Hey Amarillo

A conversation with Abby Moldenhauer, a former circus performer and the founder of Flying Fitness in Amarillo, a fitness studio which teaches aerial arts. Moldenhauer grew up in Canyon before leaving to join the circus—literally—after having trained to become a performer specializing in aerial silks. She traveled for years with Ringling Bros. and other shows until injuries sustained in a carjacking forced her into a new career. She tells host Jason Boyett about her path into the aerial arts, life with a traveling circus, and why local fitness enthusiasts are drawn to her gym when they get tired of treadmill cardio. This episode is supported by The Shops at Wolflin Square, La-Z-Boy of Amarillo, and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum.

A conversation with Ruthie Landelius, a local chef, culinary educator, and the proprietor of Black Fig Food. She's also a food contributor to Brick & Elm Magazine and the Flavorillo email newsletter. A self-taught chef, Ruthie is known for her visual and artistic approach to food, for using food to build community, and for the elevated menus she creates for local events—from intimate weddings to enormous fundraising banquets. She shares with host Jason Boyett how her early failures helped make her the cook she is today and what it's like to plan, schedule and execute meals for enormous groups of local people. This episode is supported by Amarillo Angels and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum.

A conversation with Andy Justus, a long-time broadcast journalist and the co-anchor of Studio 4 and KAMR Local 4 News at 5, 6, and 10. A graduate of West Texas A&M, Andy has been in local news since he first joined KAMR in 1997. In this episode, he tells host Jason Boyett about growing up in poverty, moving constantly during childhood due to evictions, and how he convinced his single mother that he needed to go to Boys Ranch. In fact, if not for the structure he found at Boys Ranch, Andy says he would either "be in prison or be dead." Along with those harrowing details, he also shares why he has such gratitude for the Panhandle area and its people. This episode is supported by Habitat for Humanity and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum.

A conversation with Naomi Vang, the owner/operator of S.E.A. Market Oriental Food in Amarillo. A refugee from Myanmar (Burma), Vang arrived in the area as a child after her family faced displacement due to political instability and oppression from the military regime that gained control over their country. Her family is part of the Chin ethnic group from the mountainous part of western Myanmar. She tells host Jason Boyett how she and her siblings made it to Texas, what it was like to grow up in an unfamiliar culture, and how the public has responded to her Asian market near 34th & Georgia. This episode is supported by Storybridge, Amarillo Angels and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum.

A conversation with Jason Mays, Fire Chief of the Amarillo Fire Department. An Amarillo native, Mays grew up in the River Road community and has been with AFD since 1999. He is the 10th fire chief in the history of the fire department, which dates back to 1897. He succeeded Fire Chief Jeff Greenlee in April 2020, and prior to this position had served as Deputy Chief of Operations. Mays shares with host Jason Boyett how he found his way into his career after struggling in high school, what most residents don't understand about the department today, and how AFD prioritizes the mental health of its firefighters. This episode is supported by Shemen Dental, the Shops at Wolflin Square and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum.

A conversation with Maile Srader, the proprietor of Purposeful Play Busy Bags, an educational supply store near 34th & Georgia in Westhaven Village. This storefront offers sensory bins, learning binders and fidgets for families, teachers, therapists and more, based on materials Srader developed and used during her teaching career and then as a homeschooling parent. In this episode, she tells host Jason Boyett about her family's journey through foster care, how her business has introduced her to multiple communities within Amarillo, and why her customers have responded so strongly to these products. This episode is supported by SKP Creative / Amarillo Tribune, La-Z-Boy of Amarillo and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum.

A conversation with Tom Martin, the CEO of Milo Insulation of Texas. His company manufactures an innovative home insulation product called MILEX, made from grain sorghum grown in the Panhandle and produced at a facility in Tulia. In this episode, Martin explains to host Jason Boyett his journey from south Texas to Iowa to Amarillo, his shift from a career in education to one in farm exports, how he developed a sorghum-based packing peanut that's now used around the world, and how that product brought him to the world of insulation. This episode is supported by Amarillo Angels and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum.

A conversation with Tia Marie Hunt, a donor relations coordinator at West Texas A&M University and a singer-songwriter who'll be performing at this weekend's Hoodoo Mural Festival. Tia Marie shares with host Jason Boyett about her journey to the area after having grown up in Jasper, Texas, her transition from singing at church to performing for secular audiences, and what role Amarillo might play in the rest of her musical career. Her single, "Love," is available on these platforms. Tia Marie performs on the ANB Stage at 3pm Saturday at Hoodoo. This episode is supported by Habitat for Humanity, Jimmy John's, and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum.

A conversation with Will Krause, the festival director for HOODOO Mural Festival (Sept. 28, 2024) and a long-time promoter and producer. Will was a partner in Austin's Euphoria Music Festival for several years and continues to work as a production manager for SXSW. As a promoter, he recently brought Hayden Pedigo, Kristen Key and Charley Crockett to Amarillo for shows at the Globe News Center. Krause shares with host Jason Boyett about moving back to Amarillo from Austin, how HOODOO has built an exciting national reputation, and what the musicians who come here think about this community. This episode is supported by Storybridge and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum.

A conversation with Jim Wilson, the legendary piano technician, award-winning recording artist and author of Tuned In: Memoirs of a Piano Man. Wilson grew up in 1970s Amarillo before heading to Southern California to pursue a music career. He ended up becoming a "piano tuner for the stars" before helping develop the highly influential MIDI-adapter for the acoustic piano, and then composing and recording chart-topping piano works. Wilson tells host Jason Boyett about the journey into his multiple careers, his friendships with celebrities like Paul McCartney and Elton John, and how growing up in Amarillo gave birth to a lifetime in music and entertainment. This episode is supported by La-Z-Boy of Amarillo, Wolflin Square, Shemen Dental and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum.