interviews
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In conversation with Kelsey Blackstone: making music with friends, for friends

Kelsey Blackstone’s relationship with music has spanned her entire life. From early piano lessons and cello rehearsals to a cross-country move from Boston, Massachusetts, to Nashville, Tennessee, music has remained both her anchor and her ambition. “I started classical piano when I was 5 years old,” she says. “I always loved performing—I always loved being
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In conversation with Kiersten Blue: looking at the ‘Girl In The Mirror’

On the outside, Kiersten Blue is exactly what her name suggests: blue hair, melancholic lyrics, and even a single appropriately titled “Blue.” On the inside, though, Kiersten is overcome by an unmistakable drive and love for creating music. The singer is relatively new to the music world, having started during the COVID-19 pandemic almost six
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In conversation with Emmalee Rainbow: her new slow-building anthem, ‘I’ve Had Some Wine’

Emmalee Rainbow celebrated her 21st birthday in Las Vegas, battling a cold. She commemorated this moment in her notes app, which turned into her newest single, “I’ve Had Some Wine.” Rainbow, who is from Los Angeles, began her career in entertainment as a child actress, appearing in national commercials, films, and popular TV shows such as Modern Family and NCIS. Surprisingly enough, she is also a trained chef, appearing in Lifetime’s cooking competition show Man vs Child: Chef Showdown. “It instilled work ethic within me,”
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In conversation with Billy Carrión: pushing toward ‘Higher Standards’

Billy Carrión grew up in a family of singers. With his father being a salsa singer, Carrión was constantly surrounded by music; not just Latin, but a little bit of everything. This allowed him to become well-rounded, to fall in love with Jazz through passion. Jazz holds a universal conversation on the stage and is
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In conversation with Ron Gallo: honesty over expectation

Ron Gallo never set out to be a musician. In fact, picking up a guitar came without much intention at all. “I can’t say there really was much of a passion to play guitar,” he admits. “I kind of just thought it was a thing I should have.” “I think the thing I was most
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In conversation with Michael Klam: an inside look at the San Diego Poetry Annual

San Diego, known for its weather, tourist attractions, and beaches, is also the home of a vibrant and creative community: San Diego Poetry Annual. Bill Harding, an author, novelist, and poet, started the San Diego Poetry Annual in 2005. The first publication invited poets and writers from all around San Diego, serving as a community effort to publish as many writers as possible in the annual. “Bill Harding is really the driving force; he put together a team of editors over the
