Kites and Strings

In this episode of Kites and Strings, we usher in Season 4 with Noah and Chloe Gose of the three-piece, Americana/folk band from Lincoln Nebraska, The Wildwoods.  We explore all sorts of things, and although we set out to explore what it was like to be married couple, writing music together, performing together, touring together and all that is involved in the business of making music and a band your way of earning a living, what's really interesting is that they have been together, doing all of those things since middle school.  Yes, Noah and Chloe, who are now married for 5 years, met at a music camp at the ripe old age of 13, and have essentially been performing together since.  And if you know anything about singing and harmonies, you know that what's referred to as "sibling harmony" is a thing.  Listening to The Wildwoods, one hears it, but in this case, it's, been together since 13 harmonies.  In this episode, some of their music is offered and the listener will hear right away that the vocal arrangements are center. We hope you enjoy this episode of string grabbing and kite flying with Noah and Chloe Gose, who are so genuine and such a joy to have on Kites and Strings. Oh, and the Wildwoods will be the headliner at the Oct 13, 2023 Trail Mix Concert Series (the series that Steve is involved in. Trail Mix Concert Series, including the link to purchase tickets to the Oct 13th, 2023:https://www.trailmixmusic.org/The Wildwoods website:https://www.thewildwoodsband.com/Here's how you can find Kites and Strings out there in the interwebs.Kites and Strings Website: https://www.kitesandstrings.com/​​Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kitesandstringspodcastTwitter:   @KitesandstringsInstagram:  @Kites_and_stringsemail: Kitesandstringspodcast@gmail.comKites and Strings' theme music is by Harrison Amer, and all other original music, in this episode, is by The Wildwoods.  The Kites and Strings logo-design is by Cole Monroe at Blue Stag Creative.

This is a special episode, as we bring back Phoebe Hunt.  It turns out that Phoebe will be playing the Trail Mix Concert Series in Homewood, Illinois, just south of Chicago, and to help promote that event, Steve and Catherine were going to do a quick check in, how ya doing, and lets introduce the re-release of your previous episode.  Well, Phoebe is such an interesting person with lots of stuff going on, so the quick check-in turned into a full-fledged episode, and we're thrilled. One might be served well by going back to listen to Phoebe's September 2022 Kites and Strings episode, but they will find that this episode is more than suitable as a stand alone, very interesting conversation. We get caught up on some exciting developments in Phoebe's, pandemic-born Ukulele Sprouts business, we explore Phoebe's songwriting, we discuss the power of connection, we go deep talking about past trauma's, self-confidence, and Phoebe's super power. All-in-all, we have a great time chatting with Phoebe Hunt, the "the soulful songstress with a fiddle" and are happy to release this episode just days before Phoebe releases her newest, solo album, Nothing Else Matters on Thirty Tiger Records. Trail Mix Concert Series, including the link to purchase Phoebe Hunt tickets for Aug 12th, 2023:https://www.trailmixmusic.org/Phoebe's website:https://phoebehuntmusic.com/Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/phoebehuntmusicYouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSgKSBzo1-H39tdqR-ZH0qgUkulele Sprouts https://www.ukulelesprouts.com/Here's how you can find Kites and Strings out there in the interwebs.Kites and Strings Website: https://www.kitesandstrings.com/​​Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kitesandstringspodcastTwitter:   @KitesandstringsInstagram:  @Kites_and_stringsemail: Kitesandstringspodcast@gmail.comKites and Strings' theme music is by Harrison Amer, and all other original music, in this episode, is by Phoebe Hunt.  The Kites and Strings logo-design is by Cole Monroe at Blue Stag Creative.

