For Good Measure

For Good Measure, by Ensemble for These Times (E4TT)
Episode 228: Kendra Preston Leonard - Part 5

Looking for a way to listen to diverse creators and to support equity in the arts? Tune in weekly to For Good Measure!

In this week’s episode, we continue our third season, “Talking About Text,” which focuses on creatives, including lyricists, singers, and composers, who work on music with text. Today we talk to Kendra Preston Leonard about the recent opera she worked on, Montevergine, and whether writing a libretto for historical or contemporary topics/scenes is more challenging.

We recorded this interview with multi-talented librettist, musicologist, and musician Kendra Preston Leonard in August 2025. Sadly, she passed away suddenly and much too young on August 19, 2026. We are so grateful to have had the opportunity to speak to her, and we dedicate the following episodes with her to her memory. For more information about Kendra Preston Leonard: https://kendraprestonleonard.hcommons.org/.

This podcast is made possible by grants from the California Arts Council, SF Arts Commission, Grants for the Arts, and generous donors like you. Want to support For Good Measure and E4TT? Make a tax-deductible donation or sign up for our newsletter, and subscribe to the podcast!

Intro music: “Trifolium” by Gabriela Ortiz, performed by E4TT (Ilana Blumberg, violin; Abigail Monroe, cello; Margaret Halbig, piano), as part of “Below the Surface: Music by Women Composers,” January 29, 2022
Outro music: “Lake Turkana” by Marcus Norris, performed by E4TT (Margaret Halbig, piano), as part of “Alchemy,” October 15, 2021

Transcription courtesy of Otter.ai.
Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1903729/episodes/19916792

Producer, Host, and E4TT co-founder: Nanette McGuinness
Co-producer and Audio Engineer: Stephanie M. Neumann
Podcast Cover Art: Brennan Stokes
Operations Coordinator: Elmer Carter III
Interns: Renata Volchinskaya, Christy Xu

Support the show

Visit E4TT.org and find us on social media!
Instagram: @e4tt
Twitter: @e4ttimes
Facebook: @EnsembleforTheseTimes
Listen/subscribe on Soundcloud, Spotify, and YouTube.

For Good Measure, by Ensemble for These Times (E4TT)
Episode 227: Kendra Preston Leonard - Part 4

Looking for a way to listen to diverse creators and to support equity in the arts? Tune in weekly to For Good Measure!

In this week’s episode, we continue our third season, “Talking About Text,” which focuses on creatives, including lyricists, singers, and composers, who work on music with text. Today we talk to Kendra Preston Leonard about collaborating with composers and whether she has ever been tempted to compose music and set it to her own text.

We recorded this interview with multi-talented librettist, musicologist, and musician Kendra Preston Leonard in August 2025. Sadly, she passed away suddenly and much too young on August 19, 2026. We are so grateful to have had the opportunity to speak to her, and we dedicate the following episodes with her to her memory. For more information about Kendra Preston Leonard: https://kendraprestonleonard.hcommons.org/.

This podcast is made possible by grants from the California Arts Council, SF Arts Commission, Grants for the Arts, and generous donors like you. Want to support For Good Measure and E4TT? Make a tax-deductible donation or sign up for our newsletter, and subscribe to the podcast!

Intro music: “Trifolium” by Gabriela Ortiz, performed by E4TT (Ilana Blumberg, violin; Abigail Monroe, cello; Margaret Halbig, piano), as part of “Below the Surface: Music by Women Composers,” January 29, 2022
Outro music: “Lake Turkana” by Marcus Norris, performed by E4TT (Margaret Halbig, piano), as part of “Alchemy,” October 15, 2021

Transcription courtesy of Otter.ai.
Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1903729/episodes/19891909

Producer, Host, and E4TT co-founder: Nanette McGuinness
Co-producer and Audio Engineer: Stephanie M. Neumann
Podcast Cover Art: Brennan Stokes
Operations Coordinator: Elmer Carter III
Interns: Renata Volchinskaya, Christy Xu

Support the show

Visit E4TT.org and find us on social media!
Instagram: @e4tt
Twitter: @e4ttimes
Facebook: @EnsembleforTheseTimes
Listen/subscribe on Soundcloud, Spotify, and YouTube.

