How often do we really think about our hearing health as musicians? Do we realise how great the risks to hearing damage actually are and how to protect ourselves adequately? How might we navigate a change in career path within, or outside of the music profession and how can we discern and communicate our desire to diversify?

Today I am speaking with trainee audiologist and percussionist, Matt Frost. Matt Frost is partially deaf. Diagnosed with hearing loss at 17, he pursued his musical dream undeterred, training as an orchestral percussionist at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. Reckoning with hearing loss in an industry defined by the perception of sound changed the way he related to music entirely and set in motion a whole new vocation of protecting others’ hearing health.

Upon graduating in 2019, Matt began working for Harley Street Hearing and the Musicians’ Hearing Services as a clinical Practice Assistant. It is at this intersection between the worlds of music and audiology that he feels he can best serve others. He is thrilled to now be training as an audiologist at Harley Street Hearing as he works towards a degree in Hearing Aid Audiology with Anglia Ruskin University.

www.harleysthearing.co.uk

www.musicianshearingservices.co.uk

Things Musicians Don't Talk About website: https://www.thingsmusiciansdonttalkabout.com

TMDTA Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

If you would like to support our work, why not buy us a Kofi?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 "Opera is queer af". Yet is is seated within the classical music profession- one dominated by a white, straight, middle-class and privileged persona. Musicians have never fitted this rigidity. The abundance of creativity and expression needed to connect with audiences requires a mind that thinks outside of the binary mentality. We also naturally have sexual and gender expressions that match the individual, rather than the gender construct. Still, musicians speak about this very rarely.

I am so excited to share this conversation with you. 

My guest today is Ella Taylor. Winner of the Second Prize at the Kathleen Ferrier Awards, Ella Taylor is a soprano with a passion for performing contemporary music and works by women and gender non-conforming artists. They were a Young Artist with the National Opera Studio for 2019/20 season, as well as a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, where they gained Distinction in MA Performance, a DipRAM for an outstanding final recital, and the Charles Norman Prize. They currently study with Elizabeth Ritchie.

Ella is a keen collaborator and recitalist, making a dedicated effort to work with and perform works by people underrepresented in classical music. Recent collaborations include the project After Violence with _REMIX; an exploration of violence and masculinity through a queer lens with drag artist Rhys’s Pieces, as well as working with composers and librettists in the creation of new, LGBT+ work. They also have performed at Leeds Lieder as part of the Composer and Poets Forum and with Ensemble 360 at Music in the Round.

In the episode, we speak about Ella's journey to identifying as trans and non-binary and what this means to them. We also speak about the world of opera and how people love to gender/stereotype voice parts. Ella shares what it looks like to be a good ally and how musicians can help promoting inclusivity and how they navigate introducing their identity to people who may have a more traditional understanding of gender.

Find out more about Ella:

@etaylorsoprano Instagram/Twitter

I am so excited to be sharing this conversation with you!

Things Musicians Don't Talk About website: https://www.thingsmusiciansdonttalkabout.com

TMDTA Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

If you would like to support our work, why not buy us a Kofi?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today I am talking to the co-founder and director of Alternative Classical, Hannah Fiddy. I talk to Hannah about her journey with music and studying music at Cambridge and how this subsequently lead to a passion for diversifying and expanding the often narrow view of classical music and how it is presented. 

Hannah is a creative entrepreneur, classical music consultant and content creator based in Shoreditch. She has experience working with choirs, venues orchestras, composers, musicians and charities, leading the publicity campaigns for numerous concerts outside of traditional spaces, including warehouses, pubs, clubs, museums, hospitals and prisons. Specialising in social media, Hannah has managed the digital presence for many music organisations and artists including choral composer John Rutter. Her production credits include classical club nights for Nonclassical and pop-up gigs and tours for Street Orchestra Live. 

Hannah’s alter ego is the Founder of London Flashmob, creating quirky events from wedding proposals to cultural pranks, including the London Undersound – a participatory audio adventure through the streets of Soho, which attracted over 1,000 participants. 

Hannah is a music graduate of Christ’s College, Cambridge, and attended a state comprehensive school in Peterborough.

Alternative Classical creates and promotes new approaches to classical music. It offers consultancy, creative direction, and artist/project management services to music organisations and individuals who create informal classical music experiences for diverse audiences.

Things Musicians Don't Talk About website: https://www.thingsmusiciansdonttalkabout.com

TMDTA Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

If you would like to support our work, why not buy us a Kofi?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we are talking all things OCD. I speak to my wonderful friend and fellow OCD advocate, Anglo-Armenian soprano Nikita Bazil. Nikita is currently studying a Postrgraduate Classical Vocal course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama under the tutelage of John Evans. Her passion for music and classical singing emerged during her school years, where she developed skills in both piano and clarinet alongside her vocal studies to enhance her musicianship. Having engaged in recovery with her own mental health, Nikita prioritises raising awareness of mental health not only within general society but with particular focus in the classical music industry.

We are sharing our own OCD stories and Nikita talks about her journey with depression and times in hospital due to her OCD. 

