Skip The Repeat

Annie Dorsen applied to the Yale School of Drama on a whim. Annie and Kai talk about being the daughter of one of the most prominent civil rights attorneys of our time (3:45), feeling lucky to not have jumped into the rat race right away (21), and the impact Europe's contemporary theater scene had on her (24). They also discuss what exactly "algorithmic theater" is (32:20), and what she fears about the rapid spread of information technology (49:30). 

Toby Appel was actually Kai's very first guest on Skip the Repeat. Toby and Kai talk about growing up on a chicken farm in New Jersey (12:12), quitting high school and the Curtis Institute of Music in succession (25:30), and how he first became interested in cooking (39:12). They also discuss his mindset of not being too attached to things (45:42) and his many interests and how those play into his music career (53:04). 

David Krauss is obsessed with espresso. David and Kai talk about what kept him going during the three years of college when he wasn't making much progress (16:15), becoming a father at the age of 25 and how that transformed his mindset towards auditions (24:50), and quitting at one point to cook professionally (30:20). They also talk about the importance of knowing what you can't do and building on that (36), and the moment he won the audition of a lifetime (47:50). 

Thu Pham loves slow jams. Thu and Kai talk about her family coming from Vietnam as refugees (3:18), how she found the educational organization 12PLUS and how it gave her life a purpose (27:20), and how in the world she ended up becoming a coffee roaster (35:35). They also discuss the reason she focuses on coffee beans from Vietnam (43:45) and how she wants to contribute to a new Kensington, a place many consider the "Heroin Capital of the East Coast" (50:30).   https://www.capheroasters.com/

Joep Beving is very, very tall. Joep and Kai talk about how he spent one year in music school before he quit (6:40); the growing sense of alienation he felt from reality and how his friend's death changed everything for him (13:45); and the shock of discovering his homemade album had reach 85 million streams (21:40). They also discuss what exactly "reality" means to him (30:20) and the idea of presenting truth through social media (33).  

Anthony Roth Costanzo loves hosting people for dinner. Anthony and Kai talk about his fitness company, Epulse (6:20), the insane story of how he became the first non-Asian person to perform in Japan's Kabukiza (21), and how starting out in community theater made him realize the importance of relationships (30:40). They also discuss how to create win-win situations and how he got Tilda Swinton and Raf Simons to collaborate with him (39). 

Kirsten Kaschock loves helping her students find their path. Kirsten and Kai talk about the enormous student debt issue (12), how being an artist is directly connected to self-education (16), and why she was embarrassed to talk about her numerous degrees for so long (22:10). They also discuss novels revealing their path (37:50) and art as a way of life and not necessarily a way of earning a living (55). 

Daniel Kellogg loves time-lapses. Daniel and Kai talk about his friendship with Chris Brubeck, son of legendary jazz pianist Dave Brubeck (9), how he ended up at the Curtis Institute of Music (23:50), and the wild story of how he became President of YCA (28:25). They also discuss the opportunity to shape who society thinks classical musicians are (37) and the toxicity of "success" (51). 

Paola Prestini loves to box. Paola and Kai discuss the time she applied to Interlochen, a boarding school far from home, without telling her mom (12:05), struggling in her 20s to figure out how to make a career out of being a composer (16:06), and being motivated by doubters (21:50). They also talk about the one meeting about National Sawdust that changed her life (36:50) and not listening to people's opinions (46). 

Maria Shaplin never thought lighting design could be a career. Maria and Kai talk about being part of the punk movement and what she gained from it (6:50), what made her stay in theatre after a humiliating moment (8:40), and the concept of selling ourselves in the performing arts (16:15). They also discuss privilege and realizing class consciousness as a child (33:30) and the hilarious and unfortunate events surrounding a prop dynamite (54:40).   

