The Piano Pod - a global hub for innovation, education, and connection in classical piano music – Details, episodes & analysis

🎉 Season 5 of The Piano Pod is here, and we're so excited to share it with you!

Check out this intro episode for a sneak peek into what’s in store this season. We’ve got an amazing lineup of guests and topics that dive deep into the world of classical music, exploring themes of authenticity, joy, and innovation.

🌟 Don't miss the premiere of our first episode featuring the incredible Dr. Sara Davis Buechner on Tuesday, September 10 at 8:00 PM ET. Dr. Buechner’s insights and experiences are sure to inspire and captivate you! 📅 Mark your calendars and get ready for an exciting season ahead.

Join us as we explore how classical music continues to thrive and evolve in today’s fast-paced world.

[The Piano Pod]

1. Website:
2. Social Media

🥹How can we shift the cultural perception of performance anxiety from a personal weakness to a natural aspect of the human experience, deserving of compassion and support?

Welcome to the Season 4 Finale, titled “Conquer Performance Anxiety” with a guest Dr. Jon Skidmore! We’re thrilled to welcome Dr. Jon Skidmore, Performance Psychologist, back to The Piano Pod! Many of you may remember his insightful contribution to our very first episode back in September 2020. It feels truly fitting to bring him back as we wrap up this season.

In this episode, we cover:

• ✅ The Importance of Mental Skills Training for Musicians
• ✅ Understanding Performance Anxiety
• ✅ The Correct Definition of “Mindset”
• ✅ “Stage Fright is Not an Enemy nor a Disease; It’s a Skill Deficit!”
• ✅ From Traditional Practice to Brain Science and Flow
• ✅ Strategies for Music Educators to Help Their Students

And much more! 👏👏👏 Dr. Skidmore will explore the topic of performance anxiety with compassion, drawing on insights from neuroscience and psychology. This is an episode you won't want to miss!

[About Dr. Jon Skidmore]

• 🌐Website
• 📘His Book: Conquer Anxiety
• 📚His Course: Musicians’ Path to Peak Performance, starting in November
• 📝Register to Join Dr. Skidmore’s Free Monthly Workshops on 2nd Wednesdays at 9:00 am MT or 3rd Wednesdays at 5:00 pm MT
• 📆 Schedule a 30 min Discovery Call with Dr. Skidmore.
• 👉 If you haven't checked out our first episode, listen HERE.

[The Piano Pod🎙️]

• Yukimi Song (Executive Producer/Writer & A/V Editor)
• 🌐 TPP Official Site
• 📱 Connect with us on Social Media

👉👉👉 NOMINATE YOURSELF OR SOMEONE IN OUR INDUSTRY TO BE A GUEST ON THE PIANO POD!

#Podcast #MusicEducation #ClassicalMusic #PianoPerformance #PerformanceAnxiety #MentalSkills #MusicTeachers #MusicStudents #StageFright #BrainScience #FlowState #MusicPodcast #PianoLife #Pianist #MusicCommunity #SeasonFinale #TuneIn #PodcastPremiere #MusicInsights #ArtistSupport

We had the pleasure of chatting with the acclaimed South African Classical Pianist Liam Pitcher, known for his exceptional improvisation skills, which combine classical music with electro-acoustic and electronic elements, earning him widespread acclaim.

In Part 1 of our discussion, we explored various topics ranging from the art of piano improvisation to engaging audiences and the societal responsibilities of classical musicians. We also discussed the importance of educating the public about the diverse world of classical music and challenging today's popular music, which often relies on repetitive and addictive formulas.

This engaging interview offers insights into:

• ✅ Liam's improvisation philosophy
• ✅ His extensive "Improvisations" CD album series, which includes more than 10 volumes
• ✅ The unique aspects of his improvisational style that set him apart in today's music scene
• ✅ A closer look at his piano improvisation methods and his relationship with the instrument

🎧 Part 2 of this audio episode will be available on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, at 8:00 pm ET on your favorite podcast platform. 

📺 You can also watch this entire episode on our YouTube channel!

This episode is brought to you by Yukimi Song Studio 🎹 Discover the magic of music with Yukimi. Realize your dream, create joyful melodies, and express yourself on the keys. Let's play piano together! Visit HERE to learn more.

