[♪ THEME MUSIC ♪] >>> COMING UP IN THE NEXT HOUR OF LOCAL NEWS ON ARIZONA PBS.

ON ON ARIZONA HORIZON, A LOCAL ICU NURSE TALKS ABOUT WHAT SHE SEES AND HEARS ON A DAILY BASIS FIGHTING THE PANDEMIC.

ON CRONKITE NEWS, DETAILS ON ASU'S NEW COVID-19 GUIDELINES, AND ON BREAK IT DOWN, A LOOK AT LGBTQ INCLUSION IN PROFESSIONAL SPORTS.

THAT'S ALL COMING UP IN THE NEXT HOUR ON ARIZONA PBS.

>>> GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO ARIZONA HORIZON.

I'M TED SIMONS.

ASU ANNOUNCED TODAY THAT IT WILL REQUIRE MASKS IN ALL CLASSROOMS AND LABS.

THE UNIVERSITY ALSO SAID THAT FACE COVERINGS WILL BE REQUIRED IN OTHER CLOSE-QUARTER ENVIRONMENTS WHERE PHYSICAL DISTANCES MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE, AND MASKS MAY BE REQUIRED IN SOME CROWDED OUTDOOR SETTINGS OR OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES.

THE MOVE RUNS COUNTER TO A NEW STATE LAW PROHIBITING THE MANDATE OF MASKS IN CLASSROOMS.

>>> TODAY'S COVID REPORT SHOWS THAT NEW CASES OF COVID-19 DROPPED BELOW 2000 FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS.

THERE WERE ALSO SIX NEW COVID-RELATED FATALITIES REPORTED.

THAT DEATH RATE FOR PER 100,000 PEOPLE STILL RANKS SIXTH IN THE COUNTRY.

>>> NATIONWIDE, THE CDC PREDICTS THAT COVID-19 DEATHS AND HOSPITALIZATIONS WILL INCREASE OVER THE NEXT FOUR WEEKS.

UP TO 98% OF U.S.

RESIDENTS NOW LIVE IN AREAS WITH A HIGH OR SUBSTANTIAL RISK OF COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION.

THE INCREASE IS DUE TO THE HIGHLY INFECTIOUS DELTA VARIANT, AND LOW VACCINATION RATES IN MANY AREAS.

>>> THE CDC STRENGTHENED ITS RECOMMENDATION FOR PREGNANT WOMEN TO GET VACCINATED.

THE NEW GUIDANCE IS FIRM RECOMMENDATION FOR PREGNANT WOMEN TO GET VACCINATED.

>>> NEW RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT COVID-19 VACCINES ARE LESS LIKELY TO PRODUCE ANTIBODIES IN CANCER PATIENTS.

ONLY ABOUT 39% OF CANCER PATIENTS WITH BLOOD CANCERS DEVELOPED COVID-19 ANTIBODIES.

>>> A MARICOPA COUNTY PROSECUTOR HAS FILED A $10 MILLION DEFAMATION CLAIM AGAINST THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.

THIS INVOLVES THE COUNTY'S DECISION TO CHARGE 15 PROTESTS ON GANG-RELATED CHARGES DURING GEORGE FLOYD PROTESTS.

THE CHARGES WOUND UP DISMISSED, AND SHE CLAIMS SHE WOUND UP THE QUOTE, SCAPEGOAT.

NO COMMENT AS YET FROM THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.

>>> AND IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ANNOUNCED TODAY THAT IT WILL AVOID ARRESTING AND DEPORTING VICTIMS OF CRIMES.

>>> AS MENTIONED EARLIER, COVID PATIENTS ARE ONCE AGAIN STARTING TO FILL HOSPITALS AND ICU UNITS HERE IS DR. MARJORIE BESSEL, THE CHIEF CLINICAL OFFICER FOR BANNER HOSPITALS.

>> SO THE AVERAGE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT COVID PATIENTS ARE SPENDING IN ICU IN ARIZONA CONTINUES TO BE APPROXIMATELY THE SAME AS LAST SURGE.

MOST OF THOSE PATIENTS SPEND MORE THAN A WEEK WITH US IN THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT, AND HAVE A MULTI-WEEK TOTAL HOSPITALIZATION.

