201. Interview with Alonzo Demetrius, Morristown, New Jersey (05:51)

Date:
2020-10-08
Main contributors:
Alonzo Demetrius
Summary:
Alonzo Demetrius (Morristown, New Jersey) Alonzo Demetrius Ryan Jr. is a trumpeter, composer, and bandleader. He was classically trained in trumpet pedagogy and has studied at the historic Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz. In 2014 he obtained a B.M. from the Berklee College of Music, and in 2019 received his MM from the Berklee Global Jazz Institute. He has taught masterclasses domestically and abroad at Berklee College of Music, IMEP Paris College of Music, Music Academy International, Fundación Danilo Perez, and beyond. Alonzo is the founder and bandleader of the band The Ego, which has performed throughout the New England and New York metropolitan areas since the fall of 2017. He has worked with musicians including Terence Blanchard, Terri Lyne Carrington, Ralph Peterson Jr., Tia Fuller, Robert Glasper, and Jason Palmer. His album Live from the Prison Nation (The Onyx Productions Music Label, 2020) is his personal form of protest against the Prison Industrial Complex. Interviewed by Tamar Sella, 10/08/2020.

202. Interview with Alonzo Townsend, St. Louis, Missouri (05:32)

Date:
2020-09-04
Main contributors:
Alonzo Townsend
Summary:
Alonzo Townsend (St. Louis, Missouri) Alonzo Townsend is the youngest son of Delta blues legend and patriarch of the St. Louis Blues Henry James “Mule” Townsend and blues singer Vernell Townsend. Alonzo has made it his mission to carry on the blues heritage and become an active voice for St. Louis’ history and vibrant music scene. Alonzo accepted the posthumous Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album in 2008 on behalf of his late father for his album, Last of the Great Mississippi Delta Bluesmen: Live in Dallas. Alonzo himself is a spoken word emcee, booking coordinator, event manager and talent manager for events like Taste of St. Louis, River Front Times Music Showcase, Big Muddy Blues Festival, Blues at The Arch and more. His spoken word recording, “A Letter To My City,” was featured as a part of the 18 N 18 St. Louis Blues Society Compilation Album. Townsend is a speaker and writer for the St. Louis Blues Society, Blues Education programs including “Hip-Hop to The Blues,” and a presenter/youth educator for Blues in The Schools Programs. Interviewed by Holly Hobbs, 09/04/2020.

203. Interview with Amy Garland, Fox, Arkansas (05:55)

Date:
2020-09-18
Main contributors:
Amy Garland
Summary:
Amy Garland (Fox, Arkansas) Fox, Arkansas-based musician and artist, Amy Garland, has spent many years serving as a mentor figure to other artists throughout the region. She also has her own show on the local public radio station, KABF, called “Backroads,” where she plays a variety of independent country/old-time/bluegrass/singer-songwriter musics to her local fanbase. Her all-girl group, The Wildflowers, performs regional shows, while she continues writing and performing her own compositions. Amy Garland is also a social worker and a guitar strap maker. Interviewed by Holly Hobbs, 09/18/2020.

204. Interview with Andrae Ambrose, Chicago, Illinois (05:32)

Date:
2020-10-01
Main contributors:
Andrae Ambrose
Summary:
Andrae Ambrose (Chicago, Illinois) As the President and Lead Producer of Jambrose Music Group, gospel musician Andrae Ambrose is known for his professional overseeing of live recording sessions. Andrae has worked with a number of major recording artists, including Grammy Award-winning producers Kevin Randolph, Donald Lawrence, Kirk Franklin, and Aaron Lindsey, as well as work with artists such as Leslie Ruiz, Brandon Roberson, Atmosphere of Heaven, San Franklin, One 4 Christ, and Reggie Royal & Judah. Andrae has served on the Chicago Board of Governors of the National Association of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS) and was the co-chair for the Gospel Task Force of the Chicago Chapter. He is the composer of the SoundMind Collection, a series of therapeutic instrumental music. As a member of a pastoral family, his perspective on music ministry includes training of worship leaders and choirs around the world. Interviewed by Holly Hobbs, 10/01/2020.