In this episode we talk with Kevin Stone, a large scale steel sculptor from Chilliwack, British Columbia.  And when we say "large," we mean it m as is work is upwards of 50 feet or more and needs to be delivered in pieces on multiple semi trailers. A recent piece was a 40' Game of Thrones dragon that blew fire.  That is one of his works going to a private buyer, but his work is also displayed  internationally in public settings. Several of his work has garnered what would be considered viral attention, including his contributions of a huge welded and sculpted portrait-quality Elon Musk head, that was put attached to a huge goat body riding a rocket.  his 85' polished steel Water Dragon has also made quite a splash.  We have a great chat learning about Kevin's early affinity for hotrods, his coming into the artwork via the trades, and his adapting and flexing between working on his art or customized hotrods.  We also get a sense of just how many things Kevin needs to take into account as he embarks upon creating large-scale public sculptures. Short answer; there are many. Kevin's website:  http://www.metalanimation.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MetalSculptorKevinStone/Instagram:  @metal_sculptor_kevin_stoneHere's how you can find Kites and Strings out there in the interwebs.Kites and Strings Website: https://www.kitesandstrings.com/​​Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kitesandstringspodcastTwitter:   @KitesandstringsInstagram:  @Kites_and_stringsemail: Kitesandstringspodcast@gmail.comKites and Strings' theme music is by Harrison Amer, and all other music if from Purple Planet Music at Purpleplanet.com.  The Kites and Strings logo-design is by Cole Monroe at Blue Stag Creative.

Today was an impromptu session. A slight miscommunication with a scheduled guest had Catherine and I just chatting and catching up as we waited for somebody to jump in.  Since we are planning to add a brief Catherine and Steve catching up in most, if not all episodes moving forward, we thought what the hey, lets record.  We had a fun conversation and hit upon some interesting, therapy as an art moments.  And don't worry, we were able to re-schedule with our guest and that episode will be airing in the next couple weeks.  There have been suggestions from some that folks want to hear a bit more about Catherine and I, So if you're one of those,  consider this a bonus episode.    Steve's Band, Butterfield Creek...  See pics of the new lineup. https://www.butterfieldcreektheband.comCatherine's new practice on Instagram...  @tattootherapybkHere's how you can find Kites and Strings out there in the interwebs.Kites and Strings Website: https://www.kitesandstrings.com/​​Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kitesandstringspodcastTwitter:   @KitesandstringsInstagram:  @Kites_and_stringsemail: Kitesandstringspodcast@gmail.comKites and Strings' theme music is by Harrison Amer, and all other music if from Purple Planet Music at Purpleplanet.com.  In this episode we also have a recording of the public domain song, Bile Them Cabbage Down, as performed by the Glascals.  The Kites and Strings logo-design is by Cole Monroe at Blue Stag Creative.

In this episode, Steve and Catherine have a super fun chat with Jen Ash, a soulful pop/ r&b artist, born in Lebanon and raised in France.  After ending her professional basketball career, she decided to follow her true path, moving to Los Angeles in 2018 to pursue her music career.We explore the benefits of having a team, overcoming the obstacles present within her family, her song-writing process, her exploring other creative outlets and her ideal venue.  We also get some tasty little samples of her music as we explore Jen Ash's string grabbing and kite flying in this episode of Kite and StringsJen's website : https://www.jenashmusic.comInstagram : https://www.instagram.com/jenashmusic/Twitter:  https://twitter.com/jenashmusicTikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@jenashmusicFacebook https://www.facebook.com/jenashmusic/ & https://www.facebook.com/jennassh/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiHumBTdPHmi2iw_oBxeppA/videosHere's how you can find Kites and Strings out there in the interwebs.Kites and Strings Website: https://www.kitesandstrings.com/​​Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kitesandstringspodcastTwitter:   @KitesandstringsInstagram:  @Kites_and_stringsemail: Kitesandstringspodcast@gmail.comKites and Strings' theme music is by Harrison Amer, and all in this episode feature and are made available through Jen Ash.     The Kites and Strings logo-design is by Cole Monroe at Blue Stag Creative.  This episode was produced and edited by Steve Ploum at Turning Stones Counseling. 

