It's finally here, Scorekeepers. It's Election Day 2024 here in the US. So if you haven't yet voted and made your voice heard, may we kindly suggest you pause the pod and go do that. And then while you're waiting in line or when you get back, you can listen to us chat about the literal life and death choice before us (00:33), the strange celebrity political endorsement industrial complex that seems especially present this election cycle (43:23), and then -- because we all need it desperately today -- a supersized dose of Pure Black Joy to help us all get through this anxious day (1:06:00).But if you don't listen to anything else listen to this: VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! And whatever happens, we'll get through it together. Stay safe and make good choices! We love you, Scorekeepers! Let's do it to it. Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige ReynoldsProducer: Rocky Jones--LinksZora Neale Hurston Summit (Home) (Donate)The Black Feminist Project (Home)"Louisiana students who solved the Pythagorean theorem discover nine more solutions to it" (NOLA.com)--New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Tuesday. 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 on Apple Podcasts is a great way to help people find our show. Email your questions or comments to [email protected] to Listen: Apple | Spotify | YouTubeFollow Us on Insta! Lee | Paige | Rocky

Hey hey, Scorekeepers! We're back for another episode of your favorite podcast, THE SCORE! This week, after a little election update, we're gonna try something new. Noah's Arc was the first of its kind: a funny and frank dramedy about four Black gay men living in Los Angeles that ran for two seasons on LogoTV in the mid-2000s. For the next few months, we'll be revisiting this trailblazing show episode by episode, chatting about the friendships, the sex, the romance, the fashions, and what seeing these characters on our screens meant to us then and still means to us today. This week, we'll be covering episodes 1-3 of the first season and it's wild, gay ride! (If you'd like to watch along with us, check out the links below!) Plus, as always, we end with a little PBJ, this week with André 3000, the ladies of The Real Housewives of Potomac, and legendary playwright Dominique Morrisseau. Let's do it to it, y'all!Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige ReynoldsProducer: Rocky Jones--LinksWatch Noah's Arc along with us: Paramount+ | Amazon | Apple--New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Tuesday. 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 on Apple Podcasts is a great way to help people find our show. Email your questions or comments to [email protected] to Listen: Apple | Spotify | YouTubeFollow Us on Insta! Lee | Paige | Rocky

Don't call it a comeback, dear Scorekeepers! Call it a homecoming! Welcome to the new iteration of your favorite podcast, which we're affectionately calling The Score 2.0. The Minnesota Opera era is over. The Lincoln Center era is over. We're now proudly coming to you as a wholly independent, Black and queer media enterprise, liberated from the shackles of any institutional pressure. What does that mean? It means we're going to keep bringing you the same Black, queer arts and culture commentary you've come to enjoy, but a bit freer and a lot spicier. Plus, we're excited to dip our toes into some completely new topics that we've always wanted to explore. It also means, however, that we need your support more than ever, so if you love The Score and you want it to continue, please tell everyone you can about us, share our content on your socials and, of course, rate, review, and subscribe wherever you're listening. We love you all and thank you a million times for joining us on this new journey!On this week's inaugural episode of The Score 2.0, we chat about our hopes and fears for next month's election, union-busting at the Dallas Black Dance Theatre, and, of course, we end with a little Pure Black Joy featuring Doechii, the reboot of classic sitcom A Different World, and remembering Frankie Beverly. Let's do it to it, y'all!Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige ReynoldsProducer: Rocky Jones--Links:"Dallas Black Dance Theatre fires 9 dancers over social media video; city council calls for probe" (Fox4News.com)Dancers of Dallas Black Dance Theatre (Instagram) --New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Tuesday. 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 on Apple Podcasts is a great way to help people find our show. Email your questions or comments to [email protected] to Listen: Apple | Spotify | YouTubeFollow Us on Insta! Lee | Paige | Rocky

Hey hey, Scorekeepers! At long last, it's time for the premiere of our new show with Lincoln Center, ART CLASS! If you loved The Score, you'll absolutely adore ART CLASS! We've kept a lot of the things you've come to know and love about The Score, but we've expanded our scope beyond classical music and we're shining a light on Global Majority artists creating in all sorts of different art forms, like books, film, theater and so much more. We figured we'd drop the first episode here on this feed, but moving forward new episodes will be dropping over on the new ART CLASS feed. So if you're into it, make sure you follow, subscribe and review us over there. And of course, tell all your friends! Thanks so much for all your support!!! &lt;3--What's up, Classmates?! Class is officially in session! Welcome to the first episode of Lincoln Center's new podcast, ART CLASS, a provocative, thoughtful and often humorous podcast all about art and artists creating at the intersection of beauty and innovation. This week, hosts Lee Bynum, Paige Reynolds, and Rocky Jones are joined by author, activist, and multi-disciplinary artist Junauda Petrus, whose novel The Stars and the Blackness Between Them, has appeared on multiple banned books lists in the past few years (0:22:33). We talk art and censorship, other influential, inspirational artists who have also showed up on banned book lists, and how Junauda's West Indian ancestry influences her life and work. Later, we're joined for "Career Day" by Nathan Horowitz, who gives us behind-the-scenes peek at a day in the life of a Hollywood stunt performer (1:03:46). Plus, contributor Emilia Mettenbrink brings us the "Morning Announcements," a list of live and virtual arts offerings that we think you might want to check out (1:00:52). And, as always, we end with a moment of PBJ aka Pure Black Joy, a weekly little snack for your soul that highlights the Black people, culture, and art that are making us happy this week (01:12:03). Let's do it to it, y'all.--Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige ReynoldsGuests: Junauda Petrus, Nathan HorowitzContributor: Emilia MettenbrinkProducer: Rocky Jones--LinksJunauda Petrus (Website) (Instagram)Seen, Sound, Scribe (lincolncenter.org)Spectral Evidence: Gregory Pardlo with Imani Perry (nypl.org)Antonia Hylton + Craig Melvin: Madness: Race and Insanity in a Jim Crow Asylum (strandbooks.com)The Black Joy Project by Kleaver Cruz (HarperCollins)Legacy of Orisha Series by Tomi Adeyemi (<a...

What's up, Scorekeepers?! As Mariah would say, "It's tiiiiiiime!" ART CLASS, Paige, Rocky and Lee's new podcast with Lincoln Center premieres this Tuesday, January 16. So if you've been missing us popping up in your feed on the regular, you can now officially check out the new show on our page at lincolncenter.org and subscribe to ART CLASS on your podcast platform of choice. Platforms such as...Apple:&nbsp;https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/art-class/id1721941273Spotify:&nbsp;https://open.spotify.com/show/2EZH1c4iX97tyFgtrGXDTSAmazon:&nbsp;https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/2f95482a-9595-4fa8-b749-58dc3c78a69d/art-classGoogle: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5jYXB0aXZhdGUuZm0vYXJ0LWNsYXNzLwAnd of course, wherever you listen, please don't forget to leave a 5-star review!!! Thanks so much for all your support these last few years. We can't wait to go on this new adventure with all of you! -xo, P, R, &amp; L

It's been way too long, Scorekeepers! Did you miss us? We missed you! How was your summer? How has your fall been? How's your mama and them? Well, we have been hard at work on our next endeavor since we last left you and we are so excited to FINALLY share the details of our new adventure! So... if we may, we'd like to proudly introduce you to... ART CLASS, a brand new podcast from the one and only Lincoln Center Education. Yes, you read that correctly, THE Lincoln Center! ART CLASS will consist of the same news and interviews you've come to expect and love from The Score, but with an expanded scope and a chance for us to spread our wings and try some new ways to showcase art and artistry from our Black, queer perspectives. So hit play and let us tell you all about it!ART CLASS officially launches everywhere you get fine podcasts on January 16, 2024. However, we'll be soft launching the new show with a live recording this Sunday, October 29 at 4pm at Lincoln Center's David Geffen Hall in New York City. The recording is free and open to the public, so come on by if you're in town. Check out this page for more details. But if you can't make it, don't worry, the live show will be released on ART CLASS' new feed in November. We're still building all that infrastructure, however, so watch this space for all of those links and details.Thanks so much for all your patience, love and support and we hope you'll be a part of this chapter. We can't wait to keep the party going with all of you wonderful, beautiful Classmates!

