Sessions with Karim Mosna: Recent Episodes
Karim Mosna
Hi there, I'm Karim Mosna, a radio host with 101.5 The Hawk in Hamilton, Ontario. This podcast features my conversations with insightful and inspiring individuals in the arts & culture communities.
Every year at The University of Guelph, there is the Improvisation Festival presented by the International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation. Bassist and composer Ben Finley is a PhD Candidate in IICSI program and he joined me on CFRU 93.3 FM to talk about improvised music, his studies and the festival.
Ahead of the 2024 conference Awakening The Body's Wisdom for Complete Health and Well-Being run by the University of Guelph's Yoga and Meditation Collective, I spoke with two members of the group, Lalit Jairath and Monique Vischschraper to learn more about what will be covered in the conference.
For more information please visit The University of Guelph's Wellness at Work website.
I sat down with Giller Prize winning author Omar El Akkad to talk about how his own personal experiences growing up in Egypt and Qatar along with his work as a journalist influenced his latest novel "What Strange Paradise." We also talked about the unique format of the book and more. This interview was recorded September 25th, 2023 in Guelph, Ontario ahead of his talk with Gryphon Reads at The University of Guelph.
The Eclectic Selection is an ongoing weekly segment that airs Wednesday afternoons on 100.9 Canoe FM. I join the drive host Cara to select a song not often heard on the radio. It could be from any genre: folk, alternative, reggae, trip hop, jazz, bluegrass, etc. It's often said that people "like what they know," well I aim to challenge that claim by introducing songs that listeners may have not heard before in a way that will encourage them to open their mind and give an artist, or genre a chance.
This demo features my voice-over work with 100.9 Canoe FM in Haliburton. I also wrote the copy for the Farmers Market and pop-up auction spots.
I had the great pleasure of working for a community radio station which gave me the opportunity to play and introduce the likes of George Michael & Elton John, The Hollies, Sade and Burton Cummings, along with sharing local weather and events
I sat down with CBC Radio’s Shelagh Rogers in the same studio where she began her broadcasting career. I was sitting in "her chair" as she put it. In our conversation, she reflected on her start in broadcasting at CFRC 101.9 FM in Kingston, what she learned working at The CBC, and her thoughts on community radio today.
"Lucky Guy: Tall Tales from the Real Life of Lance Darren Cole"- Launching Feb.23
I produced and managed all content for the podcast series Lucky Guy. The series is an anecdotal biography of Hamilton based writer and performer Lance Darren Cole. I interviewed Lance for the series, edited, and worked in conjunction with composer Danielle Donville to assemble and refine each episode of the podcast. The podcast will be available to stream on Patreon at: https://patreon.com/1luckyguy
In this excerpt, Lance shares an indelible memory of working backstage as a quick-change dresser with a Tony winning actress.
Coming Soon: An interview-based anecdotal biography of Hamilton based writer and performer Lance Darren Cole. The podcast is a multi-episode series of my conversations with Lance titled "Lucky Guy: Tall Tales from the Real Life of Lance Darren Cole." In this excerpt, Lance has just re-located from Toronto to Montreal and finds himself at a "fork in the road" on his journey of self-discovery.
Scoring: Danielle Donville, Steve Deeps
Coming Soon: An interview-based anecdotal biography of Hamilton based writer and performer Lance Darren Cole. The podcast is a multi-episode series of my conversations with Lance titled "Lucky Guy: Tall Tales from the Real Life of Lance Darren Cole." In this excerpt, Lance shares an indelible memory of working as the dresser with a Tony winning actress.
I spoke with two-time Olympian Reid Coolsaet and Medical Journalist Michael O'Riordan about the upcoming Step Up For Wayside event in support of Wayside House of Hamilton. To contribute, get involved or learn more visit: http://www.waysidehouseham.com/
He is a Keynote Speaker, founder of The Beanstalk project which leads seminars to help guide youth in building their own career paths, a published author of 2 books, a professor at McMaster University, and that's just scratching the surface of Joel Hilchey's journey, which we explore in this in-depth discussion. We also discuss the 4 week virtual workshop series he's currently leading with The Cotton Factory in Hamilton.
He is the winner of many DownBeat Awards, he was one of the first to transition from double bass to bass guitar and known for his long-time association with Gary Burton, and for his extensive collaboration with John Scofield. Scofield had the idea to put together a new album in tribute to Swallow called "Swallow Tales," and features the legendary bassist on the album. Here I speak with Swallow, to get his take on working with Scofield, and the stories behind his compositions including: Falling Grace, Eiderdown and Hullo Bolinas.
This episode features my interview with award-winning Toronto based producer, pianist and keyboardist HiFiLo (a.k.a Todd Pentney). Pentney has produced and recorded with The Alison Au Quartet including on the Juno winning album Forest Grove. Here we learn about his career path as a musician and producer and what went into the creation of his brand new debut album "Speak Your Name."
This episode features my interview with Nancy Watt. Nancy is truly a fascinating individual. She is a Second City Conservatory Alumni who brings improv. to organizations, schools, hospitals and mental health/addiction centres. She also teaches at The Staircase, and I love how she connects improv. with psychology. Come improv. with us!