1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:19,000 It's a new day, it's a new life for me, for me, for me, for me. 2 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:33,000 So, Nenna, what exactly is Juneteenth LP? 3 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:39,000 We are a music collective of mostly classically-trained musicians of the African diaspora. 4 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:47,000 Our mission is to introduce people to classical music by African diaspora composers, 5 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:51,680 for composers, but the gateway is more familiar music to them. 6 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:54,600 So we play music of all genres. 7 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:57,800 One of the things that people ask me a lot is, 8 00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:01,120 what is the impact you want your ensemble to have? 9 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:04,320 And then what is the impact you think it actually does have? 10 00:01:04,320 --> 00:01:09,320 I would say that what I want is for it to open people's ears 11 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:12,200 and people's minds and open people's hearts. 12 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:13,880 I just want people to feel something. 13 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:16,620 And I want people to know that this music 14 00:01:16,620 --> 00:01:19,960 that is considered very elite and rare 15 00:01:19,960 --> 00:01:22,380 and all of those things, 16 00:01:22,380 --> 00:01:26,840 that actually they have a cultural history with it as well. 17 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:29,040 Like it is not something that they have to be 18 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:30,400 on the outside looking in. 19 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:33,400 ["Piano Enthusiasts"] 20 00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:45,720 Hello, piano enthusiasts. 21 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:47,080 Welcome to the PianoPod. 22 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:49,240 I am your host, Yukimi Sang. 23 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:52,680 Today, we're diving deeper into the second installment 24 00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:55,260 of this season's fourth episode, 25 00:01:55,260 --> 00:02:00,060 featuring the extraordinary pianist, Dr. Nene Ogwo. 26 00:02:00,060 --> 00:02:04,000 If you missed our captivating conversation in part one, 27 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:07,920 where we explored the fascinating journey of her project, 28 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:11,320 Juneteenth LP, a musical initiative based 29 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:13,060 in the heart of New York City, 30 00:02:13,060 --> 00:02:17,080 spotlighting the rich music of the African diaspora 31 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:19,480 and showcasing exceptionally talented 32 00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:21,560 black classical musicians. 33 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:24,800 Don't worry, you can catch up on all the excitement 34 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:27,720 on your favorite podcast platform. 35 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:31,220 A warm welcome to all our new listeners and viewers. 36 00:02:31,220 --> 00:02:34,080 This podcast is your all access pass 37 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:36,700 to the captivating world of piano. 38 00:02:36,700 --> 00:02:39,100 In each episode of the PianoPod, 39 00:02:39,100 --> 00:02:41,480 I interview a guest speaker who has been breaking 40 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:43,760 exciting new ground in the industry. 41 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:45,800 Please rate the show and review it 42 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:47,900 on your favorite podcasting platform, 43 00:02:47,900 --> 00:02:51,600 because every rating review will help people find my show. 44 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:54,200 So my friends, here is part two 45 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:57,000 of the PianoPod's season four, episode four, 46 00:02:57,000 --> 00:02:59,120 with Dr. Nene Ogwo. 47 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:00,280 Please enjoy the show. 48 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:06,040 You mentioned briefly about your mother. 49 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:10,880 So I know your mother was, be the big part of your, 50 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:12,320 who you are today. 51 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:14,520 So I wanna start with this. 52 00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:18,600 How did you discover your love for music? 53 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:23,120 Well, ironically, my father was an audiophile. 54 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:27,880 So he had this, in the basement, he had set up, 55 00:03:27,880 --> 00:03:30,320 those wall systems that just, 56 00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:34,220 we have like two walls of records and a sound system. 57 00:03:34,220 --> 00:03:38,280 And he would sit down and just listen to music down there. 58 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:40,480 And so I have memories of listening to music 59 00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:43,760 in the basement with my father, all different kinds of music. 60 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:46,720 He, my father's Nigerian, and he came to Howard University 61 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:49,480 to study in effect, that's where my parents met. 62 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:52,300 And he took an intro to music course. 63 00:03:52,300 --> 00:03:54,460 And so it's fascinating to me. 64 00:03:54,460 --> 00:03:57,120 One of his favorite composers was Beethoven, 65 00:03:57,120 --> 00:04:00,540 but he also fell in love with music of the Renaissance. 66 00:04:00,540 --> 00:04:02,360 I was listening to, you know, 67 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:05,400 Lassus and Palestrina really early. 68 00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:08,520 You know, I was listening to Beethoven and Bach, 69 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:13,240 but also Aretha Franklin, you know, the whole Motown sound, 70 00:04:13,240 --> 00:04:17,400 but also Patsy Cline, you know, also, 71 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:19,800 what's his name, the man in black, Johnny Cash, 72 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:23,120 like just such a wide range, you know, the Beatles, 73 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:26,640 you name it, like just an incredibly wide range of music. 74 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:28,160 And then when I was in school, 75 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:31,440 kids were picking instruments and I came home saying, 76 00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:33,120 I'm gonna learn how to play the violin. 77 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:34,440 I didn't really love the violin, 78 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:35,880 but everyone was playing the violin, 79 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:37,620 so I wanted to play the violin. 80 00:04:37,620 --> 00:04:40,440 And a music teacher at the school said, 81 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:43,440 yeah, I think that she's actually kind of gifted. 