Podcast, Media, Entertainment
Yao Pei
Free Press, Bad Press, and the Muscogee ...

In this episode of the Arts Management and Technology Lab, host Luna Lu speaks with Bad Press co-directors Rebecca Lansberry-Baker and Joe Peeler, alongside journalist and film subject Angel Ellis, about the making of their Sundance 2023 award-winning documentary. The conversation explores how the team came together, the ethical and creative challenges of documenting press censorship within the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, and the tension between tribal sovereignty and press freedom. Through Angel Ellis’s experience as a journalist turned whistleblower, the episode highlights the vital role of independent Indigenous media, transparency, and civic participation, while also reflecting on trust, community-based storytelling, and the power of individuals to effect democratic change.

Free Press, Bad Press, and the Muscogee Nation: A Conversation with Filmmakers
Art Meets Tech, Creative Coding, Data Visualization, Interview
Brett Ashley Crawford, Ph.D.
Livecoding and Interdisciplinary Performance: ...

Eric Theise is a geospatial engineer, filmmaker, and performance artist. On September 5, 2025, he shared “A Synesthete’s Atlas” Performing Cartography, in an artist talk at the Frank-Ratchye Studio for Creative Inquiry at the College of Fine Arts. The following is a joint effort by Nate Xiang, who attended the artist talk, and an interview with Eric afterwards.

Livecoding and Interdisciplinary Performance: An Interview with Eric Theise
Podcast, Art Meets Tech, Media
Yao Pei
The Algorithms in Your Ears: Looking Into the ...

In this episode of the Arts Management and Technology Lab, Samantha Childers explores why so many songs recommended by streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music sound strikingly similar. She breaks down the inner workings of music streaming algorithms—how metadata, collaborative filtering, content-based filtering, and continuous feedback loops collectively shape the “perfect playlist.” Childers also examines Spotify features such as Discover Weekly and Discovery Mode, uncovering how these tools influence music discovery, artist visibility, and even compositional trends as musicians increasingly write with algorithms in mind. Alongside these technical insights, she raises critical ethical questions about data privacy, algorithmic bias, pay-to-play practices, and the shrinking role of human curation. Ultimately, the episode invites listeners to rethink how algorithm-driven platforms shape not only what we hear but also how we discover, value, and experience music.

The Algorithms in Your Ears: Looking Into the Making Of Your Music Feeds
Podcast, Digital Futures, Art Meets Tech
Yao Pei
Ludus: a Ticket Selling Platform Changing the ...

In this episode of the Arts Management and Technology Lab, Andrew Wolverton and Zachary Collins explore how arts-focused technology can transform nonprofit ticketing and operations, tracing Ludus’s journey from a side project for a single high school musical to a nationwide platform serving more than 4,000 organizations. Collins explains how Ludus was built from the ground up around the real needs of drama teachers and community theaters, growing into an end-to-end system for ticketing, fundraising, marketing, volunteers, and concessions—while staying anchored in a people-first culture summed up by the company’s core value, “Give a Shit.” He reflects on navigating the COVID-19 shutdown through livestreaming and social-distancing tools, choosing the right growth equity partner, and why he believes AI shouldn’t replace arts workers but instead act as a “superpower” that frees them to focus on human-centered work and shared live experiences.

Ludus: a Ticket Selling Platform Changing the Game
Podcast, Entertainment, Digital Futures, Artificial Intelligence
Yao Pei
Michael Cioni on Ingenuity and the Future of ...

In this episode of the Arts Management and Technology Lab, Alexann Sharp and Cara Flannery sit down with four-time Emmy-winning innovator Michael Cioni to unpack how technology and creativity converge in modern media workflows. Cioni introduces Strada, a peer-to-peer platform designed to enable remote collaboration without cloud storage, and shares career lessons on building networks through industry events (NAB, Cine Gear, IBC) and assembling complementary teams (“Swiss-cheese” collaboration). He distinguishes generative vs. utilitarian AI, predicts a shakeout and rebound for GenAI, and outlines his Skills Gap Principle and “Technative” mindset for balancing creative and technical strengths. The conversation closes with candid advice on taking smarter risks and betting on yourself.

