1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:08,960 You're listening to the PianoPod, where we talk to the brightest minds in the industry 2 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:13,680 about how they are bringing the piano into the 21st century. 3 00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:15,480 Welcome back to the PianoPod. 4 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:16,480 I am Eric Hunter. 5 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:18,000 I'm Clara Zhang. 6 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:19,800 I'm Yuki Misong. 7 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:25,840 Today our guest is Dr. Alexandria Li, concert pianist, educator, and arts advocate. 8 00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:30,640 A winner of over 21st prize music awards, her performance career has seen her play everywhere 9 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:35,440 from Carnegie Hall and the Salcorteaux to the jails of Rikers Island. 10 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:39,720 After establishing her career for over 15 years in New York, she returned to her hometown 11 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:44,480 of Las Vegas in order to form the nonprofit organization Notes with a Purpose. 12 00:00:44,480 --> 00:00:47,720 Since its inception several years ago, it has already engaged thousands of children 13 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:51,600 and adults in the Las Vegas area through outreach concerts and special events. 14 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:54,320 Dr. Li is a Yamaha artist. 15 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:58,160 She is also someone I am very privileged to call my good friend. 16 00:00:58,160 --> 00:00:59,160 Welcome to the show, Alex. 17 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:00,160 Thank you for having me. 18 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:05,280 Thank you so much for joining us. 19 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:09,880 Now of course, you and I have a lot of history, but I know for people who are tuning in for 20 00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:13,360 the first time, I'm sure the question on their minds is why Las Vegas? 21 00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:14,360 Yeah. 22 00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:15,360 Right. 23 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:18,280 That doesn't seem like the first place that comes to mind when we think about classical 24 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:19,280 music. 25 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:20,280 Definitely not. 26 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:22,760 It was not really a matter of choice. 27 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:25,240 I was born and raised here. 28 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:34,320 My parents moved here just a few years before I was born and they're still here. 29 00:01:34,320 --> 00:01:40,560 After living in New York for over 15 years and a little stint in Canada, I just started 30 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:42,720 focusing back on Las Vegas. 31 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:47,040 It was something that I always, it was a place I always wanted to return to. 32 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:48,040 Yeah. 33 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:51,040 Now you were in New York for a long time and you were doing quite well. 34 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:55,200 I remember going to your concerts. 35 00:01:55,200 --> 00:01:59,040 What was it that drew you back to Vegas aside from your family, of course? 36 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:04,640 Truthful answer is I was starting to feel a little burnt out in New York City. 37 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:14,680 I had a really wonderful but stressful job and I believe I saw more of the subway. 38 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:15,680 I'm solar powered. 39 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:20,560 I don't know if you can tell, it's just sunny here and I'm solar powered. 40 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:25,800 I'm used to driving cars and I just needed space. 41 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:32,600 After my fellowship was done, I was seeking the West Coast just to breathe a little bit. 42 00:02:32,600 --> 00:02:37,800 I was definitely busy when I came back, but I basically wanted to load my groceries in 43 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:44,320 the back of the car versus hauling everything from Trader Joe's on Sunday night. 44 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:45,320 I still do. 45 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:47,480 I feel my arm doing that. 46 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:53,320 I have so much respect for people who are still buffing it out. 47 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:55,920 My biceps are really tight. 48 00:02:55,920 --> 00:02:57,960 That's our workout. 49 00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:03,320 I can definitely relate because I had a similar flight myself to the West Coast after our 50 00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:06,200 not so sunny days in Rochester. 51 00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:10,840 Let's talk a little bit about that time in New York because I feel like that was a formative 52 00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:13,880 time for you. 53 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:17,120 I was a long hauler graduate student. 54 00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:24,040 I did eventually finish my doctorate, but I just kept getting distracted by really fun 55 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:27,040 projects. 56 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:32,280 The thing that kept pulling me away from just sitting in the practice room and just finishing 57 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:38,560 out my degree was an interest in being really out in the community and really wanting to 58 00:03:38,560 --> 00:03:41,640 connect with people in the community. 