Do you ever wonder why St. Louis Public Radio covers a particular concert but not an art show opening on the same night? Or a certain play but not a simultaneous music festival?
Editors are instrumental in these kinds of decisions. And we’ve got a new editor for our arts and culture team, who’s come to town with some new ideas. David Cazares (pronounced CAH-sar-ehs ) comes to us from Minnesota Public Radio, where he served as a web editor and music writer with an emphasis on jazz.
Cazares is passionate about diversifying mainstream media’s steady stream of Euro-centric coverage to concentrate more on African-American, Latino and other artists. In our latest Cut & Paste podcast, we get to know our new boss (He’s the best! Can we have a raise now?) , and how he’s likely to influence our arts coverage.
Here’s some of what you’ll hear in the podcast (besides snippets of Cazares’ favorite jazz tunes):
- On folding in more artists of color: “We’re disconnected from that audience, and that audience is very big and very important here in St. Louis.”
- About the evolving sound of jazz: “It is a living, breathing music that is modern and has incorporated elements from Latin America and Asia and India and Africa.”
- On covering visual art through the platforms of radio as well as web: “We’re going to have to experiment a little bit.”
Look for new Cut & Paste (#cutpastestl) podcasts every few weeks on our website. You can also view all previous podcasts focusing on a diverse collection of visual and performing artists, and subscribe to Cut & Paste through this link.
Follow Willis and Nancy on Twitter: @WillisRArnold and @NancyFowlerSTL
Please help St. Louis Public Radio find artists to feature on Cut & Paste. Tell us which artists and cultural themes deserve a closer look.