SO FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO GET COVID THAT REQUIRE THAT LEVEL OF CARE, THEY WILL BE IN OUR HOSPITALS FOR QUITE A BIT OF TIME AS THEY BOTH RECEIVE INTENSIVE CARE AS WELL AS RECOVER BEFORE THEY ARE AVAILABLE TO RECOVER AND BE DISCHARGED.

>>> EARLIER TODAY WE SPOKE TO SARA REYNOLDS, AN ICU NURSE MANAGER AT VALLEY WIDE ABOUT WHAT SHE HAS SEEN IN HER INTENSIVE CARE UNITS.

SARA THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

WHAT ARE YOU SEEING RIGHT NOW IN ICU UNITS?

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

IT IS GETTING CRAZY AGAIN.

WE JUST FILLED OUR LAST COVID ICU BED THIS MORNING.

SO NOW WE'RE HAVING TO MITIGATE DIFFERENT STRATEGIES OF GETTING READY TO OPEN OUR SECOND COVID ICU AND OVERFLOW UNITS OF REGULAR COVID PATIENTS AND ICU, THE NUMBERS ARE GOING UP, AND IT'S GETTING CRAZY.

>> YOU ARE GETTING CLOSE TO RUNNING OUT OF BEDS, IT SOUNDS LIKE?

>> THERE ARE PLANS IN PLACE, YOU KNOW, JUST TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE NUMBERS AS THEY GO UP, BUT WE'RE STARTING TO PUT ALL OF THOSE STRATEGIES INTO EFFECT TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE THOSE HIGHER NUMBERS, BUT, YEAH, AS OF RIGHT NOW, OUR COVID ICU THAT IS DESIGNATED FOR COVID PATIENTS IS FULL.

>> WOW.

>> SO WE'RE PUTTING THINGS IN PLACE TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE WHEN MORE COME.

>> WHEN WE THINK ABOUT ICU BEDS, TALK ABOUT HOW MUCH EQUIPMENT, HOW MANY PERSONNEL, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE NEEDED TO TAKE CARE OF JUST ONE ICU PATIENT.

>> WELL, GOSH, I MEAN IN ADDITION TO NURSES, OUR RESPIRATORY THERAPISTS ARE INSTRUMENTAL IN TAKING CARE OF THESE COVID PATIENTS.

WITHOUT THEM, IT WOULD BE REAL ROUGH.

AND THE DOCTORS, THE RESIDENTS, AND EXTRA -- WE CALL THEM PO'S WHICH IS A TRAINED OBSERVER, AND ESSENTIALLY THOSE ARE HELPERS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR COVID UNITS THAT ARE RUNNERS.

THEY WILL GO RUN GET SUPPLIES OR ANYTHING THAT IS NEEDED WHILE NURSES ARE IN THE ROOM.

MULTIPLE PEOPLE.

A LOT OF TIMES THE PATIENTS ARE SO SICK, THEY ARE ON CONTINUOUS DIALYSIS, WHICH IDEALLY IT WOULD BE JUST SOMEBODY RUNNING THAT DIALYSIS MACHINE AS WELL, SO IT WOULD TAKE TWO NURSES FOR THAT ONE PATIENT IN ADDITION TO RESPIRATORY AND EVERYBODY ELSE, BUT WE JUST DON'T HAVE ENOUGH NURSES, SO IT'S USUALLY ONE NURSE TAKING CARE OF BOTH THE DIALYSIS AND THE PATIENT, SO IT TAKES A LOT.

IT TAKES A LOT.

>> IT TAKES A LOT IN A VARIETY OF WAYS.

IT TAKES A LOT FOR THOSE WORKING THESE SHIFTS.

TALK ABOUT -- WE'RE READING THAT PHYSICIANS, SPECIALIZED NURSES, ICU PERSONNEL, THEY ARE GETTING BURNED OUT.

ARE YOU SEEING THAT?

>> YEAH.

I THINK WE ALL FEEL THAT WAY.

