Performing Labor – Details, episodes & analysis

An interview with clarinetist, writer, speaker, and thought-leader, Alex Laing. Alex is the principal clarinetist of the Phoenix Symphony, an orchestra and board member of the Gateways Music Festival, and on the creative team of the NPR show, From the Top.

Highlights

• Being an enormous positive influence professionally - 6:43
• His background - 9:24
• Engage, attract, and reflect - 11:31
• Is there an opportunity to share new values? - 24:33
• Practicing performances - 33:42
• Having different narratives - 35:25
• The best music played by the best musicians - 38:30
• What values do we need to communicate - 43:20
• Becoming more human-centered - 44:55
• Is an orchestra a learning or planning organization? - 48:16
• Having an artistic and personal ambition - 48:16
• The purpose of the orchestra - 1:03:09
  
  
  
  Episode Resources
• Connect with Robert Hunt Simonds:
• roberthuntsimonds@gmail.com
• http://roberthuntsimonds.com/
• http://craigwagnermusic.blogspot.com/p/bio.html
• Alex's website: https://www.alexlaingmusic.com
• The Gateways Music Festival: https://www.gatewaysmusicfestival.org
• The Phoenix Symphony: https://www.phoenixsymphony.org
• Performances:
• Mozart Clarinet Concerto with the Phoenix Symphony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vXzIU8XH70
• "Po' Pilgrim" - The Downtown Chamber Series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rD0PJkiGq-M
• "There is a Balm in Gilead" on From the Top: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWE0vqQhpek
• Alex's book recommendations:
• Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership -- Lee G. Bolman, Terrence E. Deal
• Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead: What Every Business Can Learn from the Most Iconic Band in History -- David Scott
• The World Is Made of Stories -- David Loy 

An interview with cellist, singer/songwriter, storyteller, composer, improviser, and activist, Ben Sollee.

Highlights

• Combining music and drama - 6:58
• Find your path and pursue it - 12:04
• Why study classical music - 18:15
• The culture of classical music - 22:24
• The music business - 28:10
• Helping people feel something - 41:18
• Finding a balance point - 47:09
• Consistency is really important - 48:23
• His mission - 50:06
• A crucial shift for growing - 51:22
• It's important to support artists - 55:10
• Transparency is key - 56:16
• Building trust is what it's all about - 57:21
• Handling disruption - 58:40
• Why he is still in Kentucky - 59:59
• Making a career in the arts - 1:06:36
  
  
  Episode Resources
• Connect with Robert Hunt Simonds:
• roberthuntsimonds@gmail.com
• http://roberthuntsimonds.com/
• http://craigwagnermusic.blogspot.com
• Connect with Ben Sollee
• https://www.bensollee.com
• Ben Sollee and the Louisville Orchestra:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKP3Wm3ioRY
• Ben Sollee and the Downtown Chamber Series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8siR1tmT5zE 

An interview with Grace Browning, principal harpist of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and the Santa Fe Opera. We discuss her vision for a thriving 21st-century arts institution-- one that engages audiences, empowers musicians, experiments in new formats, and is accessible to all.

Highlights

• Dealing with the technique and body tension - 7:34
• Giving the students a chance to learn - 10:54
• Social media as a gift to share music - 11:54
• Her teacher at Juilliard - 13:36
• Having fear and being unaware about where you fit in - 16:30
• The age of social media - 17:19
• Feeling anxiety - 18:32
• It is impossible to not compare yourself - 20:05
• No audition is going to be perfect - 22:31
• Making investments to teaching artists? - 41:22
• What teacher artists can do - 42:49
• Inspired by the Philadelphia Orchestra - 48:40
• The biggest difference between Dallas and Santa Fe - 53:05
• How important social interaction is - 1:02:50
• Grace's recommendations - 1:05:44