Hello, all you wonderful, gorgeous Scorekeepers! It's a momentous and bittersweet day here at THE SCORE HQ. After 2 years, 3 seasons, 58 episodes, a murderers' row of amazing guests and countless engrossing conversations, it's our last episode. BUT! It won't be the last you hear from the three of us, because we haven't been cancelled. Far from it! We can't spill all the details yet, but this fall we'll be embarking on a ridiculously exciting brand new podcasting adventure and we can't wait to share all the details with you! But until then, we are so happy to go out on one of our favorite notes, our 3rd annual Juneteenth panel, moderated by our very own Dr. Lee Bynum! This year, we're talking about the intersection of Blackness and arts education with panelists Queen Herawin (Hip Hop Education Center), John Lucas (Step Into the Light), Curtis Stewart (American Composers Orchestra) and Dacia Washington (Lincoln Center). All that, plus one last PBJ to carry you through the summer! We love you all so much and thank you for your support these last few years. It means more to us than you know. Now... let's do to it!Oh, and don't unsubscribe from this channel! We'll be back periodically throughout the summer with more details about where to come find us this fall! We can't wait to share this news with you, btw. It's BIG!!!Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige Reynolds (Mabolé Iya Inawale)Guests: Queen Herawin, John Lucas, Curtis Stewart, Dacia WashingtonProducers: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones--LINKSHip Hop Education Center (Website)American Composers Orchestra (Website)Step Into the Light Foundation (Website)--New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Wednesday. 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 on Apple Podcasts is a great way to help people find our show. For more info about the exciting EDI work happening at MN Opera, please visit mnopera.org/edi. Email your questions or comments to [email protected].

Hi hi, Scorekeepers! It's time for another episode of your favorite podcast, THE SCORE! This week's episode has been two years in the making and, considering he's married to one of us, I can't believe it's taken all this time to finally nab today's fabulous guest: singer, composer, activist and all-around brilliant and lovely person, Damian Norfleet! Join us as he shares his insightful thoughts and opinions on the state of arts education and what institutions should avoid when commissioning work from Black artists. Plus, we have a chit-chat about the commercialization of Juneteenth and, of course, a little PBJ to help you finish out the week strong! Let's do it to it, y'all!Oh, and mark your calendars, because next episode is our annual Juneteenth panel. Plus, we'll be making a HUGE announcement about the show! Don't miss it!Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige Reynolds (Iya Inawale)Guest: Damian NorfleetProducer: Rocky JonesMusic: "Praise Pecola!" by Damian Norfleet--LinksDamian Norfleet (Website) (Insta)Open Road Fund (Website)-New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Wednesday. 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 on Apple Podcasts is a great way to help people find our show. For more info about the exciting EDI work happening at MN Opera, please visit mnopera.org/edi. Email your questions or comments to [email protected].

Oh my goodness, Scorekeepers, do we have a special episode for you today! Get ready, cuz it's time for the Trans Takeover! It's almost Pride month, and given what's happening in statehouses around the country, this year's vibe is less "love is love" and more "please do something, because queer and trans people are under attack." So we hope this week you'll join us for an important roundtable discussion all about the issues specifically facing our trans and non-binary siblings, moderated by our very own Paige Reynolds, and featuring three incredible non-binary artists and activists of color: friend-of-the-show Frankie Charles, activist and birth worker Nadine Ashby, and opera singer and educator Jeremiah Sanders. It's an insightful and personal look into the opportunities and struggles facing trans people today from the arts to healthcare to housing and so much more. We hope it inspires you to listen and join the fight for liberation! All that, plus a tribute to the dearly departed legend of all legends herself, Tina Turner, and a bit of Pure Black Joy to carry you to the end of this short week! Let's do it to it, y'all!Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige Reynolds (Iya Inawale)Guests: Nadine Ashby, Frankie Charles, Jeremiah SandersProducers: Rocky Jones, Paige Reynolds--LinksJeremiah Sanders (Website)MN Transplant Project (Website)Birth Revolution (Website)REP for MN (Website)Queer Equity Institute (Website)--New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Wednesday. 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 on Apple Podcasts is a great way to help people find our show. For more info about the exciting EDI work happening at MN Opera, please visit mnopera.org/edi. Email your questions or comments to [email protected].

Mornin', Scorekeepers! Welcome to another edition of your favorite podcast, THE SCORE! And this week, we've another banger for you. We are so excited to welcome an incredible, young Canadian composer who is making huge waves: Morgan-Paige Melbourne! Join us as we chat about what it's like to be a child piano prodigy, what music educators need to do to better support students of marked identities, and the messages of love and resilience she hopes to send fellow Black folks and queer folks with her music. Also, we talk about some of the amazing shows that have recently opened in NYC like Terence Blanchard's Champion and Larissa FastHorse's The Thanksgiving Play, we celebrate the erasure of gendered categories in some of the major New York theater awards, and end, as always, with a bit of Pure Black Joy. Let's do it to it, y'all!Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige Reynolds (Iyawo Inawale)Guest: Morgan-Paige MelbourneProducer: Rocky Jones --LinksMorgan-Paige Melbourne (Insta) (Bandcamp)Queen Cleopatra (Netflix)Birth Revolution (Website)--New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Wednesday. 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 on Apple Podcasts is a great way to help people find our show. For more info about the exciting EDI work happening at MN Opera, please visit mnopera.org/edi. Email your questions or comments to [email protected].

Hi hi, dear Scorekeepers! Congratulations, it's time for a new episode of your favorite podcast, THE SCORE! And this week, we've got a very special episode for you. For the very first time in Score theirstory, our wonderful guest unfortunately had to bow out at the last minute due to illness, so it's just us 3 and... we're kinda winging it this week. So join us for a fun, free-wheeling hour that's a little bit EDI in the arts, a little bit Icebreakers, and a supersized edition of Pure Black Joy! Let's do it to it, ya'll!Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige Reynolds (Iyawo Inawale)Producer: Rocky Jones--LinksArtEquity (Website)Birth Revolution (Website)--New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Wednesday. 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 on Apple Podcasts is a great way to help people find our show. For more info about the exciting EDI work happening at MN Opera, please visit mnopera.org/edi. Email your questions or comments to [email protected].

Oh hello, dear Scorekeepers! It's time for another episode of your favorite podcast, THE SCORE! This week, we are absolutely blessed to be in conversation with the one and only, JULIA BULLOCK! Join us for an intimate chat with the legendary soprano and activist all about using art as a means to heal and create new spaces, what institutions could be doing to support young artists of color, and her fabulous new solo debut album, Walking in the Dark. And so much more! You don't want to miss this one, folks! And if that wasn't enough, we've got more Drag Race commentary, another rousing game of Icebreakers, and of course, your weekly moment of Pure Black Joy! Let's do it to it, y'all!Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige Reynolds (Iyawo Inawale)Guest: Julia BullockProducer: Rocky Jones--LinksJulia Bullock (Website) (FB) (Insta)Walking in the Dark (Buy Now)--New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Wednesday. 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 on Apple Podcasts is a great way to help people find our show. For more info about the exciting EDI work happening at MN Opera, please visit mnopera.org/edi. Email your questions or comments to [email protected].

