Lehigh Valley Arts Podcast

The Lehigh Valley Arts Podcast team had the pleasure of hosting an in-person episode at the Icehouse Punk & DIY: Open House + Artist Meetup on Sunday, February 23, 2025, from 1-4 pm at the Ice House (56 River St. Bethlehem, PA). While there, we got to sit down with a few of the vendors, attendees, and artists! This event was in partnership with Elise Schaffer and Brandon Dominguez, who have been hosting artists meetups all around the Lehigh Valley. All types of artists are encouraged to attend these events and enjoy hands-on art making and networking with other artists! The list of guests on today's episode and where to find them will be updated throughout the day on the Lehigh Valley Arts Podcast post about this episode!

On this episode, Elise and podcast alum Robin Gow (@robin_gow_poet [https://www.instagram.com/robin_gow_poet/]) sat down with Chloe Cole-Wilson from Basement Poetry (@basementpoetry [https://www.instagram.com/basementpoetry/]) and special guest Khalid Taylor (@khalidantonio [https://www.instagram.com/khalidantonio/]). Basement Poetry is an organization dedicated to empowering diverse communities through the performing arts and poetry. They create opportunities for cultural participation and education in theatre, focusing on works that address contemporary issues while amplifying the voices and talents of women, LGBTQ, and BIPOC individuals/communities. Chloe Cole-Wilson is a multi-disciplinary artist as well as Artistic Director of Basement Poetry. Khalid Taylor is a teacher, podcaster, musician, and Music Director for Basement Poetry's program "Joyful Voices." You can follow Basement Poetry on Instagram (@basementpoetry [https://www.instagram.com/basementpoetry/]) or Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/BasementPoems]. If you would like to get in contact with them, you can email them at basementpoems@gmail.com [basementpoems@gmail.com]. This episode's opportunities are: Joyful Voices is back! Join Basement Poetry for their second choir experience on February 22nd from 1:30 PM - 4:00 PM—come sing, connect, and enjoy some snacks on us at the Boys and Girls Club in Bethlehem. Keep an eye out for our brand-new Inspire Cr8tivity Micro-Grants, designed to support artists and small businesses that uplift the arts community. And coming April 2025… Basement Poetry presents DreamLAB: An Artist Escape—an overnight retreat designed to fuel your creativity. Scholarships will be available for artist to attend! More details coming soon!  Follow Basement Poetry on social media for information about all of these upcoming opportunities.

This week, we interview Damian Appiotti. Damian Appiotti is a multi faceted musician and educator who has been playing the guitar for about as long as he can remember. He grew up with parents who both have musical backgrounds, and has had a life surrounded by music, film, and art at large. The style that Damian often works in is referred to as Prog, which some have gone on to describe by saying it’s not so much a genre as is just people making music on the guitar and making unique and interesting compositions. His experiences to date have culminated in his first EP, Automoton [https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/damianappiotti/automaton-ep/]. And since its release, he has been hard at work on his next project which is expected to release in the coming months.  Over the next 2 months (as of the release of this episode), Damian be will giving free live online soloing masterclasses via zoom. They’ll be free to attend but the dates are tbd. Follow him on social media to stay up to date about this opportunity and when it is officially starting up.  In addition, he recently started a Facebook group for people stuck in the intermediate stages of guitar playing [https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1DEmUMUYMr/?mibextid=wwXIfr]. This group is free to join for anyone and he is posting multiple times a week with advice and exercises that should help push past plateaus in the learning process. To stay up to date with all of these opportunities and more, make sure to give Damian a follow on Instagram @Damian_appoitti [https://www.instagram.com/damian_appiotti?igsh=MTNmeGt1ejh2ajF2eg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr], as well as Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/share/1BK8QF9agZ/?mibextid=wwXIfr], and your favorite streaming platform [https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/damianappiotti/automaton-ep/]. Streaming Links: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/damianappiotti/automaton-ep/ [https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/damianappiotti/automaton-ep/] https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/damianappiotti/flannel-single/ [https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/damianappiotti/flannel-single/] Social Media Links: https://www.instagram.com/damian_appiotti?igsh=MTNmeGt1ejh2ajF2eg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr [https://www.instagram.com/damian_appiotti?igsh=MTNmeGt1ejh2ajF2eg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr] https://www.facebook.com/share/1BK8QF9agZ/?mibextid=wwXIfr [https://www.facebook.com/share/1BK8QF9agZ/?mibextid=wwXIfr] https://bsky.app/profile/damian-appiotti.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/damian-appiotti.bsky.social] Intermediate Guitarist Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1DEmUMUYMr/?mibextid=wwXIfr [https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1DEmUMUYMr/?mibextid=wwXIfr]