WE'RE ALL KIND OF BURNED OUT OVER WHAT WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH THIS LAST YEAR AND A HALF, AND YEAH, YEAH, A LOT OF PEOPLE GETTING BURNED OUT.

THERE ARE SOME I KNOW THAT ARE -- YOU KNOW, CHANGING CAREERS, AND, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO LEAVE THE BEDSIDE, AND IT'S -- IT'S TOUGH.

IT REALLY IS TOUGH ON US.

>> YEAH, IS THERE A CONCERN THAT THERE WILL BE A SHORTAGE OF MEDICAL PERSONNEL HERE IN THE NOT SO NEAR FUTURE?

>> YEAH, THERE IS ALREADY IS SUCH A HUGE SHORTAGE, AND IT'S NATIONWIDE THAT ALL OF THESE HOSPITALS ARE SHORT IN ICU, AND JUST REGULAR NURSES AS WELL.

THERE IS A SHORTAGE ACROSS THE WHOLE SYSTEM, AND YEAH, IT'S SCARY THINKING THAT THEIR -- PEOPLE ARE SO BURNT OUT THAT IT CAN GOING TO BE EVEN WORSE.

>> YEAH.

>> YEAH.

>> OBVIOUSLY IT IS FRUSTRATING, AND IT CAN BURN YOU OUT, AND ANXIETY -- DOES IT MAKE A LITTLE BIT OF ANGER WHEN PEOPLE SAY THEY WON'T GET VACCINATED, OR THEY DON'T THINK THIS IS WORSE THAN THE FLU?

>> WELL, SOMETIMES.

SOMETIMES -- I'M DRIVING TO WORK, AND I'M ANGRY, LIKE WHY DON'T PEOPLE GET VACCINATED?

YOU KNOW, IT'S A PERSONAL CHOICE, AND I RESPECT THAT, AND -- DO I WISH EVERYBODY WOULD GET VACCINATED?

I GUESS.

I DEFINITELY BELIEVE THAT IT HELPS.

YEAH, I WISH THEY WOULD, BUT I'M NOT ANGRY AT ALL OF THE PATIENTS THAT ARE FILLING THE BEDS IN OUR HOSPITAL.

>> NO, NO, BUT I MEAN THE SITUATION, WHEN YOU HEAR THE DIALOGUE OUT THERE FOR PEOPLE WHO AREN'T DEALING ON A DAILY BASIS WITH WHAT YOU ARE DEALING WITH.

>> YEAH, I DO DEFINITELY FEEL LIKE SOME PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND THE GRAVITY OF THE SITUATION, AND THAT THEY DON'T -- THEY DON'T SEE WHAT IT IS ACTUALLY LIKE IN THE HOSPITAL, AND THEY -- THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE THAT DO OKAY WITH COVID AND GET BETTER, BUT NOW WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THAT IT DOESN'T -- IT'S -- BEFORE IT WAS A LOT MORE PEOPLE -- AND THIS IS JUST FROM WHAT I SAW PERSONALLY, A LOT MORE PEOPLE THAT HADCO MORBIDITIES, AND THAT WAS MORE COMMON.

YOU WOULD HAVE THE OCCASIONAL PERSON THAT DIDN'T, AND THEY ALL BREAK YOUR HEART.

BUT NOW WE'RE SEEING A LOT YOUNGER PEOPLE.

A LOT MORE PEOPLE THAT DON'T HAVE OTHER COMORBIDITIES AND HEALTH ISSUES.

PEOPLE DIEING A LOT.

PEOPLE IN THEIR 30S AND 20S, JUST DIEING, AND DIDN'T HAVE ANY OTHER HEALTH ISSUES.

AND IT'S JUST DIFFERENT.

IT SEEMS LIKE EVERYONE IS DIEING FASTER THIS TIME AROUND TOO.

IT'S CRAZY.

>> WELL, THAT'S DIFFICULT.

BEFORE I LEFT YOU GO, VALLEY WIDE MANDATING VACCINES, DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT?

>> I GOT VACCINATED THE SECOND I COULD.

