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.
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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!
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Happiest Musician Minisode: the Pillars of Your Portfolio Career
04/24/2025
Happiest Musician Minisode: the Pillars of Your Portfolio Career
Join me for a FREE workshop May 4 -Successful Careers are MADE in the Summer! How can you balance the pillars of Money, Time, and Artistry within your own portfolio career? How can you use this summer to leap forward? 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!
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Suzanne Chasalow: Horn Player to Transformational Coach
04/17/2025
Suzanne Chasalow: Horn Player to Transformational Coach
Suzanne Chasalow is a horn player, holistic nutrition consultant, and transformational workshop leader who is passionate about helping people step into the limelight and be their most authentic selves on stage without fear or self-doubt. You can find more information on her website, , or on Facebook Or join her FREE workshop on May 1- 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!
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Happiest Musician Minisode: What will you do this SUMMER?
04/10/2025
Happiest Musician Minisode: What will you do this SUMMER?
Summer is coming up quickly, and for musicians the change of season can mean a dramatic change of schedule. How can you USE this time, these lovely longer days, to really set yourself up for success? Join me for a FREE workshop May 4 -Successful Careers are MADE in the Summer! 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!
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Kate Kayaian: Beyond Potential
04/03/2025
Kate Kayaian: Beyond Potential
Kate Kayaian is a career & mindset coach for artists and creatives. She runs her signature group program, The Creatives Leadership Academy, and maintains a small roster of 1:1 clients. Kate started her podcast, Tales from The Lane in 2023 as a career and lifestyle-focused resource geared towards creative entrepreneurs. Her first full-length book, Beyond Potential: A Guide for Creatives Who Want to Re-Assess, Re-Define, and Re-Ignite Their Careers is coming out on March 25th! A former professional cellist, she attended the prestigious New England Conservatory of Music and went on to have a thriving career–performing with several Grammy Award-winning groups and touring as a solo and chamber musician. When the pandemic hit in early 2020, she pivoted to the online space, and she’s never looked back. She lives on the beautiful island of Bermuda with her husband and rescue pup, Tango, and spends her days working with clients, writing, running, gardening, and serving on several non-profit boards. She believes that everyone has the right to live exactly the kind of life they have always dreamed of living. Check out Kate at her or on Instagram @kkayaian. Listen to her podcast, Tales from the Lane, and absolutely read her ! 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!
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Happiest Musician Minisode: Freelancing vs. the Portfolio Career
03/27/2025
Happiest Musician Minisode: Freelancing vs. the Portfolio Career
Are you a portfolio career musician because you juggle multiple orchestra contracts? Or is that just what freelancing means? What makes it a career and not just gig work? I had to speak on this topic recently and I hope this little rant is helpful to you! 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!
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Jenny Clift: Thriving Artist
03/20/2025
Jenny Clift: Thriving Artist
Jenny Clift is a professional freelance violinist and an EFT Tapping coach, based in Madrid, Spain. She’s passionate about working with musicians, stage artists, performers and creatives to help them achieve success, wealth, joy, confidence and inner peace. Having experienced many stops and starts in her own musical career, over several decades, Jenny feels strongly about helping others overcome the emotional and practical challenges which arise while trying to succeed and thrive doing what you love. She discovered EFT Tapping back in 2011 and saw amazing growth in her career and life. In 2016 she published her first book about her experiences – The Music Inside - and trained as a Certified Energy Psychology Coach and a Tapping into Wealth Coach. Since 2017 Jenny has worked with individuals and groups online, helping them to discover and clear the hidden blocks, traumas, and subconscious limiting beliefs around their money, their passions and their work. This allows them to take action, achieve their goals, and feel excited, secure and fulfilled in their chosen career – to thrive doing what they love. Jenny has just published her second book, THRIVING ARTIST: How Musicians, Performers, and Creatives Can Use EFT TAPPING to Achieve Balance, Career Growth, and Success. Check out Jenny’s Book a Tapping Discovery Call with Jenny for her regular Saturday emails and best content: Or follow her on or Thanks for joining me on Crushing Classical! Theme music and audio editing 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!
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Happiest Musician Minisode: The CEO Date
03/13/2025
Happiest Musician Minisode: The CEO Date
HOW do you manage all of the tasks in your Portfolio Career? How can you possibly, ever, keep track of everything and organize your time to get things done? Here's the MOST valuable tool I have for this! 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!
