Petra Sittig (Petra Sittig )

"Motivation is the key word," says Airline Pilot Robert Schofield. "I think for most Pilots the pandemic has taken the wind out of their sails. It's trying to get back on track. You've always had a plan. You've been flying the aeroplane and there's always been a structure to it, and we are structured. Everybody in aviation is in a structured scenario so, if I can't do this and can't do that, then what do I do?" Rob is talking about the fact that it takes adaptability and resilience to go through this situation and he talks with admiration of colleagues who have done amazing things and also helping each other. He also talks about the situation of the aviation industry in South Africa and how many Pilots are having to leave the country to be able to pursue their careers in aviation. Hear more about what inspired Rob to become a pilot and also what his plans are for the future. His shout out goes to Ons Huisie in Bloubergstrand

"It's really important to me. I love the harp and I love music," says the harpist Glenda Allaway. "I think that even if the gig doesn't feel like it's where you want to be or if it's not the most dazzling or wowing gig in the world, I think it's just really important to create beautiful things and do your absolute best and you'll never know." Glenda is talking about exploring different genres of music and how she loves listening to music and always finding something interesting. She also loves to explore music from different cultures and already delved into Mexican and Syrian harp music and Paraguayan harp techniques. Hear more about what inspired Glenda to start playing the harp and what her wishes are for the future. Glenda’s shout out goes to Unity Diner in London

There's a whole education that needs to happen on many levels because the talent in this country is exceptional, says Johan Engelbrecht, writer, actor, singer and designer in South Africa. "But I don't know what are they going to do. If you train people and the sad thing is when you say, I can take your money but I can't guarantee you anything. It is sad because the opportunities aren't here." Johan is talking about the big changes in the theatre world that happened after 1994 in South Africa and the why there are not many opportunities for actors in South Africa. He is also talking about his award winning Novel "Kaffertjie" based on a true story. Johan is also now developing a Radio drama and it's a new challenge for him to work only with audio. Hear more about Johan's career as an actor, singer and stage designer and what his wishes are for the future. Johan's shout out goes to Paputzi's Cafe in Linden, Johannesburg

"I am really not a big fan of saying, no if you're an opera singer then you can't do musical theatre, because it's not true. Unfortunately the industry is like that, but I personally will not put myself in a box, because I enjoy doing both." says Baritone Jubin Amiri. Even thought he is an opera singer, Jubin says he is growing fonder and fonder of singing in Musicals as well and he believes that it is just a matter of adapting your singing technique to be able to sing both opera and in musical theatre. After watching the musical "We will rock you" the seed to become a musician was planted and he became interested in playing the guitar and taking up his piano lessons again. It was a teacher at his school who encouraged him to take singing lessons and intuitively he became more drawn to opera music. Hear more about Jubin's path to studying music at MUK and also his wishes for the future. Jubin's shout out goes to the Restaurant Das Ananbol in Das Gym

"As a pilot it took me basically 20 years to get a command with South African Airways and when you go and apply for a position like that, it's basically a 'for life' position because you're going on a seniority list and you work your way up the ladder..." says Marc Fourie - Airline Pilot. He is talking about the effects of the pandemic and the mis management of SAA that had a huge impact on the Aviation industries in South Africa. Mark gives some insight into how he trained and build up his hours to be able to qualify as a commercial Pilot and also how he sees the future for young pilots in South Africa. Hear more about Marc's views on the fall of a great Airline company SAA and what he is planning for the future. Marc's shout out goes to a coffee shop in the beautiful coastal town of Stilbaai in the Western Cape: "Sterrehemel"

"I think an Artist must embrace his own story and uniqueness." Says Jaco Sieberhagen, who is the creator of the most beautiful Silhouette sculptures. "You don't have to be like anybody else. As soon as you embrace your own story, even if it's a bad story, or a difficult story, or a strange story, and except that you are unique, then rather look for your own unique eye and your own unique expression and you own unique sensitivity." Jaco is talking about how he uses his art to tell stories and start conversations. He sees himself as an artist who is always on a journey where sometimes things work and sometimes it doesn't. He decided that on his art journey, he would not allow himself to be intimidated by decisions he makes, but rather to just do it. Hear more about how Jaco got inspired to work with metal structures and how his art has evolved through the years. Jaco's shout out goes to the restaurant in Onrus called Milk on the Beach

"You need to make sure that you know all the ins and outs of flying." says Jacques Pienaar who is a commercial Pilot. "You don't get experience just when you're flying, you need to do some homework behind the scenes as well. You need to be current all the time so that you don't miss out on anything or forget anything, so you must make sure that you are on top of your game. I think that's the biggest motivational thing within aviation." Jacques is talking about what it takes to become a Pilot and how he is working towards building up enough flying hours to get his Airline transport licence. He gives some insight into his training as a pilot and how he got his current job which is beneficial for him in obtaining experience also on the ground. Hear more about Jacques wishes for the future and how he keeps himself motivated. Jacques shout out goes to the Canteen at the Laseria Airport.

"I guess it's when you work with something like this, or it can be when you work with your passion, it's nothing that I can turn off when I come home. I don't see it as going to work and then I'm going to do what I love when I'm done. It's very much gelled, so it's my life really." says Paul Glaser, Artistic Director of The English Theatre Hamburg. Paul is talking about how his experiences in music, dance and theatre all have an influence on each other and how his passion for what he does. He sees the English Theatre in Germany as very relevant and his gives some insight into the plays that are performed during the season. Hear more about Paul's work as composer and his wishes for the future. Paul's shout out goes to the Hamburg Gondola

"You know how to work it, your planning is better, your decision making on what you like, what is the right method to make your specific wine, here to get it from , when to harvest. All those little things that's necessary to make a good wine comes with a little bit of experience." says Lukas Wentzel, winemaker at Groote Post in South Africa. Lukas is taking about the experience he gained over the years he has been making wine at Groote Post and he is also grateful for the experience he gained from working at La-Motte wine farm under Jacques Borman during the first years of his winemaking career. He is also talking about the different wines at Groote Post and how connected science and art is in the process of making wine. Hear more about the history of this wonderful Wine farm in the Westcoast of South Africa and what Lukas wishes for the future. His shout out goes to 1910 The old forge in Darling and also Hilda's Kitchen at Groote Post

"The main pillars of academia that you have, to study a language, maths and science, and I think art is an important pillar that really builds any child's tenacity and their belief in themselves and also spiritually, how they develop themselves." says Ino Chang. He is talking about how he used his ability to draw and paint to communicate as a child and how this helped him to express himself. Ino works as a project manager dealing with mergers and acquisitions and even though his job seems to be worlds apart from creating artworks, but to do his job requires creativity that he borrows from his ability to do art. Hear more about Ino's wishes for the future and how he would like to get involved in art education. Ino's shout out goes to Le Soufle in Paris https://www.inochang.com/ https://www.lesouffle.fr/ https://sugarfishsushi.com/

