WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.760 --> 00:00:04.519 Hudson River Radio dot com. It beats listening to nothing. 2 00:00:05.360 --> 00:00:10.400 My goodness, being Frank, where the only way to be 3 00:00:11.359 --> 00:00:11.839 is Frank. 4 00:00:13.599 --> 00:00:16.600 Hello everyone, and welcome to being Frank. We're the only 5 00:00:16.640 --> 00:00:20.199 way to be is Frank. I'm your host, Frank Lebonno, 6 00:00:20.280 --> 00:00:21.839 and I'd like to thank you for joining us on 7 00:00:21.839 --> 00:00:25.800 what we like to call the Intelligent Conversation Podcast, where 8 00:00:25.879 --> 00:00:29.160 no conversation out of bounds and all points of view 9 00:00:29.239 --> 00:00:32.200 are welcome. You know, we record live to tape and 10 00:00:32.240 --> 00:00:34.240 I give you the date so you have some context 11 00:00:34.280 --> 00:00:39.200 and relevance. It is the thirtieth of October. You know. 12 00:00:39.240 --> 00:00:43.600 The actor Felicia Rashad said, before a child talks, they sing, 13 00:00:44.039 --> 00:00:47.600 before they write, they draw, as soon as they stand, 14 00:00:47.880 --> 00:00:52.520 they dance. Art is essential to human expression. Well, our 15 00:00:52.520 --> 00:00:55.000 guest has been bringing the world of art to so 16 00:00:55.079 --> 00:00:58.200 many people in so many ways for a long time 17 00:00:58.240 --> 00:01:03.960 as a digital creator, producer, journalist, empresario, teacher, philanthropists, and 18 00:01:04.040 --> 00:01:06.959 so much more. Here is just a partial list of 19 00:01:07.000 --> 00:01:11.359 as many accomplishments and qualifications. It's a creative consultant at 20 00:01:11.359 --> 00:01:17.200 the Public Theater and NYC Studios, producer at ITZAC Perman 21 00:01:17.719 --> 00:01:21.959 broadcaster and producer at New York Public Radio, Radio host 22 00:01:22.000 --> 00:01:25.680 at the Chamber of Music, Society of Lincoln Center, executive 23 00:01:25.719 --> 00:01:30.560 producer at the Public Theater, executive and artistic director at 24 00:01:30.840 --> 00:01:34.959 Arts Rock. Please welcome my friend Elliott Farrest to being 25 00:01:35.000 --> 00:01:37.760 Frank Elliott. Thank you so much for joining us here. 26 00:01:37.599 --> 00:01:41.200 Today, Prank, thank you so much for having me. And 27 00:01:41.280 --> 00:01:43.120 I just want to start off and say what a 28 00:01:43.159 --> 00:01:46.840 treasure you are to our community. You seem to be 29 00:01:46.920 --> 00:01:51.000 everywhere at every major event, and you document it in 30 00:01:51.040 --> 00:01:53.760 a way nobody else does. So thank you for everything 31 00:01:53.799 --> 00:01:55.159 you do, Elliott. 32 00:01:55.359 --> 00:01:57.280 I really appreciate that. I truly do. And you can 33 00:01:57.319 --> 00:01:59.640 tell them a little nervous because we've got a heavyweight 34 00:01:59.680 --> 00:02:03.959 here today. I've already stumbled over myself far more than 35 00:02:04.000 --> 00:02:06.159 I usually do, and I usually do a lot. 36 00:02:06.040 --> 00:02:08.560 So just take a deep breath. 37 00:02:09.280 --> 00:02:09.599 You know. 38 00:02:10.560 --> 00:02:13.080 I'm not sure how I feel about heavyweight. I've tried 39 00:02:13.080 --> 00:02:16.039 to lose weight. But this is going to be fun. 40 00:02:17.439 --> 00:02:20.199 It works with whist from a true pro, and we'll 41 00:02:20.240 --> 00:02:21.960 do our best and I'm going to have some fun 42 00:02:22.039 --> 00:02:23.439 and I think people are going to enjoy what we 43 00:02:23.520 --> 00:02:25.520 have to say, what you have to say. We talk 44 00:02:25.560 --> 00:02:28.080 a little about arts Rock here locally, which is a 45 00:02:28.080 --> 00:02:31.800 wonderful organization. Who's your work I enjoyed, But we'll talk 46 00:02:31.840 --> 00:02:35.280 about that in time. First let's talk about Elliott Forrest. 47 00:02:35.439 --> 00:02:39.560 You know what from your youth shaped your future? I mean, 48 00:02:39.680 --> 00:02:42.639 what was your childhood like, I know you come from Midland, 49 00:02:42.639 --> 00:02:46.080 Texas originally. What was it about your childhood that prepared 50 00:02:46.080 --> 00:02:47.639 you for a life in the arts. 51 00:02:48.439 --> 00:02:50.159 Well, it was a number of things. You know. I 52 00:02:50.240 --> 00:02:54.960 blame my parents for introducing me my both my parents 53 00:02:55.000 --> 00:02:57.599 were born and raised in Brooklyn, and my father was 54 00:02:57.639 --> 00:03:00.199 transferred to West Texas in the Air Force. We were 55 00:03:00.479 --> 00:03:02.479 always these fish out of water. We were these New 56 00:03:02.560 --> 00:03:08.000 York Brooklyn Jews in West Texas. And I was the 57 00:03:08.039 --> 00:03:10.039 only Jewish kid in my high school. So we were 58 00:03:10.080 --> 00:03:15.120 always just a little bit outside the mainstream in West Texas. 59 00:03:15.840 --> 00:03:18.000 But my parents were involved with the community theater. We 60 00:03:18.039 --> 00:03:20.759 went to the symphony. I was in the band and 61 00:03:20.800 --> 00:03:25.120 in the orchestra early on in junior high and it 62 00:03:25.240 --> 00:03:29.639 was particularly a community theater, the Midland Community Theater that 63 00:03:29.680 --> 00:03:33.719 I got involved in from age fourteen, and just like, 64 00:03:33.840 --> 00:03:35.719 well this is where I need to be. I need 65 00:03:35.759 --> 00:03:37.719 to be. I wasn't sure what I was going to 66 00:03:37.759 --> 00:03:39.879 do whether I was going to be an actor. I 67 00:03:39.919 --> 00:03:42.000 went on to get my theater degree at the University 68 00:03:42.000 --> 00:03:45.520 of Texas in Austin and was told one day in 69 00:03:45.560 --> 00:03:48.000 one acting class from a teacher that we were paying 70 00:03:49.039 --> 00:03:52.479 you're not an actor. And I was hurt and I 71 00:03:52.479 --> 00:03:55.120 didn't know what to make of that, although I didn't 72 00:03:55.159 --> 00:03:59.039 really feel like acting was necessarily going to be my call. 73 00:03:59.080 --> 00:04:02.039 But I took some directing classes and ended up directing 74 00:04:02.080 --> 00:04:05.919 and producing my first musical at nineteen and have pretty 75 00:04:06.000 --> 00:04:07.599 much done the same thing ever since. 76 00:04:08.879 --> 00:04:11.319 Yeah, you know, I heard very similar things Elliott, when 77 00:04:11.319 --> 00:04:14.240 somebody told me I have the face for radio. That's 78 00:04:14.319 --> 00:04:17.519 what you notice we stream We stream audio here, but 79 00:04:17.560 --> 00:04:22.040 no video. So thank god for small fings. But anyway, 80 00:04:22.439 --> 00:04:25.959 let's continue your journey. So you start producing in high school, 81 00:04:25.959 --> 00:04:28.920 but Midland, Texas is a long way from New York 82 00:04:28.920 --> 00:04:31.879 City and then, nayak, how did you work your way 83 00:04:31.879 --> 00:04:35.279 back into into New York and major producing here in 84 00:04:35.319 --> 00:04:37.959 the media capital of the world. That's no easy feat. 85 00:04:38.639 --> 00:04:40.959 Yeah, you know, like a lot of people, I had 86 00:04:41.000 --> 00:04:45.800 my eye frankly coming out of college in the late 87 00:04:45.839 --> 00:04:49.279 seventies early eighties, thinking that it's going to be either 88 00:04:49.319 --> 00:04:51.480 in New York or LA. And I didn't really know 89 00:04:51.519 --> 00:04:55.199 anybody in Los Angeles at the time, and I still 90 00:04:55.240 --> 00:04:58.199 had a lot of family here in New York. So 91 00:04:58.639 --> 00:05:00.560 you know, I called an ant and said, can I 92 00:05:00.560 --> 00:05:03.399 come live in your basement? There was a little way 93 00:05:03.439 --> 00:05:06.839 station in there, which actually was quite pivotal. After college 94 00:05:08.000 --> 00:05:10.959 and before New York, I lived in Kansas City, Missouri 95 00:05:11.040 --> 00:05:13.240 for eighteen months. There was a friend of mine who 96 00:05:13.319 --> 00:05:15.079 had a theater company. I didn't know what to do. 97 00:05:15.160 --> 00:05:17.000 I wasn't ready to go to New York or LA. 98 00:05:17.879 --> 00:05:20.680 And she said, come to Kansas City. I have a 99 00:05:20.720 --> 00:05:23.120 theater company, a children's theater company. You can act and 100 00:05:23.160 --> 00:05:26.600 direct and design and be a part of my theater company. 