There’s No Business Like...

Ep. 109 Phil Esparza: Challenges Not Barriers This week we bring you an unexpected interview from our time at the 2024 WAA Conference. Bryan has the honor and pleasure of sitting down with Phil Esparza of El Teatro Campesino, the legendary Chicano theater company. We discuss the company’s history and legacy, community engagement, and trace Phil’s career from college student to performer to collegiate presenter. Phil Esparza is the Executive Producer of El Teatro Campesino (https://elteatrocampesino.com/). The company celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2025. Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions - https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi (@VicDaviMusic).

Ep. 108: Live from MAX – Are Audiences Back? This week our hosts go back in time without the time machine (thanks, Kevin!) to when we first started presenting shows inside again after pandemic closures, and then our guests from the expo hall floor at MAX bring different perspectives on engaging with audiences in this moment to the conversation. We dig into the future of opera and classical music audiences, engaging “young” audiences now for the future, and the impact of social media and other platforms on the monetary value of live performing arts.   Our guests this week are: Bob Wendland, Assistant Director, Washington Pavilion Management Maddy Ringo, Singer-songwriter Bill Blagg, Illusionist   Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions - https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi (@VicDaviMusic).

Ep. 107 Live from MAX – Reflections on Equity in the Field This week Kevin shares some great news and our hosts think they are hay-larious before diving into the serious topic of changes in equity in our field. Our guests at the Midwest Arts Xpo discuss slow shifts in programming and the hierarchical structures that impede progress, and we dig deep into just a few of the challenges with contracting. Our guests this week are: Sarah Haag, Artist Wallace Thomas, Artist, Ball in the House Clare Longendyke, Pianist Karoline Myers, Director of Education, Des Moines Performing Arts Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions - https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi (@VicDaviMusic).

Ep. 106 Paul Sage Cannon: Be Brave Enough to Believe in Yourself This week our hosts get a bit philosophical before we listen to Danielle’s conversation with singer-songwriter Paul Sage Cannon from our time at the 2024 Western Arts Alliance Conference. Paul shares how his personal history informs his songwriting, how the weight of being a culture barer is both painful and joyful at the same time, and reminds us that music is a healing artform. Paul Sage Cannon ( https://paulsagecannon.com/ ) is a singer-songwriter from the Waipuk Clan, a part of the Kumeyaay Nation. He is also a certified Native Healer and speaks on Native healing, philosophy, cultural education. Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions - https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi (@VicDaviMusic).

Ep. 105 Eric Olmscheid: Make Room to Dream Whoohoo! This week the Quad Producers celebrate our two-year anniversary! We are so grateful for everyone’s support of this endeavor and for sticking with us week after week, listening and laughing with us. This week Katie speaks with Eric Olmscheid about his journey from farm kid to arts administrator, staying focused on what’s important, and keeping audiences curious.   Eric Olmscheid is the Executive Director of Wharton Center for Performing Arts on the campus of Michigan State University (https://www.whartoncenter.com) and the Board Vice President of Heartland Performing Arts, which administers the Midwest Arts Xpo (https://midwestartsxpo.org).   Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions - https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi (@VicDaviMusic).

Ep. 104 Live from MAX – The Cost of Touring and Merch Splits  We’re bringing you round 2 of our mini-interviews from the 2024 Midwest Arts Xpo featuring five more guests discussing the costs and challenges of touring today. Our hosts also have a spirited discussion about merch splits and the changing financial pressures of the industry (but Kevin is somehow the eternal optimist?) You can find the Pitchfork article referenced in the episode here: https://pitchfork.com/features/article/artist-merch-cuts-venues/. Our guests this week are: Helen Welch, Vocalist/Producer, Big Wow Productions Pat Hazell, Chief Creative Officer, Sweetwood Creative Patrick Donelly, Vice President of Theater Operations, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts Zak Mirz, Magician & Storyteller Ella McAndrew, Director of Programming, The FIM   Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions - https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi (@VicDaviMusic).

Ep. 103 Live from MAX – The Art of Curation   The Pod Squad (including Bryan’s double, Bry-Bacca) was lucky enough to spend a week at the 2024 Midwest Arts Xpo and record interviews live once again in the expo hall! This week we bring you five mini-interviews and our own commentary on the topic of curation as we look forward to planning the 25-26 season. Our guests this week are: Gary Minyard, Chief Creative Officer, Dayton Live Sarah Saltwick, Agent, Holden & Arts Associates Joshua Kane, Artist/Producer, Wild Baboo Productions Eric Matters, Director, Warren Performing Arts Center Jeremy Davis, Artist, The Fabulous Equinox Orchestra   Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions - https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi (@VicDaviMusic).  

