In the final episode of season one, Rick and Jared reflect on their experiences and conversations from the first eleven episodes. In addition to identifying common themes, surprising topics, and validating conversations, they run through some topics they are interested in covering in a future season! Later, they are joined by Ryan Taylor, MN Opera’s President and General Director, who talks about his dynamic career before MN Opera, his vision for the organization, and his reflections on crescendo’s first season!

Guest: Ryan Taylor

Hosts: Rick X. Hoops, Jared Mikach

Producer: Rocky Jones

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New episodes of crescendo: building the future of the arts drop every other Tuesday. If you like what you hear, please support us and SUBSCRIBE to the show on your favorite podcast app and be sure to SHARE our show with your friends. Also, leaving a 5-star REVIEW on Apple Podcasts is a great way to help people find our show. For more information, please visit mnopera.org/crescendo.

On this episode, Rick and Jared sit down to answer some of the outstanding questions posed by Minnesota Opera’s Youth Opera alumni. From career building questions to vocal health-related concerns, this lightning round Q&A covers a variety of topics that are important to young artists. 

Hosts: Rick X. Hoops, Jared Mikach

Producer: Rocky Jones

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New episodes of crescendo: building the future of the arts drop every other Tuesday. If you like what you hear, please support us and SUBSCRIBE to the show on your favorite podcast app and be sure to SHARE our show with your friends. Also, leaving a 5-star REVIEW on Apple Podcasts is a great way to help people find our show. For more information, please visit mnopera.org/crescendo.

In this episode of crescendo: building the future of the arts, Rick and Jared talk about finding work-life balance in artistic spaces. They speak to the importance of sleep, nutrition, advocating for yourself, setting and upholding boundaries, and other often ignored topics that are key to maintaining a sustainable career and healthy life. They will also talk with MN Opera VP, Production Karen Quisenberry, and VP, Artistic Joseph Li about how they foster team cultures that prioritize work-life balance and how they care for themselves when their calendars get full.

Hosts: Rick X. Hoops, Jared Mikach

Guest: Joseph Li, Karen Quisenberry

Producer: Rocky Jones

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New episodes of crescendo: building the future of the arts drop every other Tuesday. If you like what you hear, please support us and SUBSCRIBE to the show on your favorite podcast app and be sure to SHARE our show with your friends. Also, leaving a 5-star REVIEW on Apple Podcasts is a great way to help people find our show. For more information, please visit mnopera.org/crescendo.

On this episode of crescendo: building the future of the arts, Rick and Jared take it to the business side of things. From stipend amounts and price setting, to income tracking, to networking and building a business, they get into the nitty-gritty subjects we wish we had learned sooner. They also talk to local soprano and Development Officer at Minnesota Opera, Siena Forest. She is an accomplished producer, fundraiser, consultant, founder and former Resident Artist with MN opera. Siena shares her perspectives on resume building, finding jobs, and financial security as an artist.

Hosts: Rick X. Hoops, Jared Mikach

Guest: Siena Forest

Producer: Rocky Jones

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New episodes of crescendo: building the future of the arts drop every other Tuesday. If you like what you hear, please support us and SUBSCRIBE to the show on your favorite podcast app and be sure to SHARE our show with your friends. Also, leaving a 5-star REVIEW on Apple Podcasts is a great way to help people find our show. For more information, please visit mnopera.org/crescendo.

On this episode of crescendo: building the future of the arts, Rick and Jared discuss how to find balance as an artist who is also a teacher. They will talk about their journeys into arts education, address common misconceptions, and break down the changes they’ve  noticed in our teaching styles over time. Later in the episode, they will chat with fellow Youth Programs Music Director Sara Sawyer, who has been part of guiding Minnesota Opera’s education initiatives through many iterations. She will share her experience as an arts-educator and how she has learned to balance her performing with her teaching and administrative duties.

Hosts: Rick X. Hoops, Jared Mikach

Guest: Sara Sawyer

Producer: Rocky Jones

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New episodes of crescendo: building the future of the arts drop every other Tuesday. If you like what you hear, please support us and SUBSCRIBE to the show on your favorite podcast app and be sure to SHARE our show with your friends. Also, leaving a 5-star REVIEW on Apple Podcasts is a great way to help people find our show. For more information, please visit mnopera.org/crescendo.

On this episode of crescendo: building the future of the arts, Rick and Jared discuss the importance of community engagement in nonprofit organizations. They talk about some pitfalls that organizations can fall into, some alternative ways of engagement, and why these topics and practices are important for young artists to be aware of. Later in the episode, Rick and Jared chat with Dr. Darius Gillard, current Vice President, Impact at Minnesota Opera, about his experience in the opera industry and his approach to building community. 

