The Mind Over Finger Podcast

In this week's episode, Demarre McGill, principal flute with the Seattle Symphony, discusses the building blocks of efficient and mental practice: having discipline, nurturing energy, focusing on beauty, and applying patience in our approach. Demarre also elaborates on the importance of: The "starter teachers" and the diverse support system a young musician needs to blossom Combining discipline, spirit, and energy Being an excellent colleague Patience in slow practice, and how it helps us learn faster Finding the soul of the music & focusing on beauty Providing musical context to fix technical issues Focusing on the music to get in the right headspace for a performance Confronting the things we are not comfortable with in preparation for performances Contributing to your community Not giving up in the face of rejection Staying hungry in order to grow The Mind Over Finger Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtQSB1IVNJ4a2afT1iUtSfA/videos Don't forget to sign up for my newsletter to get your free guide to a super productive practice using the metronome! This guide is the perfect entry point to help you bring more mindfulness and efficiency into your practice and it's filled with tips and tricks on how to use that wonderful tool to take your practicing and your playing to new heights! TURN THE METRONOME ON AND START PRACTICING BETTER AND LEARNING FASTER RIGHT NOW! GET YOUR FREE METRONOME GUIDE TODAY AT www.mindoverfinger.com!!!! MORE ABOUT DEMARRE: Website: https://www.demarremcgill.com/ YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVTwhPRg3lnSTSWxTROWz2w Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/demarremcgillflute/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/demarremcgill/ The Chamber Music Society of Fort Worth - Learning with the Masters featuring DSO flutist Demarre McGill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK_dsbJsw0o Demarre McGill has gained international recognition as a soloist, recitalist, chamber and orchestral musician. Winner of an Avery Fisher Career Grant and the Sphinx Medal of Excellence, he has appeared as soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Seattle, Pittsburgh, Dallas, Grant Park, San Diego and Baltimore symphony orchestras and, at age 15, the Chicago Symphony. Now principal flute of the Seattle Symphony, he previously served as principal flute of the Dallas Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Florida Orchestra, and Santa Fe Opera Orchestra. He recently served as acting principal flute of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and earlier with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. As an educator, Demarre has performed, coached and presented master classes in South Africa, Korea, Japan, Quebec and throughout the United States. With his brother Anthony, he was a speaker and performer at the 2018 League of American Orchestras Conference. He has also served on the faculties of the National Youth Orchestra of the United States, the National Orchestral Institute (NOI) at the University of Maryland, the Orford Music Festival, and participated in Summerfests at the Curtis Institute of Music. In August of 2019, he was named Associate Professor of Flute at Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and is an artist-faculty member of the Aspen Music Festival and School. A founding member of The Myriad Trio, and former member of Chamber Music Society Two, Demarre has participated in the Santa Fe, Marlboro, Seattle and Stellenbosch chamber music festivals, to name a few. He is the co-founder of The Art of Élan and, along with clarinetist Anthony McGill and pianist Michael McHale, founded the McGill/McHale Trio in 2014. Their first CD, "Portraits," released in August 2017, has received rave reviews, as has "Winged Creatures," his recording with Anthony McGill and the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra. In 2019-20 the McGill/McHale Trio performs at New York City's 92nd Street Y, as well as in Washington D.C. and on chamber music series throughout the Midwest. Media credits include appearances on PBS's Live from Lincoln Center, A & E Network's The Gifted Ones, NBC's Today Show, NBC Nightly News, and, with his brother Anthony when they were teenagers, on Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. A native of Chicago, Demarre McGill began studying the flute at age 7 and attended the Merit School of Music. In the years that followed, until he left Chicago, he studied with Susan Levitin. Demarre received his bachelor's degree from The Curtis Institute of Music and a Master's degree at The Juilliard School. If you enjoyed the show, please leave a review on iTunes! I truly appreciate your support! Visit www.mindoverfinger.com for information about past and future podcasts, and for more resources on mindful practice. Join the Mind Over Finger Tribe here! https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfingertribe/ THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme! Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson. Also a HUGE thank you to my fantastic producer, Bella Kelly! MIND OVER FINGER: www.mindoverfinger.com https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/

Nicholas Pallesen: Transformative Approach to Performance Anxiety If you have any questions about performance anxiety, how to tackle it, master it, and how to perform at your best, this is the episode for you! Today, I speak with Nicholas Pallesen. In today's show, Transformative Coach and Mental Performance Consultant Nicholas Pallesen invites us to take a different look at performance anxiety! In his own words, Nicholas doesn't fix people: he helps them see they were never broken. Our conversation will have you look at the root cause of your anxiety and stress, and will help you get out of your head and get into your life! You'll hear Nicholas talk about: How the meaning we attach to the outcome of a performance and the need for outside validation – is at the root of performance anxiety Why it's important to "play to play" and why it's helps us perform better Why we don't need to "feel a certain way" to perform our best What headspace we should aim to be in for a performance How to better get in the zone Why we must trust our intuition, and much more! Why he started to question a lot of the basic premises