[ABOUT THE GUEST: Liam Pitcher]

🌐 Learn more about the artist HERE

📀Learn and join Liam’s DJ community and courses HERE

📱Follow Liam on Instagram

📺 Subscribe to Liam’s YouTube Channel

[ABOUT THE PIANO POD]

❤️❤️ Show your love and support for TPP: Donate HERE ❤️❤️

🎬 Executive Producer: Yukimi Song 🎙️🎹

🌐 Visit Our Official Site

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TPP team had the privilege of interviewing Mr. Lee D. Stockner, Educator/Author/Creator of a New Language of Music, for Season 2 Episode 11.

Mr. Stockner is the author of Occupational Octaves Piano™, a series of piano method books, which hundreds of music instructors across the nation have used to teach piano lessons to special needs in the past decade. He is also the creator of the new and user-friendly language of music/ featured in Occupational Octaves™, which was invented for anyone with basic color and letter matching skills. Using this language allows students, including those with high support needs, can play challenging music such as Fur Elise or exercises like 4-oct scales in parallel.

We covered topics including Mr. Stockner’s experiences of teaching special-needs students, the creation of a New Language of music, the science behind optimal flow experiences at the piano, Mr. Stockner’s entrepreneurial journey. 

[Lee D. Stockner]

Lee D. Stockner is the creator of Occupational Octaves™, which features the most user-friendly language of music available. He is a classical pianist, self-made entrepreneur, music educator, special educator, inventor, publisher, instructor trainer, author, and more. 

Having been diagnosed with attention deficit while also a classical pianist made for an interesting pathway, which led Lee to write and publish the original 8-book Occupational Octaves Piano™ curriculum (through his music publishing company, Music Lee Inclined Guy, Inc.). Having first begun developing the method at age 25, his original purpose was to print, teach, and empower other teachers with the same type of curriculum he used as a 10-year classical piano teacher however, this would be in an entirely new language based on letters and colors. These initial goals have been successful beyond initial imagination. Since then, Occupational Octaves™ has been part of several progressions:

2016 –Newsday: Occupational Octaves presents a recital by special needs kids & Fox 5 NY airs "Playing piano brings focus and joy to Long Island man with autism"

2017 – Launches Occupational Octaves™ in the Cloud on UnitusTI, to bring Occupational Octaves directly into multiple therapeutic and educational environments (press release)

2018 – Public Speaking Event - Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine hosts “Autism and Music.” Student Performance & Panel Discussion 

• Foundation of Special Education Guest Lecture @ Queens College, NY

2019 – “Occupational Octaves” the documentary, is released and nominated for an award at the 2020 Pasadena International Film Festival.

2020 - Manhattan Children's Conference Presenter - Transitions for Young People with Autism

• Lee authors Classical Piano as a Pathway to Flow States for Learners with Disabilities, published in the April 2020 Traditional Medicine Research journal’s special issue on brain science.

2021 – Music Lee Inclined Guy, Inc. publishes “The Stockner Method,” to teach the fundamentals of traditional music notation to people with and without experience using Occupationa

TPP team had the privilege of interviewing Dr. Ching-Wen Hsiao and Dr. Konstantinos Valianatos—Concert Pianists, Valianatos-Hsiao Piano Duo, & Faculty Members at the Tianjin Juilliard School—for Season 2 Episode 10!

During the interview session which took place a few days before Chine New Year 2022, we got to hear:

• Ching-Wen and Konstantinos’ exciting careers as solo and duo pianists.
• The time when they were students at the Juilliard School in the U.S.
• The inside scoop of The Tianjin Juilliard School
• What’s like to live in China during/after the pandemic

🤩 Did you know that Juilliard opened its first overseas campus in Tianjin, China, in the fall of 2021!?

🧐 Where is Tianjin—how far from Beijing?

🤓 What programs do they offer at TJS?