"I think winemaking is about timing. Most important: When do you pick the grapes. After that every step of the way is similar in many cellars, but it depends on what you do and when," say Edmund Terblance, Winemaker at La-Motte in Franschoek. Edmund is talking about the processes of winemaking and the types of wine they are making at La-Motte. He also speaks highly of the winemakers in South Africa who share their knowledge and experiences with each other and are very supportive towards each other. Edmund explains why it is important to learn from winemakers in different countries and he thinks that the success of the winemaker in South Africa is due to the fact that they were eager to explore winemaking in the rest of the world during the 1990's. Hear more about Edmund's approach to winemaking and what his wishes are for the future. His shout out goes to Giovanni's at Laborie in Paarl https://www.la-motte.com/pages/wine-making https://www.laborieestate.co.za

"Culture, music and art, it gives us the possibility to experience things; Positive emotions, negative emotions, or just experience stories that would be impossible to experience otherwise," says Double Bass player Dominik Wagner. I think if these experiences could add to our own lives, to our own experience of life, then that could make us grow so much as people." Dominik is also talking about his passion for playing Bass and how there is a misconception about what is possible to do with this instrument. He gives more detail about his last recording and he has two new recordings that will be released next year as well. Hear more about Dominik's wishes for the future and the story of how he started playing bass. Dominik's shout out goes to Nikko and To Ellinikon in Vienna https://dominikemanuelwagner.com/

"It's a fascinating process and it's once a year that you get this chance," says Hein Koegelenberg, CEO and Winemaker at La-Motte wine estate. "So as a winemaker you must take your chances and make sure you get all your information and do your research and be spot on to identify the vintage and the trend in the vintage and then make a special wine." Hein is talking about the way winemaking is creative and how much climate, soil, timing and processes of harvesting and fermentation affects the wine. He also mentions that, apart from winemaking, as a family they share their passion and love for art, food conservation and sustainability as part of the La-Motte experience. Hear more about Hein's wishes for the future and his views on winemaking in South Africa. Hein's shout out goes to Noma and Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen Restaurant https://www.la-motte.com/ https://janonline.com/ https://janonline.com/restaurantkleinjan/

"I think that if you want to be convincing when you are performing, whatever piece of music, that piece of music, from a certain moment, has not to be written in the score anymore. It has to be written into your heart," says Pianist and music professor, Igor Cognolato. Igor is talking about his love for performing the works of composer Robert Schumann and also how Franz Liszt was able to transform the piano into an orchestra. He also talks about his role as a music professor and how important teaching is for him as a performer. Hear more about the wonderful story of how his first piano teacher inspired his passion for playing the piano and also his wishes for the future. Igor's shout out goes to Trattoria Storica in Venice www.igorcognolato.com

"Humans, we are like that. We are born with trust. That's what we do. We go and do things because we believe it's going to be ok," says Ken Forrester, owner and Winemaker of Ken Forrester winery Stellenbosch. "You've got to believe. You just have to go out there and and do it and find out what happens." Ken is talking risks and also about his most exciting project where he is making wine using 4 or 5 vintages from one vineyard to create a wine. He feels that the fact that he is not a qualified winemaker but learnt the art of making wine by gaining experience on wine farms around the world, gives him the freedom to do whatever he wants. He also believes in a more natural approach when it comes to farming as well as making wine. Hear more about the story behind his wine farm and Ken's wishes for the future. Ken's shout out goes to Peter Tempelhoff restaurants and also The food barn in Noordhoek https://kenforresterwines.com/

"In my recent book I wrote about the relationship between music and medicine. I devoted one entire chapter to see how music and medicine, since the ancient times, also since the age of Babylonia, they are documenting how important is music for the wellbeing of people," says Patricia Caicedo, Musicologist, Singer, Author and Physician. She is talking about her latest book, We are what we listen to: The impact of music on individual and social health. Patricia is also talking about her career as a singer, dedicating many years to researching the Latin American and Iberian art song repertoire, bringing to light numerous composers and works that were previously hidden. Hear more about Patricia's multi-faceted career and also her wishes for the future. Patricia has published ten books considered a reference in the area. Her books included editions of scores and monographs. The scores are available at www.mundoarts.com Patricia's shout out goes to the coffee shop in the garden of the Biblioteca de Catalunya in Barcelona called El Jardi https://www.patriciacaicedo.com/aboutpatriciacaicedo

"I knew that there was a lot more out there, that one shouldn't be confined. Where you were born shouldn't confine you to that place," says Paul Siguqa, owner of Klein Goederust wine estate in Franschoek. "Social mobility was possible. I was taught from a young age that it is possible. But the only way that you can achieve social mobility is through education, which is something my mother was very passionate about, and still is. So I bought into the vision from a long time ago." Paul is telling the inspirational story of how he grew up as the son of a farm labourer and how his mother encouraged him to where he is now the owner of a wine farm. He is also talking about the different wines of this boutique wine estate and how he restored the buildings to their original style. Paul also have a goal to assist the young children of his farm labourers to get an education and to know that everything is possible. Hear more about the lovely traditional restaurant on the farm and also Paul's wishes for the future. https://kleingoederust.co.za/

"Obviously I'm not expecting perfection. It's impossible to reach this within a week with a brand new youth orchestra," says the Conductor, Marius Reklaitis. But we're concentrating on the progress and hopefully we will learn from working with this youth orchestra and hopefully we can carry on and maybe expand within the natural borders of Lithuania and do something more with the youth, because it is a growing problem especially in Lithuania. United Kingdom is also suffering kind of the same problems and solutions are needed soon otherwise in ten, twenty years, we will have no orchestras in the world because we will have no students studying." Marius is the founder of the Kent philharmonic orchestra and he tells the story of what inspired him to become a conductor. He is also talking about his role as head of music at a primary school in the UK and the benefit music education brings to the pupils of the school. Hear more about the great work Marius is doing for these children and his wishes for the future. His shout out goes to Cafe Du Soleil in Cantebury https://www.helpmusicians.org.uk/about-us/our-impact https://kentphil.com/contact https://cafedusoleil.co.uk/

"We're also showing that immigration, like what we are doing for our careers, that we are leaving Lithuania to go and study because we are hungry for opening the world of music and to learn. Now we are coming back and showing that it's not a bad process to leave because all the information you are getting, you are bringing back," says Laura Latvaityte- Zaman, founder of the foundation. Together with Pianist, Kamile Zaveckaite and Conductor, Marius Reckaitis they are organising a 7 day music festival in their home town of Marijampolės in Lithuania get the people of their town interested in classical music again. Hear more about this wonderful initiative and what they are planning for the future. There are many possibilities to get involves in this festival and they would also be very grateful for sponsors or donations to be able to carry on with their work. Their shout out goes to a restaurant in their home town called KamBary

