Their Story Matters with Sara Troy with her guest Gisele Huff, on air from September 26th
The Remarkable True Story of One Holocaust Survivor’s Resilience, Tenacity, and Purpose
At 86 years old, Gisèle Huff is truly a force of nature. Her life has been a remarkable journey, filled with tragedy, triumph, and accomplishment. Having survived the Holocaust, where eighteen members of her family were murdered, she and her mother left war-torn France, emigrating to America with only $400 to their name. Gisèle is someone who embodies “The American Dream,” and a testament to the idea that, if you work hard in America, you will be successful. A life-long Libertarian, Gisèle ran for Congress as a Republican in 1998, but made a 180-degree ideological turn 20 years later.
In her new memoir, Force of Nature: The Remarkable True Story of One Holocaust Survivor’s Resilience, Tenacity and Purpose (August 30, 2022, Simonet Press), Gisèle tells how she embraced the value of education, earning her PhD from Columbia University and launching a career in K–12 education that spanned decades. Her tireless work to revolutionize the school system changed the lives of countless children and gave rise to the integration of technology into the curriculum. Having worked with intellectual and political giants on both sides of the aisle, including Milton Friedman, Jeb Bush (R), former governor of FL and Bob Wise (D), former governor of WV, Gisèle repeatedly champions the idea of collaboration. It was Jeb Bush who named her the “First Lady of Blended Learning.”
However, it was her late son Gerald who introduced Gisèle to the concept of Universal Basic Income (UBI), a government program in which every adult citizen receives a set amount of money regularly, with no “strings attached.” As automation replaces our workforce and the idea of technological unemployment is a not-so-distant threat to our economy, Gisèle began to recognize that the “American Dream” will not be obtainable in the future as it was for past generations. At the age of 72, Gisèle began to embrace progressive values so whole-heartedly that she is now an ardent promoter of UBI and the founder of The Gerald Huff Fund for Humanity.
“Who would have thought that I, a dedicated believer in the power of the free market, would eventually head a foundation devoted to ensuring every citizen receives a basic income? I’ve learned that there is so much power in changing your mind. No matter how attached a person is to their ideas, anyone can change and grow just as I did—all it requires is an open mind.”
:Gisèle Huff was born in 1936 in Paris to working-class Russian Jewish immigrants. She moved to the US when she was eleven and went on to earn a PhD in political science from Columbia University. For more than two decades, Gisèle served as the executive director of the Jaquelin Hume Foundation, which invested in nonprofit, national organizations that worked on transforming K–12 education. She received the Thomas A. Roe Award and the iNACOL Huff Lifetime Achievement Award. She is deeply involved in raising awareness about technological unemployment and promoting universal basic income, the legacy of her late son. She is the founder of the Gerald Huff Fund for Humanity. She lives in San Francisco, California. This is her first book.
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Choose Positive Living with Sara Troy and her guest Monty Ritchings, on air from September 20th
We all want and need to function the best possible in our lives every day. However, there is a little obstacle that gets in the way of our optimum quality of living.
It is called… our mind.
We learn the rules of the road we travel prior to our seventh birthday, and for most folks, those rules never change. In fact, most people do not even know those rules can be changed. These rules are called beliefs, the most prominent ones Core Beliefs.
The opportunity I am inviting people to join in on through this podcast is for them to learn how we create beliefs, how they become embedded in our memory… and how to reframe them using visualization and other simple-to-use tools.
It is all for living a better, healthier and more connected life!
I have written 4 non-fiction books in various aspects of mind management including Embracing The Blend 2007, 2009, Stamp Out Stress 2010, Charkas Demystified 21019, Healthy Children Only Need Three Things 2019, and most recently my first fiction book, soon to be a series called The Ascenders Return To Grace.
I am an Author, Environmentalist, Entrepreneur, Mystic. I believe that we can only truly come to know ourselves by getting past ourselves through our relationship with nature and the Universe. I have been a member of the Rosicrucian Order AMORC for more than 40 years. My studies have included understanding how life works on a Universal level and intuitive medicine
My focus as a writer whether it be fiction or non-fiction is about mind management, core beliefs, and working beyond the. The mundane world supports us to be much more than just the limited beings we are presented as.
