Agile Vocalist Rachel Medanic

Poet Ali is a poet, compelling performer, lyricist, performance artist and inspirational speaker whose performances and presentations focus on connection with ourselves and our environments. As a soulosopher and entertainer, he is a inspires us to use our gifts to catalyze self-discovery and well-being. As an Iranian-American, Ali gives talks for both youth as well as adult audiences and his unique form of spoken word stands out and isn't easily categorized.

His TED Talk, the Language of Being Human, has been viewed more than 1 million times on YouTube and is frequently used middle school educational  resource.  @PoetAli  
More about Agile Vocalist, including artist biographies, liner notes and additional visual material for every episode can be found on the Agile Vocalist web site.
Subscribe to Sound Cocktails, the politely very intermittent and always refreshing, podcast newsletter here. Find Agile Vocalist on IG Visit the Community Page of the YouTube channel. Support Agile Vocalist, a privately funded labor of love dedicated to the arts by leaving a tip here.

21 Guests and 27 episodes later, Agile Vocalist has hit its three year mark (which is kind of amazing for a podcast). Thank you to my season 3 guests:
Cellista, Alphabet Rockers, Rob Jensen and Warren Trezevant, Sonic Runway creators, sound healer & instructor, Melissa Felsenstein, taiko artist Janet Koike, and carillonist, Simone Browne for their amazing sound and arts stories in season 3!

Listen to this epsiode to learn how to get yourself listener gifts to unleash your inner vocalist (and upgrade your wellness). You'll also get a sneak peep about our upcoming guest!
More about Agile Vocalist, including artist biographies, liner notes and additional visual material for every episode can be found on the Agile Vocalist web site.
Subscribe to Sound Cocktails, the politely very intermittent and always refreshing, podcast newsletter here. Find Agile Vocalist on IG Visit the Community Page of the YouTube channel. Support Agile Vocalist, a privately funded labor of love dedicated to the arts by leaving a tip here.

The sounds of bells in towers is a common experience to many around the world. But the reality is there is an entire profession devoted to carillons-- actual lever and pedal instruments making the sounds of bells you hear. Carillons exist all over the U.S., Europe and other parts and are commonly heard from the top of towers and built structures.

This interview features Simone Browne, professional carillonist and UC Berkeley student who shares how she found the profession and its effects on the audible worlds immediately around the instruments. 
More about Agile Vocalist, including artist biographies, liner notes and additional visual material for every episode can be found on the Agile Vocalist web site.
Subscribe to Sound Cocktails, the politely very intermittent and always refreshing, podcast newsletter here. Find Agile Vocalist on IG Visit the Community Page of the YouTube channel. Support Agile Vocalist, a privately funded labor of love dedicated to the arts by leaving a tip here.

Janet Koike is the Founder of Rhythmix Cultural Works in Alameda, California. She is also the Artistic Director of Maze Daiko ensemble. In this episode she shares her journey from textile fashion design to tap dance to playing taiko, the Japanese drum. Janet's experiences bringing remind us all of the alluring power of sound, how artists are ambassadors for new paradigms, and the power of community that can be created when you bring performing art forms together.  

Note: An earlier version of this episode was published Dec. 30, 2023 but the episode has now been corrected in her bio about her relationship with San Francisco Taiko Dojo.
More about Agile Vocalist, including artist biographies, liner notes and additional visual material for every episode can be found on the Agile Vocalist web site.
Subscribe to Sound Cocktails, the politely very intermittent and always refreshing, podcast newsletter here. Find Agile Vocalist on IG Visit the Community Page of the YouTube channel. Support Agile Vocalist, a privately funded labor of love dedicated to the arts by leaving a tip here.

Have you ever pondered what it might be like to experience a moment of tranquility amidst the chaos of daily life? Melissa Felsenstein, the founder of Innersounds Meditation, reveals how sound healing can be your haven. Melissa used this therapeutic technique to conquer her personal battles with anxiety and depression, but she's also refined it into a unique formula to certify a new generation of sound practitioners.

Sound healing has many benefits including healing the nervous system and creating calm to allow the body to work better. Melissa provides an insider's look at her 200-hour professional sound healing practitioner course, designed to equip aspiring practitioners to become a professional sound healers. We talk about the process of crafting crystal bowls and gongs and the differences between them. 

From achieving meditative states, reducing insomnia, to balancing chakras, Melissa lets listeners taste the experience: at the end of the episode there is a mini sound bath. 


More about Agile Vocalist, including artist biographies, liner notes and additional visual material for every episode can be found on the Agile Vocalist web site.
Subscribe to Sound Cocktails, the politely very intermittent and always refreshing, podcast newsletter here. Find Agile Vocalist on IG Visit the Community Page of the YouTube channel. Support Agile Vocalist, a privately funded labor of love dedicated to the arts by leaving a tip here.

What does it take to synchronize light and sound? Co-creators Rob Jensen and Warren Trezevant, talk about their work creating Sonic Runway, an art installation conceived at Burning Man. Sonic Runway immerses the spectator in colorful synchronized visuals that animate the speed of sound.

Hear the story behind their meticulous creation process, making the exhibit first for Burning Man in 2003 and how its success grew to transform it into a traveling exhibit to sites around the U.S., England, Canada, and finally to a replicated exhibit in Chengdu China.

Listen in as we explore the myriad ways the Sonic Runway has reshaped the perception of sound for thousands of people around the world. Sonic Runway is a communal experience that has left audiences smiling, marveling and connecting with each other. Watch and listen to the Runway in action here. 

More visuals and information about this episode can be found at: https://agilevocalist.com/2023/10/01/watching-sound-t…warren-trezevant/
More about Agile Vocalist, including artist biographies, liner notes and additional visual material for every episode can be found on the Agile Vocalist web site.
Subscribe to Sound Cocktails, the politely very intermittent and always refreshing, podcast newsletter here. Find Agile Vocalist on IG Visit the Community Page of the YouTube channel. Support Agile Vocalist, a privately funded labor of love dedicated to the arts by leaving a tip here.