My guest for this episode is Emilie Kealani, a Filipina-Hawaiian soprano that is the curator and producer of Kapwa, multi-disciplinary performance that brings Asian and AAPI artists together. We had a terrific conversation of foods we grew up with, being homesick while on the road, our culture, and, most especially, her current project, Kapwa. She is a fantastic performer and discusses what it’s like being a producer. I am incredibly excited to share this episode with Emilie!

When I was starting this podcast, I actually created a list of people that I wanted to bring on and this episode’s guest, Tehillah Flores, has been on it since day one. She is a musician, works in management, and a terrific friend. Ever since I have known her, she has always put 110% of herself into everything she does. It is a ton of fun trying to keep track of her adventures because she is on the road more than I am. Getting to engage with her on her experiences and her perseverance was incredibly uplifting. I am excited to be able to share Tehillah with you guys!

For this week’s episode, I was incredibly fortunate to bring on a long time friend, Laura Bleakley. We catch up, reminisce, discuss her Asian identity, and expand on her experiences as a collaborative pianist. I used to think she was the coolest person ever, and after having had the immense honor of getting to know her through the years, that statement could not be any more true. She is one of the realest people I know and she brings the most fun energy, a very candid attitude, and the warmest friendship. It is so refreshing to have her for this episode!

This is Season 2! ! Eiki Isomura joins me for this episode. I’ve known Eiki for years and it is a privilege for him to bring his insight and experiences to the podcast. He talks about his experiences growing up immersed in music, representation vs. belonging, the responsibilities of being the Artistic and Interim General Director of Opera in the Heights in Houston, all while he and his wife raise a family together. I’ve admired him throughout the years and it is exciting to have had the chance to sit down with him!

This week, Hannah Chua joins me on the podcast! Hannah is a graphic designer in New York. This is a special episode for me because she's someone I've known for over half of my life, and is a very close friend of my sister, yet I didn't know as much about her as much as I would've liked to. We were able to meet up and talk about her work, her life, and living in New York. Come get to know Hannah with me!

This episode concludes the episodes we recorded in Saratoga Springs and the last of having Lisa Buhelos and Randy Ho on the show! We continue to talk about their careers as singers, their cultural background, and having the chance to be in the same festival together.

Happy August! Since we will be releasing two episodes this month, we will be having our first two-part episode! Similar to last month, I bring on Lisa Buhelos and Randy Ho. Lisa shares about her Japanese heritage and how she descends from the Samurai class and Randy shares what it’s like growing up as a Vietnamese-American in Colorado.

This episode is about…me! Friends Randy Ho and Lisa Buhelos take over the podcast and turned the tables on me. They asked me about myself, my stage management, videography, photography, my culture, and what Wear Yellow Proudly means to me. It’s a fun twist of events, and it was a humbling experience being the interviewee. I am excited to share with you guys a bit more about myself and what I do! Join us and come learn about Julius Sanchez.