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Alexandra Gardner: Composer and Consultant
03/06/2025
Alexandra Gardner: Composer and Consultant
Composer Alexandra Gardner creates music for varied instrumentations and often mixes acoustic instruments with electronics, drawing inspiration from topics including mythology, the natural sciences, and her training as a percussionist. Her music is performed extensively throughout the U.S. and in Europe at venues such as the Warsaw Autumn Festival, Beijing Modern Festival, The Library of Congress, and The Kennedy Center. She was a visiting composer for two years at the Phonos Foundation in Barcelona, Spain, and served as composer-in-residence for the Seattle Symphony. Recent projects include the string quartet Watershed, commissioned by Tesla Quartet, which explores the ways climate change is affecting the Chesapeake Bay region, and Time Unfolding, a concerto for alto saxophone and wind ensemble inspired by photographs from the James Webb Space Telescope. In addition to her composing activities, Alexandra maintains a private teaching studio and consulting business. She helps composers lead creative and fruitful musical lives through consulting, mentoring, and teaching essential business and communication skills. She presents masterclasses and workshops at colleges and universities around the U.S. and facilitates dialog and discussion related to artistic career development and the nature of creativity. You can check out Alexandra's for more information! Thanks for joining me on Crushing Classical! Theme music and audio editing 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!
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Happiest Musician Minisode: Abundance of Content
02/27/2025
Happiest Musician Minisode: Abundance of Content
We know we should be posting, and creating content, and building an audience. But what to post? What does that look like? How can we be consistent for our audiences, ESPECIALLY with all of the other demands on our time? Make sure you SUBSCRIBE to Crushing Classical, and maybe even leave a nice review! Thanks for joining me on Crushing Classical! Theme music by . 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!
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Leandra Ramm: Balancing Motherhood and Artistry
02/20/2025
Leandra Ramm: Balancing Motherhood and Artistry
Mezzo-soprano Leandra Ramm is a dynamic performer praised for her “beautiful and quite moving” artistry (Nordstjernan Newspaper) and “brilliant” talent (San Francisco Classical Voice). Leandra has graced some of the world’s most prestigious stages, from Carnegie Hall to the San Francisco Opera House, earning acclaim for her versatility and heartfelt performances. As a featured soloist with the San Francisco Symphony and collaborator on Grammy-nominated recordings, her artistry has captivated audiences worldwide. But Leandra’s story doesn’t end on the stage. A proud mother of four little ones (6 months, 6, 8 and 10 years old), she balances the demanding life of an opera singer with the joys and challenges of family life. And in 2025, she’s set to release her highly anticipated debut album, Watching Glass, I Hear You—a project that comprises works derived from predominantly female-penned poetry and personal accounts. The album is a testament to both the emotional depth of song repertoire, and to femininity in its beauty and its struggles. Leandra’s inspiring journey balances the opera stage, the recording studio, baby nursery and motherhood! Watching Glass, I Hear You, on Ablaze Records is set for worldwide release on February 28, 2025. Leandra can be found at her , on Instagram and Tiktok @LeandraRamm, and on Facebook @LeandraRammMusic Thanks for joining me on Crushing Classical! Theme music and audio editing 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!
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Happiest Musician Minisode: the Courage to START
02/13/2025
Happiest Musician Minisode: the Courage to START
As I was working with an entrepreneurship class last week, the question that really struck me was, "How do you DARE to get started?" How DO you? 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!
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Ada Witczyk: Building a Repertoire
02/06/2025
Ada Witczyk: Building a Repertoire
I was fascinated to speak with Ada Witczyk, who does a niche thing - contemporary music on a baroque instrument - and who has enrolled an entire community in her vision! Ada Witczyk is the fearless champion of contemporary music for baroque violin. Described as 'the new wave wizard' (South West Londoner), Ada Witczyk has inspired over 200 new works for baroque violin and counting. Singled out by BBC Music Magazine as their 'Instrumental Choice' and receiving a 10-star review, the 2023-24 season also marked the release of her album of contemporary music 'New Baroque' on First Hand Records (available on all platforms). The 2024-25 season sees Ada perform and visit the Technical University of the Shannon in Limerick, Ireland as a guest lecturer during their online music video production series "The Millennium Sessions". She releases her second album "New Baroque-Sonatas" on First Hand Records and performs a programme filled with exciting contemporary pieces on baroque instruments at the Limerick Early Music Festival. Follow her at her , , , and ! Thanks for joining me on Crushing Classical! Theme music and audio editing 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!
