Frank Horvat is an acclaimed Canadian composer and pianist whose music has been featured on over 20 albums. In this episode you’ll hear how he has forged meaningful collaborations with a wide range of musicians internationally, and found and given solace to audiences through his focus on themes of mental health, the climate crisis, and social justice. We start this episode with his Arctic Circle Residency.

Frank Horvat is so prolific and involved in so many diverse projects, with music in many styles, that we could only focus on a few of his works in this podcast episode, including with the SHHH!!! Ensemble, the Odin Quartet, flutist Christopher Lee and soprano Meredith Hall.  We talked about his Music for Self-Isolation, and  his wonderful initiative, the  Piano Therapy Virtual Tour, that pairs his music with his personal mental health challenges and coping strategies. I also asked him about The Green Keys Tour, in which he performed his work Earth Hour in dark halls across North America, travelling in a sustainable way. We also got into some of his current projects,  Trees.Listen with Sharlene Wallace inspired by the work of Dr. Diana Beresford-Kroeger , and  More Rivers,  commissioned by Christina Petrowska Quilico and inspired by the work of Ann Southam. 

I need the help of my listeners! https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman

Frank Horvat website: https://frankhorvat.com/

Follow this podcast on social media: https://linktr.ee/leahroseman

You can also watch this podcast on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/ViolinLessonOnline

Timestamps

(00:00) Intro

(02:22) Arctic Circle Residency

(15:00) SHHH!! Ensemble 

Auditory Survey of the Last Days of the Holocene, creative process and excerpts

(24:51) Frank Horvat composing in different styles, finding new inspirations

(28:48) Music for Self-Isolation, music performed by Christopher Lee

(40:50) please support this podcast! Thanks

(41:26) Piano Therapy Virtual Tour, talking about mental health

(54:54) Odin quartet excerpt from the Four Seasons in High Park

(55:07) Frank’s start as a composer 

(58:00) The Green Keys Tour

(01:01:13) excerpt Orbital Tour of CIties at Night from album Fractures with Meredith Hall

(01:04:140) new project Trees.Listen with Sharlene Wallace, Dr. Diana Beresford-Kroeger 

(01:11:19) More Rivers, Christina Petrowska Quilico, Ann Southam

Guy Donis grew up in Belgium, where he had fallen in love with the banjo and proceeded to dedicate his life to it. In this episode, he describes how he taught himself 5 string banjo, learned about Bluegrass, and expanded his musical horizons by collaborating with jazz and classical musicians. He immigrated to Canada many years ago, and is well-known in the Montreal music scene. He has toured Canada extensively with Notre Dame de Grass and other bands, and in this episode he talks about his newest project, the Montreal Bluegrass League, and a track from their latest album is included in this podcast. Some tracks from his two trio albums are also included earlier in this episode, in which you can hear Guy’s progressive jazz-influenced  original music. 

Can you buy me a coffee to support this series? https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman Thanks so much!

Like all my episodes, the YouTube video, Transcript, and show notes are linked on my website: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/guy-donis

Guy Donis website: https://www.guydonisbanjo.com/

Sign up for my weekly newsletter to get access to Sneak Peeks for upcoming episodes: https://mailchi.mp/ebed4a237788/podcast-newsletter

Follow the podcast on my socials: https://linktr.ee/leahroseman

Timestamps

(00:00) Intro

(02:03) Guy’s discovery of the banjo in Belgium

(04:35) Tchestou Guy Donis Trio from Paroles d’arbre

(04:40) banjo demo, evolution of bluegrass style

(21:12) Béla Fleck

(25:05) Paroles d’arbre album 

(29:16) title track from Paroles d’arbre Guy Donis Trio

(33:51) Roots, Risks and Rêveries album Guy Donis Trio

(35:33) Grenouillages Guy Donis Trio

(36:36) Guy’s youth in Belgium, learning banjo

(45:47) could you buy me a coffee to support this series?

