Where can artists be seen as cultural workers and offer other humans much needed creative engagement? The intersection of Arts and Health. In 2017, we founded Stories Love Music (501c3) and integrated our deep relationship with music into a program (The Joy of Creative Engagement), for caregivers and those living with dementia. The United States does have some exciting organizations that are diving into this world of Neuro-Arts, the creative arts meeting the challenges in neurodegenerative diseases.  And when we hear of artists doing this kind of awesome work in other countries, we have to talk to them!

Our latest guest is Liz Clark, an Ireland-based singer, songwriter, performer, and musician.  Liz has recorded 5 full length studio albums of original songs. She has performed and collaborated throughout the US and Europe working solo engagements as well as  alongside the likes of Sarah Maclachlan, Emmylou Harris, The Counting Crows and more.

Over the past ten years she has been working extensively in the Arts and Health context in which she developed a collaborative approach to the songwriting process in healthcare settings across West Cork.  As part of the Arts For Health Partnership Programme, she developed The Starling Song Project which preserves stories and heritage from older participants with dementia, in the form of song and songwriting. From this work, she developed The Starling Band, involving other singers and instrumentalists to showcase this music in a wider context outside of the hospitals. Liz is also the leader of a community choir and choirs for the wellbeing of staff. 

Music and Lyrics in this episode written and perfomed by James Harrell and Ilyana Kadushin.

No, I Know's Make a Difference Series continues. Across America there are beach towns and resorts areas filled with restaurants and hotels that can create an incredible amount of waste and food waste. Ocean City, Maryland is no different. What can be done about this food waste? Lets find out. 

Segment One: Josh Chamberlain is the visionary founder of Go Green OC, an environmental non-profit committed to transforming Ocean City, Maryland into the first zero waste resort town in the United States. Armed with a background in marketing, Josh has always harbored a deep passion for environmental preservation and a profound dedication to safeguarding the planet for future generations. In 2018, driven by an unwavering commitment, Josh transformed this passion into a compelling mission by establishing Go Green OC. Under Josh's leadership, the organization has achieved remarkable milestones in the quest for a cleaner, healthier planet. This includes spearheading a citywide compost program that has diverted over 650,000 pounds of food waste. 

Segment Two: Prince Street Elementary's Rhythm & Roots was founded by Physical Education, Health and World Music Teacher, Dustin Thomas. Three students unexpectedly lost their father during the 2018-2019 school year. Mr. Thomas could see a change in their schoolwork and behavior, and he knew he had to find a way to connect with them. Knowing their father played drums, he created an after-school music program, Rhythm and Roots, to engage these struggling scholars and strengthen their connection to their father's legacy. The program began with a whistle, drumsticks, and paint buckets donated by a local paint store. Many Prince Street scholars asked to participate as they heard what was happening. Mr. Thomas began writing grant applications to obtain funding for additional equipment. Rhythm and Roots became a program with local, state, and national recognition in many outlets, including Inspire One Magazine, SHAPE Maryland, Hip Hop Public Health, and the NBC Today Show.

All Music and Lyrics by your hosts, James Harrell and Ilyana Kadushin

How does it affect the development of self and our culture as a whole if we regularly engage in the creative process and what if we don’t? Art and Spirit, they are in a marriage and are profoundly dependent on each other in ways we do not understand! What are the steps of the creative process and how is the subconscious at play with this? We have invited someone to shed light on this….an artist, teacher and author. Coeleen Kiebert is a sculptor working in both ceramic and bronze.  She exhibits her work nationwide in museums and galleries and is represented in numerous private collections.  She has degrees in Art Education and Psychology  Her interest in the psychology of the creative process, she pursued the effects of Asian philosophy on Western art.  Her search for the “spiritual” in art has taken her to extensive study and travel in Japan and China and left a decided impression on her sculpture.  These pursuits have become a powerful influence as she digs deeply for personal and spiritual meaning in her sculpting process. Music and Lyrics by James Harrell and Ilyana Kadushin.

Welcome to your World. What Design Can do. Guest, Sarah Goldhagen, (PHD former Harvard professor) a leading voice in the emerging movement in neuro aesthetics and architectural design. Her book,  Welcome to Your World: How the Built Environment Shapes Our Lives  won a Nautilus Book Award in 2017 for its contribution to social and environmental justice, has made her a sought-after speaker; she lectures frequently and publishes widely about the effects of architecture, landscape, and urban design on human health, cognition, and wellbeing.The New Republic’s architecture critic for nearly a decade, Goldhagen’s criticism has appeared in the New York Times, Art in America, Architectural Record, the Chronicle of Higher Education,Prospect (UK), and dozens of other publications. She is a faculty member of the Moving Boundaries consortium, and sits on the boards of the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture (ANFA), the Centre for Conscious Design, and on the Intentional Spaces Advisory Committee of the Johns Hopkins International Arts + Mind Lab. She recently released her first film, What Design Can Do (co-written and produced with Sarah Robinson), which premiered at the IAM Lab’s Intentional Spaces Summit. 

