​Opus 148 of TRILLOQUY featured Garrett's conversation with Travis and Andy from The Living Earth Show. Check out their extended, uncut interview where the guys talk about cannabis, "noise" music, and more. Check out all of this collective's work at: https://www.thelivingearthshow.com.

***Season 4 of TRILLOQUY returns with brand new opuses beginning June 8th!***

​In February of 2022, Damian Norfleet joined Garrett for Op. 139 of TRILLOQUY to discuss mass incarceration, solitary confinement, and a then upcoming collaboration with Ensemble Pi that explored those conversations musically. This week, Garrett offers the extended, uncut conversation that covers adjusting to life in Minnesota, a deeper look at the historical violence of prisons, and more. 

Damian Norfleet's website

**TRILLOQUY WILL RETURN WITH BRAND NEW OPUSES AND THE START OF SEASON 4 ON JUNE 8TH!**

The newly formed Black Orchestral Network, led by some of the western classical industry's biggest stars, is demanding immediate change from orchestras with a focus on hiring Black musicians into tenure-track positions by the end of the 2022-2023 orchestral season. Two of the organization's founders, Alex Laing and Jennifer Arnold, join Garrett in this week's third movement to talk about the goals of BON and what the potential impact of hiring Black musicians more intentionally could mean for orchestra culture across the country. Scott celebrates Lenny Kravitz and Eydís Evensen, Garrett connects an SWV classic to a Drake hit, and the guys wrap up season 3 with a heartfelt final movement centering around forgiveness, grace, and hope. 

After enjoying a career as a successful ballet dancer, Christina Salerno shifted into the field of arts administration where her work as Executive Director of the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra earned her the 2022 title of "Executive Director of the Year"! She joins Garrett to talk about her experiences in "classical" dance, the successes she's seen with the IPO, and her thoughts on shifting programming toward equity and audience development. Scott honors Cinco de Mayo with music by Silvestre Revueltas, Garrett offers a complementary work by William Grant Still, and the guys unpack the latest from controversial arts columnist, Norman Lebrecht. 

The Living Earth Show exists to push the boundaries of technical and artistic possibility while amplifying voices, perspectives, and bodies that the classical music tradition has often excluded. The group's Travis Andrews and Andy Meyerson join Garrett in this week's third movement to share more about their work and to explore conversation that affirms words like "noise" and "weird" as they relate to live performance. Scott concludes his celebration of International Guitar Month with an ode to Nile Rodgers and offers his perspective on the recent resignation of The Current's Mary Lucia. Garrett celebrates Anthony Parnther, highlights music by The Silk Road Ensemble, and offers a peek into where he wants to take TRILLOQUY conversations as the guys approach the finale of season 3. 

​Based in Philadelphia, the Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra was established as a model for the 21st-century American orchestra with a mission to combine artistic excellence with cultural diversity. The ensemble's Artistic Director, Jeri Lynne Johnson, joins Garrett to discuss the origins of Black Pearl, changing the culture surrounding "traditional" repertoire, and more. In movement two, Scott continues his celebration of International Guitar Month with music performed by Paul Galbraith and Garrett offers Japanese jazz. The guys start with an acknowledgement of 4/20 and wrap up with words on this week's historic event at Carnegie Hall. 

Dr. Eugene Rogers is a two-time Michigan Emmy Award winner, a 2017 Sphinx Medal of Excellence recipient, and a 2015 GRAMMY® Award nominee who is recognized as a leading conductor and pedagogue throughout the United States and abroad. He joins Garrett in the third movement to talk about how Black culture drives many people's love of music, his new role as conductor of the Washington National Chorus, and the upcoming premiere of the "Justice Symphony" that he will lead in June. Scott offers ideas on how to engage the classical sub-genre of "new music", Garrett unpacks a church's decision to "give up whiteness" for Lent, and the guys use jazz and Indian classical to demonstrate the importance of "free listening". In the weekly TRILLOQUY, the guys shed light on the continued injustice of police brutality and approach the conversation of proverbial "tap dancers" in politics and arts institutions. 

This week, Garrett and Scott spend some time reviewing and unpacking the latest Grammy Award ceremony, highlighting the show's performances by Lady Gaga, Doja Cat, Curtis Stewart, Chris Stapleton, and several others. In the second movement, Garrett revisits a bit of operatic video game music while Scott honors the birth anniversary of Muddy Waters. Perri and Charlotte from the "Thrilled to Announce" podcast join Garrett in the third movement to discuss digital creation, DEI in opera, and podcasting in the "classical" sphere. And in the weekly TRILLOQUY Scott offers a whistleblower letter written by a former employee of Chamber Music America, and Garrett sends a dark shout out to three senators who refused to vote for the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act. 

