Making Noise Podcast

“I think that exploring new sounds is something that our future audiences deserve because there is so much more to say.”

Before this episode, Erich and I had never spoken outside of interactions on social media. However, from those interactions, I had the sense this would be a fun and welcoming sort of conversation. That proved to be very true! We have already agreed to have him back for a Part 2, and since I am announcing that here in writing, it definitely has to happen.

Erich is the type of musician who not only creates opportunities for himself but creates opportunities for other musicians. From our conversation, it seems clear to me that when he sets out to do something, he makes it happen. We go into great detail about the many of those opportunities: starting a record label, founding the A/Tonal Ensemble with his wife, America By project, and other topics like the future of college music program curriculums, comedian Jin Bruer, and so much more on episode 19 of The Making Noise Podcast. 

I hope you enjoy!

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Follow Erich’s Work: http://www.erichstem.net/

America By Project: http://www.americaby.com/

A/Tonal Ensemble: http://www.atonalensemble.com/

Interview with Lilly Kodayama http://americaby.com/bainbridge/surviving-internment/

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Follow the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, iHeartradio, and my website where you can listen to music, purchase scores, and learn how to commission a new piece for your ensemble.

“It’s very unlikely I'll have a full-time position with an orchestra as a pianist as my career. That is not a thing that happens to too many people these days. So, if not that, sink or swim, I have to start thinking about my career in a different way.”

Marianne Parker is one of the most active and vibrant musicians I know. Just to name a few things she has going on: performances and commissioning works with her piano and marimba duo, L&M; recording works by Haitian composers; curating an anthology of 21st century works for solo piano through New Music Shelf; producing performances with New Music Chicago along with other administrative tasks; a packed performance and teaching schedule; and still has time to spend with her family, go to parks with her lovely dog, build a garden, hiking, running, what else?!

The great thing about Marianne, amongst her active and busy lifestyle, is she always has a very positive and joyous attitude. And this entirely comes through in our conversation. We discuss nearly all of the things listed above, along with what it’s like learning to compose from a performers perspective, the upcoming premiere of Stephanie Ann Boyd’s Flower Catalog, comedy podcasts, Ear Taxi, New Music Gathering, the pairing concerts with violist Michael Hall, and so much more in episode 18 of the Making Noise Podcast. 

I hope you enjoy!

Follow Marianne’s Work: www.marianneparker.com
Twitter: @mariannep_piano
Insta: mrrrranne

Stephanie Ann Boyd’s Flower Catalog: https://www.stephanieannboyd.com/flower-catalog

NewMusicShelf Anthology for Solo Piano, Volume 1: https://www.newmusicshelf.com/product/anthology-solo-piano-vol-1/

“Pages intimes” debut album: https://marianneparker.bandcamp.com/releases

“Pyano Sa” album of works by Gifrants: https://open.spotify.com/album/3u6suWwJYlOvkoByvSnRIv (stream/Spotify), https://www.amazon.com/Pyano-Sa-Gifrants/dp/B08QMKN7DV (digital download/Amazon)

Learn more about the upcoming Ear Taxi Festival currently at https://www.newmusicchicago.org/faqs/ , and starting in July at www.eartaxifestival.com.

Chicago chocolatier from the pairings concert: Katherine Anne Confections

The Haitian-American (Montreal-based) composer is: Gifrants

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Follow the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, iHeartradio, and my website
where you can listen to music, purchase scores, and learn how to commission a new piece for your ensemble.

“Failure is information. And it helps everybody do better work next time.”

I had the absolute privilege of sitting down with Andy Hudson, an amazing clarinetist - performing with ensembles like Latitude 49, earspace, F-PLUS, and Zafa Collective - and professor at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. Andy has a way about him that makes you feel like you have been friends for years, even if you have never met. This is not hyperbole because that is exactly what happened: this conversation was our very first introduction. Another great thing about Andy is he is able to extract positivity out of difficult experiences or adopt a perspective that allows him to progress in an otherwise challenging situation, like teaching clarinet on Zoom through the quarantine. We talk about so many topics that are pertinent not only for musicians, but for everyone: a new perspective on what failure means, absolving binary/good vs. bad thinking, enjoying the process and not focusing on the outcome, and so much more in episode 17 of the Making Noise Podcast. 

