151. Interview with Willie Wells, West Columbia, South Carolina (06:16)

Date:
2020-10-14
Main contributors:
Willie Wells
Summary:
Willie Wells (West Columbia, South Carolina) Willie Wells, the son of the late Bill Wells, has always been on the music scene. Since the early ‘70s, Willie has played drums and sung lead and harmony vocals. Willie and another musician friend organized a country music group called CHOYCE that ran for more than twenty years. With early country music and bluegrass influences from his father, Willie continued to develop and expand his musical direction toward recording studio production. In the past ten to twelve years, Willie has shifted more toward continuing the bluegrass legacy of his father. Being inspired by his father to play guitar and to be at the helm of the “Blue Ridge Mtn. Grass” band (BRMG) that his father started some forty years ago, Willie is keeping his father’s wishes to preserve bluegrass music in South Carolina. Today, the band is a mix of traditional and contemporary bluegrass with some new arrangements of old songs as well as a mix of original songs. Willie Wells & The Blue Ridge Mtn. Grass first album title, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow, continues to promote bluegrass music throughout the area. Willie is also the owner of Bill’s Music Shop & Picking’ Parlor in West Columbia, South Carolina. Interviewed by Holly Hobbs, 10/14/2020.

152. Interview with Kuki Tuaiasosopo, American Samoa (05:03)

Date:
2020-10-13
Main contributors:
Kuki Tuaiasosopo
Summary:
Kuki Tuaiasosopo (American Samoa) Kuki Tuaiasosopo is an ethnomusicologist, musician, vocalist, and church choir leader. He received his Masters of Music from the University of Hawaii in Manoa, where he completed a thesis on the sacred music of the Congregational Church of Jesus in Samoa. He is Chairman of the Fine Arts Department at American Samoa Community College, where he teaches Music, Drama, and Speech. He is a member of the ICTM Study Group for the Music and Dances of Oceania, ICTM Regional Liaison for American Samoa, and a Music Researcher for 20th Century Fox Movies. Interviewed by Holly Hobbs, 10/13/2020.

153. Interview with Soni Moreno, New York City, New York (06:03)

Date:
2020-10-13
Main contributors:
Soni Moreno
Summary:
Soni Moreno (New York City, New York) Soni Moreno (Maya/Apache/Yaqui) is a vocalist, actress, composer, and poet, based in New York City. She began her career as a cast member in the original San Francisco production of Hair, and has appeared on Broadway plays including Hair and The Leaf People. Off Broadway, she has performed in plays including Aladdin, America Smith, and Blood Speaks. Soni is the co-founder of First Nations a cappella women’s trio Ulali, touring extensively throughout North America and beyond from 1987 to 2010. She is a member of MATOU, a group of Native American and Maori musicians and performers, performing original compositions that celebrate culture and traditions. Soni has toured with musicians including Buffy Sainte-Marie and the Indigo Girls and performed with Martha Redbone’s concert performances of her play Bone Hill. She has contributed to soundtracks in multiple films and television shows and performed at the Sundance Film Festival Native Program: Celebration of Music in Film. Interviewed by Tamar Sella, 10/13/2020.

154. Interview with the Gypsy Cowbelle, Thermopolis, Wyoming (06:12)

Date:
2020-10-13
Main contributors:
The Gypsy Cowbelle
Summary:
The Gypsy Cowbelle (Thermopolis, Wyoming) Whether she’s building a banjo, riding the Divide, singing around a campfire, floating the Grand, or hitchhiking across America, this little gal is doing her best to seize Life’s Rich Pageant. Miss “V,” as she is also known, has balanced her back-country experiences with countless asphalt tours, seeking enlightenment through solitude as well as through her interactions with people from all walks of life. A knack for recognizing the humor in everyday life, an appreciation for history, a hunger for adventure, and a ceaseless sense of creativity collectively establish Miss V’s unique perspective and personality. Her experiences, free spirit, clever lyricism, and classic rhythms on the guitar and her homemade banjo blend together to create her signature “Genuine Cowbilly” music. This Gypsy Cowbelle and her music possess a universal and timeless allure that has charmed fans from coffee houses and campfires to festivals and honky tonks across America for nearly two decades. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 10/13/2020.

156. Interview with Carla Sciaky, Lakewood, Colorado (06:39)

Date:
2020-10-12
Main contributors:
Carla Sciaky
Summary:
Carla Sciaky (Lakewood, Colorado) Carla Sciaky is a multi-instrumentalist and folk singer-songwriter based in Lakewood, Colorado. As a soloist, she toured the US and Europe throughout the 1980s and 90s, recording first on her own Propinquity Records and later on Green Linnet and Alacazam Records. Her songwriting won her awards and/or recognition in such arenas as the Kerrville New Song Competition, the Louisville (Kentucky) songwriting competition, the Colorado Arts and Humanities Fellowship for Composition, the Billboard Songwriting Competition, and the Colorado, Utah, and Kansas Artist in Residence programs. As a member of the long-standing infamous Denver-area group the Mother Folkers, Carla was recently inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame, and her solo Zoom series, Concept Concerts, has soothed fans worldwide during the sheltering time of COVID. In the classical/early music world, Carla performs on baroque violin with Sémplice, a Denver quartet specializing in baroque music on period/replica instruments, as well as being a member of the Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado since their first season. Carla is also active in the holistic and energy healing world, helping people find greater well-being through her practice Doorway to Healing, and is working on two book projects. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 10/12/2020.