101 00:05:26.639 --> 00:05:28.360 So it's like it's the only offer I had. I 102 00:05:28.480 --> 00:05:32.680 moved to Kansas City, and in that eighteen months, not 103 00:05:32.720 --> 00:05:37.240 only did I find lifelong friends, some of which I'm 104 00:05:37.279 --> 00:05:39.319 more in touch with than at people I went to 105 00:05:39.360 --> 00:05:43.839 college with, but we were doing a play for kids 106 00:05:44.120 --> 00:05:45.920 and they said, you were on the radio. My first 107 00:05:45.959 --> 00:05:48.079 radio job was in West Texas. I never thought it 108 00:05:48.079 --> 00:05:50.399 was going to be my life, but I'd been on 109 00:05:50.439 --> 00:05:53.439 the radio at seventeen and so when I moved to 110 00:05:53.519 --> 00:05:55.319 Kansas City. They said, oh, you were on the radio 111 00:05:55.360 --> 00:05:56.759 and I was like, yeah, a couple of years ago, 112 00:05:56.920 --> 00:05:59.319 you know, as a summer gig, but you have a 113 00:05:59.399 --> 00:06:02.480 nice Voicego record this public service announcement at this radio 114 00:06:02.600 --> 00:06:06.720 station in a horse pasture in Kansas City, Kansas. And 115 00:06:07.439 --> 00:06:09.079 I went out to this radio station. It was a 116 00:06:09.120 --> 00:06:14.759 classical music radio station. I recorded the PSA and I said, 117 00:06:14.800 --> 00:06:16.519 you guys don't need anybody, do you. I wasn't making 118 00:06:16.600 --> 00:06:18.480 a lot of money doing theater in Kansas City. And 119 00:06:18.519 --> 00:06:21.759 they went, yeah, we're looking for an afternoon announcer, and 120 00:06:22.199 --> 00:06:24.160 I auditioned, got the gig. I was on the air 121 00:06:24.439 --> 00:06:26.720 on a classical station in Kansas City for a year. 122 00:06:27.160 --> 00:06:30.759 Little did I know that that day changed the course 123 00:06:30.879 --> 00:06:33.079 of the rest of my life. I had no idea 124 00:06:33.160 --> 00:06:35.600 on that day, but I reflect back to it all 125 00:06:35.639 --> 00:06:37.879 the time because it was a pretty casual sort of well, 126 00:06:37.920 --> 00:06:41.120 this will be fun, and it affected everything for the 127 00:06:41.160 --> 00:06:43.800 rest of my life. I've been on the radio in 128 00:06:43.800 --> 00:06:46.600 New York for over thirty five years. It led to 129 00:06:47.000 --> 00:06:48.959 a gig on A and E television that I had 130 00:06:49.000 --> 00:06:53.240 for twelve years. So after about eighteen months in Kansas City. 131 00:06:53.279 --> 00:06:54.759 I just went, I think it's time to move to 132 00:06:54.800 --> 00:06:57.439 New York and didn't have a gig, didn't have a job, 133 00:06:57.839 --> 00:07:00.879 moved in with an ant into a basement, and then 134 00:07:01.040 --> 00:07:04.439 just started pounding away doing plays and doing theater and 135 00:07:04.480 --> 00:07:06.600 eventually more radio and then TB. 136 00:07:06.519 --> 00:07:12.240 And never a classic. Never looked back in a way. 137 00:07:12.279 --> 00:07:15.120 I'm sure you have, because you have reflected. But you know, 138 00:07:15.240 --> 00:07:17.399 it's a it's a term that we understand. You just 139 00:07:17.480 --> 00:07:18.040 kept going. 140 00:07:18.879 --> 00:07:21.240 We're gonna talk a little bit about WQXR, your radio 141 00:07:21.279 --> 00:07:23.360 gig here in New York, which you're very well known 142 00:07:23.399 --> 00:07:26.240 for in just a second. But but you also produced concerts, 143 00:07:26.639 --> 00:07:30.439 major concerts and major shows around the country in the world. 144 00:07:31.079 --> 00:07:34.319 Are there any that stick out in particular after so many? 145 00:07:34.639 --> 00:07:36.920 Are there? There are there one, two, a few that 146 00:07:37.079 --> 00:07:39.079 really stick in your out in your mind? 147 00:07:39.120 --> 00:07:44.399 And why well, it's on my mind now because I 148 00:07:44.560 --> 00:07:47.800 just got off of a tour co directing a large 149 00:07:47.800 --> 00:07:53.160 scale oratorio about Matthew Shepherd called Considering Matthew Shepherd. As 150 00:07:53.920 --> 00:07:56.279 many or most of your audience may know, Matthew Shepherd 151 00:07:56.360 --> 00:07:59.120 was the young man who was tied to a fence 152 00:07:59.199 --> 00:08:01.319 and beaten because he was gay and died and was 153 00:08:01.399 --> 00:08:05.199 a turning point in the LGBTQ community in the subject 154 00:08:05.519 --> 00:08:07.920 of the play Laramie Project, which is one of the 155 00:08:07.920 --> 00:08:11.800 most produced plays in America. And now there's this musical 156 00:08:11.879 --> 00:08:15.439 version of Matthew's story called Considering Matthew Shepherd. I was 157 00:08:15.480 --> 00:08:20.639 the original director for the I directed the PBS television 158 00:08:20.720 --> 00:08:22.680 version and then an early tour, and then we just 159 00:08:22.720 --> 00:08:26.920 went on tour again. An extremely meaningful and beautiful work 160 00:08:27.480 --> 00:08:33.080 composed by Craig Hella Johnson for choirs, and I've been 161 00:08:33.080 --> 00:08:35.480 involved in some thirty different productions of it in one 162 00:08:35.480 --> 00:08:38.840 way or another. So just beautiful. And we just did 163 00:08:38.840 --> 00:08:42.440 that both in Philadelphia and in Austin. And then I'm 164 00:08:42.480 --> 00:08:45.039 also on and off on tour with the great violinist 165 00:08:45.080 --> 00:08:45.799 at Zuck Pearlman. 166 00:08:45.840 --> 00:08:48.559 I was going to mention that specifically, the incredible virtue 167 00:08:48.559 --> 00:08:51.840 of so yes, that must be experience, you know. 168 00:08:52.159 --> 00:08:55.600 I first started to create these large scale symphony concerts 169 00:08:55.639 --> 00:08:59.639 by adding projections and multimedia stuff in two thousand and five, 170 00:09:00.559 --> 00:09:03.960 strangely enough, and the first one I ever did was 171 00:09:03.960 --> 00:09:06.759 at the Hollywood Bowl, which was a wild place to 172 00:09:06.799 --> 00:09:09.759 be the first one. But once I had these incredible 173 00:09:09.759 --> 00:09:16.480 pictures of the Lace, the Elis Orchestra, La Symphony Orchestra, 174 00:09:16.639 --> 00:09:19.440 and at the Hollywood Bowl. I was able to take 175 00:09:19.480 --> 00:09:22.600 these pictures and pitch and be able to do concerts 176 00:09:22.639 --> 00:09:25.399 for a number of different orchestras. And then I got 177 00:09:25.399 --> 00:09:28.000 a call from Itzac Pehlman's manager, what I create and 178 00:09:28.039 --> 00:09:32.399 produce this multimedia event, this concert series, concert tour with 179 00:09:32.519 --> 00:09:35.519 him that is half playing, half storytelling. 180 00:09:35.559 --> 00:09:39.080 He's very charming, He's very Is he really that witty? 181 00:09:39.440 --> 00:09:42.039 You know? You know these and forgive me for the 182 00:09:42.080 --> 00:09:44.519 expressions kind of eggheaded musicians. All they can do is 183 00:09:44.519 --> 00:09:47.320 play the violin, but he gives the impression of being 184 00:09:47.360 --> 00:09:49.120 a real win Is that real? 185 00:09:49.440 --> 00:09:52.120 Oh yeah? Oh no, totally. If I had written down 186 00:09:52.200 --> 00:09:55.320 every joke he ever told at a meal, you know, 187 00:09:56.399 --> 00:10:00.600 every meal contains the phrase have you heard the one about? And? 188 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:04.360 And they're usually these really sort of bad shaggy dog stories. 189 00:10:05.960 --> 00:10:09.159 You know. We tell the story in our concert tour 190 00:10:09.919 --> 00:10:13.960 because it's biographical, autobiographical about him having polio at the 191 00:10:14.000 --> 00:10:16.519 age of five and not being able to use his 192 00:10:16.639 --> 00:10:20.799 legs for the last almost seventy five years. But I 193 00:10:20.840 --> 00:10:23.440 walked into his dressing room after the first performance and 194 00:10:23.480 --> 00:10:25.120 I said, you know, you're really funny. If you hadn't 195 00:10:25.120 --> 00:10:27.080 been a violinist, you could be a stand up comic. 196 00:10:27.120 --> 00:10:29.840 And without missing a beat, he went, except not standing up. 197 00:10:31.360 --> 00:10:33.799 It's the kind of thing you've kind of grown to 198 00:10:33.879 --> 00:10:34.519 expect for me. 199 00:10:34.559 --> 00:10:39.320 And it's very real, very great guy. Really, I'd loved 200 00:10:39.320 --> 00:10:41.879 the tour. I've really relished every moment of it. We 201 00:10:41.919 --> 00:10:45.759 did five performances pre COVID and then like everyone else, 202 00:10:45.799 --> 00:10:47.440 we shut down for about a year and a half 203 00:10:47.559 --> 00:10:49.679 and then we went back on tour and we've probably 204 00:10:49.679 --> 00:10:53.279 done it another twenty five times and then you know, 205 00:10:53.320 --> 00:10:56.320 we have more on the books, but we're actually starting 206 00:10:56.840 --> 00:11:01.759 continuing next week to create part two, this biographical evening 207 00:11:01.799 --> 00:11:05.440 with multimedia. You know, it's ok. Pearlman, great violinist, was 208 00:11:05.440 --> 00:11:08.360 on the Ed Sullivan Show when he was thirteen, and 209 00:11:08.440 --> 00:11:11.840 we show that during our show and made his concert 210 00:11:11.879 --> 00:11:17.000 debut at age seventeen, and so we were just going 211 00:11:17.080 --> 00:11:17.960 to continue after that. 212 00:11:18.960 --> 00:11:22.639 Terrific, you know, and you mentioned WQXR. It's in one 213 00:11:22.679 --> 00:11:26.120 of your more consistent gigs. With all the things you've done. 214 00:11:26.159 --> 00:11:28.279 It's through thick and thin, You've always seemed to come 215 00:11:28.320 --> 00:11:31.759 back to w QXR. Tell us about your experiences there, 216 00:11:31.919 --> 00:11:35.200 how you wound up there, what is it you like 217 00:11:35.240 --> 00:11:36.679 about it, et cetera. 218 00:11:38.480 --> 00:11:42.879 So, yeah, after I came to New York and really 219 00:11:42.960 --> 00:11:46.279 was pursuing a life in the theater, broadcasting just kept 220 00:11:46.320 --> 00:11:48.399 calling me. I was on a radio station, a w 221 00:11:48.600 --> 00:11:51.879 EVD for those who remember the Eugene V. Debs radio 222 00:11:51.879 --> 00:11:54.960 station in Manhattan, and I was on a station on 223 00:11:55.039 --> 00:11:57.960 Long Island, and then a dear friend of mine called 224 00:11:58.000 --> 00:11:59.759 me up and said, hey, you know, if you ever 225 00:11:59.759 --> 00:12:02.200 want to be in New York City, which you know, 226 00:12:02.240 --> 00:12:03.759 at that point, I had not been on a New 227 00:12:03.840 --> 00:12:06.320 York City radio station, which was you know, for a 228 00:12:06.399 --> 00:12:08.759 kid from a small West Texas town, was kind of like, 229 00:12:08.960 --> 00:12:13.159 you know, a dream. WNCN is looking for people, which 230 00:12:13.240 --> 00:12:16.000 was the other classical music radio station for many years 231 00:12:16.039 --> 00:12:19.399 here in New York. And so I auditioned, I got 232 00:12:19.440 --> 00:12:22.720 the job, and I was on WNCN for seven years. 