September 24, 2023 • 8 mins
Are you ready to meet the artists, soulful musicians, captivating storytellers, and community champions who light up Florida? You're in the right place!Welcome to the "Sunshine State Showcase", where we meet mostly in person with the amazing folks who add color, melody, and narratives to Florida's vibrant canvas. From musicians, visual artists, to playwrights, to the folks running small businesses who make Florida sparkle. So, grab a seat, join the conversation, and let's uncover and celebrate the creative spirit of Florida together!Episode Highlights:
- Florida's Creative Core: Join me as I travel the state of Florida celebrating the artists, musicians, and storytellers that shape our vibrant cultural landscape.
- The Resilience Factor: Discover how our local talents rise above challenges, be it hurricanes, cultural shifts, and personal battles.
- Local Heroes: Let's toast to the small business owners who pour their hearts into our community every single day.
- Instagram: @SunshineStateShowcase.fl
- Facebook: SunshineStateShowcase
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
Ever been curious about the creative heartbeatof Florida? Have you ever wanted to
form a deeper connection with the creativespirits that keep our state glowing through hurricanes
at an ever changing cultural landscape.Have you ever wanted to hear the stories
of the visual artists, musicians,and storytellers and the small business owners who
are out there every day in ourcommunity giving it all to the locals.
(00:23):
But who are they? What dothey dream of? How are they tackling
huge projects through a creative lens.Hi, my name is Ashley Feller,
and welcome to Sunshine States Showcase,where every story is a piece of Florida's
colorful mosaic. I was born inBay County, and I am so proud
(00:47):
to say I am the last adying breed. I am a fifth generation
native Floridian and it's been an interestingand exciting experience living most of my life
in the Florida Panhandle. I reallydid have the best of both worlds.
I had the joy of living inthe country. I lived in Youngstown,
Florida as well as by you,George, and then when I was about
(01:08):
twelve years old, I moved toSaint Andrew's Throughout my life, I was
always looking for ways to express myself, whether that was through music or making
up stories. I spent many yearsplaying with local bluegrass bands and different kinds
of bands all over Bay County,Walton County, and eventually all over the
(01:30):
state of Florida and beyond. Andthen later on I started a solo career,
sharing my homegrown tunes with anyone whowould listen and dance and have a
good time. My maternal grandmother,Grandma Doris, was the quintessential Floridian.
She had some stories that were absolutelyout there, and they were always so
(01:53):
entertaining, and she was definitely oneof the people that made me fall in
love with storytelling. It was justwonderful to hear her go on about being
a young person working in seafood markets, how she was an oryster shucker and
Indian pass and up until the timethat she passed away within a few years,
(02:15):
she was an avid fisher. Shewould go up to the Dead Lakes
and we wa and she would goscallop in. My grandmother was a very
inspirational person, and she's one ofthe reasons why I want to keep telling
Florida's stories in this way. I'vealso been really lucky to follow in the
footsteps of Florida's great creators like WillMcClain. A lot of folks might not
(02:39):
know this, but Will McClain,who wrote Tate's Hell, he was born
near Chipley, Florida, which isright here in the Florida Panhandle, and
he traveled all over the state ofFlorida writing songs. And I would love
to do the same thing, andI would love to take you along with
me for that journey. As asinger song writer. I've played my homegrown
(03:00):
tunes all of our state and I'vemet some amazing creative people along the way.
I love attending music festivals. I'vebeen going to them since I was
a little thing. And whether I'mthere to perform, or whether I'm there
to write, or whether I'm someother kind of volunteer there, I always
just love being there with all thecreative people and having the music around me.
(03:24):
In twenty eighteen, Hurricane Michael hitBay County and that really rocked my
world and shook things up. Literally, everyone I knew from Bay County and
the surrounding areas were displaced at somepoint, and if I'm being honest,
I still consider myself displaced. Iam still looking for home. And one
(03:45):
of the most amazing things that happenedafter Michael was the cultural renaissance that happened
right here in Bay County. Itwas a really wonderful time when the community
pulled together to rebuild our town,and the artists in, musicians and the
small business owners, they took onsuch an important role during that time.
I feel like when we were justabout to hit our stride, COVID was
(04:10):
declared and a lot of that progresswas put on hold for a while.
It was like a great big pausebutton was pushed. I was actually on
the road during COVID playing music andI had to come home. And as
soon as I came home, wemoved out of our apartment that was no
longer inhabitable from Hurricane Michael. Westayed there as long as we could,
and we moved to Panama City Beach. Fast forward five months, and I
(04:34):
was hungry for a creative outlet beyondperforming. I had always wanted to do
a podcast, but like many podcasterswill admit, I didn't think I had
the time. A friend of mine, anime Thanks Annie May, gave me
some recording equipment and I started teachingmyself home recording and eventually decided if there
(04:54):
was ever a time to start apodcast, it should be while I was
in lockdown so that I could getfull attention to the project. This led
to the creation of the Saint Andrew'sJezebel podcasts, which ran from twenty twenty
till the spring of twenty twenty three. So further along in my podcasting journey
and in my career as a musician, I've met the most amazing and incredible
(05:16):
creative people, and not only BayCounty but all over the state of Florida.
