TRILLOQUY

Have you ever heard of slave orchestras? What does a post-colonial 'classical' music ecosystem look like? Cellist, composer, multi-instrumentalist and writer Jon Silpayamanant joins Garrett to talk about how the intersection of colonialism and music have impacted the world, and ideas on how musicians can help inspire mental decolonization. Garrett and Scott highlight the story of a Black man who m...

Tarik 'Konshens The MC' Davis is a hip-hop artist, songwriter, educator and youth advocate from Washington D.C who, in search of hip-hop driven chamber music, created the "Classically Dope" ensemble. He and Classically Dope's horn player, Derek Maseloff, join Garrett to talk about the development of this ensemble, the public response the ensemble has gained and the ways in which "classical" traini...

Once upon a time, a recording of the United States Marine Band inspired a boy from East Tennessee to pursue a profession as a band director. Today, Dr. Brandon Houghtalen teaches the next generation of band directors while challenging the traditional notions and narratives that place concert band and wind ensemble music in the back seat to orchestral music. He chats with Garrett about this, a few...

(Recorded 7/3/21) The age-old stories of Native communities continue to have an important place in contemporary culture, including in contemporary Western classical music! Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate joins Garrett to talk about how he's done that with his new composition, "Lowak Shoppala'". Garrett and Scott acknowledge the 4th of July with a look back at under-told American history and discuss G...

On July 9th the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival will present the world premiere of "Twin Stars: Diamond Variations for Dae’Anna", written in honor of the girlfriend and stepdaughter of the late Philando Castile by Daniel Bernard Roumain. He joins Garrett, alongside pianist Melvin Chen, to talk about the upcoming premiere and continued activism in concert hall spaces. Scott honors the voice of singe...

It's not easy to "go viral" in today's social media ecosystem, but operatic baritone Babatunde Akinboboye managed to do it by fusing Kendrick Lamar and Rossini! He talks with Garrett about this, life between Nigeria and the US, his aspirations for the opera industry, and the people who are standing in the way of progress for Black operatic professionals. Scott highlights a violin concerto by Wynto...

As Juneteenth becomes a more wide-spread celebration, musicians and content creators of all types are jumping in to honor the holiday. Garrett goes into why he chose not to offer anything this year in an emotional final movement. Scott shines a light on the continued struggle for equity across the pond, and helps unpack a think piece written to demean the work of composer Daniel Bernard Roumain. V...

As arts institutions continue to celebrate the life and work of Joseph Bologne Chevalier de Saint-Georges, opera scholar Angel Refusé is pushing individuals to understand how the so-called "Black Mozart" actually inspired not only 18th-century European culture, but world culture! He explores this idea with Garrett while highlighting how spirituality and contemporary culture play a role in the Chev...

Dr. Durell Cooper describes himself as a Disruptor of Systems, Breaker of Chains, Builder of Tables, Interrogator of Phenomena and Radical Black Joy Practitioner. He joins Garrett to dive into ideas of liberation, defining Black music, and highlighting Hip Hop as an American "classical" tradition. Garrett and Scott kick off Season 3 with a new musical theme and a more laid-back, "live to tape" fee...

For week 2 of TRILLOQUY's two-week break, Garrett reprises his and Scott's conversation with Kalena Bovell, Assistant Conductor of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and one of the nation's few Black woman conductors. This conversation from February 2020 highlights Kalena's unique role as a Black conductor in one of the nation's predominately Black cities, her love of Metal, and more! Garrett and Scot...

One of the highest-rated opuses of TRILLOQUY from season 1 featured the music and musings of South Indian artists Nirmala Rajasekar and Thanjavur K. Murugaboopathi. As the team prepares for season 3, Garrett gives an intro to this replay and offers and few shout-outs to some fellow decolonizers. More: Watch 'Ananda Nadamaduvar (The Joyful Dance of Shiva)': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeNPm6nMG...

Garrett and Scott celebrate the 100th opus of TRILLOQUY with podcast-themed conversations, including a look at co-host relationships as related to recent news with the Joe Budden Podcast and a conversation with Melissa Smey and Golda Arthur of "Mission: Commission". The guys honor P.M. Dawn, shoutout an up and coming teenaged composer, and offer a "resistance" inspired final movement. THANK YOU TO...

