Virtuosa Society

Episode 1: One Vote, One Voice

Season 2 of the Virtuosa Society Podcast kicks off with a tale close to heart for host Katie Harman as she unfolds the largely unknown story of the Miss America Pageant that almost wasn’t. Weaving interviews with her fellow competition sisters and fascinating historical references, Katie unfurls the events surrounding 9/11 that led to an unprecedented vote by the 51 young women competing for the title and crown of Miss America 2002. A decision that documentary filmmakers later dubbed as “pop culture that saved America.” Interviews include: Meghan Shanley, Miss Virginia 2001 Kim Grice, Miss Kansas 2001 Erin Smith, Miss Iowa 2001 Monica Hardin, Miss Kentucky 2001   Tony Danza interview ℅ “When Pop Culture Saved America” [https://vimeo.com/88610609#t=4340s]   Atlantic City Press coverage of Bob Reneissen, Miss Hawaii 2001 Denby Dung and Miss New Jersey 2001 Julie Barber [https://www.newspapers.com/image/924878307/?match=1&terms=miss%20america]   Under the Crown: 51 Stories of Courage, Determination and the American Spirit [https://www.amazon.com/Under-Crown-Stories-Determination-American/dp/1883697212]   Bring My Crown!: Miss America Sings Broadway [https://bringmycrown.com/music] Producer: Katie Harman @katieharmanebner Audio Engineer: Will Cowser @williamcowser Title Song: “Reflection of the Sun” by Anna Landström www.virtuosasociety.com [http://www.virtuosasociety.com] Follow @virtuossociety on Instagram & Facebook

Season 1 Recap

Host Katie Harman takes a trip down memory lane to revisit some of her favorite moments in each of Season 1’s seven episodes. She reveals the common thread of collaboration within each story and the “moments of convergence” that are the apex of each story - when one talented woman meets another talented woman and spontaneous combustion happens in the form of something impactful, innovative, imaginative or awe-inspiring. Producer: Katie Harman @katieharmanebner Audio Engineer: Will Cowser @williamcowser Title Song: “Reflection of the Sun” by Anna Landström www.virtuosasociety.com Follow @virtuossociety on Instagram, Facebook and Threads

Episode 7: The Ghosts of Tin Pan Alley

Episode 7 is a ghost tale! The mystery of a name that was only known to paper… and a woman who wrote hundreds of Tin Pan Alley tunes in the shadow of a pseudonym. Host Katie Harman unfolds the story of composer Irene Higginbotham, and how she - along with three other legendary women of Tin Pan Alley - helped shape American popular music in the 1930s-1950s. The episode also features a portion of Katie’s interview with Broadway and cabaret star Natalie Douglas, as she shares her thoughts on the influence of Irene Higginbotham. Catch their full conversation in Virtuosa Society Podcast’s companion series “Between the Bio” which dives deeper into Natalie’s fascinating life and career, including the challenges, triumphs and lessons learned between the highlights in her bio. Research referenced throughout the episode: The Jazz Standards, by Ted Gioia Lady Sings the Blues, by Billie Holiday with William Dufty “Good Morning Heartache,” by David "Chet" Williamson Sneade https://worcestersongs.blogspot.com/2012/12/good-morning-heartache.html [https://worcestersongs.blogspot.com/2012/12/good-morning-heartache.html] “Recording Studios: A History Of The Most Legendary Studios In Music,” by Martin Chilton https://www.udiscovermusic.com/in-depth-features/history-of-recording-studios/ [https://www.udiscovermusic.com/in-depth-features/history-of-recording-studios/] “The History of Tin Pan Alley” by Nate Wooley https://soundamerican.org/issues/big-band/history-tin-pan-alley [https://soundamerican.org/issues/big-band/history-tin-pan-alley] “The Harlem Renaissance: What Was It, and Why Does It Matter?" by Cary D. Wintz https://www.humanitiestexas.org/news/articles/harlem-renaissance-what-was-it-and-why-does-it-matter [https://www.humanitiestexas.org/news/articles/harlem-renaissance-what-was-it-and-why-does-it-matter] “Glenn Gibson Biography” by Eugene Chadbourne https://www.allmusic.com/artist/glenn-gibson-mn0001331660#biography [https://www.allmusic.com/artist/glenn-gibson-mn0001331660#biography] Producer: Katie Harman @katieharmanebner Audio Engineer: Will Cowser @williamcowser Title Song: “Reflection of the Sun” by Anna Landström www.virtuosasociety.com [http://www.virtuosasociety.com] Follow @virtuossociety on Instagram, Facebook and Threads

Episode 6: Yours Ever, Jane

Episode 6 is the intentionally hidden story of the two most important collaborators in the life of celebrated writer Jane Austen: her older sister Cassandra and Anne Sharp, a governess and Jane’s only fellow writer friend. Host Katie Harman unfolds the story of the influence of both women in Jane’s life and writing, as well as the shocking background of why their names have been buried in historical accounts of Jane’s life. The episode also features several snippets of Jane’s private letters (read by AI voice!) and a terrific interview with researcher and author Dr. Anna Beer. Research referenced throughout the episode: Eve Bites Back: An Alternative History of English Literature By Anna Beer   A Secret Sisterhood  By Emily Midorikawa & Emma Claire Sweeney   “Reveries under the Sign of Austen: Jane Austen & Anne Sharp” (Article) By Ellen Moody https://reveriesunderthesignofausten.wordpress.com/2019/01/06/jane-austen-anne-sharp-she-is-an-excellent-kind-friend/   Producer: Katie Harman @katieharmanebner Audio Engineer: Will Cowser @williamcowser Title Song: “Reflection of the Sun” by Anna Landström www.virtuosasociety.com [http://www.virtuosasociety.com]

Episode 5 - Visions of a Woman's Eye

Episode 5 is a special mid-season “live broadcast” recorded in partnership with In A Landscape [https://www.inalandscape.org/]. Recorded for a live audience in the lush center of Moore Park, in Klamath Falls, Oregon, this episode unveils the story of pioneering, prolific photographer Maud Baldwin. Host Katie Harman recounts how Maud embodied the Oregon State Motto: “She Flies with Her Own Wings” and how she continues to inspire others long after her remarkable life was cut short by a truly tragic ending. To close the episode, Katie joins IAL founder and pianist Hunter Noack in a performance of “The Heart of a Women” written by virtuosas Florence Price and Georgia Douglas Johnson. Florence and her work with Marian Anderson was featured in Episode 3. Maud Baldwin’s photographs have been digitized by the Klamath County Museum [http://klamathcountymuseum.squarespace.com/]. Pop over to their website to send an inquiry to view them, and also follow @virtuosasociety’s Instagram to see a tour of Maud’s studio and more! Research referenced throughout the episode: Maud Baldwin - Photographer By Harry Drew Maud & Mary: A Century of Change By Valeree Lane “The Woman Behind the Lens” By Kimberly Bowker, from 1859 Oregon’s Magazine  “The Heart of a Woman” for voice and piano By Florence Price, with poem by Georgia Georgia Douglas Johnson Producer: Katie Harman @katieharmanebner Audio Engineer: Will Cowser @williamcowser Title Song: “Reflection of the Sun” by Anna Landström www.virtuosasociety.com