Divas, Ingénues & Vixens Podcast

What happens when Langston Hughes’ poetry moves from the page into the singing voice?

In this episode, soprano and director Alyson Cambridge shares the creative process behind Langston Hughes: A Lyrical Life, a new production with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City that weaves poetry, music, and storytelling into a 45-minute theatrical experience.

Amity is also joined by poet and professor Stanley Banks, who places Hughes within a larger cultural and historical context—revealing the rhythms, voices, and lived experiences that shaped his work.

From the Harlem Renaissance to Kansas City’s own musical and storytelling traditions, this episode explores Hughes as both a literary icon and a living influence.

Because when poetry is heard—really heard—it becomes something we carry forward.

Listening is more than hearing—it’s awareness, attention, and connection.

In this immersive episode of Divas, Ingénues & Vixens, Amity Bryson explores the radical philosophy of composer Pauline Oliveros through her book Quantum Listening.

Through guided listening exercises, sonic reflection, and a reimagining of the Diva, the Ingénue, and the Vixen, this episode invites you into a deeper awareness of sound—both around you and within you.

What do you hear when you listen to silence?
What sounds live in your memory?
And what might change if listening itself became a creative act?

This is not just an episode about music.

It’s an invitation to experience the world differently.

Three singer-songwriters. Three unique voices.

Amity Bryson welcomes Danielle Ate the Sandwich, Tracey Myers, and Maddie Lai to the podcast for a conversation about songwriting, storytelling, and the joy of sharing music with a live audience.

Catch them live March 19 in the Gospel Lounge at Knuckleheads Saloon as part of the Lyrical Belles series.

International Women’s Day is more than a celebration — it’s a call to build the systems that make women composers visible year-round.

Amity Bryson speaks with Angel Azzurra of the Boulanger Initiative about the organization’s work expanding access to repertoire through the Boulanger Initiative Database (20,000 works and counting), educational programs, Wikipedia edit-a-thons, and partnerships with orchestras.

Together they explore how programming, research, and advocacy can reshape the classical canon — one score, one stage, and one community at a time.

From the rehearsal room to the concert hall, this conversation asks a simple but powerful question:

What does it take not just to celebrate women composers… but to integrate them into the living fabric of music history?

Opening night of Porgy and Bess at the Lyric Opera of Kansas City did not disappoint. In this special ENCORE episode, I reflect on Michelle Bradley’s Bess debut, the remarkable sense of community onstage, and the devastating beauty of Gershwin’s American masterpiece. From the power of “Summertime” to the storm that changes everything, this production reminds us why opera endures: that heartbreak is part of the beauty.