Podcasts about stand partners

This week's landmark episode marks the return of Akiko, plus a pair of fellow stand partners for life: violists Kate Reddish and Eric Lea! We discuss the slings and arrows of a career in music, what you can and can't get from music school, what it's like to be part of a string-playing pair, and much more. Kate Reddish is a Los Angeles-based freelance violist. She enjoys a busy and varied career subbing with nearly every major orchestra in the Southern California area, performing as a chamber musician, and teaching and coaching individuals and groups. Kate can be heard on hundreds of film scores, albums, and TV shows, and has appeared on television and on film. Kate comes from a “numbers” family: her father was a tax attorney and CPA and her mother a bookkeeper; her sister followed that path to work as a bookkeeper and financial analyst. Meanwhile, Kate, who started playing the viola through the public school system in Riverside, was certain that a life in music was the only life she wanted. Kate earned her BA and MM from UCLA (go Bruins!), studying with former Los Angeles Philharmonic principal violist Evan Wilson. Feeling nothing like a Master, she then trotted across town to USC (go Trojans!) to complete an artist's diploma with eminent pedagogue Donald McInnes. Since finishing her formal schooling, Kate has also participated in intensive courses with Burton Kaplan, Rob Knopper, Noa Kageyama, and Nathan Cole. In June of 2021, Kate started her own business, KMR Creative, consulting for online educators and coaches. She currently works closely with Nathan Cole to design and implement his many online offerings and to build the communities that rise up around those courses. Kate enjoys yoga and dance, good food and wine, card games and crossword puzzles, and creating order out of chaos. She currently lives in South Pasadena with her husband, violist and composer Eric Lea, and their sweet kitty, Misha. Eric Lea is a reasonably tall violist. He has a BM from the University of Arizona and an MM from USC (see above re: Trojans), both in viola performance. He has subbed with many symphonies and played and recorded with many bands. As the violist for the band Get Set Go, his playing could be barely discerned by millions under snappy dialogue in several episodes of Grey's Anatomy, and he has toured Japan with songwriter/producer Mike Viola (coincidence?), with whom he and Kate recorded an album called Acousto de Perfecto. He fancies himself as something of a composer now, and his song cycles can be heard at ericlea.bandcamp.com.

This week's landmark episode marks the return of Akiko, plus a pair of fellow stand partners for life: violists Kate Reddish and Eric Lea! We discuss the slings and arrows of a career in music, what you can and can't get from music school, what it's like to be part of a string-playing pair, and much more. Kate Reddish is a Los Angeles-based freelance violist. She enjoys a busy and varied career subbing with nearly every major orchestra in the Southern California area, performing as a chamber musician, and teaching and coaching individuals and groups. Kate can be heard on hundreds of film scores, albums, and TV shows, and has appeared on television and on film. Kate comes from a “numbers” family: her father was a tax attorney and CPA and her mother a bookkeeper; her sister followed that path to work as a bookkeeper and financial analyst. Meanwhile, Kate, who started playing the viola through the public school system in Riverside, was certain that a life in music was the only life she wanted. Kate earned her BA and MM from UCLA (go Bruins!), studying with former Los Angeles Philharmonic principal violist Evan Wilson. Feeling nothing like a Master, she then trotted across town to USC (go Trojans!) to complete an artist's diploma with eminent pedagogue Donald McInnes. Since finishing her formal schooling, Kate has also participated in intensive courses with Burton Kaplan, Rob Knopper, Noa Kageyama, and Nathan Cole. In June of 2021, Kate started her own business, KMR Creative, consulting for online educators and coaches. She currently works closely with Nathan Cole to design and implement his many online offerings and to build the communities that rise up around those courses. Kate enjoys yoga and dance, good food and wine, card games and crossword puzzles, and creating order out of chaos. She currently lives in South Pasadena with her husband, violist and composer Eric Lea, and their sweet kitty, Misha. Eric Lea is a reasonably tall violist. He has a BM from the University of Arizona and an MM from USC (see above re: Trojans), both in viola performance. He has subbed with many symphonies and played and recorded with many bands. As the violist for the band Get Set Go, his playing could be barely discerned by millions under snappy dialogue in several episodes of Grey's Anatomy, and he has toured Japan with songwriter/producer Mike Viola (coincidence?), with whom he and Kate recorded an album called Acousto de Perfecto. He fancies himself as something of a composer now, and his song cycles can be heard at ericlea.bandcamp.com.

We took quite a long break from recording the show with everything going on at the moment, but we are so glad to be back. To kick things off again we thought we would use this episode to go through a bit of what we have been up to, staying home with the LA Phil out of action, some of the work and practicing we have been doing and then to field a bunch of listener questions. We look back at the last few days of regular work before quarantine began and then talk a bit about how we adjusted our schedules after things completely stopped. Nathan talks about his Violympics group, Akiko shares some of her dreams of home fitness and we explain the home recording process we have been working on. This unusual period presents a somewhat useful possibility to musicians; we all have areas of our playing that we wish we could improve and spend more time developing — and this could be the time to do it. After the complete rundown of our work-from-home life, we get into answering questions on quieting inner critics and protecting the joy of playing, practical concerns of changing strings and re-hairing bows! Key Points From This Episode:  The last days of work and the changes in our schedules since the pandemic began.   Shifting plans and changing the focus of our practice for time at home.    The video recording we did and the insecurities that arise in watching yourself.   Unusual repertoires and more practice time in the work from home world.  The 'Violympics' and the questions that came from the group.  Staying motivated and practicing during this time with the LA Phil on hiatus.   Considering the plight of young musicians finishing music school right now.   Investing in different skills and upping your game during this downtime.   Personal qualities that lend themselves to a successful career in an orchestra.   Tips for quieting the inner critic when performing or recording.   Separating and protecting the joy of playing from the need to do it for a living.     The importance of friendships and connection within a job in an orchestra.    Changing strings, re-hairing bows, off the string strokes and more. Divisions for practicing a new piece and ways to focus on tricky passages.  Tweetables:  “I think it is scary to think of coming back together. I think we've all changed. I think it's going to be such a substantial amount of time that we all would have changed in a lot of ways.” — Akiko Tarumoto [0:24:20]  “Our whole lives I think so much of our self-worth is wrapped up in how we play. I don't know that that's healthy or right, but it's inescapable.” — Nathan Cole [0:25:10] “It is reassuring to know that orchestra or no orchestra, we're still musicians.” — Akiko Tarumoto [0:25:25]  Transcript EPISODE 39  [INTRO]  [00:00:00] NC: Hi and welcome back to Stand Partners for Life. I'm Nathan Cole.   [00:00:05] AT: I'm Akiko Tarumoto.  [EPISODE]  [00:00:19] NC: And last time we came at you, the world was a very different place. Needless to say, we've taken quite a long break, but we're happy to be back talking with each other and talking to you. Yeah, even though things have changed quite a bit. We were just trying to come up with what our last episode had been and we were talking conductors. How important is a conductor? Do we really need a conductor?   [00:00:43] AT: Who knew we wouldn't need a conductor for months?  [00:00:46] NC: Yeah. We got our wish. Didn't see any conductors for months. Yeah, it's like the monkey's paw. Got more than we bargained for.   [00:00:56] AT: The corpse showed up at the front door.   [00:00:58] NC: Yeah. I mean, we certainly won't be the first people sharing our thoughts about the changed state of the world on classical music since the pandemic began. Maybe our thoughts don't have to run too deep. But what do you think about our musical and our artistic lives since this all took route?

We took quite a long break from recording the show with everything going on at the moment, but we are so glad to be back. To kick things off again we thought we would use this episode to go through a bit of what we have been up to, staying home with the LA Phil out of action, some of the work and practicing we have been doing and then to field a bunch of listener questions. We look back at the last few days of regular work before quarantine began and then talk a bit about how we adjusted our schedules after things completely stopped. Nathan talks about his Violympics group, Akiko shares some of her dreams of home fitness and we explain the home recording process we have been working on. This unusual period presents a somewhat useful possibility to musicians; we all have areas of our playing that we wish we could improve and spend more time developing — and this could be the time to do it. After the complete rundown of our work-from-home life, we get into answering questions on quieting inner critics and protecting the joy of playing, practical concerns of changing strings and re-hairing bows! Key Points From This Episode:  The last days of work and the changes in our schedules since the pandemic began.  Shifting plans and changing the focus of our practice for time at home.   The video recording we did and the insecurities that arise in watching yourself.  Unusual repertoires and more practice time in the work from home world. The 'Violympics' and the questions that came from the group. Staying motivated and practicing during this time with the LA Phil on hiatus.  Considering the plight of young musicians finishing music school right now.  Investing in different skills and upping your game during this downtime.  Personal qualities that lend themselves to a successful career in an orchestra.  Tips for quieting the inner critic when performing or recording.  Separating and protecting the joy of playing from the need to do it for a living.    The importance of friendships and connection within a job in an orchestra.   Changing strings, re-hairing bows, off the string strokes and more.Divisions for practicing a new piece and ways to focus on tricky passages.  Tweetables:  “I think it is scary to think of coming back together. I think we’ve all changed. I think it’s going to be such a substantial amount of time that we all would have changed in a lot of ways.” — Akiko Tarumoto [0:24:20]  “Our whole lives I think so much of our self-worth is wrapped up in how we play. I don’t know that that’s healthy or right, but it’s inescapable.” — Nathan Cole [0:25:10] “It is reassuring to know that orchestra or no orchestra, we’re still musicians.” — Akiko Tarumoto [0:25:25]  Transcript EPISODE 39  [INTRO]  [00:00:00] NC: Hi and welcome back to Stand Partners for Life. I’m Nathan Cole.   [00:00:05] AT: I’m Akiko Tarumoto.  [EPISODE]  [00:00:19] NC: And last time we came at you, the world was a very different place. Needless to say, we’ve taken quite a long break, but we’re happy to be back talking with each other and talking to you. Yeah, even though things have changed quite a bit. We were just trying to come up with what our last episode had been and we were talking conductors. How important is a conductor? Do we really need a conductor?   [00:00:43] AT: Who knew we wouldn’t need a conductor for months?  [00:00:46] NC: Yeah. We got our wish. Didn’t see any conductors for months. Yeah, it’s like the monkey’s paw. Got more than we bargained for.   [00:00:56] AT: The corpse showed up at the front door.   [00:00:58] NC: Yeah. I mean, we certainly won’t be the first people sharing our thoughts about the changed state of the world on classical music since the pandemic began. Maybe our thoughts don’t have to run too deep. But what do you think about our musical and our artistic lives since this all took route? When was the last time we were at work?   [00:01:26] AT: It was what?

We took quite a long break from recording the show with everything going on at the moment, but we are so glad to be back. To kick things off again we thought we would use this episode to go through a bit of what we have been up to, staying home with the LA Phil out of action, some of the work and practicing we have been doing and then to field a bunch of listener questions. We look back at the last few days of regular work before quarantine began and then talk a bit about how we adjusted our schedules after things completely stopped. Nathan talks about his Violympics group, Akiko shares some of her dreams of home fitness and we explain the home recording process we have been working on. This unusual period presents a somewhat useful possibility to musicians; we all have areas of our playing that we wish we could improve and spend more time developing — and this could be the time to do it. After the complete rundown of our work-from-home life, we get into answering questions on quieting inner critics and protecting the joy of playing, practical concerns of changing strings and re-hairing bows! Key Points From This Episode:  The last days of work and the changes in our schedules since the pandemic began.  Shifting plans and changing the focus of our practice for time at home.   The video recording we did and the insecurities that arise in watching yourself.  Unusual repertoires and more practice time in the work from home world. The 'Violympics' and the questions that came from the group. Staying motivated and practicing during this time with the LA Phil on hiatus.  Considering the plight of young musicians finishing music school right now.  Investing in different skills and upping your game during this downtime.  Personal qualities that lend themselves to a successful career in an orchestra.  Tips for quieting the inner critic when performing or recording.  Separating and protecting the joy of playing from the need to do it for a living.    The importance of friendships and connection within a job in an orchestra.   Changing strings, re-hairing bows, off the string strokes and more.Divisions for practicing a new piece and ways to focus on tricky passages.  Tweetables:  “I think it is scary to think of coming back together. I think we’ve all changed. I think it’s going to be such a substantial amount of time that we all would have changed in a lot of ways.” — Akiko Tarumoto [0:24:20]  “Our whole lives I think so much of our self-worth is wrapped up in how we play. I don’t know that that’s healthy or right, but it’s inescapable.” — Nathan Cole [0:25:10] “It is reassuring to know that orchestra or no orchestra, we’re still musicians.” — Akiko Tarumoto [0:25:25]  Transcript EPISODE 39  [INTRO]  [00:00:00] NC: Hi and welcome back to Stand Partners for Life. I’m Nathan Cole.   [00:00:05] AT: I’m Akiko Tarumoto.  [EPISODE]  [00:00:19] NC: And last time we came at you, the world was a very different place. Needless to say, we’ve taken quite a long break, but we’re happy to be back talking with each other and talking to you. Yeah, even though things have changed quite a bit. We were just trying to come up with what our last episode had been and we were talking conductors. How important is a conductor? Do we really need a conductor?   [00:00:43] AT: Who knew we wouldn’t need a conductor for months?  [00:00:46] NC: Yeah. We got our wish. Didn’t see any conductors for months. Yeah, it’s like the monkey’s paw. Got more than we bargained for.   [00:00:56] AT: The corpse showed up at the front door.   [00:00:58] NC: Yeah. I mean, we certainly won’t be the first people sharing our thoughts about the changed state of the world on classical music since the pandemic began. Maybe our thoughts don’t have to run too deep. But what do you think about our musical and our artistic lives since this all took route? When was the last time we were at work?   [00:01:26] AT: It was what?

Here at Stand Partner HQ, we get this question a lot! And that should tell you something without even knowing the answer. Nobody asks what a pilot does, or if we really need one for our airplanes. But the conductor's role isn't nearly so obvious, to our audiences and even, at times, to us! Do we really need someone up front "driving the train"? Do a conductor's responsibilities begin and end with a downbeat and a final cutoff? Key points Akiko's forthcoming appearance on the Every Little Thing podcast Audience fixation on the conductor as the focal point of an orchestra The job of the conductor during rehearsal and performance Giving instruction vs. providing a "guiding current" Examples of time wasting, directionless rehearsal Examples of showing appreciation for the work of the players; giving credit where it's due Petty retaliation: talking in rehearsals and other signs of discontent Setting aside grudges for the concert and putting the music ahead of everything else Do musicians always agree who's a great conductor? How to balance exerting control and letting go of it The "dreaded hand": play quieter! Components of a perfect conductor; designing the Robo-conductor! Links Every Little Thing Podcast Gimlet Media  Jeopardy Sean Connery Full Metal Jacket Andrew Manze Robocop Kurtwood Smith Transcript EPISODE 38 [EPISODE] [00:00:01] NC: Hi and welcome back to Stand Partners for Life. I'm Nathan Cole. [00:00:04] AT: I am Akiko Tarumoto. [00:00:18] NC: And today we are talking about conductors and not just because we see a conductor all the time at work, see many conductors. There's actually a special reason, that's because you are going to be a featured guest on another podcast. [00:00:33] AT: Yeah. [00:00:33] NC: I couldn't be more proud. It's like a spinoff of Stand Partners. It's great. We got a call from the show Every Little Thing, which is a Gimlet Media show. They answer or try to answer questions that you can't find out just by Googling. Their recent example was how to police sketch artists really. Can they really come up with a picture that's so close to the person you're thinking of and they went through it. It was really fascinating, and all the episodes come from listener questions. It's actually a great idea for this show. [00:01:13] AT: It's true. Should steal that. [00:01:16] NC: I know. I think I might. They actually play the call – If someone calls in and leaves a message, it's very 90s. You have to leave a message on the machine. In this case, someone was calling up to say if, "I were ever the victim of a crime, I would be the worst witness. There was no way the police could ever pick up the person because I wouldn't be able to describe to a sketch artist anybody's face. I'm the worst and I really don't believe the sketch artist could help me. Do they really work?" They actually found a sketch artist. So that was the expert on the call and they had this person describe his best friend, I believe it was. [00:01:58] AT: Aha. And it worked? [00:01:59] NC: And it worked. [00:02:00] AT: That's just too much pressure. I can't produce on this level tomorrow. [00:02:04] NC: In this episode, they have someone asking about conductors and about all kinds of things that go on in orchestra rehearsals and concerts. So that is going to be you. Now, you do have to share the episode with a conductor in addition to the caller. [00:02:23] AT: Yes. Not in real-time, but yeah. [00:02:24] NC: Right. Since you might – I don't know. You might feel like you couldn't say everything you wanted to about a conductor. Who knows? We thought this might be – They might not give you all the airtime. You might – [00:02:37] AT: Did you say this conductor? Right. I mean, I hope that I won't be carrying the entire episode. It would be funny if I described my ideal conductor and just synthesize this person to see if...

Here at Stand Partner HQ, we get this question a lot! And that should tell you something without even knowing the answer. Nobody asks what a pilot does, or if we really need one for our airplanes. But the conductor's role isn't nearly so obvious, to our audiences and even, at times, to us! Do we really need someone up front "driving the train"? Do a conductor's responsibilities begin and end with a downbeat and a final cutoff? Key points Akiko's forthcoming appearance on the Every Little Thing podcastAudience fixation on the conductor as the focal point of an orchestraThe job of the conductor during rehearsal and performanceGiving instruction vs. providing a "guiding current"Examples of time wasting, directionless rehearsalExamples of showing appreciation for the work of the players; giving credit where it's duePetty retaliation: talking in rehearsals and other signs of discontentSetting aside grudges for the concert and putting the music ahead of everything elseDo musicians always agree who's a great conductor?How to balance exerting control and letting go of itThe "dreaded hand": play quieter!Components of a perfect conductor; designing the Robo-conductor! Links Every Little Thing Podcast Gimlet Media  Jeopardy Sean Connery Full Metal Jacket Andrew Manze Robocop Kurtwood Smith Transcript EPISODE 38 [EPISODE] [00:00:01] NC: Hi and welcome back to Stand Partners for Life. I’m Nathan Cole. [00:00:04] AT: I am Akiko Tarumoto. [00:00:18] NC: And today we are talking about conductors and not just because we see a conductor all the time at work, see many conductors. There’s actually a special reason, that’s because you are going to be a featured guest on another podcast. [00:00:33] AT: Yeah. [00:00:33] NC: I couldn’t be more proud. It’s like a spinoff of Stand Partners. It’s great. We got a call from the show Every Little Thing, which is a Gimlet Media show. They answer or try to answer questions that you can’t find out just by Googling. Their recent example was how to police sketch artists really. Can they really come up with a picture that’s so close to the person you’re thinking of and they went through it. It was really fascinating, and all the episodes come from listener questions. It’s actually a great idea for this show. [00:01:13] AT: It’s true. Should steal that. [00:01:16] NC: I know. I think I might. They actually play the call – If someone calls in and leaves a message, it’s very 90s. You have to leave a message on the machine. In this case, someone was calling up to say if, "I were ever the victim of a crime, I would be the worst witness. There was no way the police could ever pick up the person because I wouldn’t be able to describe to a sketch artist anybody’s face. I’m the worst and I really don’t believe the sketch artist could help me. Do they really work?" They actually found a sketch artist. So that was the expert on the call and they had this person describe his best friend, I believe it was. [00:01:58] AT: Aha. And it worked? [00:01:59] NC: And it worked. [00:02:00] AT: That’s just too much pressure. I can't produce on this level tomorrow. [00:02:04] NC: In this episode, they have someone asking about conductors and about all kinds of things that go on in orchestra rehearsals and concerts. So that is going to be you. Now, you do have to share the episode with a conductor in addition to the caller. [00:02:23] AT: Yes. Not in real-time, but yeah. [00:02:24] NC: Right. Since you might – I don’t know. You might feel like you couldn’t say everything you wanted to about a conductor. Who knows? We thought this might be – They might not give you all the airtime. You might – [00:02:37] AT: Did you say this conductor? Right. I mean, I hope that I won’t be carrying the entire episode. It would be funny if I described my ideal conductor and just synthesize this person to see if they’re really an effective leader.

