KUCI: Get the Funk Out

Jennifer Rosner, National Jewish Book Award Finalist and author of The Yellow Bird Sings, shares her new riveting book based on the true stories of ch...

From Jennifer Rosner, National Jewish Book Award Finalist and author of The Yellow Bird Sings, comes a riveting book based on the true stories of children stolen in the wake of World War II.
Once We Were Home
“Rosner’s novel reflects personal interviews and in-depth research...She illuminates the complex and opposing political and religious viewpoints...Rosner’s heart-wrenching revelations in Once We Were Home will persist in readers’ minds for seasons to come.”
–Historical Novel Society
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jennifer Rosner is the author of the novels ONCE WE WERE HOME and THE YELLOW BIRD SINGS, both finalists for the National Jewish Book Award. She is also author of the memoir IF A TREE FALLS: A FAMILY'S QUEST TO HEAR AND BE HEARD, and the children's book, THE MITTEN STRING, a Sydney Taylor Book Award Notable. Jennifer's books have been translated into a dozen languages. Her short writing has appeared in the New York Times, The Times of Israel, The Massachusetts Review, The Forward, and elsewhere. In addition to writing, Jennifer has taught philosophy. She earned her B.A. from Columbia University and her Ph.D. from Stanford University. She lives in Western Massachusetts with her family.
Ana will never forget her mother’s face when she and her baby brother, Oskar, were sent out of their Polish ghetto and into the arms of a Christian friend. For Oskar, though, their new family is the only one he remembers. When a woman from a Jewish reclamation organization seizes them, believing she has their best interest at heart, Ana sees an opportunity to reconnect with her roots, while Oskar sees only the loss of the home he loves.
Roger grows up in a monastery in France, inventing stories and trading riddles with his best friend in a life of quiet concealment. When a relative seeks to retrieve him, the Church steals him across the Pyrenees before relinquishing him to family in Jerusalem.
Renata, a post-graduate student in archaeology, has spent her life unearthing secrets from the past--except for her own. After her mother’s death, Renata’s grief is entwined with all the questions her mother left unanswered, including why they fled Germany so quickly when Renata was a little girl.
Two decades later, they are each building lives for themselves, trying to move on from the trauma and loss that haunts them. But as their stories converge in Israel, in unexpected ways, they must each ask where and to whom they truly belong.
Beautifully evocative and tender, filled with both luminosity and anguish, Once We Were Home reveals a little-known history. Based on the true stories of children stolen during wartime, this heart-wrenching novel raises questions of complicity and responsibility, belonging and identity, good intentions and unforeseen consequences, as it confronts what it really means to find home.
more:getthefunkoutshow.kuci.org

Professor Stephanie Reich, UCI professor of education and expert on youth and social media

Stephanie Reich, UCI professor of education and expert on youth and social media who served on the committee that produced “Assessment of the Impact of Social Media on the Health and Wellbeing of Adolescents and Children” for the National Academies joins host Janeane Bernstein on KUCI 88.9fm.
Over the past 15 years, mental health among youth has seen a decline, one that coincides with the rise of smartphone technology that has changed the relationship between teens and the internet.
According to “Assessment of the Impact of Social Media on the Health and Wellbeing of Adolescents and Children” from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. Released last month, the report urges industry-wide standards for social media to minimize harm and maximize benefit to adolescent health.
“Currently, there is limited legislation and industry standards focused on protecting kids online, especially those 13 years and older. There is a need for more transparency, data sharing and accountability,” says Stephanie Reich, a UC Irvine professor of education who served on the committee that wrote the report.
Reich, whose research focuses on understanding and improving the social context of children’s lives, is enthused to engage in conversations about what is currently known and what can be done in the future to learn more about how to better support youth in a socially and digitally connected world. Though the report focused on adolescents, Reich’s work spans diapers to college and considers school and family contributors to children’s and teens’ media use.
more: getthefunkoutshow.kuci.org

Professor Richard Matthew, professor of urban planning and public policy and director of the UCI Blum Center for Poverty Alleviation, shares details a...

