Pianist Annie Antonacos and violinist Tracey Jasas-Hardel of the Portland Piano Trio sit down with host Heather McDougall to talk about their upcoming concert, “Celebrating the Seasons”, on Saturday, May 18, and the community music school, 240 Strings, that they founded and now lead along with cellist Jing Li.

“ECHOES – Stories and Songs Across Time” is a site-specific music composition project, reflecting the breath, sorrow and beauty of Portland’s complex history and relationship to its Black community. It culminates in a day of celebratory free programs and events on Saturday May 11, co-presented by Portland Ovations and the Indigo Arts Alliance. Composer, violinist, educator and activist Daniel Bernard Roumain is the artist at the heart of “ECHOES” and this week he sits down with Host Heather McDougall to talk about collaboration, the importance of place and his hopes for the people of Portland in this project.

Paul Bussiere is a Bangor native and Star Wars superfan who designed and built a fully functioning Artoo Detoo droid which looks, moves and sounds as though it rolled right off of the big screen.Since 2009, Paul has been building and modifying the most famous droid in the galaxy and sharing his creation with people from all over Maine with regular visits to Children's Hospitals, Schools, Comic-Con's and sporting events.

“Paths to Dignity” is a project at the intersection of music, homelessness and mental health, presented by the Bangor Symphony Orchestra this month. Host Heather McDougall talks to the project’s leaders, composer and conductor Lucas Richman and violinist, Mitchell Newman. They chat about the project’s resonance in the community, its impacts on musicians, unsheltered participants and themselves, as well as the various events taking place in Bangor and Orono.

Portland-based Palaver Strings and the two-time Grammy winning Attacca Quartet are coming together for a new collaboration, “Between Us”, with performances later this month in Portland, Rockport and Portsmouth. Elizabeth Moore of Palaver Strings and Domenic Salerni of the Attacca Quartet chat with Host Heather McDougall about this concert series as well as the forthcoming new album from Palaver Strings – “A Change is Gonna Come”.

Dwayne Tomah is a cultural educator and language keeper for the Passamaquoddy Nation, and a contributor to "Music in Maine," the new exhibition at the Maine Historical Society in Portland. Tomah sits down with Host Sarah Tuttle to discuss the exhibition, the roles of language and music in maintaining a connection to heritage, and the legacy of anthropologist Jesse Walter Fewkes.

Classical Uprising Artistic Director Emily Isaacson chats with Host Heather McDougall about the forthcoming eclipse-inspired Room to Breathe performances in Portland and Brunswick.