Greetings, dear Scorekeepers! It's high time for another episode of your favorite podcast, THE SCORE! And this week, we have quite a show for you! First, we'll gingerly dip out toes into a quick discussion of the current political moment. Then we are honored to welcome to the show veteran composer, educator and conductor, William Henry Curry (0:19:00)! Maestro Curry takes us on a journey through his storied career from growing up a poor Black kid with a burning passion for music in 1950s Pittsburgh to performing in some of the most famous concert halls in the world. And while it can be hard to stay optimistic given today's divisive political climate, he talks in depth about what gives him hope for the future of our industry and our country. And, of course, we could possibly leave you without a little PBJ to get your through the rest of the week (0:58:48). Let's do it to it, y'all!(Oh, and if you're in the Twin Cities and you'd like to see the film Chevalier we mentioned in this week's PBJ or another opera-themed film Il Boemo, you can get a discount through the MSP International Film Festival. Just use the code: MNOPERA42 at purchase!) Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige Reynolds (Iyawo Inawale)Guest: William Henry CurryProducer: Rocky Jones--New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Wednesday. 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 on Apple Podcasts is a great way to help people find our show. For more info about the exciting EDI work happening at MN Opera, please visit mnopera.org/edi. Email your questions or comments to [email protected].

Good morrow, dear Scorekeepers! It's time for another episode of your favorite podcast, THE SCORE! This week, we are joined by one of the most celebrated, world-renowned operatic tenors working today: LAWRENCE BROWNLEE! And we couldn't be more excited! Join us for an insightful and personal chat all about his musical upbringing, the ways he is keeping the doors open for the next generation of Global Majority operatic talent, and the surprising hobbies that he's passionate about when he's not busy being a once-in-a-generation operatic superstar (0:23:34)! All that plus: our Oscars recap (0:09:44), a long overdue dip into RuPaul's Drag Race season 15 (0:03:52), and, of course, a little Pure Black Joy to get you through the rest of the week (1:07:54). Let's do it to it, y'all! Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige Reynolds (Iyawo Inwale)Guest: Lawrence BrownleeProducer: Rocky Jones--LinksLawrence Brownlee (Website) (Insta) (Twitter)"Black Women Are Dominating The White House Press Briefing and It's About Time" (The Root)African Queens (Netflix)"Zaya Wade’s gender resistance" (Dazed)--New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Wednesday. 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 on Apple Podcasts is a great way to help people find our show. For more info about the exciting EDI work happening at MN Opera, please visit mnopera.org/edi. Email your questions or comments to [email protected].

Happy Wednesday, Scorekeepers! It's time for another episode of THE SCORE and have we got a show for you! Thursday, March 9 is the world premiere of The Song Poet, the first Hmong story adapted for the operatic stage! Join us&nbsp;for an emotional and insightful conversation with Kao Kalia Yang, author of both the book The Song Poet as well as the opera's libretto, all about this incredible story's journey from the page to the stage. We're also joined local Hmong-American artist Josephine Yang, MN Opera's Community Engagement Consultant. We'll chat about the genesis of Kao Kalia's beautiful story, the resilience and strength of the Hmong people and the special relationship between the Hmong and Black communities here in the Twin Cities. It's a fascinating, powerful conversation that you won't want to miss (0:21:51)!&nbsp;Plus, as always, a little PBJ to help you get through the rest of the week (1:17:24). Let's do it to it, y'all!Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige Reynolds (Iyawo Inawale)Guests: Kao Kalia Yang, Josephine YangProducer: Rocky Jones--LinksMN Opera's The Song Poet (Buy Tickets)Kao Kalia Yang (Website)Josephine Yang - Blink Artisan (Website)--New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Wednesday. 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 on Apple Podcasts is a great way to help people find our show. For more info about the exciting EDI work happening at MN Opera, please visit mnopera.org/edi. Email your questions or comments to [email protected].

Helloooo, Scorekeepers! It's time for another episode of your favorite podcast, THE SCORE. For our second Black History Month pod, we thought we'd have a little family reunion. So for the whole episode, we are joined once again by a world-class violinist and the woman who makes this podcast go zoom, Emilia Mettenbrink! This week, we (shadily) discuss our profound disappointment over Beyoncé not winning AOTY at this year's Grammys, our recent trip to Detroit for the Sphinx Organization's annual conference (0:37:07), and of course, a little PB&amp;J to keep your week going strong (0:59:09)! Let's do it to it, y'all!Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige Reynolds (Iyawo Inawale)Guest: Emilia MettenbrinkProducer: Rocky Jones--LinksSphinx Organization (Website)Known MPLS (Website)When Broadway Was Black (Buy Now)A Darker Wilderness (Buy Now)--New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Wednesday. 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 on Apple Podcasts is a great way to help people find our show. For more info about the exciting EDI work happening at MN Opera, please visit mnopera.org/edi. Email your questions or comments to [email protected].

G'day, darling Scorekeepers! We're far too excited today, so let's get straight down to business. On THE SCORE this week, in advance of her MN Opera debut as the Duchess of Krakenthorp in Donizetti's Daughter of the Regiment, we are joined by the legendary legend herself: singer, artist, sponge enthusiast, and the first Black inductee into the RuPaul's Drag Race Hall of Fame... MONÉT X CHANGE! We stan and so will you, so let's do it to it, y'all!Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige Reynolds (Iyawo Inawale)Guest: Monét X Change--LinksMN Opera's Daughter of the Regiment (Buy Tickets)Monet X Change (Website) (Insta) (Twitter)Sibling Rivalry (Website)Ebony and Irony (Website)--New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Wednesday. 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 on Apple Podcasts is a great way to help people find our show. For more info about the exciting EDI work happening at MN Opera, please visit mnopera.org/edi. Email your questions or comments to [email protected].

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 WilliamsProducer: Rocky Jones--LinksThe Harlem Connection (WBAI) (Twitter) (FB) (Insta) (RASR)"Pandemic Woes Lead Met Opera to Tap Endowment and Embrace New Work" (NYT)Doula 4 All (Website)--New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Wednesday. 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 on Apple Podcasts is a great way to help people find our show. For more info about the exciting EDI work happening at MN Opera, please visit mnopera.org/edi. Email your questions or comments to [email protected].

Happy 2023, Dear Scorekeepers! It's a brand new year, which means it's time for a brand new episode of THE SCORE! And this year, we're starting off with a topic that's near and dear to our hearts: protecting the mental health of our Global Majority community. This week, we're joined by Licensed Professional Counselor and all-around smart, funny, lovely person Ginger Klee (0:13:35), who's here to chat with us about the various ways white dominant culture can harm us physically and psychologically along with some of the things we can do this year to help protect our mental! And then our Pure Black Joy is all about our very own Dr. Lee Bynum! You may have read about him in the papers lately, because has some very VERY big and exciting news to share with everyone (1:09:55)! And we couldn't be more proud! Let's do it to it, y'all!Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige Reynolds (Iwayo Inawale)Guest: Ginger KleeProducer: Rocky Jones--LinkGinger Klee (Website)--New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Wednesday. 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 on Apple Podcasts is a great way to help people find our show. For more info about the exciting EDI work happening at MN Opera, please visit mnopera.org/edi. Email your questions or comments to [email protected]

