The Accutron Show

To conclude this season of The Accutron Show, our hosts David Graver and Indrani talk to actor, writer and philanthropist Jay Ellis. Together they talk about Jay's book called "Did Everyone Have an Imaginary Friend (or Just Me)? ", a testament to the importance of invention, trusting oneself, and making space for creativity;It is a memoir of a kid who confided in his imaginary sidekick to navigate parallel pop culture universes (like watching Fresh Prince alongside John Hughes movies or listening to Ja Rule and Dave Matthews) to a lifetime of birthday disappointment (being a Christmas-season Capricorn will do that to you) and hoop dreams gone bad. Jay has also starred in the HBO hit series "Insecure" and in the blockbuster movie "Top Gun: Maverick". Join us for one last time for this season and use your imagination until we return to you.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

7:00 I grew up in the 80s and 90s, I moved around quite a bit. I went to 12 schools in 13 years. So I had an imaginary friend, his name was Mikey and he was a mix of Dwayne Wayne from "A Different World" and Fresh Prince from "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air". 

21:17 The movie industry is an industry of "runs''. People go on runs; sometimes they last for years, some times are also gone for years. One thing I always try to remember is that it's all a journey. 

26:00 To be able to work on a documentary about Sue Bird was one of the most incredible projects I worked on in my life. We received so many "no's" for this project but we made it and it was great, especially to see it screened at Sundance.

To celebrate Space Exploration Day, here is a special episode of The Accutron Show that features a conversation between two young and brilliant women that are building careers in aviation and space travel, Accutron ambassador Zara Rutherford and Alyssa Carson. Zara Rutherford s a Belgian-British aviator who, at age 19, became the youngest female pilot to fly solo around the world and the first person to complete a circumnavigation in a microlight aircraft after a five-month journey. Alyssa Carson is an American student with the goal of training to become an astronaut and to be selected for future human spaceflight to Mars. She attended U.S. Space Camp in 2008 and has also attended other space camps in Canada and Turkey. In 2013, NASA invited Alyssa to be on the MER 10 panel in Washington DC to discuss future missions to Mars live on NASA TV. Join the conversation between these two young women and dream big and fly high.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

2:16 Alyssa: Since I was a kid, I was obsessed with the idea of going to space. No one in my family had a science or space background. So when I was 7, I went to space camp in Huntsville, Alabama - that was my version of Disneyworld. Everything I wanted to know as a kid was right there. Then watching a show on Nickelodeon, that's the first time I heard the word "Mars". 

20:44 Zara: My trip around the world lasted 5 months. That's also because I was stuck in Alaska for a month, in the middle of winter, waiting for the weather to improve. The temperature dropped down to -30 degrees celsius; I was really worried since the plane had not been tested under those conditions. 

30:31 Alyssa: I love meeting young kids, I love opening their eyes to the possibility of becoming an astronaut. Kids are used to hearing about becoming doctors, lawyers, etc. and not so much about joining a space program.

In this episode of The Accutron Show, our hosts David and Indrani welcome Executive Chef and Proprietor of The Beatrice Inn in New York City, Angie Mar, renowned for her vision and unequivocally modern interpretation of classic fine dining.  Mar is the niece of the legendary restaurateur and politician Ruby Chow, who was widely known in the Seattle community for her tireless work in Civil rights, equal opportunity for Asian Americans, women of color, and theLGBTQ community. Ruby was an integral figure in Mar’s early life, teaching her the values of community involvement, advancement of underrepresented groups, and charity work. Hallmark of Mar’s cuisine, are both refinement and elegance, and yet  familiar. Combining the flavors of Mar’s Asian heritage with French technique, the food remains firmly stanced in Americana, with an undeniably global perspective. Tune in and savor this very interesting episode of The Accutron Show.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

5:52 Yes, the New York dining scene is extremely competitive. However when we talk about fine dining and the chefs that are really changing the game and leading the way, it is tremendously supportive and wonderful. I have been very lucky to have the support of incredible chefs. 

13:59 At the beginning of my career, when I go back to the interviews I did, I used to say that there were no issues related to being a woman in my industry. But as my career progressed, it became distinctively harder because I am a woman. 

40:00 For me, to be the daughter of immigrants, to be in New York, an Asian woman cooking French cuisine, this is the most American thing that could happen to me.