82 00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:44,880 And I think that what you need to do 83 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:47,280 is put her on the piano and then she can choose 84 00:04:47,280 --> 00:04:48,960 to do whatever she wants from that point, 85 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:51,120 but you should put her on the piano to start. 86 00:04:51,120 --> 00:04:54,320 And that teacher was also the teacher that suggested 87 00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:57,200 that my parents take me to Peabody Prep to audition. 88 00:04:57,200 --> 00:04:58,160 Wow. 89 00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:00,320 Yeah, so one thing you let another, 90 00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:03,000 I mean, I'm sure you really worked hard 91 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:06,600 and then there were ups and downs in all this, you know, 92 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:09,840 journey, but then ended up going to Oberlin. 93 00:05:09,840 --> 00:05:12,640 And also you also went to Budapest to study, 94 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:14,000 this Academy of Music, 95 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:17,720 and then ended up going to Stony Brook for doctorate degree. 96 00:05:17,720 --> 00:05:19,560 Yeah, master's and doctorate. 97 00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:20,480 Master's and doctorate. 98 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:23,840 And you got a Stern Scholarship, Turner Fellowship, 99 00:05:23,840 --> 00:05:26,600 and then, oh my gosh, Fulbright Award. 100 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:29,320 Wow, you are an amazing achiever. 101 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:32,280 And then, so tell me what stands out 102 00:05:32,280 --> 00:05:34,520 from all these accomplishments. 103 00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:37,320 Is there any story that you'd like to share 104 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:38,960 or mentorship you had? 105 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:43,640 Each of those places were special in their own way, 106 00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:46,160 but I would say that I had two 107 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:48,640 truly transformative music experiences. 108 00:05:48,640 --> 00:05:52,680 And the first was going to Walden and studying composition. 109 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:55,160 And then the second was actually going to the List Academy 110 00:05:55,160 --> 00:05:58,440 and studying with Ferdinand Tarrados. 111 00:05:58,440 --> 00:05:59,280 It's interesting. 112 00:05:59,280 --> 00:06:01,180 I only got to work with him for two years. 113 00:06:01,180 --> 00:06:04,640 The first year I was there because I worked two jobs 114 00:06:04,640 --> 00:06:05,720 and saved up money. 115 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:08,200 And so then I had enough money for tuition. 116 00:06:08,200 --> 00:06:11,620 And you know, tuition was a lot less than what it was 117 00:06:11,620 --> 00:06:13,880 at an American institution. 118 00:06:13,880 --> 00:06:17,860 So I was able to go and then live on a stipend per month. 119 00:06:17,860 --> 00:06:20,960 But while I was there, two things happened. 120 00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:22,600 I was exposed to music on a level 121 00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:24,920 that I had never been exposed to music before. 122 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:26,720 I went to concerts all the time. 123 00:06:26,720 --> 00:06:29,840 And when I say all the time, I mean, in the beginning, 124 00:06:29,840 --> 00:06:31,640 almost like five days a week. 125 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:33,800 I went to the opera at least once a week. 126 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:35,840 I heard so much music. 127 00:06:35,840 --> 00:06:39,200 And the thing about being a student in Europe is that 128 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:40,760 if you're a music student in Europe, 129 00:06:40,760 --> 00:06:42,800 concerts are general, at least they were then, 130 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:44,240 they were generally free. 131 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:45,840 I got to hear amazing musicians. 132 00:06:45,840 --> 00:06:47,960 Like I heard Schiff and I heard Colchice 133 00:06:47,960 --> 00:06:50,860 and I heard Martha Argerich and I heard Richter. 134 00:06:50,860 --> 00:06:53,240 And you know, like the list goes on 135 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:55,520 of like just artists after artists. 136 00:06:55,520 --> 00:06:58,600 And it didn't actually hit me. 137 00:06:58,600 --> 00:07:01,520 It was pretty exciting and amazing while it was there, 138 00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:05,220 but it didn't hit me until I was living in New York. 139 00:07:05,220 --> 00:07:07,560 And if I wanted to hear those concerts, 140 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:10,320 the amount of money I would have to put out. 141 00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:15,320 So I was in an environment where the arts are so valued 142 00:07:15,400 --> 00:07:19,520 and so treasured that people treated you differently 143 00:07:19,520 --> 00:07:22,340 slash better for being a musician, 144 00:07:22,340 --> 00:07:24,960 for being a music student, for being a musician. 145 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:28,480 I never experienced that here, never. 146 00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:31,400 So I loved being a musician. 147 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:35,000 For the first time, I loved everything about it. 148 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:36,880 You know, I loved being a musician, 149 00:07:36,880 --> 00:07:40,120 but it was like, you know, against all odds here, 150 00:07:40,120 --> 00:07:42,680 but there it was like the most amazing 151 00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:44,280 and wonderful thing that you could be. 152 00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:46,400 And people appreciated what you contributed 153 00:07:46,400 --> 00:07:48,120 to society globally. 154 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:51,320 But I got to work with a teacher who was, 155 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:57,120 he is a genius, but also he had this ability to, 156 00:07:57,120 --> 00:08:01,760 he saw very clearly what was missing and what was needed. 157 00:08:01,760 --> 00:08:03,880 And what was missing and what was needed 158 00:08:03,880 --> 00:08:06,440 was a lot actually, you know? 159 00:08:06,440 --> 00:08:10,120 I think that when you're talented, sometimes people, 160 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:12,600 and when I say talented, I mean like, 161 00:08:12,600 --> 00:08:16,860 I had an ability to express easily and freely. 162 00:08:16,860 --> 00:08:19,660 And from when I was young, so if something was, you know, 163 00:08:19,660 --> 00:08:23,240 like involved pathos, like I could bring up, 164 00:08:23,240 --> 00:08:25,240 I could express pathos. 165 00:08:25,240 --> 00:08:28,000 And, you know, it was something that would be surprising 166 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:29,080 for the people around me. 167 00:08:29,080 --> 00:08:31,760 Like, she's so young, how is she able to do that thing? 168 00:08:31,760 --> 00:08:34,960 The thing is, when you're able to do 169 00:08:34,960 --> 00:08:37,360 one part of a thing really well, 170 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:40,040 people assume that the other stuff is there 171 00:08:40,040 --> 00:08:41,640 and they don't know that it's missing 172 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:44,640 until there's a moment where it is obviously missing. 