Hi everyone and welcome to speaking of the arts. Today’s episode will be different from our usual format of interviewing a key promoter, presenter, agent, artist or manager. I’m going to be talking about something we’ve created internally here called Artist Scorecards.

Speaking of the Arts features the 14X Grammy Nominated pianist, composer, and activist Fred Hersch! In this episode we discuss many aspects of Fred's incredible career including lessons learned from legendary artists such as Stan Getz and Joe Henderson, how Fred approaches lessons with private students, what makes his current trio so special, his approach to solo piano performances, how Fred determines whether or not to accept a gig, what you should know as a presenter about Fred's performances, and so much more.

Welcome to the 40th Episode of Speaking of the Arts! Today we are featuring Tim Wilson. Tim is the Executive Director of the Western Arts Alliance, or WAA as it is commonly known.

Today’s episode is actually a live recording from the recent Arts Midwest conference in Indianapolis. I led a session on podcasting and the arts and I was joined by two experienced podcasters including Colleen Cook and Trevor St. Aubin.

I could not be more excited to share this episode with you. I had the opportunity to speak with Jamie Marguiles today who is the label director at GroundUP Music. GroundUP is known for releasing incredible music from groups like Snarky Puppy, Bokante, Banda Magda, and so many more.

"What are presenters saying?" This is the question displayed on the cover of our new artist data books for the 2019-2020 season.

Is the current performing arts system broken? How is the digital revolution affecting the way we approach our industry? What are traditional performing arts centers doing to try and reach younger audiences? Why do performing arts centers continue to spend significant resources on printed brochures? Are the annual booking conferences even necessary? These questions, and more, on today’s episode of Speaking of the Arts.

Hello everyone this is Mike Epstein and welcome to speaking of the arts. My guest today is Aisha Ahmad-Post. Aisha was recently named director of the Ent Center for the Arts at the University of Colorado – Colorado Springs. This is going to be a great episode as Aisha has a totally unique perspective on running a performing arts center. In fact, she has had to build her program literally from the ground up! This episode is full of useful information and we cover a lot.

Hello everyone and welcome to Speaking of the Arts. We’ve taken some time off but we are eager to start rolling out new episodes for you. As such, I couldn’t be happier to have the opportunity to speak with today’s guest. Full disclosure…today’s guest happens to also be one of our esteemed artists with whom we have the privilege of booking: the one and only Kat Edmonson!

Speaking of the Arts is pleased to welcome Wulf Muller to the show. Wulf is a highly seasoned veteran of the recording industry. In 1999, Wulf became Vice President of International Marketing Classics & Jazz for Universal Music. Here he was responsible for International marketing efforts for all Classics and Jazz priorities worldwide, as well as all local signings on the Emarcy Jazz and Emarcy Classics labels.

Panos Panay is the founder and managing director of the Berklee Institute for Creative Entrepreneurship (BerkleeICE). Prior to this, Panos created Sonicbids, the leading platform for bands to book gigs and market themselves online, building a subscriber network of 550,000 bands and 35,000 promoters from more than 100 countries. He led the company as CEO for 13 years, from its inception until after its successful acquisition in a deal backed by Guggenheim Partners.

Happy New Year Everyone! This is Mike Epstein and welcome to Speaking of the Arts. At the end of 2016 I made a special announcement on behalf of our booking agency, Epstein & Company. In case you missed it, starting in 2017, we have decided to give back in the form of a special fund for music students who would otherwise not be able to afford private lessons. This means that from now on, every time you book one of our artists, you are helping to empower a music student in need.

Welcome to the 30th episode of Speaking of the Arts! Today’s guest is Jacob Yoffee. Jacob is currently the Resident Composer for the American Studio Orchestra and is a full time concert & film composer based in Los Angeles. Jacob’s music has been featured in the trailer campaigns for Star Wars : The Force Awakens, The Jungle Book, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The Chronicles of Riddick and Kubo & the Two Strings. He is known for his work on MTV's hit drama 'Finding Carter', and Showtime’s award-winning ‘Time of Death’ series.

In 2010, Jordan Passman founded SCORE A SCORE. The company helps musicians and composers discover exciting opportunities in the music-for-picture industry, while providing media-makers an outlet to access top-tier musical talent from around the globe. Since it’s launch, SCORE A SCORE has worked with the biggest companies, brands and film franchises in the world, including Google, Verizon, Intel, Microsoft, Salesforce, Fox, NBC, CBS, Disney, Netflix, MasterCard, Sprint, Target, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Funny or Die, Honda, Subaru, Acura, Shire, Pfizer and more. The company has helped produce trailers for major films including Allied, 10 Cloverfield Lane, Ben Hur, Justice League, the Jungle Book and Star Wars.

Speaking of the Arts welcomes Kathryn Maguet from the Weiss Center for the Performing Arts at Bucknell University. The Weis Center is a leader within the regional and national performing arts community, presenting more than 30 professional performances each year in addition to hosting department and university lectures.

Kent Devereaux is the President and Chief Academic Officer of the New Hampshire Institute of Art (NHIA), a private, nonprofit, accredited college of the arts located in Manchester, New Hampshire, approximately one hour’s drive north of Boston.

This episode features Dave Scalia, a Brooklyn based touring, session drummer/producer, and musical director. Originally from Madison, WI, Dave moved to New York in 2010 and began to work with pop, rock, soul, indie, and electronic artists.

Michael Jaworek has been a concert promoter for over 40 years. His activities are focused in the Washington DC and Baltimore markets, where he is Vice President of the Birchmere. (The legendary club just celebrated its 50th anniversary). Michael has been nominated many times as “Nightclub Talent Buyer of the Year” by Pollstar Magazine.

Speaking of the Arts features Ryan Andrews. Ryan is a Los Angeles-based composer, producer, sound designer and performer. His work has been featured in theatrical advertising campaigns for films and video games such as Avengers: Age Of Ultron, Furious 7, Hercules, and the Call Of Duty series. A versatile performer, he has had the privilege of working with a wide variety of acclaimed artists including Broadway star Lauren Kennedy and country phenom Frankie Ballard.

Speaking of the Arts welcomes Marc Plotkin! In 2011, Bloomberg Business Week listed Marc and his co-founders in their list of top 25 entrepreneurs for their company CitizenGroove, an online social networking site for pro musicians.