This episode was inspired by the program of a colleague that was posted on Facebook! Both Carlos Simon and Dave Ragland are modern composers working with some of the most important companies and singers of our time, creating all kinds of new works that are powerful, accessible to audiences, and absolute gems of the repertoire.Carlos Simon:Caro mio ben (sung by Solomon)Vocalise (sung by Toni)Prayer (Gather Up) (sung by Solomon)Dave Ragland:I Believe (High Voice score, Low Voice score) (sung by Ricky)Posting a quote here from Carlos in an interview with Good Faith Media a few months ago:"We’ve always been here, but there’s been in classical music, there has been such a large spark of new commissioning, new music that has come about, yeah. I think people just want to hear new music, and it’s all really just happening here in America. Talking to my colleagues in Europe, they’re kind of stuck in the old way of Beethoven and Bach, which is great. But to really push the envelope and push the medium forward, that comes with funding, which we are seeing. So that is another thing I’m hopeful about."***So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertreeFor more information on Ricky L. Owens, Jr., countertenor, visit his website.Solomon Onyukwu is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University.

This episode offers a taste of a few different songs from the anthologies that we've been talking about all season, all of which would be a great addition to everyone's library. Those anthologies are:    An Anthology of African and African Diaspora Songs   Anthology of Art Songs by Black American Composers   A New Anthology of Art Songs by African American Composers   The Second Anthology of Art Songs by African American Composers Musical clips featured on this episode, performed by Solomon Onyukwu, baritone, Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano, and Ellen Rissinger, piano:Compensation (Charles Lloyd, Jr.) Anthology of Art Songs by Black American Composers (sung by Solomon)Compensation (Betty Jackson King) A New Anthology of Art Songs by African American Composers (sung by Toni)A Song Without Words (Charles Brown) Anthology of Art Songs by Black American Composers (sung by Solomon)Music I Heard (Roger Dickerson) The Second Anthology of Art Songs by African American Composers (sung by Toni)Recorded at the Carnegie Mellon School of Music Recording Studio in Pittsburgh, PA and at Morningstar Studios in Norristown, PA.***So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertreeSolomon Onyukwu is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University.

Before there was Felix, there was Fanny! Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel was a supremely talented and intelligent pianist and composer, but societal norms of the time kept her locked in a patriarchal prison. Join us as we hear three of her songs: Nach süden, Vorwurf, and Nachtwanderer. With soprano Isabelle Peters and mezzo-soprano Ema Nikolovska.Follow the Lieder is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.

This episode is an eclectic mixture of pieces and composers, starting with two song cycles by Dorothy Rudd Moore! Born and raised on the East Coast, she studied with Nadia Boulanger, and was one of the co-founders of the Society of Black Composers. Her music has enough dissonance to bring out the colors of the texts beautifully, while still being very accessible to an audience. Jonathan Bailey Holland is currently the Dean of Music at Northwestern University, and has some stunningly beautiful pieces - he was a student of Ned Rorem.We also included both settings of I Want to Die While You Love Me that we have talked about this season so that you can hear them back-to-back and see how different the two settings are, while both are excellent settings! The songs are in An Anthology of African and African Diaspora Songs and appear in the book back-to-back as well!Dorothy Rudd MooreFlowers of Darkness 1. Flowers of Darkness (sung by Aliyah)Sonnets on Love, Rosebuds, and Death (vocal chamber music, soprano, violin, piano)6. Idolatry (sung by Gracyn)Jonathan Bailey HollandLittle Elegy (in An Anthology of African and African Diaspora Songs) (sung by Solomon)Undine Smith MooreI Want to Die While You Love Me (in An Anthology of African and African Diaspora Songs) (sung by Gracyn)Rosephanye PowellI Want to Die While You Love Me (in An Anthology of African and African Diaspora Songs) (sung by Gracyn)***So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertreeFor more information on Gracyn Blu, visit their website, or you can follow them on Instagram @gracynbluAliyah Quill and Solomon Onyukwu are students/graduates of Carnegie Mellon University.

Step right up and get learned by Jodi Goble, composer and vocal coach extraordinaire! She drops golden nuggets along the way for how composers and singers can best learn from each other, what's awesome about American art song today and where it's headed, and even her favorite hobby that may or may not involve a blow torch.Stick around for a fascinating #TeamArtSong Mailbag question from Daniel in Stamford, CT and an ensuing discussion on what makes a song a great song, as well as a great Songster in Your Neighborhood shoutout for Mike Brofman and Brooklyn Art Song Society, submitted by Harold in NYC!***Have a question you want answered by Laura and Sam on a future episode? Share your thoughts with a voice memo or written note through our new #TeamArtSong Mailbag!Submit a phenomenal artist in your local community for a shoutout in our Songsters in Your Neighborhood segment!***Song Cycle is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.