This episode of Kites and Strings is pretty twisted. We interview Larry Moss, who the Washington Post has called the "best balloon artist in the world.  He has been featured on television shows around the world and recognized by Ripley's Believe It or Not, and has been in the Guinness Book of World Records multiple times.  In addition to the large sculptures that are several stories high and that use tens of thousands of balloons in each, he's also been recognized for his work replicating the art of masters, like Cezanne, Da Vinci, by Leonardo da Vinci,  Botticelli, and Grant Wood.  Steve and Catherine have a great time chatting with Larry, talking about his work, the qualities of balloons as a medium, his creativity origins story which involves,  party balloons, magic, and music, and his process.   All good stuff. Larry's website:https://www.airigami.com/aboutTeaching  Artists ROChttps://teachingartistsroc.com/A really fun time-lapse video of Larry and his crew at work replicating French artist Jean-Honoré Fragonard's The Swing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxZn4vQdlPUHere's how you can find Kites and Strings out there in the interwebs.Kites and Strings Website: https://www.kitesandstrings.com/​​Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kitesandstringspodcastTwitter:   @KitesandstringsInstagram:  @Kites_and_stringsemail: Kitesandstringspodcast@gmail.comKites and Strings' theme music is by Harrison Amer, and all other music if from Purple Planet Music at Purpleplanet.com.   The Kites and Strings logo-design is by Cole Monroe at Blue Stag Creative.

In this episode we talk with Rachel Rose, an expressive arts educator who authored the book, Creating Stillness: Mindful Art Practices and Stories for Navigating Anxiety, Stress and Fear, published by North Atlantic Books.  We have a great discussion talking about what artmaking can do in the way of establishing mindfulness and to, well, navigate anxiety, fear and stress.  We discuss Rachel's thoughtful and informative book, which is chock-full of meaningful, skillfully written stories used as touchpoints amongst valuable lessons in art.  However, these lessons are not a how-to guide, as it is so much more about the process, preceded by recognizing and avoiding  various obstacles and barriers that so often interfere and get in the way of our using creativity to overcome. Rachel's website:   https://www.workshopmuse.com/Vimeo Videos:  https://vimeo.com/user56322087Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/WorkshopMuse/Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/rachelmarierose/Here's how you can find Kites and Strings out there in the interwebs.Kites and Strings Website: https://www.kitesandstrings.com/​​Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kitesandstringspodcastTwitter:   @KitesandstringsInstagram:  @Kites_and_stringsemail: Kitesandstringspodcast@gmail.comKites and Strings' theme music is by Harrison Amer, and all other music if from Purple Planet Music at Purpleplanet.com.   The Kites and Strings logo-design is by Cole Monroe at Blue Stag Creative.

This is a very special episode, as it is number 100 for Kites and Strings.  Can you believe it... 100 episodes!?  We're so thrilled about reaching this milestone and are really happy with our guest this week.  We really rose to the challenge of finding something interesting and worthy of our 100th episode.  Our guest on momentous episode person is Uncle Jack, from AskUncleJack fame on TikTok, and more recently, Instagram.  You see, Uncle Jack is in his 100th year, and he and his nephew Damon discuss that and share amazing stories from Uncle Jack's younger years and offer just plain amazing tips on how to live.  All to the tune of over 1.3M TikTok followers and videos that are nearing 27M views (at the time of recording this episode). Some would argue that Uncle Jack is not a true artist, musician, etc., but to that we call bullshit."  Uncle Jack, who refers to himself as a naturalist, is every bit a creative who has adapted and has found an awe inspiring manner in which to move through this world. Through their work together producing videos, it is easy to see that Uncle Jack and Nephew Damon inspire each other and that their is a genuine desire to help Uncle Jack share his words of wisdom and inspiration with others and the numbers indicate that it is of value. In this episode we learn about Uncle Jack's relationship with Damon, early stories of childhood and interfacing with animals and nature, and we get such a great feel for how Uncle Jack has made it this far.  In short, we have a great time exploring how Uncle Jack has grabbed his String and flown his Kite for nearly 100 years. as Nephew Damon says in this podcast, it is expensive being Uncle Jack's age and therefore, they welcome donations through Uncle Jack's gofundme page. That link is listed below along with several other liks to social media Uncle Jack LinksGoFundMe, https://www.gofundme.com/f/askunclejackLinktree: @AskUncleJack, https://linktr.ee/askunclejackTikTok: @AskUncleJack, https://www.tiktok.com/@askunclejack?lang=enInstagram:  @AskUncleJack, https://www.instagram.com/askunclejack/?hl=enUncle Jack's Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5ujj49bxbAGTe7OVyz8ixp?si=1c1edc108aae457a&nd=1Kites and Strings links:Here's how you can find Kites and Strings out there in the interwebs.Kites and Strings Website: https://www.kitesandstrings.com/​​Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kitesandstringspodcastTwitter:   @KitesandstringsInstagram:  @Kites_and_stringsemail: Kitesandstringspodcast@gmail.comKites and Strings' theme music is by Harrison Amer, and all other music if from Purple Planet Music at Purpleplanet.com.   The Kites and Strings logo-design is by Cole Monroe at Blue Stag Creative.

