Greenroom Conversations

After graduating with degrees in viola performance Chris Williams moved to New York, paving his own path into artist management. He talks about his ‘on the job education’ for the skills he needed to be an artist manager and music contractor. He communicates how to negotiate in securing management and how important it is to develop business skills along to be able to sell your musical skills. Offering specifics on how to promote you and your product to become noticed by management. Topics we discuss; branding, innovative programming, demands of touring, photo mistakes, promotional videos, reinventing programing to be invited back and talking during the performance with the audience. As an artist and entrepreneur himself he shares negotiating his own career as a pop songwriter and violist. Straddling both genres of music he offers interesting insight into bridging the gap for audiences from both sides.

Contemporary Pianist, Anthony de Mare shares his journey to his current career. He talks about his influences that formed his path to studying classical piano, leading him to find an affinity to the repertoire of contemporary composers. At the University of Buffalo he found his way to new music exploring late Liszt to the present and hosting a radio program about new music. He examines the skills that a pianist needs to be successful at learning contemporary music and the importance of including contemporary music within standard repertoire curriculum. We discuss the difficulties that arise from learning and teaching contemporary music, how competitions fit into creating a career, and defining what is included in contemporary piano music. Reinventing himself every five years or so, he shares his current project “Liaisons”, commissioning 36 of the world’s foremost contemporary composers from across the musical spectrum to “re-imagine” one of Sondheim’s songs as a solo piano piece.

Nellie Beavers unravels the who’s who behind the scene on Broadway, from the assistant stage manager, company managers, conductor, music director to producer. She talks about auditions and what makes someone stand out, or get the job. Her answers might surprise you! She details many different stories from her experience in auditioning to being a stage manager and offers many gems of advice for anyone interested in pursuing a career on the Broadway stage.