The Ampersand

When words become you: Julie Carr

After reading a poem out loud, we hope you've had the experience of inexplicably welling with emotion. Be it joy, grief, adoration for beauty or those emotions harder to describe, we've found these literary experiences can dramatically alter our points of view. But why? What in tightly written pieces of prose causes us to shiver with goosebumps, weep or smile ear-to-ear? Julie Carr is an award-winning poet and activist who has authored seventeen books of poetry, prose and translation, and on today's episode she delves into the way poetry and written words can transform their readers. Julie also explores the manner dance has influenced her writing, continues to show up in her art and influenced her most recent collection titled Underscore. 
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Buy Julie's newest collection, Underscore.
Learn more about Counterpath.
Read more about Julie and her work.
 
Original music composed by Nelson Walker.
Recorded at Interplay Recording and Multimedia.
Written and produced by Erika Randall and Tim Grassley.
The Ampersand is a production of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder.
 

The Ampersand NYC: Coming Oct. 22 to Peoplehood in Chelsea

The Ampersand is bringing ANDing to the Big Apple! Join Erika and Producer Tim for an evening of networking and nostalgia at the first roadtrip version of Arts & Sciences CU After Work. We're busy in our ANDer's Workshop whittling experiences and games to complement our keynote discussion (with mystery guests) about the essence of ANDing.
Save your spot!
Details:
Oct. 22, 20246:00 – 8:30 p.m.Peoplehood's Flagship109 W. 17th St.New York NY, 10011
Cost is $35 per person. A portion of the registration fee supports A&S student scholarships.
Light dinner, wine, beer and beverages will be served.*Space is limited.
Thank you to our host, Elizabeth Cutler, for opening up the space in Peoplehood for the event! 

Love what was. Live into what will be: Francois Baptiste

Nostalgia can be tricky business. Love of the past can lead to a slowing stasis of the people we are/were or our refusal to let relationships evolve. But remembering places and experiences can fill us with warmth or teach us to live into our respective nexts. Today's guest beautifully threads that balance. Francois Baptiste is co-founder of the company 3DEEP Productions, and he has built a successful career in the music promotion industry. At the same time, he is keenly aware of his past experiences' effect on that path. Today's episode is filled with glorious recollections of Boulder in the early 1990s—the budding Hip Hop scene, shows at The Fox and after-parties with the University of Colorado as the nexus—but Francois notes the lessons he learned that spurred him to stretch beyond these city limits and stay at the forefront of innovation and creativity.
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Learn more about Francois' company, 3DEEP Productions.
Original music composed by Nelson Walker.
Recorded at Interplay Recording and Multimedia.
Written and produced by Erika Randall and Tim Grassley.
The Ampersand is a production of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Dance down the street like you own it: Tin Tin Su

Today's guest owns that dance. Tin Tin Su is an intellectual force, whose research on tiny fruit flies led to fresh discoveries and innovative approaches to radiation therapy for those living with head and neck cancers. While she offers us a snippet of her work in the lab, Su spends today's episode discussing the childhood experiences in Burma and India that shaped her worldview, her interest in the U.S. and a leadership style that still finds space to dance.
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Learn more about Tin Tin Su's research and the Su Lab.
Learn more about Tin Tin's company, Suvica.
Tin Tin's latest NIH Biosketch.
Tin Tin's publications on NCBI.
Learn more about the Woodstock School.
 
Original music composed by Nelson Walker.
Recorded at Interplay Recording and Multimedia.
Written and produced by Erika Randall and Tim Grassley.
The Ampersand is a production of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder.