Episode Resources

• Connect with Robert Hunt Simonds:
• roberthuntsimonds@gmail.com 
• http://roberthuntsimonds.com/
• http://craigwagnermusic.blogspot.com
• Connect with Grace Browning
• Marine Corps Doctrinal Publication: Warfighting: https://www.amazon.com/WARFIGHTING-Marine-Corps-Doctrinal-Publication/dp/1557423091 
• Grace's recommendations:
• David Wallace: "Reaching Out: A Musician's Guide to Interactive Performance": https://www.amazon.com/Reaching-Out-Musicians-Interactive-Performance/dp/0073401382 
• Brené Brown's podcast on burnout: https://brenebrown.com/podcast/brene-with-emily-and-amelia-nagoski-on-burnout-and-how-to-complete-the-stress-cycle/
• Website: https://www.gracebrowningharpist.com

An interview with Bharat Chandra, principal clarinetist of the Sarasota Orchestra, the Nordic Symphony in Estonia, and the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music in California. We discuss the state of the music business during COVID-19, its impact on artists and institutions, and the potential for a rejuvenation going forward.

Highlights

• His experience in the Sarasota Orchestra - 9:52
• The Orchestra's project - 12:21
• A broadcasting Orchestra - 14:53
• Creating a safe environment - 18:18
• The goal of connecting with audiences - 25:45
• The Covid situation for orchestras - 29:16
• Talking about post-COVID - 32:51
• Streaming as a tool - 37:33
• Examples to younger people - 53:28
• It is all about communication - 55:48
• A recommendation for listeners - 1:13:52

Episode Resources

• Connect with Robert Hunt Simonds:
• roberthuntsimonds@gmail.com 
• http://roberthuntsimonds.com/
• http://craigwagnermusic.blogspot.com 
• Connect with Bharat Chandra:
• Bharat's bio: http://www.bharatchandra.info 
• Bharat's recommendation: "Caste" by Isabel Wilkerson: https://www.amazon.com/Caste-Origins-Discontents-Isabel-Wilkerson/dp/0593230256/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=caste&qid=1602864856&sr=8-2
• Public Value by Mark H. Moore: https://www.amazon.com/Creating-Public-Value-Management-Government/dp/0674175581/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=public+value+moore&qid=1602864951&s=books&sr=1-1

An interview with NYC-based conductor Tara Simoncic, music director of the Louisville Ballet. We discuss her unique journey from being a serious trumpet player to becoming a conductor. Tara specializes in ballet and conducts major companies in America and internationally.

Highlights

• The past three months for New York - 5:33
• New York has been changing over the last months - 9:19
• Competition in a city like New York - 9:54
• Thinking like an optimist - 13:19
• The music director role in ballet - 19:20
• What's the real challenge? - 20:51
• The online season - 27:02
• Being a ballet conductor - 28:16
• How the ballet world is changing - 38:41
• 10 years of doing auditions - 44:53
• Loving the theatre - 49:09
• Having a connection with opera - 52:09
• Her early days - 53:20
• Dancers are smart musically - 1:11:19

Episode Resources

• Connect with Robert Hunt Simonds:
• roberthuntsimonds@gmail.com 
• http://roberthuntsimonds.com/
• Performing Labor's music: http://craigwagnermusic.blogspot.com 
• Connect with Tara Simoncic:
• Tara's website: https://tarasimoncic.com 
• Louisville Ballet: https://www.louisvilleballet.org
• "Mastery" by Robert Greene: https://www.amazon.com/Mastery-Robert-Greene/dp/014312417X

An interview with trumpet player Herb Smith of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. We discuss his performing and teaching adaptations to the COVID lockdown, the many facets of his career, the Black Lives Matter movement, and how we must seize the opportunities presented in this current crisis.

