Voices Unheard

Today’s recording date is Sunday, May 16th, I'm home at my apartment here in Providence RI, and joining me from Colorado! Freelance artist and community musician Alexandra Friedman! Ali is a recent graduate of the University of Michigan where she completed a dual master's degree in Social Work and Viola Performance. Our conversation came together around our shared passion for classical music and community development but also how these two entities could work together in creating a more just and equitable society.

This episode was recorded on February 27th in collaboration with Kelsee Vandervall.

Kelsee Vandervall is a Chicago-based freelancer, teacher, and arranger. A typical day for this cellist ranges from recording sessions to orchestral performances.

She can be seen performing with groups such as rock band Classical Blast, electric string quintet Electric-5, synth chamber-pop group Glad Rags, and on episodes of the FOX show Empire. Kelsee's freelancing career has lead her to record and perform with many artists, including Lizzo, J. Cole, Eminem, KYGO, Michael Bublé, PJ Morton, John Legend, Kirk Franklin, and others!

Currently, Kelsee is the Music Director of the River Raisin Ragtime Revue (R4), a theater orchestra focused on preserving and showcasing the early American popular music form. She is also a Harmony Fellow with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, playing in the cello section and engaging in educational programs in their local schools.

Our conversation goes through catching op on recent life happenings, reflecting on our time at the University of Michigan and Studying with Anthony Elliott, little known black history, and coming up on one full year of Pandemic life.

Johanna Kepler was born in Guatemala City. She was adopted by two white lesbian mothers and raised in a half Jewish household. Johanna also has a little sister who is adopted from Guatemala as well. As an immigrant and Latina woman, her main focus in all of the work that she does is combining her passion for the performing arts with her social justice advocacy work, specifically immigration reform. She constantly works to diversify and reimagine the spaces she is in to become more inclusive and equitable. Johanna believes in the power of the performing arts to unite people from all backgrounds, statuses, and walks of life to create change and spread the privilege of joy.

Recently Earning his Music Ed. degree from the University of Michigan, Daniel Kumapayi Is an Educator, Double Bass Player, Comedian, Photographer, and Executive Director of the Àkójọpọ̀ Music Foundation. In this episode, we talk about Daniel's entrance into music, exploring various outlets during his time in Ann Arbor from boxing, Jazz, comedy, and his carefree mindset that keeps him humble. The Àkójọpọ̀ Music Foundation's long-term vision is to play a role in supporting instrumentalists and composers from Lagos, Nigeria to have access to the resources they may need to thrive while creating a collaborative platform and a support system.

This Interview was recorded live at the 2020 SphinxConnect Conference in partnership With DPTV. Joel Thompson is a composer based out of Atlanta, GA, we dive right into a discussion on his powerfully moving work "The seven last words of the unarmed" this work has been newly orchestrated for SATB and will be premiered this week in conjunction with the 2020 SphinxConnect conference. I was also able to catch up with Violinist, Allie Switala. We speak about her preparation leading up to competition and involvement with the Sphinx organization.

Every February, The Annual SphinxConnect Conference and Sphinx Competition Held in Detroit MI serves as the epicenter for artists and leaders in diversity. This episode features two separate conversations from that weekend with Natalie Frakes and Calida Jones, both Natalie and Calida are readily leading the changing pipeline of classical music, through their social justice advocacy for the arts and education.

As a Citizen artist Tommy is passionate about bridging the gap between his love for music and serving the community. But most importantly his passion for the different perspectives of the human experience and Leaning into the compassion and empathy that comes with it.

This episode of Voices Unheard was recorded on August 3 of 2020 at the end of the summer just a few days before both Tommy and I both departed Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan for good.

While we reflect on this unforeseen summer with the Pandemic and our time In Ann Arbor. Our conversation meanders through various discussions from sharing shared experiences and frustrations in music school, working in restaurants, finding side hustles, and our shared passion for community building.

With covid 19 and the recent shutdown of the University of Michigan, WCBN has temporarily halted all live broadcast operations...And now that the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” executive order is in effect for the entire state of Michigan, we now find ourselves at home for at least the next 4 weeks….

We are all greatly affected as we find ourselves in these strange and uncertain times..and as creatives, I thought this would be a good way of creating dialogue, and continuing our artistic creativity while remaining connected as a community...As we are now settled into our third full week of social distancing practice, I am joined by my dear colleagues and friends from the Chamber Music Department, at the School of Music, Theater and Dance at the University of Michigan.