233 00:12:22.799 --> 00:12:26.440 And then it turned heavy metal overnight. We we had 234 00:12:27.000 --> 00:12:28.919 literally less than twenty four hours notice. 235 00:12:29.080 --> 00:12:31.559 Didn't quite fit in with the heavy metal scene. I 236 00:12:31.639 --> 00:12:32.960 gather Elliott, now. 237 00:12:32.799 --> 00:12:35.440 You know it was. It actually turned into Q one 238 00:12:35.480 --> 00:12:39.000 O four, which is classic rock. And at the time 239 00:12:39.559 --> 00:12:43.519 of the of the when WNCN went off the air, 240 00:12:43.600 --> 00:12:47.279 I was actually hosting a number of different series on 241 00:12:47.360 --> 00:12:49.960 A and A television, including a rock series, and I 242 00:12:50.960 --> 00:12:54.919 was touring. I interviewed Chicago, the Ben Chicago and Aaron 243 00:12:54.919 --> 00:12:56.720 Neville and a whole bunch of people. So it wasn't 244 00:12:56.720 --> 00:12:59.639 the music. I actually felt like I could have done that. 245 00:13:00.399 --> 00:13:03.799 It was heavy metal music. Would you feel comfortable with that? 246 00:13:04.159 --> 00:13:06.360 Yeah, heavy metal was sort of a little on the 247 00:13:06.480 --> 00:13:09.279 edge of the well. It was sort of a transitional 248 00:13:09.320 --> 00:13:11.399 thing they did before Q one A four took over, 249 00:13:11.759 --> 00:13:14.759 and not exactly my favorite exactly, to be honest, but 250 00:13:15.639 --> 00:13:17.960 you know, we sense that that was going to be transitional, 251 00:13:18.000 --> 00:13:20.799 and eventually it turned into classic rock, which I love 252 00:13:21.000 --> 00:13:24.200 and Ken Dashau, who's on that station at Denis Elsis 253 00:13:24.360 --> 00:13:26.159 are for all friends of mine, you know, I love 254 00:13:26.200 --> 00:13:30.759 those formats. But but I didn't want to stay. I 255 00:13:30.799 --> 00:13:33.879 really felt like that the way they handled the canceling 256 00:13:33.960 --> 00:13:38.200 of the format was was not great, and I just 257 00:13:38.639 --> 00:13:40.799 I really objected to the whole politic of the way 258 00:13:40.840 --> 00:13:44.679 they handled the the ending of w NCN. So I 259 00:13:44.759 --> 00:13:49.320 quit and a couple of months later I went to QXR, 260 00:13:49.519 --> 00:13:52.279 which was you know, I can be honest with you 261 00:13:52.279 --> 00:13:56.840 because it's frankly speaking, you know, qx For seven years, 262 00:13:57.039 --> 00:14:00.399 NCN and qx R were competitors. This was the station 263 00:14:00.519 --> 00:14:03.919 we wanted to beat. QXR at the time was the 264 00:14:03.960 --> 00:14:06.840 old fogie classical station and NCN had more of a 265 00:14:06.879 --> 00:14:11.000 hip appeal, and so we loved that competition. We relished 266 00:14:11.039 --> 00:14:14.000 in that radio competition that we would check the books 267 00:14:14.000 --> 00:14:16.480 and who had the better ratings, and you know, seven 268 00:14:16.559 --> 00:14:18.600 years of and you know, this would have been my 269 00:14:18.679 --> 00:14:21.799 late twenties and early thirties where I was really you know, 270 00:14:21.960 --> 00:14:24.799 fun to really take on the competition and be competitive 271 00:14:24.840 --> 00:14:27.799 and be exciting. So when NCN went off the air, 272 00:14:27.840 --> 00:14:30.759 and I was like, oh, I guess I'll apply to 273 00:14:30.879 --> 00:14:35.679 QXR whatever. And so I did go there and I 274 00:14:35.759 --> 00:14:39.200 was there, frankly about a year, and I was only 275 00:14:39.240 --> 00:14:41.720 doing part time and I had a small, you know, 276 00:14:41.799 --> 00:14:46.000 a growing family, kids that needed to be fed, mortgages 277 00:14:46.000 --> 00:14:49.840 that needed to be paid. And I got I applied 278 00:14:49.879 --> 00:14:53.000 and got a job with the CBS Radio Network, co 279 00:14:53.080 --> 00:14:55.559 hosting a late night radio talk show with the legendary 280 00:14:55.600 --> 00:14:59.759 Tom Snyder. And that was great. It was a full 281 00:14:59.799 --> 00:15:03.399 year of doing I think some three hundred and sixty interviews, 282 00:15:03.440 --> 00:15:07.279 including spending a lot of time with Tom Snyder, which 283 00:15:07.399 --> 00:15:12.960 was just great and so important to me and pivotal. 284 00:15:13.120 --> 00:15:16.159 But that contract lasted a year, and when it was over, 285 00:15:17.080 --> 00:15:20.399 I was looking back at regular radio and local radio 286 00:15:20.399 --> 00:15:24.399 in New York and QXR came knocking and somebody was leaving. 287 00:15:24.440 --> 00:15:27.240 My mentor and friend, Lloyd Moss, was retiring at the 288 00:15:27.240 --> 00:15:30.559 age of eighty. Did I want to come back on 289 00:15:30.639 --> 00:15:32.399 the air there? Which I did, And now I've been 290 00:15:32.440 --> 00:15:37.600 on QXR for twenty two years. XR during the first 291 00:15:37.600 --> 00:15:39.320 part of that was owned by the New York Times, 292 00:15:39.919 --> 00:15:44.080 and we just passed the fifteen year mark where WQXR 293 00:15:44.840 --> 00:15:47.279 was sold by the New York Times and purchased by 294 00:15:47.279 --> 00:15:50.480 New York Public Radio and being a sister station at WNYC. 295 00:15:50.879 --> 00:15:54.039 And I couldn't be more delighted. It's a great building. 296 00:15:54.200 --> 00:15:58.080 It's a you know I have you know, been next 297 00:15:58.120 --> 00:16:00.320 to I've been at the urinal next to Brian Larr 298 00:16:00.919 --> 00:16:06.600 and yessive, those those moments are you know, very exciting 299 00:16:06.639 --> 00:16:07.120 to me. 300 00:16:09.039 --> 00:16:11.559 We are being frank right, no conversation is out of 301 00:16:11.600 --> 00:16:12.480 bounds here we go. 302 00:16:12.679 --> 00:16:14.960 And I wasn't at the urinal with Brook Gladstone, but 303 00:16:15.080 --> 00:16:17.039 you know there are that when I would listen to 304 00:16:17.120 --> 00:16:19.840 on the media or radio lab or Brian Lair. I 305 00:16:19.879 --> 00:16:22.279 was a fan, you know, and a listener well before 306 00:16:22.480 --> 00:16:25.600 I was a colleague and a fellow employee. So to 307 00:16:25.840 --> 00:16:28.879 have a galla or even a meeting or just run 308 00:16:28.879 --> 00:16:31.320 into them down the hall to be a part of 309 00:16:31.360 --> 00:16:36.960 New York Public Radio is glorious. Public Radio is is 310 00:16:36.960 --> 00:16:39.440 is very important to me, and I think very important 311 00:16:39.480 --> 00:16:42.120 to our country and and I think it's been a 312 00:16:42.159 --> 00:16:43.480 good partnership. 313 00:16:43.240 --> 00:16:46.960 Absolutely Now and you mentioned some of you mentioned Chicago, 314 00:16:47.159 --> 00:16:50.720 and through the course of your time both working directly 315 00:16:50.759 --> 00:16:56.159 with or interviewing many celebrities and famous people, you continue 316 00:16:56.200 --> 00:16:57.720 to do. So we're going to talk about that as 317 00:16:57.759 --> 00:17:01.080 part of your duties as artistic and executive director of 318 00:17:01.200 --> 00:17:02.960 Arts Rock. And you've got a big one coming up 319 00:17:02.960 --> 00:17:07.160 with Tony Shaloub and Brooke Adams shortly. I've seen a 320 00:17:07.160 --> 00:17:10.119 few of your interviews here locally at what used to 321 00:17:10.200 --> 00:17:12.319 be the First Reformed Church is now the Angel and 322 00:17:12.359 --> 00:17:14.680 I going to talk about that too, and just a bit. 323 00:17:15.200 --> 00:17:18.079 But to get to it, of all these people is 324 00:17:18.079 --> 00:17:20.960 the first of all the twofold question, how do you 325 00:17:21.000 --> 00:17:25.359 prepare for your interviews? Okay? And then who sticks out 326 00:17:25.359 --> 00:17:28.559 in your mind as one of the better interviews that 327 00:17:28.599 --> 00:17:31.519 you've done and one of the better interview is So first, 328 00:17:31.759 --> 00:17:33.559 how do you prepare for some of these people who 329 00:17:33.559 --> 00:17:36.759 are always very well known? As you already try to 330 00:17:36.799 --> 00:17:38.799 make as I do, try to make the questions, and 331 00:17:38.799 --> 00:17:42.599 it's interesting in penetrating what method do you use? And 332 00:17:42.640 --> 00:17:44.720 then who sticks out in your mind as one of 333 00:17:44.759 --> 00:17:45.920 the better interviews. 334 00:17:47.279 --> 00:17:51.640 My preparation is all about preparation. I you know, I 335 00:17:51.640 --> 00:17:55.200 can sit in front of my laptop and go through 336 00:17:55.440 --> 00:18:00.519 video clips and old interviews and Wikipedia, and you know, 337 00:18:00.640 --> 00:18:03.920 I come up with what I believe to be as 338 00:18:03.960 --> 00:18:07.319 an arc of an interview. I believe a good one 339 00:18:07.440 --> 00:18:08.839 has a beginning, middle, and ending. 340 00:18:09.440 --> 00:18:09.680 Uh. 341 00:18:09.720 --> 00:18:11.920 And I'm and I'm a big fan of that order. 