(46:26) the challenge of continuing to improve 

(47:29) Sam Bush

(49:39) how Guy learned banjo and found his style

(54:04) decision to leave Belgium

(59:49) Tony Trischka, Béla Fleck, networking challenges, focus in playing

(01:06:36) the Montreal Bluegrass League

(01:14:59) career choices

(01:19:46) teaching banjo

(01:23:59) Guy’s banjo Nechville Phantom

(01:29:49) the Montreal Bluegrass League album, intro to One Way Track

(01:31:51) One Way Track with the Montreal Bluegrass League 

(01:34:05) love for winter in Quebec as an immigrant from Belgium

(01:36:04) distractions of the internet

(01:38:05) learning music therapeutic

photo of Guy Donis: David Roseman

Jeeyoon Kim is a very special concert pianist who has opened meaningful connections to new audiences through her innovative concerts, albums, podcast, and now her book “Whenever You’re Ready”. You’ll learn how she sold out her Carnegie Hall debut recital without knowing one person in New York, without an agent or winning a competition. She’s generously shared 3 tracks from some of her albums that punctuate this episode. Her website is linked here: https://www.jeeyoonkim.com/about

I was so honoured when Jeeyoon agreed to be part of this series, because I knew her wisdom, personal story and her music making would resonate strongly with you. 

 Like all my episodes, you can watch this on my YouTube channel or listen to the podcast, and I’ve also linked the transcript to my website https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/jeeyoon-kim

Please buy me a coffee to support this podcast? I really do need the help of my listners to keep this going: https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman

Here you can sign up for my weekly newsletter to get access to Sneak Peeks for upcoming episodes. https://mailchi.mp/ebed4a237788/podcast-newsletter

Timestamps

(00:00) Intro

(02:31) book “Whenever You’re Ready” 

(04:34) podcast “Journey Through Classical Piano”

(08:26) intro to Brahms’ Intermezzo

(11:28) Brahms Intermezzo op. 118, number 2

(18:04) Jeeyoon’s childhood in Korea

(23:10) burnout challenges

(26:48) decision to pursue Master’s in Pedagogy after Doctorate

(30:28) please support this podcast

(31:07) adapting teaching to each student

(35:00) private teaching versus academic setting, creating your own path

(39:46) Jeeyoon’s innovative concerts, 10 More Minutes crowdfunding and Carnegie Hall debut

(53:07) Kapustin Concert Etude op. 40 number 6 Pastoral from Jeeyoon Kim’s album Sium

(55:59) Sium project, 17 concert tour

(01:02:42) Debussy

(01:05:21) La plus que lente by Debussy from Jeeyoon Kim’s album Sium

(01:09:49) the challenge of adapting to different pianos

(01:15:14) Allen T. Brown, pairing photography and poetry with music

(01:21:51) lifelong learning

(01:25:15) surfing

(01:31:35) great advice from David Bremmer

J. Walter Hawkes is a 4-time Emmy-winning composer for the PBS series Peg + Cat and Wonder Pets, is a renowned jazz trombone player, and also performs as a jazz vocalist, ukulele player, and pianist. As a young man, he survived a horrible accident which changed the course of his life. We talk about this and his mentors including the legendary Slide Hampton, how he got into composing for Blues Clues, and many hilarious and heart-warming personal stories. Those of you who listened to my episode with Pat Irwin will remember his album Wide Open Sky with Walter, and we’re featuring two pieces from that album in this episode along with an impromptu performance of Cole Porter’s Get Out of Town. Walter’s love of adventure really comes through in this conversation, and it’s really inspiring to hear how he’s built such an interesting  career in music.   You can use the timestamps (listed below) to navigate, and like all my episodes, you can listen to this on your podcast player, watch the YouTube video, or read the transcript, all linked here to my website: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/j-walter-hawkes 

Pat Irwin episode: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/pat-irwin

J. Walter Hawkes website: https://jwalterhawkes.com/about

Can you buy me a coffee to support this channel and this podcast? https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman

DeWitt Fleming with The Hot Sardines: https://youtu.be/Va68n60B3js?si=ida_ujyhVvRXG_iJ

The February video on Walter's YouTube is here: https://youtu.be/XJOeV0mVcgA?si=IZpS8B1MzXa6CEUV

My Linktree with social media links: https://linktr.ee/leahroseman

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

( 01:45) Wide Open Sky album with Pat Irwin, story of February and old family film

(10:17) February

(12:06) the story of the accident 

(24:05) please support the podcast! Buy me a coffee? Thanks! 

