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A vacant sub-basement in an affordable housing building isn’t where most people expect a new theater to bloom — but that’s exactly what happened. In this episode, host Elizabeth (Lizzie) Bowman welcomes Jaime Martino, Executive Director of Toronto's Tapestry Opera, to share the story behind the new Nancy and Ed Jackman Performance Center, a flexible black box space that seats 100–150 and brings neighbors, artists, and first-timers together in one room.

Jaime walks us through how a modest rehearsal plan evolved into a full venue with a bar, box office, rehearsal studio, and shared offices — powered by community partnerships, city champions, and a clear mission: build access, not barriers.

We dive into the partnership with Nightwood Theatre and explore the decision-making culture that carried the project through three years of design choices, budget tradeoffs, and technical puzzles. Consensus wasn’t slow — it was strengthening. From tiered rental pricing and resident companies to opening traditionally “insider” events to the public, Jaime explains how a venue can become an ecosystem. Today, the space hosts indie rehearsals, mainstage runs, one-night concerts, and soon, commercial events that help subsidize artist use.

We also zoom out to confront the bigger questions facing opera and the arts today — shrinking corporate support, rising costs, and what belonging really means in a legacy-driven field. Jaime’s take is clear: small casts and chamber forces make intimate stories land; multidisciplinary curiosity keeps the form alive; and safety nets enable bold risks. Micro experiences — genuine welcomes, open rehearsals, human-scale venues — turn first visits into lasting relationships.

If you care about cultural infrastructure, community building, and the future of live performance, this conversation offers a practical, hopeful roadmap.

Come see the space, meet the people behind it, and help shape what happens next.

All episodes are also available in video form on our YouTube Channel. All episodes are hosted by Elizabeth (Lizzie) Bowman.

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What if your performing arts career was built to last—not just to launch? 🎭

In this episode, we sit down with Kaye Kelly—Berklee College of Music professor, singer-songwriter, and author of The Modern Creative: A Practical Guide for 21st Century Artists—to explore how today’s artists can build resilient, values-driven, and financially sustainable careers.

Kaye’s book doubles as a field manual and workbook, and together we unpack her prompts and practices for defining your artistic narrative, mapping multiple income streams, and getting grants within reach.

We trace how the creative landscape has evolved through streaming, the pandemic, and AI—and why artists now thrive by wearing many hats. Kaye shares what professionalism really looks like: reply fast, communicate clearly, show up prepared, and think strategically.

From teaching, arranging, and session work to licensing and arts leadership, we dig into building a portfolio career with both active and passive income. Then we go straight to the money talk—budgeting for unpredictable income, planning for taxes, and starting retirement early.

Community engagement emerges as both a compass and a growth engine. Kaye walks us through ways to connect with local cultural councils, public art initiatives, and small grant programs that align your work with community priorities while expanding your audience.

We close with the habits that protect creativity—silence, privacy, and device discipline—and small rituals like journaling to shift into creative flow.

Forget the starving artist myth. Choose alignment, guard your time, and let your creativity evolve across seasons.

All episodes are also available in video form on our YouTube Channel. All episodes are hosted by Elizabeth (Lizzie) Bowman.

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What if “talent” isn’t rare—and the real scarcity is time, teachers, and belief? We sit down with Anthony (Tony) Mazzocchi, Executive Director of Kaufman Music Centerand Kinhaven Music School, to unpack how raising expectations and resourcing music education can reset a community’s cultural life. Tony traces his journey from trombonist and freelancer to a decade inside a Brooklyn public school, where a rigorous, well-supported band program revealed what students can do when adults stop underestimating them. That experience now fuels a mission-first strategy at Kaufman: Merkin Hall as a living classroom, Lucy Moses School as a true community hub, and Special Music School—the nation’s only K–12 public school with music embedded daily—delivering academic results that rival its artistic ones.

We dig into the structural headwinds: shrinking early access, budget pressures, and a national teacher shortage that’s quietly closing programs even when money exists. Then we get practical about engagement. If the first run club can feel intimidating without pace groups and a welcome, imagine a first concert with no context. We trade tactics to make newcomers feel seen—first-timer meetups, simple explainers, artist Q&As, and food-and-music pairings that translate feeling into flavor without flattening the art. Anthony also spotlights Kinhaven’s new boarding program, a 50–50 music/academics model that turns festival immersion into a school-year reality, opening doors with a tuition-free pilot and a collaborative ethos.

