Curiosity Invited David Bryan

In this episode, the microphones turn as Katalin Hanappi asks questions to help us get to know our very own host, David Bryan, a bit more!

From David Bryan:

I first met Katalin Hanappi when she was in the 5th grade, when I went to dinner with her parents who were considering placing Katalin in the school I started in California. She was thrilled at the possibility of being at a school where she would be encouraged to explore and be excited about discovering the world and expressing herself.  

Fast forward 24 years, and Katalin is a celebrated documentary film maker, an artist, and explorer, and perhaps just as thrilled when I first met her.  A month or so ago, she agreed to appear on Curiosity Invited. We had a lovely conversation/reunion, in the middle of which she said, "Someone should interview you on a podcast."   Half in jest I responded that I think she should interview me.  The results are here.

Katalin Hanappi is a Vienna based documentary filmmaker, but likes to refer to herself as an escape artist. She was born in Vienna, Austria into an artistic and rather nomadic family, that is changing its patchwork patterns until this day. Katalin grew up in Austria, Canada, England and the United States, learning soon to adapt to new surroundings and witnessing many forms of education and lifestyles. What was a constant in her life was always storytelling- being the oldest of first one, then two, later three and now a few more siblings, she liked to write stories and books for them. And she used them as actors in homemade plays and films. (note: They later became actors and music composers) As a thirteen year old she stumbled into being a news anchor for a children's' news program on the Austrian National television which she presented every weekend for four years until her family moved away again to England. There Katalin discovered her passion for theater and screenplay-writing.
In her early twenties she wrote plays for theaters in Vienna but then decided to enroll to film school and soon started working as a documentary filmmaker. Now over ten years later Katalin has directed more than 3 dozen documentaries for broadcast and cinema, most of them in the genre of wildlife, adventure, science and nature. Her aim is to get everyone excited about this one gorgeous planet. In order to inspire others she feels she needs to keep inspiring herself and spends most of the year traveling. Together with her partner who runs a design studio she shares a secret double life on a sailboat. Together they recently started the production company “Sailing Studio productions” that produces little fun short films with big meanings.  

Katalin Hanappi is known for her exceptionally sensitive and intuitive approach to challenging stories.

In 2015 she received the Austrian „Best 30 under 30“ journalism award. 

https://katalinhanappi.com/
https://offf.media/index/studio-elastik-katalin-hanappi

Katalin Hanappi is a Vienna based documentary filmmaker, but likes to refer to herself as an escape artist. She was born in Vienna, Austria into an artistic and rather nomadic family, that is changing its patchwork patterns until this day. Katalin grew up in Austria, Canada, England and the United States, learning soon to adapt to new surroundings and witnessing many forms of education and lifestyles. What was a constant in her life was always storytelling- being the oldest of first one, then two, later three and now a few more siblings, she liked to write stories and books for them. And she used them as actors in homemade plays and films. (note: They later became actors and music composers) As a thirteen year old she stumbled into being a news anchor for a children's' news program on the Austrian National television which she presented every weekend for four years until her family moved away again to England. There Katalin discovered her passion for theater and screenplay-writing.
In her early twenties she wrote plays for theaters in Vienna but then decided to enroll to film school and soon started working as a documentary filmmaker. Now over ten years later Katalin has directed more than 3 dozen documentaries for broadcast and cinema, most of them in the genre of wildlife, adventure, science and nature. Her aim is to get everyone excited about this one gorgeous planet. In order to inspire others she feels she needs to keep inspiring herself and spends most of the year traveling. Together with her partner who runs a design studio she shares a secret double life on a sailboat. Together they recently started the production company “Sailing Studio productions” that produces little fun short films with big meanings.  

Katalin Hanappi is known for her exceptionally sensitive and intuitive approach to challenging stories.

In 2015 she received the Austrian „Best 30 under 30“ journalism award. 

https://katalinhanappi.com/
https://offf.media/index/studio-elastik-katalin-hanappi

Stephen James Taylor - Musician & Explorer : Trans-tonal Music - Transcendent Thinking

Stephen James Taylor has a unique musical identity. His style has often been called “Afro-futuristic) as it represents a blend of classical, rock, blues, gospel, world music, homemade instruments, and avante garde. His past projects include scoring Richard Tanne’s 2020 Amazon film Chemical Hearts, music for the Star Wars Cantina at Disneyland’s Galaxy’s Edge (2019) {the first microtonal music ever in rotation at Disneyland), the PBS documentary by Charles Burnett entitled Power To Heal (2018), Maya Angelou-And Still I Rise (2016), Richard Tanne’s theatrical release, Southside With You (2016), Tom Bradley: Bridging the Divide (2015), People Are The Sky, (2015), Marvel’s TV Series The Black Panther, music for theme parks such as Disney World and The Red Sea Astrarium, Universal's The Adventures of Brer Rabbit, Disney’s Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas (for which he won Best Original Score at the 2004 DVDX Awards), Teachers Pet, a Disney animated feature with wide theatrical release in 2003, and most of the films directed by Academy Award winner, Charles Burnett including To Sleep With Anger and the blues documentary, Warming By the Devil’s Fire produced by Martin Scorsese. He has composed scores for many of Robert Townsend’s films such as The Making of the Five Heartbeats (2017) Of Boys and Men (2008), Carmen, A HipHopera (2004) and Holiday Heart (2000). In 2001 he wrote underscore and produced some of the songs for Clark Johnson’s Boycott (HBO films) as well as his 2018 Netflix film, Juanita (2017). In 1996 he was commissioned to write an orchestral suite for the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics and was one of the conductors of the Atlanta Symphony for that occasion. In 1993, Stephen received an Emmy nomination for an R&B song he wrote for I’ll Fly Away as well as a Daytime Emmy nomination for his classical orchestral score for an episode of the animated series, The Lion King’s Timon and Pumbaa. Other Emmy nominations have been for the PBS movie Brother Future (1991), and Raw Toonage an animated series for Disney. In 1999 and 2000 he has received Annie nominations for his work on Disney’s Mickey Mouseworks. He has also done string arrangements for James Taylor and for Crosby, Stills, and Nash. He is currently working on a cartoon series for Netflix.

