Heart of the Artist
Justin Clauser and Molly Shortridge will interview guests to explore the value of music and the arts in the lives of our community members.
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David Richwine, Improv Theater Actor
04/18/2022
David Richwine, Improv Theater Actor
In this episode of Heart of the Artist, we were curious as to what it takes to get up the gumption to be a person who does improv theater and what it entails. Central Pa actor, David Richwine shares his experiences of working in improv, and educates our audience about an artform that encapsulates fear, fun, listening, collaboration, and personal growth. David has been active in Central Pennsylvania theaters for more than 25 years, a comedy writer for almost 30 years, and an improv comedy performer for nearly 10 years. In addition, he has performed in close to 20 major shows in the area. If you are a fan of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, you may have seen him performing at Open Stage as Bob Cratchit and Jacob Marley in the past few seasons. He has been an actor in many other productions at Theater Harrisburg, and Gamut Theater group, specifically with TMI improv. Gamut Theatre/TMI Improv: TMI Improv performances the first Friday of each month (almost....check the website and Facebook) Harrisburg Improv Theatre: HIT has shows every Friday and Saturday night - and they are always enrolling people for their Level One classes. There's lots of information on their website. Podcast hosts, Molly and Justin are Co-owners of
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Opening up! Center Stage with Dustin LeBlanc, Director of Keystone Theatrics and The West Shore Theater
04/03/2022
Opening up! Center Stage with Dustin LeBlanc, Director of Keystone Theatrics and The West Shore Theater
Discover the roots of Dustin LeBlanc’s passion for theater and what it takes to devote oneself to community theater work. Find out the multifaceted aspects of what goes into the making of a theatrical show, and perhaps discover what you might want to do to get involved in a local production! Dustin LeBlanc is the Executive Producing Director of Keystone Theatrics, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit theatre organization offering high quality performing arts and entertainment with professional theatre production standards at The Playhouse at Allenberry Resort in Boiling Springs, PA. He is also the newly hired Managing Director of the West Shore Theatre in New Cumberland, PA, which is slated to open Mau 7, 2022 following a multi-million dollar renovation. Prior to this tenure, he served as Artistic Director of Pennsylvania Youth Music and Theatrics and as Executive Director of the Carlisle Theatre Company. Dustin spent fifteen years in education with the Cumberland Valley School District, most recently as an Instructional Specialist. Podcast hosts, Molly and Justin are Co-owners of
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Art in Three Dimensions; An interview with Lauren Nye, Director of Exhibitions at The Susquehanna Art Museum
03/21/2022
Art in Three Dimensions; An interview with Lauren Nye, Director of Exhibitions at The Susquehanna Art Museum
Take a stroll with us through this eye-opening discussion about what it is like to be a person who sets up the exhibitions at a museum. It is fascinating to hear how Lauren Nye evolved as an artist who specializes in 3 dimensions to one who also plans, implements, designs, and installs art exhibits at the Susquehanna Art Museum. You will never walk thru a museum the same way again! LAUREN NYE'S BIOGRAPHY: Lauren Nye is Director of Exhibitions at the Susquehanna Art Museum (SAM) in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. In her freelance work, Nye collaborates with individuals, artists, and corporations to bring creative projects to life. She has curated exhibitions at both commercial and non-profit venues for ten years and has assisted in sculpture installations nationally and internationally. Additionally, she served as a juror and/or judge at arts organizations such as the Berks Art Council, Whitaker Center, Carlisle Arts Learning Center, Creative York, and Millersville University where she was honored to be the first alumni juror in exhibition history. Lauren's interest in public art sparked the beginning of the SAM mural project, and she successfully coordinated the installation of an ambitious 1,400 sq. ft. outdoor mural in the Midtown district of Harrisburg. Nye’s speaking engagements include the PA Museums Conference at the State Museum of Pennsylvania and the Impact Arts Conference panel on the challenges of opening a successful art space. As The Director of Exhibitions, Lauren manages the planning, implementing, designing, installation, and interpretation of exhibitions in the galleries at Susquehanna Art Museum. She oversees the shipping, insurance, contracts, travel, and loan agreements for all incoming and outgoing artwork. She also supervises volunteers and interns in the exhibition department. The Susquehanna Art Museum’s exhibition plan of varied and diverse subject matter includes exhibitions curated by the Director of Exhibitions as well as collaborative curation projects and traveling exhibitions. Podcast hosts, Molly and Justin are Co-owners of