Hosts: Rick X. Hoops, Jared Miller

Guest: Dr. Darius Gillard

Producer: Rocky Jones

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New episodes of crescendo: building the future of the arts drop every other Tuesday. If you like what you hear, please support us and SUBSCRIBE to the show on your favorite podcast app and be sure to SHARE our show with your friends. Also, leaving a 5-star REVIEW on Apple Podcasts is a great way to help people find our show. For more information, please visit mnopera.org/crescendo.

On this week's episode of crescendo: building the future of the arts, Jared and Rick discuss balancing parenthood and caregiving in the performing arts. They chat about their own limited experiences with caregiving and identify a variety of different caregiving responsibilities—from parenting children to elder care to community care and beyond. Rick and Jared also reflect on their experiences working on NOOMA​, an opera for babies aged 0-24 months that Minnesota Opera produced at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in early June. 

This episode's guest, local soprano and director of NOOMA Bergen Baker, joins Rick and Jared to talk about her young artist path, her experiences with discrimination as a mother of three children in the performing arts, and her approach to directing an opera for the youngest audience.

Hosts: Rick X. Hoops, Jared Miller

Guest: Bergen Baker

Producer: Rocky Jones

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Links

Bergen Baker (Bio)

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New episodes of crescendo: building the future of the arts drop every other Tuesday. If you like what you hear, please support us and SUBSCRIBE to the show on your favorite podcast app and be sure to SHARE our show with your friends. Also, leaving a 5-star REVIEW on Apple Podcasts is a great way to help people find our show. For more information, please visit mnopera.org/crescendo.

On today's episode of crescendo, Jared and Rick will discuss the importance of being a versatile artist, from different vocal techniques to acting to a variety of special talents. They will talk about how they’ve used their varied knowledge and experiences to inform every aspect of their art making. Later in the episode, they will speak with soprano Symone Harcum about her various experiences with Minnesota Opera, the recent production of La bohème, and her thoughts on versatility in artist development.

Hosts: Rick X. Hoops, Jared Miller

Guest: Symone Harcum

Producer: Rocky Jones

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Links

Symone Harcum (Website)

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New episodes of crescendo: building the future of the arts drop every other Tuesday. If you like what you hear, please support us and SUBSCRIBE to the show on your favorite podcast app and be sure to SHARE our show with your friends. Also, leaving a 5-star REVIEW on Apple Podcasts is a great way to help people find our show. For more information, please visit mnopera.org/crescendo.

On this episode of crescendo, Jared and Rick discuss moving through defensiveness, learning to be directable, showing respect in artistic spaces, and teaching in a variety of styles. They’ll chat about their experiences with ageism, the differences between earned respect and assumed respect, and finding their own ways to learn that fit their own personal circumstances. This episode’s guest, Charles H. Eaton, baritone and Resident Artist at Minnesota Opera, will share his thoughts on giving and receiving effective feedback as both a performer and teacher, as well as his experiences with vocal injury and the stigma that surrounds it.

Hosts: Rick X. Hoops, Jared Miller

Guest: Charles H. Eaton

Producer: Rocky Jones

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Links

Charles H. Eaton (Website)

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New episodes of crescendo: building the future of the arts drop every other Tuesday. If you like what you hear, please support us and SUBSCRIBE to the show on your favorite podcast app and be sure to SHARE our show with your friends. Also, leaving a 5-star REVIEW on Apple Podcasts is a great way to help people find our show. For more information, please visit mnopera.org/crescendo.

On this episode of crescendo, Jared and Rick talk about a common challenge for young artists: maintaining a positive self-image. They'll open up about some of their own struggles with self-esteem as young artists and give tips to building confidence and managing negative self-talk. This episode's guest, soprano and Resident Artist, Keely Futterer (she/her) will join our hosts to share about her time with Minnesota Opera, her experience as Musetta in La bohème, and give some advice to young artists who may be struggling to quiet their inner critic onstage. Jared, Rick, and Keely (with a small assist from Producer Rocky) also answer questions submitted by MNOP's Youth Opera program participants.

Hosts: Rick X. Hoops, Jared Miller

Guest: Keely Futterer

Producer: Rocky Jones

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Links

La bohème at MN Opera (Buy Tickets)

Keely Futterer (Website)

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New episodes of crescendo: building the future of the arts drop every other Tuesday. If you like what you hear, please support us and SUBSCRIBE to the show on your favorite podcast app and be sure to SHARE our show with your friends. Also, leaving a 5-star REVIEW on Apple Podcasts is a great way to help people find our show. For more information, please visit mnopera.org/crescendo.