Music Meets Drama

It has been an honor and wonderful experience to work with the creator and producer, Matt Spangler,  of the podcast "The Ladies Speak."  This past November outside Boston we recorded the new episode about Gena Branscombe.   Miss Branscombe's passion filled life of music, women composers, American music and especially education is highlighted in this episode.  We, The Gena Branscombe Project, carry on the example she set for us.  https://www.the-ladies-speak.com/episodes #BringingBackBranscombe

  With thanks to Matt Spangler for inviting me to be interviewed for his podcast “ The Ladies Speak .”   Speaking about Gena Branscombe for over 3 hours was a new one for me.   Guided by Matt, it was easy.   Damali Willingham, The Gena Branscombe Project 2020 Composer scholarship winner, joined the session to speak about the experience of arranging and conducting Gena’s “Festival Prelude.”   What a pro Damali is! Thanks to Dave at Pod617 studio who made me feel comfortable and at ease. Forgive my poor photographs of Dave’s wrist band advertising, but, it is very creative and I had to share it. The podcast will be posted on “The Ladies Speak” website in early 2023.   Of course, we will post it as soon as it is available. In the meantime, the recording session is “A WRAP!”

Defining what promoting a woman composer or women composers is in one’s life can be perplexing.   Is it a job?   Is it detective work uncovering or digging up something from the past?   Is it a mission?   Is it a passion?   Is it fun or a hobby? Maybe it is a combination of all of these.   We have wrapped ourselves in a blanket of passion that fills our lives as a job whose title is being a mission driven detective while having a delightful time learning something new and something not taught in those college music history classes!     We eagerly pursue new ways and avenues to promote women composers through blogs, presentations, published articles, performances, recordings, interviews, social media and podcasts.   We work to get out the message that women have existed as composers as long as men have – always! I would consider my many years of work on the music and life of composer Gena Branscombe as an absolute passionate joy of a job! ...