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One Woman in The Himalayas, an interview with Central PA author, Tracy Pawleski
03/06/2022
One Woman in The Himalayas, an interview with Central PA author, Tracy Pawleski
Join us as we explore how author Tracy Pawleski painted her stories of her travels with words in her two heartfelt books about her hikes in the Himalaya mountains and on Spain’s Camino Trail. Find out how she went from being a technical writer to a creative storyteller about her travels. Her books ooze with themes that are sure to inspire you to initiate changes in your life, no matter what your creative genre might be. Professionally, Tracy combines corporate communications experience with a background in politics and public policy. Her career has taken her from the halls of the U.S. Congress to the boardrooms of Corporate America. As the former vice president of communications for a global retail grocer, Tracy oversaw strategies for public relations, crisis communications, and community engagement. She managed a charitable foundation committed to the fight against hunger and improving the quality of life for children. Before returning to her roots in Pennsylvania, Tracy worked on national issues in the Office of National Drug Control Policy and U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. Tracy is an adventure traveler, preferring destinations out of the mainstream and activities that make your heart thump. She has published travel articles on these adventures and written two books about walking across Spain on El Camino de Santiago and trekking the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal. Tracy speaks to groups about her pilgrimage on El Camino in addition to travel and trekking, leadership, and the challenges faced by professional women. She’s waiting to hear from you! Molly and Justin are Co-owners of Tracy Pawleski’s books are available on the Amazon platform in paperback, Kindle and audio versions, as read by the author.
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The Collective Breath; An Interview with Linda Tedford, Conductor of the Susquehanna Chorale
02/21/2022
The Collective Breath; An Interview with Linda Tedford, Conductor of the Susquehanna Chorale
The love of choral singing is woven throughout not only this episode, but also in Linda Tedford’s life. Find out about her roots, specific experiences that shaped her, and how she became a founder and conductor of Central PA’s award-winning choral group, the Susquehanna Chorale. Reflections on the importance of singing and finding her own voice will resonate with you in an impactful way, especially for those of you who already love singing or simply wish to begin! Linda L. Tedford is the Artistic Director, Founder, and Conductor of the award-winning Susquehanna Chorale, established in 1981. She is responsible for the creation of the Chorale’s Educational Outreach program, which reaches hundreds of local student singers annually. Ms. Tedford is Professor Emeritus (Director of Choral Activities) at Messiah University in Grantham, PA. Choirs under her leadership have performed at regional and state conventions of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) and the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA); for the Legislature and Governor of Pennsylvania; and in several European venues. Her work is featured on over 16 professionally produced CDs, and her choirs appear regularly with the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra. In 1994, Ms. Tedford and the Susquehanna Chorale received Chorus America’s highest lifetime award, The Margaret Hillis Achievement Award for Choral Excellence. Ms. Tedford is the 2011 recipient of ACDA-PA’s Elaine Brown Award for Choral Excellence for outstanding lifelong work in the choral art. In 2013, she received Theatre Harrisburg’s Award for Distinguished Service to the Arts in the Capital Region. Ms. Tedford holds a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from Temple University, where she studied with internationally renowned conductor Robert Page. She pursued additional study at Westminster Choir College, as well as with prominent conductors such as Robert Shaw, Gregg Smith, and Dale Warland, and with voice teachers Robert Grooters and Thomas Houser. She is an active member of Chorus America and the American Choral Directors Association. Ms. Tedford is a frequent guest conductor and clinician. Links: Susquehanna Chorale website: Chorus America: American Choral Directors Association: Co-hosts, Molly and Justin are Co-owners of