I THINK LIKE WITHIN THE FIRST 2000 PEOPLE IN ARIZONA, JUST BECAUSE I WAS WAITING FOR IT TO BE OKAY FOR ME TO GO, AND I RAN OUT IN DECEMBER AND GOT MY VACCINATION JUST BECAUSE OF WHAT I HAVE SEEN AND WHAT I HAVE BEEN THROUGH, AND THE ORGANIZATION, THEIR TOP PRIORITY IS TO PROTECT PATIENTS AND TO PROTECT THE PERSONNEL THAT WORK HERE, AND I THINK IN LIGHT OF EVERYTHING THAT IS GOING ON, THAT IS STILL THE BEST WAY TO DO SO.

>> SARA REYNOLDS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.

WE KNOW YOU ARE BUSY, AND JUST -- I THANK YOU FOR SHARING WHAT YOU GO THROUGH, BECAUSE I THINK PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW THAT.

THANK YOU AGAIN.

>> SURE.

THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY.

I APPRECIATE IT.

>>> AND UP NEXT, HOW SOME COMPANIES FIND A SNEAKY WAY TO CUT COSTS.

>> IF YOU HAVE NOTICED THAT BOXES OF CEREAL OR OTHER PRODUCTS FEEL SMALLER AND LIGHTER THAN YOU REMEMBER, THAT IS BECAUSE IN MANY CASES THEY ARE.

IT IS CALLED SHRINK-FLATOION.

WE TALKED ABOUT IT WITH HITENDRA CHATURVEDI OF ASU'S W.P.

CAREY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS.

>> HITENDRA, GOOD TO SEE YOU.

WHAT IS SHRINK-FLATOIN.

>> IN MY OPINION IT IS A GLORIFIED WAY OF CALLING, I'M BEING RIPPED OFF.

IT HAS BEEN REDUCING THINGS IN YOUR BOXES THAT YOU BUY AT A GROCERY STORE, OR IN A DRUGSTORE.

YOU START TO FEEL THAT THE SIZES ARE DECREASING, BUT YOU SEEM TO BE PAYING EITHER THE SAME PRICE OR MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE.

YOU CAN'T CHECK IT, BECAUSE THE BOX YOU BOUGHT A MONTH AGO, IT'S ALREADY IN THE GARBAGE BIN, SO YOU HAVE A GUT FEELING, BUT YOU DON'T KNOW.

YOU FEEL LIKE THINGS ARE SHRINKING.

SO SOME OF THE ANYISTS CAME OUT AND SAID, HUM, HOW DO WE MAKE THIS RIP OFF SOUND A BIT MORE SOPHISTICATED, SO THEY CAME UP WITH THE WORD.

>> YEAH, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT READING ABOUT THIS, THE WHOLE -- THE -- WE AS CONSUMERS.

WE SEE A PRICE HIKE WE RECOIL.

NO, WE DON'T LIKE THAT.

BUT THIS KIND OF -- AS YOU SAY RIPPING OFF ACTIVITY, WE DON'T QUITE CATCH ON QUITE AS QUICKLY, AND IF APPROXIMATE -- WE DO IT'S NOT AS VISCERAL IS THAT WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?

>> THAT IS CORRECT.

MOST OF US ARE AWARE OF A SIMPLE LAW, AND THAT LAW STATES THAT ENERGY CANNOT BE CREATED OR DESTROYED.

IT JUST CHANGES FORM.

YOU KNOW WHAT, ALL OF THESE MANUFACTURES THAT YOU BUY STUFF FROM, PAY VERY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THAT, SO WHEN THE PRICE OF THE RAW MATERIAL IS RISING, AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, UNITED NATIONS FOOD PRICE INDEX SAID THAT THESE DAYS THE PRICE INCREASE THAT YOU ARE SEEING IS HIGHEST SINCE 2010.

NOW IMAGINE WHAT HAPPENS IS -- WHEN THE FOOD PRICE INCREASES, IT CAN GO ONLY IN THREE DIRECTIONS LET ME DO THREE THIS WAY.

ONE IS EITHER THE MANUFACTURER IS GOING TO INCREASE THE PRICE, OR THEY ARE GOING TO DECREASE THEIR PROFIT, OR THE THIRD WAY IT CAN HAPPEN IS THEY DECREASE THE SIZE OF THE PRODUCT THEY ARE SELLING YOU, OR SHRINK IT.

