Edgar GIrtain IV is an American living in Chile who recently collaborated with musicians in France. He shares with us how this cross-cultural collaboration came about, as well as some of the challenges faced by musicians in the global south and how composers can make music more equitable. I'm sure you will find it an enlightening and inspiring conversation! I encourage you to visit Edgar's website so you can stay up-to-date with his latest projects. He has an album of violin and piano music coming out soon that you do not want to miss!

Whether you are an avid listener to classical music or someone who is just curious, whether you are a classical musician or part of an organization that presents classical music, you need the Live Music Project! You will find out how you can find the classical music concerts you want to see, how you can list your own concerts in the calendar, and how you can support your local community's music scene by becoming a remote volunteer. Listen and find out why the Live Music Project is vital to the future of classical music and our communities! 

https://themusickingcommunity.com/2024/11/21/episode-17-why-you-need-the-live-music-project/

https://themusickingcommunity.com/2024/10/15/episode-15-addressing-gender-disparity-in-opera/

http://themusickingcommunity.com/2024/09/20/episode-14-staging-stories-for-today/

When is the last time you sang in a group? Have you ever worked with others to bring a piece to life and present it in performance? Have you ever considered joining a community chorus? Let Beth Armstrong convince you that joining a community chorus is the RIGHT thing to do! In part two of my interview with Beth, she shares stories of the impact of music on the lives of individuals and communities. She also talks about the role of the community chorus within the larger community, how she knew it was time to retire, and who her favorite composers are. 

Topics in this episode include:

The role of a community chorus within the larger community; Music helps people process emotional events and feel all the feelings; Music marks important moments in the lives of individuals and communities; Music cuts through cultural barriers; The primal sound of a mother's voice; Music is not an intellectual experience; Remembering the people we make music with, more than the music itself; How to know it's time to retire; Choosing music for concerts; Aaron Copland; Leonard Bernstein; Stephen Sondheim; Singing in groups is the #1 way Americans participate in the arts.

Beth Armstrong has been singing from a very young age and participated in choruses from her teens into adulthood, singing in prestigious groups such as the Concord Chorale and The Providence Singers. While living in New Hampshire, she founded the women's group femme m'amie, directed the Suncook Valley Chorale, and taught public school music for twelve years. She currently directs the Chorus of East Providence, is the interim music director at her church, and is finishing up her 20th, and final, year as director of The Greater Tiverton Community Chorus. She is currently working on a book of memoirs.

Beth directs the following choruses:

The Chorus of East Providence

The Greater Tiverton Community Chorus

Be sure to subscribe to The Musicking Community Podcast to ensure you never miss an episode!

If you are a musician, ensemble, or organization that would like to share your project with us, or are a fan who would like to suggest one, click on the following link to apply to be on the show! https://forms.gle/pESRBh6ioHGLa78VA

When is the last time you sang in a group? Have you ever worked with others to bring a piece of music to life and present it in performance? Have you ever considered joining a community chorus? Let Beth Armstrong convince you that joining a community chorus is the RIGHT thing to do! In part one of my interview with Beth, she shares her own background in music, how she became a choral director, and some of the physiological and psychological benefits of singing in a group. Singing in a group truly has the power to heal!

Topics in this episode include:

The impact of early musical experiences; the magic of harmony; the importance of others' support and encouragement; can you do it?; changes in expectations and credentials; imposter syndrome; being self-critical and chasing perfection; comparing ourselves to the false ideal of "perfect" (edited) recordings; the physiological and psychological benefits of singing in a group; Robert Shaw; collaborative creating; how singing makes us all like each other more; taking the first step of being vulnerable; being in the people business, not the music business; the amazing experiences that come with participating in music; singing with Carole King. 

Beth Armstrong has been singing from a very young age and participated in choruses from her teens into adulthood, participating in prestigous groups such as the Concord Chorale and The Providence Singers. While living in New Hampshire, she founded the women's group, Femme-a-me, directed the Suncook Valley Chorale, and taught public school music for twelve years. She currently directs the Chorus of East Providence, is the interim music director at her church, and is finishing up her 20th, and final year, as the director of The Greater Tiverton Community Chorus. She is currently working on a book of memoirs. 

