♪ >> I AM CRAIG LWMOULT.

KIDS THESE DAYS ARE GROWING UP ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND THAT COMES WITH GREATER MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLES AND A PERMANENT ON THE RECORD OF THEIR CHILDHOOD TO BOTH THE GOOD OF THE BED, SO WHAT CAN PARENTS AND PUBLIC OFFICIALS TO TO KEEP KIDS SAFE ONLINE?

NEW ENGLAND WINTERS ARE GETTING WARMER AND WARMER.

I WILL TALK TO A METEOROLOGIST AND EARTH SCIENTIST AND SNOWBOARDER ABOUT HOW RISING TEMPERATURES ARE IMPACTING THE STATE.

ALEX’S ROOTS ARE IN HIS NATIVE ECUADOR BUT HE SPENT MONTHS IN BUSTED UP LAS VEGAS MUSIC SCENE AND NOW HE IS BACK WITH HIS BAND.

WE GET A PREVIEW AHEAD.

AS RATES OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION ARISE AMONG CHILDREN, THE SURGEON GENERAL’S WARNING OF THE MENTAL HEALTH IMPACTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA.

A SCHOOL DISTRICT IN CALIFORNIA ISSUING COMPANIES OVER, SO WHAT DO KIDS AND THEIR PARENTS NEED TO KNOW TO BE SAFE AND SMART ONLINE?

I AM JOINED BY THE DIRECTOR AND FOUNDER OF BOSTON CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL DIGITAL WELLNESS LAB AND AUTHOR OF THAT -- THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

CAN I START WITH YOU?

CAN YOU TALK TO US ABOUT THE SCOPE OF THE THREAT TO CHILDREN RIGHT NOW?

WHAT KIND OF IMPACT CAN ACCESS TO SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE DIGITAL WORLD HAVE ON KIDS?

>> WHILE MEDIA LITERACY MUST HAVE ALWAYS BEEN IMPORTANT, RIGHT NOW WE ARE HANDING DEVICES TO YOUNG PEOPLE, CHILDREN THAT ALLOW THEM TO REACH ANYBODY AT ANY TIME AND ANYBODY CAN REACH THEM AT ANY TIME, SO THIS IS GAME CHANGING.

THIS IS CREATING REAL RISK THAT WE HAVE NOT PROVIDED ANY GUIDANCE OR VERY LITTLE GUIDANCE AND GUARDRAILS FOR.

CRAIG: WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE FOR A CHILD TO START WITH THIS KIND OF THING?

>> I WOULD NOT WANT TO WAY INTO THAT QUESTION, BUT PART OF IT IS UNDERSTANDING HOW IT IS AFFECTING US, AND YOUNG PEOPLE HAVING SKILLS THAT THEY CAN RECOGNIZE WHERE SHOULD THE BALANCE TO BE AND PARENTS SHOULD KNOW THAT TOO.

CRAIG: YOU HAVE BEEN DUBBED THE MEDIATRICIAN.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

>> EIGHT PEDIATRICIAN WHO IS OBVIOUSLY FOCUSED ON THE HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN FROM INFANCY THROUGH TO YOUNG ADULTHOOD, AND THAT IS NOW HAPPENING IN AN ENVIRONMENT DOMINATED BY SCREENS, SO I SPENT MY PROFESSIONAL CAREER LOOKING AT THE INFLUENCE OF THE SCREENS WE USE AND HOW WE USE THEM ON OUR PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND SOCIAL HEALTH, SO THAT IS WHAT THE DIGITAL WELLNESS LAB IS DEVOTED TO, AND WE ARE WORKING NOT AGAINST IT BUT ACTUALLY TRYING TO WORK WITH TECH AND ENTERTAINMENT COMPANIES TO HAVE THEM HAVE A SECOND BOTTOM LINE OF THE WELLNESS OF THEIR USERS, NOT JUST HOW MANY CLINICS AND EYEBALLS THAT THEY GET.

