The Shami Beni Show

Hello! I'm back! This episode was recorded back in April with Captain Darren Y. Lin (at the time Lieutenant Darren Y. Lin). In this episode, we talk about percussion, basketball, being in a premier military ensemble, and the importance of mentors.

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United States Marine Band Website: https://www.marineband.marines.mil/About/Members/Article/2619900/capt-darren-y-lin/

Website: https://www.darrenlinmusic.com/

In this episode, I sit down with my former music educator professor, Dr. Davis. We cover topics such as teaching music internationally, qualities that make an effective music teacher, and the significance of being open-minded as an educator. This is a treat for anyone in the music education field.

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In this episode, I briefly talk about 3 things I learned in 2023. This is a very short and to-the-point episode as a filler week. Hope you enjoy and thanks for listening!

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In this episode, I sit down with US Navy Musician 1st Class Justin Mendez. We talk about the experiences that lead him to being the lead tenor saxophonist in the US Navy Commodore Jazz Band. On top of this, we talk about how to build jazz vocabulary and advice for any aspiring military musicians. Really inspiring story!

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In this episode, I sit down with the acclaimed professor and author, Dr. Vanessa Cornett.  We talk about her book, The Mindful Musician: Mental Skills for Peak Performance, mindsets musicians need to reach peak performance, and how mindfulness techniques to be mentally tough. Very good conversation!

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In this episode, I sit down with Olivia Hughart and speak on her organization Key of She Jazz. We talk about how this organization helps women in jazz from a young age with resources to succeed in a male-dominated space. On top of this, we speak on different ways to be an advocate and topics around marginalized groups in jazz. Very insightful listen!

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In this episode, I sit down with young and great saxophonist Ryan Devlin and speak on his experiences that lead him to New England Conservatory and is a touring musician with 3 records out. On top of this, Ryan gets vulnerable about how his view on listening to music changed while grieving a loved one. I wouldn't miss this one y'all. 

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In this episode, I sit down with the brilliant Paul Bejjani and speak on his research surrounding the hot hand in basketball, how it relates to music listening and cognition, and advice for young academics. I love doing this podcast because I meet people like Paul that become life-long friends, I really hope you enjoy this episode. 

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Goldsmiths Website: https://www.gold.ac.uk/psychology/staff/research-students/ 

In this episode, I sit down with the founder of Open Studio, Peter Martin, and the creative director Adam Maness. We talk about how Open Studio got started, the importance of building a community with a business, and amazing advice for musicians. Additionally, there's some humor ;) I personally learned a lot from this conversation, take a listen!

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In this episode, I sit down with Marcus Grant. He's a Ph.D. candidate at Brown University whose work centers around black protest music and its intersections with digital culture. We talk about his upbringing, his research around black protest music, what authenticity really means,  and memes in relation to black trauma. I wouldn't miss out on this episode y'all! 

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In this episode, I sit down with Stephen T. Cox. He recently won the grammy educator of the year for 2022.  We talk about his new position, some ideals that made him a grammy winner, advice for young music educators, and teaching in rural areas vs. urban areas. Stephen is extremely well-spoken and had me stomped at times because of how great his advice was. Any music educator will find this episode insightful. 

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In this episode, I sit down with Wesley Chin. We nerd out on some saxophonists for a while, talk about his journey and dream to become a pilot and his passion for transcribing great saxophonists. He has had the opportunity to work with many big jazz musicians like Chad LB and Sam Dillon. In this episode, you’ll also find out about a special project that is in the works! Wesley is a super down to Earth dude and I think you all will enjoy hearing him talk about his passions.

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In today's episode, I sit down with Fareed Simpson Hankins, musician, educator, and now-published author of his article "Second Line Bebop: Parallels between Philadelphia and New Orleans”. We talk about various topics surrounding including his time at Temple University, the parallels between New Orleans and Philly, the process behind his two short films on YouTube, and how he made his decision to be a full-time musician. This was an awesome conversation and I think you, the listeners will really enjoy this one! 

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In today's episode, I sit down with John Kellogg, a best-selling author, entertainment lawyer, music business guru, and professor at the Berklee School of Music. We talk about his start in entertainment law, how to break through the saturated world of music as an artist, how to get paid as a signed artist, and advice for anyone interested in entertainment law. John shared a lot of VALUABLE information and was a great guest, definitely don't want to miss out on this episode!