173 00:08:44,640 --> 00:08:47,520 And so he, I'll never forget it. 174 00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:51,240 He said, after I'd been working with him 175 00:08:51,240 --> 00:08:53,800 for like a month or two, he was like, 176 00:08:53,800 --> 00:08:55,760 you know, it's with you, 177 00:08:55,760 --> 00:08:58,600 it's like there's this beautiful cake 178 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:00,960 and it's like, it looks amazing. 179 00:09:00,960 --> 00:09:02,980 It looks like it's gonna be so delicious, 180 00:09:02,980 --> 00:09:06,920 the frosting and decorative frosting and it's gorgeous. 181 00:09:06,920 --> 00:09:09,540 And you're like, oh, I cannot wait. 182 00:09:09,540 --> 00:09:12,960 And you cut the cake and it's, there's no cake. 183 00:09:12,960 --> 00:09:14,160 It's all frosting. 184 00:09:15,520 --> 00:09:17,320 And I was like, what? 185 00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:18,160 What? 186 00:09:18,160 --> 00:09:21,440 What? Did you say that? 187 00:09:21,440 --> 00:09:24,440 And I've gotta tell you, this is back when you, 188 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:27,040 you still had to pay for long distance phone calls. 189 00:09:27,040 --> 00:09:29,400 And so I would call home every week 190 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:31,200 for like five, 10 minutes and just be like, 191 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:33,120 this is what happened, this is why I listen to phone calls. 192 00:09:33,120 --> 00:09:34,880 My mother lived for these. 193 00:09:34,880 --> 00:09:36,520 Every week there would be some story 194 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:38,520 about what my teacher said. 195 00:09:38,520 --> 00:09:39,600 He was right. 196 00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:43,160 He was like, you don't know how to practice. 197 00:09:43,160 --> 00:09:45,720 You don't know how to work. 198 00:09:45,720 --> 00:09:48,320 You don't know how to, you know what I mean? 199 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:50,200 And it wasn't to make me feel bad. 200 00:09:50,200 --> 00:09:51,760 It was, this is what you have to do. 201 00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:53,800 And what was really extraordinary was that 202 00:09:53,800 --> 00:09:57,760 he did something that I have never seen anybody do. 203 00:09:57,760 --> 00:10:01,440 He went looking for me in the academy and found me 204 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:02,680 and he brought chocolate. 205 00:10:02,680 --> 00:10:04,880 He said, here, this is brain food. 206 00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:08,280 And he sat with me while I practiced 207 00:10:08,280 --> 00:10:11,280 and I have never felt so tortured in my life. 208 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:13,320 And I'd start to work and he'd say, 209 00:10:13,320 --> 00:10:15,840 what are you trying to do? 210 00:10:15,840 --> 00:10:17,480 What are you trying to do and how is what you're doing 211 00:10:17,480 --> 00:10:19,760 right now going to do what it is you think 212 00:10:19,760 --> 00:10:20,920 you're trying to do? 213 00:10:20,920 --> 00:10:23,600 And he just kept asking, what's that supposed to do? 214 00:10:23,600 --> 00:10:24,960 How's that gonna help? 215 00:10:24,960 --> 00:10:26,360 What is that for? 216 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:29,520 And then I realized, oh, I just flail on the piano 217 00:10:29,520 --> 00:10:31,280 until it gets better. 218 00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:33,320 So in the two hours that he, 219 00:10:33,320 --> 00:10:35,240 and he sat with me for two hours. 220 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:36,080 Do you know what I mean? 221 00:10:36,080 --> 00:10:37,880 Like nobody really does. 222 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:39,200 Do people do that? 223 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:40,040 You know? 224 00:10:40,040 --> 00:10:41,880 It taught me so much. 225 00:10:41,880 --> 00:10:43,800 It taught me so much. 226 00:10:43,800 --> 00:10:46,800 And I'm not saying that other teachers failed me 227 00:10:46,800 --> 00:10:47,680 because they didn't. 228 00:10:47,680 --> 00:10:49,120 They were giving me different things. 229 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:51,880 And I will tell you right now that I was not an easy person 230 00:10:51,880 --> 00:10:53,720 to teach on a lot of levels, 231 00:10:53,720 --> 00:10:57,080 but he kind of laid bare like all of the sort of, 232 00:10:57,080 --> 00:10:59,280 the ways in which I was hiding from, 233 00:10:59,280 --> 00:11:02,000 this is what's needed, let's get to work. 234 00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:04,840 And so then I did work on a level 235 00:11:04,840 --> 00:11:07,160 that I hadn't ever done before. 236 00:11:07,160 --> 00:11:10,080 And you know, that kind of sort of breaks you down 237 00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:11,520 and you don't feel, 238 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:13,840 again, you don't feel certain and you don't feel solid 239 00:11:13,840 --> 00:11:15,480 and you don't feel secure. 240 00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:18,360 And I remember when I came home and I was practicing 241 00:11:18,360 --> 00:11:19,200 and I was auditioning, 242 00:11:19,200 --> 00:11:22,080 I was getting ready for graduate school auditions. 243 00:11:22,080 --> 00:11:26,160 My mother was like, you are a different pianist now. 244 00:11:26,160 --> 00:11:29,960 And I was like, yeah, it's terrible. 245 00:11:29,960 --> 00:11:32,800 And she was like, yeah, no, it's not. 246 00:11:32,800 --> 00:11:35,240 Because what had happened was for the first time 247 00:11:35,240 --> 00:11:38,560 I was hearing like all of the bad habits 248 00:11:38,560 --> 00:11:41,560 and the hitches and the, you know, all the things 249 00:11:41,560 --> 00:11:44,720 that I would do to cover up things that I didn't wanna do 250 00:11:44,720 --> 00:11:47,320 or things that I wasn't quite certain about. 251 00:11:47,320 --> 00:11:50,560 And so suddenly I was hearing all of it 252 00:11:50,560 --> 00:11:53,800 and I was determined that I didn't wanna be hiding. 253 00:11:53,800 --> 00:11:56,640 I wanted to, if this is a problem, let's try and tackle it. 254 00:11:56,640 --> 00:11:58,760 If this is a problem, let's try and tackle it. 255 00:11:58,760 --> 00:12:01,440 So that's why I call it one of the most transformative 256 00:12:01,440 --> 00:12:04,720 experiences of my life, because I actually, in that moment, 257 00:12:04,720 --> 00:12:07,880 I absolutely fell out of love with the idea of myself 258 00:12:07,880 --> 00:12:09,840 as a talented person. 259 00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:13,840 And I was just, yeah, there's just a lot of work to do. 260 00:12:13,840 --> 00:12:37,920 If this is a problem, let's try and tackle it. 261 00:12:37,920 --> 00:13:05,960 I want to talk about this album, which is very special to you and means so much to you 262 00:13:05,960 --> 00:13:12,960 because the album is called Luminous and I got to listen to and I really enjoyed Coleridge Taylor Perkinson. 263 00:13:12,960 --> 00:13:20,960 You know, honestly, I did not know this composer before and then his first name is taken from Samuel Coleridge Taylor, correct? 264 00:13:20,960 --> 00:13:28,960 And then you also played his pieces, Samuel Coleridge Taylor and then Ulysses Kay and Inventions for Piano. 265 00:13:28,960 --> 00:13:33,960 And then also you played your composition, Benedictine, right? 266 00:13:33,960 --> 00:13:41,960 Right, correct. And then somehow you ended with Brahms, Chaconne, Bach, and I want to know why. 267 00:13:41,960 --> 00:13:51,960 But before that, I just wanted to congratulate you on the album Luminous, which is dedicated to your late mother. 