The Drake Gives contributes $1.5 million to UC Irvine’s Power of Music initiative
New School of Social Ecology effort will leverage music for social good
Irvine, Calif., March 7, 2024 – A donation of $1.5 million from The Drake Gives will support a novel initiative at the University of California, Irvine’s School of Social Ecology focused on leveraging the power of music to galvanize students, other individuals and communities for social progress and well-being.
The contribution will spearhead the new Power of Music initiative, which will be led by Richard Matthew, professor of urban planning and public policy and director of the UCI Blum Center for Poverty Alleviation, in close collaboration with Alec Glasser, founder and CEO of The Drake Gives.
“With this generous support, we can develop novel pathways for research and action,” Matthew said. “Whether integrating music into psychology, health or environmental advocacy, we are poised to advance groundbreaking initiatives here on campus.”
Echoing his appreciation for Glasser’s dedication and philanthropy, Jon Gould, dean of the School of Social Ecology, pointed to the prospective impact of the Power of Music.
“Mr. Glasser’s remarkable contribution will empower students locally and globally to harness music’s potential in addressing some of the world’s most pressing issues,” he said.
Glasser underscored the initiative’s significance, calling attention to its ability to pioneer a movement toward positive change: “The Power of Music will establish diverse platforms for students and individuals to engage and advocate using the compelling medium of music. This endeavor resonates deeply with our mission to drive meaningful progress.”
Matthew emphasized the initiative’s capacity to shape innovative curricula and opportunities catering to diverse interests and disciplines.
He said the Power of Music aims to establish a vibrant hub at UCI, fostering collaboration among scholars, students and practitioners dedicated to using music for social good across myriad contexts.
It will also enable the expansion of partnerships between the Blum Center and organizations in three African countries that promote social change through music.
“Our partners are Yole!Africa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Collaborative Media Advocacy Platform in Nigeria and Kakuma Sound in a refugee camp in Kenya,” Matthew said. “They are building radio stations and recording studios, and through music, young people are mobilizing to bring people together. The technologies they’re using to build the stations and studios are helping kids acquire skills such as spatial analysis and geographic information system data science, which are really valuable for environmental sustainability, climate resilience and climate change adaptation.”
The Power of Music, Gould noted, “represents a significant step forward in harnessing music’s enduring power as a catalyst for positive change, reaffirming the UCI School of Social Ecology’s commitment to innovation and social impact.”
more: getthefunkoutshow.kuci.org

Armita Jamshidi, Founder of Aunt Flo’s Kitchen, a company Run By Women, For Women. She is also a student at Cornell University, where she studies Wome...

The Backstory
From Armita, the Founder
"Cramp Bites began in 2022 after being transported to the emergency room: I had fallen out of consciousness, turned extremely pale, and couldn’t move or speak due to the extremity of my period cramps. I consistently had cramps leading up to and during my period, but I couldn’t bring myself to take medication every single month. I went searching for a better alternative, and I found that I wasn’t alone in this issue – a lot of people felt the same way.
Why wasn’t there a solution that worked with my body to sustainably rid the hormonal imbalances causing period cramps, not against it? Something more than medication or implants that would artificially add hormones to my body and have detrimental long-term effects. There had to be a better way.
And so Cramp Bites was born. A Middle Eastern delicacy my grandmother would make, and one made of real food only. Sweet-craving indulgences that worked with my body on my period.
Cramp Bites may have started the conversation, but there was much more work to be done. Periods won’t go away, but the stigma around how we discuss them and treat them can. So we set out to do just that.
Now we’re here as the first doctor-recommended snack for menstruation – born out of the hair-on-fire problem that got us started: taking agency over our own cycle. The start to a healthier and happier life – and one where you can change the world, regardless of your menstrual agenda."
Armita Jamshidi
Founder, Aunt Flo’s Kitchen
You can learn more about Armita, as well as the clinical results of her product by visiting the link below.
https://auntfloskitchen.com/
Aunt Flo’s Kitchen’s first product, Cramp Bites, is designed to nutritionally help with menstrual cramps. These treats are based on clinical research and traditional Middle Eastern medicine. She is also a junior at Cornell University where she studies Women’s Health and Computer Science as she builds Aunt Flo’s Kitchen. They are currently selling online and are in 7 retailers in the Ithaca area.

