My life, my music

One of the most interesting places in Maribor is the Botanical Gardens at Pivola, which is a key part of the University of Maribor, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Meta Šepic and her husband both work there and have a deep understanding of the environment, the plants the soil and the scientific aspects of this teaching facility. In this conversation you will find a host of information, not just of the horticulture but even the distant archaeological aspects of this fascinating region.

Mladen Delin is a musician in many senses. Taught originally to play accordian by his grandfather he loved music from a very early age, indeed he was too small to hold the instrument. In later life he tried guitar but at the age of 21 decided to take the opportunity to learn classical piano. He has never looked back. He lives in Ptui and from there his travels around the world made him wish to bring a whole world of music to his home. Festival Arsana, as his project is called, now takes 50 people to arrange and draws audiences from all around the region and beyond, not simply Slovenia.

Robert Kereži is a runner, not just marathons but ULTRA Marathons and Ultra Trail runs. It means he is very fit and focused on keeping that way. He is an ambassador for the English organisation Ultra X and this means he has travelled much of the world running and promoting! He somehow finds time to have a family and together with his wife will soon be publishing a book entitled “From Hell to Paradise”.

In the centre of Maribor there is a museum dedicated to some of the important social events of over 100 years. It’s major purpose to show how mankind’s lack of ability to understand the need to have empathy for others and negotiate instead of fight. From 2 world wars to the foundation of the sport of skateboarding the Museum of Liberation presents examples of both terror and understanding through a common goal. Uroš Dokl is a curator there and his commitment to a huge number of visiting school children as well as his history of skateboarding is inspirational.

Having met the Japanese delegation at the laying of the foundation for the Yaskawa factory extension and realising that Japan had a specila day event in Ljubljana coming I it was obviously a good time to invite Her Excellency to be a guest on the show. Her experiences in America as well as in the UK and now serving as Ambassador to Slovenia combine with some insights into Japanese cultures and music make an interesting programme.

Dr Emilija Stojmenova Duh is an engineer who has followed many roles, with a telecoms company, managing innovation networks, and is also an Associate Professor at the University of Ljubljana. Currently she is the Slovenian Minister for Digital Transformation and takes this role very seriously seeing the move to a digital world will be key to efficiency in the years to come.

When I attended a church service some weeks ago in Grosuplje I was really surprised by both the warmth of the service and the numbers in the congregation. Of course, after the service I asked the Reverend Martin Golob to be a guest on My Life, My Music and quickly discovered what was behind his popularity. Coming from a farming background he is very in touch with the land and its inhabitants. He does everything with a smile, everyone is his friend, as a result he is highly respected and in very involved with his local communities as he serves three parishes.

When I attended a church service some weeks ago in Grosuplje I was really surprised by both the warmth of the service and the numbers in the congregation. Of course, after the service I asked the Reverend Martin Golob to be a guest on My Life, My Music and quickly discovered what was behind his popularity. Coming from a farming background he is very in touch with the land and its inhabitants. He does everything with a smile, everyone is his friend, as a result he is highly respected and in very involved with his local communities as he serves three parishes.

When I asked the President of Slovenia, Nataša Pirc Musar, to be a guest on My Life, My Music I didn’t consider it would result in an invitation to the Presidential Palace. Of course I was delighted with the positive response. The conversation was a wonderful, a relaxed experience filled with clear positive answers which brought me to realise what an inspired and knowledgeful President Slovenia has. Here’s just one quote from The President: “If you’re not passionate about work, the work will not be of good enough quality.”

My guest on this show is a multi-talented musician having mastered the harp at music school, then studying vocal performance and now she is mastering some important roles in the Slovene National Opera. All this as well as writing, recording and releasing some amazing solo vocal tracks as well as duets with other artists. This year she has been chosen to represent Slovenia in the 68th Eurovision Song Contest. I wish her well.

Just after Christmas I was in the audience of a Šank Rock concert, a band I had heard but never seen. This was great music with compositions from 40 years ago and material right up to date. Such great showmanship as well as musicianship made me determined to hear the whole story. This conversation is with the vocalist Matjaž Jelen and was recorded in the bar where they first used to practice!

Urška Klakočar Zupančič is an inspiring and fascinating person to have a conversation with. Her life has taken her to many places around the world and her journey from lawyer to politician and now to the presidency of the Slovene National Assembly, clearly she has a broad view of the workings of democracy. There are many other skills to mention from horses to novelist and being a lover of rock music in its many forms.