157. Interview with Lawrence F. Archambault, Fort Yates, North Dakota (05:38)

Date:
2020-10-12
Main contributors:
Lawrence F. Archambault
Summary:
Lawrence F. Archambault (Fort Yates, North Dakota) Lawrence (Larz) Archambault, a Hunkpapa Lakota from the Standing Rock Sioux Nation of North and South Dakota, is the drummer for the recording group Stones of Red. Fans describe their music as a mix of Lenny Kravitz, Big Head Todd & the Monsters, and Delbert McClinton, which Stones of Red finds humbling as all have been their influences. Since regrouping the band in 2016, Stones of Red has progressed at an astonishingly quick rate to emerge on the music scene as a budding young, high-energy group coupled with the group’s hauntingly soulful vocals and musicianship. Stones of Red is backed by seasoned musicians, playing original music and a variety of cover music during their live shows. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 10/12/2020.

158. Interview with Mary Flower, Portland, Oregon (05:04)

Date:
2020-10-12
Main contributors:
Mary Flower
Summary:
Mary Flower (Portland, Oregon) An internationally known and award-winning picker, singer/songwriter, and teacher, the Midwest native relocated from Denver to the vibrant Portland, Oregon, music scene in 2004. She continues to please crowds and critics at folk festivals, teaching seminars and concert stages domestically and abroad, that include Merlefest, Kerrville, King Biscuit, Prairie Home Companion, and the Vancouver Folk Festival, among many. A finalist in 2000 and 2002 at the National Finger Picking Guitar Championship; a nominee in 2008, 2012, and 2016 for a Blues Foundation Blues Music Award; and many times a Cascade Blues Assn. Muddy Award winner, Flower embodies a luscious and lusty mix of rootsy, acoustic blues guitar and vocal styles that span a number of idioms – from Piedmont to the Mississippi Delta, with stops in ragtime, swing, folk and hot jazz. Flower’s twelve recordings, including her four for Memphis’ famed Yellow Dog Records—Bywater Dance, Instrumental Breakdown, Bridges and Misery Loves Company—show a deep command of and love for folk and blues string music. For Flower, it’s never about re-creation. Her dedication to the art form is a vital contribution to America’s music. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 10/12/2020.

159. On Air with IER: Episode 79 (16:24)

Date:
2020-10-12
Main contributors:
Edwards, Beth, Saenz, Enrique
Summary:
This week: The COVID-19 crisis is making more Hoosiers energy insecure, and Indiana lawmakers discuss a draft bill that could set the foundation for carbon offset trading in the state.

160. Educating (virtually) for Environmental Change (39:53)

Date:
2020-10-09
Main contributors:
Milks, Kirstin, Scribner, Adam, Hamburger, Michael, Speaks, LaStelshia, Boileau, Catherine, Shanahan, James, Miles, Emily
Summary:
In this bonus episode, we talk with organizers and participants from the award-winning Educating for Environmental Change program. Kirstin Milks, Adam Scribner, Michael Hamburger, LaStelshia Speaks, and Catherine Boileau explain how they've adapted their practices for the challenges we face today.

161. Emergence of Illiberalism with Michael Weinman, The (25:16)

Date:
2020-10-09
Main contributors:
Weinman, Michael, shanahan, James, monaghan, Elaine
Summary:
As we head into the election in a rapidly changing country, we can see the ways that liberal politics are giving way to more radical policies around the world. Dean Shanahan and Professor of Practice Elaine Monaghan speak with Michael Weinman, Professor of Philosophy at Bard College Berlin, about his new coedited volume, “The Emergence of Illiberalism: Understanding a Global Phenomenon.” The trio discuss how we can understand trends away from liberal policies and politics, and what we might expect to replace them.

162. Interview with Ben Sollee, Louisville, Kentucky (05:48)

Date:
2020-10-09
Main contributors:
Ben Sollee
Summary:
Ben Sollee (Louisville, Kentucky) Ben Sollee is a cellist and composer based in Louisville, Kentucky. He has performed with companies including the Charlotte Ballet and the North Carolina Dance Theater, where he wrote original music for the play Dangerous Liaisons. Ben has toured on his bicycle, riding over 4,000 miles. He has been invited to speak on sustainability at festivals including South by Southwest Music (2011) and TEDx San Diego (2012). At home, Ben has raised awareness about Mountain Top Removal Strip Mining in Central Appalachia. His album Dear Companion (Sub Pop, 2010) with artist Daniel Martin Moore and producer Jim James sheds light on the issue. Ben’s music has been featured in film and television, including Mark Steven Johnson’s Killing Season starring John Travolta and Robert De Niro, ABC’s Parenthood, and HBO’s Weeds. Working with experimental technology, Ben has used the Vanishing Point virtual reality app, and created an interactive sculptural installation called Livestream. Interviewed by Tamar Sella, 10/09/2020.

