Anthony Plog on Music

In the Bonus Room , we discuss major orchestras that David has conducted featuring film music. David also talks about his father Alfred Newman’s legacy at Fox Studios. To close up the session, we discuss his most recent project, a weekly Zoom seminar which takes a deep dive into Benjamin Britten’s Peter Grimes and Stephen Sondheim’s  Sweeney Todd .

Hollywood film composer David Newman has written music for over 100 feature films, including movies as wide-ranging as Throw Momma from the Train, War of the Roses, American Beauty, Hoffa, and Ice Age . In addition, he has conducted major orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, and Los Angeles Philharmonic in concerts featuring a presentation of film...

Wiff discusses the concept of motivational learning, how he at times uses skits with his students and, among other topics, the practical uses of a... fart machine.

Wiff discusses his playing career from the Dallas and Houston Symphonies to risking it all to form Rhythm and Brass. He concludes by reflecting on trumpeter Ryan Anthony's life legacy as a musician and person.

I ask Abbie what it was like to get a telephone call from the writer Malcolm Gladwell for his book Blink. We also discuss her primary teachers, her own teaching, and her thoughts on women in music today.

We continue our conversation about Abbie’s experience in Munich, including her efforts to be paid a salary equal to the salaries of her male colleagues, and her determination to remain strong throughout the ordeal.

Abbie Conant is Professor of Trombone at the Musik Hochschule in Trossingen, Germany. She was principal trombone of the Royal Opera of Turin for a year, then principal trombone of the Munich Philharmonic for 13 years. Her fight against gender discrimination in Munich has been featured in Blink, the bestselling book by Malcolm Gladwell, and our conversation covers that period in detail. In addition...

In the Bonus Room, Michael explores teaching, learning, and the influence of Tom Stevens. He describes how, when Michael was a young student of mine, I told him in a lesson, “Mike, it’s a trumpet, You blow on it, you don’t suck on it.”

In Part 2, Michael discusses trumpet lineage, his friend and mentor David Zauder, and his all-time favorite performance with the Cleveland Orchestra.

Michael Sachs is the iconic principal trumpet of the Cleveland Orchestra. But he is much more than that. Enjoy this far-ranging conversation, as Michael talks about his experiences playing in the Cleveland Orchestra, working with people such as John Williams, teaching brass students, and much more. In Part 1, Michael talks in depth about auditioning with the Cleveland Orchestra, striving to be (in...

Wiff talks about: The lessons he learned from his teachers The concept of a vocation versus a job Building a great studio A new approach to recruiting The keystone habit of group warm-ups The importance of improvisation