68: Chris Lee-Rodriguez (Really From & I Kill Giants) & the Pedagogy of Nostalgia

WELCOME TO THE EDUPUNX PODCAST

Chris Lee-Rodriguez is a brilliant musician, educator, and all-around good person. Chris is the guitarist and vocalist for the Boston-based jazzy emo band, Really From, and previously lead the math punk act, I Kill Giants. Chris recently released his first solo project with an EP called, “It Could Happen,” which he self-released on May 3. You will hear a number of these tracks throughout the episode!

Chris teaches young people how to play guitars and a number of other instruments - an experience that he reflects on in detail in this episode. This conversation also covers a lot of arenas of interest to our listeners including how Hurricane Maria impacted him and his family in Puerto Rico, to his disgust for capitalism and Shark Tank (to my chagrin), as well as Chris’ three pieces of being a good person.

This episode was recorded in a practice space - where other bands were practicing, so you may hear random bouts of song in the background here and there.

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MUSIC NOTE:
- This week you got to hear tunes from the Chris Lee-Rodriguez’s debut release, “It Could Happen,” which he self-released on May 3.
- Chris’s solo sound takes on a number of the styles he’s presented throughout his various projects over the years - including expanding into more of his classical Spanish guitar stylings that compliment the more chaotic moments of the album.
- On this episode, you got to hear the tracks, “Written by the Golden Gate Bridge,” “Dream Song,” and “Hurricane is a Taino word.” You can check out the album through the Chris’s Bandcamp page, and through all of the streaming platforms!

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THE CONNECTEDU NETWORK
- This week, you got to learn about the ConnectEDU Network, of which this podcast is now a contributing member!
- ConnectEDU Network connects the unique perspectives and expert insight of higher education through podcasting. If you’re affiliated with higher education – from professor to director of marketing – you’ll be able to find a podcast that fits your style. Our podcasts are produced and hosted by passionate and innovative members of the field, all fueled by the excitement of the future of higher education.
- You should check out all of the Network’s content creators and podcasts right now if you’re looking for some new education-based pods!

And you can now join our Facebook community by CLICKING HERE!

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THE ART OF SURVIVAL UPDATE

We've officially rebranded The Art of Survival and launched a revamping of our website - artissurvival.com! Check out the MANY resources we have available and please feel free to read our stories and share your own!

We are also excited to announce a brand new Patreon account - so if you would like to support our work, please check out your options of how to do so! Even $5/month can go a long way!

Check out the link here:
https://www.patreon.com/artofsurvival

And if you haven't noticed, we're dedicating ourselves to the music scene moving forward - so if your band/venue would like to work with us, please reach out!

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FOLLOW, RATE, REVIEW, SUBSCRIBE, AND SHARE!
- Any love on the iTunes app helps! CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE ITUNES STORE!
- Don't forget, Android users - we are now on the Google Play Store!!
- We're also FINALLY on Stitcher, so head over there if that's your preferred platform!
- Follow along on Instagram and Twitter @eduPUNXpod!

Thanks so much for tuning in - we will be back next week with another great chat!

Up the punx!
Let's get to work.

48: Hannah Liuzzo (Lilith) & Musical Mentorship

WELCOME TO THE EDUPUNX PODCAST

Hannah Liuzzo of Lilith.
Photo by Mel Taing

Hannah Liuzzo is the guitarist and vocalist in the Boston-based band, Lilith. Liuzzo is also a music teacher, mentor, and purveyor of musical instruments. This conversation centers on the lessons learned while educating the generation of musicians, while also discussing ways to make scenes more inclusive to femme musicians and how to get men to take up less space and listen. Hannah and Craig chilled out on Craig and Katy's back porch for this relaxed conversation between two new music nerds who became quick friends.

You also get to hear tunes from Lilith's latest cassingle, which features the tracks, "I'll Come Over," and "In Real Life." You get to hear both of these tracks, as well as a bit of history behind the creation of the band and how it was truly spawned out of boredom.

ADVERTISING NOTES:
- This week we hyped up No More Deaths (No Mas Muertes), which is an organization that is incredibly important right now with the bullshit going on at the US/Mexico Border.
- No More Deaths is a humanitarian organization based in southern Arizona. The group began in 2004 as a coalition of community and faith groups, dedicated to stepping up efforts to stop the deaths of migrants in the desert and to achieving the enactment of a set of Faith-Based Principles for Immigration Reform.
- The group is utilizing volunteers who hike through the desert trails and leave water, food, socks, blankets, and other supplies. Under the direction of our medical team, volunteers provide emergency first-aid treatment to individuals in distress.
- Finally, No More Deaths is currently working on legal defense projects for folks migrating into America, while also documenting the abuse and human rights violations that occur while being detained by US Border Patrol.
- Please consider donating (either money, supplies, or time) to No More Deaths - No Mas Muertes today!