"There are times of maybe unemployment, which I feel in any other job or profession it's always seen as not the most positive thing to be unemployed. Where as for me, or for our profession it's also good to have some periods of rest and of recreation and to rediscover your artistic side and what you really want to do," says Alexander Auler who recently played the role of Danny Zuko in Grease the musical and also the role of Munkustrap in the German version of Cats that have been running for the past 3 years in Vienna. Alex is talking about his roles in the different musicals and how is is dealing with the idea of having to audition again for new roles. Hear more about how he deals with criticism in this industry and what his wishes are for the future. Alex gave a shout out to the Kaffeefabrik

"I listened to so many different stuff, al lot of different, even unrelated to music. I think I cannot do things the same way many people do it. It's more like a new cuisine that came out of that. I started to embrace that early on and at a young age. I realised that's what I have to give back, that's what I can give," says guitarist Daniel Marques. He won major awards in different countries for his music and continues to explore telling different stories with his instrument. He is talking about how he started playing the guitar as a child and how gets inspired by listening to different genres of music. Hear more about Daniels' wishes for the future and why he likes to play Brazilian music “Daniel Marques is one of those artists that you run into once in a while and you just go: ‘Wow! Where did this guy come from?’" (Niels Lan Dokky, pianist, Grammy Awards)

"I think what's lovely about textiles is that it can encompass such a huge mix of different techniques and approaches. Textile is such a wide umbrella for so many different things. So I guess it just opened my eyes to all sorts of different possibilities," says Alice Fox, textile artist in the north of England. Alice is showing the different works of art she is making with the fibres of plants in her environment. She is also telling of her life long interest in nature and how she collected little objects already as a little girl. See and hear more about her fascinating work and what inspired her to use textile as a medium for her art works. Alice also expresses her wishes for the future and talks about her latest book "Wild Textiles" Her shout out goes to Toast house near Ilkley UK https://www.alicefox.co.uk/ http://www.toasthouse.co.uk/

"I've never felt restricted with the piano." says Joe Bailey I've never felt, you have to do it this way, you have to follow this progression. I've never felt like that which is nice because for me it's simply a passion, simply something I enjoy doing, and it's never been forced on me, not a single time." Joe is talking about his love for playing the piano and what brought him to France to come and study French. He also talks about how his first piano teacher gave him the opportunity to play the piano without putting restrictions on him and how this helps him even now in how he approaches playing the piano. Hear more about his wishes for the future and why he calls himself "The angry pianist" on his Instagram page. Joe's music is available on Sound Cloud

"I think an arts organisation, for example a symphony orchestra, our 'product', (if you want to get in the business world) is not necessarily music," says Thomas Fortner. "It is music but really behind that music, what we provide are three things: Joy, meaning and belonging. The joy and the meaning come from the music. You talked about the kids falling in love with the instruments. I would go a step further and say we hope that they fall in love with the music, which is why my job as a music director of a youth orchestra, is to pick meaningful important music that stood the test of time." Thomas is assistant conductor and music director of the youth orchestra of the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra. He is also talking about the value of art education in schools and why the arts and sciences are vital for humanity. Hear more about the opera conducting program he attended in Vienna and more about his work as conductor in South Dakota. Thomas made a shout out for Hidden Kitchen Park in Vienna

"I was very determined because at the beginning it was very difficult for me. It was not really to find what's my voice and I remember many times after singing lessons, I was depressed. I thought maybe it's not my thing. Many times I thought about that but then something in me was always pushing in that direction," says Tenor Enrico Casari. Enrico is talking about how he went from being a drummer in a rock band to studying classical singing. He also give some insight into the challenges opera singers have to overcome to be able to sing on stage and these are the things that we as the audience don't always realise. Hear more about how his wishes for the future and a beautiful love story of how he met his wife. Enrico's shout out goes to Stile Libero in Altamura, Italy https://www.enricocasari.com/

"I feel joy in everything because I think everything has a certain essence of life in it. However you bring it out, you still tell a beautiful story like life itself. So I don't have a fixed say that I will only do certain types of opera," says Heather Tan, Assistant Stage Director at Staatstheater Augsburg. Heather gives some insight into her her work as Assistant Stage Director and her experience of working behind the scenes at the Wiener Staatsoper, where she gained a lot of experience. Hear more about what inspired her to follow this career path and also what her wishes are for the future. Heather's shout out goes to Soya Noodle in Mariahilf https://www.heathertandirector.com/

"That was the first time I officially played my music. Me being on stage really made me feel excited, the place where I belong. So where I see myself with my music, I see myself performing on a stage. I just want to perform," says the 17 year old, self taught composer, Roxi Keyser from Wellington in South Africa. Roxi is talking about what inspired her to start composing and how she realised her talent during pandemic. Hear more about her wishes for the future and the CD she recently released. He music is available on Spotify and Itunes. Roxi's shout out goes the Perfect place in Wellington

"Some of the best winemakers I know are almost zen in that they spend so much time in the vineyards to get the grapes absolutely how they want them to be. Then they very carefully handle them coming through, and they almost then want them to express themselves. It's definitely science but it's definitely art as well." says Christopher Yorke, CEO of the Austrian Wine Marketing Board and Chairman of the Austrian Wine Academy. Chris is talking about the wine industry in Austria and the characteristics of the Austrian wines. Hear more about the Wine Academy where students already learn about winemaking at the age of 14 years old and Chris' wishes for the future. https://www.austrianwine.com/

"For that exposure, at this point, it's invaluable because I also direct theatre productions and for me to have this wealth of productions that I've seen. I think it goes into your subconscious, and then you have you have a whole library of experiences, knowing how the lights influence a show, the sound, how the theatre productions flow, the tension, creating suspense," says Anna Davel, Singer, songwriter and actress in South Africa. Anna is talking about how she was inspired to start singing and her love for song writing. She also talks about the film and theatre industries in South African and why she is thankful for every director she has worked with. Hear more about Anna's love for singing Jazz and also her wishes for the future. Anna's shout out goes to Melkbos Kitchen https://www.annadavel.com/about/

"...and I started painting what I want to, but it's still something that I battle with because there are so many styles that I like and I am trying to combine them all. But I think in the end it was, for me, the most valuable lesson that I could have learnt as an artist, to paint what I want on my walls, and if I can get that right, there will be other people that would share the same views than I do," says the artist, Sebastiaan Theart. He is talking about the journey of being a self taught artist and the process of finding his style in his artworks. Hear more about where Sebastiaan finds inspiration to paint and sketch and also his wishes for the future. https://www.saatchiart.com/sebastiaantheart

Bass Singer, Fabian-Jacob Balkhausen says: "One of my mentors, the great British Bass, Matthew Rose told me: You have to convey a message with everything that you sing. It's not about you singing, it's not about the person singing an area. No, it's about this area that's being sung. So you have to put yourself behind the work. You have to know every word and you have to know what's on the page very well. This is more 'taking away' what you are doing than adding things on top of what you are doing." Fabian is talking about studying at the MDW and the opportunities he has been given to develop as an artist. Hear more about his wishes for the future and what inspired him to become an opera singer Fabian's shout out goes to: Cafe Kafka

