Fast Forward

MTF

Fast Forward is a podcast about the futures artists are already building. MTF equips artists to create musical stories as a collective force for justice, healing, and radical imagination. Produced by MTF, Fast Forward brings artists, thinkers, and cross-sector collaborators into conversation to explore how creative practice moves beyond traditional development pipelines and into the world at large. Each episode asks us to fast forward to a future where artists are seen as essential contributors to society, not just culture makers, but collaborators in fields like health, technology, education, and civic life. Through candid dialogue, lived experience, and real-world examples, the podcast examines what becomes possible when storytelling is invited into new spaces. Fast Forward is for artists, producers, and partners who believe that creative work can shape systems, expand belonging, and build more humane futures. It’s a space for curiosity, experimentation, and bold thinking about how artists live, work, and collaborate. Because the future of art isn’t coming later. It’s already in motion. Learn more about MTF at www.mtf.nyc.

Episodes

  1. 012: MTF x Melliot

    MAY 1

    012: MTF x Melliot

    In this episode, Brisa Areli sits down with writing duo Melliot (Mel Hornyak & Elliot Valentine) of Makers Cohort IV! We get into the joy & importance of Queer/Trans art, speculative fiction as a genre, and how they're writing their communities directly into their art. Listen in and learn more about the various project Melliot has been cookin' up! ------------ About MTF MTF equips artists to create musical stories as a collective force for justice, healing, and radical imagination. Stay in Orbit: Website: www.mtf.nyc Instagram: @mtfmusicals YouTube Give Back ---------- CREDITS Produced by | MTF Musicals  Hosted by | Brisa Areli Muñoz  Featuring | Melliot Production  Creative Director | Andrea Negrete DP | Andrew Young  Editing | Andrew Young  Sound Mixing | Falan Nuhring   MTF Team Abigail Grubb | Director of Interdependence & Collective Care Andrea Negrete | Director of Access & Advocacy AriDy Nox | Director of Decolonization & Sustainability Brisa Areli Muñoz | Director of Artistic Innovation & Emergent Magic Brandon Powers | Artistic Innovation Lead Falan Nuhring | Coordinator of Connectivity & Systems Sidney Erik Wright | Artistic Programs Lead   MTF Board of Directors Amy Goldwasser Ariel Estrada Catherine Pulley-Dennison Cheyenne Myrie Isabel Quinzaños Alonso M Von Nida   Special Thanks To  The MTF Community & MTF Makers Past and Present Kelindah Bee | Producer of Fast Forward Live Tapings  Sol & Yue Productions Shakina Nayfack | Founding Artistic Director Mei Ann Teo | Former Artistic Director Walter   MTF’s Institutional Support The Mellon Foundation Joseph F. Savage Jr. Charitable Foundation Howard Gilman Foundation The Jerome Foundation Fast Forward is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

