House District 13 candidate Audrey Gibson

Support for First Coast Connect is provided in part by Baptist Health and North Florida TPO. Welcome to First Coast Connect. I'm Ann Schindler. Today, a race for State House, pits, an advocate, and attorney against a longtime lawmaker. We interview both this week, starting today. Later in the program, the man who literally wrote the book on how to succeed as a choral singer takes over as director of the Jacksonville Symphony Chorus. We ask him about upcoming auditions and the season ahead. But first, From her years serving in the Florida House and Senate to her unsuccessful bids for Jacksonville Mayor and City Council, Audrey Gibson has acquired more campaign experience over three decades than almost anyone in state politics. She joins us now to discuss her current race for Florida House District 13. Audrey Gibson, thanks for being here. Oh, it's my absolute pleasure. Thank you for having me. Well, I'm very glad to have you. We should note we will have Ms. Gibson's opponent. in the primary on the program Wednesday. That's fellow Democrat Leslie Jean-Bart. And if you have a question or comment for Audrey Gibson, you can join the conversation on air by calling 904-549 2937 or emailing First Coast Connect at wjCT.org. So, Audrey Gibson, this is a role you have served him before. We mentioned that you have had many years of elected experience, including as a state representatives. Why should voters send you back to the statehouse? Good morning. Thank you so much for having me. I think you already named some of the reasons, and that is my experience at this treacherous time, which I will call it. I am a dedicated servant to the community and to the district. I know the needs very well. I attend a lot of events still. And I have not lost contact with even some of my former colleagues who are also back in the house. I do my homework, read all my bills, and ask all of my questions on behalf of the people that I serve. And what I tell people also. districts like those across the state that are like my district because the way we make change is to connect all of the dots. And so I advocate for my district and similarly situated districts across the state. So this district is currently served by Angie Nixon. She is now running for U.S. Senate, and so she's vacating that seat. It is. a safe democratic seat. So I think we can fairly expect this race will be settled in the primary. Most people do expect that. What are your priorities? You would be going to a position you're familiar with, which is working in the minority as a Democrat. You were a minority leader in the Senate for a number of years. And in both service, you know, both episodes where you were in the House and the Senate, that party has been...

a minority party, Republican supermajority. So what do you go in with as your priorities at a time when you know the opportunities for significant change brought by a Democratic platform or perhaps diminished? I'm sorry. Towards the end of that. Can you just repeat the force? Well, I mean, ultimately what your political priorities are, but in the context that the chance of success when you are in a minority and facing a Republican supermajority, not just even if you can make friends with Republicans, but they're unlikely to pass your priorities. Maybe. Maybe not. It depends on the relationships that you build. I hear people talk some Democrats. during campaigning about working across the aisle. And so my answer to that is there are aisles throughout the chamber and there's Democrats and Republicans on each side. So if that's, if you're talking about working with Republicans undercover, then that's something different. I work the chamber. I work the chamber. It's not about an aisle. It's about contacting members of the body and letting them know what your priorities are and how they can be helpful. I never acted like I was in the minority and I would not do that. Because my legislation and my community is just as important as a member in the majority. And so I never, I act like I'm part of the majority because I know the needs of my district. I have no fear of approaching any member. of the legislature regardless of party based on those things that I want to try to accomplish for the people that I serve. I'm very forward. I read every single bill and every single analysis. So I always do my homework first, and that way I have a better edge in the very beginning of getting to the point where I want to be. I think you have a reputation of somebody who is willing to compromise and to work with people of both parties or all parties, as it were. And that can work to your advantage when you're in the legislature. On the campaign trail, it can sometimes be seen as a hindrance. And I'm asking in particular because the person who currently holds the office, Angie Nixon, has endorsed your competitor. She has earned a reputation. I think Angie Nixon of somebody who is. very outspoken. She hasn't had a great deal of success, perhaps, with some legislative initiatives, but she has earned a reputation for a voice of the community. I want to know what your feeling is about her tenure, her success, whether you would emulate her style at all, or whether you would try a different approach. I'm going to talk about me.