Here at Stand Partner HQ, we get this question a lot! And that should tell you something without even knowing the answer. Nobody asks what a pilot does, or if we really need one for our airplanes. But the conductor's role isn't nearly so obvious, to our audiences and even, at times, to us! Do we really need someone up front "driving the train"? Do a conductor's responsibilities begin and end with a downbeat and a final cutoff? Key points Akiko's forthcoming appearance on the Every Little Thing podcastAudience fixation on the conductor as the focal point of an orchestraThe job of the conductor during rehearsal and performanceGiving instruction vs. providing a "guiding current"Examples of time wasting, directionless rehearsalExamples of showing appreciation for the work of the players; giving credit where it's duePetty retaliation: talking in rehearsals and other signs of discontentSetting aside grudges for the concert and putting the music ahead of everything elseDo musicians always agree who's a great conductor?How to balance exerting control and letting go of itThe "dreaded hand": play quieter!Components of a perfect conductor; designing the Robo-conductor! Links Every Little Thing Podcast Gimlet Media  Jeopardy Sean Connery Full Metal Jacket Andrew Manze Robocop Kurtwood Smith Transcript EPISODE 38 [EPISODE] [00:00:01] NC: Hi and welcome back to Stand Partners for Life. I’m Nathan Cole. [00:00:04] AT: I am Akiko Tarumoto. [00:00:18] NC: And today we are talking about conductors and not just because we see a conductor all the time at work, see many conductors. There’s actually a special reason, that’s because you are going to be a featured guest on another podcast. [00:00:33] AT: Yeah. [00:00:33] NC: I couldn’t be more proud. It’s like a spinoff of Stand Partners. It’s great. We got a call from the show Every Little Thing, which is a Gimlet Media show. They answer or try to answer questions that you can’t find out just by Googling. Their recent example was how to police sketch artists really. Can they really come up with a picture that’s so close to the person you’re thinking of and they went through it. It was really fascinating, and all the episodes come from listener questions. It’s actually a great idea for this show. [00:01:13] AT: It’s true. Should steal that. [00:01:16] NC: I know. I think I might. They actually play the call – If someone calls in and leaves a message, it’s very 90s. You have to leave a message on the machine. In this case, someone was calling up to say if, "I were ever the victim of a crime, I would be the worst witness. There was no way the police could ever pick up the person because I wouldn’t be able to describe to a sketch artist anybody’s face. I’m the worst and I really don’t believe the sketch artist could help me. Do they really work?" They actually found a sketch artist. So that was the expert on the call and they had this person describe his best friend, I believe it was. [00:01:58] AT: Aha. And it worked? [00:01:59] NC: And it worked. [00:02:00] AT: That’s just too much pressure. I can't produce on this level tomorrow. [00:02:04] NC: In this episode, they have someone asking about conductors and about all kinds of things that go on in orchestra rehearsals and concerts. So that is going to be you. Now, you do have to share the episode with a conductor in addition to the caller. [00:02:23] AT: Yes. Not in real-time, but yeah. [00:02:24] NC: Right. Since you might – I don’t know. You might feel like you couldn’t say everything you wanted to about a conductor. Who knows? We thought this might be – They might not give you all the airtime. You might – [00:02:37] AT: Did you say this conductor? Right. I mean, I hope that I won’t be carrying the entire episode. It would be funny if I described my ideal conductor and just synthesize this person to see if they’re really an effective leader.

Twelve-step programs have helped millions of people, including some of our colleagues. But their constant references to a "higher power" rub some people the wrong way. As orchestral musicians, we only know one "higher power": the conductor, who rules every aspect of our musical lives! Here are some slightly rewritten twelve steps toward embracing musical anonymity in the orchestra of your choice. The Twelve Orchestral Steps Admit you are powerless over your musical decisions and life has become unmanageable. Surrender those decisions to a higher power to reclaim musical sanity. Turn your musical life over to that higher power (the conductor). Make a searching and fearless inventory of your audition self. Admit the nature of your wrongs to yourself and a practice buddy. Be ready to have the conductor remove your defects of character. Actually ask the conductor to humbly remove those defects. Make a list of colleagues you have musically harmed, and seek to make amends. Make direct amends to these colleagues, especially if you must sit near them. Continue taking inventory and promptly admit wrong accidentals. Through meditation and score study, improve conscious contact with the conductor. After your musical awakening, carry this message to other musicians in the orchestra. Quotes “If you join an orchestra, you're just a shareholder, but you're still receiving dividends.” — Akiko Tarumoto [0:08:47] “Getting a job is truth time.” — Akiko Tarumoto [0:11:12] “There is that hope that joining this group, it's like there's a power greater than yourself. There's power in experience.” — @natesviolin [0:17:57] “It's okay to be wrong a lot as long you admit it.” — @natesviolin [0:24:20] “You could follow these steps and actually be a great orchestral player.” — @natesviolin [0:27:46] “There's just no way around the anonymity being an orchestral player, but there are positive things about being in an orchestra nevertheless.” — Akiko Tarumoto [0:27:52] Links Mentioned in Today's Episode: Colburn Sir Laurence Olivier LA Phil Chris Still Transcript EPISODE 37 [INTRODUCTION] [00:00:00] NC: Hello and welcome back to Stand Partners for Life. This is Orchestra Players Anonymous. I'm Nathan Cole. [00:00:08] AT: We're supposed to be anonymous. [00:00:10] NC: Oh! I already broke the rule. All right. [INTERVIEW] [00:00:27] NC: Well, I have to figure you already know who we are. That's Akiko Tarumoto over there. Welcome back. If you haven't seen the website in a little while, head on over to standpartnersforlife.com. We got a bit of a new look and as it befits the new year, 2020 episodes of Stand Partners for Life. There you can make sure you're subscribed on iTunes, on Google Podcasts, however you get your podcasts. Today we are talking about the anonymous nature of orchestra playing, and this actually came up recently. I teach the violin orchestral rep class at Colburn now, and I got a really good question just today actually. [00:01:10] AT: What was that question? [00:01:13] NC: That's for that prompt. They asked, they said, “Well, we have a friend,” who that's always kind of a tipoff, but they said, “We have a friend who says that he would never play in orchestra because you would lose your artistic identity. You'd become anonymous.” First of all, I love how you can't really talk about orchestra. It's kind of like how kids learn about the birds and the bees on the playground. It's like playground wisdom. [00:01:43] AT: You can't talk about – [00:01:44] NC: Well, I just feel like there's not a constant dialogue about orchestra playing. You have to kind of ask in secret like, “I have a friend who says this is how it works.” [00:01:53] AT: Right. Well, sure. I mean, we all know why that is. It's like the vast majority of working musicians, working – Not pianists obviously,

Twelve-step programs have helped millions of people, including some of our colleagues. But their constant references to a "higher power" rub some people the wrong way. As orchestral musicians, we only know one "higher power": the conductor, who rules every aspect of our musical lives! Here are some slightly rewritten twelve steps toward embracing musical anonymity in the orchestra of your choice. The Twelve Orchestral Steps Admit you are powerless over your musical decisions and life has become unmanageable.Surrender those decisions to a higher power to reclaim musical sanity.Turn your musical life over to that higher power (the conductor).Make a searching and fearless inventory of your audition self.Admit the nature of your wrongs to yourself and a practice buddy.Be ready to have the conductor remove your defects of character.Actually ask the conductor to humbly remove those defects.Make a list of colleagues you have musically harmed, and seek to make amends.Make direct amends to these colleagues, especially if you must sit near them.Continue taking inventory and promptly admit wrong accidentals.Through meditation and score study, improve conscious contact with the conductor.After your musical awakening, carry this message to other musicians in the orchestra. Quotes “If you join an orchestra, you’re just a shareholder, but you’re still receiving dividends.” — Akiko Tarumoto [0:08:47] “Getting a job is truth time.” — Akiko Tarumoto [0:11:12] “There is that hope that joining this group, it’s like there’s a power greater than yourself. There’s power in experience.” — @natesviolin [0:17:57] “It’s okay to be wrong a lot as long you admit it.” — @natesviolin [0:24:20] “You could follow these steps and actually be a great orchestral player.” — @natesviolin [0:27:46] “There’s just no way around the anonymity being an orchestral player, but there are positive things about being in an orchestra nevertheless.” — Akiko Tarumoto [0:27:52] Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: ColburnSir Laurence OlivierLA PhilChris Still Transcript EPISODE 37 [INTRODUCTION] [00:00:00] NC: Hello and welcome back to Stand Partners for Life. This is Orchestra Players Anonymous. I’m Nathan Cole. [00:00:08] AT: We’re supposed to be anonymous. [00:00:10] NC: Oh! I already broke the rule. All right. [INTERVIEW] [00:00:27] NC: Well, I have to figure you already know who we are. That’s Akiko Tarumoto over there. Welcome back. If you haven’t seen the website in a little while, head on over to standpartnersforlife.com. We got a bit of a new look and as it befits the new year, 2020 episodes of Stand Partners for Life. There you can make sure you’re subscribed on iTunes, on Google Podcasts, however you get your podcasts. Today we are talking about the anonymous nature of orchestra playing, and this actually came up recently. I teach the violin orchestral rep class at Colburn now, and I got a really good question just today actually. [00:01:10] AT: What was that question? [00:01:13] NC: That’s for that prompt. They asked, they said, “Well, we have a friend,” who that’s always kind of a tipoff, but they said, “We have a friend who says that he would never play in orchestra because you would lose your artistic identity. You’d become anonymous.” First of all, I love how you can’t really talk about orchestra. It’s kind of like how kids learn about the birds and the bees on the playground. It’s like playground wisdom. [00:01:43] AT: You can’t talk about – [00:01:44] NC: Well, I just feel like there’s not a constant dialogue about orchestra playing. You have to kind of ask in secret like, “I have a friend who says this is how it works.” [00:01:53] AT: Right. Well, sure. I mean, we all know why that is. It’s like the vast majority of working musicians, working – Not pianists obviously, but that were out there and orchestra is not being soloists or chamber musicians necessarily,

Twelve-step programs have helped millions of people, including some of our colleagues. But their constant references to a "higher power" rub some people the wrong way. As orchestral musicians, we only know one "higher power": the conductor, who rules every aspect of our musical lives! Here are some slightly rewritten twelve steps toward embracing musical anonymity in the orchestra of your choice. The Twelve Orchestral Steps Admit you are powerless over your musical decisions and life has become unmanageable.Surrender those decisions to a higher power to reclaim musical sanity.Turn your musical life over to that higher power (the conductor).Make a searching and fearless inventory of your audition self.Admit the nature of your wrongs to yourself and a practice buddy.Be ready to have the conductor remove your defects of character.Actually ask the conductor to humbly remove those defects.Make a list of colleagues you have musically harmed, and seek to make amends.Make direct amends to these colleagues, especially if you must sit near them.Continue taking inventory and promptly admit wrong accidentals.Through meditation and score study, improve conscious contact with the conductor.After your musical awakening, carry this message to other musicians in the orchestra. Quotes “If you join an orchestra, you’re just a shareholder, but you’re still receiving dividends.” — Akiko Tarumoto [0:08:47] “Getting a job is truth time.” — Akiko Tarumoto [0:11:12] “There is that hope that joining this group, it’s like there’s a power greater than yourself. There’s power in experience.” — @natesviolin [0:17:57] “It’s okay to be wrong a lot as long you admit it.” — @natesviolin [0:24:20] “You could follow these steps and actually be a great orchestral player.” — @natesviolin [0:27:46] “There’s just no way around the anonymity being an orchestral player, but there are positive things about being in an orchestra nevertheless.” — Akiko Tarumoto [0:27:52] Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: ColburnSir Laurence OlivierLA PhilChris Still Transcript EPISODE 37 [INTRODUCTION] [00:00:00] NC: Hello and welcome back to Stand Partners for Life. This is Orchestra Players Anonymous. I’m Nathan Cole. [00:00:08] AT: We’re supposed to be anonymous. [00:00:10] NC: Oh! I already broke the rule. All right. [INTERVIEW] [00:00:27] NC: Well, I have to figure you already know who we are. That’s Akiko Tarumoto over there. Welcome back. If you haven’t seen the website in a little while, head on over to standpartnersforlife.com. We got a bit of a new look and as it befits the new year, 2020 episodes of Stand Partners for Life. There you can make sure you’re subscribed on iTunes, on Google Podcasts, however you get your podcasts. Today we are talking about the anonymous nature of orchestra playing, and this actually came up recently. I teach the violin orchestral rep class at Colburn now, and I got a really good question just today actually. [00:01:10] AT: What was that question? [00:01:13] NC: That’s for that prompt. They asked, they said, “Well, we have a friend,” who that’s always kind of a tipoff, but they said, “We have a friend who says that he would never play in orchestra because you would lose your artistic identity. You’d become anonymous.” First of all, I love how you can’t really talk about orchestra. It’s kind of like how kids learn about the birds and the bees on the playground. It’s like playground wisdom. [00:01:43] AT: You can’t talk about – [00:01:44] NC: Well, I just feel like there’s not a constant dialogue about orchestra playing. You have to kind of ask in secret like, “I have a friend who says this is how it works.” [00:01:53] AT: Right. Well, sure. I mean, we all know why that is. It’s like the vast majority of working musicians, working – Not pianists obviously, but that were out there and orchestra is not being soloists or chamber musicians necessarily,

Violinist Johnny Lee is Akiko's mirror image on stage at Disney Hall: he sits fourth chair second violin, while she's fourth chair first violin. But they have something else in common too. Both went to Harvard, where there is no music performance major. Akiko thought she'd be a lawyer, Johnny a doctor (or was he just pretending?), but they both found their way back to the violin by the time they graduated. The Stand Partners have logged thousands of hours of "unofficial" conversation with Johnny, so we're excited to present him on the podcast. Here's Johnny's path to the LA Phil and beyond! Transcript [00:00:00] NC: Hi and welcome back to Stand Partners for Life. I'm Nathan Cole.  [00:00:04] AT: I'm Akiko Tarumoto.  [00:00:18] NC: And we are thrilled to be here with our great friend on we've been trying to get on this podcast actually ever since we started this show. Good friend Johnny Lee, violinist with us in the LA Phil. Frequent hanger outer here at the Cole-Tarumoto residence. You've got a heavy dose of the kids tonight. You got to experience dinner, TV watching time, bedtime.   [00:00:43] AT: You missed violin practice time though. Lucky you.   [00:00:47] JL: I have my wine. So it's fine.  [00:00:49] AT: That's actually how we got you here. We bribed you with food and drink.  [00:00:51] NC: That's true. Johnny showed up wearing his Stand Partners for Life t-shirt, which made all of us happy, especially Hannah noticed it right away. If you too would like a snazzy Stand Partners for Life t-shift, go to standpartnersforlife.com/shirts. That's shirt, plural, and guys and gals designs. But thank you so much for being here, Johnny.  [00:01:12] AT: Yay!  [00:01:13] NC: Yay! There are a few reasons to get you here. One, we talk about the orchestra all the time, and LA Phil life all the time. But in addition to that, you and Akiko have some real similarities, I guess besides the fact that Akiko is 4th chair first violin. Johnny, 4th chair second violin. [00:01:34] AT: He's my mirror.  [00:01:34] NC: That's right. We do since first and second, mostly sit across the stage from each other. Here in L.A. Not Akiko's favorite setup at the moment. [00:01:44] AT: I think everybody is tired hearing my opinion on where the violin should sit.   [00:01:49] NC: But you do get to mirror each other across the stage quite often. The bigger similarity is that you both went to the same school for undergrad and you actually overlapped. [00:01:58] AT: We went to school in Boston.  [00:02:00] JL: Cambridge.  [00:02:02] NC: They went to Harvard. I get to hear about it a lot. No! You guys are good about it. Actually, tonight I really do want to hear about it in quite some detail. But, yeah, neither of you went to conservatory for undergrad. So that's something that I know a lot of. You guys out there have asked about just the difference between going to conservatory, not going to conservatory, at least for undergrad. Yeah, the different paths that people take to get to the LA Phil. Johnny, if you would back us up from Harvard, from Cambridge, and tell us a little bit about where you're from, how you got started on the instrument and all that, and then we'll get to  get to school days.  [00:02:41] JL: Yeah. I mean, I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. So I was at the Cleveland Institute of Music for prepschool – Not prepschool. Preparatory program, age 7 I would say. So I started when I was 5, but started at CIM at 7. But that was of course because my parents were Korean immigrants and they just wanted us to play violin. Us being me and my two older brothers just to put on our college application. [00:03:10] AT: So were you all at –  [00:03:11] JL: Yeah. So would have lessons on Friday after school. My mom would drive us all there. She'd take notes during lessons. Then on the way home we'd get KFC as a reward.  [00:03:24] NC: I thought you were going to say on the way home you'd get yel...