CRAIG: HOW CAN THIS BE DONE BETTER?

>> HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU HAVE?

IT COULD BE DONE BETTER BY REMEMBERING WE ARE ALL IN THIS DIGITAL PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT TOGETHER, THAT WE WILL ALL NEED TO PUT OUR SKILL SETS TO BEAR ON EXACTLY HOW WE ARE GOING TO LIVE OUR LIVES, HOW WE WILL RELATE TO EACH OTHER, THE LARGER WORLD, AND HOW WE ARE GOING TO TEACH AND LEARN AND COMMUNICATE AND CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER.

CRAIG: THIS IS THE TIME OF GREAT CHANGE WITH AI.

IS THAT MAKING A DIFFERENCE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT YOUNG PEOPLE AND THEIR INTERACTION WITH DIGITAL MEDIA?

>> SURE, IT HAS ALREADY BEEN GETTING HARDER AND HARDER TO RECOGNIZE WHAT IS REAL ONLINE, WHAT IS NOT.

WHAT IS GOOD INFORMATION, WHAT IS A CREDIBLE CLAIM, AND NOW WE HAVE GOT THIS NEW WORLD OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE WHERE WE DO NOT EVEN OF THE RESULTS, SO WHILE WE ARE SEEING SOME BIG RISKS ALREADY FOR KIDS, THIS IS A NEW GAME.

I AM NOT SURE WHERE IT WILL TAKE US.

CRAIG: WHAT KINDS OF RISKS?

WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT MIGHT HAPPEN AS A RESULT OF AI AND SOCIAL MEDIA MORE BROADLY?

>> SOCIAL MEDIA MORE BROADLY, THERE IS DIGITAL DRAMA IN THE CLASSROOM, THIS SENSE OF MISSING OUT, ARGUMENTS ABOUT WHAT INFORMATION YOUNG PEOPLE ARE FINDING ONLINE AND NOT KNOWING HOW TO CHECK AND SEE WHETHER THAT IS GOOD INFORMATION FROM A GOOD SOURCE, AND THERE IS POSTING ONLINE IT MAY PEOPLE’S CONSENT.

WE ARE SEEING FIGHTS ARE BEING POSTED, ALL SORTS OF PROBLEMS, CYBER BULLYING FOR EXAMPLE, WHICH CAN LEAD TO LIFE-CHANGING MISTAKES.

CRAIG: ARE YOU SEEING THE EFFECT OF THE CYBER BULLYING?

IS THAT SHOWING UP MORE AND MORE?

>> PROBLEMS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE INTERACTIVE MEDIA ENVIRONMENT ARE SHOWING UP A LOT TO THE WIND WHERE WE HAVE NOW HAD CHILDREN’S -- SINCE 2017 A CLINIC, AND WE ARE PACKED WALL-TO-WALL WITH THE KIDS WHO HAVE GONE DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE OF GAMING, SOCIAL MEDIA, PORNOGRAPHY, AND WHAT WE CALL INFORMATION BINGING WHICH IS THE ENDLESS YOUTUBE REDDIT THAT THESE KIDS ARE USING.

CRAIG: THE MEDIA LITERACY PROGRAM PUT OUT A REPORT ANALYZING LEGISLATION AROUND THESE.

IN MASSACHUSETTS WE HAVE LAWS AROUND THIS.

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE HERE AND DOES IT GO FAR ENOUGH?

>> WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE MEDIA LITERACY INTEGRATED INTO EVERY CLASSROOM, BECAUSE THIS IS ESSENTIALLY MODERN LITERACY, SO TO LEARN AND HAVE THE LIFE SKILLS YOU NEED YOU NEED MEDIA LITERACY, SO WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT.

MASSACHUSETTS HAS BEEN MAKING A LOT OF PROGRESS.

IT RECENTLY THE HEALTH STANDARDS THAT CAME OUT FOR HEALTH CLASSROOMS INCLUDE A LOT ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA AWARENESS, HEALTHY ONLINE RELATIONSHIPS INTEGRATED INTO HEALTH CLASSROOMS, THE SOCIAL STUDIES STANDARDS ALSO ADDRESS THE ISSUE.