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Your Health is Your Choice with Sara Troy and her guest Greg Hammer ,MD, on air from September 20th
Greg Hammer, MD, Stanford School of Medicine professor, physician, best-selling author, and mindfulness expert, shares tips to become more nonjudgmental and explains the benefits.
Most people admirably strive to be “nonjudgmental” towards others. Coming from a place of nonjudgment allows us to see the best in others without letting our own biases get in the way. However, in order to become less judgmental, we need to change how we think about ourselves and the world around us.
We make quick judgments every day about everything we see and put these things into categories, such as healthy/ unhealthy, affordable/ expensive, and good/ bad. And how much more often do we make judgments about ourselves??
Mindfulness, or living in the present moment, gives us the space to practice nonjudgment. First, we acknowledge how often we judge and that it is not necessary to judge. Then we can practice living in the present and accepting the world, ourselves, and others as they are.
What is nonjudgment? Nonjudgment is observation without bias. It’s understanding that reality is not necessarily good or bad— it just is. Nonjudgment is a natural extension of “living in the moment.”
What are the benefits of nonjudgment?
Nonjudgment allows you to see the best in yourself and others.
You’re freeing yourself from your own criticism.
You’re more open to positive experiences and opportunities.
What problems does judgment create?
Judgment prevents us from seeing what is really in front of us! We risk missing out on making new friends, having great conversations, and learning something new.
Judgment stokes our own fears, anxieties, and insecurities which keep us stuck.
Our compulsive need to make judgments is tiring and takes our energy away from important tasks.
How does mindfulness inhibit judgment?
When we are focused on the present moment, we accept things as they are, which prevents judgment.
When practiced consistently, nonjudgment will become more natural, but it will most likely never be automatic. Remaining nonjudgmental is a continual effort.
Any tips on practicing judgment?
Take a moment to be present (practice mindfulness) every morning before you start your day. Set an intention to greet the first person you see with nonjudgment.
When you notice a judgment, release it. You may not be able to stop all immediate judgments, but you can notice and capture them before they influence your behavior.
Remember that becoming aware of bias and judgment is an important first step.
If you notice that your self-talk is critical, try adjusting your tone to sound like you are talking to a dear friend.
About Greg Hammer, MD:
Greg Hammer, MD is a Professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, pediatric intensive care physician, pediatric anesthesiologist, mindfulness expert, and the author of GAIN without Pain: The Happiness Handbook for Health Care Professionals.
A member of the Stanford WellMD initiative, Dr. Hammer is currently the Chair of the Physician Wellness Task Force for the California Society of Anesthesiologists. He has been a visiting professor and lecturer on wellness at institutions worldwide and teaches GAIN to medical students, residents, and fellows at Stanford.
Dr. Hammer’s clinical focus is in pediatric cardiac anesthesia and pediatric critical care medicine. His research is in developmental pharmacology and immunology, and he has an active laboratory with multiple ongoing studies in these areas. He has published widely on topics related to pharmacology and perioperative care of children undergoing cardiac and thoracic procedures as well as organ transplantation. Dr. Hammer is a health enthusiast and meditator, utilizing a non-duality and mindfulness-based approach, including the GAIN method.
GREG’S NEW SHOW ON RESOLUTIONS COMING FEBRUARY 7TH
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Sara’s View of Life with Sara Troy, on air from September 20th
Taking a step back and looking at all the sorrows of late, I admit, it has made me feel sorrowful. We have the Queens death, although not unexpected, a loss of a good woman and an era. Heat waves in California, fires, and draughts. We have so many lives (33 million) displaced in Pakistan with the flooding, and the question if they can of should re build on the same land and how to provide for all the loss and where people should go now.
