We are inviting disabled artists and arts educators to be guests and guest hosts on ABLE Voices. Today's guest host is Briana Raucci.

Briana is a Connecticut-based artist, writer, and photographer with multiple disabilities, including cerebral palsy, epilepsy. endometriosis, ADHD, and more. Over the years, Briana has self-described as a photographer, photojournalist, writer, graphic designer, UX & product designer, social media manager, artist, etc., but feels none of those titles alone fully embody the creativity she is constantly trying to express in new ways. After in-depth creative exploration, doing both full-time and freelance work for over 13 years, Briana is now freelancing full-time, utilizing all her creative abilities. Being a multi-passionate individual, this has allowed her to balance all of her creative endeavors and add a few more! Since this interview, she has begun fundraising to support her disability advocacy work. Today Briana will be speaking with Akes.

Akes is UK based rapper, vocalist, businessman, online content creator, social media personality, and entrepreneur, also known as MrSickWidit. Deriving his stage name from the aches caused by his lifelong cerebral palsy condition, the young wordsmith has always hoped to show others in a similar position that they can chase their dreams in music, even when the odds seem stacked against them and has been an outspoken advocate for individuals with cerebral palsy, and the wider disability community. Particularly renowned for his grime output, Akes has worked with some of the rap genre’s biggest names including BPI Gold-certified producer Preditah, N.A.S.T.Y Crew legend Nasty Jack and the inimitable Flirta D, and has released two grime EPs to date – 2014’s War and 2018’s Sickwidit. "Been through the aches and pains,” West Midlands penman Akes asserts on the autobiographical title track from his latest EP. It’s a direct nod to the inspiration behind his stage name—growing up with cerebral palsy, he’s all too acquainted with its physically taxing nature; plus the alias speaks to the ‘pains’ of testing times, too.

We are inviting disabled artists and arts educators to be guests and guest hosts on ABLE Voices. Today's guest host is Briana Raucci.

Briana is a Connecticut-based artist, writer, and photographer with multiple disabilities, including cerebral palsy, epilepsy. endometriosis, ADHD, and more. Over the years, Briana has self-described as a photographer, photojournalist, writer, graphic designer, UX & product designer, social media manager, artist, etc., but feels none of those titles alone fully embody the creativity she is constantly trying to express in new ways. After in-depth creative exploration, doing both full-time and freelance work for over 13 years, Briana is now freelancing full-time, utilizing all her creative abilities. Being a multi-passionate individual, this has allowed her to balance all of her creative endeavors and add a few more! Since this interview, she has begun fundraising to support her disability advocacy work. Today Briana will be speaking with Christina Lucille.

Christina Lucille is a disabled digital artist, graphic designer, and business owner who has a strong social media presence under her artist title, Chronic Pop. Through her platform she advocates for the disabled community by creating controversial art pieces and having honest conversations about what it feels like to be a disabled person in an able-bodied world. The intention behind Chronic Pop is to make fun, humorous art that makes talking about these difficult topics a bit less daunting and brings some joy into disabled lives.

Find Briana online at: https://www.brianaraucci.com/ Read Briana's Disability & Art Blog: https://www.brianaraucci.com/blog Follow Briana on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brianaraucci/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrianaRaucciPhotography LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianaraucci/

Follow Christina on Instagram @chronicpopshop

Follow Christina on TikTok @chronicpopshop

Shop Chronic Pop https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChronicPop

The ABLE Voices podcast is produced and edited by BIAAE Operations Coordinator, Daniel Martinez del Campo. The introduction music was written by Kai Levin and the ending song was written by Sebastian Batista. Kai and Sebastian are students in the Arts Education Programs at the Berklee Institute for Accessible Arts Education.

For more information about our programs visit us at https://college.berklee.edu/BIAAE

Follow us for more weekly updates at:

Instagram: @BIAAE

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BIAAE

We are inviting disabled artists and arts educators to be guests and guest hosts on ABLE Voices. Today's guest and our next guet host is Brian Raucci,

Brianna is a Connecticut-based artist specializing in film and digital photography, writing & design. Briana also happens to have multiple disabilities. Over the years Briana has self described as a photographer, photojournalist, writer, graphic designer, UX & product designer, social media manager, artist, etc., but feels none of those titles alone fully embody the creativity she is constantly trying to express in new ways. After in-depth creative exploration, doing both full-time and freelance work for over 13 years, Brianna is now freelancing full-time, utilizing all her creative abilities. Being a multi-passionate individual, this has allowed her to balance all of her creative endeavors, and add a few more!

The ABLE Voices podcast is produced and edited by BIAAE Operations Coordinator, Daniel Martinez del Campo. The introduction music was written by Kai Levin and the ending song was written by Sebastian Batista. Kai and Sebastian are students in the Arts Education Programs at the Berklee Institute for Accessible Arts Education.

