Hero Radio: Stories Beyond The Music: Recent Episodes
Melodic Connections
From the call to adventure, to the darkest moments of the abyss, to the triumphant return home, students from Melodic Connections use the story archetype of the hero’s journey to tell the stories of prominent musicians in their hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. Musicians are interviewed by students at Melodic Connections, a music therapy studio for individuals with developmental disabilities, who use this podcast to journey with musicians they admire and make connections based on their shared love of music. Our students find common ground between their experiences in our community music therapy studio and the lives and stories of professional musicians. Whether you conduct a world class symphony, sing at a local hot spot, or are an avid music listener, this podcast will connect you with interesting musicians of all abilities.
In this very special episode we interview Dr. Patty Manning-Courtney, Developmemntal Pediatrician and former Chief of Staff of Cincinnati Childrens Hospital. Dr. Manning-Courtney discusses her career, founding the Kelly O'Leary Center for individuals with ASD in 1998 and taking over Chief of Staff duties right before Covid. We hope you enjoy this episode!
In this very special holiday episode of Hero Radio, we would like to look back at some of our favorite episodes from this year and share what we are looking forward to 2026! Thank you for your support this year and we cant wait to bring you new episodes next year. Happy Holidays!!
In this episode of Hero Radio we interview Brent Keltch, a visual artist from Cincinnati. Brent is the director of Glimpse as well a teacher, sculptor and runs the New Port Art Gallery. Brent hosts Art Walk at the Essex Studios in Walnut Hills. We apologize for audio quality, we did the best with the environment we had! We still hope enjoy this very special episode!
In this very special episode of Hero Radio we interview Ken Anderson Alliance CEO Patrick Ober. We discuss his life in and outside of KAA, his family and his personal interests along with his career path that led him to KAA. We hope you enjoy this episode and learn more about our new CEO.
In this episode we interview multitalented actor, director, producer and host of the Jungle Jims's Podcast Mark Borison. Mark is known nationally for his enthusiastic and energentic brand of comedy. We discuss his multiple projects, Cincinnati chili bath, his dog Bark Morison, his podcast and so much more! We hope you enjoy this very special episode.
In this episode, we interview Cincinnati radio legend Eddie Fingers. From his days on the Dawn Patrol to hosting the WEBN Fireworks and now his show on WLW, Eddie has been a fixture on the airwaves of Cincinnati for 40 years! We discuss how he got into radio, some of his favorite memories and funny stories from over the years. We hope you enjoy this episode!
In this episode we interview Cincinnati rock band, Dust By Monday. We discuss their tribute shows which include Blink-182, Green Day and Fall Out Boy. We also talk about the recording process of their most recent album "A Reason To Stay", the Cincinnati music scene and their influences. We hope this episode with Dust By Monday!
In this episode we interview lo al sculptor Tom Tsuchiya. Tom is well known nationally for his work with the Baseball Hall of Fame, and known locally for his statues of Cincinnati Reds legends at Great American Ballpark in addition to his 52 foot tall Jesus statue called Lux Mundi on I-75. Tom discusses his influences and creative processes. We hope you enjoy this very special episode!
In this special episode of Hero Radio we interview Chef Kayla Robison. Kayla has spent years as one of Cincinnati's top chefs and has appeared on multiple Food Network shows including victories on Guy's Grocery Games and Chopped. Kayla shares her stories from the haunted Arnold's Bar amd Grill to her current role as a consultant, having navigated the culinary world as a single mom. We discuss female empowerment and ways to overcome adversity in the workplace. We hope you enjoy this very special episode!
In this very special episode of Hero Radio we interview none other than the legendary Reds announcer Marty Brennaman. Marty shares his stories from the booth with his partner Joe Nuxhall and gives his perspective on the game today. We hope you enjoy this episode!
In this very special holiday episode our hosts discuss their favorite interviews of the year, share personal stories and wish our listeners a happy and healthy new year.
In this episode of Hero Radio we interview the Director of the Cincinnati Zoo, Thane Maynard. Thane shares his experiences as a conservationist, his work with Jane Goodall, his appearances on Conan O'Brien and we even get a rare kookaburra call from Thane! Thane has been a supporter of KAA's PigAbilities events over the years and we were honored to interview him. We hope you enjoy this very special episode!
In this episode we interview Jeremy Dubin. Jeremy is an actor, director, writer with the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company and professor at Xavier and University of Cincinnati. We discuss his many roles over the years including his recent filming experiece with Robert DeNiro. Jeremy generously gave his time for Hero Radaio and we hope you get as much out of his interfiew as we did! Enjoy!
In this very special episode we interview none other than legendary Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson! Ken is an NFL MVP, took the Bengals to the Super Bowl, won a Super Bowl with the Steelers and founded the Ken Anderson Alliance (which supports Hero Radio). Ken shares stories from his playing days through the work he does today with his non profit KAA. We hope you enjoy this one of a kind interview!
In this episode we interview Sky White, keyboardist with the rock band Foxy Shazam and founder of Wendigo Tea Company. Sky shares stories about his musical journeys throughout the world. Listeners will also enjoy his story of how he got into the tea business and what makes Wendigo stand out from other tea companies. We hope you find this very special interview as interesting as we did!
In this episode of Hero Radio we interview Astronomer Dean Regas, a renowned educator and former co-host of Star Gazers. We discuss space travel to Mars, how the moon was formed, if there is alien life out there and so much more! We hope you enjoy this "out of this world" episode!
In this episode, we interview local singer songwriter Matt Waters. He shares stories from the road, his process for making music videos, his own podcast called "The Weekly Wave" and he performs an original song for us. We hope you enjoy this special episode!
In this episode we interview CSO Percussionist and Timpanist Pat Schlecker and Joe Bricker. We discuss the path to professional musicianship. Pat and Joe give various examples of the possibilities of the percussion instruments. We hope you enjoy this fun and informative episode!
In this episode, we look back at some of our favorite moments of 2023 and wish you a very happy New Year!
In this episode we interview ourselves. We wanted to interview each other to help our listeners get to know us better. We hope you enjoy this very special episode.
In this episode we interview Cincinnati radio legend Jim Scott. With decades of interesting stories to share, Jim gives a humorous and personal account of his Marconi Award winning career. We hope you enjoy this very special episode!
In this episode we interview Noah Wotherspoon, a blues guitarist from Dayton, Ohio. He shares his influences, stories from the road as well as some of his upcoming projects. Noah was gracious with his time and has an encyclopedic knowledge of blues history. Do not miss this interview!
In this episode we interview Bob Herzog, a newscaster from Local 12 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Bob is well known for his high energy on-air personality as well as his generous time he shares with local causes. Bob shares stories from behind the achor desk as well as stories from his personal life. We hope you enjoy this fun episode!
In this episode we interview The Newbees, a rock and roll band from Northern Kentucky. Jeff and Misty share stories from their international travels, their many shows and recordings and what inspires them! We hope you enjoy this episode!
In this episode, we interview Ryan Malott lead singer of 500 Miles to Memphis. Ryan shares his stories from over two decades as a touring musician. We hope you enjoy this episode!
In this episode we interview Cedric Michael Cox, a visual artist in Cincinnati, Ohio. Cedric shares his influences and inspirations. This was a very special episode and we hope you enjoy!
In this episode we interview Justin McCombs, an actor with the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company and Playhouse in the park. Justin shares his stories from the stage and lessons that he's learned along the way. We hope you enjoy this special episode!
In this episode we talk with Ben Levin, a blues and boogie woogie pianist from Cincinnati, Ohio. Ben shares his stories from the road, his influences and performs a unique rendition of our theme song. We hope you enjoy this episode!
In this episode of Hero Radio we interview Walfredo Reyes Jr., drummer of the band Chicago. Walfredo has also played with Santana, Steve Winwood, Ricky Martin and many others. We discuss practicing, influences and Walfredo shares some of his favorite stories from the road. We hope you enjoy this episode of Hero Radio!
In this episode we interview Paul Patterson, violinist for CSO, Pops, and the Faux Frenchmen. Paul is a multi-instrumentalist and demonstrates banjo and fiddle techniques with us. Paul's 'Sing Our Theme' is one of the most original versions we have ever shared. We look forward to sharing this episode with you!
In this episode we interview Ricky Nye, local boogie-woogie pianist . Ricky shares stories from his decades of musical performance experience. Ricky shares his influences and inspirations. We hope you enjoy this episode.
In this episode we look back at some of our favorite moments of season three and 2019. We also have a special treat for you but you'll just have to listen to find out. We hope you all have a happy holidays and we hope are looking forward to season four because we are! See you next year!
Happy Thanksgiving everybody! We would like to share some of the things we are thankful for in 2019. We hope you enjoy this episode, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
We would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving. In this episode we give our thanks for the fun we've had this year and we hope you enjoy this very special edition of Hero Radio. We have a little treat at the end as our way of saying thank you for listening! Happy Thanksgiving!
In this episode we interview Siri Imani and discuss the importance of self sustainability, community building as well as songwriting and the local music scene. We hope you enjoy this very special episode of Hero Radio!
