Speaking of the Arts

Having mastered Guitar Hero as a young teen, Yasmin Williams picked up a guitar, sat it horizontally across her lap, and developed her style of lap-tapping guitar. This week her second album 'Urban Driftwood' is released on which she not only proves herself a master of the technique, but also her compositional maturity and her ability to seamlessly blend multiple musical heritages. On this week's show Diana Moxon spends the whole hour with Yasmin, talking about the influences in 'Urban Driftwood', her adventures with the kora, and the making of her first music video.

It is a time for reimagining, and the arts are in the reimagining vanguard. On this week's show, host Diana Moxon, talks to Unbound Book Festival Executive Director, Alex George, about turning their one-weekend festival into a 3-month digital literary extravaganza; The District's Executive Director, Nickie Davis, and sculptor, Emmett Russell, chat about Columbia's new Gateway Plaza; and Greenhouse Theatre Project founder, director and actor, Elizabeth Braaten Palmieri brings along director Tia James and playwright, Julia Valen, to talk about their upcoming production, 'Nothing Can Stop What is Coming'. Opening and closing music with thanks to Yasmin Williams (www.yasminwilliamsmusic.com)

On this week's Speaking of the Arts, host Diana Moxon stays close to home with two conversations with the station's new General Manager, Miquel Calçada, and its former General Manager -and person who wrangled KOPN through a pandemic - musician, composer and sound designer, Tim Pilcher. Why is Miquel known as Miki Moto in his home country of Catalonia? And exactly why is a formerly Barcelona-based TV host and radio entrepreneur now living in Columbia, MO? And why is community radio such a precious jewel on our radio dial? All the answers on this week's show. Opening and closing musical credits with thanks to Yasmin Williams (www.yasminwilliamsmusic.com).

In a week when the world descended to a new level of crazy, actor and ardent arts supporter, Monica Senecal Palmer, joins host Diana Moxon for an hour of arts escapism to talk about some of her art journeys in 2020 and share thoughts on the state of the arts in general, plus there's music from two Columbia-based singer songwriters, Audra Sergel and Meredith Musgrove Shaw, and Diana tests Monica's knowledge of Shakespeare, Dumbledore and Yoda quotes, and gives her a Hindsight is 2020 quiz looking back over the past year of arts events in Columbia. Opening and closing musical credits thanks to guitarist Yasmin Williams (www.yasminwilliams.music.com)

Despite lockdowns, ghost lights, reductions and limitations, Speaking of the Arts has gone out every week this year thanks to the extraordinary group of arts leaders we have in Columbia Missouri. And one of the silver linings of this recording-from-home year has been the opportunity to reach out to people that are doing amazing work in other parts of the country - or world. On this week's show, host Diana Moxon, delves into the archives from the past 12 months and revisits some of the chats with people from beyond the local community: guitarist Yasmin Williams; film-maker David France and his documentary subject, Maxim, who came to town for the True/False film fest with their doc 'Welcome to Chechnya'; Tupperware lady supreme, Dixie Longate; French horn player Amanda Collins; Nigerian-Ghanaian-American composer, FredO; conductor Marlon Daniel; and American-living-in-Berlin comedian, Corey Ott. Opening and closing music with thanks to Yasmin Williams (www.yasminwilliamsmusic.com)

This year so many artists, directors, and arts leaders have performed amazing feats to keep on delivering the arts to us, but what has kept those artists going? On this week's Speaking of the Arts, Diana Moxon, talks to three local performing artists about their year and where they found comfort: Singer songwriter Audra Sergel; theatre director Joy Powell; and soprano-alto-tenor multi-genre singer Symonne Sparks. Opening and closing music thanks to Yasmin Williams (www.yasminwilliamsmusic.com)

In a year when there were almost no arts as we knew them, there was instead a plethora of arts as we had never seen before. In Part I of a 2-week Arts Year in Review, host Diana Moxon chats with 4 local arts leaders about what their highlights and reflections on the year. Alex George from Skylark Bookshop talks books, virtual book tours and community support; the Columbia Art League's Kelsey Hammond remembers some of her favorite art shows and reflects on the importance of us all deepening our mental stretch; Columbia Daily Tribune arts writer, Aarik Danielsen, looks back on some of his conversations and virtual events; and Talking Horse Production's Artistic Director, Adam Brietzke, talks about the theatre's monologue contest and how COVID shone a spotlight on the importance of the performing arts to so many people. Opening and closing music with thanks to Yasmin Williams www.yasminwilliamsmusic.com

On this week's show a pair of Christmas Carols and a couple of books. With stages still dark, two theatre companies are reinventing Dickens' A Christmas Carol to engage us from our home sofas. Greenhouse Theatre Project (GTP) and Arrow Rock's Lyceum Theatre, both adept adaptors of Dickens' work, have adapted it once more and this time with some extra technology sparkles. Show host, Diana Moxon, chats with Elizabeth Braaten Palmieri from GTP and Quin Gresham from The Lyceum Theatre. Meanwhile, in the stocking-stuffer department, authors Kira Harris ('Equillian's Key' - www.masterofmakebelieve.com) and Jill Orr ('The Full Scoop' - www.jillorrauthor.com) have new books out that are something of a departure from their usual genre. Harris' illustrated picture book for adults 'The World is Full of Assholes' and Jill Orr's 'How Not To Be Old (Even If You Are)' are out in time for gift giving. Kira Harris joins Diana from her home in Perth, Western Australia, and Jill Orr from Columbia, Missouri. Opening and closing music with thanks to Yasmin Williams (www.yasminwilliamsmusic.com)

This week was Giving Tuesday and also the launch of the month-long COMO Gives campaign, so what better time to feature 6 local arts organizations who are making mid-Missouri a great place to live. This week host Diana Moxon chats with Orr Street Studios director Mallory Donohue about their new artist-in-residence programs and turning tagging into a statement to live by; Boone History and Culture Center's Executive Director Chris Campbell talks about the intimidating task of documenting this time for future generations; TRYPS children's theatre maker of dreams, Jill Womack, talks about the gifts of the stage and advent concerts; Ayako Tsuruta, Executive and Artistic Director of the Oydssey Chamber Music Series chats about the role of streaming in the slow return to concert gatherings; Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Columbia Civic Orchestra talks remote recording and bringing more diverse voices to the fore; and actor, musician and soon-to-be Interim Executive Director of the Columbia Entertainment Company, Enola White, chats about the highlights and opportunities of a dark year. Opening and closing music courtesy of Yasmin Williams www.yasminwilliamsmusic.com

Each year since 2017, The Missourian newspaper has asked the community to nominate individuals for awards in 10 categories, one of which is the Arts. The annual Progress in the Arts award was handed out this week in a virtual ceremony, so, on this week's Speaking of the Arts, host Diana Moxon checks in with 4 of the nominees - including the winner: Brandon Hall, Director of the Columbia Jazz Orchestra. Nominee Violet Vonder Haar talks about life as a female musician, the importance of the Jane Doe Revue and the annual Compass Music Camp for children which she co-directs; vocal coach and Columbia College Assistant Professor of Music, Nollie Moore, talks about teaching people to sing and the importance of expanding the teaching canon; and Ragtag Film Society's Director of Operations, Carly Love, talks about making the True False film fest accessible to all and trying to plan for a fest in a pandemic. Opening and closing music credits with thanks to guitarist Yasmin Williams (www.yasminwilliamsmusic.com)