Something (rather than nothing)

Liz Kiger is our guest for a deep discussion of Art, Philosophy, film, photography, teaching, trauma and resiliency, LGBTQIA+Opera, and their new filmed opera - a gorgeous, modern presentation (shot in Red - Komodo - 6K) of ORFEO. ORFEO is a dazzling, energetic, sensitive story that will amaze you visually and sonically. Its release is simultaneous to this podcast episode. Find ORFEO here https://youtu.be/rOeT_PFyEtA Liz Kiger is a Turkish-American non-binary soprano vocalist, violinist, and opera director specializing in Baroque performance practice. They are the founder and director of the Brooklyn Telemann Chamber Society. They hold their MM in Classical Vocal Performance and a post graduate degree in Vocal Pedagogy from NYU. They have most recently performed as the title role in Monteverdi’s Poppea, Papagena (Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte), Ottavia (Monteverdi: L’incoronazione di Poppea) at Scorca Hall (National Opera Center), & Susanna (Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro) at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall. Liz is a proud advocate for singers with incurable vocal pathologies like themself.  Mentions: @sydneysheaphotography @alexandrapawlus @alexandrapaw_ @matthewkylelevine

David Bellino began his career as a music video director-producer for various recording artists, management companies and record labels. During this time, Virgin Records selected Bellino to direct the Rolling Stones “Voodoo Lounge” interactive media title. He continued with Virgin as a production consultant on the band’s multimedia-enhanced ”Stripped” album. Bellino then became the creative force and producer behind a number of digital media products for Universal, MCA, EMI/Capitol and Hasbro. In 2013, he founded Left of Creative to expand creative and production services for corporate and government clients. This growth has resulted in improved communications within the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and U.S Department of Justice through dynamic storytelling, documentary filmmaking, and digital media. Left of Creative remains a pioneer in virtual reality concepts, applications and production logistics. Bellino was one of the first filmmakers to showcase an immersive VR experience inside the cockpit of the F/A-18 aircraft and on the deck-plate of The Navy’s premier aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson. He’s an award-winning director-producer, having received Billboard accolades for his interactive media work. With a proven track record across industry sectors, his work has made an impact for Universal Pictures, Lionsgate, Sony, BMG, MCA, Shell, VISA, U.S. Navy, U.S. DOJ, NASA/JPL, Hasbro, Virgin and more. Bellino’s documentary film “The Guest List”, the story of America’s deadliest rock concert, was recently acquired for broadcast with a television premiere slated for early 2021 and a theatrical / VOD version in post-production in preparation for subsequent release. As a filmmaker and multimedia producer, Bellino continues his work for high profile clients and develops original documentary and unscripted programming.

PCP aka Julienne Baptiste formerly known as the guitarist and vocalist in Dirty Princess band made the decision to step away from punk rock music and step into film making. After coming together in collaboration with videographer Chris-Diana Peebles 2020. PCP created a 3 part ‘Sonic Visual’ that intertwines atmosphere, style, sound and movement to tell a story of metamorphosis and unseen forces outside of oneself. PCP describes what internal and external sacrifices she took in order to set out on her most ambitious project yet.

