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.

Kirin McElwain: Courageous Self-Resourcing 05/26/2022

Kirin McElwain: Courageous Self-Resourcing This week on the podcast, you’ll hear Kirin McElwain, cellist, performer, and coordination enthusiast. You'll hear the story of a musician who has the courage to try new things, over and over, and the courage to STOP the things that aren’t working for her. Kirin McElwain is a performer-composer on cello and voice and—more recently— laptop and modular synthesizer. Equally at home in concert halls, recording studios, and in DIY venues, Kirin has contributed sounds to numerous film and television scores, contemporary dance performances, mixed media installations, and traditional classical and contemporary classical performances. In her own sound practice, she explores the tension between form and chaos, western classical harmony and noise, and ideas of “goodness” and “correctness” in musical style. Currently she is an Alexander Technique practitioner who works with musicians both one on one and through her digital membership, Feel Better Sound Better. What I admire so much about Kirin is the RELENTLESSNESS with which she approaches her creative and business life. She's not afraid to look at what is and isn't working, she's not afraid to ask herself what she needs and what she wants, and she's not afraid to make it happen. We could all take inspiration from this! My takeaways from Kirin's conversation: When you find something that works for you, lean into it Be flexible in how people want to work with you. If you can make it easy, they'll come! Always be aware of what you want to do and what you don't want to do The scarcity mentality of just being grateful for what you have is NOT moving you forward Maintain your standards for yourself Imagine the best possible outcome - and figure out how to handle all of that success in advance Trust yourself to know what you need and figure out how to get it What did YOU hear? Find out more about Kirin at her ! Thinking of trying FONS to streamline scheduling and payment for your music studio? Click for my affiliate link and a free two week trial! Theme music by . You can join my email list , so you never miss an episode! I'm your host, I love you all. Stay safe out there! /episode/index/show/crushingclassical/id/23200286

Jennet Ingle: Jennet Ingle Reeds 05/12/2022

Katherine Emeneth: KE Creative 04/28/2022

Katherine Emeneth: KE Creative This week on the podcast, you’ll hear Katherine Emeneth: Flutist and music educator, entrepreneur, founder of KE Creative and Georgia Flute Academy. She’s an inspiration to young flutists and portfolio career musicians alike! Katherine Emeneth is a music educator, entrepreneur, flutist, and human-helper from Sugar Hill, Georgia. After spending YEARS applying to professor positions around the country, she finally decided to take things into her own hands. She runs a private flute studio for middle and high school students that encompasses all aspects of music education. Her curriculum and activities are modeled after the university applied studio. Her students participate in multiple recitals per year, perform in masterclasses, chamber ensembles, youth orchestras, and even have their own flute summer camp called FLING! Since she's become a bit of a studio building expert, Katherine created an online course for private studio development 4 years ago called The Music Teacher's Playbook. Through this course, she has helped hundreds of musicians develop the private studio of their dreams AND make a full time income as a musician. Since then, she created her own digital education company, KE Creative, that supports classical musicians in advancing their teaching, business, and entrepreneurial skills. She has created 6 courses over the past 4 years and offers tons of freebies to her social media followers. She lives in Sugar Hill, Georgia with her husband, niece, and Old English Sheepdog, Barney. What I love about talking to Katherine is the POSSIBILITY she offers to so many. She has a huge online and in-person EMPIRE, and devotes herself to helping others find their own thing and empower their own portfolio careers. To hear her tell it, ANYONE can use their strengths to help others and can create an income stream from that. My takeaways from Katherine's conversation: Having a portfolio career gives you stability and abundance You are more than your instrument. You have value! The thing that is easy for you is hard for someone else. Create structure - make time to create the plan and then run the plan Get help. Find someone qualified, and get help. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel! Just start. Action begets action What did YOU hear? Find out more about Katherine at her , or ! Thinking of trying FONS to streamline scheduling and payment for your music studio? Click for my affiliate link and a free two week trial! Theme music by . You can join my email list , so you never miss an episode! I'm your host, I love you all. Stay safe out there! /episode/index/show/crushingclassical/id/22865348

