This week, I’m featuring a wonderful episode from the archive, with Linsey Pollak, which was recorded and released in Season 2 of this podcast, 2022. Linsey Pollak is an Australian musician who is known worldwide as a passionate and creative advocate for community music. His life has been full of unusual opportunities to explore different styles of music, and his inventiveness has spurred him to create countless instruments from found objects. In this episode you’ll get to hear him play 4 different instruments in different improvisatory styles, and I’m sure that everyone will be inspired by stories from his life, describing some of his incredibly unusual, fun and beautiful collaborations and creations.

I take care of all the many jobs of research, production, and publicity and I really do need the help of my listeners to keep this project going; please consider buying me a coffee through my support page which is linked to Paypal:

https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman Thanks so much!

You can watch this on YouTube as well, and I've linked the transcript here too: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/linsey-pollak

Linsey Pollak website: https://linseypollak.com/

My complete catalog of episodes: https://www.leahroseman.com/about

Podcast newsletter sign-up: https://mailchi.mp/ebed4a237788/podcast-newsletter

photo credit: Beat Lehmann

Timestamps:

(00:00 Intro)

(01:58) gaida music

(05:10) Rafting trip, discovering Macedonian bagpipes, first trip to Macedonia

(11:35) trip to Greece to study klarino with Stavros Vasthekis

(13:15) discovering the Macedonian community in Australia, establishing Kulcha

(17:36) Linsey’s start making instruments, London and Early Music scene

(23:14) busking in Europe, learning Macedonian dance,

Živko Firfov Group, Destan Destanovski

(31:48) importance of humour in his solo shows

(33:17) duduk design and music

(39:57) Linsey’s early musical education and projects

(41:27) developing live looping in the early 90s, his solo shows

(50:30) rubber glove bagpipe

(54:36) Linsey’s current project going out to record in the forest with ambient sounds (his album of this music is on Bandcamp), also the frog sounds album

(56:53) Dva with Tunji Beier and now Beier-Griffin-Pollak trio with Philip Griffin

(58:23) Humarimba community music project

(01:09:16) Paranormal Music Society Romano Crivici and Blair Greenberg, and QWERTY with Peter Rowe

(01:13:47) MIDI wind controller Dangerous Song project with demonstration using animal sounds

(01:33:26) Linsey’s drive to create instruments and connect people, his creative process

(01:37:20) Linsey’s decision to stop touring outside of Australia

(01:40:07) Linsey’s advice

This week’s episode is with the brilliant cello-piano ensemble, Cheng² Duo, with siblings Bryan and Silvie Cheng. They have performed to great acclaim worldwide and have released to date four fantastic albums, the most recent Portrait which was nominated for a JUNO award. Portrait features music by composers from diverse Asian heritages, and in this podcast, Bryan and Silvie reflect on some important personal experiences related to this. We are featuring some of the music from Portrait and some of their other projects in this episode, with their insights on championing living composers such as Paul Wiancko and Dinuk Wijeratne and reaching new audiences. I asked them about their Carnegie Hall debut when Bryan had just started high school, and some of their individual experiences with concert preparation, touring, and finding a life-balance. Some of what you’ll hear about are Bryan’s reflections on his memorable childhood lessons with Yuli Turovsky, the incredible opportunity he’s had to play the Bonjour Strad, and his experiences with international competitions. Silvie shared her reflections on her mentors and her life as a performer and educator in New York. Bryan and Silvie grew up in Ottawa, Canada where I live and it’s wonderful to see their careers expanding both individually and as a world-renowned chamber ensemble. Bryan spoke to us from his home in Berlin, and Silvie from her home in New York.

Can you buy this independent podcaster a coffee? https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman Thanks!