Is America a racist country? Is "classical" music a racist industry? Garrett and Scott keep it "trill" and address both of these questions, in light of recent statements by Senator Tim Scott and Vice President Kamala Harris. The guys also honor music from Mexico, highlight the intersection of Asian culture and American Music Education, and shout-out an artist who isn't afraid to center his heritag...

When the Nashville Symphony Orchestra canceled its 2020-2021 season, its principal oboist, Titus Underwood, made "something out of nothing". He joins Garrett to talk about his Emmy win, a few Black composers he's been celebrating, and the importance of self care in activism. Scott honors the legacy of Ma Rainey, the guys respond to their New York Times feature, and the subject of Black trauma fuel...

Just a few hours before the historic conviction of Derek Chauvin, Garrett and Scott offered continued thoughts on policing and the road toward true justice. The guys also honor the 4/20 holiday with music by Adrian Dunn, Bob Marley, and a conversation about weed culture's relationship with music, and explore the idea of musical colonies in America. Garrett chats with L.A. Khalil who is a Los Angel...

Which do you think will come first: concert hall equity or police reform? In the midst of the historic trial of Derek Chauvin, 20-year-old Daunte Wright was killed by another Twin Cities-area police officer, sparking yet another season of protests, unrest, and anger. Garrett and Scott offer reactions while under curfew, and revisit the question of "good" policing. Garrett celebrates the legacy of...

Will Liverman's "Dreams of a New Day" has changed the way many people think about the spiritual, and his contemporary approach to opera promises to engage the next generation in a completely new way. He joins Garrett to talk about his new album, his new opera, and some of the Black History that's inspired both. Scott and Garrett find a through line between Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-George...

Should all-white choirs sing Negro Spirituals? What does the contemporary discourse of race look like to arts leaders who have been in the game for decades? Is Hip Hop part of the classical tradition? Dr. Louise Toppin joins Garrett to unpack these topics while showcasing her lifelong dedication to the music born from Afro-American culture. Garrett and Scott wrap up their celebration of Women's Hi...

People don't typically think of the "classical" American tradition of country music as being rooted in Blackness - Rissi Palmer is working to change that by spreading the truth of country music's Black origins through her show, "Color Me Country". She joins Scott and Garrett to explore the intersection of race, gender, "classical" and country while highlighting some of the Black women whose names...

After studying the feminist anthology, "This Bridge Called My Back", flutist Lorin Green found a new calling: producing an anthology of Black classical music experiences. She joins Garrett to talk about the anthology, WOC-feminism, and current events "through the eyes of 'classical' music professionals". Garrett and Scott cover the Grammys, its broad unappeal, and the Women's History therein, and...

After spending years away from her native Louisiana, composer Courtney Bryan returned to New Orleans to work as the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra's first-ever Creative Partner - a post that includes engaging community outreach initiatives, writing music, and being a part of the change that many other orchestras desperately need. She talks with Garrett about her planned approach to this new posi...

The Grammy Award-winning Catalyst Quartet is on a journey to create more recordings of music by women and composers of color, with the project, "Uncovered" being the latest installment. Abi Fayette joins Garrett to talk about the unique role that summer music festivals played in her development, her life as the newest member of the Catalyst Quartet, and how "Uncovered" has played a pivotal role in...

Racial equity in "classical" music culture extends far beyond the world of performance! James Bennett II does his part as a staff writer at New York City's WQXR-FM, and joins the guys to talk about his job, the power of the pen, and how he reacts to today's social ecosystem as a content creator. Scott reacts to Regina King's "One Night in Miami" and celebrates composer Stevie Wonder, while Garrett...

The celebration of Black History wouldn't be possible without the tireless work of Black historians, and in the field of "classical" music Mr. Bill Doggett is leading the way. Bill joins Garrett to take a look back at the Watts uprisings, his work with composer Adolphus Hailstork, and more. Scott honors the lives of Mary Wilson and Chick Corea, and the guys address the latest viral misstep in Musi...

As names like Florence Price and William Grant Still become more familiar to the masses, it's important to also celebrate Black musicians who embrace "classical" music's contemporary aesthetics. Composer Clifton Joey Guidry III joins Garrett to talk about mental health as a young creator, their experiences as a Black, trans bassoonist in contemporary music spaces, and the situation that inspired t...