Music Crush with FNMC

Composer Daniel Kessner came up in the SoCal composition world in the 60s and 70s, and he has Seen Some Things. Today he discusses the wild experimentation of the 20th century and the importance of learning your Bach inventions. Stick around for some great advice for up-and-coming composers and a fun preview of his bass flute and electronics piece, Imaginary Temples.⁠https://www.universaledition.com/en/Contacts/Daniel-Kessner/⁠Schumann piano quartet in E-flat, Andante: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4EDwHCR-PIBach, 3-Part Invention #3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nq7W41doqk0Salonen Violin Concerto: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2n0kZc3Utpc

Nicole asks Elizabeth if she has any age-related non-negotiables, in performance and in life. Like, how do you know you’re too old to learn a new technique? When do you give yourself permission to prefer happiness over work? And furthermore, for whom are you accepting the work? Nicole spills the beans about getting fired from her first teaching gig and Elizabeth wonders how gender affects likeability at work. They both agree that reading the room might be the most important professional skill. Brandon Shaw, Startup Musician

Inga Chinilina, winner of FNMC’s 2024 Composition Competition in the solo flute category, joins us today to discuss her winning piece, “Learning to Love America” and how she weaves immigrant experiences into her works. She also explains her PhD research, which wrestles with the inherent solitude in personal listening and the limits of human perception. She is a composer who seeks first and foremost to translate her experiences into sounds, and urges potential collaborating performers to ask for everything they want in a commissioned piece! https://chinilina.com/Chinilina, Salt Soaked: https://chinilina.com/saltAlejandro Escuer: https://alejandroescuer.com/Tristan Barton: https://www.tristanbartonmusic.com/Rose Hegele: https://www.rosehegele.com/Khovanshchina: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khovanshchina

Christian Glascock won FNMC’s composition competition in 2024 with his flute-piano work, but it’s not her. Today he fills us in on his book "Plugged In: Practice and Performance Method for Flutists," which he co-wrote with his former flute professor, Abigail Walsh. He also discusses the therapeutic role composition plays during turbulent times and the joy of meeting his composition heroes in real life. Stay tuned for more, cuz this guy’s got a bright future ahead of himself! Christian Glascock: https://www.christianglascock.com/In the Blink of an Eye: https://open.spotify.com/album/6i0ipfMU70Ah8uL1J3l7pdAmy Beth Kirsetn, Pirouette on a Moon Sliver: https://youtu.be/jj57RIRl66E?si=c9jWrO-7m9BpzSkjRobert Dick, everyone@universe.existence: https://youtu.be/c01bXIpVF_s?si=bk1SLFQNwwpeBW35Steve Reich, Mallet Quartet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrJkrCs5hUkBill Ryan, Towards Daybreak: https://billryanmusic.com/compositions/Towards%20Daybreak/Jacob TV, Lipstick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8QCsoF5W9IAndre Jolivet, Chant de Linos: https://youtu.be/SZzTzcs5Y_8?si=CsR4pGXWyEBUdMAPEarspasm: https://www.youtube.com/@earspasm

Kari Cruver Medina was born a composer and storyteller! She prefers to live a life which dwells in possibilities (thank you, Emily Dickinson), and chooses to “tend and befriend” whenever she can. Today she chats with Nicole and Elizabeth about not doing it all in favor of a life led with intentionality and exploration. We also learn more about her wildly varied duet for flutes, Cabinet of Curiosities, an FNMC competition winner in 2024, and get schooled in some poetry for beginners. https://www.karicruvermedina.com/Emily Dickinson: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/emily-dickinsonMary Oliver: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/mary-oliverBilly Collins: https://youtu.be/DOvbl3ZPPV4?si=eZrO6PgS9Liw4vvb

Are you regularly cooking up new, complicated projects in need of funding? This episode’s for you. Elizabeth reveals her super-secret project, South Dakota Chamber Winds, which came to fruition this past summer. What follows is a pretty specific discussion about how to strategize for grant writing, how to survive running The Thing, and for dessert, a delightful lil’ name drop of some perhaps new-to-you composers you should know. Nicole and Elizabeth also go down the rabbit hole of analyzing the unique vibe of non-academic venues with non-academic audience members. And finally, there is an ode to the ever-patient, ever-suffering regional personnel manager.  South Dakota Chamber Winds: http://www.southdakotachamberwinds.com/ Marie A. Douglas: https://www.marieadouglas.com/ Alyssa Morris: https://www.alyssamorrismusic.com/ Jonathan Newman: https://jonathannewman.com/

An eclectic and versatile performer, NYC-based clarinetist Chris Grymes has made a name for himself in the new music scene, as a performer, show producer, and the founder of Open G Records, which he started in 2012. Today he talks about his decades-long friendship with Joan Tower, the surprisingly inherent music of Jiu-Jitsu, and the guiding principle that drives his choice of projects: making nice stuff with his friends. He considers himself the funny uncle of the new music world and hopes, first and foremost, to leave behind “something that’s not dumb”.  National Sawdust: https://www.nationalsawdust.org/ Boulez,Dialogue de l'ombre double: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJKhUZEhtX8 Open G Records: https://www.youtube.com/@OpenGRecords Radiohead, OK Computer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDRauh2lETo&list=PLD3LS5Z2bqoFChIzb5H0CY-XwmUB02buA Brahms, op. 118: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b76pK6FRGJc&list=PLabI4D17uS1IEfjbHmdKQk_aP-RcpsByO Stravinsky, Firebird (full): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFEUfvMnCmM&list=PLt_iN-ytBvZxkr4sS-It8d8rvDDhuu1VI

Season 3 of Music Crush is coming soon!