    47 min
  2. 011: MTF x Come See Your Future

    APR 26

    011: MTF x Come See Your Future

    Brisa Areli and Brandon sit down with EmmaLee Kidwell & Maria Andreoli to talk about how technology intersects dramaturgically with their process and new piece in development Come See Your Future. Come See Your Future is a hybrid musical theatre and virtual reality piece that unfolds in a sci-fi, dystopian world ravaged by climate change. The project explores capitalism’s impact on the environment and how political division inhibits humanity’s ability to live sustainably and find solutions to the climate crisis. Every audience member steps inside the world of the show in VR as the experience weaves live performance and interactive virtual reality sequences, propelling the story forward. With VR, the audience embodies each character's perspective, creating a form-bending immersive experience. Learn more about Maria & EmmaLee and Come See Your Future Below! ------------ About MTF MTF equips artists to create musical stories as a collective force for justice, healing, and radical imagination. Stay in Orbit: Website: www.mtf.nyc Instagram: @mtfmusicals YouTube Give Back ---------- CREDITS Produced by | MTF Musicals  Hosted by | Brisa Areli Muñoz  Featuring | EmmaLee Kidwell & Maria Isabella Andreoli & Brandon Powers Come See Your Future Production  Creative Director | Andrea Negrete DP | Andrew Young  Editing | Andrew Young  Sound Mixing | Falan Nuhring   MTF Team Abigail Grubb | Director of Interdependence & Collective Care Andrea Negrete | Director of Access & Advocacy AriDy Nox | Director of Decolonization & Sustainability Brisa Areli Muñoz | Director of Artistic Innovation & Emergent Magic Brandon Powers | Artistic Innovation Lead Falan Nuhring | Coordinator of Connectivity & Systems Sidney Erik Wright | Artistic Programs Lead   MTF Board of Directors Amy Goldwasser Ariel Estrada Catherine Pulley-Dennison Cheyenne Myrie Isabel Quinzaños Alonso M Von Nida   Special Thanks To  The MTF Community & MTF Makers Past and Present Kelindah Bee | Producer of Fast Forward Live Tapings  Sol & Yue Productions Shakina Nayfack | Founding Artistic Director Mei Ann Teo | Former Artistic Director Walter   MTF’s Institutional Support The Mellon Foundation Joseph F. Savage Jr. Charitable Foundation Howard Gilman Foundation The Jerome Foundation Fast Forward is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

    43 min
  3. 010: Technology as a Liberatory Tool

    APR 20

    010: Technology as a Liberatory Tool

    This interactive live Fast Forward event invited audiences to explore how musical storytelling extends beyond the stage to influence other sectors. At our Fast Forward: Technology as a Liberatory Tool, we began to investigate how technology can serve artists and creators. To ground the discussion in lived artistic practice, we’ve engaged two artist case studies. EmmaLee Kidwell and Maria Isabella Andreoli are developing Come See Your Future, a mixed-reality musical that reimagines how audiences experience narrative across physical and digital space. Inyosi Sebenzekhaya is creating Priestess Portals, an evolving work exploring how spiritual technologies and extended reality can merge to generate new forms of ritual, embodiment, and collective transformation. Technologists Aaron Santiago and Dr. Courtney D. Cogburnwill joined the conversation to help audiences better understand how awareness can create agency as we imagine together how technology can be used to fuel the change we want to see in the world. ------------ About MTF MTF equips artists to create musical stories as a collective force for justice, healing, and radical imagination. Stay in Orbit: Website: www.mtf.nyc Instagram: @mtfmusicals YouTube Give Back ---------- CREDITS Produced by | MTF Musicals  Hosted by | Brisa Areli Muñoz  Featuring | EmmaLee Kidwell & Maria Isabella Andreoli, INYOSI Sebenzekhaya (b. Nia O. Witherspoon) PhD, Aaron Santiago, & Dr. Courtney D. Cogburn Production  Creative Director | Andrea Negrete DP | Andrew Young  Editing | Andrew Young  Sound Mixing | Falan Nuhring   MTF Team Abigail Grubb | Director of Interdependence & Collective Care Andrea Negrete | Director of Access & Advocacy AriDy Nox | Director of Decolonization & Sustainability Brisa Areli Muñoz | Director of Artistic Innovation & Emergent Magic Brandon Powers | Artistic Innovation Lead Falan Nuhring | Coordinator of Connectivity & Systems Sidney Erik Wright | Artistic Programs Lead   MTF Board of Directors Amy Goldwasser Ariel Estrada Catherine Pulley-Dennison Cheyenne Myrie Isabel Quinzaños Alonso M Von Nida   Special Thanks To  The MTF Community & MTF Makers Past and Present Kelindah Bee | Producer of Fast Forward Live Tapings  Sol & Yue Productions Shakina Nayfack | Founding Artistic Director Mei Ann Teo | Former Artistic Director Walter   MTF’s Institutional Support The Mellon Foundation Joseph F. Savage Jr. Charitable Foundation Howard Gilman Foundation The Jerome Foundation Fast Forward is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