Hello, dear Scorekeepers! Welcome back to THE SCORE and we hope you're all having a very happy holiday season! All of us are on vacation, but we didn't want to leave you without anything to listen to in case you're stuck at the airport (looking at you, Southwest) or you need a respite from all the family togetherness. This week, we're taking a look back at some of our favorite conversations from this past year. And they're in shareable bite-sized pieces, so if you're new to the show or you'd like to introduce someone to what we do, here's a handy little primer on what we've been up to this year. So sit a spell and look back at this crazy year with us. (Obviously, there's lots of Beyoncé!) And of course, we'll see you again next year with a fresh batch of all-new shows! Happy New Year, y'all!Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige Reynolds (Iyawo Inawale)Producer: Rocky Jones--TimestampsLizzo &amp; The Crystal Flute - 0:04:23If Eun Lee Ruled the World - 0:21:35Garrett McQueen and the New Normal - 0:32:41Rick Hoops and Degendering Music Education - 0:43:34Zoie Reams: The Hip-Hopera - 1:01:25DENYCE GRAVES!!! - 1:22:13PBJ: Beyoncé's Renaissance Has Landed - 1:33:41--New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Wednesday. 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 on Apple Podcasts is a great way to help people find our show. For more info about the exciting EDI work happening at MN Opera, please visit mnopera.org/edi. Email your questions or comments to [email protected]

Good morning, Scorekeepers! It's time for a holly, jolly edition of your favorite podcast, THE SCORE! This week, we are honored to have an hour with the brilliant Robert Mack, tenor extraordinaire, educator, and co-founder of Opera Noire (0:12:12). Join us as he regales us with all sorts of stories from his illustrious career and lets us know why he's dedicated so much of it to supporting future generations of Black singers. And then, as always, we end with a little nugget of Pure Black Joy (1:14:24)! Let's do it to it, y'all! Oh, and of course, happy holidays, everybody!!! xoHosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones and Paige Reynolds (Iyawo Inawale)Guest: Robert MackProducer: Rocky Jones--LinksOpera Noire (FB) (Insta)-- New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Wednesday. 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 on Apple Podcasts is a great way to help people find our show. For more info about the exciting EDI work happening at MN Opera, please visit mnopera.org/edi. Email your questions or comments to [email protected]

Happy Sagittarius Season, lovely Scorekeepers! This week on the pod, we're going to try something a little different. As we mentioned on the last show, Rocky was recently invited up to Vancouver, BC to participate in IndieFest, a 10-day festival of art, music and panels and a radical imagining of the future of opera, presented by re:Naissance Opera and Vancouver Opera. And it was really, really transformative and lovely and cool! Luckily, while there, he was able to snag a few minutes to talk with two brilliant, passionate Global Majority opera pros and changemakers, who are turning opera in Canada on its head (in the best way)! So today on the show, please enjoy an extended conversation with Debi Wong, founding Artistic Director of re:Naissance Opera, and Ashley Daniel Foot, Vancouver Opera's Senior Manager of Partnerships, Engagement and EDI. And after our chat, be sure to stay tuned for your weekly dose of Pure Black Joy! Let's do it to it, y'all!Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige Reynolds (Iyawo Inawale)Guests: Ashley Daniel Foot, Debi WongProducer: Rocky Jones--LinksRe:Naissance Opera (Website) (Insta) Vancouver Opera (Website) (Insta) IndieFest (Website)--New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Wednesday. 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 on Apple Podcasts is a great way to help people find our show. For more info about the exciting EDI work happening at MN Opera, please visit mnopera.org/edi. Email your questions or comments to [email protected]

Good morning, dearest Scorekeepers! It's time for another episode of your favorite podcast, THE SCORE! This week, we are thrilled to be joined by Alex Laing, principal clarinetist for the Phoenix Symphony, educator, and all-around lovely person! We have a fantastic, and thoroughly edifying conversation about how we can diversify orchestra spaces, how his artistic practice has evolved over the course of his life, and his advice to other young Black artists in the field (0:40:58). Before that, however, I'm not sure if you heard about it, but last week there was little election type situation here in the US. So this week we take a few minutes up top to talk about some of our takeaways from this year's midterms. Then, we have a deeply personal conversation about the frustrations and the hopes of being Global Majority EDI practitioners in a white supremacist world. It gets real, y'all. (And for anyone out there doing this work, we see you! Please know you're not crazy and you're not alone!) Finally, we could never leave you without a moment of Pure Black Joy (1:25:10)! Let's do it to it, everybody!Oh, and hey, if you or anyone you know is gonna be in Vancouver, BC on Saturday 11/19, come see Rocky speak about the state of Black opera in North America as part of re:Naissance Opera and Vancouver Opera's IndieFest! Get your tickets now!Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige Reynolds (Iyawo Inawale)Guest: Alex LaingProducer: Rocky Jones--LinksAlex Laing (Website)re:Naissance Opera and Vancouver Opera's IndieFest (Website)--New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Wednesday. 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 on Apple Podcasts is a great way to help people find our show. For more info about the exciting EDI work happening at MN Opera, please visit mnopera.org/edi. Email your questions or comments to [email protected]

Happy Wednesday, Scorekeepers! It's time for another jam-packed episode of your favorite podcast, THE SCORE! First up, we touch on one of the (many) recent scandals to hit Broadway, specifically all the hubbub around the new production of 1776 and what it brings up for us around being an artist from a marginalized identity in the workplace (0:11:39). Then we're joined by the thoroughly delightful Canadian soprano, Othalie Graham (0:41:22)! We have a fun, funny and poignant conversation about how her Jamaican heritage has helped shape her career, her unusual road to the opera stage, her advice to young singers, and what strategies opera companies might want to employ when it comes to some of the more problematic pieces in the canon. And then, of course, we'd never leave you without a bit of Pure Black Joy! One word: RIHANNA! (1:31:43) Let's do it to it, y'all! Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige Reynolds (Iyawo Inawale)Guest: Othalie GrahamProducer: Rocky Jones--LinksOthalie Graham (Website) (Facebook)1776’s Sara Porkalob Has Some Notes (Vulture)--New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Wednesday. 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 on Apple Podcasts is a great way to help people find our show. For more info about the exciting EDI work happening at MN Opera, please visit mnopera.org/edi. Email your questions or comments to [email protected]

Happy Wednesday, Scorekeepers! It's time for another installment of your favorite podcast, THE SCORE! This week, we realized that we never actually had a chat about Lizzo and the crystal flute! So first up, we give Lizzo her flowers, which naturally leads to a lively discussion about the current, bewildering political divide here in the US. But then comes a breath of fresh air in the form of this week's guest, Minnesota-based artist, dancer, and activist, Imagine Joy. Join us for an inspirational chat about creating through the pandemic, the art of community organizing, and the importance of Black feminism (0:40:15)! And, of course, we'll send you off into the week with a bit of Pure Black Joy (1:12:38)! Let's do it to it, y'all!Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige Reynolds (Iyawo Inawale)Guest: Imagine Joy (Demetrius McClendon)Producer: Rocky Jones--LinksImagine Joy (Instagram) (Facebook)--New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Wednesday. 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 on Apple Podcasts is a great way to help people find our show. For more info about the exciting EDI work happening at MN Opera, please visit mnopera.org/edi. Email your questions or comments to [email protected]

Happy Wednesday, Scorekeepers! That's right; new episodes of THE SCORE will now be released every other Wednesday. And have we got a guest to break in our new schedule! This week, we're joined by musician, activist, tastemaker, radio presenter, and host of the deservedly popular Trilloquy podcast: Garrett McQueen! Tune in for a lively and informative discussion about Garrett's life in music, the stagnation of white supremacy in classical music spaces, and the thriving community of brilliant Global Majority artists here in Minnesota. And of course, we couldn't possibly leave you without a little Pure Black Joy to get you through the rest of the week. Let's do it to it, ya'll! Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige Reynolds (Iyawo Inawale)Guest: Garrett McQueenProducer: Rocky Jones--LinksGarrett McQueen (website)Trilloquy Podcast (website)--New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Wednesday. 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 on Apple Podcasts is a great way to help people find our show. For more info about the exciting EDI work happening at MN Opera, please visit mnopera.org/edi. Email your questions or comments to [email protected]

