Artifice

Growing up in tiny Thatcher, Ariz., Innes was raised in the traditional musical environment of a small town. As a youth, he was classically trained on piano and sang in the Phoenix Boys Choir and local church musical groups. But…It wasn’t until he was introduced to R&B that Innes began a deep and personal involvement with music that would begin to change his life. At 24 years old, he applied to the media music program at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, a city that has become a mecca of emerging talent, producing such artists as Imagine Dragons, Neon Trees and Lindsey Stirling. During his time at BYU, Innes gained confidence as a performer while singing with the popular a cappella group Vocal Point. Around the same time, Innes began writing his own songs, influenced by melodic, vocal-centric artists like Ray Charles, Amos Lee and Ray LaMontagne. In 2010, Innes recorded a self-titled EP…and began performing solo shows, promoting his EP and gaining a loyal following with his original songs and c

My name is Matt DesJardins and I am a Chef. My passion for the culinary arts started in my childhood growing up in Greensboro, North Carolina. Constantly being surrounded by home cooked food and amazing restaurants really opened my eyes to the majesty of the culinary arts. My mother had a home food delivery service that was called ‘Fit-to-Eat’. She made healthy meals for her clients as a personal trainer. Helping her in the kitchen when I was young helped guide my way into providing an intimate cooking experience for others. From there I went into a private arts academy in high school. Over 10 years I developed my skills and passion for the culinary arts by working in all types of restaurants with many different cuisines. I worked myself up from Chef de Partie watching and learning from my mentors to running kitchens as Sous Chef. After years of working in the restaurant industry I wanted to get back to my roots and my initial dream of being an in-home private chef. I was told once by a chef of mine tha

Just a little behind-the-scenes breakdown of the writing, meaning, and hidden treasures in the title track of my new album "The Hallowed Wide" - out on all streaming platforms now!

Anna Mooy 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 Orchestra, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the Utah Symphony, among many others. She has also been a judge for the the Metropolitan Opera District auditions in Utah and North Dakota. Active as a recitalist, she has performed widely through the Midwestern United States, as well as the Rocky Mountain West and Hawaii. She has been on the voice faculties of St. Olaf College, Bemidji State University, Brigham Young University, Provo, an

Jaclyn Wright is a multi-disciplinary artist and educator from the Midwest. She received her BA from Southern Illinois University and her MFA from Indiana University. Her work combines traditional analog photographic techniques with contemporary digital methods, performance, and installation. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and published widely. Recent exhibitions of her work include: SF Camerawork (San Francisco), Sabine Street Studios (Houston), SFO Museum (San Francisco), and the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (Salt Lake City). Her work has been included in the collections at The Art Institute of Chicago and the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago, IL. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Photography at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, UT.

Landon Maughan grew up in Salt Lake City and has spent the last two decades as a professional musician and artist living in Boise Idaho. He currently utilizes each side of his brain solving problems as an IT professional half of the week and playing in bands and indulging in various creative endeavors the other half of the week. He plays guitar, bass, and keyboards in multiple bands and studio projects, is currently working on his 7th solo album, co-hosts an acoustic open-mic night every week through the summmer, and also hosts his own weekly podcast Brain Radio Podcast.

Desarae Lee is a fine artist and illustrator from Salt Lake City, Utah. Her art has appeared in galleries and art shows across the US and she has won numerous awards for her work including Best of Show, Best Illustrator, and Featured Artist. She is a published author and illustrator and serves as a founding board member at Salt Lake City’s Downtown Artist Collective, where she can occasionally be found teaching drawing or printmaking. Desarae’s technique revolves around using line to create value and texture. Working primarily with pen and ink, Desarae balances exact, meticulous line-work with natural, flowing compositions. Over time, her work has developed to include watercolor, tea staining, and printmaking. This shift results in more organic drawings that still maintain her original intricacy. Influenced by personal trauma and struggles with depression and anxiety disorders, Desarae creates work that revolves around themes of finding humor in pain, beauty in the grotesque, and light in the darkness.

Becky Piatt Davidson is a former tenured Assistant Professor of English, a published author, a literary researcher, storyteller, and longtime meditation practitioner for whom meditation was a game-changer six years ago. She works at the intersection of story, music, and tech, creating hero’s journey meditation experiences for listeners who love her team’s combination of world-building and wisdom. Along with Caleb Loveless and Dane Holmes of Slowave Studios, Davidson is creating both a product and a practice aimed at helping Creatives embrace a new and novel form of meditation. https://www.lotimus.com/home

Alan Michael Braufman (performing as Alan Braufman and Alan Michael);  is an American jazz saxophonist, flutist and composer. He graduated from Boston’s Berklee College of Music in 1973, then moved to NYC where he and several other musicians occupied  a vacant building at 501 Canal Street in lower Manhattan. The building, where the total rent came to $140 for four floors, became a hub for musicians to practice and perform and its occupants played a seminal role in New York City's early-seventies loft jazz scene. In 1975, Braufman's debut album Valley of Search was released on the India Navigation record label. The album was recorded live in the performance space at 501 Canal Street by Bob Cummins, the owner of India Navigation and was the label’s second release. In the 1970s and 1980s, Braufman spent his time touring as a saxophonist with Carla Bley, The Psychedelic Furs and Philip Glass.In 1988, he released the album Lost In Asia on the Passport Jazz label. In 1995, he released the album As Daylight Fades

Drew Nichols is an artist who believes that challenge and delight lead us to joy. So far, that’s led him to write and play musical theatre. Going forward, he’s working on expanding systems and resources for narrative media, connecting creators more directly with collaborators and audiences. https://www.drewcomposed.com/