    1h 24m
  4. 09: The Last Gatekeeper x MTFxR

    APR 10

    09: The Last Gatekeeper x MTFxR

    To ground us in practical application, MTF dives into the process of developing Germono Toussaint's The Last Gatekeeper as a case study for the use of Technology as a dramaturgical and liberatory tool. "The Last Gatekeeper is an immersive, multi-media, musical theater piece inspired by the writings of West African shaman Malidoma Patrice Somé. The term gatekeeper refers to the indigenous belief that those who express themselves as same-gender-loving maintain the portals between the physical and spiritual world and are connected to both. They are guardians who restore balance and harmony when there is crisis." We get into technologies, both practical & spiritual, and how they can serve the story, the artist, & the development process.  ------------ About MTF MTF equips artists to create musical stories as a collective force for justice, healing, and radical imagination. Stay in Orbit: Website: www.mtf.nyc Instagram: @mtfmusicals YouTube Give Back ---------- CREDITS Produced by | MTF Musicals  Hosted by | Brisa Areli Muñoz  Featuring | Brandon Powers & Germono Toussaint Production  Creative Director | Andrea Negrete DP | Andrew Young  Editing | Andrew Young  Sound Mixing | Falan Nuhring   MTF Team Abigail Grubb | Director of Interdependence & Collective Care Andrea Negrete | Director of Access & Advocacy AriDy Nox | Director of Decolonization & Sustainability Brisa Areli Muñoz | Director of Artistic Innovation & Emergent Magic Brandon Powers | Artistic Innovation Lead Falan Nuhring | Coordinator of Connectivity & Systems Sidney Erik Wright | Artistic Programs Lead   MTF Board of Directors Amy Goldwasser Ariel Estrada Catherine Pulley-Dennison Cheyenne Myrie Isabel Quinzaños Alonso M Von Nida   Special Thanks To  The MTF Community & MTF Makers Past and Present Kelindah Bee | Producer of Fast Forward Live Tapings  Sol & Yue Productions Shakina Nayfack | Founding Artistic Director Mei Ann Teo | Former Artistic Director Walter   MTF’s Institutional Support The Mellon Foundation Joseph F. Savage Jr. Charitable Foundation Howard Gilman Foundation The Jerome Foundation Fast Forward is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

    44 min
  5. 08: What You Need to Know About MTFxR

    APR 4

    08: What You Need to Know About MTFxR

    Brandon Powers joins us to talk all things MTFxR. We get into technology as a dramaturgical & liberatory tool, definitions, practical examples, fears, & more!  ------------ About MTF MTF equips artists to create musical stories as a collective force for justice, healing, and radical imagination. Stay in Orbit: Website: www.mtf.nyc Instagram: @mtfmusicals YouTube Give Back ---------- CREDITS Produced by | MTF Musicals  Hosted by | Brisa Areli Muñoz  Featuring | Brandon Powers Shout Out | Kelindah Bee& Melliot Production  Creative Director | Andrea Negrete DP | Andrew Young  Editing | Andrew Young  Sound Mixing | Falan Nuhring MTF Team Abigail Grubb | Director of Interdependence & Collective Care Andrea Negrete | Director of Access & Advocacy AriDy Nox | Director of Decolonization & Sustainability Brisa Areli Muñoz | Director of Artistic Innovation & Emergent Magic Brandon Powers | Artistic Innovation Lead Falan Nuhring | Coordinator of Connectivity & Systems Sidney Erik Wright | Artistic Programs Lead MTF Board of Directors Amy Goldwasser Ariel Estrada Catherine Pulley-Dennison Cheyenne Myrie Isabel Quinzaños Alonso M Von Nida Special Thanks To  The MTF Community & MTF Makers Past and Present Kelindah Bee | Producer of Fast Forward Live Tapings  Sol & Yue Productions Shakina Nayfack | Founding Artistic Director Mei Ann Teo | Former Artistic Director Walter MTF’s Institutional Support The Mellon Foundation Joseph F. Savage Jr. Charitable Foundation Howard Gilman Foundation The Jerome Foundation Fast Forward is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

