Music Crush with FNMC

Christian Glascock won FNMC’s composition competition in 2024 with his flute-piano work, but it’s not her. Today he fills us in on his book "Plugged In: Practice and Performance Method for Flutists," which he co-wrote with his former flute professor, Abigail Walsh. He also discusses the therapeutic role composition plays during turbulent times and the joy of meeting his composition heroes in real life. Stay tuned for more, cuz this guy’s got a bright future ahead of himself! Christian Glascock: https://www.christianglascock.com/In the Blink of an Eye: https://open.spotify.com/album/6i0ipfMU70Ah8uL1J3l7pdAmy Beth Kirsetn, Pirouette on a Moon Sliver: https://youtu.be/jj57RIRl66E?si=c9jWrO-7m9BpzSkjRobert Dick, everyone@universe.existence: https://youtu.be/c01bXIpVF_s?si=bk1SLFQNwwpeBW35Steve Reich, Mallet Quartet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrJkrCs5hUkBill Ryan, Towards Daybreak: https://billryanmusic.com/compositions/Towards%20Daybreak/Jacob TV, Lipstick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8QCsoF5W9IAndre Jolivet, Chant de Linos: https://youtu.be/SZzTzcs5Y_8?si=CsR4pGXWyEBUdMAPEarspasm: https://www.youtube.com/@earspasm

Kari Cruver Medina was born a composer and storyteller! She prefers to live a life which dwells in possibilities (thank you, Emily Dickinson), and chooses to “tend and befriend” whenever she can. Today she chats with Nicole and Elizabeth about not doing it all in favor of a life led with intentionality and exploration. We also learn more about her wildly varied duet for flutes, Cabinet of Curiosities, an FNMC competition winner in 2024, and get schooled in some poetry for beginners. https://www.karicruvermedina.com/Emily Dickinson: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/emily-dickinsonMary Oliver: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/mary-oliverBilly Collins: https://youtu.be/DOvbl3ZPPV4?si=eZrO6PgS9Liw4vvb

Are you regularly cooking up new, complicated projects in need of funding? This episode’s for you. Elizabeth reveals her super-secret project, South Dakota Chamber Winds, which came to fruition this past summer. What follows is a pretty specific discussion about how to strategize for grant writing, how to survive running The Thing, and for dessert, a delightful lil’ name drop of some perhaps new-to-you composers you should know. Nicole and Elizabeth also go down the rabbit hole of analyzing the unique vibe of non-academic venues with non-academic audience members. And finally, there is an ode to the ever-patient, ever-suffering regional personnel manager.  South Dakota Chamber Winds: http://www.southdakotachamberwinds.com/ Marie A. Douglas: https://www.marieadouglas.com/ Alyssa Morris: https://www.alyssamorrismusic.com/ Jonathan Newman: https://jonathannewman.com/

An eclectic and versatile performer, NYC-based clarinetist Chris Grymes has made a name for himself in the new music scene, as a performer, show producer, and the founder of Open G Records, which he started in 2012. Today he talks about his decades-long friendship with Joan Tower, the surprisingly inherent music of Jiu-Jitsu, and the guiding principle that drives his choice of projects: making nice stuff with his friends. He considers himself the funny uncle of the new music world and hopes, first and foremost, to leave behind “something that’s not dumb”.  National Sawdust: https://www.nationalsawdust.org/ Boulez,Dialogue de l'ombre double: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJKhUZEhtX8 Open G Records: https://www.youtube.com/@OpenGRecords Radiohead, OK Computer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDRauh2lETo&list=PLD3LS5Z2bqoFChIzb5H0CY-XwmUB02buA Brahms, op. 118: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b76pK6FRGJc&list=PLabI4D17uS1IEfjbHmdKQk_aP-RcpsByO Stravinsky, Firebird (full): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFEUfvMnCmM&list=PLt_iN-ytBvZxkr4sS-It8d8rvDDhuu1VI

In this season finale episode, Nicole is puzzling over how to keep a healthy balance between ambition and personal boundaries. Elizabeth is starting to see her past experiences through a more nuanced lens. No one is everyone’s cup of tea, and this conversation is all about being kind to yourself and acknowledging the things you can’t control…this is middle age, folks!

