Crushing Classical

Really, this minisode is musings about communication - and how our speech and language influence our musical performances and how our musical skills influence our spoken and wrtten words, and how we can lean into ALL of it!  Make sure you SUBSCRIBE to Crushing Classical, and maybe even leave a nice review!  You can join my email list  HERE , so you never miss an episode! Or you could  hop on a sho...

The Michigan City Chamber Music Festival (MCCMF) had its inaugural season in August of 2002. It was founded by husband/wife team Nicolas Orbovich and Sunny Gardner-Orbovich. The MCCMF operates under several guiding principals. The first priority is always artistic quality. The MCCMF attains this through the presence of world class musicians. Each of them has formidable performance skills and impre...

Musings about summer camp -  My first music camp was where I found my PEOPLE. The camp I taught at last week reminded me how astonishingly fast learning can happen when you are IMMERSED. And this is why I'm so bought in on group learning for my own programs!  If you are an oboist, and think you might be interested in FLOW, maybe  set up a call and talk with me! This episode is brought to you...

Many young musicians dream of making a comfortable living as a solo artist playing recitals, appearing with orchestras, selling CDs. Frederick Moyer has been doing that for 40 years, making a living entirely on performances and record sales. The last teaching job he had was in 1983. What makes Fred particularly interesting to speak to on the subject of solo careers is that you probably have never...

As I come up toward the publication of the AUDIOBOOK (stay tuned) of The Happiest Musician , I find myself revisiting its concepts too.  Today I consider the lessons of the 2008 recession for musicians of today!    Make sure you SUBSCRIBE to Crushing Classical, and maybe even leave a nice review!  You can join my email list  HERE , so you never miss an episode! Or you could  hop on a short call wi...

Today on the podcast, you’ll hear  violinist Kerstin Tenney talk about her upcoming debut album, LIGHT. We spent a lot of time talking about the long arc of her project - and if you have a project, a concept, an album in your heart that is not yet in the world, you will love this conversation.  Kerstin Tenney is a professional violinist based in Salt Lake City, Utah. As an active freelance musicia...

I hosted a conversation on this topic a week or two ago - and now I'm offering my thoughts again, for you!  Our pace changes in the summer. Things slow down, stretch out. We can catch up on our rest, we can disappear into a haze of sunscreen and tequila - AND we can maybe move the needle on our creative projects and practices!  Grab your notebook and dream with me!  Make sure you SUBSCRIBE to...

Peg Luke has been Emmy and Grammy nominated, and is an 11 time Carnegie Hall solo artist. She’s the creator of "Psalm Space".  She currently has over 200 thousand Spotify streams, and has professional distribution, radio promotion,has professional producers around the country and is professionally media managed and sync licensed. Peg  Is a Christian Meditative Classical Pioneer who battl...

Some musicians seem to like pretending that they are artists with no GROUNDING in the world of business. Guess what? If you are trying to live on your artistry, you ARE in business, and you are in CHARGE.  How can you think more like the CEO of your business?  I have some advice.  This episode is brought to you today by Happiest Musician Coaching. You are amazing, and I believe in you. What are yo...

Today on Crushing Classical, you’ll hear my interview with Ariel Grossman, Founder & Artistic Director of Ariel Rivka Dance. I’ve never talked with a choreographer before and I just loved finding all of the parallels between our worlds.  This episode is brought to you today by Happiest Musician Coaching. You are amazing, and I believe in you. What are you trying to create?  What do you need yo...

We are taught not to brag. We are taught to be modest about our accomplishments, we are taught to work on our weaknesses.  But if you are hesitating or struggling to take on your next project? If you are not sure you have what it takes to move forward and make the next step?  There’s a lot of value in owning your own awesomeness. In stating your own strengths, so you can begin to believe in them a...

Julian Loida is a Boston-based composer percussionist, composer, educator, and producer. His range of sound and genre exploration is largely a product of his synesthesia - music is a literal full-body experience for him, with sounds often invoking involuntary sensations of color, texture, or even taste. For Julian, music is a visual art. In all of his work, his goal is to break down artistic barri...

Christine Smith is co-founder and co-owner of Frosted Lens Entertainment, an entertainment and informational content development company.  Prior to her work at Frosted Lens, she held the position of Music & Sound Director/Composer-in-Residence for RPR Studios for 10 years. Her work has been heard in award-winning films, commercials, and promotional videos. She is currently the host and editor...

