Dismantling Dissonance

Leila Ramagopal Pertl is an Instructor in Music Education and harp at Lawrence University, Deep Listening Instructor for the Center for Deep Listening, and the Music Education Curator of the Mile of Music Festival, in Appleton Wisconsin where Leila and her team lead 60 hands-on music-making events for its over 75,000 visitors each year.  She created the innovative music curricula at Next Generation School in Champaign, IL and at Appleton Public Montessori, Appleton, Wi, where music is treated as a core subject; each student taking music class every day and being immersed in drumming, dancing, singing, improvisation, composition, music theory, and Deep Listening.  She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from Lawrence University, a Master of Science degree in Music Education from the University of Illinois and is a recipient of the Pi Kappa Lambda Honors, Excellence in Music Education. She is an active presenter and has recently given presentations and teacher workshops for the Illinois Association for Health, Physical Education and Dance, Appleton Area School District, WMEA State Conference, the International Deep Listening Conference, the Appleton Education Foundation, The Smithsonian Year of Music panel on the Future of Music Education, and co-presented a paper at the Northeastern Philosophy of Education Society at Tufts University: “Hearing the Lines:  The Birth of Childhood and Philosophy through Music.”  Leila was the 2018 recipient of the Mentor Award from the Wisconsin Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (WACTE) and is the WMEA State Chair for Composition and Improvisation. She believes that music is a birthright, and loves being with people in collaborative, creative spaces! 

https://lawrence.edu

Brian Pertl is currently the Dean of the Lawrence Conservatory. He is a trombonist, ethnomusicologist, didjeridu player, Deep Listener, and an advocate for music education at all levels. Brian believes that creating a conservatory music culture that honors diversity, multi-musicality, creativity, exploration, collaboration, curiosity, and play is key to producing musicians and entrepreneurs who will best overcome the obstacles and capitalize on the opportunities facing today’s graduates. Brian is endlessly optimistic that the properly prepared music graduate will have more opportunities to create a musical life than ever before.

https://lawrenceuniversity.org
https://deeplistening.org

One of the youngest violin professors at Boston’s Berklee College of Music, Anick is considered “a rising star in the world of jazz violin and mandolin” (Downbeat Magazine).  In addition to leading various groups under his own name and performing with the Rhythm Future Quartet, Anick has been touring and recording with Grammy award-winning Nashville guitar virtuoso John Jorgenson since 2008 when he was recruited while still a senior at the Hartt Conservatory. 

Over the past few years, Jason has been focusing on arranging and composing for the Rhythm Future Quartet, Jason Anick Acoustic Trio, and the Anick/Yeager Quartet.  The Rhythm Future Quartet, which Jason started with Finish guitar virtuoso Olli Soikkeli, is rapidly becoming one of the preeminent Gypsy jazz groups in the country. The group just released its third album, "RFQ and Friends" which was praised by JazzTimes as "packed to the gills with feeling... dynamic, full of virtuosity and swing".
The Jason Anick Acoustic Trio, which formed in 2017, applies Jason's formidable improvisational and compositional chops to the roots/fiddle music of his youth.  The Jason Anick/Jason Yeager Quartet draws on the wide swath of musical interests of its co-leaders, blending straight-ahead and post-bop jazz, world music, funk and pop, eagerly embracing what Anick and Yeager have defined as “jazz without borders.” Their debut album, United, garnered rave reviews including 4.5 stars from Downbeat Magazine. 

A versatile musician and sought after side-man, Anick has also shared the stage with an array of artist like Stevie Wonder, Tommy Emmanuel, Hamilton de Holanda, The Jim Kweskin Jug Band, John Sebastian, Delta Rae, and Ward Hayden and the Outliers. With performances all over the world from China, Europe, and Japan and renowned venues like the Montreal Jazz Festival, Blue Note, Smalls Jazz Club, Scullers Jazz Club, Yoshi's, Iridium, TD Garden, Regattabar, NPR, and The Late Night Show, Jason has proven himself to be a leader in the ever-growing contemporary string world.

