Connections Radio

Hosts Laurie Fitz and Rick Bernardo visit with High School for Recording Arts’ executive director, Tony Simmons, and Rock the Cause CEO, Scott Herold. We discuss High School for Recording Arts’ life-giving work to connect and reconnect parts of the Twin Cities and various generations alike—through the power of education, communications, and music with its many special skills and gifts. – www.HSRA.org / www.HipHopGenius.org / www.4learning.com/remixed-conference

Hosts Laurie Fitz and Rick Bernardo visit preacher, comedian, and author, Susan Sparks. Reverend Sparks and Rick met years ago as she was in transformation from trial lawyer to comedian and a student at Union Theological Seminary, while Rick was teaching at the Graduate Theological Union’s “Summer Program on The Arts in Worship and Spirituality,” which Susan attended. Since 2007, Susan has been Senior Minister of the historic Madison Avenue Baptist Church in New York City—the first woman pastor in its 170-year history.

Hosts Laurie Fitz and Rick Bernardo join health/life coach, photographer, author, and sound alchemist, Charity Barlass, for a unique experience: a “Sound Bath.” During this meditative experience we are “bathed” in sound waves—produced by singing bowls, chimes, a rain stick, and Charity’s voice. The sense of relaxation, wellbeing, awareness—and, yes, connection—is certain yet hard to describe. So we explore the experience and feature an extended broadcast Sound Bath sample. – www.CharityBarlass.com

Laurie Fitz and Rick Bernardo visit with legendary ”Sounds of Blackness” musical director, Gary Hines, along with Rock the Cause’s CEO, Scott Herold—to hear and discuss their powerful, inspiring voice-of-justice music and to reflect upon Martin Luther King, Jr. –

Laurie Fitz and Rick Bernardo join internationally-known folk troubadour and organizer, Larry Long, for a 4th broadcast—this one about his new album, “Sweet Thunder,” with support from Rock the Cause Records, as well his coming 1/13 “American Roots Revue” at The Dakota. Join our lively discussion weaving contrapuntal flows of music, history, and social justice. – www.LarryLong.org / www.DakotaCooks.com/event/american-roots-revue-8 / https://larrylong.bandcamp.com/album/Sweet-Thunder

Hosts Laurie Fitz and Rick Bernardo discuss the art and practice of healthy holiday connections—reframing or reformulating stories as we might need in order to flourish. We talk about possibilities for recreating our relationships and selves, featuring selections from Rick’s holiday music with Spirit Garage, Laurie’s history managing holidays, and Rick’s comedic “A Bernardo Bedtime Story” that runs from trauma to healing. – www.SpiritGarage.org

Hosts Laurie Fitz and Rick Bernardo visit with legendary “Sounds of Blackness” musical director, Gary Hines—to hear and discuss their inspiring, powerful voice-of-justice music. – www.SoundsofBlackness.org

Hosts Laurie Fitz and Rick Bernardo join U.Conn. Professor of English, well-known author, and humorist, Gina Barreca, following-up our 9/23 show about the release of the 3rd and recent book of her edited “Fast Women” series: “Fast Fallen Women: 75 Essays of Flash Nonfiction” (Woodhall Press). As we check-in on what makes life deeply meaningful, our fun conversation includes the authentic values of feminism, how we live inside or outside of certain stories, the power of humor—and how the recent book’s celebration of the fallen woman gives whispered conversation a full voice that is long overdue. – www.GinaBarreca.com  /  www.facebook.com/GinaBarreca

Laurie Fitz joins the ReConnect Rondo Youth Council about their “Voices of Rondo Podcast” series that discusses the Rondo community’s history and how we can work to rebuild and reconnect communities depleted of resources and destroyed by displacement through segregationist public policy. Tim Hunt, ReConnect Rondo’s Director of Marketing & Communications, and Scott Herold, with the High School for Recording Arts’ Business of Music & Media, also join this broadcast about professional communications, historical research, social analysis, and restorative justice work. (Rick Bernardo produced.) – www.ReConnectRondo.com

Laurie Fitz and Rick Bernardo join Yvette Erasmus, PsyD., for fourth in the series: “Everything Changes When You Do.” We discuss how to re-frame our stories—especially for coming holidays—to help transform self-sabotaging habits and disconnected relationships into deeper connection, meaning, and purpose. As we continue exploring our processes and inner maps, hear our discussion about the tools we can use to manifest authentic power for individuals, relationships, and social systems. – www.YvetteErasmus.com