that we operate from when it comes to performance anxiety How he decided to tackle the issue of performance anxiety at the root Why performance anxiety is the feeling we get when we forgot that we're going to be okay Why "thinking" that there are stakes – the meaning we attach to the outcome of a performance and the need for outside validation – is at the root of performance anxiety Why it's important to "play to play" and why it's helps us perform better Why we don't need to "feel a certain way" to perform our best What headspace we should aim to for a performance and what "the zone" is How to better get in the zone Why we must trust our intuition The Mind Over Finger Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtQSB1IVNJ4a2afT1iUtSfA/videos Don't forget to sign up for my newsletter to get your free guide to a super productive practice using the metronome! This guide is the perfect entry point to help you bring more mindfulness and efficiency into your practice and it's filled with tips and tricks on how to use that wonderful tool to take your practicing and your playing to new heights! TURN THE METRONOME ON AND START PRACTICING BETTER AND LEARNING FASTER RIGHT NOW! GET YOUR FREE METRONOME GUIDE TODAY AT www.mindoverfinger.com!!!! MORE ABOUT NICHOLAS: Website: https://www.nicholaspallesen.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicholaspallesen/ How to make stress your friend – Ted Talk by Kelly McGonigal: https://www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend?language=en Nicholas Pallesen is a Transformative Coach, Mental Performance Consultant, and Speaker. For over a decade, he has helped people from all walks of life reconnect with their innate potential and bring that potential into the world. Nicholas has garnered respect within the performing arts community as the "Coach for the Soul", helping artists thrive both on the biggest performance stages and in their everyday lives offstage. A former opera singer himself, Nicholas performed at the Metropolitan Opera, the English National Opera, and many other companies throughout the US and Europe. He is a graduate of the renowned Juilliard School and winner of many of the most prestigious opera competitions in the US. As a coach, Nicholas is honored to work with an international spectrum of clients from high school students to Hollywood and TV actors, Broadway performers, and artists at the top orchestral and opera institutions in the world. He is regularly invited to speak and mentor artists at conservatories and training programs in the US and UK. He currently serves as a faculty member for the New World Symphony and the Wolf Trap Opera Company.​ Though many of his clients come from the performing arts, Nicholas enjoys helping teachers, nurses, lawyers, athletes, executives, writers, therapists, and others fall more deeply in love with their life and bring their full potential into the world with much less struggle and effort. If you enjoyed the show, please leave a review on iTunes! I truly appreciate your support! Visit www.mindoverfinger.com for information about past and future podcasts, and for more resources on mindful practice. Join the Mind Over Finger Tribe here! https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfingertribe/ THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme! Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson. Also a HUGE thank you to my fantastic producer, Bella Kelly! MIND OVER FINGER: www.mindoverfinger.com https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtQSB1IVNJ4a2afT1iUtSfA/videos

In today's episode, I wanted to celebrate 50 episodes in style by bringing someone who's work has had a profound impact on generations of musicians: bass player and author of The Inner Game of Music, Barry Green. I'm very happy and honored that Barry accepted to be on the show to have this very, very important conversation with me because his authentic approach to music-making has inspired and influenced thousands of musicians and redefined careers throughout the years. In today's conversation, Barry talks about some principles of the Inner Game, including what we should focus on, why we need to "Turn Up the Music" and how this simple act can transform our playing and change our life, how we can reach a state of relaxed concentration, how effective experience-lead learning is, and how to set effective goals. He expands further on: How "When you are playing the inner game, the quality of your experience becomes just as important as your actual success." How the only game we have control over is doing what we do best How putting our focus on the things that we can control means that we can experience what we're doing fully How we can reach the state of relaxed concentration using: Awareness techniques (what we see, hear, feel, etc.) Commitment techniques (how well we prepare) Trust skills (physical memory and advanced preparation) Experience-lead learning: "Do" instructions VS "Awareness" instructions Having more fun and accomplishing more while practicing Setting productive and effective goals It was a true honor to have Barry on the show and I hope you enjoy his wisdom as much as I did and walk away inspired and motivated! TURN THE METRONOME ON AND START PRACTICING BETTER AND LEARNING FASTER RIGHT NOW!!! GET YOUR FREE METRONOME GUIDE TODAY AT www.mindoverfinger.com MORE ABOUT BARRY: Website: https://www.innergameofmusic.com/ YouTube videos featuring Barry and Inner Game principles: HERE Barry Green, a native Californian, served as Principal Bassist of the Cincinnati Symphony for 28 years, and more recently Principal Bassist of the California Symphony and 'Sun Valley, Idaho Summer Symphony. As former Executive Director of the International Society of Bassists, he is currently living in San Diego while teaching at the U. of Calif. Santa Cruz and active as a bass soloist, clinician and motivational speaker. Examples of his lectures can be found on his website at: www.innergameofmusic.com. Green was the first bass soloist ever to solo with the Cincinnati Symphony in 1970 when he commissioned Frank Proto to write the Concerto for Bass and Orchestra conducted by Erich Kunzel. He has since twice appeared with the Cincinnati Symphony under the late Maestro Thomas Schippers who personally commissioned the Frank Proto Violin and Double Bass Concerto (with Ruggiero