5-24-16 Interview Judi grew up surrounded by music; her father was a drummer, her older brother, a trumpet player and her younger brother, a saxophone player. So although she also loved to draw, Judi decided that piano would be her instrument. Luckily Judi had a…
5-16-17 Interview 5-16-17 Joseph Holt is the Artistic Director of Choral Artists of Sarasota (formerly Gloria Musicae) as well as the Artistic Director of Artists Series Concerts, he is a virtuoso pianist who played all over the world before coming to settle in Sarasota. He…
5-24-16 Interview 5-9-17 – Dancer, Choreographer JoAnn Hunter discovered that she was a dancer when, at eleven years old, her mother suggested she take dance lessons. Once exposed to dance JoAnn knew it was her passion. Serendipitously, the dance teacher her mother picked at random…
4-25-17Interview 5-2-17 Singer Barbara Jordan is calls herself “late bloomer.” Although she has been singing literally all her life and whenever anyone heard her – teachers in school, bands she sat in with – they always wanted to hear more, she didn’t identify herself as…
4-25-17Interview 4-25-17 When Lew Gluckin was ten or eleven his father took him to see Trumpet virtuoso Louis Armstrong play and that experience dictated the rest of Lew’s life. He visited a friend who had a bugle and when he blew it, although he didn’t…
4-18-17 Interview 4-18-17 Having spent years working on stage, film and TV, and as one of the principle members of the prestigious Westport Theatre Group, actor, director, playwright, author, and educator E Katherine Kerr has recently brought her talents and skills to Sarasota. Katherine maintains…
4-11-17 Interview 4-11-17 Anna E. von Gehr is a facilitator. As the Senior Director for Development for the prestigious John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art. Anna’s job, and her passion, is securing the resources to create the very best space possible for the museum…
4-4-17 Interview 4-4-17 Poet, Dancer, Choreographer, Actor, and Director Harry Bryce says that he came out of the womb dancing. And when you talk to him you can well believe it. Precocious and wise beyond his years Harry began writing poetry (although he didn’t know…
3-28-17 Interview 3-28-17 Johnny Epstein has had a long career as a Shakespearian Player and acting teacher. Although he knew from age 7 that he was comfortable on stage – when he spontaneously adlibbed to cover a fellow student missed cue – it was a…
3-21-17 Interview 3-21-17 Denise Cormier says she is a “repertory actor.” She thrives on the challenge of playing several different roles in a repertory setting, which means that it is not unusual for her to be playing two different characters in the same day –…
3-7-17 Interview 3-14-17 Choreographer Donald Frison never had a dance class. Dancing from the moment he could move, Donald says that he was simply” born to dance.” Listen to the way he used his dancing to crash his older sibling’s parties and how he explained…
3-7-17 Interview 3-7-17 Zoe Lewis says she never had any choice but to be a musician, she was simply pulled to it. Today she plays the piano, guitar, ukulele and clarinet as well as the washboard and spoons – often playing several of these at…
2-28-17 Interview 2-28-17 Dick Hyman is turning 90! The celebrated pianist, organist, arranger, music director, and composer he is as busy now as he has ever been, and it has been an extraordinarily busy and productive life. He was Artistic director for the Jazz in…
2-21-17 Interview 2-21-17 When John Lamb plays everyone stops to listen. His solos may be poignant or whimsical, achingly simple or blindingly complex, but you don’t want to miss a note. A highly respected musician who spent three years touring and recording with the legendary…
2-14-17 Interview 2-14-17 Director Jesse Jou is in Sarasota for the second time – this time – directing The Drunken City, for the students at the FSU-Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training. Jesse is an alumnus of the Cherry Lane Mentor Project, the Drama League’s Directors…
2-7-17 Interview 2-7-17 Actor, teacher Edward Gero is the fourteen-time nominee and four time recipient of the prestigious Helen Hayes Award for his work in Shakespeare, contemporary and musical theatre, as well as the recipient of Robert Prosky awards for an outstanding lead actor and…
8-2-16 Interview 1-31-17 On Sun 2/5 & Mon 2/6 at 7:30 the West Coast Black Theater Troupe, in a special event to highlight their next production, Girl Groups of the Sixties, is presenting singer, performer, entertainer Brenda Watty. Brenda will not only sing but to…
Interview with Sharon Ohrenstein – Golden Roads 1-24-17Interview 1-24-17 Sharon Leslie Ohrenstein is a renaissance woman. Her extraordinary voice was first discovered in Kindergarten when she was chosen to sing the solo in the Christmas play and has delighted countess audiences since. She is a…
1-17-17 Interview 1-17-17 Seven year old Lee Dougherty saw her mother and brother at the piano and knew that she too wanted to play. Her mother immediately enrolled Lee with Francis Marsh Bunton, who had a profound impact on Lee’s life and with whom she…
1-10-17 Interview 1-10-17 Pianist, composer, arranger, singer, dancer, teacher Gwen Wahman fell in love with music at four years old. Although she took her first piano lesson at 4 1/2 she had wait till she was five for her motor skills to develop. Hear Gwen…