S1: It's time for KPBS Midday Edition on today's show. The arts and culture events happening this weekend. I'm Jade Hindman with conversations that keep you informed , inspired , and make you think. It's International Jazz Day , and we're profiling a local singer ahead of her live performance tonight. Then our movie critic share the films they're reflecting on as America hits. 250 plus your weekend preview. That's ahead on Midday Edition.
S2: One more.
S1: And so you're listening to the smooth sounds of multilingual jazz vocalist Allison Adams Tucker. She recorded this in Paris for the first International Jazz Day 15 years ago on this date. And how growing up in San Diego , Allison started singing before she could speak , and over the years , she's done it all pop , folk , gospel , punk and jazz. It's a genre. She sings in six different languages , and tonight she's celebrating Jazz Day with a performance at Dizzy's Jazz in San Diego. Allison , welcome and happy jazz day.
S3: Happy jazz day to you. Jade. Hi. Yes.
S1: Yes. So , listen , you grew up here in San Diego. I'm curious. Like , what are your early memories of singing and making music here ? Wow.
S3: Uh , as early as I think. I was three years old when I was in our church choir. In the children's choir. Uh , I performed in. I'm trying to remember other children. I , I was in , uh , the Nutcracker suite down in Balboa Park when I was young. Uh , I attended , uh , Santa Fe Christian High in Solana Beach and was very active in their ensemble. And we we traveled all over , up and down the West Coast. And then I left San Diego and went to Indiana to go to college and was a music minor there and started a punk band there. Wow.
S1: Wow. So.
S3: So. All right.
S1: Are you or Butler ? Neither.
S3: Anderson. University. Yes. Anderson. University. Uh , a small liberal arts private college. My parents alma mater. Okay.
S1: Okay. All right. You guys have to go. Generation after generation , I get it.
S3: It was the popular music of their time. Uh , the Beyonce and the Drake of their time , if you will. And the dance halls were buzzing with that music. And Grandma and grandpa used to sing the songs , you know , around the house. And we were a very. We are a very musical family. Uh , sharing your voice has always been something that's a norm in our family. And I grew very fond of those songs at that time. And we're talking about the the vocal songs of the Great American Songbook , the big band era. Uh , not necessarily what jazz might be today in the minds of many people , because it's such a broad umbrella. It has become such a diverse genre , it's hard to pigeonhole it into , you know , one sound. But that was the beginning of it. And then I , you know , I didn't really delve into it until later in my life , in my late 30s , when I was looking for a big shift in my career , I had come back from living in Japan as a teacher and was looking for. I wanted to get back into my music career and was looking for a lifestyle that would carry me , you know , in a healthy environment , with a strong community and an academic background. And jazz. Was that fit for me.
S1: Ah , well , you you're known for for singing in six different languages. So let's take a listen to your rendition of Jambalaya in Spanish book.
S2: Mi vida de vida by voglio. Mi vida de la vida. Si.
S1: Alison , you have such a beautiful voice. I'm curious.
S3: J that's very sweet. Um , the the language really mandates the the tone and the way that I use my facial muscles. You know , they vastly change from language to language , but then also the , the heart of , of the language itself , uh , comes out in a different way. So , you know , if I'm speaking in Japanese , my voice becomes very high. But if I speak , you know , in English , then it goes somewhere in the middle. E cuando estoy en espanol. I'm down in the lower regions of my voice. And the same thing kind of transcends when I'm singing.
S1: Very interesting. And I keep with with all of that. I mean , a key part of of jazz's improv. Um , how would you describe that process when you're up on stage improvising alongside your band ? Yes.
S3: I love to be , uh , a component for encouraging the fact that improv is life. You know , every day that we live , every moment that we live , we are improvising because we haven't lived in that moment yet. And creativity is for everyone. It's not just for a quote unquote creators. I think we are all creators. And so jazz envelops that. Uh , to another degree , you know , it requires much more preparation. You need to know a bit more about music theory. You can naturally know about music theory and be a very , uh , participant , uh , a participatory jazz , uh , improviser like Dee Dee Bridgewater. You know , she proudly professes that she doesn't she can't read music , but yet she just feels those scales and those melodies and those notes that can be sung at any given moment in a song , appropriately with her bandmates. And she is a fantastic leader , and they respect her greatly. When I'm on stage , um , there's a connection that's happening when the when the bandmates are right and when we are in the right mood , where we're carrying on a conversation with each other and , uh , we're feeding off of each other's energy. And when the energy is low , our , our music goes there. And when the energy is high , our music goes there. And and also the audience does definitely feed into the ability to really make that music and that that improvisational , improvisational language flow more freely. Right.