Jason is also a sought-after educator, and has taught jazz violin and mandolin to students of all ages at string camps, workshops, and clinics around the world.  Jason regularly contributes educational columns to Fiddler Magazine and instructional videos to DC Music and Christian Howes' Creative Strings Academy.

Kate Kayaian is a professional cellist, teacher, musician’s coach, and the creator and artistic director of the Virtual Summer Cello Festival–the very first full-length summer festival program to be offered online in 2020. 

As a cellist, Kate has performed as soloist, chamber musician and recitalist in a myriad of venues from art galleries in Seattle to Jordan Hall in Boston, and in some of the top concert halls of Europe.

She attended the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston and was subsequently awarded a fellowship at the New World Symphony Orchestra in Miami. She performs and records often with the Grammy award-winning contemporary music ensemble, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, and was embarking on a US tour of her solo recital program: The Voice of the Cello when the current COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Drawing from her 5 years of experience as a pioneer in the world of online teaching, she created the 7-week Virtual Summer Cello Festival for highly talented high school and college aged cellists as a response to the cancelation of traditional summer festivals due to the current public health crisis.

This fall she is unveiling 2 of her latest projects: The Bridge Online Cello Studio–created for advanced high school and college level– which combines her current online private teaching studio with the group structure of the festival, creating an incredible opportunity for students all over the world to study. And The Profit Pivot–a 10 week long group coaching program for professional musicians who are ready to take the reins on their careers and their bank accounts.

She writes about career and life issues for classical musicians on her blog, Tales From The Lane, and coaches musicians and other creatives on career and mindset pivots to ensure financially stable lives for them and their families.

Join her Tales From the Lane Facebook Group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/Talesfromthelane
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kkayaian/?hl=en
Website: https://katekayaian.com/
Blog (Tales From The Lane): https://talesfromthelane.com/
Virtual Summer Cello Festival: https://virtualsummercellofestival.wordpress.com/

Sarah Larsen has blown through the juke joints and watering holes of America, the perfect example of a classical good girl gone outlaw. She’s shot whiskey in the Midwestern Wilds, danced to zydeco in Louisiana, fallen in love in the Rockies, and two-stepped on top of broken hearts in Nashville. With fiddle, banjo, and guitar in tow, Hoss sings the stories of her travels and travails, as well as traditional songs of the American experience. 

When not portraying the urban gypsy-cowgirl Hurricane Hoss, Sarah Williams Larsen is one of the Northeast’s hardest working fiddle players. An award-winning contest fiddler, classical call-girl, and session player, she’s recently lent her fingers to Dr. Dog, David Mayfield, Ben Arnold, Saskwatch, Mason Porter, and the Hot Club of Philadelphia. She has also been a member in the multi-instrumental folk trio Ladybird. 

Instagram: @sarahlarsenmusic
https://www.facebook.com/hurricanehoss

Honesty Pill founder Christopher Still joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic as Second
Trumpet in 2007. 

Before coming to California, he was the Principal Trumpet of the Colorado Symphony.
He has also held the positions of Associate Principal Trumpet of the Dallas Symphony
and Principal Trumpet of the Charleston (SC) Symphony. Additionally, Christopher has
served as Assistant Principal Trumpet with the Grant Park Festival Orchestra in
Chicago’s Millennium Park and Guest Principal with the St. Louis Symphony.

Christopher has recorded extensively with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Grant Park,
Dallas, and Albany symphony orchestras. Active in the Hollywood recording studios, he
can be heard on major motion picture and television soundtracks. He is a Yamaha
Artist, a dedicated educator, and an active clinician.

Having grown up in a musical household, Christopher originally intended to become a
band director and earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the Crane School
of Music (SUNY-Potsdam). Switching to performance, he received his Master of Music
Performance degree from the New England Conservatory in Boston. He was a
Tanglewood Music Center Fellow in 1995 and 1996.

Christopher’s favorite aspect of his job is the orchestra’s frequent performance of
contemporary music, especially the Green Umbrella concert series.

Christopher lives in Altadena, CA with his wife, Amanda McIntosh, and two children. He
enjoys long-distance running, skiing, brewing beer, and hiking in the trails behind his
house.

