Artifice

Jennifer Taylor-O'Connor is an attorney, animal cognition trainer, writer, and international speaker, focusing on animal literacy and communication. A "parrot mama" for over 16 years, Jen has been developing cognition training techniques for almost a decade. Her training manuals have been translated and distributed throughout Europe, and she’s been featured in Bird Talk magazine. Jen has twice written articles for the International Association of Applied Behavior Consultants Journal and is a frequent lecturer at science conventions and companion bird gatherings around the world. Jennifer collaborates on animal literacy and communication projects with university researchers, and her research has been published in peer-reviewed scientific proceedings. Her birds, Ellie and Isabelle, have passed university-designed blind tests on phonics and reading comprehension skills and are considered the very first animals who have learned how to read. https://parrotkindergarten.com/ https://www.instagram.com/parrotkinderga

Casey Drake is a self-taught artist, author, illustrator, and mother currently based in Orlando, Florida. While always driven by a strong, intrinsic need to create, her artistic journey took an unexpected turn when her whimsical sidewalk chalk creations gained widespread recognition in 2020. Before this, Casey obtained a bachelor’s of science in Biology, served as a Peace Corps volunteer in South Africa, and taught in under-served schools in Arizona and Florida. However, this sudden and extreme attention to her art ignited a newfound passion within her for illustration, as well as the motivation to pursue an artistic career path. Her diverse background in biology, education, and humanitarian work has led to an unique artistic perspective and irreverence in her work. In 2021, Casey unveiled her debut children's picture book, 'Hi, My Name is Why!', a passion project that resulted in a fully funded Kickstarter campaign and physical book. Currently pursuing a graduate degree in Business of Art and Design at Ma

From Anna's Obituary: Mary Annaleen Mooy, beloved sister, aunt, teacher, and devoted friend to many, age 65, peacefully passed away on January 15, 2024, due to complications of a brain tumor. I'm so grateful I have this conversation with Anna to remember and cherish, along with some truly impactful memories from my time as her student. It feels right to honor her by sharing this interview a second time. Rest in peace, beautiful Anna. Anna's Bio: Mezzo-soprano Anna Mooy received Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in voice from BYU, Provo, and did doctoral study at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, where she studied with Glenda Maurice. She has received many honors, including Regional Finalist for the Metropolitan Opera Auditions on two occasions. She has also performed with many of the world’s finest choral organizations including the Dale Warland Singers, VocalEsssence and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir; both as choral member and soloist. Performances with other organizations include the Minnesota O

Pham was born in a Malaysian refugee camp in 1979. His parents are Vietnamese and fled the country during the Vietnam War. The family moved to the United States when he was five months old and has lived in the U.S. ever since. Pham was teased often as a young child, and has said that he began to "resent being Asian" because of this bullying. He often avoided traditional Asian food while growing up, opting for McDonald's hamburgers, because he thought "if I could eat American food, it would make me feel more American. Pham attended culinary school in San Francisco but began his career in software. His first chef job was at Casey's Irish Pub Downtown where he was hired in 2006 upon graduating from Le Cordon Bleu. After working in San Francisco, owner Blake Ballard convinced Chef Pham to join Spark Restaurant and Lounge in Provo, Utah. In 2009, Pham opened his own restaurant, Forage, in Utah with co-Chef Bowman Brown. In 2011 Pham received the Best New Chef Award from Food & Wine Magazine. In 2012, Pham was an

Evan Werner is an avid woodworker, chef, outdoorsman, and entrepreneur. Living in a rural community in Utah has allowed him to spend more time with his artistic passions. He runs South Slope Wood-fired Pizza with his wife Priscilla. When he’s not serving up delicious wood fired pizza he’s in the mountains fly fishing or searching for unique logs to harvest to create furniture and wood turned pieces. He enjoys sharing his passion with others. There is great reward in teaching someone to have greater success in the kitchen or in the field. https://www.facebook.com/southslopepizza2020/

Joey Anderson (he/they) is a movement-based artist and educator based in his hometown, Salt Lake City, Utah. He is currently a member of FLEET Co-Op, directed by Shelby Taylor, which just concluded its inaugural year. In collaboration with FLEET, Joey contributed in building and performing their immersive show, “Monomyth,” last Fall as well as their work shown at 801 Salon in May 2023. He also premiered his solo show, “Where Love Lived First,” at Burnswood Studio, which explored Dr. Kübler-Ross’ “Stages of Grief" and how they manifest in the body. Before his time with FLEET, Joey apprenticed with SALT Contemporary Dance for their 2021-2022 season. During this time, he had the pleasure of performing in SALT’s Fall and Spring shows as well as in outreach performances in the schools in Salt Lake County. As a freelance artist, Joey has performed both internationally and across the US. He has performed at Dock 11, The New Stage of the National Theatre in Prague, RAD Dance Festival, and Breaking Ground. Locally