Violinist Johnny Lee is Akiko's mirror image on stage at Disney Hall: he sits fourth chair second violin, while she's fourth chair first violin. But they have something else in common too. Both went to Harvard, where there is no music performance major. Akiko thought she'd be a lawyer, Johnny a doctor (or was he just pretending?), but they both found their way back to the violin by the time they graduated. The Stand Partners have logged thousands of hours of "unofficial" conversation with Johnny, so we're excited to present him on the podcast. Here's Johnny's path to the LA Phil and beyond! Transcript [00:00:00] NC: Hi and welcome back to Stand Partners for Life. I’m Nathan Cole.  [00:00:04] AT: I’m Akiko Tarumoto.  [00:00:18] NC: And we are thrilled to be here with our great friend on we’ve been trying to get on this podcast actually ever since we started this show. Good friend Johnny Lee, violinist with us in the LA Phil. Frequent hanger outer here at the Cole-Tarumoto residence. You’ve got a heavy dose of the kids tonight. You got to experience dinner, TV watching time, bedtime.   [00:00:43] AT: You missed violin practice time though. Lucky you.   [00:00:47] JL: I have my wine. So it’s fine.  [00:00:49] AT: That’s actually how we got you here. We bribed you with food and drink.  [00:00:51] NC: That’s true. Johnny showed up wearing his Stand Partners for Life t-shirt, which made all of us happy, especially Hannah noticed it right away. If you too would like a snazzy Stand Partners for Life t-shift, go to standpartnersforlife.com/shirts. That’s shirt, plural, and guys and gals designs. But thank you so much for being here, Johnny.  [00:01:12] AT: Yay!  [00:01:13] NC: Yay! There are a few reasons to get you here. One, we talk about the orchestra all the time, and LA Phil life all the time. But in addition to that, you and Akiko have some real similarities, I guess besides the fact that Akiko is 4th chair first violin. Johnny, 4th chair second violin. [00:01:34] AT: He’s my mirror.  [00:01:34] NC: That’s right. We do since first and second, mostly sit across the stage from each other. Here in L.A. Not Akiko’s favorite setup at the moment. [00:01:44] AT: I think everybody is tired hearing my opinion on where the violin should sit.   [00:01:49] NC: But you do get to mirror each other across the stage quite often. The bigger similarity is that you both went to the same school for undergrad and you actually overlapped. [00:01:58] AT: We went to school in Boston.  [00:02:00] JL: Cambridge.  [00:02:02] NC: They went to Harvard. I get to hear about it a lot. No! You guys are good about it. Actually, tonight I really do want to hear about it in quite some detail. But, yeah, neither of you went to conservatory for undergrad. So that’s something that I know a lot of. You guys out there have asked about just the difference between going to conservatory, not going to conservatory, at least for undergrad. Yeah, the different paths that people take to get to the LA Phil. Johnny, if you would back us up from Harvard, from Cambridge, and tell us a little bit about where you’re from, how you got started on the instrument and all that, and then we’ll get to  get to school days.  [00:02:41] JL: Yeah. I mean, I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. So I was at the Cleveland Institute of Music for prepschool – Not prepschool. Preparatory program, age 7 I would say. So I started when I was 5, but started at CIM at 7. But that was of course because my parents were Korean immigrants and they just wanted us to play violin. Us being me and my two older brothers just to put on our college application. [00:03:10] AT: So were you all at –  [00:03:11] JL: Yeah. So would have lessons on Friday after school. My mom would drive us all there. She’d take notes during lessons. Then on the way home we’d get KFC as a reward.  [00:03:24] NC: I thought you were going to say on the way home you’d get yel...

Violinist Johnny Lee is Akiko's mirror image on stage at Disney Hall: he sits fourth chair second violin, while she's fourth chair first violin. But they have something else in common too. Both went to Harvard, where there is no music performance major. Akiko thought she'd be a lawyer, Johnny a doctor (or was he just pretending?), but they both found their way back to the violin by the time they graduated. The Stand Partners have logged thousands of hours of "unofficial" conversation with Johnny, so we're excited to present him on the podcast. Here's Johnny's path to the LA Phil and beyond! Transcript [00:00:00] NC: Hi and welcome back to Stand Partners for Life. I’m Nathan Cole.  [00:00:04] AT: I’m Akiko Tarumoto.  [00:00:18] NC: And we are thrilled to be here with our great friend on we’ve been trying to get on this podcast actually ever since we started this show. Good friend Johnny Lee, violinist with us in the LA Phil. Frequent hanger outer here at the Cole-Tarumoto residence. You’ve got a heavy dose of the kids tonight. You got to experience dinner, TV watching time, bedtime.   [00:00:43] AT: You missed violin practice time though. Lucky you.   [00:00:47] JL: I have my wine. So it’s fine.  [00:00:49] AT: That’s actually how we got you here. We bribed you with food and drink.  [00:00:51] NC: That’s true. Johnny showed up wearing his Stand Partners for Life t-shirt, which made all of us happy, especially Hannah noticed it right away. If you too would like a snazzy Stand Partners for Life t-shift, go to standpartnersforlife.com/shirts. That’s shirt, plural, and guys and gals designs. But thank you so much for being here, Johnny.  [00:01:12] AT: Yay!  [00:01:13] NC: Yay! There are a few reasons to get you here. One, we talk about the orchestra all the time, and LA Phil life all the time. But in addition to that, you and Akiko have some real similarities, I guess besides the fact that Akiko is 4th chair first violin. Johnny, 4th chair second violin. [00:01:34] AT: He’s my mirror.  [00:01:34] NC: That’s right. We do since first and second, mostly sit across the stage from each other. Here in L.A. Not Akiko’s favorite setup at the moment. [00:01:44] AT: I think everybody is tired hearing my opinion on where the violin should sit.   [00:01:49] NC: But you do get to mirror each other across the stage quite often. The bigger similarity is that you both went to the same school for undergrad and you actually overlapped. [00:01:58] AT: We went to school in Boston.  [00:02:00] JL: Cambridge.  [00:02:02] NC: They went to Harvard. I get to hear about it a lot. No! You guys are good about it. Actually, tonight I really do want to hear about it in quite some detail. But, yeah, neither of you went to conservatory for undergrad. So that’s something that I know a lot of. You guys out there have asked about just the difference between going to conservatory, not going to conservatory, at least for undergrad. Yeah, the different paths that people take to get to the LA Phil. Johnny, if you would back us up from Harvard, from Cambridge, and tell us a little bit about where you’re from, how you got started on the instrument and all that, and then we’ll get to  get to school days.  [00:02:41] JL: Yeah. I mean, I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. So I was at the Cleveland Institute of Music for prepschool – Not prepschool. Preparatory program, age 7 I would say. So I started when I was 5, but started at CIM at 7. But that was of course because my parents were Korean immigrants and they just wanted us to play violin. Us being me and my two older brothers just to put on our college application. [00:03:10] AT: So were you all at –  [00:03:11] JL: Yeah. So would have lessons on Friday after school. My mom would drive us all there. She’d take notes during lessons. Then on the way home we’d get KFC as a reward.  [00:03:24] NC: I thought you were going to say on the way home you’d get yel...

This week, we're talking scales and etudes. Are they the foundational blocks on which your entire technique is built? Or more like raw vegetables that you have to choke down if you want to stay healthy? Akiko actually had a scale class as a kid, while I got a crash course in scales from my Curtis teacher Felix Galimir (who had studied with Carl Flesch himself). Etudes were a different story. Both of us went through a progression of Sevcik, Schradieck, Kretuzer, Dont, and all the rest. But back then, we just played without knowing why. These days, we like to know the point of an etude before we dive in: the key that unlocks each etude's benefit. Developing my Virtuoso Master Course has given me a chance to reevaluate my relationship with the classics, but I wanted Akiko's take on the topic as well. Enjoy a roll in the hay of fundamental violin techniques! Key points Akiko recounts her distaste for practicing scales at Juilliard Scales: more like meditation or workout? Akiko's time at Juilliard pre-college with Ševčík, Schradieck, Kreutzer, Paganini and Yost Why Akiko stopped practicing scales after a Paganini concerto got her down Scales and etudes as prep for challenging pieces Nathan's first scale, at the end of Suzuki studies How Ivan Galamian adjusted a three-octave scale to give it 24 notes Akiko's scale class Nathan and Akiko's take on Simon Fischer's Warming Up The times in life to discover etudes (i.e. bachelor freedom) Thirds for 20 minutes a day, thanks to Ruggiero Ricci Nathan's first lesson with Felix Galimir, and the four-hour-a-day scale workout Every etude has a key to unlock its benefit How to practice scales so they lead to confident performance Akiko's feeling of impending violinistic disaster, as inThe Godfather. Quotes “I feel like the goal for the Delay students was to get to Paganini ASAP.” — @Akiko Tarumoto  [0:10:31] “I think that's the real argument for learning skills in scales and etudes, so that when you get to them in in the repertoire, you feel like you can say, ‘I've got this.'” — @natesviolin  [0:14:43] “Opening up an etude book, trying to play one and just – whether your reaction is just stopping and closing it or breaking down crying, it is actually a pretty common thing.” — @natesviolin  [0:26:56] “Great strides are made when there is not a lot else going on.” — @Akiko Tarumoto  [0:29:17]  “it wasn't like I was sitting here watching TV and you came up to me and you said, ‘You need to work on your arpeggios.'” — @Akiko Tarumoto  [0:47:04] Links from the episode Juilliard Pre-CollegeAspen FestivalThe Virtuoso Master CourseKreutzer SonataHenry SchradieckOtakar ŠevčíkNicolò PaganiniFranz WohlfahrtJacques Féréol MazasGaylord YostCurtis Institute of MusicSuzuki Violin BooksMozart Fifth Concerto in A MajorMozart's Fourth Concerto in D majorJohannes BrahmsJoachim CadenzaDan MasonVienna Philharmonic OrchestraCarl FleschIvan GalamianPierre Gaviniès Simon FischerMoritz MoszkowskiSaint Paul Chamber OrchestraAnimal FarmRuggiero RicciSergei ProkofievJack Benny William PreucilThe Godfather Transcript [0:00:00.7] NC: Hello and welcome back to Stand Partners for Life. I am Nathan Cole. [0:00:04.7] AT: I am Akiko Tarumoto. [0:00:18.7] NC: That's it, it's just the two of us this time. We've had a couple of episodes lately with some very special guests, especially cellists. [0:00:26.6] AT: Yeah, I guess it goes along with my theory that violinists aren't really friends with other violinists. [0:00:32.9] NC: Well, we're married to other violinists but just not friends. [0:00:36.3] AT: I said friends. [0:00:37.8] NC: That's true, it took us a while to become friends. [0:00:39.8] AT: Yeah, right? [0:00:41.7] NC: Because of that, I thought that maybe this episode could be a little bit more violin centric, you know, we talk a lot about the orchestra life, playing in orchestra,

This week, we're talking scales and etudes. Are they the foundational blocks on which your entire technique is built? Or more like raw vegetables that you have to choke down if you want to stay healthy? Akiko actually had a scale class as a kid, while I got a crash course in scales from my Curtis teacher Felix Galimir (who had studied with Carl Flesch himself). Etudes were a different story. Both of us went through a progression of Sevcik, Schradieck, Kretuzer, Dont, and all the rest. But back then, we just played without knowing why. These days, we like to know the point of an etude before we dive in: the key that unlocks each etude's benefit. Developing my Virtuoso Master Course has given me a chance to reevaluate my relationship with the classics, but I wanted Akiko's take on the topic as well. Enjoy a roll in the hay of fundamental violin techniques! Key points Akiko recounts her distaste for practicing scales at JuilliardScales: more like meditation or workout?Akiko's time at Juilliard pre-college with Ševčík, Schradieck, Kreutzer, Paganini and YostWhy Akiko stopped practicing scales after a Paganini concerto got her downScales and etudes as prep for challenging piecesNathan's first scale, at the end of Suzuki studiesHow Ivan Galamian adjusted a three-octave scale to give it 24 notesAkiko's scale classNathan and Akiko's take on Simon Fischer’s Warming UpThe times in life to discover etudes (i.e. bachelor freedom)Thirds for 20 minutes a day, thanks to Ruggiero RicciNathan's first lesson with Felix Galimir, and the four-hour-a-day scale workoutEvery etude has a key to unlock its benefitHow to practice scales so they lead to confident performanceAkiko’s feeling of impending violinistic disaster, as inThe Godfather. Quotes “I feel like the goal for the Delay students was to get to Paganini ASAP.” — @Akiko Tarumoto  [0:10:31] “I think that’s the real argument for learning skills in scales and etudes, so that when you get to them in in the repertoire, you feel like you can say, ‘I’ve got this.’” — @natesviolin  [0:14:43] “Opening up an etude book, trying to play one and just – whether your reaction is just stopping and closing it or breaking down crying, it is actually a pretty common thing.” — @natesviolin  [0:26:56] “Great strides are made when there is not a lot else going on.” — @Akiko Tarumoto  [0:29:17]  “it wasn’t like I was sitting here watching TV and you came up to me and you said, ‘You need to work on your arpeggios.’” — @Akiko Tarumoto  [0:47:04] Links from the episode Juilliard Pre-CollegeAspen FestivalThe Virtuoso Master CourseKreutzer SonataHenry SchradieckOtakar ŠevčíkNicolò PaganiniFranz WohlfahrtJacques Féréol MazasGaylord YostCurtis Institute of MusicSuzuki Violin BooksMozart Fifth Concerto in A MajorMozart’s Fourth Concerto in D majorJohannes BrahmsJoachim CadenzaDan MasonVienna Philharmonic OrchestraCarl FleschIvan GalamianPierre Gaviniès Simon FischerMoritz MoszkowskiSaint Paul Chamber OrchestraAnimal FarmRuggiero RicciSergei ProkofievJack Benny William PreucilThe Godfather Transcript [0:00:00.7] NC: Hello and welcome back to Stand Partners for Life. I am Nathan Cole. [0:00:04.7] AT: I am Akiko Tarumoto. [0:00:18.7] NC: That’s it, it’s just the two of us this time. We’ve had a couple of episodes lately with some very special guests, especially cellists. [0:00:26.6] AT: Yeah, I guess it goes along with my theory that violinists aren’t really friends with other violinists. [0:00:32.9] NC: Well, we’re married to other violinists but just not friends. [0:00:36.3] AT: I said friends. [0:00:37.8] NC: That’s true, it took us a while to become friends. [0:00:39.8] AT: Yeah, right? [0:00:41.7] NC: Because of that, I thought that maybe this episode could be a little bit more violin centric, you know, we talk a lot about the orchestra life, playing in orchestra, obviously Stand Partners refers to the orchestra life but sometime we can nerd out a ...

This week, we're talking scales and etudes. Are they the foundational blocks on which your entire technique is built? Or more like raw vegetables that you have to choke down if you want to stay healthy? Akiko actually had a scale class as a kid, while I got a crash course in scales from my Curtis teacher Felix Galimir (who had studied with Carl Flesch himself). Etudes were a different story. Both of us went through a progression of Sevcik, Schradieck, Kretuzer, Dont, and all the rest. But back then, we just played without knowing why. These days, we like to know the point of an etude before we dive in: the key that unlocks each etude's benefit. Developing my Virtuoso Master Course has given me a chance to reevaluate my relationship with the classics, but I wanted Akiko's take on the topic as well. Enjoy a roll in the hay of fundamental violin techniques! Key points Akiko recounts her distaste for practicing scales at JuilliardScales: more like meditation or workout?Akiko's time at Juilliard pre-college with Ševčík, Schradieck, Kreutzer, Paganini and YostWhy Akiko stopped practicing scales after a Paganini concerto got her downScales and etudes as prep for challenging piecesNathan's first scale, at the end of Suzuki studiesHow Ivan Galamian adjusted a three-octave scale to give it 24 notesAkiko's scale classNathan and Akiko's take on Simon Fischer’s Warming UpThe times in life to discover etudes (i.e. bachelor freedom)Thirds for 20 minutes a day, thanks to Ruggiero RicciNathan's first lesson with Felix Galimir, and the four-hour-a-day scale workoutEvery etude has a key to unlock its benefitHow to practice scales so they lead to confident performanceAkiko’s feeling of impending violinistic disaster, as inThe Godfather. Quotes “I feel like the goal for the Delay students was to get to Paganini ASAP.” — @Akiko Tarumoto  [0:10:31] “I think that’s the real argument for learning skills in scales and etudes, so that when you get to them in in the repertoire, you feel like you can say, ‘I’ve got this.’” — @natesviolin  [0:14:43] “Opening up an etude book, trying to play one and just – whether your reaction is just stopping and closing it or breaking down crying, it is actually a pretty common thing.” — @natesviolin  [0:26:56] “Great strides are made when there is not a lot else going on.” — @Akiko Tarumoto  [0:29:17]  “it wasn’t like I was sitting here watching TV and you came up to me and you said, ‘You need to work on your arpeggios.’” — @Akiko Tarumoto  [0:47:04] Links from the episode Juilliard Pre-CollegeAspen FestivalThe Virtuoso Master CourseKreutzer SonataHenry SchradieckOtakar ŠevčíkNicolò PaganiniFranz WohlfahrtJacques Féréol MazasGaylord YostCurtis Institute of MusicSuzuki Violin BooksMozart Fifth Concerto in A MajorMozart’s Fourth Concerto in D majorJohannes BrahmsJoachim CadenzaDan MasonVienna Philharmonic OrchestraCarl FleschIvan GalamianPierre Gaviniès Simon FischerMoritz MoszkowskiSaint Paul Chamber OrchestraAnimal FarmRuggiero RicciSergei ProkofievJack Benny William PreucilThe Godfather Transcript [0:00:00.7] NC: Hello and welcome back to Stand Partners for Life. I am Nathan Cole. [0:00:04.7] AT: I am Akiko Tarumoto. [0:00:18.7] NC: That’s it, it’s just the two of us this time. We’ve had a couple of episodes lately with some very special guests, especially cellists. [0:00:26.6] AT: Yeah, I guess it goes along with my theory that violinists aren’t really friends with other violinists. [0:00:32.9] NC: Well, we’re married to other violinists but just not friends. [0:00:36.3] AT: I said friends. [0:00:37.8] NC: That’s true, it took us a while to become friends. [0:00:39.8] AT: Yeah, right? [0:00:41.7] NC: Because of that, I thought that maybe this episode could be a little bit more violin centric, you know, we talk a lot about the orchestra life, playing in orchestra, obviously Stand Partners refers to the orchestra life but sometime we can nerd out a ...

