Coming up April 1st at 9:30am - Casey Reitz, President and CEO Segerstrom Center for the Arts talks about Segerstrom Center for the Arts Celebrating 40 years of the arts. A new residency. A new initiative. A sustained commitment to arts for all.

Media Alert for Monday, March 30 at 4:30pm

Segerstrom Center for the Arts | Samueli Theatre

Arturo O’Farrill multi-GRAMMY‑ Award® Winner

Named Inaugural Artist in Residence

Performance by O’Farrill, plus Announcement of

Expanded Commitment to Hispanic and Latino Arts and Culture

Casey Reitz, President and CEO of Segerstrom Center for the Arts shares:

 “As we celebrate our 40th anniversary and honor the extraordinary legacy built by Henry Segerstrom, we are equally focused on the future,

embracing bold artistic voices and expanding the ways we engage

the diverse communities that call Orange County home.

Initiatives like ¡VIVA! The Spenuzza Series, made possible

through the generous support of the Spenuzza Family,

help us bring a wide range of Hispanic and Latino artists

and traditions to our stages and classrooms.”

A new residency. A new initiative. A sustained commitment to arts for all.

WHAT: Segerstrom Center for the Arts Celebrating 40 years of the arts

Multi-GRAMMY‑ Award® Winner Arturo O’Farrill Named Inaugural Artist in Residence

Plus Expanded Commitment to Hispanic and Latino Arts and Culture for 2026-2027 season

The Center unveils its Inaugural Artist in Residence and the new ¡VIVA! The Spenuzza Series --

followed by an intimate performance from O’Farrill, Q&A, and reception.


The announcement is part of a broader cultural initiative at the Center,
with programming across music, dance, theater and education that
launches 40th anniversary season.


WHERE: Samueli Theater, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 615 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa


ABOUT: The ¡VIVA! The Spenuzza Series celebrating 257 Years of California’s Hispanic Heritage, builds on the Center’s longstanding relationships with artists and communities throughout Southern California. This brings together internationally acclaimed artists, community collaborations, student programs, and cross‑-genre‑ performances designed to engage audiences of all ages while highlighting the many artistic traditions that shape Hispanic and Latino cultural expression. Together, these programs form a growing platform for Hispanic and Latino artistic voices at the Center.

Widely recognized as one of the most influential voices in Afro Latin jazz today composer, pianist, and bandleader Arturo O’Farrill’s work bridges classical composition, jazz improvisation, and Afro Cuban and pan Latin‑ musical traditions, embodying the spirit of innovation and cultural dialogue at the heart of the Center’s expanded programming.

O’Farrill’s residency will bring dynamic programming to multiple venues across the Segerstrom Center campus throughout the 2026–27 season. Performances, new commissions, youth and family programming, master classes, and community centered‑ events will create opportunities for audiences to experience the evolving landscape of Latin music while fostering deeper connections between artists and the community.

Joining Janeane on 4/1 at 9:00am - Gavin McMahon author of Story Business: Why Stories Rule the World and How They Can Reinvent Your Business

Stories move people—and people move business.

In Story Business, Gavin McMahon takes you on a journey from ancient cave paintings to billion-dollar tech unicorns, revealing how storytelling is a powerful—and undervalued—tool for driving business success. Drawing on vivid examples of the rise and fall of real-world companies, McMahon exposes a timeless truth: It’s not the best ideas that win, but the best-packaged ideas.

From shaping strategy and launching products to leading teams and building culture, McMahon shows that storytelling isn’t just a marketing tool or a way to dress up facts—it’s a force that transforms ideas into catalysts people can see, feel, and rally behind. In this book, you’ll explore six essential genres of business storytelling—value, product, brand, sales, leadership, and culture—each with practical tools to help you connect, persuade, and inspire. You’ll learn how to shape a compelling hook, turn numbers into narratives, and rally teams around a shared vision.

If you’ve ever tried to spark change or rally a team—only to be met with blank stares—this book is for you. It’s about breaking through using the same skill humans have relied on for tens of thousands of years: telling a better story. With his signature straight talk, Gavin McMahon cuts through corporate jargon to reveal the fundamental truths of storytelling. Minute by minute, Story Business will teach you how to captivate, persuade, and lead—all by telling stories that stick.

Brandon Jay, co-founder of Altadena Musicians Foundation, called in to share an update on the incredible musical impact his organization has made since 2025 - replacing lost instruments and albums to those who lost everything in the Eaton and Palisades fires.

