Crushing Classical

Crushing Classical is a series of interviews with classical musicians who are forging unique paths with their talent, creating their own artistic fulfillment and financial comfort, and finding ways to thrive. I celebrate these brave people who are taking routes outside of traditional orchestral or academic employment! As always, I invite you to listen for your own sparks and breadcrumbs, and use these interviews to find the possibilities that exist in your own life.

Happiest Musician Minisode: Investing in Your Career 07/03/2025

Laura Sinclair: Stress Free Studio! 06/26/2025

Happiest Musician Minisode: Demystifying Entrepreneurship 06/19/2025

Rupert Boyd: GatherNYC 06/12/2025

Happiest Musician Minisode: Dribbles of Time 06/05/2025

Sharon Ruchman: Composer and Author 05/29/2025

Happiest Musician Minisode: Make Your Summer Impactful! 05/22/2025

Ron Ramin and Portia Kamons: SEVENTEEN 05/15/2025

Ron Ramin and Portia Kamons: SEVENTEEN Ron Ramin was born and raised in New York City. He earned his undergraduate degree at Princeton University, where he majored in music and studied privately with composer Milton Babbitt. Upon graduation, he moved to Los Angeles where he composed music for 20 Primetime television series and 30 movies/telefilms. Ron is the recipient of a CableACE Award, a Primetime EMMY nomination, and TV/Film Awards from BMI and ASCAP. In recent years he has shifted his focus to composing for the concert hall. This includes "Golden State of Mind," a symphonic suite depicting the beauty & drama of the California landscape and its cultural diversity. “Greetings!" was given its world premiere performance in 2016 by the Marin Symphony, conducted by Music Director Alasdair Neale. His latest work, SEVENTEEN, is a narrative work for orchestra and six on-stage Gen Z narrators. Days after the 2018 mass school shooting in Parkland, Florida, librettist Portia Kamons and Ron began to work on an artistic response to the relentless plague of gun violence in American schools and communities. Their attention soon focused on the rising generation of young people channeling their grief and anger into deliberate and effective action. They were bringing extraordinary commitment, determination, and energy to multiple challenges of their time. Ron & Portia were also determined to bring classical music audiences together with young people for an orchestral performance and thoughtful discussion. From the beginning they committed to employ verbatim text from the young Americans themselves. SEVENTEEN is their story, told in their own words. The Orlando Philharmonic commissioned it and gave the premiere performance Nov 8, 2024. Eric Jacobsen, their innovative music director, conducted the performance and Jamie Bernstein directed the six young on-stage narrators. The orchestra, to its credit, made this a free community event that included a thoughtful discussion and Q&A following the performance. A former Board member of the Society of Composers and Lyricists, Ron currently resides in Northern California and New York City. Portia Kamons is a producer and librettist working with newly commissioned pieces in theatre, live events, music and feature film. With composer Ron Ramin, she is the co-creator and librettist for SEVENTEEN, a narrative work for Orchestra that received its world premiere by the Orlando Philharmonic on 8 November 2024. She was the Executive Producer for Virtua Creative on the US WW1 Centennial Commemoration narrated by Kevin Costner, as well as Exec Producer for "Visions of Peace" a special project for the WW1 Centennial with President Jimmy Carter. Portia was the lead producer of Tennyson Bardwell's feature film DORIAN BLUES which won 14 awards at festivals worldwide. She was a founding member and the first General Manager of Primary Stages Theatre in New York City, and a Producer for the NextWave Festival at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. For many years she worked for as a producer with En Garde Arts in New York City, and the London International Festival of Theatre in the UK where she lives. She is a regular consultant to Danish web-based documentary platform, OTHER STORY. website: Instagram: @seventeen_in_america Facebook: email: Make sure you SUBSCRIBE to Crushing Classical, and maybe even leave a nice review! Thanks for joining me on Crushing Classical! Theme music by . You can join my email list so you never miss an episode! I help people to lean into their creative careers and start or grow their income streams. I'm your host, I love you all. Stay safe out there! /episode/index/show/crushingclassical/id/35732585

Wesley Knust: Portfolio Musician and Educator 05/08/2025

Jennifer Roig-Francolí: Make Great Music with Ease! 05/01/2025

Jennifer Roig-Francolí: Make Great Music with Ease! Jennifer Roig-Francolí is The Art of Freedom® Coach for musicians and creatives, and Author of the #1 Amazon Bestseller 'Make Great Music with Ease! The Secret to Smarter Practice, Confident Performance, and Living a Happier Life'. Jennifer Roig-Francolí is a prize-winning violinist and Alexander Technique teacher helping musicians and creatives online to break through pain, performance anxiety, and mindset obstacles to personal freedom and artistic success. She has a special interest in supporting women to thrive in their everyday and musical lives. As the creator of The Art of Freedom® Method for conscious living and masterful artistry, Jennifer combines her extensive professional experience with a lifelong love of meditation and perennial wisdom. Her unique holistic approach to self-integration and joyful music-making is based on the five Life-Pillars of Purpose, Mind, Body, Spirit, and Artistry and the practice of touch-free Primal Alexander™ Technique. Honored as a “Rising Star” by TIME magazine, Jennifer’s career as a violinist has taken her to concert halls around the world from a young age, including solo performances at Carnegie Hall and collaborations with esteemed orchestras like the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Berlin Symphony Orchestra. She has won international competitions and held leadership positions in various ensembles, including the Grammy Award-winning ensemble Apollo’s Fire. She can be heard on recordings with Apollo’s Fire and as a soloist on most digital streaming platforms. A dedicated educator, Jennifer has taught the Alexander Technique on the faculties of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and Xavier University. In Ohio, she established two professional associations for Alexander Technique teachers, providing a platform for growth and collaboration within the community. In 2010, her groundbreaking research study on the integration of Alexander Technique into laparoscopic surgery for surgeons at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center resulted in a prize-winning paper presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics and publication in the Journal of Urology. Jennifer studied violin with Nathan Milstein in Switzerland, Dr. Shinichi Suzuki in Japan, David Cerone at the Cleveland Institute of Music, and both Josef Gingold and Stanley Ritchie at Indiana University. A dual citizen of the USA and Switzerland, Jennifer lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, and enjoys traveling to far-off places such as Switzerland, Spain, and India. Some of her favorite things to do include playing Big Boggle with her grownup kids, swimming in the Mediterranean Sea, curling up by the living room fire, and taking walks in nature. Her BOOK is available on Amazon at (affiliate link) Website: Email: YouTube channel Make sure you SUBSCRIBE to Crushing Classical, and maybe even leave a nice review! Thanks for joining me on Crushing Classical! Theme music by . You can join my email list so you never miss an episode! I help people to lean into their creative careers and start or grow their income streams. I'm your host, I love you all. Stay safe out there! /episode/index/show/crushingclassical/id/35732510