59 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:47,080 This meant beyond just music students and musicians. 60 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:51,560 I don't even think you know the story, Eric. 61 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:59,840 I had a colleague win per musicist and she invited me to the winners recital. 62 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:04,240 I went to her concert at Wild Hall. 63 00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:05,680 I was like, well, this is great. 64 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:08,000 What is this organization? 65 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:15,360 I read the mission statement and it was really a heartful, just soulful, beautiful organization 66 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:17,240 that gives back to the community. 67 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:25,000 They essentially pick the first prize winner to play their premiere debuts in New York 68 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:27,160 and Boston and a whole bunch of other places. 69 00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:32,520 But then they'll send you into really hard to reach places like prisons or hospitals 70 00:04:32,520 --> 00:04:36,480 or assisted living facilities. 71 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:39,680 That just really resonated with me. 72 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:42,640 I had such respect for my colleague. 73 00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:44,680 She was playing at such a high level. 74 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:50,520 This is like a serious competition of sorts, but it also had a social awareness aspect 75 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:54,240 to it, this mindfulness. 76 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:57,640 The award was only every two years or so. 77 00:04:57,640 --> 00:05:01,520 Then I got invited to the next winners concert and I was like, okay, I just need to apply 78 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:03,520 to this thing. 79 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:06,920 It's time for me to throw my hat in. 80 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:11,800 I was supposed to finish out my doctorate at that time and I ended up winning. 81 00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:19,880 That was such a momentous time because it just really connected all the dots for me. 82 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:22,200 I wanted my music to mean something. 83 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:29,360 I wanted to bring it to people who couldn't normally get to concerts. 84 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:35,960 They presented me, for instance, at the Phoenix House, which is a drug and alcohol addiction 85 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:36,960 recovery program. 86 00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:41,440 There are a few places around New York City. 87 00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:48,080 They hauled in a Yamaha Grand into this multipurpose room. 88 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:51,480 I was sitting there for a few days. 89 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:52,880 The energy started picking up. 90 00:05:52,880 --> 00:05:56,080 People were like, what is about to happen? 91 00:05:56,080 --> 00:06:05,040 It was my first solo concert with such a big audience. 92 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:10,560 It was a new experience for me where the men had to be sitting on one side and the women 93 00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:13,280 on the other. 94 00:06:13,280 --> 00:06:18,440 They were all going through a very transformative time of their lives. 95 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:22,720 Following that, just a few months later, I learned about Ensemble Connect. 96 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:25,360 At that time, it's called Ensemble ACJW. 97 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:27,680 Glad for the name change. 98 00:06:27,680 --> 00:06:37,640 Ensemble Connect is a fellowship run by Juilliard and Carnegie Hall. 99 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:42,640 They have a partnership with the New York City Department of Education. 100 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:44,640 It's a teaching artist program. 101 00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:54,160 It's a fellowship that teaches young musicians how to present music and art to any kind of 102 00:06:54,160 --> 00:06:59,200 audience and to do it very conscientiously. 103 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:05,400 With that, I miraculously got that position. 104 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:07,360 It just followed the heels of permusichists. 105 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:09,080 It was an awesome year. 106 00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:15,720 I was like, wow, the universe does not want me to finish my doctorate right now. 107 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:18,960 You had bigger fish to fry. 108 00:07:18,960 --> 00:07:19,960 Yeah. 109 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:27,320 Thankfully, Stony Brook, where I got my master's and my doctorate, they were so supportive. 110 00:07:27,320 --> 00:07:32,000 They were like, well, this is what we want our musicians to do anyway. 111 00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:35,200 She's just doing it kind of early. 112 00:07:35,200 --> 00:07:37,760 I did end up rewriting because of me. 113 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:40,760 They rewrote the graduate student handbook. 114 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:45,360 They're like, you need to finish within a certain amount of time. 115 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:46,360 Okay? 116 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:49,320 It was just a really important time in my life. 117 00:07:49,320 --> 00:07:58,160 As you said, Eric, it was really time for me to find that support, to find the currents 118 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:01,520 that were taking me towards what I wanted to do. 119 00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:06,880 Even starting out in Rochester, going to Eastman, there was a music therapy course that they 120 00:08:06,880 --> 00:08:08,280 offered. 