268 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:55,960 You know, when my mother passed away, it was all very, it was a lot. 269 00:13:55,960 --> 00:14:04,960 And I was really struggling with everything and I wasn't able to, I had wanted to sort of do a memorial concert or something. 270 00:14:04,960 --> 00:14:07,960 And I just, I couldn't, I didn't, I didn't have it. 271 00:14:07,960 --> 00:14:11,960 And it was, it took a long time for me to get my equilibrium back. 272 00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:18,960 And so it's a project that I have, something that I've wanted to do for a long time. 273 00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:23,960 And when she passed away, a lot of things started to happen for me, actually. 274 00:14:23,960 --> 00:14:30,960 And so I would often think my mother would be really delighted by this music. My mother would love it. 275 00:14:30,960 --> 00:14:36,960 She really enjoyed listening to me practice. She really enjoyed, she loved listening to master classes, you know. 276 00:14:36,960 --> 00:14:46,960 I went to a music festival in Switzerland and, you know, she said, well, you know, I'm going with my daughter because she's never traveled out of the country internationally on her own. 277 00:14:46,960 --> 00:14:50,960 And she's, you know, she, I don't want her to be on her own for the first time that she travels. 278 00:14:50,960 --> 00:14:55,960 And everybody was like, you just want to go to Switzerland and listen to music. She was like, yes. 279 00:14:55,960 --> 00:15:03,960 And so she came with me and she was so transfixed by the masterclass that she was only supposed to stay for three or four days. 280 00:15:03,960 --> 00:15:07,960 She stayed for about 10. She stayed for about half of the masterclass. 281 00:15:07,960 --> 00:15:12,960 Because, you know, they were fascinating and she was fascinated by it. 282 00:15:12,960 --> 00:15:17,960 There are some pieces that I was like, you know, she would have loved the K Inventions. 283 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:26,960 And she had heard the first four, but I think she would have really enjoyed the other four that make the eight inventions. 284 00:15:26,960 --> 00:15:32,960 And she never heard me play Samuel Coleridge Taylor. She never heard me play Coleridge Taylor Perkinson. 285 00:15:32,960 --> 00:15:38,960 But these are pieces that sat in the wheelhouse of what she loved to hear me play. 286 00:15:38,960 --> 00:15:44,960 When I was growing up, I, you know, some people have a pedagogy that they follow like a method book or this or that. 287 00:15:44,960 --> 00:15:53,960 I had a teacher actually when I was younger who believed fully in the Bartok Micker Cosmos as a biological tool. 288 00:15:53,960 --> 00:15:59,960 So I every year I was doing, you know, three, four Bartok Micker Cosmos. 289 00:15:59,960 --> 00:16:03,960 And yes, there was also in D.C. a Bartok piano competition. 290 00:16:03,960 --> 00:16:07,960 But if there hadn't been, I would still would have been doing the Bartok Micker Cosmos. 291 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:14,960 And so, you know how our parents are used to hearing classical music like they think Mozart and Chopin and Beethoven. 292 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:20,960 And she was very used to hearing music that definitely did not sound like Mozart. 293 00:16:20,960 --> 00:16:23,960 And so she developed an ear for it and she really liked it. 294 00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:27,960 And I think that Ulysses K has a little bit of that going on. 295 00:16:27,960 --> 00:16:30,960 And so there was that kind of music that she gravitated towards. 296 00:16:30,960 --> 00:16:33,960 But also, you know, she loved a spiritual. 297 00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:38,960 I wasn't raised in that kind of traditional African-American church. 298 00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:42,960 You know, my mother was Anglican and I grew up Presbyterian. 299 00:16:42,960 --> 00:16:45,960 So it's not like we heard spirituals a lot. 300 00:16:45,960 --> 00:16:51,960 But my mother was a big fan for, you know, a low voice singing Deep River. 301 00:16:51,960 --> 00:16:52,960 You know what I mean? 302 00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:55,960 There are things that she really enjoyed. 303 00:16:55,960 --> 00:17:01,960 There was just this music that was accumulating in my repertoire that I knew that she would really love. 304 00:17:01,960 --> 00:17:12,960 And then so why did you end this entire album with Bach's famous Chaconne and D minor transcribed by Brahms? 305 00:17:12,960 --> 00:17:21,960 Because it sat in a very specific place in my musical development, not just my musical development, but by personal development. 306 00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:26,960 I played sports always, right? Middle school, high school. I love sports. 307 00:17:26,960 --> 00:17:33,960 And I remember announcing when I was 11 that I wanted to be a concert pianist and I also want to be the first woman to play in the NFL. 308 00:17:33,960 --> 00:17:39,960 I felt like those were two absolutely compatible dreams to have. 309 00:17:39,960 --> 00:17:47,960 And I think I was in middle school playing basketball and I kept injuring my hands. I jammed my thumb, jammed my third finger, whatever. 310 00:17:47,960 --> 00:17:51,960 And my teacher at the time, Enrique Graf, got really frustrated. 311 00:17:51,960 --> 00:17:57,960 But he assigned me the Scriabin Opus 11 Prelude and Octave for the left hand. 312 00:17:57,960 --> 00:18:02,960 But I think they were given to me separately because there were two different times that I hurt my hand. 313 00:18:02,960 --> 00:18:08,960 And then the third time I did it, he was like, I have something for you. 314 00:18:08,960 --> 00:18:12,960 And it was kind of like he was just so over it. 315 00:18:12,960 --> 00:18:15,960 And he knew that this was beyond what I could actually do at the time. 316 00:18:15,960 --> 00:18:19,960 But he was just like, I'm done with you. This should keep you busy. 317 00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:23,960 Well, I fell in love with this piece. In love with it. 318 00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:30,960 To me, it captured the awe and majesty of the universe. It was everything. 319 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:33,960 And I listened to the Milstrom recording. 320 00:18:33,960 --> 00:18:40,960 And you know how significant it is for one of your favorite piano pieces to be a transcription of a violin piece? 321 00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:45,960 Pianists don't play transcriptions of other people's music. 322 00:18:45,960 --> 00:18:49,960 Why? We have the greatest repertoire. We have it, right? 323 00:18:49,960 --> 00:18:54,960 So I am working on this and I learned it at 12. 324 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:57,960 And I learned it, but I can't play it all. 325 00:18:57,960 --> 00:19:00,960 Like I can play like the first half and then I'm exhausted. 326 00:19:00,960 --> 00:19:03,960 And I can play the second half and I'm exhausted. 327 00:19:03,960 --> 00:19:06,960 But I never was able to play it all together. 328 00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:10,960 And then I played it again as an undergrad, I think late as an undergrad. 329 00:19:10,960 --> 00:19:13,960 And I remember taking it to Budapest. 330 00:19:13,960 --> 00:19:21,960 But that working on it then, I realized, you know, if I really want to play the piano, maybe I need to leave basketball alone. 331 00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:24,960 Maybe no more volleyball and maybe no. 332 00:19:24,960 --> 00:19:29,960 So it kind of helped me sort of crystallize my focus. 333 00:19:29,960 --> 00:19:32,960 And then I started being able to actually play it. 334 00:19:32,960 --> 00:19:36,960 Each time I came back to it, I learned something more about myself. 