Makers of the USA

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Sam Kassirer Turns A Farmhouse Built In The 1700s Into A Music Destination Studio May 25, 2021

Show notes

Sam Kassirer is originally from Massachusetts and had vacationed to Maine quite a few times at a young age. He has always had a passion for music of all kinds but jazz is one genre that truly hits home with him. He has played for a variety of bands including Josh Ritter and many others. He decided to start his own music studio, Great North Sound Society, over ten years ago and the location that connected with him was out in Parsonsfield, Maine. An untouched farmhouse built in the 1700s that still has its original character.

Many musicians have used this studio as a writing retreat, to record singles, EPs, and albums and even artists have rented this space to hold workshops. It is a hidden gem that offers an unplugged environment for creatives. Kristan got to see the behind the scenes of a recording session and what she found interesting was that a single instrument was recorded in a different space in the house. From the bass in the attic to the voice recording in what I call the "singing nook", a small space located upstairs from the audio engineering room.

To learn more about Sam's studio please visit his website and Instagram.

Also, please check out the featured musician of this episode, Dietrich Strause. He is also featured in the promo video of this podcast series and is one of the guests on the podcast series.

If you enjoyed this Makers of the USA episode, please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Facebook. Please check out Makers of the USA's YouTube channel, Facebook and Instagram. Thank you all and stay safe and healthy.

Makers Market At The Point Series - Full-Time Attorney Who Crafts Aromatherapy Dough & Potter Who Turns The Female Body Into Art May 19, 2021

Show notes

The episode starts out with Aidan Frazer who is the founder and designer behind Luster Hustler. She has a deep passion for supporting women's rights and believes that the woman body should be appreciated more as an art form, a functional piece, really just appreciated in general. Aidan is new to being an entrepreneur but thanks to her mentors and support system, her business has grown from solely an Instagram business to Etsy and hopefully launching a website in the near future.

The next guest on the episode is Britt Sweet who is the owner and founder of Birch & Grey Co. Britt decided to start this side gig as she found a niche that needed to be filled. To give people a chance to relieve stress with all-natural dough. It smells good, it feels good and it's made to last for a while! She launches scents by season from pumpkin in the fall to pine in the winter to grapefruit in the spring and summer. She also includes raw pieces of the scents into the dough to give it more of a visual appeal.

To learn more about each of the guest's products, please visit their websites listed here: Luster Hustler and Birch & Grey Co.

Also, please check out the featured musician of this episode, Azariah Charles.

Heather Stilin's Passion For Patterns & Textiles Shows In Her Free Flowing & Feel Good Clothing Line May 04, 2021

Show notes

Heather currently crafts her beautiful pieces in South Portland but before starting her business and starting her family here in Maine she lived in Northern California. She attended a pattern-making school in San Francisco and learned how to make her own patterns. She learned how to bring her ideas to life.

She was a photographer and film archivist prior to taking the leap of faith of starting her fashion journey. Her focus is on slow fashion and bringing free movement, comfort, and beauty to her customer's wardrobes. Her pieces are in a handful of stores in Maine and she has an online store. She launches new pieces every season but the intention behind her line is that every piece can be worn any time of year.

Her studio is located in South Portland and she also homeschools her kids in the back of her studio. She wears many hats by continuing to grow her brand and tending to her three boys (husband and kids) she loves dearly.

You can check out herself clothing on Facebook and Instagram.

Photos of Heather and herself clothing were taken by Elle Darcy.

The featured musician of the episode if Renee Coolbrith and she is from Portland, Maine. Her latest single All I Need is showcased at the end of the episode.

Kyle Lamont Captures Compelling Stories Through Award Winning Video Projects & Her Podcast, Concert Cast Apr 30, 2021

Show notes

Kyle Lamont is an award-winning producer and the founder of Good To Go Studios, a multi-media company based in Maine. She also recently worked as a commercial Producer/ Director for Matador Network, the largest producer of branded travel content in the world.

Her short film “Passive Aggressive Dads” won the best comedy at the Beaufort Film Festival in 2019 and her work for TravelNevada and Airstream was screened at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival Storytelling Series, winning four Addy Awards in Nevada as well.

Her storytelling skills work naturally not just in the film world but through her podcast as well. Concert Cast is a sonic road trip to America’s best music venues. The show includes conversations with notable venue owners and popular bands that make for entertaining stories about travel and music.

She recently launched Season 2 of her podcast where she talks to thought leaders in the live music industry who are creatively adapting and recalibrating the next rendition of concert going and culture.

To learn more about Kyle please follow her on Facebook and Instagram. She is working on Season 3 of Concert Cast this summer and it's going to be epic.

Cryogenic Protection Gear Handcrafted In Trenton Used In Handling The COVID-19 Vaccine Apr 14, 2021

Show notes

The episode starts out with Jim Woldenberg discussing his business Tempshield and what it was like prior to him taking it over in 2018. He then jumps right into sharing the in-depth process of crafting the cryogenic protective gear and how important it was to keep their manufacturing in Maine. Jim has expanded Tempshield's operations by entering into new industries and locations around the world and has grown its team that is still located in Trenton, Maine.