 Up-and-coming composer, Dianna Link, won FNMC’s Composition Competition in 2023 with her flute-piano piece, “Old As Time”. It’s a feminist reimagining of the tale of Beauty and the Beast, and she spoke with us about her interest in exploring themes of resilience and self-determination in her reworking of this classic fairy tale. She also discusses the existential crisis of having to fit neatly into one box in school, her inspiring time spent studying through OAcademy and Boulanger Initiative, her history of taking liberties with the score, and music-crushes on her main mentors, Annika Socolofsky and Alex Gardner.  https://www.diannalink.com/ Boulanger Initiative: https://www.boulangerinitiative.org/ OAcademy: https://oacademy.live/ Tophouse, “The Mountain Song”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaDC_e4SjBQ Twisted Pine, “Come Along Jody”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6-OLP2FTI8 How to Train Your Dragon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQxr-HeSp68

Composer Reena Esmail sat down with us today to fill in some background for the beautiful new solo flute piece that FNMC recently commissioned, Pathways of Desire. She also shared some surprising insights on the differences (musical and pedagogical) between Western and Hindustani classical musics, discussed the value of carving your own path, and revealed the secret to pleasing her with your performance! A teacher at heart, she’s curious about ways the old conservatory model of teaching could be updated, and recognizes a big truth she learned years ago as a student: it’s easier to learn when the teacher believes in you. If you're looking for some positive inspiration in the middle of a hard week, this episode is for you.  https://www.reenaesmail.com/ The Observable Universe: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/723150/the-observable-universe-by-heather-mccalden/ Reena’s Sonata for Trombone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ze0de_DFbFQ Thomas Adès, Inferno: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6r2vc_oulPg Schumann piano Quartet, mvt. 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MKZAG8Oqu8 Mendelssohn B minor piano trio, mvt. 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LDPTbFtprE

Flutist Christine Erlander Beard enjoys an active international career as a soloist, chamber artist and teacher. You may know her from her current commissioning project, #theflutistactivist initiative. Today she joins Elizabeth and Nicole to discuss her social advocacy work, both on and off stage, her lifelong love affair with the piccolo, and the importance of teaching the whole person, with your whole self.  https://www.christiebeard.net/ Linthicum-Blackhorse, C10H15n: https://youtu.be/PWq8kY1htHA?si=psJO3DwNK75Zc2ci Jan Novak, Marsyas: https://youtu.be/xsx4vMZXfds?si=3uOAkM2wzOQNTJlr EJ Louwerse, 50 Fish: https://youtu.be/qyCgAvrjAVQ?si=WRYYBxCmjjt3TyT3 Erwin Schulhoff, Sonata: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9A9F5YlbVo

Expat flutist Chelsea Czuchra is puzzling over the divide between “classical” and popular music in Western culture and how to build an authentic bridge to art music in our communities that doesn’t involve academia. We don’t exactly figure out the answer in this delightful chat, but we’re confident you will be as charmed and fascinated by her Switzerland-based work as we were!  Making Music in Looking Glass Land: https://archive.org/details/makingmusicinloo0000high Be Spoken: https://www.letsbespoken.org/ Angela Beeching: https://angelabeeching.com/ Kaija Saariaho: Flute Concerto : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7sjyGRUoRI Meshell Ndegéocello - No More Water: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDhajrZgo0TK7cAyIl8dE7fikx_pvdt4M&si=ur0hnpHyHnCRnUEC Jessica Myers, My Heart is the Churning Sea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vFJKjahuwM

Polish flutist Alicia Molitorys speaks with us today about how she got interested in new music despite the lack of early support, the amazing and unique perspective of growing up in Poland and then studying in the West as a young adult, and fills us in a little bit on one of her latest projects, “Dark Sky” with composer Allison Ogden. We got interested in Alicja’s work after she applied to perform at FNMC’s New Music Festival, a long, long trip for her which will be generously supported by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute through their "Polish culture worldwide" fund (thank you Mr. Mickiewicz!). Alicja: https://contemporaryartmusicproject.org/alicja-molitorys/ Wissam Boustany: https://www.wissamboustany.com/ Brian Ferneyhough, Cassandra’s Dream Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IKVMdH60-A Agata Zubel "Not I": https://open.spotify.com/track/1mPQCAuI9ZnOuLrikm6UD9?si=607f4fac6a674eb5 Sławomir Kupczak "Halny"  for electronics and improvising flutist (2017): https://soundcloud.com/user-395603716/s-awomir-kupczak-halny-for?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing  Nikolet Burzyńska "Green Mazurka" for flute, cello and piano:  https://youtu.be/XBKLEh0_XnA?si=bkVlYgg78pUFn07I  KIOLOIK with the score and recording: Kioloik (hendrich.pl)

