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Devan Jaquez is currently the Principal Flutist with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. Devan received a Master of Music Degree in 2019 studying with Jim Walker. He received his Bachelor’s Degree of Art in Music Performance in the spring of 2017 from UCLA where he also received the Presser Scholar Award and studied with Sheridon Stokes.

While growing up in Pontiac, Michigan, John Habel was an avid listener to R&B, soul, rock and jazz on local radio. In 1980, when he and his wife, Dottie, moved to Knoxville, he continued his career as a special education teacher and therapist, working with emotionally disturbed children. In 1998, while completing his doctoral studies at UTK, and still a lover of music and of local radio, John leapt at the opportunity to become a jazz host at WUOT. In 1993, after four years at Pellissippi State Technical Community College in Knoxville, John joined the faculty of the Department of Psychology at Western Carolina University (WCU) in Cullowhee, NC, a position from which he retired in 2016. While at WCU, John lived and worked in Cullowhee during the week and spent weekends, holidays, and semester breaks with his family in Knoxville.

Katharine Emlen first fell in love with world music when she was 11 years old and lived in Nakuru, Kenya. The daughter of a wildlife biologist, she lived in a small field station with no running water or electricity. Elephant, giraffe and zebra roamed freely outside her window and bats slept over her bed. She went to school with Kikuyu and Masai children who shared their stories an songs with her. This experience led to a life long love of cultures, travel and world music.

Taber Gable brings as many influences to the piano as possible. Gable at a young age started enjoying and applying many different styles which include Jazz, Gospel, Classical, Pop, R&B, Soul, Neo Soul and a variety of other genres. Taber started playing piano at the age of 9 in church and has gone on to receive a Bachelor’s in Jazz Studies from The University of Hartford where he had the opportunity to study with Andy LaVerne, Steve Davis, Rene McLean, Javon Jackson, Nat Reeves. He recently graduated The Juilliard School with his Masters in Jazz performance where he studied under Kenny Barron, Wynton Marsalis, and many more notable teachers.

Marilyn Geewax is a contributor to NPR.

NPR commentator Bonny Wolf grew up in Minnesota and has worked as a reporter and editor at newspapers in New Jersey and Texas. She taught journalism at Texas A&M University where she encouraged her student, Lyle Lovett, to give up music and get a real job. Wolf gives better advice about cooking and eating, and contributes her monthly food essay to NPR's award-winning Weekend Edition Sunday. She is also a contributing editor to "Kitchen Window," NPR's Web-only, weekly food column.

Ryan joined KNAU's newsroom in 2013. He covers a broad range of stories from local, state and tribal politics to education, economy, energy and public lands issues, and frequently interviews internationally known and regional musicians. Ryan is an Edward R. Murrow Award winner and a frequent contributor to NPR and National Native News.

Arditi joins RIPR after more than three decades as a reporter, including 28 years at the ProJo, where she has covered a variety of beats, most recently health care. A native of New York City, she graduated from Oberlin College with a degree in government and has worked as a staff writer for The Center for Investigative Reporting in Washington, D.C. and as a reporter for the former Holyoke Transcript-Telegram in Massachusetts.