(Photo credit: Sara Bill Photography. Direction: Karen Cubides)
Listen on –
One year of podcasting is in the books. It’s very surreal to be able to say that. When I started this project, I had a strong vision for what I hoped it would become, and much of that vision has come true. However, as with any project that slowly grows over a long period of time, it has taken on a life of it’s own and I have experienced growth and connection beyond what I ever thought was possible.
The biggest way that this project has benefited me is in the amount of knowledge I have acquired through the interviews I’ve done. From audition advice to building positive habits toward developing musical skills and careers, I have learned so much about how to make my own life more productive and full of joy. I’ve listened to every single episode I’ve done, many of them multiple times. The value of the wisdom I’ve gained from those that I’ve interviewed simply cannot be measured.
Through this project, I’ve been able to expand and make much deeper connections with my musical community. There are musicians that I’ve known for years that I was able to interview and learn even more about what makes them tick and what they are passionate about. I’ve been able to find people that have connected with the stories I’ve shared, and have reached out with gratitude and appreciation for being willing to share.
The thing that blows my mind, though, are the connections I’ve made with musicians I didn’t know at all. I have cold called so many people in hopes that they would be willing to share their successes and failures for the podcast, and virtually everyone said yes. To illustrate how wonderful the music world has been to me, I’m going to list the people that I cold called for episodes released this year:
- Tyler Lindsay – trumpet, President’s Own Marine Band
- Joe LeFevre – tuba, Kansas City Symphony
- Derek Fenstermacher – tuba, St. Louis Symphony
- Kathy White – clarinet, Atlanta Ballet, southeast region based freelancer
- John Romero – trombone, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
- Chris Smith – trumpet, San Diego Symphony
- Bobby Horton – historical musician, member of Three On A String
- Mark Maliniak – trumpet, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
- Aubrey Foard – tuba, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
- Jennifer Marotta – trumpet, LA based freelancer
- Paul Huang – violin, soloist and chamber musician
In addition to the people I have cold called, I have made deeper connections with people that I knew from music school and music festivals. I also have a list of people that I cold called for next year that have already said yes to doing podcast episodes.
I wanted to share this in an effort to encourage others to reach out and connect with others. Yes, I had a podcast interview to help break the ice with these musicians that I didn’t know. I’m not guaranteeing that everyone is going to respond to every request. I am suggesting that the music world might be a more helpful place than we might believe it is.
Many musicians are active on social media with the sole purpose to share their joy and connect with others. It certainly requires courage, but if my experience can serve as an example, you might be pleasantly surprised with the result of reaching out. Feel free to contact me if you’re looking for a place to start.
Thank you all for supporting me through my first year of podcasting. The amount of love I have received has also far exceeded what I thought was possible. I look forward to bringing you more great content in 2020.