For Good Measure, by Ensemble for These Times (E4TT)
Episode 226: Kendra Preston Leonard - Part 3

Looking for a way to listen to diverse creators and to support equity in the arts? Tune in weekly to For Good Measure!

In this week’s episode, we continue our third season, “Talking About Text,” which focuses on creatives, including lyricists, singers, and composers, who work on music with text. Today we talk to Kendra Preston Leonard about her inspiration and thoughts she had while writing lyrics for a piece from E4TT’s Cassandra Project called “Cassandra, or Don’t Girls Love Horses” by Jessica Rudman.

We recorded this interview with multi-talented librettist, musicologist, and musician Kendra Preston Leonard in August 2025. Sadly, she passed away suddenly and much too young on August 19, 2026. We are so grateful to have had the opportunity to speak to her, and we dedicate the following episodes with her to her memory. For more information about Kendra Preston Leonard: https://kendraprestonleonard.hcommons.org/.

This podcast is made possible by grants from the California Arts Council, SF Arts Commission, Grants for the Arts, and generous donors like you. Want to support For Good Measure and E4TT? Make a tax-deductible donation or sign up for our newsletter, and subscribe to the podcast!

Intro music: “Trifolium” by Gabriela Ortiz, performed by E4TT (Ilana Blumberg, violin; Abigail Monroe, cello; Margaret Halbig, piano), as part of “Below the Surface: Music by Women Composers,” January 29, 2022
Outro music: “Lake Turkana” by Marcus Norris, performed by E4TT (Margaret Halbig, piano), as part of “Alchemy,” October 15, 2021

Transcription courtesy of Otter.ai.
Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1903729/episodes/19825146

Producer, Host, and E4TT co-founder: Nanette McGuinness
Co-producer and Audio Engineer: Stephanie M. Neumann
Podcast Cover Art: Brennan Stokes
Operations Coordinator: Elmer Carter III
Interns: Renata Volchinskaya, Christy Xu

Support the show

Visit E4TT.org and find us on social media!
Instagram: @e4tt
Twitter: @e4ttimes
Facebook: @EnsembleforTheseTimes
Listen/subscribe on Soundcloud, Spotify, and YouTube.

For Good Measure, by Ensemble for These Times (E4TT)
Episode 225: Kendra Preston Leonard - Part 2

Looking for a way to listen to diverse creators and to support equity in the arts? Tune in weekly to For Good Measure!

In this week’s episode, we continue our third season, “Talking About Text,” which focuses on creatives, including lyricists, singers, and composers, who work on music with text. Today we talk to Kendra Preston Leonard about teaching with Guerrilla Opera, Liz Lerman's Creative Response Process, and how her approach to writing poetry changes when she knows it is going to be set to music.

We recorded this interview with multi-talented librettist, musicologist, and musician Kendra Preston Leonard in August 2025. Sadly, she passed away suddenly and much too young on August 19, 2026. We are so grateful to have had the opportunity to speak to her, and we dedicate the following episodes with her to her memory. For more information about Kendra Preston Leonard: https://kendraprestonleonard.hcommons.org/.

This podcast is made possible by grants from the California Arts Council, SF Arts Commission, Grants for the Arts, and generous donors like you. Want to support For Good Measure and E4TT? Make a tax-deductible donation or sign up for our newsletter, and subscribe to the podcast!

