Why Change? A Podcast for the Creative Generation

During this episode of Why Change? co-host Karla meets with Tamara Anderson who moderated an event recently—in partnership with the Teaching Artists Guild, Zinn Education Project, Black Lives Matter at School, and Creative Generation—titled, “A Day of Purpose: Decolonizing Arts Education with Black Lives Matter at School.” This event was a professional development opportunity for teaching artists that focuses on the ongoing activations and reflections from BLM at School’s Year of Purpose, which aims to uplift Black students and undo institutional racism. 

In this episode you’ll learn:

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Tamara Anderson is a multi-talented actor, singer, writer, and director. She has been featured in musicals and plays across the country and in multiple TV, film, and commercials like The Blacklist and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. She is an advocate for children and teens, an anti-racist trainer, a professional artist, editor, freelance journalist, and blogger with over 24 years of experience as an educator. Tamara is currently an adjunct at West Chester University in the Education Policy Department. Her production company, The Gumbo Lab, features a virtual platform for Black female identifying and Black queer solo artists and an annual ten-minute film festival. Her BIPOC Database and Resource Guide connects BIPOC creatives to work in the industry. She is one of the founding steering committee members of the National Black Lives Matter Week of Action at Schools, a founding member of the Racial Justice Organizing Committee, a founding member of Melanated Educators Collective, a founding member of Opt-Out Philly, a previous steering committee member of the WE Caucus, a diversity consultant for the American Association of Physics Teachers, a Teach Truth organizer with Zinn Education Project, and on the National Advisory Council for Teaching Artists Guild (TAG).

This episode was produced by Karla Estela Rivera. The artwork is by Bridget Woodbury. The audio is edited by Katie Rainey. This podcasts’ theme music is by Distant Cousins. For more information on this episode, episode transcripts, and Creative Generation please visit the episode’s web page and follow us on social media @Campaign4GenC.

During this episode of Why Change?, co-hosts Karla and Jeff discuss the change of seasons and Madeleine’s interview with José Angel Salazar Marin from El Sistema Greece. Madeleine and José discuss the role of a musician in educating youth and changing the world - and how to go about doing that! Karla and Jeff break down the dialogue into practical steps for all arts educators towards a more holistic future.

In this episode you’ll learn:

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José Angel is one of the products of the highly-acclaimed and worldwide recognized model of music education known as “El Sistema” in Venezuela. Being educated and trained in performance, organization and management, José Angel has served as the Main Conductor and Artistic Director of both the regional youth orchestra and the symphony orchestra of his hometown Margarita Island, and invited as a guest conductor for different productions of prominent venezuelan orchestras. He has also taken different conducting masterclasses and seminars both as passive or active participant, such as the Italian Opera Academy by Riccardo Muti in Ravenna, the Hans Swarowsky Akademie with Manfred Huss in Vienna, among others.

José Angel has been invited as a music teacher and conductor to assist in different Sistema inspired programs around the world, such as the Fundacion Orquesta Sinfonica Juvenil del Ecuador (FOSJE) in Ecuador, the Saint Lucia School of Music, and the El Sistema Sweden Dream Orchestra, where he also worked with underprivileged youth at risk, children in extreme poverty status, refugees and migrants, using music education as a tool for social integration and human development. Jose Angel serves currently as the Artistic Director of ESG, where he is very happy to contribute reproducing the venezuelan model, adapting it to the Greek society and culture, helping children and youth from very varied backgrounds and social status.

This episode was produced by Madeleine McGirk. The artwork is by Bridget Woodbury. The audio is edited by Katie Rainey. This podcasts’ theme music is by Distant Cousins. For more information on this episode, episode transcripts, and Creative Generation please visit the episode’s web page and follow us on social media @Campaign4GenC.

During this episode of Why Change?, co-hosts Karla and Jeff discuss the change of seasons and Madeleine’s interview with José Angel Salazar Marin from El Sistema Greece. Madeleine and José discuss the role of a musician in educating youth and changing the world - and how to go about doing that! Karla and Jeff break down the dialogue into practical steps for all arts educators towards a more holistic future.

In this episode you’ll learn:

Some things from the episode:

José Angel is one of the products of the highly-acclaimed and worldwide recognized model of music education known as “El Sistema” in Venezuela. Being educated and trained in performance, organization and management, José Angel has served as the Main Conductor and Artistic Director of both the regional youth orchestra and the symphony orchestra of his hometown Margarita Island, and invited as a guest conductor for different productions of prominent venezuelan orchestras. He has also taken different conducting masterclasses and seminars both as passive or active participant, such as the Italian Opera Academy by Riccardo Muti in Ravenna, the Hans Swarowsky Akademie with Manfred Huss in Vienna, among others.