So sorry, we're late Scorekeepers! And thank you for bearing with us during this crazy summer! We're back with a quick (for us, at least) and guestless episode this week. First, we have a little catch up and then dive into some current events, namely this loud and long overdue global conversation about decolonization we are all finally having out in the open. What a blessing! Then, we play another round of our favorite new game, Icebreakers. And when we talk about our favorite albums, to say we learn more about each other in 10 minutes than we have in two years, that is not an understatement! And, finally, of course, a moment of Pure Black Joy to carry you into a brand new week on the happiest of notes. Let's do it to it, y'all!Oh, and after this we'll be back to our regularly scheduled programming! We have some amazing guests coming up this fall that you're not going to want to miss, so be sure to stay tuned and subscribe to THE SCORE on your podcatcher of choice!--Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige Reynolds (Iyawo Inawale)Producer: Rocky Jones--LINKSSerita Yoga (Website)Rest &amp; Liberation Retreat (Website)“The Case for Reparations” by former Jamaican Prime Minister Percival James Patterson in The Jamaica Reader: History, Culture, PoliticsTaxing Colonial Africa: The Political Economy of British Imperialism by Leigh GardnerThe Building of an Empire: Italian Land Policy and Practice in Ethiopia by Haile LareboDeath and the King’s Horseman by Wole Soyinka--New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Monday. 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 on Apple Podcasts 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 [email protected]

Happy Virgo Season, Scorekeepers! On this week's episode of THE SCORE, we are without the indomitable Lee Bynum, but fear not, because Rocky and Paige are joined all show by violinist extraordinaire and our first returning guest, Emilia Mettenbrink, who also just so happens to be the brand new EDI Coordinator at MN Opera!!! After a reading from the Book of Renaissance and quick catch up, Emilia gives us the lowdown on all the highs and lows of playing violin all summer with the world-renowned orchestra in idyllic Chautauqua, New York (0:27:24). She tells us about meeting idols like Rhiannon Giddens and (almost) Misty Copeland, being there in the immediate aftermath of Salman Rushdie's stabbing, and her experience as a Black woman in a rather conservative area. Finally, we couldn't leave you without a Pure Black Joy (1:11:39), in which we celebrate all the Black women musicians, who aren't Beyoncé, that are helping us release the wiggle. Let's do it to it, y'all!Hosts: Rocky Jones, Paige ReynoldsSpecial Co-Host: Emilia MettenbrinkProducer: Rocky Jones--New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Monday. 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 on Apple Podcasts 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 [email protected]

It's a been a long summer without you, dear Scorekeepers, but we're finally back with a new episode of THE SCORE! This week, we start with a conversation about what did on our summer vacations (0:00:53) before we have a chat about gender identity and transphobia in opera education, sparked by some brutal comments leaked from an Opera America listserv earlier this summer (0:29:06). We're then joined by MN Opera's brand new Youth Programs Music Director, Rick Hoops, who gives us some insight into our new educational offerings this fall and what they're doing to "de-gender" opera education and make opera a more inclusive art form for young artists (0:55:25). And, finally, despite the state of the world there is plenty of Black joy to be found! This week we celebrate the ladies of Abbot Elementary, Alexis Nikole Nelson, Mishael Morgan, Emilia Mettenbrink and you know you're not getting out of here without listening to us meltdown over Beyoncé's latest masterpiece, Renaissance (1:15:24)! Let's do it to it, y'all!(And for more information about auditioning for any of our education programs this fall, please visit mnopera.org/community or contact MN Opera's Creative Development Manager Fei Chen at [email protected]!)Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige ReynoldsGuest: Rick HoopsProducer: Rocky Jones--Links"UPDATED: Email Leaks Reveal Opera America’s Professional Development Listserv Complaining About Young Artists’ ‘Entitlement’ &amp; Pronouns" (OperaWire)Pronouns.orgThe Genderbread Person"White Supremacy" by Tema Okun--New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Monday. 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 on Apple Podcasts 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 [email protected]

Greetings, Scorekeepers! It's another episode of your favorite podcast, THE SCORE! This week, we've got a very special show for you. In honor of our second Juneteenth together,&nbsp;we've brought together a group of Black women leaders and scholars from around the globe for a conversation that is equal parts empowering, hopeful, tactical, and provocative (0:16:10).&nbsp;We asked what organizations and communities like ours can do to support their work and the issues they champion, and their answers reflect the multiple perspectives and diverse experiences of the communities they represent.&nbsp;We invite all of you to join us in this opportunity to think in new ways about engaging this vital part of our community.&nbsp;Plus, a much-needed Pure Black Joy featuring The Circle, Jennifer Hudson, and the Queen Bey herself (1:05:45)! Let's do it to it, y'all!(And Lee, Rocky, and Iyawo would like to thank our friend, Fei Chen, for picking up the logistical responsibilities at a moment’s notice!)--Hosts: Lee Bynum, Iyawo Inawale, Rocky JonesGuests: Elizabeth Clay Roy, Jasmin A. Young, Ph.D., Nicole Richards Diop, Ph.D., Tanya Denise FieldsProducer: Rocky Jones--About Our Panelists:Elizabeth Clay Roy - Chief Executive Officer, Generation CitizenTwitter:&nbsp;@lizclayroyLinkedIn:&nbsp;Elizabeth Clay Roy&nbsp;Elizabeth Clay Roy is a lifelong leader of civic engagement and social change initiatives, and the CEO of Generation Citizen (GC), a national nonprofit committed to providing youth with the knowledge and skills they need to actively participate in our democracy. Named a 40 Under 40 Rising Star by New York Nonprofit Media and a Trailblazer by Community Resource Exchange, she has worked toward a more inclusive, participatory and equitable democracy in several roles. These include TakeRoot Justice and South Bronx Rising Together in NYC, the Opportunity Nation campaign and serving Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick as a Policy Advisor and the Director of Grassroots Governance. She began her career working in participatory planning in India and remains engaged in international education as a member of the Board of World Learning.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jasmin A. Young, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor, University of California, RiversideJasmin A. Young&nbsp;is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ethnic Studies.&nbsp;Prior to joining the faculty at UCR, she was a University of California President’s Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of African American Studies at UCLA. Dr. Young holds a B.A. in Africana Studies from California State University, Northridge, an M.A. in African American Studies from Columbia University and an M.S.c in Gender Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Dr. Young received her Ph.D. in History from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey in 2018.&nbsp;Nicole Richards Diop, Ph.D. - Founder, Rose Pan African EducationInstagram:&nbsp;rosepanafrica_Nicole Richards Diop lives in Senegal and was born and raised in Upstate New York. As a scholar, her research focuses on queer Black fatherhood- a theoretical contribution to the field of Black Studies. Nicole is the founder and executive director of Rose Pan African Education, a nonprofit that seeks to foster ties to West Africa through education, arts, and eco service. RPA will be running its inaugural Global Black...

