VJC Q&T

Phoenix-based saxophonist/composer/educator Mary Petrich stopped by the VJC Q&T podcast in late February for a spirited conversation with host Russell Schmidt. Mary has long been admired by her peers for her uniquely creative voice, both as a performer and composer. A founding member of the Nash Composers Coalition, she is also increasingly active on the scene as an educator, including her brilliant work with the Phoenix Jazz Girls Rising program.In this engaging interview (recorded prior to the massive upheaval resulting from the global pandemic), Mary and Russ shared questions and tangents on such matters as how practice habits can morph into compositions, the connection between vibration in one’s horn and vibration in the body, and even consider how the creative process might be analogous to excavation.Learn more about Mary Petrich here:http://marypetrich.com/Learn more about the Phoenix Jazz Girls Rising program, of which she is a Co-Founder, here:https://thenash.org/education/phoenix-jazz-girls-rising/Find her most recent recording, Murmuration, here: https://www.amazon.com/Murmuration-Mary-Petrich-Openhand/dp/B019S6YOMQLearn more about some of the people, venues, works, and concepts mentioned in the podcast here:Claudia Bloom – https://www.claudiabloompianist.com/Julianne Colwell – http://voyagephoenix.com/interview/art-life-julianne-colwell/Bill Evans – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_EvansCharles Lewis – https://downtowndevil.com/?s=Charles+lewis+jazzThelonious Monk – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thelonious_MonkPam Morita – https://pamelamorita.wixsite.com/jazzTerry Riley – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_RileyWayne Shorter – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_ShorterMonica Shriver – http://www.monicashriver.com/Brice Winston – http://www.bricewinston.com/The Nash – https://thenash.org/The Language of the Unknown – https://www.audaud.com/the-language-of-the-unknown-the-wayne-shorter-quartet-blu-ray-2014/Tread On The Trail – http://www.sonoloco.com/rev/composers/glo/trail/trail.htmlUniversity of Exeter Study on the Different Effects of Poetry and Prose on the Brain – https://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1112971504/effects-of-poetry-on-the-brain-101013/Collaborative Piano – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collaborative_pianoDrop the Needle – https://nafme.org/drop-the-needle/Motivic Cell – http://composersguide.com/motivic-cells/Thanks for listening!PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & RATE THIS EPISODE!Website: https://www.valleyjazz.org/Social Media (Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/ValleyJazzCooperative/About The Host: Pianist/composer/educator Russell Schmidt has performed with such celebrated artists as Carl Allen, Michael Brecker, Eddie Daniels, John Hollenbeck, Joe Lovano, Gerry Mulligan, Lucas Pino, Arturo Sandoval, and Clark Terry. Among his recordings as a leader are Anachromysticism (2012), which highlights Russell’s wide-ranging efforts as a jazz composer, Jazz Triptych, Volume I – The Sacred (2018), a collection of hymns and spirituals reimagined in the jazz language, and his most recent recording, the companion album Jazz Triptych, Volume II – The Secular (2019).After a distinguished career in academia, Russell joined Music Serving The Word in June 2014 as Coordinator of Education, founding MSW’s Valley Jazz Cooperative program in 2016. Previously, he served as Director of Jazz Studies at Bowling Green State University and the University of Utah. He was also a member of the Eastman School of Music jazz faculty, where he co-conducted the Eastman Studio Orchestra. A student of Rayburn Wright, Russell holds two degrees from Eastman.Find music from VJC Q&T host Russell Schmidt here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuao1b7Ztc7JNpUTzyorXDQ?The Questions & Tangents podcast is produced by Caleb Kilian, for the Valley Jazz Cooperative, an outreach of MSW Ministries, a 501(c)(3) organization.

VJC Q&T podcast host Russell Schmidt has shared a journey in music education with violist Nancy Buck since they first met in 1995 at Bowling Green State University’s new faculty orientation. And for more than two decades, Nancy and Russ have maintained a joyous partnership on and off the concert stage. Nancy is a nationally-renown artist/teacher who presently serves as an Associate Professor of Viola at Arizona State University. She is also the Artistic Director and Co-Founder of the Arizona Violacademy. Nancy recently stopped by the MSW-Tempe studio to share questions and tangents with Russ. In this, the second of two podcasts together, they discussed why playing with others must be an “ears-over-eyes” experience, what it means to contribute texture to music, and even how varieties of chocolate might relate to a performing artist’s concept of sound.Learn more about Nancy Buck here:https://music.asu.edu/profile/nancy-buckLearn more about the Arizona Violacademy, for which she serves as Artistic Director and Co-Founder, here:https://astaaz.org/event/violacademy/Learn more about some of the people, institutions, and other topics mentioned in the podcast here:Johannes Brahms – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_BrahmsElizabeth Buck – https://music.asu.edu/profile/elizabeth-buckSteven Cornelius – https://www.umb.edu/academics/cla/faculty/steven_corneliusVincenzo Sannino – https://tarisio.com/cozio-archive/cozio-carteggio/vincenzo-sannino/Shinichi Suzuki – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinichi_Suzuki_(violinist)Georg Philipp Telemann – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Philipp_TelemannRayburn Wright – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rayburn_WrightBowling Green State University College of Musical Arts – https://www.bgsu.edu/musical-arts.htmlOberlin Conservatory of Music – https://www.oberlin.edu/conservatoryPennsylvania Governor’s School for the Arts –https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Governor%27s_School_for_the_ArtsUniversity of California, Berkeley – https://www.berkeley.edu/Afro-Caribbean Music – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afro-Caribbean_musicChamber Music – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamber_musicDance - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DanceDark Chocolate – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_chocolateKinesthetic (or Physical) Intelligence – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_intelligenceMilk Chocolate – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Types_of_chocolate#Milk_chocolateMona Lisa – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_LisaPlasma – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_(physics)Suzuki Method – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzuki_methodViola Repertoire – https://imslp.org/wiki/List_of_Compositions_Featuring_the_ViolaWhite Chocolate – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_chocolate Thanks for listening! PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & RATE THIS EPISODE!Website: https://www.valleyjazz.org/Social Media (Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/ValleyJazzCooperative/About The Host: Pianist/composer/educator Russell Schmidt has performed with such celebrated artists as Carl Allen, Michael Brecker, Eddie Daniels, John Hollenbeck, Joe Lovano, Gerry Mulligan, Lucas Pino, Arturo Sandoval, and Clark Terry. Among his recordings as a leader are Anachromysticism (2012), which highlights Russell’s wide-ranging efforts as a jazz composer, Jazz Triptych, Volume I – The Sacred (2018), a collection of hymns and spirituals reimagined in the jazz language, and his most recent recording, the companion album Jazz Triptych, Volume II – The Secular (2019).After a distinguished career in academia, Russell joined Music Serving The Word in June 2014 as Coordinator of Education, founding MSW’s Valley Jazz Cooperative program in 2016. Previously, he served as Director of Jazz Studies at Bowling Green State University and the University of Utah. He was also a member of the Eastman School of Music jazz faculty, where he co-conducted the Eastman Studio Orchestra. A student of Rayburn Wright, Russell holds two degrees from Eastman.Find music from VJC Q&T host Russell Schmidt here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuao1b7Ztc7JNpUTzyorXDQ?The Questions & Tangents podcast is produced by Caleb Kilian, for the Valley Jazz Cooperative, an outreach of MSW Ministries, a 501(c)(3) organization.

VJC Q&T podcast host Russell Schmidt has shared a journey in music education with violist Nancy Buck since they first met in 1995 at Bowling Green State University’s new faculty orientation. And for more than two decades, Nancy and Russ have maintained a joyous partnership on and off the concert stage. Nancy is a nationally-renown artist/teacher who presently serves as an Associate Professor of Viola at Arizona State University. She is also the Artistic Director and Co-Founder of the Arizona Violacademy. Nancy recently stopped by the MSW-Tempe studio to share questions and tangents with Russ. In this, the first of two podcasts together, they discussed the pervasive impact a great mentor teacher can have, the factors that shifted her path from violinist to violist, and even the unexpected benefits that may fall to the first student of the day to get a lesson. Learn more about Nancy Buck here:https://music.asu.edu/profile/nancy-buck Learn more about the Arizona Violacademy, for which she serves as Artistic Director and Co-Founder, here:https://astaaz.org/event/violacademy/ Learn more about some of the people, institutions, and other subjects mentioned in the podcast here:Heidi Castleman – https://www.juilliard.edu/music/faculty/castleman-heidiOtto Erdesz – https://josephcurtinstudios.com/otto-erdesz-remembered/Howard Johnson – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Johnson_(jazz_musician)Elizabeth Oakes – https://music.uiowa.edu/people/elizabeth-oakesVincenzo Sannino – https://tarisio.com/cozio-archive/cozio-carteggio/vincenzo-sannino/Rayburn Wright – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rayburn_WrightArizona State University School of Music – https://music.asu.edu/Bowling Green State University College of Musical Arts – https://www.bgsu.edu/musical-arts.htmlCanton Symphony Orchestra – https://www.cantonsymphony.org/Cleveland Institute of Music – https://www.cim.edu/Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra – https://www.oaklandsymphony.org/community-education/oakland-symphony-youth-orchestra/Oberlin Conservatory of Music – https://www.oberlin.edu/conservatoryPlymouth Church UCC of Shaker Heights (OH) – https://www.plymouthchurchucc.org/San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra – https://www.sfsymphony.org/EducationCommunity/SFS-Youth-OrchestraStrings (magazine) – https://stringsmagazine.com/Tendonitis (a.k.a. Tendinopathy) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tendinopathy Thanks for listening!PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & RATE THIS EPISODE!Website: https://www.valleyjazz.org/Social Media (Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/ValleyJazzCooperative/About The Host: Pianist/composer/educator Russell Schmidt has performed with such celebrated artists as Carl Allen, Michael Brecker, Eddie Daniels, Joe Lovano, Gerry Mulligan, Lucas Pino, Arturo Sandoval, and Clark Terry. Among his recordings as a leader are Anachromysticism (2012), which highlights Russell’s wide-ranging efforts as a jazz composer, Jazz Triptych, Volume I – The Sacred (2018), a collection of hymns and spirituals reimagined in the jazz language, and his most recent recording, the companion album Jazz Triptych, Volume II – The Secular (2019).After a distinguished career in academia, Russell joined Music Serving The Word in June 2014 as Coordinator of Education, founding MSW’s Valley Jazz Cooperative program in 2016. Previously, he served as Director of Jazz Studies at Bowling Green State University and the University of Utah. He was also a member of the Eastman School of Music jazz faculty, where he co-conducted the Eastman Studio Orchestra. A student of Rayburn Wright, Russell holds two degrees from Eastman.Find music from VJC Q&T host Russell Schmidt here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuao1b7Ztc7JNpUTzyorXDQ?The Questions & Tangents podcast is produced by Caleb Kilian, for the Valley Jazz Cooperative, an outreach of MSW Ministries, a 501(c)(3) organization.

