CHANGE YOUR TUNE

The podcast has just clocked over 10,150 downloads. THANK YOU. And we're a bit tired, so we're taking a break over the US summer — with a new season coming your way September 2026. BUT we need you. We want to know... 🎙️ What conversations are being avoided right now? 🎙️ What’s something you think about or discuss privately, but rarely hear discussed openly? The best episodes usually start with som...

In this episode, Ingrid and Susan unpack Ingrid's perspective of organisation dynamics within an orchestra, from her point of view as assistant conductor. This role bridges the gap between playing and non-playing staff in an orchestra, and experiences the benefits and challenges of this border zone. This week, Ingrid draws out the commonalities between these two main parts of an orchestra, and lay...

We hear and use the phrase “artistic excellence” in so many ways – a justification for decisions, a way of talking about the status quo, a slur against those we disagree with. But what actually is it? In this episode, Susan and Ingrid deconstruct the idea of artistic excellence, from Susan’s perspective of relational health in an organisation, and Ingrid’s position of music making. They decipher w...

On this episode, Susan and Ingrid take the feedback discussion into Ingrid's area of expertise: conducting. They discuss how to receive feedback as a conductor, how to support conductors in their ongoing development, and how to create an atmosphere of healthy feedback in an orchestra. Conducting is not magic. It’s a skill like anything else, and needs to be developed and supported in the same way...

This week, Susan and Ingrid recognise that classical music is an industry that often causes psychological harm, in a way that other industries do not. Fortunately, it is very possible to unlearn harmful practices, and to make choices that change the way our organisations operate – the rapid development of hearing safety in orchestras is a good example of this. The idea of suffering is central to m...

This week, Susan and Ingrid dive more deeply into a question that came up frequently in Susan's recent workshops on feedback with the League of American Orchestras: what do I do when a colleague takes feedback badly? Susan and Ingrid discuss what might be going on under the surface for those around us, how to give feedback effectively, and what we actually mean by 'taking feedback badly.'   🤕 Wha...

This week, Susan and Ingrid discuss how each person's version of success differs, but these versions can exist at the same time within an organisation – in fact, for a thriving organisation, that diversity is crucially important. They talk about the mismatch between what we might believe we signed up for and the actual reality of a role, and how organisations can make this clearer for better outco...

This week, Susan and Ingrid share some thoughts and stories about blame, diverse roles, and the fact that everyone is trying their best. It can be so easy with our efficiency-seeking brains to quickly mark out whose "fault" something is, and use simple reductionist language to describe complex situations. In our complex organisations made up of complex people, we need to honour complexity! 🔑 Key...

This week, Susan and Ingrid discuss the way just about everybody in an orchestra can feel like they're the only one who knows how hard their job is. This is an intense environment, and it can be easy to forget that the systems in a classical music organisation are as finely tuned and interrelated as the ensembles they support. Join Susan and Ingrid for a chat about how we can appreciate the diffic...

This week, Susan and Ingrid discuss feedback: what it is, what it isn't, and how to give it to those around us. They discuss how poor feedback is often baked into our pedagogical lineage, and Ingrid shares a story of how an exemplary piece of feedback has shaped her journey as an educator and leader. 🔑 Key takeaways: 🕵️ It's important to be aware of ourselves and our situation, and how that may i...

In episode 2 of Change Your Tune's collaboration with the Conducting Artistry podcast, Susan and Ingrid discuss the sentiment behind the phrase "Nobody dies at the orchestra", unpacking both its positive motives and its potential for unwanted consequences. They offer some different ways of communicating about acceptance of imperfection in an organisation, and dive into some of their own experience...

Join Susan and Ingrid as they launch Season 6 of Change Your Tune, a collaboration between the Change Your Tune Podcast and the Conducting Artistry Podcast. In this first episode, Susan and Ingrid welcome you to this new series of conversations about how to make classical music better for everyone. They discuss their own musical, professional and creative journeys leading to this point, from emerg...