(24:43) intro to For a Dance

(26:03) For a Dance from Wide Open Sky

(29:44) piano,  The Hot Sardines

(32:32) North Texas experience

(39:40) Emmys, composing for children’s tv Peg+Cat, Wonder Pets, Blues Clues

(48:49) ukulele stories

(01:00:00) intro to Cole Porter’s Get Out of Town

(01:00:50) Get Out of Town by Cole Porter

(01:02:55) Nora Jones, career regrets, dealing with stagefright

(01:14:33) Slide Hampton, Carnegie Hall Jazz Band

(01:22:29) early NYC days, traditional jazz scene

(01:26:24) memorization skills

(01:28:31) electronics, old computers, instruments

(01:35:40) importance of mentorship, Duncan Goff, Jerry Ball, Sol Yaged, balancing his career between playing and composing

(01:45:42) how Walter started composing for Blues Clues, how the accident affected his career

Welcome to Season 4 of Conversations with Musicians, with Leah Roseman. For this first episode in 2024, I welcome the violinist, author and coach Jennifer Roig-Francoli. We talk about her newly released  book, Make Great Music with Ease!: The Secret to Smarter Practice, Confident Performance, and Living a Happier Life, and  her Art of Freedom Method which incorporates the mind-body skills of the Alexander Technique. This episode also features excerpts from her solo violin album, Solo Con Spirito, with music of Kreisler, Enescu and Bach. 

Jennifer had the opportunity to study with Nathan Milstein, Josef Gingold and Stanley Ritchie  and has had an interesting career as a performer, including with Appollo’s Fire. We talk about performing barefoot at Carnegie Hall, travels to India, and in Jennifer’s words” how you do one thing is how you do everything”. I myself have been very influenced by different mind-body practices like the Alexander Technique,  and the power of thought to help me address habitual tensions in my own life has really helped me, and I trust this inspiring and helpful episode will be of help to you, both musical performers and not, because the content of this discussion addresses universal challenges for all of us.  This conversation is punctuated by some excerpts from Jennifer’s solo album, and I hope you’ll listen to the whole album which you’ll find both on streaming services, or better yet for purchase on her website: https://artoffreedom.me/meet-jennifer/

Like all my episodes, you can watch this on my YouTube channel or listen to the podcast, and I’ve also linked the transcript to my website: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/jennifer-roig-francoli

Here you can sign up for my weekly newsletter to get access to Sneak Peeks for upcoming episodes: https://mailchi.mp/ebed4a237788/podcast-newsletter

I have had several interviews talking about some of the same issues as this episode. My interviews with  Julie Lyonn-Lieberman, Madeline Bruser, Stephen Nachmanovitch, Derek Gripper and Daniel Ramjattan will be good places  to start if you missed any of those. 

Finally, I’m an independant podcaster, and I truly need the help of my listeners to keep this project going: https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman

photo of Jennifer Roig-Francoli: Tina Gutierrez

Timestamps: 

(00:00) Intro

(04:16) album Solo con Spirito! Celebrating 50

(05:27) excerpt from Kreisler’s Recitativo and Scherzo-Caprice

(07:07) excerpt from Enescu’s Sarabande

(07:47) Stanley Ritchie 

(10:03) Jennifer’s studies at Indiana University, learning baroque violin

(12:58) Apollo’s Fire

(15:11) studies with Nathan Milstein

(18:43) Alexander Technique and Primal Alexander touch-free approach

(32:58) please support this series! Thanks. 

(33:15) the importance of transitions and mindset, performance anxiety, The Art of Freedom Method

(41:43) music education, pressure from teachers, competitiveness in the music industry

(46:36) excerpt from Ysaye’s Ballade

(46:34) challenges in parenting for musicians

(52:44) music education, letting go of the focus on goals

(58:41) excerpt from Bach’s Chaconne

(01:00:12) performing barefoot

(01:02:56) decisions around pitch and more for Solo con Spirito

(01:07:25) How you do one thing is how you do everything

(01:11:32) India meditation retreat Amma’s ashram

(01:16:31) connections made through Art of Freedom online coaching

This podcast is also a video on my YouTube and the transcript is also linked to my website: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/mohamed-assani Today’s guest is the genre-defying sitarist and composer Mohamed Assani. In this conversation a couple of compositions from his album Wayfinder are featured. Wayfinder incorporates a range of stylistic influences, including South Asian Classical, Middle Eastern, jazz, funk, Western Classical, ambient & electronic music. It was produced by Juno and Emmy nominated producer Adham Shaikh and in the show notes you’ll find links to the complete music videos and to his albums. Mohamed is also a wonderful educator, based in Vancouver Canada, also teaching online, and I’m so grateful to him for being so gracious in agreeing to demonstrate on both sitar and tabla some basics of these instruments, and of stylistic elements in South Asian music, for this episode.

