Like so many other radiophiles, I was inspired to get into the medium by the work of great independent producers like the Kitchen Sisters—Nikki Silva and Davia Nelson. So it was really nice to finally sit down with Nikki and learn about her own radio beginnings. We listened to some of the earliest and still-cool Kitchen Sisters recordings ("Rattlesnakes," "The Road Ranger" and "Ernie Morgan, World Champion One-Handed Pool Player") and discussed the latest evolution of their work: "The Hidden World of Girls, Stories For Orchestra." Adapted from their "Hidden World of Girls" radio series, the new orchestral/multimedia production premieres at the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music on July 28 and 29. Listening to Nikki talk, you can hear one of the essential ingredients in the Kitchen Sisters' success: a lot of passion and a lot of heart.