Cuyamaca Conversations: Recent Episodes
Cuyamaca College Performing Arts Department
Keanu Huezo, a student in the Music Industry Seminar, interviews Kourosh Taghavi, an Iranian setar player and teacher. You can find out more about Kourosh on Instagram and hear his music at Bandcamp.
Kendrick Jennings, a student in the Music Industry Seminar and a music education major, interviews singer and actress Mary Rose Vadeboncoeur
Dr. Taylor Smith interviews San Diego-based drummer and teacher Matt Taylor. You can read more about Matt at his personal website.
Shahnaz Khurshid, a student in the Music Industry Seminar, interviews Elijah and Dom, members of the San Diego-based band Foxtide. You can find more information about Foxtide by following them on Instagram.
Drake Pool, a student in the Music Industry Seminar, interviews Sean Tolley. Sean is the owner of Clarity Recordings, a recording and production studio in El Cajon. You can find more information about Sean and Clarity Recordings at Clarity’s website, or on Facebook and Instagram.
Jorge Grave Rodriguez interviews, a student in the music industry seminar, interviews Cris Gonzalez (better known as C-Riz). C-Riz is a DJ, promoter, and musician.
Note: this episode was recorded in Spanish.
Joel Gomez, a student in the Music Industry Studies program at Cuyamaca College, interviews Dr. Ariana Warren. Dr. Warren is a professional woodwind player as well as a professor at Cuyamaca College.
In the interview, Joel and Ariana discuss Dr. Warren’s career, music as meditation, teaching music online, what “making it” means, and lots more. You can find more information about Dr. Warren at her professional website.
Dr. Taylor Smith interviews musical polyglot Nico Hueso. Nico is a San Diego-based violinist, violist, and guitarist. You can learn more about Nico at his personal website, Instagram, and Facebook.
Taylor and Nico discuss Nico’s background, finding gigs, the San Diego musical “scene,” ideas about music education and culture, and many other topics.
Drake Pool, a student in the Music Industry Seminar, interviews Evan Ojeda. Evan is a member of the band Benches. You can learn more about Benches at their official website and on Instagram.
Dr. Taylor Smith, a music professor at Cuyamaca College, interviews Carina Voly. Carina is a professional cellist and music teacher based in San Diego. She is also the Director of the Community Music School at San Diego State University. You can find ore information about Ms. Voly at her professional website and more info on the SDSU’s CMS at their website.
Our first episode after a nine month hiatus!
Kendrick Jennings, a student in the Music Industry Seminar, interviews Billy Lee. Billy Lee is a songwriter and performer based in San Diego. He is the leader of the zydeco band Billy Lee and The Swamp Critters. You can learn more about Billy Lee at TheSwampCritters.com.
In this episode, music industry seminar student Claudette Clark, interviews Dr. Taylor Smith, music professor and Chair of Performing Arts at Cuyamaca College. You can ins out more information about Dr. Smith by visiting his professional website or on Facebook or Instagram.
Heather Johnson, a student in the Music Industry Seminar, interviews teacher, musician, and label owner Nathan Samuels. You can see more about Nathan at SeeThroughRecords.
Dr. Taylor Smith interviews San Diego-based harpist Tasha Smith Godinez. Tasha was born and raised in San Diego, attended Grossmont College and SDSU, and teaches harp at the University of San Diego and Palomar College. You can find out more about Tasha’s professional life be visiting her website.
Taylor Smith, the Chair of Performing Arts at Cuyamaca College, interviews San Diego-based rapper and musician Sham Blak. Sham Blak also runs a clothing company called Waves In The Tide. Sham Blak released his first single as a solo artist in November 2020.
You can find more information about Sham Blak on Instagram. To track down some of his music, check out Apple Music and Spotify. Also, be sure to check out Waves In The Tide on Instagram.
Daniel Repasy, a student in the Music Industry Seminar, interviews freelance audio engineer Daniel Horton.
In this episode, Harrison Biggers (a student in the Music Industry Seminar) interviews Kill3r Kate. Kill3r Kate is a radio DJ at KUCI (Irvine). She hosts KUCI’s show Dumpster Divin’.
In this week’s episode, Esteban Monzon (a student in the Music Industry Seminar) interviews Bryce Montgomery. Bryce is a San Diego-based musician.
Claudette Clark, a student in the Music Industry Seminar, interviews Ron Councell. Ron is an accompanist and serves as Music Director at Unity San Diego.
Ashley Allen, a student in the Music Industry Seminar, interviews San Diego-based musician Ciscaux. you can find out more about Ciscaux on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud, Instagram, and Facebook.