THREE GUESSES WHAT IS HAPPENING.

>> RIGHT.

>> RIGHT.

>> BUT IT'S A PRICE HIKE.

IT'S INFLATION BY ANY OTHER MEASURE, HITENDRA.

>> YOU ARE HITTING THE NAIL ON THE HEAD.

WHY I SAY THIS IS -- I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.

BOX OF WHEAT THINS, PRICE IS THE SAME $3 FROM 16 OUNCES, IT HAS DROPPED DOWN TO 14 OUNCES.

THAT'S A 15% REDUCTION IN SIZE.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE PAPER TOWEL ROLES, THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT 160 FEET SIX MONTHS AGO.

EVEN AT COSTCO, THEY ARE AT ABOUT 140 FEET.

THAT IS 15% SIZE REDUCTION.

SO I WILL BE VERY OPEN WITH YOU.

THAT'S EXACTLY ANOTHER WAY OF SAYING THAT THE INFLATION IS 15%.

SO YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.

THAT IS ANOTHER WAY OF DISGUISING INFLATION, AND -- AND SOME OF THESE MANUFACTURERS ARE SO BOLD, THEY ARE NOT EVEN -- THEY ARE NOT EVEN -- THEY ARE DECREASING THE SIZE, BUT THEY ARE ALSO INCREASING THE PRICE, SO THEY ARE MAKING A LOT OF MONEY.

>> ALL RIGHT.

WITH THAT IN MIND, THOUGH, HITENDRA, HOW FAR CAN THIS GO ON?

THERE HAS TO BE A CONSUMER BACKLASH EVENTUALLY, DOESN'T THERE?

>> I HOPE THERE IS, AND IT HAS STARTED TO HAPPEN.

WE ALL TALK ABOUT THIS FINE PRINT WHERE WE'RE BEING TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF, WHERE CONSUMERS ARE NOT CLEARLY BEING TOLD WHAT THE MANUFACTURERS ARE DOING.

SO IN MY OPINION, IT IS VERY SIMILAR, IF NOT CLOSE TO UNDERHANDED MALPRACTICE.

MANUFACTURERS SHOULD OPENLY TELL THE CONSUMERS, WE'RE REDUCING YOUR SIZE.

THEY ARE NOT TELLING IT.

AS THE PRICE INCREASES CONTINUE TO HAPPEN IN THE RAW MATERIAL, MANUFACTURERS ARE GOING TO ALWAYS FIND A WAY SO THAT THEIR BOTTOM LINE DOESN'T GET IMPACTED, AND US CONSUMERS WILL BE LEFT WITH THE SHORT END OF THE STICK.

SO FOR THE NEXT SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR, I DON'T SEE ANYTHING CHANGING IN THIS MARKET.

I'M SORRY.

>> INTEREST.

INTEREST.

AND NOTHING HERE IS ILLEGAL, IT'S JUST KIND OF SNEAKY?

>> IT IS VERY SNEAKY, AND THESE TRENDS I HAVE SEEN MORE IN DEVELOPING AND UNDERDEVELOPED COUNTRIES THAN IN A DEVELOPED COUNTRY LIKE THE U.S.

SO WE ARE BORROWING A PAGE FROM HOW CONSUMERS ARE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF FROM DEVELOPING COUNTRIES OVER HERE WHERE WE LIVE.

VERY UNFORTUNATE.

>> INTERESTING CONVERSATION.

SOMETHING TO WATCH FOR AS WE GO TO THE GROCERY STORE AND WATCH THE COST PER VOLUME, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.

>> YOU ARE WELCOME.

BYE-BYE.

>>> THE GRAMMY-WINNING PHOENIX CHORALE HAS A NEW DIRECTOR.

SHE IS NICOLE BELMONT, AND SHE IS BOTH AN ACCOMPLISHED VOCALIST AND BUSINESS PERSON.

NICOLE BELMONT JOINED US EARLIER TODAY FROM LONDON.

NICOLE THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FROM LONDON.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN LONDON?

ARE YOU SCOUTING TALENT OUT THERE?

