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From picking up the violin before even mastering speech, to gracing prestigious concert halls worldwide, Jennifer Roig-Francoli’s musical odyssey is as captivating as her performances. An international prize-winner, her talent has been featured in TIME Magazine. She’s also certified and accomplished Alexander Technique (AT) instructor, reshaping how musicians perceive and inhabit their craft, with the goal to free mind, body, and spirit.
Jennifer immerses us in her enthralling violin journey, recounting tales of her childhood violin practice. We delve into what drew her to the Alexander Technique and its exploration, her current teaching path, her “without hands” approach, and her mission to empower students’ to train themselves. Her recent book, Make Great Music with Ease adds depth to our conversation; expect to be inspired by Jennifer's spark and sharp insight.
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This week, I sit down with Idit Shner. Idit holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Oklahoma City University, a Master’s degree in Music Education from the University of Central Oklahoma, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of North Texas. She currently teaches at the University of Oregon as a professor of saxophone and jazz studies. Idit has performed solo recitals across the United States and Israel.
Idit is one of those rare musicians who excels in both classical and jazz saxophone. I couldn’t wait to hear about her theories on playing both genres and her tips and tricks for switching between these two demanding styles. We discuss how she gigged to pay for college, her experience meeting her husband when she started grad school, and the newest hot topic of reeds—when she would use synthetic ones and why she prefers not to.
Idit’s enviable drive, dedication, and work ethic are a wonder to behold, yet she still manages to keep things Playful.
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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Heralded as one of the best prepared and most serious bassists by Chuck Israels, Garrett Baxter is also a longtime friend. Though years separate us, Garrette and I grew up in the same small town in Southern Oregon where we cut our teeth in band rooms from high school to college. Residing now in Portland he is one of the most exciting young bassists in the city.
One of only a few in person interviews I have done, I was excited to join Garrett in his home in Portland to talk music. We chat about practice patterns and tips, what we do before we even pick up our instruments to learn new pieces, and who he is currently playing with, in the Pacific NorthWest and beyond, including his first gig in New York City at Dizzy’s Club.
Garrett is a consummate student of music. Listen as he shares some of the best advice and most memorable lessons he’s learned along the way.
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Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies and Jazz Ensemble Director at Houghton University Russell Scarbrough is a composer, bandleader, trombonist, and educator. His works have been performed by symphonies, orchestras, big bands, jazz ensembles, and soloists alike on a multitude of stages, at schools and universities, Carnegie Hall, and the steps of the US Capital.
Russell and I get nostalgic and walk down memory lane in this episode. Tune in and reminisce with us about choosing our first instruments in school and making the trek home with our cumbersome choices. While swapping stories from the jazz band, we discuss the changing landscape of jazz education, and what Russell learned by playing along with borrowed records from the public library. Russell shares the trials and joys of writing for jazz musicians, who each have their own voice and we debate whether a composition is there to serve the needs of the musician or the soloist is there to serve the piece.
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Joanna Wallfisch is a London born vocalist/composer, hailing from generations of musicians. A multi-instrumentalist, she plays the guitar, ukulele, charango, piano, flute, and is a master in the art of live vocal looping. Her music is at once, hypnotic, and genre defying.
We sat down right before her newest album, now released, All in Time dropped. This latest is a collection of songs, with “no particular theme, but an overarching sense of purpose”. About allowing herself to be more patient, “it’s all at once about nothing and everything”. The second track, Killer Whale, will pull your skin away from your bones, calling you like a siren, to the sea.
Music in her family has been more than a career, it was a means of survival. She tells the harrowing story of her grandmother, a survivor of Auschwitz. As a young teen she preserved her life by playing the cello in the orchestra at the camp. “If it weren’t for music, none of us would exist.”
A lively listen as we discuss endurance, in sport, in music, motherhood, and life.
Purchase Joanna’s book The Great Song Cycle
Watch Joanna’s documentary The Great Song Cycle, Down Under
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Kat Eaton has a voice dripping with deep, sultry tones and a pen that cuts through both light hearted topical themes and heavy social issues with equal parts soul and finesse. From drunk-dialing your ex to the persecution and attacks on the LGBTQAI+ community, Kat is the relevant, progressive musician we are all searching for. Truly an artist for the modern times. Kat has toured the UK/EU and sold out multiple headline shows in London, co-writing with the likes of Caro Emerald, Ruby Turner, and Roberta Campos; breaking through to distant territories via the national radio airwaves of Holland, Belgium, Brazil, France, and Italy. Kat’s voice is a rich jewel in the music scene.
Kat shares how with her first exposure to blues and soul, at the age of ten, she knew she wanted to create the visceral, full body experience she felt in the music. As a very shy kid, Eaton created an alter ego to embody the confidence she needed, to become the performer she is today. From winning a Battle of the Bands, to playing pubs, Kat and I discuss how the ability to remain objective about her performance and talent, opened doors to a full life of songwriting, performance, and composition. Her new album, Honestly dropped Friday last, March 22nd. -
The Playful Musician is back with a new season and you won’t want to miss it.