Andrej Pompe was the founder of Panda with initial tracks being laid by himself using just his keyboard. Instruments were occasionally added and of course, vocals. It was only when more folk became involved and then a wish to do some live performances that a full band appeared. As of 2023 they have been active for more than three decades and this year have produced a new CD, Legenda. Their original compositions contain elements of rock, pop and jazz, with a pinch of hip-hop and rap, lyrics are lyrical and mainly about love. Andrej explains it all in detail in this conversation, as well as adding 6 favourite tracks of his from other artists..

Her Excellency Ambassador Simona Leskovar is coming to the end of her 4 years serving in the UK at the Slovene Embassy in London. She has also served in Japan, Korea, the United Nations in New York and held many other posts in her career as a diplomat. The Slovene Embassy in London is almost exactly in the middle of a line between Buckingham Palace and Westminster so I felt it a great opportunity to travel to London and record her experiences in the Embassy there. The Slovene Embassy in London is almost exactly in the middle of a line between Buckingham Palace and Westminster so I felt it a great opportunity to travel to London and record her experiences in the Embassy there.

TABU has been a part of the Slovenian music scene for a long time and have had successes both on the stage and with many hits. From May this year Katarina Samobor joined them as their lead singer. I asked her to join me in the studio to talk about this new role, and also about her career as a music teacher

Anton Mežan was born and brought up in Bled. He had a few choices as to what he wanted to be, follow in his father footsteps driving a tourist carriage perhaps, but his initial choice was rather unusual. Loving the area that he knows so well his journey to council member and on to being The Mayor is less of a surprise.

Mel Hitchcocks has only been in her role as Principal of the British International School of Ljubljana for a few months but has already settled in and understands what she can bring to a school that already has a great reputation. Her previous experiences have taken her from the UK to Egypt, Mongolia and most recently Russia so she has a very broad view of the world of teaching. Some very interesting and important areas of education are expressed in this conversation.

His Excellency, Ambassador Verboom has been here in Slovenia for 2 years and I was pleased when he accepted my invitation to join me in making this programme. He has served in various capacities from Argentina to Indonesia and of course in Europe. The conversation covers many areas but for me the most interesting was not simply his knowledge and experiences but the music he brought for us to enjoy. Some we all know well but others are of his homeland and are both inspiring and emotional.

Her Excellency Jamie Lindler Harpootlian was officially sworn in as United States Ambassador to the Republic of Slovenia at the very end of 2021. Originally from California she moved to South Carolina and later worked as an attorney in both private practice and public service in the Eastern District of Louisiana. As you will discover her journey to Slovenia as a diplomat very quickly gave her respect not only for this beautiful and diverse land but also for Slovene citizens particularly because of their respect for the land on which they live and depend. A broad range of mostly American music accompanies a fascinating conversation.

This show was recorded in Tivoli Park in Ljubljana where I met up with Klemen Slakonja. Klemen has some big viewing figures on YouTube and it’s not surprising because he is really talented both as an actor and as a musician, in fact he’s a genuine all-round entertainer with a series of caricature videos featuring many Slovene and international characters that have become really popular. As a singer he’s made performances with the RTV big band and he has also formed his own “small” band which is gradually growing in number. Watch out for a show near you, not to be missed!

Žan Serčič may have many years of musical performances but in the last 12 months he has become one of the most popular names on the Slovenian music scene. Performing his own compositions as well as songs by many other artists, his audiences are large and totally committed to having a great time. This conversation reveals just how he has become comfortable on the stage and how much he respects the love he feels from the audience.

From an early age Krešimir Mišak has been writing, broadcasting on the Croatian Radio's educational programmes, and with a keen interest in science fiction he has fronted the program On the Edge of Science on Croatian Television for 20 years. He is also a guitarist and frontman of the rock band Hakuna Matata, so there’s plenty to talk about!

Lidija Petkovič has been part of the Radio Si team for a long time which is reason enough to discover more about her life and likes. Over the past years she has also been to the Glastonbury festival in the UK and there have been many reports from her on Facebook. I thought it would be a great opportunity to discover her music likes and her experiences of this amazing event.

Today’s journalism rarely offers a chance to get behind the face of many people in our society. My Life, My Music offers conversations that allow time to understand how the guest has reached their goals and what is important to them. Along with 8 tracks of music chosen by the guest the programme takes a journey though many different personal philosophies with inspirational guests from all walks of life.

Visiting Slovenia to meet and engage with new business partners Jean-Philippe Schepens fascinated me with his very different approach to company structure even the title he gives to his partners, “Tribe” gives a very good indication of their equal value. He is inspiring on so many other levels, if you have concerns about artificial intelligence, self-determination and even the idea that we should always look to nature for our solutions you need to listen to this conversation. He introduces a wide range of inspirational music too!