[Dr. Ching-Wen Hsiao: Steinway Artist]

Dr. Hsiao has performed extensively as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia in venues including Carnegie’s Issac Stern Auditorium and Weill Recital Hall, David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center, Rubinstein-Saal at Munich Steinway Haus, and Taiwan Concert Hall. She made her concerto debut at the age of 16 with the Cebu Youth Symphony in the Philippines with four performances of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1. She was the first prize winner at the Taiwan Piano Competition, Juilliard’s Gina Bachauer Piano Competition, Steinway's Solo Piano, and Concerto Competitions. Dr. Hsiao also received an “Outstanding Scholarship” Award from Southeastern University, a Big 12 Faculty Fellowship from West Virginia University, and the “Rising Star Award” in Taiwan. She currently serves as an ensemble coach in graduate studies and piano faculty at a pre-college division at The Tianjin Juilliard School.
 

🌐 Dr. Hsiao’s Website: https://www.chingwenhsiao.com/

👩‍🏫 Dr. Hsiao’s Profile on TJS website: https://www.tianjinjuilliard.edu.cn/index.php/faculty/ching-wen-hsiao

🎹 Ching-Wen and Tianjin Juilliard Ensemble: https://youtu.be/sTSEiChoLiE
 

[Dr. Konstantinos Valianatos: Soloist & Chamber Musician]

As an award-winning musician, Dr. Valianatos won first prizes at the International Seiler Piano Competition, the International Ibiza Piano Competition, the Senigallia International Piano Competition, the San Gemini International Piano Competition, and the Aspen Music Festival Competition, among others. As an advocate for new music, Dr. Valianatos works with living composers and has premiered their works, such as Christos Hatzis’s piano work, Face to Face. He has also collaborated with numerous orchestras and performed in venues such as the White House, Salle Cortot in Paris, Carnegie Halls, Benedict Music Tent, and Harris Concert Hall in Aspen. He was honored by the President of Greece, Kostis Stefanôpoulos, with the highest accolade from the Academy of Athens in Greece for his work and artistic integrity. Dr. Valianatos currently serves as a piano faculty member and ensemble coach at a pre-college division at The Tianjin Juilliard School.
 

👨‍🏫 Dr. Valianatos’ profile on TJS website: https://www.tianjinjuilliard.edu.cn/faculty/konstantinos-valianatos

🎹 Konstantinos, Tianjin Juilliard Ensemble, and Shenyang at Tianjin Grand Theater: 

TPP team had a wonderful conversation with Mr. David A. Jones, film composer and educator. He is also co-creator/composer/music producer of the new Musical Animated Edutainment TV series, Rhythm Warriors, produced by Emofront and Presto Music in association with Sparky Animation Studios for this fun episode.  

Mr. Jones recently launched a new piano/music theory course for young students called “Rhythm Warriors Piano Zone,” which presented at a 3-day online event called the Ultimate Music Business Summit, which took place a few weeks ago. The summit is an annual online event for music entrepreneurs to gain cutting-edge ideas and information. 

Mr. Jones is also the director of the UK-based music production company, Presto Music Production, and Presto Music School, the largest independent music school in the U.K. 

What if there were adorable animated characters 🦸‍♀️🦹‍♀️🦸to coach your students/children during their daily piano practice through your digital devices?  Start watching this episode to find out more about David’s latest piano/theory course, Rhythm Warriors Piano Zone!   

[David A. Jones] 

https://prestomusicproduction.com/styles.html 

[Links] 

Rhythm Warriors: 

• FB: https://www.facebook.com/Rhythm-Warriors-106531494862865 
• Web: http://www.rhythmwarriors.com/ 

Presto Music Production: 

• Website: Prestomusicproduction.com 
• FB: https://www.facebook.com/prestomusicproduction 

Presto Music School: 

• Website: https://www.prestomusicschool.co.uk/ 
• FB: https://www.facebook.com/PrestoMusicUK 
• IG: https://www.instagram.com/prestomusicschool/ 

Music School Business Builder: 

• Website: https://online.prestomusicschool.co.uk/businessbuilder 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6YiWr2BMkQ 
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/musicschoolbusinessbuilder

[The Piano Pod] thepianopod.com

Hi 🎹 lovers out there! We are The Piano Pod, a bi-monthly podcast🎙 show, hosted by Yukimi Song and Clara Zhang--classical pianists & educators from NYC. Our podcast show is for anyone who plays the piano for fun, loves listening to the piano music, is currently pursuing a career in piano or works professionally in the music industry, or someone curious about the world of piano music!

