KUCI: Get the Funk Out!

I’m excited to welcome Madeline Halperin Robinson of the Center for Reproductive Rights back to Get the Funk Out. Madeline joined me during the Daisy Chain Festival, but our conversation was brief, so I’m thrilled to have her back for a deeper conversation.We’ll talk about what it was like for Madeline and her team to be part of Daisy Chain, the response they received from people who came out to meet them, the conversations that stayed with her, and the impact of bringing people together around community, advocacy, and change.We’ll also learn more about the Center for Reproductive Rights, an organization that uses law and advocacy to advance reproductive rights around the world. The Center has been involved in major reproductive rights cases in courts around the world, including every major U.S. Supreme Court abortion case.Tune in as we continue our conversation about connection, community, advocacy, and the people doing meaningful work to create change.Madeline Halperin Robinson joins me on Get the Funk Out — don’t miss it!Madeline Halperin Robinson of the Center for Reproductive Rights, an organization that uses law and advocacy to advance reproductive rights around the world.The Center has been involved in major reproductive-rights cases in courts around the world, including every major U.S. Supreme Court abortion case.Learn more:Center for Reproductive Rights

What if a death sentence gave you a second chance at life? The story of Joaquín José Martínez, the first Spaniard exonerated from U.S. death row, challenges our beliefs about justice, faith, and forgiveness.Synopsis:“I would have been dead today if I hadn’t gone to death row.” Joaquín José Martínez, the first Spaniard ever exonerated from U.S. death row, was once a supporter of capital punishment until, at 24, he was convicted of a double murder in Florida. He spent more than five years behind bars, three on death row. Two decades after he was exonerated, Joaquín transforms his trauma into advocacy. The Window on Death Row explores urgent questions: What happens when we almost execute an innocent man? Is closure possible for the victims’ families? And how do we reconcile the contradiction that facing a death sentence, even an unjust one, can paradoxically lead to a second chance at life? Director: Linda Catherine Freund Executive Producer: Mike Farrell (Actor & Activist)
Watch the Trailer
 
Joining us at 9:15am is award-winning documentary filmmaker and journalist Linda Freund, director of The Window on Death Row, a powerful, documentary that explores wrongful conviction, faith, forgiveness, and the extraordinary capacity of the human spirit to find meaning after unimaginable trauma.
The film tells the story of Joaquín José Martínez, the first Spaniard ever exonerated from U.S. death row. Convicted of a double murder in Florida at the age of 24, Martínez spent more than five years behind bars, including three years on death row, before being acquitted in 2001. More than two decades later, he reflects on his experience and transforms his personal trauma into public advocacy.
Rather than following a traditional true-crime narrative, Freund takes a deeply human approach, examining the psychological and spiritual aftermath of incarceration and raising profound questions about justice, redemption, forgiveness, and the possibility of beginning again.
Freund's impressive career spans documentary filmmaking and international journalism. She most recently served as a senior video journalist at The Wall Street Journal and was a journalism fellow at the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture and Brandeis University's Chaplaincy Innovation Lab. Earlier in her career, she reported from conflict zones across South Asia and East Africa.
Her previous documentary, The Migrant Priest (2022), was filmed in Italy and explores the experiences of a priest working with migrants.
For The Window on Death Row (2025), Freund served as director, writer, producer, and editor. The film also features actor and activist Mike Farrell (MASH*) as executive producer.
The documentary has received recognition at several international festivals, including the Grand Prize Audience Choice Award for Best Short Documentary at the 2025 Rhode Island International Film Festival, the Immaculate Heart Community Filmmaker Award at LA Shorts International Film Festival, and Best Documentary at the 2025 LA Femme International Film Festival.
Join us for a conversation with Linda about the power of storytelling, the complexities of the human experience, and how we find hope, purpose, and humanity even in the darkest of circumstances.
Details on the event in LA: 
https://stcamilluscenter.org/events/the-window-on-death-row-film-screening-and-dialogue
 
More information on the San Quentin Film Festival via Instagram: 
https://www.instagram.com/p/DdjI0ZbFZMU/?stkn=MWd1dWcyY2o2M2Npcw==
 

