Conversations with Musicians, with Leah Roseman

Jesse Stewart is an award-winning percussionist, scholar, composer, artist, writer, instrument-maker and community activist. In 2012 he founded “We Are All Musicians” founded on his belief that music is a fundamental human right, through which he helps create opportunites for people to make music regardless of age, musical training, socio-economic circumstance and ability. During the conversation he demonstrates how any object can be used to create interesting music, and we also get to hear him improvise on a waterphone, as well as with me on my violin, with a unique instrument which he explains. I do hope you’ll find Jesse to be as inspiring and interesting as I do! Below are timestamps for all the topics we covered. The video is close-captioned and the transcript will be published soon, at the same link on my podcast website: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/jesse-stewart-e13-s2-percussionist-composer-community-activist-artist-writer-instrument-builder Jesse Stewart website: https://www.jessestewart.ca/home.html photo credit: Michele McMillan Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (01:50) percussion (03:48) waterphone (07:06) discussion of Pulse water dripping on drum head (09:18) intersection of visual art and music, Reinhard Reitzenstein, Gayle Young, Suzy Lake (12:09) building a vibraphone (14:31) Glacialis ice music (16:43) exploring boxes and balloons, and different instruments in teaching orchestration (26:28) studies in composition and ethnomusicology James Tenney, David Mott, Rob Bowman (32:07) recovering from brain surgery, making videos of many different instruments and found objects like canoe paddles (37:35) demonstration of different found objects (42:20) snare drum compositions with demonstration of sonic exploration with wrenches (46:06) Community activism: We Are All Musicians (49:16) Adaptive Use Musical Instrument, Pauline Oliveros (56:38) improv with violin, waterphone and the gongs with the AUMI (01:100:32) Ajay Heble and upcoming book about the pedagogy of musical improvisation (01:07:38) improv with dancers, cellist Peggy Lee, Propeller Dance, Natasha Bakht (01:11:56) notating the drum studies, discussion of jazz drumming, Elvin Jones (01:20:43) fond memories of playing with Kevin Breit, Matt Brubeck, David Mott, William Partker, playing for the Dalai Lama --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/leah-roseman/message

Diane Nalini is an incredibly nuanced jazz singer, and composer. She performs in 4 languages and teaches jazz ukulele as well. I hope you’ll join me in my fascination with the incredible range of Diane’s interests and expertise.  Besides being a phenomenal musician she also is a Rhodes scholar with Phd in Applied Physics from Oxford university and presently works in environmental  science policy for the Canadian government. Not only is she a great lyricist, but she has also written songs inspired by great literature including Shakespeare, in jazz, blues, gospel, folk and bossa nova styles. During this conversation, she performs some of her original songs for us, and I’ve added timestamps in the description of the episode for the many interesting topics we touched on as well as her incredible performances. The video version is linked here: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/e12-s2-diane-nalini Diane Nalini's website: https://www.dianenalini.com/about/ Timestamps: (00:00 Intro) (00:53) Shakespeare “Songs of Sweet Fire” (03:30) Rhodes scholar, and Chinese calligraphy and watercolour painting with Virginia Chang, Bill Evans (08:07) paintings for “Songs of Sweet Fire”, role as album producer (10:55) Diane’s experience as a dancer and also starting to sing jazz songs at 3 years of age, also her experience of strict piano lessons (14:18) National Ballet School summer program experience (15:49) first professional jazz gigs (16:57) Science mentors at Dawson College Richard Shoemaker and John Mohamed (17:58) intro to her baritone ukulele and “Winter Eclipse” (19:04) Song “Winter Eclipse” (23:13) discussion of her song “Kiss Me Like That” and astronomy (26:18) Diane’s work for Environment, Climate Change Canada (28:13) discussion of her song “The Last Hurrah” (29:50) discussion of the challenges for individuals to limit consumption (34:48) jazz ukulele, Diane’s YouTube Ukulele for Jazz Singers, her workshops and teaching (39:48) teaching and performing online, connecting with people worldwide (41:37) learning Portuguese (47:23) Syncspace Live with husband Adrian Cho (56:00) some advantages to online teaching (58:02) introduction to song “Le Tournesol” (58:58) Song “Le Tournesol” (01:02:01) discussion about languages, etymology, Diane’s father (01:06:13) singing Schubert Lieder, learning German (01:10:52) turning down a recording contract offer, balancing a life in Science and Music (01:14:39) producing her first album, the process of putting together albums (01:16:34) making new musical connections in England, joining a salsa band (01:22:04) Diane’s ukulele made by Luis Feu de Mesquita, also history of the ukulele (01:29:36) Future Perfect album, pandemic challenges, new songs (01:33:42) Diane’s creative process and memory for music (01:38:19) Diane’s music in movies and tv shows (01:41:01) how listeners interpret songs so differently, including her song “After Dusk” photo credit: Adrian Cho --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/leah-roseman/message

