Outside The Bachs with Kelly Riordan

In this podcast episode, Kelly and Austenne Grey chat about Austenne’s life as a multi-passionate creative. Austenne talks about her work doing audio narration for audiobooks, shares her experiences in musical theatre and ballet, including facing adversity and how to stay positive and open to new opportunities. She explains how challenges helped her grow and learn to pivot in her career.

In this episode, Kelly chats with Michael Fenoglio - Director of Marketing at DANSR, Inc - the exclusive importer of Vandoren products in the US. Michael is a saxophonist and music educator, and at DANSR, he is responsible for planning, implementation, and oversight of a variety of marketing initiatives including artist relations, educational outreach, digital marketing, tradeshows and more. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Jazz Saxophone Performance from University of Illinois, where he served as the jazz and classical teaching assistant under professors Chip McNeil and Debra Richtmeyer. In 2013, Fenoglio was the recipient of two Graduate Student Downbeat Awards in recognition of his jazz solo and ensemble performances. Fenoglio continues to be an active musician and educator outside his work at DANSR. He has performed with a variety of renowned artists over the years including The Doc Severinsen Big Band, Ira Sullivan, Phil Woods, and The Temptations. His most recent recording projects include his band’s self-titled album, “The Old Style Sextet,” on Chicago’s BluJazz record label and side work on guitarist Chris Beyt’s “120" and Derrick Cordoba’s “J&J.”

Kelly sits down with Natalie Morrison and chats about how networking can impact your career path within the music industry.

Natalie is currently the Senior Segment Marketing Specialist for Education at the Yamaha Corporation of America. Most notably, Natalie brings projects with purpose to life, and is the Co-Founder and Co-Producer of ReVoicing the Future, a Women of NAMM podcast. She is also serving on the NAMM Young Professionals Board of Directors. When not working, you can find her bustling around New York City at a record store, coffee shop, yoga class, concert, or Broadway show.

Neylan McBaine is the CEO of Duet Partner, a digital studio management system for independent music teachers. As a marketer and community builder, Neylan previously worked in house at various Silicon Valley companies and advertising agencies. By leading Duet Partner, she is returning to her musical roots as a Juilliard- and Yale-trained pianist and the daughter of a Metropolitan Opera soloist. The music teachers in her life and the lives of her children have been her heroes, and she is delighted to use her skills to support them as they run their small businesses.

Erin Kessler is the Marketing Director of Maple Leaf Strings, managing over 100 Private Label brands and marketing strategies for over 50 retailers nationwide. Her B&O retail and music performance background informs her mindful but competitive approach.

Outside of Maple Leaf Strings, Erin is a Staff Sergeant in the 122nd Ohio Army National Guard Band as a french hornist, staff arranger, and leads their marketing team. Throughout her 18 years in the Army, Erin has performed in 15 tours nationwide, winning several national awards in video production.

Ever wanted to learn about what it takes to level up your brand as an artist? In this episode, Kelly talks with Jasmine Sandler about being coachable while putting your best foot forward in the business world. Also known as JazzRock of the band SILENT FURY, Jasmine is an Artist Branding and Business author, instructor, speaker, advisor and agency owner at JSM for Artists. Her mission is to genuinely help artists and bands use their talents to grow profitable careers and businesses. She has over 17 years of branding and digital marketing client experience, both for corporate brands as well as individual executives.

For more about Jasmine, check out:

In this episode, Kelly speaks with piano studio owner & teachers, Amy Elmore. Amy has been successfully teaching kids how to play the piano for over 30 years and has been the owner of Keys to Praise Piano Studio for the last 15 years. She uses creative games and “off the bench” activities to teach all the basics - technique, theory, rhythm, and note reading—while encouraging independent exploration, improvisation, and composition so students can understand the big picture and apply it to the musical genre they love. Amy is committed to creating a consistent experience for all students and families, no matter who the student’s primary teacher is. It is her goal to have each student feel confident, successful and cared for in a creative and fun environment.

In this episode, Kelly speaks with Canadian pianist and singer Michelle Lynne. Michelle performs widely across Europe, is Lecturer of Entrepreneurship, and is co-founder of The Fearless Artist Mastermind. She graduated from the Université de Montréal with a Master’s and Artist Diploma in piano performance and currently holds positions as Lecturer for Music Entrepreneurship at Conservatorium Maastricht and Codarts University for the Arts, Rotterdam. 

In this episode, Kelly speaks with Chan Kiat Lim and Dr. Susanna Garcia, authors of the online multimedia curriculum eNovativePiano: Multimedia Resources for Developing Musicianship Skills. Suitable for eLearning and distance learning, this one-of-its-kind curriculum points towards a new direction in piano instruction. Chan Kiat Lim is an active recitalist with an interest and research in Twentieth-century music, particularly by American composers. A pedagogue and clinician, Chan Kiat Lim is active both as a private and group instructor. Dedicated as a teacher, his students have captured top prizes and awards at regional, national, and international piano competitions. Susanna Garcia has been teaching piano for over 50 years to students of every age and level. She has been an independent music teacher as well as a college professor and has taught in both the group, private, and partner lesson formats. An active clinician and scholar, she has presented workshops, papers, and master classes in various leadership roles. For more on Chan Kiat Lim, Dr. Susanna Garcia and Enovative Piano check out:

In this episode, Kelly chats with music educator and content creator Brianne Paik. Brianne shares her story of starting The Piano Path and details her mission of making learning the piano fun and simple for adults. 

For more about Brianne, check out: