Get ready for this gold mine as we welcome the Dr. Louise Toppin to the pod. She shares her experiences and wisdom with a beautiful sense of purpose, including the importance of mentorship, how we can all engage with Spirituals and art song by Black composers more widely, and that one time she sang five different sets of ornaments for Joan Sutherland and felt very thankful for being extra prepared. As Director of both the George Shirley Vocal Competition and Singing Down the Barriers workshop at the University of Michigan, she knows firsthand how to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. Dive in and get ready to learn!

Listen to Louise's latest album, Dear Friends and Gentle Hearts
Order Black Song: A Manifesto for Music and Justice
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Have a question you want answered by Laura and Sam on a future episode? Share your thoughts with a voice memo or written note through our new #TeamArtSong Mailbag!

Nominate a phenomenal artist in your local community for a shoutout in our Songsters in Your Neighborhood segment!
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Song Cycle is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.

Ever wonder what the composer-librettist relationship is like? We do, too, and that's why we asked our good friend, composer Lori Laitman, and the star librettist Caitlin Vincent to join us and discuss their collaboration. It's a really interesting discussion that provides a glimpse into the process of how song and opera texts come to life when both the author and composer are around to work together.

Purchase Caitlin's book Opera Wars here!

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Have a question you want answered by Laura and Sam on a future episode? Share your thoughts with a voice memo or written note through our new #TeamArtSong Mailbag!

Nominate a phenomenal artist in your local community for a shoutout in our Songsters in Your Neighborhood segment!
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Song Cycle is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.

You know him as Robert Bosworth, Trained Musician™️ on Instagram and TikTok, but now it's time to get to know the real pianist behind the curtain! Hear directly from the lovable social media personality that's taking off like a rocket on what his journey has been like, what advice he has for the up-and-coming generation of classical artists, and why it's so important that we all develop our own musical thoughts without following the legacies before us blindly. Come for the giggles, stay for some serious truths!
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Have a question you want answered by Laura and Sam on a future episode? Share your thoughts with a voice memo or written note through our new #TeamArtSong Mailbag!

Nominate a phenomenal artist in your local community for a shoutout in our Songsters in Your Neighborhood segment!
***
Song Cycle is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.