paul Klee in Bern. (14:49) Wird meine Mutter dement? Wie lange kann mein Vater noch selbst über sein Leben bestimmen? – Ursina Greuels Stück «Biber oder das wilde Tierleben» in Zürich. (19:16) Ägyptisches Museum öffnet nach 30 Jahren Planung: Milliardenprojekt in Kairo feierlich eröffnet.
Fuchs, Jörn Florian www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de, Fazit
Welcome back to Behind the Curtain's mini series, 20 Years with Maestro Conlon, in which Classical KUSC's Gail Eichenthal sits down with Maestro James Conlon to discuss his legacy here at LA Opera. In this episode, we explore Italian opera—Rossini, Puccini, Verdi, and beyond—touching on bel canto and what makes a 'perfect opera.' Get your tickets now for Puccini's "La Bohème" and Verdi's "Falstaff" at LAOpera.org.
This episode is brought to you by Commerce.For four decades, Ellis Verdi, Founder and President of DeVito/Verdi, has helped shape some of the most talked-about — and often controversial — campaigns in retail advertising. From launching Daffy's with bold, conceptual creative to working with Macy's, Kohl's, Men's Wearhouse and Meijer, Verdi has built a career on one philosophy: tell the truth, even if it ruffles feathers.Retail Remix host Nicole Silberstein sits down with Ellis to discuss what's changed (and what hasn't) about connecting with consumers, the ongoing tension between brand and performance marketing, and why controversy isn't always a bad thing — if it comes from an honest idea.Ellis shares the stories behind some of his favorite campaigns, including the infamous “straightjacket” Duffy's ad that sparked protests, and how ads for Macy's I.N.C. brand and Meijer's private label spinach redefined how retailers communicate value. He also weighs in on recent campaigns — like Levi's x Beyoncé and of course, Sydney Sweeney x American Eagle — that signal a welcome return to upper-funnel brand storytelling.Key Takeaways:Why conceptual advertising still matters in today's performance-driven landscape;How controversy can serve a campaign — when it's rooted in truth; andThe importance of balancing top-of-funnel branding with down-funnel ROI.Related LinksExplore DeVito/Verdi Advertising's creative work and legacyWatch the Macy's I.N.C. ad featuring Heidi KlumWatch the Meijer spinach adRelated reading: The Top 10 Best-Performing Retail Ads from the First Half of 2025Catch up on all episodes of Retail RemixGet more insights from retail industry leaders on Retail TouchPoints -----How to Win Customers Across Every ChannelThis guide from BigCommerce brings you expert insights on data, branding, and marketing to help you grow sales across every major channel. Read the Guide.
A soprano Carla Cottini, uma das vozes brasileiras de maior destaque internacional, não apenas percorre os palcos do mundo com interpretações de Mozart, Verdi e outros compositores consagrados: ela também carrega uma reflexão crítica sobre o papel da mulher no universo lírico. “A ópera retrata a realidade. Muitas peças revelam como as coisas mudaram — e também como não mudaram”, afirmou no episódio do Mulheres Reais. Nascida em São Paulo e vencedora do prêmio Revelação no concurso Maria Callas, Cottini construiu uma trajetória que a levou de musicais no Brasil a papéis de protagonista em teatros europeus. Mas, ao longo desse percurso, deparou-se com um repertório que, em suas palavras, evidencia marcas históricas de desigualdade. “Em muitas obras, as mulheres aparecem como submissas, trágicas ou sedutoras, reforçando uma lógica patriarcal. Revisitar esses papéis é sempre a chance de questionar e ressignificar essas representações”, destacou. Para Cottini, essa leitura crítica não anula a potência do gênero operístico. Pelo contrário, a soprano vê na música uma possibilidade de resistência e transformação: “Quando Mozart metaforiza a crítica social em suas óperas, abre espaço para que hoje possamos ampliar essas camadas de leitura. É muito poderoso transformar no palco aquilo que, séculos atrás, já era uma denúncia contra o machismo e a desigualdade de classes”. Além da carreira como solista, Cottini investe em projetos que dão voz a compositoras brasileiras esquecidas pela história. Ao lado do pianista Ricardo Ballestero, grava obras inéditas de mulheres que nunca tiveram suas composições registradas. “É surpreendente e emocionante trazer à tona músicas maravilhosas que permaneceram invisíveis apenas por terem sido escritas por mulheres”, disse. A maternidade e a formação em psicanálise também atravessam seu olhar artístico, reforçando o compromisso com uma escuta atenta e feminina. O podcast Mulheres Reais é apresentado por Carolina Ercolin e Luciana Garbin e está disponível semanalmente em todas as plataformas de áudio.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A cura di Paolo PellegriniGiuseppe Verdi – DON CARLOIntroduzione di Piero MioliDon Carlo Angelo Lo ForeseFilippo II Cesare SiepiRodrigo di Posa Ettore BastianiniElisabetta di Valois Anita CerquettiPrincipessa Eboli Fedora BarbieriIl grande inquisitore Giulio NeriUn frate Paolo WashingtonTebaldo Liliana Poli Il Conte di Lerma Enzo Guagni Un Araldo Reale Alberto Lotti-Camici Una voce dal cielo Iselle FavatiOrchestra e Coro delMaggio Musicale FiorentinoDirettore Antonino VottoLive 1956
durée : 02:28:43 - France Musique est à vous du samedi 25 octobre 2025 - par : Gabrielle Oliveira-Guyon - Ce samedi, un programme varié avec Haendel, Verdi, Rossini, Airelle Besson, les Cowboys Fringants et bien d'autres encore. De la musique pour tous les goûts ! - réalisé par : Emmanuel Benito Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
Today's episode is the latest installment in my series entitled “Rescue Mission,” which reintroduces great singers who have already been featured on the podcast. This is the Belated Birthday edition of that series, which reintroduces us to a wide range of Countermelody favorites, including jazz singer Ethel Ennis; baritones Robert Massard, Gérard Souzay, and Andrzej Hiolski; sopranos Sylvia Sass (pictured), Veronica Tyler, April Cantelo, Elly Ameling, Gloria Davy, Margaret Marshall, Rosanna Carteri, Sarah Reese, Ilse Wolf, and Carol Neblett; mezzo-sopranos Jennie Tourel, Maureen Lehane, and Shannon Bolin; and tenors David Rendall and Stuart Burrows. The repertoire is as varied and rare as are the artists featured, including songs by Rimsky-Korsakov, Chopin, Malcolm Williamson, and Alec Wilder; opera arias by Schreker, Mozart, Mascagni, and Verdi; and selections by Bach and Schütz. I love doing this kind of episode, because it allows me to cast my net wide and share with you the kinds of singers and repertoire that are bringing me comfort and joy in these trying times. Countermelody is a podcast devoted to the glory and the power of the human voice raised in song. Singer and vocal aficionado Daniel Gundlach explores great singers of the past and present focusing in particular on those who are less well-remembered today than they should be. Daniel's lifetime in music as a professional countertenor, pianist, vocal coach, voice teacher, and author yields an exciting array of anecdotes, impressions, and “inside stories.” At Countermelody's core is the celebration of great singers of all stripes, their instruments, and the connection they make to the words they sing. By clicking on the following link (https://linktr.ee/CountermelodyPodcast) you can find the dedicated Countermelody website which contains additional content including artist photos and episode setlists. The link will also take you to Countermelody's Patreon page, where you can pledge your monthly or yearly support at whatever level you can afford.
Kanzler Merz hat einen “Herbst der Reformen” angekündigt. Gewerkschaften befürchten Sozialabbau - und skizzieren Alternativen.
