A Conversation with Jeff Bradford

This article was originally published in "Richardson Living" magazine. Read it on that website or read it here. Or read it in print. In mail boxes now.

A Conversation with Jeff Bradford
Executive Director of Fine Arts, Richardson ISD

In 2019, for the eighth straight year, Richardson ISD was named one of the best communities in the nation for music education by the California-based National Association of Music Merchants. That is just one of many awards for RISD just in music. RISD also offers education in theatre, dance, and the visual arts. Over the years, the RISD has had some illustrious leaders in fine arts. Former directors went on to lead the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA), the Texas UIL Music organization, the Texas Bandmasters Association, and the University of Oklahoma's "Pride of Oklahoma" marching band. Today, their big shoes are filled by Jeff Bradford as Executive Director of Fine Arts for the Richardson ISD. Richardson Living spoke with Jeff about the state of fine arts in RISD. The interview has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.

Elections Have Consequences, Lesson #214

The Dallas Observer's Jim Schutze is a rabble-rouser. Sometimes his rants are spot on. Sometimes not. But he's always worth reading. Dallas needs him. And if you read him with the right squint in your eyes, you could say Richardson needs him, too. His latest report on a vote by the Dallas City Council on a big zoning case at Northwest Highway and the Dallas North Tollway is a case in point.

POTD: A Sugary Confection in Stone

From 2018 09 19 Bryce Canyon

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Utah's Bryce Canyon. No story today. The image says it all.

Derry Girls (TV 2018)

Rotten Tomatoes

Derry Girls (TV 2018): Set in a Catholic girls' school in Northern Ireland during the religious Troubles. Fast, sassy, irreverent, and sometimes touching. Always hilarious. It's rare for a TV comedy to get me to laugh out loud, but this one does every episode. A-

POTD: Plate Spinning

From 2018 09 19 Bryce Canyon

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Utah's Bryce Canyon. Remember the old variety show act of plate spinning? Ed Sullivan would feature someone who would try to spin a half dozen plates on top of slender poles to the ever-increasing tempo of "Sabre Dance"? I was reminded of that by this rock formation in Bryce Canyon. Yeah, I'm old.

POTD: Switchbacks Up

From 2018 09 19 Bryce Canyon

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Utah's Bryce Canyon. It shows the switchbacks of the trail up from the bottom of the canyon to the rim. An escalator would be nice.

After the jump, even tighter switchbacks.

The Boys (TV 2019)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Boys (TV 2019): A world full of superheroes, all co-opted by an evil corporation for profit. Interesting concept. Cardboard characters. No nuance. No humor. Middle episodes are better as focus shifts to "the boys" who resist. Ending resolves little, leaves many questions. C+

POTD: And a Tree Falls

From 2018 09 19 Bryce Canyon

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Utah's Bryce Canyon. It shows that a tree can be as beautiful in death as in life, still providing us with a place to sit a spell and rest and enjoy the world.

A bonus photo after the jump.

POTD: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

From 2018 09 19 Bryce Canyon

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Utah's Bryce Canyon. For reasons clear to anyone who's read the novel, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, I thought of it when I saw this indomitable tree deep in Bryce Canyon.

POTD: Tight Squeeze Ahead

From 2018 09 19 Bryce Canyon

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Utah's Bryce Canyon. It shows a tight squeeze on the Navajo Loop Trail that takes you from the rim all the way down to the bottom of the canyon and back up another way.

POTD: Down Into the Canyon

From 2018 09 19 Bryce Canyon

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Utah's Bryce Canyon. It shows the early part of the Navajo Loop Trail, a 1.3 mile round trip that takes you from the rim all the way down to the bottom of the canyon and back up another way. A strenuous walk (for an old guy), well worth the time.

POTD: At the Rim

From 2018 09 19 Bryce Canyon

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Utah's Bryce Canyon. If you've never been there, like I hadn't, try to fix that.

POTD: The Bluest Lake

From 2018 09 17 Crater Lake

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Oregon's Crater Lake. Crater Lake is the bluest lake in the world. Change my mind.

Idle Thoughts: Rare Sweltering Summer

Tweets from August, 2019:

• 2019-08-01: DMN headline: "Rare sweltering summer grips Alaska."
  "Rare." I guess when each summer is hotter than the last, you could say each one is technically "rare."
• 2019-08-01: @RepLanceGooden, how many heart-wrenching stories of children separated from their parents and put in cages have you heard and still stood by without doing anything?
• 2019-08-01: @JimSchutze, Silly Jim. The reason the News didn't first have that "basic, Journalism 101, garden variety conversation" you identified is because the News is not a product of the journalism school. It's a product of the business school.

After the jump, more idle thoughts.

POTD: Deboning a Boat

From 2018 09 14 Portland

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Portland, Oregon's Willamette River.

Vacant Office Buildings in Richardson

Community Impact has a detailed story on empty office buildings in Richardson. 85.2% of the square feet of office buildings in Richardson is leased. Eleven buildings comprising 1.4 million square feet are totally vacant. Is that good or bad? Community Impact doesn't really say.