The Slackline-violinist, Carolina Mazalesky says: "Music making is about performing. It's about the moment of the 'now'. This strong 'Being in the now' and the strong concentration of what we are doing, this we are not practicing. We are practicing to play the violin but we don't practice how to concentrate and we don't practice how to perform. This is exactly what the balance training is teaching you. Because when I am standing on a slackline and one second I would be thinking about Pizza or about what somebody else is thinking, I will fall down. So my concentration, when I am in a state of balance is 150%." Hear more about the study that Carolina is doing with regards to the effect of balance on the brain and also what inspired her to start slacklining. https://www.carolinamazalesky.com/biography

Architecture is more than just buildings and houses. "It's a practice which is much broader and which covers so much more parts of our daily lives as well." says Magdalena Stainer. Together with Andreas Brandstetter they have worked on a fascinating project for their Architectural studies. Hear and see more about this wonderful project and what they have experienced through their research. Andreas and Magdalena's shout out goes to Paremi

Airline Pilot, Alex MacPhail says: "...Understand your job and understand what's required. The passenger doesn't know I'm doing the sums, and it doesn't matter, they don't have to know. But what they need to know is that I'm passionate and I love what I do. That's the stuff I'm looking at when I'm flying an aeroplane and taking you safely. And the announcement for you to look outside and to see the Helderberg and Table Mountain and Robin Island. It's so beautiful and I am seeing it too. But I am also running numbers, it's a game and it's something I'm working on all the way down."

Edo Frenkel about the experience working assistant conductor at the Royal Ballet "I'm very lucky that through coincidence, through my short time, comparatively in this career, that I've ended up in a wonderful place like this. The experience has been tremendous. I never thought in a million years I'd be working in a house like this, let alone ballet, which I never really experienced as someone working in it. Everyday is a learning experience and I am taking every moment I can and soaking it in." https://www.edofrenkel.com/

Commercial Pilot, Brad Mears says: "If anybody has the determination to do anything in the world, they can do it. If I look back at the twenty to thirty of my life and say: 'wow, how did I achieve this?' The actual answer is: 'I don't know'. I just know that somehow I made a plan. I've always prioritised flying in my life. It's my wife, my children and very soon after that comes flying"

Tenor Gianluca Moro says: "I think you have to believe that everyday you can do a little bit more. A little bit more and better than yesterday. So this is what I think every time I have to do something for my career and for my life, to grow."

Talking about the Legacy of one of the great artists of our time, Gene Kelly, is his widow Patricia Kelly: "He understood his artform. He understood the history, the politics, the music. He was there to record the music and worked with the musicians. He was there to check the colour with the technicolour team. He understood every component of everything. He was just a really descent man. He was always looking out for the underdog, the guy who didn't quite make it."

Pianist and Piano professor, Petar Plesa: "I think this is the way to show people what is the point of classical music: The point of classical music is not that we go and listen to important and most known Pianists, violinists or orchestras. But the point of classical music is to transform emotions directly to the public. And through this, also a person who is not a musician, will understand the message, because classical music is the most universal language in the world. https://www.instagram.com/petarplesa/

Composer, Oskar Gigele is taking about his music: "She told me that my music is always a story telling music. It doesn't matter what kind of instrumentation it is, whether I use words or not. It always is some kind of story and it's something that I do automatically. It's something that I want to do also. I never really thought of that before and since she told that over one and a half years ago, I realised that and now I am doing it more consciously." Hear more about what inspires Oskar to compose his music and why he decided to study media composition. https://www.oskar-gigele.at/

Pianist, Donna Chan says: "I still have to come back to music, it's like a magnet. Every time I'm away from it, I become another person. When I'm back with it, when I'm back with my instrument, when I'm back in the routine practicing and planning for the future in music, then I become me again." Hear more about Donna's approach in teaching and what inspired her to become a pianist

"Maybe before, people thought that women couldn't play flamenco guitar correctly, but I grew up in an environment where everyone was considered equal. Obviously it depends on the people in your environment. Sometimes when a person doesn't value you as much as they should, it's then more about them as it is about you." Theresa is talking about what inspired her to start playing flamenco guitar and what her future plans are for her music. https://www.teresajimenez.com/

"I think knowing more gives you more freedom, but I can also see how, creatively perhaps, you do something that might be unconventional but once you start start studying, you realise that it's not as unconventional as you think. One thing leads to another and there are so many possible paths. So I think studying can be liberating but it also depends on the teacher and how restrictive that person is with you" says Pablo Dabdoud, pianist in California. Hear more about Pablo's music and what inspires him to compose and create extraordinary visuals with his music. https://www.pedrodabdoub.com/music/

Harpist, Nichole Young says: I just realised that I didn't want this to be the end of my relationship with this instrument because I enjoyed it so much and it had become an extension of my voice. It felt like it was part of me and I could really speak through the instrument." Hear more about what inspired Nichole to start playing the harp and what goes on behind the scenes for a harpist.

Valeria Tessari is talking about her father, Gianni Tessari, who is the winemaker at Giannitessari: "At that time, thirty or forty years ago, it wasn't common to study winemaking at university, so he just decided to start, and more or less everything he knows he learnt by doing. He did it all by hand." Valeria is telling more about the history of their winery and the different wines they are producing. Hear more about how she and her father are working together and what their wishes are for the future of the winery. https://giannitessari.wine/en/

"It looks so easy but with all the pedals, with all the things that need to be thought of, it's more difficult than one thinks. Also the movements. Sometimes when we rehearse we sit back to back so I can get a sense of how Natascha hat to move to also reach the upper notes. That's quite interesting, as well as Natascha feeling my breath and that is also linked to my singing. The more my duo partner is relaxed, the better I can sing" says Mezzo Soprano, Luzia Ernst with Natascha Ziegler of Duo Cantarpa

Christo Davids says: "It's got a lot to do with where we come from I think, that influences where we are going and the type of stories we put out. And the responsibility that we have to bring authenticity and to pay, not justice, but to pay tribute or homage to your people, to the stories that you want the world to hear." Hear more about Christo's work as director and actor and the difficulties the arts face in South Africa. https://www.tvsa.co.za/actors/viewactor.aspx?actorid=6154

"Maybe I'm the voice of the composer," says Harpist Rachel Talitman. "When you don't have a good relationship, a good comprehension of the person, it's very difficult to understand the music." Rachel is talking about working with composer Yoram Meyouhas who composed the music for their latest recording with Harp and Flute. The music is available on Spotify to download and also to buy in CD format

Character and production designer and Head of story, Jeff Ranjo: "I was at Disney at the time when they switched from 2D animation to 3D animation and it didn't change my job or the story people's job. It mainly changed the animators' job. If you make a good story it should be timeless and it should strike a cord with people when they watch it and they're not thinking about it's placement in time. You should be able to watch these films over and over." Jeff is also co-executive producer of the animation series on Netflix " Maya and the three". Hear more about his career in the Animation industry at Disney where he was involved in films such as Hercules, Fantasia 2000, Emperor's new Groove, Tarzan