In the lead-up to FNMC’s New Music Festival, we caught up with composer Brandon Nelson, whose music for Triage Woodwinds will be featured in a concert there. He discusses the wealth of opportunities that can result from growing up in a small town, the adventure of learning how to play recorder as an adult, and the very modern experience of meeting collaborators on Twitter. Living in an isolated place (the beautiful UP of Michigan) means learning how to work remotely, and Brandon has some sage advice to give in that regard. Plus, Nicole and Elizabeth learn that Recorder Karate is a thing! Come for the deep thoughts about sharing creative space, stay for the piccolo quartet about moose cheese.  https://bnelsonmusic.wordpress.com/ http://www.triagewoodwinds.com/

Elizabeth and Nicole are getting ready for FNMC’s New Music Festival! Today they talk about how proposals were selected for this festival, and perhaps it’ll provide a new perspective for people who propose in the future, and to other conferences/festivals as well. So if you’ve ever been rejected from a festival, we’ve been there too, and we’ve got some tips! Elizabeth’s hair looks great, by the way.  Here are the deets on our upcoming festival in Omaha in October: https://www.flutenewmusicconsortium.com/nmf-2024.html 

 Self-proclaimed “all-purpose nerd” Linda Antas is a composer, arts technologist, flutist, and educator on the faculty at Montana State University. Her current research involves audiovisual works, real-time signal processing, sonification, and physical computing. Today, she shares her thoughts on walking in the woods, meditation, and keeping your hands on your instrument whether or not you’re performing regularly. Listen on for some great advice about getting started in electro-acoustic music and resisting the constant dopamine hit of the wrong kind of social media! www.lindaantas.com Brandi Carlile: https://www.youtube.com/@BrandiCarlile Messiaen, Vingt Regards sur l'Enfant Jèsus (1944): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovMnmIoZh74

This one’s not about new music, folks. Nicole is processing the hard truths on Katherine Needleman’s Facebook and confronting her own accidental complicity in the past, while Elizabeth reminds us of some various cultural phenomena proving that the 90s wasn’t as great for women as we thought back then. And yes, a certain flutist fellow does come up. What do you do, as the grown-up in the room, when younger people need your support? We're still figuring it out ourselves. Katherine Needleman’s Substack: https://katherineneedlemanoboist.substack.com/ Reporting Title IX complaints: https://www.equalrights.org/issue/the-title-ix-process/ Gavin de Becker, The Gift of Fear: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gift_of_Fear

Composer and author Dale Trumbore discusses her book, Staying Composed: Overcoming Anxiety and Self-Doubt Within a Creative Life and shares some of her philosophies, including seeing the music she writes as a memoir, embracing the suckitude in the creative process, vaccinating yourself against meanness, and applying the Girl Scout motto to her work. We adored our time with her and know you will too!  https://www.daletrumbore.com/ How to Go On: https://www.daletrumbore.com/how-to-go-on Infinitely and Without Apology: https://www.daletrumbore.com/infinitely Snow White Turns 60: https://www.daletrumbore.com/swt60 Y La Bamba: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au-mBoepJUA Tori Amos, Little Earthquakes: https://youtu.be/uov7BZDOvFg?si=BTisn5FzU2NeTNjW Messiaen, O Sacrum conVivium: https://youtu.be/x0__tgrjTkc?si=nbOZfrIhApFFPz9g Ravel, String Quartet: https://youtu.be/O4a-BNQgqqE?si=GaAohSvd_r9cdJB_

Picking up from our previous conversation, Elizabeth opens with a story about her feminist radicalization (just kidding–there is no such thing) and small world, Alex was there too! Alex explains how she left the rat race of SoCal for a tiny island off Washington state, describes composition as improvising in slow motion and reminds us that it’s always worth being kind. Enter some shared wise words about appreciating your own musical fingerprints, reading life with nuance, and fostering mental health as part of the curriculum. Nicole shares her pedagogical philosophy (applicable to all of life!), and Elizabeth explores the limitations of teaching students how to live their lives.  https://www.alexshapiro.org/ Athena Lab: https://athena.gatech.edu/

Celebrated composer and author Alex Shapiro and Nicole trip down memory lane recalling Alex’s residency at University of Wyoming, and Nicole asks “what do you get out of it?” Alex describes being an extroverted introvert, the “warm fuzzies” she gets from her composer community. Nicole mentions the weirdness of being a woman. Elizabeth, Alex, and Nicole also deconstruct bro culture and conclude that the key is education through intentional programming and normalization of diversity. Finally, Alex encourages us to have an attitude of abundance rather than scarcity. https://www.alexshapiro.org/ Midwest Clinic: https://www.midwestclinic.org/ Cat Bohanan, Eve: https://www.catbohannon.com/home/eve