Like all my episodes, you can also watch this on my YouTube and it's linked with the transcript on my website: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/cheng2-duo

https://www.cheng2duo.com/

Weekly newsletter sign-up: https://mailchi.mp/ebed4a237788/podcast-newsletter

Catalog of Episodes: https://www.leahroseman.com/about

photo: Andrej Grilc

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(03:11) album Portrait, early pandemic in New York, Asian heritage, erhu

(12:33) Hua Yanjun Moon's Reflection upon a Spring

(20:26) anti-Asian harassment, making a difference in the world as musicians

(24:46) Paul Wiancko

(29:00) Paul Wiancko clip from Sonata 1, Part 1

(28:59) concert presentation, connecting with the audience

(31:33) Carnegie Hall debut experience, importance of commissioning new music

(35:51) Yuli Turovsky

(40:48) Romance for Cello and Piano Scriabin from Russian Legends

(42:56) could you buy this independent podcaster a coffee?

(43:32) Brazilian composers, Chiquinha Gonzaga, women composers, Silvie’s duo with violist Georgina Rossi

(45:24) Silvie’s work as a teaching artist Orto centre and Living Arts Collaborative

(50:36) family history, parents’ support

(54:08) Silvie’s mentors Jeffrey Cohen, Menahem Pressler

(57:21) learning music, comparing the analytical and intuitive

(01:01:25) Bonjour Strad cello

(01:03:07) Silvie coping with different pianos on tour, pianists’ psychology

(01:05:12) Bryan’s reflections on competitions

(01:08:46) pre-concert routines and mindset

(01:11:20) tour to India, Dinuk Wijeratne “Portrait of an Imaginary Sibling’

(01:14:27) excerpt from Dinuk Wijeratne “Portrait of an Imaginary Sibling’

(01:17:05) tour to India

This podcast strives to inspire you through the personal stories of a diversity of musicians worldwide, with in-depth conversations and great music, that reveal the depth and breadth to a life in music.

This week’s episode is with the wonderful harmonica player and composer Ariel Bart. I first started listening to her music with her debut album, “In Between” in which she presents a unique approach to the harmonica and all her albums feature her original music which is inspired by the European jazz tradition and the Middle-Eastern world. Ariel began playing the chromatic harmonica at the age of 7 and since then it’s been her primary instrument. We’re including music from several of her albums. You’ll hear about some of her inspiring mentors and collaborators and her positive experience at the New School University for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York City, including working with Reggie Workman, Shai Maestro, and Jane Ira Bloom. We also talked about the music business, and her delight in using storytelling and film with her music. Like all my episodes, you can also watch this on my YouTube channel and I’ve also linked the transcript to my website, everything linked together here: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/ariel-bart

Besides being the host, I take care of all the many jobs of research, production, and publicity for this podcast, and I really do need the help of my listeners to keep this project going; please consider buying me a coffee through my support page which is linked to Paypal: https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman

Did you know that this podcast is in Season 4, and that I send out a weekly email newsletter where you can get access to Sneak Peeks of upcoming guests and be inspired by highlights from the archive? Sign-up here: https://mailchi.mp/ebed4a237788/podcast-newsletter

Ariel Bart website: https://www.arielbart.com/

Take a Ten Minute Break, solo Nine Souls video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8VnpGV2b58

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(02:51) Ariel Bart’s harmonica journey and music education, starting to compose

(07:40) In Between

(13:16) Brendan Power, chromatic harmonica, playing technique

(18:15) harmonica improvisation

(20:03) Ariel’s influences and mentors, Jane Ira Bloom, New School in New York, Reggie Workman, effect of many influences

(28:36) please help this series keep going!