Caroline Paul , author of TOUGH BROAD: From Boogie Boarding to Wing Walking How Outdoor Adventure Improves Our Lives as We Age

New York Times-Bestselling author Caroline Paul (The Gutsy Girl) has been an outdoor adventurer her whole life. From mountain biking in the Bolivian Andes to pitching a tent, mid blizzard on Denali to flying experimental planes, Paul has never been a stranger to the beauty and benefits of outdoor activity. But as she hit her mid-fifties and was often the only woman paddling a surfboard or riding a skateboard, she began to wonder why women, like men, aren’t encouraged to keep adventuring into old age. “Isn’t being outside a vital elixir?” she writes. “Isn’t adventure enlivening, and an important challenge? Why, then, aren’t older women out here with me?”
In her newest book, TOUGH BROAD: From Boogie Boarding to Wing Walking―How Outdoor Adventure Improves Our Lives as We Age (March 5, 2024; 9781635576498), Paul embarks on a quest to understand how not just to live a dynamic life in a changing body in defiance of societal expectations but why we must. Along the way, she uncovers the science and the psychology that shows how outdoor adventure may be the single best solution for a healthy brain, a vital body, a confident mindset, and a longer, happier life, and meets women whose outdoor activities have changed their outlook on growing older, bringing them fulfilment, community and endless joy.
Combining scientific research, cultural studies, medicine, psychology, and memoir, Paul travels the country sharing women’s narratives alongside her own incredible experiences, illustrating how outdoor activity positively affects a person’s spirit, body, brain, and heart. From BASE jumping with 54-year-old Shawn Brokemond in Yosemite National Park to scuba-diving with 80-year old Louise Wholey, riding BMX bikes with 74-year-old Miss Kittie, the oldest female racer competing in the United States today, to meeting the weekly group of septuagenarian wave catchers who boogie board together in the San Diego surf, these women’s stories offer important insights into our own physical and emotional health as we age, showing that growing older is no reason to sell yourself short.
more: getthefunkoutshow.kuci.org

Writer, cultural influencer, and former professor Lyn Slater—better known as her viral Instagram handle Accidental Icon—brings her characteristic opti...

A personal memoir in which Lyn Slater, known on Instagram as “Accidental Icon,”brings her characteristic style, optimism, forward-thinking, and rules-are-meant-to-be-broken attitude to the question of how to live boldly at any age.
When Lyn Slater started her fashion blog, Accidental Icon, at age sixty-one, she discovered that followers were flocking to her account for more than just her A-list style. As Lyn flaunted gray hair, wrinkles, and a megadose of self-acceptance, they found in her an alternative model of older life: someone who defied the stereotypes, refused to become invisible, and showed that all women have the opportunity to be relevant and take major risks at any stage of their life. Youth is not the only time we can be experimental.
How to Be Old tells the ten-year story of Lyn’s sixties, the sometimes-glamorous, sometimes-turbulent decade of Accidental Icon. This memoir is about the hopeful and future-oriented process of reinvention. It shows readers that while you can’t control everything, what you can control is the way you think about your age and the creative ways you respond to the changes in your mind and body as they happen. Rather than trying to meet standards of youth and beauty as a measure of successful aging, Lyn promotes a more inclusive and empowering standard to judge our older selves by.
more: http://getthefunkoutshow.kuci.org

Extraordinary, acclaimed and the feel-good movie of the year, “Finding Her Beat” filmmaker and co-director Keri Pickett joins host Janeane