    41 min
  6. 07: The Potential to Shift Timelines

    MAR 27

    07: The Potential to Shift Timelines

    On the other side of our live event/taping, ELC gathers to reflect on launching this new program, what curiosities we still have, and how we can imagine deepening this work. If you have a family member or friend at a senior center who can benefit from this type of work, please let us know at info@mtf.nyc! If you work in insurance and have valuable knowledge to add, we invite you to join the conversation. If you are asking yourself how you can apply this model to your own work, you're in the right place! We are so happy you're here. Thank you for listening. ------------ About MTF MTF equips artists to create musical stories as a collective force for justice, healing, and radical imagination. Stay in Orbit: Website: www.mtf.nyc Instagram: @mtfmusicals YouTube Give Back ---------- CREDITS Produced by | MTF Musicals  Hosted by | Brisa Areli Muñoz  Featuring | Andrea Negrete, Abigial Grubb, & Brisa Areli Muñoz Production  Creative Director | Andrea Negrete DP | Andrew Young  Editing | Andrew Young  Sound Mixing | Falan Nuhring MTF Team Abigail Grubb | Director of Interdependence & Collective Care Andrea Negrete | Director of Access & Advocacy AriDy Nox | Director of Decolonization & Sustainability Brisa Areli Muñoz | Director of Artistic Innovation & Emergent Magic Brandon Powers | Artistic Innovation Lead Falan Nuhring | Coordinator of Connectivity & Systems Sidney Erik Wright | Artistic Programs Lead MTF Board of Directors Amy Goldwasser Ariel Estrada Catherine Pulley-Dennison Cheyenne Myrie Isabel Quinzaños Alonso M Von Nida Special Thanks To  The MTF Community & MTF Makers Past and Present Kelindah Bee | Producer of Fast Forward Live Tapings  Sol & Yue Productions Shakina Nayfack | Founding Artistic Director Mei Ann Teo | Former Artistic Director Walter MTF’s Institutional Support The Mellon Foundation Joseph F. Savage Jr. Charitable Foundation Howard Gilman Foundation The Jerome Foundation Fast Forward is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

    28 min
  7. 06: What MERCEDES Continues to Give

    MAR 22

    06: What MERCEDES Continues to Give

    In episode 6, we circle back to Flako on the other side of our live event to check in on what that experience was like, what's in store for MERCEDES, and more! This conversation wraps up our time at the intersection of Health & Wellness (for now) and we look forward to diving into Technology as a Liberatory Tool! Stay tuned. ------------ About MTF MTF equips artists to create musical stories as a collective force for justice, healing, and radical imagination. Stay in Orbit: Website: www.mtf.nyc Instagram: @mtfmusicals YouTube Give Back ---------- CREDITS Produced by | MTF Musicals  Hosted by | Brisa Areli Muñoz  Featuring | Modesto 'Flako' Jimenez Shout Outs | ¡Oye! Group, MERCEDES Production  Creative Director | Andrea Negrete DP | Andrew Young  Editing | Andrew Young  Sound Mixing | Falan Nuhring MTF Team Abigail Grubb | Director of Interdependence & Collective Care Andrea Negrete | Director of Access & Advocacy AriDy Nox | Director of Decolonization & Sustainability Brisa Areli Muñoz | Director of Artistic Innovation & Emergent Magic Brandon Powers | Artistic Innovation Lead Falan Nuhring | Coordinator of Connectivity & Systems Sidney Erik Wright | Artistic Programs Lead MTF Board of Directors Amy Goldwasser Ariel Estrada Catherine Pulley-Dennison Cheyenne Myrie Isabel Quinzaños Alonso M Von Nida Special Thanks To  The MTF Community & MTF Makers Past and Present Kelindah Bee | Producer of Fast Forward Live Tapings  Sol & Yue Productions Shakina Nayfack | Founding Artistic Director Mei Ann Teo | Former Artistic Director Walter MTF’s Institutional Support The Mellon Foundation Joseph F. Savage Jr. Charitable Foundation Howard Gilman Foundation The Jerome Foundation Fast Forward is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

