After a short hiatus... We are back and with a great conversation with Seattle Opera's Director of Programs and Partnerships Alejandra Valarino Boyer. We became acquainted first through sitting on Opera America’s ALAANA Opera Network, after which she invited me to sit on the opera's panel: Black representation in the Arts which was a community conversation to set the stage (so to speak) for their production of Yardbird, the contemporary opera about Jazz legend Charlie Parker.  I was please to participate with African American librettist/poet and playwright Bridgette A. Wimberly, the discussion was lead by Seattle Opera Scholar in Residence, Naomi André, who is also an author and professor at the University of Michigan.

Those trips can be fast and furious and often there is no time to take a beat and connect as people…I could tell both from phone conversations and or lunch during my trip that we connected and wished I had more time have non work related,human to human, conversation. So when started this podcast and thought about the voices and conversations I wanted to have Alejandra was on the short list… you will see why, she is well worth the wait.