Connections Podcast

WXXI News
  • 4.7 (147)
  • NEWS
  • UPDATED DAILY

Evan Dawson talks about what matters to you on Connections. Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections. For transcripts, please email our Move to Include team with a link to the episode.

  1. 12H AGO

    Summer movie preview

    Summer movie season is officially here with a lineup of blockbusters, horror titles, and indie gems. The summer season will largely be defined by "The Odyssey" — Christopher Nolan's epic follow-up to his Oscar-winning 2023 film, "Oppenheimer." The father of the summer blockbuster, Steven Spielberg, is also back with "Disclosure Day," a new sci-fi romp. Another seasonal trend? Summer horror. Indie titles ("Backrooms," "Leviticus") from up-and-coming directors who delight in the dark terrors of the human mind vie to become the year's surprise hits. Guest host Scott Pukos breaks it all down this hour with his guests: Johanna Lester, pop culture critic for CITY Magazine Adam Lubitow, programmer for The Little Theatre and director of programming for the Anomaly Film Festival Cielo Ornelas MacFarlane, local cinephile and visual artist Matt Passantino, film critic and writer for CITY Magazine and member of the Greater Western New York Film Critics Association (GWNYFCA) --- Connections is supported by listeners like you. Head to our donation page to become a WXXI member today, support the show, and help us close the gap created by the rescission of federal funding. --- Connections airs every weekday from noon-2 p.m. Join the conversation with questions or comments by phone at 1-844-295-TALK (8255) or 585-263-9994, email, Facebook or Twitter.  Connections is also livestreamed on the WXXI News YouTube channel each day. You can watch live or access previous episodes here. --- Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections.

    51 min

  2. 13H AGO

    Music as medicine: How the arts can heal

    "Musick has Charms to sooth a savage Breast,To soften Rocks, or bend a knotted Oak." (William Congreve) It is often said that music is healing, but what are some ways that this truism plays out in practice? Jon Batiste recently collaborated with Joanne Loewy of Mount Sinai on a study that advances “social music” as a prescription for better health outcomes. That's just one angle. This hour, guest host Mona Seghatoleslami talks about the benefits of music on healing and health, particularly mental health, in our community and world. We discuss music therapy and expressive arts with Jennifer Philips, a board-certified music therapist and neurologic music therapist, specializing in early intervention, elder care, and neurorehabilitation. She is also chair of the Expressive Arts Department at the Hochstein School. Annika Bentley shares her experiences as a classical choral musician and singer/songwriter, focusing on the upcoming Mount Hope World Singers concerts, "Bright Threads." The program reinterprets historical and cultural examples of music used for healing, and centers on themes of shared humanity and restorative connection. We also talk with Gaelen McCormick, director of the Eastman Performing Arts Medicine Center, who dives into the work that she and her colleagues are doing at the intersections of music and medicine. In studio: Jennifer R. Phillips, MT-BC, board-certified music therapist and department chair of Expressive Arts and Music FUNdamentals at The Hochstein School Annika Bentley, artistic director of Mount Hope World Singers Gaelen McCormick, director of Eastman Performing Arts Medicine at the University of Rochester This story is reported from WXXI's Inclusion Desk. --- Connections is supported by listeners like you. Head to our donation page to become a WXXI member today, support the show, and help us close the gap created by the rescission of federal funding. --- Connections airs every weekday from noon-2 p.m. Join the conversation with questions or comments by phone at 1-844-295-TALK (8255) or 585-263-9994, email, Facebook or Twitter.  Connections is also livestreamed on the WXXI News YouTube channel each day. You can watch live or access previous episodes here. --- Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections.

    51 min

  3. 1D AGO

    Rochester Cocktail Revival returns

    When Rochester had its first Cocktail Revival years ago, the organizers aspired to put Rochester on the nation’s cocktail map. The newest edition includes tastings, teachings, and artistic challenges. We explore the growth of the event, even while fewer Americans are drinking alcohol. Our guests: Leah Stacy, producer of Rochester Cocktail Revival and editor-in-chief of CITY Magazine Chuck Cerankosky, director of Rochester Cocktail Revival Patrick Stetzel, co-owner of Ziggy’s Caroline Pardilla, author of "Margarita Time" and digital content editor of Imbibe Magazine --- Connections is supported by listeners like you. Head to our donation page to become a WXXI member today, support the show, and help us close the gap created by the rescission of federal funding. --- Connections airs every weekday from noon-2 p.m. Join the conversation with questions or comments by phone at 1-844-295-TALK (8255) or 585-263-9994, email, Facebook or Twitter.  Connections is also livestreamed on the WXXI News YouTube channel each day. You can watch live or access previous episodes here. --- Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections.

    51 min

  4. 1D AGO

    Local Islamic leaders on the deadly San Diego mosque shooting

    A shooting at a mosque in San Diego has rocked the Islamic community. We talk to local Islamic leaders about responding to violence. Our guests: Sareer Fazili, former president of the Islamic Center of Rochester Abu Saeed Islam, former president of the Islamic Center of Rochester --- Connections is supported by listeners like you. Head to our donation page to become a WXXI member today, support the show, and help us close the gap created by the rescission of federal funding. --- Connections airs every weekday from noon-2 p.m. Join the conversation with questions or comments by phone at 1-844-295-TALK (8255) or 585-263-9994, email, Facebook or Twitter.  Connections is also livestreamed on the WXXI News YouTube channel each day. You can watch live or access previous episodes here. --- Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections.

