On this week’s episode of The Codcast, what it means when political forces come for the arts. CommonWealth Beacon reporter Jennifer Smith talks with Élider DiPaula, the new executive director of Project STEP — a 12-year music program focused on bringing students from underrepresented or marginalized backgrounds into the world of classical string music. The program lost a federal grant this spring, as did hundreds of other Northeast programs considered out of step with President Trump’s nationalist priorities for the arts. DiPaula talks about his background as a Brazilian composer and performer, and what classical music sounds like, who it’s for, and who created it is both personal and political.