Ricci). In 1993 Green performed Jon Deak's concerto Jack and the Beanstalk conducted by Jesus Lopez-Cobos. He most recently performed the Deak concerto in February 2005 with the US Air Force Band in Washington DC, Constitution Hall and Duluth Symphony. Barry is known for his creative and eclectic 'Green Machine' and "Green Man" concerts including the bass in jazz, folk, rock, funk, hip-hop contemporary and world music in combination with, dance, voice, art and theater. Green has written three books on the 'mind-body and spirit' of performing musicians. He is author of the Doubleday book The Inner Game of Music, with W. Timothy Gallwey, and DVD (1986) which deals with musicians reaching their potential in performance and learning which has sold over 250,000 copies worldwide. He has written seven Inner Game of Music Workbooks published by GIA Music for keyboard, voice, instruments and ensembles. Green's 2nd book, The Mastery of Music, Ten Pathways to True Artistry was published by Broadway/Doubleday in May 2003. The Mastery of Music is based on interviews with over 120 world famous musicians on topics of courage, passion, creativity, discipline, humility etc. It deals with qualities of greatness from the human spirit that transcend all professions. Jazz and classical artists interviewed include Dave Brubeck, Bobby McFerrin, Joshua Bell, Frederica von Stade, Christopher Parkening, Evelyn Glennie, Gary Karr, Jeffrey Kahane and many more. Green's most recent book (and DVD) is called Bringing Music to Life and was published by GIA Music. The book is exploring three techniques of breath, pulse and movement that allow the musician to channel expression through their bodies. This work is based on exploring creativity and inspiration through collaboration with the great improvisation cellist David Darling and his organization called Music for People. If you enjoyed the show, please leave a review on iTunes! I truly appreciate your support! Visit www.mindoverfinger.com for information about past and future podcasts, and for more resources on mindful practice. Join the Mind Over Finger Tribe here! https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfingertribe/ THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme! Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson. Also a HUGE thank you to my fantastic producer, Bella Kelly! MIND OVER FINGER: www.mindoverfinger.com https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/

In this episode, Marc Damoulakis, principal percussionist with the Cleveland Orchestra, discusses the importance of mindful exploration, flexibility, and patience in the learning process, time management, how to create a connection between our concept of sound and the motions necessary to execute that vision successfully, and he sends us off with very wise parting words! He elaborates on: How being competitive with himself helped him get to the next level in his career and how a healthy competitive mindset can be helpful to grow as a musician The learning process behind mastering so many instruments How learning other instruments can help us make new neural connections and expand our skills on our main instrument The Importance of not skipping over fundamentals and developing the patience to go through the necessary process Time management skills for students Incorporating a solid routine for daily practice Physical connection that learning entails: understanding "when it feels like this, it sounds like this" Why students need to take responsibility for their own learning The holistic approach to playing his teachers taught him What a typical daily regimen looks like for him today Handling a lot of repertoire Focus – timeline = create timeline of your own – prioritization The importance of knowing how quickly you can learn and push yourself to learn faster than you think His favorite tools in the practice room How the Feldenkrais Method helped him Why he believes that there's always room at the top GET YOUR FREE METRONOME GUIDE TODAY AT www.mindoverfinger.com!!!! TURN THE METRONOME ON AND START PRACTICING BETTER AND LEARNING FASTER RIGHT NOW! MORE ABOUT MARC: The Cleveland Orchestra: https://www.clevelandorchestra.com/About/Musicians-and-Conductors/Meet-the-Musicians/A-L-Musicians/Damoulakis-Marc/ The Cleveland Institute: https://www.cim.edu/faculty/marc-damoulakis Marc Damoulakis joined The Cleveland Orchestra in August 2006 and was appointed to the principal percussion chair in 2013. He currently also teaches as a faculty member at the Cleveland Institute of Music. He also presents clinics, masterclasses, and workshops at institutions and festivals worldwide, and performs as a soloist in a wide variety of performance settings. Throughout his career, he has performed and recorded as a guest artist, including engagements with the New York Philharmonic, Atlanta Symphony, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony, Sarasota Orchestra, and the Hong Kong Philharmonic. He performed and recorded with the National Brass Ensemble at Skywalker Ranch and Orchestra Hall in Chicago in 2015. An active chamber musician, Mr. Damoulakis plays regularly with the Strings Music Festival, ChamberFest Cleveland, and the Sun Valley Summer Symphony "In Focus" Series, where he is also the principal percussionist. He has performed with Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Gilmore Festival, New Music Consort, and the Pulse Percussion Ensemble. In addition, Mr. Damoulakis is a founding member of the Time Table Percussion Quartet. As a teacher, Marc Damoulakis has students holding positions in major symphony orchestras throughout the world and has led masterclasses and clinics throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. He is committed to a biannual week-long teaching residency at the University of Colorado at Boulder, and is a regular participant in the North Western Percussion Symposium, and the National Youth Orchestra. In addition, he serves as a judge of the annual Modern Snare Drum Competition. In addition to his current work at CIM, he taught for seven years as a faculty member at DePaul University. As a collaborative three-year project, he developed the K symphonic line of cymbals with the Zildjian Cymbal Company, instruments that are an important part of his sound collection with The Cleveland orchestra. Prior to coming to