We speak with Anne-Marie McDermott, a classical pianist and member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. She is also the artistic director of numerous music festivals, including the Bravo! Vail Music Festival, which just kicked off its 2024 season.

Anne-Marie talks about her early exposure to music and the impact her family and music teachers had on her journey as a musician and finding her artistic voice. She also shares with us formative experiences as a collaborative and solo artist, lessons from her role as an artistic director, and her views on the importance and power of the arts. Tune in to be inspired!

This spring, we connected with Gina Costanza, a music educator who has spent the last 18 years teaching general music and chorus and is currently the president of the Music Educators Association of New York City (MEANYC). It's clear: Gina truly loves what she does. In our conversation, we learn how she was inspired to pursue the profession as a student as well as some of the challenges during the early years of teaching. She also shares her unique experiences teaching students across New York City, the impact that MEANYC has in NYC's music education community, and where she sees music ed going in the future.

Tune in to hear from a passionate educator who, day in and day out, works to ensure that music provides a space for healing, community, and growth for her students.

We had the privilege to sit down with one of the world's most esteemed violinists, Anne Akiko Meyers. Grammy-nominated and a trailblazer in her field, Anne has collaborated with today’s most important composers, conductors, orchestras and presenters, creating a remarkable collection of new violin repertoire for future generations.

We speak with Anne about her journey as an artist, from her earliest exposure to music to working with some of today's most innovative composers. We learn about the commitment her parents made to her developing musicianship, the characteristics of her teachers that helped lay the foundation for her success, and Anne's invaluable perspective on finding one's own artistic voice. 

An insightful, inspiring conversation with a true artist that's not to be missed.

We had the honor to speak with internationally acclaimed conductor, Leonard Slatkin.

Maestro Slatkin is Music Director Laureate of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO), Directeur Musical Honoraire of the Orchestre National de Lyon (ONL), Conductor Laureate of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO), and Principal Guest Conductor of the Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria (OFGC). He also maintains a rigorous schedule of guest conducting throughout the world and is active as a composer, author, and educator.

Leonard speaks with us about his musical heritage, his experiences growing up in California public schools, and his views on the importance and impact of having access to the arts. He also shares advice for today's music educators to make teaching more relevant and reflective of the current times. 

Tune in now to hear more about Maestro Slatkin's inspiring story and invaluable perspective.

What are the steps to establishing a great music program?

In this episode, we take a behind-the-scenes look at ETM's unique and exemplary model for music education. ETM's Davian Alleyne (Teacher at P.S. 236), Stephanie Nantell (Senior Director of Programs), and Arielle Lewis (Instructional Supervisor) share the many levels of planning and support that go into making a successful program, starting from the first day of school to its culminating winter concert. We also hear from the Principal of P.S. 236 and a parent of students at the school to learn about the impact music education has made on the community.

In part 2 of our conversation with Deb Confredo, 43-year veteran music educator, Professor of Music Education at Temple University, and President-Elect of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), we delve deeper into the work of the Music Teacher Profession Initiative (MTPI).

The MTPI was initiated by NAfME in 2021 with the perspective of widening the path to the profession by cultivating and strengthening more inclusive and equitable processes in recruiting, teaching, and nurturing a robust music teacher workforce. Deb shares with us several of the project's recommendations for action for the profession to become more diverse and equitable, as well as her perspective on how we can be everyday advocates for music education.

In this two-part episode, we speak with Dr. Deb Confredo, Professor of Music Education at Temple University and President-Elect of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME). A 43-year veteran music educator, Deb shares with us her early inspirations to pursue music education, the trajectory of her career, as well as the origins and development of the Music Teacher Profession Initiative, which was was formed in 2021 by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) to identify barriers to equity in music teacher recruitment, education, and retention. Tune in to Part I of this insightful conversation with one of the leading voices in music education today.

To kick off 2024, we speak with none other than the CEO of Education Through Music, Dr. Janice Weinman. Weinman boasts a five decade career, including top leadership positions of international and national non-profit organizations. She also served in two presidential administrations and was recently named a 2023 Politics NY and amNY Metro Power Player in Education for her contributions to the field. Weinman joins us for a robust discussion about the impact of her early music education experience, her approach to leadership, and how she applies her lifelong commitment to advancing educational equity to ETM's work and mission.

Modern band can be a tremendously popular and educational music offering, especially for a school that is starting a new music program. To prove this, we look no further than the success of the modern band at All Hallows High School, an ETM partner school located in the Bronx.

For nearly 40 years, All Hallows lacked a formal music program and in the short span of two years, the band has risen to perform at venues such as Yankee Stadium, PAC NYC, and countless venues throughout its community. In this episode, we sit down with the students, alongside teacher Alfredo Hernandez and school leaders Paul Fontana and Principal Nick Corrado, to discuss the role that music education has played in shaping the school community and building a sense of brotherhood. Tune in to learn about the band's evolution from inexperienced newcomers to performers that continue to push themselves to greater heights.

We had the honor to speak with the internationally celebrated and Pulitzer Prize winner composer, Anthony Davis.

Davis is one of the “great living American composers” (New York Times). Opera News calls him “a National Treasure, and in 2023, Opera America inducts him into its Hall of Fame. Davis was the first to write a new American genre: opera on a contemporary political subject. His X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X returns to the Met Opera this November 2023, 37 years after its sold-out opening at the New York City Opera. “X” has taken on an almost mythic stature as the first opera to seamlessly integrate the musical worlds of opera and improvised music in a compelling story about one of the most charismatic figures in American history.

We speak about Davis' musical upbringing, his unparalleled artistry, and his perspective on music's connection with other artforms and the outside world.