For tickets to Will's "Songs from the Shower: Viola Vespers recital, please visit https://viola-vespers.eventbrite.com Concert is Sunday, 11/22 at 7:30 pm EST.

Will Curry enjoys a diverse career as a music director, conductor, violist, violinist, teacher, and coach. An active theater musician, Will was recently the music director and conductor of the national tour of Miss Saigon. He previously held positions of violist and assistant conductor with the Broadway productions of My Fair Lady at Lincoln Center Theater, Miss Saigon, Fiddler on the Roof, and Les Misérables. Before moving to New York City, Will served as the associate conductor and violist for the Toronto production of Les Misérables, and toured the US with the 25th Anniversary production of Les Misérables as concertmaster and assistant conductor.

An avid chamber musician, Will is a member of Mod3, with pianist Carol Ann Aicher and oboist Kevin Chavez. He also regularly performs with the Broadway Chamber Players. Will has performed with singer-songwriter, Amanda Brown, and with Pink Martini.

A passionate teacher, Will teaches violin and viola at the Elisabeth Morrow School and Wilton Music Studios. He is a teaching artist with Broadway Classroom and has taught masterclasses at UCLA, University of Northern Colorado, Michigan State University, Arizona State University, Northwestern University, and the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts. He has guest conducted ensembles at Saratoga High School, Beechwood High School, Hershey High School, and Jefferson County High School.

A graduate of Northwestern University, Will studied viola with Roland Vamos and conducting with Victor Yampolsky. He currently studies piano with Carol Ann Aicher. Previous teachers include Alice Bish, Liu-Quo Chang, Charles Pickler, Matthias Tacke, and Clara Takarabe. Will trained in the Suzuki method at The School for Strings in New York City with Allen Lieb and Kati Gerson. 

Will can be heard on the cast albums of My Fair Lady, Fiddler on the Roof, and John & Jen, and he has released two solo albums, Fill in the Words and The Time of Year for Miracles, with actor/singer Ian Patrick Gibb. Will contributed orchestrations to Jake Weinstein’s short film Ode to the Singing Butler, and to Lawrence Rush’s musical adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Other orchestration credits include performances by Andrew Lippa, Carole Shelley, Christine Ebersole, Andrea McArdle, Jay Armstrong Johnson and Andrew Keenan-Bolger, Harvey Evans and Jim Brochu, and Daniel Reichard.

https://willcurrymusic.com
@wjcurry

* The Super String concert David mentions in the episode takes place November 14th, 2020. Please click on the link to get your ticket!* https://www.savvymusician.com/superstring

Dr. David Cutler, a self-proclaimed WEEKEND TRAVELER, is a pianist and composer equally comfortable with classical, jazz, popular, folk, and world music. Stretching what it means to be a performer, events regularly involve crazy antics: extreme eclecticism, choreography, humor, interdisciplinary collaboration, superhero costumes, character ushers, celebrity cameos, kazoo playing marching bands, you name it.

Cutler's remarkable composition SuperNova dramatically reimagines the most popular string method of all time, SUZUKI VIOLIN SCHOOL, VOLUME 1. While melodies remain unchanged, rhythm section accompaniments are virtuosic and exploratory, inspired by music genres from around the globe (tango to techno, Baroque to boogie). This project includes 4 full albums, a SuperCreativity eCourse, string ensemble arrangements, and more. 

 One of the world’s leading voices on ARTS ENTREPRENEURSHIP, Cutler has led keynotes and workshops for Music Teachers National Association, College Music Society, Juilliard School, Dutch Classical Music Meeting, Chamber Music America, New World Symphony Orchestra, Indiana University, and Italy’s soundSCAPE music festival. His books The Savvy Musician and The Savvy Music Teacher, which provide tools for amplifying income, impact, and innovation, have shaped a generation of musicians. Dr. Cutler is a distinguished professor of music entrepreneurship at University of South Carolina, and a Yamaha Master Educator.