205. Interview with Andre Johnson, Washington, District of Columbia (06:05)

Date:
2020-11-02
Main contributors:
Andre Johnson
Summary:
Andre Johnson (Washington, D.C.) Andre “Whiteboy” Johnson is a singer and guitarist based in Washington, D.C. Johnson is the lead guitarist and founding member of D.C. go-go band Rare Essence. In 1976, Johnson co-founded Rare Essence with friends in elementary school. Originally the Young Dynamos, they later changed their name and expanded their lineup, becoming one of the city’s premiere go-go institutions, putting on marathon shows that ran until 5 a.m. and performing regularly six to seven nights a week. Since the 1980s, the band has released dozens of studio albums, mixtape albums, live albums, compilations, and singles. They have performed with Run DMC, Wale, DJ Kool, LL Cool J, Doug E. Fresh, Biz Markie, Ice Cube, Heavy D and the Boyz, Wu Tang Clan, Redman and Method Man, French Montana, Scarface, TLC, Eric B and Rakim, YoYo, Shabba Ranks, The Roots, Erykah Badu, Thievery Corporation, KRS-1, and go-go icons Chuck Brown, Trouble Funk, The Junk Yard Band, and EU. Interviewed by Tamar Sella, 11/02/2020.

206. Interview with Andrea Colburn, Atlanta, Georgia (05:51)

Date:
2020-09-24
Main contributors:
Andrea Colburn
Summary:
Andrea Colburn (Atlanta, Georgia) Singer-songwriter Andrea Colburn is one-half of the musical duo Andrea and Mud, who categorize themselves as “surf western music.” Based in Atlanta, they spent many years operating a very demanding touring schedule. Growing up in St. Louis, Andrea Colburn says she wanted to learn guitar from a young age, but never particularly excelled at the instrument. When she moved to Georgia in 2012, however, a shift happened, and she found herself performing on a new level. When she connected with Kyle “Mud” Moseley, they found the right match. The duo released their album Bad News Darlin’ in 2020. In addition to guitar, Andrea Colburn also plays the musical saw. Interviewed by Holly Hobbs, 09/24/2020.

207. Interview with Andrew Heist, Juneau, Alaska (05:53)

Date:
2020-09-23
Main contributors:
Andrew Heist
Summary:
Andrew Heist (Juneau, Alaska) Along with working at the Alaska State Senate and playing bluegrass, Cajun, and old-time music on mandolin, fiddle, guitar, and accordion, Andrew Heist is the president of the Alaska Folk Festival. This festival, central to Juneau’s social life, has become the largest cultural event annually held in Juneau, with participants and attendees numbering over 2,500 and thousands more in the radio audience—and even the internet. KRNN-FM, Juneau's Public radio station, broadcasts all the performances live. Musicians and participants from around the world attend the nine four-hour performances averaging fifteen acts each, fourteen hours of dances plus dance workshops, a family concert and forty-plus hours of teaching workshops devoted to every imaginable folk music skill, plus jamming all week long. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 09/23/2020.

208. Interview with Andy Ruff, Bloomington, Indiana (05:52)

Date:
2020-10-05
Main contributors:
Andy Ruff
Summary:
Andy Ruff (Bloomington, Indiana) Andy Ruff is a lifetime Indiana resident and father of two: Anna and Hank (Hank is the front man for the band Hank Ruff and The Hellbenders). Andy Ruff is a honky tonk country singer, songwriter, bandleader, and mandolin and guitar player. Over the years, he has released two full-length albums of original songs with his local band, the Dew Daddies: Makin’ Good Time and Powered by Twang. Ruff is also a long-time politician, having served twenty years (five terms) on the Bloomington, Indiana, city council. In June 2020, he won a five-way primary to become the Democratic nominee for US Congress in a race he lost in November of 2020. Interviewed by Holly Hobbs, 10/5/2020.