Follow Andy’s Work on his website

Check out Latitude 49’s new album: The Bagatelles Project. All Proceeds go to the Coalition for African Americans in the Performing Arts.

Social Media
@theandyhudson

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Follow the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, iHeartradio, and my website
where you can listen to music, purchase scores, and learn how to commission a new piece for your ensemble.

“What does it mean to write an opera? What does it mean to put something on stage and to write something with the purpose of there being physical action to do?”

New music powerhouse Lisa Neher is a mezzo-soprano, composer, and actress on a mission to transform audiences through story, sound, and open-heartedness. Described by Oregon ArtsWatch as “a small woman with a very big voice” and “especially alive,” Neher captivates audiences with her electrifying dramatic commitment and unforgettable vocal colors. She released her first EP Of Wind and Waves through OddPop records in January and her opera Sense of Self, written with librettist Kendra Preston Leonard, will be premiered by Opera Elect this year. In addition to her creative work, Lisa coaches composers on writing for voices and business strategy.

Composers take note! Lisa is doing it all, and then some. Her DIY, can-do attitude is completely contagious. I thoroughly enjoyed having this conversation with her. We covered a myriad of topics from writing for voice, to choosing a text, sources of creativity, flamethrowers (seriously), the process of composing, her exciting One Voice Project Micro Opera Festival from March 22-26 and so much more in episode 16 of the Making Noise Podcast.

Be sure to watch the One Voice Project Micro Opera Festival

https://www.lisanehermusic.com/operafestival.html

Follow Lisa’s Work on her website https://www.lisanehermusic.com/

Check out her EP: Of Wind and Waves

https://lisaneher.bandcamp.com/releases

Social Media @lisanehermezzo

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Follow the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, iHeartradio, and my website where you can listen to music, purchase scores, and learn how to commission a new piece for your ensemble.

“Productivity is not about getting the most done. Productivity is about getting to the end of your day and feeling like you got enough done.” I was introduced to Sarah's work through a 3-day online coaching seminar called the Ultimate Music Business Summit. She did a presentation called “Master Your Mindset: How to Ditch the Impostor Syndrome and Take Your Career to the Next Level” absolutely blew my mind!

We had a short timeframe to work with, but there is a wealth of information in this episode! We discuss what productivity is, and what it isn’t; the rules of the music industry changing since the lockdown, meaning new opportunities; and go into great detail about Sarah’s upcoming 4-month long online coaching group called The Career Reboot, starting in April. I am so honored to have Sarah as the featured guest on episode 15 of the Making Noise Podcast.

Sign up for The Career Reboot: https://mailchi.mp/a875da7a3934/careerreboot

Follow Sarah’s Work:
www.sarahwhitney.com

Social Media
Instagram: @theproductivemusician
Facebook: The Productive Musician FB Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/713292089549986/Watch the podcast on YouTube

Follow the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, iHeartradio, and my website where you can listen to music, purchase scores, and learn how to commission a new piece for your ensemble.

“Music is not who you are, it's what you do and what you love.” If you’re a performer, this episode is definitely for you! Flutist and entrepreneur Francesca Leo goes into great detail about her research and work on the Playing Without Pain Project: a resource for musicians to educate on the severities of performance-based injuries, how to prevent them, maintaining healthy and efficient practice habits, and so much more. It is a truly invaluable resource. Follow her on social media and stay informed on maintaining a healthy musical lifestyle. We also talk about Francesca’s new favorite Pixar movie, recommend a bunch of books, and more on episode 14 of the Making Noise Podcast.