Intro music: “Trifolium” by Gabriela Ortiz, performed by E4TT (Ilana Blumberg, violin; Abigail Monroe, cello; Margaret Halbig, piano), as part of “Below the Surface: Music by Women Composers,” January 29, 2022
Outro music: “Lake Turkana” by Marcus Norris, performed by E4TT (Margaret Halbig, piano), as part of “Alchemy,” October 15, 2021

Transcription courtesy of Otter.ai.
Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1903729/episodes/19825146

Producer, Host, and E4TT co-founder: Nanette McGuinness
Co-producer and Audio Engineer: Stephanie M. Neumann
Podcast Cover Art: Brennan Stokes
Operations Coordinator: Elmer Carter III
Interns: Renata Volchinskaya, Christy Xu

Support the show

Visit E4TT.org and find us on social media!
Instagram: @e4tt
Twitter: @e4ttimes
Facebook: @EnsembleforTheseTimes
Listen/subscribe on Soundcloud, Spotify, and YouTube.

For Good Measure, by Ensemble for These Times (E4TT)
Episode 224: Kendra Preston Leonard - Part 1

Looking for a way to listen to diverse creators and to support equity in the arts? Tune in weekly to For Good Measure!

In this week’s episode, we continue our third season, “Talking About Text,” which focuses on creatives, including lyricists, singers, and composers, who work on music with text. Today we talk to Kendra Preston Leonard about her creative journey.

We recorded this interview with multi-talented librettist, musicologist, and musician Kendra Preston Leonard in August 2025. Sadly, she passed away suddenly and much too young on August 19, 2026. We are so grateful to have had the opportunity to speak to her, and we dedicate the following episodes with her to her memory. For more information about Kendra Preston Leonard: https://kendraprestonleonard.hcommons.org/.

This podcast is made possible by grants from the California Arts Council, SF Arts Commission, Grants for the Arts, and generous donors like you. Want to support For Good Measure and E4TT? Make a tax-deductible donation or sign up for our newsletter, and subscribe to the podcast!

Intro music: “Trifolium” by Gabriela Ortiz, performed by E4TT (Ilana Blumberg, violin; Abigail Monroe, cello; Margaret Halbig, piano), as part of “Below the Surface: Music by Women Composers,” January 29, 2022
Outro music: “Lake Turkana” by Marcus Norris, performed by E4TT (Margaret Halbig, piano), as part of “Alchemy,” October 15, 2021

Transcription courtesy of Otter.ai.
Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1903729/episodes/19797130

Producer, Host, and E4TT co-founder: Nanette McGuinness
Co-producer and Audio Engineer: Stephanie M. Neumann
Podcast Cover Art: Brennan Stokes
Operations Coordinator: Elmer Carter III
Interns: Renata Volchinskaya, Christy Xu

Support the show

Visit E4TT.org and find us on social media!
Instagram: @e4tt
Twitter: @e4ttimes
Facebook: @EnsembleforTheseTimes
Listen/subscribe on Soundcloud, Spotify, and YouTube.

For Good Measure, by Ensemble for These Times (E4TT)
Episode 223: Jennifer Hidgon - Part 4

Looking for a way to listen to diverse creators and to support equity in the arts? Tune in weekly to For Good Measure!

In this week’s episode, we continue our third season, “Talking @ Text,” which focuses on creatives, including lyricists, singers, and composers, who work on music with text. Today we to talk Jennifer Higdon about her hope that the arts can survive, thrive, and grow with continued support, among the current financial challenges with arts funding and all levels of making art. If you enjoyed today’s conversation and want to know more about Jennifer Higdon, check her out here: http://www.jenniferhigdon.com/. This episode was originally recorded in February 2026.

This podcast is made possible by grants from the California Arts Council, SF Arts Commission, Grants for the Arts, and generous donors like you. Want to support For Good Measure and E4TT? Make a tax-deductible donation or sign up for our newsletter, and subscribe to the podcast!