So over the summer, I decidedto rebrand and expand to cover the
entire state of Florida with this podcastthat you are listening to right now.
Florida is ever changing, and Iaccept it. We have had the most
ambitious people live and thrive here inthe past, and they're killing it in
(05:40):
the present. And I'm excited forthe new generations of Native Floridians. So
it's my mission to tell the storiesand celebrate our creatives throughout the state.
Sun will be singer songwriters and musicians, They'll be visual artists, people who
work in the theater, dancers,and of course small business owners and really,
when it comes down to it,anyone who is creative and has a
(06:03):
good story and is based in Floridaand loves Florida. Florida is full of
some of the most ambitious and creativepeople I've ever met, and their stories
need to be told and celebrated.And it's my mission to take you with
me on my adventures across the stateto meet these creatives and hear what makes
them tick also how they're adding toFlorida's art scene. You can expect to
(06:26):
hear podcasts recorded in restaurants, bars, libraries, public spaces, music festivals,
art galleries, essentially anywhere folks willlet me record. The sky is
the limit. I want you tofeel like you've jumped in the car with
me and we're traveling all over Floridaand we're discovering the amazing landscapes and the
(06:48):
people. Also, wherever you're listeningto this podcast, you might notice that
there are three episodes for you tobinge. There's this solo episode. The
next episode will be with our graphicartist, Brianna Bennett. She is fantastic.
I love the design and I can'twait for y'all to see it.
(07:08):
We've recorded the interview at Floriopolis andHistoric Saint Andrews and Luke Columbus came and
took photos. It was a fantasticevening and I think you're absolutely going to
love hearing Brianna's story and seeing herartwork. Again, thank you to Floriopolis
for letting us use your space torecord. That means so much. The
following episode will be at Emvers Bistrowith playwright Nancy Hasty into Funiac Springs.
(07:33):
Did you know that one of themost prolific women in aviation was from right
there into Funiac Springs? So Ireally hope you'll tune into the third episode
in this first series of episodes we'rereleasing because our guest Nancy Hasty of Defuniac
Springs and I had a great discussionabout her. Her name was Jackie Cochrane,
(07:54):
and I really think you'll love hearingnot only in Nancy's story, but
also how she tells jack story throughher one woman's show, The Flight of
Jackie Cochrane. The next episode wasalso recorded at the Embers b Stro and
that's going to feature singer, songwriterand actor Jeremiah Campbell in his episode will
be out October the fifth, andthen the next episode is with Chef Ernie
(08:16):
of Cafe Nola and that will beout October nineteenth. So from then on
you can expect episodes to premiere everyfirst and third Thursday of every month from
here on end. Thank you somuch for joining our first episode of Sunshine
States Showcase. If you liked whatyou heard, hit the follow button and
share it around for updates and interactions. Follow us on social media on Facebook
(08:39):
and Instagram, and also our websiteSunshine State Showcase dot com. Hit the
play button on Brianna's episode, anduntil next time, keep the creative spirit
of Florida burning bright.
Ever been curious about the creative heartbeatof Florida? Have you ever wanted to
form a deeper connection with the creativespirits that keep our state glowing through hurricanes
at an ever changing cultural landscape.Have you ever wanted to hear the stories
of the visual artists, musicians,and storytellers and the small business owners who
are out there every day in ourcommunity giving it all to the locals.
(00:23):
But who are they? What dothey dream of? How are they tackling
huge projects through a creative lens.Hi, my name is Ashley Feller,
and welcome to Sunshine States Showcase,where every story is a piece of Florida's
colorful mosaic. I was born inBay County, and I am so proud
(00:47):
to say I am the last adying breed. I am a fifth generation
native Floridian and it's been an interestingand exciting experience living most of my life
in the Florida Panhandle. I reallydid have the best of both worlds.
I had the joy of living inthe country. I lived in Youngstown,
Florida as well as by you,George, and then when I was about
(01:08):
twelve years old, I moved toSaint Andrew's Throughout my life, I was
always looking for ways to express myself, whether that was through music or making
up stories. I spent many yearsplaying with local bluegrass bands and different kinds
of bands all over Bay County,Walton County, and eventually all over the
(01:30):
state of Florida and beyond. Andthen later on I started a solo career,
sharing my homegrown tunes with anyone whowould listen and dance and have a
good time. My maternal grandmother,Grandma Doris, was the quintessential Floridian.
She had some stories that were absolutelyout there, and they were always so
(01:53):
entertaining, and she was definitely oneof the people that made me fall in
love with storytelling. It was justwonderful to hear her go on about being
a young person working in seafood markets, how she was an oryster shucker and
Indian pass and up until the timethat she passed away within a few years,
(02:15):
she was an avid fisher. Shewould go up to the Dead Lakes
and we wa and she would goscallop in. My grandmother was a very
inspirational person, and she's one ofthe reasons why I want to keep telling
Florida's stories in this way. I'vealso been really lucky to follow in the
footsteps of Florida's great creators like WillMcClain. A lot of folks might not
(02:39):
know this, but Will McClain,who wrote Tate's Hell, he was born
near Chipley, Florida, which isright here in the Florida Panhandle, and
he traveled all over the state ofFlorida writing songs. And I would love
to do the same thing, andI would love to take you along with
me for that journey. As asinger song writer. I've played my homegrown
(03:00):
tunes all of our state and I'vemet some amazing creative people along the way.
