the Extra Half

Some of the thoughts that host Natania Hoffman has gathered throughout the process of creating the Extra Half.

A conversation with Simen Fegran, German-Norwegian horn player and member of the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig. We talk about the importance of understanding the past as a nation and about how patriotism is perceived in Germany, Norway, and the United States. We also talk about his experiences living in Western and Eastern Germany, his time on tour with the Gustav Mahler Youth orchestra, and about the role that the Gewandhausorchester played in the Leipzig community during the pandemic.

A conversation with Rosalind Chao and Yi-Mei Templeman, mother and daughter, who were both born in the United States. Rosalind is an actress known for her roles in the Joy Luck Club, Mulan (2020), Star Trek, The Laundromat, Freaky Friday, among others; Yi-Mei is a cellist and founding member of Trio Gaia who additionally explores dimensions of music making such as singing, playing, strumming, composing, arranging, and improvising. We talk about their cultural ties to the USA, China, and England and about the importance of the performing arts as a means of connecting people, genres, stories, and experiences.

a conversation with Luisa Weiss, creator of the Wednesday Chef. An Italian-American who lives in Berlin, Luisa is a writer, home cook, editor, translator, and the author of one of the most well-known food blogs today. We have a fascinating conversation about how food can be a powerful constant in a life characterized by change, about her intercontinental “commute” as a child, and about her realization as an adult that Berlin was truly home. We also talk about the quality of produce in different countries, the position that American expats held in post-war West Berlin, and about the culinary challenge she faces as a parent: striking a balance between her desire for stability and her perpetual curiosity.

A conversation with Nina de Félice, pianist. Nina is French and Mauritian and also lived in Switzerland, Germany, and the Czech Republic. In addition to her performing career, she is the co-founder of the Festival Contrepoints Croisés in France, and of An Artist’s Blog, a new platform which gathers writing and thoughts about music. She also holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in mathematics. We talk about how to reconcile basic assumptions that are often divergent, and about the ways in which culture shapes our concept of “society.” Nina talks about the current situation in Mauritius, the ecological loss the island has suffered, and the different ways in which her families view the past and celebrate tradition.

A conversation with Josiah Coe, whose family is from the USA and the Philippines. We talk about his childhood on a farm in rural Georgia with seven siblings, the ways in which he grew up surrounded by Filipino culture within the United States, and how the concept of “otherizing," useful to some, is ultimately meaningless. He discusses the feeling of often being misidentified as Iranian or Mexican, and how such experiences led him to discovering those cultures and their languages. We also talk about his life as a violist and the importance of truly listening in today’s world.

A conversation with Armine Sargsyan, who is from Armenia and Lithuania. Armine talks about her upbringing in independent Lithuania and in Cyprus, the development of her own cultural identity, and the importance of raising international awareness about the ongoing conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh; she recently organized a demonstration in Vilnius, while her husband is currently on the frontline in the Artsakh. The story of her mother’s emigration to Lithuania is intertwined with the conflicts of the 1990s, and we discuss the parallels between that time and the war that started on September 27th and is continuing to escalate. 

A conversation with Amarins Wierdsma, Dutch and American violinist. We talk about what it means to understand how a country works, and about how directness can be valued very differently in different contexts and cultures. We also talk about differences in musical education in the United States and in various countries in Europe, how the balance between formality and informality has shifted linguistically and culturally over time, and the aftermath of colonialism in the Netherlands and in the USA.

A conversation with Edoardo Ballerini, Italian and American narrator and actor. A two-time winner of the Audiobook Publishers Association’s Best Male Narrator Audie Award, Edoardo has recorded nearly 300 titles, from classic works by Tolstoy, Dante, Kafka, Whitman and Camus, to best-sellers by James Patterson and David Baldacci. We discuss growing up bicultural, ways in which being Italian and American is different from being Italian-American, and how his career as an actor and as a narrator were both influenced by his biculturalism, albeit in very different ways.

A conversation with Jakob Nierenz, cellist. Jakob’s parents are German and African-American, and he grew up in Lüneburg, Germany. We talk about his two years spent in the United States pursuing a Master’s degree at Rice University, his work with Ensemble Reflektor, and about the importance of meaningful programming in classical music. We also compare the ways in which the United States and Germany have traditionally looked at their own past, and the role of nationalism in both countries.

A conversation with Martina and Costanza Pereyra, Italian and Argentinian sisters who grew up in Germany, the Netherlands, and Portugal. Martina is studying at the Nuova Accademia delle Belle Arti in Milano, while Costanza studied at Warwick University and the London School of Economics, currently serving as Marketing Coordinator at NBCUniversal Media. We talk about what it means to grow up as third-culture kids and the challenges of having to start over in each new country as well as the special bonds and friendships within their international communities. We also talk about the responsibilities that come with being bicultural and about how to bring multiculturalism to the workplace and to the table as a positive force.

A conversation with Pilar Czoske, lawyer. Pilar is Chilean and German, and grew up in Germany and Ecuador. We talk about how identity shifts and evolves over time, her degrees in law and Chinese studies at the University of Cologne, and how factors such as political views and socio-economic status can lead to strong interpersonal connections across cultures.

A conversation with Brandon Garbot, violinist. Brandon's heritage is European and Japanese but he grew up in the United States in a monolingual family. We talk about the enigmatic nature of identity, curiosity about cultures whose influences have been diluted over time, and finding ways of self-expression through music when language fails.

A conversation with Aliya Vodovozova, flutist. We talk about growing up in Turkey and Russia, understanding where home is, the side-by-side mosque and church of Kazan, and finding one’s place in international communities around the world.

A conversation with David and Ellen Mamedov, pianist and digital marketer/strategist. We talk about growing up in Azerbaijan and the United States, what happens when the “secret” language trick goes wrong, the challenges of raising a bicultural child, and impact of one's place of birth on identity.

A conversation with Hiwote Tadesse, violist. We talk about growing up in Croatia with an Ethiopian father, thinking about identity through the lenses of language, appearance, and tradition, and her dreams of channeling her profession to create positive change in Ethiopia.

A conversation with Benjamin Hoffman, violinist. We talk about growing up in the United States and Italy, the effects of language on personality, and navigating pop culture(s) as a young person.

Welcome to the Extra Half, a conversation-based podcast with bicultural guests from all walks of life.