Improviser: on-air, onstage, & online

Frank Murphy is joined by Teresa Brittain, executive director of Friends of Literacy. Frank will emcee the East Tennessee Writers Hall of Fame induction ceremony on March 24, 2023. The event is a fundraiser for Friends of Literacy. Buy tickets to the awards gala at https://www.etwriters.org/awards-gala.html Teresa also makes glass beads and teaches bead-making classes each Fall at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, North Carolina. The Writers Hall of Fame ceremony used to be a luncheon. Some of the adults who learned to read at Friends of Literacy would read their essays aloud. There is now a separate event to honor the students. The Writers Hall of Fame gala is now an evening event with readings and performances by past inductees. This year’s gala will feature music performances by Scott Miller and R. B. Morris and readings by writers Alan Gratz, Linda Parsons, and Michael Knight. This year’s inductees are Catherine Landis, Betsy Pickle, Donna Doyle, Steve Wildsmith, Todd Steed, Charlie Daniel, ​Robert Cumming, and ​Ashlee Latimer. The posthumous inductees are the Everly Brothers, Brandon Gibson, Duncan Mansfield, Vic Weals, and L.E. White. This episode is sponsored by BoneZones.com (don’t forget the S). Buy books and other merchandise autographed by Body Farm founder Dr. Bill Bass at https://bonezones.com/ including the new long-sleeve Body Farm t-shirt. Frank compliments Teresa for the well-written script at the Writers Hall of Fame gala. He says that anyone could read the script but he’s really there to smooth over any unexpected hiccups. Frank recalls a time he was told to “stick to the script” at a teen talent show but he had to ignore the instructions and improvise when something went wrong. Friends of Literacy has expanded its mission to serve children as well as adults. They provide tutoring in reading, provide books to children, and teach parents to become reading coaches for their kids. There are many children who don’t know how to hold or use a book. Sign up for a 30-day trial of Audible Premium Plus and get a free premium selection that’s yours to keep. Go to http://AudibleTrial.com/FrankAndFriendsShow Find us online https://www.FrankAndFriendsShow.com/ Please subscribe to our YouTube channel at https://YouTube.com/FrankAndFriendsShow and hit the bell for notifications. Find the audio of the show on major podcast apps including Spotify, Apple, Google, iHeart, and Audible. Support the Frank & Friends Show by purchasing some of our high-quality merchandise at https://frank-friends-show.creator-spring.com Find us on social media: https://www.facebook.com/FrankAndFriendsShow https://www.instagram.com/FrankAndFriendsShow https://www.twitter.com/FrankNFriendsSh Thanks! #knoxville #knoxvilletn #knoxvillepodcast #knoxvillenonprofit #knoxvillewriters #friendsofliteracy #easttennessee #easttennesseewriters

Frank Murphy is joined by Todd Steed, who will be inducted into the East Tennessee Writers Hall of Fame on March 24, 2023. Todd is this year’s songwriting inductee. His band is Todd Steed and the Suns of Phere. Todd is also the music director and a host on WUOT. Frank will emcee the induction ceremony, which is a fundraiser for Friends of Literacy. Buy tickets to the awards gala at https://www.etwriters.org/awards-gala.html Todd and Frank have an idea to write a song about local places that not longer exist, like St. Mary’s Hospital. Todd promises to write a song called “Everywhere is Gone” in time for next year’s Writers Hall of Fame gala. When Todd turned 21, he began traveling to as many different countries as he could. He’s been to approximately 50 countries. He’s now thinking about places he would like to revisit. He’s also been trying to explore more of East Tennessee. Todd considered visiting all the major league baseball stadiums but changed his mind. Frank’s father was a New York Giants fan and he used to take Frank to Mets games when the San Francisco Giants were visiting. Todd went to a UT baseball game at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on the UT campus. This episode is sponsored by BoneZones.com (don’t forget the S). Buy books and other merchandise autographed by Body Farm founder Dr. Bill Bass at https://bonezones.com/ including the new long-sleeve Body Farm t-shirt. Todd was a writer for The Daily Beacon at UT. His editor was Betsy Pickle, who is this year’s journalism inductee in the East Tennessee Writers’ Hall of Fame. Scott Miller, a previous songwriting inductee, will perform at this year’s event. Todd plans to resume playing gigs with his band in the fall. Frank wonders how he can write music. Todd says he has more classical influences since filling in as a classical music host on WUOT. Todd knows Lithuanian writer Ruta Sepetys who used to manage Steve Vai. Steve urged Ruta to write books. Sometimes you need a friend to push you to do something like write a song or a book. Sign up for a 30-day trial of Audible Premium Plus and get a free premium selection that’s yours to keep. Go to http://AudibleTrial.com/FrankAndFriendsShow Find us online https://www.FrankAndFriendsShow.com/ Please subscribe to our YouTube channel at https://YouTube.com/FrankAndFriendsShow and hit the bell for notifications. Find the audio of the show on major podcast apps including Spotify, Apple, Google, iHeart, and Audible. Support the Frank & Friends Show by purchasing some of our high-quality merchandise at https://frank-friends-show.creator-spring.com Find us on social media: https://www.facebook.com/FrankAndFriendsShow https://www.instagram.com/FrankAndFriendsShow https://www.twitter.com/FrankNFriendsSh Thanks! #knoxville #knoxvilletn #easttennessee #wuot #knoxvillepodcast