I never served with Angie, so our representative, Nixon. I know her in the community, but we were never in the legislature together. I have my own style that I think I've been successful over the years, including as leader. As a matter of fact, we could stop some things procedurally. because of my efforts in the Senate, because we had, I got us to 17 where we could stop some things in, in the Senate. As for how I operate, I guess, you would say, I attend a lot of events all the time. I'm always somewhere listening to people and the way I respond to, to. things that I believe are adversarial to my community is different from maybe Angie or somebody else the way they respond because I always use the legislation that is in front of me that I made my notes on the night before and wrote my questions on the night before that's I study and so I'm always ready. We're talking to Audrey Gibson about her bid for State House District 13. We've got a call from Tom at NASJJax. Good morning. Tom, go ahead. Good morning. Thank you for your interview, ma'am. And my question is, where is District 13? I did hear you mention Orlando, but I understand that boundaries have been redrawn. Are you somebody that I in Jacksonville here on the... on the west side would vote for. So if you can please tell us exactly where District 13 is, I'd appreciate it. Very good question, Tom, and it's probably something I should have asked already. But describe for us the boundaries of District 13. This is sort of northwest-ish and west Jacksonville. It's more, yes, north and then it goes west. So if you think about... West Side. Let me use an example. It's like, it's a, if you know, Randy White's district is 12. So he goes on city council. Yes, going towards Baldwin in that area and Crystal Springs Road in that area. And then there's the middle, which is Montcrieff area, north, I would say it's north. And And then we talked about the west side and then downtown, towards downtown and Rivers and Riverside. So if you're looking at a clock and you're in downtown, it's sort of like 10 to noon or 9 to noon, kind of that area loosely. Yeah. And maybe a little towards one o'clock. And a little towards one o'clock. Well, so describe your district. I mean, what are its needs? Who are your constituents if you're elected? The, um. The constituents are diverse. But I call the district a tale of two cities, really. So you have parts of Riverside, Avondale, where resources and money is. And then there's north where there are not a lot of resources.

It's northwest and east where resources are starting to come. And so how do you serve a district that needs diverse? What do you prioritize when you're talking about people who are in a fairly affluent area versus people who are in a very kind of resource-strapped area? Well, and I think the needs are, well, the needs are different. So obviously in wealthier neighborhoods, there's not so much need for things. There may be need for attention to business or they may have issues that are not food oriented or housing oriented. And so there's a difference in what their priorities would be. as opposed to, and not even health care, because health care is a big issue for me. And so the needs are different. The issue, though, that drives my brain a little bit crazy is that the mixture can diminish the needs of those who are less fortunate. And so... It's a navigating, a navigating thing. So what kind of legislation would you aim to bring as a priority? Give us an idea of a piece of legislation you would introduce. Well, I'm always focused on health care. And that legislation would certainly deal with on the Medicaid side. Like expanding it? For folks, yes, who need health care and they need medications at reduced costs and access to doctors or nurses. And so what do you do with that when we know that this legislature is, you know, clearly opposed to expansion of those federal programs. Well, it doesn't mean you don't, you don't try, and maybe there's a different way you go at it, if I can say it that way. So I was able to get... along with a colleague from Orlando, well, she was in the Households and Senate, funding for maternal and infant mortality to the tune of over a million dollars between the two of us sharing because Jacksonville and Orlando have the highest rate of infant mortality in the state. And so it's, it's you, what I understand are the nuances of members and of parties. And I work that to my advantage. I don't sit and pout. I will approach any member of the legislature about any legislation I want to do for the people that I serve that may be different from the people that they're serving. I may ask for an amendment to their legislation. Tell them I really need this. And there's probably some folks in your district who really need it. So if you would.

