One Crazy Summer – pt. 1

Just got back from the final leg of this marathon of a summer. I guess it wouldn’t be called that by everyone, but when it involves three Girls Rock Camps and driving several thousand miles in a noble vehicle whose pushing 300k, well it ends up feeling quite epic. The most recent stint was Girls […]

Strange Fruit: Distraction or Inspiration?

This is a response to an interview I recently read given by my University piano professor Richard Zimdars, for Fanfare Magazine. The last question posed is a worthy one: Q: I am very concerned about the role that classical music will play in America’s future, what with the dwindling of music classes in public schools, […]

Tavis Smiley Takes Me To Task, Part II

Yesterday Kenito asked for specifics that support my position on the “responsible citizen” remaining critical of his own propensity for criticism, and I woke up thinking about when I first got exposed to the value of digging deeper and not just pointing the finger. I went to a New England boarding school for high school […]

Tavis Smiley Takes Me To Task

This week I was honored with a chance to talk to two of my living heroes Mr. Tavis Smiley and the venerable Dr. Cornel West for their weekly Radio Broadcast “Smiley and West” from Public Radio International. Although I expect my next conversation with these two fine gentlemen to be about my work, this week […]

How Can You Keep From Singing?

Jazz singer and fierce, self-made woman René Marie was featured on NPR’s homepage today, along with a clip from her controversial rendering of the “Lift Every Voice and Sing” as sung to the tune of “The Star Spangled Banner” from her folk/jazz/blues/gospel/freedom suite “Voice of My Beautiful Country.” Read the full story here. I’m glad […]