You are not going to want to miss this one. Helida is an amazing example of an evolving creative career in action, and she's also SUCH a beautiful and inspiring conversationalist. I could have talked to her all day! Helida Dodd is a Perfumer for lovers of beautiful fragrances who can’t tolerate traditional perfumes. Through her carefully curated ingredients, she shows you how luxury + nature...

I found myself musing today about timeframes and focus and how PRODUCTIVITY interacts with CREATIVITY. There are ways to PUSH your projects forward, but perhaps there are also benefits to letting them EVOLVE and allowing yourself to be the whole rich being that you are.  It's going to sound at first like I'm just talking about oboe reeds- but there is more in this musing than that!  Than...

Today on the podcast, I talk with Alecia Lawyer, Founder, Artistic Director, Principal oboist of ROCO. She’s got the most exciting ideas about orchestral possibilities in the 21st century, and I wish more people were as innovative as she.    Named by Musical America as one of classical music’s Top 30 Influencers for 2015 and a Lorée oboe artist in 2019, Texas native, Alecia Lawyer, is the Founder,...

I gave a talk a couple of weeks ago that I'll share here - No Limits: How the Portfolio Career Expands Your Possibilities.  I also want to point out that if you don't know how to do a thing, there's almost certainly someone out there who DOES, and who can HELP you.  Make sure you SUBSCRIBE to Crushing Classical, and maybe even leave a nice review!  You can join my email list  HERE ,...

Canadian violinist Mary-Elizabeth Brown enjoys parallel careers as a performer, pedagogue, entrepreneur and researcher. In recent seasons, she has appeared as an invited soloist with orchestra more than forty times in Europe, Asia, North and South America, as well as numerous chamber music festivals. Her recording of the last 3 Mozart Violin Concerti for Mozart Effect recordings released worldwide...

Ashley Killam (she/her) has built a multifaceted career as a passionate entrepreneur, non-profit director, freelancer, trumpet player, advocate, and researcher. Killam is the founder of AK Artist Management and is on a lifelong mission to create a more inclusive artistic space. A champion for creating change within musical programming, Killam launched the first-ever open-source resource for trumpe...

Recently I've started sharing little short stories and advices and ideas on social media each week. I think they might be enjoyable, and I hope they might be helpful!  This week: If you have a new idea, a project, an entrepreneurial spark? JUST START. Make sure you SUBSCRIBE to Crushing Classical, and maybe even leave a nice review!  You can join my email list  HERE , so you never miss an epi...

Today you’ll hear my interview with JooWan Kim, Composer/Artistic Director of Ensemble Mik Nawooj. You’re going to want to check this ensemble out at their website - I can’t tear myself away from their songs and videos.    Led by composer/pianist, JooWan Kim, Hip Hop Orchestra Ensemble Mik Nawooj (EMN) creates Metamusic by sampling principles of Hip-Hop and Classical. Executed with resident MCs, a...

Y'all, it's been ONE YEAR since I published my book!  I'm STILL the happiest musician. Today I'm sharing a little bookiversary celebration and a reading from the introduction: The Party Game! Make sure you SUBSCRIBE to Crushing Classical, and maybe even leave a nice review!  You can join my email list  HERE , so you never miss an episode! Or you could  hop on a short call with...

Adrian Gordon is an internationally performed composer and seasoned music educator. He is the author of the book Note to Self; A Music Director’s Guide for Transitioning to a New School and Building a Thriving Music Program. Adrian wrote Note to Self because though his undergraduate and graduate programs were musically and pedagogically extensive, he never felt as though they touched on those hard...

Recently I've started sharing little short stories and advice and ideas. I think they might be enjoyable, and I hope they might be helpful!  This week: It's a New Year! What does that mean for Crushing Classical? Or: What it feels like to start a new thing and why you should too. Make sure you SUBSCRIBE to Crushing Classical, and maybe even leave a nice review!  You can join my email lis...

Have you ever wondered what it really takes to have a career as an internationally touring soloist?  Have you wondered if it is too late for YOU to create such a career? You will love hearing from my guest today,  Mary Elizabeth Bowden: International Trumpet Soloist  Classical Trumpeter Mary Elizabeth Bowden has built an in-demand career as a soloist, praised for her “splendid, brilliant” playing...