Sound Mind is a weekly podcast featuring thoughtful and compelling conversations with musicians. Join host Cameron West in exploring the topics that matter most to the people filling the airwaves. New episodes every Tuesday.
Edward Carroll is one of the world's premiere trumpet players and teachers. Having held principal positions in the Rotterdam Philharmonic and San Diego Symphony, he now conducts and teaches. In part two of their conversation, Ed and Cameron discuss Chosen Vale, contemporary music, the importance of learning period instruments, and the joys and tribulations of recording. edwardcarrollmusic.com/bio/
Edward Carroll is one of the world's premiere trumpet players and teachers. Having held principal positions in the Rotterdam Philharmonic and San Diego Symphony, he now conducts and teaches. Ed and Cameron discuss the changing financial landscape for artists, finding one's instrument by accident, and the evolution of a career over time. http://edwardcarrollmusic.com/bio/
Pianist and composer Kris Wettstein(A Microscope) makes music with global roots and swing-for-the-heavens ambition. In November 2009, he travelled to Dakar, Senegal where he performed frequently to thousands of people with pop star Carlou D, including an appearance at the Festival Mondial des Arts Négres (World Festival Of Black Arts) alongside artists such as Youssou N'Dour and Busta Rhymes. At this time he also collaborated with several other well known West African musicians including Daby Balde (Senegal), and Alfadio Dara (Guinea). He was especially moved by a form of guitar playing characteristic of Guinea, whose weightless and disorienting quality informs his work. Kris and Cameron discuss silence, improvisation, teaching, and Kris's many travels.
Described as “rich-voiced” (The New York Times) and hailed for his “warmly appealing, burnished baritone” (Opera Today), Joshua Jeremiah continues to bring his celebrated performances to theaters throughout the United States. Josh and Cameron discuss Contemporary and Classical Opera, Josh's prior and upcoming monstrous roles, and the importance of developing every skill possible.
Adventurous cellist Amanda Gookin champions the future of music through bold performances of new works, education, and community engagement. She spoke at TEDx MidAtlantic on music and activism, created the Forward Music Project to commission solo works as a platform for women's issues, and is the co-founder of innovative string quartet, PUBLIQuartet. Amanda and Cameron discuss Hildegard, the history and future of female composers, and the biases of listening. www.amandagookin.com
Jeremy Denk is one of America's foremost pianists. Winner of a MacArthur "Genius" Fellowship, and the Avery Fisher Prize, Denk was recently elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Denk returns frequently to Carnegie Hall and in recent seasons has appeared with the Chicago Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, and Cleveland Orchestra, as well as on tour with Academy St. Martin in the Fields, and at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the BBC Proms. Jeremy and Cameron talk touring, skeletons in the closet (literally), and the magic of New Mexico chile peppers. The two open their conversation up to questions from the classical music SubReddit.
Conner West, AKA Conman Bolo, is a guitarist, bassist, and songwriter based in Humboldt, CA. Conner and Cameron talk about switching to music full time, the financial fears that come with making the switch, and cults. Sound Mind gives you an inside look at the debut Conman Bolo single "Going Away." Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfUoAZDZgHI Audio: https://conmanbolo.bandcamp.com/
Shannon Hagan plays third horn of the Norrlandsoperan Symphony Orchestra in Sweden, and Anna Lenhart plays principal horn of Hawaii Symphony. Shannon, Anna, and Cameron discuss the importance of failure in winning orchestra auditions, the woes of booking a helicopter ride in rainy New York City, and why the best half-pipe snowboarders might all be dumb.
Marc Gelfo is a hornist and the Founder/CEO of Modacity, an app designed to take your practicing game to the next level. After applying cognitive science & computer science to his own work on the French horn, Marc became an internationally touring symphony musician, having held tenure-track jobs in Hong Kong and Macau. He has taught and performed with thousands of musicians around the world, including the San Francisco Symphony. Modacity is a direct expression of Marc's dedication to integrating science, music, wellness, and technology through meaningful and large scale collaborations. On this episode of Sound Mind, Marc and Cameron discuss Gretchen Rubin's four personality types, meditation, how to practice effectively, and more. http://modacity.co/soundmind
Chris Reza serves as Vice-Chair of the Broadway Theatre Committee, the liaison between the Broadway Musicians Community and the Associated Musicians of Greater New York, American Federation of Musicians Local 802. Chris Carroll is the Chief of Staff and formerly the Political and Communications Director for AFM Local 802, overseeing political, legislative, and communications departments. Chris, Chris, and Cameron discuss the reasons that one might join the union, the nature of collective bargaining and contract negotiations, and the importance of raising the wage floor.