“Sparkling” mezzo-soprano Madison Marie McIntosh has been praised for her “wondrouslyflexible voice,” “prodigious vocal skills,” and “richly textured and strong lower register” (Vocedi Meche). OperaWire has praised her “vocal power,” “enchanting voice,” “velvety mezzosoprano,”and “abundant vocal and dramatic technique, with no shortage of soaring high notesand flexible roulades.” She won The American Prize in Vocal Performance in 2020 and thenperformed a benefit concert for The American Prize that featured world premieres of works by eight composers. Madison has performed Ernesta (Un avvertimento ai gelosi) at Caramoor, Delia (Il viaggio a Reims) with the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, and Alto Soloist (Messiah) with New Amsterdam Opera. In 2022, she performed in concerts with Gulfshore Opera and will sing the title role in La Cenerentola with Fargo Moorhead Opera, the title role in Giulio Cesare with Connecticut Lyric Opera, and Francesca Da Ponte in the premiere of Da Ponte, by composer Roger Neill and librettist Neil Cohen. In 2021, she sang Beppe in Teatro Grattacielo’s production of L’amico Fritz at the Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice, the Domme in Three Way with Fargo Moorhead Opera, Melissa in La liberazione di Ruggiero with Connecticut Lyric Opera, Ruggiero in Alter Ego Chamber Opera’s production of Alcina REVAMPED at the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, and Lola Lowell in the virtual premiere of Theodore Christman’s opera The Impresario and the Dueling Divas with Mo. Eve Queler. Madison has also performed Rosina (Il barbiere di Siviglia), the title role in Carmen, Isabella (L’Italiana in Algeri), Angelina (La Cenerentola), Cesare (Giulio Cesare in Egitto), Hansel (Hansel and Gretel), Dido (Dido and Aeneas), Sara (Roberto Devereux), Giovanna Seymour (Anna Bolena), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), and lead roles in the world premieres of six operas. She has premiered song cycles and other works by composers such as Peter Breiner, Paula Kimper, Roger Neill, Amy Scurria, Jeff Shankley, Myron Silberstein, Webster Young, and Paul Ayres. In 2019, she joined Eve Queler as a soloist in her 25th annual Bel Canto Opera Concert. She has been featured as a soloist in venues such as Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, Bruno Walter Auditorium at Lincoln Center, Symphony Space, the DiMenna Center, and the Teatro Rossini. She covered the title role in Tancredi and sang the Eco in the inaugural season of Will Crutchfield’s Teatro Nuovo. In 2019, she performed the role of Prinz Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus) at the Wiener Kammeroper as a result of winning First Prize in the Vienna Summer Music Festival Competition. She worked with the late Mo. Alberto Zedda as a young artist of the Accademia Rossiniana in 2014 and was an Apprentice Artist of Sarasota Opera in 2018. Last season, she was presented in a solo virtual concert in the Kravis Center’s series Kravis @ Home. “Sparkling” mezzo-soprano Madison Marie McIntosh has been praised for her “wondrously flexible voice,” “prodigious vocal skills,” and “richly textured and strong lower register” (Voce di Meche). OperaWire has praised her “vocal power,” “enchanting voice,” “velvety mezzosoprano,”and “abundant vocal and dramatic technique, with no shortage of soaring high notesand flexible roulades.” She won The American Prize in Vocal Performance in 2020 and thenperformed a benefit concert for The American Prize that featured world premieres of works by eight composers. Madison has performed Ernesta (Un avvertimento ai gelosi) at Caramoor, Delia (Il viaggio a Reims) with the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, and Alto Soloist (Messiah) with New Amsterdam Opera. In 2022, she performed in concerts with Gulfshore Opera and will sing the title role in La Cenerentola with Fargo Moorhead Opera, the title role in Giulio Cesare with Connecticut Lyric Opera, and Francesca Da Ponte in the premiere of Da Ponte, by composer Roger Neill and librettist Neil Cohen. In 2021, she sang Beppe in Teatro Grattacielo’s production of L’amico Fritz at the Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice, the Domme in Three Way with Fargo Moorhead Opera, Melissa in La liberazione di Ruggiero with Connecticut Lyric Opera, Ruggiero in Alter Ego Chamber Opera’s production of Alcina REVAMPED at the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, anLola Lowell in the virtual premiere of Theodore Christman’s opera The Impresario and theDueling Divas with Mo. Eve Queler. Madison has also performed Rosina (Il barbiere di Siviglia), the title role in Carmen, Isabella (L’Italiana in Algeri), Angelina (La Cenerentola), Cesare (Giulio Cesare in Egitto), Hansel (Hansel and Gretel), Dido (Dido and Aeneas), Sara (Roberto Devereux), Giovanna Seymour (Anna Bolena), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), and lead roles in the world premieres of six operas. S has premiered song cycles and other works by composers such as Peter Breiner, Paula Kimper, Roger Neill, Amy Scurria, Jeff Shankley, Myron Silberstein, Webster Young, and Paul Ayres. In 2019, she joined Eve Queler as a soloist in her 25th annual Bel Canto Opera Concert. She has been featured as a soloist in venues such as Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, Bruno Walter Auditorium at Lincoln Center, Symphony Space, the DiMenna Center, and the Teatro Rossini. She covered the title role in Tancredi and sang the Eco in the inaugural season of Will Crutchfield’s Teatro Nuovo. In 2019, she performed the role of Prinz Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus) at the Wiener Kammeroper as a result of winning First Prize in the Vienna Summer Music Festival Competition. She worked with the late Mo. Alberto Zedda as a young artist of the Accademia Rossiniana in 2014 and was an Apprentice Artist of Sarasota Opera in 2018. Last season, she was presented in a solo virtual concert in the Kravis Center’s series Kravis @ Home. She also sang in virtual events presented by Fort Worth Opera, Maryland Opera, and the Art Song Preservation Society of New York. She performed one of the 22 ariette by Vaccai in Will Crutchfield’s video “Bel Canto in Thirty Minutes,” which also includes singers such as Lawrence Brownlee, Jennifer Rowley, Lisette Oropesa, Angela Meade, and Tamara Mumford. She later collaborated with Mo. Crutchfield on a recording for Teatro Nuovo’s Bel Canto Collection. She performed one of the 22 ariette by Vaccai in Will Crutchfield’s video “Bel Canto in Thirty Minutes,” which also includes singers such as Lawrence Brownlee, Jennifer Rowley, Lisette Oropesa, Angela Meade, and Tamara Mumford. She later collaborated with Mo. Crutchfield on a recording for Teatro Nuovo’s Bel Canto Collection.

