Jeffrey Biegel: A 50-State Project! | Episode 56

Today you’ll hear my interview with Jeffrey Biegel: Pianist, composer, arranger, professor and entrepreneur. We talked about what it takes to create a major project and find buy-in from EVERYWHERE. About the importance of bringing new music into the world. About sharing the legacy of those who have come before and creating your own. This…

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Gabriel Olafs: Lullabies | Episode 54

Lullabies For Piano And Cello is a collection of instrumental works inspired by Icelandic folk songs. Accompanied by cellist Steiney Sigurðardóttir, the duo tracked the album in Reykjavik’s Eldborg Concert Hall. Following the implementation of choir, orchestra, and cinematic heft on 2022’s Solon Islandus, Gabríel made a conscious decision to strip the sound down to…

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Joseph Sowa: Wizarding School for Composers | Episode 52

Composer and educator Dr. Joseph Sowa writes music that revels in vivid colors and rich textures. His music has been performed by a wide spectrum of groups, from prestigious ensembles like the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Dal Niente, and the PRISM Quartet, to schools and churches across North America. His talent has earned him accolades…

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Happiest Musician Minisode: Air Quotes! | Episode 51

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…

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Nic Orbovich: Michigan City Chamber Music Festival | Episode 50

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…

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Happiest Musician Minisode: Summer Camp | Episode 49

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…

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Frederick Moyer: A Sustainable Solo Career | Episode 48

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…

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Kerstin Tenney: Light | Episode 46

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. …

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Peg Luke: Heeding the Call | Episode 44

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…

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Happiest Musician Minisode: Be the CEO of YOU | Episode 43

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…

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Ariel Grossman: Leadership and Artistry | Episode 42

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…

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Julian Loida: Music and Synesthesia | Episode 40

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…

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Christine Smith: Frosted Lens Entertainment | Episode 39

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…

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Helida Dodd: Perfumer and Speaker | Episode 38

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…

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Happiest Musician Minisode: SLOW DOWN | Episode 37

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…

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Alecia Lawyer: Wildcatting in the Arts | Episode 36

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…

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Happiest Musician Minisodes: No Limits! | Episode 35

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…

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Ashley Killam: AK Artist Management | Episode 33

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…

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