SO WE ARE SEEING IT IN MASSACHUSETTS AND REALLY ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

RECENTLY INDIANA PASSED A VERY BIPARTISAN BILL THAT SEEKS TO MEASURE KIDS ARE GETTING THE CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS THEY NEED TO PARTICIPATE ONLINE.

CRAIG: IS MASSACHUSETTS GOING FAR ENOUGH?

>> I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE.

TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, TEACHER PRESERVICE TRAINING, AND STANDARDS FOR EVERY SUBJECT AREA, SO THAT INCLUDE SCIENCE, MATH, ENGLISH.

CRAIG: THAT IS WHAT STATES CAN DO, SCHOOLS CAN DO.

WHAT ABOUT PARENTS?

>> FIRST OF ALL I WANT TO ALLAY THEIR FEAR.

THERE WAS A LOT OF FEAR MONGERING OUT THERE, AND NO GOOD DECISION IS MADE OUT OF FEAR.

WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS SELL PARENTS FEEL COMFORTABLE IN THE DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT, TO LEARN WITH THEIR KIDS ABOUT AVID BE AN OPEN DIALOGUE FROM THE MOMENT THEY START USING ANY SCREENS AT ALL.

PEOPLE OFTEN ASK ME WHEN KIDS SHOULD START LEARNING MEDIA LITERACY.

WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT PARENTS ARE THERE FIRST AND BEST FEATURE TO THEIR CHILDREN, AND I ENCOURAGE THEM TO DO THAT 3 M ’S.

MODEL THE BEHAVIOR.

DO NOT BE YELLING ABOUT A VIDEO GAME WHILE STARING AT YOUR ALL-IMPORTANT SMARTPHONE.

MENTOR THEM WITH A.

A SMART PHONE IS A ONE MILLION TIMES MORE POWERFUL THAN THE COMPUTER THAT ENDED US ON THE MOON, BUT TO LEARN WITH THEM HOW TO USE THESE DEVICES.

TO PLAY THE VIDEO GAMES WITH THEM, GO ON SOCIAL MEDIA, AND TO MONITOR THEIR USE.

AHEAD OF THEIR USERNAMES AND PASSWORDS.

PARENTS AND KIDS BOTH PUSH BACK ON THIS.

PARENTS SAY I DID AT THE TIME AND CAN SAY I MY PRIVACY, BUT WHEN IT IS AN OPEN DIALOGUE IT IS A PLACE WHERE THEY CAN PARENT INTO THE DIGITAL SPACE, SO INDICATED COMES ACROSS SOMETHING THAT CONFUSES, UPSETS HER WITH THEM OUT THEY CAN COME TO THE PARENT AND DO NOT HAVE TO HIDE IT.

CRAIG: WHAT ABOUT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES?

>> I IMAGINE THEY ARE NOT DOING ENOUGH, BUT THOSE DECISIONS ARE FOR THE PEOPLE TO DECIDE.

WE FOCUS ON THE NEED FOR MEDIA LITERACY IN K-12 CLASSROOMS, AND PEOPLE WHEN THEY HAVE THE SKILLS AND UNDERSTAND THE QUESTIONS TO ASK AND THE WAY THE SYSTEMS WORK, THE ECONOMIC INCENTIVES, THEY CAN HAVE THE TOOLS AND UNDERSTANDING TO MAKE CHANGE AND TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR DEMOCRACY WHERE WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO SEEK THE CHANGE THAT WE WANT.

CRAIG: IT IS A FASCINATING CONVERSATION.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING AND TALKING WITH US ABOUT THIS.

NEW ENGLAND WINTERS ARE NOT WHAT THEY USED TO BE, AND THAT IS HAVING MAJOR IMPACTS ON THE REGION FROM THE FLOOD OF RISKS TO SHORTER SEASONS FOR WINTER SPORTS.

