DreamPath Podcast

In this special New Year's Day episode, Bryan and Jason reflect on interview highlights from 2019, listen to clips from memorable guests, and share behind-the-scenes stories about how the podcast went from an idea to reality.

Tess Gallagher is an American poet, essayist, and short story writer. Her many honors include a fellowship from the Guggenheim Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts award, and Maxine Cushing Gray Foundation Award. In addition to authoring numerous collections of poems and short stories, and teaching writing at Syracuse University for 10 years, Tess consulted with Robert Altman on the Oscar-nominated film Short Cuts, based on the stories of her late husband, Raymond Carver, as well as with director Alejandro González Iñárritu (ih-nyar-ee-too) on the Academy-Award winning film Birdman, starring Michael Keaton and Edward Norton.

What you will learn:

• How she made her way from the small logging town of Port Angeles, Washington to Seattle in the 1960s, and then to Syracase to teach poetry.
• What drew her to poetry and short stories as a form of artistic expression.
• How growing up in a small logging town shaped her approach to storytelling.
• How she met iconic painter Alfredo Arrequín in the 1960s in Seattle and how that friendship blossomed and flourished for decades.
• Why she changed her first name from Teresa to Tess.
• Why horses appear in her poetry and short stories.
• How she met iconic short story writer Ray Carver.
• How Tess and Ray collaborated during the writing process.
• How she met film director Robert Altman and consulted with him on the Oscar-nominated, Short Cuts, which was based on a Carver short story.
• How she met film director Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu and consulted with him on the Oscar-winning film Birdman, which was based on a Ray Carver story.
• Why she lives in Ireland part of the year, and what literary and artistic connections she has made there.

Resources:

• https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/tess-gallagher
• https://poets.org/poet/tess-gallagher
• https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/tess-gallagher
• https://www.amazon.com/Not-Poems-Tess-Gallagher/dp/155597841X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2I0OHDNRFMIDF&keywords=is%2C+is+not+tess+gallagher&qid=1577311669&sprefix=is%2C+is+not%2Caps%2C265&sr=8-1

Bryan and Jason discuss takeaways from the Jeff Hamilton episode and what's coming up next week on the podcast. They also talk about what they are watching and listening to, as well as their experience seeing the Portland-based punk band Nasalrod in concert.

Jeff Hamilton is a muti-instrumentalist, recording engineer, live audio engineer, and side man for bands like Uriah Heap and Dennis DeYoung from Styx. Jeff toured with the Violent Femmes for 10 years and also recorded two of their studio albums. He’s also a member of multiple bands, including the internationally acclaimed Beatallica, with whom he will soon be performing in Montreal, Canada, and Moscow, Russia.

What you will learn:

• How Jeff was inspired to learn to play guitar as a kid.
• How his parents nurtured and cultivated his love for music.
• How Jeff learned to record multiple tracks using a boom box as a child.
• How Jeff met the Violent Femmes and was invited to tour the world with them for 10 years.
• How Jeff utilized the skills he developed as a musician recording artist to become one of the most sought-after audio engineers and producers in the midwest.
• How his musical connections resulted in him being invited to perform with Uriah Heap and Dennis DeYoung from Styx.
• The origin story of his band Beatallica, which will be performing in Montreal and Moscow in 2020.
• How members of the band Metallica came to the defense of Beatallica in a legal battle against Sony Music.

Social Media

• http://www.hamtoneaudio.com
• @hamtoneaudio on IG
• https://www.facebook.com/hamtone

Bryan and Jason discuss what they learned from last week's interview with filmmaker Tracy Rector (Episode 22), who won an Emmy this year for her work on the documentary Dawnland. They also talk about listener reviews, what they are currently listening to and watching, and what to expect on next week's episode with musician Jeff Hamilton.

Tracy Rector is Seattle-based filmmaker focused on amplifying and empowering indigenous voices. She won an Emmy this year for her work on Dawnland, a documentary about the State of Maine's Truth and Reconciliation Commission which addressed cultural genocide perpetrated by social workers upon tribal families. Tracy has directed or produced over 400 films and is currently the director of Storytelling at Nia Tero, a world-wide NGO that focuses on securing indigenous guardianship of vital ecosystems.