Elizabeth Gentner: Taking Ownership of your Artistry 04/14/2022

Elizabeth Gentner: Taking Ownership of your Artistry An internationally-acclaimed American soprano and lifetime multi-passionate entrepreneur, Elizabeth Frey Gentner thrives as a performer and arts financial consultant. Offstage, Elizabeth has established herself as a powerful voice for Artist empowerment in the arts and a Business savvy coach for creatives. In her first years out of music school, a love of numbers led her to work for several well-known financial firms, where she gained valuable insights into what factors led to an organization’s success or failure. In 2006, she set off on her own—leaving finance to found several companies in bookkeeping, financial consulting, and more. Then as now, Elizabeth pursued these opportunities alongside her most exciting musical endeavors. She uses this diverse expertise to serve as a coach for classical musicians, empowering them to achieve both financial independence, career fulfillment and an authentic voice all their own. Elizabeth’s lively podcast, “Opera Uprising”, empowers opera singers to take the power of opera back. Elizabeth’s coaching and consultation draw from the lessons—and battle scars—gained as she pieced together a self-funded early artistic career. To this day, Elizabeth continues to self-produce ambitious and socially focused creative projects. I know you will love this conversation! It is not inappropriate to make money as a musician, singer or creator; in fact having financial security, whatever that looks like for you, is ESSENTIAL to being able to inhabit your creative space. This is the message that I’ve shared in my book, the Happiest Musician, and it’s one that I believe in so strongly. I’m opening up for musicians who want to begin leaning into this concept based on the principles of the book. These will start in April and I’d love to have you join me! Find out more about Elizabeth at her , , , or ! Thinking of trying FONS to streamline scheduling and payment for your music studio? Click for my affiliate link and a free two week trial! Theme music by . You can join my email list , so you never miss an episode! I'm your host, I love you all. Stay safe out there! /episode/index/show/crushingclassical/id/22707740

Jenny Clift: Healing Yourself and Creating a Career with EFT 03/31/2022

Renée-Paule Gauthier: Mind Over Finger 03/17/2022

Jennet Ingle: The Happiest Musician: Creating A Career You Love With All The Things You Love Doing 03/03/2022

Sam Reti: Building A Thriving Music Career By Creating What People Already Want 02/17/2022

Barron Ryan: How To Transform Rejection Into A Tool For Self-Discovery & Empowerment And Create A Career Uniquely YOU In The Process 02/03/2022

Carrie Knowles: Building Your Passion Projects From Scratch 05/27/2021

Angie Colee: Career Pivoting By Following Your Heart 05/13/2021

Lisa Spector: How To Heal And Create Anew In Your Career 04/19/2021

Richard Amoroso: Redefining The Rules Of Music Education 03/26/2021

Richard Amoroso: Redefining The Rules Of Music Education What you'll hear: How it really IS possible to get that dream job even without an educational resume filled with fancy conservatories (or even a major in music!) How tapping into the network you've built through your career can really come in handy when creating new offers We chat about the online space and the value being online brings to students... and how it's going to transform music education for good. You'll hear about a really awesome opportunity for violinists this summer... great for all levels and even professionals who want to play for world-class soloists in a masterclass setting. Find out more about Richard and Dovid's new program, The Violin Virtuosos Want to learn how to turn YOUR creative expertise into a consistent 6-Figure Methodology? Click to watch my free training that will show you: Why “taking more gigs” is silently killing your earning potential - and what you need to be doing instead starting immediately How to double your income by working significantly LESS than you do now - while also making yourself immune to any economic downturn (this one strategy alone will transform your bank account) I’ll show you why discovering your “Triple A” is the key to thriving in the current climate - you’ll learn exactly what this is and why 99% of creatives have NO clue it exists I’m also going to teach you The EXACT 4-step blueprint for kissing the “gig life” goodbye and ONLY doing work that feeds your creative spirit & soul Finally, you’ll learn how to achieve Creative Nirvana by turning your years of unique expertise into a 6-figure enterprise you love waking up to that the world has been eagerly waiting for Watch . Are you thinking about streamlining payments for your lesson studio? For a limited time, when make the switch to Fons and stick with it after the 2-week trial, you'll get $100! You can check it out and sign up for the free trial here: Use that link now to sign up and you'll get $100 when you stick with Fons after the trial! /episode/index/show/crushingclassical/id/18482090

Hot Seat: Using Your *Other* Areas Of Expertise To Transform Your Teaching Biz with Lynn Kuo 03/26/2021

