Catherine Cho, Musician, Violinist, Teacher, and Performer chatted with us about her teaching and performance focus. As a teacher she focuses on the ‘total person’, ‘how to practice’ and developing a balance in life between practicing and life. From her own experience preparing for competitions she offers her current students a view of the full picture of how to become a well rounded performer and competitor. We talked about the process of learning of undergraduate and graduate student and how she guides her students to becoming independent and finding their own pathway to their careers. As a chamber music coach her focus changes to helping students how to rehearse, how to listen to themselves, listen to each other and how to interact/communicate as a group. We also talked about how she manages her own practice, manages her own career schedule, her family life with fellow musician Todd Phillipps of the Orion String Quartet and how she communicates with parents of young violin students of how to support their child in their learning.

About our Interview with Dan Knechtges: 

Dan Knechtges (“connect-us” he graciously explained). Dan is a Tony nominated choreographer, who also loves directing, and could not have been more fun for us to hang out with. He sat down with us in the studio to explain his very “A CHORUS LINE” story of going from a nine year old boy stealing the spot light in his sister’s dance class, to choreographing basement shows to Mozart, to eventually earning a Tony nomination for his work on XANADU. Of course the road is never easy, and Dan has some great stories including what he did after being told he was the worst choreographer ever, and why he was ready to walk away to be a paralegal. Dan has a wealth of knowledge, and gives it out in a very entertaining fashion. Listen in to find out what inspired Bill Finn (while they were working on The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) to yell across the theatre, “You’re so gay Knechtges!”

Links to learn more

• DanKnechtges.com

A photo of Dan Knechtges

About our Interview with Max Joseph: 

Fresh of his Off Broadway debut, Max sat down with us to chat about his experience in MAD LIBS LIVE at New World Stages. Being no stranger to children shows, Max also talks about one of the toughest experiences in his life being cast in Theatreworks USA’s CURIOUS GEORGE. We really do have a lot of laughs chatting about car totaling wrecks, rendezvous in St. Louis, and of all people: John Cena, an idol of his. Listen in to find out Max’s dream roles, why he no longer thinks he’s bad at improv, and how at heart he’s just a “family man.”

Links to learn more

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Official Website
• Mad Libs Live

A photo of Max Joseph

Denson Paul Pollard, Bass Trombonist of the MET Opera Orchestra, talked with us about his most recent sabbatical leave to play with the Radio Symphony Orchestra of Helsinki Finland. He took the audition after spending a few weeks playing with the orchestra, taking the risk along with 50 other bass trombonists he won the audition. The year was a superb experience, he talked about how the culture in Finland values and supports the arts, and how his experience of auditioning again gave him the opportunity to validate what he tells his students at Juilliard, Bard and Mannes. We talked about; the difference between European and American Conservatory student’s learning focus, what did he learn about himself going through the process of auditioning, the struggle of maintaining the excellent of performance in the MET orchestra given the demands of the schedule, demands of playing the trombone, the learning curve in learning the repertoire, how he relaxes away from his job, the rationale of his youtube channel examples, his exploration of new repertoire, how he learned the bass trombone and what lays ahead in the future. 

Woodwind Quintet “Windscape” members, Tara Helen O’Connor, Randall Ellis, Alan R. Kay, David Jolley and Frank Morelli joined us for a lively conversations about their collaboration for over two decades of performing. We talked about their start, their first program and how they became associated with the Manhattan School of Music. Known for their thematic programing, they discuss how they; create arrangements, the process in road testing their new arrangements, finding new music, create programs and how to talk to an audience. We also spent time on the mundane logistics of getting five busy people together for rehearsals and how they have learned to rehearse efficiently. Throughout our conversation they focused on the importance of offering great music to audiences and focusing on the audience’s experience. From our conversation you can hear how much “joy” they have working together and their mutual esteem as colleagues allow them to work together so effectively.