VJC Q&T podcast producer (and Critics Anonymous podcast co-host) Caleb Kilian has know Valley Jazz Cooperative Director Russell Schmidt for more than a decade. And for the past five years, they have worked together as colleagues at Music Serving the Word Ministries, where Caleb serves as Media Manager and Russ is Coordinator of Education.At the start of the Arizona Music Educators Association’s 2020 Conference, and with concert band and jazz ensemble competition season imminent for music educators all over the country, Russ sat down with Caleb to record a unique Questions and Tangents podcast, one in which the usual host was the interviewee, not the interviewer. Their wide-ranging dialogue encompassed such subjects as the intersection of objectivity and subjectivity in education, how a mentor teacher continues to impact his life thirty years after his passing, and even why musicians “playing in parallel” might not be as good a thing as it sounds.Learn more about Caleb Kilian and Russell Schmidt here:https://musicservingtheword.org/artist_ministersFind the Critics Anonymous podcast (co-hosted by Caleb Kilian and Robert Garza) here:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/critics-anonymous/id1480289208Learn more about some of the individuals mentioned in the podcast here:Count Basie – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Count_BasieMichael Brecker – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_BreckerGabe Condon – https://www.gabecondon.com/Duke Ellington – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_EllingtonMaynard Ferguson – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maynard_FergusonPaul Ferguson – http://paulfergusonmusic.com/Herbie Hancock – https://www.herbiehancock.com/Neal Hefti ­– https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neal_HeftiWoody Herman – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woody_HermanJohn Hollenbeck – https://johnhollenbeck.com/Vijay Iyer – https://vijay-iyer.com/Thad Jones – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thad_JonesStan Kenton –https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stan_KentonJoel McNeely – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel_McNeelyMatt Mitchell – http://www.mattmitchell.us/Sammy Nestico – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sammy_NesticoBud Powell – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bud_PowellBuddy Rich – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_RichMaria Schneider – https://www.mariaschneider.com/Wayne Shorter – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_ShorterBilly Strayhorn – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_StrayhornArt Tatum – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_TatumAlexa Tarantino – https://alexatarantino.com/Rayburn Wright – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rayburn_WrightThanks for listening!PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & RATE THIS EPISODE!Website: https://www.valleyjazz.org/Social Media (Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/ValleyJazzCooperative/About The Interviewee: Pianist/composer/educator Russell Schmidt has performed with such celebrated artists as Carl Allen, Michael Brecker, Eddie Daniels, Joe Lovano, Gerry Mulligan, Lucas Pino, Arturo Sandoval, and Clark Terry. Among his recordings as a leader are Anachromysticism (2012), which highlights Russell’s wide-ranging efforts as a jazz composer, Jazz Triptych, Volume I – The Sacred (2018), a collection of hymns and spirituals reimagined in the jazz language, and his most recent recording, the companion album Jazz Triptych, Volume II – The Secular (2019).After a distinguished career in academia, Russell joined Music Serving The Word in June 2014 as Coordinator of Education, founding MSW’s Valley Jazz Cooperative program in 2016. Previously, he served as Director of Jazz Studies at Bowling Green State University and the University of Utah. He was also a member of the Eastman School of Music jazz faculty, where he co-conducted the Eastman Studio Orchestra. A student of Rayburn Wright, Russell holds two degrees from Eastman.Find music from VJC Q&T host Russell Schmidt here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuao1b7Ztc7JNpUTzyorXDQ?The Questions & Tangents podcast is produced by Caleb Kilian for the Valley Jazz Cooperative, an outreach of MSW Ministries, a 501(c)(3) organization.

VJC Q&T podcast host Russell Schmidt has known Emmy-winning recording engineer and composer Clarke Rigsby for more than fifteen years. Clarke is the founder and owner of Tempest Recording in Tempe, AZ. As a leading recording engineer and artistic collaborator, Clarke has worked in studio settings and/or live performances with such artists as Joe Alessi, Glen Campbell, Alice Cooper, Joey DeFrancesco, Bo Diddley, Peter Erskine, Bob Freedman, Steve Gadd, James Galway, Waylon Jennings, Wynonna Judd, Paul McCartney, James Moody, Lewis Nash, Mark O’Connor, LeAnn Rimes, Blake Shelton, Phil Smith, Tower of Power, Travis Tritt, Stevie Wonder, Trisha Yearwood, and many other greats. At the start of December, Clarke joined Russ to discuss the sense of occasion that can happen for musicians entering a recording studio, why system upgrades aren’t always evidence of progress, and even what is or isn’t lurking inside a tube amp. (Spoiler alert: Those aren’t light bulbs back there.) Learn more about Clarke Rigsby here:https://tempestrecording.com/about/Learn more about his Tempe, AZ, studio here:https://tempestrecording.com/studio/Learn more about some of the people, places, and technologies mentioned in the podcast here:Jimmy Cobb – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_CobbDavid Foster – https://davidfoster.com/story/Lewis Nash – https://www.lewisnash.com/Lucas Pino – https://www.lucaspino.com/David Sax – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_SaxStevie Wonder – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevie_WonderTower of Power – https://towerofpower.com/MIM Music Theater – https://mim.org/mim-music-theater/The Nash – https://thenash.org/Pro Tools (by Avid) – https://www.avid.com/pro-toolsThanks for listening!PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & RATE THIS EPISODE!Website:https://www.valleyjazz.org/Social Media (Facebook):https://www.facebook.com/ValleyJazzCooperative/About The Host:Pianist/composer/educator Russell Schmidt has performed with such celebrated artists as Carl Allen, Michael Brecker, Eddie Daniels, Joe Lovano, Gerry Mulligan, Lucas Pino, Arturo Sandoval, and Clark Terry. Among his recordings as a leader are Anachromysticism (2012), which highlights Russell’s wide-ranging efforts as a jazz composer, Jazz Triptych, Volume I – The Sacred (2018), a collection of hymns and spirituals reimagined in the jazz language, and his most recent recording, the companion album Jazz Triptych, Volume II – The Secular (2019). After a distinguished career in academia, Russell joined Music Serving The Word in June 2014 as Coordinator of Education, founding MSW’s Valley Jazz Cooperative program in 2016. Previously, he served as Director of Jazz Studies at Bowling Green State University and the University of Utah. He was also a member of the Eastman School of Music jazz faculty, where he co-conducted the Eastman Studio Orchestra. A student of Rayburn Wright, Russell holds two degrees from Eastman.Find music from VJC Q&T host Russell Schmidt here:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuao1b7Ztc7JNpUTzyorXDQ?The Questions & Tangents podcast is produced by Caleb Kilian, with assistance from Larissa Johnson, for the Valley Jazz Cooperative, an outreach of MSW Ministries, a 501(c)(3) organization.