This month VAL 202 celebrates 50 years of broadcasting. This much loved and respected radio station has a very loyal following and that’s not surprising as it offers music and conversation based around music and the artists that they feature. Music Producer Andrej Karoli invited me to their Ljubljana studios at RTV Ljubljana to talk about VAL202 as well as his own personal thoughts on music and more.

This week the show is with a musician who has recently made 3 recordings. Her own music is great with a voice that is deep and captivating as is her personality. So many experiences to discover from professional English translation to teaching in vocational colleges, a great love of animals and also being a radio host herself. As a result, this was a great fun conversation to have and I know Vesna’s sense of fun and professionalism comes across. You can enjoy some very emotionally charged music including 3 tracks of her own and we end with Cognac!

Recently my guest this week returned to Slovene television screens to act in the role of lawyer Borut Žalar. I thought it would be interesting to discuss the life of an actor, particularly one who is so well known. Rok Vihar started his acting when he was still at secondary school as one of a small group who started a school acting group in co-operation with the National Theatre in Maribor. More than 20 years later he seems very comfortable to say acting is his life along with home and family, it’s all part of one big story!

What do you really know about fusion technology and how it really can solve the green issues by providing safe energy in quantities that means no dependency on fossil fuels? Whilst my guest is not a nuclear physicist she is directly involved in this technology as a material chemist developing the materials that we need to effectively collect the energy of a fusion reaction. Saša Novak has been involved in material research for a long time and most of her working life has been centred around the Josef Stefan Institute, an establishment that she is keen to explain and promote. Saša also has some interesting views on education and how young people should be helped to reach their goals.

Klemen Fajmut is an economist, is an experienced expert in real estate and in particular green spatial planning. But there is a very important part of his professional life as with Masters in anthropology he views Spatial planning and real estate from an anthropological perspective. He is also a traveller, and he likes to get close to the cultures of the places he visits and learn from their societies. There is also mountain-biking, windsurfing, basketball, running and diving, did I mention he plays guitar? So music too!

Statler Gilifen left America with the idea of spending 3 months exploring Europe. Somehow this became 3 years when he found himself in Slovenia and fell in love. Of course, this was just the start and many years later as their children grew older the family moved back to his home, America where he still lives. I met him several times whilst he was here and thought his stories would make a great programme, and so it did. The picture of Piran is his as that he where he eventually set up home.

It was in March 2013 that I first spoke on this show to Saša about her journey to become a much-respected pianist and music teacher. At that time she was about to leave Slovenia to join her husband in Edinburgh. This interview picks up the story and discovers she is now working at the 3rd most respected music school in the world, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021: Performing Arts)

The guest this week has many managerial roles, from tourism to events and music festivals. Jure Sodja is also a great champion of the Bohinj region of Slovenia and if you have visited, you will know why. He is the perfect person to discuss how Slovenia needs to market itself to the outside world. He also manages the band Sam’s Fever, so if you’re a fan of Elvis’ music then there’s another reason to listen to this show.

January is often the time when we sit down and consider holidays for the year ahead. Many Slovenes will wish to travel outside their land, and some will want entertainment too. Cruises can offer both of these things without much hassle and a knowledge of exactly what it will all cost. Matjaž Tomanič has experience in this and Požejdon is his company that has many suggestions on how to enjoy a break throughout the year. Still in the Christmas music mood this show features both Slovene and international artist’s seasonal offerings.

Dolores Hunsky is a poet and writer and although she had an idea for a book of cat poems she never really considered publishing until she met Venesa Erjavec on a course at Maribor University. Venesa is an artist and agreed to illustrate her poems. The resultant book is charming and whilst you might consider it to be aimed at children it has equal value for all as the reader discovers everything from cat characters to their anatomy. This show is fascinating at many levels and of course there is some interesting music to accompany the conversation. Sadly, on the day we recorded Venesa was unable to come to the studio, but she certainly appears in spirit

This week is quite a journey starting in Dubai. My guest Tjaša Ban has business activities in many countries and this year, most notably, in Dubai during Expo 2020 so I felt it was a great opportunity to also discover Slovenia’s involvement in this event. Green installations are high on the list of projects that Tjaša talk about and the music list brings a few tracks that were new to me and possibly new to RadioSi listeners too.

How do our much-loved doggy friends actually communicate with and understand humans? Could we detect emotions in dogs by tracking their facial features? Marie Claire Pagano is from the UK but is often here as her partner is Slovene. I invited her to the studio to explain her research into these questions which she is carrying out at the University of Newcastle.