Support for TRILLOQUY comes from the Lakes Area Music Festival.

Last week, Jayme Alilaw joined Garrett to outline her journey to, away from, and back to opera. She returns this week to offer a break down of activism in opera spaces, advice on traversing tokenization, and a call to action for people not yet engaged by "classical" institutions. Garrett and Scott conclude Women's History Month with music performed by Leontyne Price and Nathalie Joachim, and the guys offer their opinions to the recent Oscar scandal. 

Founded in 2020, the Black Opera Alliance has continued to stake its claim on arts activism, with the organization both speaking up for Black professionals in opera and speaking against institutions in opera that maintain the status quo. Among BOA's Leadership Council members is soprano Jayme Alilaw, who joins Garrett to talk about art, activism, and accountability. Scott honors Annie Lennox in the second movement, and offers his thoughts on dealing with hecklers in arts spaces. Both Scott and Garrett revisit the conversation surrounding the controversial Emmett Till opera, and spend the weekly TRILLOQUY responding to a UCLA job posting that offered zero pay. 

Challenging colonial definitions of "classical music" requires a multi-cultural approach, and Maryam Yusefzadeh is doing it in her own way. She joins Garrett to talk about her approach to broader aesthetics tied to the word "classical", engaging the spiritual connection she has with performing, and the album, "Migration", which features some of her music. Scott reprises the music of Dobrinka Tabakova and celebrates the newly created Nina Simone Piano Competition. Garrett challenges the idea of "pop" music and spends the weekly TRILLOQUY offering his take on developing drama in the opera world. 

​What stories do our monuments tell? What legacies do they embody? What memories do they cement? These questions will be explored at Washington DC's Kennedy Center this month through a collection of new operas, including one called "Rise", with music by Kamala Sankaram. Kamala joins Garrett to talk about her introduction to opera, what "Rise" is meant to relay to audiences, and how this work continues the push for more new music in traditional "classical" spaces. Scott highlights the educational advocacy of violinist Ezinma, Garrett unpacks a musical about a machine that turns Black people white, and the guys continue their celebration of Women's History Month with music by Julia Wolfe, Martha Wash, and more.

Brittany J. Green is a North Carolina-based composer, creative, and educator whose works engage everything from Black feminist theory to the rupture of systems. She joins Garrett in this week's third movement to talk about her music, her studies of Julius Eastman, and how differing queer perspectives played a role in 20th century instrumental music. Scott returns to this year's "classical" Grammy conversation, highlights the music of Odetta, and offers his thoughts concerning the conflict in Ukraine. Garrett offers words from Mamie Till, celebrates the "Afro-harping" of Brandee Younger, and digs into the nuances of racism as seen in recent news media.

Garrett leads Marble City Opera in the world premiere of "I Can't Breathe" by Leslie Burrs and Brandon Gibson this week, so he and Scott meet virtually to discuss composer complaints about this year's Classical Grammy nominations, the newly-explored political opinions of William Grant Still, and lots more. Garrett features his recent conversation with Damian Norfleet, who will present a musical work on the issues of mass incarceration and solitary confinement in conjunction with Ensemble Pi on March 2nd. In this week's TRILLOQUY movement the guys cover musically-charged racism on a college campus, one orchestra's decision to shift concert attire, and the Kim Potter verdict. 

​Beethoven's "Fidelio" famously includes a chorus of prisoners, and in a new production by Heartbeat Opera the roles will be played by actual incarcerated individuals. The company's Ethan Heard and Kelly Griffin join Garrett to talk about the process of engaging these individuals, the relationship that's being built between opera and the prison system, and Heartbeat Opera's larger goal of engaging new audiences. Garrett and Scott draw proximity between sports and "classical" music as a means of practicing cultural competency, offer music that turns pain into beauty, and spend the weekly TRILLOQUY addressing the confederate flag, fighting gentrification, and the notion of being "silenced". 

​For a generation, Haiti has been the image of liberation and freedom for countless Black people across the western world. Haitian violinist, arts administrator, and music educator Victoria Joseph joins Garrett to showcase the work she's doing on the island and to unpack the opportunities, potential for empowerment, and responsibilities connected with teaching the next generation of musicians. Scott shines a light on an upcoming hip hop documentary, Garrett reviews a new album by Joy Guidry, and the guys discuss Black History Month blunders. 