For more information about our programs visit us at https://college.berklee.edu/BIAAE

Follow us for more weekly updates at: Instagram: @BIAAE

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BIAAE

We are inviting disabled artists and arts educators to be guests and guest hosts on ABLE Voices. Today's guest host is Rivky Grossman.

Rivky’s musical career took off last year, with the writing and recording of her first Album-EP, Angel Sings the Blues. Raised in Brooklyn, New York, Rivky's music combines unique beat structure, a folksy blues style, and the influence of her Hassidic culture upbringing. Rivky's work has been compared to Jacques Brel, Laura Nyro, Billy Joel, Sara McLachlan, and early Regina Spektor. A self-taught musician, Rivky lives with Schizo-affective disorder, which, she says, plays like a fuzzy, backdrop hum in her day to day routine and ignites her creative spark. Today, Rivky will be speaking with Gaelynn Lea.

Since winning NPR Music's Tiny Desk Contest in 2016, Gaelynn Lea has captivated audiences around the world with her haunting original songs and traditional fiddle tunes. Over the years, she has collaborated with artists such as Michael Stipe, The Decemberists, and the industrial rock supergroup Pigface. In 2022, Gaelynn Lea composed the original score for Macbeth on Broadway, starring Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga. Thanks to a recent Whippoorwill Arts Fellowship, her soundtrack is set to be released in Spring 2025; a Music from Macbeth UK album tour will follow soon after. Gaelynn Lea is a sought-after public speaker about accessibility in the arts. She has been featured on PBS NewsHour, On Being with Krista Tippett, The Moth Radio Hour, The Science of Happiness Podcast, and via two widely-viewed TEDx Talks. In 2024, Gaelynn was awarded the prestigious Disability Futures Fellowship from the Ford and Mellon Foundations, which spotlights the work of disabled creatives across disciplines. One of Gaelynn Lea's biggest passions is promoting Disability Culture. To that end, she co-founded RAMPD [Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities] with NYC-based recording artist Lachi in early 2022. The mission of this fast-growing global network of disabled music professionals is to amplify Disability Culture, promote equitable inclusion & advocate for accessibility in the music industry.

The ABLE Voices podcast is produced and edited by BIAAE Operations Coordinator, Daniel Martinez del Campo. The introduction music was written by Kai Levin and the ending song was written by Sebastian Batista. Kai and Sebastian are students in the Arts Education Programs at the Berklee Institute for Accessible Arts Education.

For more information about our programs visit us at https://college.berklee.edu/BIAAE

Follow us for more weekly updates at:

Instagram: @BIAAE

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BIAAE

We are inviting disabled artists and arts educators to be guests and guest hosts on ABLE Voices. Today's guest host is Rivky Grossman. Rivky’s musical career took off last year, with the writing and recording of her first Album-EP, Angel Sings the Blues. Raised in Brooklyn, New York, Rivky's music combines unique beat structure, a folksy blues style, and the influence of her Hassidic culture upbringing. Rivky's work has been compared to Jacques Brel, Laura Nyro, Billy Joel, Sara McLachlan, and early Regina Spektor. A self-taught musician, Rivky lives with Schizo-affective disorder, which, she says, plays like a fuzzy, backdrop hum in her day to day routine and ignites her creative spark. Today, Rivky will be speaking with Colin Farish.

Colin Farish is a multi-faceted musician who grew up in a world of sound and started playing the piano at age three. For him, “active listening reveals unfolding moments of silence and sound, playing with the dynamics between the two is my inspiration for creating music.” Colin is primarily a solo pianist and composer in the jazz and classical genres. He is also an accomplished acoustic guitarist and producer of world music and musical theater. Colin works in multiple genres, formats and styles, from soundtracks for award winning documentary films to original music for dance productions; from song-writing to live performances and recordings with Grammy winning musicians. He enjoys composing for both small and large ensembles, especially chamber jazz. His songwriting also embraces political satire, humor, and spiritual philosophy as elements of musical theater.

The ABLE Voices podcast is produced and edited by BIAAE Operations Coordinator, Daniel Martinez del Campo. The introduction music was written by Kai Levin and the ending song was written by Sebastian Batista. Kai and Sebastian are students in the Arts Education Programs at the Berklee Institute for Accessible Arts Education.

For more information about our programs visit us at https://college.berklee.edu/BIAAE

Follow us for more weekly updates at:

Instagram: @BIAAE

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BIAAE

We are inviting disabled artists and arts educators to be guests and guest hosts on ABLE Voices. Today's guest host is Rivky Grossman.

Rivky’s musical career took off last year, with the writing and recording of her first Album-EP, Angel Sings the Blues. Raised in Brooklyn, New York, Rivky's music combines unique beat structure, a folksy blues style, and the influence of her Hassidic culture upbringing. Rivky's work has been compared to Jacques Brel, Laura Nyro, Billy Joel, Sara McLachlan, and early Regina Spektor. A self-taught musician, Rivky lives with Schizo-affective disorder, which, she says, plays like a fuzzy, backdrop hum in her day to day routine and ignites her creative spark. Today, Rivky will be speaking with Kemal Gorey.