Frank Murphy is joined by his friend Kathryn Frady. He recently recorded some See More Smokies episodes with fashion model Victoria Henley. Frank and Kathryn saw each other at Brandon Gibson’s funeral. Kathryn and her husband James spent Thanksgiving with Frank and his wife Jere. Kathryn produced Amahl and the Night Visitors at Opéra Louisiane. They will do a different Christmas opera next year. Frank saw a picture from 2013 of Kathryn in Marble City Opera’s production of The Gift of the Magi. Frank will emcee Marble City Opera’s fundraiser on Saturday at the Knoxville Botanical Gardens and Arboretum. Kathryn will sing during the event as will ten other opera singers who have performed with Marble City Opera over the last ten years. Tickets are available at https://www.marblecityopera.com/tickets Kathryn will sing in a production of Cabildo in Iowa. The opera was written by Amy Beach in 1932. Kathryn will play a ghost. The Cabildo is an actual building in New Orleans that was once a prison. Frank says he did an opera-based scene in Tuesday’s Einstein Simplified improv show. Kathryn gave her niece a backstage tour during Amahl and the Night Visitors at Opéra Louisiane. Frank likes the backstage area at the Knoxville Civic Auditorium. Frank bought a discounted ticket to the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra’s Clayton Holiday Concert. During the show, Frank got a text and a call from his home-alarm monitoring company. The motion detector had triggered the alarm. Frank’s next door neighbor was also notified because he is listed as Frank’s emergency contact. Frank contacted four more of his neighbors to ask them to look around while the police were on the way. Frank thinks the heating system might have caused the curtains to billow under the motion detector. Kathryn wonders if it could have been triggered by a mouse. This episode is sponsored by BoneZones.com (don’t forget the S). Buy books and other merchandise autographed by Body Farm founder Dr. Bill Bass at https://bonezones.com/ Come to the Rose Glen Literary Festival on February 25, 2023 at the Sevierville Convention Center for “Dr. Bill Bass - A Conversation with Frank Murphy.” Learn more at https://www.roseglenfestival.com Kathryn wants to meet Dr. Bass. She is workshopping an opera about grave robbing called Doctor & the Devils. Kathryn gave her husband a massage gun and a karaoke microphone for Christmas. Frank asks if James is a singer in addition to being an actor and director. Kathryn says James does not usually sing but he actually did sing karaoke for two hours, including David Bowie songs. Frank plays a lot of David Bowie songs on LakeFM, which reminds him that the audio podcast feed of the Frank & Friends Show is now available in LakeFM’s mobile app. https://www.lakefm.com/how-to-listen/ Jere sings with the Knoxville Choral Society. Frank attended their Fall concert at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Frank sat next to a man in his ‘80s who was visiting Knoxville. The man’s sister is also in the Knoxville Choral Society. In a matter of minutes, the older man tells Frank that he works as a jazz pianist at bars and restaurants in the San Fernando Valley. The man says that he composed the song “Spooky” which Frank knew as a song by Classics IV. The man’s name is Harry Middlebrooks. He told Frank that he had appeared on The Lawrence Welk Show. Frank relates that he once met a singer named Ava Barber who used to be on the Welk show. Harry says, “I’d love to talk to Ava! Have her call me this weekend.” Sign up for a 30-day trial of Audible Premium Plus and get a free premium selection that’s yours to keep. Go to http://AudibleTrial.com/FrankAndFriendsShow Find us online https://www.FrankAndFriendsShow.com/ Please subscribe to our YouTube channel at https://YouTube.com/FrankAndFriendsShow and hit the bell for notifications. Find the audio of the show on major podcast apps including Spotify, Apple, Google, iHeart, and Audible. Support the Frank & Friends Show by purchasing some of our high-quality merchandise at https://frank-friends-show.creator-spring.com Find us on social media: https://www.facebook.com/FrankAndFriendsShow https://www.instagram.com/FrankAndFriendsShow https://www.twitter.com/FrankNFriendsSh Thanks! #knoxville #knoxvilletennessee #knoxvilletn #podcast #opera #improv