163. Interview with Brian Coleman, Summerville, South Carolina (04:24)

Date:
2020-10-09
Main contributors:
Brian Coleman
Summary:
Brian Coleman (Summerville, South Carolina) First Nation drummer Brian Coleman was born in Summerville, South Carolina, where he resides with his wife Shantrice and their daughter, Alijah. Brian is a Tribal member of the Edisto Natchez-Kusso Tribe of South Carolina. He serves as Chairman and Treasurer of the Board for the Tribal Council and the Edisto Indian Free Clinic. As a musician, he is a member of the Edisto River Singers Drum group, with whom he regularly performs at pow wows and other functions. He received his degree in electrical engineering from South Carolina State University and a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from Charleston Southern University, and continues to work as an electrical engineer. Interviewed by Holly Hobbs, 10/09/2020.

164. Interview with Danielle Ponder, Rochester, New York (05:52)

Date:
2020-10-09
Main contributors:
Danielle Ponder
Summary:
Danielle Ponder (Rochester, New York) Danielle Ponder is a singer and bandleader based in Rochester, New York. Her group was named one of the Top Ten Bands to watch by CityPaper and was a winner of the 2015 and 2016 Roc Awards for Best Band. Danielle has performed opening shows for musicians including George Clinton, Ledisi, and the Roots, and has toured nationally and internationally. Her recorded releases include the EP Blow Out The Sun (2016) and the single “Holding Me Down” (2019). Beyond music, Danielle is a former Public Defender and TEDx speaker, and has organized around issues such as education funding, women’s rights, and criminal justice reform. She has been highlighted by the American Bar Association and has been awarded the Public Interest Law scholarship at Northeastern University, the Teen Empowerment’s PeaceMaker in Action Award, and the Jessica Bain Community Excellence Award. In 2017, she created the multimedia show For the Love of Justice, where she examines the U.S. criminal justice system. Interviewed by Tamar Sella, 10/09/2020.

165. Interview with Oliver Thompson, Boise, Idaho (06:16)

Date:
2020-10-09
Main contributors:
Oliver Thompson
Summary:
Oliver Thompson (Boise, Idaho) Oliver Thompson started playing classical violin as a kid and progressed to bluegrass, blues and rock, and finally jazz when he earned a B.A. in Music from San Jose State University. While studying East Indian music in the San Francisco Bay Area, he started to develop his interests in world music styles. He has recorded with several artists including Bob Culbertson, Mondo Raga Samba, Amuma Says No, and Steve Fulton. Oliver currently plays with Serenata Orchestra and the Basque group Kalimotxo Cowboys. In addition, he performs and records with the Moody Jews of Boise, a band that favors a high-energy klezmer (Eastern European), Jewish-American jazz, and Sephardic (Middle Eastern and Spanish) and Israeli tunes. Audience favorites at events like Deli Days: Idaho’s Jewish Festival, World Village Festival, and Hyde Park Street Fair, the Moody Jews of Boise have entertained and educated listeners about the multi-faceted world of Jewish Music. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 10/09/2020.

166. Interview with Stephanie BadSoldier Snow, Garwin, Iowa (06:17)

Date:
2020-10-09
Main contributors:
Stephanie BadSoldier Snow
Summary:
Stephanie BadSoldier Snow (Garwin, Iowa) Stephanie BadSoldier Snow was raised on the Meskwaki Settlement in central Iowa with traditional Meskwaki ways and is of the Swan Clan. She is an enrolled tribal member of the HoChunk Nation of Wisconsin. Along with Meskwaki and HoChunk heritage, Stephanie is also Lakota and Umohon. As a member of various song, storytelling, and dance troupes, she has had the honor of working with acclaimed Native American performing artists throughout her career. A tremendous lifelong goal was realized when she was blessed to be one of the first Native performers on the Nashville stage. Stephanie is an award-winning artist who holds the Meskwaki way of life dear, appearing on recordings meant to revitalize the tribal language and revive songs once thought lost to the community. Today Stephanie, also a published poet and anthropologist, works from home as a cultural consultant, continues as a virtual musical performer, acts as learning coach to her two children, and spends time sharing ideas with her intellectual husband. Interviewed by Holly Hobbs, 10/09/2020.

168. WIM | Statistical models for forecasting American elections (1:01:00)

Date:
2020-10-09
Main contributors:
G. Elliott Morris
Summary:
G. Elliott Morris is a data journalist at The Economist and writes mostly about American politics and elections, usually by engaging in a close study of political science, political polling and demographic data. He is responsible for many of The Economist’s election forecasting models, including their 2020 US presidential election forecast.

169. 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.

