In the Season One finale of “Conversations From Away,” we take a look at higher education. Often seen as necessary training for a career in the industry, college programs in music and theater can also present significant barriers to entry. Aaron is joined by Pascale Florestal (Education Director of Front Porch Arts Collective, faculty at Boston Conservatory at Berklee) and Cynthia Kortman Westphal (original Music Director of Come From Away North American Tour and original company member of The Lion King on Broadway, current faculty member at University of Michigan), both artists and educators, to discuss their experience teaching young artists. How are things? What has changed? What still needs to change? Listen in to learn more about our guests’ own education, how it has informed their approach to teaching others, and why being black is not a “type.“

Learn more about the Front Porch Arts Collective here: https://www.frontporcharts.org

And keep an eye out for Pascale’s production of Once on This Island with SpeakEasy Stage Company in March 2022

https://www.speakeasystage.com/2020/05/07/season30/

Host: Aaron Michael Ray (@aaronraystagram on Instagram)

Guests: Pascale Florestal (@pascale3206 on Instagram and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pascale3206)

Cynthia Kortman Westphal (@cynthkw on Instagram and Cynthia Kortman Westphal on Facebook)

Special Thanks to Broadway Podcast Network and Junkyard Dog Productions