MUSIC NOTES:
- This week we shared tunes from the new Lilith single, "I'll Come Over // In Real Life," which came out on June 1 through Disposable America.
- Lilith is a Boston-based pop n rock band
- The cassingle is currently available FOR DOWNLOAD on their bandcamp site, so you have no reason to not download this album right now! You can also snag a limited run cassette copy of the single - hence the term, 'cassingle.'
- There's even a special super secret feature at the end of the episode, so make sure you hang around for that!

As always, you can CHECK OUT THE NEW SPOTIFY PLAYLIST!

And as mentioned at the top of the episode, you can now join our Facebook community by CLICKING HERE!

FOLLOW, RATE, REVIEW, SUBSCRIBE, AND SHARE!
- Any love on the iTunes app helps! CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE ITUNES STORE!
- Don't forget, Android users - we are now on the Google Play Store!!
- We're also FINALLY on Stitcher, so head over there if that's your preferred platform!
- Follow along on Instagram and Twitter @eduPUNXpod!

Thanks so much for tuning in and we will be back next week with a new episode!

Up the punx!
Let's get to work.

36: Matthew Politoski (Animal Flag) & Music Education

WELCOME TO THE EDUPUNX PODCAST

Matthew Politoski started Animal Flag as a solo project many moons ago and over the years, it has become a band that is a force to be reckoned with. Politoski also comes from a pretty musical family, which is how he learned to make music - and now he works as a music educator, supporting kids and young adults of varying levels of knowledge learn how to be better musicians and ensembles/bands. We get into what he's learned along the way en route to finding out a number of fantastic musical connections - because the world is truly a tiny place.

On April 13, Animal Flag releases its new album, "Void Ripper," through Flower Girl Records and Triple Crown Records - an album that allowed Politoski to explore a number of topics that helped him process existence, faith, and the intersections therein. "Void Ripper" is a stunning rock album that is as raw as it is beautiful and elegant. Make sure you check it out when it drops!

Also, Matthew and I certainly got onto a number of tangents that were certainly related to the conversation - yet, one such tangent deserved it's own bonus episode, which you will hear this weekend! So stick around for that!

MUSIC NOTES:
- In this episode, you heard tunes from the new Animal Flag album, "Void Ripper," and album that drops on April 13! Visit Animal Flag's bandcamp to stream some of the singles, and/or to preorder the album.
- You can also visit Flower Girl Records to get a vinyl, CD, or cassette copy of the album as well!
- This episode featured elements from the songs, "Void Ripper," "Fair," and "Candace."
- Matthew also recently released a solo instrumental/drone album called, "8 Emanations," from which you heard the songs, "4 Ocen," and "Shame," respectively. 
- All of the proceeds from Matthew's solo record will be donated to BARCC. They are an incredible organization that provide free, confidential support and services to survivors of sexual violence in the Greater Boston area. Learn more at www.barcc.org.

As always, you can CHECK OUT THE SPOTIFY PLAYLIST!

Visit RAINN.org for more information!

ADVERTISING NOTES:
- Sexual Assault Awareness Month, so I want to share information about RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) and the national Sexual Assault Hotline.
- RAINN is the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization. RAINN created and operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE, online.rainn.org & rainn.org/es) in partnership with more than 1,000 local sexual assault service providers across the country and operates the DoD Safe Helpline for the Department of Defense. RAINN also carries out programs to prevent sexual violence, help survivors, and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice.
- The National Sexual Assault Hotline is a safe, confidential service. When you call the hotline, only the first six numbers of the phone number are used to route the call, and your complete phone number is never stored in our system. Most states do have laws that require local staff to contact authorities in certain situations, like if there is a child or vulnerable adult who is in danger.
- Visit RAINN.org for more information!

- And make sure you follow Jaclyn's project over at inbetweenspins.com - we just posted a new episode of the podcast element of the project, so give that a listen!
- Follow In Between Spins on Twitter and Instagram to check out all of the goodies she's gonna share with the world! And check out her YouTube channel!

FOLLOW, RATE, REVIEW, SUBSCRIBE, AND SHARE!
- Any love on the iTunes app helps! CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE ITUNES STORE!
- Don't forget, Android users - we are now on the Google Play Store!!
- We're also FINALLY on Stitcher, so head over there if that's your preferred platform!
- Follow along on Instagram and Twitter @eduPUNXpod!

Thanks so much for tuning in and I'll see you this weekend when we post the XTRA episode from this conversation!

Up the punx!
Let's get to work.

- CRAIG.