Twice a month, we interview a guest speaker who has been breaking exciting new ground in the music industry. Started during the coronavirus pandemic as a way to adjust to the new musical reality, the goals of The Piano Pod are to examine the traditions of the piano, adapt them, and expand its capabilities in this modern era. 

TPP had the privilege of interviewing Dr. Lowell Liebermann, one of America's most frequently performed and recorded composers, and a multiple-award recipient. He has written over 140 works in all genres, several of which have become standard repertoires, such as Sonata for Flute and Piano, and Gargoyles for solo piano.

Dr. Liebermann has been commissioned by many ensembles and instrumentalists, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, Emerson String Quartet, and flutist Sir James Galway.  Dr. Liebermann is a Steinway Artist, who has also written an extensive amount of piano solo and ensemble music. Last year, he released his debut solo-piano album, Personal Demons (https://www.steinway.com/music-and-artists/label/personal-demons-lowell-liebermann), under the Steinway & Sons label—the repertoire includes his compositions and works by Busoni, Liszt, and (Czech composer,) Kabelach.  

Dr. Liebermann currently serves as a distinguished composition faculty member and the head of the composition department at Mannes School of Music, where he founded the Mannes American Composers Ensemble, devoted to performing works of living American composers.

His latest project, a solo-piano album of world premiere recordings by contemporary British composer David Hackbridge Johnson, “The Devil’s Lyre,” will be released on February 4, 2022, under the Steinway & Sons label. This recording will be available on all music streaming services and CDs. For more information, please visit https://www.lowellliebermann.com/.

[Dr. Lowell Liebermann]

👩🏻‍💻https://www.lowellliebermann.com/

🎼 https://www.lowellliebermann.com/works-by-dateL

💿 https://www.lowellliebermann.com/cds-and-downloads-new

😄 https://www.facebook.com/Liebermanncomposer

😁 https://www.facebook.com/Liebermannmusic

🤳@ liebermannmusic

🐦 @ liebermannmusic

[The Piano Pod]

Hi 🎹 lovers out there! We are The Piano Pod, a bi-monthly podcast🎙 show, hosted by Yukimi Song and Clara Zhang--classical pianists & educators from NYC. Our podcast show is for anyone who plays the piano for fun, loves listening to the piano music, is currently pursuing a career in piano or works professionally in the music industry, or someone curious about the world of piano music!​

Twice a month, we interview a guest speaker who has been breaking exciting new ground in the music industry. Started during the coronavirus pandemic as a way to adjust to the new musical reality, the goals of The Piano Pod are to examine the traditions of the piano, adapt them, and expand its capabilities in this modern era.

Follow us on social media: https://linktr.ee/thepianopodnyc

We had the great fun and honor interviewing Mr. BLKBOK https://www.youtube.com/c/BLKBOK —a neo-classical pianist, composer, and Yamaha Artist who had worked as a lead pianist and musical director with A-list pop singers such as 

☑️ Rihanna ☑️ Justin Timberlake ☑️ Demi Lavato ☑️ John Mayer 

💿 BOK (😁 yup, now we get to call him that way!) recently released a new album “Black Book”, a compilation of his original piano pieces, inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement and the 2018 film, Green Book. 

📼 Besides his debut album, His first Mixtape release, CVRART, and current Mixtape project, Angels Watching Over Me, with world-renowned tenor Lawrence Brownlee, illustrate the innovative and disruptive musical landscape.  

🎹 He was recently named a Yamaha Artist and added to their classical piano roster, of which only 125 worldwide🌏. 

We also invited Mr. Ray Mak, YouTube Star, https://www.youtube.com/c/RayMak (do you remember Ray? He was our guest of Season 1 Episode 5: https://thepianopodnyc.simplecast.com/episodes/the-piano-pod-season-1-episode-5-ray-mak-youtube-star-and-digital-entrepreneur) as the guest co-host of the episode! 