Michael Cioni on Ingenuity and the Future of Entertainment

An interivew with Laura Quinn of Idealware: Helping Nonprofits Make "Smart Software Decisions"

Idealware is a nonprofit organization based in Portland, Maine. It helps other nonprofits make “smart software decisions” by offering recommendations on software products and vendors, and more importantly, on which of those products and vendors would best fit the organization’s specific needs. Idealware’s reports are plenty, thoroughly researched, relevant and up-to-date.

Photo 2.0 — Online Photographic Thinking with Andy Adams, Creator of Flak Photo

Photo 2.0 — Online Photographic Thinking with Andy Adams, Creator of Flak Photo

We have talked with cutting-edge professionals about Web 2.0, Museum 2.0, and Art 2.0 and shared their thoughts with you here. Now we bring you Photo 2.0, as understood and explained by the leading figure in the 21st-century, digital photography discussion. I spoke with Andy Adams, the creator and producer of Flak Photo, about Photo 2.0, communicating contemporary photography, the online art space, and 21st century image-making and sharing. 

ArtStack: the Social Platform for Discovering Art through People

ArtStack, one of the newest social platforms for the visual arts, is growing in popularity all over the word. I spoke (Q) with Ezra Konvitz (K), co-founder of Artstack, to find out how it differentiates from other widely popular image-sharing platforms, such as Pinterest, and how arts professionals can benefit from it. ArtStack celebrates the process of discovering artwork in a truly empowering way for each user. But what makes ArtStack uniquely different from other platforms, like Pinterest, is the composition and intentions of its population.

Technology in Art and Arts Organizations: Interview with Fifth House Ensemble

Integrating technology, on any level, can be daunting for arts organizations. There are valid trepidations concerning cost and time commitments, and generally a change resistance culture. You won’t find that attitude with Melissa Snoza and the staff of Fifth House Ensemble.

Take Off Your Fundraiser Hat! Kickstarter Tips with Stephanie Pereira

For those of you keeping score at home, Technology In The Arts is a research initiative by the Master of Arts Management Program at Carnegie Mellon University. This gives us access to a pretty awesome speaker series. Last Friday Stephanie Pereira, the Art Program Director of Kickstarter, stopped by and gave an amazing talk. We opened this week with a great discussion from Sean on our Kickstarter panel – and you can watch the entire talk here! It’s about an hour long, so here’s a cheat sheet on how best to useKickstarter based on the talk (and a few questions I managed to sneak in after!)

Part 1: Introducing Lori Byrd Phillips, Wikipedian in Residence.

Last week, I brought you QRpedia; one of the UK’s most innovative technologies, quickly gaining popularity in museums worldwide. This week, I’m pleased to present to you Lori Byrd Phillips, Wikipedian in Residence and Web Content Specialist at the Children’s Museum of IndianapolisAND the US Cultural Partnerships Coordinator for the Wikimedia Foundation. Impressive. Who is she? What does she do? WHAT'S A WIKIPEDIAN IN RESIDENCE? Should your museum consider one?

Part Two Talking about the Virtual Pillow

Ella Baff, Artistic and Executive Director of Jacob’s Pillow visited Carnegie Mellon on Tuesday February 28.  The following addendum to last week’s blog post is a result of online conversations with Jacob's Pillow General Manager Connie Chin. Andre Bouchard:  Could you talk about the development process of the Virtual Pillow? How did you decide what features to put in? How did the process unfold?

Part 1 Talking about the Virtual Pillow: Ella Baff, Executive and Artistic Director of Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival

This interview with Ella Baff, Executive and Artistic Director of the Jacob’s Pillow Festival, took place on Friday, February 17th.  Ella Baff will be speaking at Carnegie Mellon University on Tuesday, February 28, 2012 as part of the Masters in Arts Management Speaker Series.

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Podcast Episode #84 - Social Media Spotlight: Woolly Mammoth Theatre Co.

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Woolly Mammoth Theatre Co. in Washington, DC has been getting a lot of press lately about their re-launch of the Pulitzer-Prize winning play "Clybourne Park". Along with the production, Woolly Mammoth has begun an innovative audience engagement campaign that includes many social media platforms. In this podcast, Rachel Grossman (Connectivity Director for the theater) answers questions about social media planning, what "connectivity" actually means, and integrating efforts across platforms.[display_podcast]