How Music Can Save Your Life

Brendan’s guest for our season one finale is five-time Grammy winner, Victor Wooten. Wooten hit the worldwide scene in 1990 as a founding member of the super-group Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. Victor has also become widely known for his own Grammy nominated solo recordings and tours. Among other things, he is a husband and father, a teacher, a published author, a magician and acrobat, and has won every major award given to a bass guitarist including being voted Bassist of the Year in Bass Player Magazine's readers poll three times (the only person to win it more than once). In 2011, Rolling Stone Magazine voted Victor one of the Top Ten Bassists of ALL TIME. Learn more about Victor Wooten here! More about host Brendan Slocumb Follow Brendan Slocumb on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Spotify! Buy Brendan’s debut novel “The Violin Conspiracy” here!

Brendan is joined by Dr. Leslie B. Dunner, director of the Interlochen Arts Academy Orchestra, as well as interim music director of the South Shore Opera Company and resident conductor of New Jersey’s Trilogy Opera Company. He won a Pulitzer Prize in music in 2020 for Anthony Davis’ historical work The Central Park Five.  Brendan and Dr. Dunner discuss his time with the dance theater of Harlem, his experiences as a Black American traveling the world as a representative of American artistic ventures, and dismissing the illusion of control while conducting an orchestra. You truly do not want to his this episode.  You can learn more about Dr. Dunner here. More about host Brendan Slocumb Follow Brendan Slocumb on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Spotify! Buy Brendan’s debut novel “The Violin Conspiracy” here!

Brendan is joined by Daniel Roumain: composer, performer, educator, and social entrepreneur. He has worked with artists from Philip Glass to Bill T. Jones to Lady Gaga; appeared on NPR, American Idol, and ESPN; and has collaborated with the Sydney Opera House and the City of Burlington, Vermont.  You can learn more about Daniel Roumain here. More about host Brendan Slocumb Follow Brendan Slocumb on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Spotify! Buy Brendan’s debut novel “The Violin Conspiracy” here!

Our guest today needs no introduction: he’s jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and conductor, and multi-Grammy-award-winner Billy Childs. Brendan and Billy talk about how he relates (and does not relate) his Black identity to his music, the spirituality of playing music with other people, and the importance of having faith in your own ideas. You can learn more about Billy Childs here.  More about host Brendan Slocumb Follow Brendan Slocumb on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Spotify! Buy Brendan’s debut novel “The Violin Conspiracy” here!

Brendan is joined by Bryan Young, touring bassoonist and co-founder of the Poulenc Trio, for a conversation about his experiences as a Black classical musician and tech entrepreneur, the ways he was initially discouraged from pursuing classical music, and his experiences with the criminal justice system (and how music may have literally saved his life). You can learn more about Bryan Young here.  More about host Brendan Slocumb Follow Brendan Slocumb on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Spotify! Preorder Brendan’s upcoming debut novel The Violin Conspiracy here!

Brendan is joined by his bestie: musician and educator Ian Hargis. They’ve been through a lot together: weddings, births, jobs, you name it. They chat about their shared history, favorite teaching moments, and how their respective races may have impacted their experiences in school.  More about host Brendan Slocumb Follow Brendan Slocumb on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Spotify! Preorder Brendan’s upcoming debut novel The Violin Conspiracy here!

Brendan is joined by the legendary pianist, conductor, filmmaker, and writer Nina Kennedy. They talk about everything from her early years as a prodigal young musician to the importance of making room specifically for Black musicians under the umbrella of "POC in classical music." You do NOT want to miss this. You can check out Nina's show here, her 2020 memoir "Practicing For Love" here, and her upcoming memoir "Practice What You Preach" here! Nina's Facebook, Instagram, and IMDB More about host Brendan Slocumb Follow Brendan Slocumb on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Spotify! Preorder Brendan’s upcoming debut novel The Violin Conspiracy here!

Brendan is joined by “the king of strings” himself, Mr. Ken Ford! Strap yourself in, because this dude is the real deal. Ken tells all about his unlikely path from IT guy to full-time musician, “faking it till you make it,” and the importance of playing for yourself.  More about Ken Ford More about host Brendan Slocumb Follow Brendan Slocumb on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Spotify! Preorder Brendan’s upcoming debut novel The Violin Conspiracy here!

Brendan Slocumb, musician, educator, and author of the upcoming novel “The Violin Conspiracy” is here to tell you how music can save your life— it certainly saved his.