Interfaith Comedy in 2024, sounds like a slippery slope that could end in the flames of societal outrage right? The pendulum of what is deemed appropriate in comedy has swung from the outright cruel to the paralyzed in fear of offending. However, the founder of Interfaith Comedy reveals it is actually a unique approach to anti-bias work. Their mission-driven, feel-good, clean comedy show reduces prejudice through laughter. Starring comedians from different faiths, their nationally touring show is perfect for places of worship, community organizations, faith-based conferences, comedy clubs and universities.Their comedians have been seen at venues that include: The White House, Gotham Comedy Club, Caroline’s on Broadway, Stand Up NY, the DC Improv, The Moth and the Kennedy Center. All Music and Lyrics by James Harrell and Ilyana Kadushin.

A beloved folk singer presents an impassioned account of the fall and rise of the small American towns she cherishes. Dar Williams is a musician, educator, author and has had over a 25+-year career. She rose out of the vibrant mid-90’s Boston scene, inspired by the eclectic influences of alt-rockers, Berklee jazz musicians, slam poets, and folk artists, After a year of touring non-stop with her first album, The Honesty Room, in 1994, she was invited by Joan Baez to tour in Europe and The United States. To date she has written 14 albums and 6 books. And we wanted two speak with Dar about one of those books. “What I Found in a Thousand Towns” A Traveling Musician’s Guide to Rebuilding America’s Communities—One Coffee Shop, Dog Run, and Open-Mike Night at a Time (published in 2017). A beloved folk singer presents an impassioned account of the fall and rise of the small American towns she cherishes. Dubbed by the New Yorker as "one of America's very best singer-songwriters," Dar Williams has made her career not in stadiums, but touring America's small towns. She has played their venues, composed in their coffee shops, and drunk in their bars. She has seen these communities struggle, but also seen them thrive in the face of postindustrial identity crises. Here, Williams muses on why some towns flourish while others fail, examining elements from the significance of history and nature to the uniting power of public spaces and food. Drawing on her own travels and the work of urban theorists, Williams offers real solutions to rebuild declining communities. What I Found in a Thousand Towns is more than a love letter to America's small towns, it's a deeply personal and hopeful message about the potential of America's lively and resilient communities. All Music and Lyrics by James Harrell and Ilyana Kadushin.

From our own backyards to the shared spaces in our communites, we offer knowledge and tips  on what you can do right now (from planting native plants to battling invasives) to help preserve the land for generations to come. In this episode of “Waterways to Airwaves” series, our guests and experts in their fields include: Kate Patton and Jared Parks from Lower Shore Land Trust, Doug Tallamy, a professor and author of Natures Best Hope and Josh Hastings, who takes us on a tour of his yard and pollinator gardens. All Music and Lyrics by James Harrell and Ilyana Kadushin

What is Aquaculture and is it the future for both the economy and environment on the eastern shore? In this episode of Waterways to Airwaves series we learn about Aquaculture with founder of Minorities in Aquaculture, Imani Black and founder of Orchard Point Oyster Company, Scott Budden. What is the mission of Minorities in Aquaculture? They are passionate about the restoration of keystone species, especially shellfish, both locally and globally. They also believe that the restoration of oysters and other critical shellfish populations requires more people and more diversity. Currently, women—especially women of color—are the minority in the aquaculture field. At Minorities in Aquaculture, their goal is to educate women of color on the environmental benefits of aquaculture and support them as they launch and sustain their careers in the field, growing the seafood industry and creating an empowering space for women along the way. Join us on the waterfront for this fascinating conversation. All music and lyrics by James Harrell and Ilyana Kadushin.

What is a watershed steward? This episode of Waterways to Airwaves features Anne Arundel Watershed Stewards Academy .They train Watershed Stewards to help their neighbors reduce pollution in our local creeks and rivers. The academies mission is to train and mobilize community leaders to drive change for sustainable landscapes and clean waters. Their hands-on certification course gives Stewards the tools to implement change in their communities, turning knowledge into action. Stewards work with their communities to install projects such as rain gardens and conservation landscapes to reduce pollution at its source. Collectively, these small community-based actions improve the health of the larger Chesapeake Bay watershed. We speak to team members at the academy as well as the stewards themselves. All music and lyrics by James Harrell and Ilyana Kadushin.

What is one part of all faith based groups that has caused many churches and temples to create green teams? In this episode we focus on Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake. They work to engage congregations in being good caretakers of our shared watershed. They envision a time when faith communities across the Chesapeake; honor, care for, and protect the watershed we share, so all our communities, and future generations, may thrive. The Chesapeake watershed is vast, encompassing 69,000 square miles, home to over 18 million people and over 19,000 congregations. Imagine the potential if we all worked together to restore clean water? We speak with some of their leaders to find out what connects them to the enviroment. All Music and Lyrics by James Harrell and Ilyana Kadushin.

In this episode of “Waterways to Airwaves” series, we spotlight Gunpowder Valley Conservancy, (GVC) a Baltimore County-based land trust and watershed restoration non-profit organization. Formed in 1989. GVC is committed to clean water for the two million people who live in, visit or benefit from the Gunpowder Watershed by preserving land, restoring ecosystems, and encouraging people to become environmental stewards. Why do generations of volunteers keep showing up for GVC? How can a golf course better serve the enviroment? Listen to eagles fly at Loch Raven Resevior! Hear from the people who make it happen. All Music and Lyrics by James Harrell and Ilyana Kadushin.