    50 min

  5. 2D AGO

    Ukrainian artists create beauty amid tragedy

    "When war touches an artist’s life directly, how does it change what feels necessary to say or impossible to ignore?" That's a question local Ukrainian-born photographer Elena Dilai asked herself as she watched Russia's war tear her native country apart. She says she and her fellow Ukrainian artists didn't set out to make "war art," but as the fighting touched their families, their language, and their sense of home, they felt compelled to respond creatively. This hour, we sit down with Dilai and two of her colleagues to discuss how artists process war, the conflicting emotions that can come with creating beauty out of catastrophe, and what audiences can learn from art that's rooted in private emotion. In studio: Elena Dilai, fine art and portrait photographer and owner of Elena Dilai Photography, LLC Olena Kondrashova, Ukrainian artist and photographer Olena Prokopovych, Ph.D., associate professor of political science and director of the Political Science Undergraduate Program in History, Politics, and Law at Nazareth University --- Connections is supported by listeners like you. Head to our donation page to become a WXXI member today, support the show, and help us close the gap created by the rescission of federal funding. --- Connections airs every weekday from noon-2 p.m. Join the conversation with questions or comments by phone at 1-844-295-TALK (8255) or 585-263-9994, email, Facebook or Twitter.  Connections is also livestreamed on the WXXI News YouTube channel each day. You can watch live or access previous episodes here. --- Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections.

    47 min

  6. 2D AGO

    A contentious debate about two old school buildings, part 2

    Rochester City Council voted Tuesday night on what to do with two vacant city school district buildings — specifically, a proposal that would allow for the sale of two buildings to charter schools. Council voted to sell one building and not the other. We sit down with three Council members to discuss their votes. In studio: Mary Lupien, member of Rochester City Council Chiara "KeeKee" Smith, member of Rochester City Council Stanley Martin, member of Rochester City Council --- Connections is supported by listeners like you. Head to our donation page to become a WXXI member today, support the show, and help us close the gap created by the rescission of federal funding. --- Connections airs every weekday from noon-2 p.m. Join the conversation with questions or comments by phone at 1-844-295-TALK (8255) or 585-263-9994, email, Facebook or Twitter.  Connections is also livestreamed on the WXXI News YouTube channel each day. You can watch live or access previous episodes here. --- Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections.

    51 min

  7. 3D AGO

    Local students team up with NASA astronauts

    We're joined by two local high school students who recently returned from Houston, where they met with NASA astronauts. Sloane Keller and Luke Schulte are students at Fairport High School who participated in the NASA HUNCH program. The initiative pairs NASA mentors with students who research solutions to real-world problems faced by NASA. This hour, we talk with the students and their mentors about their work on a lunar sample container, their trip to Texas, meeting the Artemis II crew, and more. Our guests: Sloane Keller, sophomore at Fairport High School and participant in the NASA HUNCH program Luke Schulte, junior at Fairport High School and participant in the NASA HUNCH program Donna Himmelberg, chemistry teacher and NASA advisor at Fairport High School Florence Gold, project manager for NASA HUNCH Academy  Gene Gordon, former NASA HUNCH mentor and retired Fairport Central School District Teacher --- Connections is supported by listeners like you. Head to our donation page to become a WXXI member today, support the show, and help us close the gap created by the rescission of federal funding. --- Connections airs every weekday from noon-2 p.m. Join the conversation with questions or comments by phone at 1-844-295-TALK (8255) or 585-263-9994, email, Facebook or Twitter.  Connections is also livestreamed on the WXXI News YouTube channel each day. You can watch live or access previous episodes here. --- Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections.

    51 min

  8. 3D AGO

    New Yorker cover artist Harry Bliss on his memoir, 'You Can Never Die'

    In the first few pages of his debut graphic memoir, cartoonist and New Yorker cover artist Harry Bliss writes that his intention with the book is to establish intimacy with his readers. "You Can Never Die" is rooted in his heartbreak over the loss of his dog, Penny. In his exploration of his grief, Bliss revisits emotional moments over the course of his life: growing up in Henrietta, in a family where physical discipline was the norm; a defining moment in middle school, during which he says he learned about empathy; finding stability in art; the loss of his parents; and more. His writing and illustrations capture the joys and sorrows of being human. Bliss will give a talk at Bleak House Books later this month, but first, he joins us on "Connections." Our guest: Harry Bliss, cartoonist and New Yorker cover artist--- Connections is supported by listeners like you. Head to our donation page to become a WXXI member today, support the show, and help us close the gap created by the rescission of federal funding. --- Connections airs every weekday from noon-2 p.m. Join the conversation with questions or comments by phone at 1-844-295-TALK (8255) or 585-263-9994, email, Facebook or Twitter.  Connections is also livestreamed on the WXXI News YouTube channel each day. You can watch live or access previous episodes here. --- Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections.

    51 min
See All (52)

4.7
out of 5
147 Ratings

About

Evan Dawson talks about what matters to you on Connections. Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections. For transcripts, please email our Move to Include team with a link to the episode.

Information

  • Creator
    WXXI News
  • Years Active
    2013 - 2026
  • Episodes
    52
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 WXXI
  • Show Website
    Connections Podcast

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