Highlights

• It is all about being flexible - 7:27
• Videotaping yourself - 9:37
• Doing a lot of lessons - 11:42
• His idea of life - 13:42
• The idea of leadership - 14:31
• This is a danger opportunity - 19:38
• Understand what Black Lives Matter means - 28:06
• Exclusion for black people in classical music - 34:55
• Being in support of diversity - 41:48
• An amazing music festival - 47:40
• Stravinski loved Jazz - 52:16
• What's classical music - 1:07:00

Episode Resources

• Connect with Robert Hunt Simonds:
• roberthuntsimonds@gmail.com 
• http://roberthuntsimonds.com/
• http://craigwagnermusic.blogspot.com 
• Connect with Herb Smith
• Herb conducting the RPO at a Black Lives Matter rally: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0NrgSanu20 
• Herb's bio: https://rpo.org/musicians/herbert-smith/
• The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker: https://www.amazon.com/Effective-Executive-Definitive-Harperbusiness-Essentials/dp/0060833459

My interview with former Sarasota Ballet dancer Cadence Rolland: We trace her journey from early ballet training, to a professional dance company, to now pursuing a business degree. We discuss how an injury accelerated her career change and the steps she took to move on. Cadence shares where ballet and business overlap, where they differ, and how artists can repurpose their creativity in new and rewarding ways.

Highlights

• What we want as human beings - 2:37
• Her ballet experience - 6:26
• Memorizing ballet performances - 9:49
• What happens in an audition company? - 14:17
• Different dancers perform different roles - 17:20
• Physical demands for professional dancers - 22:22
• How the audition season works - 25:33
• You have to be focused - 31:43
• Pursuing your dreams and passions - 41:38
• Aspirations and ambitions that she has in her life - 44:55
• Being interested in finances - 49:38
• Doing virtual seasons - 52:01
• A very strange time - 53:10

Episode Resources

• Connect with Robert Hunt Simonds:
• roberthuntsimonds@gmail.com 
• http://roberthuntsimonds.com/
• http://craigwagnermusic.blogspot.com 
• Connect with Cadence Rolland
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cadencerolland/ 
• Cadence's recommendations:
• Steven Mitchell ballet music: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkYnuGLi4ALrDi7NnMRGlPw
• Firefly Method: https://www.fireflymethod.com

An interview with Quinton Morris, a Seattle-based violinist, professor, educator, founder, filmmaker, radio host, and entrepreneur. We discuss his path from South King County, WA to some of the nation's premier educational institutions and back. Quinton has toured the nation and the world as a violinist and is a professor at Seattle University and the founder of Key to Change, a remarkable educational organization.

Highlights

• Quinton's background - 8:26
• Creating meaningful changes for students - 9:37
• Playing an instrument to go to college - 12:32
• Having a part-time job to pay for music lessons - 15:37
• Being a very reflective teacher - 17:11
• Keeping kids engaged - 30:09
• Increasing the level of impact - 32:06
• An inspirational person in his life - 47:32
• Quinton's bad experience at school - 50:18
• Playing in a local community orchestra - 53:31
• His experience in Boston - 59:01
• Quinton's performing career - 1:12:18
• The importance of relationships- 1:15:10
• Being a cancer survivor - 1:20:10

Episode Resources

• Connect with Robert Hunt Simonds:
• roberthuntsimonds@gmail.com 
• http://roberthuntsimonds.com/
• http://craigwagnermusic.blogspot.com 
• Connect with Quinton Morris:
• https://twitter.com/quintonimorris?lang=en 
• Quinton's bio: https://www.seattleu.edu/artsci/about/faculty-and-staff/quinton-morris-dma.html 
• Key to Change: http://keytochangestudio.org 
• "Our Declaration" by Danielle Allen: https://www.amazon.com/Our-Declaration-Reading-Independence-Equality-ebook/dp/B00FPT5KYW 
• "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother" by Amy Chua: https://www.amazon.com/Battle-Hymn-Tiger-Mother-Chua-ebook/dp/B004CLYKLI/ref=sr_1_1?crid=RCKCTFFZ6MC3&dchild=1&keywords=battle+hymn+of+the+tiger+mother&qid=1599097297&s=digital-text&sprefix=battle+him%2Cdigital-text%2C167&sr=1-1
• "Ahead of the Curve" by Philip Delves Broughton: https://www.amazon.com/Ahead-Curve-Harvard-Business-School-ebook/dp/B001D6FIQ6/ref=sr_1_1?crid=J3EAVUJW3H48&dchild=1&keywords=ahead+of+the+curve&qid=1599097362&s=digital-text&sprefix=ahead+o%2Cdigital-text%2C172&sr=1-1