    37 min
  8. 05: The Ripple Effect

    MAR 13

    05: The Ripple Effect

    In this episode of Fast Forward, artists Emmanuelle Zagoria and Ben Bonnema reflect on the conversation from MTF’s first Fast Forward: Health & Wellness gathering. Together, they explore what it might look like to build healthier creative ecosystems, imagining how care, sustainability, and collective responsibility could shape the future of artistic work. ------------ About MTF MTF equips artists to create musical stories as a collective force for justice, healing, and radical imagination. Stay in Orbit: Website: www.mtf.nyc Instagram: @mtfmusicals YouTube Give Back ---------- CREDITS Produced by | MTF Musicals  Hosted by | Brisa Areli Muñoz  Featuring | Emmanuelle Zagoria and Ben Bonnema  Learn more about PACBI Production  Creative Director | Andrea Negrete DP | Andrew Young  Editing | Andrew Young  Sound Mixing | Falan Nuhring MTF Team Abigail Grubb | Director of Interdependence & Collective Care Andrea Negrete | Director of Access & Advocacy AriDy Nox | Director of Decolonization & Sustainability Brisa Areli Muñoz | Director of Artistic Innovation & Emergent Magic Brandon Powers | Artistic Innovation Lead Falan Nuhring | Coordinator of Connectivity & Systems Sidney Erik Wright | Artistic Programs Lead MTF Board of Directors Amy Goldwasser Ariel Estrada Catherine Pulley-Dennison Cheyenne Myrie Isabel Quinzaños Alonso M Von Nida Special Thanks To  The MTF Community & MTF Makers Past and Present Kelindah Bee | Producer of Fast Forward Live Tapings  Sol & Yue Productions Shakina Nayfack | Founding Artistic Director Mei Ann Teo | Former Artistic Director Walter MTF’s Institutional Support The Mellon Foundation Joseph F. Savage Jr. Charitable Foundation Howard Gilman Foundation The Jerome Foundation Fast Forward is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

    42 min
  9. 04: Health & Wellness

    MAR 6

    04: Health & Wellness

    What happens when musical theater intersects with health, healing, and wellness? Recorded live at our Fast Forward event this past October (2025), this episode explores how artists are using musical storytelling to engage with some of the most pressing questions around care, mental health, and collective well-being. Featuring expert voices Lis Chirinos, Sarah Serrano-Esquilin, and Dr. Marc Rothman, plus a live performance by Pedro Fortunato, this episode centers a case study on Mercedes by Modesto Flako Jimenez of Oye Group for collective imagining and dialogue. Make sure you listen to Episode 03 for more context! Dive into the ways creative practice can open new pathways for empathy, dialogue, and healing. From rethinking how stories about health are told, to exploring how artistic spaces can support personal and community wellness, the discussion invites us to consider what role musical storytelling might play in a healthier, more connected future. ------------ About MTF MTF equips artists to create musical stories as a collective force for justice, healing, and radical imagination. Stay in Orbit: Website: www.mtf.nyc Instagram: @mtfmusicals YouTube Give Back ---------- CREDITS Produced by | MTF Musicals  Hosted by | Brisa Areli Muñoz  Featuring | Lis Chirinos, Sarah Serrano-Esquilin, and Dr. Marc Rothman, plus a live performance by Pedro Fortunato Production  Creative Director | Andrea Negrete DP | Andrew Young  Editing | Andrew Young  Sound Mixing | Falan Nuhring MTF Team Abigail Grubb | Director of Interdependence & Collective Care Andrea Negrete | Director of Access & Advocacy AriDy Nox | Director of Decolonization & Sustainability Brisa Areli Muñoz | Director of Artistic Innovation & Emergent Magic Brandon Powers | Artistic Innovation Lead Falan Nuhring | Coordinator of Connectivity & Systems Sidney Erik Wright | Artistic Programs Lead MTF Board of Directors Amy Goldwasser Ariel Estrada Catherine Pulley-Dennison Cheyenne Myrie Isabel Quinzaños Alonso M Von Nida Special Thanks To  The MTF Community & MTF Makers Past and Present Kelindah Bee | Producer of Fast Forward Live Tapings  Sol & Yue Productions Shakina Nayfack | Founding Artistic Director Mei Ann Teo | Former Artistic Director Walter MTF’s Institutional Support The Mellon Foundation Joseph F. Savage Jr. Charitable Foundat