LISTEN

to today's show with Brandon Jay

About Brandon Jay

Brandon Jay has been playing drums since he can remember. His mother would lay out pots and pans and other household items for him to bang on – similar items can be found in his percussion basket today! A giant comb, a bicycle wheel, a couple slide whistles, too. Having been the heart and soul of many bands through the years (Lutefisk, Miss Spiritual Tramp, The 88), his piano playing led him to begin writing music and ultimately fronting the circus-like Quazar and the Bamboozled. Shortly after he and Gwendolyn Sanford met and began writing and producing music for preschoolers known to many as Gwendolyn and the Good Time Gang. The Good Time Gang pioneered the tot rock music scene in Los Angeles which ironically, led Jay/Sanford to compose the score for the popular Showtime series Weeds. Weeds led to harder stuff (namely prison) in the Netflix original series Orange is the New Black. The two are taking to the stage as they’ve written music/lyrics for Romy and Michele the Musical opening this fall Off-Broadway at The Shubert Stage 42.

They lost their home and recording studio in the Eaton fire. In the wake of that, Jay started the foundation Altadena Musicians which has gotten over 1500 instruments and over 1300 albums back into the hands of those that lost theirs in the Eaton and Palisades fires.

When not recording or performing live, Jay enjoys listening to the ringing in his ears.

VISIT www.altadenamusicians.org for recent news,
press and up-coming events!

Donations of instruments and funds are always welcomed!

Joining Janeane LIVE on KUCI this week... Samyuktha (Samyu) - Mental Health Advocate and Accessible Design Creator

LISTEN
to today's show
with Samyuktha (Samyu)

https://www.letsinspireart.com/

Instagram - @inspire.art28.

Coming up March 18th @ 9:00am - ADULT BRACES by NYT bestselling author, acclaimed columnist, and executive producer Lindy West

ADULT BRACES

DRIVING MYSELF SANE

Listen to today's show with Lindy West

In New York Times bestselling author Lindy West’s ambitious memoir, she brings readers along on an uproarious cross-country road trip as she unpacks her last few tumultuous years, rediscovers herself, and reinvents her marriage in the process.



Through Shrill—the book and then the Hulu series—Lindy West became an inspiration. To this day she is stopped on the street and hailed as a beacon of empowerment by women who felt badly for not conforming to a narrow set of societal norms—thin, straight, compliant. But behind the scenes, Lindy never felt like she was the self-actualized woman fans made her out to be. When she found herself in the throes of a deep depression, with her marriage and sense of self-worth hanging in the balance, she knew she needed to make a change.

In ADULT BRACES, Lindy shares the story of her rock bottom, and of the journey she took to claw her way out of it. With her trademark candor and sense of humor, she examines her post-Shrill emotional implosion, her shifting feelings about traditional marriage, and her search for her long-lost self. She also tracks the highs and lows of her journey, from eye-opening natural wonders and kitschy roadside attractions to lackluster tourist traps and campground epiphanies.

The result is an engaging and laugh-out-loud narrative of becoming as Lindy transforms from a passenger into the active navigator of her own life.

"West blends her signature sharp wit with endearing vulnerability in this luminous memoir. . . The result is a madcap, rewarding journey that demystifies the unsexy work of self-actualization."

-Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW


"Amid the humor [in Adult Braces] are moments of great insight, many clearly born of keeping a careful eye out. . . A well-realized, candid memoir that reveals an unconventional approach to life."

-Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW


“West is best known for her humor and sharp wit, and Adult Braces has much of both, but it also offers a lovely, unexpected sweetness.”

-Book Page, STARRED REVIEW



ABOUT THE AUTHOR



Lindy West is the author of three books: the New York Times bestselling memoir Shrill as well as the essay collections The Witches Are Coming and Shit, Actually. Lindy is a former contributing opinion writer for the New York Times and her work has appeared in This American Life, The Guardian, Cosmopolitan, GQ, Vulture, Jezebel, and others. She is the co-host of the comedy podcast Text Me Back and the author of the e-mail newsletter Butt News. Lindy was a writer and executive producer on Shrill, the Hulu comedy adapted from her memoir, and she co-wrote and produced the independent feature film Thin Skin. She lives on the Olympic Peninsula in rural Washington state.



Advance Praise for ADULT BRACES


"West blends her signature sharp wit with endearing vulnerability in this luminous memoir. . . The result is a madcap, rewarding journey that demystifies the unsexy work of self-actualization."

-Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW


"Amid the humor [in Adult Braces] are moments of great insight, many clearly born of keeping a careful eye out. . . A well-realized, candid memoir that reveals an unconventional approach to life."

-Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW


“West is best known for her humor and sharp wit, and Adult Braces has much of both, but it also offers a lovely, unexpected sweetness.”

-Book Page, STARRED REVIEW



"Lindy is doing the kind of naked self-examination that most people are too chickenshit to do even under the guidance of a trained therapist, and somehow also manages to make it hilarious? All killer, no filler."

-Samantha Irby, New York Times bestselling author of Quietly Hostile


“Lindy West’s funniest, fiercest, tenderest excavation yet—a road trip through rock bottom, revelation, and the wild relief of reimagining what a life can hold. Every chapter is a gut punch wrapped in a cackle. I didn’t read this book so much as inhale it, and by the end I felt braced, bolstered, cracked open, and stitched back together.”