Film and orchestra composer Oscar Navarro Gonzalez: "I would say the most of the pieces that I wrote for orchestra or for wind bands are pieces that are very descriptive, like symphonic poems. You can put the music to a little story but you don't need the pictures. In a lot of my pieces for concert music you just need to imagine the story, close your eyes and just feel the music." Hear more about the first music Oscar composed and what inspired him to go to Los Angeles to further his study in composing for film. https://www.onavarro.com/web/film/en/biography/

Bass singer William Guanbo Su: "You have to read the notes on a page, so if you read a whole opera, you're not only reading the singing text, you're also reading the notes. With reading the notes, it's almost as if you're reading another language, it just happens to be that the language has tones, (like Chinese) When you are singing, you're actually very spoilt because you have singing text while you have a melody that is almost like a text as well. So there's two lines going on at once and somehow you bring them together." Hear more about how William went from being an Olympic swimmer to becoming an Opera singer and why he enjoys teaching as well. https://www.houstongrandopera.org/hgo-studio/studio-artists-and-faculty/william-guanbo-su/ https://schmopera.com/scene/people/william-guanbo-su/

From Los Angeles, Film composer Jeff Danna: "Work on your craft and be a great composer. Be the best composer you can be, but equally important are your people skills and your ability to make people feel like you're understanding what they are telling you. That's incredible, that kind of creative empathy is really important for film composers, especially when they're starting a relationship with a filmmaker." Hear more about how Jeff started composing for film and the creative processes and teamwork that's involved in making a film. Jeff composed or co-composed scores for a wide range of films and television, including The Boondock Saints (1999), Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004), Silent Hill (2006), The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009), The Good Dinosaur (2015), Storks (2016), The Breadwinner (2017), The Addams Family (2019), Onward (2020), Guillermo Del Toro’s Tales of Arcadia (2019-2021) and most recently Nora Twomey’s My Father’s Dragon (2022) and Julia (2022).

Mezzo Soprano Alexandra Gravas: "I love what I'm doing at the moment. I love to explore songs, I love to explore languages. If I can combine things together, if I can make the Mexicans sing their songs int he concerts or the Arabs, where I was in Kuwait, sing their Arabic songs with me, the Greek. Yes I'm happy. I'm very happy to do that." Hear more about Alexandra's extraordinary journey from loosing her voice to singing on the international stage. This is a story of utmost perseverance and courage to be able to make her dream of becoming a singer come true.

The young pianist, Zev Sebastian is talking about his love for playing the piano and gives an insight into life at the prestigious Purcell school for young musicians in London. Hear more about what inspired Zev to play the piano since the age of 6 and his dream of becoming a concert Pianist. His mum, Ester Sebastian also gives an insight from a parent's perspective of supporting in his musical education.

Thembani Wesley Mpande, 'Best young Sommelier of South Africa': "The discipline, the dedication, I transferred it from being a sports person to being a sommelier. The same training methods, the same goals. I used to have different goals back then, but I transferred all my goals, realigned them and now I just want to be a master Sommelier. I want to will competitions as well and be the best in the world." Hear more about how Thembani came from a footballer in Zimbabwe to becoming a Sommelier in South Africa. With no previous knowledge of wine, after many hours of studying he won the awarded the title of "The best young sommelier of South Africa"

Pianist and Bandonion player, Claudio Constantini: "I think this is very common in everybody and in any profession. You encounter these blocks which you put there yourself or somebody else puts it there and tells you that you can't or you're not doing this good. Then suddenly you start dimidiating yourself and thinking that it's not possible. But nowadays I'm so open to that everything is possible. When I get an idea I try to make it possible and that's it!" Hear more about how Claudio was determined to teach himself to play this unique instrument and how he manages to play piano and the Bandonion at the same time. https://www.claudioconstantini.com/

Film Director of the new animation film 'Pond', Eva Rust: "For me it was the first time working so close with someone else, because normally I am an illustrator and this was my first time as a film director. I'm used to always working by myself but this time it was cool to see how easy you can change something because you are braver when you are together." Hear more about the inspiration behind the film and the wonderful story and characters of the film. http://www.evarust.ch/

Agricultural economist and Winemaker, Petri de Beer: "For me, I have a very strong belief that our South African wine industry's future does lie in looking inwards into what we have and what we do well instead of trying to copy what other guys are doing" Petri is also talking about his interest in Agricultural economy and his new wine label "Ou water" that will be released around April 2023. https://news.wine.co.za/news.aspx?NEWSID=39675

Griffin Moss, a commercial Pilot in South Africa is talking about his career in aviation: "No matter how experience you are, that learning curve never stops. There is some form of Plato, if you can say that, when you're a Captain and know more, but you will never stop learning. You'll fly with a first officer or something, and they'll ask a question that you've never heard before, and your might not necessarily know the answer off hand. An yes, I guess it's that drive of never stop learning. That's something I love about flying" Hear more about where his passion for flying started and the steps he had to follow for becoming a commercial pilot.

Sipho Fubesi of the Mzanzi Tenors: "We were involved in the local choirs before we started this training. At that time we didn't even know that we could make a living from music. We were just singing because we loved singing. Fortunately we had people who believed in us even though they also didn't know you could make a living from music. And so it helped us to move away from things that would have affected our lives negatively." Sipho had the initiative to form a group of 10 tenors to give young singers who studied music in South Africa the opportunity to perform on stages around the country. Hear more about the people involved in this wonderful initiative and about the hope it brings to young artists in South Africa.

Conductor and composer William Walker: "For me personally, when I show up on the podium, I know that I've done my homework and I'm secure in that. I know that I've conducted orchestras before, good ones and not as good ones. So I have all these experiences that I can draw on and I can make the rehearsal work and I can make the concert work. I know that. " Hear more about why William thinks its so important to expose children to music and instruments and how he started on his journey in becoming a Conductor. https://www.williamgarfieldwalker.com/ https://nowsymphony.com/

Conductor and clarinettist Dimitris Spouras: It's very crucial, playing and music making. Then I think it gives you another security because you believe: I have done it by myself and it worked, so I could say it to others. If you are not sure then ... And the musicians smell the fear and the 'not confidence'. They immediately smell it from how you walk on the podium. They know that: 'Ah not confident or confident'. They know. It's a magical thing. Hear more about Dimitris path in becoming a conductor and what gives him sleepless nights. https://www.antwerpencamerata.be/en/conductor-and-artists-in-residence/

Soprano, Maria Miró: "Because in medicine I felt very helpful, to help people and to cure them (dermatological diseases and so on). But singing is another thing. It's more inside the soul." Maria is talking about her love for singing and why she felt drawn to it more than her medical career as dermatologist. Hear more about how she her incredible drive to study medicine and alongside also music. Maybe the link between science and art are much more evident than we think it is. https://mariamiro.com/