121 00:08:08,280 --> 00:08:15,720 I dipped my toe in that because I was like, I just want to help people with music in some 122 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:17,840 way. 123 00:08:17,840 --> 00:08:23,400 This was just a great... Teaching artist work is really up my alley, I think, because 124 00:08:23,400 --> 00:08:29,600 it allows me to still really... challenges me to keep my chops up, present new ideas 125 00:08:29,600 --> 00:08:36,720 and works to different communities, and meet a whole lot of different people. 126 00:08:36,720 --> 00:08:40,800 The way you're even speaking, you're so passionate. 127 00:08:40,800 --> 00:08:49,580 Such an impact that these two organizations gave you while you live in New York. 128 00:08:49,580 --> 00:08:55,620 How fortunate is that, to be able to find that at such a young age, because musicians, 129 00:08:55,620 --> 00:08:56,620 we all struggle. 130 00:08:56,620 --> 00:08:59,880 Why am I practicing hours and hours of this piece? 131 00:08:59,880 --> 00:09:05,040 It's so hard to find a meaning of it all, and we all struggle. 132 00:09:05,040 --> 00:09:11,440 In a way, you found your really true desire of, why am I practicing? 133 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:16,200 Because I want to really give back to the community. 134 00:09:16,200 --> 00:09:21,000 It's so wonderful that you found that outlet. 135 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:23,120 I felt very lucky. 136 00:09:23,120 --> 00:09:29,400 There's also, I'm sure you're noticing the trend that that conversation is happening 137 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:35,000 in our world, in our music world, that it's like, why are we practicing? 138 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:41,160 When I was just entering Eastman, and this was a while back, it was 2001, 2002. 139 00:09:41,160 --> 00:09:44,240 You don't have to do that. 140 00:09:44,240 --> 00:09:46,200 Just kidding. 141 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:55,960 The stats were that there were 10,000 pianists graduating with degrees a year. 142 00:09:55,960 --> 00:10:00,680 I was like, okay, what are we doing with this? 143 00:10:00,680 --> 00:10:05,840 It's important for people to connect with music and have music be a part of their lives. 144 00:10:05,840 --> 00:10:09,160 I'm like, now that's a lot of competition. 145 00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:15,240 That's a lot of, what are we doing besides playing for ourselves? 146 00:10:15,240 --> 00:10:20,200 That stat really just stuck with me throughout the years. 147 00:10:20,200 --> 00:10:27,080 The funny story actually, speaking of being in a conservatory environment, in studio class, 148 00:10:27,080 --> 00:10:31,800 the question was raised, whose dream is it to play in Carnegie Hall? 149 00:10:31,800 --> 00:10:37,720 There were three hands that didn't raise in a group of 20, and mine wasn't one of them. 150 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:43,800 We were also clumped together, which says a lot. 151 00:10:43,800 --> 00:10:45,440 They asked why. 152 00:10:45,440 --> 00:10:47,880 Why don't you want to play in Carnegie Hall? 153 00:10:47,880 --> 00:10:49,680 I'm like, listen, I do want to play in Carnegie Hall. 154 00:10:49,680 --> 00:10:50,680 Not saying that I'll turn away. 155 00:10:50,680 --> 00:10:51,680 You did. 156 00:10:51,680 --> 00:10:52,680 I did. 157 00:10:52,680 --> 00:10:53,680 That was the greatest irony. 158 00:10:53,680 --> 00:10:56,680 I mentioned this in my interview too. 159 00:10:56,680 --> 00:10:59,880 I was sitting with the Carnegie Hall administration. 160 00:10:59,880 --> 00:11:02,440 They're like, I said, I have a story for you. 161 00:11:02,440 --> 00:11:06,640 Actually, you are not my dream. 162 00:11:06,640 --> 00:11:13,840 But actually, the thing is, the reason being was, I said, I don't want to just be playing 163 00:11:13,840 --> 00:11:20,880 for people who are looking at the concert roster or the season going, oh, I want to 164 00:11:20,880 --> 00:11:22,120 hear her. 165 00:11:22,120 --> 00:11:26,080 I want to hear how she plays Opus 110, Beethoven Sonata. 166 00:11:26,080 --> 00:11:31,400 Let me compare her to... It's like they already know what it sounds like. 167 00:11:31,400 --> 00:11:37,560 What about the people who can't afford to get to Carnegie Hall, who feel intimidated, 168 00:11:37,560 --> 00:11:41,040 who can't access that? 169 00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:48,920 It's just amazing how years later, Carnegie Hall created Ensemble Connect to smash that 170 00:11:48,920 --> 00:11:49,920 conception. 171 00:11:49,920 --> 00:11:57,320 They said, we're going to create an ensemble of 20 people to learn how to go out into the 172 00:11:57,320 --> 00:11:58,320 community. 173 00:11:58,320 --> 00:12:00,760 It's not about bringing people to Carnegie Hall. 174 00:12:00,760 --> 00:12:05,680 It's about enriching the place around us. 175 00:12:05,680 --> 00:12:11,880 That's when I had the experience of preparing a concert, an interactive performance, is 176 00:12:11,880 --> 00:12:16,160 what we call them, to go to Rikers Island. 177 00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:19,000 I want to hear more about the Rikers Island. 178 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:23,120 Also, you just mentioned the word interactive. 179 00:12:23,120 --> 00:12:24,920 I think that's the key. 180 00:12:24,920 --> 00:12:33,440 It's not about us presenting this really humongous amount of repertoire and the ha ha ha at Carnegie 181 00:12:33,440 --> 00:12:39,880 Hall, but there is this interaction between you and the audience. 182 00:12:39,880 --> 00:12:48,360 I really feel this energy from you, like how much you are such a giving person, but how 183 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:51,120 much also you are receiving from the audience. 184 00:12:51,120 --> 00:12:53,640 I really want to know more about it. 185 00:12:53,640 --> 00:12:58,880 If you could share some of the stories, it seems like you really had an amazing time 186 00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:06,640 as a performer and giving this wonderful gift of music to the audience that we don't normally 187 00:13:06,640 --> 00:13:09,080 reach out to. 188 00:13:09,080 --> 00:13:15,040 If you could share with us a few examples, maybe at the prison or at the hospitals. 