170. 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

171. Interview with Miss Kam, Baltimore, Maryland (05:41)

Date:
2020-10-08
Main contributors:
Miss Kam
Summary:
Miss Kam (Baltimore, Maryland) Miss Kam, born Kamaria Alexis, is a West Baltimore emcee. Miss Kam’s work moves between viral appeal on social media, freestyle series, and prolific collaborative efforts in and out of her community. Miss Kam has collaborated with multiple artists in the DMV region, including Chris Cassius, Baby Kahlo, and Kam’s collective group People Like Us Global. She has gained placements on The Demo Tape’s 2018 playlist and performed with renown acts like JPEGMAFIA. Her performances include cyphers, The Boiler Room, and Red Bull Miss Kam. Beyond live shows, Miss Kam has released multiple singles, including a number produced by producer Doowy Lloh. Her debut EP Birthday Pack was released in 2020. Miss Kam’s music videos, such as “We Are The World, ft. Zadia” seek to feature strong visuals of Baltimore in order to capture the city’s essence. Interviewed by Tamar Sella, 10/08/2020.

172. Interview with Pablo Batista, Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania (05:57)

Date:
2020-10-08
Main contributors:
Pablo Batista
Summary:
Pablo Batista (Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania) Pablo Batista is a master percussionist based in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. He has performed, recorded and toured internationally since the 1980s with renowned musicians across genres, receiving the rare distinction of having performed on Grammy-winning releases in jazz, R&B and gospel. Pablo worked with Grover Washington, Jr. since 1985, and served as his touring percussionist 1991-1999. Between 2000-2012, Pablo recorded and toured with Alicia Keys, performing alongside her at such venues as the 2010 World Cup ceremonies in South Africa for an estimated audience of over one billion viewers. Pablo has received grants for research on Afro-Cuban percussion and composer commissions from organizations including the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the Pew Center for Arts and Heritage. Pablo leads his own ten-piece Mambo Syndicate salsa conjunto. As an instructor, he has taught at the Curtis Institute of Music, as well as taught low-income students at schools and community centers in North Philadelphia. Interviewed by Tamar Sella, 10/08/2020.

173. IU NewsNet (19:55)

Date:
2020-10-08
Main contributors:
Ryder, Anne
Summary:
IU NewsNet weekly newscasts

174. AMPPD Project Update (55:34)

Date:
2020-10-07
Main contributors:
Dunn, Jon, Hardesty, Juliet L., Whitaker, Maria
Summary:
Academic libraries and archives are dealing with increasing numbers of digital audio and video (AV) files, acquired through both digitization of analog collections and acquisition of born-digital AV resources. While the emergence of low-cost storage options and maturity of streaming platforms has made it easier to store and deliver AV, these collections often lack metadata needed in order to make them discoverable and usable by researchers and other users. Since late 2018, the Indiana University Libraries have been working with partners at the University of Texas at Austin, New York Public Library, and digital consultant AVP to develop an open source software platform, known as AMP (Audiovisual Metadata Platform), that leverages automated machine learning-based tools together with human expertise to build workflows to create and augment metadata for AV resources to improve discovery, rights determination, and use. We will present an update on progress of the AMP project and its successes and challenges to date, including a demonstration of the AMP system and discussion of issues in system design, workflows, and the use of open source and commercial cloud-based machine learning tools. We will also discuss results to date of testing the AMP system using collections from the Cook Music Library and University Archives at IU and from the New York Public Library. This work is generously supported by a grant to IU from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

175. 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.

176. Interview with Dwynell Roland, Minneapolis, Minnesota (05:35)

Date:
2020-10-07
Main contributors:
Dwynell Roland
Summary:
Dwynell Roland (Minneapolis, Minnesota) Dwynell was born and raised in North Minneapolis and has been rapping since the age of 13. During that time when he first started writing, he was part of a collective called TCB (Twin City Boyz). His time with the TCB was spent largely perfecting his craft of freestyling. Dwynell’s first mixtape, Upside, showed his burgeoning songwriting talent. His album 92 and Roland showed ongoing growth as a songwriter, taking on topics of partying and reflection, as well as feel-good jams and deep lyrics. With the release of his Factors EP in 2014, Dwynell started to explore more serious subject matter, such as the track “She” about the quest for love gone awry, and that led him to new territory, such as garnering an opening spot on Prof Outdoors in 2016. Shortly after his performance, he released a project called The Popular Nobody, a project that allowed Dwynell to show why he is one of the standouts of the young new rappers hailing from Minneapolis. Interviewed by Holly Hobbs, 10/07/2020.