Wanna hear him perform live? 🎟Book BOKBOK's tour in 2022 

👇👇👇 

https://www.blkbok.com/events

😎😎😎

[BLKBOK—guest of Episode 7] Neo-classical Pianist, Composer, and Yamaha Artist 

🎵TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/blkbok  🤳IG: https://www.instagram.com/blkbok  📺YT: https://www.youtube.com/c/BLKBOK

TPP had the privilege of interviewing Mr. Ricardo Hernandez, Entertainment/Corporate attorney, from Nashville, TN, for this episode. We had such great conversations, covering the latest Taylor Swift dispute with her record label company, the pandemic aftermath, and tips on how to achieve a long, successful career in the music industry. 

[Guest: Ricardo A. Hernandez] 

Ricky is an associate in the Nashville office of Shackelford, Bowen, McKinley & Norton, LLP whose experience primarily lies in the fields of entertainment, intellectual property, and corporate law, with a broad knowledge base in the areas of music, technology, commercial lending, mergers & acquisitions, and day-to-day corporate matters. Ricky’s experience as a Certified Public Accountant allows him to see the obstacles and concerns of his clients from many different perspectives. Ricky’s broad range of experience in complex corporate and entertainment transactions provides him with the opportunity to better understand the marketplace and which in turn allows him to be the best advocate for his client. Throughout the course of his career, he has advised private companies of varying sizes in all stages of growth and development as well as through a variety of exit opportunities. His practice areas: 

• 👉 Corporate Law and Transactions 
• 👉 Entertainment and Media 
• 👉 Intellectual Property 🌍 https://shackelford.law/profiles/rica... 
• 📧: rhernandez@shackelford.law 

[Guest Co-Host: Aggeliki Psoni] 

For this episode, we invited Ms. Aggeliki Psoni, Greek/Jazz singer and Real Estate attorney, as a guest co-host! Aggeliki is a friend of Clara--and Yukimi also got to meet Aggeliki and work with her (and with Clara!) for a fun Halloween gig in CT recently. Aggeliki is the one who introduced us to Ricky, and we also asked her to join us as a guest co-host. 

📺 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNEX... 

🥰 https://www.instagram.com/aggelikiliki/

We had the privilege of interviewing Dr. Alexandria Le, concert pianist, Yamaha Artist, educator, and arts advocate.  A winner of over twenty first-prize music awards, her performance career has seen her play everywhere from Carnegie Hall and the Salle Cortot to the jails of Riker’s Island. After establishing her career in New York for over 15 years, she returned to her hometown, Las Vegas, to form the nonprofit organization Notes with a Purpose.  Since its inception several years ago, it has already engaged thousands of children and adults in the Las Vegas area through outreach concerts and special events.  

[Dr. Alexandria Le] Alexandria Le, pianist and Las Vegas native, has appeared as a soloist on the world’s most illustrious stages, such as Carnegie Hall in New York City and Salle Cortot in Paris, and in the most intimate of venues, such as the French Embassy in New York City and the Parrish Museum in the Hamptons. Her performances have been broadcast over radio stations in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Seattle.  A winner of over twenty first-prize music awards, she is a laureate of the Pro Musicis International Award and the Ackerman Chamber Music Competition. She was the pianist for two years with Ensemble Connect, the resident ensemble of Carnegie Hall, and appeared regularly in Carnegie Hall’s concert series. She has also performed with principal members of the world’s leading orchestras, including the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, American Brass, and Canadian Brass. She has worked with Pulitzer Prize-winning composers Steve Reich and John Corigliano, and has commissioned and premiered new works, including a solo piano piece (Competing Demands) dedicated to her by Ryan Carter. Alexandria graduated from the Las Vegas Academy, where she was an inaugural inductee in their Hall of Fame. She holds piano performance degrees from the Eastman School of Music and SUNY Stony Brook, where she received her Doctorate of Musical Arts. She was named a Yamaha Artist in 2015, of which fewer than 100 worldwide are on their classical piano roster. After establishing a career in New York, she returned to her roots in Las Vegas to make a difference in people’s lives. In 2016, she founded Notes with a Purpose, an award-winning music nonprofit that has enriched the lives of over 15,000 elementary schoolchildren and disenfranchised adults. Through performances, community outreach, and private piano teaching, she is committed to daily adding beauty and cultural growth to her hometown.

 🎹 Alexandria’s Website

🌐 Notes with a Purpose Website