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This episode of "Sadelbia Snippets" explores classical music history, with host Sadelbia highlighting medieval composer Hildegard von Bingen as "the mother of classical music" who pioneered liturgical drama despite gender-based skepticism. Guest Claire McLeod Hill, a medieval history graduate student and entertainment professional, traces classical music's evolution from sacred Byzantine and Christian traditions through medieval courts to its Baroque peak with Bach, whom she considers foundational to the genre. Claire defines classical music by its complexity and formal structure, explaining how religious institutions and royal patronage shaped its development from ancient Greece through the Renaissance to contemporary composers like Debussy and Eric Whitaker. The episode concludes with Claire promoting her Los Angeles entertainment company Civilized Chaos LLC and encouraging aspiring music historians to conduct independent research to understand musical traditions' interconnected evolution.

Join Claire McLeod Hill and Bassist Joe Noval for a candid conversation about the creativity, chaos, and companionships of the entertainment industry in Los Angeles.

Part One of Interview with Claire McLeod Hill

Part Two of Interview with Claire McLeod Hill and Jen Ortega

This deeply personal article chronicles the author's transformative experience at "La La Land Still Stands," an underground art show held at Torpedo Gallery in North Hollywood from March 8-10. Written during a period of creative struggle and self-doubt, the piece follows the author's journey from isolation in a Lake Elsinore hotel room to immersion in LA's vibrant underground scene. The collaborative event, organized by System of a Down drummer John Dolmayan's gallery and Claire Hill's Civilized Chaos production company, featured local artists and musical performances as a community response to the LA fires, with proceeds benefiting the fire department. Through encounters with colorful characters like Richard Eastman—a "hippie godfather" who helped save the Hollywood sign and pioneered medical marijuana programs—and performances by bands like Thinky Flesh, the author discovers a thriving creative community that embodies LA's resilient spirit. The narrative weaves together personal reflection with vivid scene portraits, ultimately celebrating how underground art spaces serve as vital connective tissue for artists and dreamers, affirming that authentic creative community matters more than commercial success or fame.