Arts Educators Save the World

Arts Educators Save the World

ARTS EDUCATORS SAVE THE WORLD is a new weekly podcast that brings successful artists together in conversation with their mentors. Season One guests include Lin-Manuel Miranda, Robert Lopez, Josh Radnor, Annaleigh Ashford, and more. Follow the show on Twitter @artseducators, on IG @artseducatorspodcast, and learn more at www.ArtsEducatorsPodcast.com. Subscribe today to be inspired by how these educators and mentors changed the lives of the artists... that change our worlds.

Episodes

Dan Lipton & Gena Raps

October 17, 2025 • 74 mins
Music director, composer, and virtuoso pianist Dan Lipton has performed at the White House, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, on Live with Kelly Ripa, The Today Show, PBS Great Performances, Late Show with David Letterman, and with major symphony orchestras across the country. He has also been in my life since we were 13. He even wrote the music to this podcast. So the thrill of hearing him talk with his musical mentor...
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Bradley Whitford. Yes. Bradley Whitford. REDUX

October 14, 2025 • 50 mins
We launched this podcast in Season One with a conversation between Lin-Manuel Miranda, Robert Lopez, and Ms. Barbara Ames, who was not only their mentor (and elementary school music teacher), but Erica's as well. We now end Season Two with Bradley Whitford, whose mentor (and university theater professor) was, in fact, Alek's as well. Bradley Whitford is, of course, a three-time Emmy Award-winner actor, known for his work on THE WES...
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Comedy writing with Chelsea Devantez and Anne Libera REDUX

October 10, 2025 • 64 mins
We are honored to have Chelsea Devantez in conversation with her "comedy mom", The Second City's Anne Libera, who is also the Director of Comedy Studies for the Theater Department at Columbia College Chicago. Chelsea is an Emmy-nominated TV writer, comedian, and filmmaker. She’s written on Peacock’s Girls5Eva, ABC’s Not Dead Yet, and was the Head Writer on The Problem with Jon Stewart on Apple TV+. She hosts the hit independent pod...
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Lin-Manuel Miranda & Bobby Lopez w/Barbara Ames REDUX (Part 2)

October 7, 2025 • 27 mins
Let the Storm Rage on, because You'll Be Back! It's Part 2 of our conversation with Robert Lopez, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and their elementary school music teacher, Barbara Ames, where they discuss composition, performance, and reminisce about their school's auditorium... the room where it happened.
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Daniel Pollack-Pelzner on his new Lin-Manuel Miranda Bio

September 11, 2025 • 55 mins
In this bonus episode, Erica talks with our good friend, writer Daniel Pollack-Pelzner about the myriad wonderful stories he encountered—ALL of them inspiring and ON POINT—while researching his new biography Lin-Manuel Miranda: The Education of an Artist (Simon & Schuster). EXTRA! EXTRA! Listen all about it... in this bonus episode where Erica talks with friend of the pod and author Daniel Pollack-Pelzner about his new book, Lin...
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Lin-Manuel Miranda & Bobby Lopez w/Barbara Ames REDUX (Part 1)

September 4, 2025 • 40 mins
In this episode... Wait for It... then Let it Go. Lin-Manuel Miranda (HAMILTON, ENCANTO) and Robert Lopez (FROZEN, BOOK OF MORMON) together in their first ever joint interview, sit down with their shared elementary school music teacher, Barbara Ames. The trio discuss Barbara's dedication to instilling a love of music and the arts in all her students, and we hear stories about (and long-lost audio clips from) Lin and Bobby's early w...
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Jonathan Groff & Linda Tough REDUX

August 29, 2025 • 65 mins
To round out the summer and mosey back into the school year over the next few weeks, we'll be revisiting a few of our favorites episodes from prior seasons. For any new listeners, be sure to check out our back catalogue -- we've got some DOOZIES!! In this episode, Broadway's reigning Tony-award winner for Best Actor, Jonathan Groff (Merrily We Roll Along, oh yeah, and Frozen, oh yeah, and Hamilton), and his elementary school musi...
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"Teaching Through Emotion" Episode Swap!

