Express Yourself!

Andrea Smith and Siri Phaneendra offer an informative episode about education and careers. In Trends without Ends, reporter Jack Pawlakos provides essential tips for students who are doing online-learning. For remote learning, make sure to take control of what you are able. Be patient with teachers. The hosts interview Mark A. Herschberg, author of The Career Toolkit, Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You. Networking, negotiating, communicating, leading, career planning—all skills critical to your career success. But did anyone ever teach them to you? The Career Toolkit will help you master these skills and yield outsized returns for your career and your income. He also talks about why online voting will never be safe plus a discussion on streaming. Reporter Jay Jackson of Jays Sports World talks basketball and informs us how education leads to growth, knowledge, skill, perseverance, and success in all realms of life. Education teaches patience, wisdom, and intelligence.

“Be yourself, your only self, your greatest self! You already are a star!” Cynthia Brian Research shows that people do not become high performers by imitating others but by being themselves. Host Andrea Smith interviews author Fred Misurella for his fourth book, A Pontiac in the Woods, about a teen girl who lives alone and discovers her plans for her future. In Trends without Ends, Jack Pawlakos focuses on individuality and what trends are in relationship to expressing who we are individuals and how digitization has changed the world. The Gift of Individuality from the book, Be the Star You Are! for Teens by Cynthia Brian is read by Andrea. High performance occurs when a person goes beyond their own expectations in ways that are unique to them, consistently and repeatedly. In other words, state your plan, then exceed it in every way. Proclaim your vision and your mission. You don’t have to live in the woods to express your individuality, but you do need to claim your unique talent.

Halloween is going to be very different during Covid-19. Host Arjin Claire talks with teen reporters Maggie Campione and Nihal Gill to find out what plans they have to celebrate in a safe, yet fun environment. They discuss costumes, candy, alternative ways to trick or treat, and offer historical background to the Halloween holidays. Author of Tituba, The Intentional Witch of Salem, Dave Tamanini, provides the backstory of the tragic 1692 Salem Witch Trials while adding a bit of magic and intrigue to his historical fantasy novel. Tituba, winner of the 2020 Afro American Historical and Genealogical Society Fiction book award is about power, race, and morality. The villagers see witches and demons everywhere. Their ministers say the Devil has sent them to steal souls. With Dave’s guidance, we revisit Salem’s witch hunts in a provocative new retelling, just in time for a devilish, scary Halloween.

Perseverance is tenacity, persistence, better-than-average drive, holding firmly to beliefs, and never giving up. Host Andrea Smith reads Cynthia Brian’s chapter, The Gift of Perseverance from her book, Be the Star You Are! 99 Gifts for Living, Loving, Laughing, and Learning to Make a Difference. Newest reporter Nihal Gill, encourages teens to turn off the screen, get up, and get moving. Even though it may be tempting to be a couch potato, it is very important to set up some sort of exercise regimen and always persevere and push yourself to feel great and healthy. Andrea interviews Judith Peck, an accomplished artist, sculptor, professor, and author of several books. They discuss two of her books, Sculpture as Experience, an excellent guide to creating sculpture and her new novel, Naked Under the Lights: A fascinating look at the world as artists perceive it—including the painful self-doubt and driving need to express the inexpressible. The takeaway.: Persistence prevails!

The political atmosphere couldn’t be more polarized or polluted. The first Presidential debate was painful to watch. Hosts Andrea Smith and Siri Phaneendra delve into the world of public speaking as they interview author of Mastering the Art of Public Speaking, Michael J. Gelb. Mastering the Art of Public Speaking is a simple, powerful, practical approach to improving one’s public speaking in sales, leadership, and life. Michael said that the principles that help people be influenced by your words can be used for evil or good. There is a saying in Hollywood and Washington, D.C.: “Sincerity is the key to success. And once you can fake that you have it made.” The candidates could use Michael’s help in clarifying and shaping a positive message that citizens want to hear. Jack Pawlakos discusses the trends Generation Z is experiencing in the political world of 2020. As a generation, Gen Z are the most digitally connected, with about 60% getting their news through social media.