Chicago Symphony cellist Brant Taylor may have been our very first special guest here at the Stand Partners, but so far we've been missing the perspective of his partner Roderick Branch. Roderick is a musician, though his day job (and sometimes into the night job) is as a partner at a giant law firm. Roderick is what you'd call an extremely savvy listener, otherwise known as a superfan. So today Akiko, Brant, and I talk with Roderick, to remember just who it is we're playing for. Roderick elaborates on the dynamics between orchestra and audience in the context of different halls around the world. We speak about the room for error in a magical rendition, the performer as an audience member, and how the level of familiarity with an orchestra affects our experience of it. We also get into the pros and cons of designs, histories, and acoustics of different halls. Next, we share many stories about what made a particular concert life-changing, and then weigh up the various traits of our favorite conductors. Finally, our pet peeves about off-putting audience or performer behavior take center stage. Key Points From This Episode Performers and audience members might feel differently about the quality of a symphony. The distance of a performer or observer from the orchestra changes how it sounds. Minor mistakes are less meaningful when there is great spirit in a performance. The mood of an audience member might change their experience of a performance. Live symphonies sound different to recorded and mastered ones. The way a musician reacts to something unexpected is an indicator of how prepared they are. Experiencing different hall acoustics is neither good or bad but special. Sometimes one has to try to be less critical to have a good time. Knowing the orchestra might change the experience of watching them for better or worse. Knowing who is playing could change whether Roderick goes to a concert or not. Disney Hall's modernity compared to the sense of history of Symphony Center. The acoustics of Disney hall are like a soft focus lens, while Chicago Hall is less forgiving. Less forgiving acoustics can be liberating because it allows for powerful playing. Hearing the same orchestra playing in different halls is a good way of seeing their difference. Great conductors bring out aspects in a symphony not heard before. The respect the orchestra has for a good conductor is palpable in their body language. It is difficult to be fully present as a musician in every performance. Several stories of the most life-changing performances the group have ever seen. Barenboim, Boulez, Haitink and Muti compared by Roderick. Off-putting performer behavior: not looking engaged and talking during the applause. Off-putting audience behavior: humming, cellphones, leaving too early, coughing. Links Brant Taylor Roderick Branch Chicago Symphony Orchestra Bartok Concerto For Orchestra LA Philharmonic Disney Concert Hall Symphony Center Orchestra Hall Daniel Burnham  The Burnham Plan of Chicago Barbara Walter Milli-Vanilli Musikverein Carnegie Hall Concertgebouw Severance Hall Riccardo Muti Krassimira Stoyanova Pierre Boulez  Ben Molar Daniel Barenboim Ma Vlast The Moldau Bernard Haitink Shakespeare Beethoven 9 Verdi: Requiem The Hollywood Bowl Jumbotron Anne-Sophie Mutter “If you're performing a string quartet or a solo piece, the way you react to things that don't go totally as planned is the biggest indicator of how well prepared something is.” — @ Akiko Tarumoto [0:12:07] “If you listen to the concert with your music critic hat on, that detracts from the enjoyment of the experience.” — @ Roderick Branch [0:18:10] “It's actually an interesting hobby to hear an orchestra you know well, play in different halls. It's the best way to figure out exactly how much d...

Chicago Symphony cellist Brant Taylor may have been our very first special guest here at the Stand Partners, but so far we've been missing the perspective of his partner Roderick Branch. Roderick is a musician, though his day job (and sometimes into the night job) is as a partner at a giant law firm. Roderick is what you'd call an extremely savvy listener, otherwise known as a superfan. So today Akiko, Brant, and I talk with Roderick, to remember just who it is we're playing for. Roderick elaborates on the dynamics between orchestra and audience in the context of different halls around the world. We speak about the room for error in a magical rendition, the performer as an audience member, and how the level of familiarity with an orchestra affects our experience of it. We also get into the pros and cons of designs, histories, and acoustics of different halls. Next, we share many stories about what made a particular concert life-changing, and then weigh up the various traits of our favorite conductors. Finally, our pet peeves about off-putting audience or performer behavior take center stage. Key Points From This Episode Performers and audience members might feel differently about the quality of a symphony. The distance of a performer or observer from the orchestra changes how it sounds. Minor mistakes are less meaningful when there is great spirit in a performance. The mood of an audience member might change their experience of a performance. Live symphonies sound different to recorded and mastered ones. The way a musician reacts to something unexpected is an indicator of how prepared they are. Experiencing different hall acoustics is neither good or bad but special. Sometimes one has to try to be less critical to have a good time. Knowing the orchestra might change the experience of watching them for better or worse. Knowing who is playing could change whether Roderick goes to a concert or not. Disney Hall’s modernity compared to the sense of history of Symphony Center. The acoustics of Disney hall are like a soft focus lens, while Chicago Hall is less forgiving. Less forgiving acoustics can be liberating because it allows for powerful playing. Hearing the same orchestra playing in different halls is a good way of seeing their difference. Great conductors bring out aspects in a symphony not heard before. The respect the orchestra has for a good conductor is palpable in their body language. It is difficult to be fully present as a musician in every performance. Several stories of the most life-changing performances the group have ever seen. Barenboim, Boulez, Haitink and Muti compared by Roderick. Off-putting performer behavior: not looking engaged and talking during the applause. Off-putting audience behavior: humming, cellphones, leaving too early, coughing. Links Brant TaylorRoderick BranchChicago Symphony OrchestraBartok Concerto For OrchestraLA PhilharmonicDisney Concert HallSymphony CenterOrchestra HallDaniel Burnham The Burnham Plan of ChicagoBarbara WalterMilli-VanilliMusikvereinCarnegie HallConcertgebouwSeverance HallRiccardo MutiKrassimira StoyanovaPierre Boulez Ben MolarDaniel BarenboimMa VlastThe MoldauBernard HaitinkShakespeareBeethoven 9Verdi: RequiemThe Hollywood BowlJumbotronAnne-Sophie Mutter “If you’re performing a string quartet or a solo piece, the way you react to things that don’t go totally as planned is the biggest indicator of how well prepared something is.” — @ Akiko Tarumoto [0:12:07] “If you listen to the concert with your music critic hat on, that detracts from the enjoyment of the experience.” — @ Roderick Branch [0:18:10] “It’s actually an interesting hobby to hear an orchestra you know well, play in different halls. It’s the best way to figure out exactly how much difference the hall can make for, better or worse, in the way that something sounds.” — @ Brant Taylor [0:24:54] “I think I was probably looking down at the stage just taking in and basking in the g...

Chicago Symphony cellist Brant Taylor may have been our very first special guest here at the Stand Partners, but so far we've been missing the perspective of his partner Roderick Branch. Roderick is a musician, though his day job (and sometimes into the night job) is as a partner at a giant law firm. Roderick is what you'd call an extremely savvy listener, otherwise known as a superfan. So today Akiko, Brant, and I talk with Roderick, to remember just who it is we're playing for. Roderick elaborates on the dynamics between orchestra and audience in the context of different halls around the world. We speak about the room for error in a magical rendition, the performer as an audience member, and how the level of familiarity with an orchestra affects our experience of it. We also get into the pros and cons of designs, histories, and acoustics of different halls. Next, we share many stories about what made a particular concert life-changing, and then weigh up the various traits of our favorite conductors. Finally, our pet peeves about off-putting audience or performer behavior take center stage. Key Points From This Episode Performers and audience members might feel differently about the quality of a symphony. The distance of a performer or observer from the orchestra changes how it sounds. Minor mistakes are less meaningful when there is great spirit in a performance. The mood of an audience member might change their experience of a performance. Live symphonies sound different to recorded and mastered ones. The way a musician reacts to something unexpected is an indicator of how prepared they are. Experiencing different hall acoustics is neither good or bad but special. Sometimes one has to try to be less critical to have a good time. Knowing the orchestra might change the experience of watching them for better or worse. Knowing who is playing could change whether Roderick goes to a concert or not. Disney Hall’s modernity compared to the sense of history of Symphony Center. The acoustics of Disney hall are like a soft focus lens, while Chicago Hall is less forgiving. Less forgiving acoustics can be liberating because it allows for powerful playing. Hearing the same orchestra playing in different halls is a good way of seeing their difference. Great conductors bring out aspects in a symphony not heard before. The respect the orchestra has for a good conductor is palpable in their body language. It is difficult to be fully present as a musician in every performance. Several stories of the most life-changing performances the group have ever seen. Barenboim, Boulez, Haitink and Muti compared by Roderick. Off-putting performer behavior: not looking engaged and talking during the applause. Off-putting audience behavior: humming, cellphones, leaving too early, coughing. Links Brant TaylorRoderick BranchChicago Symphony OrchestraBartok Concerto For OrchestraLA PhilharmonicDisney Concert HallSymphony CenterOrchestra HallDaniel Burnham The Burnham Plan of ChicagoBarbara WalterMilli-VanilliMusikvereinCarnegie HallConcertgebouwSeverance HallRiccardo MutiKrassimira StoyanovaPierre Boulez Ben MolarDaniel BarenboimMa VlastThe MoldauBernard HaitinkShakespeareBeethoven 9Verdi: RequiemThe Hollywood BowlJumbotronAnne-Sophie Mutter “If you’re performing a string quartet or a solo piece, the way you react to things that don’t go totally as planned is the biggest indicator of how well prepared something is.” — @ Akiko Tarumoto [0:12:07] “If you listen to the concert with your music critic hat on, that detracts from the enjoyment of the experience.” — @ Roderick Branch [0:18:10] “It’s actually an interesting hobby to hear an orchestra you know well, play in different halls. It’s the best way to figure out exactly how much difference the hall can make for, better or worse, in the way that something sounds.” — @ Brant Taylor [0:24:54] “I think I was probably looking down at the stage just taking in and basking in the g...

Today we're joined by our good friend and LA Phil principal cello, Robert deMaine. Bob tells us about his childhood, his musical family and an early teacher who gave him a complete musical education, including piano and composition. He also unpacks how he fell out of love with the cello during his teen years and took an extended break from playing. Eventually he found his way back and went on a tear, pursuing a solo career and at the same time winning principal jobs in Hartford, Detroit, and finally Los Angeles. Bob doesn't hold back as he discusses anxiety, negative self-talk, and the long road toward mastery of an instrument. Key Points From This Episode: Different orchestral seating arrangements Bob's upbringing, important places and inspiration from his family Having and then losing the best music teacher in the world The difference between relative pitch and perfect pitch Disasters in ice cream shops and disasters on stage Bob's early jobs in music and testing boundaries with senior musicians The Detroit Symphony and the strike that ended with Robert moving to LA Bob's audition for the LA Phil and the hand problem he had leading up to it The steps toward improvement and how they widen as you grow as a musician Differences between teaching and coaching; bringing out the best in students Recreating sounds, learning accents and the power of cultivating the ear The event that precipitated Bob's performance anxiety, and the way through it Upcoming projects for Bob, including his Tweetables: “I grew up playing on my mother's cello, and my sister played the cello that my mother played when she was a child, and it was a real beater.” — @robertdemaine [0:06:35] “I don't think I would have played as well as I did had it not been exactly that way. So much of it has to do with just timing.” — @robertdemaine [0:39:15] “I've never really separated how one prepares for a symphony concert versus how one prepares for a concerto.” — @robertdemaine [0:39:51] Links Mentioned in Today's Episode: Robert deMaine on Twitter Robert deMaine Strings Magazine Mariano Rivera Leonard Rose Janos Starker Eastern Music Festival Juilliard Curtis Central State University Eastman Good Will Hunting Dexter Days of Wine and Roses Irving Klein Competition Paul Paray George Szell Neeme Jarvi Joseph Silverstein Sliding Doors The Matrix Goofus and Gallant Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Guido Lamell Anthony Bourdain Now Hear This Handel Joe Rogan  Mash Taxi Transcript EPISODE 32 [INTRO] [00:00:00] NC: Hi and welcome back to Stand Partners for Life. I am thrilled to be here not only with Akiko. [00:00:07] AT: Hello. [00:00:07] NC: But our good friend and close colleague, Bob deMaine, principal cello here at the L.A. Phil, and actually we're right here in Disney Hall, the bowels of the hall. [00:00:16] BD: Our home away from home. [00:00:18] NC: Yeah. [INTERVIEW] [00:00:32] BD: Thanks for having me on. I feel like I'm sort of your honorary stand partner, because I sit next to you in the orchestra. [00:00:37] NC: Yeah. Actually – I mean, yeah, the usual. If everybody's there, we've got Martin, and then I'm sitting second right next to him, and then on my other side is you. When I first came to the orchestra, they had the violas where you are instead. So principal viola was on my other side. [00:00:53] BD: The viola was there? [00:00:55] NC: They did. [00:00:55] BD: That's something I've never seen before. [00:00:58] AT: Wrong seating number two. [00:00:59] BD: That's right. Isn't that David Sanders, like his lingo from Chicago or something? [00:01:04] AT: I think we're currently in wrong seating number four. [00:01:06] BD: I like right seating number one. I mean, cello is on the left. [00:01:10] NC: The outside. [00:01:10] BD: Yeah,

Today we're joined by our good friend and LA Phil principal cello, Robert deMaine. Bob tells us about his childhood, his musical family and an early teacher who gave him a complete musical education, including piano and composition. He also unpacks how he fell out of love with the cello during his teen years and took an extended break from playing. Eventually he found his way back and went on a tear, pursuing a solo career and at the same time winning principal jobs in Hartford, Detroit, and finally Los Angeles. Bob doesn't hold back as he discusses anxiety, negative self-talk, and the long road toward mastery of an instrument. Key Points From This Episode: Different orchestral seating arrangementsBob's upbringing, important places and inspiration from his familyHaving and then losing the best music teacher in the worldThe difference between relative pitch and perfect pitchDisasters in ice cream shops and disasters on stageBob's early jobs in music and testing boundaries with senior musiciansThe Detroit Symphony and the strike that ended with Robert moving to LABob's audition for the LA Phil and the hand problem he had leading up to it The steps toward improvement and how they widen as you grow as a musician Differences between teaching and coaching; bringing out the best in students Recreating sounds, learning accents and the power of cultivating the ear The event that precipitated Bob's performance anxiety, and the way through it Upcoming projects for Bob, including his Tweetables: “I grew up playing on my mother's cello, and my sister played the cello that my mother played when she was a child, and it was a real beater.” — @robertdemaine [0:06:35] “I don’t think I would have played as well as I did had it not been exactly that way. So much of it has to do with just timing.” — @robertdemaine [0:39:15] “I’ve never really separated how one prepares for a symphony concert versus how one prepares for a concerto.” — @robertdemaine [0:39:51] Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Robert deMaine on TwitterRobert deMaineStrings MagazineMariano RiveraLeonard RoseJanos StarkerEastern Music FestivalJuilliardCurtisCentral State UniversityEastmanGood Will HuntingDexterDays of Wine and RosesIrving Klein CompetitionPaul ParayGeorge SzellNeeme JarviJoseph SilversteinSliding DoorsThe MatrixGoofus and GallantFear and Loathing in Las VegasGuido LamellAnthony BourdainNow Hear ThisHandelJoe Rogan MashTaxi Transcript EPISODE 32 [INTRO] [00:00:00] NC: Hi and welcome back to Stand Partners for Life. I am thrilled to be here not only with Akiko. [00:00:07] AT: Hello. [00:00:07] NC: But our good friend and close colleague, Bob deMaine, principal cello here at the L.A. Phil, and actually we’re right here in Disney Hall, the bowels of the hall. [00:00:16] BD: Our home away from home. [00:00:18] NC: Yeah. [INTERVIEW] [00:00:32] BD: Thanks for having me on. I feel like I’m sort of your honorary stand partner, because I sit next to you in the orchestra. [00:00:37] NC: Yeah. Actually – I mean, yeah, the usual. If everybody's there, we've got Martin, and then I'm sitting second right next to him, and then on my other side is you. When I first came to the orchestra, they had the violas where you are instead. So principal viola was on my other side. [00:00:53] BD: The viola was there? [00:00:55] NC: They did. [00:00:55] BD: That’s something I’ve never seen before. [00:00:58] AT: Wrong seating number two. [00:00:59] BD: That’s right. Isn’t that David Sanders, like his lingo from Chicago or something? [00:01:04] AT: I think we’re currently in wrong seating number four. [00:01:06] BD: I like right seating number one. I mean, cello is on the left. [00:01:10] NC: The outside. [00:01:10] BD: Yeah, the outside. [00:01:12] AT: Everybody wants the outside. [00:01:13] BD: So much more room over there. I don’t care how it sounds.

Today we're joined by our good friend and LA Phil principal cello, Robert deMaine. Bob tells us about his childhood, his musical family and an early teacher who gave him a complete musical education, including piano and composition. He also unpacks how he fell out of love with the cello during his teen years and took an extended break from playing. Eventually he found his way back and went on a tear, pursuing a solo career and at the same time winning principal jobs in Hartford, Detroit, and finally Los Angeles. Bob doesn't hold back as he discusses anxiety, negative self-talk, and the long road toward mastery of an instrument. Key Points From This Episode: Different orchestral seating arrangementsBob's upbringing, important places and inspiration from his familyHaving and then losing the best music teacher in the worldThe difference between relative pitch and perfect pitchDisasters in ice cream shops and disasters on stageBob's early jobs in music and testing boundaries with senior musiciansThe Detroit Symphony and the strike that ended with Robert moving to LABob's audition for the LA Phil and the hand problem he had leading up to it The steps toward improvement and how they widen as you grow as a musician Differences between teaching and coaching; bringing out the best in students Recreating sounds, learning accents and the power of cultivating the ear The event that precipitated Bob's performance anxiety, and the way through it Upcoming projects for Bob, including his Tweetables: “I grew up playing on my mother's cello, and my sister played the cello that my mother played when she was a child, and it was a real beater.” — @robertdemaine [0:06:35] “I don’t think I would have played as well as I did had it not been exactly that way. So much of it has to do with just timing.” — @robertdemaine [0:39:15] “I’ve never really separated how one prepares for a symphony concert versus how one prepares for a concerto.” — @robertdemaine [0:39:51] Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Robert deMaine on TwitterRobert deMaineStrings MagazineMariano RiveraLeonard RoseJanos StarkerEastern Music FestivalJuilliardCurtisCentral State UniversityEastmanGood Will HuntingDexterDays of Wine and RosesIrving Klein CompetitionPaul ParayGeorge SzellNeeme JarviJoseph SilversteinSliding DoorsThe MatrixGoofus and GallantFear and Loathing in Las VegasGuido LamellAnthony BourdainNow Hear ThisHandelJoe Rogan MashTaxi Transcript EPISODE 32 [INTRO] [00:00:00] NC: Hi and welcome back to Stand Partners for Life. I am thrilled to be here not only with Akiko. [00:00:07] AT: Hello. [00:00:07] NC: But our good friend and close colleague, Bob deMaine, principal cello here at the L.A. Phil, and actually we’re right here in Disney Hall, the bowels of the hall. [00:00:16] BD: Our home away from home. [00:00:18] NC: Yeah. [INTERVIEW] [00:00:32] BD: Thanks for having me on. I feel like I’m sort of your honorary stand partner, because I sit next to you in the orchestra. [00:00:37] NC: Yeah. Actually – I mean, yeah, the usual. If everybody's there, we've got Martin, and then I'm sitting second right next to him, and then on my other side is you. When I first came to the orchestra, they had the violas where you are instead. So principal viola was on my other side. [00:00:53] BD: The viola was there? [00:00:55] NC: They did. [00:00:55] BD: That’s something I’ve never seen before. [00:00:58] AT: Wrong seating number two. [00:00:59] BD: That’s right. Isn’t that David Sanders, like his lingo from Chicago or something? [00:01:04] AT: I think we’re currently in wrong seating number four. [00:01:06] BD: I like right seating number one. I mean, cello is on the left. [00:01:10] NC: The outside. [00:01:10] BD: Yeah, the outside. [00:01:12] AT: Everybody wants the outside. [00:01:13] BD: So much more room over there. I don’t care how it sounds.

