KeyBARD

Send us Fan Mail What in the world is a KeyBARD, anyway? In this episode, I sit down with my daughter Nadia to reflect on the first season of the pod and look ahead to Season 2.  We get into the heart of why I started the podcast, from the joy of deep conversations with brilliant minds to the behind-the-scenes realities of producing an independent podcast. Internal music by u_98o9hlkn7r on Pixabay...

Send us Fan Mail S1. E20. “There's always an aspect of joy, because otherwise, what's the point?” In this episode, Thembi speaks with playwright, poet, and artistic leader Farah Lawal Harris about her journey as a breast cancer survivor and how her experiences have influenced her approach to storytelling, leadership, and wellness. Farah shares how the challenges she has faced, both perso...

Send us Fan Mail The Power of Storytelling: Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich on Writing, Identity & Empowering Young Readers “Story was just the foundation of my life.” In this episode of KeyBARD, host Thembi Duncan speaks with award-winning author and educator Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich , whose work explores themes of family, migration, and the rich storytelling traditions of the African dias...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of KeyBARD, Host Thembi Duncan sits down with Chad Harper, founder and CEO of Hip Hop Saves Lives , a social entrepreneurship that uses hip-hop as a tool for education, empowerment, and global connection. Chad shares his journey from Cleveland, Ohio to New York City, where he combined his passions for hip-hop and community service to create a curriculum that teache...

Send us Fan Mail S1. E17. "I wanted to write the roles that I wish somebody would write for me." Thembi talks with Caleen Sinnette Jennings about her journey as an actor, director, playwright, educator, and arts leader, including her memories of being introduced to Shakespeare in an international school in Nigeria, her motivation for becoming a playwright, her creative process, and why s...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of KeyBARD, singer, poet, actor, and emcee W.Ellington Felton opens up about his artistic journey, creative process, and love for teaching. He talks with host Thembi Duncan about his vision for turning 50, the different eras of his work, and what it means to truly be free. Introspective. Loquacious. Giving. Insightful. Passionate. Honest. Transparent. Artist. W.Ell...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of KeyBARD, host Thembi Duncan sits down with Michael Lavine , a celebrated music director, performance coach, sheet music expert, and Broadway archivist. With a career spanning decades, Michael has worked with legends like Stephen Sondheim, John Kander, Adolph Green, Betty Comden, Craig Carnelia, Hugh Martin, and Sheldon Harnick. Michael shares how his passion for...

Send us Fan Mail Helynsia Brown: Leading with Purpose in Tech and Social Justice In this episode of KeyBARD, host Thembi Duncan speaks with Helynsia Brown , a technology executive whose career spans the U.S. Air Force, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Women Donors Network. With a deep commitment to service, purpose, and soci...

Send us Fan Mail Sam Lewis: The Art of Theatrical & Film Design in a Tech-Driven World In this episode of KeyBARD, host Thembi Duncan interviews Sam Lewis , an omni-media artist and designer whose innovative craftsmanship spans multiple artistic disciplines. Sam reflects on his earliest memories of working with his hands, which ignited a lifelong passion for creating immersive visual experienc...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, multi-talented theatre artist Lynne Streeter Childress shares her journey through 30 years of working in professional theatre, focusing on her extensive work in theatre for young audiences (TYA). Lynne Streeter Childress is a playwright, actor, teaching artist, singer, director, and the founder and artistic director of Building Better People Productions , an organ...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Dr. Roy Clariana describes his journey from the Peace Corps, through corporate training, and into academia, where he's been a tenured professor in Learning Design and Technology at Penn State University since 1997. His recently completed 5-year National Science Foundation research project with colleague Ping Li examined how the implicit concept structure of t...

Send us Fan Mail S1.E10. Thembi talks with brilliant playwright, poet, screenwriter, director, and cultural worker Goldie Patrick about the cities and cultures that shaped her identity and artistry, her innovative theatre projects, and her belief that Black liberation begins with Black womxn and girls.  This dynamic conversation also covers Goldie's hip-hop pedagogy, how she encourages vulner...

Send us Fan Mail S1.E9. In this wide-ranging conversation, Dr. Giani Clarkson joins Thembi to discuss his journey as an educator, the importance of mentorship and cultural representation in education, his approach to teaching civic engagement, and he even lets us in on which Abbott Elementary character that he most identifies with. Dr. Giani Clarkson is a proud graduate of Dillard University and r...

Send us Fan Mail S1.E8. Thembi takes a deep dive into MicroSims, systems thinking, generative artificial intelligence (AI), and so much more with Dan McCreary, an AI strategist that works as head of AI for TigerGraph . In the past, Dan worked as a VLSI circuit designer at Bell Labs and with the creators of the UNIX operating system.  He worked with Steve Jobs at NeXT Computer, and founded his own...

Send us Fan Mail S1.E7. For this special episode of KeyBARD, Thembi talks with the multifaceted community advocate, consultant, and educator Wil Green II . With over 28 years of experience in education and youth development, Wil brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to this dynamic conversation.  Wil talks about the city that made him, Buffalo, NY, and the way he advocates for marginalized grou...

Send us Fan Mail S1.E6. In this episode, Thembi is joined by award-winning choreographer, director and performing artist, Naila Ansari , who shares her journey from the world of dance to her work as an academic and archivist. We talk about some of her groundbreaking projects including The Movement of Joy, in which she archives the Joy of Black women, challenging dominant narratives and celebrating...

Send us Fan Mail S1.E5. Arts and culture visionary Michael J. Bobbitt joins Thembi this week to discuss the pressing need for systemic change in the arts sector. In his role as Executive Director of Mass Cultural Council, Michael "walks the walk" and consistently implements innovation and sparks paradigm shift in the agency. In this rich discussion, Michael also talks about the double-ed...

Send us Fan Mail S1.E4. Award-winning South African playwright/director Nwabisa Plaatjie shares gems from her artistic journey as a theatre maker from a long line of storytellers. From her groundbreaking work in Cape Town to her roots in rural South Africa, Nwabisa shares how she's reshaping cultural narratives, fostering community connections, and redefining self-care. Nwabisa Plaatjie is an...

Send us Fan Mail S1.E3. Step into the world of playwright, director, and actor Psalmayene 24 as he shares insights into his unique creative process and the powerful themes that define his theatrical body of work. We explore his seminal hip-hop theatre piece Free Jujube Brown! , discuss his reimagining of an iconic historical interaction between Richard Wright and James Baldwin in Les Deux Noirs ,...

Send us Fan Mail Imagine an education system with no grade levels -- or no grades at all! Imagine schools where students advance based on their mastery of the material, not just the passage of time. This is personalized, competency-based learning . This week’s guest is Charles Reigeluth, Ph. D ., an award-winning, internationally renowned author, scholar, and social scientist who has championed a...

Send us Fan Mail Join host Thembi Duncan as she sits down for the very first episode of KeyBARD with Ayesis Clay , a distinguished educator, theatre practitioner, and nationally sought-after keynote speaker. Ayesis shares her insights on the creative process, working with incarcerated youth, the biggest challenges of the US education system, and her unique approach to professional development, the...