335 00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:40,960 I learned something technically. I learned something like, huh. 336 00:19:40,960 --> 00:19:47,960 You know, like I made fingering choices at 12 because I could not wrap my hands around it at 12. Right. 337 00:19:47,960 --> 00:19:53,960 But then I didn't realize, oh, I'm playing these weird fingerings and I'm assuming that it's OK. 338 00:19:53,960 --> 00:19:57,960 But actually, my hand is larger now. I can do this or I can do that. 339 00:19:57,960 --> 00:20:02,960 So that each time, like fingerings changed and my perception of things changed. 340 00:20:02,960 --> 00:20:07,960 And so the last time I seriously pulled it out, I was teaching at Interlochen. 341 00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:12,960 And there was a young kid there who had recently graduated from Interlochen Academy. 342 00:20:12,960 --> 00:20:15,960 He was a jazz intern in the practice room. 343 00:20:15,960 --> 00:20:18,960 You know, he he was like, let's play some blues together. 344 00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:20,960 So we would play and he was really tough on me. 345 00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:24,960 It was like, come on, follow the harmony, follow the harmony, you know. 346 00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:35,960 And in that summer, I spent so much time doing that kind of work with him that I came out of this thinking about the Chaconne on a harmonic level in a way that I just hadn't before. 347 00:20:35,960 --> 00:20:40,960 After studying Jazz Piano for a while, you start to listen differently. Right. Right. 348 00:20:40,960 --> 00:20:47,960 And I remember in that moment thinking, I wish my mom could hear this from all the time that she's heard me play this. 349 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:57,960 It's different now. Basically, the album is a collection of pieces that I know that she loved or I know that she would have loved, but also wrapped in a bow of this. 350 00:20:57,960 --> 00:21:05,960 This piece has been the nexus point of all of these incredible changes in my life and changes in me as a musician. 351 00:21:05,960 --> 00:21:12,960 And it just felt entirely appropriate, you know, because I remember when I was 12 and I was struggling through this, she was laughing. 352 00:21:12,960 --> 00:21:15,960 I guess you're working now, aren't you? 353 00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:19,960 She sounds like an incredible person, incredible mother. 354 00:21:19,960 --> 00:21:21,960 Absolutely was. 355 00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:26,960 At one point, she, you know, she was getting frustrated with the fact that I wasn't I wasn't practicing. 356 00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:29,960 You know, things were coming easily to me, but it was starting to show. 357 00:21:29,960 --> 00:21:34,960 So I wasn't winning competitions anymore and I wasn't making it to the next round anymore. 358 00:21:34,960 --> 00:21:36,960 But I would be upset that I wasn't. 359 00:21:36,960 --> 00:21:44,960 And so at one point, after a really just a really bad showing at a competition, she said, you know what? 360 00:21:44,960 --> 00:21:47,960 I'm done. I'll pay for your lessons. 361 00:21:47,960 --> 00:21:52,960 I'll write whatever checks and I'll take you where you need to go until you're able to drive. 362 00:21:52,960 --> 00:22:01,960 But I'm not getting emotionally involved in this anymore because you seem to think that you're entitled to have success without actually doing any work. 363 00:22:01,960 --> 00:22:04,960 And I don't know where you got that from because I didn't raise you that way. 364 00:22:04,960 --> 00:22:10,960 But I'm not going to watch you and I'm not going to tolerate you being a jerk after you lose. 365 00:22:10,960 --> 00:22:12,960 And I felt so incredibly abandoned. 366 00:22:12,960 --> 00:22:19,960 But it was also the moment when I decided I want this and then I wanted to fight for it. 367 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:22,960 You know, there was not going to be a you have to practice, you have to do. 368 00:22:22,960 --> 00:22:24,960 No, I practiced or I didn't. 369 00:22:24,960 --> 00:22:26,960 And the thing is, we didn't have money. 370 00:22:26,960 --> 00:22:33,960 You know what I mean? When my parents split up, we went from being a middle class family to actually just being poor. 371 00:22:33,960 --> 00:22:39,960 You know, she found a way to get me into things, get me into private schools, get me into music programs. 372 00:22:39,960 --> 00:22:41,960 If there are scholarships, I applied for them. 373 00:22:41,960 --> 00:22:47,960 If they were at grants, you know, whatever it was, she made so many things happen. 374 00:22:47,960 --> 00:22:50,960 And I know for a fact that we didn't have resources. 375 00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:58,960 You know, it wasn't like we didn't have resources on such a level that you know how there are some kids who actually really know what their financial situation is. 376 00:22:58,960 --> 00:23:00,960 I was one of those kids. 377 00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:10,960 And to the point where if I had something that I had to do and she was like, we have to get you clothing for this or whatever, I was like, we don't we can't afford we don't have money for that. 378 00:23:10,960 --> 00:23:15,960 You know, so we'd figure it out from her closet in mind, like how we were going to make it work. 379 00:23:15,960 --> 00:23:26,960 So there was a lot of sacrifice that was just unbelievable and sacrifice that was not ever tinned with I'm doing so much for you. 380 00:23:26,960 --> 00:23:29,960 You should be practicing or I'm doing so much for you. You owe me. 381 00:23:29,960 --> 00:23:34,960 This is what it was. It was just a sort of my teacher said I had a gift. 382 00:23:34,960 --> 00:23:37,960 And so she supported that and everything else. 383 00:23:37,960 --> 00:23:39,960 I had a grand piano at age 12. 384 00:23:39,960 --> 00:23:42,960 And that was that was like I did a competition. 385 00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:45,960 It was in a piano showroom. 386 00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:53,960 The judge, who ended up being my piano teacher, talked to the owner of the show and said, she needs this. 387 00:23:53,960 --> 00:23:55,960 Can we do something? 388 00:23:55,960 --> 00:24:01,960 And then my church, you know, she was paying a certain amount per month. 389 00:24:01,960 --> 00:24:04,960 And I was so I was so excited when the piano came. 390 00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:06,960 She said, now you know what this means. 391 00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:08,960 There are no birthday presents or Christmas. 392 00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:12,960 Like this is your present. Like, yeah, I got it. 393 00:24:12,960 --> 00:24:16,960 So I didn't have like things like I didn't have a walkman. 394 00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:19,960 I didn't have, you know, I didn't have games. 395 00:24:19,960 --> 00:24:25,960 I didn't grow up in a culture of games and I didn't grow up in a culture of games because we didn't have money for games. 396 00:24:25,960 --> 00:24:27,960 Oh, man, I had a piano. 397 00:24:27,960 --> 00:24:36,960 Yeah. But you know, a story like that is so important right now in this especially classical music industry, because I don't know how to say this. 398 00:24:36,960 --> 00:24:46,960 But I think a lot of successful students, successful people are part of this whole package of meritocracy. 399 00:24:46,960 --> 00:24:58,960 Right. So but to hear a real life story, real struggle, but then being able to not even beating the odds because you really did the work. 400 00:24:58,960 --> 00:25:10,960 So but then your story and eventually once you grow even older, your legacy as an artist will be so much more to offer. 