342 00:18:13.079 --> 00:18:17.799 And and then I prepare and then and then I listen, 343 00:18:18.720 --> 00:18:21.240 you know, Then I I like, I like to be prepared, 344 00:18:21.279 --> 00:18:25.119 but I also want to be flexible. Sometimes I've had 345 00:18:25.200 --> 00:18:29.960 interviews go directions I never expected. And I've I've personally 346 00:18:30.000 --> 00:18:32.400 seen way too men interviews where it might as well 347 00:18:32.440 --> 00:18:35.960 be question one, and then they ask their question question two, 348 00:18:36.039 --> 00:18:39.000 and it's like they're not even paying attention to something 349 00:18:39.119 --> 00:18:42.160 interesting that comes up that go really tell me more 350 00:18:42.160 --> 00:18:46.240 about that. So I'm perfectly willing to be surprised and 351 00:18:46.279 --> 00:18:49.000 delighted and have it go into a different direction than 352 00:18:49.119 --> 00:18:54.839 I expected. But yeah, I I like to be really prepared. 353 00:18:54.880 --> 00:18:57.640 I don't necessarily need to know the answer to every question, 354 00:18:57.720 --> 00:19:03.799 but it helps oftentimes into both avoid pitfalls and also 355 00:19:03.880 --> 00:19:07.920 overall just to make my guests feel comfortable. I want them. 356 00:19:08.319 --> 00:19:10.480 I think if they're comfortable, the audience is comfortable, and 357 00:19:10.519 --> 00:19:15.240 everybody enjoys themselves. It's hard for me to pick. I've 358 00:19:15.279 --> 00:19:18.920 been so lucky and fortunate. You know, it's just name 359 00:19:19.000 --> 00:19:22.119 dropping central basically, but please do so. 360 00:19:22.839 --> 00:19:25.200 It's an impressive list. I've seen some of them there. 361 00:19:25.319 --> 00:19:29.359 They're always fascinating interviews with really fascinating people. You have 362 00:19:29.400 --> 00:19:33.240 the ability to bring that interest out because if you will, 363 00:19:33.279 --> 00:19:37.000 look a hackneyed phrase going beyond the headlines. But yes, 364 00:19:37.240 --> 00:19:40.319 so well, so many. Please please give us the list. 365 00:19:40.920 --> 00:19:42.400 It's important to know. I think it is. 366 00:19:42.960 --> 00:19:46.640 Well. Let's see in the beatle category, I interviewed Paul 367 00:19:46.680 --> 00:19:51.119 McCartney at Carnegie Hall at the debut of his Liverpool Oratorio. 368 00:19:51.279 --> 00:19:53.480 That was pretty exciting. Linda was still alive and the 369 00:19:53.519 --> 00:19:56.720 bodyguard was holding onto me the whole time. I have 370 00:19:56.759 --> 00:19:58.960 a picture of it. It's on my website, but there's 371 00:19:59.000 --> 00:20:01.519 a guy in the corner and all you see at 372 00:20:01.519 --> 00:20:03.240 the back of his head and a black jacket, but 373 00:20:03.279 --> 00:20:06.559 that's the bodyguard literally holding onto my jacket. So like 374 00:20:06.759 --> 00:20:08.000 like I was gonna hit him on the head with 375 00:20:08.039 --> 00:20:11.799 the microphone, I don't know. I did a live interview 376 00:20:11.880 --> 00:20:14.559 on the radio with George Martin because he had something 377 00:20:14.599 --> 00:20:17.559 to promote, which was very exciting. And then on A 378 00:20:17.680 --> 00:20:20.000 and E television I spent some time with Ringo Star 379 00:20:20.240 --> 00:20:26.480 so I'm the fifth Beatle basically. And then even out 380 00:20:26.480 --> 00:20:30.680 here in Rockland County, we've done so many sit down interviews. 381 00:20:31.119 --> 00:20:33.519 I was able to bring Edward Albe out, you know. 382 00:20:33.599 --> 00:20:35.319 I think one of the first ones I did in 383 00:20:35.440 --> 00:20:40.319 Nyak was actually Mike Nichols. We was sold out in Nayak. 384 00:20:40.400 --> 00:20:43.759 We had six hundred people in the audience, and I 385 00:20:43.839 --> 00:20:47.799 walked him through his entire career with film clips. He 386 00:20:47.920 --> 00:20:51.799 put together some of the clips himself for us we 387 00:20:52.559 --> 00:20:55.039 sort of waited and held the grad. We did it 388 00:20:55.079 --> 00:20:58.319 chronologically except for the graduate, which we waited until the 389 00:20:58.440 --> 00:21:03.279 very end to show he was really gracious and lovely 390 00:21:03.359 --> 00:21:07.920 and funny. And if we can jump ahead many years, 391 00:21:08.079 --> 00:21:10.680 I ended up interviewing Mike Nichols again in the cast 392 00:21:10.720 --> 00:21:14.559 of Death of a Salesman with Philip Seymour Hoffman, and 393 00:21:14.599 --> 00:21:18.799 this was in the Green Space. And I mean clearly 394 00:21:18.839 --> 00:21:22.240 Philip Seymour Hoffman, after dying of a drug overdose, had 395 00:21:22.279 --> 00:21:24.799 bigger problems than me. And I'm not taking this personally, 396 00:21:24.880 --> 00:21:27.000 but he just did not want to be on stage 397 00:21:27.039 --> 00:21:30.119 with us, and so everything I asked was yes. I 398 00:21:30.160 --> 00:21:31.960 mean I tried to avoid yes or no questions, but 399 00:21:32.000 --> 00:21:35.119 I was getting monosyllabic answers. I was just getting one 400 00:21:35.160 --> 00:21:37.880 and it wasn't going anywhere. And it was supposed to 401 00:21:37.920 --> 00:21:39.680 be twenty minutes with him, and then the rest of 402 00:21:39.720 --> 00:21:42.200 the cast was going to come on, So like five 403 00:21:42.319 --> 00:21:45.160 or ten minutes into the interview, I just like went, oh, 404 00:21:45.200 --> 00:21:47.079 this is great to spend some time with you. Let's 405 00:21:47.079 --> 00:21:48.400 bring out the rest of the cast, you know, I 406 00:21:48.440 --> 00:21:52.400 just sort of like bolted the interview. 407 00:21:53.960 --> 00:21:56.240 As they say, he was. 408 00:21:56.200 --> 00:21:58.640 It was just very weird. And then I brought Nicholas 409 00:21:58.880 --> 00:22:02.599 and Andrew Garfield and the rest of the cast, and 410 00:22:03.039 --> 00:22:04.720 Mike Nichols saved the day. You know, he was a 411 00:22:04.759 --> 00:22:07.480 stand up comic, He's charming, he's funny, and so I 412 00:22:07.559 --> 00:22:10.880 had two shots at at Mike Nichols, which was very 413 00:22:10.920 --> 00:22:14.720 important to me. You know, we've got this series at 414 00:22:14.759 --> 00:22:18.440 in Rockland that I do hear. We had David Hyde, Peers, 415 00:22:18.519 --> 00:22:24.599 Alec Baldwin, Lewis Black, Robert Klein, Cheetah Rivera again, we'll 416 00:22:24.599 --> 00:22:27.240 talk about Tony Schlubin Brook Adams coming up soon. So 417 00:22:28.519 --> 00:22:31.680 you know, it's an education, it's great fun for me, 418 00:22:32.079 --> 00:22:36.400 and the audiences seem to like spending time with these 419 00:22:36.400 --> 00:22:40.200 celebrities close up and hearing them and being able. And 420 00:22:40.200 --> 00:22:42.240 they've been so gracious to come out to Nayak and 421 00:22:42.279 --> 00:22:44.200 spend some time with us on stage. 422 00:22:44.559 --> 00:22:46.960 You mentioned Mike Nichols. Who else in your mind, and 423 00:22:47.279 --> 00:22:50.039 not only for their interviews, for their personality. Who is 424 00:22:50.119 --> 00:22:53.680 someone that sticks out in your mind as Wow, that's 425 00:22:53.720 --> 00:22:55.000 an impressive person. 426 00:22:55.759 --> 00:22:58.720 Well, you know, I love comedians and that's just me. So, 427 00:22:59.359 --> 00:23:04.920 you know, having time with John Cleese and again, more 428 00:23:04.960 --> 00:23:08.599 than once Lewis Black. I knew Lewis frankly for more 429 00:23:08.640 --> 00:23:11.000 than twenty five years. He wasn't even really a stand 430 00:23:11.079 --> 00:23:13.920 up comic when I first met him, so I love 431 00:23:13.960 --> 00:23:17.400 spending time with him. So lots of funny people. I 432 00:23:17.799 --> 00:23:22.759 always really enjoy that you mentioned Felicia Rashad. She was 433 00:23:22.799 --> 00:23:25.319 a part of it. That she's she did one of 434 00:23:25.319 --> 00:23:29.480 ours out in Nayak, Susie Eddie Izzard, Eddie Izard goes 435 00:23:29.480 --> 00:23:33.359 by Susie now and she has been a part of 436 00:23:33.359 --> 00:23:36.960 what we've done out here in Nayak and at WQXR 437 00:23:37.000 --> 00:23:41.759 for a while too. Also an amazing talent, superstar, comic 438 00:23:41.880 --> 00:23:49.519 and actor. So yeah, I've been I've been fortunate you. 439 00:23:49.599 --> 00:23:52.359 Certainly, and we've been fortunate to have you, to have 440 00:23:52.440 --> 00:23:54.480 your work, to have you on QXR, to have you 441 00:23:54.519 --> 00:23:56.839 here at Nayak. And you know, people always tease them, 442 00:23:56.839 --> 00:23:59.599 always raving about Nike, but there was something about this 443 00:23:59.680 --> 00:24:01.799 place and talk a little bit more about it where 444 00:24:01.839 --> 00:24:05.559 it embraces art and how important that is. Elliot Love 445 00:24:05.640 --> 00:24:07.160 was going to save that for later, but since it 446 00:24:07.200 --> 00:24:10.079 came up, now, why don't we talk about the importance 447 00:24:10.400 --> 00:24:11.960 you do it here locally? I mean, you do it 448 00:24:12.000 --> 00:24:15.519 on a grand scale. We've talked about that nationally internationally, 449 00:24:15.759 --> 00:24:18.680 but you do a lot of work locally too with 450 00:24:18.799 --> 00:24:21.240 local arts organization. We're going to talk after the break 451 00:24:21.240 --> 00:24:25.759 in more detail exactly about Arts Rock as an organization, 452 00:24:25.880 --> 00:24:29.119 but before that, why is it important for you and 453 00:24:29.160 --> 00:24:32.759 for others to become involved in local art projects in 454 00:24:33.000 --> 00:24:34.519 art themed projects. 