Ghost Notes

Calvin Arsenia is a vocalist, multi instrumentalist, music teacher, and performance artist based in Kansas City. He has performed internationally and lived and made music in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Jeff Harshbarger is a bassist, composer, and staple of the Kansas City music scene. Along with playing bass all over the globe in a variety of bands, he co-founded an artist run record label named Tzigane Music, and hosts Wednesday’s Jazz in the Afternoon on KKFI.

The Buhs is an eleven piece pop group from Kansas City that fuses elements of hip-hop and soul. I spoke to lead vocalist Julia Haile and trumpeter Hermon Mehari.

Taryn Miller is a musician from Winfield, Kansas who plays under the moniker Your Friend. She was signed to Domino Records, home of Animal Collective and Neutral Milk Hotel, in 2014. After the release of her first self-produced EP called Jekyl/Hyde. Since then, she's toured internationally, and put-out a full length album Gumption via Domino Records.

Mogan Cooper, also known as Barrel Maker is a Kansas City hip-hop emcee and filmmaker. A man of many talents and names, he usually goes by his last name, Cooper. He released his second full length album with producer Conductor Williams this year. It’s called "Blk Flan II: For The Imperfect. For The Diligent". Right now, he’s making music with LiON, a DJ based in Lawrence, Kansas.

Cody Wyoming and Kimmie Queen have been creating music as a couple in Kansas City for 12 years. They have carefully selected four Kansas City musicians to join their heavy psychedelic infused rock group, The Philistines. Cody writes most of the group’s songs on guitar and sings. Kimmie is the group’s lead singer, and unofficial lead dancer on stage as well.

Mr. Amado Espinoza is a Kansas City based composer and musician from Cochabamba, Bolivia. We’re joined today by Espinoza and his wife Karen Lisondra, who will jump in and help us translate.

Growing up, Stephonne Singleton told people he wanted to play music. He’s black; he’s tall; he’s a dude, and he thinks that’s why most people responded saying: “So you wanna be rapper?” But people’s assumptions were far different from Stephonne’s true musical dreams.

We’ve all been wowed by a 6 string guitar player, but what about a sixty string guitar player? Jeff Freeling used to play the electric zither, a sixty string monter of a guitar used in his past career with The Blue Man group. In 2010, he quit his job with Blue Men to become the Victor of Victor and Penny, Kansas City’s own antique pop duo. He’s scaled back to a six string guitar and his parter Erin McGrane plays Ukulele.

If John Coltrane, one of the greatest horn players ever, was on stage trying to impress a crowd he would completely lose their attention if Ella Fitzgerald grabbed a mic and started singing next to him. That’s the power the human voice. Dominique Sanders is a bass player and producer who recognizes that power.

This podcast tells the story of Kansas City’s musical landscape through in-depth, honest, and unpredictable interviews. Ghost Notes is a space where listeners, musicians, and the industry can have the uncomfortable conversations about music creation and consumption that often go unheard in the final product.