(29:13) making Teardrop narrative video, storytelling

(31:55) Teardrop

(35:18) The Trio Project

(37:52) part two Listening to Shame from The Trio Project

(42:12) writing for film, collaborations cellists Mayu Shviro, Talia Erdal

(46:17) European contacts, the challenge of teaching

(48:56) the need to learn the business side of a music career

(52:32) clip from Deep Down with Omri Bar Giora

(53:23) creative process, the importance of collaboration

(54:56) the novelty of the harmonica for audiences, listening to singers

(56:01) Nine Souls film project Take a Ten Minute Break

(57:33) Nine Souls ensemble version from album Documentaries

Dr. Gail Archer is a GRAMMY-nominated internationally touring concert organist and trail-blazer for women organists. She has fantastic advice on not only approaching a career in music, but in living life to it’s fullest. We talked about learning languages, some fascinating history, the magic of choirs and much more. This episode features music from several of her acclaimed recordings, and we discuss women composers, and the challenges facing women organists. We also speak about Musforum the international network for wormen organists that she founed. Gail’s work highlighting composers from many Eastern European countries including Poland, Ukraine, Bulgaria and Russia was a big part of this conversation and you’ll hear some of this music as well as that of Fanny Mendelssohn, a discussion of the Bach revival and interesting details about J.S. Bach himself, and one of Gail’s recordings of one of his sublime Chorale preludes. I learned a lot about the history of the pipe organ and gained not only a better understanding of the instrument and it’s vast repertoire, but I also gained important insights into the work of choir directors. One of the main topics Gail addressed was how to build a robust career and live a full life, with sensivity, curiosity, intelligence and determination.

Gail Archer website: http://www.gailarcher.com/ Musforum network for women organists: https://musforum.org/ This is also available on YouTube, and the transcript is linked there as well: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/gail-archer

I really do need the help of my listeners to keep this project going; please consider buying me a coffee through my support page which is linked to Paypal: https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman photo: Stephanie Berger

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(03:32) playing on different organs

(05:55) J.S. Bach Chorale preludes, Fritz organ

(08:30) Chorale Prelude An Wasserflüssen Babylon, By the Waters of Babylon, from Gail Archer’s album "J. S. Bach The Transcendent Genius"

(13:02) history of the organ

(26:17)Fanny Mendelssohn Prelude in G major from Gail Archer’s album “Mendelssohn in the Romantic Century”

(28:36) Musforum and sexist challenges facing women organists

(36:47) please support this series!

(38:23) scene in England and Europe for women organists

(39:25) Eastern European organs, Chernivsti

(45:22) Chacona by Svitlana Osgtrova from album Chernivsti

(48:28) St. John Cantius in Chicago rescued organ from Canada, Polish album

(51:28) excerpt from Grazyna Baciewisz Esquisse on album Cantius

(51:53) interpreting repertoire, choosing registers, Messiaen, Bulgarian project

(58:08) Baroque performance practice

(01:00:01) choir director, the magic of choirs, building her career, Harriman institute at Columbia

(01:07:07) learning Russian and Italian

(01:10:02) choral director, priorities working with choirs

(01:15:10) books and history, Mendelssohn family, Clara Schumann, Bach revival

(01:24:02) advice, how Gail built her career

Gerry Bryant is a brilliant classically-trained pianist, composer, and arranger. He came from a poor inner-city Cleveland neighbourhood, and was givin an opportunity to attend the prestigious Phillips Academy, then Harvard university. He went on to get an MBA and a law degree, all the while continuing the expansion of his knowledge of different styles of music, and forming his jazz group Pocketwatch. This episode partly focuses on his Composers album, with music of Florence Price and Thomas Wiggins who was known as Blind Tom to his slave masters. Gerry reflects on how access to a musical education changed his life, and how wonderful it has been to discover and champion Black composers. One of the musicians that Gerry has collaborated with many times is the wonderful and versatile violinist Mark Cargill, whose playing is also featured in this episode.

Like all my episodes, you can watch this on my YouTube channel or listen to the podcast, and I’ve also linked the transcript to my website: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/gerry-bryant

Can you buy this podcaster a coffee to support this series? ⁠https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman⁠ Thanks!