209. Interview with Angelica Garcia, Richmond, Virginia (06:00)

Date:
2020-10-29
Main contributors:
Angelica Garcia
Summary:
Angelica Garcia (Richmond, Virginia) Angelica Garcia is a songwriter and vocalist based in Richmond, Virginia. Growing up in a musical and multigenerational environment, Garcia recalls Mexican ranchera music always playing throughout her home, which included Garcia’s mother, who was a professional singer of mostly mariachi and Latin pop. Garcia attended the magnet high school LACHSA (Los Angeles County High School for the Arts). In Richmond, she has released studio albums including Medicine For Birds (2016) and Cha Cha Palace (2020), both with Spacebomb Records. She released several music videos, and her song “Jícama” became widely known when Barack Obama selected the track for his 2019 year-end list. Her music explores Latinx identity and her roots in Los Angeles, and she has donated proceeds from her work to regionally based organizations supporting migrant families in the U.S. such as ¡MIRA!, Annunciation House, and Immigrant Families Together. Interviewed by Tamar Sella, 10/29/2020

210. Interview with Anna Borges, Medford, Massachusetts (05:32)

Date:
2020-09-27
Main contributors:
Anna Borges
Summary:
Anna Borges (Medford, Massachusetts) Anna Borges, originally from Recife, Pernambuco, began her career in Brasília, singing in local nightclubs and theaters. She studied the guitar and enrolled in the Escola de Música de Brasília, where she studied voice with Jane Duboc and sang in choral groups, studying both classical and popular techniques. After many years working closely with Brazilian guitarist Agilson Alcântara, Anna moved to Boston, Massachusetts along with her father, who was stationed there as a vice-consul in the Brazilian Consulate. In Boston, she began a musical collaboration with Bill Ward, with whom she would start the band Receita de Samba. The band performs bossa nova and samba, and well as regional specialties such as forró, ijexá, and coco. Anna is also an event promoter for Brazilian music in the Boston area with her own Sounds of Brazil Anna Borges Productions. Interviewed by Tamar Sella, 09/27/2020.

211. Interview with Annalisa Boerner, New Haven, Connecticut (05:54)

Date:
2020-09-28
Main contributors:
Annalisa Boerner
Summary:
Annalisa Boerner (New Haven, Connecticut) Annalisa Boerner is a violist and educator based in New Haven, Connecticut. As Senior Resident Violist at Haven String Quartet/Music Haven, she teaches music to youth in the New Haven community and plays with the resident quartet. Before Music Haven, she held a Community Music Works fellowship in Providence, R.I., where she performed as a member of the Community Music Works Players and taught a full studio. During her time there, Annalisa was part of world premiere performances of music by Gonzalo Grau and Kareem Roustom. She has collaborated with such artists as the Kronos Quartet, the Cavani String Quartet, the Claremont Trio, and members of the Cleveland Orchestra in concert. Annalisa earned her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music and has performed with various orchestras throughout New England and Ohio.  Interviewed by Tamar Sella, 09/28/2020.

212. Interview with Aria Arus, Raleigh, North Carolina (05:57)

Date:
2020-10-06
Main contributors:
Aria Arus
Summary:
Aria Arus (Raleigh, North Carolina) Aria Arus is a DJ, producer, and biochemist in Raleigh, North Carolina. Biochemist by day, by night she is Neuron Husky, her psyberpunk canine alter ego. Neuron Husky blends genres of drum and bass, psytrance, hardstyle, and future bass. She has performed in venues ranging from music festivals to burns to anime conventions. She has held several residencies at clubs throughout central North Carolina, has performed in Japan and Thailand, and has played alongside renowned artists such as Jackal & Hyde, Fixx, DJ Irene, DJ Micro, John B, Apashe, Space Jesus, and many others. Starting in 2015, Neuron Husky gained recognition as both electronic musician and installation artist, designing her own performance stages. She is backed up by the artist collaborative Source Code Studios, which specializes in constructing immersive psychedelic landscapes around the dance floor. Interviewed by Tamar Sella, 10/06/2020.