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Happiest Musician Minisode: When it's Happening too SLOWLY
01/30/2025
Happiest Musician Minisode: When it's Happening too SLOWLY
Is your career not blossoming as fast as you would like? Some reassurance for you, AND a call to action! 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!
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Sarah Weisbrod: The Practice Code for Musicians
01/23/2025
Sarah Weisbrod: The Practice Code for Musicians
Sarah Weisbrod is a professional flutist, adjunct professor, educator, and creator of The Practice Code for Musicians, a transformative program that redefines how musicians approach practice. After near-career-ending complications from Rheumatoid Arthritis forced her to take a decade-long gap working as a software developer, she returned to music with an innovative perspective. Since earning her Doctor of Musical Arts, Sarah has been on a mission to help musicians practice effectively, overcome performance anxiety, and tell stories through sound. Her unique approach blends the logic of data analysis and mathematics with storytelling, artistry, and performance psychology, empowering musicians to unlock their full potential and perform with unshakeable confidence. to get on the waitlist for the spring 2025 Practice Code cohort and watch a free masterclass replay. Find Sarah at her , or on IG/FB @sarahweisbrodflute Thanks for joining me on Crushing Classical! Theme music and audio editing 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!
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Happiest Musician Minisodes: What do you WANT this Year?
01/16/2025
Happiest Musician Minisodes: What do you WANT this Year?
Please enjoy this snippet from last week's planning workshop for musicians! 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!
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Marc Hoffman: Recording Globally
01/09/2025
Marc Hoffman: Recording Globally
Many of the musicians I know are bootstrappers. We get things done, and we get things done the easiest way possible. I loved this conversation with Marc Hoffman, who went GLOBAL to make his project all the more impressive! Marc Hoffman was born in NC, received a BM in composition from the North Carolina School of the Arts, and completed additional study in film composition at the University of Southern California. He also studied at The Dartington International Summer School of Music in Devon, England. Notable composition teachers include David Ott, Sherwood Shaffer, Leo Arnaud, and Neal Hefti. He composes concert, film, jazz instrumental and vocal, solo piano and choral pieces and songs. Recent commissions include a string quartet, made possible by a grant from ASG, and a woodwind trio composed for Charlotte New Music Festival, and premiered by Phoenix Down Trio. Marc performs 200-plus dates a year as a soloist and with his trio, with a repertoire of original jazz, and his own arrangements of standards, ballads, Motown, and pop. Also an educator, Marc teaches composition, jazz improv, piano, and voice. His woodwind trio, Telegraph, was recorded in Lviv, Ukraine during the conflict by members of the Lviv National Philharmonic. http://www.marchoffman.com https://www.facebook.com/marchoffmandotcom/ https://www.instagram.com/marchoffmanmusic/ https://x.com/marchoffman Thanks for joining me on Crushing Classical! Theme music and audio editing 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!
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Happiest Musician Minisodes: Groceries and Artistry
12/26/2024
Happiest Musician Minisodes: Groceries and Artistry
My New Year's Gratitude for the community of musicians, artists, and grocery store baggers who make the world a better place all year long. Join me on December 30 for an intimate planning session and make your 2025 DIFFERENT. Better. More interesting and more abundant! Register for free Thanks for joining me on Crushing Classical! Theme music and audio editing 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!
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Dr. Matt Cook: Composer, Novelist, Storyteller
12/19/2024
Dr. Matt Cook: Composer, Novelist, Storyteller
Have you dreamed about bringing a HUGE creative project to life? You will love hearing from Dr. Matt Cook, whose Braveship album was just released. This narrated symphonic experience encompasses multimedia, live performance, a novelization, and even a forthcoming video game! Instagram: @mattcookwrites TikTok: @mattcookwrites Website: www.visitmatt.com Braveship: Thanks for joining me on Crushing Classical! Theme music and audio editing 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!
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Happiest Musician Minisodes: Build Your OWN Career Ladder
12/12/2024
Happiest Musician Minisodes: Build Your OWN Career Ladder
The dismaying truth about our industry is that being good at your instrument and good at your artistry is not ENOUGH to make you a leader! No one offers you exactly the role you are looking for just because you are there looking cute. If you want something different, you get to build it! Join me for a FREE planning workshop on December 30, 2024, and make your New Year the best one yet. 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!