VJC Q&T podcast host Russell Schmidt has known jazz pianist, vocalist, composer, educator Pam Morita (The Nash Futures Workshop, Paradise Valley Community College) for more than a decade. Pam is the former Director of CityJazz (an outreach of Phoenix Center for the Arts) and currently leads the Nash Futures Workshop in downtown Phoenix. Additionally, she is on the faculty at Paradise Valley Community College.Just over a month ago, Pam sat down with Russ to discuss her initial transition from classical piano student to a working jazz musician, why she has been particularly motivated to work with music students at the beginning of their jazz journeys, and even how a more optimistic worldview has allowed her to find beauty in some interesting places.Learn more about Pamela Morita here: https://pamelamorita.wixsite.com/jazzLearn more about her innovative educational program, The Nash Futures Workshop, here: https://thenash.org/education/the-nash-futures-workshop/Learn more about some of the people, places, pieces, and concepts mentioned in the podcast here:J. S. Bach – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Sebastian_BachCount Basie – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Count_BasieTony Bennett (performing artist) – https://tonybennett.com/music.phpTony Bennett (visual artist) – https://www.tonybennett.com/arts.phpMiles Davis (performing artist) – https://www.milesdavis.com/albumsMiles Davis (visual artist) – https://www.milesdavis.com/gallery/miles-artwork/Claude Debussy – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_DebussyMichael Kocour – http://www.michaelkocour.com/Paul-Eirik Melhus (on SoundCloud) – https://soundcloud.com/paul-eirikmelhusMulgrew Miller – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulgrew_MillerMulgrew Miller (improvisation-as-language video) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyRGB_x7VSgLucas Pino – https://www.lucaspino.com/Maurice Ravel – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_RavelDiana Ross – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diana_RossDennis Rowland – https://www.dennisrowland.com/George Shearing – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_ShearingMiyoshi Umeki – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miyoshi_UmekiJoe Williams – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Williams_(jazz_singer)Oprah Winfrey – http://www.oprah.com/index.htmlAc-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive (song) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate_the_PositiveThe Courtship of Eddie’s Father (series) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Courtship_of_Eddie%27s_FatherCrazy Rich Asians (film) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crazy_Rich_Asians_(film)Every Day I Have the Blues (song) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Every_Day_I_Have_the_BluesThe Nash – https://thenash.org/Paradise Valley Community College Music Department – https://www.paradisevalley.edu/musicRelocation/Internment Camps – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internment_of_Japanese_AmericansTempo rubato – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempo_rubatoUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign School of Music – https://music.illinois.edu/Thanks for listening!PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & RATE THIS EPISODE!Website: https://www.valleyjazz.org/Social Media (Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/ValleyJazzCooperative/About The Host: Pianist/composer/educator Russell Schmidt has performed with such celebrated artists as Carl Allen, Michael Brecker, Eddie Daniels, Joe Lovano, Gerry Mulligan, Lucas Pino, Arturo Sandoval, and Clark Terry. Among his recordings as a leader are Anachromysticism (2012), which highlights Russell’s wide-ranging efforts as a jazz composer, Jazz Triptych, Volume I – The Sacred (2018), a collection of hymns and spirituals reimagined in the jazz language, and his most recent recording, the companion album Jazz Triptych, Volume II – The Secular (2019).After a distinguished career in academia, Russell joined Music Serving The Word in June 2014 as Coordinator of Education, founding MSW’s Valley Jazz Cooperative program in 2016. Previously, he served as Director of Jazz Studies at Bowling Green State University and the University of Utah. He was also a member of the Eastman School of Music jazz faculty, where he co-conducted the Eastman Studio Orchestra. A student of Rayburn Wright, Russell holds two degrees from Eastman.Find music from VJC Q&T host Russell Schmidt here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuao1b7Ztc7JNpUTzyorXDQ?The Questions & Tangents podcast is produced by Caleb Kilian for the Valley Jazz Cooperative, an outreach of MSW Ministries, a 501(c)(3) organization.