Who doesn’t LOVE theatre? Hosts Arjin Claire and Andrea Smith dive into the world of theatre, webseries, and multimedia with an energetic interview with Terrence Patterson who has created an entertaining web series, Half Past Jump Time. Recounting the real Roaring 20’s, Harlem Renaissance—Terrence recalls vivid memories of stories that painted an unforgettable picture by his beloved grandmother. He shares details of behind-the-scenes workings of producing and pitching with passion. Maggie Campione, theatre actor and our newest reporter, does a brilliant job of sharing the importance for society that theatre provides as people work with others from different perspectives for a common goal in her segment, The American Connection. Finally, Arjin Claire takes us back to the 5th century to highlight what has changed and what has stayed the same in live productions. Storytelling has evolved with modern innovations—internet, TV, and screens allowing us to experience the same theater anew.

Everyone loves to eat and how fun is it to have a show with a chef to the stars! Andrea Smith hosts and kicks off the program interviewing Trends without Ends reporter, Jack Pawlakos, about the food trends and influences for the year. Expect to devour crickets and also no waste wrappers. New Orleans celebrity chef Ryan Rondeno cooks up a feast of flavors while sharing his journey from culinary school to becoming a private chef for the rich and famous. His spices and menus are available for home delivery. Producer, Cynthia Brian, joins Andrea in the last segment to share the secret sugo from her family’s heirloom spaghetti. Cynthia encourages everyone to grow their own herbs and vegetables for the freshest, most delicious dishes. Are you hungry yet?

If you’ve been feeling down and out, this episode of Express Yourself! will get you up and going! What is resilience? Teen hosts Siri Phaneendra and Andrea Smith interview Jack Pawlakos, Dr. Cecilia Aragon, and Henna Hundal to discover how we can face our fears, accept change, and fly free. In Trends without Ends, Jack talks about psychological resilience and how resilient people strive to find an opportunity to be positive, be connected, and concerned about others with a level of selflessness. The daughter of a Chilean father and a Filipina mother, Dr. Cecilia Rodriguez Aragon brings to life her exhilarating and inspiring journey from shy, fearful daughter of immigrants to champion pilot for the US Aerobatic Team in her memoir, Flying Free. Henna Hundal went into action to promote collaborative research between the leaders of various countries to evaluate their responses, successes, and failures by co-founding the Bridging Borders Project.Communicate, Collaborate, Innovate. Resilient!

Hosts Siri Phaneendra and Andrea Smith welcome Trends without Ends reporter Jack Pawlakos with his riveting report on the healing trends for year, especially during Covid-19 including music therapy and timing of light and biology of the human body. In the face of spiraling rates of burnout amongst physicians and other health care professionals, Dr. Greg Hammer created GAIN, a four-step, proven path to personal resilience and happiness. He describes the GAIN method (an acronym for Gratitude, Acceptance, Intention, and Nonjudgment) and offers remedial therapies for burnout in his new book, GAIN without Pain: The Happiness Handbook for Health Care Professionals. Dr. Hammer emphasizes the importance of choosing optimism and positivity during these challenging days. The newest reporter to join the Express Yourself! team is Jay Jackson, a thirteen-year old athlete with his segment titled Jay’s Sports World. He discusses how professional basketball has returned in a bubble. Wear your masks!

Teen hosts Andrea Smith and Siri Phaneendra are joined by ebullient and talented cast members from the new Sean McNamara (Soul Surfer) directed film, Mighty Oak: Tommy Ragen (his music inspired the screenplay), Gianna Harris, Rodney Hicks, and Ben Milliken. Mighty Oak is the story of a band manager who struggles after losing her brother/lead singer in a fatal car accident while traveling to a gig. A decade later, she meets a 10-year-old music prodigy named Oak, played by Tommy. The cast talks about the deep chemistry between the actors that evolved during shooting that was transformative and magical. The discussion includes views on reincarnation, music, high school experiences, and the business of acting. It’s a hopeful, healing, and touching movie for the entire family to enjoy…especially enchanting during this time of sheltering-at-home. Enjoy Tommy’s songs on this episode.. Blue Crush www.mightyoakthemovie.com Official Trailer: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ba40pACGBZ0