In this season finale episode, Nicole is puzzling over how to keep a healthy balance between ambition and personal boundaries. Elizabeth is starting to see her past experiences through a more nuanced lens. No one is everyone’s cup of tea, and this conversation is all about being kind to yourself and acknowledging the things you can’t control…this is middle age, folks!

 Up-and-coming composer, Dianna Link, won FNMC’s Composition Competition in 2023 with her flute-piano piece, “Old As Time”. It’s a feminist reimagining of the tale of Beauty and the Beast, and she spoke with us about her interest in exploring themes of resilience and self-determination in her reworking of this classic fairy tale. She also discusses the existential crisis of having to fit neatly into one box in school, her inspiring time spent studying through OAcademy and Boulanger Initiative, her history of taking liberties with the score, and music-crushes on her main mentors, Annika Socolofsky and Alex Gardner.  https://www.diannalink.com/ Boulanger Initiative: https://www.boulangerinitiative.org/ OAcademy: https://oacademy.live/ Tophouse, “The Mountain Song”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaDC_e4SjBQ Twisted Pine, “Come Along Jody”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6-OLP2FTI8 How to Train Your Dragon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQxr-HeSp68

Composer Reena Esmail sat down with us today to fill in some background for the beautiful new solo flute piece that FNMC recently commissioned, Pathways of Desire. She also shared some surprising insights on the differences (musical and pedagogical) between Western and Hindustani classical musics, discussed the value of carving your own path, and revealed the secret to pleasing her with your performance! A teacher at heart, she’s curious about ways the old conservatory model of teaching could be updated, and recognizes a big truth she learned years ago as a student: it’s easier to learn when the teacher believes in you. If you're looking for some positive inspiration in the middle of a hard week, this episode is for you.  https://www.reenaesmail.com/ The Observable Universe: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/723150/the-observable-universe-by-heather-mccalden/ Reena’s Sonata for Trombone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ze0de_DFbFQ Thomas Adès, Inferno: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6r2vc_oulPg Schumann piano Quartet, mvt. 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MKZAG8Oqu8 Mendelssohn B minor piano trio, mvt. 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LDPTbFtprE

Flutist Christine Erlander Beard enjoys an active international career as a soloist, chamber artist and teacher. You may know her from her current commissioning project, #theflutistactivist initiative. Today she joins Elizabeth and Nicole to discuss her social advocacy work, both on and off stage, her lifelong love affair with the piccolo, and the importance of teaching the whole person, with your whole self.  https://www.christiebeard.net/ Linthicum-Blackhorse, C10H15n: https://youtu.be/PWq8kY1htHA?si=psJO3DwNK75Zc2ci Jan Novak, Marsyas: https://youtu.be/xsx4vMZXfds?si=3uOAkM2wzOQNTJlr EJ Louwerse, 50 Fish: https://youtu.be/qyCgAvrjAVQ?si=WRYYBxCmjjt3TyT3 Erwin Schulhoff, Sonata: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9A9F5YlbVo

Expat flutist Chelsea Czuchra is puzzling over the divide between “classical” and popular music in Western culture and how to build an authentic bridge to art music in our communities that doesn’t involve academia. We don’t exactly figure out the answer in this delightful chat, but we’re confident you will be as charmed and fascinated by her Switzerland-based work as we were!  Making Music in Looking Glass Land: https://archive.org/details/makingmusicinloo0000high Be Spoken: https://www.letsbespoken.org/ Angela Beeching: https://angelabeeching.com/ Kaija Saariaho: Flute Concerto : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7sjyGRUoRI Meshell Ndegéocello - No More Water: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDhajrZgo0TK7cAyIl8dE7fikx_pvdt4M&si=ur0hnpHyHnCRnUEC Jessica Myers, My Heart is the Churning Sea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vFJKjahuwM