Our host Steve Davidson will chat with musicians of every ilk; diving into the background, practice rituals, and origin stories of each guest. Discover talented, inspiring artists as you are introduced to them for the first time or hear stories regaled from your favorite performers and legends of our era.
With Davidson’s captivating interview style he deftly pulls out intimate stories and candid moments you’ll not hear anywhere else.
So sit back and tune in as you deep dive into the personal world of professional musicians and what makes them tick.
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Multi award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter, pianist and CBC Music national radio host Laila Biali returns to the Playful Musician to talk about her brand new recording Your Requests. This recording is the result of her deep connection to her fans and their "requests" for songs for her to record. Bringin new imagning's and fresh ideas these jazz standards, Your Request is a joyful, breath of fresh air!
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A delightful and insightful conversation with Toronto based vocalist, composer and teacher Nicky Schrire. Our conversation centers mostly around her new album Nowhere Girl which arrives on June 9, 2023 wherever you get your music! We talk about the long, ten-year build up to this album, working with producer Oded Lev-Ari, how things transpire in the studio and what musical adventures she has planned for the rest of the year. You can find out more about the album and about Nicky at nickyschrire.com.
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Dr. Otis Murphy is professor of Saxophone at the prestigious Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington Indiana. Otis has the distinction of being the youngest faculty ever appointed to the Jacobs School of Music, having obtained his position at the tender age of 28.
Otis was a student of Classical Saxophone icon Eugene Rousseau and received a Fulbright Fellowship to study in France with french saxophonist Jean-Yves Fourmeau.
In our conversation we spoke about his trajectory towards becoming a professional musician. How he got started on the saxophone, what a big influence his father was and the sacrifices his family made so he could, as a teenager, travel to Athens Georgia to study with Dr. Kenneth Fischer at the University of Georgia. Otis also shared what it was like as a freshman at Georgia to be playing with Doctoral Students in a saxophone quartet, which included fellow Playful Musician guest Rhett Bender.
Otis also talked about what is was like teaching former classmates, his teaching style, the importance of music in his family. His wife and 6 children all are musicians! He shares about the importance of tone and intonation, how he and his students practice the five T’s and the challenge of switching between playing A440 in the US and A442 in other countries.
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Brett Detar is a Los Angeles based singer, songwriter, film composer, producer and super creative guy. He's made a name for himself with his band The Juliana Theory which he co-founded when he was just 19. Brett has also made an impact on the big screen, composing for the films The Devil Inside and Wer.
Brett Shares about his start with songwriting at age six, how he approaches creativity, what it's like to score for a major motion picture and you'll get to hear a bit of his just released single Playback 99, off the EP, Still The Same Kids Part I!
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Pittsburgh Trombonist Reggie Watkins has always had a knack for music. He has come a long way from learning how to play the piano at six. Born and raised in West Virginia and spending years in Pittsburgh, Reggie was exposed to musical influences that would later turn him into an internationally-recognized performer, pianist, arranger, and composer. Leveraging his experience fronting a quarter on a cruise ship, he then served as trombonist and musical director for trumpeter and band leader Maynard Ferguson. From there he went on to tour and record with Jason Mraz from 2008 to 2013. He has shared the stage with many great artists from various genres including Aretha Franklin, Dave Matthews, Dianne Shuur, Jose Feliciano, Willie Nelson, Arturo Sandoval, Trombone Shorty, The Temptations, and the O’Jays. He is also a member of the Grammy-nominated Orrin Evans’ Captain Black Big Band.
He joins us in this episode to talk about his epiphany moment with jazz, his music education and influences, his early cruise ship gigs, his years touring with the Maynard Ferguson band and Jason Mraz, his practice routine, and the honor of playing at Aretha Franklin’s funeral.
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Singer and Songwriter, Alice DiMicele, joins me on this captivating episode of The Playful Musician. Based in Southern Oregon like myself, we swap stories and share musical memories from the past as well as speaking about challenges we’ve faced during the pandemic and beyond.
Alice DiMicele talks about her new upcoming album Every Seed We Plant along with her experience writing and producing during the pandemic. Hear incredible snippets from Every Seed We Plant, which effortlessly communicates emotions and captures the listener’s imagination with thought-provoking lyrics. We also touch on some special high points throughout Alice’s three-decade career, including her performance on stage with Bonnie Raitt, touring, and everything in-between.
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Australian jazz pianist Barney McAll has had a fascinating music career. An accomplished jazz pianist and composer with an innate musical curiosity and drama, Barney’s played with Gary Bartz, Kenny Garrett, Maceo Parker and Eddie Henderson... and he was Sia's music director too. No big deal. In this episode, we chatted about the influence of Cuban and African ritualistic trance on Barney’s work, his time as composer in residence in Sydney and how he’s developed as a musician.