Our guest in this episode is Azuka Muol. She's a 23 year-old digital artist from Lagos Nigeria who, is represented and showing all over Africa. And despite her understanding  the business of art and what it takes to identify those who will someday buy her work, she also realizes that she has a way to worm her ideals into their head. She is recognized for tackling many big subjects such as gender equality, trauma and abuse, to name a few, and we learn that in addition to her digital art, when really loves film and creating worlds and narrative via that medium. We are wholly impressed by Azula's intelligence and, in the end, feel very comfortable knowing that the likes of her will help direct our planet after earlier generations have fouled it up in such profound ways. You can find Azuka and her work on the following sites (not an exhaustive list):Artsy, https://www.artsy.net/artist/azuka-muoh/works-for-saleBettershare, https://bettershared.co/collections/azuka-muohChristopher Moller Gallery,  https://www.christophermollerart.co.za/artists/azuka-muohLinked In, https://www.linkedin.com/in/azukamuoh/?trk=public_profile_browsemap&originalSubdomain=ngInstagram @azukamuohTikTok, @AzukaMuohHere's how you can find Kites and Strings out there in the interwebs.Kites and Strings Website: https://www.kitesandstrings.com/​​Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kitesandstringspodcastTwitter:   @KitesandstringsInstagram:  @Kites_and_stringsemail: Kitesandstringspodcast@gmail.comKites and Strings' theme music is by Harrison Amer, and all other music if from Purple Planet Music at Purpleplanet.com.   The Kites and Strings logo-design is by Cole Monroe at Blue Stag Creative.

Such a fun interview today. We talk with Allegra Levy, a jazz singer from Manhattan who has been the recipient of so much positive press. She's a top 10 rising star jazz vocalist, who said to be able to "sing life back to you," she's been called the "new pin-up girl for cool, " and she's been called "exotic" and "far beyond the ordinary," by the likes of the New Yorker, the New York Times, the Downbeat Critics poll, the Midwest Record, and many more. She certainly lands in the category of sultry and smoky, but over the last year, she's jumped into writing and recording kids music. Yes, inspired by having had her first child, but it's deeper than that.  We have such a great time learning about Allegra's motivation, her process and how music gets her through. for more information on Allegra Levy, check out her website. https://www.allegralevy.com/She's on Facebook @allegralevyjazz, https://www.facebook.com/allegralevyjazzLinktr.ee/allegrajazz, https://linktr.ee/allegrajazzInstagram @allegrameanshappyHere's how you can find Kites and Strings out there in the interwebs.Kites and Strings Website: https://www.kitesandstrings.com/​​Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kitesandstringspodcastInstagram: @kites_and_strings, https://www.instagram.com/kites_and_strings/?hl=enTwitter:   @KitesandstringsInstagram:  @Kites_and_stringsemail: Kitesandstringspodcast@gmail.comKites and Strings' theme music is by Harrison Amer, and all other music in today's episode is by Allegra Levy.  The Kites and Strings logo-design is by Cole Monroe at Blue Stag Creative.