189 00:13:15,040 --> 00:13:16,040 Sure, absolutely. 190 00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:24,240 One of the most important aspects that I was aware of even before getting into the ensemble, 191 00:13:24,240 --> 00:13:28,720 but was really driven home was you got to know who your audience is. 192 00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:35,720 You have to understand why they're there and what is the takeaway at the end? 193 00:13:35,720 --> 00:13:37,360 What do you want to leave them with? 194 00:13:37,360 --> 00:13:40,120 There was always something called an entry point. 195 00:13:40,120 --> 00:13:43,560 It starts to sound academic, but it was very structured. 196 00:13:43,560 --> 00:13:47,880 It was a very structured teaching artist training program. 197 00:13:47,880 --> 00:13:56,640 We had the foremost teaching artists teaching the ensemble how to deliver our message. 198 00:13:56,640 --> 00:13:58,520 We had Eric Booth, for instance. 199 00:13:58,520 --> 00:14:03,840 He's kind of like the grandfather of teaching artistry. 200 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:12,880 When going into Rikers Island, we were always put in interesting ensembles. 201 00:14:12,880 --> 00:14:20,840 Before Rikers Island, the first ensemble formation I was given, I was playing with a violinist, 202 00:14:20,840 --> 00:14:26,480 a French horn player, and a cellist. 203 00:14:26,480 --> 00:14:29,040 It was a very odd combination. 204 00:14:29,040 --> 00:14:30,040 They did this purposefully. 205 00:14:30,040 --> 00:14:31,040 They were like, you know what? 206 00:14:31,040 --> 00:14:38,080 We're not going to give you ensembles where you can just pull out trout quintet or something 207 00:14:38,080 --> 00:14:40,380 and then just play together. 208 00:14:40,380 --> 00:14:43,600 We had to do a little bit of arrangement of music. 209 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:49,880 Find music that really then meant a lot for us to be able to bring out. 210 00:14:49,880 --> 00:14:56,040 We even snuck in Adele as an opening with the bassoonist, for instance, for our school 211 00:14:56,040 --> 00:14:58,840 outreach programs. 212 00:14:58,840 --> 00:15:08,320 For the Rikers visit, I was actually in a Mozart piano quintet arrange formation. 213 00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:12,120 Our theme was, how does Mozart create drama in music? 214 00:15:12,120 --> 00:15:15,760 What makes music dramatic? 215 00:15:15,760 --> 00:15:24,240 Our interactive components really, with being in a jail setting, you can't have people come 216 00:15:24,240 --> 00:15:27,120 up and try to do things. 217 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:33,840 We did ask questions and got amazing answers. 218 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:40,840 You actually have knowledgeable audiences all over the place. 219 00:15:40,840 --> 00:15:47,240 That experience of bringing something informative but not preachy, you never want to sound like 220 00:15:47,240 --> 00:15:49,480 you're preaching to the audience at all. 221 00:15:49,480 --> 00:15:52,640 It was something that we're all still learning, too. 222 00:15:52,640 --> 00:15:53,880 It's a young group. 223 00:15:53,880 --> 00:16:03,000 What's great is that after the two years of really intensive work, there's more of a natural 224 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:04,680 approach to it. 225 00:16:04,680 --> 00:16:10,400 It's really how you merge it with your own personality. 226 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:14,320 It was challenging for me at times because I was like, oh my gosh, I have to figure out 227 00:16:14,320 --> 00:16:21,560 this tight 50-minute script that could be suddenly chopped off by five minutes if suddenly 228 00:16:21,560 --> 00:16:25,860 the school bell is about to ring or there's an emergency. 229 00:16:25,860 --> 00:16:32,560 Making a really tight show, being very mindful about every single word we were saying because 230 00:16:32,560 --> 00:16:38,680 we did not want to slip up and say something that wasn't PC, that would be terrible for 231 00:16:38,680 --> 00:16:40,400 students to hear. 232 00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:44,400 All of that was really nipped over. 233 00:16:44,400 --> 00:16:48,240 Once you're out of the two years, you're like, wow, I should be able to talk to an audience 234 00:16:48,240 --> 00:16:55,680 now and understand the flow of the performance because it's not that it always has to be 235 00:16:55,680 --> 00:16:59,240 high energy. 236 00:16:59,240 --> 00:17:05,280 We can get really deep and introspective with the music and have everyone follow along with 237 00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:06,880 us. 238 00:17:06,880 --> 00:17:10,000 It's such a powerful thing. 239 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:13,440 We are in such a powerful position as musicians. 240 00:17:13,440 --> 00:17:20,600 We should have everyone in the palm of our hands and take them on a journey with us. 241 00:17:20,600 --> 00:17:28,080 I always feel like this incredible weight and responsibility anytime I perform. 242 00:17:28,080 --> 00:17:33,800 The interactive nature is incredibly important because it's not talking to, it's not playing 243 00:17:33,800 --> 00:17:34,800 to. 244 00:17:34,800 --> 00:17:40,880 It's like, let me invite you in into what I'm experiencing and this is what I'm listening 245 00:17:40,880 --> 00:17:43,240 for. 246 00:17:43,240 --> 00:17:46,960 Very simple things. 247 00:17:46,960 --> 00:17:47,960 It's very cool. 248 00:17:47,960 --> 00:17:53,560 Alex, can you give some examples of comments or interactions you've had with audience members 249 00:17:53,560 --> 00:17:56,280 following these kinds of performances? 250 00:17:56,280 --> 00:18:04,840 This happens a lot when they're living in a place that doesn't feel very safe. 251 00:18:04,840 --> 00:18:10,460 If you're in a shelter or if you're in a jail, when you're performing the music for them, 252 00:18:10,460 --> 00:18:15,840 it creates a safe environment for them. 253 00:18:15,840 --> 00:18:20,240 This wasn't said to me, it was said to another one of my colleagues with another group, but 254 00:18:20,240 --> 00:18:24,880 it was at Rikers Island and they said, this was the first time I've been able to close 255 00:18:24,880 --> 00:18:31,080 my eyes and feel safe and feel comforted. 