401 00:25:10,960 --> 00:25:15,960 Richer and and the struggle that you went through. 402 00:25:15,960 --> 00:25:21,960 And I'm sorry that you have to, you know, for example, lose your mother in such a young age. 403 00:25:21,960 --> 00:25:24,960 I mean, you know, that was like eight years ago. So right. 404 00:25:24,960 --> 00:25:36,960 And it was still young. And then because of who you are, I really wanted your mother to, you know, live through and then, you know, witness what you've accomplished even longer. 405 00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:49,960 But that wasn't the case. But then so your story, your story through your piano playing plus the course, the Juneteenth LP will be more meaningful down the road. 406 00:25:49,960 --> 00:26:07,960 So but thanks for sharing all these amazing stories. And then so for listeners, if you're curious about her newest latest album, Luminous, it is available on all major music streaming services, all major music streaming services. 407 00:26:07,960 --> 00:26:11,960 I'm sorry. I'm still sort of thinking about no. Go ahead. Yeah. Yeah. Take it. 408 00:26:11,960 --> 00:26:20,960 No, I just, you know, like I can still remember what it was like to to be sort of despairing that I didn't have a way to honor my mom, you know. 409 00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:27,960 And so now that this project is complete, it feels good and it feels right and it feels appropriate. 410 00:26:27,960 --> 00:26:33,960 And I love the fact that there's a way in which she is always present for me. 411 00:26:33,960 --> 00:26:45,960 But there's a way in which she can literally be present for me because there was a it was a real joyful sort of experience and arduous to, you know, but definitely worthwhile. 412 00:26:45,960 --> 00:26:51,960 I think that we're very lucky to have the people we have in our lives for however long we have them. 413 00:26:51,960 --> 00:26:57,960 It's an interesting thing. I was actually talking to a friend of mine about who just lost her father. 414 00:26:57,960 --> 00:27:04,960 And she was saying, you know, I feel sometimes that I like I feel such incredible grief. And she's like, but I still have my mom. 415 00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:17,960 I shouldn't. And I said, oh, no, I think the loss of a parent is profound, even if you don't have a good relationship with your parents, because the fact of the matter is if your parents were present, then it's an absence. 416 00:27:17,960 --> 00:27:23,960 And so it's a hole that you feel. Right. And, you know, my dad passed away before my mom. 417 00:27:23,960 --> 00:27:30,960 He passed away. So I think I was able to get out of my life by the time I was eight, basically. 418 00:27:30,960 --> 00:27:35,960 I think I saw him once after that, you know, decades later. 419 00:27:35,960 --> 00:27:39,960 But so when he passed away, it wasn't like a loss loss. 420 00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:46,960 But I did experience it like, huh, this person who was a part of my story is gone. 421 00:27:46,960 --> 00:27:54,960 It's so it's shocking. I feel like an orphan. You know, we think of orphans as being like, you know, babies and six year olds and one year old. 422 00:27:54,960 --> 00:28:00,960 I said, how am I a grown adult? And I feel so adrift, cast adrift. 423 00:28:00,960 --> 00:28:05,960 And I realized, oh, right. Our parents are our anchor to the world. 424 00:28:05,960 --> 00:28:11,960 They are what brought us into the world. And therefore, they are our first known foundations. 425 00:28:11,960 --> 00:28:17,960 And when that's gone, you do experience a moment of, well, who am I if they're not here? 426 00:28:17,960 --> 00:28:27,960 You know, but then, you know, that's also the gift of being a musician, because you you have this way to find yourself again to your work. 427 00:28:27,960 --> 00:28:32,960 Absolutely. I can relate to that in my own personal way. Thank you. 428 00:28:32,960 --> 00:28:41,960 So I wanted to talk really more about you being an educator, but we are running out of time. But I just want to mention quickly. 429 00:28:41,960 --> 00:28:58,960 So you recently or you're about to become the artist in residence at Bunker Hill Community College and part of a cohort of seven women, artists of color in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Bunker Hill Community College. 430 00:28:58,960 --> 00:29:06,960 Briefly, can you tell us a little bit about that? I developed this relationship with Bunker Hill actually during the pandemic. 431 00:29:06,960 --> 00:29:15,960 And it was it was interesting because, you know, like I said, I had a friend who was a professor there and she said, you should reach out to our college planning folks. 432 00:29:15,960 --> 00:29:23,960 They do really interesting programming and event planning and, you know, maybe they'd be interested in what you and Juneteenth LP do. 433 00:29:23,960 --> 00:29:32,960 And so the first time I think was in 2020 when everything was virtual. And so it was three of us. 434 00:29:32,960 --> 00:29:39,960 It was a singer in the cellist and the pianist us. And we presented this program and afterwards we talked to people virtually. 435 00:29:39,960 --> 00:29:46,960 We had a sort of town hall kind of audience engagement talk back thing. And people really, really loved it. 436 00:29:46,960 --> 00:30:02,960 And it was interesting because, you know, I'm sure you remember this in that time when you had performances, people were appreciative on a level that I don't think I've ever experienced prior to that, because people needed it and they knew that they needed it. 437 00:30:02,960 --> 00:30:08,960 And I think that we had a moment in 2020 where we realized how important artists were to us. 438 00:30:08,960 --> 00:30:16,960 And so in some ways it was horrible, but in other ways it was a gift. Right. We lost a lot of people in that year and after. 439 00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:25,960 But also, societally, we realized something and that was that the arts sustain us and they sustain us sort of spiritually. 440 00:30:25,960 --> 00:30:31,960 You know, it's not food and it's not shelter and it's not clothing, but it's it's pretty darn important. 441 00:30:31,960 --> 00:30:45,960 And we needed in our lives to sort of feel whole. And so after that we came back and we did a couple of master classes and choral workshop and a couple more concerts. 442 00:30:45,960 --> 00:30:51,960 We did a Juneteenth concert and this year they reached out and they asked if I would be a part of this cohort. 443 00:30:51,960 --> 00:31:05,960 And I was really kind of astonished and honored. And but what I'm excited about mostly is that I'll be writing a piece of music based off of text from students in the English department, creative department, writing department. 444 00:31:05,960 --> 00:31:20,960 I'm going to collaborate with professors there and come up with a text that's going to set and I'm going to set to music so that this project is actually going to be a piece of a choral piece that will will be performed at their commencement. 445 00:31:20,960 --> 00:31:35,960 The end of the year. So I'm I'm really excited to do that. They're also going to be concerts and virtual events. Massachusetts, Boston is still very much virtual in a way that work is not. 446 00:31:35,960 --> 00:31:46,960 They are not having live shows like the way we are. And so everything that I've done with Bunker Hill has mostly been virtual has been no has been entirely virtual actually. 447 00:31:46,960 --> 00:31:57,960 So you're not relocating from where you are, New York City. No, I will be here and I will probably go to Boston a couple of times and then for the performance at the end of the year. 448 00:31:57,960 --> 00:32:12,960 But I'm I'm really looking forward to it because I really like that. I like that school. I like that institution a lot. I like I like the population that they serve and I like how committed they are to that population that they serve. 