Ever wondered what it is like to be the boss at the bank? My guest this week is just that, John Denhof is President of the management board and CEO of Nova KBM. He originates from the US and has travelled the world helping financial institutions but this time he has rather fallen for Slovenia and thinks he will make a base here. We talk about investing and the financial world’s responsibility for green issues but mostly about outdoor activities and John’s work at keeping healthy and quite a bit about rock and blues music.

The British Ambassador to Slovenia Tiffany Sadler has been here for a full year now so I felt it was time to have a conversation and discover what she feels about the country she is Currently working in. Not only did I discover her thoughts and love for Slovenia but also a fascinating insight into her time spent on an earlier post to Burma and her conversations with Aung San Suu Kyi. Of course, there are some great music choices all of which have very personal memories for her.

It’s rare for someone to become super popular in the world of music almost overnight, it’s also amazing for a Slovene song to achieve nearly 9 million hits on YouTube but Challe Salle has achieved both these things and more. With a new video being released this week I invited him to join me in the studio and a more down to earth guy you cannot imagine. Find out what’s important to him and why he’s so happy to please his audience. You will also discover that Reggaeton, Hip-Hop and Rap can be positive happy genres!

If you are interested in a really holistic approach to education, then my guest in this show is a breath of fresh air. How to engage our children in learning and growing at school is what John Marshall Newton is all about. He comes from America and brings a broad world-wide experience to Slovenia as the Director of the Ljubljana International School.

Over a period of a few months, art historian Kanika Gupta has been an activist-in-residence at the Slovene Ethnographic Museum. She is here to continue her work cataloguing artifacts and images that were originally brought to the museum by Slovenes in the early 1900s. This collaboration with the Museum’s Indian collection started back in 2018. Her residency also includes an authorial artistic performance as well as a documentary film. The music Kanika chose to accompany our conversation spans a broad area of Indian music from traditional to folk as well as modern styles and film themes.

Nastja Bremec Rynia began her career in ballet and modern dance when she was just six years old. Michal Rynia began his career as a hip hop dancer in Poland becoming Polish National Champion several times and five times has held the title of World-Champion Hip-Hop dancer. They met at the CODARTS – Rotterdam Dance Academy in The Netherlands. Today they run a Dance studio in Nova Gorica and travel around the world to work with modern dance performances as well as teaching dance in their studio at home.

Edin Zubcˇevic´ is from Sarajevo. he has produced hundreds music and other events from chamber music concerts to big arena pop-rock shows and is the founder of Jazz Fest Sarajevo. Since 2018 he has also been the co-curator of the Ljubljana Jazz Festival in Slovenia alongside Bogdan Benigar. Last year the festival was on-line but this year it’s available to all with outside stages that are free to attend. I invited him to talk about the festival.

Today’s journalism rarely offers a chance to get behind the face of many people in our society. My Life, My Music offers conversations that allow time to understand how the guest has reached their goals and what is important to them. Along with 8 tracks of music chosen by the guest the programme takes a journey though many different personal philosophies with inspirational guests from all walks of life.

As we approach the summer and anyone with children maybe considering the next step after primary school I felt it would be useful and interesting to talk someone from a well respected secondary school. I was lucky to be able to discuss the topic with the Deputy Principal of Prva Gimnazija Maribor, Mrs Irena Smole. Some of her responses may surprise you but you will be assured that the schools have the best interest of your children at the heart of their work.

Špela Pirnat was attracted to music from a very early age and chose violin, soon moving onto viola, an instrument that she plays to this day. She may be a classical musician but that doesn’t stop her working with other musicians in rock or popular Slovene songs and much more. Her band co-operations include MojcArt, the No Borders Trio and for the last 7 years has worked with her dear friend and pianist Tadej Horvat. Śpela is also the founder and director of ArSensei mentoring and offering music masterclasses.

This week I am honoured to have two guests in the studio. Her Excellency Natalie Kauther and His Excellency Adrian Pollmann have come to Slovenia with their three children to make Slovenia their home for the next four years. They are taking their ambassador role in turns whilst the other partner looks after the family. They have already fallen for this country and look forward to more freedom to properly meet its people. Some great rock music accompanies this fascinating conversation.

Today’s journalism rarely offers a chance to get behind the face of many people in our society. My Life, My Music offers conversations that allow time to understand how the guest has reached their goals and what is important to them. Along with 8 tracks of music chosen by the guest the programme takes a journey though many different personal philosophies with inspirational guests from all walks of life.

This week the story is a family one. Boštjan Kozole studied economics and his father is a farmer but together they are the amazingly successful company Evrosad. A major apple exporter to Europe including the UK Boštjan is also a very keen sportsman, in particular handball. This is a story of highs and lows but of great family cooperation and considerable strengths and music plays an important role too.