Jacob Thiede is a composer and saxophonist from Murray, Kentucky, where the smell of tobacco barns and honeysuckle fill the air. He holds a PhD in Music Composition from the University of North Texas and currently finds himself as a financial advisor for TIAA. Today, Jake chats about his compositional experiments with white noise, the relationship between music and light, and his application of ride rhythms from heavy metal to metric modulations in his own works. Listen for some detailed ideas about how dance affects music and some financial advice you probably weren’t expecting to hear!  New Amsterdam Records: https://www.newamrecords.com/ Kings Kaleidoscope: https://kingskaleidoscope.com/ Nico Muhly, Drones: https://nicomuhly.bandcamp.com/album/drones www.jakewritesmusic.com 

College freshman Christian Yom, winner of FNMC’s 2023 Composition Competition for his chamber piece Sansori, was kind enough to talk to these two middle-aged ladies today about his love for Korean food and traditional music, Ravel, and lifelong learning. He encouraged us to dream big, take risks, and appreciate rejection as a part of the learning process.  https://www.christianyom.com/ Sansori: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEUCO5l8Po4 Ravel La Valse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fg2i2NB-i3o National Young Composer’s Challenge: https://www.youngcomposerschallenge.org/ Charles Ives Music Festival: https://charlesivesmusicfestival.org/

Kian Ravaei, winner of the 2023 FNMC Composition Competition with his EDM-inspired flute + electronics piece, Ecstasies, chats with us today about his composer warm-ups, a delightful-sounding rejection letter group chat, and his latest project combining traditional Persian and Jewish musics, plus a primer on DJ life and the many iterations of EDM. Kian Ravaei.com  Kayhan Kalhor: kayhankalhor.net Rezz: officialrezz.com California Suite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQfPi-FyiFY

Today, Elizabeth and Nicole are having cocktails with composer Joseph Hallman, who is splitting his time between his hometown of Philadelphia and Miami these days. Between sips, he catches us up on how he survived the pandemic, explores his extensive catalog of compositional gifts, and shares some very generous thoughts on dealing with anxiety and growing older and wiser. http://www.josephhallman.com/ Hallman, four pieces: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIBCnHS41d4 ASALTO NAVIDENO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QP2JPuwhnyE Bjork, Body Memory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXPDeUN03Qs Bjork, Crystalline: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8Y8OVYBRUo

Get to know Zara Lawler, aka The Flute on Its Feet, in this amazing chat featuring tales of serendipity, the porousness of her artistic boundaries, and a mini-history of the dancing flutist! With projects ranging from farm concerts in rural Massachusetts to choreographing the Bach B minor Suite in New York City, this fascinating conversation will provide you with the most perfect, midweek creative shot in the arm. zaralawler.com Hailstork, Flute Set: https://youtu.be/BJau0QYLd7E Reverse Busking: https://youtu.be/zFYfSS7cQp8?si=22drbQLYr3BG5Hk6 Symmetrical Lives: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJEgXw7FN1g Minuet for goats: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgLx5o8-74U Azonto: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3q_ralziDS4

Flutist-composer Tim Hagen discusses the personal “sonic encyclopedia” that guides his performance style, explains why all performers should compose, and encourages us to explore our “why” in a carefully crafted mission statement. We think his dream collaborations will surprise and inspire you, and there’s a great sneak peek at his upcoming projects (oh so many!) along with his favorite advice from composer Adolphus Hailstork.  https://www.timothyhagen.com/ Matthew Syed, Bounce: https://www.matthewsyed.co.uk/book/bounce-the-myth-of-talent-and-the-power-of-practice/ Carol Dweck, Mindset: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2006-08575-000 William Westney, The Perfect Wrong Note: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/27585 Soper, Only the Words Themselves Mean What They Say: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVWHGx-LRL4 Alex Temple, Willingly: https://alextemplemusic.com/2013/02/willingly/ Schoenberg, Gurrelieder: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiC_gudbtvc