Most decisions we make are in fact centered on our finances. Katelyn Darrow and Andrea Smith host a program focused on financial literacy. Katelkyn shares her experience with getting her first credit card and student loans. She advocates to talk to elders to learn more about financial resources. Whitman Ochiai is the producer of the Money Ed Podcast, a financial literacy podcast aimed at young people that strives to impart valuable financial management skills. Whitman explains to Andrea and Katelyn that strong financial literacy can drastically improve one’s success in life and it is important to gain these financial skills at a young age. As a teen, one’s financial priorities should be establishing a Roth IRA, getting a job, and saving as much money as possible so that they can best take advantage of the power of compounding interest. The hosts read the chapter, The Gift of Financial Literacy by Heather Brittany from the book, Be the Star You Are!® for Teens by Cynthia Brian.

Katelyn Darrow and Andrea Smith address climate change, Coviid-19, and the ecology effects of what’s happening in our world. Katelyn shares that a positive result of Covid-19 has been that nature is beginning to heal itself. Firefighter, storyteller, and author Hersch Wilson talks about how to stay safe during these horrendous fires and other disasters in the USA. His book Firefighter Zen tackles the value of life. Life is short, grab it, and live for today. He advises rising above the calamities to find joy in daily living because everyone suffers. Learn to be brave, asking oneself “what is the bravest thing we can do?” Hersch encourages us to stop the negative self-talk about failing. His mantra is to help people through the confusion and suffering. It is in service to others that we find fulfillment and inner peace. Andrea, a competitive swimmer and water baby, talks about how climate change is altering patterns of weather and water around the world, causing shortages and droughts.

Survival can be highly dramatic, worthy of the front pages. It can also be ordinary, something we do daily almost without taking notice. Hosts Katelyn Darrow and Siri Phaneendra tackle the topic of survival and wilderness training. Katelyn shares her experiences as a solo female backpacker. She advocates the importance of preparedness whether hiking, camping, or backpacking to thrive survive in the wilderness. Siri and Katelyn interview author Carren Strock about her middle grade chapter book, Secret Survivors, a gripping story about children trapped and struggling to stay alive when a blizzard hits the mountains of Colorado. This powerful story, showcases kids using their ingenuity and working together to survive during a treacherous storm. Carren also discusses writing and explains how she developed her other fascinating books. The hosts read, The Gift of Survival, from Cynthia Brian’s awarding-winning book, Be the Star You Are! 99 Gifts about surviving a deadly historical firestorm.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the word “rise” more than 20 different ways, both as a verb and a noun. Hosts Andrea Smith and Siri Phaneendra interview 16-year-old singer-songwriter-musician, Isolde Fair with her poignant new song nominated for Hollywood Music in Media Award, “Rise.” A collaboration between Isolde and her multi-talented parents: her mother, the esteemed pianist and composer Starr Parodi, who co-wrote “Rise” with Isolde; and Jeff Eden Fair, Isolde’s father, who co-produced it with Starr. Andrea and Siri read The Gift of Community from Cynthia Brian’s award winning book, Be the Star You Are!® 99 Gifts for Living, Loving, Laughing, and Learning to Make a Difference. To be served, we must first serve others. To belong, we must first accept. In the segment, In the Spotlight, Andrea highlights the courage and activism of John Lewis rising to build community. Look at the communities of your life. Are you adding to the brotherhood and sisterhood of society? RISE!

The root of conflict and distress starts with failed leadership. Recent high school graduate and host Siri Phaneedra was awarded UC Berkeley’s Leadership Award and became an Alumni Scholar at the Cal Alumni Association. She talks about her leadership roles as a teen and then interviews Joan Ramirez, author of Let it Go, Let if Flow Leadership. Joan states that the most important virtue for a leader is humility. Learn from mistakes. Her book will give those in search of leadership positions an insight into people who’ve earned their stripes. It will also teach them the most important step in moving forward: Letting go of past mistakes–at any age. In the Spotlight reporter Andrea Smith offers an inspiring segment focused on our inner leadership powers to increase love and kindness in our world. The key to being an effective leader starts deep within yourself. There are no limits to being human when we express our best versions of ourselves. Be a transformational, fearless leader.