The Covid restrictions have been a real issue for entertainment and the world of music. If you want to release new music you certainly cannot have a party to celebrate it. In spite of this the rock band Strain from Gornja Radgona decided to go ahead anyway and do the whole thing themselves. They recorded at a friend’s studio and then didn’t just make the material available on-line but produced an EP version with 4 tracks issued on a USB key. Their sound is great so I invited them to talk about the process and how they go about composing the music they certainly love. There are several other bands they wanted to introduce to our listeners too.

The Help Tribute Band managed 100 shows in 2019 and they have still been entertaining us throughout the Covid restrictions so I thought it would be great to speak with Ernie Mendillo the force behind the band and its Paul McCartney. It's a great story with experiences of early bands in the USA and music being the prime mover throughout his life. There's also some great music in this show as well as the first ever broadcast of a very personal track, the only one the band have ever written and recorded.

Many people will remember Maja Keuc from Eurovision 2011 but now there is a new girl in town recording under the name of "Amaja". With many new experiences from voice training in the Netherlands to working and recording in Sweden Amaja is currently here in Slovenia with some new tracks starting her journey into the world of soul. Some great stories and a very personal view of working in the music industry this conversation is really interesting!

The Polish Ambassador to Slovenia His Excellency Krzvsztof Olendski has been here since April 2020 so it's certainly time to hear what he has to say about Slovenia. He has had considerable experience, from the Holy See to being in Tunisia at the very start of the Arab Spring and he speaks of many concerning occasions as well as other inspirational ones. The music is a great cross-section of Polish and other personal favourites.

Data released last month showed that over the past 5 years the death rate due to road traffic accidents involving drivers between 18 and 24 has reduced by 60%. Much of this must be due to the work of the initiative "Heroes drive in Pyjamas" organised though the encouraging work of Zavod Vozim. This conversation is with the director, David Razboršek.

What do you know about the Pan-Europa Movement? It is the oldest European unification movement and will be 100 years old next year. The recently re-elected president of the Slovene Pan European Movement is Dr Lars Gaiser. Dr. Gaiser is one of a new generation of politicians and businessmen with top education, knowledge and international experience. Educated at world-renowned universities and with international work experience in politics and economics mean he is among a small number of geopolitical analysts with an excellent who can offer a real insight into world political events.

Today’s journalism rarely offers a chance to get behind the face of many people in our society. My Life, My Music offers conversations that allow time to understand how the guest has reached their goals and what is important to them. Along with 8 tracks of music chosen by the guest the programme takes a journey though many different personal philosophies with inspirational guests from all walks of life.

When I wondered about who should be the guest for the start of the Christmas week I thought about people I’d worked with and with whom I could find out more and have some fun. Saša Krajnc was in my mind straight away. He was always fun to be with when he worked at RTV Maribor and his teaching role as a dance leader is fascinating too. Known by many for his current role on RTV News I’m sure you will find this conversation very interesting. Some lovely music too!

My first interview with Samo Šalamon was nearly eight years ago and since that time Samo has offered his music to audiences across too many countries to mention, as well as a load of albums and he was already cited as one of the greats back then. Never a person to lose an opportunity, the period of restricted travel we have all been subjected to was a chance for Samo to complete something he had been thinking about for a while. Just a simple idea, you ask 35 top international guitarists to add whatever they wish to 35 compositions Samo has already recorded an outline of. Result 3 new albums with one already released and the others coming over the next few months. Three of the tracks are included in this show along with 5 other great performers. The album series is entitled “Almost Alone”.

Last week the show featured the stage world of musicals and there are some musical tracks again here as my guest is singer, director and musician Anja Strajnar. She has a very broad experience having performed in musicals, solo vocal shows as well as with her own band, Akordika, and other bands and performers and even dubbing Disney animated films. Besides performing, her partner and their family are an important part of her life and they like to spend time together and travel and experience other cultures. To record the show and remain safe and distanced, we recorded the show in her private studio in Ljubljana.

Most of us like a musical but where do we see a really professional show except in the main cities and maybe not even in Slovenia. Nejc Lisjak has been organising, directing and acting in professional shows in the small conurbation of Radomlje for more than 5 years and, as a result, his audiences come from far and wide, even from outside Slovenia. We recorded this conversation at the very hall in question where surprising flexible facilities are available to enable the real experience of a live musical. When the current restrictions allow, you must keep an eye on - Pepelka – muzikal on Facebook

When I discovered that Slovenia had spent a very large amount of money to become part of a super computer network in Europe I felt it would be interesting to make a programme around this new venture. The new Peta-scale computer, named after the Slovenian mathematician Jure Vega, will come into operation in March 2011 and it will be a joint operation between the Euro HPC and the Institute of Information Science of the University of Maribor, where the director is Dr Aleš Bošnjak. We spoke about this computer and computing technology in general and I also discovered that Aleš is a keen pianist, coming from a very musical family.

