There is no first or second rate music. There are only first or second rate performances.
There's so much truth in that statement. It hardly even matters really what it is that you're doing.
Are you doing it well? Are you doing it in a way that connects with people?
Are you doing it in a way that ignites people's creative spark, awakens their passion?
That's really where the big money is.
As an inaugural episode of season five of The Pianopod, we had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Dr. Sara Davis Buechner, an internationally celebrated concert pianist and educator.
During our conversation, we explored her extraordinary 40-plus year career, her mastery of piano technique, and her unique approach to musical interpretation.
This idea of studying the music from the musical outside of it, like it's a great tableau, it's a story, it's an autobiography, it's someone's life, it's so totally absorbing to me.
I mean, I can't imagine starting the study of a piece from the aspect of, okay, let's see, I want to win a piano competition, so this part I want to play fast and then this has to be accurate.
I mean, those technical details will come in when you analyze the piece, pick it apart, have to practice it, but I think that comes later.
The very first thing is, does it excite your passion? Does the piece excite your passion? Does it pull you into that composer's world?
And that's what a great composer does, you know, they pull you into their story, not your story, but their story.
We also delved into her advocacy for lesser-known composers and her role as a champion of diversity and inclusion in the classical music world.
Dr. Buechner shared her insights on how the classical music community can grow through inclusivity and how she is inspiring the next generation of pianists.
You know, the true diversity that could be presented in the concert hall is far larger than what these concert presenters can conceive of.
And I realized that I've been doing DEI myself for decades.
It's the music that's much lesser played that I found so much richness in, in terms of music that, you know, it's so fresh to my ears, so fresh to a lot of people's ears, because it's not played very often.
And there's much more to discover in great music that hasn't been, frankly, overplayed.
Dear TPP friends and listeners, don't miss this incredible opportunity to hear Dr. Sara Davis Buechner's invigorating story.
Join us tomorrow, September 10th at 8 p.m. Eastern Time for an engaging and enchanting conversation with Dr. Buechner, streaming on the Piano Pod's YouTube channel and available on all your favorite podcast platforms.
Tune in and let this conversation inspire and transform your musical journey.