In this special “wait, he’s not interviewing a jazz musician” episode, VJC Q&T podcast host Russell Schmidt took the show in a different direction. With a goal of exploring creativity in various fields, and expanding beyond the realm of jazz, he invited comedian Genevieve Rice (https://genevieverice.com/) to share questions and tangents with him. There is certainly much common ground between jazz and comedy: performance aspects, creative development of source material, rhythm and pacing, even improvisation. The wide-ranging discussions in this episode included how a one-time, open mic opportunity grew into a stand-up career for Genevieve, whether or not the writing of a particular joke is ever truly finished, and the impact motherhood has had on her comedy. Learn more about and listen to Genevieve Rice here:https://genevieverice.com/https://twitter.com/genevievericehttp://www.thankyouforbeingapodcast.libsyn.com/https://tastebuddies.libsyn.com/Learn more about some of the artists, programs, and other topics mentioned in the podcast here:Maria Bamford – https://www.mariabamford.com/Mark Cherry – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_CherryAnthony Desamito – http://www.anthonydesamito.com/Craig Ferguson – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craig_FergusonGilbert Gottfried – https://gilbertgottfried.com/Dana Gould – https://www.danagould.com/Jeff Libman – http://jefflibmanmusic.com/Patton Oswald – http://www.pattonoswalt.com/Paul F. Tompkins – https://paulftompkins.com/Ali Wong – https://www.aliwong.com/Oklahoma! (musical) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma!@ Midnight (series) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/@midnightDetroiters (series) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroiters_(TV_series)G.L.O.W. (series) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GLOW_(TV_series)The Golden Girls (series) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Golden_GirlsHorcrux – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magical_objects_in_Harry_Potter#HorcruxesMyspace – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MyspaceArizona Suicide Prevention Coalition – https://www.azspc.org/Thanks for listening!PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & RATE THIS EPISODE!Website:https://www.valleyjazz.org/Social Media (Facebook):https://www.facebook.com/ValleyJazzCooperative/About The Host:Pianist/composer/educator Russell Schmidt has performed with such celebrated artists as Carl Allen, Michael Brecker, Eddie Daniels, Joe Lovano, Gerry Mulligan, Lucas Pino, Arturo Sandoval, and Clark Terry. Among his recordings as a leader are Anachromysticism (2012), which highlights Russell’s wide-ranging efforts as a jazz composer, Jazz Triptych, Volume I – The Sacred (2018), a collection of hymns and spirituals reimagined in the jazz language, and his most recent recording, the companion album Jazz Triptych, Volume II – The Secular (2019). After a distinguished career in academia, Russell joined Music Serving The Word in June 2014 as Coordinator of Education, founding MSW’s Valley Jazz Cooperative program in 2016. Previously, he served as Director of Jazz Studies at Bowling Green State University and the University of Utah. He was also a member of the Eastman School of Music jazz faculty, where he co-conducted the Eastman Studio Orchestra. A student of Rayburn Wright, Russell holds two degrees from Eastman.Find music from VJC Q&T host Russell Schmidt here:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuao1b7Ztc7JNpUTzyorXDQ?The Questions & Tangents podcast is produced by Caleb Kilian for the Valley Jazz Cooperative, an outreach of MSW Ministries, a 501(c)(3) organization.

In this special Jazz Educators Panel episode, focusing on subjects of specific interest to music teachers and their students, VJC Q&T podcast host Russell Schmidt shared questions and tangents with artist-teachers Tito Carrillo (Associate Professor of Jazz Trumpet at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) and Paul Ferguson (Director of Jazz Studies at Case Western Reserve University).Shortly after the 2019 Highland/ASU Jazz Festival (at which Tito served as an adjudicator, clinician, and performer), they got together to discuss preferred pedagogical approaches and examine trends and tendencies found with their current students. Among the topics considered: the differences between a practice mindset and a performance mindset, the educational benefits of free improvisation, and even the value of a more tactile learning experience.Learn more about Tito Carrillo here: https://music.illinois.edu/faculty/tito-carrilloLearn more about Paul Ferguson here: http://paulfergusonmusic.com/Learn more about some of the artists mentioned in the podcast here:Count Basie – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Count_BasieWayne Bergeron – https://www.waynebergeron.com/Bob Brookmeyer – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_BrookmeyerMiles Davis – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_DavisSammy Davis, Jr. – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sammy_Davis_JrDuke Ellington – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_EllingtonQuincy Jones – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quincy_JonesThad Jones – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thad_JonesJoe Lovano – http://www.joelovano.com/Wynton Marsalis – https://wyntonmarsalis.org/Sammy Nestico – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sammy_NesticoBuddy Rich – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_RichMaria Schneider – https://www.mariaschneider.com/Wayne Shorter – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_ShorterHorace Silver – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horace_SilverThanks for listening!PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & RATE THIS EPISODE!Website:https://www.valleyjazz.org/Social Media (Facebook):https://www.facebook.com/ValleyJazzCooperative/About The Host:Pianist/composer/educator Russell Schmidt has performed with such celebrated artists as Carl Allen, Michael Brecker, Eddie Daniels, Joe Lovano, Gerry Mulligan, Lucas Pino, Arturo Sandoval, and Clark Terry. Among his recordings as a leader are Anachromysticism (2012), which highlights Russell’s wide-ranging efforts as a jazz composer, Jazz Triptych, Volume I – The Sacred (2018), a collection of hymns and spirituals reimagined in the jazz language, and his most recent recording, the companion album Jazz Triptych, Volume II – The Secular (2019).After a distinguished career in academia, Russell joined Music Serving The Word in June 2014 as Coordinator of Education, founding MSW’s Valley Jazz Cooperative program in 2016. Previously, he served as Director of Jazz Studies at Bowling Green State University and the University of Utah. He was also a member of the Eastman School of Music jazz faculty, where he co-conducted the Eastman Studio Orchestra. A student of Rayburn Wright, Russell holds two degrees from Eastman.Find music from VJC Q&T host Russell Schmidt here:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuao1b7Ztc7JNpUTzyorXDQ?The Questions & Tangents podcast is produced by Caleb Kilian for the Valley Jazz Cooperative, an outreach of MSW Ministries, a 501(c)(3) organization.