Happy Pride, Scorekeepers! And welcome to our Pride Extravaganza 2022! This week, we talk about some of our favorite Pride memories and play another round of Icebreakers. This time around, we get real (meet) cute as we each share the story of how we met our partners. Awwwww... &lt;3 After that, we're honored to be joined by Jane Ramseyer Miller and Kymani Kahlil of One Voice Mixed Chorus, one the largest LGBTQ+ choruses in North America, based right here in St. Paul, MN! They talk about the incredible equity and advocacy work they are doing around the state and tell us about their upcoming concert, Sound Mind, which explores mental health from a queer perspective through music, art and song. Finally, we couldn't end the show without a thorough accounting of all the QUEER Black things that are bringing us joy this week, so shout-outs to Angel Maxine and Saucy Santana! Let's do it to it, y'all!STAY SAFE, HAVE FUN, AND HAPPY PRIDE!!!Hosts: Lee Bynum, Iyawo Inawale, Rocky JonesGuests: Kymani Kahlil, Jane Ramseyer MillerProducer: Rocky JonesMusic: Angel Maxine - "Wo Fie" feat Wanlov the Kubolor &amp; Sister DeborahLinksOne Voice Mixed Chorus (Website) (Facebook)Sound Mind (Buy Tickets) (Podcast)Bayard Rustin (Wikipedia)Pauli Murray (Wikipedia)Angel Maxine: Emergency Fund (GoFundMe)New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Monday. 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 on Apple Podcasts 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 [email protected]

Well, hey there, Scorekeepers! It's time for another episode of your favorite podcast, THE SCORE! Lee can't be with us today, so we decided to try something a little different. With all the miserable, awful things going on in the world, we decided we desperately need to take a little time to shine a spotlight on some of the good things happening around us. And there are some, we promise! And I mean if we can't take a few minutes to focus on some joy, what are we doing all this fighting for, nah mean? So join us for an episode-long segment of Pure Black Joy, where we take a little time to talk about all the Black people, places, ideas, and art that are currently bringing us joy. This week, we talk a little about some magically delicious things that have happened to us personally over the last few weeks before we dive into some opera and classical music news, featuring a post-mortem of MN Opera's thoroughly Black production of Carmen, friend of the pod Nia Imani Franklin, and 9-year-old opera phenom Victory Brinker! Let's do it to it, y'all!--Hosts: Iyawo Inawale, Rocky JonesProducer: Rocky JonesMusic: "Extended" - Nia Imani Franklin, "Queen of the Night (Der Hölle Rache)" - Victory Brinker--New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Monday. 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 on Apple Podcasts 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 [email protected]

G'day, Scorekeepers! Welcome back to THE SCORE and if you like light Lin-Manuel Miranda shade, have we got an episode for you! This week, we are joined by multi-hyphenate mezzo-soprano Mia Athey, who is currently singing Mercédès in MN Opera's new production of Bizet's Carmen through May 22. She talks to us about working with the legendary Denyce Graves as well as how colorism and her biracial identity have impacted her career and the kind of stories she'd like to tell (0:42:11). But before that, get to know Lee, Paige and Rocky a bit better as they play a round of Icebreakers (0:05:31). What are their most unpopular opinions? All will be revealed (but spoiler alert: we apologize in advance to the Hamilton stans). And, finally, as always, start your week off with some Pure Black Joy, a segment highlighting the Black people, places and things that are making us happy this week (1:26:28). Let's do it to it, y'all!Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige ReynoldsGuest: Mia AtheyLinksMia Athey (Website) (FB) (Insta)MN Opera's Carmen (Buy Tickets)Patti Labelle - Where My Background Singers (YouTube)School Daze (Amazon)

What more is there to say, Scorekeepers? Today on THE SCORE we are joined by the incomparable Denyce Graves: world-renowned opera singer, recording artist, philanthropist and, now, stage director. Be sure to catch her directorial debut when the curtain goes up on MN Opera's new production of Bizet's Carmen from May 7-22!Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige ReynoldsGuest: Denyce GravesMusic: Das Rheingold: "Erda’s Warning" (MN Opera)LinksMN Opera's Carmen (Buy Tickets)Come work on our team!!! (Website)New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Monday. 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 on Apple Podcasts 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 [email protected]

It's another beautiful fake spring Monday here in Minneapolis, so you know what that means! It's time for another episode of your fave podcast, THE SCORE! This week, we've learned that when it comes to equity, diversity, inclusion and access work, you've got to celebrate the victories when they come along. So up top, don't mind us as we toot our own horns and those of our colleagues at MN Opera for something we think is pretty darn cool (0:04:36). Then join us for an in-depth conversation with soprano Symone Harcum, who is singing the role of Micaëla in our upcoming production of Carmen (0:26:04). She tells us all about her HBCU experience, what it's like working on Carmen with her mentor Denyce Graves, and her complicated feelings about Ms. Micaëla. Then, we watched another Carmen-adjacent movie! This time the four us revisited the 1954 classic, Carmen Jones, starring Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte (0:52:36). And we had some complicated feelings about that too. Finally, we'd never leave you without a Pure Black Joy (1:12:49). This time, we celebrate friend of the pod, Ari Fulton, Jelly's Last Jam at Theater Latté Da and... whatever Rocky's going on about. You'll see. Let's do it to it, y'all! Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige ReynoldsGuest: Symone HarcumMusic: "De tendre amour" (Symone Harcum) from MN Opera's The Anonymous LoverLinksSymone Harcum (Website) (Instagram)MN Opera's Carmen (Website)"2022 Lucille Lortel Awards: See the Complete List of Nominees" (Playbill)Jelly's Last Jam at Theater Latté Da (Website)New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Monday. 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 on Apple Podcasts 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 [email protected]

Guten morgen, dear Scorekeepers! It's another beautiful Monday in Post-Slap America! Y'all... we tried. I swear we tried. We tried so, so hard not to dip our toes into The Slap Discourse, but after a chat about the grace of soon-to-be-Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, we just couldn't resist (0:02:40). But the good lord invented timestamps for a reason, so for those of you who just can't, we have the most delightful, insightful and hilarious guest on the show today! Zoie Reams is an incredible young, Black mezzo soprano, Minnesota Opera's first Company Member, and is about to take the stage this May in the title role of our brand new production of Bizet's Carmen, directed by the legendary Denyce Graves (0:40:27). Plus, in honor of Carmen, we thought it would be fun for the four of us to take a look back at 2001's Carmen: A Hip Hopera, a modern-day adaptation, starring our queen... Beyoncé, of course (1:07:53)! And as if that wasn't enough Pure Black Joy, as always, we'll start your week with a little snack for your soul (1:30:46). Let's do it to it, y'all! Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige ReynoldsGuest: Zoie ReamsMusic: Minnesota Opera's Albert Herring - "Meet Me at Quarter Past Eight in the Street"LinksMNOp's Carmen (Website)Zoie Reams (Website) (Instagram) (FB)New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Monday. 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 on Apple Podcasts 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 [email protected]

Happy Monday, Scorekeepers! And happy Women's History Month! We've got a humdinger of an episode for your listening pleasure this week. First up, one thing I bet you didn't know about Paige is that she's been training to become a doula, and recently, she experienced her first birth. She talks about this glorious, life-altering event and why doulas and midwives are so important when it comes to addressing the healthcare disparities that women - especially Black women - experience every day (0:08:13). Next, we're joined by the brilliant Eun Lee, artist, scholar, and Executive Director of The Dream Unfinished, NYC's activist orchestra (0:34:54). And, real talk, if any of you are still questioning what anti-racist activism can look like in the classical music space, you gon' learn today! But whether you are or not, you'll thoroughly enjoy this inspiring, heartfelt conversation with one of the most dynamic leaders in this space. Lastly, we end with a bit of Pure Black Joy (1:21:52), featuring Mitchell-Hamline School of Law's Center for the Study of Black Life and the Law, Jennie Joseph, and Brendan Slocumb's The Violin Conspiracy. Let's do it to it, y'all!Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige ReynoldsGuest: Eun Lee--LinksThe Dream Unfinished (Website) (Insta) (Twitter) (FB)SMC Full Circle Doula Training (Website)Minnesota Healing Justice Network (Website)National Black Doulas Association (Website)Divine Birth Wisdom (Website)Sherry Arnstein's Ladder of Citizen Participation (Website)Mitchell Hamline School of Law's Center for the Study of Black Life and the Law (Website) Jennie Joseph (Time Magazine)Lee's Interview with Brendan Slocumb (Website)The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb (Purchase)--New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Monday. 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 on Apple Podcasts 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...