Chloe Flower is one of today's most relevant artists bridging the gap between classical and pop with her self-created genre — 'popsical'. Born in Pennsylvania, Chloe first reached for piano keys at the age of two. By twelve, she was studying at the Manhattan School of Music followed by London’s Royal Academy of Music. This multi-hyphenate star has become music and fashion’s go-to creator as she intertwines her personal couture style and unique sound into something the industry has never seen or heard before. Over the years Chloe has grown into a musical powerhouse — from her show-stopping 2019 GRAMMY® Awards performance with Cardi B to her featured performance with Lil Baby on Saturday Night Live (SNL). Aside from her own music, Chloe has co-produced and composed for Céline Dion, Johnny Mathis, 2 Chainz, Swae Lee, NAS, Babyface, and more. Chloe is also an ardent advocate of anti-human trafficking and a champion of music education and therapy. Tune in and let the music take you away in this episode of The Accutron Show.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

3:40 The idea of 'popsical' for me was to popularize instrumental music in general, since it's so unique. It can be baroque sounding, it can be film sounding, it can be classical, blues, jazz. There is no such thing as new, it's all an idea of an idea and with social media it's become so easy to bend a genre. 

11:55 I started piano lessons at 2 years old, but then I played 3 instruments. In all of the years until I graduated I was never given a piece of music that was not written by a white man specifically. That is why Ryuichi Sakamoto was such an inspiring artist for me. He experimented with electronic music, classical music, with the way he dressed... he stepped out of the box. 

24:04 Beethoven and Mozart were rock stars during their times. Their music was really popular. In order for us to have the Beethovens or Mozarts of this time, we have to prioritize music education. Until we see excitement about music education, kids lining up to learn to use an instrument, we are going to miss out on those musical geniuses.

In this episode of The Accutron Show, hosts David Graver and Indrani Pal-Chaudhuri sit down with Eugene Brave Rock. Actor and stuntman, Eugene has garnered acclaim for his compelling performances in AMC's "Dark Winds" and as "The Chief" in the blockbuster film "Wonder Woman," where he proudly brings on the silver screen his culture and language. A member of the Blood Tribe of Siksikaissksahkoi, or Blackfoot Country, Brave Rock was raised by his grandmother Florence on the Blood Indian Creek Reservoir in southern Alberta, Canada. Today Eugene is passionately dedicated to preserving and promoting the Blackfoot language, which he considers vital to his identity and the future generations. Tune in, subscribe and join the conversation!

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

8:00 I had the opportunity to act in the major movie Wonder Woman and to speak my language. It was the first time our language was heard on such large scale. 

17:23 When I was young I remember watching a TV show and seeing an indigenous man on a horse. That inspired me so much to bring my culture to a big audience. I'm taking steps very few of my people have taken before me. 

22:23 I never saw myself as an actor. I am a storyteller and storytelling is our oldest tradition. I am happy to carry that on in a contemporary way.

The Accutron Show is delighted to talk to Beatrice Fihn, former executive director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). In October 2017, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced that the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize honor was given to ICAN "for its efforts to raise awareness of the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons use and for pioneering efforts to achieve a treaty-based ban on nuclear weapons". Our hosts David and Indrani discuss with Beatrice the importance of knowledge, correct information and awareness about the subject of nuclear weapons, today ever so relevant. Listed by Bloomberg Media as one of 50 innovators who "changed the global landscape", Beatrice is one to listen to and to follow.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS 

10:00 With everything going on in the world from a political point of view, the subject of nuclear weapons is relevant again. The movie "Oppenhemer" also contributed to make this issue one to discuss and learn more about. 

14:00 All our problems right now are global. We have seen it with Covid, climate change, migration issues etc. No country can solve these issues on their own. But at the same time, as these problems become global, countries' leaders retract to become more nationalistic. 

20:00 When we won the Nobel Prize, we were a small project and no one really paid attention to us. We went overnight to get a lot of attention. I remember signing the Laureate book as asked by the committee and seeing all the signatures of these incredible individuals like Martin Luther King, Desmond Tutu, Malala... My hand was shaking, I was so nervous!

Taylor Swift, Madonna, Whitney Houston, Jennifer Lopez are just some of the stars that Sicily-born Fausto Puglisi has dressed with his designs. Known for his bold, vivid creations and intricate craftsmanship that often draws inspiration from classical art and Sicilian culture, in 2020 Puglisi became creative director of the iconic fashion house Cavalli. Mixing modern glamor, baroque motifs, and vibrant patterns, Fausto Puglisi always had a sense that he'd end up in fashion. The evidence is in his childhood journals, which outline his real estate dreams for future stores, down to the street numbers. But what made him enamored with the craft wasn't so much the traditional runway. It was the pop culture he was obsessed with from a young age, which inspired him to move to New York by himself, to try to make his dreams come true. Join us in this new episode of The Accutron Show, to soar into the fantastic universe of celebrity culture.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

9:35 When I was a kid in Sicily, I used to dream of going to America. It was the 80s, a time when Italian fashion was led by iconic names such as Versace, Valentino, Armani, Gianfranco Ferré. And in the city where I was born, there was a shop where I would go to see women wearing these amazing designers. This tension between the love of my roots and the desire to escape are at the base of my creations. 

