Tommy Wazelle (LITE) - Tenor, Dad, & Voice of "Pig" (Peg + Cat)

Lite version - for full, un-cut, ad-free access, visit http://patreon.com/peaceofpersistence.

Host Abigail Wright talks with Tommy Wazelle, tenor, dad, and the voice of Pig on the popular PBS Kids Show Peg+Cat about staying active, gratitude, accepting each other + more.

Tommy is the voice of Pig on the Emmy award-winning PBS Kids show Peg+Cat. He also has performed around the world as a tenor, performed in shows such as The Who's Tommy, Phantom of the Opera, Showboat, the Rothschilds, Ragtime, and more, and he has appeared in television, radio, recordings, and on an Italian cruise ship. Dedicated to the development of new works, he most notably performed as Paul in Paul's Case with American Opera Projects, a role that was specifically designed for his voice. He and his wife and two children live on Manhattan's Upper West Side.
 

Show notes!
Tommy discusses his family's musical background, including his own musical background in shows and also playing trumpet as a kid.

Tommy talks about his experience with Peg+Cat! He was referred to their creators by the director of American Opera Projects. He loves it, and is excited that he never knows what Pig is going to do next. He discusses the process of getting the material, the liveliness of the character, and how Pig and Tommy both like to quietly observe the room.

Tommy's incredibly active, with his wife and children and in his own life. It started as a young age, with his mom as his soccer coach, he and his dad played baseball. He ran track, played basketball. He wishes his kids could just run around the yard, but they scoot with them, fly kites, take them to Super Soccer Stars, and he tries to play tennis in the summer. He works hard to stay active so that he feels good and not low in energy.

Tommy's always been happy and sees the benefit of gratitude for life and all that he has. On the other hand, he attributes a certain amount of discontent to helping him want to achieve more, adding to his overall contentment.

Tommy discusses his childhood, difficulties with being accepted when moving from place to place, and how he wishes the world could accept one another as they are without judgment.

Closing advice: Be kind to one another. Show some love! 

See and hear more about Tommy's wishes for his children, his battles with his ego, the important balance between contentment and discontent and more by visiting http://www.patreon.com/peaceofpersistence.

Find Tommy on Peg + Cat at http://pbskids.org/peg/ and at http://www.wazelle.com.

Sing for Hope's Camille Zamora

For the next 2 weeks only, enjoy this free preview of the extended versions our subscribers will enjoy on Patreon.com. More details to follow soon!

In this week's extended audio episode, host Abigail Wright sat down with soprano Camille Zamora, co-founder and co-executive director of Sing for Hope. Here's what she had to say:

Show Notes:

Sing for Hope is a group of over 2,000 artists who bring their talent and "a shot of hope" to those who need it most. Abby and Camille sat among some of their annual street pianos, designed by local artists, that went out among the NYC parks this summer and now are being used by local schools. Sing for Hope placed their 400th piano this summer, and they bring the community together, support artists, and allow artists to give their gifts to schools, hospitals, AIDS hospices, veteran hospitals, senior centers and more.

Through Sing for Hope's channel of giving through the medium of art, Camille shared that she has found her most authentic self. Community volunteerism and performing are parts of her balanced diet, as she feels a calling to share creativity in social justice work, perform as a singer, and enjoy parenting her son.

She discussed how Sing for Hope evolved out of a need to respond to tragedies such as 9-11, AIDS, and Hurricane Katrina. Their long-term dream is to own a space - a centralized hub to support all of their activity. 

Her goals? To continue to support her son's dreams (from whom she learns so much), to continue to sustain and support Sing for Hope, and to further her goals as a singer - including classical Spanish repertoire, such as her touring pops show, Tango Caliente, featuring bandoneon and dancers.

After speaking about her mentors and how they've taught her about the power of artistic habits of mind, she discussed her role as a speaker at this changing moment of the arts and culture landscape. Some people question arts volunteerism, and to them she said that art is an enormous currency. "Like any currency, you should earn some of it, and you might enjoy giving it away," Camille suggested - a different kind of stretching one's talent. She believes that arts and culture should be included in the conversation surrounding social change, especially for large scale systemic change and educational revamping.  

As an artist, Camille discussed success as achieving authenticity of communication, whatever the medium, and how she found her artistic authenticity from a young age until now.

What habits and traits lead to her happiness and success?
Exercise, a love of good food and friends, simple pleasures, and mindfulness of the innate joy that can be found in the simple moments.

What would she like the world to see differently?
We all sell ourselves short. Access to creativity and expression is one profound way to allow our potential to bloom, to allow ourselves to be greater, and "to excavate the imagination." "Live bigger," she says.

Any other advice for us?
Nobody gets through life unscathed. Know that the wounds are part of it, but also the beauty and the humor of the everyday can allow you to generate joy.