Intro music: “Trifolium” by Gabriela Ortiz, performed by E4TT (Ilana Blumberg, violin; Abigail Monroe, cello; Margaret Halbig, piano), as part of “Below the Surface: Music by Women Composers,” January 29, 2022
Outro music: “Lake Turkana” by Marcus Norris, performed by E4TT (Margaret Halbig, piano), as part of “Alchemy,” October 15, 2021

Transcription courtesy of Otter.ai.
Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1903729/episodes/19656393

Producer, Host, and E4TT co-founder: Nanette McGuinness
Co-producer and Audio Engineer: Stephanie M. Neumann
Podcast Cover Art: Brennan Stokes
Operations Coordinator: Elmer Carter III
Interns: Renata Volchinskaya, Christy Xu

Support the show

Visit E4TT.org and find us on social media!
Instagram: @e4tt
Twitter: @e4ttimes
Facebook: @EnsembleforTheseTimes
Listen/subscribe on Soundcloud, Spotify, and YouTube.

For Good Measure, by Ensemble for These Times (E4TT)
Episode 222: Jennifer Hidgon - Part 3

Looking for a way to listen to diverse creators and to support equity in the arts? Tune in weekly to For Good Measure!

In this week’s episode, we continue our third season, “Talking @ Text,” which focuses on creatives, including lyricists, singers, and composers, who work on music with text. Today we talk to Jennifer Higdon about taking on projects that challenge her and what she has coming up, the importance of building relationships with performers as a composer, and the value of women’s representation in music across the board. If you enjoyed today’s conversation and want to know more about Jennifer Higdon, check her out here: http://www.jenniferhigdon.com/. This episode was originally recorded in February 2026.

This podcast is made possible by grants from the California Arts Council, SF Arts Commission, Grants for the Arts, and generous donors like you. Want to support For Good Measure and E4TT? Make a tax-deductible donation or sign up for our newsletter, and subscribe to the podcast!

Intro music: “Trifolium” by Gabriela Ortiz, performed by E4TT (Ilana Blumberg, violin; Abigail Monroe, cello; Margaret Halbig, piano), as part of “Below the Surface: Music by Women Composers,” January 29, 2022
Outro music: “Lake Turkana” by Marcus Norris, performed by E4TT (Margaret Halbig, piano), as part of “Alchemy,” October 15, 2021

Transcription courtesy of Otter.ai.
Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1903729/episodes/19656393

Producer, Host, and E4TT co-founder: Nanette McGuinness
Co-producer and Audio Engineer: Stephanie M. Neumann
Podcast Cover Art: Brennan Stokes
Operations Coordinator: Elmer Carter III
Interns: Renata Volchinskaya, Christy Xu

Support the show

Visit E4TT.org and find us on social media!
Instagram: @e4tt
Twitter: @e4ttimes
Facebook: @EnsembleforTheseTimes
Listen/subscribe on Soundcloud, Spotify, and YouTube.

For Good Measure, by Ensemble for These Times (E4TT)
Episode 221: Jennifer Hidgon - Part 2

Looking for a way to listen to diverse creators and to support equity in the arts? Tune in weekly to For Good Measure!

In this week’s episode, we continue our third season, “Talking @ Text,” which focuses on creatives, including lyricists, singers, and composers, who work on music with text. Today we talk to Jennifer Higdon about how her project with a narrator, Sigourney Weaver, differs from past vocal compositions, her experience when she lost her voice post-surgery, and advice on how to find your voice as a composer. If you enjoyed today’s conversation and want to know more about Jennifer Higdon, check her out here: http://www.jenniferhigdon.com/. This episode was originally recorded in February 2026.

This podcast is made possible by grants from the California Arts Council, SF Arts Commission, Grants for the Arts, and generous donors like you. Want to support For Good Measure and E4TT? Make a tax-deductible donation or sign up for our newsletter, and subscribe to the podcast!

Intro music: “Trifolium” by Gabriela Ortiz, performed by E4TT (Ilana Blumberg, violin; Abigail Monroe, cello; Margaret Halbig, piano), as part of “Below the Surface: Music by Women Composers,” January 29, 2022
Outro music: “Lake Turkana” by Marcus Norris, performed by E4TT (Margaret Halbig, piano), as part of “Alchemy,” October 15, 2021

Transcription courtesy of Otter.ai.
Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1903729/episodes/19656299

Co-Producer, Host, and E4TT co-founder: Nanette McGuinness
Co-Producer and Audio Engineer: Stephanie M. Neumann
Podcast Cover Art: Brennan Stokes
Interns: Renata Volchinskaya, Christy Xu

Support the show

Visit E4TT.org and find us on social media!
Instagram: @e4tt
Twitter: @e4ttimes
Facebook: @EnsembleforTheseTimes
Listen/subscribe on Soundcloud, Spotify, and YouTube.