I'm re-releasing my very first episode, recorded May 27, 2021 with the wonderful nyckelharpa player, violinist, teacher, and composer Kirsty Money.  During the episode she plays some wonderful music for us and shares some charming stories about how she got to know this beautiful and unusual instrument.  All of these episodes are also in video format, and I have also published the complete transcript of this episode. Video, transcript and short bonus episodes are linked here: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/e1s1kirstymoney photo credit: Hamish Gordon --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/leah-roseman/message

I speak with Elaine Klimasko, who is a Canadian violinist who joined the newly-formed National Arts Centre Orchestra in 1969 as the youngest member, and is well-known as a teacher. Her students are very frequently winners of competitions and hold important positions as chamber and orchestral musicians all over North America. In 2003 NACO Music Director Pinchas Zukerman asked her to launch the first Junior Young Artists Programme for the NAC Summer Music Institute. In this episode she tells many stories from her life, and about some legendary teachers she studied with including Josef Gingold and Lorand Fenyves. She reflects on her long career, from the perspectives  of a teacher and as a player. Timestamps are listed below!  Every episode is also available as a video, the link is here: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/elaine-klimasko-e11-s2-violinist-and-teacher Elaine Klimasko: "But I do say to all of my students though, if you think that playing in a symphony orchestra is secondary, that's the worst thing you could be thinking because the joy of orchestral playing, and I'm sure you feel the same way, Leah, is, there's nothing in life to me that compares with that. When you're playing one of those grand symphonies and that buildup a crescendo and you hear the horns and the French horns... I mean, I'm just covered in goosebumps. In my seventies still, and I don't know of any other profession that makes you feel that way. Maybe a doctor delivering a baby. I don't know. But it's pretty special." Timestamps ( 00:00) Intro ( 00:51) Joining the National Arts Centre Orchestra ( 12:29) music festivals like Kiwanis (13:04) dealing with stagefright (15:18) more about John Moskalyk (19:12) Lorand Fenyves ( 23:08) perfect pitch (25:52) Josef Gingold ( 31:52) violin teaching ( 33:42) music festivals (37:15) mentoring students who go on as professional musicians ( 41:46) the joy of orchestral playing ( 42:33) advice for orchestral auditions (45:07) the role of orchestral players in educational outreach ( 46:46) the Young Artists Program with Pinchas Zukerman ( 51:08) Pinchas Zukerman (55:23) story about Jascha Heifetz ( 56:08) chamber music ( 59:07) history of the NAC and Hamilton Southam (01:02:00) advice for serious players about buying instruments and bows ( 01:07:15) reflections on teaching ( 01:12:14 )building audiences for the future --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/leah-roseman/message

This short bonus episode in my Inspiring Excerpts series is  with Québecois traditional fiddler Alexis Chartrand, created from clips from Episode 5 Season 1.  We first hear Alexis perform a jig by Josef Allard.   Alexis learned a lot from playing with dancers from a young age, and In the next clips you’ll hear him  discuss both groove and ornamentation in traditional Quebecois fiddling.  The full transcript is now available, and the links to the full episode in both podcast and video format (with timestamps in the descriptions) are all here: https://leahroseman.com/blog/alexis-chartrand-e5-s1-transcript Alexis Chartrand: "I learned a lot from step dancers, listening to the sound of their feet, to the inherent groove that they've developed. To me that's really the basis of my practice of the bow, all of the rhythms that we have to summon with the traditional style of bowing." --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/leah-roseman/message