*please note, we do briefly discuss themes around suicidal thoughts, depression and hospitalisation. They are not discussed in detail, though listener discretion is advised*

Things Musicians Don't Talk About website: https://www.thingsmusiciansdonttalkabout.com

TMDTA Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

If you would like to support our work, why not buy us a Kofi?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joining me today is trumpet player, Rebecca Toal. We speak about Rebecca's musical journey, her struggles with anorexia and bulimia at school and how she has curated an instagram platform to speak about body image and eating disorders. We also talk about how Rebecca manages her depression and the journey to becoming an authentic musician, even if that means following an undiscovered and non-typical path.

Rebecca Toal is a freelance trumpet player, harpist and teacher based in London. Rebecca recently graduated from the Royal Academy of Music, and is currently working as a graduate music assistant in St Albans, Hertfordshire. She is currently studying for the LRAM teaching diploma and also working towards her Level 2 Counselling Skills certificate. Rebecca is passionate about discussing mental health and body image, and has previously volunteered for the mental health group, ​Run Talk Run, a​nd ​The Real People Project ​on Instagram.

Things Musicians Don't Talk About website: https://www.thingsmusiciansdonttalkabout.com

TMDTA Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

If you would like to support our work, why not buy us a Kofi?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to a new season of the podcast! I am starting this new year with a bit of an update of what I've been up to and why it was important for me to take a break. We are back with new creativity and passion to connect, so join me in the coming weeks and months for new inspiring conversations.

Things Musicians Don't Talk About website: https://www.thingsmusiciansdonttalkabout.com

TMDTA Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

If you would like to support our work, why not buy us a Kofi?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this final episode I interview Maria! Maria Nikitidou is a Greek pianist and music educator who believes that music is for everyone and can change an individual's life as well as society as a whole. 

Maria is a classically trained soloist, accompanist and chamber musician; interested in classical as well as contemporary music. 

With a strong background in education, Maria holds a Master's of Arts focused on Piano Performance and Music Education from Trinity Laban Conservatoire as well as a Bachelor's Degree in Education (Aristotle University) and QTS for Employment in primary schools in the UK. 

Maria is currently working as a curriculum music teacher and as a piano tutor. She enjoys travelling to study music education approaches in different countries and is also a Kodaly enthusiast. 

Gaining a long working experience with students with SEND, has motivated Maria to initiate projects such as “Piano and Dyslexia”.

Things Musicians Don't Talk About website: https://www.thingsmusiciansdonttalkabout.com

TMDTA Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

If you would like to support our work, why not buy us a Kofi?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The second episode in a three-part series, exploring the issues surrounding low incomes and the classical music world. Does our upbringing hold us back in the profession or propel us to push and subsequently work harder?

Today I am speaking with Emily Adams. Emily is currently studying for her Masters in Musicology at the University of Oxford, where she recently completed her undergraduate studies. She is a keen violinist, currently studying with Paul Barritt. Her musical career has involved both solo and ensemble performances. In 2019, Emily performed the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with Somerset County Youth Orchestra, and throughout her time in Oxford she has enjoyed making the most of the city’s thriving music scene.

Coming from a working-class background, the various scholarships and bursaries she has received, such as Awards for Young Musicians, have been vital in enabling her to further her musical development. Thanks to this support and contributions towards the many costs involved with music education, Emily has been able to continue to benefit from private lessons, masterclasses, and orchestral training.

Things Musicians Don't Talk About website: https://www.thingsmusiciansdonttalkabout.com

TMDTA Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

If you would like to support our work, why not buy us a Kofi?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode marks the start of a new series, Classical Music and Low Incomes- Do They Match?, exploring issues around money and financial background in the classical music world. I speak to three musicians with very different experiences of the music education system within the UK. We speak about the ways in which their financial background has been both a barrier between and an aid towards their place in the music world.

In this first episode I chat to Northern Irish pianist and violinist, Fionnuala Ward. Fionnuala is a recent graduate of the Royal College of Music, where she studied piano with Ashley Wass. She enjoys a diverse musical career and is in demand as a chamber musician, accompanist and orchestral pianist for the European Union Youth Orchestra. Most recently, Fionnuala has been awarded a place on the Foyle Future Firsts development programme from the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Click here for transcript

Things Musicians Don't Talk About website: https://www.thingsmusiciansdonttalkabout.com

TMDTA Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

If you would like to support our work, why not buy us a Kofi?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I speak to composer, pianist and organist, Matt Geer about his diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder. Matt has recently graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and has started his PhD at Queen's University Belfast. Matt talks to me about the process of writing his opera, Sane and Sound, and about how making his disorder and symptoms come to life on stage was a comforting and healing process. We also speak about his faith journey towards profession as a Tertiary in the Society of St Francis and how prayer has become a way of life for Matt.

Click here for transcript

Things Musicians Don't Talk About website: https://www.thingsmusiciansdonttalkabout.com

TMDTA Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

If you would like to support our work, why not buy us a Kofi?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.