You can now listen to Part One of SRTN's interview with painter Gerald van Scyoc! From GvS: "I work in a Photorealist/Surrealist style. I like to do work that provokes a strong response from the viewer. Most of my paintings consist of collaged public domain photos. I rarely use live-models. I like to combine well-known symbols and tropes in my paintings mixed together in new and not-well-known combinations. This, along with the realistic painting style, provides the audience with a feeling of familiarity while, at the same time, offsetting that feeling with unconventional and, sometimes, unsettling imagery."

It was an immense pleasure to meet and speak with Plains Cree/Filipinx activist, model and video creator Haley Robinson. Haley is from Treaty 7 territory and we spoke about art, creativity, identity and the immediacy of video content to explore questions of identity. You can also connect with Haley's work and causes here: https://linktr.ee/og.robinson10

If you got your sweet hands on a copy of 'Santos Sisters' I know that you want to know where such a wonderful piece of art (a comic for 'Generation X') came from. I got the answer. Artists Greg Petre and Graham Smith join the show to chat about comics, art, philosophy, Taylor Swift, proclivities and predilections. They describe that "One day while combing the beach, the Santos Sisters discovered a pair of beautiful medallions. What happened next changed their lives, forever. Follow Ambar and Alana, the Santos Sisters, as they balance spicy superheroics with the drama of their everyday lives in this GIANT SIZED extravaganza offset printed on decadent newsprint.." Please support independent funny books!!! https://www.santossisters.com/

Susie deVille is dedicated to helping entrepreneurs build wildly successful businesses by rediscovering their creativity and leveraging the power of their true nature. An author, coach, and entrepreneur who built and sold a highly profitable real estate firm, she has been researching innovation and creativity since 2005. She is the founder and CEO of the Innovation & Creativity Institute and trained as a coach with Dr. Martha Beck. Her first book, Buoyant: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Becoming Wildly Successful, Creative, and Free, will be published in September of 2022. Innovation & Creativity website: https://innovationandcreativityinstitute.com/  