An interview with amateur violinist and candidate for LT. Governor of Utah, Karina Andelin Brown. We discuss the importance of music in her life, the value of music education, and the impact of the arts in the community. We also unpack her remarkable journey from private citizen to public life and the important reasons behind her decision.

Highlights

• A passionate amateur musician - 8:27
• Music is so important in her life - 9:29
• Everything is related with the pandemic - 12:50
• A campaign in this environment - 14:38
• Thinking about social justice - 16:56
• Problems that we face as a society - 20:53
• Medicaid in Utah - 27:19
• Registering as a democrat - 31:55
• Taking the time to learn from people - 34:15
• Why she is so passionate about this - 35:47
• Her takeaways about learning an instrument - 45:27
• The pandemic has been hard for arts in Utah - 50:58
• There's a lot of things that we can do with partnerships - 57:25
• Coming out of this national catastrophe - 59:04

Episode Resources

• Connect with Robert Hunt Simonds:
• roberthuntsimonds@gmail.com 
• http://roberthuntsimonds.com/
• http://craigwagnermusic.blogspot.com 
• Connect with Karina Andelin Brown:
• https://www.karinaforutah.com 
• https://twitter.com/karinaforutah?lang=en 
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Karina-Andelin-Brown-for-Utah-353846265097045 
• "Hill Women" by Cassie Chambers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QGNRGBW/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
• "The Living Law" by Louis Brandeis: https://louisville.edu/law/library/special-collections/the-louis-d.-brandeis-collection/business-a-profession-chapter-21

A conversation with Gabriel Kovach, principal French horn of the Phoenix Symphony. We cover his education at Curtis and Juilliard, early professional experiences, teaching, his evolution with the Phoenix Symphony, and adaptation during the COVID-19 health crisis.

Highlights

• The Phoenix Symphony - 9:02
• Being a teacher - 18:23
• A very different teaching style - 22:31
• How this digital age can be beneficial - 24:41
• First years out of school - 30:33
• Being fortunate - 32:33
• His experience at Juilliard - 39:51
• Having resistance from a student - 42:20
• Education came first, then music - 45:36
• Making a life decision - 46:34
• Success in an orchestra? - 57:45
• The right partnership - 1:02:09
• Music is helpful - 1:05:02
• Changing the way people see hiring - 1:09:00
• Becoming a great teaching artist - 1:10:56

Episode Resources

• Connect with Robert Hunt Simonds:
• roberthuntsimonds@gmail.com 
• http://roberthuntsimonds.com/
• http://craigwagnermusic.blogspot.com 
• Connect with Gabriel Kovach 
• Obituary of Gabe's mentor and teacher, the late Jerome Ashby: http://journal.juilliard.edu/journal/jerome-ashby-1956-2007 
• Gabe's bio: https://www.curtis.edu/academics/faculty/summerfest-faculty-bios/gabriel-kovach/ 
• Gabe's Recommendations: 
• "The New Toughness Training for Sports: Mental Emotional Physical Conditioning": https://www.amazon.com/New-Toughness-Training-Sports-Psychologists/dp/0452269989 
• "The Art of Mental Training"- DC Gonzalez: https://www.amazon.com/Art-Mental-Training-Performance-Excellence/dp/1490581677/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1597364496&sr=1-3
• "The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times": https://www.amazon.com/The-Places-That-Scare-You-audiobook/dp/B077VVGN82/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3PQP5X7ZPHYVY&dchild=1&keywords=the+places+that+scare+you+by+pema+chodron&qid=1597364590&s=books&sprefix=the+places+%2Cstripbooks%2C170&sr=1-1