177. Interview with Germán Marcano, Miami, Florida (06:01)

Date:
2020-10-07
Main contributors:
Germán Marcano
Summary:
Germán Marcano (Miami, Florida) Venezuelan cellist Germán Marcano lives in Miami, Florida, with his wife. Marcano has had many roles over the years, including as principal cello with the Simón Bolívar Symphony. He was also a regular guest soloist and conductor with Venezuela’s main orchestras. Marcano has held teaching positions at the Simón Bolívar Conservatory (El Sistema), Emil Friedman School, the Simón Bolívar University, and the Mozarteum School in Caracas. He has given masterclasses at Grand Valley State, Andrews University, the San Diego Youth Orchestra, the University of Iowa, Louisiana State University and the Madison Cello Institute in Wisconsin, Colombia, and Ecuador. He has premiered works from renowned Latin American composers. Among his publications we can count editions of important Venezuelan cello works and three commercial recordings, two of them devoted to folk Venezuelan music. Marcano holds degrees from the University of Surrey and the Guildhall School of Music (England), and a master’s and DMA from the UW-Madison. Interviewed by Holly Hobbs, 10/07/2020.

178. Interview with Marika Hughes, New York City, New York (06:06)

Date:
2020-10-07
Main contributors:
Marika Hughes
Summary:
Marika Hughes (New York City, New York) Marika Hughes is a cellist based in Brooklyn, New York. Although trained in Western classical music, Marika has worked with a wide range of artists and musical genres including Whitney Houston, Lou Reed, Anthony Braxton, Adele, Henry Threadgill, D’Angelo, and Idina Menzel. She was a founding member of the Bay Area-based bands 2 Foot Yard and Red Pocket. She is a teacher and director for Young Arts, a teacher at the Heifetz Institute, and a teaching artist at Carnegie Hall’s Lullaby Project. Marika has released a number of albums, including The Simplest Thing (2011), Afterlife Music Radio (2011) and New York Nostalgia (2016). She has led her own bands Bottom Heavy and the New String Quartet and played as a cellist in the Tony award-winning show Hadestown on Broadway. Beyond playing music, Marika has been a guest host for All Ears on WQXR and is a featured storyteller on The Moth. Interviewed by Tamar Sella, 10/07/2020.

179. Interview with Mercedes Mendive, Elko, Nevada (06:14)

Date:
2020-10-07
Main contributors:
Mercedes Mendive
Summary:
Mercedes Mendive (Elko, Nevada) Accordionist Mercedes Mendive is the daughter of Joe and Veronica Mendive. She attended schools in Elko and has lived in Reno, as well as eleven years in Miami, Florida. Her father was one of her greatest influences beginning at a very young age, when the sound of the accordion was constantly present in her world. Mercedes' musical journey has taken her to prestigious accordion festivals in Texas, Orlando, Florida, Miami, as well as festivals in California, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, and all over the state of Nevada. Mercedes was invited to perform in July 2016 for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival while accompanying the Elko Ariñak Basque Dancers (Basque Dancers of the Great Basin). One of Mercedes' latest endeavors is the Ariñak Project that she co-founded during the summer of 2016 with lifelong friend and fellow dancer/musician Janet Iribarne. Their focus is to elaborate on the Basque culture not only with traditional dances, but with new dances, new music, instruments, language, and songs. Most recently, Mercedes was a featured performing artist with her band, Melodikoa, who performed throughout the prestigious 2018 National Cowboy Gathering in late January/early February in Elko, Nevada, titled Basques and Buckaroos.  Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 10/07/2020.

180. Interview with Trina Basu, New York City, New York (05:58)

Date:
2020-10-07
Main contributors:
Trina Basu
Summary:
Trina Basu (New York City, New York) Trina Basu is a violinist, improviser, and educator based in Brooklyn, New York. Trina is trained in Western Classical music, later studying jazz and Carnatic music. Her path as a violinist is influenced by her South Asian and North American roots and her experience working with musicians across genres and disciplines. Trina co-leads raga chamber folk ensemble Karavika as well as Nakshatra, a violin duo with Arun Ramamurthy. She is co-founder of the collective Brooklyn Raga Massive and founder/curator of Out of the Woods, a NYC festival focusing on women led projects working in South Asian music. Trina has appeared in venues including Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, and Raga Sudha Hall, performing with artists such as Urban Bush Women, Mos Def, and Imani Uzuri. She is a trained Suzuki teacher (School for Strings in NYC), holds a BM in Music Therapy from Florida State University, and is a 2007 recipient of the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute Artist Fellowship. Interviewed by Tamar Sella, 10/07/2020.

182. 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.

183. 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.

184. Interview with Babar Harrie, Troy, Michigan (05:59)

Date:
2020-10-06
Main contributors:
Babar Harrie
Summary:
Babar Harrie (Troy, Michigan) Hailing from an American-Pakistani background, artist Babar Harrie combines his identity and experiences with his passion for music. Born in Lansing, Michigan, and raised in Metro Detroit, Babar first began rapping and freestyling at the age of 16. In the fall of 2010, Babar released his first mixtape, Just Let Me, which garnered him increased recognition. Following the mixtape, he released a number of music videos which gained hundreds of thousands of views through different viewing platforms. Releasing two more mixtapes over the course of two years, November and OCD: Opening Closed Doors respectively, Babar began performing at a variety of local venues. In 2013, he started working alongside Takeover Music Group (TOMG) with MTV artists like Trigg da Kidd and Fuco Bunkin. After taking time off and making a pilgrimage to the Holy City of Mecca in 2014, Babar’s music started to further incorporate his culture and religion in order to reach audiences worldwide. Interviewed by Tamar Sella, 10/06/2020.