Hot Seat: Using Your *Other* Areas Of Expertise To Transform Your Teaching Biz with Lynn Kuo On today's HOT SEAT you'll hear from Lynn Kuo, violinist and educator creating an incredible business online. It all started for Lynn at the start of the pandemic when she suddenly realized she needed to double down on her teaching while her performing job as Assistant Concertmaster in the National Ballet of Canada was on hiatus. Now she's crushing it online on Instagram and YouTube, gathering thousands of new followers and creating online programs for violinists that combine her unique skills and mindset from her career as a violinist and as a karate expert! We talk about: - How to navigate social media without overwhelm - The idea of creating in a space where it seems there are a lot of people doing the same thing... and why that's not important! - Her process of becoming more visible and how she worked through the hesitancy of talking about violin on social media And so much more! Move your teaching biz to FONS - get a 14 day FREE trial PLUS $100! (Limited time only) USE THIS LINK to move your payment and scheduling over to fons.com and you'll receive 14 days to give it a try. If you stick with it and decide to stay on the platform, we'll both get $100. How's that for a good deal? Use THIS LINK to give it a try: Want to learn how to turn YOUR creative expertise into a consistent 6-Figure Methodology? Click to watch my free training that will show you: Why “taking more gigs” is silently killing your earning potential - and what you need to be doing instead starting immediately How to double your income by working significantly LESS than you do now - while also making yourself immune to any economic downturn (this one strategy alone will transform your bank account) I’ll show you why discovering your “Triple A” is the key to thriving in the current climate - you’ll learn exactly what this is and why 99% of creatives have NO clue it exists I’m also going to teach you The EXACT 4-step blueprint for kissing the “gig life” goodbye and ONLY doing work that feeds your creative spirit & soul Finally, you’ll learn how to achieve Creative Nirvana by turning your years of unique expertise into a 6-figure enterprise you love waking up to that the world has been eagerly waiting for Watch . /episode/index/show/crushingclassical/id/18439982

Sharon Ruchman: How A Gift From The Past Sparked A Whole New Career Direction 03/11/2021

Sharon Ruchman: How A Gift From The Past Sparked A Whole New Career Direction On the show today you'll hear the inspiring story of Sharon Ruchman, a composer who really got things going and created more in her 60s than most people have in a lifetime. Not only did she really get going in her later years, the really unique part of her story is about a family member whose story kept popping up for her until she decided to investigate. His name was Rudy, an up-and-coming violin soloist in his day whose life was tragically cut short, Sharon dug deeper and out if it came a newfound source of creative inspiration, as well as a memoire in his memory. To find out more about Sharon Ruchman, her music and to purchase The Gift Of Rudy: Do you want to make more money in your teaching business? I have news for you... online teaching is here to stay, and there are tons of ways to make more money in less time, attract your ideal student and create a music studio you love. Want to know how? Want to learn how to turn YOUR creative expertise into a consistent 6-Figure Methodology? Click to watch my free training that will show you: Why “taking more gigs” is silently killing your earning potential - and what you need to be doing instead starting immediately How to double your income by working significantly LESS than you do now - while also making yourself immune to any economic downturn (this one strategy alone will transform your bank account) I’ll show you why discovering your “Triple A” is the key to thriving in the current climate - you’ll learn exactly what this is and why 99% of creatives have NO clue it exists I’m also going to teach you The EXACT 4-step blueprint for kissing the “gig life” goodbye and ONLY doing work that feeds your creative spirit & soul Finally, you’ll learn how to achieve Creative Nirvana by turning your years of unique expertise into a 6-figure enterprise you love waking up to that the world has been eagerly waiting for Watch . - a scheduling and payment platform that streamlines the admin side of your business and makes payments and scheduling a breeze. Check it out here for a FULL 45-day trial exclusively at Crushing Classical /episode/index/show/crushingclassical/id/18285515

Sophie Lippert: The Power Of True Fans: How To Build A Community That Loves And Supports You 02/26/2021

Brian O'Neill: Pricing REAL TALK For Gigs And Teaching - Strategies Every Musician Needs To Succeed 02/11/2021

Brian O'Neill: Pricing REAL TALK For Gigs And Teaching - Strategies Every Musician Needs To Succeed This episode is going to KNOCK your socks off. This is REAL TALK about pricing and getting paid. Super valuable advice for every working musician, seriously a must-hear. Brian delivers massive value… I can’t wait for you to hear it! The #1 thing you should make sure happens when it comes to getting paid, whether it’s a gig or students How to simultaneously raise your prices AND make it a no-brainer for the one who’s paying for the lessons A strategy for offering different packages (whether it’s lessons or a performing gig) to get you the most money possible Powerful advice if you play wedding gigs or gigs like it - you have to hear this! And SO much more Want to learn how to turn YOUR creative expertise into a consistent 6-Figure Methodology? Click to watch my free training that will show you: Why “taking more gigs” is silently killing your earning potential - and what you need to be doing instead starting immediately How to double your income by working significantly LESS than you do now - while also making yourself immune to any economic downturn (this one strategy alone will transform your bank account) I’ll show you why discovering your “Triple A” is the key to thriving in the current climate - you’ll learn exactly what this is and why 99% of creatives have NO clue it exists I’m also going to teach you The EXACT 4-step blueprint for kissing the “gig life” goodbye and ONLY doing work that feeds your creative spirit & soul Finally, you’ll learn how to achieve Creative Nirvana by turning your years of unique expertise into a 6-figure enterprise you love waking up to that the world has been eagerly waiting for Watch . Want to try Fons? Fons.com is a powerful tool to help you streamline your teaching. With automatic payments and scheduling integrated into one platform, Fons transforms your teaching studio into a polished business. Try FREE for a whole 45 days on me here: /episode/index/show/crushingclassical/id/17911682