Clay artist, Stephen Procter: "As someone who is essentially self taught, I feel like anybody can teach themselves as long as they know what to pay attention to and they're not intimidated. Al lot of my teaching is about helping people get passed the idea of: 'Oh I could never do that' and I'm just saying: 'Break it down. You can always make it smaller increments and work with that and build on that.' So the process that I use to teach is more about patience and strategies than it is about brut strength and world class talent to work with large amounts of clay. https://www.stephenprocter.com/

Violist and music professor, Ettore Causa: "So I know how much mental power you also need in order to, beside the fact that everything is not going right, you have to believe: 'Ok, I'm going to make it. I don't know when, but it's going to work.' So I know how that feels. I remember it so vividly. In that way I'm good to tell that to students. I say: 'Look, I know it's depressing. I know you feel that this is too much, but if I'm here, you can do it too.' That's my point of view. Hear more about how Ettore's love for the viola, performing and how he inspires his students at Yale and also internationally during his masterclasses

Sommelier of the Southern Sun group, Miguel Chan: "Too many people taste wine very subjectively. They look at the label or they look at the price, straight away before tasting they've already made their mind up that it's a great wine because it's expensive or the label looks great or they've heard about the producer. It shouldn't be that way. The impartiality and the objectivity of tasting wine is one of the most important aspects of being a sommelier today. It's about being, and having the freedom to decide on a particular wine with the story behind it...." Miguel gives a wonderful insight into the work of a sommelier and also the wine industry of South Africa. Hear more about what inspired him to become a sommelier and what his wishes are for the future.

Wine Educator, Heidi Iren Hansen: "In the master wine education you have to have a really deep understanding of the viticulture and the winemaking. Also shipping, bottling and quality control, so you really go very deep into the production as well. I think even though I'm not trained as a winemaker, I really understand the process, what happens in the vineyard and in the wine." Heidi believes that as with food, a good wine is all about the balance of flavours. Hear more about what took her from being a chef, to a sommelier and now a wine educator.

Pianist Ian Bothma: "That was just such a phenomenal experience. I still remember that moment specifically, thinking gosh, I need to do more of this. So how I used that, my understanding of vocal technique and my experience in it, I use now in my training to also become an opera coach, a répétiteur" Ian grew up in a small town in the Freestate of South Africa and from a young age he had a love for playing piano and was very much encouraged by his father to pursue a career in music. Hear more about why he enjoys his work as ballet accompanist at Cape Town City ballet and what his wishes are for the future.

Pilot, Flight testing and Aerospace engineer, Rein Inge Hoff: "It was like a burning desire to do more and learn more about the aircraft. To learn more about how they were designed and what you can do to improve technology. I guess that was why I wanted to get more education." Rein is talking about working in flight testing and aerospace engineering. He sees the test pilot as the missing link between the pilot and the engineer, aircraft builder and designer. "We must move forward in aviation and develop new technology but I think it's also important to honour the past and the aviation history." In addition Rein also regularly takes part in air shows where he flies the legendary Spitfire and Mustang. Hear more about his wishes for the future.

Aircraft Maintenance Engineer, Franco Boonzaaier: "I must say that's what I love about the industry and the specific direction that I chose in life. What I am doing, at the back of your mind, you're not just fixing an aeroplane, people need to be safe in the aircraft, in the air and on the ground. It's a constant pressure, the realisation everyday that you're not just doing another job. You're making sure people travel and fly around safely." Hear more about the job of an aircraft maintenance engineer and why Franco decided to work in aviation.

Cristian Spătaru - , Pianist, Composer: "I had the opportunity to work with some choirs on some beautiful works that creates a connection which is very different from that with an orchestra. It's much more personal, it's much more into the mind and the body as well. And yes I enjoyed it. I like is very much that I can wake some smiles, some new curiosity in people's activity in everyday life. In a choir you can feel it straight away. " Cristian is also talking about how his career developed from graduating as a conductor to now having had the experiences of conducting for choirs as well as opera and ballet. Hear more about what inspired him to become a conductor and also what his wishes are for the future.

Ballet teacher, Anita Young MBE: "I do take every opportunity that comes my way, even if I get nervous and think: Can I really do it? And then I think: Do you know what? How do you learn? How do you better yourself? It's interesting because today everything is focused so much on being the best, on being the winner. But for me it's the effort, it's what you get from life, from trying things." Anita is talking about her time as a ballet dancer at the Royal Ballet and also what she believes is important when teaching young dancers. She has so many fond memories of her time as a dancer, working closely with Margot Fonteyn and also recently as ballet teacher at the Royal Ballet school. https://schoolofballet.eu/anita-young/

David K Israel - Composer, Author, Screenwriter, Director: "...and so Stravinsky harmonised it for 4 voices and gives that manuscript back to Mr Balanchine. I got a copy of it in the 90's from Harvard Library where a lot of Stravinsky and Balanchine's personal effects and manuscripts lived. I started thinking, this is so lovely and the idea that one master had given it to his friend, another master in another discipline, and that Stravinsky had harmonised it and given it back. It just seemed like it was begging to be something larger." Hear more about David's love for composing for ballet and his many creative and artistic projects working with Paul Taylor, Twyla Tharp and the New York City Ballet as well as working with the Estate of Leonard Bernstein to help edit and publish editions of West Side Story, Mass, On the Town, and Wonderful Town. https://www.davidkisrael.me/

https://open.spotify.com/artist/4lqIDNIQa3EVK1sN265r4Y https://davidkisrael.hearnow.com/full-circle https://open.spotify.com/album/3a3MbjERTMfyy2Ccqm8cxE https://music.amazon.com/albums/B0BWHG7R27 https://music.apple.com/us/album/meditations/1672019503 https://open.spotify.com/album/7sxYtQYmFb6LcR3eeOtULE?si=bP1-Wna7RqmdwFBKp6WcHQ&nd=1

Animation Director, Stephen Anderson: "...but leaving it open enough for people to experiment, to play, to come up with things that you'd never imagine on your own. But because you've opened the door and created a safe space for these amazing brains and artists. They bring all this incredible stuff to the table and then as a director you say: Great! Let's shape that. Let's put that in there and then that creates sort of a different journey that we thought we would never go on. But it's better because now we have this great contribution from these people." Hear more about Stephen's work on Disney films such as Tarzan, The Emperor’s New Groove and Brother Bear. He made his feature film directing debut with Meet the Robinsons in 2007. A year later, he was offered the chance to bring Winnie the Pooh back to the big screen and directed the 2011 film Winnie the Pooh. https://www.stevehatguy.com/

Michael Sheppard - Pianist, conductor, composer: I'm learning new things all the time about how to put down the key but it's not so much about how to be able to play pieces, because I can play pretty much whatever. It's about making it more and more sufficient. It's sort of... I don't want to say 'wasting time', because no time spent with this incredible music is truly wasted, but you find these ways to streamline your technique and get closer and more quickly to the ideal that you hear."