Send us a textSeveral friends and neighbors have moved out of the United States over the past year, and many more Alaskans are talking about it. Today's guest is an opera historian who has been living in Berlin, Germany, for the past 13 years. Daniel Gundlach is a former professional classical singer and accompanist who today hosts a podcast called Countermelody. The Countermelody Podcast is focused primarily on opera singers of the past century that may not have received the attention they deserved. Daniel is a countertenor which is a type of classical male singing voice equivalent to that of a female contralto or mezzo-soprano voice type. Today we talk about his life and career, but we will also discuss the trials and tribulations of being an American emigrant in Germany. Musical Excerpts:Leontyne Price, "O patria mia," from Verdi's AidaJoan Sutherland, "Eccola," from Donizetti's Lucia di LammermoorAnna Moffo, "Sempre Libera," from Verdi's La TraviataGilda Cruz-Romo, "O mio babbino caro," from Puccini's Gianni SchicchiDaniel Gundlach, "O Lord, whose mercies numberless," from Handel's SaulDaniel Gundlach, "O fatal day," from Handel's SaulDaniel Gundlach, "On a dit sur Venise tant et tant de choses," from Gualtiero Dazzi's Le Luthier de VeniseDaniel Gundlach, "Danny Boy," Irish Folk Song
A brand-new episode today inaugurating a series of episodes belatedly celebrating my birthday that will see us through to the end of the month. I have so many singers, composers, and topics in which I am interested and hope to devote full episodes to in the near future. This is the first of two episodes focusing on baritones (and a few bass-baritones) who have not yet received full Countermelody treatment. Among the singers included: Josef Metternich, Tom Krause, Walter Berry, Theodor Uppman (pictured), Erich Kunz, Charles Panzéra, Roland Hermann, Aubrey Pankey, Kostas Paskalis, Pavel Lisitsian, Gianni Maffeo, John Shirley-Quirk, and exemplary pop singers Scott Walker and David Allyn singing a wide range of music from art songs of Sibelius, Rachmaninov, Griffes, Diepenbrock, and Vaughan Williams, to mélodies by Ravel, Debussy, and Hahn, to Lieder by Schubert and Brahms, to operetta arias to opera scenes and arias by Leoncavallo, Verdi, and Manfred Gurlitt; to pop songs by Randy Newman and Rodgers and Hart. And that's just the tip of the iceberg: also teased are forthcoming episodes on arie antiche and the Polish-Swiss composer Constantin Regamey. Come to think of it, today's is an excellent introduction to the Countermelody podcast in all its range and scope. Countermelody is a podcast devoted to the glory and the power of the human voice raised in song. Singer and vocal aficionado Daniel Gundlach explores great singers of the past and present focusing in particular on those who are less well-remembered today than they should be. Daniel's lifetime in music as a professional countertenor, pianist, vocal coach, voice teacher, and author yields an exciting array of anecdotes, impressions, and “inside stories.” At Countermelody's core is the celebration of great singers of all stripes, their instruments, and the connection they make to the words they sing. By clicking on the following link (https://linktr.ee/CountermelodyPodcast) you can find the dedicated Countermelody website which contains additional content including artist photos and episode setlists. The link will also take you to Countermelody's Patreon page, where you can pledge your monthly or yearly support at whatever level you can afford.
This Day in Legal History: Spiro Agnew ResignsOn October 10, 1973, Vice President Spiro T. Agnew resigned from office after pleading nolo contendere (no contest) to a charge of federal income tax evasion. This marked the first time in U.S. history that a sitting vice president resigned due to criminal charges. Agnew, who had been under investigation for bribery, extortion, and tax fraud from his time as Baltimore County Executive and Governor of Maryland, struck a deal with federal prosecutors to avoid jail time.Agnew's resignation came amid the broader constitutional crisis surrounding the Nixon administration, which was already under intense scrutiny due to the unfolding Watergate scandal. While Agnew denied the bribery allegations, he admitted he failed to report $29,500 in income received in 1967. As part of the plea agreement, he was fined $10,000 and placed on three years' probation, but avoided prison.His departure triggered the use of the 25th Amendment, specifically Section 2, which allows the president to nominate a new vice president when a vacancy occurs. President Nixon nominated Gerald R. Ford, then House Minority Leader, who was confirmed by both chambers of Congress. Less than a year later, Nixon himself would resign, and Ford would ascend to the presidency—making him the only U.S. president never elected to the office of president or vice president.New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted on October 9, 2025, for allegedly providing false information on a mortgage application. A federal grand jury in Virginia charged her with bank fraud and making a false statement to a lending institution, accusing her of falsely claiming she would use a property in Norfolk, Virginia, as a secondary residence. The indictment alleges that by misrepresenting her intent, James secured a lower interest rate, saving around $19,000. She denies wrongdoing and called the charges a politically motivated attack by the Trump administration, which she has clashed with repeatedly.The case follows a recent indictment of former FBI Director James Comey and ongoing investigations into other Trump critics, including Senator Adam Schiff and Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. Critics, including James' attorney Abbe Lowell and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, claim Trump is using the Justice Department for political retaliation. The case was brought by U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan, a recent Trump appointee, reportedly without involvement from career prosecutors. James is expected to appear in court on October 24.The legal battle comes amid ongoing litigation between James and Trump, most notably a civil fraud case that initially led to a $454 million penalty against Trump, later overturned on appeal. James' team plans to fight the charges vigorously, suggesting her misstatements were not intentional.Letitia James, NY attorney general and Trump foe, indicted for mortgage fraud | ReutersA federal judge in Chicago has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's attempt to deploy National Guard troops to Illinois, citing concerns that the move could escalate tensions rather than ease them. U.S. District Judge April Perry questioned the federal government's justification for sending troops to manage what it described as unrest around an ICE facility in Broadview, Illinois. The state had sued the Trump administration, arguing the deployment was unnecessary and politically motivated. Perry noted that federal officers' own actions had sparked the protests and warned that additional troops would “add fuel to the fire.” Her injunction will remain in place until at least October 23.This ruling follows a similar block in Portland, Oregon, though a federal appeals court in San Francisco now seems poised to overturn that decision, possibly clearing the way for future deployments. The Trump administration has defended the use of troops, claiming it's necessary to protect federal property, while Democratic leaders in affected states accuse the president of misrepresenting peaceful protests as violent uprisings.Governor JB Pritzker called the court's ruling a win for the rule of law, arguing there's no rebellion requiring a military response in Illinois. The White House, meanwhile, pledged to appeal the decision, with Trump reiterating plans to expand troop deployments to other cities, including Chicago and Memphis. Critics argue this strategy stretches the limits of presidential authority and raises legal concerns over the military's role in domestic law enforcement.US judge blocks Trump's deployment of National Guard in Illinois | ReutersThe U.S. Senate confirmed Jennifer Mascott, a conservative legal scholar and Trump ally, to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a 50-47 vote, further shifting the court to the right. Her confirmation drew criticism from Democrats, particularly from Delaware senators, who objected to her lack of ties to the state traditionally associated with the vacant seat. Her only known Delaware connection is a beach house, prompting concerns about broken precedent and political loyalty.Mascott, who has clerked for Justices Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh, was on leave from her faculty position at Catholic University while working in the White House Counsel's Office. Senate Republicans praised her conservative legal background and past testimony before the Judiciary Committee. In contrast, Democrats criticized her nomination as partisan, with Senator Chuck Schumer labeling her a “sycophant” to Trump.This appointment, along with the recent confirmation of Emil Bove—a former Trump DOJ official and personal attorney—gives Republican appointees a majority on the 3rd Circuit, which hears appeals from Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.Democrats also voiced frustration over the elimination of the “blue slip” tradition, which once allowed home-state senators to block appellate nominees. Republicans ended that practice during Trump's first term, enabling confirmations like Mascott's over local opposition. On the same day, the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced another Trump nominee, Rebecca Taibleson, despite objections from her home-state senator.US Senate confirms Trump nominee Mascott to federal appeals court | ReutersA Republican-controlled Senate committee approved two of President Donald Trump's nominees to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) but delayed action on a third, leaving the agency without the quorum needed to issue decisions. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee voted 12-11 to advance James Murphy, a retired NLRB lawyer, to the board and Crystal Carey, a labor attorney, as general counsel. However, a planned vote on Scott Mayer, Boeing's chief labor counsel, was pulled after he clashed with Senator Josh Hawley during his confirmation hearing.The NLRB has been unable to function fully since Trump's firing of Democratic board member Gwynne Wilcox in January and the expiration of another Republican member's term. Wilcox is challenging her dismissal in court, and the Supreme Court has allowed her removal to stand pending resolution. Without at least three board members, the NLRB cannot issue rulings, stalling hundreds of cases — including many involving union elections.Trump's nominees would give Republicans control of the board for the first time since 2021. Democrats expressed concern over the independence of the nominees, noting the precedent of Wilcox's dismissal and questioning whether the new appointees could remain neutral. Both Murphy and Mayer insisted they would apply the law impartially, regardless of political pressure.Mayer faced particular scrutiny over a current strike involving Boeing workers in Missouri. Hawley criticized Boeing's executive compensation amid labor disputes, while Mayer declined to comment on the situation, citing his pending nomination. The HELP Committee also approved other Trump nominees for roles within the Department of Labor.US Senate panel approves two Trump NLRB nominees, tables a third | ReutersThis week's closing theme is by Giuseppe Verdi.This week's closing theme features a composer whose name is nearly synonymous with Italian opera — Giuseppe Verdi, born on or around October 10, 1813, in the small village of Le Roncole, then part of the Napoleonic French Empire. Best known for grand operas like La Traviata, Aida, and Rigoletto, Verdi's music defined the emotional and political voice of 19th-century Italy. Though his legacy rests almost entirely on the opera stage, Verdi briefly stepped into the world of chamber music with a single, striking contribution: his String Quartet in E minor, composed in 1873.He wrote it during a production delay of Aida in Naples, saying modestly it was “just a trifle” — but the work is anything but. The first movement, Allegro vivace, opens with an energetic, tightly woven interplay among the instruments, showcasing Verdi's grasp of counterpoint and formal structure, likely influenced by his admiration for German composers like Beethoven. There's a dramatic drive that feels operatic, yet the themes unfold with the clarity and discipline of a seasoned instrumentalist.It's the only surviving chamber piece Verdi completed, and it stands as a fascinating outlier in his body of work — more intimate, abstract, and inward-looking than his vocal dramas. The movement balances lyrical passages with bursts of rhythmic vitality, hinting that even without voices, Verdi could make instruments sing. As we mark the week of his birth, this selection offers a rare glimpse into the quieter, more introspective corners of a composer usually associated with sweeping arias and rousing choruses. This is a public episode. 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The LEGENDARY "Producer Jim" of the Dan Bongino Show and The Vince Show joins the show today to talk about the art of COMEDY in the digital era. Jim Verdi is a talented radio producer who has created a number of hilarious radio/podcast bits that have been massive hits. Follow Producer Jim on X at @JJVERDI. Buy Jim's Book "The Dan Bongino Survival Guide" anywhere you can buy books! Join UNGOVERNED on LFA TV every MONDAY - FRIDAY from 10am to 11am EASTERN! www.FarashMedia.com www.LFATV.us www.OFPFarms.com www.SLNT.com/SHAWN
L'imponente spettacolo dell'Aida di Verdi con la regia di Franco Zeffirelli sarà messo in scena all'Adelaide Oval il 5 e 6 febbraio 2026 grazie ad uno storico accordo raggiunto con l'Arena di Verona.
Luis Antonio Muñoz, nuestro experto en música misteriosa, regresa a DÍAS EXTRAÑOS para sumergirnos en el fascinante mundo donde las notas musicales se entrelazan con lo paranormal. Desde las óperas malditas como Macbeth de Verdi —esa "tragedia escocesa" que los cantantes ni se atreven a nombrar— hasta la legendaria teoría conspirativa de "Paul is Dead", exploramos cómo el mundo de la música está plagado de supersticiones, maldiciones y apariciones espectrales. Descubrimos la presencia del fantasma "Bartolo" en el mismísimo Auditorio Nacional de Madrid, analizamos el enigmático Club de los 27 y desentrañamos los mensajes ocultos en las portadas de los Beatles. Un viaje sonoro por teatros embrujados, compositores atormentados y leyendas urbanas que demuestran que, en la música, lo inexplicable siempre encuentra su propia partitura. Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals
Operaspymaster you may ask? Read on and listen to this episode. In this powerful and multifaceted episode of Unstoppable Mindset, we welcome Kay Sparling, former opera singer, PTSD survivor, and now debut novelist—as she shares her incredible life journey from international stages to the shadowy world of espionage fiction. Kay talks about the creation of her first novel, Mission Thaw, a gripping spy thriller based on her own real-life experiences volunteering with refugees in post-Cold War Europe. Kay and Michael discuss the inspiration behind her protagonist, CIA agent Caitlin Stewart, and how real-world trauma and service led Kay to use fiction as both a vehicle for healing and a call to action on the modern crisis of human trafficking. This is a conversation that transcends genres—music, espionage, activism, and resilience—all converging through the unstoppable spirit of a woman who refuses to stay silent. About the Guest: Kay Sparling was raised in the Midwest. At the age of seven, she began her professional singing career as Gretl in “The Sound of Music” and she continued to perform through high school. After graduation Kay attended University of Kansas and earned a BME in music education and a minor in Vocal Performance. She then attended graduate school in opera voice performance for one year at UMKC Conservatory of Music. She was awarded a grant to finish my graduate studies in Vienna, Austria. From there she won an apprenticeship at the Vienna State Opera. After moving to NYC to complete her second apprenticeship, Kay lived in Germany, Austria, and Italy for many years. In 1999 Kay returned to NYC and continued singing opera and became a cantor for the NYC diocese. After 9/11, she served as a cantor at many of the funeral and memorial masses for the fallen first responders. In 2003, Kay moved from NYC to the upper Midwest and started a conservatory of Music and Theatre where her voice students have been awarded numerous prestigious scholarships and won many competitions. In 2020, the pandemic shut down her conservatory, so she began training to be a legal assistant and now works in workers compensation. Back in 2013, Kay had started writing a journal as a PTSD treatment. She was encouraged to extend the material into a novel. After much training and several drafts, Mission Thaw was published in 2024. Kay is currently writing the second book in the Kaitlyn Stewart Spy Thriller Series. Ways to connect with Kay: Website: https://www.kaysparlingbooks.com X: https://x.com/MissionThaw/missionthaw/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/missionthaw.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/505674375416879 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kay-sparling-8516b638/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/missionthaw/ Litsy: https://www.litsy.com/web/user/Mission%20Thaw About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us. Michael Hingson ** 01:16 Well, hi everyone. Welcome to another episode of unstoppable mindset. I'm your host, Mike hingson, and our guest today is a very fascinating individual. I was just teasing her a little bit about her email address, which is operaspy master@gmail.com I'm telling you, don't cross her. That's all I gotta say. Anyway, we'll, we'll get into all of that. But I really am glad that she is with us. Kay Sparling is a fascinating woman who's had an interesting career. She's written, she's done a number of things. She's used to be an opera, gosh, all sorts of stuff. So anyway, we'll get to all of it and we'll talk about it. I don't want to give it all away. Where would the fun in that be? Kay, welcome to unstoppable mindset. Kay Sparling ** 02:11 Well, thank you. I'm glad to be here. Well, Michael Hingson ** 02:13 we're glad you're here. You're from up in Wisconsin. We were going to do this a couple of weeks ago, but you had all the storms, and it stole your internet and your power away, didn't Kay Sparling ** 02:23 it? It sure did. Yeah, that was a terrible storm we had. Michael Hingson ** 02:28 Yeah, that's kind of no fun. I remember years ago, I was talking to somebody on the phone. We were doing a sales call, and he said, I might not be able to stay on the phone because we're having a really serious storm, and he said it is possible that the lightning could hit the phone lines, and if it does, it could come in the house. And we talked for a few minutes, and then he said, I'm going to have to hang up, because I just felt a small shock, because the lightning obviously hit the phone line, so we'll have to talk later. And and he was gone. And