Cutler and his consulting firm The Puzzler Company work with arts, business, and education organizations to foster innovation. His upcoming VISUAL book (illustrations and design throughout) Problem-Solving Champion: Winning the GAME of Innovation helps teams turn problems into GAMEs and play to win. 

email: [email protected]

Praised by The Washington Post for her “marvelous violin acrobatics,” Sarah is known for being on the edge of creativity and has developed a successful music career as a performer, teacher and musicians life & business coach. She has appeared on stages worldwide as a soloist and collaborative artist throughout North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa and is fiercely dedicated to bringing fresh new ideas to classical music and empowering musicians to find their own voice.

Sarah is a founding member of the NYC based string quintet SYBARITE5, whose last two albums have reached the top ten on the Billboard Charts. SYBARITE5, the first string quintet to win the Concert Artists Guild Competition, has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Alice Tully Hall, the Library of Congress, the Aspen, Caramoor, Chautauqua, Grand Teton and Ravinia Festivals.

 In 2015, Sarah founded Beyond the Notes, an innovative concert series that breaks down the boundaries between the audience and the performers. Entering its sixth season of successful concerts, Beyond the Notes presents concerts around the country in partnership with series and organizations and presents flagship Beyond the Notes concert occurs annually in Concord, MA.

 Passionate about helping musicians navigate the ever-changing music world, Sarah is a musician's life and business coach and helps musicians craft fulfilling and sustainable careers in music. She has also given entrepreneurship lectures and workshops at the Curtis Institute of Music, the Juilliard School, New England Conservatory, Rice University, University of Arizona, among others. Her reputation and devotion to sound practice techniques led STRINGS magazine to feature Sarah in an article, ‘The Art of Mindful Practice’ and her widely-read blog The Productive Musician focuses on health and wellness, productivity, and strategies for developing and maintaining an effective mindset.

 Sarah holds a Bachelor’s degree with honors from the University of Michigan School of Music, as well as a Master of Music and Professional Studies degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music.

Sarah's FREE PDF "Four Secrets to Being Super Successful (that you didn't learn in music school)": https://mailchi.mp/f3efa38865b5/zxa712k2pi
Website: https://sarahwhitney.com
Blog: https://www.sarahwhitney.com/the-productive-musician/
IG: @theproductivemusician
FB: https://www.facebook.com/theproductivemusician/

Dr. Matthew Arau, founder of Upbeat Global, is the Chair of the Music Education
Department and Associate Director of Bands at the Lawrence University Conservatory
of Music in Appleton, Wisconsin. In addition, Dr. Arau is on the faculty of the American
Band College of Central Washington University and VanderCook College of Music. He
also serves as a Conn-Selmer Education Clinician and as Member-at-Large on the
NAfME Council for Band Education.

Dr. Arau has guest conducted and presented on student leadership, mindfulness,
growth mindset, rehearsal techniques, and creating positive cultures in over 25 states
and 4 continents. He has presented at the International Midwest Band and Orchestra
Clinic, the Western International Band Clinic, the NAfME National Conference,
numerous State and Regional Music Education Association Conferences, and the
Conn-Selmer Institute. He has conducted honor bands in Australia, Greece, Cyprus,
and Malaysia, and All-State honor bands across the United States. Dr. Arau teaches his
Upbeat! Leadership Program to student leaders and Drum Majors at in-person and
online camps around the United States and abroad.

Dr. Arau draws on a deep reservoir of fifteen years of experience as a successful
middle school and high school band director in Loveland, Colorado, where he led his
bands at Walt Clark Middle School and Loveland High School to numerous honor
performances and championships and pioneered the Leadership Symposium. Dr. Arau
holds a D.M.A. in Conducting and Literature from the University of Colorado Boulder
and a Master of Science in Music Education from the American Band College of
Southern Oregon University. He graduated magna cum laude from Lawrence
University, where he earned a Bachelor of Music in Instrumental Music Education,
Music Performance (Classical), Music Performance (Jazz Studies), and a Bachelor of
Arts in Government. He resides in Neenah, Wisconsin with his wife Merilee, their dog
Olive, and two sugar gliders - Little Foot and Flash.
https://www.upbeatglobal.com/leadership-summit
https://www.conn-selmer.com/en-us/education/programs/conn-selmer-institute-student-leadership