Wesley Monahan eternalizes the timeless concept of being human through his quirky lyrics and thought-provoking themes driven by the ironic contrast between trauma and joy. His goal is to get audiences to ask themselves “What’s the point of growing up?” His current project, Suit Up, Solider, blends alternative rock and contemporary nostalgia through their recent debut album, “Curse The Day I Act My Age”. “Death is an unintentional reoccurring theme throughout much of my work. I love hiding difficult topics in a peppy tune. Looking back I think it was a way for me to unearth my suppressed desire to be reborn into someone more authentically me.” In his spare time, Wesley is a performer, audio engineer, producer, and entrepreneur. https://www.suitupsoldier.com/ https://www.facebook.com/suitupsoldier/ IG: @suitupsoldier_ @wesleymonahan

Caitie Mikhel believes that art is a method of expression, and also a method of understanding. It’s the documentation of how a person sees and interacts with the world. After completing a double major in art and music at Westminster College in SLC, UT, Caitie earned her Master’s in Secondary Education at Grand Canyon University. As a teacher, Caitie primarily works with special education populations including Title 1, emotional disorders, and behavioral disorders. She spends the majority of her time working with students to help them build a relationship with their creativity. While technical skills are given plenty of focus, Caitie sees greater value in helping her students get to know themselves as they explore the creative spectrum in both visual and performing arts. She is a firm believer that art serves as a bridge between all facets of our personalities—allowing us bring our whole selves together—and loves teaching her students to embrace failure as part of the learning process. Caitie is currently

Mark Sheldon is a carpenter, artist, woodworker, and amature everything else who set up shop in Cache Valley, UT 26 years ago where he continues to frustrate clients with unrealistic project timelines yet manages to deliver project results that inspire tears of joy. When Mark is in-between projects, he finds, rescues, and restores vintage woodworking tools to pass on to the next generation. https://www.amswoodworks.com/

A former Young Ambassador who does it all! Bailee has quickly become recognized as one of the top vocal instructors and one of the top headshot photographers in the area, especially when it comes to acting headshots. As a seasoned performer, she knows exactly how to capture the real you that directors want to see in a headshot. Bailee recently played Mae Tuck in Tuck Everlasting at the Hale Center Theatre in Sandy. https://www.tayandbay.com/ https://www.instagram.com/tayandbay/

Holly Parson Nielsen’s art encompasses painting and drawing, mixing abstract elements with narrative impulses. Much of her work is created through the element of line, using mix mediums of charcoal, graphite, watercolor and or acrylic paint. As an illustrator, she has published with a variety of publications, including Covenant Communications, Hickman Music Editions, and the National Society for John Steinbeck. In 2018 she received the Moon Beam children's book Gold Medal Award. Holly has taught as adjunct faculty at Utah Valley University and is currently an instructor of record at the University of Utah. Her work has been featured in group exhibitions at the East Idaho Museum of Art, the UVU Faculty Show at the Woodbury Gallery of Art, and the Heming Village Juried Exhibition. She presented a solo show at L.E. and Thelma E. Stephens Performing Arts Center in 2018, and is currently collaborating on a group exhibition titled A Sense of Place, sponsored by the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. Holly is currently

Lindsey Leavitt is the author of over a dozen books for children, tweens, and teens, many of which have appeared on lists like YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults and Amazon's Best Books of the Year. Her next book, WILLIS WILBUR WOWS THE WORLD, about a nine year old life coach, comes out March 2022. She moved to Utah 5 years ago to blend a family and watch the snow fall from the safety of her home office. http://www.lindseyleavitt.com Upcoming: WILLIS WILBUR WOWS THE WORLD, summer 2021 Recent: COMMANDER IN CHEESE, THE PAGES BETWEEN US, GOING VINTAGE twitter: @lindseyleavitt instagram: @lindseyleavitt

Christian McKay Heidicker reads and writes and drinks tea. He is the author of the Newbery Honor-recipient Scary Stories for Young Foxes, as well as Cure for the Common Universe and Attack of the 50 Foot Wallflower. With William Shivering, he wrote Thieves of Weirdwood and Ghosts of Weirdwood. He lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Julia Lowe (Jera) is a visual artist, UX/UI designer, singer, songwriter, and witch. As an artist, her style varies-- from playing with stripped down visual information that solely represents philosophical concepts and human moments, without color or focus on aesthetic, to highly detailed fanciful depictions, rich in color and visual interest. As a designer, her style is also rich in color and airy, with a focus on simple interfaces coupled with beautiful visuals. As a songwriter, her style is described as "Pop for nerds, witches, and weirdos." You can find her on Instagram @thisis_jera

Dr. Reed Criddle is Director of Choral Activities at Utah Valley University, where he conducts the Chamber Choir and Men's Choir and teaches conducting and voice. Twice recipient of the UVU Faculty Senate Teaching Excellence Award, his compositions and arrangements are available through Earthsongs, Hal Leonard, and Santa Barbara Music Publishing. As a conductor and U.S. Fulbright Senior Scholar, he has directed ensembles, conducted research, and led workshops throughout Europe, Asia, Cuba, and the United States. He is editor of "Chanting the Medicine Buddha Sutra" (A-R Editions), an ethnography of Buddhist liturgy. His pioneering English translation of third-century philosopher Ruan Ji's "Essay on Music" is published by Asian Music. Dr. Criddle has served as president of the Utah chapter of the American Choral Directors Association. UVU choirs under his direction have performed many times at the national conference of NCCO, the western division conference of ACDA, and state conferences of the ACDA and NAfME.

WOAH! This is weird...a monologue. We're coming up on the second anniversary of the podcast, and I've got some things to say. Thanks for listening! ♥