Today, Elizabeth and Nicole get some much-needed, soul-searching inspiration from composer Carter Pann. We talk about the value of not being perfect in your youth, the complicated beauty of embracing identity in your work, and Carter shares some great advice about ways to stay curious for adventurers of all ages. Trigger warning: we may or may not dunk on social media.  https://www.carterpann.com/ Charles Wuorinen, The Golden Dance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehdYwbTAHn4 Paul Schoenberg, Pierrot Lunaire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48WnNgrH57E Fred Lerdahl, Fantasy Etudes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUIE4Q_QOKk Steve Reich, Double Sextet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4ITDgWp_gQ Olivier Messiaen, Quartet for the End of Time:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYpBHc8px_U Igor Stravinsky, Octet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFUUWFf7QOw

Composer KEVIN DAY is a winner of the BMI Student Composer Award, a three-time finalist for the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award, and was shortlisted for the 2022 Pulitzer Prize, and he’s not yet 30. Today the young professor and composer-about-town talks about his family musical legacy, juggling the beginning of an academic career while finishing his student days with a bang (his DMA dissertation for University of Miami is slated to be an opera he has been commissioned to write), and considers what today’s music students need to be successful. When asked about his heroes, Beyonce, Kendrick Lamar, and Tyler the Creator do make appearances, alongside Jennifer Higdon and John Coltrane in this wonderfully eclectic exploration of styles and inspirations.  Kevin Day: https://www.kevindaymusic.com/ Tania Leon: http://www.tanialeon.com/ Marcos Balter: https://marcosbalter.com/ Demondrae Thurmon: https://music.indiana.edu/faculty/current/thurman-demondrae.html  Cubauza: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYfLnaqrMQo  Data Lords: https://www.mariaschneider.com/home/discography Symphony #3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wekB1fyR8p4

Ever wonder how FNMC’s Composition Competition came into existence? Today Nicole talks with Elizabeth, who runs the competition, about how we determine categories, choose finalists, and the elements of the competition that perhaps make it most uniquely FNMC: our commitment to repeatedly programming winning pieces, and the membership vote that drives the whole shebang. Composers looking to learn more about FNMC’s Composition Competition, or in search of some helpful tips for any competition, this one is required listening for you! (PS, Elizabeth won the Graduate Research Competition hosted by NFA, not FNMC, but you probably already knew that.)

Composer and University of Florida professor Paul Richards likes a big canvas! Today he chats with Elizabeth and Nicole about the limitlessness of the recording studio, reimaging his classical works as prog rock music for his album, Rough Translations, and elaborates on one of his guiding principles as an artist: “The world doesn’t need more beautiful things, but rather an expanded concept of what is beautiful.”  paulrichardsmusic.com Arvo Part, My Heart’s in the Highlands: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tM9uPq_20k Sarah Kirkland Snider, The Unremembered: https://www.sarahkirklandsnider.com/albums/unremembered Dr. John, Right Place Wrong Time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4PjWgiH-LQ&pp=ygUIZHIuIGpvaG4%3D

Elizabeth and Nicole discuss their experiences attending new music festivals (with heavy–and admiring–emphasis on New Music Gathering) and explain their own process in programming FNMC’s New Music Festival. There are some great tips here for developing winning proposals, as well as a reveal of our upcoming NMF dates!

This conversation with flutist, composer, and educator MELISSA KEELING is like your daily dose of OM. Today, she chats with Nicole and Elizabeth about her world-altering move from the South to New York City to study with Robert Dick, the value of establishing authentic relationships in the business (saying it louder for the people in the back), and she encourages us to embrace the F Word (FUN)! Listen for some hot tips on getting started on the glissando headjoint, incorporating electronics into performances, and the value of a good jaw harp lesson.  https://www.melissakeeling.com/ Robert Dick, Flames Must Not Encircle the Sides: https://www.justflutes.com/shop/product/flames-must-not-encircle-sides-robert-dick AP AAMP:https://www.asburyamp.org/ Mike Mower, Doing Time: https://www.itchyfingers.com/view-IFP_041 Pink Floyd, Comfortably Numb: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FrOQC-zEog Grateful Dead, Help on the Way / Slipknot! / Franklin’s Tower: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INzyBz1Ts1s

Deep Listening® Facilitator, flutist, composer, and scholar JANE RIGLER joins us today to walk us through a Deep listening session, share the fascinations of living abroad, and drop some sneaky advice on making yourself indispensable in the workplace. Jane calls herself a storyteller and a connector; we would like to humbly add brilliant philosopher to that list. Referenced inspirations: Pauline Oliveros, Laurie Anderson, Meredith Monk, Wade Matthews, Steve Fernandez, Butch Morris, Walter Thomspon, and Peter Kowald. https://janerigler.com  https://www.deeplistening.rpi.edu/