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In today's episode, I sitting down with Ben Van Gelder, an award-winning Dutch Saxophonist. We talk about various topics surrounding his creative process, his experience in NYC, Jazz in America vs. Europe, and advice for pursuing a career in a niche field. Ben is an awesome human being and I really enjoyed this conversation!

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In today's episode, I'm joined by Scarlet Merdian, a metalcore group based in Central Pennsylvania. Ryan Haven and Justin Kripas make up the group and they also happen to be two of my closest friends. We talk about their newest EP, The Owl Keeper, and different topics surrounding the process behind making the EP, the themes behind each track, and its overall response from the public. I think you all will enjoy this episode :)

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In this episode after a long hiatus, I talk about my experiences traveling this summer, what I listened to, and a really cool life hack. 

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In this episode, I sit down with prolific opera singer and educator, Jonathan Walker-VanKuren and we cover topics such as overcoming imposter syndrome, how he got started with opera singing, and advice for inspiring opera singers. Must listen to episode y'all!!!

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In this episode, I sit down with the upcoming underground rapper, IceFang. Our conversation centers around the underground rap scene, how that compares to the modern rap/hip-hop scene, why it's important to form your own opinions on music, and how to get good at rapping. 

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In this episode, I have an eye-opening conversation with Grammy-nominated quarter-finalist for teacher of the year, Michelle Frank, and talk about her experience being an accountant, why she chose to teach, how she build a music program from the ground up, and the struggles of teaching during a pandemic. 

Mentioned in show/What I want to show y'all

In this, I talk about 3 stoic practices that have made me a better musician and a better person. I ramble for a little bit but my points got across. 

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In this episode, I sit down with Chase Bartholomew, a freelance audio engineer based in Richmond, Va and cover the following topics: the broadness of audio engineering, the checklist for a good song, Frank Ocean, my senior recital, why it's important to have a good ear as an audio engineer and how to get started as an audio engineer. A GREAT episode if you're interested in audio work!

Mentioned in the Show

In the season finale of The SBS, I sit down with Grammy award-winning saxophonist, Kenny Garrett and talk about various topics such as his early life, his experience in the Duke Ellington Orchestra, how he made a name for himself in New York City, tapping into our individual source and his new album, Sounds from the Ancestors. His new album can be found on all streaming platforms and can be purchased through his website which will be linked below. Hope you enjoy it!

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In this episode, I sit down with Denton-based Bassist, August Bish about this journey from playing the piano at a young age to playing the Bass in the 2 ol' clock lab band at the University of North Texas. Some topics we cover include, why consistency and discipline are important, "vibing" culture within the jazz community, and advice for young musicians. 

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In this episode, I sit down with Philly saxophonist Yesseh Furaha Ali about his journey to being an in-demand saxophonist, why being a good person matters as a musician, and the importance of being honest with yourself. 

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In this episode, I sit down with my good friend, George Hegedus IV, and talk about his journey to being an opera singer, making the argument for vocalists and where to start as an opera singer. 

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In this episode, I sit down with my former roommate, Brian Morris Jr., and talk about how to make a name for yourself in a new environment, the importance of having a mentor, and how to get out of your comfort zone. 

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In this episode, I sit down with my former professor Tim Wolfe and talk about what it takes to be a freelance musician, avoiding tunnel vision and the importance of self-accountability. 

*I said this was episode 8 during the recording but this is actually episode 7, sorry!* 

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In this episode, I sit down with my friend and colleague Daniel Behler to talk leadership, being a novice music educator, and his different experiences throughout college being a standout student. 

Daniel Behler is a graduate of Lebanon Valley College with degrees in Music Education and Vocal Performance. Daniel will be a first-year teacher in Lancaster, PA on top of being the collegiate province representative for Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Province 21. 

In today's episode, I sit down with my good friend Ryan Havens and talk about Metalcore and different genres within rock fusion. 

Ryan Havens is a graduate of Lebanon Valley College with a degree in Music Business. He is currently an intern at Central Pennsylvania Friends of Jazz (CPFJ) under the direction of Andy Herring. Ryan is an avid listener of music but specifically, metalcore. With his vast knowledge of the genre, I pick his brain about the music and what it means to him. 

In this episode, I talked about my experiences from college and what I learned from them. Overall, I am very happy that I attended college and am looking forward to what the future brings! 

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I sit down with Cellist Luke Lee to talk about music, the PA Renaissance Faire, his musical background, and what it means to be passionate about music. 

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