Broad Perspectives

Errin Mendibles is the founder of Una Bella Vita Tucson, a non-profit organization offering resources and peer support to adolescents with eating disorders and their families. Errin was motivated to establish this organization when her daughter was diagnosed with an eating disorder and she discovered there was no treatment in Tucson they could turn to for help. Errin also serves on the Board of the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals Southern AZ Chapter, where she helps expand education and awareness among professionals working in the eating disorder field. Her mission is to make eating disorders a distant memory for AZ families by reducing barriers to care and building compassionate community support. the song Her by SkyDxddy was played on our music break.

In a life-saving attempt to flee El Salvador’s civil war in 1980, Dora Rodriguez was one of thirteen survivors found near death while crossing the border through the Sonoran Desert. By bravely publicizing her story of migration and through her unwavering support for migrants rights, Dora’s image has been propelled to the forefront of the sanctuary movement in Tucson, AZ. Through her public speaking and advocacy work, Dora’s focus is to educate communities about the harsh realities migrants face in the desert, and to inspire transformative changes to the immigration injustices plaguing our border towns. She lives in Tucson, Arizona, with her husband and is a proud mother of five and grandmother. Dora serves as Founder and Director of Salvavision, a nonprofit offering aid and support to migrants and deportees.

Aubyn Philabaum is a professional actor and coach based in both Los Angeles and Tucson. She holds her BFA in Acting from Boston University and her MFA in Acting from The Yale School of Drama. Aubyn also studied in London and worked on New York stages for many years before moving west. Aubyn founded Book The Room Coaching in Los Angeles in 2019 – acting coaching and self-tapes for the professional actor – which turned remote during the pandemic. This allowed her to meet clients all over the world. She now coaches actors in the U.K., Mexico, Philippines, Ecuador, Canada and all over the U.S. She now operates the Aubyn Philabaum Acting Studio for in-person workshops and classes. This was the music played on our music break.

Margo Newhouse has lived through 48 hot Southern Arizona summers. She is a retired special education teacher and elementary school librarian. When she isn’t busy with The Raging Grannies she keeps active with the International League for Peace and Freedom, political activism, her church social justice council and many hours in her church kitchen. For the past ten years she’s spent time planning, preparing and presenting heat preparedness workshops with a group from Physicians for Social Responsibility. Margo and her husband of 66 years have three grown children and five grandchildren. Lee Stanfield as a child lived in several US states as well as Yokohama Japan because her father was in the military. As an adult she lived in Arizona, Texas and Oregon. She retired in 2005. Her career ranged from being a photographer, to a mental health counselor, to a case manager for ALTCS (Arizona Long Term Care System) coordinating in-home services for disabled and elderly Medicaid patients. She is a long time activist, has worked with the Tucson Sierra Club, she founded Single-Payer NOW, and she’s a member of Move To Amend to get money out of politics. Lee has two grown kids, two grandkids and one great grand baby. She joined Raging Grannies around 2012. Music played on our break. 1000 Grandmothers by Holly Near

Serenity Stewart is the powerhouse vocalist behind Serenity Brings The Storm (SBTS), a dynamic band that revives the best of Classic Rock and Country while keeping the dance floor alive with R&B and funk favorites. A classically trained soprano turned jazz and standards artist, Serenity is known for her sultry voice, commanding stage presence, and fearless style. With a career spanning music, stage, and screen, she’s a true entertainer who delivers every performance with glamour, grit, and heart.

Hannah Clyde Taylor is the Director and Choreographer of the play Six – Teen Edition that played at The Rialto Theatre this week – on June 17 & 18. Hannah is a local director, choreographer and actor here in Tucson and has worked on several productions. Grace Christian (Anne of Cleves) is 14 years old and an incoming freshman at Ironwood Ridge High School. SIX marks her sixth production and her first year involved in theatre. She loves acting, dancing, and spending time with friends. Natalia Hightower (Anne of Cleves) is 17 – sewing is one of her biggest passions and she’s currently in the process of creating her own clothing collection and plans on pursuing fashion design. Sadie Maddox (Anne Boleyn) is 16 years old. She is a dancer, singer, and actress and will be a senior at Salpointe Catholic High School. Eleanor Gann (Catherin Parr) is an incoming sophomore at Ironwood Ridge High School and has been performing since she was 7 years old. You may have seen her in shows such as Alice By Heart, and Anything Goes.

