TRILLOQUY

Public Media continues to be one of the principle vehicles for "classical" music, and the coalition, Public Media For All, is here to push its institutions toward radical and equitable change. Ernesto Aguilar and Consuela "Sway" Steward join Garrett to talk about the coalition, holding institutions accountable, and the mutual benefit of DEI. Scott inspires a "trill" explanation of equality vs. equ...

After deciding that she needed a change in her life, Maria Ellis quit her job and returned to school to earn a degree in Music Education. Today, she's leads choirs and hosts a genre-bending radio show called "Bach and Beyoncé". She talks with Garrett about this, what she believes makes a piece of music "classical", and her hopes for the radio industry. Scott reacts to a newly released recording of...

Arts institutions must be held accountable for the promises that they make in conjunction with DEI initiatives, and in the world of opera, the Black Opera Alliance has answered the call. World-renowned mezzo-soprano, Raehann Bryce-Davis joins Garrett to talk about the goals of BOA, the backstage life of a Black opera singer, and more! Scott highlights a national equity initiative in public radio,...

Is your New Year's Resolution fat-phobic? It may be! Laura Krider from the American Composers Forum joins Garrett to explore "the last 'acceptable' form of discrimination", and the impacts that it can have on the developing musician. Scott celebrates the music and the legacy of Living Colour, while Garrett honors a soothing piano composition written in honor of Black Lives Matter. The hosts also u...

The women from the Classically Black podcast return to talk about their new organization, the International Society for Black Musicians, as well as Katie Brown's fellowship with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, and Dalanie Harris' use of a new social media app to network with even more Black musicians. Scott honors the personality and the playing of pianist Andre Watts, and Garrett addresses the pu...

For the final opus of 2020, Garrett and Scott go back and talk about some of their most memorable TRILLOQUY moments, including their discussion of "cancel culture", the Louis Farrakhan opus, and the compositions that moved them most. Scott honors pianist and bandleader, Matthew Whitaker, and Garrett chats with Quanice Floyd about her op-ed that shook the world of arts administration this year. Pla...

When Dr. Molly McCann isn't doing cannabis consumer research, she's at the piano engaging in the intoxicating sounds of the music of Fanny Hensel. She joins Garrett and Scott to talk about why Mrs. Hensel's music is so important, the stigma surrounding cannabis use, and how "classical" music institutions could benefit from weed culture. An episode of "Good Times" inspires Garrett's musical picks f...

After becoming a mother, oboist Wendy Caudle Hodge decided that she needed to make an impact on Music Education. Through her advocacy, Loudoun Co., VA has created 90 DEI jobs, community-based initiatives that really speak to children's needs, and so much more. She's now a leader at the Historic Ashburn Colored School, and joins Garrett to talk about her work and her love for hip-hop. The guys give...

What if Jesus were Black? How would that change the narrative behind his story, and the music that has been written about him? Garrett unpacks this with Adrian Dunn, who's the composer behind a new work called "Black Messiah". Scott shares his thoughts on a new Mozart video game, the music of Michael Abels, and helps Garrett identify the joint, very intentional Euro-centricity that is foundational...

Donna Walker-Kuhne's book, "Invitation to the Party", has been a tool that arts organizations of all kinds have used to better understand what community engagement really means. She joins Garrett to talk about this, audience development, and how the teachings of Daisaku Ikeda have inspired her continued work. Scott delivers the story of "Blind Tom" Wiggins, and the guys end with a response to the...

Anthony Davis' career has been marked by his musical responses to the Black experience, with critically acclaimed compositions about the life and times of Malcolm X, the murder of George Floyd, and one of his own experiences with police in a work called "You Have The Right To Remain Silent." He won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize in Music for his composition portraying the story of the Central Park 5, and...

In 2017 composer Tyshawn Sorey teamed up with writer Terrance Hayes and tenor Lawrence Brownlee to create a song cycle called "Cycles of My Being". It's a work that showcases the troubled relationship between America and its Black men that will have its digital premiere on the Opera Philadelphia Channel on November 20th. Tyshawn speaks with Garrett about this, and his broader perspective on writin...