SYNOPSIS
For thousands of years women have been locked out of Taiko drumming. Not anymore. In the dead of a Minnesota winter, Asian drumming divas smash gender roles and redefine power on their own terms. FINDING HER BEAT dives into the rhythms and struggles that lead to an electrifying historic performance that changes everything.
World Premiere Scheduled - Fall 2022
Directed by Dawn Mikkelson & Keri Pickett
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Extraordinary, acclaimed and the feel-good movie of the year, “Finding Her Beat” completed a more than 50 Film Festival run worldwide –earning more than a dozen awards –most recently Best Music Documentary at Award This! A critical darling cinema verité style feature documentary film “Finding Her Beat,” crisscrossed the globe in theatrical release this fall inspiring audiences with electrifying LIVE Taiko drumming with local artists and Q&A with filmmakers. The film will now be available for audiences everywhere digitally – offering February 2024 to be a month of love – for self, community, and cinema. This is an important story of women paving their own road by banging their own drum.
A moving and immersive cinematic experience from filmmakers and co-directors Dawn Mikkelson (“Minnesota Mean,” “Risking Light,” “The Red Tail”) and Keri Pickett (“Ribbon Skirt Warriors,” “First Daughter and the Black Snake,” “The Fabulous Ice Age”), Indie Rights will release the film to audiences in The UK, Australia, North America (USA & Canada) and Japan, and so many more will have a chance to watch this electric music documentary in the comfort of their homes on February 14th, 2024.
In the dead of a Minnesota winter right before the world shut down for a global pandemic, Asian drumming divas from around the world met to perform, smash gender roles, and redefine power on their own terms. The rhythm revolution includes rock stars from the world of Taiko: Tiffany Tamaribuchi, Kaoly Asano, Chieko Kojima, Megan Chao-Smith, and Jennifer Weir. “Finding Her Beat” dives into the rhythms and struggles that lead to an electrifying historic performance that changes everything.

Eric Ebel, Senior Program Manager, NAMM | The NAMM Foundation

Eric Ebel currently manages several of NAMM’s Market Development / NAMM Foundation programs, including Music Educator and Music Advocacy programming, The Day of Service, Roomful of Pianos, and The Grand Rally for Music Education at the annual NAMM Show. Since joining the NAMM team in 1997, Mr. Ebel has had diverse experiences with the trade association.
Before his current position, Ebel was show manager for NAMM’s “Music and Sound Expo” and was senior trade show sales representative for NAMM’s world-renowned international trade shows. For the past 40 years, he’s held various positions within the music industry ranging from products specialist and sales director for an international percussion manufacturer, professional touring musician, faculty at the Musician’s Institute in Los Angeles, and percussion specialist with the United States Marine Corps Far-East band. He maintains a moderate performance schedule with various commercial agencies based in Southern California.
https://www.namm.org/

Dr. Romie Mushtaq shares new book - The Busy Brain Cure The Eight-Week Plan to Find Focus, Tame Anxiety, and Sleep Again

Noted neurologist and Chief Wellness Officer Dr. Romie Mushtaq reveals the hidden connection between insomnia, anxiety, and adult ADD/ADHD – and gives you a science-backed plan to heal burnout and your Busy Brain in just 8 weeks.
Do racing thoughts keep you from falling asleep at night? Is it impossible to focus, even on tasks that used to stimulate you? Are you mindlessly stress-eating throughout the day?
These are signs that you have a “Busy Brain,” a term coined by triple-board certified physician Dr. Romie Mushtaq to describe a brain riddled with anxiety, insomnia, and ADD/ADHD.
Have the boundaries between your job, sleep, and personal life disappeared? Are you wearing stress as a badge of honor or resigned to feeling stuck in the hustle culture? The reality is that chronic stress kills. Just ask Dr. Romie Mushtaq who suffered from career burnout and underwent life-saving surgery. And as a brain doctor, she should have known better. Dr. Romie embarked on a global journey to research and heal the negative impact of the stress responses on our brains, bodies, and teams. The solution led to this eye-opening book for professionals eager to break the relentless cycles of stress, anxiety, and burnout.
more: getthefunkoutshow.kuci.org

Veera Hiranandi’s forthcoming, January book-- AMIL AND THE AFTER--follow up to her moving bestseller The Night Diary

From acclaimed author Veera Hiranandani comes AMIL AND THE AFTER (Kokila; on sale January 23 2024; ISBN 9780525555063; $17.99; ages 8-12), the highly anticipated companion novel to the Newbery Honor book The Night Diary. Filled with hope and the idea of finding joy after tragedy, the novel picks up where The Night Diary left off following the aftermath of the Partition of India, the greatest human migration in history. Through Amil’s story, young readers will learn of the complicated physical, emotional, and psychological impact that comes from being forced to leave your home—an experience many kids globally still experience today.
more: getthefunkoutshow.kuci.org