Dustin Wikoff is a professional podcaster and the host of the hit show Drunken Lullabies. Each episode, Dustin sits down with fellow music and beer enthusiasts to try some new beers and listen to music from bands he thinks you need to hear. Dustin and Cameron discuss music, beer, and Dustin's former work as an independent record store owner.
Sarah Elizabeth Haines is a New York City-based violist, violinist, vocalist, and performer. She is currently touring with the U.S. Broadway tour of Hamilton. Cameron and Sarah talk about the touring lifestyle, musical styles relevant to a Broadway pit career, and the importance of taking every opportunity possible.
Taylor Ackley is a performer and composer of Classical, Jazz and Traditional American Music from Washington State. As an undergraduate, he attended Adelphi University where he studied classical vocal performance, jazz bass and composition. Taylor is currently a graduate student at Stony Brook University, where he has studied composition with Daria Semegen, Perry Goldstein, Margaret Schedel and Ray Anderson. Along with his substantial success as a multi-instrumentalist, Taylor has been commissioned by a number of choirs, ensembles and jazz bands including significant projects for The Peninsula Singers and Discernment Music. His music has been featured in festivals throughout the United States as well as Denmark and China. Taylor has composed over 40 original works, which explore the various expressive languages he has learned from his wide range of musical experiences. This has led to a recent compositional output which simultaneously liberates and challenges musicians through a unique combination of guided improvisation and nontraditional notation coupled with an intense reliance on the performer's own ears. Taylor and the Deep Roots Ensemble are funding an Indiegogo campaign for their latest album, Songs from the Bitterroot. Support them by clicking here: https://igg.me/at/deep-roots-album
Kate Amrine and Rebecca Epstein-Boley run the Brass Chicks Blog, "a rich, centralized source of information about everything happening in the women's brass community." Kate, Rebecca, and Cameron discuss Kate's debut album, "As I Am," Becca's recent trip to Germany, and the unique challenges facing women in the brass section.
Beej Christie Karpen is an oboist, Broadway singer, and the founder of Insight Out Coaching. Beej and Cameron discuss meditation and the importance of mindfulness in music. http://www.insightoutnyc.com/ **Correction: Beej and Cameron discuss a meditation teaching about "not hitting the puppy," which should be attributed to Jack Kornfield and not Eckhart Tolle.
Drew Forde, also known as That Viola Kid, is a violist and motivational content creator on Instagram and YouTube. He has been featured on WQXR, the official music blog of Instagram, and Strings Magazine. Drew and Cameron discuss building an online social media presence, the real and perceived differences between classical and pop music, and fair compensation for artists and content creators.
Lucy Dhegrae is a vocalist and the founder of the Resonant Bodies Festival, an international organization dedicated to curating vocalists. Lucy and Cameron talk about tailoring festivals to artists, the future of online databases for sheet music, and Lucy's insta-famous cat, Mona.
Kelly Orr is a songwriter, graphic designer, and tattoo artist. He has written songs for the Jonas Brothers, Black Bear, and many others. Kelly and Cameron discuss the state of the pop music industry and the differences between ephemeral and permanent art forms.
Kyle Wilbert is the former principal horn of Spokane Symphony. Cameron and Kyle talk about the significance of changing from music to another career.
Julia Pilant is the assistant principal horn for the Metropolitan Opera and a professor at Bard Conservatory. Cameron and Julia talk about shooting painrs, invisible braces (Invisalign) for brass players, and the real and perceived stigma of being a professional musician with an injury.
Erica Kiesewetter is a violinist, performance anxiety coach, and a professor at Bard College. Erica and Cameron discuss Erica's class "Mind Over Nerves," and Erica shares her story about hitchhiking in a deadly snowstorm to avoid playing a concerto competition.
Coach Cory Lee is the founder of Liberated Performer, a cutting edge workshop for eliminating performance anxiety. An eclectic violinist, his pupils include members of the New York Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera, and the New York Youth Symphony. Cory and Cameron discuss a variety of topics including beta blockers, Electric Daisy Carnival, and what it means to unlock one's performance potential. http://liberatedperformer.com
Rob Knopper is a percussionist for the Metropolitan Opera and the creator of Audition Hacker, a comprehensive online program dedicated to helping musicians win auditions.
Sydney Kjerstad is a pianist, video game composer, and the much beloved host of Smart Game Piano. An avid gamer, Sydney uses a live music visualizer called Synthesia to teach video game music on Youtube. Sydney and Cameron discuss Bronies, the future of interactive teaching technology, and the importance of preserving the human element in learning. http://smartgamepiano.com
Julie Landsman is a world renowned French horn player and educator. Among her most recent accomplishments was archiving the Carmine Caruso Method on YouTube. Julie and Cameron discuss Caruso, the role of the internet in contemporary teaching, and what it means to be "old school."