ANNE GUZZO, composer and creator/director of The Wyoming Festival: New Music in the Mountains, talks with us today about creating music to teach us about our responsibilities to the planet, making art music meaningful through the personal, and breaking down barriers in the classical arts. She also shares some insights on her recent break with academia and explores her experiences as a woman, and a native of “flyover country” in the classical music world.  https://anneguzzo.com Del’Shawn Taylor: https://www.delshawntaylor.com/ Andy Akiho: https://www.andyakiho.com/ Shawna Wolf: https://shawnawolf.com/home/ Shepard Symposium:https://shepardsymposium.weebly.com/ Music from Angel Fire:https://musicfromangelfire.org/ The Wyoming Festival: https://www.facebook.com/WyomingFestival/about

MEGAN IHNEN, a genuine American treasure, joins us today and we all marvel over the magic of internet relationships, namely the coaching she’s done with Elizabeth! Megan has some sage advice that she’s developed from her years as a career coach and an admirable ability to juggle coaching, commissioning, and performing. Elizabeth takes us through her coaching experience with Megan (a bit of a coaching reunion, if you will), and Megan gives us a bird’s eye view of her incredibly unique artistic activities, as well.  https://meganihnen.com Peter Lieberson, Neruda Songs: https://www.npr.org/2006/12/30/6696483/liebersons-neruda-songs-tracing-loves-arc  GRiZ, Airplane Mode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNepCLQ7gqs Michael Lanci, Songs for Joe Hill: https://www.michaellanci.com/songs-for-joe-hill.html

JENNIFER PIAZZA-PICK is currently Assistant Professor of Music (Voice) at Queens University of Charlotte. She regularly performs vocal chamber music and co-founded the chamber ensemble Whistling Hens, a soprano-clarinet duo which champions music by women composers. Their first album, Reacting to the Landscape, features the works of 7 living American women composers. Today Jennifer shares her later-than-some origins story in the new music world, discusses her processes (of commissioning, collaborating, and learning her parts!), and gives some amazing guidance to us all about staying curious and brave.  https://www.jenniferpiazzapick.com Pretty Yende: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ar7HGBg5o3k

KIMBERLY OSBERG truly lives by her mantra, “original music for anyone, anywhere”. Today she visits with Elizabeth and Nicole about her love of chamber music, the secrets to her relationship success with her performers, and how she came to write music for combat scenes (!) A genuine life learner and giver of musical gifts, Kim builds upon her omnivorous liberal arts education to stay forever fascinated by all walks of life and advocate for new music at all age and ability levels.  https://kimberlyosberg.com/ George N. Gianopoulos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVmxzvy0qErh8ckRJB88qjA Spirited Away: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig-h-5bD2P0 Pedro Infante - Cien Años: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqfFPEToslA

JESSICA RUDMAN is a collaboration queen! Elizabeth and Nicole met her back in March 2023 at the Music By Women Festival in Mississippi, where she had multiple pieces performed, and just had to know more. Besides claiming a heap of composition awards and residencies, Jessica teaches at University of Utah. Today, she talks to us about writing meaningful music for these meaningful times, remaining flexible in her creative vision, and fills us in on some exciting upcoming projects! https://www.jessicarudman.com/ Elizabeth Hamilton: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Hamilton_(writer) American Academy of Poets / Poem of the Day: https://poets.org/poem-a-day Kendra Preston Leonard: https://kendraprestonleonard.hcommons.org/ Rhiannon Giddens: https://rhiannongiddens.com/

File this one under career advice–we’re back after a lil’ summer break, and getting ready to gig again! Nicole muses on the privilege on display at music festivals and mourns the dying art of supporting each other in the audience. Elizabeth shares some hot takes on the hierarchy of hotel stays and she and Nicole both celebrate having graduated from shower shoes-mandatory motels. And we exhaust the question: how much personal expense do you incur before turning down a gig? Bottom line: it’s hard to play well when you’re dirty and tired.  Brandon Shaw: Startup Musician

And networking is haaaard. Elizabeth is looking for an efficient way to shop for new music. Nicole doesn’t really have a solution, but they do dive into a laundry list of helpful organizations who curate their own lists (listeners, add to our directory in the comments to this show!). This leads to a discussion about the usefulness of social media to make new music connections, our own social fails, and the need for flexible instrumentation demands when commissioning from flyover country. (PS, Pierrot Ensemble doesn’t count as practical.) But we agree that we will both play the HECK out of any pieces we manage to wrangle! Oh, and keep listening for Nicole and Elizabeth’s origin story, aaaaaawwwww!!!