>> OH, I WISH.

I'M HERE VISITING FAMILY.

I HAVEN'T BEEN BACK HERE FOR TWO YEARS BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC, AND I TRY TO MAKE IT HERE ONCE A YEAR, SO I'M JUST TRYING TO CATCH UP.

>> AND YOU HAVE SOME NEWS FOR THEM TOO.

YOU ARE THE NEW DIRECTOR AT THE PHOENIX CHORALE.

WHAT ATTRACTED YOUR TO THIS POSITION?

>> THERE IS A NUMBER OF THINGS, AND I'LL TRY TO KEEP IT BRIEF, BECAUSE I'M SO PASSIONATE ABOUT IT.

I SPENT THE LAST SEVEN YEARS WORKING FOR THE CHORALE, AND I WAS ONING A CHORALE CALLED [ INAUDIBLE ].

AND I WANTED TO MAKE THE TRANSITION TO DOING THIS WORK FULL-TIME.

ANSWER AN ART FORM IN GENERAL, EVERY YEAR IT IS PROFESSIONLIZING MORE AND MORE.

AND PHOENIX CHORALE IS ONE OF THOSE PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT -- I WOULD SAY IT'S PROFESSIONAL IN EVERY WAY, AND THAT INCLUDES THE WAY IT RUNS ITSELF, AND CONDUCTS ITSELF, AND THE WAY EVERYBODY INTERACTS WITH EACH OTHER, AND HAVING A FULL-TIME STAFF TO BE ABLE TO WATCH OUT FOR PATRONS, AND DO MARKETING AND OUTREACH, AND REALLY COVER A BIG CITY LIKE PHOENIX WITH MULTIPLE CONCERTS AND REALLY SERVE A CITY CONCERTEDLY LIKE THE PHOENIX CHORALE DOES.

IT WAS REALLY I REALLY RESPECTED AND ALSO ON A PERSONAL NOTE, AS A CHORALE FAN MYSELF AND SINGER AND LISTENER, WHEN I CAME BACK TO SINGING FULL-TIME IN THE MID- -- 2010, SOME OF THE EARLIEST RECORDINGS I LISTENED TO AS A SINGER TO PREPARE MYSELF WERE IN FACT RECORDINGS BY THE PHOENIX CHORALE.

>> YEAH.

YEAH.

WE KNOW -- THE PHOENIX CHORALE HAS A GREAT RESUME, AND HAS -- HAS A GREAT REPUTATION AROUND THE COUNTRY, BUT THAT SAID, IT NEEDS TO MOVE FORWARD.

YOUR EXPERIENCES IN NEW YORK.

CAN YOU PUT THOSE IN TO PLAY HERE IN PHOENIX?

>> YES, I THINK THERE ARE WAYS IN WHICH I CAN.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS INTERESTING, AND I WAS LOOKING FOR AN ORGANIZATION THAT WAS VERY MUCH A PLACE TO EXPERIMENT, THAT THIS IS A LAB SO TO SPEAK, BUT WAS IN A VERY CROWDED MARKETPLACE, WHERE THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF CHOIRS, AND YOU CAN SHOUT IN THE CORNER, AND EVERYBODY A FEW BLOCKS AWAY WILL BE AWARE OF WHAT YOU ARE DOING.

SO I WAS ABLE TO SEE WHICH THINGS WERE EXPERIMENTAL, AND WHICH THINGS WILL RESINATE.

MY BACKGROUND IN MARKETING IS -- INFORMS THE FACT THAT YOU DO NEED TO MEET THE AUDIENCE WHERE THEY ARE AT, AND UNDERSTAND WHO YOU ARE SERVING.

SO I THINK I'M HEAR TO LISTEN PRIMARILY TO SEE WHAT THE RHYTHM OF PEOPLE'S LIVES ARE LIKE IN PHOENIX, AND THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF PEOPLE THAT COME IN TEMPORARILY DURING THE WINTER MONTHS FOR EXAMPLE, AND ALSO LOOKING AT THE NEEDS OF YOUNG FAMILIES, AND HOW TIME LIMITED THEY MAY BE, AND I'M GOING TO BE VERY MUCH IN DIALOGUE WITH CHRIS [ INAUDIBLE ] ON WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN DO THAT, AND THE WAY WE PLAN OUR SEASONS OR TIMES AND DATES AND THINGS LIKE THAT THAT, BUT THERE ARE SOME REALLY KEY AREAS WE HAVE BEGUN TO TALK ABOUT THAT I THINK I CAN HELP OUT WITH.