S1: Right. It's you're making music by ear , you know , in those situations. Yeah. Yes. I wanted to go back to your technique because I found it very interesting when you were saying that , you know , depending on which language , sometimes you might sing in a lower register or a higher register.
S3: Not that those cadences in spoken language definitely an Uh , always are expressed when you're singing a melody because , uh , as Taylor Swift has shown us with her cadence while she's singing , you know , you can be singing a sentence that you can be singing three sentences connected in a very unnatural speaking cadence , and it's appropriate. But , uh , I would say the culture and the language mandate where the sound is carried. But the technique , the more intricate technique , uh , the way that I use my vibrato or don't use my vibrato , uh , changes according to the language. So like , in Brazilian Portuguese , um , they went before bossa nova movement , and bossa nova means new trend. Uh , before the new trend of the late 1950s , it was a very classical sound when when vocalists would sing music with a lot of vibrato , more what we think about with opera. But then when Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius Guimaraes came in and slowed down the samba rhythm and put in vocals that beachy bossa nova vibe. Singers began to sing without vibrato or very little , and that took a lot of getting used to. For me , coming from being classically trained and singing pop , where vibrato was , you know , your way of expressing yourself and showing your riffs , your American Idol riffs , if you will , but singing without a without a vibrato. So like , um , getting.
S4: Very loud.
S3: With like a little shimmer at the end , maybe instead of.
S4: King , they like.
S3: You know , we've got lots of vibrato. Uh , so Brazilian Portuguese would would definitely change my technique in that way. Uh , Latin jazz and music of South America and Central America. Uh , the vibrato is different and the riffs are different. So you kind of just learn them as you learn. The songbooks of each of those cultures.
S1: That is so very interesting. Thank you for sharing that. Um , you've been all around the world as a jazz singer.
S3: I like to think of San Diego as a small , big town. You know where we are a thriving city with a thriving cultural community and so many things at our fingertips and , you know , a a destination spot for people from around the world. But we really do have a small town , uh , community feel in all of these little subcommunities in the music communities and the in the genres of music communities. Uh , in the art world , in , um , science , you know , there are so many areas that we have these close knit communities that are like families. And I really feel that in the San Diego jazz community specifically , but then also the music community at large , uh , you know , the San Diego Music Awards are coming up and , uh , everything that they are doing to unite the San Diego music community , I feel , has really paid off in making us connect and support each other. And I would say that , uh , the , the community , the closeness of the community really draws me to the musicians here. And then the very high level of musicianship that you can find in the musicians in San Diego , uh , is a big plus. Uh , there are so many young programs in the high schools and the middle schools with jazz programs and Gilbert Castellanos Young Jazz Lion Conservancy with , uh , these really , really talented young jazz musicians that are going on to do great things worldwide. And they're starting here.
S1: Well , listen , I know you're going to be performing tonight at Dizzy's Jazz with a live band.
S3: And I have a wonderful team that will be sharing this music with with everyone , with me. And I've worked individually with each of these people and in various ensembles over the last 20 years , but never have I had all of these people together on one stage. So I'm so , so excited. We've got Melanie Grinnell on piano , Harlee Massino on bass , Monette Marino on percussion , Joe Amato on guitars , and Tripp Sprague on sax and flute and harmonica , and Mike Holguin on drums.
S1: I know it's going to be a fantastic performance. I've been speaking with Alison Adams Tucker. She's a multilingual jazz vocalist who lives here in San Diego , and she's bringing her vocals to Dizzy's Tonight for a show to celebrate International Jazz Day. Details on our website , KPBS. Alison , thank you so much.
S3: Thank you.
S5: Jay , and have a great day.