Jennifer Madsen is a prized fixture on performing stages of the West. A lifelong singer and actress, her early career included being a cast member of Brigham Young University’s famed performing group the Young Ambassadors. That experience founded her love of the art and afforded her the chance to sing, dance, and act for audiences across the globe. Using her strong foundational understanding for the craft, Jennifer left BYU and began to formally instruct students in all areas of performing. Her students from these early days have gone on to lead successful careers as Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award-winning artists. She has had several students on American Idol and its predecessor, Star Search. One such student even went on to become a Star Search season finale winner. Her celebrated instruction continues to this day, as a former voice and musical theatre instructor at Utah Valley University and currently as part of Snow College’s award-winning music department. Jennifer Madsen studied voice with Jeri Clinger and

Aaron Schumacher is a dynamic vocalist, music director, and entrepreneur based in Los Angeles. Known for his technical expertise and innovative approach, Aaron serves as the Soprano and Technical Director for m-pact, a globally celebrated vocal group renowned for their authentic and powerful vocal performances. As an entrepreneur, Aaron founded VocalMist, a company offering specialized vocal health tools used by top artists like Lizzo, The Jonas Brothers, H.E.R., and Pentatonix. He also owns ASM Productions, which provides premium audio and lighting services for live music events in Southern California. Aaron has a rich background as a commercial recording artist, contributing to high-profile projects like "The Voice," "Dune," and "Mulan." His versatility across genres such as pop, jazz, and rock makes him a sought-after performer and MC for events across the US. Since 2016, Aaron has also worked as the Music Director for Top Shelf Vocal, a diverse and award-winning adult vocal group in Los Angeles, where

Britt Linde is a rock climber and physical therapist living in the magical Sonoran Desert of Tucson, Arizona. Her life circumstances led her to attend BYU for her undergrad degree in Exercise Science and serendipitously led her to experience rock climbing for the first time. There began her obsession with rock climbing and the life lessons it teaches, and she has continued to follow and fall in love with the process of climbing difficult routes on beautiful rock in remote places. Attending NAU in Flagstaff, Arizona her curiosity about the biomechanics of rock climbing began as she received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy. She has since spent 10 years treating and developing treatment protocols for rock climbing related injuries. She became a sought-after rock climbing specialist in Tucson after spending time coaching the Rocks & Ropes youth competitive climbing team. Recently, in keeping with the typical realizations of a life-long rock climber, she has decided to pivot and take a break from the never-endin

Grace was born and raised in Sandy, Utah where she grew up doing two things - playing soccer and making art. Today, she continues to do just that; she spends the majority of her time at Harmons Grocery painting and installing signs, at home painting original work or commissioned work for her art patrons, and of course, we mustn’t forget, playing soccer in multiple adult leagues. She has certainly been blessed with life-long passion for what she does. Grace graduated Utah State University in 2015 with a BFA and an emphasis in Drawing and Painting. She has since studied under a professional mural artist and a professional faux-finishing painter. Grace spends her time going on outdoor adventures such as rock climbing, hiking, and camping, or traveling the world (taking her art supplies with her) with family or friends. In 2018, Grace attended the University of Santa Monica where she studied Spiritual Psychology, a passion discovered in her early 20s along with cognitive therapy, trauma work, energy work, and s

Alex Hyner is a writer, producer, and actor for film and television in Los Angeles. In his spare time, he has cultivated a passion for photography and digital art. You can find his work on Instagram @alexhyner and his website AlexHynerArt.com

My culinary passion started at a young age. Growing up, I would help my mother make wedding cakes in her spare time and make caramels, brownies, and more with my dad. I developed a love for pastries- the balancing of flavors, the chemistry behind it, the look, the flavor combinations, and of course the taste! I was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. Since graduating high school, I attended The French Pastry School in Chicago Illinois, where I studied under world-renown french chefs. We learned all aspects of the pastry world: tarts, ice cream, sorbets, breakfast pastries, breads, petit fours, sugar and chocolate candies, chocolate & sugar sculpting, cakes, and more. My passion for veganism developed shortly after graduating my prestigious school. I started converting, switching recipes, and through (a lot) of trial and error, I was finished perfecting these traditional french pastries to become deliciously vegan without jeopardizing the taste and quality. Having a relationship with food is an import

Sarah Czaplewski was born in Omaha Nebraska, and grew up in Papillion, Nebraska, a suburb of Omaha. She started singing and taking voice lessons as a child (kind of had to since mom, grandma, uncle and aunt were all singers). During high school Sarah was in soccer (not really anything to write home about with the soccer skills, but decent to be on varsity), show choir, jazz choir, and musicals. She started singing with cover bands in Omaha around 18 and then, in college at Lincoln University. Go Skers'! She starred in music performance, but somehow ended up with a special education and early childhood degree. Sarah played with a few bands for several years while teaching kindergarten, bartending and singing at weddings, and all kinds of events. In 2014 Sarah moved to Denver Colorado to be a part of Diamond Empire Band. Sarah has played in hundreds of venues spanning across Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, Kansas, Missouri and Texas. She currently resides in Omaha, Nebraska and tr