JANE K (Evgeniya Kozhevnikova) is a composer, pianist, educator and a PhD student in composition from University of Florida. She defies the rigid lines of genre, preferring to  blend genres from classical to jazz and tango. In 2022 she released her latest album, a collection of her art songs called Lift Up Your Hearts. We fell in love with her unique and extremely quaffable style at the Music By Women Festival in March 2023. Today Jane talks about being open to opportunities, her journey from computer technology student in Russia to composer and music educator in the U.S., and gives some great advice on breaking through writer’s block.  https://www.janekmusic.com/ Diana Krall, Greatest Hits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqjrmdNnfCo Sting, Shape of Your Heart: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlwIDxCjL-8 Norah Jones, Come Away with Me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbjZPFBD6JU

CHERISE LEITER, composition and theory professor at Metropolitan State University in Denver, won FNMC’s Composition Competition back in 2017 with The Life in a Day for flute, cello, and guitar. She has since been commissioned by FNMC for her solo flute work, a voice silenced, a voice sings, which was given its delayed premiere by our very own Elizabeth Robinson back in February of this year.  Today, Cherise crushes on Ella Fitzgerald and Hildegard von Bingen, educates Nicole on Bardcore, and discusses how the pandemic affected her work as both an artist and an educator. Cherise also wanted to add to that Dr. Michelle Stanley premiered and recorded The Life in a Day and commissioned American Folk Suite, both of which get mentions in this episode. Thank you, Michelle! https://www.cherisedleiter.com/ Dancing Queen, bardcore style: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7gN81ZRyBA Stuart Nicholson, Ella Fitzgerald: https://stuartnicholson.uk/books/ella-fitzgerald/ Something to Live For: https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/ella-fitzgerald-something-to-live-for/590/ How High the Moon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aw4N8P6c3Ws All of Me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sr_EX9Ppfjw The Sun Tones, Watch What Happens: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltx2DUQSwA8 Whistling Hens: https://www.whistlinghens.com/ Allison Krauss and Robert Plant, Can’t Let Go: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-sPS9y7y5c

ZAQ LATINO (they/them) works as an actor, arts administrator, and crafter of extremely beautiful compositions in New York, but perhaps the most meaningful title for what they do is “storyteller”. Today, Zaq gives us a window into all of their worlds and shares their wonderfully generous perspective on collaborating with others! We also explore feelings–about performance anxiety, imposter syndrome, and knowing you’re in the right place. https://www.zaqlatino.com/ fitting-in: https://soundcloud.com/zaq-latino/fitting-in-for-solo-flutist-definitive-studio-recording The Social Network, opening scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUFqhChmHCc Panic at the Disco, High Hopes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPXIgEAGe4U Bright Eyes, The People’s Key: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVyxRNc_gTs John Adams, My Father Knew Charles Ives: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWIP9tbB2m0 Joni Mitchell, Blue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT3i-uXnF6M

MEERENAI SHIM is a flutist, chamber musician, Feldenkrais practitioner, artist, record producer, music educator, movement coach in the San Francisco Bay Area. She’s also a vocal advocate for under-represented artists in her part of the world. With Elizabeth and Nicole, Meerenai explains how she got into Feldenkrais and what she gets out of it, how new music became her gateway to physical wellness, describes the inception of her recording label, Aerocade, and shares some really unique ideas for how to get creative in your practice when you’re feeling stuck and sage business advice for recording artists. She rejects the label “trend setter”, but we beg to differ. https://www.meerenai.com/ Aerocade Music: https://www.meerenai.com/aerocade-music Clocks in Motion: https://clocksinmotionpercussion.com/ Elizabeth A. Baker: https://elizabethabaker.com/ Friction Quartet: https://www.frictionquartet.com/ Lizzo, The Sign: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzxxmy5ZTuQ

LAUREN MCCALL is a composer and educator from Atlanta, Georgia who is dedicated to helping all music students explore their creativity in accessible ways. Today we catch up with Lauren as she fills us in on her amazing grad school work involving computer music programs in pre-college classrooms around Atlanta, introduces us to the concept of a laptop orchestra (!!), and gives us some great advice on making sense of graphic notation and diving into the world of improvisation, for us newbies. And we all muse on the idea of how meaning is shaped by the presentation of the musical score (wax on, wax off). https://www.laurencmccall.com/ Rosalia, Saoko: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6o7bCAZSxsg Eleanor Alberga, Strong Quartet No. 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRVUKpxQun4 Steve Reich, Music for 18 Musicians: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71A_sm71_BI