S1: You too. Coming up on the show , we hear from our midday movie critics about their film suggestions for America's 250th. Midday edition is back after the break. Welcome back to KPBS midday edition I'm Jade Hindman. This year is the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The founding document of the United States , it promised unalienable rights , including life , liberty and pursuit of happiness. Today , our midday movies critics highlight films that they feel reflect America in different ways. Once again , I'm joined by KPBS Cinema Junkie Beth Accomando and movie Wallaces podcaster Yazdi. Welcome to you both.
S6: Thank you. Thank you.
S1: So America means you know something different , really , to each person who lives here. And the films you're picking reflect the different ways you are both sort of interpreting this anniversary. Beth , you say you've got a good starting point for us.
S7: For a change , I have a bright , optimistic film. I know I usually have the dark , disturbing one , but I have to confess , I am a sucker for what is often referred to as Capricorn. And this refers to the optimistic , sometimes corny films of Italian immigrant Frank Capra. He's one of my favorite directors , and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington uses Jimmy Stewart's young junior senator as a reflection of Capra's own idealistic view of America and what it meant. So Capra has always championed the everyman in films like Meet John Doe , Mr. Deeds Goes to Town , It's a Wonderful Life , and he really believed passionately in the values set forth in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. But he was also not blind to issues about corruption and evil. And so Jimmy Stewart's Jefferson Smith does experience some very rude awakenings dealing with corruption in the government. Yet ultimately , this is a film that you walk out of. A bit teary eyed and feeling like you just want to go out and do some good in the world. It's beautiful. It's poignant. Here's the scene with Jimmy Stewart as the fresh faced senator , and he's trying to write a bill. And Jean Arthur is his jaded , savvy secretary who is about to succumb to his idealism.
S8: That's what's got to be in it. What ? The Capitol dome I'm taking. I want to make that come to life for every boy in this land. Yes , and I'll write it up like that , too , you see ? You see , boys , forget what their country means by just reading The Land of the free in history books. And they get to be men. They forget even more. Liberty's too precious a thing to be buried in books , Miss Saunders. Men should hold it up in front of them every single day of their lives. And say. I'm free to think and to speak. My ancestors couldn't , I can and my children will. Okay.
S7: Okay. This is the America I want to have. And Frank Capra does a fabulous job of this. Jimmy Stewart's perfect. So I'm starting you guys off on a high note. And this film is actually going to be screening this weekend , Saturday at the TCM Classic Film Festival on the big screen.
S1: It's a nice fairy tale.
S9: Oh , please don't tell me that.
S7: And this is the film that made me believe in lost causes. You know , you always fight for the lost cause. If it's something you believe in , you stand firm and you fight to your last breath. And you know , that's the film that inspired me as a kid.
S1: That's good.
S6: That makes me want to run for office. I know that saying something.
S1: It really does. Well , Yazdi , surprisingly , your pick is a little darker. This never happened. So.
S6: So.
S1: Um , it stars another iconic American actor in Henry Fonda. And while not from an immigrant filmmaker , its director , John Ford , was the son of Irish immigrants. So tell us what the film is.
S6: Yes , the film is The Grapes of Wrath. The 1941 movie , which was released just two years after the publication of the John Steinbeck seminal novel on which it's based. The Grapes of Wrath has gorgeously stark cinematography from Gregg Toland , who amplifies the dark themes from the film. Toland famously went on to work on Citizen Kane the following year. The movie deals with issues of exploitation and social injustice as it tells the story of the Jones , a family of Nebraska sharecroppers who are from the Oklahoma Dust Bowl. They lose everything , and they start to make an arduous journey to California as migrant workers. And Henry Fonda plays the lead , an ex-convict who faces poverty , victimization and neglect as his family seeks any form of honest labor while making the move towards the West as migrant workers. The movie , and of course , the Steinbeck book on which it is based , ultimately makes the case that while the promise of America has always been to deliver on success and great possibility , the country has repeatedly failed those on the lowest rungs of the economic ladder. And not to make this too dark , but the film does ultimately end on a more hopeful note than Steinbeck's original book. And there is a famous scene towards the end of the film where Henry Fonda.
S8: I'll be all around in the dark. I'll be everywhere. Wherever you can look. Wherever there's a fight. So hungry people can eat. I'll be there.
S10: Wherever there's a cop. Beating up a guy. I'll be there I'll be in the way. Guys yell when they're mad , I'll be in the way. Kids laugh when they're hungry and they know supper's ready. And when the people are eating the stuff they raise. And living in the houses they build , I'll be there too.