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Eric Malmquist: Being a Working Composer
12/05/2024
Eric Malmquist: Being a Working Composer
I have this imaginary story of what a composer does all day - and it's based on Mozart and Beethoven biopics and a sort of La Boheme-ish romantic image of starving artists. In this generous interview, Eric Malmquist takes us behind the scenes of a recent commission and offers great tips for anyone wanting to work in our business! Eric Malmquist (b. 1985) writes earnestly heartfelt and engaging music. He draws on a deep love of early music and modern influences to produce works that are focused and emotional. He has been commissioned and performed by the Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago, Baroque on Beaver Island, Chicago Composers Orchestra, the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, tubist Scott Tegge, historical keyboardist Charles Metz, historical flutist Leighann Daihl Ragusa, Chatter, Constellation Men’s Ensemble, the International Chamber Artists, the Newberry Consort and the Wicker Park Choral Singers. Recent performances include City Music with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras Accelerando Strings; Open, Clear & Free, a 25-minute men's choir cycle on parks for Constellation Men's Ensemble; A History of Fatherhood in Sante Fe and Albuquerque with Chatter; and a concerto grosso for Baroque on Beaver Island entitled Great Lake Music. His music has been performed across the US and has been featured repeatedly on 98.7WFMT. Recordings of his music are on sale: “Music in Bloom” featuring period instruments, on the disc “New Song” and by pianist Jonathan Hannau. Check out Eric at his website, . Thanks for joining me on Crushing Classical! Theme music and audio editing 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!
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Happiest Musician Minisode: Focus is a Superpower!
11/21/2024
Happiest Musician Minisode: Focus is a Superpower!
The energy we musicians bring to performance is unusual, and important. We can't do our incredible work without it. How do you think about protecting your brain for this job requirement? 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!
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Desmond Earley: Chamber Music by James Joyce
11/14/2024
Desmond Earley: Chamber Music by James Joyce
I'm always interested in project management - how big and complex projects come to life. I'm always interested in inspiration - where the ideas come from and the WHY behind them. This interview gives us ALL of that and more! Born in Dublin, very close to the location of many of Handel's Dublin performances in 1741and 1742, Dr. Desmond Earley is an accomplished harpsichordist, conductor, Baroque- and Choral-Music specialist, educator, arts ambassador, and composer. Hailed by The Irish Times as ‘enterprising and wide ranging’, he is an Associate Professor specialising in Performance Studies, Desmond is the founding Artistic Director of the Choral Scholars of University College Dublin. His work with this group has reached listeners in over 150 countries worldwide; recordings of Choral Scholars on the Signum Classics label – released under his direction – have enjoyed over 11 million streams on Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music; and, YouTube views of Desmond Earley and Choral Scholars exceed 32 million, with over 100,000 channel subscribers. As a celebrated composer and arranger, Desmond has published works with Music Sales (UK), Hal Leonard Corporation (USA), Alliance Music (USA) and with Seolta Music (IRL) where he serves as editor of the international ‘College Choral Series’. He has created bespoke arrangements for renowned ensembles including the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, the Portland Symphony Orchestra (Maine, USA), Tenebrae (UK), and the Irish Baroque Orchestra. His acclaimed work Body of the Moon (2017), based on a setting of texts by Galileo Galilei, was commissioned by All Classical Radio (USA) to be played during the progress of the total solar eclipse across the United States of America that same year. He was recently awarded an Arts Council of Ireland Bursary and is currently working on a choral/instrumental collection titled 'Dracula Reflected', inspired by Bram Stoker’s famous epistolary. As an instrumentalist and director, Desmond has worked with many of the world’s finest orchestras including the Irish Chamber Orchestra, Portland Baroque Orchestra, Irish Baroque Orchestra, RTÉ Concert Orchestra, European Union Chamber Orchestra and English Chamber Orchestra. Desmond has also collaborated with some of the world’s great musicians including Christopher Hogwood, Monica Huggett, Konrad Junghaenel, and Sir James Galway. Follow the choral scholars on or . Follow Desmond Earley on or . Thanks for joining me on Crushing Classical! Theme music and audio editing 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!
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Happiest Musician Minisode: Making Big Dreams Happen
11/07/2024
Happiest Musician Minisode: Making Big Dreams Happen
A conversation I recently had got thrillingly concrete when we started asking and answering concrete questions. Might some ACTION steps help you, too? 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!