185. Interview with DDm, Baltimore, Maryland (05:57)

Date:
2020-10-06
Main contributors:
DDm
Summary:
DDm (Baltimore, Maryland) DDm (Dapper Dan Midas) is a singer, raptivist and social media personality based in Baltimore, Maryland. DDm was born and raised in Baltimore, and participated in the local rap circuit beginning in the mid-2000s before starting his hip hop duo Bond St. District. As a solo artist, DDm has recorded albums including Beautiful Gowns (2019) and The Ballad of Omar (2020), inspired by Michael K. Williams’s portrayal of Omar, an openly gay man raised in West Baltimore, in the series The Wire. DDm has released multiple music videos including “Come Thru,” “He Say She Say,” and “Pull Up.” In addition to rapping at ciphers around Baltimore, he has performed at venues such the Baltimore Soundstage and the LGBTQ mega-party Bent: Back with a Bang. He has performed alongside musicians such as Dan Deacon and collaborated with Wye Oak’s Jenn Wasner on her project Dungeonesse. Beyond music, DDm regularly presents social commentary videos under the moniker Secretary of Shade. Interviewed by Tamar Sella, 10/06/2020.

186. Interview with Eddie Moore, Kansas City, Missouri (05:39)

Date:
2020-10-06
Main contributors:
Eddie Moore
Summary:
Eddie Moore (Kansas City, Missouri) Jazz pianist and bandleader Eddie Moore was raised in Houston, Texas, and began his musical journey at Texas Southern University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts and immersed himself in the Houston music scene. As a lifelong musician traversing a number of bands and styles, he then relocated to Kansas City to study under Bobby Watson at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where he received his MA in Jazz Studies. After forming jazz/fusion group Eddie Moore & The Outer Circle in 2012, he released his debut album, The Freedom of Expression, which was given 3.5 stars from Downbeat jazz magazine. Moore’s third album, Kings & Queens, incorporates elements of soul, R&B, rock, and hip-hop into his take on contemporary jazz. Released with Ropeadope Records, Moore’s forward-thinking sounds are part of the rich continuum of African American music that continues to be imbued with indigenous African elements. Moore is also recipient of the 2016 Charlotte Street Generative Performance Award; 2017’s Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art “Artist in Residence” in collaboration with Rashid Johnson; 2018’s work with The Outer Circle was nominated for an Indie Music Award; and his music has also been featured commercially for Sprint, Netflix’s Queer Eye and Morgan Cooper’s short film Room Tone. Moore has shared the stage and recorded with Bobby Watson, Pam, Watson, Logan Richardson, Maurice Brown, Boys II Men, Brian Blade and the Fellowship, John Baptiste, Erykah Badu, Mosdef, Bilal, Ledisi, Chantae Cann, Krystal Warren, Matt Otto, Brandon Draper, Andre Hayward, Tivon Pennicott, Various Blonde,  Dominique Sanders, 77 Jefferson, and the Marcus Lewis Big Band. Interviewed by Holly Hobbs, 10/06/2020.

187. Interview with Fred Riedel, Gresham, Oregon (04:16)

Date:
2020-10-06
Main contributors:
Fred Riedel
Summary:
Fred Riedel (Gresham, Oregon) A retired schoolteacher, Fred Riedel is the bandleader, guitar player, and singer for the blues band—swing style—Blues Battalion. The group plays cover tunes as well as original tunes mostly written by Fred. Blues Battalion is John Johnston (keyboard), John McKenney (bass), Shelley Lenz (vocals), Cardo Bonjourno (drums), and Fred Riedel (guitar & vocals). Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 10/06/2020.

188. Interview with Jemar Phoenix, New Haven, Connecticut (05:58)

Date:
2020-10-06
Main contributors:
Jemar Phoenix
Summary:
Jemar Phoenix (New Haven, Connecticut) Jemar Phoenix is a musician and organizer born and raised in New Haven, Connecticut. He is a singer and acoustic guitarist specializing in genres ranging from pop, R&B, hip-hop, soul, and Latin music. Along with Cajon player Mike D, he formed the music duo The Hooch, which has performed across the Northeast Metro area. Their EP Cold Fusion (2020) features original lyrics and poetry, and fuses traditional aesthetics of guitar, percussion, and vocals with elements of contemporary American genres. Outside of music, Jemar is also an active member of Ignite the Voice, a non-profit New Haven based youth organization with a mission to equip the youth with the ability of self-expression through the arts. Interviewed by Tamar Sella, 10/06/2020.

