Episode 9

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Published on:

25th Jun 2021

Once More for the People in the Back (w/Dr. Nkeiru Okoye)

Hello, dear Scorekeepers! And welcome to a jam-packed ninth episode of The Score. On today's episode, we voyage all the way to the stars and back with a quick chat about Rocky's recent reading with acclaimed Black astrologer Mecca Woods, followed by a dip into MN Opera's newly announced 2021-22 Season, and a conversation about our conflicted feelings around the well-intentioned acronym BIPOC. Then sit back, relax and enjoy a super-sized and super soul-cleansing interview with our guest, composer and recent Guggenheim Fellow Dr. Nkeiru Okoye. We're honored to have Dr. Okoye with us to share a bit about her creative process, what she believes institutions need to change in order help attract audiences and artists of color, and she gives us a little sneak peek at some of her upcoming work. And of course, we'd never leave you without a PB&J. This week, we're sending some love to Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Katori Hall, rising political superstars India Walton and Chris Jones, and the luminous Angela Bassett. Let's do it to it, y'all!

Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige Reynolds

Guest: Dr. Nkeiru Okoye

Producer: Rocky Jones

Timestamps

Astrology and the new MN Opera Season - 0:53

Unpacking BIPOC - 14:35

In Conversation with Dr. Nkeiru Okoye - 43:29

PB&J - 1:30:48


Links

MN Opera's 2021-22 Season (Learn More)

"'BIPOC' Isn't Doing What You Think It's Doing | Opinion" (Newsweek)

Dr. Nkeiru Okoye (Website)

Mecca Woods - My Life Created (Website)

"Katori Hall Wins Drama Pulitzer for ‘The Hot Wing King’" (NY Times)

India Walton for Buffalo (Learn More)

Chris Jones for Governor (Learn More)


If you like what you hear, please support us and SUBSCRIBE to the show on your favorite podcast app and be sure to SHARE our show with your friends. Also leaving a 5-star REVIEW is a great way to help get the word out. For more info about the exciting EDI work happening at MN Opera, please visit mnopera.org/edi. Email your questions or comments to thescore@mnopera.org

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About the Podcast

The Score
News and commentary about art and pop culture seen through a Black and queer lens
It's time to put the arts on game! Hosts Lee Bynum, Paige Reynolds, and Rocky Jones are three Black, queer artists and pop culture aficionados, who are working every day to bring more diversity, equity, and inclusivity into the arts. Noted by The New York Times as one of the "Podcasts Opera Pros Tune To" in 2021, The Score is their provocative, thoughtful, and humorous commentary on the industry's past, present, and future, as seen through an antiracist 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 arts. 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.