Ross Hagen is an Associate Professor of Music Studies at Utah Valley University, focusing on musicology and ethnomusicology. He has been at UVU since 2010 and received his Ph.D. and M.M. in Musicology at the University of Colorado at Boulder and his B.A. at Davidson College. Dr. Hagen’s research interests include underground music scenes, black metal music, medievalism, and avant-garde music. Recent publications include the edited volume Medievalism and Metal Music Studies: Throwing Down the Gauntlet (2019) and a book on Darkthrone's 1992 album A Blaze in the Northern Sky for Bloomsbury's 33.3 book series (2020). Hagen is also an Assistant Editor for the academic journal Metal Music Studies. Current research projects include a book on ritual music in modern heathen spiritualities along with book chapters involving weird fiction, John Cage, and black metal in the Mountain West. In addition to his academic work, Dr. Hagen has been active as a performer and composer since the late 1990s, specializing in extrem

Drew Nichols, at age 4, received a police escort home while selling handmade puppets door-to-door. He later studied music composition at Arizona State, toured with ALW’s The Wizard of Oz, and worked for Weisersound as a keyboard programming assistant for Broadway’s Phantom of the Opera, Sunset Blvd, Les Mis, Cats, Miss Saigon, School of Rock, and NBC’s Jesus Christ Superstar Live. Now, he's focused on integrating digital production/distribution and musical theatre development with the aim of democratizing, decentralizing, and expanding the industry. His show McCobb Mortality Services is streaming as an elaborate radio musical comedy on podcast platforms—visit McCobbMusical.com.

FinFolk Productions was founded by twin sisters Abby & Bryn Roberts in 2012 and specializes exclusively in realistic, fully swimmable mermaid tails and accessories. From the Lakes of Minnesota, to the beaches of Hawaii, and now to the mountains of North Carolina, the studio location has changed over the years and expanded to a small team of 8 but our commitment to quality, hand crafted art is unwavering. Finfolk Productions is well established within the mermaid performance community, and have provided countless tails for clients worldwide. Our tail making techniques are unique and exclusive to our company, and we can guarantee the highest quality tails on the market. https://www.finfolk.com/ https://www.instagram.com/finfolkproductions/?hl=en https://www.tiktok.com/@finfolk_productions https://www.facebook.com/FinfolkProductions/

Mike Steinel is a jazz trumpeter, pianist, composer, arranger, and novelist. For forty years he taught jazz at the collegiate level, most notably at the University of North Texas (32 years). He has performed throughout the US, Canada, Europe, and Asia; recorded with the Frank Mantooth Orchestra, the Mike Waldrop Band, the Chicago Jazz Quintet; and performed with Ella Fitzgerald, Clark Terry, Don Ellis, Bill Evans, Zoot Sims, Jerry Bergonzi, and others. His most recent releases are: “Song and Dance,” (Origin Records 2018) and “Saving Charlie Parker” (Rosewood Audio 2022). The latter is a companion piece with a novel of the same name. Links: https://www.mikesteinel.com http://www.savingcharlieparker.com YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH1eBkg9uqWP02WvQTJ5mPQ

Artist, photographer, dancer, performer. Married to a supportive husband and mother of 1. Somer started her profession as a photographer back in 2004. Shortly after, she fell in love with a new sport of pole. Her passion for dancing and performing has led her to open her own studio and just recently she got to perform at The Snoop Dogg concert at the Usana Amphitheater. Need creative photography or private pole lessons? Feel free to reach out. www.somerahonen.com www.polerscove.com

Jordan Clark is a musician, songwriter, music engineer, and producer with extensive experience in writing, performing, and recording musical works. As a musician, he has performed with a number of musical groups, including Vanladylove (named "#1 Artist on the Verge" at the 2014 New Music Seminar), and has worked diligently as a solo artist. Jordan graduated from Utah Valley University and attended the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences in Gilbert, AZ. As an engineer, Jordan interned at Entourage Studios in North Hollywood, CA, worked for a short time at New Monkey Studio in Van Nuys, CA, and worked at Willamette Mountain Studio in American Fork, UT. Music producer, mastering engineer @rigbyroadstudios @thebandmowth Solo music @nonahnevermusic www.rigbyroadstudios.com

The Fresh King Benjamin is a Utah-based comic who has headlined such prestigious events as The Sunstone Symposium and Wyoming Equality’s Annual Rendezvous. He grew up on a Mormon polygamist compound in Wyoming before escaping to the vast and wicked metropolis of Salt Lake City at the tender age of 20. Since then he’s been slowly figuring out how to prosper in the heathen lands while being wildly distracted by all the exposed elbows. Ben is a mildly popular TikToker @thefreshkingbenjamin, where he shares his unique perspective on the modern world. https://www.thefreshkingbenjamin.com/