Speaking Soundly

We're back with three more inspiring conversations featuring pianist Gabriela Montero, pianist Jeremy Denk, and cellist Alisa Weilerstein.

Thanks to our good friends at Ravinia for helping to make these interviews possible. To see these guests perform live this summer, check out Ravinia's calendar.

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The Speaking Soundly theme song is composed by Joseph Saba/Stewart Winter and used by permission of Videohelper.

Speaking Soundly was co-created by David Krauss and Jessica Handelman. 

This trailer has been edited and condensed to fit the time format.

Episode copyright © 2023 Artful Narratives Media.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Preeminent Principal Tuba for the Santa Fe Symphony and New Mexico Philharmonic Dr. Richard Antoine White's personal journey to the stage is astonishing. He shares how he overcame the circumstances of his early childhood plagued by poverty and homelessness to become the first Black American to earn a doctorate of music in tuba. Richard recounts how he ultimately won a spot at the competitive Baltimore School for the Arts despite his inability to read music, discusses the importance of his lessons with American orchestral tuba player and teacher David Fedderly, and embodies the power of positivity.

Check out Dr. Richard Antoine White on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or the web.

Don't miss his book I'm Possible: A Story of Survival, a Tuba, and the Small Miracle of a Big Dream

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You can find out more about Artful Narratives Media on Instagram and the web.

The Speaking Soundly theme song is composed by Joseph Saba/Stewart Winter and used by permission of Videohelper.

Speaking Soundly was co-created by David Krauss and Jessica Handelman. 

This interview has been edited and condensed to fit the time format.

Episode copyright © 2023 Artful Narratives Media.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Six-time Grammy Award winner and Oscar nominee Terence Blanchard is a famed trumpeter, band leader, and composer. Recently, he also became the first Black composer commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera since it opened in 1883. Terrence discusses his debut at the Met and the enormity of the experience, along with his start at age 19 with The Jazz Messengers, and the greatest lesson he learned from jazz legend Art Blakey. Terence reflects on his expansive work for film, including 17 collaborations with Spike Lee, and answers David's specific questions about a pivotal scene in Mo' Better Blues.

Check out Terence Blanchard on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, or the web.

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You can find out more about Artful Narratives Media on Instagram and the web.

The Speaking Soundly theme song is composed by Joseph Saba/Stewart Winter and used by permission of Videohelper.

Speaking Soundly was co-created by David Krauss and Jessica Handelman. 

This interview has been edited and condensed to fit the time format.

Episode copyright © 2023 Artful Narratives Media.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

American Violinist David Chan is the esteemed Concertmaster of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, an honored position he's held for more than two decades. He's also made a name for himself as a respected concert ensemble Conductor and Music Director. The Davids reminisce about Chan's Carnegie Hall solo debut and discuss the roles of the Concertmaster and Conductor. David Chan reflects on his first-rate education, his relationship to practice throughout his youth, and a childhood trip that cemented his desire to play violin. He also shares how his entrepreneurial spirit enabled him to pair his loves of music and wine together.

Check out David Chan on Facebook, YouTube, or the web.

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You can find out more about Artful Narratives Media on Instagram and the web.

The Speaking Soundly theme song is composed by Joseph Saba/Stewart Winter and used by permission of Videohelper.

Speaking Soundly was co-created by David Krauss and Jessica Handelman. 

This interview has been edited and condensed to fit the time format.

Episode copyright © 2023 Artful Narratives Media.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Grammy nominated artist Missy Mazzoli has established herself as one of the top composers of her generation. In 2018 she made history when she became one of the two first women to be commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera. Missy lets David in on her tips for overcoming writer's block, shares the early hurdles she faced as a young artist, and compares the rush of performing versus the feelings she gets watching her work be performed by other musicians. She talks passionately about the importance of mentorship and how the industry needs to change its perception of composers, so that the field is more diverse.

Check out Missy Mazzoli on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, or the web.

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You can find out more about Artful Narratives Media on Instagram and the web.

The Speaking Soundly theme song is composed by Joseph Saba/Stewart Winter and used by permission of Videohelper.

Speaking Soundly was co-created by David Krauss and Jessica Handelman. 

This interview has been edited and condensed to fit the time format.

Episode copyright © 2023 Artful Narratives Media.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Internationally recognized trumpet player Tine Thing Helseth is the first ever classical artist to win Newcomer of the Year at the Norwegian Grammy Awards—the Spellemannprisen. Tine talks about her ever changing nerves, how she finds her greatest confidence, and the perspective she gained after facing a serious depression in 2017. She also gives behind the scenes details about performing on a roof in a horrible windstorm, talks candidly about her cancer diagnosis, and lets us in on how she came to play barefoot, thanks to a question from one of David's students.

Check out Tine Thing Helseth on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, or the web.

Follow Speaking Soundly on Instagram.

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You can find out more about Artful Narratives Media on Instagram and the web.