Kemal Gorey is Istanbul-born, classically trained film and TV composer and accessibility advocate identifies as blind. Kemal's early career included session, live, and arranging work, but 2020 marked a turning point. After winning the Able Artist Foundation's Song Contest, he began composing for media, notably co-scoring the feature film "Love and Taxes" with Stephen Letnes. Kemal's music has been featured on major networks like Discovery and Comedy Central, and even accompanied the world's first blind Barbie doll campaign. He's a project lead for groundbreaking library music albums by disabled composers released by Able Artist Foundation and MPATH Tracks, and currently serves as secretary for the Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities (RAMPD) organization.

The ABLE Voices podcast is produced and edited by BIAAE Operations Coordinator, Daniel Martinez del Campo. The introduction music was written by Kai Levin and the ending song was written by Sebastian Batista. Kai and Sebastian are students in the Arts Education Programs at the Berklee Institute for Accessible Arts Education.

For more information about our programs visit us at https://college.berklee.edu/BIAAE

Follow us for more weekly updates at:

Instagram: @BIAAE

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BIAAE

We are inviting disabled artists and arts educators to be guests and guest hosts on ABLE Voices. Today's guest host is Rivky Grossman.

Rivky’s musical career took off last year, with the writing and recording of her first Album-EP, Angel Sings the Blues. Raised in Brooklyn, New York, Rivky's music combines unique beat structure, a folksy blues style, and the influence of her Hassidic culture upbringing. Rivky's work has been compared to Jacques Brel, Laura Nyro, Billy Joel, Sara McLachlan, and early Regina Spektor. A self-taught musician, Rivky lives with Schizo-affective disorder, which, she says, plays like a fuzzy, backdrop hum in her day to day routine and ignites her creative spark. Today, Rivky will be speaking with Dr. Cynthia George.

Dr. Cynthia George is a PhD level social worker and an Associate Professor at Tennessee State University in Nashville, TN where they are an AI Fellow and teach courses on research and public policy. They are an award-winning artist, educator, and evaluator with twenty years experience working with groups from across the USA to engage in prevention science in areas including substance abuse, healthy relationships, teen driver safety, inclusion of people with disabilities, and crime prevention. They are a first-generation college student from a low income family and a person who manages disabilities. Performing as Dr. CynCorrigible, they write music and sing for the punk band Dr. Cyn and the Graduates Rise. Dr. Cyn uses music as a tool for education and as a rage outlet for self-care.

The ABLE Voices podcast is produced and edited by BIAAE Operations Coordinator, Daniel Martinez del Campo. The introduction music was written by Kai Levin and the ending song was written by Sebastian Batista. Kai and Sebastian are students in the Arts Education Programs at the Berklee Institute for Accessible Arts Education.

For more information about our programs visit us at https://college.berklee.edu/BIAAE

Follow us for more weekly updates at:
Instagram: @BIAAE
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BIAAE

We are inviting disabled artists and arts educators to be guests and guest hosts on ABLE Voices. Today's guest host is Rivky Grossman.

Rivky’s musical career took off last year, with the writing and recording of her first Album-EP, Angel Sings the Blues. Raised in Brooklyn, New York, Rivky's music combines unique beat structure, a folksy blues style, and the influence of her Hassidic culture upbringing. Rivky's work has been compared to Jacques Brel, Laura Nyro, Billy Joel, Sara McLachlan, and early Regina Spektor. A self-taught musician, Rivky lives with Schizo-affective disorder, which, she says, plays like a fuzzy, backdrop hum in her day to day routine and ignites her creative spark. Today, Rivky will be speaking with Mx Enigma.

Mx. Je'Jae (They/She/Qween) is a queer Mizrahi mixed media artist. They received a BA in Media and Film/Gender Studies from the CUNY Baccalaureate Program for Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies. Their work focuses on the intersections of Queerness, American culture, and public perceptions and has been featured at film and arts venues worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art, Tribeca Film Festival, Miles Nadal Gallery in Toronto, and Kunsthal Charlottenborg in Copenhagen. They have had residencies at the Brandeis Collegiate Institute/American Jewish University in California, New York City’s Judson Memorial Church, and a writing fellowship with the LA Times.Mx. Je'Jae worked with the New York Public Library on a production of the play L’Chaim 2 Dykes, about Queer ex-Hasidic women engaged in custody battles.

The ABLE Voices podcast is produced and edited by BIAAE Operations Coordinator, Daniel Martinez del Campo. The introduction music was written by Kai Levin and the ending song was written by Sebastian Batista. Kai and Sebastian are students in the Arts Education Programs at the Berklee Institute for Accessible Arts Education.

For more information about our programs visit us at https://college.berklee.edu/BIAAE

Follow us for more weekly updates at:
Instagram: @BIAAE
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BIAAE