Sit back and relax, this week I talk to yoga teacher Patricija Roj but not only about yoga it’s also about her music. Patricija sings herself so we enlisted the help of musician Igor Bezget and recorded three of the tracks during the making of the show. Dim the lights and join us on her journey.

Spela Logar had a dream from primary school days to travel to the UK and study English. Having completed secondary schooling, she started to study Slovene but felt her heart wasn’t in it so she found herself an au-pair job in the suburbs of London. 6 months turned into a year as she was accepted for an English course at West Herts College. She has never questioned this good fortune having also spent time studying in Scotland she is now happily back in Slovenia teaching. Her choices of music also follow her journey so there is much variation in this inspirational story.

Barbra Drnač loves dance, she moves with elegance and comes to our conversation with a smile and nothing but positive thoughts. Her professional life is certainly focused on dance and has been visible for many years in her dance TV show and many other appearances. In 2014 she became an ambassador of the Europa Donna association, yet her life is clearly as a leader, a dance expert and being a great supporter of her daughter Tereza Poljanič and her own remarkable achievements. Not surprisingly the music she chooses to accompany our conversation is lively and is easy to dance to.

Today’s journalism rarely offers a chance to get behind the face of many people in our society. My Life, My Music offers conversations that allow time to understand how the guest has reached their goals and what is important to them. Along with 8 tracks of music chosen by the guest the programme takes a journey though many different personal philosophies with inspirational guests from all walks of life.

This week the show was recorded in RTV radio studios in Ljubljana as I invited the Director of the Slovene National Biological Institution, Dr Matjaz Kuntner to talk about the importance of the work carried out there. Of course, as ever, the conversation takes many turns as we visit the worlds’ ecology, many areas of research, a personal lifetime fascination of Matjaz, spiders and their role in structural engineering as well as a great range of music that fits well into an RSi playlist. A really interesting and personal show not to be missed!

Boris Simončič is the Director of the Mirje Medical Centre in Ljubljana. He is a doctor of dental medicine, but he and a team of practitioners and researchers are also pioneering stem cell therapies in oral indications as well as other clinical areas. Of course, this means regenerative medicine and I want to know where this might lead us all. As well as his remarkable professional work he is a gently spoken humanist caring deeply about his patients and our futures. In this conversation I further discovered quite a rocker so there is great music here!

From a visitor point of view in past years Maribor has always seemed to be a place where people come for a day or two as part of a tour around Slovenia. More recently there has been a significant effort to make the city and its surroundings a real tourist destination with so much to enjoy that staying for a whole holiday is required! Doris Urbančič Windisch has been in the field of tourism for most of her working life and Maribor is a destination she is proud of. As Director of the Maribor and Pohorje Tourist Board I invited her to talk of her love for the region and what visitors from home and abroad have been missing.

When you go to a show and have a really great time do the people who made it happen behind the scenes cross your mind? Well when it comes to the sound my guest in this show certainly deserves the applause. Gaber Lesjak is the live sound engineer for Narodni Dom in Maribor and not only does he love his job he has many tales to tell.

When I saw Igor Bezget making daily appearances with presentations and music on Facebook I was interested to talk to him about the idea, which we did, socially distanced, in the woods! Igor has been on My Life My Music before but that was many years ago and since our first conversation he has travelled the world and recorded so many fascinating artists I wanted to hear more. This programme tells some of that story, initially about Facebook but mostly his musical journey of discovery of the world’s fascinating rhythms! All nine music tracks were made by Igor, many edited at airports where he had time to be productive. The music is performed, not just by Igor, but hundreds of amazing musicians from the US, Africa, India and even Slovenia!

After many years in the business of restoring properties for her clients Jade Van Baaren has gained a lot of knowledge in the field of interior design. She also enjoys the challenge of finding out who the client is and what they are really looking for in their new home. After 14 years in Slovenia Jade seems pretty commited to staying here with her husband and bring up their 2 children in this very pleasant land.

Dr Stephen Minger is one of the pioneering researchers in human stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. He is one of the founders of a company, providing expert analysis in emerging healthcare and is involved in gene/cell-based therapies, human tissue fabrication, implementation of robotics/synthetic intelligence, machine-brain interfaces, and stem cell technologies and more. When I met him, I was fascinated by his direct approach and an amazing ability to explain the highly complex in a completely understandable way. Now, in the middle of a worrying period of the whole world trying to resolve the issues of Covid 19, who could be a more appropriate guest. He’s really into the world of rock too!