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Dr. Heidi Kay Begay, Revolutionary podcasting flutist: Impacting the global community
02/07/2022
Dr. Heidi Kay Begay, Revolutionary podcasting flutist: Impacting the global community
Dr. Heidi K. Begay developed a podcast for her doctoral dissertation, “Flute 360”, creating a connection among flutists around the world unlike any other. Find out about Heidi: Her early life, passions, and what drives her to be able to reach out to others and form lasting bonds. Podcasting as a musician created for her so many opportunities, that she loves to share with others how they can get started with podcasting. Cohosts Molly and Justin Clauser were greatly impacted by her work after attending her seminar “The Podcasting Musician”, and they remain grateful that Heidi coached them over the course of the pandemic, so that they too could impact their own community of Central PA. If you are feeling stuck as a musician or artist, perhaps creating a podcast can open doors for you! The Sponsor for today’s episode is the Blocki Flute Method: www.Blockiflute.com Short Bio: Dr. Heidi Kay Begay is a self-employed flutist, educator, podcaster, and non-profit organizer. Heidi is the creator and host of the Flute 360 podcast, which delivers educational content (to the modern-day flutist) through various platforms. Since 2018, the podcast has produced over 180 episodes, received over 62,000 downloads from 70 countries, and has obtained numerous corporate sponsorships. Heidi’s mission is to help musicians reach new heights so they can feel empowered, confident, and have a life they love on and off the stage! Please visit for more information! Find out more about how to podcast with Dr. Heidi Kay Begay’s course, The Podcasting Musician: Molly and Justin are Co-owners of The sponsor for today’s podcast is The Blocki Flute Method. For years, Kathy Blocki has been a pioneer in the flute teaching field with her fantastic series of award-winning methods books. Kathy is the inventor of the Pneumo-pro wind-director tool and is the founder of KinderFlute. Her next training class for flute teachers is offered this August of 2022, online or in person. Teachers will learn how to teach kids as young as 4 to play the flute in a way that involves activity and games. The method is extremely goal oriented, rhythmically progressive, and teaches in multiple octaves from the beginning. Go to to find more information about her flute method books and the Kinderflute certification training program. Be sure to check out the new, colorful, and fun "Flute Zoo" method books for the younger flute players!
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Dave Yinger, Performer and Band Director: Establishing Roots While Branching Out to Community
01/17/2022
Dave Yinger, Performer and Band Director: Establishing Roots While Branching Out to Community
Co-hosts Justin Clauser and Molly Shortridge interview Dave Yinger. Like other performing musicians, Dave wears many hats as a band director, reaching out to others in many inspiring ways. If you aspire to be a band director, this is an episode you don’t want to miss!
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Ben Hodge, Actor, Acting Teacher, Barrier Breaker: Exemplifying Authenticity and Vulnerability.
01/03/2022
Ben Hodge, Actor, Acting Teacher, Barrier Breaker: Exemplifying Authenticity and Vulnerability.
Ben Hodge, Actor, and one of Central Pa’s premier acting instructors shares with us what is foremost on his heart as a teacher and actor. Join us in reliving his journey, scene after scene!
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Susan K. Getty of Stony Run Art Studio: A portrait of an artist and poet evolving over time.
12/19/2021
Susan K. Getty of Stony Run Art Studio: A portrait of an artist and poet evolving over time.
Our second episode features Susan K. Getty, an eclectic artist, art instructor, and poet. Let her story inspire you with your own creativity, no matter what season of life you are in.
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Eric Wirsing: Community Builder, Founder of The Perfect 5th, and Guitarist Extraordinaire!
12/06/2021
Eric Wirsing: Community Builder, Founder of The Perfect 5th, and Guitarist Extraordinaire!
Join us for our first episode, an interview with Eric Wirsing. Guitarist for Awaken, Solar Federation, and the Julie Schreiber Band. He is also the founder of the Central Pa arts center, The Perfect 5th.
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Heart of the Artist, Episode 0
01/12/2021
Heart of the Artist, Episode 0
Hi, I am Molly Shortridge, along with my Co-host, Justin Clauser. In this trailer, we will tell you a little bit about ourselves and our interview format for our "Heart of the Artist" Podcast.
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