Sarah Belle Reid: Building A Unique Career From The Ground UP By Staying Open And Out Of Your Comfort Zone 01/28/2021

Sarah Belle Reid: Building A Unique Career From The Ground UP By Staying Open And Out Of Your Comfort Zone Combining trumpet with... electronics? This is exactly what today's guest is doing in her career, crushing it as a recording artist, performer, course creator and teacher. What you'll hear from Sarah Belle Reid on today's episode: - How saying YES and doing things out of your comfort zone can change the trajectory of your career - How she went from technology newbie to mastering a whole new language - The journey from orchestral excerpts to being a creator with her instrument - An identity evolution: how she adjusted to the perceived expectations of the classical music community and her own peers as well as her own beliefs about what was ok to do as a "real" trumpet player - this one is HUGE - And so much more! You're going to LOVE this conversation with a musician who's redefining what being a musician means for herself. So powerful! *** Want to learn how to turn YOUR creative expertise into a consistent 6-Figure Methodology? Click to watch my free training that will show you: Why “taking more gigs” is silently killing your earning potential - and what you need to be doing instead starting immediately How to double your income by working significantly LESS than you do now - while also making yourself immune to any economic downturn (this one strategy alone will transform your bank account) I’ll show you why discovering your “Triple A” is the key to thriving in the current climate - you’ll learn exactly what this is and why 99% of creatives have NO clue it exists I’m also going to teach you The EXACT 4-step blueprint for kissing the “gig life” goodbye and ONLY doing work that feeds your creative spirit & soul Finally, you’ll learn how to achieve Creative Nirvana by turning your years of unique expertise into a 6-figure enterprise you love waking up to that the world has been eagerly waiting for Watch . Do you have a lesson studio? Now that most people are teaching online and teaching has become a bigger part of most musicians' lives and businesses, it's time to consider how you can make it easier. Fons is a platform that streamlines scheduling and payments all in one place. No more awkward conversations chasing payments - there's a better way! Try FONS for free for an additional 30 days on top of the free trial by clicking /episode/index/show/crushingclassical/id/17725631

ECHO Collective: Neil Leiter and Margaret Hermant: Crushing It With Unique Collaborations And A New Genre 01/07/2021

ECHO Collective: Neil Leiter and Margaret Hermant: Crushing It With Unique Collaborations And A New Genre What you'll hear: The choice you have: what you can do about waiting for things to go “back to normal” as an artist The difference between being an “interpreter” and a “content creator” in music The definition of Cultural Capital - how that works financially and through your impact on the world What if you’re not *yet* a creator? We discuss this important question How saying YES before your ready pays off The blocks most musicians have from their training and how these musicians have worked through them Want to finally organize and streamline your lesson studio in one place - payments, scheduling, everything! Give FONS a try! Fons is a platform which streamlines automatic payments, scheduling and communication with your students all in one place. Try for FREE for a BONUS 30-days... get a full 6 weeks free trial by using my link: To learn more about Neil and Margarett's group Echo Collective, check them out on social media, their website and on Spotify and at Bandcamp: Bandcamp: Want to learn how to turn YOUR creative expertise into a consistent 6-Figure Methodology? Click to watch my free training that will show you: Why “taking more gigs” is silently killing your earning potential - and what you need to be doing instead starting immediately How to double your income by working significantly LESS than you do now - while also making yourself immune to any economic downturn (this one strategy alone will transform your bank account) I’ll show you why discovering your “Triple A” is the key to thriving in the current climate - you’ll learn exactly what this is and why 99% of creatives have NO clue it exists I’m also going to teach you The EXACT 4-step blueprint for kissing the “gig life” goodbye and ONLY doing work that feeds your creative spirit & soul Finally, you’ll learn how to achieve Creative Nirvana by turning your years of unique expertise into a 6-figure enterprise you love waking up to that the world has been eagerly waiting for Watch . /episode/index/show/crushingclassical/id/17459864