Today we're talking concertmaster, and what it means to sit in the hot seat. What are the duties and expectations, and what makes "first chair violin" attractive or unattractive to different players? Is playing concertmaster more like being the point guard in basketball, or the quarterback in football? Remember: besides playing all those juicy solos, you have to deal with walk-outs, bowings, section concerns and principal relationships. Just know that even though the concertmaster position puts you in the spotlight, there's a price to pay for all that attention. How happy you are depends not just on the rest of orchestra but your own temperament. As Akiko says, "Let's just say it plainly. I don't like being concertmaster." But should we take her seriously? Key Points From This Episode: The position and duties associated with the title of Concertmaster Walk-outs, hitting the right piano octave and making sure not to fall over Comparing the role of the concertmaster with positions in team sports How the concertmaster relates to the other members of the orchestra The issues that arise when a conductor is ahead or behind Communicating with the conductor; bringing issues up at the right time The importance of solos in getting hired as concertmaster Bowing decisions, and shutting out some of the noise and chatter Leadership principles and focusing on what is most important Our best and worst experiences as a concertmaster Quotes “If you had to pick one leader of the orchestra that isn't the conductor, but a player, it's the concertmaster. They're visible, they're up front.” — Nathan Cole [0:07:29] “No one even really knows I'm technically a concertmaster, so I have to give myself the title of emergency concertmaster!” — Akiko Tarumoto [0:10:15] “It's a fun job. It's fraught with danger, but fun and rewarding and you get those juicy solos too.” — Nathan Cole  [0:51:48] Links Mentioned in Today's Episode: Stand Partners for Life Carnival of the Animals Holly Mulcahy: More than wearing pretty shoes The Suzuki Method Seinfeld David Kim West Side Story Pines of Rome The 14 Leadership Principles that Drive Amazon Jeff Bezos Transcript [INTRO] [0:00:00.6] NC: Hello and welcome back to Stand Partners for Life. I am Nathan. [0:00:03.5] AT: I'm Akiko. [EPISODE] [0:00:17.5] NC: Today, we thought we'd talk about the concertmaster, the duties of a concertmaster and what it's all about. I mean, should we at least define the concertmaster, the first chair of violinists? [0:00:28.7] AT: Sure. I assumed people know that, but there are times, a lot of times people don't necessarily get what that means. [0:00:36.3] NC: We don't even say that. We don't say concert mistress, right? [0:00:39.4] AT: Not that I know of. [0:00:40.3] NC: Because I hear people say that sometimes. [0:00:42.2] AT: Yes. I think some people still say it. [0:00:44.9] NC: It's like president, right? [0:00:46.0] AT: Well, it's like stewardess. We don't say it anymore. [0:00:49.3] NC: Right. I'm not sure if people ever did say concert mistress, if that was ever really appropriate. [0:00:53.4] AT: Sure, they did. I don't remember. [0:00:56.6] NC: Yeah. Concertmaster, it's the first chair violinist. Both of us get to do that duty sometimes and we both have concertmaster somewhere in our titles, First Associate Concertmaster and your assistant. That's largely the reason we came out to LA from the Chicago Symphony was the chance to do be concertmaster sometimes.  Why is this a special position and why? What does the concertmaster do? [0:01:24.8] AT: So are we – start enumerating the duties? [0:01:27.5] NC: Yes. We're going to tell what the concertmaster does. [0:01:30.8] AT: Well, so my first disclaimer is that I don't play concertmaster very often, as you know. I'm drawing on a very small amount of experience.

Today we're talking concertmaster, and what it means to sit in the hot seat. What are the duties and expectations, and what makes "first chair violin" attractive or unattractive to different players? Is playing concertmaster more like being the point guard in basketball, or the quarterback in football? Remember: besides playing all those juicy solos, you have to deal with walk-outs, bowings, section concerns and principal relationships. Just know that even though the concertmaster position puts you in the spotlight, there's a price to pay for all that attention. How happy you are depends not just on the rest of orchestra but your own temperament. As Akiko says, "Let's just say it plainly. I don't like being concertmaster." But should we take her seriously? Key Points From This Episode: The position and duties associated with the title of ConcertmasterWalk-outs, hitting the right piano octave and making sure not to fall overComparing the role of the concertmaster with positions in team sportsHow the concertmaster relates to the other members of the orchestraThe issues that arise when a conductor is ahead or behindCommunicating with the conductor; bringing issues up at the right timeThe importance of solos in getting hired as concertmasterBowing decisions, and shutting out some of the noise and chatterLeadership principles and focusing on what is most importantOur best and worst experiences as a concertmaster Quotes “If you had to pick one leader of the orchestra that isn't the conductor, but a player, it's the concertmaster. They're visible, they're up front.” — Nathan Cole [0:07:29] “No one even really knows I'm technically a concertmaster, so I have to give myself the title of emergency concertmaster!” — Akiko Tarumoto [0:10:15] “It's a fun job. It's fraught with danger, but fun and rewarding and you get those juicy solos too.” — Nathan Cole  [0:51:48] Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Stand Partners for LifeCarnival of the AnimalsHolly Mulcahy: More than wearing pretty shoesThe Suzuki MethodSeinfeldDavid KimWest Side StoryPines of RomeThe 14 Leadership Principles that Drive AmazonJeff Bezos Transcript [INTRO] [0:00:00.6] NC: Hello and welcome back to Stand Partners for Life. I am Nathan. [0:00:03.5] AT: I’m Akiko. [EPISODE] [0:00:17.5] NC: Today, we thought we’d talk about the concertmaster, the duties of a concertmaster and what it’s all about. I mean, should we at least define the concertmaster, the first chair of violinists? [0:00:28.7] AT: Sure. I assumed people know that, but there are times, a lot of times people don’t necessarily get what that means. [0:00:36.3] NC: We don’t even say that. We don’t say concert mistress, right? [0:00:39.4] AT: Not that I know of. [0:00:40.3] NC: Because I hear people say that sometimes. [0:00:42.2] AT: Yes. I think some people still say it. [0:00:44.9] NC: It’s like president, right? [0:00:46.0] AT: Well, it's like stewardess. We don’t say it anymore. [0:00:49.3] NC: Right. I'm not sure if people ever did say concert mistress, if that was ever really appropriate. [0:00:53.4] AT: Sure, they did. I don’t remember. [0:00:56.6] NC: Yeah. Concertmaster, it's the first chair violinist. Both of us get to do that duty sometimes and we both have concertmaster somewhere in our titles, First Associate Concertmaster and your assistant. That's largely the reason we came out to LA from the Chicago Symphony was the chance to do be concertmaster sometimes.  Why is this a special position and why? What does the concertmaster do? [0:01:24.8] AT: So are we – start enumerating the duties? [0:01:27.5] NC: Yes. We're going to tell what the concertmaster does. [0:01:30.8] AT: Well, so my first disclaimer is that I don't play concertmaster very often, as you know. I'm drawing on a very small amount of experience. I just want to get that out of the way. [0:01:43.5] NC: I mean, you did it before college.

Today we're talking concertmaster, and what it means to sit in the hot seat. What are the duties and expectations, and what makes "first chair violin" attractive or unattractive to different players? Is playing concertmaster more like being the point guard in basketball, or the quarterback in football? Remember: besides playing all those juicy solos, you have to deal with walk-outs, bowings, section concerns and principal relationships. Just know that even though the concertmaster position puts you in the spotlight, there's a price to pay for all that attention. How happy you are depends not just on the rest of orchestra but your own temperament. As Akiko says, "Let's just say it plainly. I don't like being concertmaster." But should we take her seriously? Key Points From This Episode: The position and duties associated with the title of ConcertmasterWalk-outs, hitting the right piano octave and making sure not to fall overComparing the role of the concertmaster with positions in team sportsHow the concertmaster relates to the other members of the orchestraThe issues that arise when a conductor is ahead or behindCommunicating with the conductor; bringing issues up at the right timeThe importance of solos in getting hired as concertmasterBowing decisions, and shutting out some of the noise and chatterLeadership principles and focusing on what is most importantOur best and worst experiences as a concertmaster Quotes “If you had to pick one leader of the orchestra that isn't the conductor, but a player, it's the concertmaster. They're visible, they're up front.” — Nathan Cole [0:07:29] “No one even really knows I'm technically a concertmaster, so I have to give myself the title of emergency concertmaster!” — Akiko Tarumoto [0:10:15] “It's a fun job. It's fraught with danger, but fun and rewarding and you get those juicy solos too.” — Nathan Cole  [0:51:48] Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Stand Partners for LifeCarnival of the AnimalsHolly Mulcahy: More than wearing pretty shoesThe Suzuki MethodSeinfeldDavid KimWest Side StoryPines of RomeThe 14 Leadership Principles that Drive AmazonJeff Bezos Transcript [INTRO] [0:00:00.6] NC: Hello and welcome back to Stand Partners for Life. I am Nathan. [0:00:03.5] AT: I’m Akiko. [EPISODE] [0:00:17.5] NC: Today, we thought we’d talk about the concertmaster, the duties of a concertmaster and what it’s all about. I mean, should we at least define the concertmaster, the first chair of violinists? [0:00:28.7] AT: Sure. I assumed people know that, but there are times, a lot of times people don’t necessarily get what that means. [0:00:36.3] NC: We don’t even say that. We don’t say concert mistress, right? [0:00:39.4] AT: Not that I know of. [0:00:40.3] NC: Because I hear people say that sometimes. [0:00:42.2] AT: Yes. I think some people still say it. [0:00:44.9] NC: It’s like president, right? [0:00:46.0] AT: Well, it's like stewardess. We don’t say it anymore. [0:00:49.3] NC: Right. I'm not sure if people ever did say concert mistress, if that was ever really appropriate. [0:00:53.4] AT: Sure, they did. I don’t remember. [0:00:56.6] NC: Yeah. Concertmaster, it's the first chair violinist. Both of us get to do that duty sometimes and we both have concertmaster somewhere in our titles, First Associate Concertmaster and your assistant. That's largely the reason we came out to LA from the Chicago Symphony was the chance to do be concertmaster sometimes.  Why is this a special position and why? What does the concertmaster do? [0:01:24.8] AT: So are we – start enumerating the duties? [0:01:27.5] NC: Yes. We're going to tell what the concertmaster does. [0:01:30.8] AT: Well, so my first disclaimer is that I don't play concertmaster very often, as you know. I'm drawing on a very small amount of experience. I just want to get that out of the way. [0:01:43.5] NC: I mean, you did it before college.

First, some exciting news: we've got Stand Partners for Life T-shirts! Check them out here, and show your Stand Partner love! For this episode, Akiko and I just had a one-word outline: Mahler! And it turns out we had plenty to say about his symphonies. What's it like to learn them, refine them, rehearse them, take them on tour? What do committees look for when you play Mahler? Hear about the time Akiko was mortified to play Mahler 9 with David Hyde Pierce (Frasier's Niles Crane) in the front row! Or the time Nathan got a death stare from Daniel Barenboim during... well, also during Mahler 9! And as to Nathan's comment that Gustav Mahler was perhaps the New York Philharmonic's first music director? He was actually its ninth! Nathan was under the misapprehension that the NY Phil began around the same time as so many other American orchestras, in the early part of the 20th century... in fact, New York got its start in 1848, whereas Mahler wasn't born until 1860! Mahler spent the last two years of his life, 1909-1911, at the helm of the Philharmonic.

First, some exciting news: we've got Stand Partners for Life T-shirts! Check them out here, and show your Stand Partner love! For this episode, Akiko and I just had a one-word outline: Mahler! And it turns out we had plenty to say about his symphonies. What's it like to learn them, refine them, rehearse them, take them on tour? What do committees look for when you play Mahler? Hear about the time Akiko was mortified to play Mahler 9 with David Hyde Pierce (Frasier's Niles Crane) in the front row! Or the time Nathan got a death stare from Daniel Barenboim during... well, also during Mahler 9! And as to Nathan's comment that Gustav Mahler was perhaps the New York Philharmonic's first music director? He was actually its ninth! Nathan was under the misapprehension that the NY Phil began around the same time as so many other American orchestras, in the early part of the 20th century... in fact, New York got its start in 1848, whereas Mahler wasn't born until 1860! Mahler spent the last two years of his life, 1909-1911, at the helm of the Philharmonic.

The conclusion of this series covering the Fischoff Competition, including a summary of some of my favorite takeaways, tips, and advice, and with a conversation with my fellow podcaster friend, Nathan Cole, on what it was like for us there!   CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS OF THE 46TH FISCHOFF NATIONAL CHAMBER MUSIC COMPETITION   Grand Prize Aruna Quartet – Texas Tech University Senior Division Strings/Piano Gold Medal Winner: Merz Trio – New York City Silver Medal Winner: Abeo Quartet – Juilliard School Bronze Medal Winner: Dior Quartet – Indiana University ; Jacobs School Senior Division Winds/Brass Gold Medal Winner: Aruna Quartet – Texas Tech University Silver Medal Winner: Khroma Quartet – University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Bronze Medal Winner: Catharsis Winds – Cleveland Institute  Junior Division Strings/Piano Gold Medal Winner: Fervida Trio – Young Chamber Musicians, Burlingame CA Silver Medal Winner: Éclatante String Quartet – Starling Preparatory String Project, Cincinnati OH Bronze Medal Winner: Meraki Quartet – Crowden Music Center, Berkeley CA Junior Division Winds/Brass Gold Medal Winner: Golden Melody Saxophone Quartet – Middle School of the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, China Silver Medal Winner: Quantum Quartet – Hebron High School, Carrollton Texas Bronze Medal Winner: The Bone Rangers – Merit School of Music     Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition: https://www.fischoff.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fischoffchambermusic/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheFischoff/   Nathan Cole: https://www.natesviolin.com/ Stand Partners for Life: https://www.natesviolin.com/the-stand-partners-for-life-podcast/     If you enjoyed the show, please leave a review on iTunes!  I truly appreciate your support! Visit www.mindoverfinger.com for information about past and future podcasts, and for more resources on mindful practice.   THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme!  Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson. Also a huge thank you to my producer, Bella Kelly!   MIND OVER FINGER: www.mindoverfinger.com https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/   Join the Mind Over Finger Tribe here!  https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfingertribe/

Here at Stand Partners for Life, we get a lot of questions about the future: what happens if I'm not playing concerto X by age Y? What will happen if I study with teacher Z, or go to school-- I ran out of letters! So even though we can't give definitive answers to these questions, they're still great questions! And one listener email in particular sparked a discussion about success at an early age, the importance (or non-importance) of conservatory for winning an orchestra audition, and lots more. Along the way, we also answer listener questions about sight reading in high positions, as well as "contextual intonation": changing your pitch based on what's going on around you, especially in the orchestra! And we start out by talking Twelve-Tone: Nathan's upcoming performance of Arnold Schoenberg's fourth String Quartet, and whether or not it's "real music". Daniel Barenboim considered him one of the most important composers in history. Does "most important" equal best?

Here at Stand Partners for Life, we get a lot of questions about the future: what happens if I'm not playing concerto X by age Y? What will happen if I study with teacher Z, or go to school-- I ran out of letters! So even though we can't give definitive answers to these questions, they're still great questions! And one listener email in particular sparked a discussion about success at an early age, the importance (or non-importance) of conservatory for winning an orchestra audition, and lots more. Along the way, we also answer listener questions about sight reading in high positions, as well as "contextual intonation": changing your pitch based on what's going on around you, especially in the orchestra! And we start out by talking Twelve-Tone: Nathan's upcoming performance of Arnold Schoenberg's fourth String Quartet, and whether or not it's "real music". Daniel Barenboim considered him one of the most important composers in history. Does "most important" equal best?

If it seems like we've been silent the last couple of months, that's because Akiko's life has been pretty different since early March! One moment she was working out at the gym like she did five times a week, and the next she was flat on her back with paramedics on the way. Suffice it to say that she hasn't been playing with the LA Phil since then, but we can see the way back at least! Midway through her recovery, we talk about her time in the hospital and back at home. We also take the opportunity to answer some fantastic questions that you emailed during our time away, including what audition recordings are all about, whether we'd fake Prokofiev's Cinderella suite, and how we deal with audience distractions! Transcript Nathan Cole: Hi, and welcome back to Stand Partners for Life. Nathan Cole: And this time, after a bit of a long break… we took a long break last summer. This one was a little different. Akiko, do you want to tell us why? Akiko Tarumoto: I have been recuperating from an unfortunate incident at the gym. I took a bad step, fell on my bottom, and spent the next eight weeks recovering. Nathan Cole: Eight weeks and counting. Akiko Tarumoto: Seven weeks and counting. Nathan Cole: Oh, okay. And not working, not playing in the Philharmonic. Akiko Tarumoto: Not playing. I'm playing but not playing at work. Nathan Cole: Take us back to the incident a little bit. Akiko Tarumoto: People keep kind of guessing what it was, and they'll be like, "Oh, were you…?" I don't know why it bothered me at the hospital. The doctors kept talking about how I was doing step aerobics, and I was like- Nathan Cole: That makes you sound like a- Akiko Tarumoto: I didn't take a time machine back to the '80s and don skintight, shiny spandex… Nathan Cole: "And one, and two…" Akiko Tarumoto: Yeah, no. So I was not doing step aerobics. It did involve a box, one of those foam boxes. They come in various heights, and this one was the lowest one. It was a 12-inch box, and I was just trying to do something to keep my heart rate up between weight lifting rounds. And yeah, just, it was one of those weird things that just, I guess I was kind of tired, and my foot didn't come cleanly down from the box. My other foot was already on the way up. So the box slid toward me, and I landed. I had nowhere to go but on my bottom. Nathan Cole: And I've had other people ask me, people who don't know you very well -- But just to make it clear, I mean, you were probably at the gym or were, at that time, five times a week, doing these kinds of classes. Akiko Tarumoto: Yeah, yeah. In fact, I was joking that I should probably spend as much time playing the violin as I did at the gym. Because at that point, just working out, and running… if you added up all the time I spent exercise-wise, it, yeah, dwarfed my actual time practicing on my instrument. So yeah, it was a little bit sobering. So now, finally, my practicing found a way to reverse that proportion. Nathan Cole: Against your will. And yeah, I think just the day before you had run 10 miles. Akiko Tarumoto: Yeah, that was disappointing, because it's been a while since I ran that far, as you know. And so it felt like a milestone to get back there, and it was. Won't be seen again for a while. Nathan Cole: Well, I'm looking forward to you getting back to it, because you will. I know they didn't like the look of the fall and all that. So they called some paramedics who… Akiko Tarumoto: They talked to me as if I were probably about 60 years old or older. Nathan Cole: Wait. Did they ask you who was president and expect you to say it was Ronald Reagan? Akiko Tarumoto: No. (I do remember that, by the way.) No, they asked me if I was on any medications, and when I said no, they looked really encouraging, and they said, "Ooh, very healthy.

