Ross Boissoneau | Author

Is the Next Spielberg at Interlochen?

Jan. 7, 2023

The upcoming Filmmakers’ Premiere at Interlochen Center for the Arts will feature a number of original films, from shorts to documentaries to animation—and, as they say, plenty of popcorn.

Michael Mittelstaedt, director of film and new media at Interlochen, says the show… Read More >>

What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?

Dec. 24, 2022

A new year brings new opportunities for all kinds of celebrations. From north to south, posh venues to the streets at midnight, there’s something for practically everyone to celebrate the arrival of 2023. Here are just a few of the options.A new year brings new opportunities for all k… Read More >>

The Sounds of the Season

Dec. 17, 2022

For John Lloyd Young, Christmas and coziness go hand in hand. “It’s [being] warm, comfortable, safe at home with the fire roaring. Cocooning. Only those that experience winter understand.”

Another large part of setting the Christmas mood is classic holiday music. &… Read More >>

The Christmas Blues (and Jazz and Backstreet Boys)

Dec. 3, 2022

Each year brings a new mix of holiday music fare, all dressed up with somewhere to go. Here are our picks for the best and brightest of the season, with a few lumps of coal here and there.

Jane Monheit, The Merriest
One of jazz’s leading lights, … Read More >>

Fun with Fiber

Nov. 26, 2022

Visual artists work in a variety of media: oils, watercolors, pastels, charcoal. Bronze, clay, stone. But let’s not forget textiles, because Abigail Deloria and Mica Harrison certainly won’t. The two share a fondness for turning materials into art, though their methods and resul… Read More >>

BATA Evolves

Nov. 12, 2022

New property, new buses, and a continuing commitment to serve Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties. That’s what is happening at BATA, the Bay Area Transportation Authority. According to Executive Director Kelly Dunham, that means continuously exploring ways to add or modify routes, im… Read More >>

Coming of Age

Nov. 5, 2022

There are all kinds of cliches meant to suggest that as you get older, your habits, behaviors, and attitudes get more ingrained. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, right?

Wrong. For many, getting older means new thoughts, new experiences, new adventures. Travel, activism, … Read More >>

The Big Three

Oct. 29, 2022

When Michigan voters head to the polls Nov. 8, there will be three statewide proposals on the ballot. Proposal 1 would change term limits for state legislators and mandate financial disclosure requirements for state executive and legislative officials. Proposal 2 would make changes to votin… Read More >>

The Piano Men

Oct. 8, 2022

Two singers. Two keyboards. And a guitar in between.

That will be the setup when BJ Leiderman and Kenny White come to town. The two singer/songwriters are teaming up for a series of concerts together, including an Oct. 22 date at the City Opera House in downtown Traverse City. They&… Read More >>

2022 Fall Color Forecast

Oct. 1, 2022

With summer in the rearview mirror, it’s time to trade the shimmering blue of the lakes for the reds and golds of autumn leaves. But when will the colors peak? And what lies beyond, when the soft white flakes fill the sky and coat the ground?

We’re not the only ones wond… Read More >>

Selling the Dream House

Sept. 24, 2022

Real estate is part finance, part therapy, and part vision. The ability to combine those aspects has served Pat Leavy during his more than two decades as a realtor—the last several as one of the top-selling agents in the entire state—as he and longtime friend and business partne… Read More >>

The Greatest (Halftime) Show

Sept. 3, 2022

The crowd goes silent, all eyes glued to the 50-yard line. There, teams aren’t lining up to blitz, pass, or tackle. This moment is about musicians taking a breath before filling the stadium with the sounds of everything from Sousa to Lady Gaga, "The Star Spangled Banner" to the school… Read More >>

Samels Farm: A Never-Ending Source of History

Aug. 20, 2022

It’s unlikely the first—or second, or maybe even third—generation of the Samels family ever considered themselves historians or thought of their farm as a future historic site.

Yet that’s been the case for more than a half century. The family farm in Williams… Read More >>

Rolling with the RFD Boys

Aug. 13, 2022

Guitarist Charlie Roehrig knows a good thing when he hears one. That’s why he’s been a member of the bluegrass band RFD Boys since its inception in 1969.

During their 50th anniversary year, the band was honored by the Detroit Music Awards and released RFD Boys at 50 … Read More >>

Making Sound Waves

Aug. 6, 2022

Good Vibrations: Courtney Wiggins
Music is many things to many people. Hip hop, jazz, rock, classical, folk…the style doesn’t matter in the long run. It’s all about how music affects people.

That’s what attracted Courtney Wiggins to vib… Read More >>

Wilco Returns to Country Sound...with a Twist

Aug. 6, 2022

With a discography of a dozen studio albums, Grammy Awards, and well-regarded tours and live recordings, the success of Wilco is almost a given.

That’s despite the fact that the band, which appears at Interlochen Center for the Arts on Aug. 17, has always operated in a left fi… Read More >>

The Man Behind Dogman

July 23, 2022

Rich Brauer is one of Traverse City’s best-known filmmakers. His credits include movies with Ernest Borgnine (Red Barn), Frozen Stupid and Frozen Stupid 2 (think Dumb and Dumber set on and in Houghton Lake), and the Dogman series (more on t… Read More >>

Follow the Music

July 9, 2022

Maybe you can’t hear the music immediately after you cross the Mackinac Bridge into Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Then again, maybe you can. After all, the U.P. is home to several music festivals that take place throughout summer, and there’s no lack of opportunity t… Read More >>

Making the Nights Better

June 25, 2022

Romantic rockers. Gentleman swashbucklers. Orchestral pop band. Even, sometimes to their chagrin, purveyors of soft rock. Whatever appellation you might ascribe to Air Supply, there are a couple you should remember: members of the ARIA Hall of Fame, and, according to lead vocalist Russell H… Read More >>

The Archipelago Project

June 18, 2022

When Dan Trahey and Garrett Mendez were attending school in Traverse City, they had dreams of playing music in their post-school careers. They were able to achieve that goal: The musical experiences of the tubist and trombonist, respectively, range from performing with orchestras and brass … Read More >>