The former Cleveland Browns defensive lineman and Juilliard-trained opera tenor joins Janeane to discuss his extraordinary journey, the award-winning short film The Platform, and the courage to begin again when life takes an unexpected turn.
From the NFL to the Opera Stage: Ta’u Pupu’a and Mark Harris on Reinvention, Resilience, and Finding Your Voice
What happens when the future you’ve worked your entire life to achieve suddenly disappears? For Ta’u Pupu’a, a devastating injury ended his professional football career before it truly began. Drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 1995, the former NFL defensive lineman faced an unexpected crossroads that would ultimately lead him from the gridiron to the world’s opera stages.
In this episode of Get the Funk Out, I sit down with Ta’u and filmmaker Mark Harris to explore the extraordinary story behind The Platform, an award-winning 10-minute narrative short inspired by Ta’u’s life and directed by Mark.
Born in Tonga and raised in a working-class family in Utah, Ta’u eventually moved to New York, where he pursued a long-buried passion for singing. With determination, discipline, and encouragement from legendary soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, he earned a full scholarship to The Juilliard School and went on to build an international career as an opera tenor.
Now, Ta’u revisits that pivotal chapter of his life in his first-ever acting role, portraying his younger self in a film that explores identity, faith, loss, and the courage to begin again.
Mark shares the inspiration behind bringing Ta’u’s story to the screen, the creative journey of making The Platform, and how the film reflects his own return to narrative filmmaking. Together, we discuss the parallels between their experiences, the unexpected turns that shape our lives, and the power of redefining success when the path ahead looks nothing like the one we imagined.
We also talk about the film’s growing festival recognition, including its Best Drama win at the LA Shorts International Film Festival and its selection for the Newport Beach Film Festival’s Pacific Rim program.
Because sometimes the end of one dream is simply the beginning of another.

 
 
World College Radio Day is October 2!
College radio is more than music. It’s a place where voices are heard, new artists are discovered, unexpected conversations happen, and communities come together.
At KUCI 88.9 FM, we believe in the power of radio to connect us — to music, ideas, artists, storytellers, and most importantly, to each other.
For me, hope is always in the air. I feel it every time a new host comes into the station, a listener calls or sends a message, an artist or guest shares their story, or a song creates a connection between people who may never meet.
On World College Radio Day, we’re celebrating the magic of college radio and the people who make it possible — our DJs, producers, guests, artists, volunteers, and listeners.
Tune in. Turn it up. Find something new.And remember: connection is always on the air.
KUCI 88.9 FM | Irvine, CA#WorldCollegeRadioDay #CollegeRadio #KUCI #KUCI889 #SupportCollegeRadio #CollegeRadioDay #RadioConnectsUs #HopeIsInTheAir

 
ABOUT KALIFORNIA KARL DETKEN
 
Did you miss Kalifornia Karl Detken on today's show? Listen HERE!
 
    "Kalifornia Karl" went from Star Search winner to playing a singer in the movie Duets with Gwyneth Paltrow to marketing executive at Pioneer Electronics who's DJ division went on to become a half billion dollar a year division. Now, he sings to the elderly for a fraction of what corporate exec life used to pay but he is 1000% more fulfilled professionally and personally from the joy that it brings the people that need it most. There is research about the effects of music on patients. The Wall Street journal just ran a story on these important findings.It’s no secret that music can help you feel better seniors and hospital patients. "From a massive library of 30,000+ songs from every decade and style; from Bing Crosby to Bruno Mars, we bring live performance & interactivity to those that need it most" says Kalifornia Karl Detken. "Engaging & entertaining activities which I call 'Engagetainment'".
 
Since 1975, Kalifornia Karl has performed over 10,400 shows and is one of the most sought after music providers for health care facilities.
JoyfulNoiseTherapy@gmail.com
 
www.Facebook.com/KaliforniaKarl
 
www.Instagram.com/KaliforniaKarlMusic

Kris Evans is an award-winning makeup artist and designer whose distinguished career began in New York City. She quickly rose to prominence, traveling the world alongside Barbara Walters working with presidents, world leaders, A-list celebrities, and top-tier entertainers. 
Her artistry has graced the runways and editorial pages through collaborations with some of fashion’s most iconic designers, including Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Sonia Rykiel, Norma Kamali, Thierry Mugler, Azzedine Alaïa, and Halston. Her work has been featured in publications such as Vogue, French Vogue, Vanity Fair, L’Officiel, and Elle. 
 
