You know when you're a kid and you meet someone at school or on the playground, and you discover that you both love [insert shared obsession here], and that one connection turns into several, and before you know it, it's time to go home and you just had the greatest time with your new friend? Well, that's what today's episode of Defining Talent is like when Laura and her guest rave about their mutual love of Sam Shepard, cats, theatre, and more. Do they find the answer to the question "how do you define talent?" Well . . . you'll just have to listen to find out.

Audio levels adjusted & updated 9/23/23.

Dr. Emily Moss is an accomplished conductor who has led conducting clinics across North America, a stellar teacher/mentor of future music educators, a bassoonist (not an easy instrument!), an athlete, and a mother — and if she wanted to, she could easily pursue an additional career as Tina Fey's stand-in. She and Laura go many places in their exploration of talent, from discussing the Venn diagram of work ethic + talent + coachability, to the talent of a teacher who can meet a student where they are and help them get to what's next.

To find out more about Dr. Moss or previous guests, visit the podcast website!

Audio levels adjusted & updated 9/23/23.

On Episode 4, Laura is joined by Rico Garcia, who wears many hats, including his position as Audio Engineer and Audio Systems Technician for the Department of Music at Cal State LA. Rico is a multi-genre-spanning musician, a mentor to the production assistants for Arts & Letters who work with him on the many live events he engineers each year, a father (and pet parent!) a husband and a friend, and he is an insightful and deep thinker. He and Laura discuss his journey as an artist and the three over-arching categories of talent that he's observed over the years, as well as the sometimes-frustrating intersection of the political/philosophical and the arts.

Audio levels adjusted & updated 9/23/23.

On today's episode, join host Laura Dickinson-Turner and guest Meredith Greenburg, as they have way too much fun hanging out together. Meredith is the Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance at Cal State LA (so in addition to being one of Laura's best friends, she's also Laura's boss), the Production Stage Manager for the yearly musicals at the Hollywood Bowl, a twin mom to teenage boys, and an inspiring mentor and educator. Tune in as she and Laura discuss talent and its positive impact on others, the ongoing re-emergence of arts and education from the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, the joy of grilled-cheese sandwiches, and much more.

You can find out more about Meredith Greenburg on her faculty website at Cal State LA.

Audio levels adjusted & updated 9/23/23.

Today's guest is someone who is a bit of a Renaissance man. Geaquari Carlisle currently works full-time as the Department Coordinator for the Philosophy Department at Cal State LA, but prior to his current position, Geaquari got his Bachelor's in Political Science at Cal State LA, served for several years in the Air Force - including a stint at a nuclear facility - developed a passion for photography (no pun intended), and even worked for a cosmetics company. Add to this impressive resume his razor sharp wit and keen eye for fashion, and it's clear why he had to be a guest on "Defining Talent."

You can check out some of Geaquari's photography on his Instagram, @droogaddict

For more details, visit the Defining Talent website.

Audio levels adjusted & updated 9/23/23.

For the inaugural episode of Defining Talent, Laura sits down with Amy Luna-Beltrán, a recent graduate of the MFA in Television, Film, and Theatre/Acting Option program at Cal State LA. They talk about awareness, passion, cooking, driving, molecule shifting, and more.

You can visit Amy at her website,

Visit the Defining Talent website for more details.

Audio levels adjusted & updated 9/23/23