256 00:18:31,080 --> 00:18:34,920 I know that happens in my performances too. 257 00:18:34,920 --> 00:18:39,400 It just didn't come out that strongly. 258 00:18:39,400 --> 00:18:45,520 I've gotten for another drug addiction recovery program, it's like, you mentioned you're going 259 00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:52,240 to play Bach and I was like, oh God, this is going to be, ugh. 260 00:18:52,240 --> 00:18:59,880 And then, whoa, he's like, wow, that was incredible. 261 00:18:59,880 --> 00:19:05,760 That particular concert, what I did was it was a solo concert for a drug and addiction, 262 00:19:05,760 --> 00:19:09,000 it was an addiction recovery program. 263 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:13,840 My final piece was the Bach, Busoni, Chaconne. 264 00:19:13,840 --> 00:19:24,440 For those that may not be familiar with it, it's taking the same theme, the same motive 265 00:19:24,440 --> 00:19:27,120 over 64 variations. 266 00:19:27,120 --> 00:19:32,080 You hear the 64 times and by the end, it's transformed. 267 00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:37,240 That's what I wanted to show the audience is that you can still be who you are, you 268 00:19:37,240 --> 00:19:41,400 can have a lot of things happen to you during this time, at these developments. 269 00:19:41,400 --> 00:19:44,720 You have big milestones in your life. 270 00:19:44,720 --> 00:19:51,640 In the Bach, there's four moments where you really hear that theme very powerfully. 271 00:19:51,640 --> 00:19:57,880 At the end, it's so empowered and triumphant. 272 00:19:57,880 --> 00:20:05,240 I wanted to leave people in the eyes going, yeah, I can get through this 15-month program. 273 00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:09,560 It's not all going to be rosy, but there are also sublime moments. 274 00:20:09,560 --> 00:20:14,520 There are moments where I'm going to really know myself. 275 00:20:14,520 --> 00:20:20,200 You have people who normally never even think about listening to classical music and they'll 276 00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:21,200 come to you. 277 00:20:21,200 --> 00:20:32,360 That's happened through my nonprofit where recovery program client came up to me. 278 00:20:32,360 --> 00:20:36,520 I was presenting Jessica Meyer, who is an amazing teaching artist and violist and composer 279 00:20:36,520 --> 00:20:38,760 in New York City. 280 00:20:38,760 --> 00:20:40,640 I brought her all the way out here to Las Vegas. 281 00:20:40,640 --> 00:20:44,960 I presented her in front of the addiction recovery clients. 282 00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:50,760 She did a really cool looping pedal, her own solo show. 283 00:20:50,760 --> 00:20:56,480 It was an hour and she told her stories of what inspired her. 284 00:20:56,480 --> 00:20:59,080 It was a mandatory concert. 285 00:20:59,080 --> 00:21:03,520 The next week, I went back into the rescue mission. 286 00:21:03,520 --> 00:21:05,680 That's what it's called, the Las Vegas rescue mission. 287 00:21:05,680 --> 00:21:13,280 I was playing piano during dinner time, scoping out what it would be like to bring people 288 00:21:13,280 --> 00:21:14,280 in. 289 00:21:14,280 --> 00:21:19,920 I suddenly see this guy just staring at me, just like he was eating his food and just 290 00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:20,920 staring. 291 00:21:20,920 --> 00:21:24,920 I'm just playing and he's sitting right in front of me. 292 00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:29,160 I'm like, okay, this is getting a little bit unsettling because he doesn't look like the 293 00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:30,640 most approachable friendly guy. 294 00:21:30,640 --> 00:21:35,280 I was like, oh my God, let me just play through my piece. 295 00:21:35,280 --> 00:21:38,360 Afterwards he comes up to me and he's like six, four. 296 00:21:38,360 --> 00:21:40,680 He's not a small person at all. 297 00:21:40,680 --> 00:21:44,800 He comes up and he's like, hi, I want to speak to you. 298 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:46,800 I was like, oh gosh, hi. 299 00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:49,840 He goes, I was really pissed off. 300 00:21:49,840 --> 00:21:51,640 Sorry, you can beat that. 301 00:21:51,640 --> 00:22:02,000 I was like, I was really pissed off that I had to go to that viola show last week because 302 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:04,520 I work graveyard. 303 00:22:04,520 --> 00:22:09,080 When they came knocking on my door to get up, that's like being woken up at three in 304 00:22:09,080 --> 00:22:11,280 the morning to go to a show. 305 00:22:11,280 --> 00:22:20,200 He's like, I was not happy with that, but oh my God, that was the best thing ever. 306 00:22:20,200 --> 00:22:23,920 I got up now today to tell you that. 307 00:22:23,920 --> 00:22:30,040 And also that I started listening to classical music. 308 00:22:30,040 --> 00:22:34,240 I now listen to it every night as a part of my recovery. 309 00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:44,000 So that floored me and Jeff, that's his name, he continued listening to classical music. 310 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:48,480 He graduated from the program. 311 00:22:48,480 --> 00:22:55,880 And the most beautiful part is he ended up becoming head of security for the mission. 312 00:22:55,880 --> 00:23:01,520 So he would introduce my high school students, well, notes with a purpose, say, I mean, he 313 00:23:01,520 --> 00:23:02,520 would shut the room up. 314 00:23:02,520 --> 00:23:06,480 He's like, y'all need to listen to the, I was like, this is an amazing group. 315 00:23:06,480 --> 00:23:15,960 He felt the effects of what can happen if you open up yourself and find yourself on 316 00:23:15,960 --> 00:23:19,360 this path with experiencing music. 317 00:23:19,360 --> 00:23:21,840 And Jessica is such a wonderful musician. 318 00:23:21,840 --> 00:23:24,880 So we really have her to thank. 319 00:23:24,880 --> 00:23:31,720 That was the kind of experience I wanted to curate from my own playing and also what I 320 00:23:31,720 --> 00:23:36,800 do, what I've been doing since that fellowship. 321 00:23:36,800 --> 00:23:37,800 Yeah. 322 00:23:37,800 --> 00:23:40,920 Well, you just gave me chills. 