Polish flutist Alicia Molitorys speaks with us today about how she got interested in new music despite the lack of early support, the amazing and unique perspective of growing up in Poland and then studying in the West as a young adult, and fills us in a little bit on one of her latest projects, “Dark Sky” with composer Allison Ogden. We got interested in Alicja’s work after she applied to perform at FNMC’s New Music Festival, a long, long trip for her which will be generously supported by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute through their "Polish culture worldwide" fund (thank you Mr. Mickiewicz!). Alicja: https://contemporaryartmusicproject.org/alicja-molitorys/ Wissam Boustany: https://www.wissamboustany.com/ Brian Ferneyhough, Cassandra’s Dream Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IKVMdH60-A Agata Zubel "Not I": https://open.spotify.com/track/1mPQCAuI9ZnOuLrikm6UD9?si=607f4fac6a674eb5 Sławomir Kupczak "Halny"  for electronics and improvising flutist (2017): https://soundcloud.com/user-395603716/s-awomir-kupczak-halny-for?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing  Nikolet Burzyńska "Green Mazurka" for flute, cello and piano:  https://youtu.be/XBKLEh0_XnA?si=bkVlYgg78pUFn07I  KIOLOIK with the score and recording: Kioloik (hendrich.pl)

In the lead-up to FNMC’s New Music Festival, we caught up with composer Brandon Nelson, whose music for Triage Woodwinds will be featured in a concert there. He discusses the wealth of opportunities that can result from growing up in a small town, the adventure of learning how to play recorder as an adult, and the very modern experience of meeting collaborators on Twitter. Living in an isolated place (the beautiful UP of Michigan) means learning how to work remotely, and Brandon has some sage advice to give in that regard. Plus, Nicole and Elizabeth learn that Recorder Karate is a thing! Come for the deep thoughts about sharing creative space, stay for the piccolo quartet about moose cheese.  https://bnelsonmusic.wordpress.com/ http://www.triagewoodwinds.com/

Elizabeth and Nicole are getting ready for FNMC’s New Music Festival! Today they talk about how proposals were selected for this festival, and perhaps it’ll provide a new perspective for people who propose in the future, and to other conferences/festivals as well. So if you’ve ever been rejected from a festival, we’ve been there too, and we’ve got some tips! Elizabeth’s hair looks great, by the way.  Here are the deets on our upcoming festival in Omaha in October: https://www.flutenewmusicconsortium.com/nmf-2024.html 

 Self-proclaimed “all-purpose nerd” Linda Antas is a composer, arts technologist, flutist, and educator on the faculty at Montana State University. Her current research involves audiovisual works, real-time signal processing, sonification, and physical computing. Today, she shares her thoughts on walking in the woods, meditation, and keeping your hands on your instrument whether or not you’re performing regularly. Listen on for some great advice about getting started in electro-acoustic music and resisting the constant dopamine hit of the wrong kind of social media! www.lindaantas.com Brandi Carlile: https://www.youtube.com/@BrandiCarlile Messiaen, Vingt Regards sur l'Enfant Jèsus (1944): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovMnmIoZh74

This one’s not about new music, folks. Nicole is processing the hard truths on Katherine Needleman’s Facebook and confronting her own accidental complicity in the past, while Elizabeth reminds us of some various cultural phenomena proving that the 90s wasn’t as great for women as we thought back then. And yes, a certain flutist fellow does come up. What do you do, as the grown-up in the room, when younger people need your support? We're still figuring it out ourselves. Katherine Needleman’s Substack: https://katherineneedlemanoboist.substack.com/ Reporting Title IX complaints: https://www.equalrights.org/issue/the-title-ix-process/ Gavin de Becker, The Gift of Fear: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gift_of_Fear

Composer and author Dale Trumbore discusses her book, Staying Composed: Overcoming Anxiety and Self-Doubt Within a Creative Life and shares some of her philosophies, including seeing the music she writes as a memoir, embracing the suckitude in the creative process, vaccinating yourself against meanness, and applying the Girl Scout motto to her work. We adored our time with her and know you will too!  https://www.daletrumbore.com/ How to Go On: https://www.daletrumbore.com/how-to-go-on Infinitely and Without Apology: https://www.daletrumbore.com/infinitely Snow White Turns 60: https://www.daletrumbore.com/swt60 Y La Bamba: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au-mBoepJUA Tori Amos, Little Earthquakes: https://youtu.be/uov7BZDOvFg?si=BTisn5FzU2NeTNjW Messiaen, O Sacrum conVivium: https://youtu.be/x0__tgrjTkc?si=nbOZfrIhApFFPz9g Ravel, String Quartet: https://youtu.be/O4a-BNQgqqE?si=GaAohSvd_r9cdJB_

Picking up from our previous conversation, Elizabeth opens with a story about her feminist radicalization (just kidding–there is no such thing) and small world, Alex was there too! Alex explains how she left the rat race of SoCal for a tiny island off Washington state, describes composition as improvising in slow motion and reminds us that it’s always worth being kind. Enter some shared wise words about appreciating your own musical fingerprints, reading life with nuance, and fostering mental health as part of the curriculum. Nicole shares her pedagogical philosophy (applicable to all of life!), and Elizabeth explores the limitations of teaching students how to live their lives.  https://www.alexshapiro.org/ Athena Lab: https://athena.gatech.edu/