TO DISCUSS I AM JOINED BY METEOROLOGIST DAVE EPSTEIN AND A RESEARCH ASSISTANT AND PROFESSOR AT THE EARTH SYSTEMS RESEARCH CENTER AND INSTITUTE AT A UNIVERSITY IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.

THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US.

>> GOOD TO BE HERE.

CRAIG: LET’S START WITH YOU.

YOU ARE AN AVID SNOWBOARDER.

WHAT HAS THIS SEASON BEEN LIKE FOR YOU?

>> IT HAS BEEN VERY CHALLENGING TO GET OUT.

I RECORDED MY FIRST DECEMBER WITHOUT ANY MEASURABLE SNOW, AND THAT WAS HEARTBREAKING.

TO GET OUT AND RECREATE IT HAS BEEN A HUGE CHALLENGE.

I LIKE GOING NORDIC SKIING BUT THIS YEAR HAS BEEN A SMALL HANDFUL OF DAYS I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT DUE TO THE LACK OF SNOW.

BACK SKIING HAS BEEN A CHALLENGE.

THERE IS NOT BEEN A LOT OF NATURAL SNOWFALL AND IT IS LACKING IN TERMS OF BIG STORMS.

CRAIG: YOU ARE PART OF AN ORGANIZATION CALLED PROTECTOR WINTERS.

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT TO DO AND WHAT IS HAPPENING MORE BROADLY?

>> I GOT INVOLVED WITH THEM IN 2010, AND WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT CHANGES AND HOW CLIMATE IMPACTS OF THE SKI INDUSTRY, AND WE HAVE BEEN TALKING WITH OUT TOWARD RICK READERS -- RECREATORS IN GENERAL AND HOW IT IS IMPACTING THEIR ABILITY TO GET OUT AND JOIN THE SNOW.

IN NEW HAMPSHIRE A BIG PART OF OUR VISITOR SPENDING IS COMING FROM THE SKI RESORT HERE, SO WHEN THEY HAVE A TOUGH YEAR LIKE THIS YEAR IT HAS AN IMPACT ON NOT JUST THEM, THEIR BOTTOM LINE BUT ALSO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY AS WELL.

AN EFFECT ON JOBS AND THE ABILITY FOR PEOPLE TO ENJOY WINTER.

CRAIG: DO WE KNOW HOW BAD THE IMPACT IS THIS YEAR IN THE INDUSTRY?

>> THEY TYPICALLY WILL ANNOUNCE THAT IN JUNE.

I WOULD SAY DECEMBER 2023 STORM WAS A BIG EVENT WILL HAVE A DECENT IMPACT, AND I HOPE THAT NEXT YEAR IS MUCH BETTER.

CRAIG: SO FAR THIS SEASON WE HAVE SEEN 9.7 INCHES IN BOSTON THAT COMPARES TO AN AVERAGE OF 34.6 INCHES UP TO FEBRUARY 21.

WHAT IS GOING ON?

IS THIS THE NEW NORMAL?

>> THERE IS A LOT OF STUFF GOING ON.

WE HAVE THE FACT THAT THE PLANET IS WARMING UP, SO THERE WAS PRESSURE ON NEW ENGLAND TO HAVE LESS SNOW.

WINTER IS THE FASTEST WARMING SEASON OF THE FOUR END NEW ENGLAND IS BARING THE BRUNT OF WARMING.

THEY ARE ALSO NATURAL CYCLES THAT OCCUR, SO IF YOU LOOK AT ALL OF THE YEARS WE GET POCKETS OF ABOUT A DECADE OR SO WOULD YOU HAVE US KNOW WE DECADE AND A NOT SO SNOWY DECADE.

IF YOU GO BACK PRIOR TO 2016 THAT DECADE WAS A VERY SNOWY, THE SNOWIEST SEASON ON RECORD.

CRAIG: IF ANYONE REMEMBERS WINTER 2015 IT WOULD NOT STOP SNOWING THEN, BUT IT HAS NOT SNOWED SINCE.