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY I acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Eastern Kulin Nation as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this podcast was recorded. I pay my respects to their Elders past and present, and I recognise their enduring connection to land, waters, and culture. Sovereignty was never ceded—this always was and always will be Aboriginal land. ABOUT PETER Pet...

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY This episode was recorded in Tāmaki Makaurau. I acknowledge the mana whenua of Tāmaki Makaurau, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, and all iwi of this region. I honour the Indigenous people, their land, waters, and traditions. I also acknowledge their ancestors, the guardians of the past, and their present leaders. ABOUT DAVID David is Principal Trumpet with the Adelaide Symphony Orch...

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY I acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Eastern Kulin Nation as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this podcast was recorded. I pay my respects to their Elders past and present, and I recognise their enduring connection to land, waters, and culture. Sovereignty was never ceded—this always was and always will be Aboriginal land. ABOUT JESSICA "...

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY I acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Eastern Kulin Nation as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this podcast was recorded. I pay my respects to their Elders past and present, and I recognise their enduring connection to land, waters, and culture. Sovereignty was never ceded—this always was and always will be Aboriginal land. ABOUT MARIELLE...

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY I acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Eastern Kulin Nation as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this podcast was recorded. I pay my respects to their Elders past and present, and I recognise their enduring connection to land, waters, and culture. Sovereignty was never ceded—this always was and always will be Aboriginal land. ABOUT KATHARINE...

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY This episode was recorded in Tāmaki Makaurau. I acknowledge the mana whenua of Tāmaki Makaurau, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, and all iwi of this region. I honour the Indigenous people, their land, waters, and traditions. I also acknowledge their ancestors, the guardians of the past, and their present leaders. ABOUT SEB Following a childhood dominated by music, Seb left Bristol t...

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY This episode was recorded in Tāmaki Makaurau. I acknowledge the mana whenua of Tāmaki Makaurau, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, and all iwi of this region. I honour the Indigenous people, their land, waters, and traditions. I also acknowledge their ancestors, the guardians of the past, and their present leaders. ABOUT JONAS Jonas spent a decade supporting orchestras, ballet, and th...

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY This episode was recorded in Tāmaki Makaurau. I acknowledge the mana whenua of Tāmaki Makaurau, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, and all iwi of this region. I honour the Indigenous people, their land, waters, and traditions. I also acknowledge their ancestors, the guardians of the past, and their present leaders. ABOUT HOLLY Holly Mathieson enjoyed an award-winning career as a condu...

Mateusz was born and raised at the dawn of the internet and digital revolution. A camera is not only an instrument in his hands – it’s also his weapon of choice in destroying people’s insecurities. He simply refuses to take photos without a deeper, more organic, and authentic connection.    QUOTES On how rigid expectations limit individuality Mat explains how the traditional music education system...

Lisa Tamagini is a New York City based Vocal Technique instructor. After a nearly 30 year singing career, the global pandemic’s impact on the industry as a time to delve into her passion for inspiring midlife women to embrace this chapter with vitality, style and a zest for reinvention. She expresses this branch of her teaching through her social platforms @lisatandthecity and @theproageproject wh...

With his signature sensitive, organic approach to landscape design, Kaz has designed countless beautiful gardens throughout Melbourne and regional Australia. Informed by experience working in prestigious gardens in Europe including ‘Great Dixter’ and ‘Hermannshof’, Kaz creates gardens tailored to local Australian conditions, with a fresh, international perspective.   QUOTES   On balancing accessib...

Sonia began playing violin at the age of 9 and knew it would be a part of her life forever. After 15 years, however, she made the shift to nursing. She now has the best of both worlds - a job she loves, and a hobby that she is passionate about. And a renewed love of music.   QUOTES   “I've learned to become very courageous because it turns out what I want is not necessarily what the world has plan...

Lisa's life through high school was dedicated to becoming a violinist. But her time at New England Conservatory uncovered her love for "making things happen", leading her through multiple career changes. In every role, Lisa's musical training has always played a part in making her "dream impact": designing systems that empower collaboration.   QUOTES On the pressure of fulfilling others' dreams. “...