S1: And those are both well known classics. But , Beth , you actually have something that's a little less mainstream and with a rather unique backstory. So tell us about the Black Power mixtape.
S7: I love this documentary. There's a lot of documentaries about Black Power and the Black Panthers , but this one is really interesting because it was shot in the late 60s and early 70s by a Swedish TV crew , and then it was left untouched , I think , in the basement of some Swedish television station for decades. And then it was finally edited and released in 2011. So what I like about this is that it examines the evolution of the Black Power movement from 1967 to 1975. There are people like Angela Davis , who's not only in the documentary itself , but also adds more recent commentary to it. Stokely Carmichael , Bobby Seale , Huey Newton , Eldridge Cleaver , all these people are in this film. But what's interesting is this is from an outsider's point of view. This is Swedish television looking at America at a very tumultuous time and focusing on something that the American media was not really reporting on. And when they did , they had a very kind of fixed notion of what it was that the Black Power movement was dangerous and violent. So I think it's really interesting for that perspective , and it focuses on these people and issues that are really fascinating. To see some of this footage , one person comments that it was interesting to see these famous activists in a light where they were just like sitting around with their mom on a couch talking , not just in this public kind of iconic , iconic imagery. So I want to play this one clip. It was hard to pick a clip because I wanted to pull like a clip from every minute of this film. But Stokely Carmichael was a US civil rights activist , and in the 1960s , he's the one who originated the phrase of black power. And he was with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee first , and then he also became part of the Black Panther Party and eventually devoted himself to the All-African People's Revolutionary Party and had changed his name to Kwame TourΓ©. But this is him right at this point where he was kind of changing his perspective on Martin Luther King.
S11: I think Doctor King is a great man , full of compassion. He is full of mercy , and he's very patient. He is a man who could accept the uncivilized behavior of white Americans , where unceasing taunts And still have in his heart forgiveness. Unfortunately , I am from a younger generation. I am not as patient as Doctor King. Nor am I as merciful as Doctor King.
S7: So I think celebrating America needs to include a critical eye towards how America has failed many of its citizens. We need to remember what the Founding Fathers promised in the Declaration of Independence and in the Constitution. And we need to make sure that we work harder fulfilling those promises for everyone. And I would also highly recommend Ava DuVernay's documentary 13th , which is about how the 13th amendment did not entirely end involuntary servitude. But that's also a brilliant documentary.
S1: I cosign on that one. That is a good documentary. Yazdi , you have a film that wants us to think about American enterprise and ownership.
S6: She's made so many wonderful American cinema contributions that are deeply steeped in Americana. Like her other film , Meek's Cutoff , which was set in the Oregon trails in the 1840s. The film I want to recommend is First Cow , which is set even earlier in 1820s Oregon. I personally love films which are set in the American frontier , and First Cow gives us a glimpse into very early American life that I think is somehow more realistic and more grounded that than what we usually see in our typical Western first cow tells the story of two men , one a native Oregonian and another a Chinese immigrant , and the two of them secretly procure milk from a prized cow. The first one to have been brought into their little town. They used the milk to make oil cakes that become big sellers in their local market.
S12: Fresh , oily cakes best this side of the Sandwich Islands.
S13: Don't look like hardtack or soda bread. Looks like some kind of pancake. Smells good.
S12: Ancient Chinese secret. How much ? Five ingots. All the equal in trade.
S14: Good Lord , give me another.
S15: I'll give you six ingots for that last one.
S13:
S15: Come on. Seven shells. One I ain't got. What ? What ? Hold on.
S12: Oily cake to this gentleman. We'll have more tomorrow.
S1: I'd like an oily cake.
S6: I would too. So you can see the film is fundamentally about American enterprise , but it's also about how the country's success in general has been intractable , entwined with immigrants who came to its shores for shelter and success. I know I have been one of those. The film also asks a fascinating question about ownership itself who has the right to own an animal ? What animal is given consent to be owned by a human ? In the same way that you can also ask as to what piece of land has agreed that it can be owned by those who set foot upon it. So it is an ideal that demands a lot of introspection , and I love that this sweet little film makes us think about those things.
