AC23+ - Artist Legacy Series of the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge | Podcast on RSS.com

AC23+ - Artist Legacy Series of the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge

AC23+ - Artist Legacy Series of the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge

by Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge

Performing Arts Music Interviews

AC23+ Artist Legacy Series Ep 68 - Andy Pizzo - Trombonist, Band Leader, K-12 Education Administrator

Mike Esneault speaks with trombonist, band leader, K-12 education administrator, and former band director, Andy Pizzo. We talked about his formative years learning to play music in New Orleans, his professional performance career as well as his career in K-12 education.

AC23+ Artist Legacy Series Ep 67 - Julie Gerdes Becnel - Author of "Roux's First Day"

Mike Esneault speaks with author, playwright, creative consultant, Julie Gerdes Becnel, illustrator Cullen Bernard, and jazz vocalist and ukulele artist, Ashley Orlando. They discuss the recent publication of Julie’s children’s book “Roux’s First Day”. This is a story of Roux, a baby Rougaroux, and her first day of school in the swamp and how she discovers what makes us different is also what makes us shine. Mike’s guests discuss the process of creating this publication as well as creating the music to accompany the story.

AC23+ Artist Legacy Series Ep 66 Charlie Champage - Communications Director for Baton Rouge Gallery, photographer, photojournalist, graphic designer

Mike speaks with photographer, photojournalist, graphic designer, independent publisher, and event producer, Charlie Champagne. He is currently the Communications Director for the Baton Rouge Gallery Center for Contemporary Art. Charlie is also the founder and President of Leur Maison, a Baton Rouge nonprofit establish to help build a sense of home, community and belonging for Southern LGBTQIA+ creatives. They discussed his career in photography, particularly within the journalism and art world as well as his new role at the Baton Rouge Gallery.

AC23+ Artist Legacy Series Ep65 DK Harrell - Award Winning Blues Guitarist, Composer, Band Leader

Mike Esneault speaks and plays music with sensational blues guitarist, vocalist, composer and band leader, DK Harrell. Fresh off his 2026 Blues Music Award wins in two categories, “Contemporary Blues Album” as well as “Album of the Year”, DK and Mike had a great time playing some of his songs and discussing his incredible rise in the blues world, his formative years growing up in Louisiana, and life as a successful touring artist.

AC23+ Artist Legacy Series Ep 64 - Ana Andricaine - Former Broadway Actress, Jewelry Artist, Baton Rouge Arts Market Manager

Mike Esneault speaks with former New York Broadway actress veteran of 25 years, jewelry artist, business coach and Baton Rouge Arts Market manager Ana Andricain. They conversed about many things including her amazing performing career as well as her successful jewelry business, Jewel of Havana. Additionally, they discussed her role as manager of the BR Arts Market for the Arts Council of GBR and the challenges artist face while making a life in the arts.

AC23+ Artist Legacy Series - E63 - John Wirt - Journalist, Author, Musician

Mike Esneault speaks with John Wirt. John is a music, arts and entertainment journalist and critic, author of the book “Huey “Piano” Smith and the Rocking Pneumonia Blues” and a guitarist. John has written thousands of music and movie stories and reviews for newspapers and magazines — mostly in Louisiana, Florida and Virginia. He was a staff writer at The (Baton Rouge) Advocate for 23 years and freelance writer for multiple publications. They talked about his accomplished career as a writer and touched on other subjects along the way. John also performs two solo guitar pieces.

AC23+ Ep 62 - Sariah Sizemore and Taylor Matherne with "Honey Gold" - immersive audiovisual and sound healing experience

Mike Esneault speaks with multi-disciplinary artists Sariah Sizemore and Taylor Matherne about “Honey Gold”. This is an immersive audiovisual and sound healing experience that blends live vocals, gongs, crystal singing bowls, and string instruments with projection-mapped visuals to create a restorative, contemplative journey Mike discusses with the artists various topics including the pre-production challenges of creating this experience as well as the live production itself.

AC23+ Artist Legacy Series Ep 61 - Roland Guerin - Bassist/Composer

Mike Esneault speaks and plays music with international bassist, Louisiana native, and long time friend Roland Guerin. They talk about Roland’s incredible career touring and recording with jazz legends such as Marcus Roberts, Brian Blade, Mark Whitfield, Ellis Marsalis, etc. as well as New Orleans legends Mac “Dr. John” Rebennack, Allen Toussaint and rock guitarist Paul Gilbert, to name just a few. Roland’s command of both the acoustic bass and electric bass have made him one of the most versatile bassist living today. They touched on his formative years as well as various other topics.

AC23+ Artist Legacy Series Ep 60 Steve Masakowski

Mike Esneault speaks and plays music with New Orleans guitar legend Steve Masakowski. The two discuss Steve’s brilliant career as a guitarist, composer, inventor and educator at the university level. In addition, they talk about Steve’s formative years, growing up in the rich cultural environment of New Orleans and the city’s influence on him musically.

AC23+ Artist Legacy Series Ep59 - Ed Ruzicka - Poet

Mike Esneault interviews poet, author, and president of the Poetry Society of Louisiana, Ed Ruzicka today. They discuss the release of Ed's new book "The Invention of Dreaming" and the inspirations for writing this new collection of poetry. They also touch on various subjects as they relate to the creative process and the arts industry.

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