In this episode of BarTalk, Pokie and Walter are back with stories, laughter, and a little bit of chaos. We start with baklava (homemade only, please), move into NYC apartment-hopping memories, and somehow end up with Ross yelling “Pivot!” from Friends.

But that’s just the warm-up. The big highlight? We relive the Bolivian Bicentennial Challenge, a global three-night music festival that brought together performers from 29 cities and 8 countries, representing 23 composers with everything from solo piano to full orchestra. We talk stats, favorite performances, and why this event felt like a true international summit of music.

We also get personal: Pokie shares a heartfelt update about saying goodbye to a beloved pug, Dexter, and Walter reveals his nerdy joy in scheduling (with a full Top 10 list of fall prep tips that ranges from calendars to closet clean-outs).

And of course, it wouldn’t be BarTalk without:

• BarTech – Why outsourcing and delegating might be the secret to surviving as a musician with a portfolio career.
• Pet Peeves – Espresso (not expresso, thank you very much) and other language crimes.
• Deep Dive – Does music theory really make you a better pianist, or does intuition win?

From funny moving-day disasters to reflections on balance, creativity, and community, Episode 7 proves that this podcast is here to stay (we’ve made it past the dreaded “episode seven drop-off”!).

👉 Watch the Bolivian Bicentennial Challenge performances on YouTube

🎧 Listen now and tell us how you’re pivoting this fall.

💬 Leave us a 5-star review and we might read it on air – bonus points if it’s spicy.

Rate ★★★★★ & subscribe so you don’t miss Episode 8.