A Podcast for Creative People

Ep.71 | Dante Cope Returns - GRAMMOTONES Grand Opening & Creating Cultural Spaces

Dante Cope returns to discuss the grand opening of Grand Rapid, Michigan's newest business and cultural space, Grammotones.

Grammotones is located at 120 S. Division in Grand Rapids, MI, and it is part clothing store, part music store, all cultural space. You can shop, listen to records, enjoy beautiful art, and pick up high quality used clothing as well as new clothing from local brands both big and small.

(You can also buy a copy of my book there!)

We talked about a lot of things and a lot of people. If there's something you heard about that you want to know more about, all the links are below.

Email Grammotones for inquiries: info@grammotonesmusic.com

 

 

• Dante’s World of Winter Ghost Town app in the App Store
• GR's go-to DJ: Adrian Butler aka AB
• Sir Manley
• "Library" by LILEL (ft Dante Cope) on YouTube
• LILEL on IG
• Artsauce Quartet on IG
• Travis Treadway (music/art)
• Sango
• Lady Ace Boogie
• George Eberhardt (muralist)
• Anthony Carpenter (illustrator)

My sincere apologies if I missed anyone. You're all amazing, creative people and we're lucky to have you in this world.

Be creative, be kind, and take care of yourself.

-CT

Ep.70 | Tara McCrackin - ”Crisis President” of Kendall College of Art & Design

Nothing is impossible if you have dreams, ideas, and a willingness to work towards them. And my guest, Tara McCrackin (president of Kendall College of Art & Design (KCAD) AND vice president of Ferris State University), has an inspiring creative journey which showcases that.

She shares a bit about what her school has coming up, then we dive into her professional background, how she became a teacher, and how she then became president of a college just before the pandemic. Some cool and wild stuff.

Check out Tara and KCAD:

Tara's school profile

KCAD homepage

Tara's (short) bio:

Tara McCrackin was named President of Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University (KCAD) in the spring of 2021. She concurrently holds the office of Vice President of Ferris State University. Her design career began in 1997, working in corporate office interiors. She designed spaces for Steelcase, Inc., and was the lead designer on the initial WorkSpring in Chicago, Ill., a co-working space incorporating state-of-the-art technologies and focusing on hospitality in the corporate environment. Pursuing her passion for sustainability, President McCrackin had the pleasure of working on the Rackspace Headquarters space in San Antonio, Texas. Most recently, she worked on the interior for the Kids’ Food Basket building in Grand Rapids.

Ep.69 | Adam Truckey (AJT Design) - A Figure-It-Out Mindset

After this one, this idea will resonate with you: You can figure it out; it's only over when you quit.

Whether or not you're an engineer, thinking like one can help you as an entrepreneur, a creative, or just as a person. Adam Truckey's story embodies that. Adam is an engineer who successfully started his own business, AJT DESIGN, centered around something he's passionate about. But it wasn't all downhill. Listen for the ups, downs, challenges, and lessons learned along the way.

If there's something in this world you love and/or love to do, go for it. Keep figuring it out and moving forward!

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FOLLOW MY GUEST

Adam Truckey

WEBSITE: www.ajtdesign-llc.com

INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/ajt_design

. . .

FOLLOW THE HOST

Christopher Tallon

WEBSITE: www.christophertallon.com

INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/tallonwrites

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/tallonwrites

ALL OTHER LINKS: linktr.ee/tallonwrites

 

Ep.68 | Trohpy Husbands - new music video! (”PINK”)

This one's a fun listen that will inspire you to call a buddy and make something silly together. Kirk Ross (host of our brother podcast, A Talk in the Attic, and one half of Trophy Husbands) and Christopher Tallon (host of Creative Ops, and the other half of Trophy Husbands) talk about Trophy Husbands' latest music video, "PINK"--now out on Youtube--and what goes into collaboratively making music (and music videos).

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Look for Kirk's next podcast episode about his Electric Forest experience. It will be on A Talk in the Attic's YouTube page, follow them on Instagram and Facebook, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you download them thangs.

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For info, visit www.christophertallon.com. For links, try my linktr.ee.

Thanks everyone. MWAH!