S1: Great things to always think about. For our final round of movie picks , you both have films about the space program Yazdi you went with First Man. Tell me why.
S6: So what can be a greater realization of the promise of America than the first moon landing ? And there have been so many films about America's quest to get to the moon. I know Beth is going to be mentioning one in just a minute. The popular one that most think of is Ron Howard's Apollo 13 , which is his take on the ill fated Apollo 13 mission. And then there's also this gorgeous documentary , Apollo 11 , which is on Netflix. In fact , the big space film in theaters right now is Project Hail Mary with Ryan Gosling. But the film I want to recommend is another Ryan Gosling space film , which is First Man , which came out in 2018. The director , Damien Chazelle , fresh off of the tremendous success of La La Land , made this film about the first human to get to the moon. Neil Armstrong. What I really like about this movie is that it's not just obviously about the first man to walk the moon in July of 1969 , but the film is also notable for focusing on a more personal , humanistic look at Armstrong , the man himself and his family. I think this is a criminally underappreciated film , and it made me realize just how tenuous and absurdly riskier task it was to try and send a human in a tin box all the way to the moon , using far less technology than what we possess on our cell phones today. In this scene , Ryan Gosling as astronaut Neil Armstrong answers a question about space exploration.
S16: I don't know what space exploration will uncover , but I don't think it'll be exploration just for the sake of exploration. I think it'll be more the fact that it allows us to see things that maybe we should have seen a long time ago , but just haven't been able to until now.
S1:
S7: This is the right stuff. Tom Wolfe's book about the early days of the space program , and it's really a celebration of the men who pushed the envelope , not just the astronauts , but also the test pilots who , like , really were the pioneers in this area. And this film tackles the question about national pride and heroes during the time of the Cold War , when the space race was going on with the Soviets , and they were trying to create these American heroes. And it looks to the role of the press and politics that played into this. It's got a lot of humor , a little bit of satire , historical insights , and it's got a lot of fun , quotable stuff , too. There's you know , what Gus here is trying to say when , like , all the astronauts try to repeat his his comments. And the center of this film , though , it's a great cast. But the center of this film for me is Sam Shepard as Chuck Yeager , and he really epitomizes the right stuff. He epitomizes the bravery , the skill , the kind of heroism , but not seeking the spotlight. And here's a scene where The military is trying to get someone to go up in this plane , and they're afraid they're going to have to pay people thousands of dollars.
S8: Half these engineers never.
S17: Been off the ground , you know. I mean , they're liable to tell you that the sound barrier is a brick wall in the sky. It'll rip your ears off if you try to go through it. Yes. Me. I don't believe the damn thing even exists. Waitress.
S8: The drink. From.
S17: From. Mr..
S8: Mr..
S17: Yeager here. No , thanks for going. So , do you think you.
S8:
S17:
S18: But since , as you say , this sound barrier doesn't really exist.
S17: The Air Force is paying me already.
S18:
S17:
S18:
S17:
S1: Once again , I want to thank our midday movies critics , KPBS , Cinema Junkie , Beth Accomando and movie Wallace podcaster Yazdi. You can find this list with some additional suggestions on Beth's Cinema Junkie blog at KPBS. Beth Yazdi , thanks so much.
S7: Thank you.
S6: Thank you Jade.
S19: Still to come , your weekend preview midday.
S1: Edition is back after the break. Welcome back. I'm Jade Hindman and you're listening to KPBS Midday Edition. So every Thursday we like to close the show out with your weekend preview , which is a list of arts events on Julia Dixon Evans radar. So this week , there's art about burn zones and burn out lots of music and an exhibit where fishing meets craft. KPBS arts reporter and host of The Finest , Julia Dixon Evans , joins us. Julia , welcome.
S20: Hey , Jade. Thanks for having me.
S1: Always great to have you here. So first , let's talk about this fishing business. Um , what's going on at the minute ? Yeah.