Take these three little words and stick them in your bill. I may not be able to vote for it in the end. If it's so egregious, I cannot. But my language would be in it. If you're just joining us, we are talking to Audrey Gibson. She is running for State House District 13. It's the seat currently held by Angie Nixon. She faces Leslie Jean Barr in the primary, the Democratic primary. If you'd like to join our conversation, you can give us a call on air at 904-549-2937, or you can email comments or questions to First Coast Connect at WJCT.org. I hope I answered the gentleman's question. Yes, I think we did. The financials in this, I want to ask you a little bit about there's not a ton of money in this race, but you are, at least according to the most recent financial reporting, lagging your opponent. Leslie Jean-Barre has raised about $34,000. You've raised about $24,000. But it's interesting because neither of you have spent very much money. You've only spent... you know, maybe less than $7,000, according to the last report. So why are you hanging, are you hanging on to your money? Are you waiting for something? What's going to happen with that money? Are we going to start to see in this last, you know, couple of weeks more activity in terms of flyers or ads or other efforts? I'm very strategic when I use the funds that I raise based on data. neighborhoods, what's happening in Jacksonville and across the state. And what is that strategy? Well, look at the numbers, look at the neighborhood, look at past results, all of those things tell the story of targeting. And today, there's also the... communication with text messaging or email. So it helps to better diversify how you can contact individuals. So I've been a pretty good amount of literature. And I understand how to use the funds to do what I need to do in the community. I've never been a big fundraiser, ever. We mentioned, you know, your tenure in the legislature, but you also ran for mayor. And that was a race that you were the other Democrat, Mayor Donovan, won that race as the second Democrat. There was three Republicans in that race. And I want to ask you about your decision not to endorse. Once. once the first kind of, as it's known in Jacksonville, this jungle primary where everybody's running all parties against one another. And then there is this general election where two candidates move forward. In this case, it was Daniel Davis, who's a Republican, the head of the chamber, and Democrat Mayor Deegan, now Mayor Deegan. And you did not, you kind of stayed neutral in that race.

No, I never paid any more attention to it after I got out. So there was no meeting about any endorsement. There was no request about an endorsement. So it didn't occur to me. I just. Got done and moved on. I mean, you're not just somebody who happens to be a Democrat. You know, you've run for the Florida Democratic Party chair seat. You chaired the Duval Democratic Party. So you're fairly steeped in Democratic politics. I think it's fair to say that when somebody doesn't win the nomination or doesn't move to the runoff, it's fairly common for someone of one party to endorse their party colleague. And not remain neutral. I didn't remain neutral. I didn't. The race was over for me. So I just went along with my everyday life. But chose not to endorse the Democrat. It wasn't a, it wasn't a, it wasn't a thing I even thought about. I didn't. Hmm. You went on to work for the mayor. She hired you as chief of grants in her administration and left under some controversy. There was a couple of poor performance reviews from the mayor. And then you sort of left abruptly. Actually, every day was a little bit of hell because of Anna Brochet, her CFO. Her chief financial officer. Yes. Seems that I could do no right. I understood what that was about because I was never wanted there. Explain that. When I started at the city, it was Karen Bowling that gave me a buzz and asked about coming on board, but it wasn't at first the Grant's office. It was a different office. I can't remember what it was. And so I believe that Ms. Roche had some angst about that. And so every day was different. Every day. You were accused of creating a toxic work environment, which I think it's just important to at least ask you about that, how you work with other people, whether you are an amiable colleague when it comes to a setting like that. I'm indeed. amiable. That's been my entire life, obviously, part of it as a member of the legislature and part of it from my previous years of work experience, as a paralegal, as an investigator. So I have no problems. working with folks. The problem is the environment that was created in that office. And you think that environment was created not by you, but by other people? People, other people, most definitely. When you're not particularly wanted somewhere, some folks will do anything they can to try to get rid of you.

