First hour: Discussing what it takes for musicians of color to break into Rochester's music scene
Second hour: How the coronavirus pandemic is affecting small businesses
Local musicians from underrepresented communities say it can be difficult to make their mark on Rochester’s music scene, particularly because there are so many cover bands in town. They argue that original music doesn’t get the love and attention it deserves, especially if it comes from marginalized communities. We discuss the issue from a number of angles with local musicians. Our guests:
- Charles Emanuel
- Avis Reese
- Zahyia Rolle
- Danielle Ponder
Then in our second hour, we continue our series of conversations about the impact of the coronavirus. This hour, we talk to local small business owners about their concerns. Some have temporarily shut down their operations, others are cancelling their events and weighing their options. They’re expressing frustrations and fear about economic pain and the path going forward. We talk with them about the difficult decisions they have to make, and what they’d like to see in terms of policies and relief from different levels of government. Our guests:
- Danielle Ponder, local musician
- Danielle Raymo, owner of the Rochester Brainery
- Brian Van Etten, owner of The Playhouse//Swillburger
- Ellen Brenner, owner, CFO, and vice president of Fleet Feet Rochester and Buffalo, and YellowJacket Racing