Cleveland, Mr. Damoulakis lived and worked in New York, where he performed and recorded with the New York Philharmonic (2003-2006), served as principal timpani of the Long Island Philharmonic (1998-2006), and held the position of assistant principal percussion of the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra (2003-2006). He also performed as an active freelancer in New York, including playing in the orchestra for Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. A native of Boston, Massachusetts, Mr. Damoulakis was exposed to music at a young age by his parents, who were both educators and musicians, in piano and tuba respectively. He later spent four summers at Tanglewood, in addition attending the Spoleto Festival and Pacific Music Festival. Marc Damoulakis holds a bachelor's degree in percussion performance from the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied under Chris Lamb (New York Philharmonic), Duncan Patton (Metropolitan Opera Orchestra), and James Preiss (Steve Reich ensemble). He continued his studies for four years with the New World Symphony under Michael Tilson Thomas (1999-2003). Marc and his wife, Samantha, currently reside in Cleveland Heights with their son George, daughter Helen, and their dog Rocky. If you enjoyed the show, please leave a review on iTunes! I truly appreciate your support! Visit www.mindoverfinger.com for information about past and future podcasts, and for more resources on mindful practice. Join the Mind Over Finger Tribe here! https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfingertribe/ THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme! Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson. Also a HUGE thank you to my fantastic producer, Bella Kelly! MIND OVER FINGER: www.mindoverfinger.com https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/

Today, I'm very excited to have the brilliant violinist, violist, and conductor Julian Rachlin on the show! At the end of this very busy week, playing with and conducting the Chicago Symphony, Julian graciously took the time to sit with me and discuss meticulous practicing, mindful music-making, and his deep love of the art form! He covers many topics, including studying with Boris Kuschnir and Mr. Kuschnir's thorough approach to mastering the instrument, his views on the lifelong path that is growing as an artist, his daily practice regimen, and how playing the viola and conducting have allowed him to explore music from different angles. Julian elaborates on: How he believes we are never done learning How the fact that his parents never made him practiced helped foster his deep love of music His daily practice regimen Why the responsibility to grow as an artist lies with the student How musicians are a community How playing the viola and conducting allow him to explore music from different angles Why we should brush our taste as often as we brush our teeth Finding the right balance between being completely open-minded and fully convinced (and when to be which) MORE ABOUT JULIAN RACHLIN: Website: http://www.julianrachlin.com/ YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm_Eyb3YAt3m7_ic4VTA84A Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julianrachlin/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julianrachlin/ Elisabeth Gilels: Daily Exercises for the Violinist Boris Kuschnir: http://www.boriskuschnir.com/ Violinist, violist and conductor Julian Rachlin is one of the most exciting and respected musicians of our time. In the first thirty years of his career, he has performed as soloist with the world's leading conductors and orchestras. Mr. Rachlin is Principal Guest Conductor of the Royal Northern Sinfonia, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra and Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra. He also leads the "Julian Rachlin & Friends Festival" in Palma de Mallorca. Highlights of Mr. Rachlin's 2018/19 season include performances with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic and Mariss Jansons, Montreal Symphony Orchestra and Christoph Eschenbach, Boston Symphony Orchestra and Juanjo Mena, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Manfred Honeck, as well as the KBS Symphony Orchestra and Myung-Whun Chung. Alongside soloist Sarah McElravy and the Royal Northern Sinfonia, he will perform the UK premiere of Penderecki's Double Concerto for Violin and Viola, which is dedicated to him. Additionally, Mr. Rachlin will conduct among others the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Berlin Konzerthaus Orchestra, Naples Philharmonic, Moscow Philharmonic, St. Petersburg Symphony, Essen Philharmonic, Strasbourg Philharmonic, Slovenian Philharmonic, Zagreb Philharmonic and Trondheim Symphony Orchestra. Julian Rachlin's recent highlights include a residency at the Prague Spring Festival and his own cycle at the Vienna Musikverein. He also performed with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra and Yuri Temirkanov, Filarmonica della Scala and Riccardo Chailly, Munich Philharmonic and Zubin Mehta, Philharmonia Orchestra and Jakub Hrůša, Orchestra del Maggio Musicale and Vladimir Ashkenazy, as well as the Vienna Symphony Orchestra and Lahav Shani. As conductor, he toured Europe with the English Chamber Orchestra, and led the Royal Northern Sinfonia across South America and Japan. Additionally, he conducted the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia, Hungarian National Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, Prague Philharmonia, and made his USA conducting debut at the Grand Teton Music Festival. In recital and chamber music, Mr. Rachlin performs regularly with Itamar Golan, Denis Kozhukhin, Denis Matsuev, Mischa Maisky, Sarah McElravy, Vilde Frang and Janine Jansen. Born in Lithuania, Mr. Rachlin immigrated to Vienna in 1978. He studied violin with Boris Kuschnir at the Vienna Conservatory and with Pinchas Zukerman. After winning the "Young Musician of the Year" Award at the Eurovision Competition in 1988, he became the youngest soloist ever to play with the Vienna Philharmonic, debuting under Riccardo Muti. At the recommendation of Mariss Jansons, Mr. Rachlin studied conducting with Sophie Rachlin. Since September 1999, he is on the violin faculty at the Music and Arts University of Vienna. His recordings for Sony Classical, Warner Classics and Deutsche Grammophon have been met with great acclaim. Mr. Rachlin, a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, is committed to educational outreach and charity work. Julian Rachlin plays the 1704 "ex Liebig" Stradivari and a 1785 Lorenzo Storioni viola, on loan to him courtesy of the Dkfm. Angelika Prokopp Privatstiftung. His strings are kindly sponsored by Thomastik-Infeld. If you enjoyed the show, please leave a review on iTunes! I truly appreciate your support! Visit www.mindoverfinger.com for information about past and future podcasts, and for more resources on mindful practice. Join the Mind Over Finger Tribe here! https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfingertribe/ THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme! Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson. Also a HUGE thank you to my fantastic producer, Bella Kelly! MIND OVER FINGER: www.mindoverfinger.com https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/

047 James VanDemark: Technical Discipline & Interpretive Magic This episode is full of inspiration and extremely useful information! Eastman School of Music Bass Professor, James VanDemark, offers us tip after great tip to bring our practice and performance to the next level! Among many topics, James talks to us about creating a technical discipline that leads to interpretive magic, and about on how crucial it is to have clear goals and setting the intention to build up our entire identity as an artist whenever we enter the practice room. He elaborates on the importance of: using the bow in an imaginative way (having the bow be an extension of our imagination) while having a left hand that is as immaculate as can be acutely playing in the present moment establishing a great basic posture slow practice using the mirror having interpretation be at the center of the technical work create the concert experience in the practice room ear training - through listening to recording actively and with imagination, and through exercises having a schedule, have a clear intent, and be kind to others MORE ABOUT JAMES: Eastman School of Music: https://www.esm.rochester.edu/faculty/james-vandemark/ YouTube Videos: Here Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bassfilm1/ "Some people seemed destined to lead unconventional lives, and James VanDemark is certainly one of them," said the New York Times in the first of its three profiles on VanDemark. Performer, academic, boxer, producer, and entrepreneur - these are the principal roles VanDemark has successfully played in a highly diverse career spanning nearly four decades. VanDemark's arts and culture projects have been featured in the New York Times, Connoisseur Magazine, on the MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour, the BBC, CBC, NPR, and in many other media outlets around the world. In considerable demand as a speaker on entrepreneurial skills at colleges across the United States and Canada, VanDemark has also received great acclaim for his frequent role as narrator with many prominent symphony orchestras, including more than 40 performances with the Rochester Philharmonic and 15 with the Texas Festival Orchestra. Appointed to the Eastman School of Music at the age of 23, VanDemark was the youngest faculty member ever appointed to a professorial position at a major American music school. His students perform in many of the world's great orchestras – the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic, Buffalo Philharmonic, Vienna Chamber Orchestra, Tokyo Chamber Orchestra, Singapore Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic – and many more. His students have also been nominated for—and won—numerous Grammy awards in various categories, including classical, contemporary, jazz, and bluegrass. VanDemark's students have also held positions at major music schools, including Indiana University, Oberlin Conservatory, Eastman School of Music, Louisiana State University, Carnegie-Mellon, Peabody Conservatory, University of Delaware, NYU's Steinhardt School of Music, Michigan State University, University of Colorado, University of Alabama, University of Tennessee, and many others. VanDemark's performing career has included solo appearances with the New York Philharmonic, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic, National Symphony of Mexico, Netherlands Radio Symphony, Symphony Nova Scotia, Minnesota Orchestra, Orchestre Symphonique de Quebec, Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, and many more. Chamber music appearances have included the Cleveland, Guarneri, Muir, Colorado and Ying Quartets, the Gryphon Trio, violinist Yehudi Menuhin, as well as legendary pianists Andre Watts, Alfred Brendel, and Gary Graffman. VanDemark has also been featured on Lincoln Center's "Great Performers Series" on three occasions, including in recital with Andre Watts. VanDemark is also the recipient of commissioned works by many composers, including three Pulitzer Prize winners: Gian-Carlo Menotti, Joseph Schwantner, and Christopher Rouse. As a founding member of Square Peg Entertainment, VanDemark developed and represented screenplays and properties of Oscar winners Ernest Thompson, Horton Foote, Eiko Ishioka, Ron Harwood, Oscar nominee Hesper Anderson, Stu Silver, Paul Theroux, and many others. VanDemark also developed the World War I story CODE BROTHERS for CTV (Toronto), THE WAYNE AND SUE SHOW for Tribune Entertainment, produced the album and music video THE GIFT with singer Linda Eder for Atlantic Records, and with television legend Sir David Frost, developed the Frederick Forsyth novella THE SHEPHERD in conjunction with Shaftesbury Films (Toronto). VanDemark also co-produced and cast SPEAK LOW, the highly successful Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) Gala featuring Jerry Orbach, Donna Murphy, Duncan Sheik, and other stars of Broadway and the Metropolitan Opera in the music of Kurt Weill. VanDemark has also served as Music Supervisor for John Cougar Mellencamp's film, AFTER IMAGE. Acclaimed for his extensive work in the Native American community, VanDemark commissioned and developed the Native collaborative musical work CIRCLE OF FAITH, profiled in The New York Times, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Detroit Free Press, Minneapolis Star and Tribune, Denver Post, Lakota Times, and on