In this episode of Hero Radio we interview Wonky Tonk, a singer songwriter from Northern Kentucky. Wonky Tonk shares her stories from the road, her influences and her love of magic. We hope you enjoy this truly inspirational episode.
In this episode of Hero Radio we interview Wonky Tonk, a singer songwriter from Northern Kentucky. Wonky Tonk shares her stories from the road, her influences and her love of magic. We hope you enjoy this truly inspirational episode.
In this episode of Hero Radio we interview Wonky Tonk, a singer songwriter from Northern Kentucky. Wonky Tonk shares her stories from the road, her influences and her love of magic. We hope you enjoy this truly inspirational episode.
In this episode of Hero Radio we interview Wonky Tonk, a singer songwriter from Northern Kentucky. Wonky Tonk shares her stories from the road, her influences and her love of magic. We hope you enjoy this truly inspirational episode.
In this episode of Hero Radio we interview Ric Hordinski, a local producer, guitarist and song writer. Ric shares his influences and song writing process. We discuss his past projects and what to expect from Ric in the future. We hope you enjoy this episode of Hero Radio.
In this episode we interview Clyde Brown, vocalist with The Drifters. Clyde shares stories from the road and talked about his new album. In addition to the interview, there's also a clip of his song "You Call Me Back". We hope you enjoy this wonderful episode!
In this episode we interview Chuck Cleaver, a Cincinnati singer songwriter and local music hero. Chuck shares stories from the road and many other interesting tales. We hope you enjoy this episode!
In this episode we interview Casey Campbell, a local singer/songwriter and member of the local band, Buffalo Wabs and the Price Hill Hustle. Casey. Casey discusses many interesting topics such as his travels to Belgium, his many influences and memorable performances.We hope you enjoy this episode. P.S. listen for Casey's dogs in the background.
In this episode we interview Toby Christensen, the Healing Drummer. Toby gives an inspiring interview about how drumming can heal the mind and body. We discuss his travels to Africa and the five element drum rhythms. We hope you enjoy this episode!
In this episode we interview Tom Roll, a musician songwriter from Cincinnati. Tom shares his experiences and wisdom of songwriting with us and plays an original take on our theme song. We hope you enjoy!
In this episode we interview Rick Leighton, a multi instrumentalist and teacher in Cincinnati. Rick is a local music veteran and shares is decades of experience with us and we can't for you t o hear it! WQe hope you enjoy this episode!
In this episode we interview Mike Oberst of Cincinnati acoustic group The Tillers! Mike shares stories from the road and discusses his musical journey and creative process. Mike's version of "Sing Our Theme" is one of the most original we've seen and we can't wait for you to hear it!
Hero Radio is excited to announce that Season Three will be out on July 11th! Look for new episodes every two weeks after that for the rest of the year!
In this episode of Hero Radio we interview Jess Lamb, a singer songwriter from Cincinnati, Ohio. Jess shares stories from the road, her inspirations and performs a gorgeous and lush interpretation of our theme song! We hope you enjoy this truly unique episode!
In this episode we interview Maria Carrelli, a singer songwriter from Cincinnati. We discuss how she writes songs and what inspires her. Maria shares stories from the road and even plays guitar for us! We hope you enjoy this episode!
In this episode we interview Freekbass! We find out what inspires him and he performs a funky version of our theme. We hope you enjoy this special episode!
In this episode we talk with Missy Werner who plays mandolin with the Missy Werner Band and Comet Bluegrass Allstars. We discuss her travels, her career and what inspires her. Missy even played mandolin for us! We hope you enjoy this episode of Hero Radio!
In this episode we interview Eddy Kwon, head of MyCincinnati, a free youth orchestra in Price Hill, Cincinnati. We discuss the influence of El Sistema on MyCincinnati and the plans of there future of MyCincinnati. Eddy also shares his personal growth as a musician and activist. We hope you enjoy this episode!
In this episode we interview Alecia Kintner, CEO of Artswave. We discuss her time as Dance Critic in Moscow, Russia as well as her previous work in Hartford, CT. We learn how Artswave supports our local arts scene.
In this episode we interview Kathy Schneider and Dan Curtin from the Riley School of Irish Music. We learn about Sean Not singing and discuss the traditional music of Ireland. Kathy welcomed us into her beautiful home and even sang for us! We hope you enjoy this episode!
In this episode we interview Fox Gibson, a member of the Knights of the Bailey at FC Cincinnati home games, orchestra director at Walnut Hills and fiddler with Jake Speed and the Freddies. Fox shared his stories of the origin of the Knights, his nickname and plays a unique version of our theme song.
