Creative Confidential

Lee Rudnicki (http://www.drumlaw80.com/) has followed a very interesting career path that has led him into the world of screenwriting and filmmaking. Starting out as a musician, Lee went to California to follow musical opportunities and ended up attending law school with the mission of working in the entertainment industry. Lee's latest production is a short film entitled "Red Skies at Night" which he wrote, directed and produced. Lee's feature length production, "Good Bye Blue Sky," will be released later in 2016.

A young Scott Tixier (http://scott-tixier.com) arrived in New York City from France speaking no English but determined to become a professional musician at the highest level. He quickly received accolades from the best in the business. Grammy Award winning bassist Marcus Miller says that Tixier “is making an international name for himself. I heard him in France and was immediately struck by his individuality and his sound.“ Guitarist Pat Metheny says, “[Scott] has found a place for himself within the elite community of New York jazz musicians, no small feat.” In an interview with the All About Jazz in 2010, violinist Mark Feldman called Scott “really up-and-coming and very talented.” And Jean-Luc Ponty said “I have heard Scott’s recordings, seen his live performances and I think that he stands above the crowd of current jazz violinists around the world.” Scott has played at Carnegie Hall, at the Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, at Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Blue Note Jazz Club, The Apollo Thea

The word virtuoso gets thrown around a lot but today's guest is exactly that. Laurence Hobgood (http://laurnecehobgood.com) is a classically trained pianist who started playing jazz in his teen years. A chance meeting with vocalist Kurt Elling led to a 20 year stint at Elling's musical director, during which time Laurence collected multiple GRAMMY nominations and a Grammy award in 2010. Now leading his own ensemble, Laurence is forging his own path.

The Lafayette Bar (www.lafayettebarjazz.com/) in Easton is in a word, unique. It's a smoky jazz club in an industrial town on the Delaware River. As one steps inside the Lafayette, you see people from all walks of life standing elbow to elbow, listening to jazz players from New York or from the Valley. In the middle of it all, you find a man who goes by one name..."Tunsie". Tunsie Jabbour's family has owned The Lafayette since the mid 1970s, and in switching to a live jazz format in 2006, found success and never looked back. The Lafayette is a destination for musicians and fans alike. Tunsie shares his story with us. Special thanks for Dan DeChellis (www.dandechellis.com/) for permission to use his two compositions: "Never Satisfied" and "Angst" from his release "Moving Mountains", which is available on iTunes.

Jeff “Tain” Watts (http://tainish.com) is an acclaimed jazz musician, drummer and composer based in Easton, Pennsylvania. With 5 GRAMMY awards on his resume, Jeff has had a lengthy recording career as a sideman to many prominent jazz artists, including both Wynton and Branford Marsalis. His compositional skills now command equal attention. Jeff initially majored in classical percussion at Pittsburgh’s Duquesne University, where he was primarily a timpanist, followed by enrollment at the Berklee School of Music. Jeff joined the Wynton Marsalis Quartet in 1981 and proceeded to win three Grammy Awards with the ensemble: Black Codes From The Underground, J Mood and Marsalis Standard Time. Watts left Wynton Marsalis in 1988. After working with George Benson, Harry Connick. Jr. and McCoy Tyner, he joined the Branford Marsalis Quartet in 1989, winning Grammys for I Heard You Twice the First Time and Contemporary Jazz. In the film and television industry Jeff has appeared as both a musician on the Tonight Show with

Eve Tannery joined the WFMZ-TV news team in September of 2005. You can catch her anchoring 69 News at Sunrise and 69 News at Noon with Jaciel Cordoba Monday through Friday. Eve shares her story about how she got her start in journalism and what it takes to build and sustain a career in broadcasting. Eve is also heavily involved in charity work in and around the Lehigh Valley, and she is an avid supporter of Cops 'n' Kids, The Pediatric Cancer Foundation of the Lehigh Valley, The State Theatre, Go Red for Women, Child Care Information Services, and other organizations that support both of our local hospitals. You can follow Eve on Facebook here. (https://www.facebook.com/EveTannery/)

Don Cunningham has a long track record of public service. Don was an enormously popular two term Mayor of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania from 1997 to 2003, then subsequently served two terms as the Lehigh County Executive, and currently is the President and CEO of the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation. Don has led a high profile political career and enjoyed enormous popularity. What is interesting still is that Don fronts a rock band, Cunningham & Associates, which routinely plays to the larger regional venues - with crowds approaching 1,000 in attendance. It's not your typical side project. CEO by day, guitarist and rock band front man by night. Don shares his story with us. Learn more about LVEDC here: http://lehighvalley.org Learn more about Don's music at: http://cunninghamassociatesband.com

Like all the guests on the podcast, Chris Malinowski is many things: a guitarist, composer, bandleader yet at the same time he’s also a writer, director and filmmaker. His most recent film, Yes, Your Tide is Cold and Dark Sir (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2354577/) has been making the film festival circuit nationwide to critical acclaim. While Chris wrote, directed and starred in the film, he also wrote the soundtrack, which was preformed by his band, The Collingwood (https://www.facebook.com/The-Collingwood-98351340067/). Chris talks about the filmmaking process, the music making process, and how to stay true to your artistic vision.

Lucy Woodward is a London-born, NYC-raised, Los Angeles-based singer and songwriter who's been touring the world frequently for the past 15 years. As her parents were both musicians, she was literally born into making music. She has released major label albums on Atlantic and Verve, and will be releasing her yet-to-be-titled 2016 album through Snarky Puppy's label GroundUp/Universal this summer. Over the past few years, she has toured with Snarky Puppy, Pink Martini and Rod Stewart, dashing home in between tours to finish her forthcoming studio album.