449 00:32:12,960 --> 00:32:17,960 And so it's it feels very much like an honor to be a part of that. 450 00:32:17,960 --> 00:32:22,960 The students are very, very lucky to have you as a mentor and teacher. 451 00:32:22,960 --> 00:32:29,960 Hey there, TPP family. The piano part is now into our fourth season and it's all thanks to you. 452 00:32:29,960 --> 00:32:35,960 Since 2020, you've been with my journey with the TPP, exploring this burning question. 453 00:32:35,960 --> 00:32:45,960 How do we make classical music resonate with today's audience in fresh and captivating ways? Four years in and the journey has been nothing short of magical. 454 00:32:45,960 --> 00:32:58,960 The piano part isn't just a podcast. It's a movement, a space where pianists, composers and educators brainstorm, debate and reimagine classical music's place in our fast paced world. 455 00:32:58,960 --> 00:33:05,960 We're together on a mission to ensure classical music doesn't just survive, but thrives in our modern age. 456 00:33:05,960 --> 00:33:12,960 But here's the thing. To keep bringing you these insightful biweekly episodes, I need your help. 457 00:33:12,960 --> 00:33:21,960 Every bit of support goes into the podcast essentials from hosting to high quality recording tech and the countless hours behind the scenes. 458 00:33:21,960 --> 00:33:29,960 So do you want to be part of this journey? Click the PayPal link in the show notes or head to the pianopod.com to donate. 459 00:33:29,960 --> 00:33:37,960 And as a token of appreciation, I will personally mail you the Pianopods snazzy logo sticker. 460 00:33:37,960 --> 00:33:44,960 So hit the subscribe button, spread the word and let's continue our mission and journey as classical musicians. 461 00:33:44,960 --> 00:33:52,960 Now let's continue with the show. Discuss about the vision of the classical music industry. So let's start with this. 462 00:33:52,960 --> 00:33:58,960 So I'm going to just go back to where we were about the year 2020. 463 00:33:58,960 --> 00:34:13,960 So since then, you know, classical musicians have more, has been more actively or intentionally programming our concerts with repertoires by, you know, underrepresented composers and so forth. 464 00:34:13,960 --> 00:34:22,960 Now, is that enough? I mean, if not, what else can we do to make a difference to be more inclusive in our industry? 465 00:34:22,960 --> 00:34:29,960 It's not enough, but we're definitely on the right path. Right. Because here's the thing. 466 00:34:29,960 --> 00:34:33,960 Someone made a very interesting point to me after helping me secure a grant. 467 00:34:33,960 --> 00:34:43,960 He said, you really need to maximize your time, maximize this moment, right? That and use this grant to help you get other grants. 468 00:34:43,960 --> 00:34:47,960 And he said, because right now we're in a post George Floyd moment. 469 00:34:47,960 --> 00:34:58,960 But he was like, the next issue is around the corner. And he was like, if there's one thing I've learned is people direct their attention to the next issue. 470 00:34:58,960 --> 00:35:03,960 You know, and sure enough, what happened next was the war in Ukraine. 471 00:35:03,960 --> 00:35:13,960 And all of a sudden you had foundations and organizations and whatever interested in fundraising for the Ukraine, you know, this, that, and the other as they should. 472 00:35:13,960 --> 00:35:20,960 But I remember when he said that thinking, oh, that's terribly cynical. And yet that's exactly what happens. Right. 473 00:35:20,960 --> 00:35:28,960 And after you, there's going to be another thing that people are going to say, this is the thing that we want to pour our money into. And this is the thing that we want to. 474 00:35:28,960 --> 00:35:40,960 And so it's hard to know that that's how the business often works, you know, or the industry works and to still hold fast to your focus. Right. 475 00:35:40,960 --> 00:35:57,960 But I think that one of the most important things that we can do is as educators. So one of the things that happened in 2020 was in 2021 specifically was I said to my students, I'm going to pick your repertoire for the year. 476 00:35:57,960 --> 00:36:03,960 And I usually get their input. You know, I what do you want to do? And I will find something that works. 477 00:36:03,960 --> 00:36:12,960 But this time for what I said was if you want, if you are Dominican and you want to play Dominican composers, we will find that. 478 00:36:12,960 --> 00:36:19,960 If you are Chinese and you want to play Chinese, we will, we will find that. Tell me what you're interested in. Do you want to play women composers? 479 00:36:19,960 --> 00:36:28,960 We will do all whatever it is. And what was interesting was I didn't think I'd get that many students who were that into it, but they all were. 480 00:36:28,960 --> 00:36:43,960 They all were, which meant that I spent the year not just learning about Dominican composers, but like trying to find scores for Dominican composers that were appropriate for like my late beginner, early intermediate students. 481 00:36:43,960 --> 00:36:55,960 And what I saw was that we were having these kinds of conversations in Facebook in our various communities. Does anybody know Korean American composers that have written pedagogical pieces that would be appropriate for this level? 482 00:36:55,960 --> 00:37:06,960 Or and I remember thinking, wow, this is a result of like the post George Floyd era where we're like, we can change this and this is how we're going to do it. 483 00:37:06,960 --> 00:37:21,960 And so my doing that with my students introduced me to a whole other set of repertoire, even beyond like African American composers, but you know, very specifically like Caribbean composers, also Asian composers and and and Latin composers. 484 00:37:21,960 --> 00:37:28,960 And there are so many amazing pieces of music out there that were not written by Bach and Beethoven. 485 00:37:28,960 --> 00:37:42,960 Wow. And we can make everyone's our students piano experience be personal, something that they're invested in, something that their families are invested in that they're excited about. 486 00:37:42,960 --> 00:37:52,960 And we should do that because when you do that in music, they think to themselves, why not in literature? Why not in theater? Why not in whatever it is that they're interested in? 487 00:37:52,960 --> 00:38:10,960 And so I think that if we start doing that individually as teachers and in our in our teachers associations, you know, piano teachers, Congress, and TNA, whatever it is, we start saying our requirements, you know, you're required to do something non traditional, non economic. 488 00:38:10,960 --> 00:38:25,960 Like that we make that part of our audition requirements and we make it part of our competition requirements and you know, because right now, what are before what people were doing was you'd have like a 21st century composition requirement or 20th century 489 00:38:25,960 --> 00:38:47,960 composition requirement. Well, why can't we have the list of repertoire include Samuel Coler's Taylor, Margaret Bond, Florence Price that we choose what we want to hear, you know, and the minute it becomes a competition requirement, everybody then all the teachers then start to learn it and start to teach it. 490 00:38:47,960 --> 00:39:05,960 And in that way, I think that we can make this music spread. But I also think that as performers, it is up to us to always be doing follow your nose like be whatever you're excited about, do it because when you play something and you play something well, someone in your audience 491 00:39:05,960 --> 00:39:21,960 goes, that was amazing. I want to play that piece. And then suddenly that person is now I'm going to find this piece and I'm going to play and then they played and then someone else hears it goes, what is that I want to play that I really try and tell students, especially as 492 00:39:21,960 --> 00:39:36,960 they enter into conservatory and don't sound like everybody else don't do what everybody else is doing. You know, you will always have requirements, but the minute you have an option to do something different, be different. There are so many options. 