>> WE HAVE HAD MANY WINTERS BELOW AVERAGE, LESS WINTER TOPPING OUT AROUND AFOOT.

THIS YEAR IF WE END UP WITH NO MORE THAN 11 INCHES WE WILL SEE THE FIRST BACK-TO-BACK SEASONS, SO THERE WAS THE CLIMATE FEES AS WELL AS THE NATURAL CYCLE BOTH GOING ON.

CRAIG: IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WEATHER AND CLIMATE, BUT TO WHAT DEGREE THAT WE CAN SAY WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW IS A RESULT OF CLIMATE CHANGE?

>> THAT IS NOT THE LANGUAGE WE WANT TO USE, BECAUSE YOU CAN GO BACK TO 1936, 1937 THAT HAD LESS SNOW IN THAT WINTER, BUT THE PRESSURE IS INCREASING AND THE TYPE OF WINTERS WE ARE SEEING THIS YEAR WILL BECOME MORE FREQUENT, SO THERE ARE BEEN WINTERS IN THE PAST RELATIVELY OPEN AND MILD, BUT THE NUMBER OF THOSE WINTERS ARE INCREASING AND THE NUMBER OF SNOW WE, COLD WINTERS ARE DECREASING.

CRAIG: YOUR RESEARCH FOCUSES A LOT ON SNOWPACK AND CLIMATE.

WHAT ARE YOU SEEING BEYOND THE BED SKI SEASON?

>> WE ARE ALSO SEEING A DECLINE IN SOIL FREEZING.

THIS WAS A CHALLENGING YEAR FOR A SNOWPACK IN TERMS OF HOW WARM IT WAS.

WE DID NOT HAVE A LOT OF DAYS BELOW FREEZING, SO WE SAW INTERESTING TRENDS WITH SOIL FROST.

WE ARE LOOKING AT IMPACTS ON THE ECOSYSTEM, SO THE LOSS OF GOLD IS IMPORTANT FOR INTERFACES SPECIES.

THIS ALSO IS IMPACTS ON MAPLE SYRUP SEASON HAPPENING EARLIER, AND HAVING LOWER POLITY SYRUP.

IN TERMS OF WHAT I LOOK AT IN MY RESEARCH, I ALSO LOOK AT CLIMATE PREDICTIONS INTO THE FUTURE, AND WHAT WE ARE SEEING THE WINTERS LIKE THIS WILL BECOME MORE COMMON.

A LOT OF THE MODELS THAT I HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT WERE NOT PREDICTING MODELS THIS SNOWLESS UNTIL SEVERAL DECADES OUT, SO TO SEE THIS TYPE OF WINTER NOW HAS ME ON EDGE.

I ACKNOWLEDGE ALSO THE EL NIÑO SOUTHERN OSCILLATION, BUT WE HAVE HAD EL NIÑO YEARS IN THE PAST, AND THIS YEAR HAS BEEN OFF THE CHARTS IN TERMS OF WAR MING.

IT IS IN THE TOP FIVE WARMEST RECORD WINTERS, AND NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW YORK, VERMONT, IT WAS OUR WARMEST WINTER.

WE HAVE NOT SEEN A WINTER COLDER THAN THE LONG-TERM AVERAGE SINCE 2015.

CRAIG: I LEARNED AN INTERESTING AND IMPORTANT WERE TODAY WHICH WAS ELBIDO.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR OUR CLIMATE?

>> IT IS ESSENTIALLY THE REFLECTIVITY OF THE SURFACE, AND HOW MUCH OF THE LIGHT WILL GET REFLECTED BACK OUT TO SPACE.

SOMETHING LIKE SEE HIGHS -- SEA ICE WILL BE HIGHLY REFLECTIVE.