323 00:23:40,920 --> 00:23:43,680 What a powerful experience. 324 00:23:43,680 --> 00:23:47,580 Can you tell us how notes with a purpose got started? 325 00:23:47,580 --> 00:23:51,120 When did you first get the idea to form your own organization? 326 00:23:51,120 --> 00:23:52,440 Yeah. 327 00:23:52,440 --> 00:23:56,680 So it has a little bit of a backstory before it was notes with a purpose. 328 00:23:56,680 --> 00:24:01,080 It was actually the Las Vegas Wine and Music Festival. 329 00:24:01,080 --> 00:24:04,640 So yeah, it is. 330 00:24:04,640 --> 00:24:13,560 So I've had this idea for about 10 years in my head of pairing wine to classical music. 331 00:24:13,560 --> 00:24:16,440 And it happened because I was drinking a glass of Chardonnay. 332 00:24:16,440 --> 00:24:20,760 It was completely unintentional, but I was allowed to bring in a glass of Chardonnay 333 00:24:20,760 --> 00:24:23,680 into this chamber music concert. 334 00:24:23,680 --> 00:24:28,480 And they start playing the Dvorak American string quartet. 335 00:24:28,480 --> 00:24:34,240 And it was one of those moments where I'm listening to the Dvorak. 336 00:24:34,240 --> 00:24:35,240 It starts playing. 337 00:24:35,240 --> 00:24:40,040 I'm tasting grassiness, this kind of grassy flavor. 338 00:24:40,040 --> 00:24:42,160 I wasn't even a wine drinker. 339 00:24:42,160 --> 00:24:43,160 I hated wine. 340 00:24:43,160 --> 00:24:46,280 I just didn't have any experience with it. 341 00:24:46,280 --> 00:24:49,360 But I could taste grass. 342 00:24:49,360 --> 00:24:54,320 And paired with the opening, I was just like, oh, oh. 343 00:24:54,320 --> 00:24:56,520 And I literally looked around me. 344 00:24:56,520 --> 00:24:59,680 I was like, does anyone? 345 00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:01,520 Is anyone else experiencing this? 346 00:25:01,520 --> 00:25:05,120 Not everyone bought wine to take it. 347 00:25:05,120 --> 00:25:07,120 And I literally went, holy beep. 348 00:25:07,120 --> 00:25:11,400 Why isn't anyone doing this? 349 00:25:11,400 --> 00:25:13,040 I was in the middle of Washington state. 350 00:25:13,040 --> 00:25:14,520 It was wine country. 351 00:25:14,520 --> 00:25:17,440 I was like, OK. 352 00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:19,360 I don't even drink alcohol that much. 353 00:25:19,360 --> 00:25:20,560 And I think this is an awesome idea. 354 00:25:20,560 --> 00:25:24,160 So I just kind of shoved that to the back of my head. 355 00:25:24,160 --> 00:25:32,240 And then eight years later, seven years later, I kind of run this idea by a sommelier, a 356 00:25:32,240 --> 00:25:33,240 wine expert. 357 00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:34,520 And they didn't laugh at it. 358 00:25:34,520 --> 00:25:38,040 I was like, great. 359 00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:41,800 And I started to think of ways to go back to do something in Las Vegas. 360 00:25:41,800 --> 00:25:44,480 So I wasn't even planning on moving back to Las Vegas. 361 00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:51,600 I just wanted to kind of put feelers out and orchestrate something. 362 00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:59,400 And after the first year of Ensemble Connect or during the first year, I was starting to 363 00:25:59,400 --> 00:26:04,320 become really motivated because one of our questions was that one of our exercises we 364 00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:10,160 had to revisit time and time again was, what is your mission and vision statement? 365 00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:11,160 No. 366 00:26:11,160 --> 00:26:12,280 What is yours? 367 00:26:12,280 --> 00:26:15,160 Not someone else's, but look inside yourself. 368 00:26:15,160 --> 00:26:18,240 And mine always pointed back to Las Vegas. 369 00:26:18,240 --> 00:26:25,720 It was like, I just want to connect back to Las Vegas, have this kind of high quality 370 00:26:25,720 --> 00:26:31,880 experience that I get here in New York City and kind of transport that back to Las Vegas 371 00:26:31,880 --> 00:26:34,640 somehow and do it in a cool way, in a Vegas way. 372 00:26:34,640 --> 00:26:35,640 I'm a foodie. 373 00:26:35,640 --> 00:26:36,640 I love food. 374 00:26:36,640 --> 00:26:38,760 So bring the food in. 375 00:26:38,760 --> 00:26:43,520 So it ended up being a three day chamber music festival. 376 00:26:43,520 --> 00:26:51,000 I had 18 out of town musicians and six locals, including myself, even though I wasn't really 377 00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:52,880 local, but it was amazing. 378 00:26:52,880 --> 00:26:58,440 Like I had Carol Winsense, Frank Morelli, Alan Kay, Phil Setzer from Emerson String 379 00:26:58,440 --> 00:26:59,440 Quartet. 380 00:26:59,440 --> 00:27:03,280 It was kind of like my dream when they came walking down the hall for their first rehearsal. 381 00:27:03,280 --> 00:27:06,280 I was like, I did it. 382 00:27:06,280 --> 00:27:11,640 It was one of those like, ha. 383 00:27:11,640 --> 00:27:16,240 And I actually have a SoundCloud from that festival. 384 00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:24,520 If there's one track that you should listen to, it's the Appalachian Spring because it's 385 00:27:24,520 --> 00:27:29,820 Carol Winsense on flute, Frank Morelli on bassoon, Alan Kay on clarinet. 386 00:27:29,820 --> 00:27:31,320 And it's the dream team. 387 00:27:31,320 --> 00:27:32,320 Yeah. 388 00:27:32,320 --> 00:27:36,760 When Carol's telling the audience about her interactions with Aaron Copeland, you're like, 389 00:27:36,760 --> 00:27:39,000 okay, okay. 390 00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:41,680 And it was done Orpheus style, no conductor. 391 00:27:41,680 --> 00:27:43,760 And it just was so tight. 392 00:27:43,760 --> 00:27:45,560 It was one of those moments. 393 00:27:45,560 --> 00:27:46,560 It was worth it. 394 00:27:46,560 --> 00:27:54,260 Like this year of administrative pain is so worth it. 395 00:27:54,260 --> 00:27:56,600 And it was really fun pairing wines to it. 396 00:27:56,600 --> 00:27:58,860 I had food brought in too. 397 00:27:58,860 --> 00:28:03,040 So after that was done, I collapsed for a month. 398 00:28:03,040 --> 00:28:07,400 I just like said, I can't move or do anything else. 399 00:28:07,400 --> 00:28:09,320 But I wanted to do more. 400 00:28:09,320 --> 00:28:12,240 I said, okay, this is not it. 401 00:28:12,240 --> 00:28:14,560 There are other ways to be involved with Vegas. 