Megan Jerome is a really special musician with a wonderful creative voice. In this episode you’ll hear her perform some of the songs from her new up-coming album, which will be the seventh album of her original compositions. We also talk about her unique and inspiring teaching style, her experiences through some very difficult personal losses, some ways she has found healing and connection, and her song-writing process. Timestamps below.  Every episode is available in video format: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/megan-jerome-e10-s2 Megan Jerome: "And the thing is, what I encourage people to do is, "Don't do the competitions. Don't do anything like that. You can set up a venue in your living room. You can set up a venue anywhere. There's room for everyone. There are so many potential venues. There are so many people who love music. There's so much room." That's one of the big thing, this idea that there's room for one person, this is a real fallacy. It's nothing like that. Artists are friends. We're not competing with each other. We're on the same side. But that's in my view. You know what I mean? Those are the people that work for me. A community really works. Who's your community? Go to their shows. They'll come to your show." photo credit: Allan Dean Photography Timestamps:  (00:00:32) intro to song “Flora” (00:03:52) song-writing process (00:09:43) creating “Home Brew” (00:12:00) song “Home Brew” (00:16:28) childhood and family (00:18:10) learning piano, accordion (00:24:01) The Together Ensemble, husband Mike Essoudry (00:27:33) Julia Cameron “The Artist Way”, Sonia Choquette, home life (00:29:52) Megan’s way of practicing (00:31:13) Teaching (00:36:06) teaching improvisation and encouraging creativity (00:40:57) teaching online strategies (00:46:33) New Orleans and dealing with grief (01:04:37) why did she study mining engineering? (01:09:11) advice for singer-songwriters --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/leah-roseman/message

This short bonus episode in my Inspiring Excerpts series has clips from E4 S1 with erhu player, educator, and author Patty Chan.  The links for both video and podcast versions of the original conversation as well as the complete transcript, are on my podcast website: http://leahroseman.com/blog/e4-s1-patty-chan-transcript-links-for-podcast-and-video photo credit: SG Won Patty Chan on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzHGmYuiO7Wx-OMpmDgn9_A --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/leah-roseman/message

In this short bonus episode, you'll hear clips from the conversation I had with the amazing award-winning singer, song-writer and motivational speaker, Kellylee Evans. You'll also hear short clips from the performance she gave of "Feelin' Good",  one of the most-requested songs in her repertoire, by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse.  For the complete episode in both video and podcast format, as well as the complete transcript: https://www.leahroseman.com/blog/kellylee-evans-transcript-podcast-and-video-e4-s2 For everything Kellylee Evans: https://kellyleeevans.com  photo credit: Phantom Productions --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/leah-roseman/message

At the end of E9 S2, my conversation with the incredible cellist Rachel Mercer, you will find Rachel's heartfelt introduction to this inspiring performance which she made for this podcast. I have added it here as a special bonus episode in case listeners wish to listen to it again without having to scroll through the interview. For those listeners who have discovered this recording separately from the interview, I invite you to listen to Rachel's perspectives on her life and career. You can find both the video and podcast versions here: https://leahroseman.com/episodes/e9-s2-rachel-mercer To learn more about Rachel and her recordings, including solo Bach,  and many projects: http://www.rachelmercercellist.com/ photo credit: David Leyes --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/leah-roseman/message