I love attending music festivals. I'vebeen going to them since I was
a little thing. And whether I'mthere to perform, or whether I'm there
to write, or whether I'm someother kind of volunteer there, I always
just love being there with all thecreative people and having the music around me.
(03:24):
In twenty eighteen, Hurricane Michael hitBay County and that really rocked my
world and shook things up. Literally, everyone I knew from Bay County and
the surrounding areas were displaced at somepoint, and if I'm being honest,
I still consider myself displaced. Iam still looking for home. And one
(03:45):
of the most amazing things that happenedafter Michael was the cultural renaissance that happened
right here in Bay County. Itwas a really wonderful time when the community
pulled together to rebuild our town,and the artists in, musicians and the
small business owners, they took onsuch an important role during that time.
I feel like when we were justabout to hit our stride, COVID was
(04:10):
declared and a lot of that progresswas put on hold for a while.
It was like a great big pausebutton was pushed. I was actually on
the road during COVID playing music andI had to come home. And as
soon as I came home, wemoved out of our apartment that was no
longer inhabitable from Hurricane Michael. Westayed there as long as we could,
and we moved to Panama City Beach. Fast forward five months, and I
(04:34):
was hungry for a creative outlet beyondperforming. I had always wanted to do
a podcast, but like many podcasterswill admit, I didn't think I had
the time. A friend of mine, anime Thanks Annie May, gave me
some recording equipment and I started teachingmyself home recording and eventually decided if there
(04:54):
was ever a time to start apodcast, it should be while I was
in lockdown so that I could getfull attention to the project. This led
to the creation of the Saint Andrew'sJezebel podcasts, which ran from twenty twenty
till the spring of twenty twenty three. So further along in my podcasting journey
and in my career as a musician, I've met the most amazing and incredible
(05:16):
creative people, and not only BayCounty but all over the state of Florida.
So over the summer, I decidedto rebrand and expand to cover the
entire state of Florida with this podcastthat you are listening to right now.
Florida is ever changing, and Iaccept it. We have had the most
ambitious people live and thrive here inthe past, and they're killing it in
(05:40):
the present. And I'm excited forthe new generations of Native Floridians. So
it's my mission to tell the storiesand celebrate our creatives throughout the state.
Sun will be singer songwriters and musicians, They'll be visual artists, people who
work in the theater, dancers,and of course small business owners and really,
when it comes down to it,anyone who is creative and has a
(06:03):
good story and is based in Floridaand loves Florida. Florida is full of
some of the most ambitious and creativepeople I've ever met, and their stories
need to be told and celebrated.And it's my mission to take you with
me on my adventures across the stateto meet these creatives and hear what makes
them tick also how they're adding toFlorida's art scene. You can expect to
(06:26):
hear podcasts recorded in restaurants, bars, libraries, public spaces, music festivals,
art galleries, essentially anywhere folks willlet me record. The sky is
the limit. I want you tofeel like you've jumped in the car with
me and we're traveling all over Floridaand we're discovering the amazing landscapes and the
(06:48):
people. Also, wherever you're listeningto this podcast, you might notice that
there are three episodes for you tobinge. There's this solo episode. The
next episode will be with our graphicartist, Brianna Bennett. She is fantastic.
I love the design and I can'twait for y'all to see it.
(07:08):
We've recorded the interview at Floriopolis andHistoric Saint Andrews and Luke Columbus came and
took photos. It was a fantasticevening and I think you're absolutely going to
love hearing Brianna's story and seeing herartwork. Again, thank you to Floriopolis
for letting us use your space torecord. That means so much. The
following episode will be at Emvers Bistrowith playwright Nancy Hasty into Funiac Springs.
(07:33):
Did you know that one of themost prolific women in aviation was from right
there into Funiac Springs? So Ireally hope you'll tune into the third episode
in this first series of episodes we'rereleasing because our guest Nancy Hasty of Defuniac
Springs and I had a great discussionabout her. Her name was Jackie Cochrane,
(07:54):
and I really think you'll love hearingnot only in Nancy's story, but
also how she tells jack story throughher one woman's show, The Flight of
Jackie Cochrane. The next episode wasalso recorded at the Embers b Stro and
that's going to feature singer, songwriterand actor Jeremiah Campbell in his episode will
be out October the fifth, andthen the next episode is with Chef Ernie
(08:16):
of Cafe Nola and that will beout October nineteenth. So from then on
you can expect episodes to premiere everyfirst and third Thursday of every month from
here on end. Thank you somuch for joining our first episode of Sunshine
States Showcase. If you liked whatyou heard, hit the follow button and
share it around for updates and interactions. Follow us on social media on Facebook
(08:39):
and Instagram, and also our websiteSunshine State Showcase dot com. Hit the
play button on Brianna's episode, anduntil next time, keep the creative spirit
of Florida burning bright.
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