Sheila Evans started out as a young musician, but later forged a career in the corporate world. During her corporate career, she began volunteering as a board member of the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and was eventually elected President of the Board of Directors. After serving as Board President at LOKC, Sheila later transitioned into the CEO's office at the Allentown Symphony. Sheila shares her professional story and insights about running a non-profit, working in the arts space, and how to build a successful career.

Ricardo Flores is the President and CEO of The Greater Lehigh Valley Music Association (http://glvma.org/wp), which is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) dedicated to creating and delivering positive experiences through music, with a focus on honoring and developing youth. We were joined in the studio by two GVLMA board members, Erin Monie and Mimi Gloria. We discussed the challenges of being a startup organization in the arts space, the evolution of a startup into a mature business and a range of other topics. Perhaps the most visible project the GLVMA produces are the Lehigh Valley Music Awards, which are now in their 17th season. For more information on the LVMAs, click here: http://www.lehighvalleymusicawards.org/wp

Kassie Hilgert is the President and CEO of ArtsQuest. ArtsQuest is one of the largest arts non-profits in Pennsylvania both in terms of the scope and diversity of its programming. Kassie was named President and CEO of ArtsQuest in 2015 after joining the organization in 2008 as vice president of development. Kassie discusses her transition from her position working at a global, publicly traded company to leading the region's largest and most diverse non-profit arts organization.

David Mickenberg has spent over 30 years as an arts administrator, and is currently the CEO of Allentown Art Museum. Prior to taking the helm in Allentown in 2013, David served as CEO of Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke, Virgina for four years, and had also previously been director of university art museums at Wellesley College in Massachusetts and Northwestern University in Illinois. David shares his views on the role of the arts in society, in public education, and how art museums can engage the community at large.

Whitney Peyton is a songwriter and rapper from the Philadelphia suburbs. Whitney is a self made performer touring the US and Canada, and single handedly built an audience through constant touring, performing, recording and social media outreach. In addition to being a talented performer, Whitney is a very astute business person and offers many lessons on what it takes to be self sufficient as a performer. For more information, check Whitney’s website out here. Her new recording, Break the Frame, drops on January 5, 2016 and is available here.

Frank Smith is an accomplished photographer who picked up a camera at a very early age. Decades later, Frank’s passion for photography continues uninterrupted. Much of Frank’s landscape work focuses on the regional and local scenery including the Pocono Mountains and the historical sites of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. His travel and philanthropic photojournalism covers global themes, shedding light on cultural issues such as sex trafficking in Mumbai and regional corruption in areas including South Sudan and Haiti. Frank recently also traveled to and shot subject matter in Cuba and Mongolia. You can learn more about Frank and view his work here: http://www.franksmithphotos.com

Diane Wittry is a frequent guest conductor of professional orchestras across the United States and in Europe. She has guest conducted include the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Milwaukee Symphony, The San Diego Symphony, the Houston Symphony. Diane Wittry is the Music Director and Conductor of the Allentown Symphony Orchestra, PA. As a teacher, Diane Wittry, is a frequent guest lecturer at Juilliard and the Curtis Institute of Music, as well as other Universities and Colleges. Diane Wittry's first book, "Beyond the Baton - What Every Conductor Needs to Know" (Oxford University Press 2007) has become a standard required text for the orchestral conducting programs nationally. Diane just published a followup work, Baton Basics: Communicating Music Through Gestures (Oxford University Press 2014). Both are available through all online retailers. Learn more about Diane here: http://www.dianewittry.com

Paul Harryn is many things: a painter, a musician, a traveler, and a freelancer who has been successful at building a life in creative work and doing it on his terms. His large scale paintings can be best described as abstract expressionist, but that is just one of the facets of his visual work. Paul works out of studios on both coasts: one along the Delaware River south of Easton, Pennsylvania and the other in Venice, California. You can see Paul's work here: http://www.paulharryn.com

Eric Mintel is a well known jazz pianist and band leader in Philadelphia and eastern Pennsylvania. The Eric Mintel Quartet’s performance at the 2015 Allentown JazzFest was one of the highlights of the festival. Eric and host Bryan Tuk discuss Eric’s origins and influences as a musician, how Eric became one of a handful of people to ever perform for not one but two US Presidents at the White House, and how he approaches his craft and runs a successful performing ensemble. Eric’s website is http://www.ericmintelquartet.com

Stephanie Gardner is a writer and director for film and theatre. Past clients include Ellie Wiesel, Yale University, Urban Stages, and Miller Symphony Hall in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Her most recent film, “If I Had A Piano (I’d Play You The Blues)” has won Best of Show at the Greater Lehigh Valley Filmmakers Festival. Stephanie received an MFA in Dramatic Writing from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and a BA from The George Washington University. Stephanie and Bryan discuss the beginnings of her artistic journey and the discipline that is required to pursue a career in the arts. Stephanie’s website is http://www.thestephaniegardner.com

Steve Coleman is a critically acclaimed international performer and one of America’s greatest ambassadors for jazz worldwide. Steve has performed with Michael Brecker, Jack DeJohnette, Branford Marsalis, Dizzy Gillespie, Wynton Marsalis, Sting, Bobby McFerrin and Sarah Vaughn, to name a few. Steve talks with host Bryan Tuk about Steve’s interactions as a young man with jazz legend Max Roach in New York City, Steve’s travel and performance around the world, and how his non-profit organization, M-Base Concepts, provides educational outreach to young people. In 2014 Steve was named a MacArthur fellow, which has enabled him to carry on his mission. Steve’s website is http://mbase.com