Healing Notes
All Classical Radio’s “Music Heals” campaign is a community effort to celebrate the power of healing through music. The station invited musicians, conductors, music and art therapy professionals, and more to share their Healing Notes: reflections on their experiences with healing music. Keep reading to learn about our special guests and listen to interviews on demand.
You can help keep the healing going.
Listener support makes everything we do at All Classical Radio possible, from daily handcrafted playlists to special guest appearances that share a behind-the-scenes look into the music you love. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution today to ensure continued access to All Classical Radio’s community-funded service. We hope you will share your story of healing when you get in touch.
Naomi LaViolette
Naomi LaViolette is a versatile composer, pianist, and singer-songwriter whose music is not only influenced by her classical education but also by her study of jazz, folk songs, soul, pop, and gospel. As a singer, Naomi attributes songwriting in her early 20s as a way to process strong emotions and experiences. With four albums of original music under her belt and many more singles, Naomi writes songs filled “with the stories, emotions, celebrations, and struggles of what it means to be human.”
Under the artist name Lucente Skye, Naomi writes works for solo piano that assist in mindfulness and meditation. With song names such as “Hope,” “Discovering Peace,” and “Now,” Naomi is helping listeners incorporate more calm and peace in their daily lives.
Listen to Naomi’s conversation on air with Christa Wessel (9/6/24):
David Danzmayr
David Danzmayr is widely considered one of his generation’s most dynamic and exciting conductors. Having served as Music Director of the Oregon Symphony since 2021, David is no stranger to All Classical’s local listeners. As Music Director, David has made a name for himself as a force of positivity and adventurousness. His programming is diverse and collaborative, with a particular focus on access to education and building community around the arts. Mixing European and American standards with a steady stream of new works and pieces by historically overlooked composers, David is influencing the future of concert programming from the heart of Portland.
In addition to his work with the Oregon Symphony, David leads the versatile ProMusica Chamber Orchestra Columbus and holds the title of Honorary Conductor of the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra.
Listen to David’s conversation on air with Brandi Parisi (9/9/24):
Elaina Stuppler
Elaina Stuppler is an award-winning composer, multi-instrumentalist, and vocalist who, despite her young age, already has an extraordinary list of commissions, premieres, and accolades under her belt. Currently serving as All Classical’s Young Artist in Residence and Co-Principal Trombonist for Portland Youth Philharmonic (PYP), Elaina is making a name for herself regionally and around the world. Elaina’s passion for music is inspired by her desire to share her love of the art form with the wider community and form opportunities for connection. When asked about her process for composing, Elaina noted, “What I enjoy most about composing is that it is a creative sanctuary that allows me to channel my emotions through music.”
Listen to Elaina’s conversation on air with Christa Wessel (9/10/24):
Dr. Larry Sherman
Dr. Larry Sherman is a Professor of Neuroscience at the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) and serves on multiple national and international scientific panels. Dr. Sherman’s research on brain development and neurodegenerative diseases has been printed in over 100 publications. As a public speaker, one of his most sought-after topics of discussion is the neuroscience of music, which was expanded upon even further in his book (co-authored with Dennis Plies), Every Brain Needs Music: The Neuroscience of Making and Listening to Music. As music and art programs continue to get cut from educational institutions, Dr. Sherman is using his research to verify the importance of music and other creative endeavors to human brain development, brain aging, and overall human well-being.
Listen to Dr. Sherman’s conversation on air with Suzanne Nance (9/11/24):
Ethan Sperry
Ethan Sperry is a renowned choral conductor responsible for bringing Portland State’s Chamber Choir to international renown. As Director of Choral Activities at PSU and Artistic Director and Conductor of the distinguished Oregon Repertory Singers, Ethan’s leadership promotes the power of artistic collaboration to make a positive impact on the community. He believes in music’s ability to capture essential human experiences and bring them to life for listeners. It wouldn’t be an understatement to say that Ethan has transformed the way local audiences feel about choral music—his performances are often noted as exhilarating and meaningful.
In addition to having recorded several award-winning albums, Ethan is a prolific arranger of World Music for Choir and a frequent collaborator with film composer AR Rahman.