If it seems like we've been silent the last couple of months, that's because Akiko's life has been pretty different since early March! One moment she was working out at the gym like she did five times a week, and the next she was flat on her back with paramedics on the way. Suffice it to say that she hasn't been playing with the LA Phil since then, but we can see the way back at least! Midway through her recovery, we talk about her time in the hospital and back at home. We also take the opportunity to answer some fantastic questions that you emailed during our time away, including what audition recordings are all about, whether we'd fake Prokofiev's Cinderella suite, and how we deal with audience distractions! Transcript Nathan Cole: Hi, and welcome back to Stand Partners for Life. Nathan Cole: And this time, after a bit of a long break… we took a long break last summer. This one was a little different. Akiko, do you want to tell us why? Akiko Tarumoto: I have been recuperating from an unfortunate incident at the gym. I took a bad step, fell on my bottom, and spent the next eight weeks recovering. Nathan Cole: Eight weeks and counting. Akiko Tarumoto: Seven weeks and counting. Nathan Cole: Oh, okay. And not working, not playing in the Philharmonic. Akiko Tarumoto: Not playing. I'm playing but not playing at work. Nathan Cole: Take us back to the incident a little bit. Akiko Tarumoto: People keep kind of guessing what it was, and they'll be like, "Oh, were you…?" I don't know why it bothered me at the hospital. The doctors kept talking about how I was doing step aerobics, and I was like- Nathan Cole: That makes you sound like a- Akiko Tarumoto: I didn't take a time machine back to the '80s and don skintight, shiny spandex… Nathan Cole: "And one, and two…" Akiko Tarumoto: Yeah, no. So I was not doing step aerobics. It did involve a box, one of those foam boxes. They come in various heights, and this one was the lowest one. It was a 12-inch box, and I was just trying to do something to keep my heart rate up between weight lifting rounds. And yeah, just, it was one of those weird things that just, I guess I was kind of tired, and my foot didn't come cleanly down from the box. My other foot was already on the way up. So the box slid toward me, and I landed. I had nowhere to go but on my bottom. Nathan Cole: And I've had other people ask me, people who don't know you very well -- But just to make it clear, I mean, you were probably at the gym or were, at that time, five times a week, doing these kinds of classes. Akiko Tarumoto: Yeah, yeah. In fact, I was joking that I should probably spend as much time playing the violin as I did at the gym. Because at that point, just working out, and running… if you added up all the time I spent exercise-wise, it, yeah, dwarfed my actual time practicing on my instrument. So yeah, it was a little bit sobering. So now, finally, my practicing found a way to reverse that proportion. Nathan Cole: Against your will. And yeah, I think just the day before you had run 10 miles. Akiko Tarumoto: Yeah, that was disappointing, because it's been a while since I ran that far, as you know. And so it felt like a milestone to get back there, and it was. Won't be seen again for a while. Nathan Cole: Well, I'm looking forward to you getting back to it, because you will. I know they didn't like the look of the fall and all that. So they called some paramedics who… Akiko Tarumoto: They talked to me as if I were probably about 60 years old or older. Nathan Cole: Wait. Did they ask you who was president and expect you to say it was Ronald Reagan? Akiko Tarumoto: No. (I do remember that, by the way.) No, they asked me if I was on any medications, and when I said no, they looked really encouraging, and they said, "Ooh, very healthy.

A recent change of plans at the LA Phil leads us to reminisce on other times we've had conductors cancel. What happens when the audience is waiting and the show must go on? Transcript Nathan Cole: Hello, and welcome back to Stand Partners for Life with "The show must go on." That's the name of this episode, not just saying that about our show… But thanks, as always, for being here with me for, I think this will be, a great episode. It's about, well, the show must go on. We were kind of thinking that this past week. We played the entire Romeo and Juliet ballet with dancers, and video, and everything, and the concert stretched to three hours. Right before some of those performances, I was almost wondering, "Must I go on?" I love the music, and I know you do too. That's one of your favorite pieces. Akiko Tarumoto: Yeah. Nathan Cole: It's a big- Akiko Tarumoto: The music is so good that I've almost already forgotten how long it felt. It's like childbirth. Nathan Cole: Obviously, I wouldn't know, but I've heard. Yeah, today, this being the first day that we didn't play the Prokofiev. I've just had all the tunes running through my head all day, so I guess that's proof of how great the music is, although I do … I mean, I guess I get bad music stuck in my head, too, but this is undoubtedly great. Akiko Tarumoto: Yeah. Well, right now, I have Wheels on the Bus stuck in my head, so not a good person to ask. Nathan Cole: Okay. Well, I mean, that's an effective tune, also. Looking at this week coming up, we've got a bit of a conundrum. I mean, not that we have to solve it, but- Akiko Tarumoto: Oh, it's been- Nathan Cole: … our- Akiko Tarumoto: … solved. Nathan Cole: That's right. It just was solved today, but rehearsals start the day after tomorrow, and up until today, we had no conductor and no real program for the coming week. That's because the conductor canceled. Daniel Harding, who we've spoken about on this podcast before, actually, I hope you're doing well. I heard there was some sickness or … Sickness or injury? Akiko Tarumoto: Injury. Nathan Cole: Okay. Well, we definitely wish him the best, but yeah, it was a pretty short-notice change of plans for the orchestra. Usually, these things get solved instantaneously. It's like as soon as someone canceled, they've got 20 people lined up who can just drop everything and come, for an orchestra like LA anyway, but in this case, it took some doing. It seemed like everybody was engaged. I guess it's not like it's the summer, where plans are loosey-goosey. I think all the conductors had stuff going on in October, so … Akiko Tarumoto: Yeah. In fact, I think a few times, it's worked out great. I can't remember who it was who canceled, but Jaap van Zweden was able to come in … Was that in Chicago? Nathan Cole: That was in Chicago. He interrupted his honeymoon, as I recall. He came back from Hawaii early, and he was all bronzed and- Akiko Tarumoto: Right, and that was the first time we'd seen him, and we thought he was great. It was, it was really fun having him conduct. Nathan Cole: Yeah. You never know what you're going to get, and just for the curious, for this coming week, it's turned out that one of the so-called Dudamel Fellows, we have several that rotate throughout the season, Paolo … Akiko Tarumoto: I can't say it… Nathan Cole: I'm laughing at myself stumbling over his name, because when I ask him to say his own name, he says it so fast that I can't make enough sense of it, so I'll have to get him to record it, but it's spelled Bortolameolli, but it does not sound like five syllables when I hear him pronounce his own name- Akiko Tarumoto: Right. Nathan Cole: … so- Akiko Tarumoto: Got to practice. Nathan Cole: I know. I need some practice, but Paolo is going to take over next week,

A recent change of plans at the LA Phil leads us to reminisce on other times we've had conductors cancel. What happens when the audience is waiting and the show must go on? Transcript Nathan Cole: Hello, and welcome back to Stand Partners for Life with "The show must go on." That's the name of this episode, not just saying that about our show… But thanks, as always, for being here with me for, I think this will be, a great episode. It's about, well, the show must go on. We were kind of thinking that this past week. We played the entire Romeo and Juliet ballet with dancers, and video, and everything, and the concert stretched to three hours. Right before some of those performances, I was almost wondering, "Must I go on?" I love the music, and I know you do too. That's one of your favorite pieces. Akiko Tarumoto: Yeah. Nathan Cole: It's a big- Akiko Tarumoto: The music is so good that I've almost already forgotten how long it felt. It's like childbirth. Nathan Cole: Obviously, I wouldn't know, but I've heard. Yeah, today, this being the first day that we didn't play the Prokofiev. I've just had all the tunes running through my head all day, so I guess that's proof of how great the music is, although I do … I mean, I guess I get bad music stuck in my head, too, but this is undoubtedly great. Akiko Tarumoto: Yeah. Well, right now, I have Wheels on the Bus stuck in my head, so not a good person to ask. Nathan Cole: Okay. Well, I mean, that's an effective tune, also. Looking at this week coming up, we've got a bit of a conundrum. I mean, not that we have to solve it, but- Akiko Tarumoto: Oh, it's been- Nathan Cole: … our- Akiko Tarumoto: … solved. Nathan Cole: That's right. It just was solved today, but rehearsals start the day after tomorrow, and up until today, we had no conductor and no real program for the coming week. That's because the conductor canceled. Daniel Harding, who we've spoken about on this podcast before, actually, I hope you're doing well. I heard there was some sickness or … Sickness or injury? Akiko Tarumoto: Injury. Nathan Cole: Okay. Well, we definitely wish him the best, but yeah, it was a pretty short-notice change of plans for the orchestra. Usually, these things get solved instantaneously. It's like as soon as someone canceled, they've got 20 people lined up who can just drop everything and come, for an orchestra like LA anyway, but in this case, it took some doing. It seemed like everybody was engaged. I guess it's not like it's the summer, where plans are loosey-goosey. I think all the conductors had stuff going on in October, so … Akiko Tarumoto: Yeah. In fact, I think a few times, it's worked out great. I can't remember who it was who canceled, but Jaap van Zweden was able to come in … Was that in Chicago? Nathan Cole: That was in Chicago. He interrupted his honeymoon, as I recall. He came back from Hawaii early, and he was all bronzed and- Akiko Tarumoto: Right, and that was the first time we'd seen him, and we thought he was great. It was, it was really fun having him conduct. Nathan Cole: Yeah. You never know what you're going to get, and just for the curious, for this coming week, it's turned out that one of the so-called Dudamel Fellows, we have several that rotate throughout the season, Paolo … Akiko Tarumoto: I can't say it… Nathan Cole: I'm laughing at myself stumbling over his name, because when I ask him to say his own name, he says it so fast that I can't make enough sense of it, so I'll have to get him to record it, but it's spelled Bortolameolli, but it does not sound like five syllables when I hear him pronounce his own name- Akiko Tarumoto: Right. Nathan Cole: … so- Akiko Tarumoto: Got to practice. Nathan Cole: I know. I need some practice, but Paolo is going to take over next week,

Happy New Year and new season of Stand Partners for Life! In this episode, we take a look back at resolutions we've made about our playing... and not all of them stuck! From scale practice to solo Bach, counting rests to keeping a practice journal, each of us had critical moments in our violin past where we made fateful decisions. Which ones made a lasting impact? Transcript Nathan Cole: Hello and welcome back to Stand Partners for Life. I am Nathan Cole. Akiko Tarumoto: I am Akiko Tarumoto. Nathan Cole: Well, since this is the new year, happy new year and happy second season of Stand Partners for Life! We released our first 15 episodes last year and had a blast doing it, and kind of took a long summer break that extended into the holidays. Now we're ready to get going again, so this is the perfect day to get back into the spirit of podcasting. Akiko Tarumoto: Yes, get back into the swing of thinking about music. Nathan Cole: Tomorrow we actually go back to work after our holiday break, that being the LA Philharmonic. Actually if you were with us last season, you'll know that we spend our days and many of our nights with the LA Phil at Disney Hall here in Los Angeles. If you're joining us, this is what we call "The secrets of the symphony from two violinists who live together, play together and work together", because we are married with three young kids here in the house, who should all be sleeping. Although, I sort of hear that they're not. Akiko Tarumoto: It might be our neighbors. Nathan Cole: Are they out reveling? Akiko Tarumoto: Yeah, I think it makes more sense that kids would be up acting rowdy because they're not even four. In the case of the neighbors, they don't have that excuse, because I think that guy's in his 20s. Nathan Cole: They do have a hot tub. Akiko Tarumoto: They do, well yeah or something, a trampoline. Nathan Cole: We give you an inside look at the symphony and the life of, well, the life with the violin. In that spirit we're not going to give you a whole bunch of new year's resolutions exactly. My idea anyway was that we'd talk today about some playing resolutions, practicing resolutions that we'd made over the course of our lives and see what stuck and what didn't. I did want to … Akiko Tarumoto: What stuck and what stunk. Nathan Cole: Okay, that's good, that's better. I wanted to thank each and every one of you for listening and especially those of you who have gone and left us a rating or a review on iTunes. It's the best way for us to get found and hopefully enjoyed by other listeners like you. If you have a moment and can go to standpartnersforlife.com, you'll see how you can visit iTunes and just take those 60 seconds to leave us a review. I read all of them. I don't think you read any of them, right? Akiko Tarumoto: No, I can't handle the truth. Nathan Cole: Well what I was going to say is that so many of the reviews, I've told you this a couple times, but they really feel like people go out of their way to mention that really enjoy the commentary. Especially Akiko's! What they'll say is, "I especially like hearing what Akiko has to say." I try not to take that personally. Akiko Tarumoto: Well I get to be the person who sort of riffs off of you, I think you're the straight man, so it's not entirely fair probably. Nathan Cole: I think people trust you, they know you speak the truth. Akiko Tarumoto: Well thank you, I appreciate it. Nathan Cole: We read them all. Well anyway, I read all of them and I pass them along to Akiko. Akiko Tarumoto: He doesn't pass on the bad stuff. Nathan Cole: Here we are, we've got our resolutions. I just remembered -- I said I wasn't going to do this, but I think one of my only resolutions I thought of for the new year as far as music is to play our kids more concerts.

Happy New Year and new season of Stand Partners for Life! In this episode, we take a look back at resolutions we've made about our playing... and not all of them stuck! From scale practice to solo Bach, counting rests to keeping a practice journal, each of us had critical moments in our violin past where we made fateful decisions. Which ones made a lasting impact? Transcript Nathan Cole: Hello and welcome back to Stand Partners for Life. I am Nathan Cole. Akiko Tarumoto: I am Akiko Tarumoto. Nathan Cole: Well, since this is the new year, happy new year and happy second season of Stand Partners for Life! We released our first 15 episodes last year and had a blast doing it, and kind of took a long summer break that extended into the holidays. Now we're ready to get going again, so this is the perfect day to get back into the spirit of podcasting. Akiko Tarumoto: Yes, get back into the swing of thinking about music. Nathan Cole: Tomorrow we actually go back to work after our holiday break, that being the LA Philharmonic. Actually if you were with us last season, you'll know that we spend our days and many of our nights with the LA Phil at Disney Hall here in Los Angeles. If you're joining us, this is what we call "The secrets of the symphony from two violinists who live together, play together and work together", because we are married with three young kids here in the house, who should all be sleeping. Although, I sort of hear that they're not. Akiko Tarumoto: It might be our neighbors. Nathan Cole: Are they out reveling? Akiko Tarumoto: Yeah, I think it makes more sense that kids would be up acting rowdy because they're not even four. In the case of the neighbors, they don't have that excuse, because I think that guy's in his 20s. Nathan Cole: They do have a hot tub. Akiko Tarumoto: They do, well yeah or something, a trampoline. Nathan Cole: We give you an inside look at the symphony and the life of, well, the life with the violin. In that spirit we're not going to give you a whole bunch of new year's resolutions exactly. My idea anyway was that we'd talk today about some playing resolutions, practicing resolutions that we'd made over the course of our lives and see what stuck and what didn't. I did want to … Akiko Tarumoto: What stuck and what stunk. Nathan Cole: Okay, that's good, that's better. I wanted to thank each and every one of you for listening and especially those of you who have gone and left us a rating or a review on iTunes. It's the best way for us to get found and hopefully enjoyed by other listeners like you. If you have a moment and can go to standpartnersforlife.com, you'll see how you can visit iTunes and just take those 60 seconds to leave us a review. I read all of them. I don't think you read any of them, right? Akiko Tarumoto: No, I can't handle the truth. Nathan Cole: Well what I was going to say is that so many of the reviews, I've told you this a couple times, but they really feel like people go out of their way to mention that really enjoy the commentary. Especially Akiko's! What they'll say is, "I especially like hearing what Akiko has to say." I try not to take that personally. Akiko Tarumoto: Well I get to be the person who sort of riffs off of you, I think you're the straight man, so it's not entirely fair probably. Nathan Cole: I think people trust you, they know you speak the truth. Akiko Tarumoto: Well thank you, I appreciate it. Nathan Cole: We read them all. Well anyway, I read all of them and I pass them along to Akiko. Akiko Tarumoto: He doesn't pass on the bad stuff. Nathan Cole: Here we are, we've got our resolutions. I just remembered -- I said I wasn't going to do this, but I think one of my only resolutions I thought of for the new year as far as music is to play our kids more concerts.

First Associate Concertmaster with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the creative mind behind Natesviolin, Nathan Cole has incredible insight on practice and performance preparation!  In this episode, he discusses:   His path, from Suzuki beginner, to Curtis student, to the LA Phil, via the St-Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony How he organizes his time for productivity The importance of scheduling Utilize small pockets of time Know when you are the most productive How he prepares for practice – the importance of having the right environment Not separating the warm up from “playing” Not separating practicing from performing The importance of paying attention every time you are about to start a note The importance of choosing repertoire suited to our level How he takes a piece from start to ready The importance of practicing etudes and to understand what the point of each etude is so we can focus on the proper skill to be worked on How he problem-solves difficult passages The importance of paying close attention to how things sound and feel – being present Why it's important to develop good communication skills with colleagues   ALL ABOUT guest: Website: https://www.natesviolin.com/ Podcast Stand Partners for Life: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/stand-partners-for-life/id1328799919?mt=2 Nathan on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/natesviolin/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natesviolin/ The Inner Game of Golf by W. Timothy Gallwey The Inner Game of Tennis, also by Gallwey The Inner Game of Music by Barry Green     Nathan Cole, First Associate Concertmaster of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, has appeared as guest concertmaster with the orchestras of Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Houston, Ottawa, Seattle, and Oregon. He was previously a member of the Chicago Symphony and Principal Second Violin of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. A native of Lexington, KY, he made his debut with the Louisville Orchestra at the age of ten while studying with Donna Wiehe. After eight years working with Daniel Mason, Cole enrolled at the Curtis Institute of Music. In addition to his studies there with Pamela Frank, Felix Galimir, Ida Kavafian, and Jaime Laredo, Cole formed the Grancino String Quartet, debuting in New York's Weill Hall. Several summers at Marlboro enriched his love of chamber music. While in Chicago, Nathan taught at Roosevelt University and coached the Chicago Civic Orchestra. He is currently on the faculty at the Colburn School for the Performing Arts, with classes at the Colburn Conservatory and USC. His articles and photographs have appeared in Strings, Symphony, and Chamber Music magazines. Nathan's articles and videos on practicing, performing, teaching, and auditioning have helped thousands of violinists worldwide. In addition to his online teaching, Nathan is currently on faculty at the Colburn School for the Performing Arts, with classes at the Colburn Conservatory and USC. His articles and photographs have also appeared in Strings, Symphony, and Chamber Music magazines. Nathan is married to Akiko Tarumoto, the LA Phil's Assistant Concertmaster. Together they host the weekly podcast Stand Partners for Life, an inside look at orchestra life, which can be heard at standpartnersforlife.com. Nathan and Akiko live in Pasadena with their three children.   If you enjoyed the show, please leave a review on iTunes!  I truly appreciate your support! Visit www.mindoverfinger.com for information about past and future podcasts, and for more resources on mindful practice. THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme!  Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson. Also a huge thank you to my producer, Bella Kelly!   MIND OVER FINGER: www.mindoverfinger.com https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/   (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, which helps cover some of the costs associated with the production of the podcast.  Thank you for your support.)