We have the war in the Ukraine still going on, the trickle down effect of Russia blocking fuel to Europe and the many who will die this winter because of it. Fuel prices, food prices, house prices all going up, while wages stay still. There is a shortage of Doctors in the world, here where I live, it is impossible to get a Doctor, and so many more getting ill because illness are not be discovered in time.
My sister just had a life threatening operation, ( thankfully a successful one and 2 more to go) and she had to sleep in a chair or on a gurney for 3 nights because there were no beds, and she is 81 y. Old. My brother just had a heart attack and has had to have stents put in his heart values, with more to go. He was seeing a Doctor via zoom or just a phone call, and they did not see the warning signs.
We have just acknowledged 911 anniversary and yet we still feel we are at war, this time within America, as America has become the enemy within. I said years ago, it won’t be another 911 that will cause but an uprising in the USA it will be their own division, and no more an United America.
As an empath, I feel the sorrows of the world; it gets me in my very soul and heart and weighs me down. I am an optimist and a believer in possibilities, and if we feed the right energies, I pray with all our hearts and souls, that we wake up, rise up into a higher frequency of caring, kindness, and cohesive, loving vibration, for that is where love reigns and where we will find our solutions.
Haglaz the Rune of destruction, is very much in play here, but instead of looking at it as it destroying us, maybe it is redirecting us, for we can not take on positive lifestyle if we are still feeding the negative one. For us empaths, take care of yourself at this time, be nurturing to your heart and soul. To all of us, let us feed the healing nurturing loving vibrations out the a world in turmoil so it can find its equilibrium once again.
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“for the LOVE of Music” with Sara Troy and her guests Natalia Tsvi and tenor Gilad Paz, on air from September 19th
In a perfect world, soprano Natalia Tsvi and tenor Gilad Paz – the unique classical crossover vocal duo collectively known as VOCE NOVA – would have taken the “America’s Got Talent” stage and performed their fascinating hybrid twist on Verdi’s “Libiamo” before all four judges and a live audience of 3000. But their audition date, March 14, 2020, was the day Hollywood began shutting down because of the pandemic, and Tsvi and Paz had to wait it out seven hours as the show’s production was scaled down around them. Brief but thrilling and magnetic, the duo gave it their all, shifting quickly from a traditional operatic duet into a high energy number complete with a Moroccan dance beat and a party atmosphere.
Testament to their unique stylistically eclectic approach as what they call a “gateway drug to classical music,” VOCE NOVA may not have won the hearts of the AGT judging panel, but it’s likely that had there been a full crowd behind them, they all would have been on their feet dancing, their hearts pounding and mouths agape at the duo’s infectious energy, risk-taking arrangements and overall sense of joyful fun.
Before they auditioned, Natalia and Gilad honed their act performing before diverse audiences everywhere they could, even holding court at open mics and karaoke clubs in the NYC area during the duo’s early stages. When they sang this same version of “Libiamo” at a dive bar in Brooklyn, the crowd – full of rappers and spoken word artists – lost their minds. As it turned out, the feedback was prophetic of what they would continue to hear after officially debuting VOCE NOVA in 2019. Folks who had never heard opera before were suddenly excited about it, surprised how much they loved it, in awe of the duo’s chemistry and stage presence. AsNatalia says, “They can’t always explain why, but their body just moves. They find themselves shaking their butts and clapping to opera!”
Since making their debut at a high profile fundraising event for a new artist group collective in NYC, VOCE NOVA has honed its craft, perfected its style and expanded its repertoire entertaining at boat shows, wedding expos, event planning conventions – and performances at weddings, including one high profile affair where they led an opera flash mob. Their reputation is earning them renown beyond New York, and they were recently contracted to do corporate events in the greater Washington, DC area.
VOCE NOVA brings their bold array of musical dynamics to their latest single, a dramatic and daring yet wildly irresistible mashup of Schubert’s timeless “Ave Maria” and Hozier’s 2013 hit debut single “Take Me To Church,” its title stylized (like many of their other recordings) “Ave Maria vs. Take Me To Church.” The track begins with Natalia in fine operatic form, singing Latin over a prominent church organ. Just when they’ve got us in Mass mode, Gilad in his pop voice sings “Amen” and dives into Hozier’s impactful, instantly recognizable hook. Then she returns with more “Ave Maria” over a rock guitar groove, leading to the song’s climactic segment where the two sing their individual songs at the same time creating a fascinating point/counterpoint. The piece closes with her singing a towering “Amen” and the two joining forces singing soaring high notes in harmony for the triumphant final chorus.
