Speaking of the Arts welcomes David Sholemson, longtime manager for Pat Metheny. In this episode, David describes many aspects of working with Pat including the recording and touring process. The conversation provides an interesting look at everything happening behind the scenes for this incredible artist.

Speaking of the Arts welcomes Craig Ferguson of Planet Bluegrass! In this episode, Craig discusses his unique background, the history of Planet Bluegrass, and the ins and outs of producing the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, RockyGrass Festival, and Folks Festival in Lyons, CO.

In this special episode, Speaking of the Arts is live at the annual Arts Midwest conference where we interview Jon Poses. Jon is the Executive Director of the “We Always Swing”® Jazz Series in Columbia, MO. In the episode, Jon discusses the origins of the series and the process of creating a subscription based music series for patrons.

Scott Southard, Founder and Director of the International Music Network, booking agency for Wayne Shorter, Lady Smith Black Mambazo, Maceo Parker, etc., describes the origins of the agency, how the company works with artists to build their careers, what artists need to be aware of when looking for booking representation, how artists need to approach their touring careers today vs. 25 years ago, the biggest marketplace challenges, and key differences between artist managers and agents.

Speaking of the Arts is proud to feature Dayna Martinez and Shelley Quiala of the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in Minneapolis. In this episode, Danya and Shelley discuss how to implement programs designed for students, how to empower them to appreciate real world performances, strategies for any organization interested in creating similar programs, and their widely successful International Children's Festival.

Marty Wollesen, Executive Director of the Clarice Performing Arts Center, gives inspiring examples of how to create innovative programming ideas. Learn how to successfully launch a new venue within your organization, the importance of creating participatory experiences for new audiences, why you should focus on opportunities which allow audiences to explore what is possible, and the importance of being very clear about the audience you want to build

Amy Lam is the founding principal of Lamling Group, whose major clients include the Celebrity Series of Boston. In this episode, Amy offers unique insights into the organizational programming structure of the series, the importance of growing with your audience, the differences between audiences today and 10 years ago, and examples of successful artists who are embracing these changes.

Don Roth, Executive Director of the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts at UC Davis discusses the more common resources for finding grants, the basic components of a grant, what review committees look for, how much lead time to prepare for, and how to manage grant funds upon procurement

Special guest Isabel Soffer, co-founder of globalFEST and founder of Live Sounds offers key insights and strategies for presenting artists from other parts of the world, how to discover new artists in the world music genre, key resources for presenters, how globalFEST markets its festival, and what it looks for when trying to determine appropriate artists

Executive Director of Duke Performances, Aaron Greenwald, discusses his approach to commissioning new artists, why he thinks about his entire season like a 10 month long festival, unique ways of connecting audiences with students, and the effects of technology on younger audiences