So we have an email from Paul. He says, Ms. Gibson is so low key and speak so slowly. This interview is hard to listen to. It's hard to imagine she can create the energy to motivate voters. I have not heard any compelling information from her yet. So let's ask you about that. How do you compel voters? Do you bring enough enthusiasm to this to seek this role? Well, we're talking radio. I'm not very animated when I'm talking on radio and trying to keep my... my mouth with the mic. Perhaps folks should go back and look at my history and my debate and my questions. We're on radio. We're not in the chamber or in a committee meeting. Do you act differently when you're in the chamber or a committee meeting? I would definitely say so because I'm very active. I go visit folks, too, to talk about their legislation. I don't have to be abrupt or extremely animated to get the job done, which I have done before. All right. We've got a call from Jackson. In Murray Hill, good morning, Jackson. Go ahead. Good morning. Good morning. Senator Gibson, I just wanted to, first off, point out, you did indeed serve with Representative Nixon in the legislature. There was about a two-year overlap in your terms. But currently, it would seem to me that you're receiving some support from Representative Kim Daniels. And she's made some controversial comments in the past about slavery and taken some very anti-LGBQ positions. And in this district, you have some of the most LGBTQ-centered communities. Do you support the positions that Representative Daniels have taken? Thank you so much for your time. Good question from Jackson. I don't know the positions that Representative Daniels has taken. If I serve with her, I don't remember serving with her. You're talking about Angie Nixon? Yeah, he asked me about. Well, he said that you overlapped with Angie Nixon, but then he asked you whether you share Representative Kim Daniels' positions on the LGBTQ community. I think it's fair to say that she has been, I mean, she's pretty well known for being a fairly conservative, religious, and not especially LGBTQ-friendly lawmaker. I think that's pretty well known. I served with... Kim Daniels? If it was in the legislature, she was in the House. So we served, we may have served at the same time, but we didn't serve in the same chambers at the same time. So I did not follow.

Kim Daniels' career. What is your position on LGBTQ rights or servicing that community? Do you have any position on, you know, like, for instance, the HRO when it passed here in Jacksonville? Did you support it? Were you advocating for it? What is your position on the erasure of the crosswalks, the rainbow crosswalks in Florida, and the DOT crackdown on bridge lightings, for instance? I don't find any issue with bridge lighting or rainbow crossings or expressions of any community of people. every person in their place and whatever their opinions are, their lifestyle is, continues to be a human being, and they have rights as well. So I haven't focused on any particular legislation that... denied rights of LGBTQ community or if we had some that enhanced, I'm supportive. I mean, Florida has become a fairly, seen as an unfriendly place for the LGBTQ community. I mean, there have been, you know, nationwide notices that have been put out about traveling to Florida, concerns about safety, you know, the whole transgender issue has become very politicized. So how do you, as a lawmaker, um, feel about this state's perception as being unwelcoming to gays and lesbians and others. And what would you do about that? I have not heard that this state is considered unwelcoming to the LGBTQ community. And let me tell you a little story. So one Christmas, My uncle who lived in Southern California came home, and he bought a gentleman with him. And when we got to my grandparents' house, my cousins and I, we all as a family would get together at Christmas. And he introduced Roy, and he flamboyantly. swung out his arm with his dashiki and said that Roy was his husband. So, and particularly the black community anyway, the LGBTQ, it wasn't called that then, has not been an issue for us. And so maybe there are other nationalities that have issues. But. The beauty salon folks were, they called them cissies. That wasn't a, you know, today we wouldn't say that. But it's not something that many of us in the community have not seen, been composed to, or accepted. So I'm on the accepting side. I'm not on the, wow, that's really, I don't know what that is side. That's not who I am. I am surprised to hear you say, though, that you're unaware that Florida is perceived as unfriendly to the LGBTQ community. I'm.