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Shawn Head: Honored Grand Master of Classical Shakuhachi
10/31/2024
Shawn Head: Honored Grand Master of Classical Shakuhachi
With an active performing and recording schedule, and a growing studio of students, Shawn Tairyu Head has dedicated himself to bringing the shakuhachi to new audiences around the world. While he embraces the traditional melodies of the ancient repertoire known as honkyoku, his classical conservatory training and Western spiritual perspective make him equally at home composing and commissioning new works that explore the unique sonic possibilities of the shakuhachi. As a performer, composer, and teacher, his goal is nothing less than a shakuhachi revival. In this conversation, you will find SO MUCH GOLD for the 21st century musician. Shawn is SO GENEROUS in sharing his path and his process, and he has TONS of fantastic advice. I recommend you take notes and take note! I know I did. Follow Shawn's or check out his ! Thanks for joining me on Crushing Classical! Theme music and audio editing 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!
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Happiest Musician Minisode: Give Your Gig a Chance to be Great
10/24/2024
Happiest Musician Minisode: Give Your Gig a Chance to be Great
One of the pillars of a portfolio career is Joy and Artistic Fulfillment. How many of your last, say, five gigs offered you Joy? Or Artistic Fulfillment? You always get to choose. Here are some ways to think about this important part of your creative life! 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!
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Michelle Lynne: The Fearless Artist
10/17/2024
Michelle Lynne: The Fearless Artist
Michelle Lynn, a Canadian pianist now based in Europe, expanded from being a classical musician to being an entrepreneur by founding the Fearless Artist Mastermind during COVID-19. The program helps classical musicians build fulfilling careers through monthly online calls, hot seats for peer advice, and a social media program called the Sprint. Michelle emphasizes the importance of a growth mindset, overcoming fear of judgment, and leveraging relationships. Michelle advocates for redefining success and encourages musicians to focus on their unique strengths and the broader impact of their work. I love having coaches on this podcast because I always seem to find ahas for myself in our conversations! Michelle’s take on both PERFORMING and LIVING is so refreshing. She talks about being of service - being there for the audience, for your colleagues, for the organizations you are working with - and about taking the pressure off yourself to be perfect because what people want is HUMANITY. And I am HERE for her message. I know you will love this episode. Connect with the Fearless Artist Mastermind and take their quiz at the or on instagram at @thefearlessartistmastermind. You can follow Michelle at @thisismichellelynne. Thanks for joining me on Crushing Classical! Theme music and audio editing 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!
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Happiest Musician Minisode: Resilience
10/10/2024
Happiest Musician Minisode: Resilience
We talk about consistency as though it is the be-all and end-all of a musical career, a reedmaking business, teaching, parenting, business - but what if the truth were something more ...flexible? 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!
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Callum Smart: Caidence
10/03/2024
Callum Smart: Caidence
Classical music can be such a slow-moving industry. I'm fascinated by our innovators, like today's guest, who is developing new ways to serve and support his audience and students! Since winning the BBC Young Musician strings category, Callum has soloed with the UK's leading orchestras (Royal Philharmonic, BBC Philharmonic, Hallé) and offered recitals in leading venues (Wigmore Hall, Konzerthaus Berlin, Auditorium du Louvre). This season, he's heading on tour to China and Hong Kong and launching an interactive new recital series in London. With 3 albums to his name, his most recent, ‘Transatlantic’, was a top 30 album on the UK classical charts and earned Callum features as Classic FM and Scala Artist of the Week. A dedicated pedagogue, Callum is a Violin Professor at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), faculty member at Orford Musique, and mentor at Music Masters. Callum also shares violin tips with his Instagram community of 60k followers and is launching ‘Caidence’, his free generative AI practice companion to support violinists in their musical journeys. Recognized as a forward thinker in the industry, he has been invited to share insights in BBC Music Magazine, the Strad, BBC Radio 3’s This Classical Life, Mind Over Finger, and more. Follow Callum on , , or his , and check out ! Thanks for joining me on Crushing Classical! Theme music and audio editing 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!
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Happiest Musician Minisode: Find Your People
09/26/2024
Happiest Musician Minisode: Find Your People
Humans are social animals - but you wouldn't always know it from talking with classical musicians and musicpreneurs! In today's episode, I talk about the many advantages you can gain from finding your people and TALKING about your ideas! Interested in my Reed Business Mastermind? I have two slots left and we start next week. 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!
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