Kris has an extensive background in film and television. Her film credits include Megalopolis (with Francis Ford Coppola), The Hunger Games, Pirates of the Caribbean I, II & III, Free State of Jones, The Rum Diary, The Postman, National Treasure, Coyote Ugly, Con Air, Dr. Dolittle 2, and X-Men: The Last Stand, for which she received a Hollywood Film Festival Award for Best Makeup of the Year. 
 
Her television work includes Saturday Night Live, Big Sky, Generations, Once Upon a Time, The Bridge, Dirty Sexy Money and Sneaky Pete. She was the personal stylist for Bob Costas during Olympic coverage from the 2002 Salt Lake City Games through Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Kris has also contributed to music videos for artists Elton John and Brandi Carlile, Keith Richards, Rage Against the Machine, Smash Mouth, and Creed, along with high-profile commercials, including Uber Eats featuring Cher.
 
 Kris was also the makeup consultant for the American production of Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon on Broadway. Kris has been featured in and quoted by numerous publications, including Vogue, InStyle, The New York Times (as a StyleMaker), Secrets of Six-Figure Women by Barbara Stanny, and The Art of Beauty by Linda Mason. 
 
Having earned a master’s degree in design from Syracuse University, she taught fashion design at the University of Cincinnati’s School of Design, Art & Architecture, as well as Parsons School of Design in New York. 
 
A longtime member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscars) —where she has served on the executive board of her branch—Kris is also affiliated with the Television Academy (Emmys) and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.
 
more: getthefunkoutshow.kuci.org

HOLLYWOOD’S ULTIMATE SOUND WAREHOUSE EXPANDS WITH NEW IN-HOUSE RECORDING STUDIO
LOS ANGELES, CA — LA Percussion Rentals & Recording (LAPR), a leading source of elite instruments for the entertainment industry, has launched new in-house recording studio services designed specifically for film, television, video game, and professional media composers.
LAPR offers composers the opportunity to explore and record in one location, providing a fully equipped live-tracking space for solo multi-tracking and intimate ensemble sessions. The service offers an agile, budget-friendly alternative to traditional Hollywood scoring stages.
“We wanted to remove the barriers between a composer’s imagination and the final recording,” says Abby Savell, Founder and CEO of LA Percussion Rentals. “Instead of waiting for a truck to arrive, creators can walk directly onto our warehouse floor. It is a massive sonic playground!”
LAPR houses thousands of orchestral percussion instruments, rare world instruments, sound effects, and the historic Emil Richards collection of legendary sound artifacts, many of which have been heard on iconic Hollywood soundtracks.
Most recently, award-winning writer and composer Daniel Pemberton used LAPR resources while creating the score for the summer blockbuster Project Hail Mary, incorporating an eclectic variety of wooden and metal instruments.
LAPR In-House Recording Features:
Zero Cartage Fees: No instrument transport, trucking, packing, or related logistics.
The World’s Instrument Depot: Immediate access to thousands of professional symphonic percussion instruments, sound effects, and rare cultural instruments.
Sonic Exploration: Composers can audition, swap, and experiment with rare timbres before and during tracking.
Professional Percussionists: LAPR staff can assist with instrument selection, logistics, and creative exploration.
About LA Percussion Rentals & Recording
Founded in 2004 by professional percussionists Abby Savell and her late husband, Dan, LA Percussion Rentals & Recording is a cornerstone of the Southern California music and film industry. Its extensive collection of world, orchestral, and custom sound-effects instruments serves major scoring stages, world tours, and premium recording sessions around the globe.
With its new in-house recording studio, LAPR continues to provide one-stop tracking solutions for today’s media composers.
More: getthefunkoutshow.kuci.org