I’m an independent podcaster, and I truly need the help of my listeners to keep this project going. https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman

This is the final episode for Season 3, and season 4 launches January 6th, so do check out episodes you may have missed from the first 3 seasons: https://www.leahroseman.com/about

Ceara Conway is an Irish contemporary vocalist and visual artist, and this episode features music from her album CAOIN as well as excerpts from some of her other projects. I find Ceara’s curiosity about so many important topics around arts and culture really inspiring and this conversation  circled around to her explorations of different languages and cultures as well as her rootedness as an Irish speaker. She has had many interesting commissions dealing with history, illness, grief, and the natural world. She uses traditional and contemporary song, performance and visual art to explore social issues such as the ecological crisis, migration and feminist concerns. She also spoke to me about some of her roles working with the Clare Arts office with artists with disabilities, and how she started her career as a glassblower in Rome and how her upbringing has helped her navigate the world as a freelance artist. Like all my episodes, this is also a video and the transcript is also linked to my website: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/ceara-conway

Can you support the podcast with a virtual coffee? https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman Thanks so much! I need the support of my listeners to keep this going.

https://www.cearaconway.ie/about photo: Julia Dunin photography

Are you curious about upcoming episodes? Sign up for my newsletter here: https://mailchi.mp/ebed4a237788/podcast-newsletter

Timestamps

(00:00) Intro

(02:36) Ceara’s background, the album CAOIN

(17:03) Anach Cuain

(18:10) more about CAOIN An Caoinea

dh

(20:52) singing in different languages, Oumou Sangaré

(23:56) Ceara’s childhood

(27:56) support this independant podcast!

(28:35) glassblowing, start in art and music, Matthew Noonan

(33:03) books

(35:28) Veriditas project

(41:23) Plant Chant

(43:01) Clare Arts Office Embrace arts and disability program

(49:18) CAOIN, intro to Seoith í n Seothó

(51:59) Seoithín Seothó

(56:00) Georgian song, choirs

(1:01:40) Dochas

(1:06:17) Hanna Tuulikki, corncrake

(1:09:05) Time to Say Goodbye

(1:13:14) Irish language 

(1:16:50) new projects

Like all my podcast episodes, you can watch the video on my YouTube and the transcript is linked here as well: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/emmolei-sankofa

EmmoLei Sankofa https://www.e-sankofa.com/ is a an American composer, producer, musician, and artist whose work spans music, visual media, and fine art. Detailed show notes below with timestamps!

You can sign up for my weekly newsletter ⁠https://mailchi.mp/ebed4a237788/podcast-newsletter⁠to get access to Sneak Peeks for upcoming guests on my website ⁠https://www.leahroseman.com/about⁠ where you can explore past episodes and support the show through my Ko-fi page: ⁠https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman⁠

My socials are in my Linktree: ⁠https://linktr.ee/leahroseman⁠

In this episode we focused on EmmoLei's original music for Hulu's The Other Black Girl, the film score for Three Ways and her project Geometry, and we talked about her unique use of Morse code in her compositions, and the benefits of limitations in creative work. I asked her about her experiences in HBCU marching band culture, at the Savannah College of Art and Design, and being part of a positive community of mentors and peers through the Composers Diversity Collective. With her background as a percussionist and her use of Morse code, I was interested to hear about her creative process, and also about some of her visual art projects and collaborative installations.