Fabiana Claure: Creatively Building A Business That Reflects YOU And Who You Are As An Artist 12/03/2020

Eric Branner: How Raising Your Prices Transforms Your Business 11/02/2020

Eric Branner: How Raising Your Prices Transforms Your Business Eric Branner is a guitarist, teacher and the founder of FONS, an incredible payment and scheduling app for service-based entrepreneurs like you. On the show today we talked about his app and how using it can drastically make your music teaching business more efficient, organized and less stressful. We also talked about... How to navigate raising your rates - especially right now Reaching 6-figures as a music teacher - by doing what you love and supporting your community. Is that actually possible? Eric knows so - you'll hear what he has to say about it A new point of view when thinking about your own pricing How to think about your business by putting yourself in the shoes of the people who pay you… this one blew my mind! How Eric’s app removes the stressful part of having a teaching studio And much more! Want to learn how to turn YOUR creative expertise into a consistent 6-Figure income? You need to discover your Proprietary Methodology. Click to watch my free training that will show you: Why “taking more gigs” is silently killing your earning potential - and what you need to be doing instead starting immediately How to double your income by working significantly LESS than you do now - while also making yourself immune to any economic downturn (this one strategy alone will transform your bank account) I’ll show you why discovering your “Triple A” is the key to thriving in the current climate - you’ll learn exactly what this is and why 99% of creatives have NO clue it exists I’m also going to teach you The EXACT 4-step blueprint for kissing the “gig life” goodbye and ONLY doing work that feeds your creative spirit & soul Finally, you’ll learn how to achieve Creative Nirvana by turning your years of unique expertise into a 6-figure enterprise you love waking up to that the world has been eagerly waiting for Watch . /episode/index/show/crushingclassical/id/16657988

Robert Franz: Tapping Into Creativity That Sets You Apart In The Marketplace 10/01/2020

Hot Seat #1: Claire Galloway Weber: Crushing It In The Opera World 09/22/2020

Greg Harrington: True Success - Creating Your OWN Reality, Being Flexible And Finding Your Voice 09/18/2020

Joseph Conyers: Finding True Purpose And Making An Impact 09/03/2020

Caleigh Drane: Making Your Dream Project A Reality 06/23/2020

Career EVOLUTION And The POWER Of An Audience: Jennet Ingle: The Invincible Oboist 05/25/2020

James Dargan: How Speaking Your Mind Can Lead To Your Dream Career 05/15/2020

Sam Hyken: Redefining The Orchestra And Leading In Extraordinary Times 04/27/2020

Sam Hyken: Redefining The Orchestra And Leading In Extraordinary Times CEO and co-founder of Nu Deco Ensemble is back to share the latest about this cutting-edge 21st century orchestra. You’ll hear: How they are staying connected with their audience during the current situation with the lockdown Their unique model - a totally cutting-edge way of operating ticketing, raising money and building a strong community at the same time How they’re redefining what a YOUTH ORCHESTRA experience can look like - you need to hear this if you’re an educator What’s new for their upcoming season… and how they continue to keep their heads up during this time The one thing you need to come back to when creating your own thing… this is KEY! And MUCH MORE! To find out more about Nu Deco Ensemble, check them out at Check them out Facebook and Instagram @nudecoensemble * CC theme music by Gaby Castro of @musiciansprime * Want to learn how to turn YOUR creative expertise into a consistent 6-Figure income? You need to discover your Proprietary Methodology. Click to watch my free training that will show you: Why “taking more gigs” is silently killing your earning potential - and what you need to be doing instead starting immediately How to double your income by working significantly LESS than you do now - while also making yourself immune to any economic downturn (this one strategy alone will transform your bank account) I’ll show you why discovering your “Triple A” is the key to thriving in the current climate - you’ll learn exactly what this is and why 99% of creatives have NO clue it exists I’m also going to teach you The EXACT 4-step blueprint for kissing the “gig life” goodbye and ONLY doing work that feeds your creative spirit & soul Finally, you’ll learn how to achieve Creative Nirvana by turning your years of unique expertise into a 6-figure enterprise you love waking up to that the world has been eagerly waiting for Watch . /episode/index/show/crushingclassical/id/14168213

Shana Tucker: The Path From Classical Music To Her OWN Genre 03/31/2020

Crushing Classical

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