455 00:24:35.599 --> 00:24:38.039 Well, you know, I think we're carrying on a tradition, 456 00:24:38.799 --> 00:24:41.880 you and I Arts Rock and all the other artists 457 00:24:41.920 --> 00:24:47.559 and creatives in Rockland County that goes back several generations. 458 00:24:47.559 --> 00:24:51.359 I think part of it is the duality of being 459 00:24:51.519 --> 00:24:54.680 less than an hour from Times Square and we're close 460 00:24:54.720 --> 00:24:58.680 to Manhattan, so you know, whether it's Maxwell Anderson or 461 00:24:58.759 --> 00:25:09.400 Helen Hayes Hersel for uh, Jonathan Demiville. Yeah, so historically 462 00:25:09.440 --> 00:25:12.279 this is it's the duality of being close to Manhattan 463 00:25:12.359 --> 00:25:15.799 but cheaper than Westchester and a little harder to get to, 464 00:25:17.039 --> 00:25:19.200 so it's a little bit more in the country. 465 00:25:19.279 --> 00:25:19.480 You know. 466 00:25:19.799 --> 00:25:23.039 I've heard stories about Kurt Vile and lot of Lenya 467 00:25:23.079 --> 00:25:26.400 who are married lived in our community here in the 468 00:25:26.480 --> 00:25:29.400 Nyak Rockland area, and evidently she hated to do the dishes, 469 00:25:29.440 --> 00:25:31.799 so she'd have famous people over, they have big dinner parties, 470 00:25:31.880 --> 00:25:33.880 and she just walk out to a creek behind her 471 00:25:33.880 --> 00:25:36.319 house and just throw the dishes in the creek instead 472 00:25:36.359 --> 00:25:42.160 of my style of housekeeping the dishes exactly. So we're 473 00:25:42.200 --> 00:25:45.319 carrying on this tradition of artists. I mean, I live 474 00:25:45.359 --> 00:25:48.000 a block from Joe A. Lessi, the first chair trombone 475 00:25:48.000 --> 00:25:50.799 player of the New York Philharmonic, people from the Metropolitan Opera. 476 00:25:50.880 --> 00:25:54.079 They're actors, they're directors, They're all sorts of artists here. 477 00:25:54.119 --> 00:25:56.599 So I think this a bit a little bit of countryside, 478 00:25:56.640 --> 00:25:59.079 this little bit of deer in our front yard, while 479 00:25:59.119 --> 00:26:02.759 being close to Manhattan, attracts a certain artist that doesn't 480 00:26:02.799 --> 00:26:06.000 want to be in the heart of Manhattan. But beyond that, 481 00:26:06.160 --> 00:26:08.759 there is a philosophy and we at Arts Rock at 482 00:26:08.839 --> 00:26:13.319 artsrock dot org care about this. Is that every community 483 00:26:14.519 --> 00:26:17.839 should have law enforcement, should have their garbage taken, and 484 00:26:18.359 --> 00:26:21.079 have a hospital and healthcare, but they should also have 485 00:26:21.119 --> 00:26:24.240 their own arts. And just because we're forty five minutes 486 00:26:24.319 --> 00:26:27.039 or an hour from Times Square doesn't mean that everyone 487 00:26:27.119 --> 00:26:31.359 goes into the city. And so we believe that both 488 00:26:32.200 --> 00:26:35.720 national artists coming to Nayak and featuring local artists who 489 00:26:35.759 --> 00:26:39.640 already live here. Is important to the culture and the 490 00:26:39.680 --> 00:26:42.720 lifestyle of what it is to be a member of 491 00:26:42.759 --> 00:26:43.359 the community. 492 00:26:44.240 --> 00:26:45.839 Hell, we're going to take a quick break when we 493 00:26:45.880 --> 00:26:49.039 come back, and we're talking detail about arts rock, their mission, 494 00:26:49.279 --> 00:26:51.880 the role that you play, and the exciting lineup you 495 00:26:51.960 --> 00:26:54.799 got coming up shortly. It begins in November. So you 496 00:26:54.880 --> 00:26:58.599 mentioned with your interview with Tony Shaloub and Brooke Adams. 497 00:26:58.720 --> 00:27:02.039 Is also a candlelight concert. Too many things for me 498 00:27:02.119 --> 00:27:04.200 to mention. I know you have a list and I 499 00:27:04.720 --> 00:27:08.599 go over them because they're terrific, and the role that 500 00:27:08.759 --> 00:27:11.359 arts rock plays and how important it is. And we'll 501 00:27:11.359 --> 00:27:13.319 have all of that coming up in just a minute. 502 00:27:13.359 --> 00:27:15.279 So you don't go anywhere, but you don't have to 503 00:27:15.279 --> 00:27:17.720 have got you as a captain, for he is talking 504 00:27:17.759 --> 00:27:21.839 about everybody else. Please don't go anywhere yet. This is 505 00:27:21.920 --> 00:27:25.920 being Frank. I'm your host, Frank Lobono. It's intelligent conversation 506 00:27:26.079 --> 00:27:29.640 for sure. My very special guest is mister Elliott Forrest. 507 00:27:29.680 --> 00:27:32.319 We'll be back more with him and so much more 508 00:27:32.519 --> 00:27:35.400 right after these brief commercial messages. Don't go anywhere yet. 509 00:27:39.039 --> 00:27:55.400 Hudson River Radio dot Com, Hudson River radio dot com. 510 00:27:55.599 --> 00:27:57.920 This is Hudson River Radio dot com. 511 00:27:58.079 --> 00:27:59.920 You're a local Rockland County station. 512 00:28:05.480 --> 00:28:24.559 This is Hudson River Radio dot com. 513 00:28:16.119 --> 00:28:20.319 Hudson Riverradio dot com. 514 00:28:20.599 --> 00:28:24.839 Welcome back to Being Frank, the Intelligent Conversation podcast. Thanks 515 00:28:24.839 --> 00:28:27.880 for sticking with us. I'm your host, Frank Lebono. Our 516 00:28:28.000 --> 00:28:31.720 engineer is Neil Richter. Our very special guest, who will 517 00:28:32.039 --> 00:28:35.720 we will reintroduce in just a moment, is Elliott Forrest. 518 00:28:36.039 --> 00:28:38.400 You know, we bring our audience a fresh topic every 519 00:28:38.480 --> 00:28:41.440 week and we stream from Hudson River Radio, which is 520 00:28:41.519 --> 00:28:45.039 located and beautiful and very historic Stony Point, New York. 521 00:28:45.279 --> 00:28:47.960 But remember you can catch Being Frank anywhere you get 522 00:28:47.960 --> 00:28:52.400 your favorite podcast that includes Apple, Spotify, iHeartRadio and all 523 00:28:52.400 --> 00:28:55.400 the others. And remember Being Frank is archives, so you 524 00:28:55.400 --> 00:28:58.960 can listen to any program anytime you like. It's very convenient. 525 00:28:59.279 --> 00:29:01.960 Can finally to Being Frank on the Hudson River Radio 526 00:29:02.079 --> 00:29:07.480 Facebook page or at our website Hudsonriverradio dot com. Just 527 00:29:07.640 --> 00:29:10.680 click and you're there. Okay, back to our special guest, 528 00:29:10.720 --> 00:29:15.960 Elliott Forrest from wqxor Arts Rock Rockland, et cetera, et cetera, 529 00:29:16.000 --> 00:29:17.759 et cetera. If we go through it all again. We 530 00:29:17.799 --> 00:29:20.680 won't have any time left in the show, so let's 531 00:29:20.720 --> 00:29:24.319 get back to it. You are the artistic and executive 532 00:29:24.319 --> 00:29:27.079 director of Arts Rock. You mentioned a little bit about 533 00:29:27.119 --> 00:29:29.400 what it is as an organization. Tell us a little 534 00:29:29.400 --> 00:29:31.640 bit more in detail about what your overall mission is 535 00:29:31.839 --> 00:29:35.799 and what role you play as executive and artistic director there. 536 00:29:36.640 --> 00:29:39.559 Arts Rock started very much as a community effort in 537 00:29:39.640 --> 00:29:42.359 the center of Nayak out of a former space that 538 00:29:42.720 --> 00:29:45.279 we had been programming in for four years. And then 539 00:29:45.359 --> 00:29:47.359 a number of us got together and said, well, we 540 00:29:47.359 --> 00:29:50.079 should just continue the programming when the space went away. 541 00:29:50.640 --> 00:29:54.519 And so that was fifteen years ago, and so we 542 00:29:54.640 --> 00:29:57.559 have a robust board and a lot of programming and 543 00:29:57.599 --> 00:30:03.519 we've kept the programming philosophy and a mission going for 544 00:30:03.599 --> 00:30:08.599 all these many years, in which we present family shows, concerts, conversations, 545 00:30:09.759 --> 00:30:12.759 some theater, you know, a mixed bag of classical and 546 00:30:12.880 --> 00:30:17.200 rock and folk music again, professional performing arts in Rockland 547 00:30:17.240 --> 00:30:21.359 County and a number of different venues. As artistic and 548 00:30:21.640 --> 00:30:26.039 executive director, I oversee all the programming. I have a 549 00:30:26.160 --> 00:30:30.160 managing director, Derre Falco, who had been with us for 550 00:30:30.200 --> 00:30:33.480 many many years, stepped down recently and Laura Steinberger is 551 00:30:33.519 --> 00:30:36.640 now our managing director and Kate Ashby is our marketing director. 552 00:30:36.640 --> 00:30:40.440 So it's basically the three of us and then help 553 00:30:40.519 --> 00:30:44.279 from both financial and guidance and programming help from the 554 00:30:44.319 --> 00:30:47.920 board as well. So we do anywhere. I mean, you know, 555 00:30:48.039 --> 00:30:52.359 we did some virtual programming during during COVID, but basically 556 00:30:52.400 --> 00:30:55.119 we do about ten shows a year in the community 557 00:30:56.359 --> 00:31:00.480 and that may expand as we look to having more 558 00:31:00.480 --> 00:31:02.920 of a home at the new Angel Nayak. 