What a glorious day, Scorekeepers! It's the first anniversary of THE SCORE and we're celebrating with two saucy, provocative and heartfelt conversations about representation with two brilliant artists! First, we're joined by MN Opera President and General Director, Ryan Taylor, who's here to talk with us about MN Opera's just-announced 2022-23 season, the new Luminary Arts Center, and why the IDEA work we're doing in every facet of the company is so important to him and our industry (0:02:41). Next, we have a chat with mega-talented mezzo-soprano, activist, and co-founder of the Asian Opera Alliance, Nina Yoshida Nelsen (0:44:10). She tells us all about her career in opera as an Asian woman and how a deep desire to see an increase in both the quantity and quality of roles for Asian singers on American stages has inspired her activism. And with all that, we even found time for quick hit of Pure Black Joy, featuring the PBJ queen herself, Ms. Beyonce Giselle Knowles Carter (1:20:58)! Let's do it do it, y'all!LINKSMN Opera 2022-23 Season (Website)Asian Opera Alliance (Website) (Instagram) (Facebook)Nina Yoshida Nelsen (Website) (Instagram) New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Monday. 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 on Apple Podcasts 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 [email protected]

Greetings, dear Scorekeepers! It's time for episode 26 of THE SCORE! This week is the first time we've all been together since the tragic death of Amir Locke, here in Minneapolis. So we invite you to process with us and invite you to join us in a conversation about what artists and arts organizations can and should do in the face of such senseless tragedy (0:04:16). Then, it's the conclusion of our three-part series on Black composer, Joseph Bologne! Today, we are so happy to be joined by Dr. Julian Ledford, Assistant Professor of French and French Studies at Sewanee, University of the South and author of "Joseph Boulogne, the Chevalier de Saint-George and the Problem With Black Mozart". Dr. Ledford gives us his passionately well-honed insights into Bologne's life, his rightful place in classical music history, and why the moniker "Black Mozart" is not only problematic, but highly inaccurate (0:37:38). And finally, it's more important than ever to end this episode with a moment of Pure Black Joy, and this week we've got art, food, and wellness (1:10:26)! What more could you ask for? Let's do it to it, y'all! Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige ReynoldsGuest: Dr. Julian Ledford--Links"Joseph Boulogne, the Chevalier de Saint-George and the Problem With Black Mozart" by Dr Julian LedfordMN Opera's The Anonymous Lover (Website) (YouTube)"Invitation to a Die-IN" by Dr. Nkeiru Okoye (YouTube)"Yet Unheard" by Courtney Bryan (YouTube)Mending Walls RVA (Website)Alanna Morris Van Tassel (Website)MOVE Fitness (YouTube)MCE Creations (Website)--New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Monday. 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 on Apple Podcasts 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 [email protected]

En garde, Scorekeepers! In honor of The Anonymous Lover, the first opera by a Black composer to be performed on MN Opera's mainstage, we're back this week with the second episode of our Joseph Bologne trilogy! This week, we are joined by George N. Gianopoulos, Stephen Karr, Leila Núñez-Fredell, and Mishkar Núñez-Fredell, all members of Opera Ritrovata, an amazing company of artists dedicated to restoring and performing classical works composed by women musicians and musicians of the global majority thought to have been lost to history. Join us for a fascinating chat about Bologne's life, how one goes about restoring a piece of musical history, and why it's important to excavate these pieces and re-introduce them to the canon (0:32:52). (How many times do we have to say we've been here the whole time?!?!) Also, we're joined all show by the fabulous Samuel Phillips, classical music expert, MN Opera's new Access and Civic Engagement Director and all around lovely and smart human (0:04:21). Shout-out to more Black leadership at MN Opera! And, as always, we end with a moment of Pure Black Joy (1:06:03)! This week: Rihanna, Abbot Elementary (again), Macro, and the Black Film Archive. Let's do it to it, y'all!Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Samuel Phillips, Paige ReynoldsGuests: Opera Ritrovata (George N. Gianopoulos, Stephen Karr, Leila Núñez-Fredell, Mishkar Núñez-Fredell)Music: Trio from L’ Amant Anonyme by Joseph Bologne “Chevalier de Saint-Georges” (Courtesy of Opera Ritrovata)LinksOpera Ritrovata (Website) (Facebook) (Instagram) (YouTube)MN Opera's The Anonymous Lover (Website)Macro (Website)Black Film Archive (Website)New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Monday. 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 on Apple Podcasts 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 [email protected]

G'day, Scorekeepers! So... this weekend is an incredibly special and exciting one for us, because MN Opera is producing a live opera on our mainstage for the first time in almost two years! And which opera, you ask? The Anonymous Lover by Joseph Bologne (aka Chevalier de Saint-Georges), the first mainstage opera by a Black composer in MN Opera's nearly 60 years history! But who was Joseph Bologne and why isn't he more well-known? Well, fear not, because for our next 3 episodes, we're having a Bologne-a-Palooza! We're devoting the next few shows to learning more about Bologne, his fascinating life, and his incredible music. And you know we'll be joined by all sorts of special guests, so get excited! On this week's show, it's all about The Anonymous Lover. First up, we're joined by Maria Todaro, director of MN Opera's The Anonymous Lover, and Joseph Li, MN Opera's new Vice President, Artistic, to give us an inside look at this brand new production and to chat about what Bologne's life and legacy mean to them (0:26:46). Then, we're joined by The Anonymous Lover's costume designer, Ari Fulton. She gives us her heartfelt insight into designing her very first opera, what inspires her craft, and how the earth-shaking events of the past few years have affected her as a Black creator (1:00:31). And, of course, we'll end as always with a moment of Pure Black Joy, featuring Abbott Elementary and British Vogue (1:32:21). Let's do it to it, y'all!Hosts: Lee Bynum, Frankie Charles, Rocky Jones, Paige ReynoldsGuests: Ari Fulton, Joseph Li, Maria TodaroLinks MN Opera's The Anonymous Lover (Learn More) (Buy Tickets)Ari Fulton (Website) (Instagram)New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Monday. 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 on Apple Podcasts 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 [email protected]

Happy New Year, Scorekeepers! Our Sagittarius Season Sabbatical is officially over, so we're back, back, back again with a brand new episode for a brand new year! This week, we're honored to be joined by the incomparable, legendary Janinah Burnett! Broadway actress, Metropolitan Opera performer, teacher, advocate, what can't she do? The list of her accomplishments goes on and on, plus she's lovely and hilarious! Join us for a chat about her illustrious career, growing up around the greats of jazz, her advice for young Black artists, and she'll tell us all about her new album Love the Color of Your Butterfly! Also, unfortunately, Lee can't be with us for the whole show this time around, but that means Paige and Rocky get to catch up with dear friend, Frankie Charles, and talk all about their hopes and fears for 2022. And perhaps make a resolution or two? What's your resolution? Let us know!And then we'll end the show with a bit of Pure Black Joy, because there is some, we promise. It's January in Minnesota and we are decidedly inside, so this week's offerings are all about what we're watching and they include Issa Rae, Selling Tampa, The Harder They Fall, and Rocky puts a period on the end of Michelle Young's season of The Bachelorette. Let's do it to it, y'all!Hosts: Lee Bynum, Frankie Charles, Rocky Jones, Paige ReynoldsGuest: Janinah BurnettLinksJaninah Burnett (Website)Love the Color of Your Butterfly available on ALL platforms! (Listen Now)Catch Janinah Burnett in "New Year, New World" Jan. 15 at Toledo Symphony (Buy Tickets)"FUN 3 Mile Walk/Dance workout with @KeairaLaShae" (YouTube)Black Garnet Books (Website)New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Monday. 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 on Apple Podcasts 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 [email protected]