Nicole Chamberlain, Nicole Riner, and Elizabeth Robinson puzzle over how to find creative solutions to artistic problems. This leads to personal retrospectives regarding what we thought we’d do as grown ups vs. what we are doing as grown ups. Nicole C. also shares some sage advice on how to commission composers AND the importance of communication between composer and performer. Nicole Chamberlain: https://www.nikkinotes.com

MIKEL KUEHN says “don’t be afraid”! Kuehn is currently Professor of Creative Arts Excellence at Bowling Green State University where he served as director of the MidAmerican Center for Contemporary Music and the Bowling Green New Music Festival from 2007-2010. He also won FNMC’s Composition Competition in 2021 with his piece for flute and piano, Chimera. Today, he discusses his process, the (sometimes scientific) sources of his inspiration, and spills the tea on some exciting upcoming projects. https://mikelkuehn.com/ Chimera for flute and piano: https://mikelkuehn.com/index.php/works/83-work-sample/189-chimera Crack for flute, alto saxophone, and electroacoustics: http://mikelkuehn.com/index.php/works/116-crack-for-flute-alto-saxophone-and-electroacoustics-2001 Thea Musgrave, Sonata for flute, oboe, and piano: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6HQJEGViFo Jonathan Harvey, Run Before Lightening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuwXhkvE3Qg McCoy Tyner, Together: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJax1lAwO7o Eric Dolphy, Gazzelloni: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DWeYN14cWk Cindy McTee, Chord: https://www.cindymctee.com/chord.html British Music for Flute, Oboe, and Piano: https://open.spotify.com/album/7wCKgw6Wnt6uVNuBCcXOEf?si=UBc8H2j7Q6mVC2aTSudDhQ

ERIKA BOYSEN is optimistic about the music community. She is the Associate Professor of Music at UNCG, flutist in Four Corners Ensemble and Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, and the creator of the Moving Sound app. Today, she visits with Elizabeth and Nicole about being true to herself as an interdisciplinary artist, creating a more inclusive world for her students, and the unavoidable truth that challenge=growth. http://www.erikaboysen.com/ Moving Sound: http://www.erikaboysen.com/movingsound Derrick Skye, Prisms, Cycles, Leaps: https://www.derrickskye.com/portfolio/prisms-cycles-leaps/ Derrick Skye, Grace Unbound: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsMiZfZ1XaI Leslie Odom, O Holy Night: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqzJtpBRvRU

ELLEN RUTH HARRISON has experienced impostor syndrome. The composer of Beneath a Canopy of Wings for flute and clarinet (FNMC composition competition winner, 2021), discusses her humble upbringing and disdain for snooty restaurants, the limitations of composing for unfamiliar instruments, the function of all-female music festivals, and she fills us in on her new orchestral piece, which will be premiered by CCM’s undergraduate orchestra in September 2023. https://www.ellenruthharrison.com/ Beneath a Canopy of Wings: https://soundcloud.com/user-144838513/beneath-a-canopy-of-wings Norman Finkelstein, Restless Messengers: https://www.poetryinreview.com/ Bach Brandenburg Concerti: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTm2kEAfo8o L'Arpeggiata & Christina Pluhar, Music For A While: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Li1KiA91xk Beethoven String Quartets: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYveHXyzViw

YOSHI WEINBERG is a flutist, harpist, arts administrator, and composer extraordinaire. They also completed a commission for FNMC back in 2020 with the intricate solo flute piece, Some people are flowers. Today, we chat about their DMA coursework at CUNY Graduate Center, their compositional process, the slow acceptance of queer culture, the magic and heartbreak that is NYC, and why they want you to get organized! https://yoshiweinberg.com/ Some people are flowers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8gGKoogjfs Joanna Newsom, Colleen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKIOaOksL3Y FKA Twig, Mary Magdalene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUvJOZfdGQg Bjork, Mycelia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVCk6zwtllE cmntx records: https://www.cmntxrecords.com/

Flutist and composer NICOLE CHAMBERLAIN visits with Elizabeth and Nicole her recent struggles trying to compose during tragedy, the challenge of remaining relevant as a freelancer, and the balance between self care and grit. Nicole C. shares some great marketing for other musicians of all stripes, as well. Nicole Chamberlain: https://www.nikkinotes.com Railroaded: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrwOfPWtlpM French Quarter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58uPA2CxV1g Smorgasbord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPDGs4YcQEU Crosswalk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_z606WgyHc