S20: So this exhibit is called To Catch a Fish. It's curated by the Mingus own Emily Hannah , and it's pretty big. There's more than 60 individual like objects. So craft , art or functional things that are used in or inspired by fishing or like the way the humans and fish interact , like that relationship. Um , I saw a photo of some really beautiful Japanese fishing floats from the 20th century. They're made out of hemp rope around this blue and green blown glass spheres. It's really great. Um , and then also other stuff like handmade basket traps , nets and weights , and also decorative items which just have like fishing images on them or even mermaids. And they called on a couple of contemporary artists to create installations to go along with these objects. One is by Robert Lang. It's his origami koi fish , and it's made from paper that he made out of the ashes from his own home and studio that burned in the Eaton Fire in Altadena. This was last year , which was really incredible. It opens on Saturday and it'll be on view through November at Minga International Museum in Balboa Park.
S1: All right. Sounds like some beautiful art there. Another visual art exhibit on your radar is up in Oceanside , and it's called A Place to Rest. My Tired Mind.
S20: She's a Russian born Ukrainian artist who's now living in California and exhibits at Oceanside Museum of Art. It opens Saturday , and the first thing you'll notice is the flowers. Like these vivid , really impressionistic paintings completely covered in flowers and sometimes actual flowers stuck in with the paint. And this exhibit , she's focusing on fire , following Flora. So the way that flowers and plants can regrow and thrive , like actually seek out a burn zone for whatever reason , like nutrient density or this access to sunlight. And the exhibits also an exploration of human burnout. So whether individually or on this like societal collective scale , which is really fascinating to me , and the ways that we also might approach healing from that burnout , kind of inspired by those flowers. And some of the paintings look like fields of flowers at first glance , but then you notice that they're interrupted by kind of an unsettling details , like there's a bunch of people lying face down in one , so , you know , there's something disruptive going on , and the museum is celebrating this exhibit and a bunch of other things that are still on view with a reception on Saturday from 5 to 7. Tickets are $20 for the party or it's free for museum members. And then Kate Trevor's exhibit will be on view through the end of September.
S1: So very interesting. I'd be interested to see her interpretation of burn , burn out and , um , and all that. That's great. Okay , so on Saturday at the Book Catapult , it's a group reading series for small press publishing.
S20: They do it every so often. Always an incredible reading. And one of my favorite writers and editors , Aaron Birch , is touring Coming to Town. And he'll headline the reading , reading from his brand new novel called Tacoma , which is kind of like auto fiction. And the best way I can describe that is it's a novel , it's fiction , but it's extremely based on the author's life. Um , the main character's name is also Aaron , and also reading a handful of other small press authors and poets , including San Diego's own Anna Caret. This is Saturday at seven at the Book Catapult in South Park , and these are usually standing room only , so get there early if you want to see. But if you do get stuck standing room only , there will be some free boxed wine , usually in the back.
S1: You can't complain about that , right ? Well , the City Ballet of San Diego is performing two works in San Diego for the first time , including one by a ballet legend. So tell us about these concerts.
S20: Yeah , so the concert's called The Firebird , and there are two ballets being performed. One the namesake of the night as brand new choreography from City Ballet's resident choreographer Elizabeth Stritch. And it's set to Stravinsky's Firebird Suite. It's very powerful and some quite familiar. And they're also performing what they say is the San Diego premiere of work by George Balanchine , iconic choreographer. Its work from 1970 , it's called Who Cares ? And it's inspired by the music of Gershwin , and they're doing two concerts , 8 p.m. on Saturday and 2:00 on Sunday afternoon. This is a California Center for the Arts , Escondido , and tickets start at $39. Wow.
S1: Wow. Well , in music , we have a performance of two experimental indie musicians on Friday. Yeah.
S20: Yeah. So Phil Giraldi and Marguerite Brown , they're both locally based composers and artists. And Phil Giraldi has a new album coming out. It's called rural , deceased , undiscovered. He's like this ambient , experimental artist , but also like Americana tinged. And so the vibes of this music are like , think about radio static as you're driving through the desert at night , some kind of twangy guitars here and there. This is his track from that album. The track's called lifeless down a dirt Road. It's just like real nice ambient instrumental music. Marguerite Brown will also perform , who's currently a music PhD student at UC San Diego. A composer and multi-instrumentalist , it's 7 p.m. on Friday at Bernal Books and Friends Gallery in Normal Heights , and it's a free show. And while you're there , they do have an exhibit up on the walls , which is really good. It's called Paper Politics by Josh McGee. That's only on view for a couple more weeks.