IT HELPS TO KEEP THE SURFACE COOL, AND WHEN WE DO NOT HAVE THAT AND YOU HAVE A DARKER SURFACE SUCH AS A FOREST, OPEN WATER, GRASS, THAT WILL BE A LOT DARKER AND ABSORB MORE OF THE SUN’S ENERGY.

THE ACCELERATION OF SNOW LOSS WAS IDENTIFIED IN DARTMOUTH OF A THRESHOLD OF VERTICAL TEMPERATURE UNDER WHICH YOU BEGIN HAVING SNOW CLIFF.

YOU WILL SEE A VERY RAPID LOSS OF SNOWPACK, AND I THINK THAT IS WHAT WE ARE SEEING HERE AND IT IS PROBABLY TITLE IT -- TIED A LITTL EBIT TO THAT.

CRAIG: I KNOW YOU ARE NOT A GROUNDHOG BUT IT LOOKS LIKE WE ARE LOOKING AT AN EARLY SPRING AND THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY A GOOD THING.

>> IT HAS DEFINITELY BEEN A MUCH WARMER THAN AVERAGE WINTER.

THE LOWEST TEMPERATURE IN BOSTON WE GOT TO WAS 14.

I GOT KALE IN THE GARDEN WHICH MADE IT THROUGH THE ENTIRE WINTER UNPROTECTED AND IS ALREADY STARTING TO GROW.

I PLANTED PEAS ALREADY, BUT THE SOIL DEFINITELY DID NOT FREEZE VERY MUCH THE ENTIRE WINTER.

WE HAD THE ONE WEEK THAT WAS COLD, BUT THAT IS ABOUT IT, SO THE WINTER THAT WAS NOT ONE NEVER GOT UNDERWAY AND WE ARE ON TO SPRING.

CRAIG: HOPEFULLY THERE WILL BE BETTER SKIING NEXT SEASON.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

MUSICIAN ALEX’S MUSICAL ROOTS ARE IN ECUADOR BUT BROOKLYN BOUGHT INTO BOSTON.

AND NOW HE HAS A BACK FOR A REUNION SHOW WITH ONE OF HIS LOCAL BANDS.

HE JOINED US ON BOSTON PUBLIC RADIO TO SHARE HIS STORY AND A SONG.

>> ALEX, YOUR STORY, AND IT LITERALLY IS A JOURNEY FROM ECUADOR BACK TO HEAR AND BACK TO ECUADOR.

YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH MICHAEL AND YOUR COLLABORATION.

I WANT TO KNOW HOW YOU PULLED MANGO BLUE TOGETHER, BUT TO THE EXTENT YOU CAN WE VENICE MUCH OF YOUR STORY, PLEASE DO THAT, BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO BE AMAZED.

>> IS A LONG STORY.

I WILL TRY.

I WANTED TO STUDY WELL I WAS IN ECUADOR AT BERKELEY.

I WAS KIDNAPPED BY THE SECRET POLICE OF THE GOVERNMENT AT THE TIME, THE RIGHT WING GOVERNMENT OF ECUADOR, AND I HAD A WEEK THAT CAME WITH A ONE-WAY TICKET TO THE STATES AND SLOWLY AND SURELY I MADE MY WAY TO BERKELEY .

BERKLEE COLLEGE IS A SCHOOL THAT ATTRACTS PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, AND I WAS ABLE TO MEET A LOT OF FANTASTIC PEOPLE FIRST AND MUSICIANS FROM DIFFERENT CULTURES.

I LEARNED A LOT OF MUSIC, A LOT OF INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS.

IT WAS A VERY ENRICHING EXPERIENCE FOR ME, AND THROUGH THIS PROCESS I STARTED TO WORK WITH A LOT OF PUERTO RICAN SALSA BANDS, DOMINICAN BANDS, AND AFTER A GOOD CHUNK OF TIME DOING THAT I STARTED TO LOOK FOR MY OWN VOICE WITHIN THE TRADITION.

THAT IS HOW MANGO BLUE WAS BORNE.

I AM FROM THE ANDES, SO I WAS NOT BORN AND RAISED WITH THIS MUSIC.