VJC Q&T podcast host Russell Schmidt has known pianist/organist/composer Michael Kocour for more than a dozen years. A nationally-renown educator, Mike is the Director of Jazz Studies at Arizona State University. Additionally, he is a recording artist for Origin Records, releasing a solo piano album, East of the Sun, on that label’s OA2 imprint earlier this year. In early summer, Mike sat down with Russ to partake in spirited, engaging discussions on jazz, music education, and the nature of creativity. In this second of two podcasts together, they discussed the sometimes-random nature in discovering one’s passions and influences, the deeper truths revealed on vinyl records, and even the lengthy path to be travelled just to join a school’s “stage band”. Learn more about Michael Kocour here: http://www.michaelkocour.com/ https://herbergerinstitute.asu.edu/profile/michael-kocour Listen to Michael Kocour (solo piano) perform his composition Winter’s Spell here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3ceKy9Y0aU Listen to Michael Kocour (organ quartet) perform his composition Chunky here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SXXrTByxyI&list=OLAK5uy_nftb9Vv4HNX37Li27g2dv1_aiCC6ItNHw Purchase Michael Kocour’s recordings for the Origin Records/OA2 label here: http://originarts.com/oa2/artists/artist.php?Artist_ID=138 Learn more about some of the artists, authors, venues, and recurring sitcom characters mentioned in the podcast here: Jamey Aebersold – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamey_Aebersold Michael Brecker – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Brecker Tina Brooks – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tina_Brooks Jerry Coker – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Coker Chick Corea – http://chickcorea.com/ Joe Daley – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Daley_(musician) Keith Emerson – https://www.keithemerson.com/ Bill Evans – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Evans Joel Frahm – https://joelfrahm.com/ Benny Golson – https://www.bennygolson.com/ Herbie Hancock – https://www.herbiehancock.com/ Alfred Hitchcock – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Hitchcock Scott Joplin – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Joplin Wynton Kelly – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wynton_Kelly Gladys Kravitz – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Bewitched_characters#Gladys_Kravitz Brad Mehldau – https://www.bradmehldau.com/ Roger Miller – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Miller Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfgang_Amadeus_Mozart Lewis Nash – https://www.lewisnash.com/ Herbie Nichols – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbie_Nichols Oscar Peterson – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Peterson Clarke Rigsby – https://tempestrecording.com/ Antonio Salieri – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Salieri David Sax – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Sax Craig Taborn – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craig_Taborn McCoy Tyner – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCoy_Tyner Rayburn Wright – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rayburn_Wright The Nash – https://thenash.org/ Thanks for listening! PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & RATE THIS EPISODE! Website: https://www.valleyjazz.org/ Social Media (Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/ValleyJazzCooperative/ About The Host: Pianist/composer/educator Russell Schmidt has performed with such celebrated artists as Carl Allen, Michael Brecker, Eddie Daniels, Joe Lovano, Gerry Mulligan, Lucas Pino, Arturo Sandoval, and Clark Terry. Among his recordings as a leader are Anachromysticism (2012), which highlights Russell’s wide-ranging efforts as a jazz composer, Jazz Triptych, Volume I – The Sacred (2018), a collection of hymns and spirituals reimagined in the jazz language, and his most recent recording, the companion album Jazz Triptych, Volume II – The Secular (2019). After a distinguished career in academia, Russell joined Music Serving The Word in June 2014 as Coordinator of Education, founding MSW’s Valley Jazz Cooperative program in 2016. Previously, he served as Director of Jazz Studies at Bowling Green State University and the University of Utah. He was also a member of the Eastman School of Music jazz faculty, where he co-conducted the Eastman Studio Orchestra. A student of Rayburn Wright, Russell holds two degrees from Eastman. Find music from VJC Q&T host Russell Schmidt here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuao1b7Ztc7JNpUTzyorXDQ? The Questions & Tangents podcast is produced by Caleb Kilian for the Valley Jazz Cooperative, an outreach of MSW Ministries, a 501(c)(3) organization.