To learn more about Jim Woldenberg with Tempshield you can visit their website or Instagram.

Also, please check out the featured musician of this episode, Natale, and her song Baby It's Alright.

Briana Warner Introduces Kelp Farming -- A New Way Fishermen Can Work On The Water While Improving The Health Of Our Oceans Apr 07, 2021

Show notes

The episode starts out with Briana Warner talking about her craft of kelp farming and partnering with over 24 farmers throughout the nation. She then jumps right into sharing the in-depth process of kelp collection and processing and how her team does this within a short amount of time to keep it as fresh as possible. Briana has not just expanded her partnerships with farmers, she has started a product line of kelp-based snacks including kelp cubes to put in your smoothies to seaweed salad you can enjoy right from the jar.

To learn more about Briana Warner with Atlantic Sea Farms you can visit their website or Instagram.

Also, please check out the featured musician of this episode, Lady Lamb, and her song Even In The Tremor.

Photo credit: Hannah McGowan

Kazeem Lawal Brings His Life Experiences Through A Curation Of Craft To The Local Community Mar 17, 2021

Show notes

For Kazeem, craft is a very broad term because he touches on it in so many ways between curation, fashion design, and showcasing his own life through his brand. He wants each customer to have a unique experience when they come into his shop. His shop reflects anything he is into at that moment from food, to travel, to cultures, to his own journey. Kristan chats with Kazeem about his past life before coming to Maine, how he got to Maine, the inspiration behind opening up his own shop, and what the future holds for his business. If you enjoyed this Makers of the USA episode, please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Facebook. Please check out Makers of the USA's YouTube channel, Facebook and Instagram. Thank you all and stay safe and healthy.

Thirteenth Generation Passamaquoddy Basket Weaver, Gabriel Frey, Shares His Process Of Crafting Black Ash Baskets Mar 09, 2021

Show notes

The episode starts out with Gabriel Frey sharing his thoughts around Maine craft and how it is important to share these stories with the community. He then jumps right into sharing the in-depth process of Black Ash basket weaving and how he continues to innovate the traditional practices by adding color and personal expression to his work. Many typically think of basket packs when it comes to the traditional Indian-style baskets but Gabriel has taken these ancient skills and now crafts purses, face masks and so much more. He also uses plant dyes and locally sourced leather to add to his pieces to give it a fancier look yet still accomplishing the utility of the piece

To learn more about Gabriel Frey you can visit his website or Instagram.

Also, please check out the featured musician of this episode, Hawk Henries, and learn more about his craft behind flutes.

Photo credit: Brendan Bullock

Tighten Up, Lets Go & Learn About The Craft Behind Dog Sledding with Kevin Slater & Polly Mahoney Feb 17, 2021

Show notes

The episode starts out with Kristan Vermeulen telling her story of her experience mushing along the Umbagog Lake and camping overnight under the full moon in the cold, wintery conditions. Then she talks to Polly to learn more about her experience in Alaska prior to coming to Maine to start Mahoosuc Guide Service with Kevin. She also touches on her mushing adventures up in the Arctic where she eats something out of the ordinary but very common up in that area. Then Kevin talks about his journey to Maine and how he has worked for various guiding services throughout his life. He also touches on how he crafts his own dog sleds, canoes, paddles, snowshoes, and much more.

To learn more about Mahoosuc Guide Services visit their website, Facebook or Instagram.

Also, please check out the featured musician of this episode, the Gawler Sisters, and their song Red Rocking Chair.

Lastly, there are a handful of Maine maker's products that were a part of this adventure including, Brant & Cochran Axes, Gabriel Frey Baskets, Knit Ware Co., Kennedy, and Co., Mainly Wool Mittens & Pyxie. Go check them out! Great gear for the cold months!

Photo credit: Frances Mahoney

Sascha Deri & His BluShift Aerospace Team Successfully Executes The First Commercial Launch Of A Rocket Using A Bio-Derived Fuel Feb 12, 2021

Show notes

The episode starts out with Sascha Deri, the owner, and founder of bluShift Aerospace, talking about the inspiration behind the craft of the team's rocket. It was quite a long journey to launch day as they were working with Maine's state government and various organizations to assist with funding and permissions to launch a rocket from Maine and they worked with Loring Airforce Base for setting up a launch site as it was the perfect fit for what blueShift was looking for.

To learn more about blueShift Aerospace visit their website, Facebook or Instagram. Also, to see the Stardust 1.0 launch visit their YouTube channel.

Also, please check out the featured musician of this episode, Vander Viper and the song he specifically made for bluShift as you will hear Sascha's voice in the background when he was conducting one of his test launches.

Photo credit: Lindsay Heald

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