Divas, Ingénues & Vixens Podcast

SUFFS: So the Stories can be Told

The Broadway musical SUFFS by Shaina Taub* tells the story of suffragettes fighting to be heard. But what about the women who built the institutions that made change possible?*
In this episode, I speak with performer Marya Grandy [Carrie Chapman Catt] and Sr. Sue Durkin of the Women Religious Archives Collaborative about voice, leadership, archives, and the quiet endurance of Catholic sisters whose impact shaped American life.
Some women marched.Some women built.All of them matter.
Because preserving women’s history isn’t nostalgia — it’s responsibility.
{Stay tuned for a special edition follow up episode or check out additional materials at www.AmityHBryson.com}

What does Music Smell Like IV

In this fourth installment of What Does Music Smell Like?, I am joined once again by Lauren and Taylor of Apothogothic to unveil LILITH—a scent shaped by desire, boundaries, and sovereignty. Together, they reflect on the arc of year one—MIRAGE, WILDE, EMBER, and now LILITH—and the way seasons, playlists, and lived experience inform the creative process.
From Sophie B. Hawkins to Joni Mitchell, Jill Scott to TRIBE (and more!) the LILITH playlist traces a musical journey of I want. I protect. I stand.
The episode’s finale is a slow, intentional unboxing, inviting listeners to co-create the experience as scent, sound, and story merge. Through the archetypes:
The Diva claims aesthetic sovereignty—luxury, worth, and presence.
The Ingénue discovers intimacy and first-time wonder.
The Vixen recognizes this is not self-care, but self-definition.
This episode is a celebration of women-led artistry, creative ritual, and the joy of building something with intention. LILITH marks both a culmination—and a bold invitation into what comes next.
Find the full video of the unboxing on INSTAGRAM @AmityBryson

The OG Lyrical Belles

Lyrical Belles return for a follow-up conversation as the collective prepares for their upcoming live show at Knuckleheads on February 12. Building on their original origin-story episode (S1 Ep. 6) this conversation moves beyond how the group began and into what the work looks like now — onstage, behind the scenes, and within the evolving Kansas City music community.
The founders reflect on how the collective has grown, how performing together continues to shape their artistry, and what makes a Lyrical Belles show distinct from other live music experiences. The conversation explores collaboration, creative momentum, and the energy of women creating side-by-side in a listening-room style space.
Tickets available at Knuckleheads.com 
 

The Women Who Taught Mozart to Listen

In this episode, I explore how Mozart’s operatic women trace a developmental arc of feminine consciousness—from emotional awakening (the Ingénue), to selfhood and vocal power (the Diva), to embodied relational intelligence (the Vixen), and finally to something radically new: moral agency. Through arias by Pamina, the Countess, Fiordiligi, Zerlina, Susanna, and Vitellia, we hear how Mozart composes not just characters, but inner lives in motion. The episode reveals Mozart as a composer of subjectivity, showing how women in his operas become the emotional and ethical centers of their worlds—capable not only of feeling and choosing, but of transforming others through forgiveness, clarity, and conscious presence.

Meet Kimberly Akimbo

In this episode, Amity explores the Tony Award–winning musical Kimberly Akimbo, a tender and unexpected story about time, identity, and choosing adventure. From Jeanine Tesori’s luminous score to a heroine who lives between youth and age, this is a reflection on hope, mortality, and what it means to stand—cleverly akimbo—in your own life.

I'm not a Purist!

In this January episode of Divas, Ingénues & Vixens, Amity invites listeners into a thoughtful, generous, and deeply musical meditation on what it means to begin again. Through stories from the studio, philosophy, and personal experience, she explores why she proudly claims, “I am not a purist”—and why that stance opens richer, more honest ways of listening and making art.
Answering listener questions from Evie in MN and Isak in TX, along the way, Amity celebrates the living relationship between creator, song, and listener—the heart of why certain music continues to matter across generations.
Equal parts reflection and inspiration, this episode asks you to shed what no longer serves you, honor what sustains you, and step into the new year with curiosity, courage, and openness. Whether you arrive as a Diva, an Ingénue, or a Vixen, you’ll leave feeling invited to listen more deeply, trust your instincts, and begin January with renewed presence, wonder, and possibility.

Memphis On My Mind: Meet Black Hôk

This week on Divas, Ingénues & Vixens, Amity sits down with Black Hôk, a rising young blues band from Kansas City, as they prepare to head to Memphis for the International Blues Challenge. Before the music takes over Beale Street, we pause to explore what it really means to play the blues—as a form, a feeling, and a living tradition. From the foundations of 12-bar blues to Kansas City’s rich musical legacy, this episode connects past and present, honoring the artists who built the road and the young musicians now walking it. A January reflection on beginnings, grit, and carrying the blues forward.

In Tune with the New Year

This New Year’s Day, Divas, Ingénues & Vixens offers a retrospective look at the year behind and the year ahead. Amity reflects on the relationships, artists, and turning points that made the past year so meaningful. From iconic artists to emerging voices, from first conversations to meaningful partnerships; through stories, gratitude and reflection this episode invites listeners to begin the year with intention, curiosity and joy. Less about direction, this episode is an invitation to stand Tall, stay Curious, and say YES to what’s next!

Divas, Ingénues & Vixens wish you a very Merry Christmas!

On Christmas Day, we pause at the turning of the year—where ancient winter fires meet familiar carols. This episode traces the Twelve Days of Yule and the Twelve Days of Christmas, honoring mothers and matriarchs, endurance and wonder, family and song. Joined by the joyful voices of a six- and seven-year-old, Amity reflects on how light returns not because we rush it, but because we listen, gather, and endure. Through the lens of the Diva, the Ingénue, and the Vixen, Christmas becomes not just a celebration, but a remembering.

Marilyn Maye: proof that artistry is ageless

I sat down with Marilyn Maye to discuss her Holly Jolly Folly Day performance on December 21st at 3:30 pm at The Folly Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri. [Tickets available at follytheatre.org]
Marilyn Maye brings a celebration of curiosity, intention, and joyful devotion to song. Through the lens of Divas, Ingénues & Vixens, this festive episode honors Marilyn Maye’s timeless artistry—from her unforgettable appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson to her enduring influence today—and invites us to embrace a little folly, a lot of wonder, and the belief that joy—and great singing—only grow richer with time.
Happy Everything and Merry Always!!!