# Inside School of Rock, Fashion World Fiction and Another Big School Budget Meeting Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-montclair-pod-7145507/inside-school-of-rock-fashion-world-fiction-and-another-big-school-budget-meeting Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-montclair-pod-7145507/inside-school-of-rock-fashion-world-fiction-and-another-big-school-budget-meeting.md Podcast: [The Montclair Pod](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-montclair-pod-7145507) Published: 2026-05-07T09:00:00+00:00 Episode link: https://shows.acast.com/the-montclair-pod/episodes/inside-school-of-rock-fashion-world-fiction-and-another-big Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/6753786ea8461f164e67bf3a/e/69fbfa0ba3c5770dc907a2d9/media.mp3 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-montclair-pod-7145507/episodes/inside-school-of-rock-fashion-world-fiction-and-another-big-school-budget-meeting Duration seconds: 3697 ## Resource This week, we are celebrating Montclair as a “Creative Island.” We sit down with legendary drummer Kevin Marc h  ( Guided by Voices ,  The Dambuilders ) to discuss his journey from Brooklyn to the heart of the Montclair music scene and his mission to help the next generation find their “Honest Noise.” We also explore the high-stakes world of fashion with former  Vogue  editor and author Caroline Palmer, whose debut novel  Workhorse  is taking the literary world by storm. But it’s not all rock stars and fashion icons—we have some heavy lifting to do in the local news department. We investigate the “toxic garbage snow” and break down the staggering $179.8 million school budget proposal that includes a massive tax hike and deep cuts to student programs. Kevin March (Guided by Voices / School of Rock) Kevin March has played with everyone from  The Breeders  to  Jeff Buckley , but his journey to Montclair is one of “kismet.” Caroline Palmer ( Workhorse ) Former  Vogue  and  Amazon Fashion  editor Caroline Palmer joins us to talk about the “spell” of the fashion industry and the discipline required to transition into the writing life. “What the Hell is Going On With That?”: The Toxic Snow Fiasco It started with February’s 19-inch blizzard. We investigate why the town dumped massive piles of salt, chemicals, and road debris in Essex and Erie Parks. In The News: The $179.8M School Budget The Board of Education held its vote on the 2026–27 spending plan, and the numbers are staggering. One Big Thing: The Bellevue’s 104th Birthday This Saturday, May 9th,  The Bellevue Theatre  is throwing itself a birthday party from 10 AM to 2 PM. Links & Resources Guest:  Follow Kevin March and  Rocking fo… ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-montclair-pod-7145507/episodes/inside-school-of-rock-fashion-world-fiction-and-another-big-school-budget-meeting/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-montclair-pod-7145507/inside-school-of-rock-fashion-world-fiction-and-another-big-school-budget-meeting.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.