For Good Measure, by Ensemble for These Times (E4TT)
Episode 220: Jennifer Hidgon - Part 1

Looking for a way to listen to diverse creators and to support equity in the arts? Tune in weekly to For Good Measure!

In this week’s episode, we start our third season, “Talking @ Text,” which focuses on creatives, including lyricists, singers, and composers, who work on music with text. Today, we talk to Jennifer Higdon about her musical path and working with text as a composer. If you enjoyed today’s conversation and want to know more about Jennifer Higdon, check her out here: http://www.jenniferhigdon.com/. This episode was originally recorded in February 2026.

This podcast is made possible by grants from the California Arts Council, SF Arts Commission, Grants for the Arts, and generous donors like you. Want to support For Good Measure and E4TT? Make a tax-deductible donation or sign up for our newsletter, and subscribe to the podcast!

Intro music: “Trifolium” by Gabriela Ortiz, performed by E4TT (Ilana Blumberg, violin; Abigail Monroe, cello; Margaret Halbig, piano), as part of “Below the Surface: Music by Women Composers,” January 29, 2022
Outro music: “Lake Turkana” by Marcus Norris, performed by E4TT (Margaret Halbig, piano), as part of “Alchemy,” October 15, 2021

Transcription courtesy of Otter.ai.
Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1903729/episodes/19652040

Co-Producer, Host, and E4TT co-founder: Nanette McGuinness
Co-Producer and Audio Engineer: Stephanie M. Neumann
Podcast Cover Art: Brennan Stokes
Interns: Renata Volchinskaya, Christy Xu

Support the show

Visit E4TT.org and find us on social media!
Instagram: @e4tt
Twitter: @e4ttimes
Facebook: @EnsembleforTheseTimes
Listen/subscribe on Soundcloud, Spotify, and YouTube.

For Good Measure, by Ensemble for These Times (E4TT)
Episode 219: Da Capo Conversations 2.0 with Pamela Z and Elinor Armer

Looking for a way to listen to diverse creators and to support equity in the arts? Tune in weekly to For Good Measure!

Today we revisit Pamela Z’s and Elinor Armer’s perspectives on working with text as part of their artistic practice. If you enjoyed today’s conversation and want to know more about Pamela Z and Elinor Armer, check them out here and here. Parts of this episode originally premiered in July 2021, click here, and in January 2021, click here.

This podcast is made possible by grants from the California Arts Council, SF Arts Commission, Grants for the Arts, and generous donors like you. Want to support For Good Measure and E4TT? Make a tax-deductible donation or sign up for our newsletter, and subscribe to the podcast!

Intro music: “Trifolium” by Gabriela Ortiz, performed by E4TT (Ilana Blumberg, violin; Abigail Monroe, cello; Margaret Halbig, piano), as part of “Below the Surface: Music by Women Composers,” January 29, 2022
Outro music: “Lake Turkana” by Marcus Norris, performed by E4TT (Margaret Halbig, piano), as part of “Alchemy,” October 15, 2021

Transcription courtesy of Otter.ai.
Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1903729/episodes/19545913

Co-Producer, Host, and E4TT co-founder: Nanette McGuinness
Co-Producer and Audio Engineer: Stephanie M. Neumann
Podcast Cover Art: Brennan Stokes
Interns: Renata Volchinskaya, Sam Mason, Christy Xu

Support the show

Visit E4TT.org and find us on social media!
Instagram: @e4tt
Twitter: @e4ttimes
Facebook: @EnsembleforTheseTimes
Listen/subscribe on Soundcloud, Spotify, and YouTube.