The saxophone, invented by Belgian musician Adolphe Sax, is considered to be a newer type of musical instrument which was first seen in 1841. Sax had learned how to make instruments from his father and created the saxophone because he wanted to improve the tone of the bass clarinet. This kind of musical engineering and curiosity is what led our guest Erik Drake to become a saxophone repairman. With Akeisha Johnson, your show host, this episode of Making It Work, we will chat with this small business owner of Saxology and Saxcraft about how he stays afloat and interesting as a Bay Area resident!

The Ryan Act of 1970 eliminated arts training from elementary school pedagogy. It wasn’t until 2004 that teachers were again required to have arts training in order to be elementary school educators and to be considered a “highly qualified teacher”. This fact makes the efforts of our guest, Gina Garro, all the more impressive. With Akeisha Johnson, life coach and your show host, this episode of Making it Work, we will chat with this third grade teacher and amateur artist about how she is keeping Common Core in public schools interesting and relevant.

Carnival - held during Memorial Weekend in the Mission district of San Francisco is one of the most anticipated events in The Bay. It is a time where the diversity and flavor of the area is exhibited and celebrated in the streets. It is also where you can see the best local latin musicians and dancers here AND where you can find our guest, percussionist Sandor Moss. With Akeisha Johnson, your host, on this episode of Making it Work, Sandor will share his experiences of being a working musician within The Bay.

The landscape of journalism has had a major change from print to digital media within the past 20 years. The shift happened in the 1990’s as major publications began using the web to deliver their stories and regular people began to share their perspectives through web logs which are now known as blogs. This is how our guest, Susan Mernit, dipped her toes into the tech world and hasn’t looked back since. With Akeisha Johnson, your show host, this episode of Making It Work we will chat with this change maker about her latest organization, Hack the Hood, and how they are making a major difference here in The Bay!

The power of technology and has certainly changed the workplace. From telecommuting to smartphones, the landscape of employment is a whole new ballgame. So much so that according to an Intuit study, by the year 2020 freelancers will make up 40 percent of the US workforce. With Akeisha Johnson, life coach and your show host, on this episode we will chat with Mindy Aronoff, Bay Area Video Coalition’s Director of Training about how she is impacting the local workforce while Making it Work.

Many Bay Areans have attended First Friday’s in Oakland to see what’s new and hot in the local art scene. Yet, some may not know about Third Thursdays from 6 to 9 pm which is another great opportunity to check out art while eating yummy food. This is one of the many places you can find our guest Tigre Bailando. With Akeisha Johnson, your host, this episode of Making it Work, Tigre will share about his art and what he is creating, while living in The Bay.

Last May, San Francisco’s school board made a major decision. Special education students now attend any school while being taught in standard classes along with standard students, instead of being designated to specific schools and classrooms. These students now will have special education teachers to assist them individually along with their classroom instructor. With Akeisha Johnson, your show host on this episode of Making It Work, we will chat with undergraduate student Amanda Harrinauth about her experiences with special education and living in the Bay!

When it comes to going out, SF is the place to be. According to a recent Trulia census, The City ranks number one for restaurants per capita and number eight for bars among major US cities. This is part of the reason why our guest Duncan Ley saw so much opportunity in operating bars in the city by the bay. With Akeisha Johnson, life coach and your show host, this episode Duncan will chat about his experiences as a small business owner and how he is Making it Work.

Body modification is an ancient practice within societies throughout the world and include: tattooing, lip and ear stretching, and scarification among other things. These procedures are done for a variety of reasons from increasing dowry value to establishing high social status and tribe affiliation. Our guest Christian Calinsky, co-founder of the non-profit Taking It To The Streets uses body modification as a vehicle for self-expression and connection to marginalized communities. I’m Akeisha Johnson, your show host, and on this episode of Making it Work Christian will share his journey from being a homeless youth to becoming a catalyst for change in the SF’s Upper Haight.

SF’s Victorian homes are typically referred to as “painted ladies” due to the houses being painted four or more exterior colors. What many don’t know is that term was originated from a book published in 1978 by authors Elizabeth Pomada and Michael Larsen. On this episode, we will chat with contractor and home remodeler Tom Buchanan about his love of Victorian homes and how he started Hammerhouse Construction while Making It Work!