we did talk later, though he was okay, but still, wow, yeah, there's a lot of crazy weather going on, isn't there? And we were just talking about the, we were just talking about the Canadian wildfires. They're No fun. Kay Sparling ** 03:15 No, no. Just everywhere is having crazy weather. Michael Hingson ** 03:20 Well, tell us a little bit about you growing up and all that sort of stuff, and telling me about the the early K Kay Sparling ** 03:32 Well, growing up, I grew up in a farm community in the in the central Midwest, just you know, right in the middle of the bread basket, you might say, not near where you are now. No no, no further south and in very much agriculture time, I mean skipping ahead. I remember talking to a famous opera conductor when I was an apprentice, and I made some reference, and he goes, Well, how would you know that? And I said, because I grew up on a farm. And he went, Oh, get out here. Nobody makes it, you know, to a major European opera house from a farm. And I went, Well, I did. And later, I asked my mom to send me a picture, because we had had an aerial view taken of our homestead, and it was obvious for miles, all the way around the house and the barn and all, it was just corn fields and soybeans. You know what they showed Michael Hingson ** 04:40 Illinois, Illinois, and so you showed it to him, yeah, Kay Sparling ** 04:44 I showed it to him, and he was like, well, doggone, you're not lying. Like, No, I wasn't kidding you. I really did. Michael Hingson ** 04:51 It shows how good I really am. See how far I progressed. Kay Sparling ** 04:55 Well, you know, I was one of these kids. I. At five years old, I my parents took me to see sound and music at the theater, and during the intermission. Now I'm five years old, it's pretty late for me, right? But when we're in the concession stand, I tug at my mom's skirt, and I say, Mom, that's what I want to do. And she looks at me kind of funny, and she's kind of funny, and she's kind of confused. Well, what do you want to do work in a theater? You know, a movie theater? No, no, I want to do what those kids are doing on that on the movie screen. And she was like, Well, honey, you know, that's that's really hard to get somewhere like that. So that was when I was five. And then when I was seven, she just, you know, the all the school and the church were telling her, this kid's got a great voice, and they kept giving me solos and stuff. And so when I was seven, she put me in the Sangamon County Fair Little Miss competition. And of course, my talent was singing, so I just sang away. I really can't remember what I sang, but afterwards, a fellow came up to my parents and introduced himself, and he said that he was there, he had family, not, you know, in the area, and that he had grown up there, but since then, he he was in St Louis, and he said, we are, I'm a scout, and I'm looking, I'm an entertainment Scout, and I'm actually looking for, you know, the von trop children. We're going to do a big production, and we'd love to audition your daughter. Well, we were about, think it was an hour and a half away from St Louis, so my parents are like, wow, that'd be quite a commitment. But long story short, I did it, and that started my professional career. I was the youngest Bon Troy. You know, over cradle, yeah. And so it just went from there. And, you know, it was all Broadway, of course, and I did a lot of church singing, you know, it got to be by the time I was, you know, in high school, people were hiring me for weddings, funerals, all that kind of thing. And so I was a Broadway and sacred singer. Went to college. My parents said, you can't depend on a vocal performance degree. What if things don't work out? You have to have something fall back. So I went into vocal music ed at a very, very good school for that, and also music therapy, and, you know, continue being in their shows. And when I when I graduated, continued the Broadway, and one night I was also singing a little bit of jazz in Kansas City, where I was living, someone approached me. She was a voice teacher at the conservatory there, and that conservatory had an apprenticeship with the Kansas City Lyric Opera. And she said I knew you was an undergrad. My husband works where you, where you went to school, and I have been watching you for a long time. And I wish you quit this nonsense of singing Broadway and jazz and rock and everything and get serious, you know, and try opera. So I thought she was crazy to bring that up, but it wasn't the first time it had been brought up. So I have been teaching for a year, and at the end of that school year, I announced everyone I was going to graduate school and I was going to study opera. And so Michael Hingson ** 08:55 what were you teaching? Kay Sparling ** 08:57 I was teaching high school choir, okay, at a very big high school, very, very good choir department. Michael Hingson ** 09:03 Now, by the way, after doing Gretel, did you ever have any other parts as you grew older in Sound of Music? Kay Sparling ** 09:11 Okay, that's a very cool question. I am one of the few people that I know that can say I have sang every major role in Sound of Music sometime in my life. Ah, okay, because it was so popular when I was Oh, yeah. And as I would grow older, well now you're going to sing, you know, you just kept graduating up. And then pretty soon I sang quite a few Marias. And then after I was an opera singer. During covid, I was asked to sing Mother Superior. Mother Superior. Yeah, literally, have sung, you know, in a decades long career, I've sung every role in Sound of Music. Michael Hingson ** 09:56 Cool. Well, that's great. 10:00 Yeah, so, so, anyway, so Michael Hingson ** 10:02 you said that you were going to go study opera, Kay Sparling ** 10:07 and I did a graduate school, and then I got the chance to get an international grant over to Europe, and so I decided to not finish my masters at that time and go over there and finish it, and most of all, importantly, do my first apprenticeship in Europe. And so I thought that was a great opportunity. They were willing. They were going to willing to pay for everything. And I said I would be a fool to turn this down. Yeah, so off I went, and that's kind of the rest of the story. You know, got a lot of great training, left Europe for a while, moved to New York City, trained best coaches and teachers in the world at the Metropolitan Opera and then, you know, launch my career. Michael Hingson ** 11:04 So you Wow, you, you've done a number of things, of course, going to Europe and being in Vienna and places like that. Certainly you were in the the right place. Kay Sparling ** 11:16 Yes, yes, definitely. You know, at that time in the in the middle 80s, United States was we had some great opera houses Iran, but we had very few. And it just wasn't the culture that it was in Europe, in Europe. And so, yes, there was a lot more opportunity there, because there was such a culture established there already. Michael Hingson ** 11:44 So you went off and you did Europe and saying opera, what were you a soprano? Or what were you that sounds like a way a little high for your voice? Kay Sparling ** 11:59 Well, you have to remember, I'm a senior citizen now. So this is the way it worked for me, because we're talking decades from the age 27 and I quit singing at 63 so that's a very long time to sing opera. So I started out, as you know, there is a voice kind of category, and each one of those, we use a German word for that. It's called Foch, F, A, C, H, and you know, that is determined by the kind of vocal cords you have, and the kind of training and the literature you're singing, and hopefully that all meshes together if you have good coaches and a good agent and such. And I literally have seen so many different Fox lyric, lyric mezzo, then to, very shortly, lyric soprano, and then for a long time, spinto soprano, which would be the Puccini and a lot of them really popular things. And then I was, I felt I was quite lucky that my voice did have the strength and did mature into a Verdi soprano, which is a dramatic soprano, not many of those around. And so that was, that was an endeavor, but at the same time, that was a leg up. And so most of the time in my career, I sang the bigger Puccini, like, let's say Tosca, and I sang a lot of Verdi. So I was an Italian opera singer. I mostly sang in Italian, not to say that I didn't sing in German or French, but I did very little in comparison to the Michael Hingson ** 13:56 Italian Well, there's a lot of good Italian opera out there, although mostly I don't understand it, but I don't speak Italian well. Kay Sparling ** 14:07 The great thing about most houses now is, you know, you can just look at the back of the seat in front of you, and there's the translation, you know, yeah, that Michael Hingson ** 14:18 doesn't work for me. Being blind, that doesn't work for you. Yeah, that's okay, though, but I like the music, yeah. So how long ago did you quit singing? Kay Sparling ** 14:32 Um, just about, well, under, just a little under three years ago, okay? Michael Hingson ** 14:38 And why did you quit? This was the right time, Kay Sparling ** 14:42 senses or what I had a circumstance, I had to have throat surgery. Now it wasn't on my vocal cords, but it was on my thyroid, and unfortunately, the vocal cord nerve. They had to take out some Cyst On. My right thyroid, and then remove it too. And unfortunately, my vocal cords were damaged at that time, I would have probably be singing still now some you know, I mean, because dramatic sopranos just can go on and on and on. One of my mentors was Birgit Nielsen, famous singer from Sweden, and she was in my grandmother's generation, but she didn't, I went to work with her, and she demonstrated at 77 she could