After graduating from Stanford University in 1976 with a B.A. in music, he studied composition for four years with Henri Lazarof, professor of music at UCLA. He studied microtonality with Erv Wilson for 20 years with whom he helped develop a new 810 key microtonal keyboard used in many of the above scores.

Taylor’s second chamber symphony was commissioned and premiered by the Pasadena Chamber Orchestra in 1983. The Detroit Symphony later performed it in 1990. His various chamber works have been performed throughout the country. He has done a great deal of composing in surround sound. His 2001 “COME ALIVE” premiered at the El Paso Microhoot and has been presented many times since. More recently his 55 minute surround suite, “MUSIC FROM THE OTHER WAKANDA”, was selected by the composition faculty at Virgina Tech to be presented as part of its 2022 Afrofuturist themed “Cubefest”. Other projects include a trans-tonal pop album entitled Embrace It All (now available on itunes). A filmmaker as well, he has also completed some short films of his own: the award winning documentary, SURFING THE SONIC SKY, the science fiction short, I AM HERE. as well a research documentary about the micro- geometry of subatomic matter with co-director Jesus Trevino called “Gurule Shells, A Quantum Metaphor”.

A few samples:
"Red Sun Blue Highway" (fretless acoustic blues guitar} https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgBIf...

“The Bradley Variations” (31 tone guitar solo)

Kelly Rigg has been an environmental activist for over 40 years. As a senior advisor to, and later Executive Director (2009-2014) of the Global Call for Climate Action, she led a major international alliance campaigning for a fair, ambitious and binding global climate agreement. She also coordinated (2004 – 2009) the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, made up of more than 60 NGOs worldwide, campaigning to achieve a UN General Assembly moratorium on high seas bottom trawling.

She worked for Greenpeace off and on for 20 years. She led Greenpeace International’s campaign on the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002, with a focus on climate change and renewable energy. She also led Greenpeace’s successful international campaign to save Antarctica (1986-1990), combining a political campaign with field expeditions and the establishment of a scientific base on the ice. During this time she represented Greenpeace at the UN.

Kelly began campaigning for the environment in 1982, working for Greenpeace USA against offshore oil drilling when the Reagan Administration planned to open virtually the entire US continental shelf to oil development. In 1984 she became the organization’s wildlife campaign director.

Founded in 2003, The Varda Group has vast experience across a wide range of issues, including climate change, marine biodiversity, fisheries conservation, the Arctic and Antarctic, maritime policy, nuclear safety, security, and arms control, toxic pollution and clean production, fresh water management and sanitation, sustainable consumption, tobacco control, international governance, international trade, access to information and transparency.

https://www.vardagroup.org/
https://twitter.com/kellyrigg

Artist, author, teacher, Jane Edberg speaks candidly and profoundly about the practices that carried her through deep sadness and grief over the loss of her son toward joy, wellbeing, and insight into metabolizing life's most profound challenges. Due to be published in 2022, The Fine Art of Grieving promises to be an intimate and insightful look into the relationship of vulnerability and strength.

https://www.facebook.com/thefineartofgrieving
https://www.thefineartofgrieving.com/
https://www.instagram.com/thefineartofgrieving/?hl=en

David Bryan, Co-Founder and Founding Head of New Roads School speaks with Luthern Williams current Head of New Roads School about this unique independent school in Santa Monica, CA. 

Unique among independent schools, New Roads is a K-12 school that has, since its inception in 1995, offered unprecedented amounts of need-based support to its students to ensure that students whose families might not be able to afford the full tuition amount can receive the rich educational experience New Roads offers.

Luthern Williams, a visionary educational leader, is the Head of School at New Roads School in Santa Monica, California. He holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and an Ed.M. in School Leadership from Harvard University. Previously, Luthern was the Assistant Head of School for Program and Middle School Director at New Roads School. Luthern has over twenty- five years of experience as an administrator and English teacher in independent schools in New York City, Boston, and Los Angeles. He served as the Director of College Preparation and College Admissions at College Launch, an educational consulting company; the Director of Studies at the Oakwood School in North Hollywood, California; the Upper School Director at Beaver Country Day School in Boston, Massachusetts; and the Director of Diversity at the Winsor School in Boston, Massachusetts.Throughout his career, he has drawn on his extensive knowledge of education to align schools’ programs with their missions and to build educational models where all children thrive; learn love, respect, empathy, and compassion; and develop the tools to create a world based on the inherent dignity and worth of each individual. To prepare teachers to educate for this “New World,” Luthern has contributed to the design, redesign, and development of one of the premier teacher induction and professional development programs for independent schools in the nation as well as created professional development processes in many independent schools. In addition, Luthern has trained teachers to devise strategies and assessments for students with various learning styles as well as culturally sensitive teaching methods and curricula.He has done talks, interviews, presentations and workshops about education on the local, state, national, and international level, including speaking on a panel for the United States Department of Education, Office of Nonpublic Education. He has consulted nationally on education, and he has written articles in this field. In addition, he has served as Board Chair and Board member on nonprofit boards.Currently, he sits on the Board of Directors of California Association of Independent Schools, Private School Axis, Los Encinos School, and the Advisory Board of the National Diversity Coalition. Luthern is deeply committed to democratizing meaningful access to high quality education for socio-economically disadvantaged students and developing schools, built on wellbeing, that are catalysts for societal transformation.

https://newroads.org/