SIFTER for the Ear presents:
This two-parter features Brandon and Brandi:
Part One:
Brandon Adams is the host of the Emmy award-winning series The Life Of A Musician on PBS Appalachia. It features small house concerts and interview with acoustic musicians. We’ll talk about:
– Where the idea come from
– How he finds artists
– Deciding between concerts and interviews
– The short history of year-old PBS Appalachia
– Selecting the venue and crowds
– Attending the Emmy ceremony
Part Two:
Calvin Fields is also know by his drag name, Brandi. This Emporia VA native had a small part in the new film National Anthem (my review). He discusses:
– When he started doing drag
– How he get cast
– Working with Charlie Plummer
– The dress and makeup
LINKS
The Life of a Musician (Brandon’s website)
The Life of a Musician (PBS site)
Calvin “Brandi” Fields on Facebook
Jerry Williams
SIFTER for the Ear
July 26th, 2024
Posted In: Local, News
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Women & Politics presents:
Deshundra Jefferson and Atima Omara take over Women & Politics today:
THE HONORABLE DESHUNDRA JEFFERSON
Deshundra Jefferson assumed office on January 1, 2024, making history as the first person of color to serve as Chair of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors. A single mom, Chair Jefferson lived in a one-bedroom apartment with her young son so that she could save up for her first home. She made that dream come true when she moved to Prince William County in 2015. Chair Jefferson often refers to Prince William as “a hidden gem,” thanks to its proximity to its nation’s capital, strong school system, and cultural diversity. She ran for office to address the rising cost of living, prioritize education in the county’s budget, and create more opportunities for affordable homeownership. Chair Jefferson began her career as a reporter, having worked or written for major news outlets such as CNN/Money (now CNN/Business), the Associated Press, and New York Magazine. She is now a strategic communications consultant with over 20 years of experience in public affairs and journalism. Chair Jefferson sits on the Finance Committee and Governance and Personnel Committee of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) and on the Board of Directors and Transportation Planning Board for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG). A graduate of Leadership Prince William, Chair Jefferson also serves on the board of the Virginia Poverty Law Center, a non-profit that breaks down systemic barriers that trap low-income Virginians in the cycle of poverty. She graduated cum laude with a BA in political science from Columbia University and a MA in communication from Johns Hopkins University.
ATIMA OMARA
Named to Ebony Magazine’s “Power 100” list of emerging leaders and Jet Magazine’s “40 Under 40” list, Atima Omara works and leads at the intersection of electoral politics and issue advocacy in the progressive movement. She is a political strategist, advocate, trainer, leader, and speaker with significant political, government, and non-profit experience, and she is a sought-after commentator and strategist. As the President & Chief Strategist of Omara Strategy Group, she provides strategic consulting to progressive candidates and organizations centering women and people of color in their mission and work. She strategizes with candidates and political organizations to win victories for a more reflective progressive democracy. An American-born child of Black immigrants, Atima realized early the importance of catalyzing social and electoral change from both the grassroots and leadership levels—especially among underrepresented communities. She has worked as Special Assistant to then-Virginia Governor Mark Warner, and then went to work as an organizer in multiple states with a union and community organizations on voter registration, ballot initiatives, and get-out-the-vote operations in low-income communities of color and immigrant communities.
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Follow our show on our social media on twitter, facebook, and our blog – look for womenpoliticsva
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Follow our host and producer at @sherishannon27 and @carololson
Carol Olson
Women & Politics
July 25th, 2024
Posted In: Music, Music Shows, News
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Women & Politics presents:
When she was four years old, Senator Ghazala Hashmi immigrated with her mother and older brother from India to the United States; they joined her father in Georgia just as he was completing his doctoral work in international relations and beginning his university teaching career. Ghazala grew up in that small college town, at a time when public schools were being desegregated. She saw firsthand how communities can be built and dialogue promoted through intentional efforts to bridge cultural, racial, and socioeconomic divisions. Ghazala earned a BA in English from Georgia Southern University and a PhD in American literature from Emory University in Atlanta.
Ghazala and her husband moved as newlyweds to the Richmond area in 1991, and she spent nearly 30 years as professor, teaching first at the University of Richmond and then at Reynolds Community College. While at Reynolds, she also served as the Founding Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL). She and Azhar have two adult daughters who were both born and raised in Midlothian, completed their K-12 education in Chesterfield County Public Schools, and attended Virginia public institutions of higher education.
First elected to office in November 2019, Senator Ghazala Hashmi represented the 10th Senatorial District within the Virginia General Assembly, which included parts of Richmond City, Chesterfield County, and all of Powhatan County. As a result of state-wide redistricting in 2021, Senator Hashmi is seeking reelection in the new 15th Senatorial District in the November 2023 elections. This new Senate district includes parts of the City of Richmond and Chesterfield County. She is the first Muslim and the first South Asian American to serve in the Virginia Senate.
Senator Hashmi serves as the Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Public Education, and she sits on the following Senate committees: Education and Health; Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources; General Laws and Technology; and Local Government. As an experienced educator and advocate of inclusive values and social justice, she identifies education, equity, the environment, and healthcare access as top legislative priorities.
Anna Nasset – Author, Speaker, Survivor, Founder of StandUp Resources
As an international speaker, author, activist and the owner of Stand Up Resources Anna works with law enforcement, victim service agencies, universities, military members, communities, and other organizations to be part of the solution. She speaks as an authority on stalking, sexual assault, suicide prevention, and navigating the criminal justice system. Her work is to educate people on victim-centered and trauma-informed practices.
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Follow our show on our social media on twitter, facebook, and our blog – look for womenpoliticsva
![](https://www.wrir.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/EmQ4fnVWMAQ30SG-300x300.jpg)
Follow our host and producer at @sherishannon27 and @carololson
Carol Olson
Women & Politics
July 11th, 2024
Posted In: Music, Music Shows, News
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SIFTER for the Ear presents:
Remembering Gene Wilder looks at the comic actor’s films, including interviews with Mel Brooks, Alan Alda and Harry Connick, Jr. It played Richmond as part of the Weinstein JCC’s Israeli & Jewish Film Festival last January. Since it just dropped on Netflix, I’m “remembering” my interview with Ron Frank (billed as the director) & Glenn Kirschbaum (writer). Topics include:
– Mel Brooks and his great stories
– Why Harry Connick. Jr.?
– Using Wilder’s own voiceover
– Finding hilarious outtakes from Young Frankenstein
– The Alzheimer’s connection
LINKS
Remembering Gene Wilder (Netflix)
48HR Film Project
Jerry Williams
SIFTER for the Ear
June 28th, 2024
Posted In: Local, News
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SIFTER for the Ear presents:
Paul Serwitz has made his career as a film buyer, including 25 years for Regal Cinemas and most recently, President and COO of Landmark Theatres. He’s now consulting as a distributor for Roadside Attractions and has lots of interesting insights into the biz of buying and distributing films, including.
– Outlook for 2025 and beyond
– Upcoming films from CinemaCon
– Musical trailers with no music
– Theatrical windows
– The 4-audience quadrants
– How movies are marketed now
– Why horror movies open almost every week
– What is Day and Date releasing
– Attending the Oscars
LINKS
Good 4 Her (film screening)
Jerry Williams
SIFTER for the Ear
June 21st, 2024
Posted In: Local, News
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