Winemaker at Reyneke wines, Barbara Melck: "In winemaking our biggest goal is, because we sit with this amazing terroir, and the biggest goal of a winemaker is to be able to reflect where the grapes come from and to do it in an honest way. I believe that this way of farming truly does that to the utmost extent. Of course the way you make the wine also has a role to play and at the end of the day, everything starts and ends with the grapes." Hear more about the Biodynamic way of farming and Barbara's approach to winemaking.

Alison Duddle, puppeteer: "But there's something really interesting about puppet theatre that's very different to conventional theatre in that, I feel as though it's to do with empathy really. When we se something that we know is not real, we kind of play into that game in the same way we did when we were a little child with a piece of wood or a doll". Hear more about the wonderful art of puppetry and how Alison created a character who played a roll in an opera. https://www.abirdinthehandtheatre.co.uk/about

Thomas Erlank, Tenor: "...but you are not what you do, and this is something that helped me also with the process of deciding that, going home is not giving up. Going home is not saying goodbye to this world that I'm part of. Going home is not a surrender of any kind. It's a change of what I do, but it doesn't change who I am and what I want to do in this world. So this was very much a part of the process." Thomas is talking about the transition he is making in his career and why he chose to go back to South Africa after many years as opera singer in Zürich. https://www.thomaserlank.com/

Antonis Sousamoglou is talking about the production of the recording "Mosaico Mediterraneo" with soprano Maria Kostraki: "It was liberating because of two reasons: The first reason was the music itself because it was music that gave us the opportunity to mess around with. We didn't take the easy path. We tried to dig into the music and find what lies underneath. How this music could be transformed into something else, something contemporary..." Hear more about the work on this beautiful recording and why Antonis enjoys these projects apart from his work as concert master of the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra in Greece.

Pianist, Francesco Parrino : "Attending the conservatoire at this age, and I'm 29, makes me look at things differently because I am older, and it's not just about that I have to study, I have to practice. There is a bigger vision to it. There is the whole path. Hear more about how Francesco enjoys the connection with his audience and how lucky I was to hear him play two of my favourite songs live on zoom. https://www.francescoparrinomusic.com/ Instagram @francescoparrinomusic Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FrancescoParrinoMusic/

Ekaterina Kardakova, singer, voice and public speaking coach and founder of Creative Tech Lab: "We really need to develop emotional intelligence because this is what, in this innovative world, makes us different from robots. Robots don't have emotions and we do. That's why our job as human beings are to manage these emotions, to teach kids from a very young age to understand their own emotions, to express their own emotions in a very natural and creative way. Because for us as human beings, creativity is an absolute natural thing." Hear more about this wonderful project where children get the opportunity to learn about music and use technology in a positive way. https://ekaterina.kardakova.eu/

Laura Valkovsky, Pianist: "Yes I always support these ideas and I think this orchestra also has a very important mission. With these kinds of actions so get the young people in the concert hall. Sometimes you recognise who is in this hall for the first time and who is listening to an orchestra for the first time. They have this "Wow" look...." Laura is talking about the concerts of the 21st Century orchestra of which she is part of and how they connect with younger audience members by playing well known film music. She also tells about her own music school, Klavier Schule Valkovsky, and how she would like to focus on her students learning music as part of a community. This is a wonderful concept and Laura has so many wonderful ideas for her music school. https://www.lauravalkovsky.ch/

Airline Pilot, Bernie Diehl: "Now we're talking about how I keep my motivation high, it's because I'm looking for jobs aside from the airline business where I can build up flying skills. For me personally, this is the most important thing in my life so I am fulfilled in my flying career. I know everyone is different and some people would be saying: Hey, you guys are crazy for flying the 747 and still you are looking for something cooler. But that's just how I am. " Bernie is talking about his career as an airline pilot at Lufthansa and also what drives him to do aerobatics and be part of the national team in Germany. Hear more about what inspired him to follow a career in aviation and what are his wishes for the future.

Tomm Moore, Illustrator, animator and co-founder of Cartoon Saloon: "I feel there's a journey within the studio towards something that could only be made by hand, as a response to AI (Artificial intelligence Animation), as a response to CGI (Computer-generated imagery). As a response to everything, we're trying to keep the flame alive of making things in a much of a artisanal way as possible. I think you feel it. It's pretty easy to trick people because people are bamboozled by technology everyday, but I feel, like with Bambi, you can feel a timelessness to it. Even though it was made in 1940's, it doesn't feel as dated as early CGI". Hear more about the award winning work being done by the team at the Cartoon Saloon and the inspiration behind these wonderful films. At Cartoon Saloon is where the magic happens. https://www.cartoonsaloon.ie/

Director of Sling Aircraft, Mike Blyth: "I studied each aircraft, that I thought was a good aircraft, in detail; the sizing, the shape, the look of it, whatever I could get information of, the handling characteristics, the speed etc. From that I set out my list of wishes for this aircraft, and I strove to meet those list of wishes by designing the aircraft appropriately for that. So we started from scratch. Initially I just started sketching on a piece of paper, getting the feel of what I think it should look like and then slowly as time went on, it took shape." Hear more about the story of a dream of building an aircraft that would give anybody the possibility to not only own their own well designed and aesthetically beautiful aircraft but also have the possibility of building it themselves. From South Africa, Sling aircraft are being shipped all over the world and I am fascinated by the the Sling Aircraft community of passionate aviators. https://slingaircraft.com/

Gabriela Galarza De Konrath, GadeKo Studio: "...and that was the thought about the window painting, that it is really ephemeral, that afterwards you have to take it away. And yes, you can't have it forever and I like this thought a lot. People understood it and they know they are paying for something that is not forever." Gabriela's art can be seen on the shop windows in Vienna and now she is also collaborating with Wiener Konfektion, a beautiful fashion store in Vienna where her beautiful artworks can be seen on skirts made and designed at this fabulous shop. Hear more about Gabriela's dream and next challenge to paint a mural in Vienna. https://www.bookastreetartist.com/gadeko-studio https://www.instagram.com/gadekostudio/reels/ https://www.wiener-konfektion.at/

Opera Singer and composer, Ekaterina Shelehova: "I wanted to go back to my roots and try to incorporate that style with the operatic style that I had been pursuing for the last 15 years. So I created something which was really an improvisation of what I felt I could express with my voice and then it turned into a sort of meditation, sort of a story of the elements coming together." Hear more about the beautiful Earth melodies composed by Ekaterina and her affinity for singing different genres. Ekaterina also took part in Italy's got Talent as well as Bulgaria's got Talend where her Earth Melodies took her to the semi-finals. https://www.shelehova.com/

David Griessel - Artist: "My lecturers were valuable. I think in everyone's journey you have to get mentors and learn from them, but there should be a time where you actually push them aside and do what you think is best. I think that's a fine balance and I'm glad I took that step." Hear more about what inspires David's artworks and how he is now able to bring his art to life with animation techniques. https://www.davidgriessel.com/ https://www.instagram.com/davidgriessel/