Kyle Clark and Dinita Clark are the founders of Just Sole! Street Dance Theater Company. They discuss with Kai how they were introduced to dancing through Saturday morning house cleaning (5:30), never thinking about dance as a profession before college (14), and how a one-off hip hop class changed their life (21:30). They also talk about their struggles after graduating (37:15), being driven by faith (38:30), and how they guide their students through obstacles (50:45). 

Miyachi is trained in classical piano. Miyachi and Kai discuss his transition from classical piano to hip hop (3:30), being from the Upper West Side and what that means (8:25), and how his rough year in an upstate New York college convinced him that he needed to change his life (13). They also talk about how he stumbled into his unique style of rapping in Japanese and English (18:15), their purpose as Asian American entertainers (27), and how his friend's death propels him to this day (39:15).  

Shannon Maldonado is a Cancerian. Shannon and Kai talk about how she put pressure on herself to succeed from an early age (14:25), how losing her first job at Tommy Hilfiger almost immediately after getting it was a valuable lesson (23:40), and the process of getting into the consumer's mind to design for them (31:40). They also discuss how YOWIE started as a Pinterest board (37:15) and what gave her the confidence that YOWIE would succeed (51:10).  Subscribe to the newsletter here! 

Tony Bui loves classical music. Tony and Kai talk about growing up in Silicon Valley and how his father's video stores ignited his passion for film (8), how his first trip back to Vietnam changed his life trajectory (17), and what he wanted to achieve for Vietnam through his film, Three Seasons (30:40). They also discuss where his self-belief came from when faced with obstacles in making the first film shot entirely in Vietnam after the war (38) and their shared admiration for Anthony Bourdain (49).  Subscribe to the newsletter here! 

Randall Goosby is half black, half Korean. Randall and Kai talk about his love for Halloween candy (6), their respective mothers' surprising connection (7), and how meeting his mentor Itzhak Perlman changed his life trajectory (11). They also discuss his thoughts on his own racial identity growing up (21:30) and the biggest part of his support system: his mom (26).  Apple Podcasts! Spotify! YouTube! Subscribe to the newsletter here! 

Andrew Yee makes beautiful latte art. Andrew and Kai talk about being half Chinese and their family history (1); Andrew's mom's hearing loss and being able to play music for her (3:40); and how they fell in love with coffee (12). They also discuss their unique approach to jobs (15) and what drives them in music and beyond (29:40).   

Emily Ting knows lots about plush toys. Emily and Kai talk about her mother's decision to come to the States and bring her kids (6:11), the decisions that led her to film school (13:50), and the truth that she learned at NYU (20:50). They also discuss her spending ten years working for her father's toy company in Asia, which inspired her newest film (22), and how her perspective on what it takes to be a filmmaker shifted after that move (44).  LIVE show: skiptherepeatlive.eventbrite.com/?aff=Kai

Michele Lockhart loves to ski. Michele and Kai discuss working as a civil and environmental engineer and feeling stuck (9), how much Michael Pollan's works have influenced her life (10:10), and how Nosh Bars was never intended to be a business (18:20). They also talk about discouraging moments and what kept her coming back (30:07), and lessons that she's learned from operating Nosh Bars (43:24). 

J'Nai Bridges can still ball out on the court. J'Nai and Kai talk about being from the beautiful Pacific Northwest (3), how basketball was at the center of her life growing up (7:28), and the incident that changed everything for her (8:05). They also discuss how she came to terms with rejection as a part of the music business (27:30).  Join us for a Live taping of Skip the Repeat on November 14th in NYC! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/skip-the-repeat-live-with-kai-talim-and-randall-goosby-tickets-75336843527?aff=Kai

John Holiday knows he is supposed to be a good human being. John and Kai discuss how the church was a big part of his upbringing (10:02), how his grandmother influenced his style and personhood (14:25), and what made him so sure that he was a countertenor, despite starting off college as a tenor (23:30). They also talk about the reason he waited until his 25th birthday to come out to his grandmother (26:15), and the important lesson he shares with all of us dealing with toxic relationships (36:25).