still pop out of high C. And I believe, I believe I would have been able to do that too, but you know, circumstances, you know, changed, but that's okay. Yeah, I had sung a long time, and at least I can speak. So I'm just very happy about that. Michael Hingson ** 15:51 So when you did quit singing, what did you decide to go do? Or, or, How did, how did you progress from there? Kay Sparling ** 16:01 Well, I had already made a transition where I had come in 2003 to the Midwest. I came back from New York City, where I lived many, many years, and I started a conservatory of music and acting, and then that kind of grew into a whole conservatory of music. So I was also a part time professor here in Wisconsin, and I taught voice, you know, one on one vocal lessons, so high school and college and graduate school, and so I had this huge studio. So when that happened, I wasn't getting to sing a whole lot, because I was much more focused on my students singing me at that point, especially the older ones, professional ones, and so, you know, I just kept teaching and and then I had started this book that I'm promoting now, and so that gave me more time to get that book finished Michael Hingson ** 17:10 and published. What's the name of the book? Kay Sparling ** 17:13 The book is called Mission, thaw. Michael Hingson ** 17:16 Ah, okay, and what is it about Kay Sparling ** 17:22 mission thaw is feminist spy thriller set at the very end of the Cold War in the late 80s, and the main protagonist is Caitlin Stewart, who it who has went over there to be an opera singer, and soon after she arrives, is intensely recruited by the CIA. They have a mission. They really, really need a prima donna Mozart soprano, which is what Caitlin was, and she had won a lot of competitions and won a grant to go over there, and so they had been vetting her in graduate school in the United States. And soon as she came to Europe, they they recruited her within a couple weeks of her being there, and she, of course, is totally blindsided by that. When they approach her, she had she she recognized that things were not exactly the way they should be, that people were following her, and she was trying to figure out who, are these people and why are they following me everywhere? Well, it ends up being young CIA agents, and so when the head chief and his, you know, the second chief, approach her, you know, she's not real happy, because she's already felt violated, like her privacy has been violated, and so she wasn't really too wonderful of listening to them and their needs. And so they just sort of apprehend her and and throw her in a car, in a tinted window Mercedes, and off they go to a park to talk to her, right? And so it's all like crazy movie to Caitlin. It's like, what is going on here? And, you know, she can tell they're all Americans, and they have dark suits on, even though it's very, very hot, and dark glasses, you know? So everything is just like a movie. And so when they approach her and tell her about what they need her to do, you know, and this would be in addition to the apprentice she is doing that, you know, she just gets up and says, I'm sorry I didn't come over and be in cloak and dagger. A, you know, ring, I'm getting out of here. And as she's walking away, the chief says, Well, what if you could help bring down the Berlin Wall? Well, now that stops her in her tracks, and she turns around. She goes, What are you kidding? I'm just a, you know, an opera apprentice from the Midwest grew up on a farm. What am I gonna do? Hit a high C and knock it down. I mean, what are you talking about? Michael Hingson ** 20:28 Hey, Joshua, brought down the wealth of Jericho, after all. Well, yeah, some Kay Sparling ** 20:34 later, someone tells her that, actually, but, but anyway, they say, well, sit down and we'll explain what we need you to do. And so the the initial job that Caitlin accepts and the CIA to be trained to do is what they call a high profile information gap. She has a wonderful personality. She's really pretty. She's very fashionable, so she can run with the jet set. And usually the jet set in Europe, the opera jet set is also where all the heads of states hang out, too. And at that time, the the Prime Minister was pretty much banking the Vienna State Opera where she was apprenticing. So he ends up being along with many other Western Austrian businessmen in a cartel of human trafficking. Who they are trafficking are all the the different citizens of the countries that USSR let go. You know, when you know just got to be too much. Remember how, oh yeah, we're going to let you go. Okay? And then they would just pull out. And there was no infrastructure. There was nothing. And these poor people didn't have jobs, they didn't have electricity. The Russian mafia was running in there trying to take, you know, take over. It was, it was chaos. And so these poor people were just packing up what they could to carry, and literally, sometimes walking or maybe taking a train into the first Western European country they could get to. And for a lot of them, just because the geographical area that was Austria. And so basically, the Austrians did not want these people, and they were being very unwelcoming and arresting a lot of them, and there was a lot of lot of bad behavior towards these refugees. And so the Catholic church, the Catholic Social Services, the Mennonite Relief Fund, the the UN and the Red Cross started building just tent after tent after tent on the edge of town for these people to stay at. And so the businessmen decide, well, we can traffic these people that have nothing over to the East Germans, who will promise them everything, but will give them nothing. But, you know, death camps, basically, just like in World War Two. So you have work camps, you have factories. They they don't feed these people correctly. They don't they don't give them anything that they promise to them in in the camps. And they say, Okay, be on this train at this time, this night. And then they stop somewhere in between Vienna and East Germany, in a very small train station in the middle of the Alps. And they have these large, you know, basic slave options. And unfortunately, the children in the older people get sent back to the camp because they don't need them or want them. So all the children get displaced from their families, as well as the senior citizens or anyone with a disability. And then, you know, the men and the women that can work are broken up as well, and they're sent to these, you know, they're bought by these owners of these factories and farms, and the beautiful women, of course, are sold to either an individual that's there in East German that just wants to have a sex aid, pretty much. Or even worse, they could be sold to an underground East Berlin men's club. And so terrible, terrible things happen to the women in particular, and the more that Caitlin learns. As she's being trained about what's happening, and she interviews a lot of these women, and she sees the results of what's happened, it, it, it really strengthens her and gives her courage. And that's a good thing, because as time goes through the mission, she ends up having to be much, much more than just a high profile social, you know, information gather. She ends up being a combat agent and so, but that that's in the mission as you read, that that happens gradually and so, what? What I think is really a good relationship in this story, is that the one that trains her, because this is actually both CIA and MI six are working on this, on this mission, thought and the director of the whole mission is an very seasoned mi six agent who everyone considers the best spy in the free world. And Ian Fleming himself this, this is true. Fact. Would go to this man and consult with him when he was writing a new book, to make sure you know that he was what he was saying is, Could this really happen? And that becomes that person, Clive Matthews become praying, Caitlyn, particularly when she has to start changing and, you know, defending herself. And possibly, you know, Michael Hingson ** 26:38 so he becomes her teacher in Kay Sparling ** 26:42 every way. Yes. So how Michael Hingson ** 26:45 much? Gee, lots of questions. First of all, how much of the story is actually Kay Sparling ** 26:50 true? All this story is true. The Michael Hingson ** 26:53 whole mission is true. Yes, sir. And so how did you learn about this? What? What caused you to start to decide to write this story? Kay Sparling ** 27:08 So some of these experiences are my own experiences. And so after I as an opera singer, decided to be a volunteer to help out these refugees. I witnessed a lot, and so many years later, I was being treated for PTSD because of what I'd witnessed there. And then a little bit later in Bosnia in the early 90s, and I was taking music therapy and art therapy, and my psychiatrist thought that it'd be a good idea if also I journaled, you know, the things that I saw. And so I started writing things, and then I turned it in, and they had a person that was an intern that was working with him, and both of them encouraged me. They said, wow, if, if there's more to say about this, you should write a book, cuz this is really, really, really good stuff. And so at one point I thought, Well, why not? I will try. So this book is exactly what happened Caitlin, you know, is a real person, and everyone in the book is real. Of course, I changed the names to protect people and their descriptions, but I, you know, I just interviewed a lot of spies that were involved. So, yes, this is a true story. Michael Hingson ** 29:06 Did you do most of this? Then, after your singing career, were you writing while the career, while you were singing? Kay Sparling ** 29:13 I was writing while I was still