“At first it struck me as being a bit risky, because we were mixing the sacred with the profane and that could offend some people,” Gilad says. “Not every idea for a mashup strikes us as immediately opening itself to our brand of musical fusion, but this is one that made sense as soon as the words came out of Natalia’s mouth. Because we are veteran business people, we immediately honed in not only on the creative but commercial potential as well. It developed into a brilliant and intuitive mashup.”
“The proof was in the pudding, as they say, when we performed it recently at a non-profit in Soho for an audience that included several women from a gospel church,” says Natalia. “They freaked out about it, and we thought, ‘If the Christians love it, we’re good!’ Of course we know some may not take it as well or interpret it their own way, just as some traditional opera and classical folks won’talways like what we do. The way Gilad and I see it, we’re not hurting the quality of opera music, we’re bringing a fresh audience to it. VOCE NOVA, by its very definition as a fresh voice in crossover music, is all about breaking the rules and singing arrangements outside the box. This is 2022. It’s time transcend boundaries, create bridges and make this our own musical truth.”
Though VOCE NOVA creates its mashups with the energy of live performances in mind, the duo has recorded and released a batch of well-received singles over the past year, starting with straightforward duets of “O Holy Night” and “Time to Say Goodbye” and more recently including their most streamed song “I Will Always Love You vs. Come What May,” “Libiamo Remixed” and the supercool “Habanera vs. Smooth,” which blends the familiar piece from Carmen with the Santana Latin rock classic. All songs in the VOCE NOVA catalog are original arrangements created especially for the duo by top music producer Assaf Averbuch.
Natalia and Gilad met in February 2018 when both were invited to sing at a house concert on the Upper East Side showcasing opera hits. Getting together before the show to discuss repertoire, they quickly realized they had extremely similar life stories and paths in the music world. She was born in Belarus, was raised in Israel from the age of three and came to the U.S. to study opera after her mandatory Israeli Army service. Gilad was born to Israeli parents in the U.S., moved to Israel at age three, came back to the U.S. during his high school years and returned to Israel for five years, including service in the Israeli army. Gilad then returned to the States to study classical singing.
Both grew up singing in youth groups in Israel. She earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Music Performance and Voice and Music Education from Brooklyn College Conservatory and he earned a Bachelor’s of Music in Voice Performance from the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College. When they met, she had recently recorded a classical crossover album and he had created a classical crossover concert concept.
During that first concert, they performed together, they sang a traditional duet of “Libiamo,” never realizing that just a few years later, they would be using their twist on it for VOCE NOVA’s AGT audition piece. “We knew we were destined to work together,” Gilad says. “From the start, I felt that we both towed that line as classical singers who can also expertly perform other genres, which allows us to switch back and forth naturally. We knew we could create something special in the crossover realm. We started our repertoire going for a broad appeal, combining our voices on ‘Time to Say Goodbye,’ ‘Phantom of the Opera’ and ‘Hallelujah.’ Then one day, Natalia came up with the idea for a mashup of ‘Havana’ and ‘Besame Mucho,’ which was followed by my idea for combining ‘Nessun Dorma’ and ‘We are the Champions’. It was the first time we pursued this musical direction, and it evolved into our musical identity when we worked on the new repertoire that we added to our catalog in 2021.”
“Now,” the duo adds, “we will always be aiming to push boundaries with something that is different but that is truly who we are. One of our dreams is to do a VOCE NOVA performance with a full symphony orchestra. ‘Ave Maria vs Take Me To Church’ is a means towards that goal, a song that synthesizes the essence of what we do and the realization of what we first envisioned for ourselves back in 2018.”
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