The Creative Life Podcast

Sociologist of Music Caroline Nagy on Being a Melomaniac, the Lives of Independent Musicians, and the Artistry of Murdering the Family Dog

Sociologist of Music Caroline Nagy visits us on the podcast today to talk about her recent project Melomaniacs: How Independent Musicians Influence WestHollywood’s Cosmopolitanism, as well as her life as a musician and passionate arts advocate. Caroline tells us about the celebrated creative community of West Hollywood, and what she has learned through her research with independent musicians making a life and a living in Los Angeles.
You can learn more about Caroline’s work on our website www.arts-collab.com/creativelifepod, or hers: www.carrienagy.com

Music Educator Mary Speight on Choosing Education, and Going From Band Kid to Band Teacher

Mary Speight is on the podcast this week to talk about her career teaching public school band, the joy of coaching teachers, reaching students and creating inclusive ensembles, and the challenge of providing creative opportunities within the system that is Band with a capital B. Mary knew she wanted to be a teacher, of something, she just wasn't sure what. Lucky for us and for the hundreds of students she's taught over the years, she chose to teach music. 
You can learn more about Mary on our website: www.arts-collab.com/creativelifepod

Musician Kirsten Morgan on Teaching, Performing, Composing, and the Gift of Time

Musician Kirsten Morgan joins us on the podcast this week, to reflect on her decades-long career in music education, the joys of creating magical moments with students, and how the gift of time provides the opportunity to expand as an instrumentalist and as a composer. Kirsten is a dedicated student and practitioner of Dalcroze eurhythmics, an approach that shaped her life as a pedagogue, creator, and performer. To learn more about Dalcroze, visit the Dalcroze Society of America’s website, or the Institut Jaques-Dalcroze. 
You can learn more about Kirsten on our website: www.arts-collab.com/creativelifepod
 

David Salsa on Being an Actor and Acting Coach...and the Hope of Playing a Bollywood Villain Someday

Absolute delight David Salsa is on the pod today, talking about life as an LA-based actor and acting coach. Looking for a diversion after a football injury knocked him out of the season, he found himself cast in his first play, and has been on the path ever since. Now he’s deep in the film and tv world, and is equally passionate about his own creative work as an actor as he is about coaching others to access and maximize their own unique artistry.
You can find and follow David on instagram: @giftofyouactingstudio, or on his website davidsalsa.com, or learn more on our website: www.arts-collab.com/creativelifepod

Candace Walters on Movement, Acting, the Mind-Body Connection, and Continuing to Find Old and New Ways to Express Herself

Dancer, Actor, Singer, Pilates and Gyrotonic practitioner, and thinker Candace Walters is on the podcast today. Candace's creativity has been a constant force through her life, from being raised in an arts-driven household by artist-educator parents, to navigating the professional acting world as a child, to finding herself through the joy and challenge of creative movement, to now revisiting old crafts and exploring new creative outlets as an adult. You can learn more about Candace on our website www.arts-collab.com/creativelifepod, or on hers www.spiralandlinemovement.com
 

Adrienne Asterita on Acting, Singing, and Creating a (Really) Full Life in the Theater

Adrienne Asterita is on the pod today, to share her story of pursuing a life in the theater, learning, teaching, working more jobs than she can count, and ultimately never giving up. She’s in the throws of a thrilling second act (yeah, yeah, we know) in the Colorado theater community.
Learn more about Adrienne on our website www.arts-collab.com/creativelifepod, or on hers www.adrienneasterita.com. You can also follow her on instagram @aasterita.

Artist, Technologist, and Professor Virgil Wong on Art, Medicine, AI, VR, and Much, Much, More

Virgil Wong is on the podcast today! Virgil’s expansive work has found him in the intersections of visual art, medicine, VR, and AI. As you will hear in this episode, his career has been defined by being endlessly curious, intellectually bold, and a dedicated teacher and mentor.
During the episode, Professor Wong mentions some thought provoking suggested reading: Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge (Edward O. Wilson, 1998), The Body in Pain (Elaine Scarry, 1985), Memento Mori: The Art of Contemplating Death to Live a Better Life (Joanna Ebenstein, 2024), and Deep Medicine: How Artificial Intelligence Can Make Healthcare Human Again (Eric Topol, 2019).
 
You can find more information about Virgil and his work on our website www.arts-collab.com/creativelifepod, or on his, http://virgilwong.com.

Chef Jason Little on Winding Through Life as an Artist

Chef, actor, artist, poet, dreamer Jason Little joins us on the podcast this week. A true multi-hyphenate, Jason talks about how he’s found himself through many different creative professions, hobbies, and pass times, and how each pursuit has led him on to the next one.
You can learn more about Jason on instagram, and if you’re in the Raleigh, NC area, we highly suggest you try some of his yummy food… @vagabond_foods

Joseph Terrell on Being a Songwriter, Singer, Guitarist, and Living on the Road

Joseph Terrell joins us this week, talking about life on the road as a touring musician, writing songs, and loving and learning music traditions the old fashioned way. Joseph has spent 10 years singing, writing songs, and playing guitar with Americana quartet Mipso. His debut solo album "Good For Nothing Howl" (Sleepy Cat Records) features talking roses, screaming oak trees, and the fortune-telling powers of persimmons. 
You can learn more about Joseph on our website www.arts-collab.com/creativelifepod, or on his various platforms www.mipsomusic.com, Sleepy Cat Records, or find him on instagram @jomoterrell

Brinn Daniels on Being a Filmmaker, Professor, and Stand-Up Comedian

Brinn Daniels is on the pod today! She shares her experience from growing up a theater kid, into studying and making films, becoming a professor of cinema arts, and now, at long last, a stand-up comic. Brinn has a lot to say about teaching creative kids, and finding her voice in a new art form she has always wanted to try. Learn more about Brinn on our website www.arts-collab.com/creativelifepod, or on hers www.brinndaniels.com.
You can also follow Brinn on instagram @brinn_does_comedy