402 00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:20,160 Again, I didn't want to perpetuate that thing that, oh, only ticketed people can come to 403 00:28:20,160 --> 00:28:22,480 my wine and music concert. 404 00:28:22,480 --> 00:28:26,320 So I was like, well, let's start a nonprofit. 405 00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:29,240 And so that's when Notes with a Purpose came in. 406 00:28:29,240 --> 00:28:36,040 I wanted to kind of combine music notes, potentially wine notes. 407 00:28:36,040 --> 00:28:41,560 But make it more about music affecting people in a general sense. 408 00:28:41,560 --> 00:28:46,640 None of my branding ever says it's a classical music chamber music festival. 409 00:28:46,640 --> 00:28:48,600 It's just music. 410 00:28:48,600 --> 00:28:49,880 It's music. 411 00:28:49,880 --> 00:28:54,600 I've done different things with Notes with a Purpose. 412 00:28:54,600 --> 00:28:59,160 So that was 2016 when I really launched it off. 413 00:28:59,160 --> 00:29:02,200 And I was running two programs. 414 00:29:02,200 --> 00:29:08,800 One was we called at the time Wednesday's Live at the Mission and was rebranded to Mission 415 00:29:08,800 --> 00:29:10,720 Music Live. 416 00:29:10,720 --> 00:29:16,880 And that was bringing myself and high school students into the Las Vegas Rescue Mission, 417 00:29:16,880 --> 00:29:24,160 which is a homeless shelter, a food pantry, and it houses the addiction recovery program. 418 00:29:24,160 --> 00:29:31,080 So I was bringing in high school kids to perform during the mealtimes where there were up to 419 00:29:31,080 --> 00:29:34,280 400 meals served in one hour. 420 00:29:34,280 --> 00:29:39,120 I made the kids talk into the microphone to introduce themselves and play. 421 00:29:39,120 --> 00:29:40,640 I mean, it wasn't all quiet. 422 00:29:40,640 --> 00:29:41,760 People are eating. 423 00:29:41,760 --> 00:29:46,240 But some people who really wanted the music would sit closer to the piano. 424 00:29:46,240 --> 00:29:50,400 There were also violinists, guitar players. 425 00:29:50,400 --> 00:30:00,000 So the goal of that was to start planting seeds for young musicians to see how they 426 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:02,120 can give. 427 00:30:02,120 --> 00:30:06,760 That music is not just for being juried on. 428 00:30:06,760 --> 00:30:14,280 It's not all about being judged, but about, listen, your music can affect someone. 429 00:30:14,280 --> 00:30:18,840 And also to burst their perspective and their bubble wide open. 430 00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:21,840 Look at all these people who are hungry. 431 00:30:21,840 --> 00:30:23,400 Like you're lucky. 432 00:30:23,400 --> 00:30:24,400 We're lucky. 433 00:30:24,400 --> 00:30:27,840 I always feel so damn lucky. 434 00:30:27,840 --> 00:30:36,920 So it's like I wanted to influence humility in young musicians. 435 00:30:36,920 --> 00:30:38,640 So that was Notes for the Purpose. 436 00:30:38,640 --> 00:30:45,480 And the wine and music stuff suddenly became our gala type of event. 437 00:30:45,480 --> 00:30:47,600 I would host it twice a year. 438 00:30:47,600 --> 00:30:52,240 I did things like Mimosa's and Mozart, a brunch concert. 439 00:30:52,240 --> 00:30:59,200 I did Reclassified, which was merging EDM with classical music. 440 00:30:59,200 --> 00:31:04,520 And so those were ticketed events, but we would also try to raise money during those. 441 00:31:04,520 --> 00:31:09,040 And that would go directly into our outreach programs. 442 00:31:09,040 --> 00:31:14,000 This really stood out when I played at the dinner service at the mission. 443 00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:20,720 A man came up to me and said, I had never seen a pianist play in front of me before. 444 00:31:20,720 --> 00:31:26,520 I've never heard a live piano performance. 445 00:31:26,520 --> 00:31:27,520 Like whoa. 446 00:31:27,520 --> 00:31:32,160 I mean, talk about taking for granted what we do, right? 447 00:31:32,160 --> 00:31:35,480 It's like, no, my mom stuck this in front of me at the age of two and a half. 448 00:31:35,480 --> 00:31:39,040 So can't say the same thing, right? 449 00:31:39,040 --> 00:31:42,520 And another person said, I have a request. 450 00:31:42,520 --> 00:31:45,920 And I was like, oh my God, he's going to say something like Freebird or something like 451 00:31:45,920 --> 00:31:48,280 that. 452 00:31:48,280 --> 00:31:53,400 But he shyly said, I watch this on YouTube all the time. 453 00:31:53,400 --> 00:31:57,680 And I was like, oh, please don't say, I don't know, like, Liss Transcendental etude or I 454 00:31:57,680 --> 00:31:58,680 don't know. 455 00:31:58,680 --> 00:31:59,680 I was like, don't do it. 456 00:31:59,680 --> 00:32:00,680 But he was like, it's fantasy impromptu. 457 00:32:00,680 --> 00:32:01,680 And I was like, yeah. 458 00:32:01,680 --> 00:32:02,680 I was like, I can totally play that. 459 00:32:02,680 --> 00:32:03,680 And so I dragged him. 460 00:32:03,680 --> 00:32:04,680 I didn't have to drag him. 461 00:32:04,680 --> 00:32:09,040 I was like, come on over to the piano. 462 00:32:09,040 --> 00:32:12,100 And it was like, and the dinner service was done. 463 00:32:12,100 --> 00:32:13,240 And so people were packing up. 464 00:32:13,240 --> 00:32:16,440 So it was like a private, it was so meaningful. 465 00:32:16,440 --> 00:32:23,760 I almost started choking up because I could hear him just like, can you imagine just listening 466 00:32:23,760 --> 00:32:31,040 to something only available to you through the computer, you know, and someone's actually 467 00:32:31,040 --> 00:32:34,720 able to play Chopin in front of you. 468 00:32:34,720 --> 00:32:38,980 And like, we were both kind of choked up, you know, at the end, and he was kind of shy 469 00:32:38,980 --> 00:32:39,980 about it. 470 00:32:39,980 --> 00:32:41,640 And so he's like, okay, thank you. 471 00:32:41,640 --> 00:32:48,520 You know, and later I played it again, but for the whole dinner service. 472 00:32:48,520 --> 00:32:55,120 And he tagged notes with a purpose on Facebook saying, she played it for me again. 473 00:32:55,120 --> 00:32:57,680 You know, and I was like, I know who that is. 474 00:32:57,680 --> 00:33:04,240 I know who that is, you know, and it's just like, you know, people, we are, we get so 475 00:33:04,240 --> 00:33:12,440 stuck in, gosh, like, we got to make sure we appease, you know, all of like the voices 476 00:33:12,440 --> 00:33:15,040 in our head from our conservatory days, right? 