Express Yourself!® ventures to the music mecca of Liverpool, England as Siri Phaneendra interviews actor and rap artist, Royzy Rothschild. His two new singles, Falling featuring Ettie Jayne and House of Cards featuring Lotty are played during the broadcast and available on all the streaming platforms. Royzy writes inspirational lyrics that were born from personal life experiences. He believes in helping people and shares his insights on what it takes to be a successful musician in a very difficult. He watches a motivational video before beginning each which is a lesson in discipline, passion, and purpose. A favorite memory is playing a concert where he forgot his lyrics, yet the entire audience remembered and sang to him. Also on the program, Siri discusses the various Indian musical modalities and reads The Gift of Music by Jack Pawlakos from Cynthia Brian’s book, Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers Celebrating Gifts of Positive Voices in a Changing Digital World. Great music

The history of the world is a result of storytelling over the ages. Long before the written word, oral histories were passed down through the generations. His story. Her story. Arjin Claire and Andrea Smith host this episode as part of Super Smart Sundays. They interview poet/speaker Traci Neal who shares her journey from bullying at school to discovering her abilities to inspire and motivate youth through her poetry and speaking. They also read the chapter, The Gift of Storytelling by Cynthia Brian from the book, Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers Celebrating Gifts of Positive Voices in a Changing Digital World. In her segment, In the Spotlight, Andrea focuses on the positive aspects of this pandemic in the creativity it has evoked with writing, musical endeavors, and art. Both she and Arjin are discovering the time to be artists and storytellers. Every day offers opportunities to discover a new story. We are all the writers, producers, directors, and stars of our own lives.

Andrea Smith takes the helm of hosting Express Yourself! Teen Radio and begins by reading the chapter about Time from the book Be the Star You Are! For Teens. She then interviews author Deborah Dolan Hunt as part of our Super Smart Sundays program to give authors an opportunity to discuss their books during Covid-19. Deborah’s book, The Visitor from 4-D by Deborah Dolan-Hunt is a light-hearted science fiction novel geared for middle-graders that is based on the time travel experiments some people believe occurred at the former Montauk Air Force Station. Deborah also discusses her work as a nurse, professor, and the writing life since she is the author of several different books. Andrea finishes the show with her segment of In the Spotlight focusing on climate change. She recently was on a boat in the Channel Islands where a pod of 1000 dolphins were playing. World biodiversity is declining.The future of our planet greatly depends on us. If destroy our planet, there is no going back.

As part of our Operation Disaster Relief Outreach Program, Express Yourself! continues to feature Super Smart Sundays. Tech industry jobs are growing fast, offering great pay, career growth, and learning opportunities. Women of color, sadly, have not been able to fully participate in this boom. Women of Color in Tech is an indispensable resource for building a rewarding future in tech. Host Siri Phaneendra interviews author Susanne Tedrick about her practical guide that will help women develop the blend of knowledge and skills needed for getting into tech--and staying there. Siri discusses her start-up, drawmylove.com, a company that allows people to create physical, short-form books, professionally printed. In segment three, a new reporter, Andrea Smith, joins the STAR Team with her segment, In the Spotlight. She discusses the role social media plays on teen’s mental health in modern times. She contends that even though we are technically more connected, we are far apart.

Have you thought about your future career? What line of work will be most fulfilling to you? And most importantly – how and what do you need to do to get there? The American public and the world has seen healthcare heroes in action, saving lives in the wake of COVID-19. There are many heroes amongst us, those who go above and beyond to make this world a better place for others. Besides expressing appreciation for the health heroes on the front lines, radio host Siri Phaneendra interviews pharmacists, authors, and educators Drs. Mary Choy and Michele Kaufman from New York City to discuss the power of reading, networking, and careers. Their love of teaching, writing, and helping others led them to publish their first book, a healthcare career guide for youth, aptly titled, “Healthcare Heroes: The Medical Careers Guide.” The duo tells us what it’s like to work in the healthcare profession and offer insights for youth to set personal goals that will benefit them for their future.