Arts Educators Save the World

In Season One, we looked at the representation of arts educators on television with Christina Anthony (Episode 8, for those who want to give it a listen). This season, we are taking a look at a few arts educators from the big screen, and who better to speak with than Dana Stevens, Slate’s film critic since 2006 and a co-host of the Slate Culture Gabfest (the magazine's weekly culture podcast). She...

We are back from the holidays and honored to have Chelsea Devantez in conversation with her "comedy mom", The Second City's Anne Libera, who is also the Director of Comedy Studies for the Theater Department at Columbia College Chicago. Chelsea is an Emmy-nominated TV writer, comedian, and filmmaker. She’s written on Peacock’s Girls5Eva, ABC’s Not Dead Yet, and was the Head Writer on The Problem wi...

When we say that arts educators save the world, we mean it! And these two superheroes are fierce advocates for the necessity of incorporating the arts into all aspects of education. Unsolicited advice: Don’t get in their way. We have RUSSELL GRANET, the President & CEO of New 42, a leading cultural nonprofit whose mission is to make extraordinary performing arts a vital part of everyone’s life fro...

On this episode we talk to an Emmy-award winning writer from “The Daily Show.” We talk to a writer from “How I Met Your Mother,” one from “Parks and Recreation,” one from “Veep,” and one from the deeply under appreciated “Bored to Death.” We also reconnect with a friend from our high school with the singing voice of an angel. And my word! It’s all the same person! We are thrilled to introduce you...

As part of the Wisconsin Arts Integration Symposium, we bring you our first LIVE episode! Erica and guest host Dr. Yorel Lashley bring on emcee and educator Sheikia Purple Norris, who has invited her long time "guide, teacher, sister, peer" Toni Blackman to the pod. Toni is an author, poet, educator, public speaker, cultural representative, and advocate "representing the divine feminine for women...

Speaking of mentoring, today we speak with artists of the spoken word, rapper and teacher Rich Robbins, along with actor, writer, and comedian Langston Kerman, who together speak highly of their spoken word teacher, poet and educator Peter Kahn from Oak Park and River Forest High School. We'll let the rest speak for itself.  Follow Rich Robbins: Instagram: @richrobbins Twitter: @richr0bbins Websit...

A great addition to the Arts Pod, mathematician and author Jordan Ellenberg calculates the multiplicity of areas covered by his mentor, Peggy Pfeiffer, who combined various factors to create a writers salon in their high school. We can only discuss a fraction of their infinite knowledge, but we divide and conquer hosting duties with Dr. Erica Litke, associate professor of mathematics education in...

We launch our second season with actress, model, and disability activist Jillian Mercado in conversation with two of her mentors from National Dance Institute: Artistic Director Kay Gayner, who is responsible for the direction of NDI’s In-School Program, which currently serves approximately 6,500 children in New York City schools; and Agnes McConlogue Ferro, a pediatric clinical specialist in phys...

Erica and Alek look back on the first (and definitely not the last) season of Arts Educators Save The World. They answer some listener mail, remember their own mentors, and look ahead to Season 2. 

Erica checks in to let everyone know how amazing this first season has been and how excited we are about the movement we're starting. She also drops a little hint about the guest we're hoping to bring on for the season one finale.

The incomparable Cecily Strong, fresh off her search for signs of intelligent life, soon to once again be live from New York, sits in conversation with Mary Lou Rosato, her CalArts acting teacher – the kind of acting teacher every artist dreams of having. As they talk sonnets, Lady Macbeth, and sketch comedy, you'll be very glad we started this conversation with her at our party.

In a break from our core curriculum, this elective episode brings Erica together with actress and teaching artist Christina Anthony to discuss representations of arts educators on television. While there are no prerequisites for the course, we recommend checking out the 1982 pilot of FAME (iTunes, $1.99 - worth it!), GLEE Season 3 Episode 12 (Disney+), and ABBOTT ELEMENTARY Season 1 Episode 7 (Hul...

This week we are joined by Tony-nominated broadway actress and singer Kate Baldwin, who has performed with just about every city symphony, in every theater, along with several presidentially-named Centers (Kennedy and Lincoln, to name a couple). Also joining us is Kate’s friend and mentor: musician, choreographer, and teacher since his teenage years, Craig Kienzle. Kate and Craig talk about the im...

Erica checks in to let everyone know that we're taking a week off to catch our breath, and she previews the second half of Season 1 with guest announcements and more!

Faisal Abdu’Allah is the Chazen Family Distinguished Chair in Art at the University of Wisconsin, and a barber. (Not a typo.) Fraser James is a prolific television actor who happened, one day, years ago, to get his hair cut by the Chazen Family Distinguished Chair in Art at the University of Wisconsin. This week on the podcast, a new take on mentorship reveals how these two Black British artists h...

It might be faster to name everything that Annaleigh Ashford HASN'T done, but let's just summarize her work and say that she IS an incredible actor and singer; star of the stage, the TV, and the movies, with credits including WICKED, KINKY BOOTS, YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU (Tony-winner!), BAD EDUCATION, B POSITIVE, and AMERICAN CRIME STORY; and will star in the Broadway revival of SWEENEY TODD alo...

Josh Radnor's career has spanned television (HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, HUNTERS), Broadway (DISGRACED, THE BABYLON LINE), film (HAPPYTHANKYOUMOREPLEASE, LIBERAL ARTS), and music, recording both as a solo arist and part of the duo RADNOR & LEE. On this week's episode of ARTS EDUCATORS SAVE THE WORLD, Josh links all these forms of storytelling back to his graduate education at NYU's Tisch School of the...

Bill Strickland is the founder of Manchester Craftmen’s Guild and Bidwell Corporation. He's also a MacArthur Fellow. Sharif Bey is an artist and professor, whose work is focused on the visual heritage of Africa, Oceana, and contemporary African American Culture. He's also the winner of The United States Artist fellowship. Bey got his start at Strickland’s Craftman’s Guild, and counts Strickland as...

Let the Storm Rage on, because You'll Be Back! It's Part 2 of our conversation with Robert Lopez, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and their elementary school music teacher, Barbara Ames, where they discuss composition, performance, and reminisce about their school's auditorium... the room where it happened.

Wait for It... then Let it Go. Lin-Manuel Miranda (HAMILTON, ENCANTO) and Robert Lopez (FROZEN, BOOK OF MORMON) together in their first ever joint interview, sit down with their shared elementary school music teacher, Barbara Ames. The trio discuss Barbara's dedication to instilling a love of music and the arts in all her students, and we hear stories about (and long-lost audio clips from) Lin and...

A new weekly podcast brings successful artists together in conversation with their mentors. Season One guests include Lin-Manuel Miranda, Robert Lopez, Josh Radnor, Annaleigh Ashford, and more. Follow the show on Twitter @artseducators, on IG @artseducatorspodcast, and learn more at www. ArtsEducatorsPodcast.com. Subscribe today to be inspired by how these educators and mentors changed the lives o...