Opus

Today, Chris Dechiara speaks about how he came to become a classically trained percussion player in a band and a rock drummer at night. A native from Boston, percussionist Chris DeChiara came of age at an apex in rock music history, drawing inspiration from the kit-shattering performances of pioneers Neil Peart, John Bonham, and Bill Ward, among other greats. DeChiara honed his craft at an early age, recording and playing the club circuit around Boston and New England before channeling his lifelong love of music into academic and professional pursuits.DeChiara studied percussion performance at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell and went on to complete his masters at the New England Conservatory. Here, DeChiara widened his repertoire to include theater, chamber, solo, studio, rock, jazz, drum corps, and classical performance. Having joined the Navy Band in 2001, DeChiara toured around the country with the concert band. However, he still is involved with rock music. He is in bands such as Dr. FU, Eyes of the Nile, and Herr Metal.

Today, Dr. Jeongseon Choi speaks about her experiences playing with piano. She speaks about how she began to play piano and why she continues to perform and teach piano to this day. A native of S. Korea, Jeongseon Choi, made her first public debut with the Seoul Philharmonic at age eleven. After arriving in the US, she pursued her undergraduate degree in Piano Performance with Jacob Maxin at the New England Conservatory where she was the winner of the Commencement Concerto Competition and performed in the historic Jordan Hall. While working on her Master’s degree at Peabody Conservatory with Fernando Laires, she was granted scholarship to study at the National Academy of Music in Oslo Norway with Einar Steen NØkleberg. Her DMA degree was completed under the guidance of Anne Koscielny at the University of Maryland, College Park. Her other teachers include Wha Kyung Byun of NEC and Raymond Hanson. Dr. Choi maintains her private studio in Potomac area and active in performing and adjudicating.

Today, Don Baldini speaks about how he changed courses from playing the classical violin to pursuing jazz bass. He also gives advice to younger students, including a "million-dollar piece of advice." Mr. Don Baldini is an accomplished bass player. He has worked with many groups and big names such as Frank Sinatra, The Tonight Show Band, and Johnny Mathis. Once being a professor at Keene State College and a faculty member at Dartmouth College, Baldini also has much experience in teaching.

Today, Dr. Joseph Lawson speaks about what it means to be well-rounded as a musician and why it is needed today. Dr. Joseph Lawson has been working in the Metropolitan Opera as the Assistant Chorus Master since 2008. He has also worked with many other groups such as the Pittsburgh Opera. Lawson received his Masters in Collaborative Piano at the Univesity of South California and received his Doctors of Musical Arts in Vocal Accompanying from the Manhattan School of Music.

Mark Lawrence talks to us today about his experiences with trombone, piano, and violin growing up and how he decided on pursuing music instead of law. Mark Lawrence is a superb trombone player. He was the principal trombonist of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra from 1974 to 2007. He has also been a part of many well-known chamber groups such as Summit Brass, Empire Brass, the Center City Brass Quintet, "Four of a Kind," and Bay Brass. Lawrence is also a dedicated teacher, having taught at many prestigious schools such as the Colburn School, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and the Music Academy of the West.

Peter Erskine shares stories of him as a young drummer and all the lessons he has learned along the way. Peter Erskine is an American jazz drummer and one of the most versatile and recorded instrumentalists alive. He has been on over 700 albums and has won two GRAMMY awards. He has played in the Stan Kenton Orchestra, Weather Report, and Steps Ahead and have worked with artists such as Diana Krall, Joni Mitchell, Vince Mendoza, Steely Dan, plus European musicians Jan Garbarek, Kenny Wheeler, Palle Danielsson, John Taylor, Kate Bush, Nguyen Lê, and Rita Marcotulli. You can find more information about Erskine and a database of music and other information at his website. https://petererskine.com/

Dave Sporny shares stories about his experiences with music and the trombone. He describes how he did not expect the path that he ended up taking. Professor Dave Sporny is an amazing teacher and trombonist. After obtaining his Bachelors and Masters degrees from the University of Illinois, he became the Low Brass Instructor at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan. There, he founded the Jazz Studies programs at the Academy and at the National Music Camp. Sporny has also appeared in concert halls throughout the world including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Tanglewood and Ravinia. He has also recorded 12 albums and 17 CDs and is the founder of the Amherst Jazz Orchestra.

Today, WishGranted explains how he started to make beats and how he started to record himself rapping. WishGranted (Kevin Grant) is a rapper and producer from Baltimore, Maryland. His debut album, Wishful Thinking, garnered over tens of thousands of streams and his brand new EP, P.W.R.R, has done the same (go check out those two projects). You can also find him on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

Mary Ellen Goree will walk us through on how she became the violin player she is today. Ms. Goree is currently the principal second violin in the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra and the principal second violin in the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra. Goree considers herself to have had a lucky start with violin, studying with Alice Joy Lewis and Doris Gazda before attending Oberlin. After receiving her degrees in violin performance and mathematics, she continued her music education at Indiana University. After a six-month appointment as associate concertmaster of the Yamagata Symphony in Japan, Ms. Goree accepted a position as co-concertmaster of the Shreveport Symphony in Louisiana and violinist in the symphony’s Premier Quartet. In 1988, she joined the San Antonio Symphony as a member of the second violin section, moving to the assistant principal second chair in 1989 and receiving her current appointment as principal second violin in 1991.

Chang Liu comes onto the show this week to share his experiences about moving from China to America to pursue a career in music. Chang Liu is a talented violin player. In China, he has studied and taught violin at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, China, one of the most prestigious music schools in China. Once moving to America, he worked with numerous orchestras including the Sacramento Symphony, San Francisco Opera Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and many more. Now, Chang Liu is an active teacher in the DC area. You can find more information about him at http://www.violiu.net/

Kristofer Sanz joins us this week to speak about his experiences playing saxophone, and how he came to be the innovative conductor he is today. Kristofer Sanz is a vibrant conductor who is praised for his modern and adventurous interpretations. He is the Music Director and Philharmonic conductor for the Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras program. He is also a founding member and Music Director / Conductor for Young Artists of America (YAA), a non-profit program dedicated to provide dedicated young musicians opportunities to work with professional artists and educators. You can find more information about him at https://www.kristofersanz.com/

This week, we will be speaking to Scott Herman as he describes how he came to become a highly regarded music director. Scott Herman is well recognized for his work as the Music Director for 31 years at Cabin John Middle School. During his time there, he received the Corwin Taylor Award for Leadership in Music Education, the Maryland Educators Outstanding Teacher of the Year, and helped Cabin John receive the Exemplary Music Program title. You can find more information about him at https://www.cabinjohnmusic.org/.

Ken Wolff joins us today and discusses his trombone career before college and his thoughts on music in college. Ken Wolff is a highly sought after low brass instructor in the DC area and is the principal trombone of the Capital Winds Symphony. He is also the Director of the Washington Brass Institute, an organization aimed at educating young brass players. You can visit him at https://www.washingtonbrass.com/.

Today, Ariel Allal will take us through his experiences with bassoon and give us some special insights to consider. Although only starting lessons in 11th grade, Ariel Allal has built a successful career through music. He is an active freelance bassoonist and educator in high demand in the Washington D.C. area. He is also the co-owner of Aria Double Reeds LLC which sells high quality double reed products. You can visit his website at https://www.ariadoublereeds.com/.

Welcome to the Opus podcast. My name is William, and I have been working on this podcast for the past couple months. I am really excited to share it with you all. On this podcast, we will be interviewing professional musicians about what they did as a younger kid. I hope that the insightful stories they tell can help those who are doing music. Our first episode will be up on July 27th, 2020!