Timothy Long is a musician, conductor, and music professor based in New York City and Rochester, NY.

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(00:00) Chasing bigger towns, landing at Juilliard in 1994

(03:45) Small-town Oklahoma roots and mixed tribal identity

(07:10) Two churches, two worlds, learning to “assimilate”

(10:35) Language, humor, and realizing “Indian” on TV

(14:05) Muskogee and Choctaw history, Trail of Tears context

(18:40) Dawes rolls, blood quantum cards, slow-burning erasure

(22:30) Opera “Missing” and using privilege as a platform

(26:10) Mother’s TB survival and Beethoven as childhood soundtrack

(30:05) First lessons, theory coloring book, obsession takes hold

(33:40) The Oklahoma City audition that changed everything

(37:20) Eastman intensity: practice culture, peers, confidence

(40:55) Ten instruments, no goals—just following the music

(44:10) Accidental conducting: offers first, skills later

(47:55) Neurodivergence: sleepwalking, recognition issues, synesthesia

(50:05) Getting fired in 2010 and rebuilding from scratch

(53:20) New York as freedom: anonymity, reunions, “small town” life

(55:40) Coming out, AIDS-era shame, and family acceptance

(57:40) Success as truth: Indigenous Songbook, Sky Mother, foundation beginnings