213. Interview with Arnaldo Guevara, North Salt Lake, Utah (06:00)

Date:
2020-10-15
Main contributors:
Arnaldo Guevara
Summary:
Arnaldo Guevara (North Salt Lake, Utah) Born in Ciudad Bolívar, Guayana, Venezuela, Arnaldo Guevara sings Venezuelan Llanero music. He has performed extensively with various groups in radio programs, festivals, and cultural events since he was a child. While attending college in Mérida, he joined the choir Orfeón de la Universidad de Los Andes, the polyphonic group Tepuy 5, and the Cantoría de Mérida, with which he toured Venezuela, the Caribbean Islands, and Colombia. He has performed with important groups such as Stereo Gaita, Diamantes del Sur, and Las Cuerdas de Don Ramón Hurtado. He has participated in numerous TV and radio shows and has released three CDs, Arnaldo Guevara y su canto (2009), Arnaldo Guevara y su canto en Mavidad (2015), and Arnaldo Guevara y Su Canto... Popular y Caribeño (2017). He has shared the stage with prestigious artists and groups such as Cheo Hurtado, Jesús Hidalgo, Gualberto Ibarreto, Serenata Guayanesa, and Huascar Barradas, among others. Currently, he resides in North Salt Lake, Utah, where he is a member of the Hispanic choir Luz de las Naciones. In addition to being a musician, Arnaldo is also a social communicator and works as a professional broadcaster. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 10/15/2020.

214. Interview with Arnaldo! Drag Chanteuse, Seattle, Washington (06:34)

Date:
2020-10-07
Main contributors:
Arnaldo! Drag Chanteuse
Summary:
Arnaldo! Drag Chanteuse (Seattle, Washington) Arnaldo started as a soloist with Seattle Men’s Chorus (SMC) and has performed with SMC in some of the major concert halls in the US, Europe, New Zealand, and Australia. In 1995, he started a group called Cabaret Q, where the “drag chanteuse” persona began. In 1999, Arnaldo began his solo cabaret shows in Seattle’s Capitol Hill and has since performed his one-person cabaret in Portland, Las Vegas, Palm Springs, Puerto Vallarta, New York, and Manila. Arnaldo has also collaborated with various directors, choreographers, and songwriters in the Seattle area. In 2005, he completed the Cabaret Summer Conference Workshop at Yale University. In 2006, Arnaldo started the Pacific Northwest Cabaret Association and continues to organize Seattle’s March is Cabaret Month featuring local and visiting artists. 2007 marked Arnaldo’s New York cabaret debut, and in 2008, Arnaldo was honored with a New York Backstage Bistro Award. 2014 was Arnaldo's Manila debut, where he received Most Innovative Concert Artist in Manila Gawad Musika award. In 2016, Arnaldo was presented by the Filipino Community of Seattle with a Lifetime Achievement Award for promoting culture and the arts. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 10/07/2020.

215. Interview with Arnetta Johnson, Camden, New Jersey (05:56)

Date:
2020-10-08
Main contributors:
Arnetta Johnson
Summary:
Arnetta Johnson (Camden, New Jersey) Arnetta Johnson is a trumpet player based in Camden, New Jersey. Johnson began playing trumpet at age thirteen with mentors Nasir Dickerson, Jamal Dickerson, and Hassan Sabree. She attended the Creative and Performing Arts High School in Camden, followed by Berklee College of Music. Johnson has performed with Beyoncé at the Super Bowl, as a featured trumpeter on her 2018 On the Run II Tour, and on the Carters’ Grammy-winning album Everything Is Love. She has toured internationally and performed on television shows including Black Girls Rock. Johnson has also studied with saxophonist Tia Fuller and singer-poet Jill Scott, whose Blues Babe Foundation presented Johnson with their Rising Star Award. Johnson has worked with musicians including Terri Lyne Carrington, the Roots, and Chloe x Halle, and leads her own band Arnetta Johnson and SUNNY (Sounds Uplifting Nobility through Notes and Youth). Her goal is to stand jazz on its head: disrupt, uplift, and inspire. Interviewed by Tamar Sella, 10/8/2020

216. Interview with Artie Mendoza, Flathead Indian Reservation, Montana (04:51)

Date:
2020-09-16
Main contributors:
Artie Mendoza
Summary:
Artie Mendoza (Flathead Indian Reservation, Montana) Firefighter by day and rapper by night, Artie Mendoza (Kiid Truth) is a twenty-five-year-old Kootenai and Mexican who has been described as a “performer with a knack for rhythm and poetry.” Artie made the name “Kiid Truth” at the age of eleven based on his age and in his music he spoke the truth. At the age of nineteen, Artie finished up his first mixtape, The truth speaks for itself. Artie's goal in music is to take his talent to the next level while spreading positive messages through his music and speaking about what is going on at present. He says that the reason to do music is to express himself, to spread messages through his music and connect with people struggling in the same way he did. He has been very active in his community during COVID times and has been part of the social media campaign that the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes launched aiming to educate kids about COVID-19. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 09/16/2020.