Ep. 102 We ❤️ Conferences! The Pod Squad has finished the sprint that is the start of conference season and we’re pausing to reflect on our time at the 2024 Western Arts Alliance Conference and Midwest Arts Xpo. We discuss our differing experiences of conferencing over the course of our careers, what we love about evolving conference models and what is going well, and consider how conferences can shift to meet the current needs of our industry and look to the future. What is certain is that conference planning and execution is a big job, so we encourage you to serve on a committee or offer your expertise to help build our conference ecosystem! Josh will still be attending IEBA October 5 - 8, If you are attending, stop him and say hello.   To learn more about some of the conferences we discuss in this episode you can visit: APAP: https://apap365.org/conference/ IEBA: https://www.ieba.org/conference-info-1 MAX: https://midwestartsxpo.org/ WAA: https://www.westarts.org/conference   Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions - https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi (@VicDaviMusic).  

Ep. 101 Taína Lyons: Don’t Say No To Yourself This week most of the crew as at the Midwest Arts Xpo, but we aren’t too busy to share conversations in the industry! This week our hosts talk about moments that were meant to be and Katie sits down with professional dancer Taina Lyons to talk about training as a young dancer, the life of a dancer, and advocating for yourself in a professional space.  Taina Lyons (@dancingrunner5 on Instagram) is a NYC based dancer currently dancing with the Mark Morris Dance Group.  Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions - https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi (@VicDaviMusic).

Ep. 100 Peter Noone: Watch Every Act It’s our ONE HUNDREDTH EPISODE and to celebrate Josh sits down with a living legend, Peter Noone! Peter shares stories of his incredible (and still going) career. Our host share their 100 favorite things and dream of booking the bills of the 60s.  Don’t forget you can see us at MAX in booth #512 Peter Noone (https://peternoone.com/) is a multi talented entertainer known best for Herman’s Hermits Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions - https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi (@VicDaviMusic).

Ep. 99 Colleen Jennings-Roggensack – Part 2:  Must Have Passion Welcome back to Part 2 of Bryan’s conversation with Colleen Jennings-Roggensack; while you can listen to this as a standalone episode, we would recommend starting with Part 1. This week Colleen talks about EDIA, creating the New Deal for Broadway (https://www.blacktheatreunited.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/BTU-New-Deal-For-Broadway.pdf), bringing children to the theatre, and more. Colleen Jennings-Roggensack is the Executive Director of ASU Gammage (https://www.asugammage.com/). She is the Vice Chair of the Road for the Broadway League Board of Governors, the only Tony Awards voter in the state of Arizona, serves on the Black Theatre United Summit, and is a founding member of the Creative Capital Board and Senior Advisor to Women of Color in the Arts, and has been involved in numerous other national arts organizations.

Ep. 98 Colleen Jennings-Roggensack – Part 1: Broaden Your Horizon's to be a Success This week our hosts are on the road recording in person at the Western Arts Alliance (WAA) Conference! It is also the first two-parter, because this week’s guest is a true rockstar in our industry, and a recent Tony Award Honoree. Colleen Jennings-Roggensack shares stories, insights, and lessons learned from her incredible career. Colleen Jennings-Roggensack is the Executive Director of ASU Gammage (https://www.asugammage.com/). She is the Vice Chair of the Road for the Broadway League Board of Governors, the only Tony Awards voter in the state of Arizona, serves on the Black Theatre United Summit, and is a founding member of the Creative Capital Board and Senior Advisor to Women of Color in the Arts, and has been involved in numerous other national arts organizations. Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions - https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod  Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi (@VicDaviMusic).

Ep. 97 Gretchen Shope: Defying My Own Expectations Katie sits down with fellow Michigander and JIMMY AWARD WINNER, Gretchen Shope! Gretchen shares her passion for the performing arts, her gratefulness for her arts education, and gives us a peak backstage of the Jimmy Awards. Don’t forget you can see our hosts at the Western Arts Alliance Conference next week! You can also see us at MAX in booth #512 Gretchen Shope is the 2024 Jimmy Award (https://www.jimmyawards.com/) winner for Best Performance by an Actress. You can see her award-winning performance here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gF1Z5c9ZtJk Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions - https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod  Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi (@VicDaviMusic).

Ep. 96 Randy Cohen: Make the Arts Unavoidable  This week Kevin sits down with his Arts Hero, Randy Cohen to talk about how the arts impact our lives with a heavy focus on the economic impact. Randy shares how he got started in the arts and helps our listeners to advocate for the arts. Our hosts share arts moments along with some exciting news, that we are coming to the Western Arts Alliance Conference! Randy Cohen is the Vice President of Research at Americans for the Arts. Randy and his team led the Arts and Economic Prosperity 6 study. Local, State, and National data can be found here: https://aep6.americansforthearts.org/ Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions - https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi (@VicDaviMusic).