Chaya Segelman
Program Director 
www.obkla.org
@obklosangeles
 
Our Big Kitchen Los Angeles 
OBKLA  |  September 2026 
Our Big Kitchen Los Angeles (OBKLA) is a community-run, non-denominational nonprofit that brings people together to prepare fresh, nutritious kosher meals for people experiencing food insecurity across Los Angeles. Through hands-on volunteering, OBKLA nourishes people and strengthens community connections. 
Our history 
Established in 2020 and inspired by Our Big Kitchen in Sydney, Australia, OBKLA began as a grassroots response to hunger during the pandemic. In June 2022, with support from the Feder family, it moved into the 4,600-square-foot Margaret Feder Our Big Kitchen on Pico Boulevard. During the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, OBKLA also mobilized volunteers to provide meals for evacuees and first responders. 
Our impact 
In 2025, OBKLA prepared 190,534 fresh meals and 315,243 baked goods, with 24,437 volunteers contributing 46,292 hours. The kitchen welcomed 477 groups and worked with 69 charity partners. 
Growth continued in 2026. July production reached 30,030 fresh meals and 37,400 baked goods. In August, almost 2,900 volunteers participated across 56 groups. 
Volunteers and charity partners 
Individuals, families, schools, faith groups and corporate teams prepare and package meals under professional guidance. Charity partners distribute the food to individuals and families in need throughout Los Angeles. 
Partners include Union Rescue Mission, The People Concern, Safe Place for Youth, Jewish Family Services, Tomchei Shabbos, Chai Lifeline, Pico Union Project and A Place Called Home. 
Our vision for 2030 
OBKLA aims to produce one million fresh meals and distribute one million pounds of pantry supplies annually, while engaging tens of thousands of volunteers each year. A permanent home with greater capacity will support this next stage of service. 
Volunteer, bring a group or support our work at obkla.org. 
Sources: OBKLA organizational figures and updates for 2025–2026; obkla.org/about; Aish wildfire coverage, January 14, 2025. Statistics refer to the periods shown. 
 
www.obkla.org
@obklosangeles

 Zibby's Most Anticipated List: Fall 2026
A 2026 Next Generation Indie Book Award Finalist
"An engaging and accessible approach to living a happier, less stressful life."  - Kirkus
 
Twenty years ago, Beth Ricanati, MD, felt overwhelmed as a physician, wife, and mother of three children under the age of six devoted to doing her best at everything. When she started to suffer intermittent chest pain, she attributed her symptoms to heart disease. Then, her physician diagnosed the real culprit: stress. Struck by the toll on her health, Dr. Ricanati sought out a way to manage her stress for the long haul and found the answer in a bowl of dough in her kitchen.   
 
In THE BRAIDED PRESCRIPTION: Seven Practices for Living Well from the Ancient Ritual of Making Challah (She Writes Press; September 1, 2026), Beth Ricanati expands on the story, which she began in her memoir Braided, of how she experienced solace and a newfound centeredness in making the traditional braided bread served in Jewish households on Shabbat each Friday. Eager to share how her weekly commitment to this hands-on activity transformed her health and her life, she launched a unique stress management practice. Since then, she has conducted more than one hundred challah-making workshops with thousands of attendees all over North America and beyond. In her new book, Dr. Ricanati distills and codifies the seven practices that have most resonated with her workshop participants, beginning with Act with Intention, and shows how to apply them to everyday life outside of the kitchen. She also offers doses of medical knowledge and plenty of food for thought. 
 
To bring each of these powerful practices to life, Dr. Ricanati tells the uplifting stories of various people who have embraced her challah ritual, both Jews and non-Jews, including rabbis and a Presbyterian pastor in Texas, sisters and daughters, husbands and wives, medical and high school students, and a judge in her nineties. “In a world where we cannot control so many things,” the author reflects, “the realization that I can modify my stress and therefore impact my health with lifestyle, and that I can teach others to do the same thing, is phenomenal.” 
BETH RICANATI, MD, is a board-certified internist, expert on women’s health, and author of the multi-award-winning memoir Braided: A Journey of a Thousand Challahs (2018). She has spent her career focused on improving the well-being and lives of her patients in traditional medical clinics and wellness programs, and now also as an author and speaker. She lives in Southern California with her family.  
   