Gerry Bryant website: https://www.gerrybryant.com/music

Follow me on Social Media: ⁠https://linktr.ee/leahroseman⁠

Complete Catalog of Episodes: https://www.leahroseman.com/about

Did you know that this podcast is in Season 4, and that I send out a weekly email newsletter where you can get access to Sneak Peeks of upcoming guests and be inspired by highlights from the archive: https://mailchi.mp/ebed4a237788/podcast-newsletter

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(03:18) The Composers album, Thomas Wiggins “Blind Tom”

(08:39) Rêve Charmant by Thomas “Blind Tom” Wiggins performed by Gerry Bryant

(17:16) blind musicians, learning by ear, Gerry Bryant first teacher Ethel Morton, going to Phillip’s Academy, Albian Metcalf

(23:27) inspiration and problems with comparing ourselves to great masters

(29:15) Florence Price

(33:18) Florence Price Piano Sonata in E minor, 2nd movement Andante, The Composers album

(40:49) Florence Price

(41:46) please help me keep this series going!

(42:24) violinist Mark Cargill, Florence Price

(46:33) Andante con espressione by Florence Price for violin and piano Mark Cargill and Gerry Bryant

(51:08) Gerry’s experience going to Phillips Academy in Andover and then Harvard

(01:02:03) accissibility in arts education

(01:06:42) commonalities between people in different creative disciplines like acting, music, visual art, and the importance of nurturing creative expression

(01:14:12) Gerry’s full life, and Pocketwatch jazz ensemble, getting a law degree and MBA

(01:24:19) What Could Have Been with Pocketwatch at Kulak’s

(01:31:29) the healing power of music and Gerry’s volunteer work

(01:41:31) entertainment lawyer, California Lawyers for the Arts, balancing his life and new album

(01:53:06) Gerry’s foray into acting

This week’s episode is a Catch-Up episode with the renowned film and televison composer and multi-instrumentalist Pat Irwin, and we are featuring lots of Pat’s music for you today in different styles from many of his projects.

In my previous episode with him from 2023, Season 3 of this podcast, we talked about his days with the B52s and composing the score for Dexter: New Blood, and we also talked about his band SUSS and his work mentoring graduate students, and so much more . I encourage you to click on the link to that earlier episode if you missed it: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/pat-irwin

Today’s conversation also jumps around Pat’s varied and fascinating creative life. You’ll hear more stories and music from some of his acclaimed cartoon music from Rocko’s Modern Life and songs from Pepper Ann. We talk about, and you’ll hear music from some of his projects, including rocking out with the PI Power Trio with Sasha Dobson and Daria Grace, and new albums coming out with Cynthia Sley, with SUSS and with Julia Heyward. I’m blown away by Pat’s detailed memory and this episode is rich with interesting stories, and also his down-to-earth advice.

Like all my episodes, you can watch this on my YouTube channel or listen to the podcast, and I’ve also linked the transcript to my website: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/pat-irwin-2024-catch-up

Pat Irwin website: https://patirwinmusic.com/

Can you buy this podcaster a coffee to support this series? ⁠https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman⁠ Thanks!

Complete Catalog of Episodes: ⁠https://www.leahroseman.com/about⁠

Newsletter sign-up: ⁠https://mailchi.mp/ebed4a237788/podcast-newsletter⁠

Follow me on Social Media: ⁠https://linktr.ee/leahroseman⁠

(00:00) Intro

(03:25) writing music for Disney’s cartoon Pepper Ann, touring with B52s

(10:06) music: Enough, song from Pepper Ann musical episode

(12:10) process of writing and recording for Pepper Ann

(14:21) music: Photosynthesis, song from Pepper Ann musical episode

(15:45) collecting instruments, Ray Beats archives

(19:32) Rocko’s Modern Life, getting the band back together

(22:53) music: Junk Junkies from Rocko’s Modern Life soundtrack

(26:09) music: Bookshop from Rocko’s Modern Life soundtrack

(27:27) getting the Rocko’s band back together

(29:33) re-purposing music, SUSS new album

(36:55) music: Heat Haze SUSS

(41:28) But I’m a Cheerleader

(43:59) how and why to pitch

(49:54) Nurse Jackie

(50:15) music from Nurse Jackie

(50:13 advice for preparing reels, learning collaboration, students at NYU and Brooklyn College

(01:01:14) can you buy me a coffee? Thanks for supporting the series!