Bianca Caruso is a dynamic singer, songwriter, and performer best known as one half of the Americana-soul duo Freddy & Francine, alongside her husband Lee Ferris. Raised in Maine and Austin, Texas, Bianca brings a rich blend of folk, soul, and theatrical flair to her music. They have played at the Tucson Folk Festival and are now residing in Tucson. Freddy & Francine and RISO – Hotel Congress on June 7th, 2025 https://hotelcongress.com/event/freddy-francine-and-riso/ https://dice.fm/event/2wd5mm-freddy-francine-and-riso-7th-jun-club-congress-tucson-tickets?lng=en-US

Lauren has a B.S. in Watershed Hydrology and Management from the University of Arizona. As a Tucson native, Lauren has a passion for the environment and the community in this area and wants to continue spreading this excitement for nature, water and people through her work with the River Run Network. Billie Eilish – all the good girls go to hell….was played on our music break.

After decades of working in the fast-paced but occasionally scandalous apparel industry, Dana sought more control of her life and returned to her early love of story. She created a new female protagonist, Andrea Kellner, and an accompanying mystery series born out of the long-lived, albeit amplified, desire to shed light on shadows. The series, commencing with the gripping Lies in High Places, renders a journey through crime and corruption countered by Andrea’s confidence and ability to confront deceit. Dana’s most recent book, though, Where the Shadows Dance, is a deeply personal story of love, lies, and leaving, examining how Dana became collateral damage in her alcoholic marriage. She sums it up with “He got sober, I got broken.” On our music break we played Trouble in My Mind by Mavis Staples with Levon Helm

Syndenn Sweet is a hearing impaired creator living in Tucson, AZ. She owns Hanner House Records located in the heart of Tucson. She is a singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, Foley artist, luthier, published author, visual-artist and poet. As a musician she has appeared with: Mr. Natures Music Garden, ESP, and The Sapiens Music Collaborative, Sunny and the whisky machine, Random animal, Mama’s Boy and other various Tucson acts. Syndenn currently performs with: Cat Mountain, the Desert Museum Family Band, sweet west, Broke down palace, THE SHRIEKING VIOLETS and Feral Claw. For more information about Syndenn, you can visit her website at syndennsweet.com. Because there is lots more that she does with her recording label, Hanner House Records. Debbie Stewart (Starchild) is currently touring with the band Chris Baron and Two Secrets playing cello. She has been playing the cello “forever” and calls it her soul instrument. She began touring 2 years ago and considers it a new beginning. After suffering years of chronic pain, in which she was unable to play music, she realized how important it was to her survival. It was a dark time, to be a musician who’s hands didn’t work. When relief came, there was nothing else to do but play. And she does! A songwriter in her own right, Debbie has been writing songs since she was 18. While her songwriting has become second to cello these days, the band is working her songs into the set. Every show she revels in the fact that she can play again, and she knows she’s doing exactly what she was meant to do.

Virginia Cannon is a music industry consultant from Nashville with decades of experience working as a consultant, talent manager and live performance coach. While working in Nashville, Virginia hosted a popular weekly Songwriter Showcase for over eight years on Nashville’s historic Music Row. When she moved to Tucson, she began hosting a monthly Songwriter Showcase at Monterey Court that went on for over 7 years. In both Nashville and Tucson, Virginia has earned a reputation as a trusted advocate for performing songwriters and Indie Artists. Her monthly Songwriter Showcases continue now at Brother John’s on the fourth Saturday of each month. She is currently hosting an Indie Music Conference next weekend with an LA music entertainment executive to talk about how musicians can make actual money. That should be a welcome topic for many Tucson musicians.