Ep. 95 Stephanie Mayers: Leave Space for What’s Possible This week our hosts kick off the conversation talking about the great, boring, or weird PR they’ve gotten in the past, probably because they didn’t have Stephanie Mayers as their publicist. Stephanie talks with Danielle about being a part of the emergence and growth of the contemporary family music scene, running her own business, and gives us the 101 on what a publicist actually does. Stephanie Mayers is the founder of Mayers Consulting (http://www.mayersconsulting.com/), an artist management, public relations, and booking firm. Oh! And Katie has some exciting news! She left her job for another cool job and is also starting a cool business of her own – Michigan Maven Creative Associates! Learn more at https://www.michiganmaven.art/. Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions - https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod    Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi (@VicDaviMusic).

Ep. 94 Heather Augustine: Bother Me    Katie and Josh sit down with Heather Augustine, the head audio technician on the Tony Award-winning musical, The Outsiders. Heather gives insight into the audio side of the performing arts, shares her story of being a female in a largely male dominated role, how to take care of yourself on tour, and much more! Our hosts talk about women working backstage and how much (or how little) has changed, hiring bias, and what they would do if they won a Tony – spoilers, lots of ego :) Heather Augustine is a Mixer for The Outsiders on Broadway (https://outsidersmusical.com/). She has spent her career on the audio side of theatre, and writes for SoundGirls (https://soundgirls.org/category/blog/heather-augustine/) a site established to provide women working in professional audio a community to come to for support, advice, empowerment, and inspiration.     Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions - https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod    Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi (@VicDaviMusic).

Ep. 93 Eleanor and Ian Carney: Copy That, Thank You The Pod Squad is back! Our hosts share what they have been up to for the past six weeks before Bryan shares his conversation with husband-and-wife team, Eleanor and Ian Carney. They share their journey to creating Lightwire Theater, working together as a couple, and the importance of learning other skills in the industry. Eleanor and Ian Carney joint direct, manage, choreograph Lightwire Theater (https://www.lightwiretheater.com/). Lightwire Theater is a unique entertainment experience that utilizes light, technology, and music to tell captivating stories.   Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions - https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod    Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi (@VicDaviMusic).

Ep. 92:  How to Mentor with Ally Haynes-Hamblin and Larry Kosson As conference season fast approaches, the NBL team has another episode to help prepare you. Mentorship may not feel like a conference prep episode, but the NBL team would like to encourage more people to participate in conference mentorship whether as a mentor (for our experienced conference attendees) or a mentee (for those new to a conference). Kevin sits down with friends of the show and experienced mentors, Ally Haynes-Hamblin and Larry Kosson where they share tips and tricks for both potential mentors and mentees. Ally Haynes-Hamblin is the Executive Director of the Charles W. Eisemann Center for Performing Arts in Richardson, Texas (https://www.eisemanncenter.com/). Ally is also a board member for the Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP). Larry Kosson is the Founder and President of Kosson Talent (https://kossontalent.com)   Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions - https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod

NBL UPDATE: How We Conference! Volume 2  This year we wanted to give our listeners more time to plan for their conference season, so this one is coming at you earlier in the year. We have also included a representative from the Western Arts Alliance, Heartland Performing Arts, Inc. (Midwest Arts Xpo), and the Association of Performing Arts Professionals, to tell you why you should attend conferences and what you can look forward to. PLEASE NOTE: While the team will be at MAX, the booth number mentioned is from 2023, at MAX 2024 find us at booth 512! We are fast approaching conference season, and in the episode our hosts talk about their approach to conferencing. Choosing your conference, what to do before you attend, while you are there, and even following up. They even cover some tips on what to pack so you are prepared! You can find highlights, advice, and links in a PDF on our website: https://nobusinesslike.com/ Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions - https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod Our theme song is composed by Vic Davi.

NBL Rewind: Michael Mushalla: Be Curious. Don’t Be Afraid.  Bryan takes us back to his and Kevin’s conversation with Michael Mushalla. Bryan reflects on how the summit created by Michael brought the hosts together, and how it encouraged him to show his true self and to think differently.  This week's episode is another special one! It highlights Michael Mushalla who introduced our hosts, and helped us all think differently about what comes next.  Michael Mushalla is the Owner and Founder of Double M Arts & Events, LLC (https://double-m-arts.com/), as well as a wine consultant. Michael Mushalla along with Christine Cox created “The Summit” that brought the hosts of “There’s No Business Like...” together.  Follow us on social media and let us know your thoughts and questions - https://linktr.ee/nobusinesslikepod