Ep.67 | Dr. Lester Efianayi - Eyes, Athletics, & Diversity in Medicine

This was a fun and fascinating conversation. We start with eye training and vision therapy as possibly the next big evolutionary step in athletic achievement. Starting out on the east coast with parents that immigrated from Nigeria, Dr. Lester has since given up his shoulder pads for a lab coat, which, ironically, may have greatly extended his career in professional sports.

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Check out Dr. Lester Efianayi (ee-fee-ah-NIGH-ee) on Instagram: @eyesdontlie.vt

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For all other things show/host related, go to www.christophertallon.com

Ep.66 | Trino - Magic in the Golden Age of Entertainment!

"Trino the Magician" is the coolest. A super nice guy, talented, ambitious, and laser focused. You're going to want to get up and go do something cool after you listen to this. And you might have an itch to see a magic show.

If so, check out www.trinomagic.com for info on Trino's monthly show "AMAZE & AMUSE", as well as anything else he might be up to. If you're the social media type, Trino is @trinomagic on most platforms.

Also check out Luc's Light, a youth music and arts foundation set up in memory of Trino's brother.

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Thanks for stopping in. Go to www.christophertallon.com for more on the show and its host, check out Christopher Tallon online @tallonwrites on social media, and make sure to read and review his novel Switchers.

Go be creative!

Ep.65 | Abbey Hunter - Death & Coffee

Abbey Hunter is the owner of The Mortals Cafe + Confection in Grand Rapids, MI. They serve Vietnamese coffee drinks (as well as popular American coffee drinks) with an overall theme of death. They host grief groups, death talks, as well as a number of other regular and one-off events.

Visit The Mortals online, then visit the store at 111 Division Ave S, Grand Rapids, MI 49503.

Follow The Mortals on Instagram and Facebook. Do it before you forget and die.

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Keep up on the show by following its host, Christopher Tallon, on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter. Check out Tallon's novel, Switchers, on his website.

Bye!

Ep.64 | Jason Tieri - Podcaster Extraordinaire

Jason Tieri (TEER-ee) is a podcaster from west Michigan. Actually, he's kinda my podcast mentor. (And beard guru.) He got me into podcasting. Hear what it takes to start a podcast, some techy stuff, some how-to, and us just kickin it. 

This was a fun one, especially if you're a podcaster, you're thinking about podcasting, or you just like a peek at how it's done.

(Recorded in the Hey Guys Media Group studio. Click the link to learn more about them and their podcast services!)

Ep.63 | ZERO - Reigning Beat Battle Champion (Woo!!!)

ZERO is a fantastic beat producer in Grand Rapids, MI. His energetic performances are mesmerizing. I liken watching him play his drum machine to watching Stevie Wonder play the piano. Those performances, coupled with award winning music, are a can't-miss.

Follow ZERO on his Instagram @zerodgaf to keep up with what's going on and to see some examples of his performing and musical abilities. He's on Twitter and Facebook as well, if you're not into the whole Instagram thing.

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Thanks for listening. Check out more show stuff, listen to some original music, and take a gander at my time travel novel at www.christophertallon.com.

Follow me on IG, FB, Twitter, & TT: @tallonwrites

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Shout outs to Dante Cope, Wuzee, Beatrat, and DJ Phazer.

Ep.62 | Jody J Sperling - Author of ”THE 9 LIVES OF MARVA DELONGHI” & Host of TRBM

Jody J. Sperling came on to talk about creative stuff, including (but not limited to) his amazing novel, THE 9 LIVES OF MARVA DELONGHI. It's a story in a time loop, with a lot of cool characters, murder, booze, murder, psychopaths, murder, sacrifice, and...MURDER! Some characters die. A lot. It's a lot of fun.

Jody also hosts a podcast called TRBM, he has other books, and you can find out about ALL of it at www.jodyjsperling.com! (Buy his books there!)

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Thanks for listening. Go to www.christophertallon.com for more podcast info, or to check out Christopher Tallon's novel about teens in 1996 who get in a time travel war against their adult selves: Switchers

If you're on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and/or TikTok, please follow me @tallonwrites and let's keep the creativity flowing!