In this conversation with the really inspiring cellist, Rachel Mercer, we discuss the arc of her career so far as a chamber musician, soloist, principal cellist, the late Yehonatan Berick, an amazing violinist and pedagogue, who was her life partner, "Our Strength, Our Song" with her sister, the wonderful violinist Akemi Mercer-Niewöhner and many other chamber music collaborations and unique projects, as well as her way of approaching music. Rachel very generously made a special recording of the Prelude from J.S. Bach's fifth solo suite in C minor BWV 1011, and her heartfelt introduction to the power of this music is right after our conversation, so please keep listening till the end! There are timestamps below, and the Bach with her introduction is also a separate bonus episode. Rachel Mercer: “I think at some point I felt that playing scales was not helping my music making because it was so rigorous in the way I was doing it. It just didn't relate to because I really want to have every possibility of expression available to me and that does not come from physically playing my instrument. That comes from my imagination and then I hear or feel a sound in my head. How am I going to make it? And I don't learn that from playing the studies and scales. I learn that from hearing it and figuring out physically how to make it. I have a piece of music I need to learn. First, I study the score. If there's a recording, I listen to the recording because I want to hear the big picture and what it really means and what I'm trying to for. I never take out a piece of music and just start learning the notes and rhythm unless it's something...Actually, no, I don't do that because it just gets me into too small a focus. I want the big picture of the end game, what I'm going for and then it's learning that and then focusing in and making sure the details fit as much as possible by the day of the performance.” This podcast is available on many platforms including Spotify, Google, Apple, RadioPublic, Breaker, Anchor and more, as well as in video format, and all the episodes are having transcripts added. Everthing is linked on my podcast website: https://www.leahroseman.com/ To learn more about Rachel, her recordings and current projects: http://www.rachelmercercellist.com/ Photo credit: David Leyes (00:00) Introduction (02:24) Bonjour Strad and other cellos through Canada Council (06:19) Baroque performance practice influences and Anner Bylsma (11:41) Vriendenkrans competition and playing in the Concertgebouw (13:44) debut solo record “Room” (15:13) Ernst Reijseger (16:10) Rachel’s studies with different teachers including Shauna Rolston, Laurence Lesser,Dmitri Ferschtman (21:10) Aviv Quartet, experiences in South Africa and Israel (24:49) Yehonatan Berick (28:38) the influences of many different teachers (30:13) Ilona Feher, Yehonatan’s teacher (31:34) Rachel’s obaasan and the experience of Japanese Canadian families internment during the Second World War (34:18) Rachel’s sister violinist Akemi Mercer-Niewöhner (36:05) Return to Canada and a career as a chamber musician (37:59) “Mosaïque Project” with Ensemble Made in Canada (40:18) Playing orchestral auditions (43:58) Pre-concert routine and mindfulness (46:22) Dream journals and realizing projects (47:34) album “Our Strength, Our Song” with sister Akemi Mercer-Niewöhner (50:06) Rachel’s way of practicing and learning music (55:08) Advice and inspiration from the younger generations of musicians (57:10) Rachel’s introduction to the Bach (59:03) Prelude from J.S. Bach’s fifth solo suite in C minor BWV 1011 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/leah-roseman/message

I have re-released this in video format for those who follow this podcast on Spotify! Here’s my very first interview of this podcast, recorded May 27, 2021 over Zoom, I spoke with Kirsty Money about her nyckelharpa journey and she demonstrates this beautiful instrument for us, as well as shares some charming stories about how she learned about the nyckelharpa. She plays some Bach, a traditional Swedish tune, and one of her own compositions,  The Grind Polska. As a separate bonus, at the end of this video  you can hear our improv together. If you're not on Spotify, the video is available on my YouTube, and is linked on my website: leahroseman.com  For Kirsty's new album, released 2022: https://kirstymoney.bandcamp.com/releases For those of you who want to study or learn more about Kirsty: https://kirstymoney.ca/ Here’s her YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuDe... photo credit: Hamish Gordon --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/leah-roseman/message

This is a short bonus episode in my Inspiring Excerpts series, from E3 S2  with guest Sophie Lukacs, the kora player, singer and songwriter. You'll hear a short clip of her performance of a traditional tune "Jula Jegere",  you'll hear her explain about the kora a bit, and then you'll hear her talk about her unique personal journey, leaving medical school to go live in Mali and immerse herself in the culture and master the kora. Finally, you'll hear a clip of her original song, "Falling". Links to the full episode in both video and podcast format along with the full transcript: www.leahroseman.com/blog/e3-s2-sophie-lukacs-transcript To learn more about Sophie and her current projects: https://www.sophielukacs.com/ photo credit: Christina Alonso --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/leah-roseman/message

