Speak On It!

Well-versed in a bevy of genres, he teaches dance to children and  young adults, passing on the phrases in the footwork he learned from his professors at both Dutchess Community and Queens College. He sat down with his mom on Mother's Day to talk about how gymnastics, track and martial arts helped him prep for his dance career,  the importance of self-confidence, the struggles of teaching dance during a global pandemic, his passion for music and why he still considers himself a student. Follow him on Instagram via @seventh.of7ep.tember.

(Our theme music, "Please Irene" by Lynn Riley and the World-Mix,  is used by permission. Find their release "Say What" on iTunes, Amazon Music, Bandcamp and CB Baby.)

Two-time poet laureate of Dutchess County (NY), Bettina "Poet Gold" Wilkerson is a self-described creative spirt has graced stages around the country introducing poetry - and other spoken word artists - to a wide range of audiences.

Here, she chats about artistic pursuits as a youngster that led to organically "finding" poetry, battling stage fright, her hope for what we will all learn from COVID, the secret behind her performance bowties, the value of starting somewhere and the importance of walking in faith.

(Our theme music, "Please Irene" by Lynn Riley and the World-Mix,  is used by permission. Find their release "Say What" on iTunes, Amazon Music, Bandcamp and CB Baby.)

Born in a town just outside of Albany, NY,  she fell in love with the written word while watching her siblings write when she could barely hold a pencil. Here, she talks about understanding creative control, discovering poetry through Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance, hearing spoken word for the first time and the effects of the pandemic on the love, unity and creative experience that is Spoken Word.

(Our theme music, "Please Irene" by Lynn Riley and the World-Mix,  is used by permission. Find their release "Say What" on iTunes, Amazon Music, Bandcamp and CB Baby.)

Born and raised about an hour north of New York City, Courtney Allen spent her childhood prepping for a career in entertainment. But after graduating from college, her  path took an unexpected turn that fueled her passion for filmmaking and led to writing and producing  her "At Risk" web series in 2016.

Here, she talks about her self-diagnosed ADHD, the superpower of creativity, hiring someone vs. doing it herself, the importance of representation and her new documentary "The Mental Help" (and the Instagram page it's named for).

(Our theme music, "Please Irene" by Lynn Riley and the World-Mix,  is used by permission. Find their release "Say What" on iTunes, Amazon Music, Bandcamp and CB Baby.)

Starting musically with French Horn because her father played the instrument, Lynn eventually switched to saxophone, flute and clarinet, learning and playing music all over the world. She talks here about how she would describe jazz to non-aficionados, and how the ability to touch listeners musically is something she doesn't take for granted.

And yes, that's her - Lynn Riley + the World Mix - you hear in our opening  music "Please Irene" (used with their permission, of course).

Find the entire release - "Say What" - on iTunes, Amazon Music, Bandcamp and CB Baby. Also check out some of their past performances via their YouTube channel to scratch that itch for live music we know you're missing these days.

The NCPP teaches photography and related media to 16-24 year olds that allows them to explore critical social justice issues directly related to their communities and their lives. Founder/director Vincent Cianni discusses the program's beginnings, the Covid-19 pivot and how it benefits both the participants and the community at large.

(Our theme music, "Please Irene" by Lynn Riley and the World-Mix,  is used by permission. Find the song "Say What" on iTunes, Amazon Music, Bandcamp and CB Baby.)

Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay area, he can't remember when he first began drawing, but his creative forays drifted towards drumming when he fooled around on his church's kit after service. Here, he talks about his sheltered childhood, the challenges of making music during a pandemic, the politics of worship, social justice issues and the realities of being Black in America. He also reads from his new book "Crossroads: One Black Man's Journey Through Race, Religion and Politics."

(Our theme music, "Please Irene" by Lynn Riley and the World-Mix,  is used by permission. Find their release "Say What" on iTunes, Amazon Music, Bandcamp and CB Baby.)

His love of art began, he says, after a visit to a King Tut exhibit. Having always been the "artistic student" in class, the Seattle-based, self-taught artist talks about his many muses, his love of all things Prince, his Le Petit Prince (LPP) project (and what the actual inspiration for LPP was), his design work, his hometown art scene and the one  result from the world-wide pandemic that was totally unexpected.

Find more on his work and Club LPP at https://troygua.com.

(Our theme music, "Please Irene" by Lynn Riley and the World-Mix,  is used by permission. Find their release "Say What" on iTunes, Amazon Music, Bandcamp and CB Baby.)

Via his company, Rub-A-Groov Music and Publishing, the Philadelphia-based musician has composed and arranged for an array of artists in many genres - including jazz, indie, pop and rock - as well as producing voiceovers for radio spots and other musical projects. He is also the bassist and music director for Lynn Riley and the World-Mix, producing songs from their "Say What" release (like our theme music "Please Irene").

Here, he talks about his musical beginnings, how his introduction to the opposite sex inadvertently led to music production and why he is extremely passionate about not only music but people, too.

(The opening theme music by Lynn Riley and the World-Mix is used with their permission. Find their release "Say What" on iTunes, Amazon Music, Bandcamp and CB Baby.)

Musician Tammy Mitchell-Woods has been drumming for churches and bands since she was a teen but only recently decided to ditch her day job and dive into her passion full-time.  She talks about the decision to go full-steam ahead with her music career in her 50's as well as the Facebook community for female drummers she helped create and life with Lupus.

(The opening theme music "Please Irene" by Lynn Riley and the World-Mix is used with their permission. Find their release "Say What" on iTunes, Amazon Music, Bandcamp and CB Baby.)