    1h 1m
  10. 03: In the Name of Mercedes

    FEB 27

    03: In the Name of Mercedes

    In Episode 3 of Fast Forward, Brisa sits down with Modesto 'Flako' Jimenez for an intimate and expansive conversation about identity, memory, and wellness through artistic practice. Together, they explore who Flako is as an artist, who Mercedes was, and what MERCEDES the project has become. This is a case study in how creative work can function as healing, reclamation, and emotional processing. As this season examines Health and Wellness, MERCEDES offers a powerful lens into how art holds grief, legacy, transformation, and care. It is also paving the way for what cross-sectoral partnership can look like! Brisa and Flako unpack the relationship between storytelling and selfhood, and how creative practice can become a site of restoration. ------------ About MTF MTF equips artists to create musical stories as a collective force for justice, healing, and radical imagination. Stay in Orbit: Website: www.mtf.nyc Instagram: @mtfmusicals YouTube Give Back ---------- CREDITS Produced by | MTF Musicals  Hosted by | Brisa Areli Muñoz  Featuring | Modesto 'Flako' Jimenez, MERCEDES, &   ¡Oye Group! Production  Creative Director | Andrea Negrete DP | Andrew Young  Editing | Andrew Young  Sound Mixing | Falan Nuhring MTF Team Abigail Grubb | Director of Interdependence & Collective Care Andrea Negrete | Director of Access & Advocacy AriDy Nox | Director of Decolonization & Sustainability Brisa Areli Muñoz | Director of Artistic Innovation & Emergent Magic Brandon Powers | Artistic Innovation Lead Falan Nuhring | Coordinator of Connectivity & Systems Sidney Erik Wright | Artistic Programs Lead MTF Board of Directors Amy Goldwasser Ariel Estrada Catherine Pulley-Dennison Cheyenne Myrie Isabel Quinzaños Alonso M Von Nida Special Thanks To  The MTF Community & MTF Makers Past and Present Kelindah Bee | Producer of Fast Forward Live Tapings  Sol & Yue Productions Shakina Nayfack | Founding Artistic Director Mei Ann Teo | Former Artistic Director Walter MTF’s Institutional Support The Mellon Foundation Joseph F. Savage Jr. Charitable Foundation Howard Gilman Foundation The Jerome Foundation Fast Forward is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

    49 min
  11. 02: If Artists Were Essential

    FEB 21

    02: If Artists Were Essential

    In Episode 2 of Fast Forward, members of MTF’s Artistic Circle (Brandon Powers, Sidney Erik Wright, and Brisa Areli Muñoz) break down what Fast Forward is and why it matters now. This conversation explores cross-sector collaboration, the future of the arts, and how artists can drive impact beyond traditional entertainment and new work development. Together, they examine how creative leaders can influence other sectors in society and the impact on the broader creative economy. What would change if artists were treated as essential contributors across industries? What does sustainable artistic impact actually look like? If you’re interested in arts leadership, cultural strategy, innovation in musical storytelling, and building a more equitable arts ecosystem, this episode lays the foundation. ------------ About MTF MTF equips artists to create musical stories as a collective force for justice, healing, and radical imagination. Stay in Orbit: Website: www.mtf.nyc Instagram: @mtfmusicals YouTube Give Back ---------- CREDITS Produced by | MTF Musicals  Hosted by | Brisa Areli Muñoz  Featuring | Brandon Powers & Sidney Erik Wright  Production  Creative Director | Andrea Negrete DP | Andrew Young  Editing | Andrew Young  Sound Mixing | Falan Nuhring MTF Team Abigail Grubb | Director of Interdependence & Collective Care Andrea Negrete | Director of Access & Advocacy AriDy Nox | Director of Decolonization & Sustainability Brisa Areli Muñoz | Director of Artistic Innovation & Emergent Magic Brandon Powers | Artistic Innovation Lead Falan Nuhring | Coordinator of Connectivity & Systems Sidney Erik Wright | Artistic Programs Lead MTF Board of Directors Amy Goldwasser Ariel Estrada Catherine Pulley-Dennison Cheyenne Myrie Isabel Quinzaños Alonso M Von Nida Special Thanks To  The MTF Community & MTF Makers Past and Present Kelindah Bee | Producer of Fast Forward Live Tapings  Sol & Yue Productions Shakina Nayfack | Founding Artistic Director Mei Ann Teo | Former Artistic Director Walter MTF’s Institutional Support The Mellon Foundation Joseph F. Savage Jr. Charitable Foundation Howard Gilman Foundation The Jerome Foundation Fast Forward is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