singing. Yeah, I started the book in 2015 Okay, and because, as I was taking the PTSD treatment and had to put it on the shelf several times, life got in the way. I got my my teaching career just really took off. And then I was still singing quite a bit. And then on top of it, everything kind of ceased in 2018 when my mother moved in with me and she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, but Louie body Alzheimer's, which is a very, very rough time, and so I became one of her caretakers. So I quit singing, put that on hold, and I. I had to really, really bring down the number in my studio I was teaching and spend time here at home. And so I would take care of her, but then after she would go to bed, and she'd go to bed much earlier than I wanted to, that's when I write, and that's when I got the lion's share of this book written. Was during that time, it was a great escape from what I was dealing with, believe it or not, you know, even though there's some real graphic things in the book and all it wasn't, it was a nice distraction. Michael Hingson ** 30:36 Wow, so you, you lived this, needless to say, Kay Sparling ** 30:41 Yes, I did, and yes. Michael Hingson ** 30:45 So you've talked a little bit about what happened to these countries after the collapse of the USSR and communism and so on, these eastern companies, companies, countries. Has it changed much over the years. Kay Sparling ** 31:03 Oh, yeah, for instance, one, you know, I went to Budapest after they were freed, I guess is what usr would say. Stayed in a five star hotel, and we were lucky if we had running water and electricity at the same time. And every time you went down on the streets, all you'd see is lines, you know, I mean, just because there'd be all like, Red Cross, etc, would be there, and they'd have these big trucks they drove in every day, and it just got to be because they had nothing. If you saw a truck, you'd start running towards it and get in line. You didn't care what it was, you know, and it was. And then fights would break out because they wouldn't have enough for everyone. And then, like, you know, maybe someone's walking away with a bag of rice, and some of us knock them over the head and take, you know, and it was very hard, you know, I was a volunteer there, and it was very, very hard to see this, you know, desperation, one story that I'd like to tell, and I put it in the book. I was riding my bike, you know, on a Friday afternoon to get some groceries at the nearest supermarket where my apartment was, and at that time, they still had the European hours, so they were going to close at five o'clock, and they weren't going to open until seven or eight on Monday morning. So you had to make sure you got there to get your weekend supply. So I was on my way, and I was parking my bike, and this woman, refugee woman, runs up and she has two small children with her, and she's carrying a baby, and she's speaking to me in a language I did not know. I do speak several languages, but I don't know Slavic languages and so, but I'm getting the gist of it that she has nothing to eat, neither do her children, and so I'm patting her on the shoulder, and right when I do that, a policeman that was guarding the door of the supermarket came up to me and, like, grabbed me really hard, and told me in German that I was not To speak to them, and I was not to help them, because if you help them, they'll stay. And I said to him in German, I'm an American. I am not Austrian. I am here on a work visa, and I can do whatever the hell I want to do. Well, he didn't like that. And so I just walked away from him, and I went in the store. And so I got up everything I get. Think of the big need, you know, I never had a baby, so I was trying to kind of figure that out, yeah, and I had to figure it out in German, you know, looking at labels now. And so finally I got, I got some stuff, you know, the stuff I needed, and, and, and the stuff that I got for the family, and I checked out, and I'm pushing the cart, you know, towards them. And he runs up beside me and stops me, and he says, I am going to arrest you if you bring that. I told you not to help them. And I said, again, I don't think I'm breaking any laws. And he said, Oh yes, you are. And I said, Well, I didn't read that in the papers. I didn't see it on TV where anyone said. That you cannot help a refugee. And so we're going back and forth. And so, you know, I'm pretty strong, so I just keep pushing it towards it. Well, she's kind of running down the park, and I'm like, wait, wait, you know, because she's getting scared of this guy, you know, he has a gun, he has a nightstick. Of course, she's scared, and so, you know, I would say, No, no, it's okay, because I can't speak for language, right? And so I'm just trying to give her body language and talk. Well, finally she does stop, and I just throw I give the one sack to the little boy, and one second little girl, they just run and and then, you know, I'm talking to her and saying, you know, it's okay, it's okay. And he grabs me, and he turns me around and he spits in my face. Michael Hingson ** 35:53 Wow. Talk about breaking the law. But anyway, go ahead. Kay Sparling ** 36:00 Welcome to Austria in the late 80s. You have to understand their Prime Minister Kurt voltheim won on the Nazi ticket. Mm, hmm. At that very time, if you got on a bus and you saw these businessmen going to work, at least 50% of them were reading the Nazi paper. Okay, so we kind of know what, where his affiliations lie. You know, this policeman and, you know, and I was very aware, you know, of of that party being very strong. And so you have to watch yourself when, when you're a foreigner. And I was a foreigner too, just like her. And so after wiping my face, I mean, I really, really wanted to give him a kick or something, yeah, and I do, I do know martial arts, but I was like, no, no, gotta stay cool. And I just told her to run. And she did and caught up with the children, and, you know, kept running. So that was the first experience I had knowing how unwelcome these people were in Austria. Yeah, so I got involved, yeah, I got involved because I was like, this is absolutely not right. Michael Hingson ** 37:31 And so the book is, in part, to try to bring awareness to all that. I would think Kay Sparling ** 37:36 absolutely there are, there are bits of it are, they're pretty darn graphic, but it's all true, and it's all documented. Sometimes people about human trafficking, they think, oh, it's not in my backyard. I'm not going to think about that. Well, I live in a very small college town, around 17,000 people, and two months ago, on the front page of this small paper here in town, there were seven men that were arrested for many counts of human trafficking of underage women and prostitution. So guess what, folks, it is in your backyard. If it's in this little town, it's probably in yours too. And we have to be aware before we can do anything. So we have to open our eyes. And I hope this book opens the eyes of the reader to say, Oh, my God, I knew things were bad, but I didn't realize that torture, this kind of thing went on. Well, it does, and I the International Labor Union estimates that 21 million people are being you. You are victims of human trafficking right now, as we speak, throughout the world, that's a lot of people, a lot of people. So most likely, we've all seen some hint of that going on, it didn't register as it at the time. You know, if you're just walked out of a restaurant, and you're walking to your car that's parked on the street, and you happen to go by an alley and there's restaurants on that row, and all of a sudden you see people being kind of shoved out and put in a truck. That's probably human trafficking, you know? And you know, a lot of people don't pay attention, but like, if they stop and think that doesn't look right, and if those people look like they may be from another country, yeah. And all you have to do is call the authorities, you know, and other ways that you can help are by you know, that that you can get involved. Are, you know, donate to all the different organizations that are finding this now. Michael Hingson ** 40:19 Was the book self published, or do you have a publisher? Kay Sparling ** 40:25 I self published, but it's more of a hybrid publishing company that's kind of a new thing that's going on, and so I cannot learn all those different facets of publishing a book, right? It just wasn't in my, you know, skill set, and it also wasn't even interesting to me. I don't want to learn how to do graphic illustration. Okay? So what I did is I hired a hybrid company that had all these different departments that dealt with this, and I had complete artistic control, and I was able to negotiate a great deal on my net profits. So I feel that, after looking into the traditional publishing world and not being exactly pleased with it to say the least, I think that was the right business choice for me to make, and I'm very happy I did it. Michael Hingson ** 41:46 How do you market the book then? Kay Sparling ** 41:48 Well, that was, that was the tricky part that that publisher did have some marketing they started, but obviously now they agreed it wasn't enough. So at that point, I attended a virtual women's publishing seminar, and I really paid attention to all the companies that were presenting about marketing. And in that time, I felt one that I just was totally drawn to, and so I asked her if we could have a consultation, and we did, and the rest is history. I did hire her team and a publicist, Mickey, who you probably know, and, yeah, it's been going really great. That was the second smart thing I did, was to, you know, hire, hire a publicity. Michael Hingson ** 42:50 Well, yeah, and marketing