Our guest, born and raised in Cincinnati, is Lauren Eylise, a singer-songwriter who blends multiple genres with life experiences to create her music. In this episode, you’ll not only hear Sing our Theme and the Joe’s Joke but also a Lauren Eylise original rap.
In this episode of Hero Radio, meet Joe Sierra, one of the founders of Fretboard Brewing, a Cincinnati brewery with music at its core. Joe talks about opening a new business, merging these two unique things, and shares some of his best jokes.
Welcome back to Hero Radio: Stories Beyond the Music, season 2! Our first guest is Bob Ross, not the man who paints “happy little trees” but the extremely talented jazz guitarist. Bob shares how he gets the inspiration for his compositions and more. Don’t miss this heartfelt episode of Hero Radio and subscribe to stay up to date for all season 2 offerings!
The Hero Radio team shares their holiday plans, live and unedited. If you want to give feedback on season 1 or suggestions for season 2, take our survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScrms4SgyubGFr6Bv5vgDl6grm70_Xl1iAb3POOOezOWzL-jw/viewform?usp=sf_link
The Hero Radio team completes season one by bringing in the father of one of our own-- Tom Kaper, a guitarist, owner of TECServices, an audiovisual company, and Executive Director of Play It Forward, a Cincinnati non-profit dedicated to helping musicians. Tom shares the drama of the moment he felt like giving up on music, and plays one of the most beautiful arrangements of our theme song we’ve heard thus far.
Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Hero Radio: Stories Beyond the Music and from the Melodic Connections studio! We hope you have a wonderful holiday filled with family, friends and all your favorite foods. Stay tuned for the last episode of season 1, to be released the second Thursday in December.
Join us at the Rockwern Band Center for this episode of Hero Radio featuring Christopher Nichter, the new director of the University of Cincinnati Bearcat Bands. For the first time, an interviewee states that they may have reached the end of their hero’s journey.
The Hero Radio team takes the show on the road interviewing Aaron Klauber, Director of Marketing, Promotions, and Events at IHeartMedia while inside the WEBN studios. This radio veteran shares his experiences, his life, and how he got to Cincinnati with the crew.
Sit down with Karen D’Agostino, the Executive Director of the Music Resource Center, a place for urban teens to learn recording and music production skills. For the first time, the Hero Radio team interviews a non-musician, who never imagined that her life would led her to the music industry but wouldn’t have it any other way.
The Hero Radio team is joined by Diedrich Jones, singer for the reggae band, The Cliftones. Feel “irie” with us as you learn about his musical career, unique inspiration, and hear his completely improvised Sing Our Theme.
Conductor of the Cincinnati Pops, John Morris Russell, trades his red blazer for a red cape in this episode of Hero Radio. With a “Sing our Theme” not to be missed, get to know this vivacious man as he shares his keys to musical success, favorite Pops memory and who he thinks of as his favorite superhero.
Join us for this episode as we meet with Russ Childers, who at the age of 40, discovered his true passion and left a position as an architectural draftsman to pursue Appalachian music. Listen to comical tall tales and folk tunes that remind you of the Kentucky bluegrass with this Clawhammer Banjo Champion.
Quincy was featured on WVXU's Cincinnati Edition this Monday! To listen, click here: http://wvxu.org/post/music-therapy-studio-reopens-after-flood. Don't forget to write us a review, we'd love to hear your thoughts and give you a shout out!
Quincy was featured on WVXU's Cincinnati Edition this Monday! To listen, click here: http://wvxu.org/post/music-therapy-studio-reopens-after-flood. Don't forget to write us a review, we'd love to hear your thoughts and give you a shout out!
In this Hero Radio special, go behind the scenes to the podcast’s core: the interviewers that make the magic happen. Get to know Quincy, Ashley and “the Joes” and how they came to be the Hero Radio Team.
Host of Sunday Baroque, a national syndicated radio show, and classical flutist, Suzanne Bona, meets with the Hero Radio team. Suzanne discusses embarrassing flute performances, spelling errors and supervisor’s orders that lead her to the music career she has today.
Connect with Cincinnati native, Kick Lee, a music producer and composer who’s written music for Disney, MTV, VH1 and more. Get the inside scoop on sampling for his beats, and whose voices are really featured behind the music you hear on your TV. This music innovator and die-hard Cincinnatian will leave you with a sense of pride and joy in our city, and the hope that the music industry is for anyone with a dream.
Welcome to Hero Radio: Stories Beyond the Music! Check out our website, melodicconnections.org/heroradio and write us a review for free swag!