NPR's Morning Edition. VanDemark has helped produce more than 40 performances of the work in the United States and Canada. As an accomplished amateur boxer, VanDemark was recently profiled on the front page of The Wall Street Journal, The Strad, on CBC's "Q," WNYC's "Soundcheck," and was featured at length on ESPN's E-60. VanDemark's conditioning and boxing program for students, musicians, and the general public has also brought him considerable worldwide acclaim. His recent boxing/ conditioning presentations include the University of Tennessee, the University of Alabama, Louisiana State University, Loyola University New Orleans, and the University of Santiago (Chile). VanDemark attributes the longevity and diversity of his career not only to his own athletic training, but also to his work in the the health care field in the 1970's, when he worked extensively under the renowned neurologist Dr. Howard S. Barrows at the McMaster University School of Medicine in Canada in developing the groundbreaking Simulated/Standardized Patient Program (SPP). As a result of these achievements, VanDemark was named to the Industry Board of the American Health Council in October 2017. If you enjoyed the show, please leave a review on iTunes! I truly appreciate your support! Visit www.mindoverfinger.com for information about past and future podcasts, and for more resources on mindful practice. Join the Mind Over Finger Tribe here! https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfingertribe/ THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme! Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson. Also a HUGE thank you to my fantastic producer, Bella Kelly! MIND OVER FINGER: www.mindoverfinger.com https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/

In this episode, Billy Hunter, Principal Trumpet with the Metropolitan Opera, talks about how meditation transformed his approach to music-making – from practicing to preparing for audition, and performing. Billy elaborates on: How he used and still uses meditation and mindfulness to center himself before a performance How he focuses his mind on "Intending to play well" when performing How he believes in the importance of a regular meditation practice – in the cumulative effect of practicing meditation daily Why he wants to feel like he's practicing when he's performing How Bikram Yoga brought him a lot of focus How mindfulness helps him learn faster ALL ABOUT BILLY: http://www.metorchestramusicians.org/billy-r-hunter-jr Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/billyhunter1812/ A native of Austin, Texas, Billy Hunter is currently Principal Trumpet with the Metropolitan Opera in New York and Assistant Principal Trumpet with the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra in Chicago. Before this, he was Principal with the New World Symphony and Spoleto Festival Italy orchestras, and has performed as Guest Principal with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony in Germany, Malaysian Philharmonic in Kuala Lumpur, and the Charleston Symphony Orchestra. Other orchestras he has performed with are the New York Philharmonic, Boston, Baltimore, and Dallas Symphonies. As a chamber musician and soloist Mr. Hunter has performed with several ensembles and music festivals including Grant Park Orchestra, New World Symphony, University of Texas Symphony and Wind Ensemble, Prometheus Chamber Orchestra, Eastern Music Festival Orchestra, American Brass Quintet, the Martha's Vineyard Chamber Music Festival and the MET Chamber Ensemble. His honors and awards include first prize in the Kingsville International Solo Competition Brass and Non-string divisions, second prize in the National Trumpet Competition, recipient of the Roger Voisin Trumpet award as a fellow of the prestigious Tanglewood Music Center in the Berkshires, and most recently, the University of Texas at Austin Outstanding Young Alumnus Award. A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and the Juilliard School, his teachers have included Mark Gould (former Principal Trumpet of the Met), Raymond Mase (Principal Trumpet of the NYC Ballet and ABQ), Raymond Crisara (former trumpet of the Met and NBC Symphony), and Harry Shapiro (former horn player of the Boston Symphony). If you enjoyed the show, please leave a review on iTunes! I truly appreciate your support! Visit www.mindoverfinger.com for information about past and future podcasts, and for more resources on mindful practice. Join the Mind Over Finger Tribe here! https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfingertribe/ THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme! Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson. Also a HUGE thank you to my fantastic producer, Bella Kelly! MIND OVER FINGER: www.mindoverfinger.com https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/

Today's show brings you a powerful and honest conversation on very important topics, including how changing your mindset can change your life, how focusing on your musical voice instead of perfection in execution and external validation can transform your relationship with practicing, enrich your playing, and affect the trajectory of your career. Milan Milisavljevic, Principal Viola with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, elaborates on: the major impact a mentor had in his life the importance of knowing where you're coming from as a musician the importance of having a clear intention of what you want to sound like and listen intently to yourself and monitor your body when playing why shame has no business in the practice room his scale routine how he feels sound production in his arm the importance of "reducing the distance between thought and sound (I love that one!!!) how the fear transmitted from a teacher made him dread practicing, and how that has since changed how he uses the Pomodoro technique why it's important to be calm when we're facing things that make us feel uncomfortable how changes in our lives come from us making the effort to go through the reflection and do the work the important of courage in approaching music why serving others and serving music IS THE POINT of music-making! why it's about "saying something meaningful rather than being perfect" MORE ABOUT MILAN: Website: http://milanmilisavljevic.com/ YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsqbMHG_aOg5dgnTX_jYApw