U-M Creative Currents

On this episode of U-M Creative Currents, a podcast from the University of Michigan's Arts Initiative, host Mark Clague, a professor of musicology and arts leadership at U-M, is joined by a special guest, Matthew VanBesien, president of the acclaimed University Musical Society (UMS). VanBesien offers his unique perspective from leading one of the nation's oldest university-based performi...

Join us for a thought-provoking conversation on U-M Creative Currents , a podcast from the University of Michigan's Arts Initiative. In this episode, host Mark Clague sits down with Christina Olsen, Director of the University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA). With over 25 years of leadership experience at major museums and foundations like the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the J. Pau...

In this episode of Creative Currents , we sit down with 2022-2024 University of Michigan President Santa J. Ono to explore the role of the arts in his life and in the life of the university. A scientist, scholar, and accomplished cellist, President Ono shares how music shaped his path, how the arts continue to inspire him, and why he believes they are essential to a world-class education. Presiden...

Today on U-M Creative Currents , we dive into the connection between music and mental health. Our guest, Sasha Gusikhin, is a third-year University of Michigan student double-majoring in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience (BCN) and Voice Performance in the School of Music, Theatre & Dance. Sasha is an arts organizer, vocalist, and multidisciplinary artist whose work bridges science and...

How might the arts foster intercultural appreciation and understanding? Can the arts serve as a global economic development tool? What can be done to amplify new voices speaking across international boundaries or offering new perspectives on differences, including race and gender? We’ll discuss these questions and more today on U-M Creative Currents , Michigan arts podcast. In our very first episo...