189. Interview with Layth Sidiq, Boston, Massachusetts (05:39)

Date:
2020-10-06
Main contributors:
Layth Sidiq
Summary:
Layth Sidiq (Boston, Massachusetts) Layth Sidiq is a violinist, composer and educator. Born in Iraq and raised in Jordan, Layth trained at the National Music Conservatory with Timur Ibrahimov, and later at the Chetham's School of Music in Manchester, U.K. He holds a BM from the Berklee College of Music as well as an MM from the Berklee Global Jazz Institute ,where he studied with artists including Danilo Perez and Terri Lyne Carrington. Layth has performed internationally with artists including Simon Shaheen, Javier Limon, and Jack Dejohnette, and has recorded on Grammy-nominated albums. He has performed as leader and sideman in venues including the Boston Symphony Hall and the Kennedy Center, and in 2018, he won second place in the Zbigniew Seifert International Jazz Violin Competition in Poland. Layth is the director of the Arab Music Ensemble at Tufts University and the Center for Arabic Culture’s Youth Orchestra Program and teaches at Simon Shaheen’s Arabic Music Retreat in Massachusetts. Interviewed by Tamar Sella, 10/06/2020.

190. Interview with Marcella Simien, Memphis, Tennessee (05:31)

Date:
2020-10-06
Main contributors:
Marcella Simien
Summary:
Marcella Simien (Memphis, Tennessee) Born into one of the first Creole families to settle in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, Marcella René Simien took her South Louisiana heritage to Memphis, Tennessee, where she is based. Daughter of two-time Grammy Award-winning zydeco artist Terrance Simien, Marcella grew up immersed in sound and performance. A graduate of the prestigious Memphis College of Art, Simien is now the front woman for her band, Marcella and Her Lovers. Her music is a hybrid of classic Memphis soul and New Orleans funk performed with the help of Creole accordion. As one of only 500 artists in America nominated for a prestigious USA Artists Fellowship, in 2016 Marcella and Her Lovers were also featured on the nationally syndicated radio program Beale Street Caravan. She has been a featured performer on the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise alongside greats such as Marcia Ball, Allen Toussaint, and Irma Thomas. She sang lead vocals on a track off her father’s album Dockside Sessions, which won a Grammy for Best Regional Roots Album of the Year (2014). Simien’s first full-length album, Got You Found, with Marcella and Her Lovers, was engineered and co-produced at American Recording Studio by Pete Matthews and Toby Vest. Interviewed by Holly Hobbs, 10/06/2020.

191. Interview with Martha Redbone, Harlan County, Kentucky (05:54)

Date:
2020-10-06
Main contributors:
Martha Redbone
Summary:
Martha Redbone (Harlan County, Kentucky) Martha Redbone is a Native and African American vocalist, songwriter, composer, and educator. Drawing on the tradition of her gospel-singing African American father and the spirit of her mother’s Cherokee/Shawnee/Choctaw culture, Redbone explores the boundaries of American Roots music and gives voice to issues of social justice. She draws from a number of genres, including folk, blues, and gospel. She has recorded numerous albums, including The Garden of Love: Songs of William Blake (2012), a collection of William Blake poems set to the music of Appalachia. In her work in theatre, Redbone composed original music for the 2019 revival of For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf, the choreopoem by Ntozake Shange. Redbone’s own musical Black Mountain Women for The Public Theater addresses the ongoing environmental destruction of her ancestral homeland in Appalachia told through the lives of four generations of women in her matriarchal Cherokee family. Interviewed by Tamar Sella, 10/06/2020.

192. Interview with Mollie O'Brien, Denver, Colorado (05:59)

Date:
2020-10-06
Main contributors:
Mollie O'Brien
Summary:
Mollie O’Brien (Denver, Colorado) Mollie O'Brien and her husband, guitarist Rich Moore, have for nearly forty years quietly made it their mission to find, mine, and reinvent other artists' songs. They are geniuses at the craft of interpretation in the way that great singers since the beginning of popular American music have made the songs of their era their own. As songwriters, they add their own tunes to the canon of American roots music they inhabit and show us they’re completely at home with their musical selves. A Grammy winner, Mollie has long been known as a singer who doesn’t recognize a lot of musical boundaries, and audiences love her fluid ability to make herself at home in any genre while never sacrificing the essence of the song she tackles. She is a singer at the very top of her game who is not afraid to take risks both vocally and in the material she chooses. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 10/06/2020.

193. Interview with Monte Briggs, Marty, South Dakota (06:06)

Date:
2020-10-06
Main contributors:
Monte Briggs
Summary:
Monte Briggs (Marty, South Dakota) Guitar player Monte Briggs lives in Marty, South Dakota. His mother is from the Oglala Sioux Tribe, Pine Ridge, and his father is from the Standing Rock Reservation. He grew up in a musical family and learned to play music from his uncle, who also taught many musicians in the Black Hill area. Monte was passionate about playing music since he was a child. With his brother, Robert Briggs, he plays and tours extensively with their group Still River, which in 2016 regrouped as Stones of Red, a high-energy group with haunting, soulful vocals and musicianship. With the release of their album Arianna Rain, Stones of Red showcase their ability to meld various genres and create vintage sounds with a whole lot of soul. The album was released and immediately gained traction within the blues and blues rock communities. To this day, the track “Arianna Rain” plays on major radio stations across America. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 10/06/2020.