In this episode, Ken Volante speaks with Kimberly Laberge and Cory Fitzsimmons from Wisconsin. This episode is a nice way to connect with two talented directors and actors as they create their version of Things I know to Be True for production in April 2022. Kimberly Laberge is a teacher, stage manager, director, and critic based out of the Milwaukee area. Kimberly has worked with area companies including First Stage, the Milwaukee Rep, Kohl’s Wild Theater, and more. Some favorite projects include directing Oedipus Rex, starring in Our Town, and providing entertainment as a live princess for Friend Like Me Parties and Entertainment. A proud member of the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA), when not involved in productions, Kimberly runs the independent theatre review blog The Drama Den www.stageonapage.com Cory Fitzsimmons is an actor, teacher, and first time director from the Milwaukee area. A graduate of UW-Milwaukee, Cory is an Irene Ryan Award nominee and a two-time SURF Award recipient. Favorite roles include James in Book of Days, The Old Artist in Jarman, and most recently the title role in Oedipus Rex.  Things I Know to Be True by Andrew Bovell follows the Price family - Bob, Fran, and their four adult children. Each adult child is brought home at different points by a major event in their lives, from love, to identity, to even crime. Meanwhile, Fran and Bob's relationship is reflected in the light of their children's crises, leading them to examine their own standing with one another. The story is told through rooted, realistic family drama interspersed with soliloquies with music and movement. The result is a piece of truly elevated drama, making clever usage of all of the tools theatre has to offer. Bovell's text asks the question, can one love too much? https://www.facebook.com/thingsiknowmke    

Jeff Ostler is Professor of History Emeritus at the University of Oregon. He is the author of The Lakotas and the Black Hills: The Struggle for Sacred Ground and Surviving Genocide: Native Nations and the United States from the American Revolution to Bleeding Kansas. This conversation delves into the Lakota Sioux, resilience, genocide, the art of teaching, responsibilities in teaching history and the power of place and story. https://history.uoregon.edu/profile/jostler/

As a tenor specializing in 21st century repertoire, Jonathan Blalock created over a dozen roles in world premieres with companies including the Dallas Opera, Washington National Opera, the Center for Contemporary Opera, Fort Worth Opera, the PROTOTYPE Festival, and UrbanArias. In 2019, he was featured in the new opera recordings of Paul’s Case (by Gregory Spears) and the Grammy Award winning Fantastic Mr. Fox (by Tobias Picker). In concert, Jonathan recently performed with Winston Salem Symphony, Memphis Symphony, Opera Hong Kong, Arizona MusicFest, Wichita Symphony, Pacific Symphony, Syracuse Symphoria, Washington Chorus, and the Guggenheim Museum. A native of Burlington, Blalock earned Master of Music degrees in both vocal performance and choral conducting from UNC Greensboro.  Soprano Kinneret Ely is a freelance opera singer based in New York City and Tel Aviv. She was a young artist with Teatro Grattacielo’s Camerata Bardi Vocal Academy in 2021. As part of it, she sang Ilia in IDOMENEO ALLA BREVE at the Rhodes International Festival in September 2021. She covered the roles of Anna in Catalani’s LORELEY and the Fata Azzurra in Respighi’s LA BELLA DORMENTE NEL BOSCO in Teatro Grattacielo’s 25th Anniversary Concert in September 2019. She sang Violetta in LA TRAVIATA in July 2018 at the Jerusalem International Opera Masterclass (JIOM). She rejoined Teatro Grattacielo for their film production of Giordano’s FEDORA as Un Piccolo Savoiardo, and covering the role of Dimitri. Her performed roles also include Gilda in RIGOLETTO, Madame Cortese in IL VIAGGIO A REIMS, and Rosina in IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA. She was a semifinalist in the Premiere Opera Foundation + NYIOP International Vocal Competition and Camerata Bardi International Vocal Competition in 2021, and also in the Premiere Opera Foundation + NYIOP International Vocal Competition and the Rochester International Vocal Competition in 2020. Her YouTube channel has more than 38,000 views. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Special Honors from Hunter College, from which she graduated cum laude, designing her own degree there in languages, history, and literature through their Thomas Hunter Honors Program. She studied Italian at the Società Dante Alighieri in Siena, French at the Alliance Française in Paris, German at the Goethe Institut in Berlin, and Russian at the Derzhavin Institute in St. Petersburg.  Kinneret's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/KinneretEly Jonathan's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/jblay100  