****JUSTICE FOR AMIR LOCKE****

​Fife and Drum ensembles in the United States may seem quintessentially colonial, but they actually belong to a tradition with deep roots in Black History! Shaina Rush from The United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps joins Garrett to talk about DEI in the military, her experiences in one of the America's premiere ensembles, and the Black folk tradition of fife and drum that still exists today! Scott affirms the importance of equity work "from the inside" and honors a uniquely Black approach to slide guitar playing. Garrett offers a review of the 2022 Sphinx Connect conference, and the guys weigh in on the mass exodus from Spotify. 

The views expressed in this opus are those of the speaker and do not reflect the views, opinions, or official policies of the United States Army, Department of Defense, or United States Government.

​Black equity, musical neurotechnology, and new paths for artist funding are just a few of the things that Bryan Crumpler is interested in as a composer. He joins Garrett this week to talk about his life, his music, and the impact that Europe's "Black Pete" has had on one of his compositions. Scott digs into the nuance of "woke racism", Garrett honors the lives of legends who the world has recently lost, and they both highlight musical performances that showcase the sounds of home and far away from home. This week's TRILLOQUY focuses on Florida's new "white guilt" law and how it could impact music education moving forward. 

"The Seven Last Words of the Unarmed" put composer Joel Thompson on the map, and his recent collaboration with the Houston Grand Opera showcased his ability to write a much more joyous piece of music. He joins Garrett to talk about his opera, "The Snowy Day", life in the shadow of his more famous work, and walking in the footsteps of those who came before him. Scott explores jazz's influence overseas and looks back at the activism of Louis Armstrong, Garrett highlights Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s ideas on a renewed economic system, and the guys wrap up by revisiting Dr. King's ideas on "the white moderate" and "the white liberal". 

Andrea Davis Pinkney is a New York Times-bestselling author whose work recently earned her an invitation to create the libretto for an opera adaptation of "The Snowy Day" by Ezra Jack Keats. She joins Garrett to talk about her life as an author, her experience writing for an opera, and the importance of Black joy in art. Scott offers the story of a church that's paying reparations to local Black institutions, Garrett celebrates reggae-inspired video game music by Nobuo Uematsu, and the guys honor the late Sidney Poitier. For the weekly TRILLOQUY, Garrett and Scott explore the relationship between anti-racism and anti-capitalism. 

María Isa Pérez-Hedges is a musical artist and lifelong Minnesotan whose activism has inspired her to make the big decision of running for Minnesota State Senate! She joins Garrett in-studio to talk about her journey, her music, and her goals as a potential representative for countless Minnesota-based artists and citizens. Scott shines a light on an all-Black, Nashville based wind symphony, Garrett honors the anti-racism of Betty White, and the guys spend the final movement unpacking the idea of "losing friends to CRT". 

Context can be an important aspect of experiencing music, but The Honorable Elizabeth A. Baker believes in offering audiences an opportunity to experience sound free from external description. She joins Garrett to talk about her unique approach to artistry, her recent collaboration with the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians/American Composers Forum, and more. Scott questions new approaches to "The Messiah", Garrett highlights notable "classical" moments of 2021, and the guys spend the final movement drawing. comparisons between "The Matrix: Resurrections" and the future of diversity, equity and inclusion in the arts. 

Hip-hop can be transformed with a heightened awareness of "classical" music, but the converse may be even more true! Garrett is joined by the hosts of the Speaker Geekers podcast to unpack the art of marketing orchestral music to Black audiences, hip-hop culture's larger role in society, and the notion of Christmas rap. Scott shares a relatively unknown fact and piece of music by Florence Price, and celebrates an ally to anti-racism within the country music industry. And the guys wrap up the show by responding to a video published by the Nashville Symphony Orchestra's former principal clarinetist. 

Composer Renee Baker believes that "classical" training doesn't have to be a barrier to other genres and styles - she sees it as a bridge! She returns to TRILLOQUY's third movement to talk about her entry into the world of "creative music", her recent collaboration with the American Composers Forum and the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, and the way capitalism helps maintains American orchestral paradigms. Scott shines a light on the intersection of Black history and present as it relates to "classical" guitar, and Garrett speaks to white supremacy as it exists in both heavy metal and "classical" cultures. 

The generations of work that have gone into creating racial equity in "classical" music can't be overstated, and Chicago-based composer Renée Baker joins Garrett to offer her story and why the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) remains a vital part of the movement. The guys offer their Christmas music picks for the season, and unpack the notion of inappropriate musical characterizations of culture. Garrett and Scott wrap up the show with a raw and emotional discussion that centers Julius Eastman's "Crazy Nigger" and Claude Debussy's "Golliwog's Cakewalk".