The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra: http://www.metorchestramusicians.org/milan-milisavljevi Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/milimusique/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quincejuice/ Widely considered one of the leading violists of his generation, Milan Milisavljević is Principal Viola with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and is on the viola faculty at Mannes School of Music in New York. His performances combine intense expression with an immediate and profound link to his listeners and have won much critical acclaim. The Strad magazine has described his playing as "very imaginative, with a fine, cultured tone." Milan's solo album Sonata-Song, released by Delos Music, has received glowing reviews, with the recording of A. Khachaturian's solo sonata on the album hailed as "definitive". He has won prizes at competitions such as Lionel Tertis and Aspen Lower Strings and has performed at Marlboro, Cascade Head, Classical Tahoe, Agassiz and Grand Teton music festivals. Milan has appeared as soloist throughout the world, with orchestras such as the Munich Chamber Orchestra, the Belgrade Philharmonic, Aspen Sinfonia, Classical Tahoe, Orquesta Filarmónica de Boca del Río and many others. As a chamber musician, he has collaborated with members of the Guarneri and Mendelssohn String Quartets, as well as Joseph Kalichstein, Sergiu Luca, Cho-Liang Lin and many others. Milan has been heard worldwide on countless recordings and broadcasts of the MET. He previously served as its Assistant Principal Viola for twelve seasons. He is a former member of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and has served as guest Principal Viola of many orchestras, such as the Toronto Symphony. In addition to his teaching activities at Mannes, Milan has coached violists in masterclasses at universities and conservatories worldwide, as well as at Verbier Music Festival, Aspen Music Festival, and as a volunteer at Ecole de musique St-Trinite in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He is also increasingly in demand as a conductor. Milan's teachers include Jutta Puchhammer, Atar Arad, James Dunham, Nobuko Imai and Samuel Rhodes. He plays a viola made by Joseph Curtin of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and is a Larsen Strings Artist. Milan is also active as a conductor and founder of Music for the People, a New York-based ensemble dedicated to a new perspective and concert experience of classical music. In addition to his musical interests, he is also an avid runner, an occasional triathlete and a huge fan of modern architecture and design, especially the Mid Century Modern style. If you enjoyed the show, please leave a review on iTunes! I truly appreciate your support! Visit www.mindoverfinger.com for information about past and future podcasts, and for more resources on mindful practice. Join the Mind Over Finger Tribe here! https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfingertribe/ THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme! Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson. Also a HUGE thank you to my fantastic producer, Bella Kelly! MIND OVER FINGER: www.mindoverfinger.com https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/

Sarah Whitney: Thriving Through Injury Today on the show, I'm really happy to bring you violinist Sarah Whitney to cover a VERY important topic: dealing with injuries as a musician! In this episode, Sarah talks to us about how you can not only prevent and treat injury, but also thrive in the aftermath – how to handle recovery, the ways she warms up to prevent injury, and how important the mental aspect of recovery is. She also talks about how she helps musicians achieve their career goals and why life and career coaching can be a real game changer. And don't forget to share your injury story with us, and let us know what resonated with you in the episode! ALL ABOUT SARAH: Website: https://www.sarahwhitney.com Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/theproductivemusician/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahwhitneyistall/ Sybaryte5: https://www.sybarite5.org/ https://www.facebook.com/SybariteFive/ https://www.instagram.com/sybarite5/ Trifecta String Trio https://www.trifectatrio.com/about https://www.instagram.com/trifectastringtrio/ The violinist Sarah Whitney is celebrated as a performer, teacher, entrepreneur, career coach, and musical maverick. Praised by The Washington Post for her "marvelous violin acrobatics," Sarah has appeared on stages worldwide as a soloist and collaborative artist throughout North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Comfortable in a wide range of settings and musical styles, she is fiercely dedicated to bringing fresh new ideas to classical music and empowering musicians to find their own voice. Sarah is a founding member of the acclaimed string quintet SYBARITE5, which won the Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition in 2011 and continues to perform extensively around North America. Sarah has also performed with SYBARITE5 at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Alice Tully Hall, the Library of Congress, the Aspen, Caramoor, Chautauqua, Grand Teton, and Ravinia Festivals, and on the CBS Early Show. Their latest album entitled Outliers reached No. 1 on the Billboard Charts, and they recently premiered Dan Visconti's Beatbox: Concerto for String Quintet & Orchestra with the South Carolina Philharmonic, Midland Symphony Orchestra, and Duluth-Superior Orchestra. Recognized as a pioneer in changing the perception of classical music and committing to building new audiences, in 2015, Sarah founded Beyond the Notes, an innovative concert series dedicated to breaking down the barriers between performers and the audience. The series is rooted in the Boston-area but has expanded in recent years to present performances throughout North America. She is also currently the Music Director for Lincoln Center Stage — an innovative partnership between Lincoln Center and the Holland-American Cruise Lines. This initiative organizes highly-coveted residencies for top young chamber musicians on board cruise ships elevating the performance level to that heard in leading concert halls. Sarah's writing is featured