Divas, Ingénues & Vixens Podcast

What happens when artists realize they don't need permission? This week on Divas, Ingénues & Vixens, Amity explores the remarkable story of the KC Fringe Festival—where artists are invited not by a jury, but by courage. From the revolutionary beginnings of the Fringe movement in Edinburgh to today's vibrant Kansas City festival, discover why Fringe remains one of the most exciting expressions...

What does it feel like to be inside music? In this special follow-up to our conversation with Sound Mandala creator Tom Mardikes, Amity returns to the Unicorn Theatre to experience immersive sound firsthand—and discovers that the music doesn't simply surround you. It moves over, around, and through you. From firefly lights in the darkness to harmonies that seem to drift through the air itself, thi...

What happens when you travel thousands of miles only to come home seeing your own city differently? In this season finale of the June Welcome Basket, Amity shares unforgettable stories from international choral tours in Italy, Berlin, and France—from singing in the Vatican and performing beneath Renaissance masterpieces to a race across France to sing at the 75th Anniversary of D-Day on Omaha Beac...

What does a neighborhood sound like? As Kansas City welcomes the world for the FIFA World Cup, host Amity Bryson crosses the state line into Strawberry Hill, one of the most historic and vibrant neighborhoods in Kansas City, Kansas. Home to generations of immigrant families, artists, musicians, entrepreneurs, and community builders, Strawberry Hill tells a story that can't be found in a museum or...

What if Shakespeare is less like a textbook... and more like a symphony? This week on Divas, Ingénues & Vixens, we continue our summer "Welcome Basket to Kansas City" with one of the city's most treasured traditions: Shakespeare under the stars. Join me for a conversation with Sidonie Garrett as we explore Macbeth—a story of ambition, prophecy, power, and the dangerous pursuit of greatness. As...

Welcome to Kansas City-the town I love! As the world arrives for a summer of soccer, music, theatre, festivals, and celebration, Divas, Ingénues & Vixens is kicking off a special June series exploring the people, places, and experiences that make Kansas City unforgettable. In this episode, Amity takes listeners on a musical journey through the city with a simple challenge: Plan Your Route. Ins...

What if listening is more than hearing? This week on Divas, Ingénues & Vixens, Amity explores the art of listening—how attention, curiosity, and presence shape the way we experience music, sound, and one another. Inspired by Sound Mandala, an immersive sonic experience coming to Kansas City's Unicorn Theatre, this conversation with creator Tom Mardikes and collaborator Jacob Souders asks a dec...

This week on Divas, Ingénues & Vixens, Amity journeys into the world of The Alchemist with Lauren and Taylor of Apothogothic for a sensory exploration of pilgrimage, intuition, flamenco, Andalusian music, and the fragrance Santiago. Inspired by Paulo Coelho’s beloved novel and a fantastic playlist, this immersive episode blends literature, scent, music, memory, and storytelling into a journey...

Three women. One band. A thousand harmonies between them. Lauren Flynn, Tiffany Smith, and Aubrey Dykeman of OLIVIA FOX join Amity Bryson for a conversation about harmony, collaboration, women supporting women, and the courage to keep creating. In this episode of Divas, Ingénues & Vixens, we explore the meaning behind “We Are OLIVIA FOX,” the beauty of collective artistry, songwriting, vulnera...

It sounds simple—until you hear it. In this Season Two premiere of Divas, Ingénues & Vixens, Amity Bryson invites you into a listening experience that goes beyond music theory and into something deeper: how rhythm shapes the way we move, decide, and feel. Through a guided listening moment, the pulse of 2 and 3 becomes more than sound—it becomes identity. Where do you crave certainty? Where do...

She was never meant to be heard—until the music gave her a voice.   In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, Curley’s wife exists at the edge of the story—unnamed, misunderstood, and often dismissed. But in Carlisle Floyd’s operatic adaptation, something changes. She sings. In this episode, Amity explores what happens when a woman defined by silence is finally given a voice—through the music of Of Mic...

Play from your heart . . . Everything else follows!   What does it mean to make music that is honest… grounded… and truly your own? In this episode, Amity Bryson sits down with Amanda Fish to explore the journey from precision to presence—what happens when an artist stops chasing perfection and starts playing from the heart. From the rich, experimental “laboratory” of the Kansas City music scene t...