22:00 Though being 100% Italian, Roberto Cavalli was very fascinated with American culture too. He started creating jeans that were masterpieces, deconstructing them and reassembling them in completely creative ways. At the same time he was fascinated with animal skin, which he brought into this fascination of Americana. He created a very unique style that is still considered iconic. 

35:00 We need to go back to the artisanal aspect of fashion and design. I also fight for quality and for beauty. Today we are saturated with clothes, objects etc. We need to bring that back to the craftsmanship.

The guest of this episode of The Accutron Show is the incredible Madame Gandhi, award-winning artist and activist known for her uplifting, percussive electronic music and positive message about gender liberation and personal power. She has been listed as Forbes 30 Under 30 in Music and BBC 100 Women, and her mainstage TED Talk about conscious music consumption has been viewed over a million times. Madame Gandhi’s mission is to use music as a medium for a message about positivity, personal expression and human thriving. “Waiting For Me,” shot in Mumbai, India, which focuses on radical expressions of joy, color and freedom won the Music Video Jury Award at SXSW Film Festival in 2021. In June of 2022, Gandhi completed a Masters in Music Science & Technology at Stanford University's CCRMA where she spent time in Antarctica sampling the sounds of glaciers melting to create empathy and awareness around climate change.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

5:20 The activism came from a very young age. We were always encouraged by our parents to give back, to volunteer and to be mindful of others. And because music gives me such effortless joy, when you combine joy with an opportunity to give back, I think you are fueled for life. 

18:40 During the pandemic I spent a lot of time recording sounds in nature, because that's the only place we could go. I learned how to build underwater microphones. When I was invited to Antarctica, I started recording the sound of glaciers melting in the South Pole. 

27:40 We need adults to believe in their own magic so we can make the world a better place. Music has the power to soften certain feelings, it gets them moving, brings people back into that childlike purity.

Accutron is honored to have Francis Ford Coppola as one of the featured guests of the podcast. The renowned American film director is celebrated for his contributions to the New Hollywood movement. His most notable achievements include directing the critically acclaimed "The Godfather" series, which earned him consecutive Academy Awards for Best Director. Coppola also made a significant impact with the war epic "Apocalypse Now." With a prolific and influential career, he remains a key figure in shaping the landscape of modern cinema. On The Accutron Show he speaks about his new movie 'Megalopolis," his opinion on the future of the world as well as a special revelation about the Accutron watch. Tune in and enjoy this incredible ride!

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

14:15 I am extremely positive about the future. I am sure we will understand that we are in this together and that we are capable of solving the very difficult problems in the world today. 

26:27 Everyone is one to a million shot. The fact that your mother and your father came together to produce you, means that the odds of you existing are a million to one. Since you are so unique, your work should be personal and hence unique. 

44:05 Did you know that the Accutron watch was responsible for wireless sync sound in movies? In the past they used to have the camera and the sound unit connected by a wire. A filmmaker had the idea that instead of having audio and video connected with a wire, if each one would get its pulse from an Accutron watch then they would be in sync.

In this episode of The Accutron Show, we are proud to talk to Carlos Nobre, an Earth system scientist from Brazil, author of several Intergovernmental Panels on Climate Change reports, including the 2007 report that was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Nobre is mainly highlighted in global warming-related studies; he spearheaded the multi-disciplinary, multinational Large-Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia, a program noted to have revolutionized the understanding of the Amazon rainforest and its role in the Earth system. During his conversation with our hosts Indrani and David, he underlines the critical conditions of the Amazon forest and hence of our planet. Tune in, it's time to act.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

5:00 I was a happy kid. My father was a professional soccer player in Brazil, he taught me how to play soccer and I was quite good. He was also a poet, writing poems about nature. He used to take me to the Atlantic forest, which is where I think I fell in love with nature. 

18:00 We are currently working on an experiment to prove the importance for forest restoration. And if we succeed in doing that, together with zero deforestation, degradation and fires, it may be possible to save the Amazon. 

28:00 We have to trust that the younger generation will have a different attitude than my generation. The scientists of my generation saw the issues, but did not do much to change the situation. Young people have no other option than to be optimistic, they have to work hard to save our planet.