ANDing brain evisceration: Ava Altenbern

Over our years, we've collected quite the stories of A&S students at the University of Colorado Boulder living out the alchemy of ANDing. Their experiences perpetually nudge what we suppose our students can experience—opportunities that reach for the boundaries of the profound and even the obscure. Our guest today, Ava Altenbern (art history, biochemistry '24), puts the unexpected on full display. From an internship at a Colorado morgue to her bubbly optimism while navigating death to searching for her art style to an honors thesis on riboswitches, she delves into the manner these interests wove together and shaped how she views a world she is thrilled to step into.
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More about Ava's current work with NIAID and the Ivanovic Lab.
Original music composed by Nelson Walker.
Recorded at Interplay Recording and Multimedia.
Written and produced by Erika Randall and Tim Grassley.
The Ampersand is a production of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Tenacity fused with patience: An interview with Aba Arthur

Tenacity is often portrayed as acting with a confident, if insensible inevitability. Characters like Creed's Donnie Johnson, Selena and even Jack Sparrow of The Pirates of the Caribbean barrel into adventures filled with long odds and only slightly wavering determination. While their stories are wrapped within a film's tidy two-ish hours, how can we maintain the same level of drive when our plot lines extend out months, years and even decades?
Today's guest, Aba Arthur, found that happy medium in her pursuit of a Hollywood career. While the list of roles in her film credit continues to grow—The Color Purple, Wakanda Forever and Respect to name a few since 2021—Arthur discusses on today's episode how she pursued and found a deep self-belief that this pathway she chose was right and worthwhile. 
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Follow what's new with Aba on Instagram @abathegoddess.
Original music composed by Nelson Walker.
Recorded at Interplay Recording and Multimedia.
Written and produced by Erika Randall and Tim Grassley.
The Ampersand is a production of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Coming soon: Season Three of The Ampersand

Coming as soon as that tantalizing ice cream truck jingle, we are deep in production of The Ampersand's third season. So that you need not waste time deciding between your favorite desserts, we've pulled together this season's novelties in a singular menu that offers a taste of each interview. We hope you'll love what you hear and come back for more when we debut season three later this summer.
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Original music composed by Nelson Walker.
Recorded at Interplay Recording and Multimedia.
Written and produced by Erika Randall and Tim Grassley.

Season Two of The Ampersand ... In post

Yes, this trailer for season two of The Ampersand is nine months late. But, like the Scotch that inspired Erika and Producer Tim to match the guests to their ideal labels, this one is worth the wait.
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Original music composed by Nelson Walker.
Recorded at Interplay Recording and Multimedia.
Written and produced by Erika Randall and Tim Grassley.

Weaving reciprocity with jazz: An interview with Reiland Rabaka

For The Ampersand’s final episode of season two, we have the joy of interviewing Dr. Reiland Rabaka, professor of ethnic studies at the University of Colorado Boulder and director of the Center for African and African American Studies. Dr. Rabaka is a creative and scholarly hurricane who has authored more than 17 books that span his wide interests. Like his research, today’s interview covers unbelievable and unexpected ground—from W.E.B. DuBois to the Women’s Movement, from jazz and the civil rights movement to soul sisters and funksters, from Rabaka’s upbringing in Texas to catalyzing change in Boulder, Colorado. Woven throughout is Rabaka’s deep desire to live with reciprocity and help all people discover a renewed humanity. As 2023 draws to a close, we hope you, dear listeners, breath in this gorgeous human’s words.
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Learn more about the Center for African and African American Studies.
Discover Dr. Rabaka’s research and publications.
 
Music by Nelson Walker.
Episodes recorded at Interplay Recording in Boulder, CO.
Written and produced by Erika Randall and Tim Grassley, The Ampersand is a production of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Counting back from three: An interview with Rachel Suter

Fear of failing stops many of us from tackling curiosities or opening doors on new adventures, but what if we could live without that anxiety of falling from heights? For today's guest, Rachel Suter, mitigating that fear comes down to confidence in her plans, counting from three and leaping from the (in this case literal) precipice. Suter, an undergraduate at the University of Colorado Boulder, is majoring in neuroscience and art practices, dives at Casa Bonita and for CU Boulder's club diving team, works in the College of Arts and Sciences' student government, professionally models and more. On today's episode, she discusses her desire to dabble and try interests, her "why not?" attitude and her strategies for staying calm before stepping out into the unknown.
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Check out Suter's artwork on Instagram, @rachelsuterart.
Music by Nelson Walker.
Episodes recorded at Interplay Recording in Boulder, CO.
Written and produced by Erika Randall and Tim Grassley.