Episode 106: Natasha Vaynblat - Comedy, Clarity, Childless Freak

Episode 115: Adam Shor - Opera, Obsession, Overhaul

Adam Shor is a comedian based in New York City. Instagram and all episodes [https://dashboard.rss.com/podcasts/artists-of-new-york/episodes/2407738/edit/] (00:00) Discovering Opera and Moving to New York (03:12) The Allure and Reality of Opera Life (06:05) Why Opera Ultimately Didn't Work (08:48) Leaving Germany and Quitting at 31 (11:42) Identity, Failure, and Family Influence (14:36) Motivations Required for Artistic Success (17:25) Performance Anxiety and Vocal Struggles (20:18) Highs and Lows of an Opera Career (23:14) Living as a Working Opera Singer (26:02) Resentment, Jealousy, and Artistic Environments (29:01) What It Means When Art Doesn't Love You Back (31:53) Regrets, Teachers, and Overtraining (34:47) Knowing When It's Time to Quit (38:12) Depression, Blogging, and Losing Identity (41:18) First Exposure to Stand-Up Comedy (44:03) Why Comedy Felt Liberating (46:42) Early Sets, Bombing, and Learning the Craft (49:28) Meeting Eyal and Creating Comedy Songs (52:11) The First Time They Truly Murdered (54:56) Social Media Growth and Moving to America (58:02) Understanding the Algorithm and Building Fans (61:21) Quality Control and Viral Content Strategy (65:07) Touring, Building Audiences, and Comedy Business (69:08) Louis C.K., Success, Family, and the Future

Episode 114: Shane Torres - Algorithms, Art, Authenticity

Shane Torres is a standup comedian based in New York City. Instagram and all episodes [https://dashboard.rss.com/podcasts/artists-of-new-york/episodes/2407738/edit/] (00:00) Moving from Portland to New York (02:08) Reaching Comedy’s Ceiling in Portland (04:11) Discovering Stand-Up and Bill Hicks (07:18) Why Bill Hicks Mattered (11:02) First Open Mic at Hungry Tiger (13:48) Early Bombs and Finding Purpose (16:02) Surviving on Service Jobs (18:27) Living Cheap in New York (21:01) Comedy Before Social Media Dominance (25:05) Fame, Followers, and Premature Success (28:12) First New York Clubs and Career Goals (31:22) Getting Passed at The Comedy Cellar (35:06) Respect, Community, and Recognition (38:10) Finding Original Angles in Comedy (42:41) Content Culture Versus Craftsmanship (47:18) Expertise, Nuance, and Modern Media (51:06) The Comedian’s Role in Culture (54:02) Success, Recognition, and What Comes Next

Episode 113: Sally Boy - Guitars, Gigs, Growing

Sally Boy is a musician based in New York City. Instagram and all episodes [https://dashboard.rss.com/podcasts/artists-of-new-york/episodes/2407738/edit/] (00:00) Moving From Philly to New York (01:07) Growing Up in a Musical Family (02:06) Discovering Guitar Through John Mayer (04:05) Blues Obsession and Early Guitar Practice (05:46) Piano vs Guitar Learning Curves (07:30) Singing, Musical Theater, and Early Training (09:47) College Music Theory Frustrations (11:42) First Live Performances and Validation (13:22) Forming Bluebird and Philly Recognition (15:55) The Missed Record Deal Regret (19:03) Creating Sally Boy and Signing Deals (21:29) Moving to New York and Early Touring (24:02) Finding Community in New York’s Music Scene (26:58) Why Musicians Meet at the Bar (29:08) The Reality of Life on Tour (32:15) Touring, Boredom, and Mental Health (34:46) ADHD, Routine, and Creative Habits (36:02) New York vs Los Angeles and Defining Success

Episode 112: Harris Solomon - Sketches, Stages, Sidehustles

Harris Solomon is an actor, writer, and reluctant Jewish sex symbol based in New York City. Instagram and all episodes [https://dashboard.rss.com/podcasts/artists-of-new-york/episodes/2407738/edit/] (00:00) Moving From LA To New York (01:48) Discovering Theater And Comedy (03:56) A Doctor Father's Creative Influence (05:18) High School Theater Years (07:12) Why Comedy Helps Drama (08:47) Columbia And Abandoning Medicine (10:39) Choosing An Artistic Career (12:31) Acting Training And The Groundlings (14:11) Finding Validation As A Comedian (16:12) Why Sketch Comedy Feels Like Math (18:14) Comedy, Acting, And Rejection (20:10) Landing UCB And Moving East (22:05) Managers, Auditions, And Networking (24:36) Social Media And Artistic Promotion (26:19) Tutoring To Support The Dream (28:42) Wealth, Privilege, And The Arts (31:08) LA Versus New York Living (34:09) Writing, Creativity, And Defining Success

Episode 111: Nikkole Salter - Stories, Selves, Society

Nikkole Salter is an actress and playwright, based in New York City. Instagram and all episodes [https://dashboard.rss.com/podcasts/artists-of-new-york/episodes/2407738/edit/] (00:00) Arriving in NYC and 9/11 at NYU (01:48) Discovering acting through Cinderella in Los Angeles (04:02) Early auditions and Hollywood rejection lessons (06:43) Why child acting can be damaging (08:37) Choosing NYU despite disliking New York (10:38) Storytelling as an essential human service (13:22) Acting versus celebrity culture (15:05) Graduating NYU and surviving as an artist (17:36) Personal training, aerobics, and early hustle years (20:11) Touring an HIV/AIDS play with Danai Gurira (22:49) Jealousy, purpose, and Danai’s career ascent (26:07) Searching for a deeper storytelling mission (29:08) Finding the role you were made for (31:24) Stories shape reality and human experience (34:02) Cultural programming and the power of narrative (36:05) Reflection versus projection in storytelling (38:19) Actor, playwright, and creative agency (40:04) Defining success through fulfillment and potential