493 00:39:36,960 --> 00:39:51,960 And that way we can really affect meaningful change by setting requirements that are inclusive. Yeah. What is your thought on our duty or even as a gift as classical musicians to society at large? 494 00:39:51,960 --> 00:40:11,960 You know, it always sounds so lofty when you say it, but then like I said in 2020, I realized it's not lofty. It's actually true. Our job as artists, as musicians, regardless of genre, we exist to remind us humans of our humanity, effectively, that like art does so many things. 495 00:40:11,960 --> 00:40:25,960 It can lay bare the human condition. It can be a form of comfort in a dark time. It can. There's, it can be so many things, but whatever it is, it is almost always essential. 496 00:40:25,960 --> 00:40:41,960 If at the end of the day, people in caves were doing art, right? That speaks to how much a part of our human identity it is, like how much we need it. We need literature. 497 00:40:41,960 --> 00:40:57,960 We need music and we need, we need to be able to see paintings and sculptures and experience installations and multimedia presentations. It affirms our humanity. 498 00:40:57,960 --> 00:41:14,960 And like I, I remember going to, I'm forgetting the name of the exhibit, but it was at the Brooklyn Museum. And I remember seeing these paintings and just being sucked in by the color and sucked in by the, by the vision of the artists, you know. 499 00:41:14,960 --> 00:41:29,960 And it gave us, it gave me a different way of looking at the world, right? And so when I left the museum and I went out, I looked at trees differently because of the way I had seen them represented in paintings, right? 500 00:41:29,960 --> 00:41:58,960 And they were abstract, but still I was looking at the natural world around me differently and in a way that allowed me to see trees and sky and like with fresh eyes, right? So art has this way of renewing us, that renewing our sense of, our, our percept, our sense of perception and our, our sense of self and sometimes our, our identity in a way that is essential, I think, for us spiritually. 501 00:41:58,960 --> 00:42:12,960 And I know that sounds touchy feely, but I, I really do believe it's, it's true. And so as musicians, we have to remember that when we play, that's actually what we're offering. 502 00:42:12,960 --> 00:42:29,960 And so a lot of times we'll go into a performance and we want it to be perfect and we want it to be right or we want it to be whatever it is we want it to be. But actually the audience isn't experiencing it as perfect or right or the definitive interpretation of whatever. 503 00:42:29,960 --> 00:42:49,960 The audience is experiencing it as something that comes in and opens up their heart to the world. And so it doesn't matter if it's perfect, like not to the listener. And that's a gift and we should honor the work that we do because it's something absolutely extraordinary that we have to offer. 504 00:42:49,960 --> 00:42:55,960 And we should respect what we have to offer. And I do think that's a kind of solemn duty. 505 00:42:55,960 --> 00:43:00,960 What's the next phase and goal for you and Juneteenth LP? 506 00:43:00,960 --> 00:43:15,960 So right now we're getting ready for the next season, but I would say that sort of organizationally we are starting to make the shift from an ensemble that does projects and gets funded to do projects. 507 00:43:15,960 --> 00:43:30,960 And we want to become an organization that gets funded as an institution, which means that we have to become a 501C3, you know, and that's a whole bunch of stuff. 508 00:43:30,960 --> 00:43:50,960 But I know what I want for us. I want this to be an organization that lasts beyond me and I want it to be part of what helps us. You know, the next thing that we want to do is we want to create a commissioning project where we actually help grow the library of 509 00:43:50,960 --> 00:44:04,960 classical music by African American composers. And, you know, we're able to award prizes and to have events that are like, you know, this is a piece that we've chosen, we're going to record it, we're going to present it in concert. 510 00:44:04,960 --> 00:44:19,960 So, you know, that takes resources, you know, and that takes a board of directors, you know. So that's the next step. And I'm unashamed to say I know nothing about these things, but I'll learn. 511 00:44:19,960 --> 00:44:23,960 Oh, yeah. Great. Thank you so much. It's been a really wonderful conversation, Nenna. 512 00:44:23,960 --> 00:44:28,960 You have amazing questions. You really got me thinking about a lot of different things. It was wonderful. 513 00:44:28,960 --> 00:44:54,960 Thank you. So for everyone, be sure to check out Nenna's latest album, which was produced in May 2023. It's luminous. Wow. Yes. Thank you so much for showing the CD cover on your music streaming service and you can learn more about Nenna by visiting her website at nenna.net and about Juneteenth LP at juneteenthlp.org. 514 00:44:54,960 --> 00:45:03,960 All right, so this has been once again fun and inspirational conversation, Nenna. And but before I let you go, we have one more thing to do. 515 00:45:03,960 --> 00:45:05,960 It's a repertoire of questions. 516 00:45:05,960 --> 00:45:20,960 Yes, yes. So this is the part of the show where I get to ask fun questions to each guest. Now, here's a little twist. As silly as these questions may sound, your answers may reveal who you truly are. 517 00:45:20,960 --> 00:45:42,960 So ready or not, please answer them with the shortest responses as possible. No explanation is necessary. So let's start with easy ones. Level one. What's your comfort food? Soup. How do you like your coffee? Oh, like hot chocolate, sweet, lots of milk. Great. 518 00:45:42,960 --> 00:46:01,960 Cats or dogs? Cats. Sunrise or sunset? Oh, can't pick. Okay, that's fine. Summer or winter? Winter if I have a fireplace. Great. Paper book or ebook? Oh, paper book. 519 00:46:01,960 --> 00:46:15,960 Now level two. What is your word or words to live by? Keep persisting. Persistent, like just keep trying. What is the most important quality you look for in other people? Kindness. 520 00:46:15,960 --> 00:46:35,960 Name three people who inspire you, living or dead? My brother. Obviously my mother. There are so many. Sviatoslav Richter. Name one piece in your current playlist. I'm Many Thousand Gone. It's by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. 521 00:46:35,960 --> 00:46:53,960 I'm working through the entire set of 24 Negro Melodies, but that is the one that's on the front burner. Okay, great. I'll listen to it. Now the last question, which is the most difficult one? Maybe not. So fill in the blank. Music is blank. 522 00:46:53,960 --> 00:47:02,960 Life. Ding ding. Thank you so much. You won. Wonderful. That was fun. 523 00:47:02,960 --> 00:47:15,960 Thank you. That was so much fun. Oh, thank you. So this concludes this episode of The Pianopod. Thank you, Dana, for joining my show today and sharing your stories and insights and expertise. 524 00:47:15,960 --> 00:47:37,960 You can learn more about Nena and her amazing work through her website at nena.net and you can listen to her album Luminous on all major music streaming services. All the links are listed in the show notes. Thank you to my wonderful audience and fans for tuning in today. If you enjoyed today's episode, please rate and review it on whatever podcasting platform you use. 525 00:47:37,960 --> 00:47:53,960 And remember to hit the thumbs up button and subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow The Pianopod on social media to get the latest piano news via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. I will see you for the next episode of The Pianopod. Bye everyone and thank you, Nena. 526 00:47:53,960 --> 00:48:08,960 Thank you. Thank you so much.