August 20, 2025 • 55 mins
As we gear up for a new school year, we're bringing you a special episode from our friend Betsy Burris called "Pre-school teachers have it right: Professional Love." In this episode, Betsy interviews her old and dear friend, Sarah Becker, who has been teaching and teaching teachers and directing at the early childhood level for years. They discuss a topic that has always fascinated Betsy (ever since she first met Sarah and saw her...
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Live! at Comic-Con with Gerry Duggan & Heath Corson

August 6, 2025 • 52 mins
Live and in person! Arts Educators Save the World kicks off our new series of super hero interviews, in partnership with the Comic-Con Museum, with a live recording at The Con with Marvel comics writer Gerry Duggan (X-men, Deadpool) and DC comics writer Heath Corson (Justice League, Bizarro). Listen to them discuss their creative evolution, their mentors, and how those lessons forged them into the artists they are today!
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We're at COMIC-CON!

July 31, 2025 • 52 secs
Teaser for our upcoming episode that we recorded Live at Comic-Con!!
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Eve Ewing & avery r young

July 10, 2025 • 63 mins
Sweet home Chicago! Join us for this love letter to arts education in Chicago with the amazing Professor-poet-comics-author-bookstore-owner Eve Ewing and her mentor, poet laureate and performance artist avery r. young. Arts education creates families!
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Billy Eichner & Mary Poole, Part 2

June 26, 2025 • 48 mins
Part 2 of our conversation with comedian, actor, and writer Billy Eichner continues, as we delve into how acting teacher Mary Poole’s approach to mentoring shaped all of our lives. Find Part I in your podcast feed!
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Billy Eichner & Mary Poole, Part 1

June 12, 2025 • 48 mins
It’s Billy on the podcast! This episode features comedian, actor, and writer Billy Eichner alongside guest co-host Jamie Salka (CEO of Story Pirates) as we talk with the college acting teacher we all shared: Mary Poole. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, it’s better than Cats.
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Erica & Alek Chat #4

May 28, 2025 • 31 mins
Part 4 of our ongoing mini-series "Erica & Alek Chats," where our hosts take a deep dive into a specific aspect of arts learning-and-teaching from Erica's book, How the Arts Can Save Education.
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Wendy Goldberg & Molly Smith

May 8, 2025 • 76 mins
What does it take to be the Artistic Director of a major theatre company? And how do you recognize someone’s potential to succeed in this kind of a leadership role? You will not want to miss the answers to these and other questions about leadership in theatre in our conversation with two grandes dames of the American theatre world, Molly Smith and Wendy Goldberg!
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LIVE! From NCECA! In SLC!

April 21, 2025 • 57 mins
Live! from the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts it’s AESTW!!! Erica and Alek traveled to Salt Lake City for a live recording at the NCECA conference with VETART Executive Director Steve Dilley and ceramicist and navy veteran Reginald Green. Our audience was moved by Reggie’s story of transformation and identity-making through ceramics… and now you can bear witness!
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Blue Sky Episode Swap!

April 7, 2025 • 58 mins
Dropping in our feed today is an episode from our friends at Blue Sky. Bill Burke and the Optimism Institute host conversations about positivity, including this gem with Vanessa Cooksey about her optimistic take on the future of the arts, the vital role that artists play in our communities, the joys of arts education. Onward together!
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L. Steven Taylor & Dr. Lisa Mitchell

March 25, 2025 • 70 mins
On today’s episode we journey through the amazing arts education program Disney Musicals in Schools with Broadway star L. Steven Taylor (Mufasa in "The Lion King") and Dr. Lisa Mitchell (Director of Education, Disney Theatricals). This team of artists and educators works in elementary schools across the US to bring musical theatre joy to students everywhere!
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Erica & Alek Chat #3

March 14, 2025 • 37 mins
Part 3 of our ongoing mini-series "Erica & Alek Chats," where our hosts take a deep dive into a specific aspect of arts learning-and-teaching from Erica's book, How the Arts Can Save Education.
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Who ARTed? Episode Swap!

March 3, 2025 • 13 mins
In this episode, we're sharing a story from our friend Kyle Wood, host of the delightful podcast "Who ARTed?" Kyle is a National Board Certified Teacher with 17 years experience in public schools, and his show is meant to be accessible for anyone interested in art with a focus on fun facts that are appropriate for listeners of all ages, so it's totally safe to listen with your kids! Katsushika Hokusai is best known for The Great Wa...
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