José Angel has been invited as a music teacher and conductor to assist in different Sistema inspired programs around the world, such as the Fundacion Orquesta Sinfonica Juvenil del Ecuador (FOSJE) in Ecuador, the Saint Lucia School of Music, and the El Sistema Sweden Dream Orchestra, where he also worked with underprivileged youth at risk, children in extreme poverty status, refugees and migrants, using music education as a tool for social integration and human development. Jose Angel serves currently as the Artistic Director of ESG, where he is very happy to contribute reproducing the venezuelan model, adapting it to the Greek society and culture, helping children and youth from very varied backgrounds and social status.

This episode was produced by Madeleine McGirk. The artwork is by Bridget Woodbury. The audio is edited by Katie Rainey. This podcasts’ theme music is by Distant Cousins. For more information on this episode, episode transcripts, and Creative Generation please visit the episode’s web page and follow us on social media @Campaign4GenC.

During this episode of Why Change, Jeff provides reflection and background information on the global movement to advance arts education, including the recent World Summit of Arts Education hosted in Madeira, Portugal. Co-hosts Rachael and Madeleine join Jeff to reflect on their time together, in-person in Madeira Island, the big ideas they brought to the dialogue, and their visions for the future. Listeners are encouraged to participate in the efforts to aggregate ideas and visions for the future of the field for the UNESCO Framework for Culture and Arts Education. 

In this episode you’ll learn:

Some things from the episode:

This episode was produced by Jeff M. Poulin. The artwork is by Bridget Woodbury. The audio is edited by Katie Rainey. This podcasts’ theme music is by Distant Cousins. For more information on this episode, episode transcripts, and Creative Generation please visit the episode’s web page and follow us on social media @Campaign4GenC.

During this episode of Why Change? the co-hosts of the podcast - Ashraf Hasham, Rachael Jacobs, Madeleine McGirk, Jeff M. Poulin, and Karla Estela Rivera - re-introduce themselves and share their hopes and plans for Season 3. The co-hosts discuss their multi-hyphenated personal and professional identities, how they plan to use those in the coming season, and the ways we can bring more joy into our work.

In this episode you’ll learn:

You can find out more about each co-host on the Why Change? web page here.

This episode was produced by Jeff M. Poulin. The artwork is by Bridget Woodbury. The audio is edited by Katie Rainey. This podcasts’ theme music is by Distant Cousins. For more information on this episode and Creative Generation please visit the episode’s web page and follow us on social media @Campaign4GenC.

During this episode of Why Change? the co-hosts of the podcast - Ashraf Hasham, Rachael Jacobs, Madeleine McGirk, Jeff M. Poulin, and Karla Estela Rivera - re-introduce themselves and share their hopes and plans for Season 3. The co-hosts discuss their multi-hyphenated personal and professional identities, how they plan to use those in the coming season, and the ways we can bring more joy into our work.

In this episode you’ll learn:

ABOUT OUR CO-HOSTS

You can find out more about each co-host on the Why Change? web page here.

This episode was produced by Jeff M. Poulin. The artwork is by Bridget Woodbury. The audio is edited by Katie Rainey. This podcasts’ theme music is by Distant Cousins. For more information on this episode and Creative Generation please visit the episode’s web page and follow us on social media @Campaign4GenC.

During this episode of Why Change? the co-hosts of the podcast - Ashraf Hasham, Rachael Jacobs, Madeleine McGirk, Jeff M. Poulin, and Karla Estela Rivera - reflect on their conversations throughout Season 2 and the myriad guests who made this season so rich and inspiring. The co-hosts revisit some of their favorite conversations, the questions that grew out of those discussions, and what they hope to bring into Season 3.

In this episode you’ll learn:

ABOUT OUR CO-HOSTS

You can find out more about each co-host on the Why Change? web page here.

This episode was produced by Jeff M. Poulin. The artwork is by Bridget Woodbury. The audio is edited by Katie Rainey. This podcasts’ theme music is by Distant Cousins. For more information on this episode and Creative Generation please visit the episode’s web page and follow us on social media @Campaign4GenC.

During this episode of Why Change? co-hosts Ashraf and Jeff discuss Ashraf’s journey learning from funders of color. Ashraf shares his most recent conversation with Angelique Power from the Skillman Foundation in Detroit and their discussion about shepherding youth power, the COVID-19 pandemic, and necessary changes in philanthropy. Jeff and Ashraf debrief and draw connections among many disruptive and powerful ideas.

During this episode of Why Change? co-hosts Ashraf and Jeff reflect on disrupting the field of community foundations through Ashraf’s interview with Celeste Smith, Senior Program Manager for Arts and Culture at The Pittsburgh Foundation, and Jonathan Cunningham, Senior Program Officer at Seattle Foundation. In this episode, you’ll hear conversations about systemic change in the way community foundations fund projects and smaller, BIPOC-led organizations, as well as how some foundations are funding beyond trauma and instead focusing on joy.

During this episode of Why Change? co-hosts Ashraf and Jeff are just back from the 2022 Arts Schools Network Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. In this episode, you’ll hear from a variety of arts education leaders and the impact their organizations and schools have on young people. Ashraf and Jeff discuss these ideas and other trends from the conference looking towards the future of arts learning.