Antoine Plante is the conductor, co-founder and artistic director of Mercury, the Orchestra Redefined. They are performing Mozart's Requiem on May 13th at the Wortham Center and this gives us the opportunity to talk about the musical genius's unfinished masterpiece. Mozart died before The Requiem was completed and someone else put the final touches to the composition. It was a great mystery for a long time and Antoine tells us how it was solved.
We also discuss their upcoming season, their Neighborhood Concerts and the big free show they put on at The Miller, at the end of each summer. It's all on their website: www.mercuryhouston.org

Outspoken Bean is a Writers in the Schools (WITS) evangelist and their program coordinator. He is also the head-coach for Meta-4 Houston and the founder of the Space City Slam Series. With him is Analicia Sotelo, the communications strategist for WITS. WITS engages Houston-area youths, ages 13 to 19, to perform in the Space City Slam Series which is the largest youth poetry slam competition in Texas. 6 finalists will represent Houston at the 20th annual Brave New Voices International.WITS also has summer writing camps for children and you might be interested in having one of their teachers come to your children's school to teach workshops. For information, go to their website: www.witshouston.org

Dr. Shaine Morris is a pediatric cardiologist from Texas Children's Hospital. Owen Gray is a youth ambassador for the Marfan Foundation. He speaks from experience since he is living with Marfan syndrome. With him is his mother, Amy Gray who is an advocate for the Marfan Foundation.Marfan syndrome is a genetic disorder that affects the body's connective tissues which hold our cells and organs together. They are also important in how our bodies develop throughout childhood. Owen talk about living with Marfan, how it changed his life and gave it a purpose. As a high school student looking to coach basketball at the college level, he is already a mentor making a difference on behalf of those living with Marfan. Raising awareness increases the amount of research going on but it also forms support groups which is just as important.For information and support, look here: www.marfan.org

Steve Lufburrow is the president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Houston, and Will Lufburrow is their director of development and special projects. With them is Nick Bassitt, a Marine now serving as Goodwill's Manager of Veteran Services. We discuss the services available to our veterans and Nick shares some of the experiences common to troops returning to civilian life. Being a veteran is a barrier unto itself and we discuss how it can be overcome by visiting Goodwill. When their programs cannot help directly, they have a network of other non-profits which enables them to find the right place for help. It's a great system and it was encouraging to hear Nick confirm something I've heard before: the Houston community does a pretty good job of taking care of veterans and it is working to improve those services. www.Goodwillhouston.org

Nancy Henderek is the founder and artistic director of Dance Salad Festival, the biggest dance rendez-vous of the year. The show opens on Thursday, April 13th and runs through Saturday the 15th at the Wortham Center.This year's guests include one of the dance world's biggest stars: Mary Agnes Gillot, who will perform and answer questions during the free choreographer's forum on Wednesday, April 11th at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston. Also performing are Texas Ballet Theater, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, the Norwegian National Ballet and Charles "Lil' Buck" Riley and more.Get your tickets! www.dancesalad.org

Allison Booker Brooks is the CEO of The YWCA of Houston. On May 4th, they are celebrating the 31st Outstanding Women's Luncheon. It also marks the organization's 110th years of empowering women and girls in the Houston area. The event is at Royal Sonesta and is open to the public. All the women being recognized have great story to tell and we discuss the high school student who designed and wrote a coloring book in both English and French. This young lady's drive and achievements are worth celebrating, indeed. Go to their website to find out about their many services, including their great Meals on Wheels program for seniors. www.YWCAhouston.org

Liz Vallette is the president of Plant It Forward and Randi Rogers is their farm share Manager. PIFF provides refugees with the opportunity to farm a plot of land and sell their vegetables and make a profit. All the farms have been donated by Houstonians and Houston institutions. There are many ways to participate. You can visit Plant It Forward at local famer's markets and you can buy a farm share. You are then essentially entering in a partnership with a farmer and after each harvests, you get to enjoy the produce collected from your plot of land. Since this is the best way to obtain fresh, flavorful vegetables, several restaurants have bought into the program. It's a foodie's dream.Check out their website: www.Plant-it-forward.org

Carleen Graham is the director of HGOco. Her job is to connect the Houston Grand Opera to its Houston community. Their programs include setting up performances in schools for kids who wouldn't otherwise be exposed to classic music. They are also celebrating the world premiere of Some Light Emerges, a new opera which marks the company's 63rd world premiere. It's a big deal because Houston Grand Opera is one of the few world-class companies commissioning new works, these days. This show is inspired by the famous Rothko chapel and will premiere on March 16.Also coming soon are Wagner's Gotterdammerung which opens on April 22 and Mozart's the abduction from the seraglio, opening on April 28th.www.HGOco.org

Jane Weiner is the president & CEO of Hope Stone, Inc. and the artistic director of Hope Stone Dance Company and The Pink Ribbons Project. With her is Bill Reese, a navy veteran and a member of #Warriors, the Drum Circle you might have seen open Hope Stone's December show. Bill tells us about how hard it is to keep a beat when you're just starting out and how improving brings peace and a sense of accomplishment within the group. He also voices his optimistic opinion on how Houston treats its veterans. Along with other veterans who are memebers of Veterans in Action, he is helping the city's services improve and in doing so, demonstrates that Houston's spirit of generosity - our neighbor's willingness to help each other - is the city's most powerful asset.If you are a veteran, join #Warriors! Just go to their website:www.hopestoneinc.org

Kelly Young is the CEO of AIDS Foundation Houston. The news on the subject of HIV infections is both good and bad. While the rate of infection has gone up in recent years, especially in the poorer parts of the South of the U.S., it is also true that awareness and help are more available than ever. We discuss the availability of life-saving treatments which means being diagnosed with HIV is no longer a death sentence. We also talk about the Org's major fundraiser, The AIDS Walk which is Sunday, March 5th in Sam Houston Park. Go to their website to sign up: www.aidshelp.org. The site is also a great resource for information on the disease both on how to prevent it and how to treat it.