This is what I've heard for the first time. I have not heard that the entire state of Florida was not friendly to the LBGTQ community. I'm just telling you the truth. Yeah, okay. Well, I do want to ask you just a little bit about your own background coming to this. Your mom was a longtime educator, Lois Gibson. There's a building named after her at FSC's North Campus. Your father, I think you recently had a road named after him, Ernest Gibson. Just tell us briefly a little bit about kind of how your parents have influenced your leadership style and also just your politics. Because my parents were my heroes and she rose. And my brother and I both were very engaged in organizations. Some people may have heard, like Jack and Jill and things like that is the way we grew up. I went to... Ballet tapping jazz lessons. My brother played Pop Warner football, who ultimately played professional football. Remind us his name and his... Ernest Gibson. He played for the New England Patriots, even when they won one of their Super Bowl. So I grew up in a very loving family. There was nothing that my parents didn't engage us in. be appreciative of all people. And so what else do you want to know about me? I actually want to take in the time we have left a call from Brenda on the west side. Good morning, Brenda. Go ahead. Good morning. Hi, Deborah. I have not met you personally. I'm not very familiar with you, and I know you said you're out in the community. I'm also, I'm not even part of the LGBTQ community, but I'm also a little taken that you've never heard about how I'm friendly Florida is towards that demographic group of people. So that makes me... concerned about how well you are out in the community and who in the community you're talking to which leads me to my question that i ask every single candidate how are you for all people thanks brenda miss gibson how am i for all people I'm not sure I quite understand that question, but every single member of the community is important to me, regardless of who they are, what they look like. And the way I advocate is maybe a little bit different in behavior from other people. I've been very effective. I have voiced my opinion. I have brought home the resources for the community.

I've never attacked any group of people whatsoever or looked negatively upon anyone. I know how to get the job done, and that's why I'm running for the office to go back and bring some sense and sensibility to a body that should be serving the people. All right. Audrey Gibson, she is running for Florida House District 13. We're going to have her opponent, fellow Democrat Leslie Jean Barr, on the Wednesday program. Audrey Gibson, thank you so much for being here today. I really appreciate it. Thank you very much. All right. Up next, a new voice leading the Jacksonville Symphony chorus. The man who literally wrote the book on how to succeed as a choral singer now takes over as director of the Jacksonville Symphony Chorus. Here to tell us about upcoming auditions and the choral season ahead is conductor, educator, and author Dr. Tony Thornton, the new director of the Jacksonville Symphony Chorus. Dr. Thornton, thanks for being here. Thank you for having me. I'm so excited to be here. Today's my birthday, and what a great time to spend with you on my birthday. We're so sorry that we didn't have balloons and a cake. That's fine. Anyway, happy birthday. Thank you so much. Thank you for being here. So we alluded to the book. It's called the choral singer survival guide. I understand you have a second book coming out. But I want to ask you just, I mean, what prompted you to write the book? What kind of need is there in the community for people to understand? And tell us a little bit about what it offers people who read it. Sure. You know, I had done so many workshops around the country, and I kept getting the same kinds of questions. How do I improve vocally? How do I succeed in an audition? You know, those kinds of questions. And so after working with so many choirs across the country, I just thought, well, why don't I just write it all down and make a CD with exercises that will help people as they grow as a choral musician? And so it really came from all of that, really. And so I think it just offers people a very... logical way to approach how they learn music. how they grow vocally, and just some tips for, like, sight reading and improving as a musician. Yeah. One of the things that I thought was interesting that's included in the book are diction guides to the sort of five major languages that are part of many choral performances. And so that's a very specific skill, and I think something that would be very helpful to people. But you're about to conduct auditions, and we'll kind of have some specifics about that in just a minute. But so you sit through these. You know what to look for. something that people come to with an audition that is kind of almost immediately a deal breaker, that you're like, yeah, that's not going to work. I think if I sense that they're just not a team player, if they don't work well with others, it doesn't matter how beautiful your voices, it's usually going to cause issues in the ensemble. And it's all about togetherness and community in the ensemble. And so you don't want any one person to disrupt that.

Yeah, because I guess when you're in a choral setting, you don't really want to hear just one voice unless it's a solo. Yeah. I mean, the most wonderful thing about choral singing, I think anything in the performing arts, really, is this idea that you're creating something together, an awe-inspiring sound, a powerful spiritual sound that you can't just create alone. I mean, it's kind of wonderful in that respect. You have a very prestigious performance history. You have done work, I mean, very recently you've been working in Europe and Italy. You've collaborated with more than 400 choruses, which is just astonishing. You're a former member of the Westminster Choir and your voices on recordings with conductors. including Leonard Bernstein, Robert Shaw, Zubaneda. I mean, you're a very accomplished singer and performer in your own right. How is directing a chorus different from being in a chorus? Well, I think all those experiences of singing in a chorus have taught me so much about how to lead a chorus. And so you bring all of those skills as a singer. And the first thing that people hear is the sound of the ensemble. And so a singer approaching the ensemble versus someone who doesn't have a lot of singing experience makes a huge difference, especially to the amateur singer. And so I'm approaching it from that. sort of a realm of all of my singing experience, all of my performing experience. How does that help? What does that allow you to do when you're communicating with a chorus or trying to, you know, impart something to them? Well, I think, you know, I've made all the mistakes as a performer and as a singer, and so I can quickly spot what's going to help. and give directions, you know, that way. And so I'll come up with 10 different ways to say something. And one of those, one of them will resonate with the singers. And so it's all about discovering ways, simple ways, but powerful ways, to address each singer. And I'm hearing all of the returning members right now. So I'm hearing them all sing. So I'm developing a plan. Like, what do I need to do to really get them to the next level? I want to ask you about that because this current... this chorus has been directed by this same director for 14 years. Donald McCulley, he retired. But that's a long tenure. And so you're looking to make this your own and kind of bring your own stamp to it. And you're also coming in on a choral leadership that had a long tenure and also a chorus that has been around for 40 years in Jacksonville. Yeah. So how do you bring your own imprint to this body? Sure. Well, first of all, I want to thank Don for his leadership of the chorus. He's been great. And I've known him for many years. So it was, it's really nice having him here in Jacksonville.

In terms of sort of honoring the legacy, I think, you know, especially in the first year, you listen a lot and you begin to understand more about the history as you're forming a vision for the future. And so that's what I'm going to do. I mean, I think you focus really on everything that is working well, the strengths of the organization, while also figuring out ways that you can take it in new and exciting directions in the future. I want to play a little bit of a fairly well-known part of Beethoven's 9th. This is the choral ensemble part. And it is not the Jacksonville Symphony performing, but it is an indicator of the challenge that this piece of music presents. You're going to be performing it this year. So I want to listen to it and then talk to you about it. Absolutely. All right. So this is, interestingly, I mean, the chorus only performs for the last 20 minutes of the fourth movement of this. But it is known for being especially difficult for sopranos and tenors. You performed as a tenor yourself. Right. So what is it that is so challenging about this? One conductor called it a cannibalistic wonder for the voice. It is so high for the sopranos and tenors especially. Sopranos are singing softly over a number of measures, and they have to sustain that. The base tessatura is very high. And that's sort of the range, the overall range. The overall range is just really high. So, you know, you really have to train the singers to extend their range and to sing softly with intensity. And then at the same time, you have these very loud forte fortissimo dynamics that really have to carry over the orchestra in the hall. So it's, you really, in a German diction on top of that. And there's not a lot of opportunity during this for the... the performers to recover. How do you also help them just kind of protect their voice and their instrument when they're having to perform at such a high intensity level? Right. They do have a few moments here and there that they can sort of, you know, reset when they need to, but I'm always telling the singers to be aware of their breath, their alignment. You know, one of the things that I, that is important to me is, you know, the breath in each singer and singing with the full instrument, not kind of just from the neck up, but really singing from the whole body. It's a whole body experience. And I think in a piece like the Beethoven, you really have to access that. Yeah. And so that's something that is perhaps a culmination of this season. But tell us a little bit about the 26-27 season, what the chorus is going to be presenting. It's going to be a fantastic season. A busy but fantastic season. I mean, we're starting off with Bernstein and Borodin in October. Bernstein, we've just added the Chichester Psalms. And I'm very excited about that piece because I performed it with Bernstein as a student at Westminster. Wow. So I'm very happy to revisit that. And then the Borodian Pulavetsian dances. And then you'll have anything from opera choruses to holiday pops to Home Alone. Yeah. Doing that.