Listen to Ethan’s conversation on air with Brandi Parisi (9/11/24):
Anna Schaum
Anna Schaum is a violist, mental health specialist, and founder/ proprietor of The Center for Sound Relationships, an organization that creates generative community through events that foster sound personal, professional, and societal relationships. Through her work, she uses music to help groups come together into community. Anna specializes in personal growth and views the human condition “as a giant opportunity to keep expanding awareness and exercising creativity to meet challenges.”
Listen to Anna’s interview, produced by Lisa Lipton and Christa Wessel (9/12/24):
Kenji Bunch
Kenji Bunch is a composer, violist, and educator whose music transcends cultural or generational barriers and inspires empathetic connections with his listeners. As one of the most frequently performed composers of the Pacific Northwest, Kenji writes music to entertain, inspire, and facilitate healing. In collaboration with George Takei, Kenji created Lost Freedom: A Memory, interweaving music with Takei’s narration of his WWII-era childhood incarceration. Through this experience, Kenji learned “the potential of using music as a healing force.” Kenji co-directs Portland-based chamber music ensemble Fear No Music with his wife, pianist Monica Ohuchi, with the mission to make classical music more accessible.
In addition to his work as a composer and performer, Kenji teaches at PSU, Reed College, and for Portland Youth Philharmonic.
Listen to Kenji’s conversation on air with Christa Wessel (9/12/24):
Todd Lawrence
Todd Lawrence has been working in non-profit organizations for over 25 years, including as Volunteer Program Administrator for Housecall Providers, an institution providing primary care medical services and hospice to our community’s homebound and chronically ill members. Todd also serves as a board member of the Portland-area Swan Songs, an organization providing private live music concerts for individuals with a terminal illness or nearing the end of life. In addition to his hospice career, Todd has spent his life in music as a songwriter and recording artist under the pseudonym Milo Binder.
Listen to Todd’s conversation on air with Christa Wessel (9/13/24):
Maggie Johnson
Maggie Johnson is an Oregon Licensed and Board Certified Music Therapist and currently serves as Program Director for Earthtones Northwest. She is also the lead music therapist for the Oregon Symphony’s Music Now program, bringing symphony musicians to dementia care communities for fun and interactive performances. Maggie’s clinical focus is on relational-based music therapy for groups and individuals experiencing isolation or marginalization due to health and/ or societal barriers. Through her work, Maggie promotes the power of music to help people experience the full range of human emotions and connect with a sense of peace, wonder, and excitement.
In addition to her work with Earthtones and the OSO, Maggie facilitates drop-in music therapy classes for babies, toddlers, and young children and their families called Birdie Beats.
Listen to Maggie’s conversation on air with Brandi Parisi (9/13/24):
María García
Puerto Rican native María García is a distinguished pianist, teacher, and coach, as well as All Classical Radio’s 2022-2023 Artist in Residence. In addition to her work as a sought-after collaborator and music teacher, María performs with regional ensembles such as the Oregon Symphony, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Third Angle Ensemble, and 45th Parallel Universe, and was a founding member of the Award-winning 20 Digitus Piano Duo. As an educator, she not only instills a love of music in her students but facilitates emotional intelligence and human compassion: “Teaching music is about personal connection and opening a key to another world for students. I hope to pass on how to connect to your emotions, to your culture, and learn about the world and its beauty.”
Listen to María’s conversation on air with Brandi Parisi (9/16/24):
Nancy Ives
Nancy Ives is an exceptionally accomplished composer and cellist, known locally and beyond as an Oregonian legend. She has served as Principal Cellist of the Oregon Symphony for over 20 years. As a composer (and relative of Charles Ives), Nancy creates music deeply inspired by the natural world while also being accessible and relatable without sacrificing depth and complexity. Her collaborative multimedia work Celilo Falls: We Were There evokes the oldest continuously inhabited native community in North America that was ultimately flooded by The Dalles Dam construction in 1957.
In addition to her work as a performer and composer, Nancy is an Instructor of Chamber Music at Lewis & Clark College. She co-founded Classical Up Close, providing greater community access to music by bringing intimate performances to the places where people live, work, and play.
Listen to Nancy’s conversation on air with Christa Wessel (9/16/24):
