Ep 257 | Aired 8/13/2021
My two guests today on Up in Your Business not only share their lives, but also their creativity and love of music. Classically trained vocalist, Ms. Stephanie Smittle and her partner, Stephen Koch, founder and host of the syndicated radio show Arkansongs, take a deep dive into Arkansas music history, from the excavation of ancient instruments to stories about legends like Levon Helm, Louis Jordan, and Sister Rosetta Tharp.
By day, Stephanie writes as culture editor for the Arkansas Times Magazine. By night, she sings in The Smittle Band, a smooth, jazzy style of music. On the weekends, her side gigs include singing sacred music as a cantor and chorister, or you might find her sitting in with any number of bands, ranging from folk to heavy metal music, or performing with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.
Mr. Stephen Koch’s love of music is wide, historical, and rooted in his Stuttgart DJ father’s love of ragtime. In 1998, Stephen and his co-host, Keith Merckx, began a two-hour radio program in Little Rock, Arkansas, where they dug deep into the music pioneers of Arkansas. They named the radio show Arkansongs. In addition, Stephen is a musician in his band Arkopolis.
If you love music and, more specifically, the music of artists from Arkansas, then listen today as we discuss all things music and hear some of Stephanie's genre-bending, original music from The Smittle Band.
