Episodes
Monday Mar 30, 2020
Monday Mar 30, 2020
What you just heard is our guest setting an intention for this interview, by singing this little song in Haitian Kreyol. I’m happy to announce that we have our first drummer and percussionist on the show! I’ve seen him perform many times over the years and have always enjoyed something about his playing that is hard to describe. I guess I could say that it is as much about his Presence as his playing.
He was born in Bronxville, New York, grew up in Western Connecticut, and made his way to California in 1974. He performs in and around the Bay Area playing with a large pool of musicians and plays in a variety of styles and genres. That said, he has a special passion for Haitian drumming, has studied seriously for many years, and performs regularly with two Bay Area Haitian dance companies.
He has also been a member of the Brazilian Jazz guitarist/composer Ricardo Peixoto’s quintet for five years.
Our guest is also a teacher, teaching both privately and at Sonoma State University, where he leads an ensemble in the Jazz Program.
He is one of the first people I thought of having on the show when Daniel and I first started this project, so I’m thrilled that we finally got to sit down with him, and get to share our conversation with you! We are so pleased to welcome, Kendrick Freeman!
Rara Tou Limen with Daniel Brevil
Blanche Brown leader of Hatian Dance Company, Group Petit La Croix
Monday Jan 06, 2020
Monday Jan 06, 2020
Our guest this episode was born and raised in Carson California, where she studied classical piano throughout her childhood starting at very young age. After high school, she attended University of California, Long Beach, where she studied Interior Design. After one semester there, she changed course and made her way to Sonoma State, where she graduated with a BA in both Music, (piano) and Fine Art, (printmaking).
Our guest works as an accompanist in private studios and is currently the pianist who accompanies the applied music students at Santa Rosa Junior College in Northern California. She is also a vocal coach for these voice students.
While our guest’s career is primarily focused on music, her interest in the arts is eclectic. She has a passion for both comedy and drawing and finds great satisfaction through creating comics strips. She also loves variety shows, theater, puppets, and dance and has even created, starred in and produced several variety shows for the stage!
We are so pleased to welcome our multi-talented, funny and humble guest, Nancy Hayashibara!
Sunday Dec 22, 2019
Sunday Dec 22, 2019
Our guest this episode was born and raised in the UK in East Anglia - and in December of 2019, she became a US citizen. She is a vocal improviser, which means that she sings without knowing what she is going to sing, both alone and with others, and she is also a teacher.
Our guest developed her musicianship chops through studying with well known vocal improvisers, Rhiannon and Bobby McFerrin, as well as with bassist and guitarist, David Eskenazy and Indian master singer, Atulkumar Upadhye. In 2017, she recorded “Listen”, an album of completely improvised vocal music with her quintet, The Elements, and has two albums coming out in 2020.
While she performs in ceremonial contexts such as weddings, blessings, and grief rituals, as well as regular gigs throughout the UK and America, our guest is also very much a helper/healer/priestess of sorts. She has trained with Dr Melissa Michaels of the SomaSource Leadership Training, and works with people who have experienced trauma and oppression. I have had the honor to both witness and experience her capacity to hold sacred space, and the therapeutic nature of her work.
We are so honored and pleased to welcome our guest, Briony Greenhill!