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Buzzing in California! 900 416 Michael Hemphill

Buzzing in California!

BUZZ is now on in California!

Carol Jessee, former executive director of Southwest Virginia Ballet, which we featured in our first episode in 2020, texted us: “Just got a note from a friend who lives in LA saying he turned his TV on and there I was! The ballet Buzz4good was on!!! WOW! Congrats!”

Turns out KVCR Public Media in San Bernardino picked up our show off of the NETA (National Educational Telecommunications Association) platform and is airing it Sundays at 4:30 pm Pacific.

Thank you Blue Ridge PBS for offering BUZZ to public television across the U.S. Now audiences everywhere can see firsthand what a caring and beautiful region is our beloved Virginia’s Blue Ridge.

We’re buzzing in Cali!

Free BUZZ Concert features Addie Levy + Domino 900 506 Michael Hemphill

Free BUZZ Concert features Addie Levy + Domino

Dear friends:

In addition to BUZZ, I also work for the nonprofit Friends of the Blue Ridge, which recently introduced me to the multi-talented Addie Levy.

The 21-year-old Radford native – who now splits her time between Nashville and Dollywood – headlined Friends’ ON THE RISE concerts in Roanoke and Asheville featuring phenomenal up-and-coming Bluegrass sensations.

Addie recently shared with me that she’s formed a Nashville-based trio called Domino, and hoped to find a place to perform in Roanoke on April 14. (Click here to take a listen.)

Well, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to provide some buzz. So I reached out to my friends at the Taubman Museum of Art, which graciously agreed to host a free concert on Sunday, April 14, 2 p.m. I hope you’ll join me!

Below is an RSVP along with a blurb about Domino and a YouTube recording of a recent performance. They’re incredible and I’m honored to be a buzz4good for them.

Always buzzing,
Michael Hemphill, Creator of Buzz4Good

BUZZ Concert – Addie Levy + Domino

Name

In the heart of Nashville, the trio of Cole Ritter, Luca Chiappara, and Addie Levy weaves a stellar blend of Bluegrass, Jazz, and Swing. Their music, polished through years of exploration, brings a magic to the stage. All 3 members are nationally touring musicians, working for multiple artists and touring under their own names. Joining together in the fall of 2023, the three created a powerhouse trio that shows off each of their strengths and true love for music.  Join them for smooth melodies and cosmic rhythms that make for an unforgettable experience.

BUZZ wins Judge’s Choice at Western Virginia Advertising Awards 900 675 Michael Hemphill

BUZZ wins Judge’s Choice at Western Virginia Advertising Awards

Buzz4Good won a Judge’s Choice Award and Silver Addy at the 2024 Western Virginia Advertising Awards Gala for our “It’s Here” video highlighting Roanoke, Virginia’s arts scene. The music video was produced as part of our “Arts and Economic Development” episode that aired in June 2023.

Filmed by BUZZ cinematographer Dan Mirolli, the video featured an original song composed and performed by Bryan “Harvest Blaque” Hancock and J.P. Powell, with guest appearances by Roanoke Symphony maestro David Stewart Wiley, Opera Roanoke’s Brooke Tolley, Roanoke Cultural Endowment’s Shaleen Powell, and the Roanoke Valley Children’s Choir.

BUZZ in Birmingham stars Bundles of Hope 900 506 Michael Hemphill

BUZZ in Birmingham stars Bundles of Hope

As originally broadcast on January 5, 2024, on Alabama Public Television …

Food, shelter … diapers? For low-income moms struggling to get by, diapers are a vital, and expensive, necessity that aren’t covered by government assistance. Too many caregivers in Alabama – including grandmothers – have to make the hard choice between diapers and utilities, clothing, even medicine.

In the final part of BUZZ creator Michael Hemphill’s 4-part series in his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, he meets Bundles of Hope Diaper Bank, which each month distributes more than 150,000 free diapers and other essential products to 3,300 low-income families in Central Alabama. Martin Advertising / Martin Retail Group steps up to provide Bundles with a lot of marketing help — and hope.

This episode is sponsored in part by the Mike & Gillian Goodrich Foundation.

BUZZ stars ¡HICA! Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama 900 509 Michael Hemphill

BUZZ stars ¡HICA! Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama

As originally broadcast on December 29, 2023, on Alabama Public Television …

America was founded on hope and opportunity. And for folks from Hispanic countries, that dream is as alive today as ever. But navigating a foreign land and language is hard and not for the faint of heart.

In part 3 of BUZZ creator Michael Hemphill’s 4-part series in his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, there’s thankfully a nonprofit full of heart: the Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama, or ¡HICA! A community development and advocacy organization, HICA champions economic equality, civic engagement, and social justice for Latino families.

Coming up on BUZZ on Alabama Public Television:

Jan 5 at 8:30 pm 
Bundles of Hope Diaper Bank
Food, shelter … diapers? Too many low-income mom and grandmothers in Alabama have to make the hard choice between diapers and utilities, clothing, even medicine. Bundles of Hope Diaper Bank each month distributes more than 150,000 free diapers and other essential products to 3,300 low-income families in Central Alabama. Martin Advertising / Martin Retail Group steps up to provide Bundles with a lot of marketing help — and hope.

Many thanks to the Mike & Gillian Goodrich Foundation for helping underwrite our production.