CHORALE MUSIC IS MUSIC, AND IT IS SUNG LIVE, BUT THERE ARE MANY WAYS IN WHICH YOU CAN BRING IT TO LIFE SO PEOPLE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO STAND ON A BLOCK IN FRONT OF YOU ALL THE TIME.

YOU CAN PLAY AROUND.

THERE ARE COMPOSERS THAT WRITE MUSIC SPATIALLY.

WHICH LENDS ITSELF TO STARTING TO LOOK AT VENUES WHERE YOU HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY FOR HOW YOU LAY PEOPLE OUT, AND HAVE AUDIENCE MOVING THROUGH AND AROUND SINGERS.

THERE ARE GREAT EXAMPLES OF THINGS WE TRY TO DO WITH MOVEMENTS AND ALSO WITH VISUAL, AND CLOSING YOUR EYES AND LISTENING TO CHORALE MUSIC, YOU KNOW, ALONE IS A BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCE.

BUT THERE ARE IMAGES, ESPECIALLY POWERFUL ONES RELATED TO THE THEMES AND TEXT ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE ARE SINGING, THAT CAN REALLY DRIVE THE MESSAGE HOME AND INCREASE THE BEAUTY OF WHAT YOU'RE LISTENING TO, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN LOOK AT VISUAL ELEMENTS IN THE FUTURE, IN VENUES THAT MIGHT LET US DO THAT, AND THEN INSTRUMENTATION TOO.

I HAVE BEEN PART OF PROJECTS WHERE WE WERE LOOKING WITH ELECTRONICS, TRYING TO WORK WITH LOOPING.

A FORMER DIRECTOR I WORKED WITH TRIED DIFFERENT THINGS, AND WE HAD AN AUDIENCE THAT WAS VERY FORGIVING ON SOME OF THE IDEAS.

SO IT'S NOT ALWAYS AN ASSUMPTION OF WHO IS GOING TO LIKE WHAT.

THE OTHER THING I LEARNED FROM NEW YORK WAS WHEN YOU PROGRAM THINGS THAT ARE EXPERIMENTAL OR BRAND NEW, OR MAYBE A LITTLE BIT DISNANT, IS SOMETIMES THE WAY THINGS ARE PROGRAMMED TOGETHER, THE NEWER THING, THE THING THAT WAS SURPRISING TO SOMEONE, CAN BE THE THING THAT THEY RESPONDED TO MOST -- MOST ENTHUSIASTICALLY IN A WAY.

SO I -- I HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE FROM SEEING -- SEEING AUDIENCE RESPONSE, I GUESS.

>> YEAH.

YEAH.

AND REAL QUICKLY, BECAUSE WE HAVE GOT TO GO HERE, BUT MEETING AN AUDIENCE WHERE THEY ARE AT, THAT OBVIOUSLY IS A BIG FACTOR THERE.

THANK YOU GET FOR YOUR TIME.

PHOENIX CHORALE IS A TREASURE HERE IN ARIZONA.

BEST OF SUCCESS TO YOU, AND CONGRATULATIONS ON THE JOB, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU WHEN YOU GET BACK IN TOWN.

>> THANK YOU.

SEE YOU THEN.

>>> AND THAT IS IT FOR NOW.

I'M TED SIMONS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

YOU HAVE A GREAT EVENING.

♪♪ >>> COMING UP IN THE NEXT HALF HOUR OF LOCAL NEWS ON ARIZONA PBS, ON CRONKITE NEWS, A NEW LOOK AT FEDERAL BORDER SCHOOLS THAT SOUGHT TO ASSIMILATE INDIGENOUS YOUTH.

AND ON BREAK IT DOWN, A LOOK AT LGBTQ INCLUSION IN PROFESSIONAL SPORTS.

♪♪