Sociologist of Music Caroline Nagy visits us on the podcast today to talk about her recent project Melomaniacs: How Independent Musicians Influence West Hollywood’s Cosmopolitanism, as well as her life as a musician and passionate arts advocate. Caroline tells us about the celebrated creative community of West Hollywood, and what she has learned through her research with independent musicians making a life and a living in Los Angeles.

You can learn more about Caroline’s work on our website www.arts-collab.com/creativelifepod, or hers: www.carrienagy.com

Mary Speight is on the podcast this week to talk about her career teaching public school band, the joy of coaching teachers, reaching students and creating inclusive ensembles, and the challenge of providing creative opportunities within the system that is Band with a capital B. Mary knew she wanted to be a teacher, of something, she just wasn't sure what. Lucky for us and for the hundreds of students she's taught over the years, she chose to teach music.

You can learn more about Mary on our website: www.arts-collab.com/creativelifepod

Musician Kirsten Morgan joins us on the podcast this week, to reflect on her decades-long career in music education, the joys of creating magical moments with students, and how the gift of time provides the opportunity to expand as an instrumentalist and as a composer. Kirsten is a dedicated student and practitioner of Dalcroze eurhythmics, an approach that shaped her life as a pedagogue, creator, and performer. To learn more about Dalcroze, visit the Dalcroze Society of America’s website, or the Institut Jaques-Dalcroze.

You can learn more about Kirsten on our website: www.arts-collab.com/creativelifepod

Absolute delight David Salsa is on the pod today, talking about life as an LA-based actor and acting coach. Looking for a diversion after a football injury knocked him out of the season, he found himself cast in his first play, and has been on the path ever since. Now he’s deep in the film and tv world, and is equally passionate about his own creative work as an actor as he is about coaching others to access and maximize their own unique artistry.

You can find and follow David on instagram: @giftofyouactingstudio, or on his website davidsalsa.com, or learn more on our website: www.arts-collab.com/creativelifepod

Dancer, Actor, Singer, Pilates and Gyrotonic practitioner, and thinker Candace Walters is on the podcast today. Candace's creativity has been a constant force through her life, from being raised in an arts-driven household by artist-educator parents, to navigating the professional acting world as a child, to finding herself through the joy and challenge of creative movement, to now revisiting old crafts and exploring new creative outlets as an adult. You can learn more about Candace on our website www.arts-collab.com/creativelifepod, or on hers www.spiralandlinemovement.com

Adrienne Asterita is on the pod today, to share her story of pursuing a life in the theater, learning, teaching, working more jobs than she can count, and ultimately never giving up. She’s in the throws of a thrilling second act (yeah, yeah, we know) in the Colorado theater community.

Learn more about Adrienne on our website www.arts-collab.com/creativelifepod, or on hers www.adrienneasterita.com. You can also follow her on instagram @aasterita.

Virgil Wong is on the podcast today! Virgil’s expansive work has found him in the intersections of visual art, medicine, VR, and AI. As you will hear in this episode, his career has been defined by being endlessly curious, intellectually bold, and a dedicated teacher and mentor.

During the episode, Professor Wong mentions some thought provoking suggested reading: Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge (Edward O. Wilson, 1998), The Body in Pain (Elaine Scarry, 1985), Memento Mori: The Art of Contemplating Death to Live a Better Life (Joanna Ebenstein, 2024), and Deep Medicine: How Artificial Intelligence Can Make Healthcare Human Again (Eric Topol, 2019).

You can find more information about Virgil and his work on our website www.arts-collab.com/creativelifepod, or on his, http://virgilwong.com.

Chef, actor, artist, poet, dreamer Jason Little joins us on the podcast this week. A true multi-hyphenate, Jason talks about how he’s found himself through many different creative professions, hobbies, and pass times, and how each pursuit has led him on to the next one.

You can learn more about Jason on instagram, and if you’re in the Raleigh, NC area, we highly suggest you try some of his yummy food… @vagabond_foods