Hosts John Devlin and Enrico Lopez-Yañez chat about the upcoming season, and the best way to spend a summer to recharge, and prepare for the year ahead. Then, UpBeat welcomes Sonja Thoms, Executive Director of the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra. Sonja chats with our hosts about collaborative leadership, the experience of being a first-year ED, and her vision for an orchestra that serves its community best.

Hosts John Devlin and Enrico Lopez-Yañez reconnect at the end of the season in front of their live studio audience as part of the Everything but Conducting seminar. Then, UpBeat welcomes Emmy-winning and Grammy-nominated composer Adam Schoenberg onto the pod. Adam chats with our hosts about the arc of commissioning projects, how a composer can help the conductor during a rehearsal process, and the details of a recording session from inside the booth. During the coda, John and Enrico reflect on the topics of the day and field questions from the live audience.

Hosts John Devlin and Enrico Lopez-Yañez catch up about the 23-24 season so far. Then, UpBeat welcomes the incredible American Singer-Songwriter Cody Fry. Cody thinks about his music with the orchestra in mind from the very beginning, and that symphonic influence is deeply felt. Your favorite hosts explore a variety of topics with Cody including how to best collaborate with pop artists, how he builds shows, and his view on performing "old favorites" versus new music for audiences.