In this short bonus episode, violinist and Concertmaster of the National Arts Centre Orchestra Canada Yosuke Kawasaki gives wonderful advice for musicians playing orchestral auditions, which I think applies to everyone in their lives about being aware of our strengths. Also in this short episode, he tells us about some of his memorable experiences studying with the legendary Doronthy Delay. The full episode is available in both podcast and video formats, along with the full transcript: https://www.leahroseman.com/blog/e3-s1-transcript-yosuke-kawasaki photo credit: Rémi Thériault --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/leah-roseman/message

I was really honoured to have this opportunity to sit down and talk with the dynamic conductor, composer, multi-instrumentalist and radio host of CBC's CentreStage, Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser. We explored many interesting and important ideas around creating spaces for diverse audiences, amateur versus professional musicians, LGBTQ rights, his project with the drag queen Thorgy Thor, the lost music of Florence Price, and wonderful advice not only for conductors, but for everyone seeking more balance and meaning in their lives. Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser: "Your specific nerdy interests, I believe will be of use and value to the orchestras of the communities that you serve. That would be one thing.   For conductors, I would say study languages. If I were to give practical advice, I'm just going to scatter shot a bunch of practical advice. Learning languages is important, not just because of the ability to read scores or read books of languages, but just be able to think in a different way and to have a breadth of knowledge that's like not a triangle, but a pyramid. I think that's really important for a conductor. I think as a conductor, it's really important to listen and I mean, listen, capital L, not just listen to music, but listen to people, because ultimately what a conductor needs to be able to do the best is listen.  Listen to what the orchestra's playing, listen to what your players are saying in committee meetings, listen to what the marketing people are saying, listening to what your community is saying, your community stakeholders, listening to what the board is saying, listening to what the donors are saying, taking all of this in, holding it, ruminating with it, looking at it from different facets, and being able to hold everything that is in orchestra and being an art leader in a community and observe it and being able to have it affect you. And then also having enough of a grounded center of other things, like airline marketing and car design, to be able to put it over here and come back to it. But being able to listen and take things in is ultimately the job of a conductor, being able to listen under pressure and take things in. And you can do that anywhere, at any time, really focusing your listening, whether it's people speaking to you or the composer speaking or the orchestra.”  Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser: "So I think it's important that we have those spaces for different parts of the community, right? That we have those spaces for people who have heard Beethoven Five 10 times and it's their favorite symphony and they want hear it played just absolutely the best we possibly can do it. And people who want to come and hear old classics of modern rock perform with an orchestra, because it sounds really fun and it's cool and they can wear their jeans, fantastic space for that. Space for people that have kids that are on the spectrum and maybe the parents used to love... Maybe they played in band or they played youth orchestra, and now because their kid needs so much attention, they can't because they're worried, "Is my kid going to vocalize to this concert? No, we have a space for you as well too. Maybe it's only twice a year, maybe it's only two or three times a year that we can provide that space, but we will provide that space. We see you there, right? I don't know that every orchestra's going to... Like, honestly, I don't know that every orchestra is going to be able to provide for every single aspect of the community, right? Because of 8,000 reasons. But at least we can try, at least we can try. We won't be able to be everything to all people, but we should start expanding." Daniel currently holds positions with the San Francisco Symphony, the Toronto Symphony, Symphony Nova Scotia, and the National Arts Centre Canada. His current projects can be found here: https://www.danielbartholomewpoyser.com/bio  Photo Credit: Benjamin Delarivière --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/leah-roseman/message

This is a short bonus episode in my Inspiring Excerpts series, with violinist and vocalist Carissa Klopoushak who is a  member of National Arts Centre Orchestra and  Ironwood Quartet, and the Artistic Director of Ottawa Chamberfest and  Co-director of both Ritornello Chamber Music Festival and Classical Unbound Festival . In this short video we are treated to Carissa's singing and violin playing, around our discussion of her Ukrainian roots. All these podcast epsiodes are available in video format, the link for E2 S1 is here: https://youtu.be/CGVnchkp1IM  and the full transcript has been published on my website here: leahroseman.com/blog/e2-s1-carissa-klopoushak-transcript  photo credit: Bo Huang  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/leah-roseman/message