As Kramer says in Seinfeld's “The Wig Master” episode, “I don't argue with the body, Jerry. It's an argument you can't win.” Sooner or later, we all learn the truth of that statement, especially those of us who are forced to rely on little tiny muscles to do things like play the violin! In the picture above, you can see Nathan celebrating his twelfth birthday with two fingers taped together. His daily neighborhood basketball game was the culprit. Nowadays, we'd think twice before playing that much basketball. Or a number of other activities. But we do hit the gym quite a lot. What makes an activity OK for violin playing, and what puts it out of bounds? More than that, what can you do to prepare for your daily practicing and performing? Are there ways to play so that you stay injury-free? And what kind of music is the worst for the body? We talk violin fitness here in episode 13, so join us for the discussion and leave your thoughts below! Transcript Nathan Cole: Hi, and welcome back to Stand Partners for Life. I'm Nathan. Akiko Tarumoto: I'm Akiko. Nathan Cole: And today's episode is going to be all about injury, well more fitness, violin fitness, staying healthy, hopefully avoiding injury! But then also what to do when you're hurt, how to work around it, and just to talk about the reality that everybody has aches and pains and sometimes worse. So, I know at this point in the LA Phil season, basically the last few weeks, we're sort of like a hospital ward. At this point, I feel like everybody's one step away from falling to pieces. Do you see that in our sections? Akiko Tarumoto: I don't know. I haven't talked to too many people. We've lost one. Nathan Cole: Right. Akiko Tarumoto: But, yeah, and I'm kind of hobbling along here. My- Nathan Cole: Oh, yeah. What do you- Akiko Tarumoto: My wrist, and you got your shoulder … Okay, so that's three of us that we know of, so maybe you're right. Nathan Cole: Well, and that's understandable. I mean we always — jokingly a lot of the time, but we compare ourselves to sports teams, especially NBA. I watch a lot of basketball, so coming into the playoffs just about everybody is beat up. In basketball it's literally one step away from some season-ending injury. We're not quite as bad as that, but- Akiko Tarumoto: But our season doesn't really end, so we can't really afford to … We don't have four months off to … Nathan Cole: No, but we do — We've got four weeks off from the orchestra coming up, which is something. Akiko Tarumoto: Goes fast. Nathan Cole: It does go fast but it is a chance to rest things, which in pretty much all endeavors, rest and recovery are the real keys if you've got an issue going on. And as the weeks go by during the season, yeah, I mean it's hard to find even a 48-hour period when you're not playing, and we like to play every day to stay in shape. Those are the issues we'll be talking about. What do you have going on right now? Akiko Tarumoto: Well, I mentioned my wrist, so, yeah, that's hurting me. Nathan Cole: And my right shoulder just a few days ago started up on me. Akiko Tarumoto: Not coincidentally, probably, we've been going to the gym a lot, so we'll see how that ties in… Nathan Cole: Yeah. Well, we're going to talk about that because I don't intend to stop going to the gym and I'm sure you don't either, but we're going to talk about how to do it smart, smartly. Before we launch into it, I wanted to thank those of you who've gone to iTunes and given us a nice rating, and even better, a review, just a short little written review. What that does is it helps other people find the show, and we just really appreciate it so much. Nathan Cole: As you probably heard in some other episodes, we read those and take them to heart and try to improve Stand Partners based on your feedback. So, if you can take a moment to go to iTunes and leave that rating and/or review, it's amazing. I don't do it enough to the shows I listen to. I always think, “Oh,

As Kramer says in Seinfeld’s “The Wig Master” episode, “I don’t argue with the body, Jerry. It’s an argument you can’t win.” Sooner or later, we all learn the truth of that statement, especially those of us who are forced to rely on little tiny muscles to do things like play the violin! In the picture above, you can see Nathan celebrating his twelfth birthday with two fingers taped together. His daily neighborhood basketball game was the culprit. Nowadays, we’d think twice before playing that much basketball. Or a number of other activities. But we do hit the gym quite a lot. What makes an activity OK for violin playing, and what puts it out of bounds? More than that, what can you do to prepare for your daily practicing and performing? Are there ways to play so that you stay injury-free? And what kind of music is the worst for the body? We talk violin fitness here in episode 13, so join us for the discussion and leave your thoughts below! Transcript Nathan Cole: Hi, and welcome back to Stand Partners for Life. I’m Nathan. Akiko Tarumoto: I’m Akiko. Nathan Cole: And today’s episode is going to be all about injury, well more fitness, violin fitness, staying healthy, hopefully avoiding injury! But then also what to do when you’re hurt, how to work around it, and just to talk about the reality that everybody has aches and pains and sometimes worse. So, I know at this point in the LA Phil season, basically the last few weeks, we’re sort of like a hospital ward. At this point, I feel like everybody’s one step away from falling to pieces. Do you see that in our sections? Akiko Tarumoto: I don’t know. I haven’t talked to too many people. We’ve lost one. Nathan Cole: Right. Akiko Tarumoto: But, yeah, and I’m kind of hobbling along here. My- Nathan Cole: Oh, yeah. What do you- Akiko Tarumoto: My wrist, and you got your shoulder … Okay, so that’s three of us that we know of, so maybe you’re right. Nathan Cole: Well, and that’s understandable. I mean we always — jokingly a lot of the time, but we compare ourselves to sports teams, especially NBA. I watch a lot of basketball, so coming into the playoffs just about everybody is beat up. In basketball it’s literally one step away from some season-ending injury. We’re not quite as bad as that, but- Akiko Tarumoto: But our season doesn’t really end, so we can’t really afford to … We don’t have four months off to … Nathan Cole: No, but we do — We’ve got four weeks off from the orchestra coming up, which is something. Akiko Tarumoto: Goes fast. Nathan Cole: It does go fast but it is a chance to rest things, which in pretty much all endeavors, rest and recovery are the real keys if you’ve got an issue going on. And as the weeks go by during the season, yeah, I mean it’s hard to find even a 48-hour period when you’re not playing, and we like to play every day to stay in shape. Those are the issues we’ll be talking about. What do you have going on right now? Akiko Tarumoto: Well, I mentioned my wrist, so, yeah, that’s hurting me. Nathan Cole: And my right shoulder just a few days ago started up on me. Akiko Tarumoto: Not coincidentally, probably, we’ve been going to the gym a lot, so we’ll see how that ties in… Nathan Cole: Yeah. Well, we’re going to talk about that because I don’t intend to stop going to the gym and I’m sure you don’t either, but we’re going to talk about how to do it smart, smartly. Before we launch into it, I wanted to thank those of you who’ve gone to iTunes and given us a nice rating, and even better, a review, just a short little written review. What that does is it helps other people find the show, and we just really appreciate it so much. Nathan Cole: As you probably heard in some other episodes, we read those and take them to heart and try to improve Stand Partners based on your feedback. So, if you can take a moment to go to iTunes and leave that rating and/or review, it’s amazing. I don’t do it enough to the shows I listen to. I always think, “Oh,

Some people were just born to do what they do, and Hugh Fink was born to be funny. Or was he born to play the violin? Because even though comedy has set the course of Hugh's life, he has performed violin solos to a packed Carnegie Hall, something I can't boast about! Hugh is one of a very few comics who has been able to fuse his musical life with his stage persona, much like the late great Jack Benny, whose violin I'm fortunate to play. Ever since he was a child, Hugh loved getting up in front of people and performing, no matter what form it took. Eventually, he discovered that not only could he create material for himself, but he had a talent for writing material that would suit any number of other talented performers! And that was the key that unlocked doors throughout show business, most notably at Saturday Night Live, where Hugh enjoyed a seven-year tenure and wrote more opening monologues than any other SNL writer. Hugh and I talk about growing up alongside Joshua Bell (and later using him in a wicked stage act with Tracy Morgan), how stand-up relates to musical performance, and how TV shows get made. Of course I also sit back and listen to behind-the-scenes tales from SNL! Transcript Nathan Cole: Hi and welcome back to Stand Partners for Life. This is Nathan Cole and today with me, really excited to have as my guest, Hugh Fink, comic, writer, violinist. He's been gracious enough to join me here at Disney Hall for a change.  Welcome to Stand Partners For Life, Hugh. Hugh Fink: Thank you. It's great to be here, Nathan, instead of taping a podcast at a smoke filled comedy club, to be in a classy concert hall. I like it. Nathan Cole: We try to keep it classy here at Disney most of the time. Well, we can just jump right into that. I mean, you've spent so much of your life in those clubs performing, writing, but what's not usual for a comic is that you have a serious history as a violinist. We were talking about that just a bit ago, you and I, but give us the quick version of your violin life, because that was either came before or maybe concurrently with your life in comedy. Hugh Fink: Sure. My parents were classical music lovers. My dad was the Attorney for the Indianapolis Symphony, the Musicians Union. As a very young kid I would be taken to these concerts at the orchestra and I loved it. I guess I told my parents at age four or five that I wanted to study violin. They were not so sure about that because they knew it was a tough instrument. They already owned a piano, but they were friends with the concertmaster of the Indianapolis Symphony at the time, Eric Rosenblith. He had known a little about this new Suzuki method, although he was not a proponent of it at all because he was like a pupil of Carl Flesch or some of these old- Nathan Cole: Old school. Hugh Fink: He was super old school, but he wasn't sure how to tell my parents to start off a five year old with lessons. He wasn't going to do it. There was a Suzuki teacher, one in Indianapolis, and that's who I studied with. Nathan Cole: This would have been not so long I bet, after the method really took hold in the U.S. because I started Suzuki and that was early 80's. Hugh Fink: You are right. I started in the late '60s. I ended up studying Suzuki for eight years, and going to the Suzuki Summer Institute at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. Nathan Cole: Stevens Point. Okay. Hugh Fink: Right. Shinichi came. Nathan Cole: Wow. Hugh Fink: Yes. I actually was part of the generation where I got to see him live. Nathan Cole: Well, that's extraordinary. Hugh Fink: It was extraordinary. I didn't have much interaction with him, but I remember, I think he was chain smoking and he looked like a ripe old age and very Buddha-esque just this is why He didn't speak much English either, but that was a great experience. I think what it taught me, Nathan, was beyond the violin part, to meet other young violinists who are just normal kids. It was a camp,

Some people were just born to do what they do, and Hugh Fink was born to be funny. Or was he born to play the violin? Because even though comedy has set the course of Hugh’s life, he has performed violin solos to a packed Carnegie Hall, something I can’t boast about! Hugh is one of a very few comics who has been able to fuse his musical life with his stage persona, much like the late great Jack Benny, whose violin I’m fortunate to play. Ever since he was a child, Hugh loved getting up in front of people and performing, no matter what form it took. Eventually, he discovered that not only could he create material for himself, but he had a talent for writing material that would suit any number of other talented performers! And that was the key that unlocked doors throughout show business, most notably at Saturday Night Live, where Hugh enjoyed a seven-year tenure and wrote more opening monologues than any other SNL writer. Hugh and I talk about growing up alongside Joshua Bell (and later using him in a wicked stage act with Tracy Morgan), how stand-up relates to musical performance, and how TV shows get made. Of course I also sit back and listen to behind-the-scenes tales from SNL! Transcript Nathan Cole: Hi and welcome back to Stand Partners for Life. This is Nathan Cole and today with me, really excited to have as my guest, Hugh Fink, comic, writer, violinist. He’s been gracious enough to join me here at Disney Hall for a change.  Welcome to Stand Partners For Life, Hugh. Hugh Fink: Thank you. It’s great to be here, Nathan, instead of taping a podcast at a smoke filled comedy club, to be in a classy concert hall. I like it. Nathan Cole: We try to keep it classy here at Disney most of the time. Well, we can just jump right into that. I mean, you’ve spent so much of your life in those clubs performing, writing, but what’s not usual for a comic is that you have a serious history as a violinist. We were talking about that just a bit ago, you and I, but give us the quick version of your violin life, because that was either came before or maybe concurrently with your life in comedy. Hugh Fink: Sure. My parents were classical music lovers. My dad was the Attorney for the Indianapolis Symphony, the Musicians Union. As a very young kid I would be taken to these concerts at the orchestra and I loved it. I guess I told my parents at age four or five that I wanted to study violin. They were not so sure about that because they knew it was a tough instrument. They already owned a piano, but they were friends with the concertmaster of the Indianapolis Symphony at the time, Eric Rosenblith. He had known a little about this new Suzuki method, although he was not a proponent of it at all because he was like a pupil of Carl Flesch or some of these old- Nathan Cole: Old school. Hugh Fink: He was super old school, but he wasn’t sure how to tell my parents to start off a five year old with lessons. He wasn’t going to do it. There was a Suzuki teacher, one in Indianapolis, and that’s who I studied with. Nathan Cole: This would have been not so long I bet, after the method really took hold in the U.S. because I started Suzuki and that was early 80’s. Hugh Fink: You are right. I started in the late ’60s. I ended up studying Suzuki for eight years, and going to the Suzuki Summer Institute at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. Nathan Cole: Stevens Point. Okay. Hugh Fink: Right. Shinichi came. Nathan Cole: Wow. Hugh Fink: Yes. I actually was part of the generation where I got to see him live. Nathan Cole: Well, that’s extraordinary. Hugh Fink: It was extraordinary. I didn’t have much interaction with him, but I remember, I think he was chain smoking and he looked like a ripe old age and very Buddha-esque just this is why He didn’t speak much English either, but that was a great experience. I think what it taught me, Nathan, was beyond the violin part, to meet other young violinists who are just normal kids. It was a camp,

In this day and age, when an orchestra can broadcast its performances worldwide (as the Berlin Philharmonic does with its Digital Concert Hall), why would a group like the LA Phil pack up and lumber around the world? That question was on our minds since we just returned from a two-week international tour. Remember, when an orchestra travels, it's not just the 100-odd musicians and perhaps their spouses (and even children)! It's all their instruments as well, the music, luggage, and all kinds of other orchestral detritus. Then you've got the librarians, administrative staff, stage crew, and everyone else who makes the tour go 'round. So in this episode, we talk about the whys, and then the hows. How do you get ready for tour, how do you deal with the strange meal times, how do you adjust for the different halls? We also discuss how tour performances are different from “home base” shows, and what touring does for the orchestra musically. Don't forget, if you haven't yet picked up our free guide to evaluating violin sound, make sure you click here to get it! Transcript Nathan Cole: Hello, and welcome back to Stand Partners for Life. I am Nathan Cole. Akiko Tarumoto: I'm Akiko Tarumoto. Nathan Cole: And good to have you back. Back in the home studio here in Pasadena. We are recovering from tour. Akiko Tarumoto: Yeah, that's me being jet lagged. Sorry. Nathan Cole: You mean the long pause? Akiko Tarumoto: The long pause and glazed silence. Nathan Cole: Yeah, that's going to be the topic of this episode, all about touring. Just before we dive into it, I did want to remind all of our listeners that if you haven't got our free guide to choosing instruments or upgrading instruments, do make sure you pick that up. That's at standpartnersforlife.com/guide. I'm actually helping someone right now find a new instrument, and it's taken a lot of years and a lot of searches to come up with just how to listen to new instrument sound, unfamiliar instrument sound. You had a hand in putting that together, you've done your own searches. Akiko Tarumoto: Yeah, a few. For the most part I- Nathan Cole: We're not dealers. We're not buying and selling these things all the time. Akiko Tarumoto: Yeah, we don't have the disposable income to be high-end instrument shopping on a regular basis. Nathan Cole: But it was a really fun guide to put together and it'll give you a system, our system, for listening and evaluating. Whether you're looking for an instrument right now or not, it's just great to have a way to organize your thoughts on that. Go ahead and pick that up. Standpartnersforlife.com/guide. It's free and tons of fun, if I do say so myself. We're going to talk about tour today. Just to maybe color our conversation a little bit, I wanted to read a little something that someone wrote to us on iTunes, a review, which I'd love to read. This listener shares a lot of good thoughts. All this is in a constructive vain, but they do mention, “My only comment.” Well, this comes halfway through the comments, so it's not really their only comment. Nathan Cole: But, I think they mean the only criticism would be, “That sometimes the problems you describe regarding your playing and work-life can be seen as a little as ‘first world problems.' I believe that if you've made it to LA Phil and have this amazing job, which is rare in our profession, I would think that anyone would feel accomplished. I feel a lot of negativity coming from the outcome, almost as though all this practice brought you to a place where all the insecurities and frustrations are still the same. I'm sure that you both love what you do. Don't want to come off as though you're better than anyone else, but I hear a lot of complaining.” I think that's fair enough. I think, for me, the phrase in there that sticks out is, “Almost as though all this practice brought you to a place where all the insecurities and frustrations are still the same.” In a way, I think that's true.