559 00:31:03.039 --> 00:31:04.759 Let's talk a little bit about that, so then we'll 560 00:31:04.759 --> 00:31:07.519 get into the specifics of the upcoming season. But there 561 00:31:07.559 --> 00:31:11.640 is this really nice new venue called the Angel in Nayak, 562 00:31:12.160 --> 00:31:15.839 which was formally, if I'm correct, the First Reformed Church, 563 00:31:15.920 --> 00:31:18.519 beautiful old Gothic structure. But tell us a little bit 564 00:31:18.599 --> 00:31:21.160 more about how they're involved in the community and your 565 00:31:21.240 --> 00:31:22.119 involvement with them. 566 00:31:22.920 --> 00:31:26.160 Well, Arts Rock for the first fifteen years of our organization, 567 00:31:26.240 --> 00:31:29.480 including now, has been nomadic, and we will be at 568 00:31:29.480 --> 00:31:33.119 Bosi's or Nayak High School or the Nayak Center, or 569 00:31:33.839 --> 00:31:38.799 we would be in Japan, or at the First Reformed 570 00:31:38.839 --> 00:31:42.160 Church in Nayak, which is across the street from Key Bank, 571 00:31:42.799 --> 00:31:48.160 right in the center of town. And then the church 572 00:31:48.279 --> 00:31:51.200 had decided that they really couldn't keep it going on 573 00:31:51.240 --> 00:31:54.440 their own anymore, that they didn't have enough of a 574 00:31:54.480 --> 00:31:57.039 congregation to be able to make it work, and wanted 575 00:31:57.079 --> 00:31:59.799 to sell it. So a group of people have stepped up, 576 00:32:00.119 --> 00:32:04.279 and it looks like if all goes through, it will 577 00:32:04.319 --> 00:32:09.200 be converted to an event and art space. And it's 578 00:32:09.240 --> 00:32:11.839 in the process of that right now, meaning a lot 579 00:32:11.880 --> 00:32:14.599 of you know, paperwork and things with the state of 580 00:32:14.640 --> 00:32:17.640 New York and that sort of thing, but ultimately renovation 581 00:32:17.960 --> 00:32:22.920 including adding air conditioning and lighting and both inside and out. 582 00:32:23.039 --> 00:32:24.599 I mean, you drive by it at night, there's no 583 00:32:24.680 --> 00:32:27.680 outside light at all. You don't even see the building. 584 00:32:27.720 --> 00:32:30.119 It's just dark there. But as you indicate, it's a 585 00:32:30.119 --> 00:32:33.279 beautiful Gothic structure. It's got a clock tower on it. 586 00:32:33.599 --> 00:32:37.799 The idea that we would in a way finally have 587 00:32:38.039 --> 00:32:42.079 a new performing arts center in Nayak is long overdue. 588 00:32:42.480 --> 00:32:44.640 You know, I've attempted this a number of times in 589 00:32:44.720 --> 00:32:47.599 a number of places. If you think about it, Rockland 590 00:32:47.640 --> 00:32:53.319 County has the turning point as far as a regular 591 00:32:53.480 --> 00:32:56.960 performing art space, and you know that seats like sixty people. 592 00:32:57.079 --> 00:32:59.960 You know, it's extremely tiny. We don't have any more. 593 00:33:00.079 --> 00:33:03.079 The Maurene Jazz Club of great jazz venue and also 594 00:33:03.839 --> 00:33:06.039 sixty seventy people, small. 595 00:33:06.160 --> 00:33:10.960 Beautiful place, and I love Dave Budway and his beautiful wife, 596 00:33:11.119 --> 00:33:14.400 and I really admire the work they're doing in their 597 00:33:14.480 --> 00:33:17.920 jazz club. But as a broad based performing arts center 598 00:33:17.960 --> 00:33:19.920 that can be used by a number of different people 599 00:33:20.440 --> 00:33:22.839 that could see hundreds of people, we just don't. We 600 00:33:22.839 --> 00:33:25.079 don't have a Terrytown music hall, you know, we don't 601 00:33:25.079 --> 00:33:28.880 have that in our community. And so it's time, and 602 00:33:28.920 --> 00:33:32.880 so we're hoping this is it. And I have been 603 00:33:32.920 --> 00:33:35.720 invited and my organization has been invited to be a 604 00:33:36.079 --> 00:33:40.839 or the underlying arts organization at the Angel Nayak and 605 00:33:41.240 --> 00:33:43.319 for the first time in fifteen years, we might have 606 00:33:43.799 --> 00:33:49.160 a regular home, which would be foundational for any nonprofit 607 00:33:49.279 --> 00:33:53.160 arts organization to have a to have a space that brings. 608 00:33:52.920 --> 00:33:56.440 You to then the consistency of a great season. You 609 00:33:56.519 --> 00:34:01.319 have a really exciting upcoming season this new venue. Talk 610 00:34:01.359 --> 00:34:03.079 about it in some detail, please. 611 00:34:03.720 --> 00:34:05.640 Well, we have five shows that are on our website 612 00:34:05.720 --> 00:34:08.159 right now at artsrock dot org. But that's just the 613 00:34:08.239 --> 00:34:12.079 beginning for this particular season. And actually we're already looking 614 00:34:12.119 --> 00:34:15.639 ahead at twenty twenty five, twenty six, twenty seven. You know, 615 00:34:15.719 --> 00:34:18.840 these things are usually planned out well in advance, but 616 00:34:19.800 --> 00:34:23.400 arts Rock starts off our season on November ninth, twenty 617 00:34:23.440 --> 00:34:28.239 twenty four this year with another candlelight, a classical candlelight series. 618 00:34:28.840 --> 00:34:32.840 This has been a national trend to have classical candlelight 619 00:34:32.960 --> 00:34:36.119 series in different churches and venues. And there's actually one 620 00:34:36.159 --> 00:34:39.960 I really love out in a cemetery out in Brooklyn. 621 00:34:40.239 --> 00:34:45.760 And so for those that might be either slightly intimidated 622 00:34:45.880 --> 00:34:48.679 or don't really know or care that much about classical music, 623 00:34:48.719 --> 00:34:52.039 the idea that the entire concert is lit almost entirely 624 00:34:52.079 --> 00:34:55.480 by candlelight, we hope is an added value of a 625 00:34:55.599 --> 00:34:59.760 date night, an environment, something that's really fun and exciting 626 00:34:59.800 --> 00:35:03.360 for people to enjoy. We've done a couple of them already. 627 00:35:03.360 --> 00:35:06.000 We had Bridget Kibbi, who is one of the great 628 00:35:06.039 --> 00:35:08.760 harp players in America, she's a regular with the Chamber 629 00:35:08.840 --> 00:35:12.519 Music Society of Lincoln Center Beautiful Night and Sarah Sana 630 00:35:12.559 --> 00:35:15.760 brogio cello player. So on November ninth will be the 631 00:35:15.800 --> 00:35:18.760 next one. It's a group called Trio Fate Aline and 632 00:35:18.840 --> 00:35:21.360 they'll be playing a number of different kinds of pieces 633 00:35:21.360 --> 00:35:25.480 of music highlighting the immigrant experience. It's a combination between 634 00:35:25.559 --> 00:35:30.559 violin and fadolina and cello. So I really encourage everyone 635 00:35:30.599 --> 00:35:32.679 to come. As a matter of fact, Yeah, you can 636 00:35:32.679 --> 00:35:35.599 see all that information at artsrock dot org. We follow 637 00:35:35.679 --> 00:35:38.199 that up a couple of like a week or so 638 00:35:38.360 --> 00:35:41.800 later with one of our signature interviews in which the 639 00:35:41.840 --> 00:35:45.519 great Emmy Award winning actor Tony Shaloub will be on 640 00:35:45.719 --> 00:35:50.400 stage with his beautiful wife, Brooke Adams. If people remember 641 00:35:50.440 --> 00:35:53.880 the film Days of Heaven, she was the beautiful angenoue 642 00:35:53.960 --> 00:35:56.079 in that film, and they're married. They're a married couple. 643 00:35:56.079 --> 00:35:59.639 They've done Broadway together, and of course he was Galaxy 644 00:35:59.719 --> 00:36:03.280 Quest and Men in Black and Monk Monk is actually 645 00:36:03.280 --> 00:36:06.920 coming to Nayak. So that's November sixteenth with Tony Shalhoub 646 00:36:06.960 --> 00:36:09.760 and Brooke Adams. Then we're going to do another Candlelight 647 00:36:09.880 --> 00:36:13.119 series in February with a group that is a chamber 648 00:36:13.239 --> 00:36:18.760 ensemble that'll have multimedia. They do images and video in 649 00:36:18.800 --> 00:36:23.519 addition to their performances with the Candlelight stuff. And then 650 00:36:24.400 --> 00:36:28.039 in March of twenty five and next year, I've invited 651 00:36:28.679 --> 00:36:33.480 the esteemed Multi Grammy award winning conductor Leonard Slackin to 652 00:36:33.599 --> 00:36:35.760 join me on stage and talk about movie music. I 653 00:36:35.800 --> 00:36:37.679 have a passion for movie music. I play it on 654 00:36:37.719 --> 00:36:40.599 the radio on WQXR all the time. We have a 655 00:36:40.599 --> 00:36:42.639 thing we call the Score at four at four o'clock. 656 00:36:42.639 --> 00:36:45.920 We play movie music every day, every weekday. And so 657 00:36:45.960 --> 00:36:49.079 I put together an evening It's about ninety minutes with 658 00:36:49.239 --> 00:36:51.880 forty different film clips on the history of movie music 659 00:36:51.920 --> 00:36:56.639 from the silent era up to today. And I was 660 00:36:56.679 --> 00:36:58.559 going to do it by myself, and I was talking 661 00:36:58.599 --> 00:37:00.880 to Leonard Slackin for something QX are and I said, 662 00:37:00.880 --> 00:37:03.400 would you join me on stage and just talk about this. 663 00:37:03.480 --> 00:37:05.719 I don't know how much of your audience knows Leonard Slacken, 664 00:37:05.800 --> 00:37:09.360 but he's probably conducted the recordings of I don't even 665 00:37:09.400 --> 00:37:13.239 know how many sixty recordings, major recordings over his eighty years. 666 00:37:13.800 --> 00:37:18.840 But his parents were in Los Angeles and were in 667 00:37:18.920 --> 00:37:22.199 the orchestra for a number of these classic film scores, 668 00:37:23.039 --> 00:37:27.559 Corn Gold for the Robin Hood film and a number 669 00:37:27.599 --> 00:37:30.000 of other films. So he grew and he would go. 670 00:37:30.199 --> 00:37:31.599 He would as a kid, he would sit by on 671 00:37:31.599 --> 00:37:34.719 his parents knee while these film scores were being made 672 00:37:34.800 --> 00:37:37.639 these classic film scores from the forties, and he was 673 00:37:37.960 --> 00:37:40.480 in the recording studio and has since gone on and 674 00:37:40.559 --> 00:37:44.119 championed movie music as well. So I couldn't be more 675 00:37:44.159 --> 00:37:47.079 thrilled to have Leonard Slack and join me on stage 676 00:37:47.079 --> 00:37:51.320 on March twenty eighth to talk about movie music. Last year, 677 00:37:51.360 --> 00:37:59.599 we partnered with this great cellist named Jody Ferber for 678 00:37:59.719 --> 00:38:02.320 something called Ecotnes. I'm not sure if you made it, Frank, 679 00:38:02.360 --> 00:38:05.639 but we did this event in which world class players 680 00:38:05.639 --> 00:38:09.880 were playing live in Riverhook and Upper Nayak outdoors. 