Skip the Repeat

In this week's short story from a past Skip the Repeat guest, cellist and coffee roaster Justin Kagan shares the story of how the places he visited as a musician cultivated his decision to become a coffee roaster. From New York City to Toluca, Mexico, to Italy, to Portland, Oregon, the music and the brews he experienced in those places influence the coffee he roasts today.

Mary Javian is on a mission. Mary talks to Kai about being a dancer growing up (6:30), the time she learned the fear of performing in front of people (9:10), and how teaching should be seen as an acquired skill (14). They also discuss the difference between entertainers and artists (24), and the importance of having a mission (48).

In this week's short episode from a past Skip the Repeat guest, rapper, singer, and producer Albert Joo aka Flannel Albert tells the story of how he grew up conscious of the fact that people had a certain expectation of who he "should" be based on his skin color, what he did about it, and how he thinks about marginalization in his art form.

Jim Cotter was a pretty good goalkeeper. Jim talks to Kai about his upbringing in Ireland (8:50), how soccer played a pivotal role in him going into radio (14:30), and how he came to be a part of the elite group of journalists at the BBC World Service (39). They also discuss their experience having conversations with artists (6), being proud of where one is from (10:30), and his mindset that has propelled him through his life and career (42:15).

We all have a story or a memory that we rely on to pick ourselves up when we're down. In this week's short story from a past Skip the Repeat guest, conductor Mei-Ann Chen tells the story of the time she was faced with the reality of not being able to get a Green Card, what she decided to do, and what she gained from that experience afterwards.

Sarah Williams changed directions. Sarah talks to Kai about discovering opera and the idea of singing professionally in college (12) and what happened one day when she started to feel something other than her love for singing (21). They discuss the peer pressure to stay on the artist path (26:10), how she came across the job description of her dreams at Opera Philadelphia (37:10), and the inception of "O18", the company's ten day festival (39:30).

Yura Lee loves to provoke. Yura talks to Kai about living in Portland, Oregon (2:10), growing up in a conservative household in Seoul, Korea (6:20), and coming to the United States when she was nine years old and what that experience was like for her (13:50). They discuss the moment she discovered her true love for music long after she had begun her professional career (14:50) and her tattoos and their societal implications in Korea (43:40).

Andy Akiho is the real deal. Andy talks to Kai about growing up in Columbia, South Carolina, and how that shaped him as a person, moving to New York City in his twenties, and how important drumline was for him growing up. They discuss the importance of being on a team with others who strive for the same goals, his desire to always grow, and the role the steel pan and Trinidad has played in his life and work.

Camden Shaw is a calisthenics enthusiast. Camden talks to Kai about his frustrations when he started the cello (5:14), his philosophy in taking three weeks off from playing every year (14), and how calisthenics has transformed his playing (20). They also discuss his property in Washington and what he has learned from working on it (29:37), and how he reached his decision to pursue a career with the Dover Quartet (37:40).

Bryan Lee is a gamer. Bryan talks to Kai about growing up in Philadelphia and attending the Curtis Institute of Music, his love for instruments and bows, and how he first met Joel Link, the other violinist in the quartet. They also talk about what traveling as the Dover Quartet is like, what he learned through the process of filming the group's forthcoming documentary, and what it took for him to accept the second violinist's role early on in the quartet's journey.