5-27-14 – Audio Interview

When I say that Dick Hamilton is a musician, I’m not telling you nearly enough. By the time he was two his mother could control her toddler by simply putting on some music, he would stop whatever he was doing mesmerized. Dick Hamilton simply fell in love with music and immediately wanted to create the sounds he heard. Listen to this self-effacing man describe the way he relentlessly pursued this passion which lead him to a career as a studio musician and composer in Los Angeles. Then listen to a cut – I wish I had the time to play more – from his solo (and I do mean solo) album, called Album Myself on which wrote all the songs and played every instrument;
Piano, Electric Piano, Guitar, Upright Bass, Keyboard Bass, Drums, Percussion, Flute, Alto Flute, Soprano Sax, Trumpet, Alto Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Alto Flugelhorn, Alto Horn, Trombone, Valve Trombone, Baritone Horn and Moog IIIC Modular Synthesizer (1968 vintage – no computer or sequencing to produce the few (italics mine) instruments he didn’t own such as Tuba and Clarinet.

5-20-14 Audio Interview

Bill Barbanera is the conductor and musical director of the 45 piece Sarasota Concert Band, a high level semi professional group of musicians who play six to eight concerts a year, the most important of which is their Memorial Day concert honoring those who lost their lives fighting for our freedom. The concert takes place at Philippi Creek Park on May 26th, parking and kids are free others pay $5.00. The band will offer patriotic music and some lighter fare, as well as vocal performances by Ben Turoff. This year they will be highlighting the world premiere of Glory and Honor a stirring piece written by local composer David Ohrenstein and arranged for the concert band by his wife, actor, singer and author, Sharon Lesley. In this interview Bill talks about how he discovered his interest in and talent for playing “anything with a reed in it; saxophone, clarinet, oboe and bassoon,” and how he turned that talent into his career as conductor, musical director and teacher. Also whet your appetite for the real thing by listening to a digital version of Glory and Honor, and hear composer David Ohrensteirn at the piano playing George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.

3-11-14 Audio Interview
Until he saw Wirlie Morris (who produces for Charlie Wilson) play the bass Jay Dodge thought he was going to be a baseball player. But there was something so mesmerizing about the way Wirlie played that Jay immediately picked up a bass and started to fool around with it. Then a miraculous thing happened; listen to Jay describe how his pastor laid hands on him and pronounced that he would play the bass. The rest is history – well baseball was history anyway. As he progressed on the bass Jay knew for sure that he had found his destiny. Listen to him tell the story of how, although he had never musical directed, he became the Musical Director of the West Coast Black Theater Troupe in Sarasota Florida. Today he is also the company’s Project Manager. Currently Jay is Musical Directing the WBBT production of Harry and Lena. Listen to this gentle, thoughtful, optimistic man talk about his life and his relationship to music.

12-10-13 – Audio Interview

Wade Russo is the Musical Director of the Asolo Repertory Theatre production of Show Boat and there could hardly have been a better choice, as he fell in love with the score of Show Boat early in his life and never lost his enchantment with it.

This enchantment led him to read everything there is on the subject. Listen to the fascinating stories he tells about the way Edna Ferber (who wrote the book on which the show is based) came to write it. And listen to Sharon Leslie’s glowing review of the current production.

12-18-12 – Audio Interview

Michael Rice’s parents brought a piano for his older sister but it was little Michael who at 5 was immediately drawn to it and immediately began to pick out songs. Since then, when it comes to music, Michael has done it all. He was a music therapist ; he played in the most famous piano bars in New York, he accompanied cabaret acts and ballet classes. But he was also passionate about composing and so adapted and wrote the music and lyrics for Berthold Brecht’s “The Good Woman of Szechwan.” And also for a pastiche play called “American Beauty” which including pieces by Pulitzer Prize winning author Romulus Linney and Drama Desk Award nominee Jack Hefner. Michael began his musical director career as part of the original creative team of the musical “Nunsense,” which won four Outer Critics circle Awards, and went on to become the second-longest-running Off Broadway show in history. Today Michael is, for the second time, Musical Director for the Musical 1776, this time at the Asolo Repertory Theatre. Listen to this delightful, ingenious man talk about the way he followed his heart. Knowing from the age of 5 that he was born to make music and taking every opportunity to do just that.

11/13/12 – Interview

Currently running at FST’s main stage is Smokey Joe’s Café. In this show you can hear the Musical Director, Corinne Aquilina, who was the arranger/music director for the long running, Off-Broadway show Menopause, The Musical, and played in the Broadway pit of Boy From Oz, talk about this play which she has “gotten up” several times and this particular production. Then listen to the funny, passionate and exuberant Arthur Marks, one of the remarkable players appearing in Smokey, talk about his journey to becoming the versatile and in demand performer he is. When Arthur was 5 he heard his mother sing in church. Without a mike the former Opera singer’s glorious voice filled the room and seeing that the congregation was just as “moved and captivated” as he was, Arthur decided that he too would do that. He made his debut the next year at the same church. And at 6 ½ had his first professional job as a boy soprano in a production of The Magic Flute – for which he sang in German. Gene Kelly’s Singing in the Rain made him want to dance and he studied ballet, tap jazz etc. He studied the piano and the viola (because everyone else was learning the violin.) When the band needed a trombone player he volunteered to learn it, when the symphonic band needed a Bassoonist – ditto. He says he was like a sponge. Listen to him talk about a life filled with the joy of performance and come see the result of all that rigorous training on stage in Smokey Joe’s Café.

August’s shows included interviews with people who came in with their destiny clear in their minds, all four musicians were playing the piano by the time they were three years old.

August 03, 2020 Dotti Anita Taylor Re-Run Interview – see March 30, 2010

Dotti Anita Taylor was a true prodigy. At three years old Dottie would play the music she’d heard her seven year old sister play. Not surprisingly her sister’s piano teacher didn’t believe it until she saw tiny Dottie play what she heard. Cleverly the teacher insisted that Dottie not hear any of the music she was learning so she would not be able to cheat – but had to learn to read music. The result is a consummate musician who plays not only piano but flute exquisitely. A soft-spoken gentle woman Dottie is a powerhouse when connected to one of her instruments.

July 13 Interview with Duncan La Mont

Although already a very successful musician and composer Duncan La Mont discovered that his first love is songwriting. Listen to how he discovered his skill and his passion for songwriting and hear some of his songs which were recorded by Natalie Cole, Blossom Dearie and Cleo Laine – to name only a very few. Duncan’s story to use his words is nothing less than “Magical and Spiritual.”

July 06, 2010

This is the first half of my interview with the much awarded, applauded, and accoladed Duncan La Mont. A boy from the tiny poverty stricken town of Greenock, Scotland, who expected to spend his life working in the mines, and although he tried hard to avoid it, found himself playing with Henry Mancini, Tony Bennett, Bing Crosby, Benny Goodman, Paul McCartney. Listen to remarkable way Duncan was pushed into accepting and using his prodigious musical gifts. Hear his wonderful music and his disarming sweetness.

September 08, 2009

Interview – In this show I interview composer, arranger, pianist, songwriter Mike Moran (husband of Kitt Moran from last week), a year behind his wife, Mike decided at four years old that what he wanted to do was “make music.” Less supported in this dream than lucky Kitt, he finally gave himself to music. Listen to the lovely result of that surrender.

Interview – Whenever I encounter a couple, both of whom make their living or their life with an art, I like to interview them as a couple. The Moran’s have been together 36 years and when you hear them talk together you can tell why. There is tenderness, affection, respect, and admiration in virtually everything they say about each other.