681 00:38:10.480 --> 00:38:15.320 Fabulous location, beautiful parks, the mansions on Upper broad North 682 00:38:15.360 --> 00:38:19.039 Broadway and Upper Niac, beautiful spot. Folks worth taking a 683 00:38:19.119 --> 00:38:20.199 ride to believe me. 684 00:38:20.480 --> 00:38:23.480 It's a really beautiful idea that she places these chamber 685 00:38:23.599 --> 00:38:27.360 ensembles throughout the park. You wander around to hear different 686 00:38:27.440 --> 00:38:29.639 groups and different parts of the park play, and then 687 00:38:29.679 --> 00:38:32.480 everyone comes together as one big group and play together. 688 00:38:32.519 --> 00:38:35.320 She's done this in other cities and she approached me 689 00:38:35.480 --> 00:38:37.679 for doing it here and we partner on it, and 690 00:38:37.719 --> 00:38:39.239 we did it last year, so we're going to do 691 00:38:39.239 --> 00:38:41.199 it again and that's June first. 692 00:38:41.280 --> 00:38:43.239 It's coin was by the way, it was wonderful. 693 00:38:43.280 --> 00:38:46.599 It was beautiful. I mean we look you know again, 694 00:38:46.679 --> 00:38:49.880 speak speaking frankly. When you do outdoor events, it's the 695 00:38:49.920 --> 00:38:55.519 big three. It's it's power, bathrooms, and weather, weather, and 696 00:38:55.599 --> 00:38:58.599 we had all three in our favor that day. You know, 697 00:38:58.679 --> 00:39:02.519 the bathrooms provided the way. Other was spectacular, and we 698 00:39:02.559 --> 00:39:05.079 worked out the power, considering most of it was acoustic, 699 00:39:05.119 --> 00:39:08.360 but we did have some electricity. Anyway worked out well. 700 00:39:08.360 --> 00:39:12.800 We're fingers crossed it'll happen again. That's June first of 701 00:39:12.880 --> 00:39:17.559 twenty five, and then those are the ones that are listed. 702 00:39:17.599 --> 00:39:20.079 But I'd love to take this opportunity just to sort 703 00:39:20.119 --> 00:39:23.000 of mention a couple of the other things we're working on. 704 00:39:23.840 --> 00:39:26.559 Some of them are more solid than others. But it 705 00:39:26.679 --> 00:39:29.119 looks like we're going to partner again with the Rockland 706 00:39:29.159 --> 00:39:33.920 Symphony Orchestra for a family concert. And we did Peter 707 00:39:34.039 --> 00:39:36.519 and the Wolf and something I wrote called Babbling Orchestra 708 00:39:36.639 --> 00:39:39.400 last year, and now we're going to do Dan Brown's 709 00:39:39.880 --> 00:39:43.719 Wild Symphony. Dan Brown, who is the noted writer of 710 00:39:44.079 --> 00:39:48.599 all sorts of books, has written a children's book and 711 00:39:49.800 --> 00:39:53.639 accompanying a work for symphony orchestra. So we're going to 712 00:39:53.719 --> 00:39:56.159 partner with them. And do that with the Rockland Symphony Orchestra. 713 00:39:57.280 --> 00:40:01.320 Our our conversation series can continues. I'm just tossing this 714 00:40:01.400 --> 00:40:03.679 out because this is what's happening. Although we haven't picked 715 00:40:03.679 --> 00:40:06.960 a date yet, but I'm hoping John Torturo comes out 716 00:40:07.000 --> 00:40:10.760 and then another event with Kevin Bacon to do another 717 00:40:10.800 --> 00:40:13.320 one of our interviews. We did a show two years 718 00:40:13.320 --> 00:40:15.559 ago with Alice Leon. It was a tribute to Peggy 719 00:40:15.639 --> 00:40:18.480 Lee and it was really spectacular and I think we're 720 00:40:18.480 --> 00:40:19.840 going to repeat that again. 721 00:40:20.000 --> 00:40:21.519 Great local artists too, terrific. 722 00:40:21.519 --> 00:40:24.000 Alison a great singer, songwriter, a great. 723 00:40:23.760 --> 00:40:26.559 Work loves with children and special needs people. 724 00:40:26.679 --> 00:40:29.800 Great, great lady, great lady, and she did this really 725 00:40:29.840 --> 00:40:31.800 lovely evening as a tribute to Peggy Lee. And I 726 00:40:31.800 --> 00:40:35.119 think we're going to do it again. And finally, the 727 00:40:35.119 --> 00:40:37.199 one I'm gonna mention again this is not on our website. 728 00:40:37.199 --> 00:40:39.280 We haven't announced it, we haven't locked it down yet, 729 00:40:39.639 --> 00:40:44.119 but next year is Tom Chapin's eightieth birthday, and so 730 00:40:44.239 --> 00:40:46.880 we are working with the family to do a tribute 731 00:40:46.920 --> 00:40:50.960 four and two Tom Chapin in twenty twenty five to 732 00:40:51.119 --> 00:40:55.280 celebrate this national hero, this national artist that lives right 733 00:40:55.280 --> 00:40:58.039 in our community and hope to celebrate the birthday of 734 00:40:58.039 --> 00:40:58.639 Tom Chapin. 735 00:40:58.719 --> 00:41:01.320 Yeah, another big player in the arts scene here in 736 00:41:01.400 --> 00:41:07.239 Rockland and the surrounding areas for a long time. You know, 737 00:41:08.079 --> 00:41:12.440 you mentioned inspiration, and these are inspirational people, But who 738 00:41:12.519 --> 00:41:14.239 inspires Elliott Farest. 739 00:41:17.719 --> 00:41:20.239 That's an interesting question. I you know, I've had a 740 00:41:20.239 --> 00:41:24.679 lot of mentors in my life. They're not necessarily, you know, 741 00:41:24.800 --> 00:41:28.679 people that people know. But my good friend Don France, 742 00:41:28.719 --> 00:41:32.559 who is a producer and was one of the original 743 00:41:32.559 --> 00:41:35.039 producers of Lion King and Beauty and the Beast on Broadway, 744 00:41:35.159 --> 00:41:37.159 I met in nineteen ninety five and it's been a 745 00:41:37.159 --> 00:41:40.000 close friend ever since. And you know, people see that 746 00:41:40.079 --> 00:41:42.599 I juggle stuff from around the country and arts rock 747 00:41:42.639 --> 00:41:44.679 and WQX are and they go, how do you do it? 748 00:41:45.199 --> 00:41:49.760 And I have mentors who I feel like do more 749 00:41:49.800 --> 00:41:52.760 than twenty four to seven more than me. And so 750 00:41:53.239 --> 00:41:56.159 I see the work, I see the dedication, I see 751 00:41:56.199 --> 00:42:00.400 the compassion, the kindness that I get from other people 752 00:42:00.440 --> 00:42:02.800 in show business. That's not always around in show business, 753 00:42:02.800 --> 00:42:05.199 but there are certainly people the ones that I am, 754 00:42:05.679 --> 00:42:08.719 I admire and love and that have taught me have 755 00:42:08.840 --> 00:42:13.480 all those qualities. And Don was one of them. You know, 756 00:42:14.320 --> 00:42:17.519 my father ninety six years of age. 757 00:42:18.320 --> 00:42:20.119 You'll have him. That's wonderful, that's. 758 00:42:20.440 --> 00:42:24.559 Kind of doing okay. He's been okay on and off. 759 00:42:24.599 --> 00:42:29.400 He's taken another fall recently, but always a zest for life. 760 00:42:29.480 --> 00:42:33.079 Knows the news is up on things. My mom passed 761 00:42:33.079 --> 00:42:35.519 away more than ten years ago, and he started dating 762 00:42:35.559 --> 00:42:39.559 again at the age of ninety. There's a lot of 763 00:42:39.559 --> 00:42:44.599 inspiration there. So yeah, those are just a few. 764 00:42:44.679 --> 00:42:47.920 I guess, good stuff, Eliet. Now, and you mentioned your 765 00:42:47.960 --> 00:42:52.280 time and your programming at QXR. Where exactly can people 766 00:42:52.519 --> 00:42:55.119 dial in? Do they still dial in? I know it's 767 00:42:55.159 --> 00:42:59.760 probably streamed as well, but do we actually dial in? 768 00:43:00.400 --> 00:43:02.400 You know, I don't own a radio. I mean I do, 769 00:43:02.480 --> 00:43:03.800 but none of them are plugged. 770 00:43:03.519 --> 00:43:07.760 In actually work? Now, how can we here? How can 771 00:43:07.800 --> 00:43:10.599 people listen to you? At what time? Slide? Can they 772 00:43:10.639 --> 00:43:11.880 catch you on QXR. 773 00:43:12.599 --> 00:43:17.159 So if you do have a radio and still have 774 00:43:17.320 --> 00:43:18.880 something that's close to it in your. 775 00:43:18.719 --> 00:43:22.360 Car, many people still do listen to car radios, right. 776 00:43:22.280 --> 00:43:27.079 Although you know that I listened to QXR at one 777 00:43:27.119 --> 00:43:29.119 oh five point nine FM. We're at one o five 778 00:43:29.199 --> 00:43:32.360 point nine FM. But if your phone is plugged into 779 00:43:32.400 --> 00:43:35.800 your car. I'm guessing the reception off of our mobile 780 00:43:35.800 --> 00:43:38.760 app is going to be much better than actually listening 781 00:43:38.800 --> 00:43:41.880 to FM. So the mobile app is good. You can 782 00:43:41.880 --> 00:43:44.840 listen online at WQXR dot org. But you know, I 783 00:43:44.840 --> 00:43:46.639 think that not only the future, but what I do 784 00:43:46.760 --> 00:43:50.480 personally is walk into a room and say, hey, Google 785 00:43:50.559 --> 00:43:54.239 or Alexa or whatever, you have played WQXR and it 786 00:43:54.280 --> 00:43:59.159 will so any smart speaker, our mobile app, online or 787 00:43:59.320 --> 00:44:03.679 or radio you can get WQXR. I'm now doing middays 788 00:44:03.679 --> 00:44:08.039 from eleven am to four pm Monday through Friday. I 789 00:44:08.119 --> 00:44:11.559 continue to host the national radio broadcasts of the Chamber 790 00:44:11.559 --> 00:44:14.719 of Music Society of Lincoln Center. We're on two hundred 791 00:44:14.800 --> 00:44:17.239 radio stations around the country, and qx are places that 792 00:44:17.320 --> 00:44:19.480 I think on Saturday evenings at this point I think 793 00:44:21.199 --> 00:44:26.320 so yeah. And my own personal website at Elliott Forrest 794 00:44:26.480 --> 00:44:28.480 dot com. There's a lot of disinformation. 