The Musician's Journey Podcast

Alicia Keys, are you reading this? Here is a cellist for you. Marc Christian Miranda started out the conventional cello way but has for the past several years explored a niche that is in high demand. When he sets out for a gig his car is packed with cables, mixers, speakers and his electric cello. Inspired by his own wedding, he's on a mission to make your special day, whether it’s a wedding or so...

Does conducting an orchestra entail more than waving one's arms? Yes it does and Tigran Arakelyan is more than happy to share a number of the things you have to keep in mind as a conductor standing in front of an orchestra. Among Tigran's many credits is the historic feat of facilitating the Pacific Northwest's first orchestral concert at a bar. Tune in to hear his story from growing up in post-So...

Lexi Nguyen is only in her 20's but is dead serious about her music. You can listen to her singles on streaming platforms while she's working on her first EP. We talk about The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron, the importance of physical exercise, boundaries as artists, hateful comments, and whether or not to inhale in a recording... Featured song by Lexi Nguyen: Fever Lexi's homepage: https://lexing...

Ragnhild catches up with her previous teacher, Nicholas Jones, for a talk about playing and teaching the cello. Being a cellist often goes hand in hand with being a cello teacher. Here we talk about how our cello practice and our teaching keep on affecting each other. We touch on -key moments of enlightenment in our playing and teaching -how all students are different from each other -what 'work-l...

She is singing and playing a drum with her foot while playing her cello. How did Diletta Fosso's journey in music begin? The songs featured in this episode are: 7 years (Lukas Graham) Makeba (Jain) and Counting Stars (One Republic) ------------------------------------------------ Diletta on Instagram Make a comment on the episode here

Everybody's story is different - why does someone spend countless hours on making cover videos for Instagram? Why not choose a job with a steady income? In this episode, Ragnhild talks with Madeleine Ladore -a cellist who has been working on her business only for a few years but who has managed to grow a loyal following. "People like to hear the music that they like." Madeleine Ladore has walked t...

Have you heard of the music box? Could a nebula in space have anything to do with a composer's research? In this episode, Ragnhild talks with Wilma Pistorius -a cellist, composer and Alexander Technique teacher who is based in Amsterdam. As a composer today, how do you make connections? Wilma talks about her approach to this, being herself on the introverted side and would be happy to spend the ev...

Kaja Draksler has spent the past several years composing, rehearsing, touring and recording. Early in 2023 she became a mother and thus a new chapter has begun. The featured music: 'Trboje' from the album Zürich Concert with Punkt. Vrt. Plastik 'Danas, Jučer Sutra' from the album Out for Stars with Kaja Draksler Octet 'Away!' from the album In Otherness Oneself Kaja's Website Make a comment on the...

Everybody's story is different - why the cello? Where did we start? What were the challenges and how did we overcome them? In this episode, Ragnhild talks with one of her cello students about learning the cello as an adult. ------------------------------------------------ Make a comment on the episode Podcast soundtrack by Ani Amer.

Is there room for more books about composers? Yes. 'Iconic Composers' is not just children friendly, but it sticks out in the way that it features lesser known female composers and composers of different skin colors. In addition, each of the 50 composers is illustrated by David Lee Csicsko. Boiling down countless hours of research into 250 words per composer was quite a challenge, but the authors...

I don't play the cello every day. There are in fact few things that I do every day. When there is a voice in me that says “I should have done this today, and I didn't.” I can observe that this is a thought. It's not some voice of universal truth, or someone I know blaming me for something. It's a thought in my head. It's as if my thoughts don't always trust me to do the right thing…! In fact, my t...

When you're learning to read sheet music, you're preparing for being able to play classical music. But what if you're interested in playing your cello in a different setting? Pop, rock, jazz, -many of these other music genres use chords more than the written out music we find in sheet music. If you want to play along to your favourite pop song, it'll be a lot easier for you if you have knowledge a...