You can find the choruses here:

The Chorus of East Providence 

The Greater Tiverton Community Chorus

Be sure to subscribe to The Musicking Community Podcast so you never miss an episode!

If you are a musician or ensemble who would like to share your story on The Musicking Community Podcast, apply to be on the show by filling out this form: https://forms.gle/pESRBh6ioHGLa78VA

As "Senior Venue" performance specialists, Judy Hall Gray and John Savage perform at nursing homes, memory care units, assisted living homes, and other long-term care facilities. They share poignant and funny stories about how music can provide powerful and meaningful experiences for those living in the facilities and build community among those who are often cut off from the larger community beyond the walls.

Topics in this episode include: The types of musical servies that can be provided in long-term care facilities; Getting put on the spot; Working around COVID restrictions; Providing connection during a time of isolation; Theme shows; Bob Dylan, Elvis, and The Grateful Dead; Popular music defines generations; The importance of lifting spirits; Music provides both escape and connection; Meeting the needs of the facility and the people who live there; Having a gimmick; How music can provide a very personal connection; Giving the gift of live music to people who cannot leave their beds; Versatility and variety are necessary; You never know what you're going to get; Breaking past the wall; Letting people know they are seen; How music contributes to the health of a community

Judy Hall Gray, "Songbird" Judy (guitar/vocals) has virtually been singing since she learned to talk, thanks to her mother playing records daily on the family stereo. She has performed over the years in various bands and clubs in South Florida, Connecticut and Rhode Island and has been performing for over thirty-five years in Senior care facilities where she is a popular favorite. Her programs can be a complete variety or tailored to specific themes (Patriotic, Irish, Country/Western, Christian/Hymns, Christmas, Show Tunes, Seasons, etc.) Some themes are costumed. She is available weedays (morning, afternoon, or evening) and occasionally on weekends for special occasions. Oldies (50's, 60's, 70's) programs are also available for the duo "Legacy" consisting of Judy and her musical partner, John Savage (also on guitar and vocals.) Judy and John have been working together since 2019 and have a wide repertoire of great songs for your enjoyment!

John Savage is a lifelong musician with an exapnsive range of influences. He studied classical guitar with Daniel Salazar at the University of Rhode Island, and he also honed his chops in rock bands, jazz bands, orchestra pits, and in solo performances. He performs with singer/guitarist Judy Hall Gray in the duo "Legacy," and he performs as a solo artist in Assisted Living and Memory Care Units throughout Rhode Island and Southern Connecticut. He also serves as the pastor of the Carolina Free Baptist Church in Carolina, RI. He and his wife, Heather, live in Wood River Junction, and they have raised two children together. 

To book Judy and/or John, you can reach them by phone:

Judy Hall Gray: (401)742-5575

John Savage: (401)489-4656

You can also find Judy on Facebook here: Songbird Judy Hall

Are you a musician running on the hamster wheel of a musical career, exhausting yourself by continually seeking approval from gatekeepers of traditional pathways, never knowing exactly what the committee is looking for? Or are you stuck in low-paying gigs or teaching situations? On today's episode, I speak with Jennet Ingle, oboist, teacher, coach, and author of The Happiest Musician. She talks about her book, which can help you create a Portfolio Career that is right for you, based on your values, your time, your skill, and your needs. Right where you are, in your own community.

Topics in this episode include:

Defining success (what we are taught vs. what really works for us); Maybe there's no ONE job that does it ALL; Everyone needs money; Finding creative fulfillment; Defining a Portfolio Career; Auditions are a crapshoot; No more groveling before gatekeepers; No need to ask for permission; Taking agency for our own careers and life; How a Portfolio Career helped Jennet weather the pandemic; You can choose the balance of your career; Design programs that work for you; Making a sustainable career that will last long-term; Identifying what you need to thrive; Caring for mind, body, and spirit.