795 00:44:30.039 --> 00:44:34.719 Well, last question, Elliott and we mentioned support for the arts, 796 00:44:34.880 --> 00:44:40.239 and often some people see, I think, unfortunately, spending on 797 00:44:40.400 --> 00:44:45.239 local arts as disposable income, if you will, rather than 798 00:44:45.679 --> 00:44:50.800 using essential income. But that seems contrary to what we're 799 00:44:50.920 --> 00:44:55.239 talking about. Our initial quote that supporting arts locally is 800 00:44:55.320 --> 00:44:59.480 important and it is worth the expenditure. Your thoughts on. 801 00:44:59.400 --> 00:45:03.119 That, yeah, I couldn't agree with you more. I mean, look, 802 00:45:03.440 --> 00:45:07.199 at this point, tax deductible contributions are still part of 803 00:45:07.519 --> 00:45:10.840 our tax code, so you know, you can fund the government, 804 00:45:10.920 --> 00:45:14.360 and however they may spend it willy nilly or for 805 00:45:14.480 --> 00:45:16.760 causes that you believe in, or you could give locally 806 00:45:16.800 --> 00:45:20.559 and get a write off. But more importantly, I think 807 00:45:20.559 --> 00:45:24.440 it's to support arts organizations and artists that you believe in. 808 00:45:26.000 --> 00:45:28.119 And I'll tell you one more thing. We have done 809 00:45:28.159 --> 00:45:31.679 family shows every year, and it became very clear to 810 00:45:31.760 --> 00:45:35.440 me that after COVID, when we started to have three 811 00:45:35.480 --> 00:45:38.400 four five year olds in the audience, they had never 812 00:45:38.480 --> 00:45:42.039 seen a live show that we were introducing. The idea 813 00:45:42.199 --> 00:45:45.559 of we're in the same space and I'm performing for 814 00:45:45.639 --> 00:45:48.679 you and you're here and I'm here had never happened 815 00:45:48.719 --> 00:45:52.320 in their lives. So I think that kind of thing 816 00:45:52.360 --> 00:45:54.719 is important. Not only that we partnered many times with 817 00:45:54.800 --> 00:45:57.519 Jeffrey Freiberg and his Music for Life group here in 818 00:45:58.000 --> 00:46:01.159 NYAK and not only perform warming four kids on the 819 00:46:01.199 --> 00:46:07.199 spectrum and with different disabilities and different neurodiverse issues, but 820 00:46:07.440 --> 00:46:09.960 with them. In some cases, we actually created a show 821 00:46:10.000 --> 00:46:13.480 where all of the students were neurodiverse or had some 822 00:46:13.559 --> 00:46:18.079 disability of some kind. And coming from a classical background 823 00:46:18.159 --> 00:46:21.360 where we spend a lot of time going don't talk 824 00:46:21.440 --> 00:46:23.960 during the movements and make sure and be quiet and 825 00:46:24.000 --> 00:46:25.800 sit on your hands and all that kind of stuff, 826 00:46:26.000 --> 00:46:30.039 the idea to present family shows where doesn't matter. Your 827 00:46:30.119 --> 00:46:32.880 kid can be loud, they can jump around, they you know, 828 00:46:32.920 --> 00:46:36.119 they do whatever they would do in their lives. And 829 00:46:36.159 --> 00:46:39.639 we make what they call sensory friendly shows, which is 830 00:46:39.639 --> 00:46:44.559 the signal to people with families with neurodiverse individuals in 831 00:46:44.639 --> 00:46:47.480 their family that they might speak up, they might talk, 832 00:46:47.559 --> 00:46:50.280 they might run around, doesn't matter. All is welcome. It's 833 00:46:50.280 --> 00:46:54.559 a celebration. We make a place comfortable for families to 834 00:46:54.599 --> 00:46:56.880 bring their families and know that they are welcome and 835 00:46:56.960 --> 00:47:01.840 not trying to just constantly monitor their behavior. So that's 836 00:47:01.880 --> 00:47:03.800 the kind of thing we believe in, and if people 837 00:47:03.840 --> 00:47:07.119 believe that that's important, I hope they support us. We 838 00:47:07.159 --> 00:47:10.000 have a donate button at arts rock dot org. People 839 00:47:10.039 --> 00:47:12.599 can go right to our website and make a donation 840 00:47:12.880 --> 00:47:16.679 of any amount. Give early and often all. 841 00:47:16.639 --> 00:47:19.039 Right, one last time too. All the important websites how 842 00:47:19.039 --> 00:47:22.519 people can find you arts right, arts rock against it. 843 00:47:22.559 --> 00:47:25.480 We don't do things visually. Sometimes we repeat them with 844 00:47:25.599 --> 00:47:29.480 audio so they have them. What are the important websites 845 00:47:29.599 --> 00:47:32.480 that people can get to you, arts rock, tickets, et cetera. 846 00:47:32.599 --> 00:47:33.360 What do we need? Yeah? 847 00:47:33.639 --> 00:47:36.519 Everything is it for arts rock and our local shows? 848 00:47:36.559 --> 00:47:40.159 On how to donate, ticket prices, even information on free 849 00:47:40.199 --> 00:47:44.599 tickets are all at arts rock dot org, A R T, 850 00:47:44.840 --> 00:47:48.599 S R O c K dot org And for me personally, 851 00:47:48.639 --> 00:47:52.679 Elliott Forrest dot com. And that's two l's, two teas 852 00:47:52.719 --> 00:47:54.679 and two rs. Don't blame me. My parents gave me 853 00:47:54.719 --> 00:47:55.639 a lot of double letter. 854 00:47:55.519 --> 00:47:57.800 I keep I have to keep looking and singers. It's 855 00:47:57.800 --> 00:48:00.440 the two tea's, the two l's, the two do all 856 00:48:00.880 --> 00:48:04.960 as I know, always gets the redline. What am I missing? 857 00:48:05.599 --> 00:48:08.599 It's been a lifetime of sous as my mother tell me. 858 00:48:08.679 --> 00:48:12.679 But mind last name Lobono. I've been called bono everywhere 859 00:48:12.719 --> 00:48:13.360 every word. 860 00:48:13.840 --> 00:48:15.159 Where's that capital? So? 861 00:48:15.440 --> 00:48:17.880 Why is that capital letter in there? That's not right? 862 00:48:18.400 --> 00:48:20.360 So why I hear your brother? I hear you? 863 00:48:20.800 --> 00:48:25.760 Is it? 864 00:48:25.880 --> 00:48:27.800 Elliet? What a pleasure? I really want to thank you 865 00:48:27.880 --> 00:48:33.039 for being so so Frank with your intelligent conversation. Forgive 866 00:48:33.159 --> 00:48:36.440 the trite analogy, but I had to really Elliot, this 867 00:48:36.440 --> 00:48:38.239 has been great. I really enjoyed it. Thank you for 868 00:48:38.320 --> 00:48:38.840 joining us. 869 00:48:39.159 --> 00:48:41.360 Thank you Frank, and thank you for everything you do 870 00:48:41.400 --> 00:48:42.119 in our community. 871 00:48:42.159 --> 00:48:44.239 Oh it's so great to hear that. It's my pleasure. 872 00:48:44.559 --> 00:48:46.480 And of course we have to offer special thanks to 873 00:48:46.519 --> 00:48:48.599 our listeners because they take time to give us a 874 00:48:48.679 --> 00:48:51.920 voice in their lives. But remember we also offer fresh 875 00:48:51.960 --> 00:48:55.400 topic every week. Catch us wherever and whenever you get 876 00:48:55.400 --> 00:48:59.639 your favorite podcasts, Apple, Spotify, Speaker, all the rest. Also 877 00:48:59.719 --> 00:49:02.440 check SAT on the Hudson River Radio Facebook page. You 878 00:49:02.440 --> 00:49:04.800 can leave us a comment and we ask you to 879 00:49:04.880 --> 00:49:07.960 consider sharing being Frank with others. I always leave you 880 00:49:08.000 --> 00:49:10.719 with two little I called him nuggets, a song and 881 00:49:10.760 --> 00:49:13.880 a closing. We start with a stick closing statement, if 882 00:49:13.920 --> 00:49:16.119 you will, and this one comes from the great artist 883 00:49:16.119 --> 00:49:19.920 Salvator Dali and it fits within our theme overall, a 884 00:49:19.960 --> 00:49:23.119 true artist is not one who was inspired, but one 885 00:49:23.159 --> 00:49:26.199 who inspires others. Okay, I think it's a little bit 886 00:49:26.239 --> 00:49:28.800 of both there, and we've got some great closing music 887 00:49:28.920 --> 00:49:31.800 for you. If you remember, last week we featured Eric DeVito, 888 00:49:32.000 --> 00:49:38.440 a jazz performer and teacher. I saw his opening jazz 889 00:49:38.480 --> 00:49:41.679 series at the Piermont Library last week. It was terrific. 890 00:49:41.960 --> 00:49:44.400 He's got another one coming up in Nayak if you 891 00:49:44.440 --> 00:49:47.119 get a chance to catch it. He's absolutely terrific. So 892 00:49:47.199 --> 00:49:50.760 here he is with his original tune sunscript for our 893 00:49:50.800 --> 00:49:53.639 engineer Neil Richter. I'm your host, Frank Lebon, and we 894 00:49:53.679 --> 00:49:56.320 hope to have you join us on the next being. Frank, 895 00:49:56.320 --> 00:50:00.480 We're the only way to be is Frank. Thanks everyone, h. 896 00:50:45.000 --> 00:51:39.320 M L. 897 00:54:12.840 --> 00:54:14.960 And now at. 898 00:54:51.480 --> 00:54:54.719 The pad that happened. 899 00:54:55.840 --> 00:54:56.239 That the. 900 00:55:01.440 --> 00:57:40.400 The beam SNA. This is Hudson River Radio dot com.