International touring artists Diane Van Deurzen & Lisa Otey are a dynamic duo, a perfect blend of hot jazz, sultry blues and boogie-woogie. They take their act to festivals, clubs and theatres around the world and are known for creating an atmosphere of intimacy with their humor and joyful interactions with the audience. Diane and Lisa have both been inducted into the Arizona Blues Hall of Fame. Lisa has also been inducted into the Tucson Music Hall of Fame and appeared on the Grammy-nominated CD, “Ladies Man” with Pinetop Perkins. Diane and Lisa have co-produced several CDs on their label, Owl’s Nest Productions, including Diane’s “I Never Knew”, Lisa’s “Trio”, “Bring Your Own Boa” for Lisa Otey and the Desert Divas, and 3 of Diane & Lisa’s duo CDs.

Hailey Dukart and Sharly Scannell, the founders of Blk House Mrkt. Sharly Scannell is a transplant from South Carolina and moved to Tucson to pursue her education at the University of Arizona. Aside from Blk House Mrkt, Sharly is an SEO content writer, the proud owner of Clever Stitches, and a loving mom to her two small children. Sharly aspires to create spaces for her children to grow up where representation matters and knowing where your community is! Hailey Dulart grew up in Tucson and rarely saw events and spaces intentionally created for Black folks. As she got older, it became a personal mission to create spaces that are created for and by Black people. In her off time, she is a full-time case manager at Emerge, supporting domestic violence victims in creating a life free from abuse. Together, their shared vision turned into a passion project and then into a community collective. Golden by Jill Scott was played on our music break.

Eliza Hitch, originally from Atlanta, Georgia, is playing the role of Meg March. During her time at U of A, Eliza has appeared in Bright Star, Sweeney Todd, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Legally Blonde. Eliza is a College of Fine Arts student ambassador, Medici Art Scholar, and a member of the W.A. Franke Honors College. On graduation this May, she plans to move to New York to pursue her dream of working in theatre, film and television. Meghan Gray is from Marietta, Georgia. She will playing Marmee. Prior to Little Women, Meghan has appeared in numerous stage productions including Bright Star, Much Ado About Nothing, and Jesus Christ Superstar. She stars in the upcoming short film Blush’n, due to premiere at I Dream in Widescreen, TFTV’s showcase of senior thesis films at the Fox Tucson Theatre on May 10. After graduating in May, she will direct Shrek the Musical JR for the Due West Center for the Arts in Georgia. On this show they will be talking about the production of Little Women from U of A’s School of Theatre, Film and Television, or TFTV, and why it’s still relevant today. It will be showing from April 20, 2025 to May 4, 2025 at the Marroney Theatre on campus. https://tftv.arizona.edu/events/little-women/ Here Alone was played on our music break.

Chris O’Dell left Tucson in 1967 to begin her life in Los Angeles. Through synchronicity and, perhaps, fate, she met people who propelled her life into the highest echelon of Rock and Roll. She worked for The Beatles in London in the late 60’s at their company Apple. After a stint as a personal assistant to The Rolling Stones in LA, she became the first female Tour Manager, working with many of the most popular artists of the Seventies. After twenty years in the music business, she became a certified Hypnotherapist and from there earned her Masters degree as a Licensed Professional Counselor in Tucson. For the next twenty years she worked with drug addiction and psychiatric disorders, retiring in 2012. No surprise here! Chris is now settled back in Tucson. Coyote by Joni Mitchell was played for our music break.

Libby Tobey, a native of Tucson, has a deep-rooted affection for the desert flora and fauna that define her hometown and the tight-knit community that inhabits it. Her academic journey led her to study psychology and sociology at the University of Arizona. Libby’s career path has been as diverse and vibrant as the landscapes she cherishes. These experiences formed roots for her passion for the arts. This led her to some short film projects, working with prop and set design, scouting locations, and honing her skills in creating visual stories. Her love for nature and plants drew her to work at a desert nursery, where she focused on plant care and played a significant role in organizing an annual art market. Her artistic journey eventually led her to PopCycle, where she played a pivotal role in the creation of the ‘Made in Tucson’ market, a testament to her commitment to fostering local art and community engagement. Libby Tobey’s multifaceted career and dedication to the arts reflect her vibrant personality and her profound connection to Tucson’s cultural and natural heritage, and the community she calls home. The song A Change Is Gonna Come was played for our music break.