In this episode we visit with Amy Welsh.  When she is not engaging in one of her hobbies, like circus arts or arial arts with Catherine in New York City, she is an experiential marketer. Didn't realize there was such a job?  You're not alone, but it's pretty evident, especially after talking with Amy, that it's a blast and that it certainly calls for creative approaches.   If you have any questions about whether an experiential marketer needs to be fun and bring an ability to connect and engage with the public,  a quick listen to this episode will answer those questions.  Amy is down-right fun and really seems to enjoy her job.   Hang tight, as we learn about some of Amy's most memorable jobs like liberating dreamers from Corvettes at auto shows, organizing flash mobs, and engaging in guerilla marketing on the streets, to name just a few.  Here's how you can find Kites and Strings out there in the interwebs.Kites and Strings Website: https://www.kitesandstrings.com/​​Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kitesandstringspodcastTwitter:   @KitesandstringsInstagram:  @Kites_and_stringsemail: Kitesandstringspodcast@gmail.comKites and Strings' theme music is by Harrison Amer, and all other music if from Purple Planet Music at Purpleplanet.com.   The Kites and Strings logo-design is by Cole Monroe at Blue Stag Creative.

Today's episode features Harry Kappen, a Dutch musician who is finding balance in his work as an engaged music therapist working with teens and as a professional musician who consistently finds time to write, record and put out albums.  Steve and Catherine with Harry as we find and discuss several of the parallels that exist between art therapy and music therapy.  Of most note is the benefit of giving oneself permission to listen, to react, to improvise and to connect, whether it is around artmaking or making music together.  In addition to his work as a music therapist, we hear about what inspires Harry to write and create. One such motivation, especially for his most recent album, War Games, is that currently there seems to a lack of protest songs.  In this episode you will get a taste of Harry's music, including the title track from his latest full length album. Harry Website: http://www.harrykappen.com/Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/kappenhe/Instagram: @kappenharryHere's how you can find Kites and Strings out there in the interwebs.Kites and Strings Website: https://www.kitesandstrings.com/​​Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kitesandstringspodcastTwitter:   @KitesandstringsInstagram:  @Kites_and_stringsemail: Kitesandstringspodcast@gmail.comKites and Strings' theme music is by Harrison Amer, and all other music in today's episode is written, performed and produced by Harry Kappen.   The Kites and Strings logo-design is by Cole Monroe at Blue Stag Creative.

In this episode, we dig in the dirt a bit  with Leanne McClurg Cambric. She's an acclaimed and exhibiting  ceramicist who hand builds functional art.  Here we discuss her creative origins story and the idea function in art, while also factoring the extensive history of clay and pottery.  Leanne is also a professor and head of the BFA/MFA program at Governor's State University, just a bit south of Chicago, Illinois. It is in that role that she created a whole course on creativity.  While having a great conversation with Leanne, Catherine and Steve explore means of sneaking in or enrolling in said class. At the very least we'll explore some of the resources that Leanne shared in this episode. Leanne's website: https://www.leannemcclurg.com/Leanne's Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/cambricclayfacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063499249335Instagram:  @leanimalzenHere's how you can find Kites and Strings out there in the interwebs.Kites and Strings Website: https://www.kitesandstrings.com/​​Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kitesandstringspodcastTwitter:   @KitesandstringsInstagram:  @Kites_and_stringsemail: Kitesandstringspodcast@gmail.comKites and Strings' theme music is by Harrison Amer, and all other music if from Purple Planet Music at Purpleplanet.com.   The Kites and Strings logo-design is by Cole Monroe at Blue Stag Creative.