Here's the link to the official Triangles Video (which is excerpted in the episode)

Timestamps: (00:00) Intro(03:01) The Other Black Girl(11:49) using Morse code in EmmoLei’s compositions(17:10) marching band culture HBCU(20:52) SCAD Sound Design Masters(23:25) please help support this independant podcast!(24:04) Mentors and mentoring, the Composers Diversity Collective(33:37) African diaspora, Sankofa(36:33) Emmolei’s instruments and creative process(44:44) visual art, trip to South Africa(56:26) Geometry, filmmaking, producing(01:00:49) Three Ways(01:04:13) The Other Black Girl, Tonality vocal group, graphic scores(01:12:23) In Pursuit of Silence(01:17:30) EmmoLei’s well-rounded musical background

Welcome to Conversations with Musicians, with Leah Roseman: This podcast is available wherever you listen to podcasts, or as a video on my YouTube. This week’s episode is with the award-winning GRAMMY-nominated harpist and composer Kirsten Agresta Copely. The video and transcript are linked on my website: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/kirsten-agresta-copely

Could you support this independant podcast with a tip? https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman

Follow the podcast on social media, all those links are on the top of my Linktree: https://linktr.ee/leahroseman

photo: Joseph Cartright

Timestamps

(00:00) Intro

(01:57) clip from I Am Water

(03:15) the creation of Aquamarine, Kirsten’s mother

(06:41) Kirsten’s musical education

(09:32) intro to Naids

(10:12) clip from Naids

(11:06) production of Aquamarine

(13:12) Kirsten’s development as a harpist, career choices

(19:57) please support the podcast! 

(20:35) the isolation of being a harpist, career advice

(24:44) clip from Aquamarine

(26:58) high school in Michigan, Star Age piano music

(29:28) clip from Threads Star Age piano music

(30:46) Nashville scene, move to Brooklyn

(34:44) Suzanne McDonald

(36:41) intro to Into the Mist

(37:50) Into the Mist

(41:46) dealing with stress, movivation for creating New Age music, Kirsten’s mother’s death

(46:30) Tanzania trip witnessing the Great Migration

(48:27) the Sphere Las Vegas 

(52:16) performing with Beyoncé for President Obama 

(54:12) Live 8, playing pop arrangements

(57:47)how a pedal harp works

(01:04:01) different aspects to Kirsten’s career: soloist, different albums, arrangements 

(01:06:40) clip from Kirsten’s arrangement of Radiohead’s Creep 

(01:08:10) arranging for harp

(01:10:00) mentoring younger musicians, career advice

This week’s episode is a special double episode with the jazz piano duo of Peter Hum and Steve Boudreau, who have recently released their album Nonlinear Blues.  Peter and Steve performed three of their original tunes for this podcast and we’ve also included some of their other compositions from their respective discographies, and in terms of the conversation, it was a wide-ranging dialogue with interesting insights from their contrasting careers, Peter primarily as a music and food journalist, and Steve as an educator and performer across many different styles. We got into restaurant culture, how to memorize music, and the importance of encouraging creativity and individuality. At it's core, this is an episode very much about the importance of supporting and encouraging each other.

Please check out the links to their websites linked below and on my website https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/peter-hum-and-steve-boudreauwhere you will find linked the video version of this episode, the transcript, and you can sign up for my weekly podcast newsletter and get access to Sneak Peeks for upcoming guests. If you’re a jazz lover, I have featured a lot of wonderful jazz musicians and have well over 100 episodes to explore. 

Below you'll also find detailed Timestamps to navigate the episode!

https://steveboudreaumusic.com/

https://peterhum.com/

Please support the podcast here: https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman

photo: Curtis Perry

Timestamps

(00:00) Intro

(02:23) jazz piano duo

(10:25) intro to Irreversibly

(11:35) Irreversibly

(14:49) Steve Boudreau weekly online concerts, all of Monk’s tunes

(20:42) Peter Hum’s journalism career, Herbie Hancock

(24:52) please support the podcast

(25:28) Peter’s father, debut recording A Boys’ Journey

(29:26) Steve Boudreau learning and teaching different styles, Hindustani music

(33:14) intro to Nonlinear Blues

(35:44) Nonlinear Blues

(41:27) tips on memorizing music, jazz ensemble skills

(48:46) F8-Bit game console music

(52:57) audio clip F8-Bit band

(54:46) Peter Hum food critic, restaurant industry

(59:44) intro to Bursting the Bubble, pandemic concerts

(01:03:43) Bursting the Bubble

(01:09:27) Ordinary Heroes album Peter Hum

(01:13:54) Spare Hearts Peter Hum ensemble

(01:23:27) Steve Boudreau George Gershwin

(01:26:35) Gershwin Prelude 1 Steve Boudreau jazz trio

(01:28:44) Steve Boudreau solo albums

(01:30:50) positive habits

(01:36:18) encouraging creativity in students, ease in writing