Episode 47

full
Published on:

25th Jan 2023

Harlem State of Mind (w/L. Adé Williams)

Hey hey, Scorekeepers! Happy Aquarius Season, and welcome to a brand new episode of THE SCORE! In honor of Lee's big move, this week is all about one of our favorite places in the world: the Big Apple herself, New York City! First up, we'll discuss the Metropolitan Opera's very exciting plan to invest $30 million dollars into new opera works and what that could mean for the future of the industry. Next, we're joined by the delightful L. Adé Williams, Musical Conductor and Executive Producer of The Harlem Connection, a weekly radio show which showcases the sounds that have made Harlem a cultural Mecca for decades. Come along for a fascinating and fun chat about what makes Harlem so special, Adé's time seeing the stars shine (or not) during his time at the Apollo Theater, and his time developing Black characters at DC Comics! And, of course, we'd never leave you without a little PBJ at the end. (That's Pure Black Joy for the newbies!) Let's do it to it, y'all!

Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige Reynolds (Iyawo Inawale)

Guest: L. Adé Williams

Producer: Rocky Jones

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Links

The Harlem Connection (WBAI) (Twitter) (FB) (Insta) (RASR)

"Pandemic Woes Lead Met Opera to Tap Endowment and Embrace New Work" (NYT)

Doula 4 All (Website)

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About the Podcast

The Score
News and commentary about opera, classical music, and pop culture seen through an antiracist and anti-oppressive lens
It's time to put opera on game! Hosts Lee Bynum, Paige Reynolds, and Rocky Jones are three Black and queer artists, pop culture aficionados, and arts administrators at Minnesota Opera, who are working every day to bring more diversity, equity, and inclusivity into opera and classical music. The Score is their provocative, thoughtful, and humorous commentary on the industry's past, present, and future, as seen through an anti-racist and anti-oppressive lens. Each episode features a variety of stories from a variety of perspectives that bring People of the Global Majority, queer, trans and nonbinary folks, and everyone else into the discussion of ownership over and access to the art form. From the opera house to the statehouse to your house, each episode will amplify the voices of those in the field who are pushing the boundaries of what opera is, who it is for, and how it can transform us and our communities. New episodes come out every other Wednesday!