Throughout, we return to a simple idea with big consequences: music is for everyone when the pathway is clear and the bar is high. In a world quickly being reshaped by AI, the concert hall can model human skills we need more than ever—listening, empathy, and shared leadership. If you care about music education, arts access, or the next generation of audiences, this conversation sheds light on what’s possible when belief meets support.

If it resonates, subscribe, share with a friend who works in arts education, or someone who has young kids.

All episodes are also available in video form on our YouTube Channel. All episodes are hosted by Elizabeth (Lizzie) Bowman.

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Belonging doesn’t happen by accident—it’s built in small, steady moments. Elizabeth Bowman sits down with community architect Tasha Van Vlack, founder of The Nonprofit Hive, to unpack how nonprofits and performing arts groups can move beyond buzzwords and create connection that lasts. From the loneliness many leaders face to the power of one-to-one conversations, Tasha shares a playbook for building trust without big budgets.

We get tactical about cadence and rituals, the quiet engines of community. Think weekly touchpoints instead of marketing blitzes, and visible first-timer signals that invite warm welcomes. We talk merch that actually means something—earned pins and badges that reflect contribution, not just logo placement—and why a flywheel mindset beats the old funnel model when life pulls people in and out. You’ll hear how to elevate natural advocates, host micro-gatherings that feel human, and design recurring partnerships that compound results year over year.

Don’t rush to shiny new tools. Before launching an app or forum, start by investing in the essentials: a clean website, clear ticketing, and thoughtful emails or SMS reminders that people will actually read. Then add layers like behind-the-scenes Zooms, curated introductions, and personal follow-ups that turn transactions into memories. Whether you’re filling seats, welcoming first-timers, or stewarding long-time supporters, this conversation offers practical steps to spark word-of-mouth, strengthen loyalty, and grow community from the inside out.

If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a colleague, and leave a quick review—then tell us the one ritual you’ll start this month.

All episodes are also available in video form on our YouTube Channel. All episodes are hosted by Elizabeth (Lizzie) Bowman.

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Ever wondered what drives the International Opera Awards? British entrepreneur Harry Hyman takes us behind the curtain of the Awards, revealing how a passion project has transformed into a pivotal force in the opera world.

The awards serve a triumvirate of purposes - distributing roughly $100,000 annually in bursaries to emerging talents, celebrating excellence across all facets of opera production, and perhaps most crucially, dismantling the elitist stereotypes that keep potential audiences away. "People from a younger generation might be put off by the notion that opera is only for extremely wealthy people, that it's very long and can be very dull," Hyman explains, highlighting the awards' mission to change these perceptions.

What began as a London-based ceremony has blossomed into a truly global celebration, with previous ceremonies hosted in Madrid, Warsaw, and Munich. The 2025 awards will unfold at Athens' Stavros Niarchos Foundation Opera House on November 13th, with nominations open until August 31st. Last year saw over 16,000 nominations flooding in across 24 categories, each carefully evaluated by a distinguished jury of opera experts.

The real magic happens in the careers launched and elevated through these recognitions. Previous Young Singer winners like Ermonela Jaho and Aigul Akhmetshina have rocketed to international acclaim, while bursary recipients gain priceless exposure performing before the opera world's luminaries. As one judge aptly dubbed them, these aren't the Oscars but the "Toscas of opera" - a fitting tribute to an art form that, as Hyman reminds us, speaks to our most fundamental emotions: "lust, envy, love, seduction, deception."

Ready to nominate your opera heroes? Visit operaawards.org and become part of this remarkable celebration of an art form that continues to evolve while honoring its rich traditions.

All episodes are also available in video form on our YouTube Channel. All episodes are hosted by Elizabeth (Lizzie) Bowman.

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The arts sector has seen a steady decline in audience attendance over the past four decades. Yet many organizations continue relying on traditional marketing strategies that speak primarily to insiders—those already familiar with their art forms—rather than reaching new, curious audiences.

Ruth Hartt is challenging this paradigm with a forward-thinking, audience-first approach to arts marketing. With a unique background as both a professional opera singer and a business innovation expert, she introduces Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen’s influential “jobs to be done” framework—a groundbreaking theory of consumer behavior—as a powerful tool for audience growth.

Instead of targeting demographics or promoting artistic features, Ruth urges arts leaders to understand what people are really seeking—stress relief, connection, inspiration—and position the arts as a way to meet those needs. It’s not about diluting artistic excellence; it’s about creating relevant, resonant entry points for a broader public.