In this day and age, when an orchestra can broadcast its performances worldwide (as the Berlin Philharmonic does with its Digital Concert Hall), why would a group like the LA Phil pack up and lumber around the world? That question was on our minds since we just returned from a two-week international tour. Remember, when an orchestra travels, it’s not just the 100-odd musicians and perhaps their spouses (and even children)! It’s all their instruments as well, the music, luggage, and all kinds of other orchestral detritus. Then you’ve got the librarians, administrative staff, stage crew, and everyone else who makes the tour go ’round. So in this episode, we talk about the whys, and then the hows. How do you get ready for tour, how do you deal with the strange meal times, how do you adjust for the different halls? We also discuss how tour performances are different from “home base” shows, and what touring does for the orchestra musically. Don’t forget, if you haven’t yet picked up our free guide to evaluating violin sound, make sure you click here to get it! Transcript Nathan Cole: Hello, and welcome back to Stand Partners for Life. I am Nathan Cole. Akiko Tarumoto: I’m Akiko Tarumoto. Nathan Cole: And good to have you back. Back in the home studio here in Pasadena. We are recovering from tour. Akiko Tarumoto: Yeah, that’s me being jet lagged. Sorry. Nathan Cole: You mean the long pause? Akiko Tarumoto: The long pause and glazed silence. Nathan Cole: Yeah, that’s going to be the topic of this episode, all about touring. Just before we dive into it, I did want to remind all of our listeners that if you haven’t got our free guide to choosing instruments or upgrading instruments, do make sure you pick that up. That’s at standpartnersforlife.com/guide. I’m actually helping someone right now find a new instrument, and it’s taken a lot of years and a lot of searches to come up with just how to listen to new instrument sound, unfamiliar instrument sound. You had a hand in putting that together, you’ve done your own searches. Akiko Tarumoto: Yeah, a few. For the most part I- Nathan Cole: We’re not dealers. We’re not buying and selling these things all the time. Akiko Tarumoto: Yeah, we don’t have the disposable income to be high-end instrument shopping on a regular basis. Nathan Cole: But it was a really fun guide to put together and it’ll give you a system, our system, for listening and evaluating. Whether you’re looking for an instrument right now or not, it’s just great to have a way to organize your thoughts on that. Go ahead and pick that up. Standpartnersforlife.com/guide. It’s free and tons of fun, if I do say so myself. We’re going to talk about tour today. Just to maybe color our conversation a little bit, I wanted to read a little something that someone wrote to us on iTunes, a review, which I’d love to read. This listener shares a lot of good thoughts. All this is in a constructive vain, but they do mention, “My only comment.” Well, this comes halfway through the comments, so it’s not really their only comment. Nathan Cole: But, I think they mean the only criticism would be, “That sometimes the problems you describe regarding your playing and work-life can be seen as a little as ‘first world problems.’ I believe that if you’ve made it to LA Phil and have this amazing job, which is rare in our profession, I would think that anyone would feel accomplished. I feel a lot of negativity coming from the outcome, almost as though all this practice brought you to a place where all the insecurities and frustrations are still the same. I’m sure that you both love what you do. Don’t want to come off as though you’re better than anyone else, but I hear a lot of complaining.” I think that’s fair enough. I think, for me, the phrase in there that sticks out is, “Almost as though all this practice brought you to a place where all the insecurities and frustrations are still the same.” In a way, I think that’s true.

If you're a musician and you have a young child, do you start him on an instrument? If so, is it the same instrument you play? If so, do you teach him? Or do you make sure your kids steer clear of the musician's life? These are questions we ask ourselves all the time regarding our three kids! But a generation ago, Nathan's parents were asking them. And Nathan's father's father asked the same questions a generation before that. So in this special episode, Nathan takes advantage of a parental visit to chat with his parents about all this and more, including the path they chose for him through the Suzuki landscape of the early 1980s. Transcript Nathan Cole: Hi, and welcome back to Stand Partners for Life. Nathan Cole: This is a very special episode because today I have none other than my two parents here with me. Usually I'm saying “hi” to Akiko and thanking her for being here, thanking a guest for being here, but in this case I might as well say, “Thank you for bringing me into the world.” Nathan Cole: But why don't you guys say hello? Gordon Cole: Hello. Khristine Cole: Hello. Nathan Cole: They're visiting from Kentucky, where I grew up. Yeah, it's a treat to talk to you guys because you're really the only two that know most of the real story about how I got started on the violin. As Akiko and I have mentioned in some previous episodes, both of you guys are musicians, professional musicians, and that, of course, had a certain bearing on my growing up. But talk a little bit if you would, each of you, about just a quick overview about how you grew up and got started in music. Nathan Cole: Who wants to start? Gordon Cole: Well, I'll start. My father was a flutist in the Philadelphia orchestra. The school that I was attending, grade school outside of Philadelphia, gave students an aptitude test at the end of third grade, and we were assigned instruments, and we were supposed to come back then for the beginning of fourth grad and play in band. My father had in mind that I should be a horn player, and he had arranged for Mason Jones to give me lessons. But the school sent me home as a flute player. Nathan Cole: So Mason Jones was at that time- Gordon Cole: Principal horn in the Philadelphia orchestra. Nathan Cole: Okay. Gordon Cole: But the school decided I would be a flute player since they knew that my father was a flute player. So my brother became the horn player, and I became a flute player. Nice. Nathan Cole: Now you didn't study with your dad right away. Gordon Cole: Yes. Nathan Cole: Okay, in the beginning you did. Gordon Cole: Yes, I have no memory of what lessons may or may not have been like. He had me play on a Moennig flute that he had purchased in Europe on one of their trips. It was wooden with plated keys and a plated head joint, metal head joint. I can't imagine what the band sounded like 'cause there were at least three metal clarinets- Nathan Cole: Metal clarinets. Gordon Cole: … in this grade school band. They were pretty common after the second world war, but I can't imagine what the band sounded like and, thankfully, I have no memory of it. Nathan Cole: So how was it studying with your own father? Gordon Cole: Well, I really don't remember much of anything until we moved from Philadelphia to Wisconsin, where my father taught at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. During my teenage years, evidently I was not very receptive to any sort of suggestions that he might have on how I should play something, so he farmed me out to a very good teacher in Madison for my sophomore and junior years, maybe ninth grade, I don't remember. Nathan Cole: Can't imagine not being receptive as a teenager to your parents. To jump to your part of the story too, Mom, but you studied with your dad then in college. Gordon Cole: Yes, and senior year in high school, I decided that I was mature enough then to take his suggestions as that and not as criticisms, personal criticisms. So I switched back to studying with my father my senior...

If you’re a musician and you have a young child, do you start him on an instrument? If so, is it the same instrument you play? If so, do you teach him? Or do you make sure your kids steer clear of the musician’s life? These are questions we ask ourselves all the time regarding our three kids! But a generation ago, Nathan’s parents were asking them. And Nathan’s father’s father asked the same questions a generation before that. So in this special episode, Nathan takes advantage of a parental visit to chat with his parents about all this and more, including the path they chose for him through the Suzuki landscape of the early 1980s. Transcript Nathan Cole: Hi, and welcome back to Stand Partners for Life. Nathan Cole: This is a very special episode because today I have none other than my two parents here with me. Usually I’m saying “hi” to Akiko and thanking her for being here, thanking a guest for being here, but in this case I might as well say, “Thank you for bringing me into the world.” Nathan Cole: But why don’t you guys say hello? Gordon Cole: Hello. Khristine Cole: Hello. Nathan Cole: They’re visiting from Kentucky, where I grew up. Yeah, it’s a treat to talk to you guys because you’re really the only two that know most of the real story about how I got started on the violin. As Akiko and I have mentioned in some previous episodes, both of you guys are musicians, professional musicians, and that, of course, had a certain bearing on my growing up. But talk a little bit if you would, each of you, about just a quick overview about how you grew up and got started in music. Nathan Cole: Who wants to start? Gordon Cole: Well, I’ll start. My father was a flutist in the Philadelphia orchestra. The school that I was attending, grade school outside of Philadelphia, gave students an aptitude test at the end of third grade, and we were assigned instruments, and we were supposed to come back then for the beginning of fourth grad and play in band. My father had in mind that I should be a horn player, and he had arranged for Mason Jones to give me lessons. But the school sent me home as a flute player. Nathan Cole: So Mason Jones was at that time- Gordon Cole: Principal horn in the Philadelphia orchestra. Nathan Cole: Okay. Gordon Cole: But the school decided I would be a flute player since they knew that my father was a flute player. So my brother became the horn player, and I became a flute player. Nice. Nathan Cole: Now you didn’t study with your dad right away. Gordon Cole: Yes. Nathan Cole: Okay, in the beginning you did. Gordon Cole: Yes, I have no memory of what lessons may or may not have been like. He had me play on a Moennig flute that he had purchased in Europe on one of their trips. It was wooden with plated keys and a plated head joint, metal head joint. I can’t imagine what the band sounded like ’cause there were at least three metal clarinets- Nathan Cole: Metal clarinets. Gordon Cole: … in this grade school band. They were pretty common after the second world war, but I can’t imagine what the band sounded like and, thankfully, I have no memory of it. Nathan Cole: So how was it studying with your own father? Gordon Cole: Well, I really don’t remember much of anything until we moved from Philadelphia to Wisconsin, where my father taught at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. During my teenage years, evidently I was not very receptive to any sort of suggestions that he might have on how I should play something, so he farmed me out to a very good teacher in Madison for my sophomore and junior years, maybe ninth grade, I don’t remember. Nathan Cole: Can’t imagine not being receptive as a teenager to your parents. To jump to your part of the story too, Mom, but you studied with your dad then in college. Gordon Cole: Yes, and senior year in high school, I decided that I was mature enough then to take his suggestions as that and not as criticisms, personal criticisms. So I switched back to studying with my father my senior...

Summary What would you do if you showed up to an audition and heard, “OK, when I give you the signal, play something intense. Then on the next signal, more intensity!” Well, that's exactly what happened to double bassist Nate Farrington. Except he was auditioning for a national Honda TV spot, and the mysterious voice belonged to the director! Nate is one of those friends who's always up for a project: he's the guy I'd call if I needed to paint a fence, set up a gas grill, or transport a big piece of furniture. Come to think of it, isn't that last one a big part of the double bassist's life? But Nate is also the guy I'd call if I needed to whip up a duo program in two hours' time. Or if I needed a pair of expert ears to hear an audition list. He's always ready to go, and he has a broad array of musical and extra-musical skills that makes him the perfect fit out here in Hollywood. So even though he spends much of his time playing in symphonies (he's the new principal bass of the LA Opera Orchestra), his interests range far and wide, and he's equally at home creating music as he is re-creating it. He's a frequent collaborator with Rocket Jump Studios, and as you'll discover, he's already spent some time on camera out here as well. Nate and I talk about how to win those juicy commercial roles, as well as the (also juicy?) orchestra auditions. Here's a hint: they both involve lots of preparation and then a letting-go of control! We also get into the differences between some of the big symphony orchestras. Nate has played with just about all of them over the years. He's a real inspiration for finding your own musical voice, or deciding where you fit in the ever-expanding musical universe. Transcript Nathan: [00:00:01] Hi, and welcome back to Stand Partners for Life. Along with my wife Akiko Tarumoto, I am Nathan Cole and we are stand partners for life. But today I'm here instead with Nate Farrington, a good friend ever since I moved to L.A. five years ago. So Nate, thanks for being with us today. Nate: [00:00:39] It's my pleasure. Nathan: [00:00:39] Thanks for being with me today. It's not the “royal we” here. Nate is a bass player extraordinaire, and although we went to the same school the Curtis Institute we weren't there at the same time. We met only five years ago when I moved out here to L.A. Nate: [00:00:54] But I felt I'd known you since I was in school… you were, you know, the Nate before me at Curtis that everyone talked about. So it was interesting to connect, you know, to put a face with the name–that's my name. Nathan: [00:01:06] Back then everybody it seemed like all the adults called me Nate and everybody my age called me Nathan. So I sort of hedge my bets I go by Nathan but my website is natesviolin.com. So there's the confusion but you're always Nate. Nate: [00:01:19] I am. Nathan: [00:01:20] Now, you play bass and you play so much of the time in symphony orchestras as I do and a lot of the time with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. But you're a traveling musician. You live in L.A. but you're really all over the place. Tell me a little about how that works. Nate: [00:01:37] In the past five years I've played with Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Columbus, Philadelphia, New York Chicago, Cleveland. I've done concerts in the past with Boston and National and Baltimore and so it's been a pretty interesting ride to me. The Cincinnati Symphony as well and I was slated to play with the San Diego Symphony but but wasn't able to make it that week. It's an incredible variety of music making that happens all over the country. And you know the basic skill set is always the same. The same thing I've been doing since we were little children. But it's interesting to go from spot to spot and see what drives each group differently and how they make their sound the way they do it. It all becomes evident pretty quickly once you start playing with a new group. Nathan: [00:02:24] Now me,

Summary What would you do if you showed up to an audition and heard, “OK, when I give you the signal, play something intense. Then on the next signal, more intensity!” Well, that’s exactly what happened to double bassist Nate Farrington. Except he was auditioning for a national Honda TV spot, and the mysterious voice belonged to the director! Nate is one of those friends who’s always up for a project: he’s the guy I’d call if I needed to paint a fence, set up a gas grill, or transport a big piece of furniture. Come to think of it, isn’t that last one a big part of the double bassist’s life? But Nate is also the guy I’d call if I needed to whip up a duo program in two hours’ time. Or if I needed a pair of expert ears to hear an audition list. He’s always ready to go, and he has a broad array of musical and extra-musical skills that makes him the perfect fit out here in Hollywood. So even though he spends much of his time playing in symphonies (he’s the new principal bass of the LA Opera Orchestra), his interests range far and wide, and he’s equally at home creating music as he is re-creating it. He’s a frequent collaborator with Rocket Jump Studios, and as you’ll discover, he’s already spent some time on camera out here as well. Nate and I talk about how to win those juicy commercial roles, as well as the (also juicy?) orchestra auditions. Here’s a hint: they both involve lots of preparation and then a letting-go of control! We also get into the differences between some of the big symphony orchestras. Nate has played with just about all of them over the years. He’s a real inspiration for finding your own musical voice, or deciding where you fit in the ever-expanding musical universe. Transcript Nathan: [00:00:01] Hi, and welcome back to Stand Partners for Life. Along with my wife Akiko Tarumoto, I am Nathan Cole and we are stand partners for life. But today I’m here instead with Nate Farrington, a good friend ever since I moved to L.A. five years ago. So Nate, thanks for being with us today. Nate: [00:00:39] It’s my pleasure. Nathan: [00:00:39] Thanks for being with me today. It’s not the “royal we” here. Nate is a bass player extraordinaire, and although we went to the same school the Curtis Institute we weren’t there at the same time. We met only five years ago when I moved out here to L.A. Nate: [00:00:54] But I felt I’d known you since I was in school… you were, you know, the Nate before me at Curtis that everyone talked about. So it was interesting to connect, you know, to put a face with the name–that’s my name. Nathan: [00:01:06] Back then everybody it seemed like all the adults called me Nate and everybody my age called me Nathan. So I sort of hedge my bets I go by Nathan but my website is natesviolin.com. So there’s the confusion but you’re always Nate. Nate: [00:01:19] I am. Nathan: [00:01:20] Now, you play bass and you play so much of the time in symphony orchestras as I do and a lot of the time with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. But you’re a traveling musician. You live in L.A. but you’re really all over the place. Tell me a little about how that works. Nate: [00:01:37] In the past five years I’ve played with Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Columbus, Philadelphia, New York Chicago, Cleveland. I’ve done concerts in the past with Boston and National and Baltimore and so it’s been a pretty interesting ride to me. The Cincinnati Symphony as well and I was slated to play with the San Diego Symphony but but wasn’t able to make it that week. It’s an incredible variety of music making that happens all over the country. And you know the basic skill set is always the same. The same thing I’ve been doing since we were little children. But it’s interesting to go from spot to spot and see what drives each group differently and how they make their sound the way they do it. It all becomes evident pretty quickly once you start playing with a new group. Nathan: [00:02:24] Now me,

We’re chatting with violinist Nathan Cole on today’s podcast.  Nathan is a member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and has just released a new podcast called Stand Partners for Life.  Nathan and his wife Akiko (also a member of the LA Phil) have all sorts of exciting plans for this new venture.  We dig into Nathan’s journey through music, getting into tech, the motivations behind launching a podcast, and much more.  Enjoy, and be sure to subscribe to this new podcast! About Nathan Cole: First Associate Concertmaster Nathan Cole, who joined the LA Phil in 2011, has appeared as guest concertmaster with the orchestras of Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Houston, Ottawa, Seattle, and Oregon. He was previously a member of the Chicago Symphony and Principal Second Violin of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. A native of Lexington, KY, he made his debut with the Louisville Orchestra at the age of ten while studying with Donna Wiehe. After eight years working with Daniel Mason, Cole enrolled at the Curtis Institute of Music. In addition to his studies there with Pamela Frank, Felix Galimir, Ida Kavafian, and Jaime Laredo, Cole formed the Grancino String Quartet, debuting in New York’s Weill Hall. Several summers at Marlboro enriched his love of chamber music. Nathan’s articles and videos on practicing, performing, teaching, and auditioning have helped thousands of violinists worldwide. Visit natesviolin.com for the complete collection. In addition to his online teaching, Nathan is currently on faculty at the Colburn School for the Performing Arts, with classes at the Colburn Conservatory and USC. His articles and photographs have also appeared in Strings, Symphony, and Chamber Music magazines. Nathan is married to Akiko Tarumoto, the LA Phil’s Assistant Concertmaster. Together they host the podcast Stand Partners for Life, which is a weekly “inside look” at the symphony life. Visit standpartnersforlife.com to listen. Nathan and Akiko live in Pasadena with their three children Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle! Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by: Robertson & Sons Violins For more than four decades, Robertson & Sons has specialized in providing the highest quality stringed instruments and bows to collectors, professional musicians, music educators, and students of all ages. Their modern facility is equipped with three instrument showrooms as well as a beautiful Recital Hall available to our clients to in their search for the perfect instrument and/or bow. D'Addario Strings This episode is brought to you by D'Addario Strings! Check out their Kaplan strings, which have versatility and control throughout the dynamic spectrum, rich tonal color palette, superb bow response, and beautiful balance. Upton Bass String Instrument Company Upton's Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players. A440 Violin Shop An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440's commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools. Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

In this first episode, we reveal the secrets of the symphony: what it's really like to work day in and day out with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. As two violinists raising three kids, we find that our job means different things to us on different days. It's our passion, of course, but it's also a marathon. The repertoire changes every week, and those weeks keep coming! We talk about the great parts of the job, as well as the not-so-great. Why do musicians tend to end up with other musicians? Are we always inspired to play each night's concert? What's it like to play and to judge auditions? Your feedback has already shaped this opening episode, so you will hear us lay out many topics that we'll be covering in future episodes. Keep the suggestions coming at the Stand Partners for Life website!

In this first episode, we reveal the secrets of the symphony: what it’s really like to work day in and day out with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. As two violinists raising three kids, we find that our job means different things to us on different days. It’s our passion, of course, but it’s also a marathon. The repertoire changes every week, and those weeks keep coming! We talk about the great parts of the job, as well as the not-so-great. Why do musicians tend to end up with other musicians? Are we always inspired to play each night’s concert? What’s it like to play and to judge auditions? Your feedback has already shaped this opening episode, so you will hear us lay out many topics that we’ll be covering in future episodes. Keep the suggestions coming at the Stand Partners for Life website!