Three voices. Three distinct paths. One unforgettable night. In this episode, I sit down with Holly Crays, Leah Sproul, and Damaris—three artists bringing their own sound, story, and spirit to the Lyrical Belles stage at Knuckleheads on April 23. Rooted in country and Americana but shaped by their own journeys, these are artists on the rise—each stepping onto a “bucket list” stage. Come meet the v...

Episode 50. Fifty voices. One question: what makes a voice unforgettable? In this special episode of Divas, Ingénues & Vixens, I take you through a curated list of 50 women whose artistry has shaped how I listen—across opera, Broadway, folk, pop, jazz, gospel, and the vibrant music community of Kansas City. But this isn’t just a list. It’s a game. A reveal. A conversation between voices across...

In this deeply personal episode, Amity Bryson sits down with soprano Sarah Tannehill Anderson to reflect on a career shaped not only by extraordinary singing, but by intention, collaboration, and quiet artistic force. Through the archetypes of the Ingénue, the Vixen, and the Diva, Sarah revisits the moments that defined her journey—from early discovery to artistic risk to the spaces where everythi...

What happens when Langston Hughes’ poetry moves from the page into the singing voice? In this episode, soprano and director Alyson Cambridge shares the creative process behind Langston Hughes: A Lyrical Life, a new production with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City that weaves poetry, music, and storytelling into a 45-minute theatrical experience. Amity is also joined by poet and professor Stanley Ban...

Listening is more than hearing—it’s awareness, attention, and connection. In this immersive episode of Divas, Ingénues & Vixens, Amity Bryson explores the radical philosophy of composer Pauline Oliveros through her book Quantum Listening. Through guided listening exercises, sonic reflection, and a reimagining of the Diva, the Ingénue, and the Vixen, this episode invites you into a deeper aware...

Three singer-songwriters. Three unique voices. Amity Bryson welcomes Danielle Ate the Sandwich, Tracey Myers, and Maddie Lai to the podcast for a conversation about songwriting, storytelling, and the joy of sharing music with a live audience. Catch them live March 19 in the Gospel Lounge at Knuckleheads Saloon as part of the Lyrical Belles series.

International Women’s Day is more than a celebration — it’s a call to build the systems that make women composers visible year-round. Amity Bryson speaks with Angel Azzurra of the Boulanger Initiative about the organization’s work expanding access to repertoire through the Boulanger Initiative Database (20,000 works and counting), educational programs, Wikipedia edit-a-thons, and partnerships with...

Opening night of Porgy and Bess at the Lyric Opera of Kansas City did not disappoint. In this special ENCORE episode, I reflect on Michelle Bradley’s Bess debut, the remarkable sense of community onstage, and the devastating beauty of Gershwin’s American masterpiece. From the power of “Summertime” to the storm that changes everything, this production reminds us why opera endures: that heartbreak i...

What does it mean to witness a woman trying to survive? In this episode, Amity turns her lens toward one of the most complex female roles in the American repertoire: Bess in Porgy and Bess. In conversation with acclaimed soprano Michelle Bradley, who brings Bess to life with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, this episode explores autonomy, embodiment, vulnerability, and presence under pressure. Toge...

Special Edition: Preserving Women’s Legacy In this special, follow up episode the focus shifts to the Women Religious Archives Collaborative and the vital work of preserving the stories of Catholic sisters in the United States. Joined by Sr. Sue Durkin and historian Dr. Carol Coburn, we explore how women religious built the institutions that shaped American education, healthcare, and social justic...

The Broadway musical SUFFS by Shaina Taub* tells the story of suffragettes fighting to be heard. But what about the women who built the institutions that made change possible?* In this episode, I speak with performer Marya Grandy [Carrie Chapman Catt] and Sr. Sue Durkin of the Women Religious Archives Collaborative about voice, leadership, archives, and the quiet endurance of Catholic sisters whos...

In this fourth installment of What Does Music Smell Like?, I am joined once again by Lauren and Taylor of Apothogothic to unveil LILITH—a scent shaped by desire, boundaries, and sovereignty. Together, they reflect on the arc of year one—MIRAGE, WILDE, EMBER, and now LILITH—and the way seasons, playlists, and lived experience inform the creative process. From Sophie B. Hawkins to Joni Mitchell, Jil...

Lyrical Belles return for a follow-up conversation as the collective prepares for their upcoming live show at Knuckleheads on February 12. Building on their original origin-story episode (S1 Ep. 6) this conversation moves beyond how the group began and into what the work looks like now — onstage, behind the scenes, and within the evolving Kansas City music community. The founders reflect on how th...