Of the Suquamish Nation, Calina Lawrence was born and raised within her ancestral culture at a time during the reawakening of the teachings of the canoe and the Coast Salish way of life in the Pacific Northwest.  Her vocal journey began at a young age when she was first introduced to the songs of the canoe, the land, and the Lushootseed language. While lending her voice to the preservation of Suquamish traditions, she also grew to love many contemporary genres such as bluegrass, soul, hip hop and Spoken Word Poetry which would eventually lead her on her journey to respectfully expressing a fusion of it all. Many of the people who raised her emphasized the importance of spreading awareness about the social and environmental injustices that have impacted the quality of lives on tribal reservations and within urban Native communities.. She embraced the awareness of inter-generational trauma combined equally with the examples of her people’s generosity and resiliency, so liberation work now shapes the lens in which the young artist sees the world. At age 23, Lawrence graduated with Honors from the University of San Francisco (’16) attaining her BA in Performing Arts & Social Justice; a Music concentration. Since graduation, this Independent Indigenous vocalist, aspiring emcee and producer self-released her debut album EPICENTER August, 2018.  Her most significant Single to-date released in August of 2019 entitled “ʔəshəliʔ ti txʷəlšucid” one translation being “Lushootseed Is Alive” It is her first self-produced/hip-hop inspired/Salish fusion and in her words “has been my largest accomplishment to-date, to have access to the language of my ancestors and have the ability to incorporate what I can into my every day life, including my career.” The song is written and performed entirely in the Lushootseed Language. It features several members of her Suquamish community while the Music Video was brought to life by Kanion Productions, a crew completely comprised of Indigenous creatives. Lawrence continues traveling across nations as a full-time musician while based out of Coast Salish territory; her home, Suquamish. https://www.calinalawrence.com/ Paige Pettibon is an artist based in Tacoma, Washington. Her medium focus is acrylic painting, but has extended to fiber art, beadwork, digital design, and other media.  Paige is Black, White, and Salish (from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes). Paige is influenced by her multicultural background. She identifies as a community artist. She continues to grow within the Indigenous community by learning the Lushootseed language, tribal songs, arts, dances, and traditions. https://www.paigepettibon.com/

In this special episode, Melissa Oliveri guest hosts an All-Minnesota episode of Something (rather than nothing) with guest Sally Mars! Sally Mars is a writer and photographer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her work appears in numerous journals including Kalliope, Talking River, Elysian Fields, Illiterate, Scheme, Shots, Reflex, The Rake, Churn, Whistling Shade and in the hardbound collection Series of Dreams. Two of her stories have been adapted into live action films; a third into an award-winning animation.   Her stunning photography and writing can be found at https://www.sallymars.com/

This episode features guest host Rachel Lally (SRTN Episode 41 and Guest Host on SRTN 67) and Artist Daryl Parson. Embracing an eclectic existence across Europe and beyond, Daryl Parson has taken to countless creative endeavours over the years. Most notably tackling bass duties for epic doom metal veterans Solstice (UK). A band whose bludgeoning riffs and astute lyrics have inspired both musical passion and unyielding attitude. Off the international stage; Daryl is a wanderer, an artist, and especially, a writer. Through the juxtaposition of image and word he invokes insightful introspection across multiple media - with short stories already published and longer writings in the works. He is an occasional actor, previously appearing in film and television projects on both sides of the Atlantic; as well as dabbling in the more practical disciplines of sculpting and special effects work. He is a self-professed practitioner of Chaos Magick and has found inspiration through exploring the esoteric and expressing 'True Will' through creativity, philosophy and technology. Tending to lockdown malaise, interests in psychology and Artificial Intelligence research have coalesced with the occult to create 'Servitor' - a paradigm combining Magick with Machine Learning to effective ends. Forever seeking to connect and collaborate with other creatives and chaotes, the search continues for those who can keep up.

I hope you enjoy this short episode featuring spoken word pieces by Greg Clifford (Episode 81 guest) and Geoff Finan (Episode 66 guest) and listen to a teaser/reminder to catch The Skylark Bell Season 2 by Melissa Oliveri (Episode 94 guest) Thank you for supporting the show, its artists and their creations.