Jennet Ingle is principal oboist with the South Bend Symphony, and an active recitalist, concerto soloist, and freelance performer. Her lifelong interest in new music led to a recent commissioning project - Dreams and Visions (Searching the Shadows) by Marjorie Ruche, is a tryptich based on cards from the Tarot deck. In March 2007, she was honored to perform the world premiere of Dough Lofstrom's Oboe Concertino, a work commissioned for her by the New Philharmonic Orchestra and the College of DuPage.

As the owner and operator of Jennet Ingle Reeds, she makes and sells over two hundred handmade reeds every month to oboists all over the world and has helped hundreds of people with their own reed-making through her video channel, The Five-Minute Reedmaker, her weekly online Reed Club, annual live Oboe Reed Boot Camps. 

Jennet has recently focused on building community for adult oboists. Her signature group program, The Invincible Oboist, demystifies instrumental skills and helps oboists get past the struggle to find ease in their playing.

Her 2022 book, The Happiest Musician, encourages creatives to take agency in their lives and careers and not wait to be chosen.

You can reach Jennet in the following ways:

website: www.jennetingle.com

Blog: www.proneoboe.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/jennetingleoboist

YouTube: www.youtube.com/jennetingle

Phone: (773)450-4581

Purchase her book: The Happiest Musician

Be sure to subscribe to The Musicking Community Podcast so you never miss an episode!

If you are a musician, ensemble, or organization that would like to be on the show, or if you are a fan who would like to suggest one, please visit www.themusickingcommunity.com.

Artwork credit: Jon Bravo of Ska Illustrated

Aaron Abrahamson Cote is a Rhode Island-based steel pan player who considers himself a cultural ambassador with the privilege of representing a culture that is not his own. This episode is part 2 of my conversation with Aaron. He talks about the fascinating history and development of the steel pan and how the recent release of steel pan samples is affecting his work.

Topics in this episode include: The history and development of the Steel Pan; Colonization and the development of culture; Music of uprising; Making music with found instruments; "Recycled" instruments; Turning someone else's trash into a cultural enterprise; Ellie Manette; The design of Steel Pans; Steel Pan Sampling; Writing for Steel Pan Band; Writing music that is inclusive and not just for one's own use.

After graduating from Butler University and the University of Illinois (MM), Aaron Abrahamson Cote's music education continues with firsthand performance experience on a regional and even international level. His background in symphonic percussion paved the way for an intense practice routine that acted as the backbone for his Steel Pan career. After learning the standard Caribbean repertoire, Cote's band Panoramic View backed him in completing his quest to publish a series of original tunes for Steel Pan. Over 200 compositions later, this year Cote plans to release his 7th collection of sheet music and backing tracks for Steel Pan. Many of Cote's original pieces are available for free streaming on online media platforms. With performance credits from Bobby McFerrin to the Skatalites, to members of Rancid and Wilco, Cote is constantly looking to expand his network and collaboratively create an artform that bridges the gap between cultures. Among others, Cote has worked remotely on recording projects with So Percussion, international reggae star Dr. Ring Ding, and Pan Rocks! featuring Stephen Perkins of Jane's Addiction. Despite his heavy background as a freelance artist and recurring member of several bands, Cote consistently performs across the Northeast region with Panoramic View and the Island Time Steel Band. While his career has taken him world-wide, Mr. Cote and his wife, Caryn, are constantly drawn back to the comfort of their beautiful home state of Rhode Island. 

You can find Aaron Abrahamson Cote at the following links:

www.PanoramicViewBand.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/CotePercussion

On Apple Music: Panoramic View on Apple Music

On Spotify: Spotify - Panoramic View

Facebook: @PanoramicViewBand

Instagram: @CotePercussion

Twitter: @CotePercussion

Hear their latest tracks reimagining the 2nd movement of Beethoven's Symphony No.7 on Band Camp here: Beethoven Symphony No. 7 Movement II: Allegretto in Reggae | Panoramic View | Panoramic View Steel Drums (bandcamp.com)

Please keep in touch and let us know how we're doing! If you are a musician, ensemble, or organization that would like to share your project with us, or if you are a fan who would like to suggest one, please visit themusickingcommunity.com to apply to be on the show.