Express Yourself!

The ebullient The Windy City Nanny, Florence Ann Romano, joins host Siri Phaneendra in a lively discussion about caring for children, what it takes to be a nanny and the importance of family relationships. Florence is the author of Nanny and Me, a sweet, educational story that helps families introduce a new caregiver to their home. Siri reads The Gift of Family by Asya Gonzalez from the book, Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers Celebrating Gifts of Positive Voices in a Changing Digital World and shares personal stories about her supportive family. Brigitte Jia and Kenneth Jeon shine in the 3rd segment talking about family movies, otherwise known as four-quadrant movies. Four-quadrant movies are called four-quadrant movies because they appeal to all four general movie-going audiences: men, women, under-25-year-olds, and over-25-year-olds. The duo appreciates the universal appeal of these movies while sharing some of their favorites.

With a name like "ExXxoticc" one would expect an unpredictable interview. You are in for a marvelous surprise when Brigitte and Siri interview this young rising rapper who is down-to-earth, approachable, and authentic. The conversation flows about how she began her career, identified her stage name, and what "escape" means to her. Opening her latest single with a plea to God, ExXxoticc captures her struggles in sound with a dark and dirty banger that stands out as one of 2019's heaviest releases. Built on a snarling trap beat and a menacing piano riff that backs up her potent lyricism, 'Die' is living proof that ExXxoticc smacks harder than anyone else in the rap game. The chapter on Escape from Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers Celebrating Gifts of Positive Voices in a Changing Digital World is read and discussed while Brigitte explains how she escaped anxiety with the pressures of the first year at university. This is an evocative, thrilling hour of young expression.

Do you celebrate diversity? Hosts Kenneth Jeon and Brigitte Jia sparked a lively conversation reading Maria Wong's chapter on diversity from Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers Celebrating Gifts of Positive Voices in a Changing Digital World as Maria described growing up Chinese Mexican. Award-winning voice actor and radio/TV producer, Marc Cashman, spark excitement as he discusses the numerous roles and opportunities for voice talent. When a spot needs a Thai speaker, unlike 20 years ago when casting would have to find someone that could hopefully fit the part here in America, because of technology today, talent can be booked and work directly from Thailand. When asked what his favorite jobs are, Marc immediately retorted that the jobs he is passionate about are the ones where he makes no money and instead is voicing a public service announcement for a worthy cause. Kenneth and Brigitte remind us not to forget ecological diversity as species on our planet are disappearing.

"Any instance of inequality is worth writing about, sighing about, crying about, even laughing about." So writes teen Zahra Hasanain in her chapter on equality in the new book, Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers Celebrating Gifts of Positive Voices in a Changing Digital World, which is read and discussed by hosts Brigitte and Siri. Singer/songwriter Dylan Lloyd joins the conversation to talk about the back story of his new single, "If I can't have you". Dylan is contemplative, caring, and passionate about his work with influences that range from Michael Jackson to Elton John to Sting and many others. He is making an album that will feature his work solely on the piano. Dylan is a musical artist you'll want to follow and support. Kenneth rounds out the hour with his 20/20 Vision segment focused on equality in films with the hot-button issue of minority representation in the entertainment industry. This is an hour that you won't want to miss.

How do we define community? Is it a group of people coming together? Is it a place? Host Kenneth Jeon reads Joven Hundal's chapter from the book Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers Celebrating Gifts of Positive Voices in a Changing Digital World that illustrates the value of being part of a community where we can learn, socialize, and grow. In 20/20 Vision, Kenneth dissects the Hulu comedic sitcom, Community, where community college students come from a variety of lifestyles and backgrounds, each with their own distinct personality and create characters with a strong sense of kinship. Producer Cynthia Brian joins the conversation focusing on artists around the country who have flourished by establishing independent art organizations in downtrodden areas. By bringing artistic talent and opportunities to a neighborhood, the locals thrive and the investment in the community becomes a social and economic asset.

Do you meditate? What about bringing meditation into the classroom? Hosts Kenneth Jeon and Siri Phaneendra interview William P Meyer about his transformative book, Three Breaths and Begin. Get a deeper awareness and move through feelings with meditation. A teacher can use meditation daily in the classroom, on field trips, for sports assemblies, and more to help students connect with themselves and their world. A small circle that starts with 8 people can grow to include an entire student body when youth recognize their power, express curiosity, and reflect through meditation in nature, journaling, creative writing, art, and music. The hosts read chapters on courage from two books in the Be the Star You Are!® series and Siri shares her personal experiences with daily meditations, including the fact that meditating has helped her be more successful on exams. Be intentional when creating your meditation space and enjoy the results. Slow down, take three breaths, and begin.

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience but where he stands at times of challenge." Martin Luther King Jr. Conveniences of the past are not the conveniences we rely on today. Joven Hundal hosts with readings from Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers Celebrating Gifts of Positive Voices in a Changing Digital World plus a riveting exploration of global conveniences in his segment of World Watch. Surprisingly one of his most prized conveniences is keeping a journal, either on paper or digitally. Joining Joven is his cousin, Arjin Claire, reporter for Innovation Nation, where he chronicles innovations such as roller suitcases, metal water bottles, dishwashers, appliances, mobile phones, the internet, and the focus of his segment…food packaging. A fascinating portrayal of how far we have come with comfort and convenience! "Each one writes history according to his convenience." - Jose Rival

It's no surprise that art created today revolves around exploring the intricacies of communication. What does the film The Shape of Water by Guillermo Del Toro have to do with communication? Host Kenneth Jeon brings us a 20/20 Vision discussion of societal exploration and relationship-building while host Katie Choo shares the different communication challenges that living in Texas for her first year of college brought versus the four years of high school. A humorous dorm event at Rice is called "Screw Your Roommate" whereby dates are set-up by roommates for one another and a positive experience depends on the level of roommate connectivity and communication.The Gift of Communication by Courtney Cheng from the book Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers Celebrating Gifts of Positive Voices in a Changing Digital World is read and discussed with the takeaway that communication favors openness and honesty. Perhaps it is time to put less weight on digital mediums. Savor face-face!

"The more of me I be, the clearer I can see." - Rachel Andrews Young people are under pressure to choose their careers and determine what they want to do with their lives. Brigitte Jia and Kenneth Jeon tackle the subject of clarity with Brigitte expressing her struggles with her first year of college choices. Even if things seem clear, they aren't always right. Don't be afraid to change. Shawn Anderson, Author, Speaker, and founder of The Extra Mile encourages us to not accept mediocrity. How do you determine when you are going in the right direction? . Clarity comes in the moment when you are honest with yourself. Open your eyes, ears, and heart. Debuting is reporter Arjin Claire with his segment Innovation Nation. Innovation is something that surrounds us, yet most of the time, we don't even notice it unless it's changing our experience. Innovation is an essential part of our lives - from the simple toothpick to the technically amazing computer. Be clear and innovate!

Rachel Glass hosst this inspirational and intuitive hour focusing on awareness. She interviews literary agents, publishers, producers, and authors Bill and Gayle Gladstone discussing how books lead to increased awareness. A critical take-away from the conversation is the importance of following one's calling.Helping others and making a positive difference in the world is the priority. Making money is secondary. Rachel reads the chapter penned by Tristan Boardway titled The Gift of Awareness from the book published by Waterside and authored by Cynthia Brian with young contributors, Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers Celebrating Gifts of Positive Voices in a Changing Digital World. When we are present, being in the moment, we will begin to be more consciously and instinctively aware. Awareness is trusting ourselves with our innate intuition. She also reads the insightful chapter she wrote on Self-Love. Accept and love yourself and you'll have enough to share with others.