Blog

Ralph Hepola, Springfield, MO

“After reviewing your music video submission Original Thought, the Kansas City Underground Film Festival would like to include it in our 2025 Music Video Program. It will be featured in our pre-show program that plays before every screening throughout the festival (September 12-20). This gives your work exposure to our entire festival audience at the Charlotte Street Foundation's Art campus. We're excited to showcase your work.”

- Willy Evans, Director, Kansas City Underground Film Festival

link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nJRZY6za_4&list=RD-nJRZY6za_4&start_radio=1

RalphHepola.com

Ralph Hepola’s HepTones, Sunday, September 21, 2025, 10:45-11:30, Center Stage

“Cider Days on Historic Walnut Street returns September 20-21, 2025, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. each day. The two-day fall festival will feature regional artists and crafters, live music, performances, incredible food and of course delicious apple cider!"

- Downtown Springfield Association, Springfield, Missouri

RalphHepola.com

- Apollo Global Music Awards, Athens, Greece; an annual international music competition that celebrates creative independent artists

link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nJRZY6za_4&list=RD-nJRZY6za_4&start_radio=1

RalphHepola.com

- Manchester Lift-Off Film Festival 2025, Manchester, United Kingdom

Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nJRZY6za_4&list=RD-nJRZY6za_4&start_radio=1

RalphHepola.com

- New York Movie Awards, New York City

The Original Thought video, with music by Ralph Hepola and Kyle Aho, has won various awards from film festivals around the world. Here’s the list so far: Milan Gold Awards in Italy; Paris Film Awards & Paris Lift-Off Film Festival in France; Stockholm City Film Festival in Sweden; Manchester Lift-Off Film Festival in the United Kingdom; Indie Gathering International Film Festival in Cleveland, Ohio. We’re adding New York Movie Awards; announced at the beginning of the year.

Original Thought is a fusion-oriented tribute to the creative process. Tubaist Ralph Hepola is joined by keyboardist Kyle Aho and drummer Marty Morrison, both of the Missouri State University Jazz Studies Faculty, and Nashville bassist Seth Darby.

Link to music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nJRZY6za_4&list=RD-nJRZY6za_4&start_radio=1

RalphHepola.com

Many people have asked about the wonderful artwork of muralist Roberto Regalado. These photos give us some insight into how he creates images. Because Roberto is a muralist, he is accustomed to painting on huge spaces such as buildings. The smallest canvas he ever paints on is 50 X 50 inches; like this portrait.

https://vartiano.wixsite.com/laughingwellstudio

RalphHepola.com

Artsfest on Historic Walnut Street in Springfield, Missouri is a celebration of springtime, visual and performing arts, food and fun. The event is the largest fine arts festival in Southwest Missouri and draws around 20,000 patrons annually. Known for featuring over 100 artists from all over the country, live entertainment, and delicious food, patrons make it a priority to come back year after year.

RalphHepola.com

- New York City jazz journalist Marilyn Lester is a staff writer for The New York City Jazz Record – The City’s Only Homegrown Jazz Gazzette, which is distributed throughout New York City at hundreds of locations - from jazz clubs and record stores to instrument stores, schools and universities. It is read by over 23,000 people monthly. Ms. Lester was the cover story feature writer for the May 2023 New York City Jazz Record Tuba Issue. Also see marilynlester.com

published on All About Jazz, the world’s biggest jazz website

RalphHepola.com

“IMDb qualifier’s Milan Gold Awards is an international film festival. Milan is considered a leading alpha global city, with strengths in the fields of art, design, entertainment. Our mission is to promote films, and be another step up in the filmmakers' careers.”

“Live Screenings - IMDb Qualifying Festival - 400 Five-Star Reviews”

Ralph Hepola’s Original Thought has been officially selected at Milan Gold Awards in the Music Video Category and has received the Gold Award. Hepola co-authored Original Thought with keyboardist Kyle Aho. The piece is a tribute to the creative process itself.

Watch Music Video

RalphHepola.com

- Paris Film Awards is an International Monthly Film Festival with live screenings, which accepts short and feature films in the form of narrative (fiction), documentary (non-fiction), experimental or animated film, music videos, web/TV series (also pilot), feature scripts and short scripts.

Ralph Hepola’s Original Thought has been officially selected at Paris Film Awards in the Music Video Category and has received the Gold Award.

Hepola co-authored Original Thought with keyboardist Kyle Aho. The piece is a tribute to the creative process itself.

RalphHepola.com

I just returned from two weeks in Phoenix, Arizona, the fifth-largest metro area in the U.S., where I spent considerable time downtown at The Nash a.k.a. Jazz in Arizona Center, a non-profit organization. I attended four jam sessions and sat in with formidable musicians including saxophonist Clark Gibson; pianists Raul Yanez & Joel Goldenthal; bassists Chris Fenet, Ellis Green & Ted Sistrunk and drummer Adam Clark. I also attended excellent shows by The Power Trio including drummer Lewis Nash with special guest Bill Easley, as well as the Detroit group, Small Creatures.

From their website: “Recognized by Downbeat Magazine as one of the “Great Jazz Venues in the World,” The Nash does much more than preserve an original American art form. The music room and education facility create a community of jazz enthusiasts and musicians who build on the past to create a modern musical experience.”

https://thenash.org/

Highly Recommended

https://ralphhepola.com/

- Christopher Knox, New York City Jazz Journalist and Contributing Writer to Hot House Jazz Guide in New York City, the longest running jazz magazine in the Tri-State area

published on All About Jazz, the world’s biggest jazz website

RalphHepola.com

- published on All About Jazz, the world’s biggest jazz website

RalphHepola.com

- published on Last Row Music, a website publishing news, auditions, events, and other info related to all styles of brass music

RalphHepola.com

- Roberto Regalado’s mural of tubaist Ralph Hepola at the Springfield Missouri Regional Arts Council “Pure Enjoyment” art exhibit, which opened during First Friday Art Walk

RalphHepola.com

“Ralph Hepola, a contemporary jazz musician, won a grant from John Stites Jazz Awards of Michigan to fund a Midwest tour.”
- Northwestern University Magazine, Fall 2024

“Tubist Ralph Hepola received a grant from the John Stites Jazz Awards to support a May performance tour across Illinois and Michigan.”
- Northwestern University School of Music Fanfare, Fall 2024

RalphHepola.com

In 2024, Cider Days on Historic Walnut Street returns for its 26th year. The event is well‑established and one of the best attended fall festivals in the region. The two-day festival will feature regional artists and crafters, live music on three performance stages, a free hands‑on children's area, incredible food and, of course, delicious apple cider!

RalphHepola.com