is one is a is a tricky thing. It's not the most complicated thing in the world, but you do have to learn it, and you have to be disciplined. So good for you, for for finding someone to help, but you obviously recognize the need to market, which is extremely important, and traditional publishers don't do nearly as much of it as they used to. Of course, there are probably a lot more authors than there used to be too. But still, Kay Sparling ** 43:19 yeah, their their marketing has changed completely. I remember I had a roommate that became a famous author, and just thinking about when he started, you know, in the 80s, how the industry is completely changed. Mm, hmm, you know. So, yeah, it's, it's really tricky. The whole thing is very tricky. One thing that I also did is one of my graduate students needed a job, and so I've known her since, literally, I've known her since eighth grade. I have been with this student a long time, and she's done very well, but she really is a wiz at the social media. And so she made all my accounts. I think I have 12 altogether, and every time I do something like what I'm doing tonight, soon as it's released, she just puts it out there, everywhere and and I have to thank her from again that that's probably not my skill set. Michael Hingson ** 44:37 Well, everyone has gifts, right? And the the people who I think are the most successful are the people who recognize that they have gifts. There are other people that have gifts that will augment or enhance what they do. And it's good that you find ways to collaborate. I think collaborating is such an important thing. Oh, yeah. All too many people don't. They think that they can just do it all in and then some people can. I mean, I know that there are some people who can, but a lot of people don't and can't. Kay Sparling ** 45:12 Well, I've got other things. I've got going, you know, so maybe if I only had to do the book, everything to do with the book, that would be one thing, but I, you know, I have other things I have to have in my life. And so I think that collaboration is also fun, and I'm very good at delegating. I have been very good at delegating for a long time. When I started my school. I also started a theater company, and if you know one thing, it's a three ring circus to produce an opera or a musical, and I've done a lot of them, and yeah, I would have not survived if I didn't learn how to delegate and trust people to do their own thing. So what are you Michael Hingson ** 45:58 doing today? What are you doing today? Besides writing? Kay Sparling ** 46:04 Well, during covid, everything got shut down, and I didn't have an income, and I had to do something. And one of, believe it or not, one of my parents, of one of my students, is an attorney for the state of Wisconsin, and she was very worried. I mean, it looked like I might lose my house. I mean, I literally had no income. And so, you know, I was a small business person, and so she offered me very graciously to come work in the department of workers compensation in the legal Bureau at the state of Wisconsin. So I never have done anything like that in my life. I have never sat in a cubicle. I've never sat in front of a computer unless it was in its recording studio or something like that. So it was a crazy thing to have to do in my early 60s, but I'm a single woman, and I had to do it, and and I did, and it put me on solid ground, and that was one reason I couldn't finish the book, because I didn't have to worry about a live cookie. And so I am continuing to do that in so as in the day, that is what I do. I'm a legal assistant, cool. Michael Hingson ** 47:32 And so when did mission thought get published? Kay Sparling ** 47:38 Mission thought almost a year ago, in August of 2024 it launched, yes, okay, yeah. And it was very scary for me, you know, because my hybrid publishers up in Canada, and they were telling me, Well, you know, we're going to get you some editorial reviews and we're going to have you be interviewed. And you know, those very first things where my editor at at the publisher had told me it was one of the really a good book, and that was one of the cleanest books she ever had to edit. And so that kind of gave me some confidence. But you understand, look at my background. I I didn't go to school to be a writer. I had never studied writing. I hadn't done any writing up until now, and so to that was my first kind of sigh of relief when the editor at the publisher said it was really a good book, and then I started getting the editorial reviews, and they were all stellar, and they continue to be. And I'm, I'm still a little shocked, you know, because it takes time, I guess, for a person to switch gears and identify themselves as an author. But you know, after a year now, I'm feeling much more comfortable in my shoes about that. But at first it was, it was trying because I was scared and I was worried, you know, what people were going to think about the book, not the story, so much as how it was crafted. But it ends up, well, Michael Hingson ** 49:15 it ends up being part of the same thing, and yeah, the very fact that they love it that that means a lot. Yeah, so is, is there more in the way of adventures from Caitlin coming up or what's happening? Kay Sparling ** 49:30 Yeah, this is hopefully a trilogy, um of Caitlin's most important standout missions. And so the second one is set in the early 90s during the Bosnian war. And this time, she cannot use opera as a cover, because obviously in a war zone, there's no opera. And so she has to. To go undercover as either a un volunteer or Red Cross, and this time, her sidekick is not the Clive Matthews. He has actually started a special squad, combat squad that's going in because, of course, we, none of us, were really involved with that war, right? But that's what he's doing. And so, believe it or not, her, her sidekick, so to speak, is a priest that very early, goes on and sees, you know, this absolute ethnic cleansing going on, you know, massacres and and he tries to get the Catholic Church to help, and they're like, no, no, we're not touching that. And so he goes AWOL. And had been friends in Vienna with the CIA during the first book. He goes to the CIA and says, This is what's going on. I saw it with my own eyes. I want to help. And so he becomes Caitlin's sidekick, which is a very interesting relationship. You know, Caitlin, the opera singer, kind of, kind of modern girl, you know, and then you know, the kind of staunch priest. But they find a way to work together, and they have to, because they have to save each other's lives a couple times. And this is my favorite book of the three. And so basically what happens is called Mission impromptu, and I hope to have that finished at the end of this month. And the reason we call it impromptu is because her chief tells her to just get the information and get out, but her and the priest find out that there is a camp of orphaned boys that they are planning to come massacre, and so they they they basically go rogue and don't follow orders and go try to help the boys. Yeah. And then the third book, she has actually moved back to New York, and she's thinking, well, she does retire from the CIA, and it's the summer of 2001 and what happened in September of 2001 911 and so they call her right back in she literally had been retired for about three months. Michael Hingson ** 52:35 Well, to my knowledge, I never met Caitlin, so I'm just saying Mm hmm, having been in the World Trade Center on September 11, but I don't think I met Caitlin anyway. Kay Sparling ** 52:43 Go ahead. No, she wasn't in the towers, but no, I was in New York. And yeah, so they called her back right away. And so the third one is going to be called Mission home front, because that's been her home for a very long time. She's been living in New York. Michael Hingson ** 53:01 Are there plans for Caitlin beyond these three books? I hope so. Kay Sparling ** 53:08 I think it would be fun for her to retire from the CIA and then move back to the Midwest. And, you know, it turned into a complete fiction. Of course, this is not true stuff, but, you know, like kind of a cozy mystery series, right, where things happen and people can't get anyone to really investigate it, so they come to Caitlin, and then maybe her ex boss, you know, the chief that's also retired, they kind of, you know, gang up and become pi type, you know, right? I'm thinking that might be a fun thing. Michael Hingson ** 53:46 Now, are mostly books two and three in the mission series. Are they also relatively non fiction? 