In this episode, we chat about Barney’s new album, Precious Energy, the influence of the Cuban musical and ritual has had on him,
Barney’s musical process and writing routine, what audiation is and teaching audiation, his stint touring with Sia as her music director, Anti-pop, the power of objectivity and unwittingly taking part in Laurie Anderson’s 15-year old art exhibition (yes, really) -
Pianist Baruch Meir is a professor of piano at Arizona State University. He maintains a busy teaching schedule in addition to his international concert career. Baruch recently toured Korea's most prestigious music schools and universities as well as the Music Academy in Vienna (Austria), the Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem (Israel) and various conservatories and universities in the U.S. Baruch’s distinctions include the American-Israel Cultural Foundation Awards, the British Council fellowship, and many additional awards in piano competitions worldwide.
Baruch shares details about growing up in Israel and how he began playing the piano.
We chat about his love of teaching and how he uses relaxation with the piano. Baruch discusses the nuances of competitions, including what led him to start his own competition in 2006. We chat about new music, memorization versus reading music, and Baruch’s upcoming artistic plans.
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A singer and composer of eclectic tastes and prodigious gifts, Grammy-nominated Theo Bleckmann makes music that is accessibly sophisticated, unsentimentally emotional, and seriously playful. Theo spent 15 years as a member of Meredith Monk’s ensemble and appeared on 2002's Mercy and 2008's Impermanence. He has also worked with Philip Glass, John Zorn, Kenny Wheeler, and David Lang, to name a few. Theo has released a series of irreverent albums on Winter & Winter, including recordings of Las Vegas standards, of Weimar art songs, and of popular “bar songs” (all with pianist Fumio Yasuda).
Theo shares how his curiosity for sound began at a young age. We chat about how his music is based in jazz, how he maintains his instrument, and his “messy” practice routine. Theo shares about his move from Germany to New York City. We discuss his time working with Laurie Anderson and Meredith Monk, his favorite vocalists, and even indulge in some coffee talk.
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Indian-American pianist Vijay Venkatesh has been recognized on three continents as a pianist with profound musicianship, sparkling pianism and an innate sense of partnership. Vijay has rapidly established a major international reputation as top prizewinner in the San Jose, Seattle, Zimmerli, World Piano, and Waring International Piano Competitions. He has also been named a Davidson Fellow Laureate at the Library of Congress and featured on NPR’s “From the Top” with host Christopher O'Riley.
Vijay is performing Clara Schumann’s Piano Concerto with the Rogue Valley Symphony this month. He shares how he is preparing for this performance and also how he channels his life’s experiences into each piece. We discuss his early upbringing studying the Suzuki method, his favorite composers, and the challenges and benefits of transitioning to online teaching. We chat about the Vieness Piano Duo, Vijay’s collaboration with his wife. And Vijay shares his practice essentials and tips and tricks for combating performance nerves.
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JUNO-nominated artist, Tara Kannangara is a second-generation, Sri Lankan-Canadian force of nature, making music that is deeply personal, genre-bending and culture blending. Tara has been featured on CBC's The Signal, The Sunday Edition and NPR Tiny Desk with Lido Pimienta. Her work has been presented at major festivals across North America including The Montreal Jazz Festival, The Washington DC Jazz Festival and The Smithsonian. She is a founding member of #thisisartschool, a coalition of artists championing equity in arts education.
Tara and I chat about her time off during the pandemic and how that helped her reimagine her relationship with music. We discuss her social activism and equity work. Tara shares how her teaching methods have changed, specifically with how she approaches criticism. We chat about the subtleties of the definition of jazz, practice routines, and Tara’s plans for the coming year.
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Robert Spring is one of the country's most unique and talented clarinetists. He is a professor in Arizona State University's School of Music, Dance and Theatre, and recently received the International Clarinet Association’s highest honor, the Honorary Membership Award. Spring has performed as a recitalist or soloist with symphony orchestras and wind bands in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia and South America. He has been on the faculty of several summer music festivals and has published numerous articles on multiple articulation and other contemporary clarinet techniques.
Robert joins the Playful Musician to discuss his musical path to the clarinet and his journey into teaching. He shares the unique practice tips he learned from his time with John Mohler. We chat about the nuances of tongue technique, including how he learned double tonguing. Robert reminisces about seeing Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin in concert and we discuss his current projects and future plans.
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Along with being a conductor and violinist, Jared Judge is an established web developer and entrepreneur. He created and runs BookLive.com, a web tool for musicians to streamline their booking, band scheduling and more. Jared currently serves as Director of Development for the Milwaukee Philharmonic Orchestra.
Jared is the definition of innovative. He joins The Playful Musician to discuss how he launched Dream City Music and the origins of BookLive.com. We chat about how he started playing the violin, his first teaching gig with a high school band, and how he got into performing at weddings. Jared shares the biggest mistake gig musicians make and how he ended up performing for a former President’s dog.
As a special gift for listeners, Jared is giving away free (just pay shipping and handling) copies of his book Gigging Secrets - The Underground Playbook To Make a Living Performing. Visit giggingsecrets.com/playfulmusician to secure your copy. - Visa fler