    38 min
  12. 01: Before We Fast Forward

    FEB 13

    01: Before We Fast Forward

    Before we fully Fast Forward, we want to take the time to ground ourselves in where we are and why this work matters now. In this debut episode, MTF's Extended Leadership Circle introduces the org and sets the stage for what Fast Forward is here to do: imagine bold futures for storytelling, center artists as essential contributors to society, and explore how creative practice moves across sectors and communities. You’ll hear the origin story behind MTF, the values shaping this next era, and the questions that will guide the conversations to come. Whether you’re an artist, collaborator, or curious listener, this episode invites you into the vision and the journey ahead. About MTF MTF equips artists to create musical stories as a collective force for justice, healing, and radical imagination. Stay in Orbit: Website: www.mtf.nyc Instagram: @mtfmusicals YouTube Give Back ---------- CREDITS Produced by | MTF Musicals  Hosted by | Brisa Areli Muñoz  Featuring | Abigail Grubb & Andrea Negrete  Production  Creative Director | Andrea Negrete DP | Andrew Young  Editing | Andrew Young  Sound Mixing | Falan Nuhring MTF Team Abigail Grubb | Director of Interdependence & Collective Care Andrea Negrete | Director of Access & Advocacy AriDy Nox | Director of Decolonization & Sustainability Brisa Areli Muñoz | Director of Artistic Innovation & Emergent Magic Brandon Powers | Artistic Innovation Lead Falan Nuhring | Coordinator of Connectivity & Systems Sidney Erik Wright | Artistic Programs Lead MTF Board of Directors Amy Goldwasser Ariel Estrada Catherine Pulley-Dennison Cheyenne Myrie Isabel Quinzaños Alonso M Von Nida Special Thanks To  The MTF Community & MTF Makers Past and Present Kelindah Bee | Producer of Fast Forward Live Tapings  Sol & Yue Productions Shakina Nayfack | Founding Artistic Director Mei Ann Teo | Former Artistic Director Walter MTF’s Institutional Support The Mellon Foundation Joseph F. Savage Jr. Charitable Foundation Howard Gilman Foundation The Jerome Foundation Fast Forward is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

    28 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Fast Forward is a podcast about the futures artists are already building. MTF equips artists to create musical stories as a collective force for justice, healing, and radical imagination. Produced by MTF, Fast Forward brings artists, thinkers, and cross-sector collaborators into conversation to explore how creative practice moves beyond traditional development pipelines and into the world at large. Each episode asks us to fast forward to a future where artists are seen as essential contributors to society, not just culture makers, but collaborators in fields like health, technology, education, and civic life. Through candid dialogue, lived experience, and real-world examples, the podcast examines what becomes possible when storytelling is invited into new spaces. Fast Forward is for artists, producers, and partners who believe that creative work can shape systems, expand belonging, and build more humane futures. It’s a space for curiosity, experimentation, and bold thinking about how artists live, work, and collaborate. Because the future of art isn’t coming later. It’s already in motion. Learn more about MTF at www.mtf.nyc.

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