53:53 Yes, okay, Michael Hingson ** 53:57 okay, cool, yes. Well, you know, it's, it's pretty fascinating to to hear all of this and to to see it, to hear about it from you, but to see it coming together, that is, that is really pretty cool to you know, to see you experiencing have the book, has mission thought been converted by any chance to audio? Is it available on Audible or Kay Sparling ** 54:21 anywhere it has not but it is in my plans. It's there's a little bit of choice I have to make do. I use my publisher and hire one of their readers you know to do it, someone you know, that's in equity, that type of thing. Or you know, my publicity, or people are also saying, well, because you're an actor, and, you know, all these accents, it might be nice for you to do to read your own book. Well, the problem is time, you know, just the time to do it, because I'm so busy promoting the book right now. And really. Right writing the second one that you know, I just don't know if I'm going to be able to pull that off, but I have my own records, recording studio in my voice studio downstairs, but it's just and I have all the equipment I have engineers. It's just a matter of me being able to take the time to practice and to get that done. So it's probably going to be, I'll just use their, one of their people, but yes, yeah, it's coming. It's coming. Well, it's, Michael Hingson ** 55:29 it's tough. I know when we published last year, live like a guide dog, and the publisher, we did it through a traditional publisher, they worked with dreamscape to create an audio version. And I actually auditioned remotely several authors and chose one. But it is hard to really find someone to read the book the way you want it read, because you know what it's like, and so there is merit to you taking the time to read it. But still, as you said, there are a lot of things going on, Kay Sparling ** 56:09 yeah, and I have read, you know, certain portions of the book, because some podcasts that I've been on asked me to do that, and I and I practiced and that, it went very well. And of course, when people hear that, they're like, Oh, you're the one that has to do this. You know Caitlin. You can speak her, you know her attitudes and all. And then you also know how to throw all those different accents out there, because there's going to be, like, several, there's Dutch, there's German, there's Scottish, high British and Austrian. I mean, yeah, yeah, Austrians speak different than Germans. Mm, hmm, Michael Hingson ** 56:53 yeah, it's it's a challenge, but it's still something worth considering, because you're going to bring a dimension to it that no one else really can because you wrote it and you really know what you want them to sound like, Yeah, but it's a it's a process. I and I appreciate that, but you've got lots going on, and you have to have an income. I know for me, we started live like a guide dog my latest book when the pandemic began, because I realized that although I had talked about getting out of the World Trade Center and doing so without exhibiting fear, didn't mean that it wasn't there, but I realized that I had learned to control fear, because I learned a lot that I was able to put to use on the Day of the emergency. And so the result of that was that, in fact, the mindset kicked in and I was able to function, but I never taught anyone how to do that. And so the intent of live like a guide dog was to be a way that people could learn how to control fear and not let fear overwhelm or, as I put it, blind them, but rather use fear as a very powerful tool to help you focus and do the things that you really need to do. But it's a choice. People have to learn that they can make that choice and they can control it, which is kind of what really brought the book to to mind. And the result was that we then, then did it. And so it came out last August as well. Kay Sparling ** 58:27 Oh, well, if you read my book, you'll see Caitlin developing the same skills you were just talking about. She has to overcome fear all the time, because she's never been in these situations before, and yet she has to survive, you know? Michael Hingson ** 58:44 Yeah, well, and the reality is that most of us take too many things for granted and don't really learn. But if you learn, for example, if there's an emergency, do you know where to go in the case of an emergency? Do you know how to evacuate, not by reading the signs? Do you know? And that's the difference, the people who know have a mindset that will help them be a lot more likely to be able to survive, because they know what all the options are, and if there's a way to get out, they know what they are, rather than relying on signs, which may or may not even be available to you if you're in a smoke filled environment, for example, yeah, Kay Sparling ** 59:22 yeah, you should know ahead of time. Yeah, you know, I know the state where I work. I I mostly work at home. I'm able to do that, but we do have to go in once a week, and we just changed floors. They've been doing a lot of remodeling, and that was the first thing, you know, the supervisor wanted us to do was walk through all the way for a tornado, fire, etc, and so we did that, you know, and that's smart, because then you're like, you say you're not trying to look at a chart as you're running or whatever, Michael Hingson ** 59:56 and you may need to do it more than once to make sure you really know it. I know for me. I spent a lot of time walking around the World Trade Center. In fact, I didn't even use my guide dog. I used a cane, because with a cane, I'll find things that the dog would just automatically go around or ignore, like kiosks and other things. But I want to know where all that stuff is, because I want to know what all the shops are down on the first floor. Well, now that that is the case anymore, but it was at the time there was a shopping mall and knowing where everything was, but also knowing where different offices were, knowing who was in which offices, and then knowing the really important things that most people don't know about, like where the Estee Lauder second store was on the 46th floor of tower two. You know, you got to have the important things for wives, and so I learned what that was. Well, it was, it was, those are important things, but you'll learn a lot, and it's real knowledge. Someone, a recent podcast episode that they were on, said something very interesting, and that is that we're always getting information, but information isn't knowing it. Knowledge is really internalizing the information and making it part of our psyche and really getting us to the point where we truly know it and can put it to use. And that is so true. It isn't just getting information. Well, that's great. I know that now, well, no, you don't necessarily know it now, until you internalize it, until you truly make it part of your knowledge. And I think that's something that a lot of people miss. Well, this has been a lot of fun. If people want to reach out to you, is there a way they can do that? Kay Sparling ** 1:01:40 Yeah, the best thing is my book website, K, Sparling books.com spelled and it would K, a, y, s, p, as in Paul, A, R, L, I N, G, B, O, O, K, s.com.com, okay, and you can email me through there. And all the media that I've been on is in the media section. The editorial reviews are there. There's another thing that my student heats up for me is the website. It's it's really developed. And so lots of information about the book and about me on on there. And one thing I want to mention is, just because of my background and all the all the people that you know, I know, a friend of mine is a composer, and he wrote a song, a theme song, because we do hope that someday we can sell this, you know, yeah, to for movie and, or, you know, Netflix, or something like that. And so he wrote a theme song and theme music. And I just think that's fun. And then I wanted my students saying, saying it. And then, you know, it's with a rock band, but it's, it's very James Bond, the kind of with a little opera, you know, involved too. But, you know, not a lot of authors can say that on their website, they have a theme song for their books. Michael Hingson ** 1:03:16 And where is Kay Sparling ** 1:03:18 it? It would be under, it's going to be about the author. And there's a nice one of my other students is a graphic artist. She She did a graphic a scene of Caitlin with her ball gown, and she's got her foot up on a stool, and she's putting her pistol in her thigh holster, in I think, you know, it's kind of like a cartoon, and it quotes Caitlin saying, I bet you I'm going to be the only bell at the ball with this accessory pistol. And then right underneath that, that song, you can click it and hear it. We also are on YouTube mission. Thought does have its own YouTube channel, so you can find it there as well. Michael Hingson ** 1:04:05 So well, I want to thank you for being here and for telling us all the stories and especially about mission. I hope people will get it and read it, and I look forward to it coming out in audio at some point. Yes, I'll be lazy and wait for that, I I like to to get books with human readers. You know, I can get the print book and I can play it with a synthetic voice, but I, I really prefer human voices. And I know a lot of people who do AI has not progressed to the point where it really can pull that off. Kay Sparling ** 1:04:38 Well, no, it cannot. Yeah, I totally agree with you there. Michael Hingson ** 1:04:42 So Well, thank you for being here, and I want to thank all of you for listening and watching us today. This has been fun. And as some of you know, if you listen to many of these podcasts, we have a rule on the podcast, you can't come on unless you're going to have fun. So we did have fun. We. You have fun? Yeah. See, there you go. I was gonna ask if you had fun. Of course, yes. So thank you all for listening. Love to hear from you. Love to hear what your thoughts are about today's episode. Feel free to email me at Michael H, i@accessibe.com that's m, I, C, H, A, E, L, H, I at accessibe, A, C, E, S, S, i, b, e.com, also, please give us a five star rating. We appreciate it. K, I'll appreciate it. And when this goes up, when you hear it, we really value those ratings and reviews very highly. If you know anyone else who ought to be a guest and KU as well, love to hear from you. Please introduce us. Kay, you'll have to introduce us to Caitlin, but But seriously, we always are looking for more guests. So if anyone knows of anyone who ought to come on and tell a story, we'd love to hear from you. But again, Kay, I want to thank you one last time. This has been great, and we really appreciate you being here. Kay Sparling ** 1:05:59 Well, thank you for having me. Michael Hingson ** 1:06:04 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com . AccessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for Listening. 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