IT’S A TRAIN I HOPPED ON LATER ON.

I LOVE JAZZ, ROCK ’N’ ROLL, PUNK, AND MANGO BLUE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO BRING ALL THESE ELEMENTS TOGETHER, AND WITH THAT I HAD ALREADY MET A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE SCENE, AND I HAVE BEEN REALLY FORTUNATE.

THE BAND HAS ABOUT 15 YEARS OR MORE OF EXISTENCE, AND I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL GENERATIONS OF MUSICIANS COME BY INCLUDING SOME TOP LINE JAZZ ARTISTS.

>> YOU HAVE THIS JAZZ SERIES.

THIS IS A SATURDAY NIGHT PERFORMANCE ON MARCH 9.

YOU WERE TOTALLY INTO MANGO BLUE.

WHAT IS THE ALLURE?

>> THE FIRST TIME I SAW THEM, HIS MUSIC DEFINES EVERYTHING, IT WAS LATIN MUSIC, FUNK, JAZZ.

IT SOUNDED LIKE STEELY DAN.

THE FIRST TIME I SAW THEM IN 1996 AT JOHNNY D’S IN SOMERVILLE , I WAS BLOWN AWAY, SO EVER SINCE THEN I GUESS IT WAS A GROUPIE.

I SAW THEM, BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THEM.

ANYTIME SHE COMES BACK WE GET INTO PLAY WHEREVER I AM.

>> WHY DID YOU LEAVE?

>> IS A FUNNY STORY.

I AM KIND OF EMBARRASSED.

I LIVED HERE FOR A LONG TIME AND I WAS IN A REUNION WITH SOME FOLKS HAD A GUY TELLS ME YOU HAVE BEEN IN FOR A LONG TIME.

YEAH I’VE BEEN HERE FOR 10, 15, AND I DID THE MATH AND IT WAS 25 YEARS, AND IT WAS LIKE A BUCKET OF COLD WATER ON MY HEAD.

MY MAIN INTEREST WAS TO BE WITH MY PARENTS.

THEY WERE GETTING OLD AND I DID NOT WANT TO RECEIVE THAT PHONE CALL BEING AWAY, SO I DROPPED EVERYTHING.

>> WHO ARE THESE GUYS?

>> I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF PLAYING WITH MY COMPADRE, MY BROTHER, ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS IN THE WORLD.

[APPLAUSE] FROM COSTA RICA, AND WE ALSO HAVE A GREAT HUMAN PLAYER.

>> SURE THEY ARE, A MINI VERSION OF MANGO BLUE.

TAKE IT AWAY.

♪ >> THIS SONG GOES OUT TO ALL THE MIGRANTS IN THE WORLD.

♪ >> ♪ IT’S AN IMMIGRANT NATION I WORK HARD FOR THE MONEY SO DON’T YOU PUT THE BLAME ON ME ♪ IT’S AN IMMIGRANT NATION I WORK HARD FOR THE MONEY SO DON’T YOU PUT THE BLAME ON ME ♪ YOU KNOW WELL WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT I’M NOT ASKING FOR YOUR CHARITY ALL I WANT IS OPPORTUNITY IT’S AN IMMIGRANT NATION ♪ >> ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS.

CRAIG: CATCH ALEX AND HIS BAND AT THE BAR LONG LIVE ROXBURY.

HAD TO CALENDAR.ARTSBOSTON.ORG.

COME BACK TOMORROW FOR TALKING POLITICS FOR KATIE LANNAN’S A WIDE-RANGING INTERVIEW WITH THE GOVERNOR FROM PLANS TO PROTECT IVF ACCESS IN THE STATE, PLUS A LOOK AT A NEW BILL THAT WOULD PLACE LIMITS ON HOW LONG PEOPLE CAN STAY IN TEMPORARY SHELTERS.

THANK YOU FOR WATCHING.

I AM CRAIG LEMOULT.

GOOD NIGHT.

♪ ♪