Award winning Austrian Actor, Gerhard Liebmann is talking about his role as Eismayer in the outstanding Film "Eismayer": "I always thought, to know this world which I didn't know before, in no way, and other things like to know Eismayer. This was also for me as a person very enriching. I would never have had the chance to get so close to these things." "Based on a true story, Eismayer follows Sergeant Major Charles Eismayer (Gerhard Liebmann) a closeted gay man serving as a brutal drill sergeant in the Austrian Army, a terrifying figure for new recruits. But then one of the recruits, an openly gay soldier called Mario Falak (Luka Dimic) enters his life, and a secret passionate romance blossoms. Eismeyer succeeds in depicting a complex yet fundamentally moving portrait of a person conflicted with his involuntary cruel persona as a drill sergeant compared to his actual individualism. Gerhard Liebmann fully excels in the titular role, through his balance of fury represented through his military persona, and tenderness when we view his quieter moments in his life. In the instances that demand his forged strict demeanour, inklings of compassion surface when face-to-face with his recruit, Mario Falak. Liebmann expresses both facets of Charles Eismayer with conviction and pure sincerity, constructing a fully fleshed leading character." Ethan Soffe

Martin White, Artist: "The whole point of art is to make something your own. I want to capture the feeling of the ballet, I don't want to capture the exact pose. I want to capture the feeling and the emotion, not just where they're standing and how they're standing." Hear more about Martin's artworks of ballet dancers and what challenges artists in London face to get their art seen and appreciated.

Pianist, John Ntsepe: "Yes, I do look back. I mean, there have been challenges along the way. The thing is, music has always been in me. All my dreams have been accompanied by music, always. So it's been the theme. Hear more about the wonderful story of how John came from Sebokeng, a township in South Africa to Vienna. Critics have labelled John as one of South Africa’s most outstanding young pianists and without a doubt the leading Black classical pianist in South Africa and throughout Europe. https://soundcloud.com/john-ntsepe

Hunter Kennedy, Die Heuwels Fantasties: "I think we're trying to document our existence, basically. If I listen back to the albums now, I can remember exactly how I felt when we wrote them and so they almost become pictures. So I think the inspiration is just our immediate environment and what that brings." Hear more about the inspiration behind the music and the band Heuwels Fantasties. https://www.dieheuwels.co.za/

Marc Parret, Artistic Director of the Object project: "It could do anything in a way and that's what I like in puppeteering. In a sense it is a living thing. I love directing puppetry because when you get it right, it's another person on stage. It's not just and object, it really is a living entity. That's another thing we're experimenting with the Object Project: What it is when an object turns into a living entity, it's that liminal space." Hear more about the Object project and the inspiration behind this unique project https://www.objectproject.info/

Garreth Robertson, Pianist: "I'm always advocating for collaborative playing and when I look back at my musical journey, I think I learnt the most form playing together with other people. There's only so much you can do in your practice room and only so much inspiration you can have if you sit and play alone all the time. I think when I really tapped into chamber music and specially when I worked in a more professional realm in that sense, I couldn't believe how my journey changed." Hear more about the teacher that opened up a world of classical music for him and how he now also see the importance of inspiring young musicians in South Africa.

David Wagner - Film Director of the award wining film, Eismayer: "I always have this picture in my head that this idea, the potential of Eismayer being a movie, it wasn't coming out of me, it wasn't me who invented the whole thing. It was out there, it was an external, living potential creature. I see it as a wild horse running around and by accident it just passed me, I saw it, I jumped on it and held on to it. It just took me along the way, wherever it wanted to go and I was just steering it a little bit. Whoever joined the team was immediately also fascinated and pretty much sure that this was going to be a great movie." Hear more about the making of this outstanding award winning film based on a true story. https://eismayer.com/

80 year young Judith Boyd: We loose our value and there's a defiant part of me that ... I first need to value myself and then go from there. Value other people and have intergenerational relationships. Have relationships with people of all ages because I feel that that is part of what does away with ageism." Hear more about how Judith started her hat collection already in the 1970's and what inspired her to write her blog. Judith is such a great inspiration with her sense of style and many hats. “I feel I can change my mood with the hat I put on. It’s almost like changing character in extreme. I could wear more than one hat in a day depending on my activity. I don’t feel complete without having a hat on.”

Francois van Coke, lead singer of the South African band "Fokofpolisiekar": We wanted to make music that reflects our taste and we were into songs that were honest and had commentary about the world around it. That were the kind of songs we wanted to write when we started Fokofpolisiekar and still want to write." Hear more about how this great South African rock band started and their continued success. http://www.francoisvancoke.co.za/ https://www.fokofpolisiekar.co.za/

Beatrice Bolis - Illustrator: When you do therapy, you do a lot of associations and then you can connect all those parts. For me, drawing is the same thing. I am trying to understand my past and make drawings and for me this is like therapy." Hear more about how Beatrice uses illustrations as a form of therapy and also a way of expressing herself. Her beautiful illustrations all reflects periods of her life and the experiences she had. @beatrice.bolis

Part 1: Dominic Ferris, one of the UK's leading pianists, Steinway artist and Producer: "The theme that runs through everything I do is Story telling. I think whether you're playing a classical piece or a piece of musical theatre, or whether you're singing a song, you're telling a story. I love watching dance and the reasons why are; first of all, I don't know anything about it, so I can't critique it and I can't comment on it. But it's also story telling. The dancer is telling a story through what he or she is doing. I suppose that's the chore of what attracts me to art, it's the story telling, the narrative..." Dominic also talks about his dad, Roger Ferris, who worked on several Beatles recordings at Abbey Road Studios, mainly around the “Let It Be” era in 1970. https://dominicferris.com/

Part 2: Dominic Ferris - Pianist, Producer and Steinway Artist: "But I think it also goes back to trust in yourself. I think you have to trust yourself to a point where you know that it's going to be fine, you know it's going to be ok. A lot of people tend to focus on the technical aspect rather than the theatre of the performance. But for me, even if you play a piece of Bach or Chopin, or a piece of Bernstein, it's still theatre because it's a performance." Dominic’s collaborations with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra have sold over 3 million albums worldwide. He has performed on and provided orchestrations for six top ten albums since 2015, all recorded at Abbey Road Studios, and recently worked with Michael Ball on his latest release Coming Home To You, reaching No.1 in the UK album chart. Dominic joined the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra as assistant musical director and pianist for the Elvis Presley: If I Can Dream UK arena tour and Memphis Symphony Orchestra for the USA anniversary tour, finishing with a performance at Graceland with Priscilla Presley for the Elvis 40th Anniversary Celebrations. Dominic regularly tours around the world with his piano duo The Piano Brothers. Endorsed by Steinway & Sons, The Piano Brothers (Dominic Ferris and Elwin Hendrijanto) are a cutting edge live act creating their own arrangements for two pianos. Their recent collaboration with the London Symphony Orchestra will see a new album release in October. https://dominicferris.com/