The Speaking Soundly theme song is composed by Joseph Saba/Stewart Winter and used by permission of Videohelper.

Speaking Soundly was co-created by David Krauss and Jessica Handelman. 

This interview has been edited and condensed to fit the time format.

Episode copyright © 2023 Artful Narratives Media.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two-time Grammy Award winner James Ehnes is one of the most sought-after violin soloists on the international stage. James and David discuss a shared performance at Carnegie Hall and an unexpected mishap during the concert, the special sensation that James feeds off of when he connects with an audience, and the limitless possibilities of great art. James also reflects on the recordings he made during the pandemic lockdown (spoiler: be sure the fridge is unplugged!) and dishes on being part of the new Obi-Wan Kenobi recording. 

Check out James Ehnes on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, or the web.

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You can find out more about Artful Narratives Media on Instagram and the web.

The Speaking Soundly theme song is composed by Joseph Saba/Stewart Winter and used by permission of Videohelper.

Speaking Soundly was co-created by David Krauss and Jessica Handelman. 

This interview has been edited and condensed to fit the time format.

Episode copyright © 2023 Artful Narratives Media.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Acclaimed composer, multi-instrumentalist, and Silk Road Ensemble member Kaoru Watanabe began playing Western Classical music at a very young age. After graduating from conservatory as a jazz flutist and saxophonist, he spent a decade overseas performing with and ultimately leading the world-renowned Taiko drum performance group Kodo. Kaoru reflects upon his ten years in Japan and how it profoundly influenced his practice, artistry, and identity. Now a leading musician of both the Taiko drum and the Japanese transverse flute Shinobue, Kaoru describes the pure elegance and brute force of the practice and the visceral response he felt the first time he saw them performed at Carnegie Hall. David considers Kaoru's numerous collaborations while discussing how Kaoru retains a sense of authenticity and the natural world informs and inspires his creative process.

Check out Kaoru Watanabe on Instagram, Facebook, Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, or the web.

Don't miss this video of Kaoru playing in the natural world as discussed in the interview.

Follow Speaking Soundly on Instagram.

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You can find out more about Artful Narratives Media on Instagram and the web.

The Speaking Soundly theme song is composed by Joseph Saba/Stewart Winter and used by permission of Videohelper.

Speaking Soundly was co-created by David Krauss and Jessica Handelman. 

This interview has been edited and condensed to fit the time format.

Episode copyright © 2023 Artful Narratives Media.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pop artist Rufus Wainwright is one of the most gifted singer-songwriters of his generation. He's recorded ten studio albums and composed numerous film soundtracks, as well as two operas. Born into musical royalty, Rufus reflects on his earliest memories alongside his famed Canadian folk singer-songwriter mother Kate McGarrigle, discusses how music brought him closer to his prominent singer-songwriter father Loudon Wainwright III, and dissects the influence of his extended family on his artistry. He talks about singing like his life depends on it, his need to practice the piano daily, and the brutal experience of sharing his songs for the first time.

Check out Rufus Wainwright on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Apple Music, Spotify, or the web.

Follow Speaking Soundly on Instagram.

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You can find out more about Artful Narratives Media on Instagram and the web.

The Speaking Soundly theme song is composed by Joseph Saba/Stewart Winter and used by permission of Videohelper.

Speaking Soundly was co-created by David Krauss and Jessica Handelman. 

This interview has been edited and condensed to fit the time format.

Episode copyright © 2023 Artful Narratives Media.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The only conductor to receive a MacArthur "Genius Grant" Fellowship, trailblazer Marin Alsop is the first woman to lead a major orchestra in the United States, in South America, in Austria, and in Britain. In addition to her accomplishments, she is vigilant about keeping the doors open for other women. Marin and David discuss the importance of partnership between musicians and a conductor, challenge of criticism, trouble of artistic perfection, and how she views the audience as an active participant in the concert experience. She reflects on her early musical idols, the Beatles and her longtime mentor and teacher Leonard Bernstein, and two of her landmark initiatives, the Taki Alsop Conducting Fellowship whose mission is to mentor, support, and promote women conductors as they advance in their professional careers, and OrchKids, which provides Baltimore City youth with equitable access to community-based, high-quality music instruction and programming that teaches musical and social skills transferable to all areas of their lives.

Check out Marin Alsop on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Apple Music, Spotify, or the web.

You can learn more about OrchKids here and the Taki Alsop Conducting Fellowship here.

Follow Speaking Soundly on Instagram.

Follow David on Instagram.

You can find out more about Artful Narratives Media on Instagram and the web.

The Speaking Soundly theme song is composed by Joseph Saba/Stewart Winter and used by permission of Videohelper.

Speaking Soundly was co-created by David Krauss and Jessica Handelman. 

This interview has been edited and condensed to fit the time format.

Episode copyright © 2023 Artful Narratives Media.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.