Even smaller towns may have their own local amateur symphony orchestra, or string orchestra. And if you don't have that where you live, there are plenty of different orchestra courses happening one or more times a year in a lot of different places in this so-called Western world. And besides that, I'll mention that when I was younger I really enjoyed playing along to recordings of orchestral music...

'What to play?' is the topic of this episode, now that we have 1) our intention in order 2) everything we need to get started 3) a cello teacher 4) an idea of how to practice I know it's a bit weird that I'm talking about this as if you already have a cello teacher, cause why would you be here in that case? I'm here just aiming to give you an impression of how the cellist journey might look like i...

If you've been following the previous episodes, you've heard me talk about taking the step into making the cello a part of your life in the first place, which things you should acquire before you're ready to start, and on the topic of finding a cello teacher. This trajectory has now led you to your first cello lesson, and you find yourself at home the day after the lesson and you think "What now?"...

First of all, do you really need a cello teacher? There are now so many YouTube channels and online forums to do with cello playing, maybe that's sufficient? You can for sure gain a lot from these websites, especially if you have played an instrument before. You can pick up some tips and get started. The websites don't see or hear you, though. Cause you'll for sure have lots of questions when you...

So, you have a dream, and you have an intention. Next, you'll need a cello, a bow, and a case. I've also experienced that finding a teacher comes first. The order of events don't matter much. To find your cello, the safest is to go to your local luthier, if you're fortunate to live in a place that has one or more of those. They might have a cello that you can rent or buy. You can be pretty sure it...

The widow of George Harrison was asked what the secret to a long marriage was. She said, "Don't get a divorce." Those who appear to be successful in their music making, are those who didn't get a divorce. Obstacles will show up, as purely technical challenges on the instrument, or injuries, or a lack of motivation, or struggling to find the right teacher. But don't divorce your instrument straight...

A podcast is such a cheeky medium. You can click on thousands of different episodes and listen for free to people who are experienced professionals, rather than paying them for a consultation. Joel started his podcast -The Cello Sherpa- because of just this, of wanting to give something back and be of help to the younger generation seeking advice on how to get where they want to in the world of pr...

Emily Wright is an American cellist and educator, an eternally busy entrepreneur. We sigh at YouTube comments, and laugh at our recurring dreams... She has been teaching since -96, but angry only on 3 occasions. She has come across numerous tuner refugees, and references The Wizard of Oz in her teaching. Emily Wright is an experienced cellist, with a book published, and a vision of offering the be...

Robbie Tucker does not let Parkinson's disease get in the way of producing all the music he is bursting with. Tune in and connect with us for an hour; this man has a lot of songs and words that he wants to share with you. "There is always a fun way to tell a story." Robbie Tucker is, among many things, a storyteller. He tells stories through his songs, and in this podcast you'll hear him tell the...

With over 40 years of performance experience, what are the words that Emile Pandolfi has to share with aspiring musicians? He has so many words that he released a book last year, titled 'Play It Like You Mean It'. Play it like you mean it. Easier said than done? In my humble experience, yes. We live in times of immediacy. We want instant results, otherwise we might think that we have the wrong occ...

20 years ago, say, who would have thought that 'being a musician' meant video editing? When will 'The Art of the Thumbnail' become an elective in higher music education? (You'll even hear the word 'algorithm' in this episode) Based in the American State of Georgia, Christina makes a living as a pianist by combining the traditional role of the accompanist, with the modern entrepreneur. After a musi...

It looks so easy to be a DJ violinist - put on a hat, walk out on stage, and money comes in. But often, what looks easy turns out to be a hell of a lot more complicated than first assumed. Someone who knows their instrument, plays it as if it's nothing more than preparing your breakfast toast. And apart from the practice, there is a lot more we don't see: the networking, the scheduling, the contra...

Too many instruments, too little time? Is it possible to optimize one’s time by, say, singing scales while painting windows? Andreas Persson has a big heart for instruments, not only to have but to properly play. In this episode of the podcast, he shares how he learns a new instrument, which includes finding the right teacher. And practice very slowly. Isolate a particular challenge in the music y...