With examples like the Peabody Essex Museum’s “Escape the Algorithm” campaign, Ruth shows how this shift in perspective opens the door to entirely new audience segments. She also tackles common resistance to the idea of “customers,” arguing that it’s not about commercialization—it’s about making the transformative power of art accessible and relatable.

Whether you’re an artist, marketer, administrator, or advocate, this conversation is a practical and inspiring guide to reimagining arts marketing and revitalizing cultural participation.

All episodes are also available in video form on our YouTube Channel. All episodes are hosted by Elizabeth (Lizzie) Bowman.

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What makes a great music institution? Is it world-class facilities, exceptional faculty, or something more intangible? Matthew Loden, Dean of the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, brings perspective from both sides of the music world—as a former professional violinist and as a seasoned arts administrator who's led major organizations including the Philadelphia and Toronto Symphony Orchestras.

Loden's journey reveals what originally sparked his passion for arts leadership. "I found that I could enjoy the creative aspects of building something in the same kind of way I enjoy sitting in a big orchestra doing Mahler 3," he reflects. This revelation led him through increasingly complex challenges, from managing the Aspen Music Festival to helping navigate the Philadelphia Orchestra through Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Now overseeing Rice's prestigious music program during its 50th anniversary, Loden emphasizes what makes the Shepherd School distinctive: its intentionally small size (just 275 students), extraordinary facilities including the new Brockman Hall for Opera, and its unique position within a top research university. Rather than chasing growth, the school focuses on excellence within a carefully defined framework.

Included in the Shepherd's School's outreach initiatives is the school's partnership with the Concert Truck, which brings classical performances directly to communities throughout Houston—including the annual Rodeo and Livestock Show. This immersive experience teaches students to communicate effectively while breaking down barriers between classical music and new audiences. As Loden describes watching cowboys in Fort Worth encountering chamber music, you can feel his excitement about classical music's potential to transcend cultural boundaries.

When discussing what today's musicians need, Loden offers wisdom that extends beyond music: disciplined curiosity, resilience in the face of failure, and intellectual humility. His thoughts on artificial intelligence in music are particularly nuanced, acknowledging both legitimate concerns and exciting possibilities while asserting that the human soul behind a performance remains irreplaceable.

Have you experienced a transformative musical moment, either as performer or listener? Share your story and join our exploration of how classical music continues to evolve and inspire in unexpected places.

*photo credit: Bedoya Fitlow

All episodes are also available in video form on our YouTube Channel. All episodes are hosted by Elizabeth (Lizzie) Bowman.

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Barry Shiffman challenges the doom-and-gloom narrative surrounding classical music by spotlighting the remarkable growth of chamber music across North America. Drawing from his roles as Executive Director of the Banff International String Quartet Competition, and Associate Dean and Director of Chamber Music at the Glenn Gould School and Dean of the Taylor Performance Academy for Young Artists at Toronto’s Royal Conservatory of Music, and Artistic Director of Classical Music & Rockport Chamber Music Festival, Shiffman shares stories of thriving festivals, purpose-built venues, and passionate audiences redefining the art form’s future.

From Rockport Music’s evolution—from volunteer-run gallery concerts to a year-round presenter with its own performance center—to similar transformations in La Jolla and Parry Sound, this episode reveals how grassroots enthusiasm has sparked major investment in chamber music.

Shiffman ties this growth to the art form’s unique intimacy: the direct connection between performers and audience, the communal experience, and the personal resonance audiences are craving today. At Banff, this intimacy creates an immersive, high-stakes environment where audiences become advocates and every quartet leaves with meaningful career momentum.

For aspiring musicians, Shiffman emphasizes that exceptional listening—both musical and interpersonal—is key to unlocking the “flow state” that defines great ensemble work and, ultimately, quartet success.

Whether you’re a chamber music devotee or simply curious about where classical music is thriving, this episode reveals a flourishing art form that brings people together through shared experiences, deep artistry, and a powerful sense of belonging.

All episodes are also available in video form on our YouTube Channel. All episodes are hosted by Elizabeth (Lizzie) Bowman.

Don’t forget to subscribe, share the love, and leave us a review to show your support—it means a lot to us!

Don't hesitate to reach out to us with guest ideas, information you'd like covered, or any ideas you might have—the hope is for this to be a continuous resource and dialogue with our listeners.

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