217. Interview with Arturo Rodriguez, Seattle, Washington (05:59)

Date:
2020-10-06
Main contributors:
Arturo Rodriguez
Summary:
Arturo Rodriguez (Seattle, Washington) An accomplished musician, author, teacher, and DJ, Arturo Rodriguez has performed worldwide, sharing the stage with such music legends as Tito Puente; Dave Valentin; Paul Horn; Pete Escovedo; Brandi Carlile; Crosby, Stills and Nash, and many more. Never one to stand still for very long, Arturo is both a familiar face and a powerful force on the local Seattle music scene. While moving through the musical boundaries of salsa, rumba, jazz, pop, rock, and even Afro Cuban ritual music, Arturo has an amazing talent for bringing people together. He currently performs with the Rumba Kings and is working on a new album with his new trio, Weave Poetic, a phenomenal performance group fusing Latin and jazz music together with incredible vocal harmonies. All members in the group sing and write original music. Arturo teaches Latin percussion and drum set and helps salsa dancers with their musicality both virtually and live. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 10/06/2020.

218. Interview with Ashley Frith, Providence, Rhode Island (05:53)

Date:
2020-11-02
Main contributors:
Ashley Frith
Summary:
Ashley Frith (Providence, Rhode Island) Ashley Frith is a musician, composer, and educator based in Providence, Rhode Island. Ashley studied viola with Lila Brown at The Boston Conservatory. She was the music director, composer, and lyricist for the Trinity Repertory Company’s 2018-19 season production of Jose Rivera’s Marisol, directed by Brian Mertes. She has composed music for a production on allyship with Off the Page Education in NYC. Ashley has held resident musician and teaching artist positions with Newport String Project, Revolution of Hope, the Greater Miami Youth Symphony, and Community Music Works in Providence, Rhode Island. At Community Music Works, she serves as Director of Racial Equity and Belonging, where she performs, teaches, and develops anti-racism curricula. Ashley also explores the use of sound as a healing modality, in combination with mindfulness practices, and the effect these tools can have on mental health. Interviewed by Tamar Sella, 11/02/2020.

219. Interview with Ashley Sankey, Birmingham, Alabama (04:37)

Date:
2020-09-23
Main contributors:
Ashley Sankey
Summary:
Ashley Sankey (Birmingham, Alabama) Birmingham, Alabama-based musician Ashley Sankey, a classically trained keyboardist and percussionist and a formally trained jazz and opera vocalist, has been performing in the Birmingham area for many years. She taught herself guitar, and although she works in multiple genres, she considers herself a soul musician. Sankey has her own in-home studio, where she also produces music and engineers studio sessions for other up-and-coming Alabama artists. Ashley has a long history in the church and started singing background for traveling gospel acts at the age of thirteen. She released her first studio album, Ashley Sankey Presents “Birmingham’s Here,” in 2013. She also performs as a percussionist at Grant Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Birmingham. Interviewed by Holly Hobbs, 09/23/2020.

220. Interview with Aubrey Atwater, Warren, Rhode Island (05:58)

Date:
2020-10-29
Main contributors:
Aubrey Atwater
Summary:
Aubrey Atwater (Warren, Rhode Island) Aubrey Atwater is a musician, vocalist, writer, public radio commentator, and dancer based in Warren, Rhode Island. Atwater presents programs of folk music, dance, and spoken word, and has performed and taught across the United States as well as England, Ireland, and Canada. She sings and plays the mountain dulcimer, old-time banjo, guitar, mandolin, and Irish tin whistle, and also performs with percussive clogging. In both teaching and performance, Aubrey conveys the heritage behind traditional folk music and dance, showing an expertise of folk history and its key players. Part of the acclaimed duo Atwater-Donnelly, Aubrey and her husband Elwood Donnelly perform with up to eight other band members and have thirteen recordings and six books to their credit. Atwater and Donnelly are both on the performing rosters for the Rhode Island State Council of the Arts and the New England Foundation for the Arts. Interviewed by Tamar Sella, 10/29/2020.