Messiah, of course, in December. And then we have the Beethoven and Von Williams five mystical songs to cap off the season at the end. And also very exciting this year. The chorus is going to perform a stand-alone concert in April, where we'll sing the Durafly Requiem and the Lords in Luke's Eternah. which is going to be incredibly exciting. And that will be in Jacoby Hall as well? No, it's actually going to be in a local church. Oh, neat. Yeah. So organ and chorus, which is going to be really nice. I'm excited about that. So the... The season is going to, you know, begin in, when does it get rolling? Well, we start our rehearsals in September 1st. Our first concert is in October. Okay. And so you're beginning these auditions. You've got a couple of places throughout the community. You're going to be doing them in St. Augustine, in Fernadena Beach and in Jacksonville. Right. What are you looking for? Who are you looking for? Well. First of all, let me say, I know audition is a little bit of a scary word, but I make this as welcoming as possible. And so really all we're going to do in these auditions is hear them sing to determine their range. There'll be a couple of things they prepare in advance, a solo. And then I'll have some tonal memory where I just play some patterns on the piano and they sing them back to me. So... you know, I'm looking for singers with experience. So perhaps you've sung in your high school choir, you've sung in college, maybe you're currently singing in a church choir or a community choir. Or maybe you've just moved to the area and you're looking for a choral group, you know, choral family. So those are the kinds of singers we're looking for who, again, are going to be team players, who are going to bring a lot of talent to the ensemble and dedication, who will prepare the music well because we have a lot to cover. And so if you're one of those people, I am very excited to meet you and hear you sing. And it sounds like in particular you're looking for tenors and bass vocalists. Yes. And that's just around the country. That is always an issue, tenors and bases. We have fabulous sections. We just want to augment them a little bit, especially for pieces like the Beethoven, which is a huge sing. Is there a kind of song that is best for people to prepare when they're doing this kind of audition, or do you assign things for people to prepare? Do you give them kind of something to choose from? We give them some guidelines, but I think anything that they're really comfortable singing that showcases their ability. It doesn't have to be hard. It just needs to showcase their beautiful voice. Yeah. And in terms of the tonal memory in your kind of playing and playing back, what does that tell you about somebody when they're able to do that? It just tells me how they process sound, how they hear it, if they're able to repeat it. Because, you know, it shows me a little bit how they're learning music at home. And in terms of your upcoming book, what is the...

What is the focus of that as distinct from the one that you've already published? Sure. Well, it's called choral singing for life. And it has set of two sides to it. Choral singing for life, meaning singing your entire life. And so I'll have a section about the aging voice, for instance, which was not included in my first one. Oh, interesting. And so a friend of mine and I, who's a wonderful voice teacher, is going to sort of collaborate with me on that part of the book. But it's also choral singing for life, meaning that it's so life-giving and life-affirming to sing in a choral ensemble. So there's that duality of it. Well, we're excited to have you in the role. It'll be an exciting season, I know. And we certainly wish you the best of luck. Dr. Tony Thornton, he is the new choral director at the Jacksonville Symphony Chorus. Thanks for being here. And happy birthday. Thank you so much for having me. Thank you. All right. Up next, artist and storyteller Robert Arley White steps on the local stage alone for the first time after the death of his longtime collaborator. Thank you.