The Gateways Music Festival is one of only a few classical music gatherings that center Black people, making it a very important part of the industry for countless musicians. The man who's taken up the responsibility of documenting those gatherings through photography is violinist David Caines Burnett. He talks with Garrett about how classical music's relationship with race has evolved over the de...

Have you ever thought about the relationship between corporate money and equitable arts initiatives? Percussionist Sidney Hopson has dedicated his career to convincing for-profit institutions that investing in the arts for Black and brown communities can impact their bottom line in a positive way. He speaks with Garrett about this, and lots more! Garrett and Scott remind you that music is not an e...

When Wayne Shorter tragically lost his wife in an airplane crash, he vowed to live an even happier life with the help of an ancient philosophy: Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō. He talks with Garrett about Buddhism, what it means to find "zero gravity", and what it means to make allies out of demons and devils. Johnathan Gibbs is the special guest co-host, and helps Garrett tackle the topics of #EndSars, the M...

Ensemble Pi has operated at the intersection of music and social justice since 2015, and in an upcoming concert the group will tackle the need for Black reparations head on! Allison Loggin-Hull talks to Garrett about "The Pattern", which is a piece of music she wrote specifically for this virtual performance. The ensemble's pianist, Idith Korman, offers her thoughts and experiences as both a music...

COVID is continuing to shut down traditional performance spaces, so the hip-hop Illharmonic Orchestra is taking their next show to the virtual stage! The group is led by rappers Jeffrey McNeill (Thee Phantom) and his wife, Andrea (The Phoenix), who talks with Garrett about gender equity in the arts, and how classical institutions can survive 2020. Scott highlights the late Eddie Van Halen's connec...

For the 69th opus of TRILLOQUY, the guys decide to spend some time at the intersection of music and sex, featuring a few of Scott's favorites by Donna Summer. Special guest, Derek Menchan talks with Garrett about how he utilizes Afro-centrism and his ability to overlay his multi-talents to create new recordings of the "classics", and a scene from the film, "The Prince of Egypt" serves as the frame...

The Sphinx Organization has celebrated and brought together Black and brown musicians for over two decades, but because of COVID, the organization's annual gala is going digital. This online event will include a performance of a work by composer Carlos Simon, who talks with Garrett about the gala, his music, and how he engages the issue of police brutality as an artist. Scott offers his opinion on...

When it comes to hosting radio, some things just can't be taught. WUOT-FM's Todd Steed talks about this, some of the challenges of working in management at a radio station, and what made Garrett the "right person" for his spot on the afternoon airwaves, despite his not having any radio experience at the time. Scott weighs in on how he deals with rude listeners, and Garrett takes a cue from Kanye W...

Making music is the second most intimate thing that two people can do together. Garrett chats with Abe Hunter from the Lied Society about the intimacy of art song, and their upcoming collaboration of an audio-only broadcast that will include the premiere of a work written in honor of the late George Floyd. After the guys read their official statements following Garrett's termination from APM/MPR,...

Franklin Willis teaches elementary music in Nashville, but in his words, he's much more than a music teacher! He speaks with Garrett about teaching culture, teaching life skills, and teaching joy with hip-hop as the foundation. Scott continues to settle into old(er) age with "post-yacht rock", and with a new look! And Garrett responds to the allegation that white men and their music is being "eras...

Tea Sierra's dedication to Blackness fueled their entry into orchestral music, their journey through earning an MIS in Urban Studies, and their decision to move up to Minnesota to continue the journey. Garrett and Tea talk about this, the importance of Trap Music, and why the "Wakanda industrial complex" won't save humanity. Scott honors the late Chadwick Boseman with a "then and now" look at Blac...

Maya Stone believes that power comes from within - it's something that's grounded her over the course of her very dynamic music career. She chats with Garrett about this, her experiences as a bassoon professor in the world of collegiate academia, and her return home to New York. Scott honors Women's Equality Day by reflecting on the music of Sarah Vaughan, and Garrett gets honest about spiritual a...

Christine Gangelhoff challenges the Euro-centric nature of "classical" music by promoting the work of not only Black composers, but Afro-Caribbean composers. She joins Garrett to talk about her experiences as a teacher and performer in the Bahamas, and the album, Tour de Force. Scott shares some of the contemporary classical music that he thinks can help deal with the day to day of 2020, and Garre...