Skip the Repeat

David Devan is obsessed with suits. David talks to Kai about growing up figure skating (8:40), what drew him first to opera after college (17:22), and the exciting idea behind Opera Philadelphia's Festival "O" (31:30). They also discuss the company's attitude towards commissioning new work (51) and a new opera about two women with Alzheimer's (1:08:30).     

Momentum is highly underrated. In this week’s short story from a past Skip the Repeat guest, Nick Canellakis, cellist, artistic director, and filmmaker talks about his approach to goal setting. He talks about what he gains the most satisfaction from in life and his mindset to achieving it.  

Jonathan Coopersmith will never turn down a good challenge. Jonathan talks to Kai about a particular choir teacher in high school (17:50), the students at Curtis and a fascinating letter he makes them write (26:26), and how the composer George Crumb influenced him as his teacher (41:40). They also discuss his ventures in technology (47) and how Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein became his mentors (1:14:30). 

You know the artists that we look up to and make us wonder if we can ever reach their level? They all started like us. In this week's short story from a past Skip the Repeat guest, Jake Goldbas, drummer, musical director, and educator, tells us something really surprising: he didn't make his high school jazz band freshman year. This story is about what he decided to do after he hit that obstacle and what he learned from it. 

Stanford Thompson and his family spend every Thanksgiving in a different city. Stanford talks to Kai about how he hated practicing when he first started the trumpet (9:40), the moment he realized that his dream didn’t involve playing in an orchestra (17), and the effect President Trump has had on his organization, Play On, Philly! (48:42). They also discuss what he learned from spending time in Kenya (56:15) and the personal loss that made him grow up early in life (1:09:51).

When we see a string quartet, why do we automatically compare the first and second violinists? It's habit. In this week's short story from a past Skip the Repeat guest, Bryan Lee, violinist and member of the Dover Quartet, tells the story of the time a mentor of theirs suggested that he play second, what a hit to the ego that was for him, and how he overcame that. 

Jas Morrell is a tattoo artist and owner of Spirited Tattooing Coalition in Philadelphia. Jas talks to Kai about what makes his tattoo shop different (3), his experience growing up without much of an idea about his identity (12:50), and the moment he came out as queer (16:10). They also discuss how he first got into the tattoo industry (27:40) and the aspects of the shop that have changed with the election of Donald Trump as President (45:20).

Have you ever noticed that there's a lot of complaining happening? In this week's short story from a past Skip the Repeat guest, Mary Javian, Chair of Career Studies at the Curtis Institute of Music, talks about the culture of complaining in the classical music world, why it happens, and what we can do about it. 

JJ Kirkpatrick has been surrounded by great educators all his life. JJ gives tribute to the late Roy Hargrove (2:50), talks to Kai about what Thara Memory meant to him (6:30), and what got him to turn his life around after a troubling middle school experience (19:20). They also discuss how he ended up at one of the most prestigious music schools in the country (30) and his up-and-down time there (34:45). 

Tattoos are controversial where Yura Lee and I come from, Korea and Japan respectively, and in the classical music world. In this week’s short episode from a past Skip the Repeat guest, we unpack her thoughts before she got her first ink, anxiety about whether she would be accepted by the industry or not, what she learned afterwards, and why we will never know until we take that plunge.