VJC Q&T podcast host Russell Schmidt (Director, Valley Jazz Cooperative) has known pianist/organist/composer Michael Kocour for more than a dozen years. A nationally-renown educator, Mike is the Director of Jazz Studies at Arizona State University. Additionally, he is a recording artist for Origin Records, releasing a solo piano album, East of the Sun, on that label’s OA2 imprint earlier this year. In early summer, Mike sat down with Russ to record a Q&T podcast. Their far-ranging discussion was engaging and abundant, so much so that the conversation has been split into two separate podcasts, the second of which will be made available later. But in this, the first of two podcasts together, Mike and Russ addressed the potential dangers a sabbatical can bring, talked about an unlikely mentor for the study of Brazilian music, and even found a point at which Oscar Peterson and Johnny Costa intersect. Learn more about Michael Kocour here: http://www.michaelkocour.com/ https://herbergerinstitute.asu.edu/profile/michael-kocour Listen to Michael Kocour (solo piano) perform his composition Winter’s Spell here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3ceKy9Y0aU Listen to Michael Kocour (organ quartet) perform his composition Chunky here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SXXrTByxyI&list=OLAK5uy_nftb9Vv4HNX37Li27g2dv1_aiCC6ItNHw Purchase Michael Kocour’s recordings for the Origin Records/OA2 label here: http://originarts.com/oa2/artists/artist.php?Artist_ID=138 Learn more about some of the artists and/or concepts mentioned in the podcast here: John Campbell – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Campbell_(jazz_pianist) Tony Caramia – https://www.esm.rochester.edu/faculty/caramia_tony/ Johnny Costa – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Costa Joe Daley – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Daley_(musician) Bill Evans – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Evans Red Garland – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Garland Don Grolnick – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Grolnick Ian Hobson – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Hobson Toninho Horta – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toninho_Horta Antonio Carlos Jôbim – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ant%C3%B4nio_Carlos_Jobim Wynton Kelly – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wynton_Kelly Jim McNeely – https://www.jim-mcneely.com/ Nicole Pesce – http://www.nicolepesce.com/ Oscar Peterson – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Peterson Bud Powell – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bud_Powell Marlene Rosenberg – https://www.marlenemusic.com/ Akio Sasajima – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akio_Sasajima Wayne Shorter – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_Shorter Art Tatum – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Tatum McCoy Tyner – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCoy_Tyner Rayburn Wright – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rayburn_Wright Schillinger System (or Schillinger Method) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schillinger_System Learn more about the Valley Jazz Cooperative and VJC Q&T host Russell Schmidt here: https://www.valleyjazz.org/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuao1b7Ztc7JNpUTzyorXDQ? Thanks for listening! PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & RATE THIS EPISODE! Website: Link - valleyjazz.org Social Media: Facebook - @ValleyJazzCooperative New Here? Pianist/composer/educator Russell Schmidt has performed with such celebrated artists as Carl Allen, Michael Brecker, Eddie Daniels, Joe Lovano, Gerry Mulligan, Lucas Pino, Arturo Sandoval, and Clark Terry. He has also served as a keyboard soloist with more than 30 professional orchestras, including performances with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center and the San Francisco Symphony. Among his recordings as a leader are Anachromysticism (2012), which highlights Russell’s wide-ranging efforts as a jazz composer, Jazz Triptych, Volume I – The Sacred (2018), a collection of hymns and spirituals reimagined in the jazz language, and his most recent recording, the companion album Jazz Triptych, Volume II – The Secular (2019). After a distinguished career in academia, Russell joined Music Serving The Word in June 2014 as Coordinator of Education, founding MSW’s Valley Jazz Cooperative program in 2016. Previously, he served as Director of Jazz Studies at Bowling Green State University and the University of Utah. He also held faculty appointments at Northern Arizona University, the University of North Carolina–Asheville, and the Eastman School of Music, where he co-conducted the Eastman Studio Orchestra. A student of Rayburn Wright, Russell holds two degrees from Eastman. The Questions & Tangents podcast is produced by Caleb Kilian for the Valley Jazz Cooperative, an outreach of MSW Ministries, a 501(c)(3) organization.

VJC Q&T podcast host Russell Schmidt (Director, Valley Jazz Cooperative) has known jazz composer/arranger/educator/trombonist Paul Ferguson for 35 years and has recorded with him off and on for the past two decades. Paul is the Director of Jazz Studies at Case Western Reserve University. He is also the Artistic Director of the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, one of the leading professional big bands in the Midwest. Paul is a nationally-renown writer for large and small jazz ensembles, and is a former recipient of the Gil Evans Fellowship in Jazz Composition. In the midst of performing a series of concerts together in Arizona in mid-April 2019, Paul sat down with Russ to record a Questions and Tangents podcast. (Paul also recorded a second podcast, joined by trumpeter Tito Carrillo, which will be released at a later date.) Their free-flowing discussion encompassed the emotional heft of musical memory, the serendipity of finding the right teacher at the right time, and even consideration of the overriding cultural ethos permeating northeast Ohio. Learn more about Paul Ferguson here: http://www.clevelandjazz.org/About/Meet-the-Orchestra/Name-of-Person https://music.case.edu/faculty/paul-ferguson/ http://paulfergusonmusic.com/ Listen to the Paul Ferguson Jazz Orchestra perform his composition Fortune Teller here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pS9BPgIpYHA&list=PLeGvpurj2XRDNOYHKUfBosheV9tpN8DPD&index=10&t=0s Purchase Paul Ferguson’s Encounter recording here: https://www.amazon.com/Encounter-Paul-Ferguson/dp/B00NR85C9G/ref=sr_1_6?qid=1558478876&refinements=p_32%3APaul+Ferguson&s=music&sr=1-6 Learn more about some of the artists and/or 19th century German philosophers mentioned in the podcast here: Bill Dobbins – http://sonsofsound.com/artist/bill-dobbins/ J.J. Johnson – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._J._Johnson Sergei Rachmaninoff – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SergeiRachmaninoff Jack Schantz – http://www.clevelandjazz.org/About/Meet-the-Orchestra/Jack-Schantz Maria Schneider – https://www.mariaschneider.com/ Arthur Schopenhauer – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ArthurSchopenhauer Gunther Schuller – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GuntherSchuller Igor Stravinsky – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IgorStravinsky Billy Strayhorn – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BillyStrayhorn Bill Watrous – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BillWatrous Rayburn Wright – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RayburnWright Lyric Opera of Chicago – https://www.lyricopera.org/ Porgy and Bess (review of 2014 LOC production) – https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-lyric-opera-chicago-porgy-bess-review-20141118-column.html Learn more about the Valley Jazz Cooperative here: https://www.valleyjazz.org/ Listen to music by VJC Q&T host Russell Schmidt here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuao1b7Ztc7JNpUTzyorXDQ? Purchase recordings by Russell Schmidt here: https://www.amazon.com/Russell-Schmidt/e/B001LHCGMG/digital/ref=ntt_mp3_rdr?_encoding=UTF8&sn=d Thanks for listening! PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & RATE THIS EPISODE! Website: Link - valleyjazz.org Social Media: Facebook - @ValleyJazzCooperative New Here? Pianist/composer/educator Russell Schmidt has performed with such celebrated artists as Carl Allen, Michael Brecker, Eddie Daniels, Joe Lovano, Gerry Mulligan, Lucas Pino, Arturo Sandoval, and Clark Terry. He has also served as a keyboard soloist with more than 30 professional orchestras, including performances with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center and the San Francisco Symphony. Among his recordings as a leader are Anachromysticism (2012), which highlights Russell’s wide-ranging efforts as a jazz composer, Jazz Triptych, Volume I – The Sacred (2018), a collection of hymns and spirituals reimagined in the jazz language, and his most recent recording, the companion album Jazz Triptych, Volume II – The Secular (2019). After a distinguished career in academia, Russell joined Music Serving The Word in June 2014 as Coordinator of Education, founding MSW’s Valley Jazz Cooperative program in 2016. Previously, he served as Director of Jazz Studies at Bowling Green State University and the University of Utah. He also held faculty appointments at Northern Arizona University, the University of North Carolina–Asheville, and the Eastman School of Music, where he co-conducted the Eastman Studio Orchestra. A student of Rayburn Wright, Russell holds two degrees from Eastman. The Questions & Tangents podcast is produced by Caleb Kilian for the Valley Jazz Cooperative, an outreach of MSW Ministries, a 501(c)(3) organization.

"VJC Q&T podcast host Russell Schmidt (Director, Valley Jazz Cooperative) has known jazz trumpeter/composer/educator Tito Carrillo for more than twenty years and has had the privilege of sharing a bandstand with him periodically during that time. Tito is a leading musician on the Chicago jazz scene and an Associate Professor of Jazz Trumpet at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In the midst of performing a series of concerts together in Arizona in mid-April 2019, Tito sat down with Russ to record the very first Questions and Tangents podcast. Their wide-ranging conversation delved into the relationship between performing and teaching, the importance of musical communication, the nature of creativity, and even the value of liner notes in this digital age. Learn more about Tito Carrillo here: https://music.illinois.edu/faculty/tito-carrillo Listen to Tito Carrillo perform Thelonious Monk’s Rhythm-a-Ning here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5xNdzbFM5g Purchase Tito Carrillo’s debut recording, Opening Statement, here: http://originarts.com/recordings/recording.php?TitleID=82603 Learn more about some of the artists mentioned in the podcast here: Clifford Brown – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifford_Brown Ryan Cohan – http://ryancohan.com/ Celia Cruz – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celia_Cruz Miles Davis – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_Davis Paquito D’Rivera – https://paquitodrivera.com/ Jon Faddis – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Faddis Kenny Garrett – http://www.kennygarrett.com/ Adolph “Bud” Herseth – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolph_Herseth Freddie Hubbard – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freddie_Hubbard Wynton Marsalis – https://wyntonmarsalis.org/ Nicholas Payton – http://www.nicholaspayton.com/ Tito Puente – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tito_Puente Claudio Roditi – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudio_Roditi Woody Shaw – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woody_Shaw Willie Thomas – https://www.jazzeveryone.com/ Immanuel Wilkins – http://www.immanuelwilkins.com/music Miguel Zenón – https://miguelzenon.com/ El Gran Combo – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pell%C3%ADn_Rodr%C3%ADguez#El_Gran_Combo Purchase recordings by Russell Schmidt here: https://www.amazon.com/Russell-Schmidt/e/B001LHCGMG/digital/ref=ntt_mp3_rdr?_encoding=UTF8&sn=d Thanks for listening! PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & RATE THIS EPISODE! Learn more about the Valley Jazz Cooperative here: valleyjazz.org Listen to music by VJC Q&T host Russell Schmidt here: YouTube Social Media: Facebook - @ValleyJazzCooperative New Here? Pianist/composer/educator Russell Schmidt has performed with such celebrated artists as Carl Allen, Michael Brecker, Eddie Daniels, Joe Lovano, Gerry Mulligan, Lucas Pino, Arturo Sandoval, and Clark Terry. He has also served as a keyboard soloist with more than 30 professional orchestras, including performances with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center and the San Francisco Symphony. Among his recordings as a leader are Anachromysticism (2012), which highlights Russell’s wide-ranging efforts as a jazz composer, Jazz Triptych, Volume I – The Sacred (2018), a collection of hymns and spirituals reimagined in the jazz language, and his most recent recording, the companion album Jazz Triptych, Volume II – The Secular (2019). After a distinguished career in academia, Russell joined Music Serving The Word in June 2014 as Coordinator of Education, founding MSW’s Valley Jazz Cooperative program in 2016. Previously, he served as Director of Jazz Studies at Bowling Green State University and the University of Utah. He also held faculty appointments at Northern Arizona University, the University of North Carolina–Asheville, and the Eastman School of Music, where he co-conducted the Eastman Studio Orchestra. A student of Rayburn Wright, Russell holds two degrees from Eastman. The Questions & Tangents podcast is produced by Caleb Kilian for the Valley Jazz Cooperative, an outreach of MSW Ministries, a 501(c)(3) organization.