Supporting Act first came to my notice on social media and having listened I wanted to talk to them about their music. I’m a fan of great quality rock of all types and when I heard the track, “When The World Comes Around” I was surprised that such quality existed in a local band and I’d not heard them on the radio. This show explores their past and how they see their music. It also includes a lot of great musicians that are their inspirations!

Miha Murn is an artist, he likes to paint and, of course he wants to make a living out of art. This he does with some serious success as he came up with the idea of combining art with business, any business. He runs an agency that connects businesses to his very large and ever-growing list of artists who only too happy for their works to be displayed in public places, in company offices in car parks and even toilets. In under 5 years he now has agency offices in Ljubljana, Prague, Hong Kong and recently opened in London. Find out more details by listening here!

Mateja Hannah Hočevar is a journalist, author, chairs interviews in Ljubljana Library and also likes to travel, in a way that means she really meets new people and societies! Her husband is from the Netherlands so between them they have many experiences to draw on. There was much to discuss and discover in this fascinating conversation.

Roger Cox comes from Rabun Gap School, Georgia in America where he coaches, amongst other sports, basketball. His school has a Presbytarian history and the teaching still has a very holistic approach based on its religious background. Students may be pushed but always in a caring and encouraging way. It was very interesting to talk with Roger and in many ways I felt not all education has such a positive and practical approach. Jaka Oberlast, from Maribor, is a student there and in some years it would be great to talk to him too to see what thoughts and skills he brings home to Slovenia.

Roger Cox comes from Rabun Gap School, Georgia in America where he coaches, amongst other sports, basketball. His school has a Presbytarian history and the teaching still has a very holistic approach based on its religious background. Students may be pushed but always in a caring and encouraging way. It was very interesting to talk with Roger and in many ways I felt not all education has such a positive and practical approach. Jaka Oberlast, from Maribor, is a student there and in some years it would be great to talk to him too to see what thoughts and skills he brings home to Slovenia.

This week my guest takes us on a very personal journey. When Vlasta Veselko discovered tango, there was just one place to go, Argentina, where she could learn every aspect of the life of this dance from its origins. Her story is very intimate and her love of this dance and the personal experiences it offers are captivating. It’s not a surprise that the music that accompanies this conversation features many versions of the dance, tango.

It seems from my conversation with her that Anja Golob lives with words. By that I mean that for her the art of writing is the way in which she can express not simply a meaning or a fact but layers of emotion and life that maybe some have lost touch with. We speak about the way she hears music as well as plays and writing and I discover a little of myself that maybe I had lost touch with. All too easy to do in this world of interconnections that are so impersonal and often frivolous or even false. I hope you too can identify with this special lady through the show, it has some great music and lots of funny bits too!.

When Hai Ottenheim decided to move to Slovenia with his partner he cannot have known exactly what the future would hold. In fact his strong personal beliefs and experiences have made him a very open person and as such a fascinating man to talk to. His love and broad knowledge of music and what it means to him makes this a very personal story and the music spans many years and genres. He has grown to love what Slovenia has to offer and now acts as quite the ambassador as he shows the country’s beauty to its visitors.

Don Menza was born and raised in Buffalo, New York, where he began playing tenor, saxophone when he was 13. He worked with so many artists, the Maynard Ferguson Orchestra, Stan Kenton, Buddy Rich, Elvin Jones as well as Louie Bellson, and many more, he composed "Groovin' Hard" and "Time Check" and his son Nick Menza was drummer for the heavy metal band Megadeth. This year Don reached the amazingly active age of 83. When I heard he was appearing at CID in Ptui I had to go along!

There is no doubt in most people’s minds that we need to take care of the ecology around us, but what should we be doing? Of course, we all think about using fossil fuels, plastic waste and carbon emissions but can we really do enough? Maria Lucia Cruz Correia is an artist come from Portugal, is married to a Slovene artist and they both live in Belgium. She has been coming to Slovenia for some years, in particular to Bunker to bring people together and not simply listen but become involved in her presentations which are totally about caring for the planet and the people and animals who inhabit it. I caught up with her at the Bunker offices and found out what this all means!

The RORC Fastnet race is one of the most challenging yacht races as it covers a mix of waters from the Solent in the South of England via Land’s End into the Atlantic to the Fastnet rock off the southern tip of Ireland and back around the Scillies to Plymouth for the finish, a total of more than 600 nautical miles. I had the good fortune to talk with one of the most experienced skippers of a two-handed boat (many have 12 or more) Ajeto with Dutchman Robin Verhoef and John Van Dr Starre.