In this episode, Ben sits down with Doug Boehm and Josh Berk of PLANET INFAMY. PLANET INFAMY is an art rock collective of Lehigh Valley musicians playing innovative original compositions and irreverent improvised jams. The group features Josh Berk and Bryan Lazewski on guitar, Doug Boehm on bass, "Big Dom" Haberstumpf on drums,  Shaun Adickes on keyboards, and Al Johnson on percussion--with many talented instrumentalists joining in the jam from time to time. Berk says of their lyrics: "I like to write songs with equal parts heartbreak and humor." They draw inspiration from experimental rock forefathers like Frank Zappa, Grateful Dead, Ween, and Flaming Lips--each PI show is a one-of-a-kind experience! Their debut EP, Forever, was just released (August 2024) and can be found on all the streaming services.  * Planet Infamy on Apple Music [https://music.apple.com/us/artist/planet-infamy/1760807404] * Planet Infamy on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/artist/2QGpK1nfeKCJzCsqQfCSTx] * Planet Infamy on Amazon Music [https://amazon.com/music/player/albums/B0DCGR7H87?marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&musicTerritory=US&ref=dm_sh_TyKWfJvIfSVug7acLp9Y1tGCO] * Planet Infamy on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMQzKDmJMw803sjHK7YEa-A5kqj6Oqpih] Instagram: @planetinfamy [https://www.instagram.com/planetinfamy/] Planet Infamy has 3 upcoming shows: March 8, 2025 - Soft Machine Gallery with Bombs Eat Sharks Allentown, PA  March 14, 2025 - Godfrey Daniel’s  Bethlehem, PA May 3, 2025 - Eleven20 Art Studios Easton, PA  For more information about their upcoming shows, follow them on social media!

This episode, Ben and Elise talk with Derick Fiedler. Growing up, Derick never saw his father without a camera in his hand. His Father’s passion for photography inspired him to become a photographer himself. After graduating from College, Derick made backpacking throughout the world a priority. He took with him his Fathers Olympus mirrorless camera with a 20mm lens that easily fit into his pack. Derick traveled throughout the US and places such as Spain, the Sahara Desert, Thailand, Galapagos Islands and Peru, where he captured moments of beautiful places, people, and cultures. Behind each photograph is a story that means everything to Derick.  After the pandemic, Derick switched gears and was able to combine his love of music and photography. He now photographs DIY live music shows and band portraits in the greater Philadelphia area. You can follow Derick on instagram at @tumbleweed_photographer [https://www.instagram.com/tumbleweed_photographer/]. This episode's opportunity is for Derick's solo show opening at The Gallery at Steel Pixel Studios titled "What A Long Strange Trip It's Been." It features both the band and travel photography of Derick. The opening reception will be on December 14, from 6-9pm, and will feature acoustic performances by Kaile of Mars Counsel, Wyatt Davidick of Felt Rite, and Miles H of Food Truck. The Gallery at Steel Pixel Studios is located at 701 N New St, Bethlehem, PA 18018. For more information, check out the gallery's website [https://steelpixelstudios.com/the-gallery-at-steel-pixel-studios/] or instagram [https://www.instagram.com/thegalleryatsteelpixel/].