Christina Colosimo DO, MS, is a clinical assistant professor in the Division of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care, Burns, and Acute Care Surgery with the University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson. She is the Director of Injury Prevention and Outreach, and the Associate Pediatric Trauma Director. Dr. Colosimo developed and launched the Hospital Based Gun Violence Prevention Initiative at the University of Arizona, which has over 30 community partners, as well as a school-based gun violence prevention program that has been introduced in 3 separate school districts. Throughout her training, Dr. Colosimo has received various accolades including 2023 Women in Medicine and Science Awardee and recipient of the 2024 John M. Templeton, Jr., MD Injury Prevention Research Scholarship. She was awarded a Proclamation by the Tucson Major in 2024 on her gun violence prevention work. She is Chair of the Injury Prevention Committee of The Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma. She is also on the Tucson City Community Violence Advisory Board and Chairs the School Violence Subcommittee. Just a Girl by No Doubt was played on our music break.

Amanda Freed is a Licensed Massage Therapist, Registered Yoga Teacher, and a Certified Mindfulness & Meditation Instructor, (LMT, RYT, CMMI )with over 30 years’ experience healing, presenting, and teaching nationally and internationally. She has studied with academic scholars, Native American tribes, and renowned yoga and meditation masters. A lover of brain science as well as esoteric studies, Amanda has spent thousands of hours in contemplative practice and taught simple meditation methods to hundreds of people internationally. Amanda’s clients and students represent an extremely wide range of people including collegiate, pro, and Olympic athletes, stroke and traumatic brain injury survivors, corporate clients and more. Katy Perry – Roar was played on our music break.

Becky Buller is a multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter who has travelled the globe performing bluegrass music to underwrite what she calls “her insatiable songwriting habit.” She has written songs for three Grammy award-winning albums. She has made multiple guest appearances on WSM’s Grand Old Opry, which, for those who don’t know, is the most famous country music radio station in the world. Becky tours extensively with the Becky Buller Band. She’s released seven albums, and her newest album, Jubilee, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Bluegrass Album Chart in 2024. In 2023, Becky was inducted into the MN Music Hall of Fame. And we are so lucky she will be in town to play at the Desert Bluegrass Association Festival which is next weekend in Marana! Jennifer Johnson is Vice President of the Desert Bluegrass Association (aka DBA). She describes herself as “an old lady with a bass who learned how to spell septuagenarian this year.” Jennifer moved to Tucson in the 70’s and has spent 50 years working at various jobs including as a special education teacher. She retired a couple of years ago and started playing in a girl band with 3 other women who named themselves “The Notorious No Gig Girl Band!” She says they don’t take themselves too seriously. She plays music regularly and walk dogs at Pima Animal Care Center twice a week. Jennifer has been active in the DBA for many years and is going to tell us about this year’s festival.

Dr. Lisa Kopp is a Pediatric Oncologist and works in drug development in which she provides expertise in the design, execution and interpretation of oncology clinical trials. She also practices part-time caring for patients with pediatric cancer. She holds a Doctorate of Osteopathy from Michigan State University and a Master of Public Health with a specialization in Epidemiology EPA DEEM IOLOGY from The University of Arizona. Beginning with children and cancer, serving in advocacy and social justice to those with little or no voice has always been critical to Lisa’s core. She became involved in the gun violence prevention group Moms Demand Action shortly after the Uvalde mass shooting. She is currently serving as the state legislative lead which allows her to fight for gun sense legislation, hoping to have an impact on the public health crisis of gun violence which affects all people of Arizona. We played Pink – Raise Your Glass on our music break.