Mid-Concert Interview with St. Louis Symphony Orchestra CEO and President, Marie-Hélène Bernard

I had the chance to sit down and speak with the CEO and President of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Marie-Hélèn Bernard during that evening's show’s intermission.

By this time in the program, Marie-Hélèn had already talked to the audience in a pre-concert address where she updated everyone on the progress of the Powell Hall construction and refurbishment. We talked about other construction details, the coming season's programming, and continued community evolvement all around the St. Louis area.

Author Dr. Rebecca Schwarzlose Discusses "Brainscapes: The Warped, Wondrous, Maps Written in Your Brain"

I had the chance to talk to neuroscientist Dr. Rebecca Schwarzlose. She’d just released her first general audience book, “Brainscapes: The Warped, Wondrous Maps Written In Your Brain - And How They Guide You” by HarperCollins and Mariner Books. Dr. Schwarzlose holds a Ph.D from MIT, is a researcher at Washington University in St. Louis and is the past chief editor of the journal “Trends in Cognitive Science”.

The book explores how the neural pathways in the human brain are actually hard written maps that can be measured electrically and occupy specific physical spaces in all brains.

Arts & Entertainment, Interviews, Video Production, Video ShootRod MilamOctober 11, 2024HEC Mediabrain science, neuroscienceComment

First St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Broadcast of 2024-25 Coming Up Saturday Night

It’s time for the start of the 2024 - 2025 season of broadcasts of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra on St. Louis Public Radio!

I’m back for my 3rd season as one of the broadcast hosts along with my co-host Dr. Lauren Eldridge Stewart. This year I’m going to try a little something different and post a preview video like this on social media!

Author Interview with Matthew Delmont about “Half American: The Epic Story of African Americans Fighting World War II at Home and Abroad”

Distinguished Professor of History at Dartmouth College, Dr. Matthew Delmont, has researched and penned his fifth book, “Half American: The Epic Story of African Americans Fighting World War II at Home and Abroad”. In this interview, he talks with Rod Milam about the book and his research process.

Author Interview with Buzz Bissinger about “The Mosquito Bowl: A Game of Life and Death in World War II”

Pulitzer Prize winner and journalist for “The New York Times Magazine”, “Vanity Fair” and other publications, Buzz Bissinger has penned a true story profiling the lives of some of the Allied fighters in World War II and tells the story of a football game that took place before one of the bloodiest battles in the war. His book, “The Mosquito Bowl” is not a book about sports like his creation “Friday Night Lights”. Even though college football players, their backgrounds, and a Big Game played on Guadalcanal before the battle of Iwo Jima is part of the setting, this book is very much a profile of how the US entered and prosecuted WWII in the Pacific Ocean. In this interview, he talks with Rod Milam about the book and his research process.

Kathy Gilsinan Author Interview - "The Helpers: Profiles from the Front Lines of the Pandemic"

Writer and journalist for “The Atlantic” and “Politico”, Kathy Gilsinan, has penned a reminder of the first year or so of the COVID-19 pandemic as seen in the United States. Her book, “The Helpers: Profiles from the Front Lines of the Pandemic” tells that story via the accounts of six people that she feels went above and beyond the call of duty to try to aid their neighbors, the country and the world during an unprecedentedly difficult time in the nation’s history.

Robert Child Author Interview - "Immortal Valor: The Black Medal of Honor Winners of World War II"

Here’s my January 2022 interview with Robert Child, author of the book “Immortal Valor: The Black Medal of Honor Winners of World War II”. In this book, he tells the incredible tales of the only 7 Black men that were awarded this highest US military honor…and were only given it in 1997 after intense investigation since it was found that there was an unofficial ban on letting any Black soldier get the award by the Department of Defense.

Host of the 2022 St. Louis Theater Circle Awards

For the second time during the COVID-19 pandemic, I was asked to host an online version St. Louis Theater Circle Awards via HEC Media. This year, the 2022 St. Louis Theater Circle Awards honors outstanding achievements in locally produced professional theater in the years 2020 and 2021. Approximately 75 productions are being recognized in over 30 award categories.

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