Follow Francesca and her work: www.Francescaleoflute.com www.playingwithoutpain.com

Social Media@playingwithouotpain

Watch the podcast on YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBaiw-p9pO12oAGlV1BUkPNk6K-62igrJ

Follow the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and my website https://www.adamkennaugh.com/
where you can listen to music, purchase scores, and learn how to commission a new piece for your ensemble.

In episode 11 of the podcast, the featured guest was Alinéa Ensemble. However, one member was missing in the conversation, Matt Henson. To make up for lost time, Matt and I were able to find a place where our schedules aligned, and have him on the podcast! He is the type of musician that does a little bit of everything: bassist, conductor, music theorist, doctoral student, and member of Alinéa Ensemble. We go into detail about moving across the country during the pandemic, how the couch is every man's best friend, baseball, the challenge of explaining contemporary music to non-musicians, and much more in episode 13 of Making Noise Podcast. 

If you are a bassist or interested in learning the bass, please contact Matt for virtual lessons! He has a lot of experience with many different styles of music and I have no doubt will be happy to help make you a great musician.

Matt’s Instagram
@hens.matthew

Alinéa Ensemble Website
https://www.alineaensemble.org/

Social Media
@alineaensemble

Everything but the Kitch Sink Podcast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsrtFxQIlGk

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Follow the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and my website where you can listen to music, purchase scores, and learn how to commission a new piece for your ensemble.

“My fundamental artistic drive is to do things with my friends, and sometimes I can care less about the actual music." Making Noise Podcast is starting off the new year with a big one! The first episode of 2021, 3 hours and 15 minutes long, features my friend and phenomenal composer Kory Reeder. Kory and I met at orientation when we started graduate school at BGSU. We spent many nights going to performances, having drinks, and listening to a lot of music and talking a lot about music. 

We cover topics from mainstream music like Kendrick Lamar and Flying Lotus, to the purpose of art, having challenging and difficult conversations, the composer/performer relationship, music as an empathetic artform, and so much more - literally so much more - all in episode 12 of Making Noise Podcast. 

Shout outs to Richard P. John, Aliana Clarice, Devon Tipp, Alan Theisen, Kirsten Broberg, Kendrick Lamar, Jack Yarborough 

Kory’s Website
https://www.koryreeder.com/

Bandcamp
https://koryreeder.bandcamp.com/

Social Media
@koryreedermusic

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Follow the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and my website where you can listen to music, purchase scores, and learn how to commission a new piece for your ensemble.

www.adamkennnaugh.com

I randomly stumbled upon Alinéa Ensemble’s podcast, Everything but the Kitchen Sink, and was immediately amazed. I had never heard of them prior, however, the podcast featured interviews with composers like Chaya Czernowin, Beat Furrer, Aaron Cassidy, Marcos Balter, Rebecca Saunders, just to name a few. To me, this was an ensemble that was open to taking on challenges. They took advantage of two things that were provided with the quarantine of 2020: time and accessibility. We go in-depth - from how the ensemble formed in 2019, to their graceful transition during quarantine, and what they intend to do next - in episode 11 of the Making Noise Podcast. 

Alinéa Ensemble Website
https://www.alineaensemble.org/

Social Media
@alineaensemble

Everything but the Kitch Sink Podcast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsrtFxQIlGk

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Follow the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and my website where you can listen to music, purchase scores, and learn how to commission a new piece for your ensemble.

Shaped by sonic sensitivity from a young age, Pittsburgh based composer/performer/artist Devon Osamu Tipp creates unorthodox musical environments from ostensibly incompatible realms. Tipp’s music draws influence from his Japanese and Eastern European roots, his experiences as a jeweler and painter, improvisations with plants, and his studies of gagaku and hogaku in Japan and the US. His work focuses on rhythmic and timbral transmutation of cyclical materials, ranging from the orchestral, to string basses prepared with honey stirrers, to concerti for traditional Japanese instruments. His compositions have been performed in the US, Europe, Australia, China and Japan.

Devon’s website

Check out his paintings on Esty

Devon’s Bandcamp

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Follow the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and my website where you can listen to music, purchase scores, and learn how to commission a new piece for your ensemble.