Hey From the Mic Listeners - happy October. It's just about the end of the month and you might be wondering if a new episode is coming out. And the answer is yes...soon! In fact, several episodes are in the works that I'm really looking forward to sharing. These interviews will spotlight callers and organizers who are part of the new African American Dance Caller Pathways Program.

This exciting project trains African American and/or Black-identifying aspiring dance callers in calling technique, traditional dances, history, and culture rooted in the legacy of blackness at its core. It grew out of an event called "FWAAM Fest!" That's the Fort Worth African American Roots Music Festival...FWAAM Fest, started in Texas by musician, organizer, and activist Brandi-Waller Pace. The first cohort of 3 callers began learning in 2025 and this March, in 2026 they all took to the mic for the first community dance at FWAAM Fest. This fall the SECOND cohort has just begun learning with 5 brand new callers from around the country.

I was super lucky to be in Fort Worth, on the dance floor for that first dance this March. From the Mic is a podcast about North American social dance calling and I really hoped to find a way to bring a glimpse into this amazing work to From the Mic listeners. Brandi and the callers have been wonderful about staying in touch and helping me to make this happen and SOON! So soon...you'll get to hear what we've been chatting about.

Sorry to make you wait a bit longer but this little passion project sometimes happens at the pace of life, if you know what I mean… As a little teaser I’ll leave you with this soundbite of Audra Scott calling at FWAAM Fest this March, and I’ll see you back here with full episodes next month!

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

Click here to download a transcript of the episode.

Sound bites featured in this episode (in order of appearance):

• Emily leads a Rushfest dance during a late night session at Youth Dance Weekend 2016.
• Emily Rush calling with Buddy System at the first ever Catalina Dance Weekend!
• Emily Rush calls the Readbeard Reel by Bob Isaacs at a Rushfest dance at Butterfly Whirl dance weekend on Saturday, 23 May 2026 at Decatur Recreation Center, Decatur, GA.

Other things!

• The Rushfest website! Great videos, workouts, samples of Emily's music mixes, and the amazing Code of Excellence! Make sure to check it out!
• Want to learn how to mix music like Emily does for Rushfest? Guess what!? She just did an online workshop for CDSS about this and you can watch the workshop recording right here: Mixing It Up: Making Recorded Music Work for Contra Dance with Emily Rush

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent

Download the full transcript here.

Sound bites featured in this episode (in order of appearance):

• Margaret calls the English country dance Trip to Tunbridge at Pinewoods Camp in 2026
• Margaret calls an English country dance she composed with her husband, Jeff—New Map at Pinewoods Camp in 2026

See the From the Mic website for great bonus content, including pictures and audio, transcripts, and more. And the Country Dance and Song Society for information about Contra and English country dance across the continent