194. Interview with Nique Love Rhodes, Detroit, Michigan (05:59)

Date:
2020-10-06
Main contributors:
Nique Love Rhodes
Summary:
Nique Love Rhodes (Detroit, Michigan) Nique Love Rhodes is a hip-hop artist and organizer/activist from Detroit, Michigan. As a performer, Nique leads a multi-faceted ensemble of musicians known as the NLR Experience, playing interactive shows that fuse hip-hop music with jazz and rock. Nique has performed at festivals and headlined venues including the South by Southwest Music Festival (Texas), the North by Northeast Music Festival (Toronto), Dally in the Alley (Detroit), and the Nuyorican Poets Café (New York City). Nique has independently released studio albums including Against All Odds (2019) and The NLR Experience (2018). Nique is also involved in initiatives that are rooted in community and culture. She launched the nonprofit Rise Up Higher, which aims to use music as a tool for social good, and is also the co-founder of D.Cipher, a music mastermind collective dedicated to advancing the Detroit music economy through collaboration and partnerships. Interviewed by Tamar Sella, 10/06/2020.

195. Interview with Rich Moore, Denver, Colorado (05:53)

Date:
2020-10-06
Main contributors:
Rich Moore
Summary:
Rich Moore (Denver, Colorado) Singer Mollie O’Brien and guitarist Rich Moore have steadfastly made it their mission to unlock the secrets of the diverse array of styles that comprise the canon of American roots music. Geniuses at interpretation and never sacrificing the essence of the songs they tackle, they are at home with their musical selves. They are unafraid of risk taking, authoritative in their performance, and at the very top of their game. And to top it all off, they’re fun. Rich, while known to produce some of the funniest onstage running commentary, is also a powerhouse guitar player who can keep up with O’Brien’s twists and turns from blues to traditional folk to jazz to rock and roll. He creates a band with just his guitar and, as a result, theirs is an equal partnership that showcases their talent for unlocking the secrets to a diverse array of songs in authoritative yet very fun and unusual arrangements. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 10/06/2020.

196. Interview with Sophiyah E., Detroit, Michigan (05:44)

Date:
2020-10-06
Main contributors:
Sophiyah E.
Summary:
Sophiyah E. (Detroit, Michigan) Sophiyah E. is a producer, singer, and songwriter based in Detroit, Michigan. Her work with piano and technology explores genres that include house, electronic music, and jazz. In the fall of 2017, she began an ongoing multi-media social awareness exhibition highlighting artists and Black culture, which gave birth to her first musical production series Alignment, an introspective narrative comprised of interviews and musical arrangements. She has performed in venues such as Detroit’s Music Hall Jazz Café, Cultivate Coffee and Tap House, and the SXSW music festival. Additionally, she does music production and film scoring. Sophiyah E. is founder of Afro Moone, a Detroit-based resource furnishing event production services, content strategy, and accessible aid for healthy living. Sophiyha E. is also the Director of Artist Relations and Chief Strategist/Curator of DCIPHER, a Detroit based organization dedicated to advancing the community and music economy. Interviewed by Tamar Sella, 10/06/2020.

197. Interview with Taide Pineda, Phoenix, Arizona (05:33)

Date:
2020-10-06
Main contributors:
Taide Pineda
Summary:
Taide Pineda (Phoenix, Arizona) Taide Pineda has been playing the guitar since high school and has been involved in the Phoenix local music scene with many well-known working bands for over 15 years. He’s a cutting-edge sole artist. He is one of the founding members of Highest Conspiracy, a band that mixes reggae, rock and roll, hip hop, and pop music in their original work. With a core group of musicians and the creation of Conspiracy Horns, which is a full two-piece horn section, Highest Conspiracy has created a following that has surpassed the normal media buzz. Taide released his first solo album, Big Dreams, in May 2020. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 10/06/2020.

198. Interview with Tito Matos, Santurce, Puerto Rico (06:34)

Date:
2020-10-06
Main contributors:
Tito Matos
Summary:
Tito Matos (Santurce, Puerto Rico) Percussionist and singer Héctor “Tito” Matos is a native of Santurce, Puerto Rico. He is considered one of the best requinto plena drum players of his generation and he is the director and lead singer of Viento de Agua, a Puerto Rican Latin dance band that combines traditional Afro-Puerto Rican rhythms, Bomba and Plena, with other Afro-Caribbean musical styles as well as Jazz. Tito has taken the Puerto Rican Bomba and Plena to four continents and to important stages such as Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, and Carnegie Hall. He is also the musical director of Bomba and Plena group, La Máquina Insular. Both groups pay tribute to the great masters from whom Tito learned to play. He is very active as an educator. His non-profit organization, Taller Comunidad La Goyco, is a community project working on the development and creation of education, culture, and health programs to which Tito and his wife are very dedicated. La Goyco is devoted to the development and creation of education, culture, and health programs. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 10/06/2020.