regularly in for Strings Magazine and 21CM.org. Her widely-read blog The Productive Musician focuses on health and wellness, productivity, and strategies for developing and maintaining an effective mindset. She has served on the New York State Presenters Network Panel in discussions about progressive programming and innovation. Defying categorization and welcoming diverse collaborations, Sarah has collaborated with the Alvin Ailey and Jose Limon dance companies and has been featured on-stage with Adele, Ellie Goulding, the Transiberian Orchestra, Jeff Beck, Anne Murray, Andrew Wyatt, Tommy Lee, and with Father John Misty. Active as a recording artist, Sarah has performed on albums with Darlene Love, Josh Ritter, Stephen Kellogg, Mark Geary and Etienne Charles and can be heard on William Bolcom's Grammy-winning album 'The Songs of Innocence and Experience'. She has also collaborated with DJ Doug E. Fresh and opened for Jennifer Hudson and Diana Ross. She recently recorded together with the legendary clarinetist Richard Stoltzman. Sarah also performs regularly in the Seeing Double Duo with violinist Julia Salerno, and the Trifecta Trio together with violist Angela Pickett and cellist Laura Metcalf. Sarah is co-founder of the Jingle Punks Hipster Orchestra that has been featured on Mashable, Perez Hilton, Revolt TV, as well as with the rapper NAS in Johannesburg, South Africa. Guiding students with an especially collaborative teaching approach, Sarah works nationally with students of all levels. She has given guest master classes and entrepreneurial workshops at the Curtis Institute, New England Conservatory, DePauw University, University of Oklahoma, University of Arizona, Grinnell College, Ohio University, University of North Florida, the Walnut Hill School, the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, among others, and has been guest artist-in-residence at Eastern Washington University. She has served on faculty at Music in Chappaqua, The Music School of New York City and the Walla Walla Suzuki Institute. She previously served as co-director of the Sato Center Outreach Group at the Sato Center for Suzuki Studies in Cleveland, and received Suzuki teacher training from the renowned pedagogue Kimberly Meier-Sims. Currently based in New York City, Sarah holds degrees from the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, and Dance and the Cleveland Institute of Music. Additional studies include at the Aspen Music Festival and School, the Music Academy of the West, and the Meadowmount School of Music. Her teachers included Paul Kantor, William Preucil, Kathleen Winkler, Aaron Berofsky, Cyrus Forough, Stephen Shipps and Irina Muresanu. Sarah performs on violin made by J.B. Vuillaume in 1850. If you enjoyed the show, please leave a review on iTunes! I truly appreciate your support! Visit www.mindoverfinger.com for information about past and future podcasts, and for more resources on mindful practice. Join the Mind Over Finger Tribe here! https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfingertribe/ THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme! Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson. Also a HUGE thank you to my fantastic producer, Bella Kelly! MIND OVER FINGER: www.mindoverfinger.com https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/

This week I'm really excited to bring you Frank Rosenwein, Principal Oboe with the Cleveland Orchestra and oboe teacher at the Cleveland Institute of Music. In this episode, we discuss stepping into the role of a principal wind player in a major orchestra, transitioning from student to professional life, how to keep playing at the highest level consistently, the importance of having a strong vision and cultivating an ever inquisitive mind, what teaching brings to one's playing, and much more! More about Frank Rosenwein: The Cleveland Orchestra: http://www.clevelandorchestra.com/ The Cleveland Institute of Music: https://www.cim.edu/faculty/frank-rosenwein YouTube videos: https://www.google.com/search?q=frank+rosenwein&newwindow=1&sxsrf=ACYBGNRqML7ag5XPsKlpQNJ0oNqu2arXKw:1568685892756&source=lnms&tbm=vid&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjf8pqr4tbkAhVHX60KHQ1YBDIQ_AUIFSgE&biw=1920&bih=937 Frank Rosenwein joined The Cleveland Orchestra as principal oboe at the beginning of the 2005–06 season. He made his solo debut with the Orchestra in February 2007, in Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 2. Since then he has performed many times as soloist, including playing the Richard Strauss Oboe Concerto in 2012 and the first Cleveland Orchestra performances of the Vaughan Williams Oboe Concerto in 2017. Since 2006, Mr. Rosenwein has served as head of the oboe department at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where in 2015 he was given the Alumni Achievement award. He also teaches at the Kent Blossom Music Festival, and is in demand as a guest artist and masterclass clinician in schools all over the world. An avid chamber musician, he has spent many summers at the Marlboro Festival and has performed with the Mainly Mozart Festival in San Diego, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and the Seattle Chamber Music Society. Born in Evanston, Illinois, Mr. Rosenwein holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he studied with John Mack (Cleveland Orchestra principal oboe, 1965–2001), and a Master of Music degree from the Juilliard School. Prior to coming to Cleveland, he served as principal oboe (2002–05) of the San Diego Symphony and San Diego Opera. Mr. Rosenwein is married to Cleveland Orchestra associate concertmaster Jung-Min Amy Lee. They live in Cleveland Heights with their twin boys, Joshua and Julian, and their dog, Sofie. If you enjoyed the show, please leave a review on iTunes! I truly appreciate your support! Visit www.mindoverfinger.com for information about past and future podcasts, and for more resources on mindful practice. Join the Mind Over Finger Tribe here! https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindoverfingertribe/ THANK YOU: Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme! Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson. Also a HUGE thank you to my fantastic producer, Bella Kelly! MIND OVER FINGER: www.mindoverfinger.com https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/