As research shows, lifestyle modifications—including stress management—can reduce the incidence and progression of chronic diseases by as much as 80 percent. Reinforcing this vital fact, THE BRAIDED PRESCRIPTION integrates medical findings with self-help, revered spiritual traditions, and engaging storytelling. I look forward to exploring interview and feature possibilities.  
more: getthefunkoutshow.kuci.org    
 

Ryan Johnson, President and Head Fabricator of NewRuleFX, to discuss his journey in the special effects industry, the impact of the devastating fire, and how the company is rebuilding stronger than ever while continuing to create innovative work.
RISING UP FROM THE ASHES….
NewRuleFX has been an industry leader in special effects fabrication since 1991, creating work for clients including Netflix, Disney, Marvel, and MrBeast. The company's products have appeared in acclaimed film, television, live entertainment, and music productions, including Captain America: Brave New World, Only Murders in the Building, Everybody's Live with John Mulaney, The Bear, MJ The Musical, Conan Must Go (Conan O'Brien), Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa's High School Reunion Tour, Game of Thrones, and hundreds of other high-profile projects.
On November 13, 2025, NewRuleFX's workshop was devastated by a major fire that destroyed much of its facility, equipment, materials, and an extensive collection of custom molds built over decades. While no one was injured, the loss was catastrophic.
Today, NewRuleFX is writing its next chapter. The company has relocated to a new facility and, even while rebuilding its workshop, continues to deliver large-scale projects for clients. It's a testament to the resilience, creativity, and determination that have defined NewRuleFX for more than three decades. 
https://www.newrulefx.com/pages/fire-recovery-page
 
 
About Ryan Johnson / President, Founder, & Head Fabricator
 
For more than three decades, Ryan Johnson has been turning impossible ideas into practical reality.
 
As the Founder and President of NewRuleFX, Johnson leads one of Hollywood’s premier practical effects fabrication studios, creating screen-ready props and special effects for film, television, streaming productions, live entertainment, haunted attractions, and immersive experiences. His work spans everything from breakaway glass and stunt-safe weapons to hero props, creature effects, custom fabrication, and specialty casting, - always with an emphasis on realism, safety, and craftsmanship.
 
Johnson’s career began behind the camera as a producer, director, and cinematographer, where he developed an instinct for visual storytelling that continues to shape every project his shop produces. Rather than simply building props, Johnson approaches every fabrication as part of the story itself—understanding how an object must look under studio lighting, perform in
 
the hands of an actor, survive the demands of production, and ultimately convince an audience that what they’re seeing is real.
 
Known throughout the industry for taking on projects that others consider impossible, Johnson has earned a reputation for engineering practical solutions to extraordinary creative challenges. Whether reproducing historic artifacts, developing stunt-safe versions of dangerous objects, or inventing entirely new fabrication techniques, his team is frequently called upon when productions need results that cannot be purchased off the shelf.
 
Under Johnson’s leadership, NewRuleFX has grown into a trusted resource for production designers, art directors, prop masters, special effects coordinators, museums, military trainers, themed entertainment companies, and independent creators around the world. The company’s extensive catalog of production-ready props is complemented by a custom fabrication department capable of developing one-of-a-kind solutions under demanding schedules and tight production deadlines.
 
Beyond fabrication, Johnson is a lifelong maker and innovator. He continually explores emerging technologies, including advanced molding and casting systems, CNC machining, laser fabrication, additive manufacturing, and digital design, to expand the possibilities of practical effects while preserving the craftsmanship that has defined Hollywood for generations.
 
Johnson believes the best practical effects are the ones audiences never notice. When a prop disappears into the story, an actor performs with confidence, and a director captures the perfect shot without relying on visual effects, the craftsmanship has done its job.
 
Today, Ryan continues to push the boundaries of practical effects through NewRuleFX, combining old-school artistry with modern manufacturing to help filmmakers and creators bring extraordinary worlds to life, one prop at a time.
 
NewRuleFX.com - Special Effects Props Supply & Breakaways