Dear Listeners,

You probably, with good cause, think of Commonplace as firmly grounded in the literary community. In describing it to your friends, you probably describe it, as our subtitle states, as “Conversations with Poets.” This is, of course, true—but crucially, not the full picture. Throughout our catalog, some episodes have pushed us beyond this framework, requiring new language to describe them: the oft-forgotten parenthetical “And Other People.” These conversations with other kinds of makers—Alison Kobayashi, a performance artist and the creator of a one-woman show; Erin Riley, a multimedia artist; and handfuls of novelists, translators, podcasters, etc.—are not just exceptions that prove a form. Instead, they speak to the expansive ideas of creativity and practice that undergird Commonplace’s entire project.

This episode, featuring Rebekah Wolkstein—a classically trained concert violinist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, songwriter, vocalist, mother of three daughters, and Rachel’s cousin—joins this company in expanding our understanding of the possibilities of form. Like the above, on a more immediate level, it illuminates the commonality of daily frustrations and joys in an artist’s life. From the home-studio used by Rebekah and her husband Drew Jureka—also a multi-instrumentalist, as well as an award-winning producer and ranger—Rachel and her cousin discuss losing income from live performance in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, parenting and teaching three young musicians of her own, creating music that the whole family can enjoy and play together, and how Rebekah has come into her own as an artist in the process. The episode is full of memories, laughter, and of course, music.

Rebekah Wolkstein is at home playing folk, klezmer, pop, latin and jazz and can be heard on numerous Juno winning albums, often performing Drew Jurecka’s string arrangements with the Venuti String Quartet. Aside from her active performing career and time in the studio, Rebekah holds a doctorate in violin performance from the University of Toronto as well as a degree in violin from the Cleveland Institute of Music. Rebekah has taught private lessons for many years as well as a string ensemble and tango ensemble at Humber College.

Rebekah is a member of the Payadora Tango Ensemble which has performed with the London Symphonia and Hannaford Street Silver Band. Payadora sold-out shows at the Ottawa Chamberfest, Indian River Music Festival, the Canadian Opera Company's World Music Series and many other places.

Rebekah is also a composer and songwriter and has received grants from the Toronto Arts Council and Ontario Arts Councils to compose for Payadora including Payodora’s collaboration with award winning tango/ballet dancers, PointeTango which resulted in an hour-long feature film of dance and music called “Tango in the Dark” created during the summer and fall of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.

LISTEN TO EPISODE 102!

For this episode, Commonplace Patrons will get access to three songs written by Rebekah Wolkstein and performed by Payadora Tango Ensemble for their collaboration with Pointe Tango and a brand new, just-recorded Rebekah Wolkstein original, written for her youngest daughter Maya. Watch our socials for more links to incredible performances by Rebekah Wolkstein, Drew Jurecka, Payodora, and the cutest family band you’ve ever seen.

For this episode, Commonplace’s charitable partner will donate $250 to MusiCares, chosen by Rebekah Wolkstein. Offering preventive, emergency, and recovery programs, MusiCares is a safety net supporting the health and welfare of the music community.

Tune in to our next few episodes with poet Cody-Rose Clevidence, choreographer, author, and teacher Liz Lerman, and more! As always, feel free to reach out to us at (347) 762-3405 or talk to us on Speakpipe! Tell us what Commonplace has meant to you, and your story might be included in a future episode. You can also Tweet at us, DM us on Instagram, or even just reply to this email.

Thank you so much for listening!

Love and solidarity,

Valentine & the Commonplace Team