In today's episode, Steve and Catherine talk with MB Bailey. He' s a full-on working musician from Homewood, just south of Chicago, where Steve lives.  We've meant to get MG on the show for a while, but he truly has been on and off tour zig zagging the country since the second things started to open up after the quarantine. We cover a great deal in this interview and really get a sense of how playing music, especially the way MG approaches that task, is about connecting and relating with people.  We also see how that played out in his teaching guitar to seemingly every teen that ever touched a guitar south of Chicago during the 90's and the early ought's.  We discuss the job of a one-man-band musician, we hear several of his songs, we explore his evolving taste in music and we explore MG's writing process. It's all good, but things switch -up pretty quickly, so pay attention. MG's website,  https://www.mgbailey.com/Facebook,  https://www.facebook.com/mgbaileyonemanbandInstagram, https://www.instagram.com/mg.bailey/Youtube,  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAage8R4_v6YtGC89HHD7cgMG Bailey at 2019 Trail Mix - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Of7atGgrj0Here's how you can find Kites and Strings out there in the interwebs.Kites and Strings Website: https://www.kitesandstrings.com/​​Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kitesandstringspodcastTwitter:   @KitesandstringsInstagram:  @Kites_and_stringsemail: Kitesandstringspodcast@gmail.comKites and Strings' theme music is by Harrison Amer, and all other music in today's episode is provided courtesy of  our guest, MG Bailey.   The Kites and Strings logo-design is by Cole Monroe at Blue Stag Creative.

Today's guest is punk rock pioneer, Jon Langford, a founding member of The Mekons, who were considered one the first wave punk bands from Britain.  We learn about Jon's melding folk and country music with punk music in The Mekons and several other side projects including The Waco Brothers, which he founded in Chicago after moving to the city in 1992.  We learn of how his music career was a surprise detour that materialized after The Mekons turned some record label heads while Jon and his at-school mates were simply having a blast thrashing about in the 1970's punk scene.  Between record labels and touring with The Mekons, Jon dusted off his paint brushes and found that he was able to make a bit of a splash as a visual artist.  Jon continues to perform and record music sporadically with The Mekons and he plays solo acoustic shows, while continuing to paint, with works in several high profile galleries. Steve and Catherine have a great conversation with Jon and we learn a great deal about his creative process, both as a musician and as a visual artist. Jon's Website:  https://jonlangford.de/Jon Langford at  "thank u, next: and event by the Homewood Arts Councilhttps://www.facebook.com/events/490492629917527 Original music from this epsode:Where Were YouThe Mekonsfrom the album, Hen's Teeth and Other Lost Fragments of Un-Popular Culture, Volume 2Harm's WayThe Waco Brothersfrom the album, To the Last Dead CowboyHey Rockstar!The MekonsNot Enough Love to Go RoundJon Langford and Skull Orchard , Low Noise Music (USA)Performed by Me with Bethany Thomas Spencer Tweedy and John SzymanskiHey Rockstar! and Not Enough Love to Go Round are from Jon's ongoing Lucky 7 series of singles for the Tiny Global Productions label of ValenciaHere's how you can find Kites and Strings out there in the interwebs.Kites and Strings Website: https://www.kitesandstrings.com/​​Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kitesandstringspodcastTwitter:   @KitesandstringsInstagram:  @Kites_and_stringsemail: Kitesandstringspodcast@gmail.comKites and Strings' theme music is by Harrison Amer, and all other music in today's episode is provided courtesy of  our guest, Jon Langford (see above).   The Kites and Strings logo-design is by Cole Monroe at Blue Stag Creative.

