The tradition of American expatriate jazz musicians in Europe goes back a hundred years. What leads musicians to move halfway across the world to a place where they don’t speak the language, hold no currency, and are strangers? Love, what else? Bassist Peter Giron and trumpeter Andrew Crocker went to France with little or no understanding of what they were getting themselves into other than the desire to be with a woman, and maybe a sense that they didn’t fully fit where they came from. That was 30 years ago.

Today they are not so much expatriates as they are immigrants. 

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Ralph Simon is on a relentless quest. What is he in search of? The next thing in technology and entertainment. He might say it's something like "the next undiscovered young virtuosic talent" or "the latest in mobile and device innovation". Over the last 20 years, Ralph has become a recognizable face in the mobile space, seemingly obsessed with the way mobile technology and content influence popular culture. At his core, Ralph loves a good hit. He is popularly known as the ‘Father of the Ring Tone.’ His ability to find a hit, to create opportunity and add value to the creative class started long before the word mobile was a noun. Here, he outlines that journey. 

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Leah Siegel made a commitment to live an artful life, "to be creative, to live inspired." Early on, she found her voice. A powerful, soul stirring, timeless singing voice that moved people and put her in touch with a "natural empathy". Here Leah tries to process the loss of her close friend, Tim Luntzel, and explains the impact of his death on her life, and questions what it means to have a good death. 

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