Wanting to fly gliders may have been the start of it all but ending up as a US marine in Afghanistan as a woman cannot be somewhere every girl sees their future. It’s what Anja Brumec managed and she looks back at most of it as an amazing life lesson. This lady simply gives, right now she spends a lot of her time helping people know just how their dogs should be trained to be well behaved and a real part of the family.

The Eurovision Song Contest brought much new music to our screens but for all of us in Slovenia there was one special entry, the winning entry from Slovenia, Zala and Gasper and their song Sebi. Their haunting music is really something special so I asked them to join me in making a show to explain what is behind their music and tell us something of entering this annual European event. We met in Maribor Park on a pleasant sunny day.

If you are a fan of jazz songs and other similar styles then singer and musician Peter Savizon is a voice you have to hear. His heroes are many, like Nat King Cole, Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder and so many more, and his voice is up there with these greats too. Whilst here in Slovenia he has gained great respect for the many musicians, jazz groups and big bands around the country. He has, of course, fallen in love not just with the people but the amazing countryside and it's diverse landscape and with his partner enjoys taking his two young children on adventures of discovery here.

If you are a lover of early Jugoslavia rock, reggae and more then you will at least have already heard the work of this week's guest. Borut Berden has been interested in sound from a very early age, it led him to work with Radio Student, Studio Tivoli and today, Studio Ritem, which he has built from scratch. His experience is very broad from mixing gigs on the road to many different tasks in studio and now post-production and film dubbing. If you are of a technical mind there is plenty of detail here, if it's the music that you want there's a whole range of that to enjoy too.

This week My Life My Music is rather different. A colleague, Tatjana Milovanovič, introduced me to a Polish student who is spending a year in Slovenia studying on an ERASMUS exchange. Turns out he also has a weekly radio show back home at his university so I not only invited him to be a guest but to take over much of the programme and introduce us to Polish rock music. The result is a beautiful insight into the relationship between historical politics and music.

Dr Milivojevič is well-known in the field of psychoanalysis from his work with drug addicts and also in identifying how we communicate with each other. He has written many books and travels from his home in Serbia to other countries including here in Slovenia where he has recently been conducting workshops in transaction analysis. Maybe you will discover something about yourself.

If you listen to RadioSi you will have heard my guest this week as she works with us and also with RTV television. But there is much more to discover with Veronika Žajdela, from acting to reporting from film festivals and jumping out of airplanes and looking after her three dogs and travelling to far flung places and ......just listen to the show! Great music too!

Very happy that His Excellency Myles Geiran, the Irish Ambassador to Slovenia was willing to visit Radio Si at our studios in Maribor and to record this show with me. Of course we talked about diplomacy and some details of his vital job as well as the relationship between Slovenia and Ireland. He also brought some very typically Irish music along with his choices so there is much to learn and enjoy in this programme.

These days many parents have to consider just how to ensure their children's education is for the best even though their work takes them away from the UK. Jonathan Locke and his wife, along with their two children have faced this problem for 20 years as Jonathan's work took him to many countries around Europe. he has been in Slovenia for more than 2 years now so I invited him to the studio to discuss their solutions to living in so many places. He also has much to learn about Central and Eastern Europe.

This week My Life, My Music reaches show 300. It's impossible to believe the privilege that I have been allowed in talking at some length to so many inspirational people from all walks of life here in Slovenia and many from other countries too. I have discovered much about the people of Slovenia and along the way about myself too. I can only say thank you for this amazing opportunity. But how to celebrate this in the show itself? I return to the very first programme and invite the very first guest to take over the show and talk with me, none other than Zoran Predin. See what I mean about privilege? I pick up the phone and he immediately says yes!

Sara Isakovic was very focused on being a winner in the water from a very early age. Just how much of her passion and determination came from her parents becomes clear when you hear the whole story. Having spent so much of her life achieving she now spends time inspiring others to reach their personal or business goals.

This week the show stays in-house and I talk to someone you hear a lot on Radio Si except normally he is not speaking English. Yes, it’s the moderator with the smooth voice, Ivo Kores, and there is much to discuss. He has had other roles at RTV, not just radio but the morning show on television as well. Having also worked at a commercial radio station we visit this area and, as you may have heard from the on-air promotions, he like to jump out of aeroplanes! Some great music choices too!

The whole presence of the moment, the listening to what is happening on the stage, imagination and understanding the text, these are just some of the basic characteristics of life as an actor according to Janez Škof. This year Janez was awarded the Borštnik Ring, something he says was because of his age but obviously he is proud of this achievement. Who better for a conversation just around the time of relaxing and both Christmas and New Year.