In this episode Catherine and Steve talk with Heather Polk. She's a collage artist based out of Chicago who exhibits and is a featured artist with multiple collectives, such as The Get Gallery,  Spacey Studios and PxP Contemporary.   She's been featured in publications such as The New Yorker Magazine, The Washington Post and Cosmopolitan and she created www.artcuresall.com, which houses much of her amazing collage work, and outlines the idea that "Creativity Unleashed Rewards Every Soul"  or C.U.R.E.S.  Heather shares about research she's done and has experienced in real life around the curative factors of art, artmaking and getting into flow states. She shares her somewhat happenstance discovery of artmaking while in the throws of caring an ill friend and she found that in the process, her exploration of art therapy, and how the work that she does not only taps into a subconscious part of her but that it also helps articulate and amplify her voice as a woman of color in a world that too often ignores and makes people like her invisible.  What is quite refreshing in our talk is hearing how Heather epitomizes an integration of creativity rather than simply settling for balance. Art C.U.R.E.S All - https://www.artcuresall.com/Framed Gallery https://www.framedgallery.net/artists/heather-polk-38147PxP Contemporary https://www.pxpcontemporary.com/collections/heather-polkSpacey Studios https://spaceystudios.com/collections/heather-polkThe Get Gallery https://thegetgallery.com/collections/heather-polkInstagram https://www.instagram.com/artcuresall/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/artcuresallPinterest  https://www.pinterest.com/artcuresall/Here's how you can find Kites and Strings out there in the interwebs.Kites and Strings Website: https://www.kitesandstrings.com/​​Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kitesandstringspodcastTwitter:   @KitesandstringsInstagram:  @Kites_and_stringsemail: Kitesandstringspodcast@gmail.comKites and Strings' theme music is by Harrison Amer, and all other music if from Purple Planet Music at Purpleplanet.com.   The Kites and Strings logo-design is by Cole Monroe at Blue Stag Creative.

In this episode of Kites and Strings, Steve and Catherine talk with author, Mary-Lou Weisman. She's a prize-winning journalist who has contributed too many articles to list in publications like the New York Times, Connecticut Weekly, Vogue, Newsweek, Newsday, and Woman's Day.  She's also a bestselling book author with five published books to date, and she teaches writing at the university level.  Mary-Lou's insights and utter joy for the art of writing comes to the fore in this interview as we learn about her creative process, and a few clever tricks that she uses to keep the ideas flowing.  In short, Catherine and Steve have a great time learning about how Mary-Lou grabs her string and flies her kite.Mary-Lou's books.Playing House in Provence: How Two Americans Became a Little Bit French   iUniverseAl Jaffee’s Mad Life   HarperCollinsTraveling While Married   Algonquin Books of Chapel HillMy (Middle-Aged) Baby Book   Workman PublishingIntensive Care: A Family Love Story   Random House/iUniverseTo learn more about Mary-Lou, visit her website at http://www.marylouweisman.com Here's how you can find Kites and Strings out there in the interwebs.Kites and Strings Website: https://www.kitesandstrings.com/​​Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kitesandstringspodcastTwitter:   @KitesandstringsInstagram:  @Kites_and_stringsemail: Kitesandstringspodcast@gmail.comKites and Strings' theme music is by Harrison Amer, and all other music if from Purple Planet Music at Purpleplanet.com.   The Kites and Strings logo-design is by Cole Monroe at Blue Stag Creative.

In this episode we talk with Joseph Arthur, a renowned musician and painter.  We learn that his first love was music, that he started young, and that he was discovered and signed by Peter Gabriel on Peter Gabriel's record company, Real World.   A little research tells us that he's played with some other big names, that he's been part of the bands, Fistfull of Mercy,  and RNDM,  and that he's made quite a name for himself playing his solo music. He's also a visual artist, having been nominated for best album design for his album, Vacancy,  he's exhibited internationally and has published a book featuring is visual artwork.  Joseph shares quite a bit about his beliefs and concerns for a world where people are not nearly as free as they might think they are, and we follow the Matrix  rabbit-hole for a while as we are also reminded by Joesph himself that he was "cancelled," (for speaking out against the COVID 19 vaccine), but it has been that experience that has helped him feel free and most able to do what he wants.   To learn more about Joseph Arthur, check out his website at  http://josepharthur.com/ where you can find links to all his other social media. Here's how you can find Kites and Strings out there in the interwebs.Kites and Strings Website: https://www.kitesandstrings.com/​​Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kitesandstringspodcastTwitter:   @KitesandstringsInstagram:  @Kites_and_stringsemail: Kitesandstringspodcast@gmail.comKites and Strings' theme music is by Harrison Amer, and all other music in this episode is by our guest, Joseph Arthur.   The Kites and Strings logo-design is by Cole Monroe at Blue Stag Creative.