Happy Kwanzaa, dear Scorekeepers! We hope you're all safe and healthy, having a lovely, festive time with family and friends and/or taking some time to rest and get yourself ready for the year to come. This week, we're coming at you with the second installment of our 2021 retrospective. This year we've had some provocative conversations, met some amazing people, and had a lot of fun. So come along as we take a look back at the second half of this wild and wonderful year on THE SCORE! And if you like what you hear and you've got some time off to fill or need something new for your commute, be sure to go back and check out some of our older episodes from the past year. We're fun, I promise! Let's do it to it, y'all!Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige ReynoldsProducer: Rocky JonesTimestampsOur Protest against The Activist (0:03:24)Tenor Andrew Stenson Talks POC Solidarity in Opera (0:26:01)Fire the Canon: Aida Edition w/Rebecca Blackwell (0:31:50)Prof. Trevor Weston &amp; The New American Sound (0:41:53)T. Mychael Rambo on "People of the Global Majority" vs. BIPOC (0:48:16)T. Mychael's Advice to Young Artists (0:54:07)PB&amp;J: Silky Nutmeg Ganache! (1:01:21)A Pure Black Joy to End 2021 (1:09:26)LinksValerie June (Facebook)Black Opry (Website)New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Monday. 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 on Apple Podcasts 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 [email protected]

Hey hey, Scorekeepers! Oh lord, it's a blizzard! It's officially snowing here in the Twin Cities, so we thought it appropriate to start the winter and end the year on a cozy and nostalgic note. It's Part 1 of our Best of 2021 series! This year we've had some provocative conversations, met some amazing people, and had a lot of fun. So come along as we take a look back at this wild and wonderful year on THE SCORE! Plus, we pay tribute to Bill Cottman, a Twin Cities arts legend who recently passed on to glory, and of course we'll send you into the holidays with a festive PB&amp;J! Let's do it to it, y'all.Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige ReynoldsProducer: Rocky JonesTimestamps:Tribute to Bill Cottman (0:02:34)Emilia Mettenbink Talks Tiny Balcony Concerts (0:06:13)The Trouble with BIPOC (0:13:31)Fire That Canon: Butterfly Edition (0:29:11)"Remembrance and Restitution" Panel (0:43:13)Dr. Nkeiru Okoye Talks Inclusion (0:52:44)1st PB&amp;J (1:05:09)Holiday PB&amp;J ft. Chocolate Ballerina Company (1:10:53)LinksBill Cottman (Website) (MinnPost)Chocolate Ballerina Company (Website) New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Monday. 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 on Apple Podcasts 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 [email protected]

Happy Monday, dear Scorekeepers! We hope you are refreshed and rejuvenated after that hectic holiday week. As you know, Paige, Lee, and Rocky are beginning their Sagittarius Season Sabbatical, but we didn't want to leave you hanging! For your listening pleasure, we offer this dope conversation with Minnesota fashion designers and Project Runway alums, TIM+THOM! Through their incredible designs and their annual Black Hearts Ball, they are celebrating and inspiring diversity, inclusion, growth and representation in the fashion scene. Plus, they're opera lovers and incorporate it into their shows! Join us for a lively chat with the Brothers Navarro all about interdisciplinary inspiration, growing up fashionable in Rochester, and maybe a little Tim Gunn tea. Just a little... Oh, and shout out to Greg! Let's do it to it, y'all.Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige ReynoldsGuests: TIM+THOMProducer: Rocky JonesLinksTIM+THOM (Facebook) (Instagram)New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Monday. 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 on Apple Podcasts 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 [email protected]

Greetings, Scorekeepers! We're back back back again with episode 19 of THE SCORE and today we are honored to be joined by living legend and Twin Cities icon, T. MYCHAEL RAMBO (0:24:20)! Star of stage and screen, singer, activist, educator, the list goes on and on. Join us for a funny, entertaining and at times poignant chat about his illustrious career, what he feels makes the arts scene here in Minnesota so special, and what audiences, artists, and institutions can do to better support artists and kids of the Global Majority. We also touch on some of the things we missed these last few weeks. Fun stuff like Halloween (0:00:28)! Not so fun stuff like the election (0:07:34). And really cool stuff like an inclusive new production of Beauty and the Beast at Maryland's Olney Theatre Center (0:18:11)! And finally, as always we'll start your week off with some Pure Black Joy (1:14:31). This week: Judge Tanya Chutkan, Mustafa Briggs, and another one of Rocky's messy Bachelorette recaps, which are now apparently a thing. Let's do it to it, y'all!Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige ReynoldsGuest: T. Mychael RamboProducer: Rocky Jones(Also, please note that Sagittarius season is coming up, and Paige and Rocky need to go be in their full power, so we won't have any new episodes this December. But don't worry, we'll have something special on the store for you! Stay tuned!)--Links"Take an Exclusive First Look at Beauty and the Beast at the Olney Theatre Center" (Playbill)Boys in the Cave Episode #82 - Islam in West Africa, Racism, and Arabisation of Islam with Mustafa Briggs (Spotify)The Malcolm Effect Episode #49 - Is Islam an anti Black religion? - Mustafa Briggs (Spotify)--New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Monday. 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 on Apple Podcasts 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 [email protected]

Oh my goodness, we're back for episode 18 of THE SCORE! Can you believe it? We're all grown up and after a month apart, all of three of us are reunited in the Pod Closet and it feels so good. This week, after a quick catch-up (0:00:59), we dive into Professor George E. Lewis' essay "New Music Decolonization in Eight Difficult Steps" (0:17:43). We chat about how some of his ideas could be used to bring a new generation of people into the concert hall and might - just maybe - pull opera and classical music kicking and screaming into the future. Next, we're joined by exquisite human, costume designer and recent McKnight Artist Fellow, Trevor Bowen (0:57:18). He shares his process when designing for opera, gives us his insight into what activism can look like in the costume shop, and gives us a sneak peek at the upcoming projects he's most excited about. And finally, what else? A moment of Pure Black Joy and a warm welcome to the newest member of our team (1:38:14)! Let's do it to it, y'all!Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige ReynoldsGuest: Trevor BowenProducer: Rocky Jones--Links"New Music Decolonization in Eight Difficult Steps" by George E. Lewis (Outer National)Trevor Bowen Design (Website)--New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Monday. 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 on Apple Podcasts 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 [email protected]

Hey there, Scorekeepers! It's episode 17 of your favorite podcast, THE SCORE! This week, Lee is away, so we invited back our dear friend, Frankie Charles, for a spirited, freewheeling convo all about artistic freedom by way of NYT's messy "Bad Art Friend" saga, Dave Chappelle's transphobia, and, naturally, problematic operas (0:05:14). Then Paige takes center stage with a fascinating look into the process of creating MN Opera's land acknowledgement and what land stewardship can look like at an opera company beyond a written statement (0:38:20). And then it's PB&amp;J time! This week we feature The Bachelorette's Michelle Young, Million Artist Movement, and... wild turkeys (1:17:05)? Let's do it to it, y'all!Hosts: Frankie Charles, Rocky Jones, Paige ReynoldsProducer: Rocky JonesLinksVideodokumentation zur Sun Dance Opera [by Zitkala Sa](YouTube)"The Forest at Dawn" by Juantio Becenti (YouTube)"Who Is the Bad Art Friend?" (New York Times)"Dave Chappelle's Brittle Ego" (New York Times)MN Opera Land Acknowledgement (Website)Friends of the Mississippi River (Website)Million Artist Movement (Website)New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Monday. 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 on Apple Podcasts 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 [email protected]