Creative Baggage

In this episode, we talk to piccolo player of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Erica Peel about the wonders of playing and teaching piccolo. We discuss the underappreciated beauty of the piccolo, and how we have grown to love it and treat it as its own instrument. In the process, Erica shares the struggles she has faced as both a performer and teacher, and we agree that being open and honest about these struggles is beneficial for ourselves, our colleagues, and our students.

FREE “practice with the experts” book:

https://www.ericapeel.com/practice-with-the-experts-piccolo

$17 tickets to Digital Stage Performances at the Philadelphia Orchestra:

www.philorch.org

In this episode, we talk to bassist and member of the Kansas City Symphony, Caleb Quillen about the psychological impacts of the orchestral audition process. We discuss the financial and emotional insecurities that many musicians face in addition to the pressures of the audition and assert the importance of mindfulness both in the practice room and the audition room. Caleb leaves us with some food for thought on the symbiotic relationship between understanding ourselves and understanding music.

Caleb's Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjnugkDMhF4

In this episode, we talk to flutist Susan Palma-Nidel about her experiences playing in Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and her more recent endeavors performing and recording world music. We discuss the internal and external push-and-pull that is required for music-making, concluding that we should embrace discomfort as a means for growth and satisfaction.

http://www.susanpalmanidel.com/

In this episode, we continue our conversation with Mimi Stillman about exploring careers in music. She tells us about the beginnings of Dolce Suono Ensemble, and we share our hopes for interdisciplinary artistic careers. We discuss all of the behind-the-scenes work that goes into running an arts organization, and how our experiences serving as program assistants for DSE have helped us in running this podcast.

https://linktr.ee/dolcesuonoensemble

In this episode, we talk to our flute teacher and mentor Mimi Stillman about having a lifelong relationship with music. She tells us about her experiences studying at the Curtis Institute of Music as a young flutist, as well as her time studying history at the University of Pennsylvania. We share our thoughts on going to a university versus conservatory and how having knowledge of other subjects influences our musicianship. We also discuss the difficulties of maintaining a practice routine and finding the joy in practicing for yourself.

In this episode, we deconstruct the notion that classical music is always sophisticated and put-together with Steinway Artist Mark Livshits. We have a candid conversation about his experiences with ADHD, performance injuries, and loneliness in classical music. Despite these struggles, we also share fun and hilarious stories of the joys of being a musician.

https://www.steinway.com/artists/mark-livshits

In this episode, we continue our discussion with Kristy Drutman about setting boundaries in our creative work. We acknowledge how difficult it can be to say “no” to a project and brainstorm ways to overcome this barrier. We also talk about whether and/or how much to charge, as well as how to maintain artistic integrity while trying to make money. Kristy inspires us to see ourselves as multi-dimensional beings and to value all parts of ourselves as much as we value our creative output.

www.browngirlgreen.org

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www.patreon.com/browngirlgreen

Www.youtube.com/browngirlgreen

Newsletter: bit.ly/browngirlnews

In this episode, we talk to Kristy Drutman, founder of the Brown Girl Green podcast and media series, about the power and responsibility that comes with having influence. We discuss finding our personal roles in movements that we care about, as well overcoming imposter syndrome and learning to be open and honest with our communities. We also highlight the importance of setting personal and ethical boundaries so as not to lose sight of our original intentions.

www.browngirlgreen.org

www.Instagram.com/browngirlgreen

www.patreon.com/browngirlgreen

www.youtube.com/browngirlgreen

Newsletter: bit.ly/browngirlnews

In this episode, we talk to percussionist and music educator Joe Bergen about the importance of exploring and expanding the new music repertoire. Joe walks us through his journey in forming Mantra Percussion, a group that both performs and provides students with opportunities to enter the world of new music. We also share our experiences with being exposed to contemporary music at a young age and how that exposure diversified our understanding of music.

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https://mantrapercussion.org/

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Michael Gordon Timber performed by Mantra Percussion

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/2u0Lu044yo9EtfvAdqRBev

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-BqG2eAbW0

NPR feature: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lytgDpIs4Sk&t=3s