Although we made trace nods to the holidays in our last two episodes, this is the most festive holiday episode for Kites and Strings in 2022. It features, gingerbread artist, Beatriz Muller, and make no mistake, we are not using the term "artist" lightly.  What Beatriz does in the kitchen with gingerbread is amazing, so much so that we strongly encourage folks to spend a moment checking out her links to get a sense of why Catherine and Steve have to struggle with not falling into jaw dropped fits of silent awe during this episode. Architecture, engineering, an amazingly steady hand, impeccable design, delicious baking and shear creativity. It's that amazing!In this episode we learn about where it all began for Beatriz, we learn about her kitchen, her inspirations, her process, how she had to adapt when her work was featured in a full-length Christmas movie, gingerbread competition and a bit about her other bakery creations, which are no less spectacular. Please check them out using the links below.Website:http://www.cakesbybeatriz.com/Instagram Accounts:@Gingerneers:https://www.instagram.com/gingerneers/?hl=enand @Cakes_by_Beatrizhttps://www.instagram.com/cakes_by_beatriz/Here's how you can find Kites and Strings out there in the interwebs.Kites and Strings Website: https://www.kitesandstrings.com/​​Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kitesandstringspodcastTwitter:   @KitesandstringsInstagram:  @Kites_and_stringsemail: Kitesandstringspodcast@gmail.comKites and Strings' theme music is by Harrison Amer, and all other music if from Purple Planet Music at Purpleplanet.com.   The Kites and Strings logo-design is by Cole Monroe at Blue Stag Creative.

In today's episode, we talk with Rachel Lewis, who checks several boxes in the land of creative.  At the beginning of season 3, Catherine and Steve wondered aloud about bringing in not only chef, foodie type people, as we have consistently thought that being a chef required a combination of what we think is the more traditional create spirit coupled with the more precise measuring and scientific mindset. We were looking to take it a but further though, as we wanted to talk with a chef who abides by additional rules and guidelines, and expressively mentioned a vegan chef. Enter Rachel Lewis. As you will hear early in the interview, she answered and ad Steve put out seeking a lead singer for his band, Butterfield Creek.   Before she even auditioned, it was learned that she's the co-owner of Sunshine Kitchen a vegan and gluten free food truck south of Chicago, that she's been a personal chef for several families with similar food restrictions, and as a bonus, she's also a food stylist who's worked on many huge contracts and campaigns. Happy to say too that Rachel also brings it in the way of vocal chops, she won the audition and is two shows in with the band.  There are some samples of her singing with the band in this episode too. Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063635917120Instagram:  @The_Sunshine_KitchenRachel with Butterfield Creek covering Can't You See by the Marshsall Tucker Bandhttps://www.facebook.com/1576652711/videos/448799960784116/Rachel with Butterfield Creek covering Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cashhttps://www.facebook.com/1576652711/videos/5715271531927567/Rachel and Butterfield Creek playing Spinster in the Middlehttps://www.facebook.com/1576652711/videos/693131968968443/Event Page for Butterfield Creek at Buffalo Creek Brewing in Long Grove Illinoishttps://fb.me/e/2c27fDKdlEpisode illustration credit:  Marc Allen FishmanHere's how you can find Kites and Strings out there in the interwebs.Kites and Strings Website: https://www.kitesandstrings.com/​​Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kitesandstringspodcastTwitter:   @KitesandstringsInstagram:  @Kites_and_stringsemail: Kitesandstringspodcast@gmail.comKites and Strings' theme music is by Harrison Amer, and all other music if from Purple Planet Music at Purpleplanet.com.   The Kites and Strings logo-design is by Cole Monroe at Blue Stag Creative.