What you will learn:

• How Tracy learned the craft of filmmaking as a student at Evergreen College.
• How her tribal culture influences her approach to art and storytelling.
• How she views filmmaking as a collaborative process.
• How she collaborated with the directors of Dawnland to ensure that the indigenous perspective was properly represented in the film.
• The personal sacrifices she makes to work in this creative space.
• The challenges facing young, indigenous filmmakers and the effort she makes to inspire them to create impactful art.

Additional resources:

• https://www.niatero.org/staff
• https://dawnland.org
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracy_Rector
• https://upstanderproject.org/dawnland
• Social Media
  • IG: @tracyrectorart
    FB: https://www.facebook.com/tracyrector
    FB: https://www.facebook.com/niatero/
    Twitter: @TracyRector

Bryan and Jason discuss what they learned from last week's interview with neon artist Dylan Neuwirth (Episode 20). They also talk about the upcoming episode with filmmaker Tracy Rector, who was nominated for an Emmy for her documentary Dawnland.

Dylan Neuwirth is a Seattle-based artist who works with light space and interactive technologies. His neon light installations and sculptures can currently be seen at the Bellevue Arts Museum. His installation “All My Friends” is a permanent feature outside the Museum of Museums on Capitol Hill.

What you will learn:

• How art brought him from Athens, Georgia to Seattle, Washington.
• How vivid memories of his childhood have influenced his work.
• The origin story of his most recent installation (“All My friends”) which which is now a permanent installation outside the Museum of Museums in Seattle.
• What motivated him to become clean and sober.
• How his outlook on his art changed after becoming clean and sober.
• How he collaborates with family and multiple other arists.
• How neon art is made by a team of people, including “benders.”
• How he uses video to tell short, impactful stories as a reflection of his life.
• How he learned the craft and art of neon fabrication.
• How the skills he developed welding, painting, and metal fabrication were transferrable to his work in neon as an artist.
• How growing up in a vibrant arts community like Athens, Georgia can encourage, influence, and inspire a young artist.
• How finding a community of like-minded artists can be just as or even more valuable than a formal, college education in the arts.
• How his love for sculpture transitioned into the medium of neon.
• The economic and educational barriers to getting into neon as an artistic medium.
• How his interest in music, film, and literature influence his art.
• How Neon is a confluence of analog and digital elements.
• How he uses art to “deprofessionalize” the art world and actually enjoys the idea of passers-by not even knowing that they are walking by art.
• How the movie Fletch, Mad Max, and Terminator influence his work.
• How a “redneck magician” named Keith Tull taught him the importance of “timing, technique, and maintenance.”

Additional resources:

• www.dylanneuwirth.com
• https://www.westernneon.com
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DRZjBewSSI&fbclid=IwAR2K40sdQTCU3QbjTYQB6inPcVVDb1hbXMrYxil_OE_fDowUyBRN9DSBG1A&app=desktop
• https://www.bellevuearts.org/exhibitions/past/dylan-neuwirth
• Social Media
  • FB: https://www.facebook.com/dylanneuwirth.1977
  • IG: https://www.instagram.com/dylanneuwirth/

Bryan and Jason discuss what they learned from last week's interview with Pacific Northwest artist Dan Friday (Episode 18). Dan is a world-class glass blower whose unique work is influenced by tribal culture as well as the elements he is surrounded by in the Pacific Northwest.

Dan Friday is a world-class glass blower whose art is shown in galleries and museums throughout the United States. A member of the Lummi Tribe, Dan’s pieces, which include totems, ravens, bears, and owls, are a reflection of his tribal culture and his Pacific Northwest roots.

What you will learn:

• How Dan went from fixing cars to working with world-class glass blowers like Dale Chihuly, and then became a world-class glass blower himself.
• How Dan developed his unique glass blowing style and aesthetic.
• How his tribal culture influenced his approach to glass blowing.
• How he learned the art and craft of glass blowing.
• How glass blowing is a “team sport.”
• How he navigates the challenges of the business of making and selling art.
• How his art takes him around the world, where he teaches others about glass blowing.

Additional resources:

• http://www.fridayglass.com/index.html
• https://stoningtongallery.com/artist/dan-friday/
• https://www.blueraingallery.com/artists/dan-friday
• @danfriday on Instagram, Twitter
• https://www.facebook.com/dan.friday.56
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVF-lqf6K28