(01:01:56) music from Nurse Jackie

(01:01:55) learning to collaborate as a media composer

(01:04:53) Cynthia Sley Command V, Bush Tetras

(01:07:05)music: Command V with Cynthia Sley Lost On Me

(01:11:58) changes in the music industry

(01:16:18) the PI Power Trio Sasha Dobson, Daria Grace, Pat’s love of instrumental Rock ’n Roll

(01:21:48) music: The Walk PI Power Trio

(01:25:05) George Scott, Raybeats, PI Power trio

(01:29:10) film When Last Seen

(01:30:04) music from Pat’s score to film When Last Seen

(01:31:39) working on When Last SEen, T Venus with Julia Hayward

(01:35:11) music: excerpt from Smile, Don’t Touch That Dial with T Venus Julia Hayward

(01:36:32) the importance of friendships with your peers, decision to stay in New York instead of LA, knowing your strengths

Thomas Cabaniss is a wonderful American composer of works for opera, theater, dance, film and the concert stage. He’s been a member of the faculty of the Julliard School since 1998, and leads the Lullaby Project at Carnegie Hall, serving young parents in shelters, hospitals and prisons with collaboratively created songs for their children. We talk about all this and much more, inluding his work creating Carnegie Hall’s Link Up. I was curious about these many facets to Thomas’ life as both a composer and educator, and you’ll find this episode has gorgeous, inspiring music of his, as well as great stories from his diverse career as a Teaching Artist, working with music educators, students of all ages, and meaningful outreach in the community. You’ll hear performances from pianists Michael Shinn and Jessica Chow Shinn, singer Joyce DiDonato, and towards the beginning of the episode you’ll hear some of Thomas’ great music for string quartet, performed by the Charleston symphony String quartet.

Like all my episodes, you can watch this on my YouTube channel or listen to the podcast on all the platforms, and I’ve also linked the transcript to my website https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/thomas-cabaniss

Thomas Cabaniss website: http://thomascabaniss.com/about.html

Support link to buy me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman Thanks!

My social media links: https://linktr.ee/leahroseman

My Complete Catalog of Episodes: https://www.leahroseman.com/about

Newsletter sign-up: https://mailchi.mp/ebed4a237788/podcast-newsletter

Timestamps

(00:00) Intro

(02:24) Thomas Cabaniss string quartets

(07:57) excerpt from Water from Four Elements with the Charleston Symphony String Quartet

(09:28) Charleston Symphony

(12:10) Fire, Four Elements string quartet

(16:07) Link Up program and Cabaniss’ work with music education and orchestras

(23:39) the Lullaby Project

(30:53) Peace sung by Joyce DiDonato written by Tamilles Fernandez with Dierdre Struck

(34:19) Tiny Bits of Outrageous Love, Michael Shinn and Jessica Chow Shinn

(39:53) Lovesong no. 3 Tiny Bits of Outrageous Love, Michael Shinn and Jessica Chow Shinn

(41:58) Thomas’ wife, and musical themes in families

(43:54) Two no. 7 Tiny Bits of Outrageous Love, Michael Shinn and Jessica Chow Shinn

(47:09) different musical styles and influences, writing for theatre at Yale

(51:27) Thomas’ youth and musical education

(55:50) Thomas’ approach to teaching music theory, teaching music appreciation to dancers

(58:50) please support this series!

(59:27) the work of Teaching Artists, working with students and educators

(01:07:16) operas for toddlers

(01:13:38) how to bring new audiences into orchestra concerts

(01:17:57) how and when to talk to audiences

(01:23:15) Thomas’ creative process