Though he tried a strenuous life on the music circuit in his 20s, Mike Green found a better path for him, at the time, was helping other musicians in organizing & scheduling their tours. Though Mike continued to hone his own guitar skills, occasionally playing with other bands like the rock & roll band called Rooster Soup, he channeled his energies into assuring success for American roots, Celtic, and folk artists, like John McCutcheon, Carrie Newcomer, David Wilcox, and others. About 5 years ago Mike discovered a burgeoning songwriting passion, leading to his first album, Listening For The Bell, in preparation for his retirement from his work as a booking agent.

Lucy Kaplansky is, in some ways, very much a road-less traveled person. For example, after starting a successful career as performing Americana musician with the likes of Shawn Colvin, Suzanne Vega, and many more, she detoured through a decade as a clinical psychologist. Her own inner work led her back to the path she most loves, music, and she has released a total of 11 albums, I think, the last 4 on her own, including avoiding streaming services and other devices that impoverish most musicians - another road less traveled. You'll find her heartful and engaging, poignant and insightful.

Past/present religious/spiritual influences: Jewish, Non-affiliated

All featured music is written & performed by Lucy Kaplansky, unless otherwise noted:

Our guest-host today is Jan Spencer and this is his 7^th time sharing an episode of Creating A Preferred Future, and this is a rather picturesque guided tour of what kind of change will prepare us for a better future. Many of us have at least ideas of parts of what will make for a healed world in ecological balance, but have are hard time synthesizing the pieces into a coherent picture of life, and so Jan is going to help us do that today. He'll be voyaging from his home in Eugene, Oregon, up to Portland, Oregon to visit the Kailash Eco Village.

Sonita Alizada grew up in Afghanistan under that Taliban, and then later in Iran, in a culture where females faced all kinds of trials, including forced marriage for young girls, and much more. Sonita found refuge and nurture via education by NGOs working in Iran, and through which she discovered a talent as a rap artist, with songs like Daughters For Sale. These and many more stories are told in her new book, SONITA: My Fight Against Tyranny and My Escape to Freedom. The wild rise of her music has given her an ever-larger platform for her work for gender equality, combining her voice as a rapper and an activist, what she calls a raptivisit. Although she thrived during her high school and college education in the USA, she resides in Europe, visiting her family regularly in Canada, where they were able to immigrate.

(From left to right: Annie Patterson, Wendi Bourne, Lauren Janson)

Wendi Bourne's journey with music began at 6, her first instrument was an accordion which was almost bigger than she was, and while she was definitely influenced by the folk music revival of her early years, she was especially caught by the jazz and swing bug and it grew and multiplied is so many ways in her life. She's made music with so many different folks, among them the Skippack Cindies, Big Nite Out, The Girls from Mars, the Lost Boys, Beats Walkin', W&E Swing and more. Wendi Bourne is all about the groove and rhythm and the harmonies, so prepare yourself.

Past/present religious/spiritual influences: Presbyterian, Buddhism, Non-affiliated

Though fears about rising fascism in the US are rampant at the beginning of Donald Trump's 2^nd term, there has been a wide-spread increase in fascist movements world-wide over the past few decades, and today's guest, Craig A. Johnson, has studied them and educates about them through his Fifteen Minutes of Fascism podcast, and through his new book, How to Talk to Your Son about Fascism. Interweaving lessons from history, recent trends & technologies, and sound strategies for dealing with the creep of fascist ideas into our children's lives, Craig provides much-needed resources to correct course for our country. Craig's Ph.D.

I am so grateful when I find people working for a better world from the depths of their spiritual tradition, and that's exactly what today's guest, Mirele Goldsmith does. She is an environmental psychologist, something that I didn't even know existed, and she is co-founder of the Jewish Earth Alliance. Together these activists lobby our legislators in the direction of environmental sanity and sustainability, both in person and by doing virtual visits, and they build the energy and commitment of Jews across the country toward Earthcare. Find more resources at adamah.org. Mirele Goldsmith joins us from Bethesda, MD.

Past/present religious/spiritual influences: Jewish

Chloe Schwenke is a teaching professor at the McCourt School of Public Policy of Georgetown University, and has keen observations about the incredible damage, destruction, and death being visited upon Africa and many other areas by the Trump administration's reckless attack on US Agency for International Development, USAID. And the reason Chloe knows so intimately about their work is due to the 15 or so years she spent working in various countries in Africa, first as an architect, and then transitioning to work in international affairs, focusing along the way on gender equality, social inclusion, governance, peace-building and human rights. In 2012 she was appointed by the Obama administration as Senior Advisor on Human Rights at the Africa Bureau of the USAID.

Rebecca Pidgeon brings to her music influences as disparate as her early years in Massachusetts, life through early adulthood in Scotland, professional decades in England, then more than 20 years in Los Angeles. In addition to her singing/songwriting, Rebecca is an actress, and her ability to inhabit diverse minds and persons is reflected through her incredibly versatile songs and styles, all compelling. While her guitar, bass, autoharp, or keyboards will all surround and carry you, it is her voice that will compel you with the power of the sirens. Though her early music was performed with the Scottish folk-pop band, Ruby Blue, she has produced 11 solo albums since her move to the US.

Past/present religious/spiritual influences: Presbyterian, Jewish, Yoga

Some 15 years ago Maaria Mozaffar began as a civil rights lawyer & mediator, and since then her work has grown to center around both education and legislative advocacy, crafting & organizing legislation centered on religious freedom and rights. As a Muslim, Maaria sees more clearly the tilt, and sometimes the walls, that US society builds against minority faiths and ethnic groups. Based in Illinois, her successful advocacy has included the Halal/Kosher Law in Public Institutions, the Faith Behind Bars act, and the establishment of January 17^th as Muhammad Ali Day, and these and more laws are being replicated in other states as well. She's the author of the book More than Pretty, and founder of The Skinless Project.