S1: All right. And we have time for one more live music pick. What else is on your radar.
S20: Uh , there's a show Saturday night. This is at the belly up. It's the Wood brothers. They're this longstanding roots band , but performing with them is someone on my radar. Folk singer Songwriter Olive Klug. Their music is gorgeous , just like raw , authentic emotion , but it's bottled in this like pristine folk voice and really captivating melodies. This is their track from a couple years ago. It's called Raining in June.
S21: And all the carnival games. I will fill it only clear up the pie.
S1: It's very nice. You can find details on these and more arts events on our website at KPBS. Before we go , a recent episode of The Finest is about the rise of iNaturalist , an app where everyone can identify plants and animals and contribute data to local scientists. So before we play a short excerpt , tell us a little bit about why you wanted to share this today.
S20: You know , we were talking about this like fire following plants earlier. And one of the people in this episode who is like , named in a scientific paper as a citizen citizen scientist was exploring fire following plants there. So if you're thinking about going to that that exhibit , this might be a nice little I don't know. Pregame podcast.
S1: All right I like it. Let's take a listen.
S20: San Diego County is home to about 3000 plant species that we know of.
S22: I mean , we have so far to go yet to really understand what is around us.
S20: That's John Redmond , botanist at the San Diego Natural History Museum.
S22: And I will probably be hit by a bus or drop over dead before I can get everything named and described. There's that many species yet to describe in our region , in Baja California and in Southern California.
S20: And if we don't actually know what's growing out there , it's pretty hard to protect it.
S22: There's a lot. Yeah. We do not know about this entire kingdom that is essential for every one of us here and we're just behind. So it's going to take the public to be able to help us with this.
S20: And now the public is helping dramatically changing the field of botany with the help of a certain app.
S23: So I'm Becky Escalante , uh , on iNaturalist , I'm known as Sephora and I'm a dental assistant slash student.
S20: Some people obsess over their Spotify wrapped or maybe even their Strava. You're in sport for Becky. It's her iNaturalist. You're in review. iNaturalist is kind of like Shazam for wildlife.
S23: Last year , my year in review stats are 1730 observations , 689 species and 4385 identifications.
S20: But of her many observations , Becky had a standout one that shows how this app turns everyday people like Becky into scientists with their names cited as authors in scientific papers.
S23: It is probably the coolest thing I've ever done.
S20: Becky lives in Hammel with some of the most rugged and untouched San Diego mountains in her backyard.
S23: So I was hiking kind of behind my house at the Lawson Peak trailhead area.
S20: This was 2021. A wildfire had recently come through the area.
S23: So I was looking for some of our fire following wildflowers.
S20: Wildfires can actually create perfect conditions for flowers to sprout in the ashes. Even species that nobody knew existed in the area. And she stumbled upon a striking purple bloom.
S23: I happened to find this one phacelia. It was beautiful and big , and it caught my attention. And I kind of went off the trail a little bit and I wondering , I was like , you know , I can't quite place this one. And I thought , oh , I'll look it up later. I'll put it on iNaturalist to see if anyone else can figure that out.
S20: When Becky uploaded her observation to Inat , it crossed John Redmond's desk and caught his eye. He left a comment which was a little mind blowing for Becky , a plant enthusiast who sees John as something of a rock star.
S23: Kind of. It was like meeting celebrities like , oh my God , John Redmond , curator of botany. And he he thinks my observation is interesting. And I was like , whoa , the brain and the big guns.
S20: Becky's flower turned into something much bigger than just another observation on her favorite app. Her name and her eye net handle ended up in a scientific paper. And she's not the only one. And scientists are pretty happy about this trend because the first step to conserving the world around us is understanding exactly what's in it.
S22: Maybe this will give us that new avenue to get people really enthusiastic about plants , and keep us up to date on the biodiversity that's around us , because it's changing. So it takes people to understand what those unique things are and protect them , or they just won't be here.
S1: And that was from the finest podcast episode titled Scientists Are Still Mapping Plants How the Public is helping with an app. You can listen to the rest of the episode wherever you get your podcast. Julia. Thanks.
S20: Thank you so much.
S1: That's our show for today. I'm your host , Jade Hindman. Thanks for tuning in to Midday Edition. Be sure to have a great day on purpose , everyone.
