Brandon VanWaeyenberghe and his dog Barley.( Zenith City Photography)

This May, one of Idaho's most beloved performing arts organizations, the Boise Philharmonic, will be welcoming a new executive director, Brandon Vanwaeyenberghe.

With more than ten years of experience in the world of orchestra, he is sure to bring something special to the Philharmonics next season of music. Vanwaeyenberghe joined Idaho Matters to talk more about his new role.

(Ute Grabowsky / Photothek via Getty Images)

Across the United States, kids are struggling with their mental health and here in Idaho, we're seeing the same problem. One which was made even more stark after the suicide of four Boise students late last year.

Now as the community joins together in support of our kids, one group is working on a way to address the mental health struggles of our youth before they reach a crisis point.

Megan Smith, the director of Communities for Youth, joined Idaho Matters.

(James G. Edmondson2014 / Flickr)

As the weather warms up, snow is melting and water is filling up the Boise River, sometimes overflowing the river banks.

That can mean flooding on the Greenbelt, and Boise Parks and Recreation spends a lot of time each year managing closures and keeping the public up-to-date on what's closed and what's open.

And when the flooding is over, the department has a short window to repair and stabilize the river banks. Sara Arkle, parks resources superintendent, joined Idaho Matters to talk more about this work.

The book cover of "The Weight of Nature" by Clayton Page Aldern.( Dutton)

The Earth's changing climate, from hotter days to more dangerous weather events, could be impacting our brains in ways we are only just learning about.

Clayton Page Aldern, a journalist who also holds a master's degree in neuroscience and public policy, delves into this issue in his new book, "The Weight of Nature: How a Changing Climate Changes Our Brains." He joined Idaho Matters to talk more.

Wind turbines in the west.(Dennis Schroeder / National Renewable Energy Lab)

As the need for energy grows across the west and more focus is being shifted to low-carbon resources, people are asking important questions like: How do we bring this kind of energy online reliably? And how do we deliver that new energy safely to the communities that need it?

Peter Gower is the climate and renewable energy program director at The Nature Conservancy's Western U.S. and Canada division, and he'll be talking about these challenges at the Andrus Center Environmental Conference at Boise State on Tuesday, April 16, and he joined Idaho Matters for a preview.

(lori05871 / Flickr)

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and in an effort to bring more awareness to our community, we're taking a few minutes each week to focus on important work that's being done to help ensure healthy outcomes for Idaho kids.

Amanda Mills, the strengthening families specialist with the Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children; Nicole Criner, the group's marketing and communication director; Roger Sherman, the executive director of the Idaho Children's Trust Fund; and Audra Green, a librarian and Hope Conquers ACEs trainer, joined Idaho Matters to talk more about this effort.

The production of "Kid Lightning" will take to the stage on April 26th and the 27th. (LED )

Award-winning arts organization LED is back with two performances of Kid Lightning at Boise's Morrison Center. Lauren Edson, co-founder of LED, joined Idaho Matters to talk more about the upcoming production.

Wolves howl in a forest. (John Flesher / AP Images)

A new film being made in Idaho, "Children of the Wolves," features a group of Timberline High School students and a wolf pack from the Gem State.

Morning Edition host George Prentice sat down with executive producers Matthew Podolsky and Seth Randal, as well as film director Barb Kuensting, to talk more about the documentary.

(Emilie Ritter Saunders / Boise State Public Radio)

A case heading to the U.S. Supreme Court could have big impacts on Idaho's abortion care, a new library bill has been signed into law, plans for a veterans home in Boise have been postponed and a roundup of this years legislative session.

It’s Friday, which means it's time for our Reporter Roundtable when Idaho Matters gets you up to date on all the news that made headlines this past week.

Our journalist panel today:

The creative team behind The Sound of Music, produced by Boise State, include Darrin Purdy, Gordon Reinhart and Caitlin Burke.

A crisis of faith. The struggle of single parenthood. And a growing threat of racist demagoguery. Any one of these themes could be the foundation for 21st century drama. But together they were the pillars of a 1959 Broadway show which, in turn, became one of, if not the most, loved films of all time: The Sound of Music.

The Rogers and Hammerstein musical is 65-years old, but the creative team behind Boise State’s 2024 production of The Sound of Music find plenty of contemporary relevance in its story.

“Whether it’s Shakespeare or Rogers and Hammerstein or a brand new play, I can draw a line from the text to my current life and what I’m seeing in the world,” said Gordon Reinhart, director of the new production. “It feels similar to our current moment in the world.”

Reinhart joined Darrin Purdy, director of Boise State’s theatre and costume design and Caitlin Burke, who plays Mother Abbess, to visit with Morning Edition host George Prentice to preview their production.

Find reporter George Prentice on Twitter @georgepren

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