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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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….

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…

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…

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…

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…

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: What does it mean to be a leader in the orchestra? What does it mean in life? Curious about The Invincible Oboist?  Make sure you…

Improvisation can feel frightening to classical musicians, but my guest, Laura Nerenberg, is working to normalize it as a pedagogical tool.  She uses it with her own Suzuki violin students, and also teaches teachers how to incorporate it in their own studios. She’s brilliant and I know you will love hearing her speak about this!…

David Krauss is the prodigious host of Speaking Soundly, Co-Founder of ANM (Artful Narratives Media), and Principal Trumpet of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. As a soloist, he has performed with the All-Star Orchestra on their Emmy Award-winning PBS broadcast and was praised by the American Record Guide for his “singing tone, which is luxurious and…

“Sometimes, the cheapest way to pay is with money.”  I did not originate this quote, and a quick google does not illuminate it- but I USE this quote all the time, and talk about it in my business mastermind group and in my life FREQUENTLY. I wonder if it might be useful to you today,…

My conversation with Eunbi Kim was absolutely fascinating. We talked about mentorship and motherhood and artistry, all of which feel so closely related. There’s a myth out there about the self-centeredness of artists, about a certain kind of creator who reserves all of their best energy for their MUSIC, letting personal relationships fall by the…

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: What do gloves, oboe reeds, and your own pet peeves have in common?  Answer: The more clearly you identify the problem, the easier it…

Happy Thanksgiving 2022 to my listeners in the US! I am grateful for you. On today’s episode you’ll hear my interview with my brother, singer songwriter James Hearne, who recently sold his house and left his job and moved across the country to go all in on his music career as an adult. This interview…

Award winning pianist Donna Weng Friedman enjoys a varied career as a soloist, chamber musician, educator, curator, producer and app developer.   Her album Heritage and Harmony: Silver Linings, featuring exclusively AAPI/BIPOC artists, aims to promote understanding and tolerance and combat racism, with all proceeds donated to an organization that supports the AAPI community and fights…