-Suleika Jaouad, author of The Book of Alchemy and Between Two Kingdoms


"Lindy’s writing is so generous, I feel like she’s handing over her entire heart and inviting me to romp around in her ventricles. Nobody is funnier and nobody can describe their own foibles with more clarity. I’d shove this book into the hands of anyone else who could use a laugh on their way to learning to love themselves a little more."

-Lisa Hanawalt, creator of Tuca & Bertie


“A memoir more tender, hilarious, disarming, tear-inducing, complicated, human, and unf*ckwithably real than I expected. And this is Lindy West, so let’s be honest — I was expecting a lot.”

-Angela Garbes, bestselling author of Essential Labor


About Grand Central Publishing

Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group, reaches a diverse audience through hardcover, trade paperback and mass market books and e-books that cater to every kind of reader. Our imprints are GCP Balance, Forever and Forever Yours, Grand Central Publishing, Legacy Lit, and Da Capo.


About Hachette Book Group

Hachette Book Group (HBG) is a leading US general-interest book publisher made up of dozens of esteemed imprints within the publishing groups Basic Books Group; Grand Central Publishing Group; Hachette Audio; Little, Brown and Company; Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Orbit; and Workman Running Press Group. We also provide custom distribution, fulfillment, and sales services to other publishing companies.

Our books and authors have received the Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award, Caldecott Medal, Newbery Medal, Booker Prize, Nobel Peace Prize and other major honors. 

We are committed to diversity in our company and our publishing programs, and to fostering a culture of inclusion for all our employees and authors. We are proud to be part of Hachette Livre, the world’s third-largest trade and educational publisher.

Gen Z Tech Breaks & “Phone Booth” Trend - Janeane shares insights into the need to take tech-breaks and connect IRL

Gen Z Tech Breaks & Showing Up IRL
Gen Z (born ~1997–2012) is leading a shift toward intentional disconnection from technology. Despite being the most digitally native generation, they are more likely than others to actively reduce screen time.
Why Gen Z Is Taking Tech Breaks

LISTEN to Janeane's segment 

Mental health: Reduce anxiety, overstimulation, and “doomscrolling”


Focus: Improve productivity and attention span


Real-life connection: Prioritize in-person experiences over digital ones


Burnout from constant connectivity

 How They’re Doing It
1. 📱 Switching to Simpler Devices = Using flip phones or “dumb phones”
          Limiting access to apps, social media, and notifications

Trend sometimes called “dopamine detox”

2. 🎞️ Returning to Analog Tools


Digital cameras instead of smartphones


Paper planners, notebooks, printed books


Vinyl records, CDs, and other retro tech

👉 Goal: slow down and reduce digital dependence


3. ⏳ Scheduled Disconnection

Screen-free hours or full “offline days”


Phone-free meals, social events, or travel
☎️ “Boomer Phone Booth” / Landline Revival
🧱 What It Is

Gen Z is recreating old-school landline-style phone use:


Keeping phones in one fixed location at home

Using docking stations or “phone corners”

Only accessing phones intentionally (like a landline)


🔗 Extreme Versions

Physically mounting or chaining phones

Creating DIY “phone booths” or stations

🧠 Why It Works


Reduces impulse checking

Adds friction to phone use

Encourages mindful, intentional interaction

👉 Key idea: If the phone isn’t always on you, you’ll use it less
⚖️ Bigger Cultural Shift

Gen Z is not anti-technology—they want:

Control over their attention

Healthier boundaries with devices

More intentional tech use


🌀 Key Insight

This is the first generation to:

Grow up fully online

Then actively push back against constant connectivity

🧭 Bottom Line

Gen Z is redefining tech use by:

Taking regular digital breaks

Embracing simpler, analog tools

Physically limiting phone access (like landlines)

👉 The goal isn’t to quit technology—it’s to use it on their own terms.

Coming up 3/11 at 9:30am - Judith Berg – Screenwriter (Hallmark Channel)

LISTEN to today's show featuring Judith Berg

About Judith Berg – Screenwriter (Hallmark Channel)

Judith Berg is an American screenwriter best known for her work on a number of Hallmark Channel original movies, often collaborating with her sister Sandra Berg. Together, the Berg sisters have penned a series of beloved romantic and heart‑warming films for the network, contributing to titles such as Love on the Sidelines, A Dash of Love, Christmas Next Door, All Summer Long, The Wedding Veil series, and The Wedding Cottage.

Her scripts are celebrated for capturing the spirit of classic Hallmark storytelling — warm, uplifting, and centered on connection and romance — and have helped bring a variety of feel‑good stories to television audiences. Through her writing, Berg has become a recognized contributor to Hallmark’s signature slate of romantic dramas and seasonal favorites.