Julia Rubio's last name means "blond" in Spanish, but she is neither blond nor Spanish. Julia and Kai discuss her upbringing in Kalamazoo, Michigan, near Ann Arbor, where Kai went to school (3), what risk taking looks like in the classical music industry (22:50), and the parameters the industry places on its artists in an age of self expression (27:15). They also talk about Astral’s unique auditioning process (19:40) and the lessons she has learned from raising two sons (55:45).