In this episode, Claudette Clark (a student in the Music Industry Seminar) interviews Dr. Leon Kelly and BJ Robinson. Dr. Kelly and Mr. Robinson are part of the Music Ministry team at Christ United Presbyterian Church in the South Park neighborhood of San Diego.
Harrison Biggers, a student in the Music Industry Seminar, interviews local musician Trevor Blakely. You can find more info on Trevor and his music at Soundcloud.
Ahmad Alzayadi, a student in the Music Industry Seminar, interviews San Diego-based musician Tee-Why.
More info about Tee-Why is available at Instagram and SoundCloud.
In this episode, Jordan Rodriguez, a student in the Music Industry Seminar, interviews musician Billy Gruff. You can find more information on Billy at Instagram, YouTube, and on Spotify.
In this episode, Keanu Huezo (a student in the Music Industry Seminar) interviews Anthony Sanchez. Anthony Sanchez is a teacher and producer from Jamul who has taught over 100 students and now works in recording and production in San Diego and Los Angeles.
You can find more info on Anthony Sanchez at his professional website,
Julian Wilson, a student in the Music Industry Seminar, interviews San Diego-based musician Daniel Bocko. Find out more about Daniel’s music at SoundsBeyondAfterLife.com. Also, check him out on Facebook and Instagram.
Trevor Blakely, a student in the Music Industry Seminar, interviews Harrison Biggers, an East County-based musician. Harrison’s current projects include the bands Eight West and Edmund’s Room.
Ashley Allen, a student in the Music Industry Seminar, interviews Evren Göknar. Evren is a Grammy Award-winning mastering engineer, currently working at Capitol Records. He won a Grammy (Best Native American Music Album) for his work on the 2010 album A Spirit’s Dance by Gathering of Nations Pow Wow. Earlier this year, he published his first book, Major Label Mastering: Professional Mastering Process.
Claudette Clark, a student in the Music Industry Seminar, interviews San Diego-based musician Derek Bertram.
Daniel Bocko, a student in the music industry seminar, interviews DJ and dancer Nico Castro.
Harrison Biggers, a student in the music industry seminar, interviews singer-songwriter Cory Clemens. Among other things, they discuss Cory's recent album, Intro.
Dr. Taylor Smith interviews Dr. Ruben Valenzuela. Ruben is the founder and artistic director of Bach Collegium San Diego, the Choral Director at the La Jolla Symphony, as well as the Music Director at All Souls Episcopal Church.
Dr. Taylor Smith interviews Tristan Brooks. Tristan is an up-and-coming songwriter and musician in San Diego. Currently, he is working on his debut album (release date, TBD).
Dr. Taylor Smith interviews Nathan Hubbard. Nathan wears a lot of hats. Most recently, he plays drums in the San Diego hop-hop trio Parker Meridien as well as several of his own projects, including the Skeleton Key Orchestra, and his own jazz trio.
Both Parker Meridien and the Nathan Hubbard Trio won Album of the Year in their respective categories at the 2020 San Diego Music Awards. Parker Meridien won Album of the Year in 2019 as well.
Dr. Taylor Smith, a music professor and Chair of Performing Arts at Cuyamaca College, interviews saxophonist Tom Catanzaro.
Visit Tom’s website!
Daniel Bocko, a student in the Music Education program, interviews electronic musician Everen Maxwell.
Michelle Pannell, a student in the music industry seminar class, interviews Tim Pyles, host of 91X’s Loudspeaker and San Diego’s “Mayor of Local Music.”
Remington Ross, a student in the music education program at Cuyamaca College, interviews Tim Staump, owner/founder of the Staump Music School.
Thomas Meyer, a student in the Music Industry Studies program, interviews Manny Cepeda, a percussionist, bandleader, composer, and professor based in San Diego.
Noel Gonzales, a student in the Music Industry Studies program at Cuyamaca College, interviews Pete Dyson, owner of Studio West.
Dr. Taylor Smith, Chair of Performing Arts and music professor at Cuyamaca College, interviews Manny Meza, owner of Black Wav Studios.
Dustin Bennett, a music student at Cuyamaca College, interviews Jake Skolnick, a San Diego-based record label owner, talent buyer, and musician.
Randolph Wyatt, a music student at Cuyamaca College, interviews Cuyamaca College professor James Sepulvado.
Thomas Meyer, a music student at Cuyamaca College, interviews singer/songwriter Alex Lievanos.
Remington Ross, a music student at Cuyamaca College, interviews record producer and bassist Josquin Des Pres.
Dr. Taylor Smith (Music Professsor and Chair of Performing Arts) interviews jazz pianist Reka Parker.