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

Sharif Bey & Bill Strickland REDUX

December 22, 2025 • 47 mins
One more from the vault! This one is producer Doug's favorite Season 1 episode. Bill Strickland is the founder of Manchester Craftmen’s Guild and Bidwell Corporation. He's also a MacArthur Fellow. Sharif Bey is an artist and professor, whose work is focused on the visual heritage of Africa, Oceana, and contemporary African American Culture. He's also the winner of The United States Artist fellowship. Bey got his start at Strickla...
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Rachel Axler & Jim Shepard REDUX

December 12, 2025 • 55 mins
This week we're bringing back another episode from the vault for some of our new listeners! On this episode, we talk to an Emmy-award winning writer from “The Daily Show.” We talk to a writer from “How I Met Your Mother,” one from “Parks and Recreation,” one from “Veep,” and one from the deeply under appreciated “Bored to Death.” We also reconnect with a friend from our high school with the singing voice of an angel. And what do...
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Erica & Alek Chat #5

December 2, 2025 • 33 mins
Part 5 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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Mizha Lee Overn & Jeffrey Mosser

November 20, 2025 • 70 mins
On this episode we celebrate all things Midwest with Chicago-based actor and comedian Mizha Lee Overn and her mentor, Milwaukee Repretory Theatre’s Director of Training, Jeff Mosser. Mizha’s experiences at Milwaukee Rep launched her into a successful professional life as an actor – join us to hear how that happened and celebrate the power of the understudy/overstudy as a mentorship relationship that’s crucial for young artists! 
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SNL's Cecily Strong with Mary Lou Rosato REDUX

November 10, 2025 • 46 mins
One of our favorites from the archive... The incomparable Cecily Strong!! Fresh off her search for signs of intelligent life, soon to once again be live from New York, Cecily sits in conversation with Mary Lou Rosato, her CalArts acting teacher – the kind of acting teacher every artist dreams of having. As they talk sonnets, Lady Macbeth, and sketch comedy, you'll be very glad we started this conversation with her at our party.
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Kurt Squire & Mickey Raphael

October 29, 2025 • 66 mins
Ever wonder how musicians who don’t go to music school learn to play? Professor of video games and informatics Kurt Squire gives us the gift of his mentor, the greatest living harmonica player Mickey Raphael and their virtual mentorship relationship. You will not want to miss hearing how Mickey has played with everyone from Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson to U2 and Snoop Dogg, and how he has taught everyone from our friend Kurt to ...
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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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