Podium Time

Stop! Why are you mirroring? Put your left hand down! Stop conducting! What is that hand doing? Why are you mirroring again? Have you heard these words screamed above an orchestra? Today we tackle the a perennial issue for young (and some experienced) conductors: how to develop your left-hand. Luke and Jeremy discuss some tips, exercises, and principles for building your vocabulary and ending the...

On reference from not one, but two of our listeners, we are speaking this week with Michael Isadore! Michael is a busy conductor, teacher, and performer who leads players of all ages and experiences. We discuss teaching strings when you’re not a string player, why you should always play your instrument, and dealing with the “educator” stigma in our conducting culture. Support the show

In Part 3 of our series on researching and getting into your perfect school, we tackle the final step: auditioning! Jeremy and Luke share some tips and their experiences with auditions including preparing to conduct a piece you haven't conducted before. Support the show

The title explains it all! Today we are incredibly excited to feature as our first return guest on the Podium Time Podcast: the incredible JoAnn Falletta! This week, JoAnn talks with us about how she schedules her study for concerts 1 year out and 1 week out, the many shades of leadership on the podium, and how you are always learning from the orchestra. Support the show

Now onto those pesky conducting videos! Part 2 of our 3-part series on getting into a Master's program deals with preparing your audition videos to get the best quality and most attention. How closely should you follow the video requirements? What about rehearsal footage? Does this count as "performance" footage? How should the video start? We discuss this and more in this episode o...

Once you've met Buddy Langley, you'll never forget him. Today Luke and I reconnect with a friend who has strong opinions about Cincinnati Chili and is quickly becoming a rising star conductor. Buddy walks us through starting his ensemble, the Memphis Repertory Orchestra, and how relationships are one of the most important aspects of our art. Support the show

It's that time of year when seniors scramble to research programs, visit campuses, and submit materials. But how do you find a master's program that fits you? How do you find a teacher that's just right? Today Luke and Jeremy discuss how to find and decide on a Master's in conducting program that works for you. This is part one of a three-part series on applying and getting int...

What does it take to design a full 53 concert season? Today we sit down with the Colorado Symphony’s Chief Artistic Officer Tony Pierce to discuss how the season is put together, how to secure soloists like Yo-Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman, and how they decide on what guest conductors to invite back. Tony also shares some of the CSO’s most exciting concerts coming this season, including the premier of...

The Podium Time audience has spoken! Luke and I are incorporating shorter discussion episodes into this second season and the listeners (accidentally) decided on the first topic. The question that we've been sent the most by our listeners is...drum-roll... whether one should pursue a master's in band or orchestral conducting! Today, Luke and I sit down to chat through the different optio...

It's Bernstein's 100th Birthday! Today we're digging into the archive with a re-edited version of our discussion with Peter Bay on Bernstein and his Mass. Support the show

Today we continue our talk with Benjamin Rous and discuss his experiences conducting from the harpsichord (with some twists!). Support the show

Podium Time turns 1 year old today!!! Celebrate with your hosts as we go over the past year, talk about their new positions and plans, and announce some changes coming in the next season. Please reach out by email or via our Facebook page to let us know what YOU want to hear about on Podium Time. Support the show

We return from break with an extra treat from our recent discussion with Brett. He walks us through his programming philosophy with a few examples from the Colorado Symphony's upcoming season. Support the show

The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Home Alone, Fantasia, E. T., The Godfather. We see headlines like these on symphony seasons more and more often, but what is it actually like to conduct one? Today Luke and I sit down with Benjamin Rous to talk about the least forgiving soloist: film! We discuss the specifics of working with these pieces, some of the biggest challenges, and get philosophical on the in...

Today we get into the weeds on assistant conductor auditions and more. Brett Mitchell is starting his second season as the Music Director of the Colorado Symphony, and he has had a whirlwind of activity since conducting CSO for the first time less than two years ago. We get into how he accidentally auditioned, the details of their recent assistant search, and the organic changes that come with a n...

We met Carolyn Watson three years ago, and now we've finally gotten the chance to sit down and speak with her! We discuss her new position at KU and how she got there, why you need to find your "best fit", and some great hidden gems. This week we discuss: Watson’s Path to the Podium Opportunities and competition in the U.S. vs Australia David Zinman’s 3 “takeaways” Communicating sta...

This is an interview that we’ve been looking forward to since before the podcast launched, and we were honored last week for the chance to finally talk shop with Diane Wittry, the author of two essential books for both young conductors and Music Directors: Beyond the Baton and Baton basics. This week we talk about how to build a vocabulary of gestures, why you need to consider every opportunity, a...

Just in time for Workshop season, today’s episode is a mini-masterclass on everything about workshops. Thomas Taylor Dickey has been to just about every one and shares how to pick the right ones, apply for them, prepare for them, and learn as much as possible while you’re there. We also discuss some of his favorite masterclasses and the important differences between workshops in Europe and America...

Have you ever seen the Bernstein Mass? Well, this is the year to do it! Today we talk with Peter Bay, Music Director of the Austin Symphony Orchestra, about his upcoming performance of Bernstein’s Mass, fully staged for the first time in the entire state of Texas. Bay also shares some actionable advice for deepening your score study and preparing for the duties of an assistant conductor. This week...

A violin is a violin, but no two singers are the same. Today we talk with Gianmaria Griglio about the importance of imagination, the most important aspect of score study, and how we expect people to listen to concerts. This week we discuss: Music education in the U.S. and Europe On conducting opera Conductor mistakes The people in the orchestra are not stupid A violin is a violin everywhere, but a...

This week we discuss: The Chromatic Endpin The Entrepreneurial Musician (one of Jeremy's favorite podcasts) Make It: A Guide for Recent Music Graduates The “Real World” and Accountability Building Habits and Breaking down Goals The “Sticker Project” Mistakes from Students Fresh out of School Creating a Shared Experience Advertising Done Right Classical Concerts vs. Movies The Conductor that T...

What can we learn from teaching? Lawrence Golan's Score Study Passes have been mentioned more than once in the short history of our podcast, and today you can learn how he dissects a score from the man himself. We discuss his method, Academic vs Professional conducting, and some of the biggest shortcomings in our education. This week we discuss: Applying for jobs Academic vs Professional Cond...

Before the founding of Podium Time, Luke and I compiled a list of conductors that we just had to have on the podcast, and Eduardo Navega was right at the top! We worked with him at the Bard Conductors Institute (I've typed that sentence so many times on these pages!) and every student there could attest to his kindness and love of the craft. We were both surprised, looking back, that it took...

Part 2 is here! Due to snow, our interview with Silas Huff was a bit extended, so this week we are including all the great information that we couldn’t fit into the first episode! We discuss all things about conducting workshops: running, applying for, and attending, as well as understanding your body, listening to recordings, and how to optimize your resume. Support the show

References leads to more references! Our guest from episode 6, Christopher Kelts, suggested that we reach out to Silas Huff, and what a great suggestion it was! After listening to every episode we’ve published, Huff popped onto Podium Time and enjoyed our longest interview yet! Are you making the music sound better? If not, you’re doing something wrong! Tune in next time for the second half of our...