Welcome back. We're delighted to be joined by actor, storyteller, longtime arts advocate, Robert Arley White. He is back in town for a performance at Babs Lab, down from the North Country, we might say. Bob, it's great to see you. Thank you so much. Thanks for having me on today. What a show. Audrey Gibson and Tony from the Symphony. And wow, this is... Really runs the gamut. I mean it. I'm excited to be a part of it. Thank you so much. And we mentioned that it was Tony's birthday. It's your birthday on Wednesday, which is the first of two performances you're doing here in Jacksonville. Right. I believe the first one, the birthday one is sold out already. They're both sold out. They sold out like... Is that right? The first show sold out in under 24 hours and the second one sold out in under 30. I cannot believe it. That's a wrap then. I guess we're just kidding. So nice to have seen you all. Right. Do tell us about the performance, though, because as we mentioned, your longtime collaborator, Charlotte Mabry, was the principal percussionist for almost 30 years at the Jacksonville Symphony. Right. She was a, you know, beloved... professor at the University of North Florida. And, you know, her loss is felt in the community, but I think particularly keen for you because you were kind of a matched set for a long time. Oh, a very long time. There is a line in a Sam Shepard play where the character says, I smell your thoughts before you think them. And that's who we were. And I was very, very, very fortunate in Asheville. the owner of the Battery Park Book Exchange and Champaign Bar asked me if I could do a couple of evenings. And so those were actually my first outings without Charlotte. And it was very interesting. And I'm glad I had those experiences before coming to do these bigger pieces here at Babs Lab. Charlotte and I met. And... We met over a conversation about how we might work together. And that first piece was the Sam Shepard piece called Tongues, a piece for voice and percussion. And we worked every nuance, every comma, every syllable, every sound, every movement. Toward the end of our time working together, it was a phone conversation. Hey, I was thinking about, yeah, and... Boom, boom, boom, boom. We were able to anticipate each other and care for each other. And so it was a mighty blessing for me to be with her in the last week of her life. And I don't know if you know this, but I'm actually working right now in my recertification in end-of-life care. And the gift of being with her during that time is something... that is still unfolding itself to me. I'm very, very lucky to have been a part of that. Well, certainly our condolences to you. Thank you. And so this is not the first time you've done what are known as raw talks. This stands for Robert Arley White talks. And they are a little raw. It's not for kids. But what is the subject of this particular two-night performance? Oh my gosh. That's such a good question. You know, I woke up a...

in early, early January, and I said, you're turning 70 this year. What are you going to do? Go on a big trip. Have a big party. Do a show. And I imagined that, you know, I would have all these things put together and I would lose 40 pounds and all of that. But so the show, this is a long wind way of saying the show is kind of amorphous, but basically the show is going to be about heroes, people who have been heroes to me. And of course, Charlotte is one of those people. Barbara Colicello, who has Babs Lab, is another one of those people. What she's done with that space and what she's done in just the last two months to raise money and to start her film salon and the things that she's doing, just really remarkable. But there have been a lot of other people, too. Yeah, she's an incredible creative engine for this city. I understand that part of this performance dates back to 1973. When you moved to Jacksonville as a senior, and you started writing a song. I did. We moved here in the summer of 73 as I was going into my senior year of high school from Honolulu, and I was bitter. But I will tell you, Jacksonville has given me everything I am and everything I have. I'm so grateful to this beautiful, beautiful place. The song is moonshine on a shoreline. I am drifting away. The light that you once had for me is fading. That's the opening lyric of the song. And that's the name of this show, moonshine on a shoreline. We're going to talk a lot about the moon, about heroes. And, yeah, the talks are raw, but they're never rude. So don't be scared. You were, you know, theater director at Theater Jacks for... 50 million years. Yeah, you directed over 50 plays there. You directed the Cultural Council for more than 14 years as the executive director. And I just want to ask you, because arts are very much in a funding predicament right now. And the Cultural Council, I think, is doing its best to sort of raise awareness of the return on impact. But what are your thoughts about where we are right now in terms of arts funding and sustaining? Well, you know, that budget has really popped since I left. And I had a wonderful, wonderful opportunity to come down for the Arts Awards back in May. Both of my sisters were... Because there's one that honors you. Well, yeah, one of the awards. But my sister Doris was the arts educator of the year. And my sister Liz won an award from the Beaches Area Historical Society. So it was wonderful to celebrate all those things. It feels vibrant. It looks good. I'm excited about the leadership of the mayor. And all that that means, I think because I stay in touch with the Cultural Council, the appeals for people to write and call, you can't underestimate the power of the public voice when these decisions are being made. So I know it's a very tense time, but I also have a lot of faith in the people and what they want and what they need and how to get it. Well, Robert Arley-White, Bob, great to see you. Thank you so much for coming on down. I really appreciate it. I appreciate you. Thank you. All right. And thank you for listening. That's our program. We certainly encourage your feedback. You can always send it to First Coast Connect at WJCT.org. Join us tomorrow when we meet the highway patrolman credited with preventing more than 200 suicides on the Golden Gate Bridge. I'm Ann Schindler. You've been listening to First Coast Connect on WJCT News 8999.

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