477 00:33:15,040 --> 00:33:19,960 Or you know, our mentors, it's like, oh, or he also knows you're like, okay, Chopin, I 478 00:33:19,960 --> 00:33:22,520 know, kind of have a standard, right? 479 00:33:22,520 --> 00:33:24,760 Like we have a standard we're trying to reach. 480 00:33:24,760 --> 00:33:30,720 And that is the difficult, it's a complex conversation we all have with ourselves. 481 00:33:30,720 --> 00:33:34,400 It's like, you know, it's not going to be enough for me just to play, you know, be really 482 00:33:34,400 --> 00:33:37,760 sloppy and someone's like, oh, bravo, bravo. 483 00:33:37,760 --> 00:33:39,720 You know, I don't want that. 484 00:33:39,720 --> 00:33:45,640 You know, I want to really get the true essence of the piece, really deliver it sincerely 485 00:33:45,640 --> 00:33:53,880 and with integrity, you know, and form that connection with the audience at the same time. 486 00:33:53,880 --> 00:33:59,120 And it's hard to do, it's hard to administrate, it's hard to, you know, we all do it, all 487 00:33:59,120 --> 00:34:03,840 these multiple hats we're trying to wear and also try to practice enough, you know, to 488 00:34:03,840 --> 00:34:06,560 make sure we're doing a good job. 489 00:34:06,560 --> 00:34:07,560 Of course. 490 00:34:07,560 --> 00:34:08,560 Yeah. 491 00:34:08,560 --> 00:34:09,560 And then Alex, thank you so much. 492 00:34:09,560 --> 00:34:11,000 And I want to come back to this question. 493 00:34:11,000 --> 00:34:17,080 Now I know you are also teaching a lot now after all this experience you have had, which 494 00:34:17,080 --> 00:34:23,160 is quite unusual actually for artists, you know, not everybody really gets to have all 495 00:34:23,160 --> 00:34:24,160 this experience. 496 00:34:24,160 --> 00:34:29,040 How do you, I assume you also teach children, like how would you approach like what, what 497 00:34:29,040 --> 00:34:30,320 do you tell them? 498 00:34:30,320 --> 00:34:37,200 I really enjoy putting things into context immediately for the kids. 499 00:34:37,200 --> 00:34:40,600 It's like why, what's up with dynamics, right? 500 00:34:40,600 --> 00:34:43,160 Like why should you play soft? 501 00:34:43,160 --> 00:34:50,160 I even experienced this myself when I went to one particular teacher and he's like, do 502 00:34:50,160 --> 00:34:53,240 this hairpin crescendo in this Clementi sonatina. 503 00:34:53,240 --> 00:34:56,680 Like that was like that Clementi sonatina was the bane of my existence. 504 00:34:56,680 --> 00:34:59,240 I was like, this is so boring. 505 00:34:59,240 --> 00:35:03,440 You know, like, like to me at that time, you know, I was just coming back to piano and 506 00:35:03,440 --> 00:35:07,280 I'm like, okay, why the crescendo? 507 00:35:07,280 --> 00:35:08,920 What's the big deal about it? 508 00:35:08,920 --> 00:35:11,000 So you know, that stuck with me. 509 00:35:11,000 --> 00:35:15,720 So whenever I'm speaking to my kids, it's like that crescendo, it's like, it's about 510 00:35:15,720 --> 00:35:16,920 excitement, right? 511 00:35:16,920 --> 00:35:24,120 Like where are you going to, you know, context, putting that context was incredibly important 512 00:35:24,120 --> 00:35:27,000 for me then and now. 513 00:35:27,000 --> 00:35:34,120 So my kids have an understanding of what the music is trying to say. 514 00:35:34,120 --> 00:35:38,040 And you know, there are so many different kind of teaching techniques to do that, but 515 00:35:38,040 --> 00:35:41,720 sometimes it's just a very simple, you know, what's the mood? 516 00:35:41,720 --> 00:35:42,720 What do you think the mood is? 517 00:35:42,720 --> 00:35:43,720 You know, okay. 518 00:35:43,720 --> 00:35:47,080 I've been teaching a little kids kind of recently, so, you know, have to kind of have that bring 519 00:35:47,080 --> 00:35:48,080 that energy. 520 00:35:48,080 --> 00:35:49,840 That's essentially what I do. 521 00:35:49,840 --> 00:35:57,880 I also teach some adult students as well, and the adult students actually really like 522 00:35:57,880 --> 00:36:03,360 understanding the tools to manipulate the piano. 523 00:36:03,360 --> 00:36:09,560 So there one is a lawyer, he doesn't, but he attends all the Philharmonic concerts. 524 00:36:09,560 --> 00:36:15,400 He goes to all my concerts for him to realize, oh, that's the artist brush you use. 525 00:36:15,400 --> 00:36:17,080 Oh, that's how you do it. 526 00:36:17,080 --> 00:36:19,280 That's how you make something pop, right? 527 00:36:19,280 --> 00:36:22,400 Like that's what voicing towards the top can do. 528 00:36:22,400 --> 00:36:23,400 And then it's really funny. 529 00:36:23,400 --> 00:36:25,760 It's like, oh, you know, like, you know, it's all push them aside. 530 00:36:25,760 --> 00:36:30,000 It's like, let me teach, you know, and I'll demonstrate, you know, like what voicing can 531 00:36:30,000 --> 00:36:34,640 really do, especially when he's just heard a concerto performance, you know, kind of 532 00:36:34,640 --> 00:36:38,520 recently, it's like, well, this is how you, what happens when you don't voice the opening 533 00:36:38,520 --> 00:36:41,080 of the Tchaikovsky piano concerto, right? 534 00:36:41,080 --> 00:36:43,360 It's just like slamming thick chords. 535 00:36:43,360 --> 00:36:45,160 All right, voice that top. 536 00:36:45,160 --> 00:36:47,920 And it's like, you have that silver lining. 537 00:36:47,920 --> 00:36:55,200 And so giving context to what the adults are listening to, too, it informs them. 538 00:36:55,200 --> 00:37:00,120 So their next experience, they can really appreciate more of the kind of tactical stuff 539 00:37:00,120 --> 00:37:05,600 that we're all doing on the piano because no, you know, they're, and they enjoy trying 540 00:37:05,600 --> 00:37:08,440 to work on it too. 541 00:37:08,440 --> 00:37:15,560 So it's not all my students are going to be, you know, piano professional pianist. 542 00:37:15,560 --> 00:37:17,520 And that's not my, that's not my goal. 543 00:37:17,520 --> 00:37:25,100 My goal is to have them enjoy music, love music, and feel prepared to, if they ever 544 00:37:25,100 --> 00:37:33,680 want to sit down with sheet music, that they're not overwhelmed, you know, and also know enough 545 00:37:33,680 --> 00:37:39,160 harmony or theory just to understand like most of what you're listening to, you know, 546 00:37:39,160 --> 00:37:42,520 nowadays, like you can figure this out, you know, yourself. 547 00:37:42,520 --> 00:37:43,520 Yeah. 548 00:37:43,520 --> 00:37:48,320 So I think it's great that you're giving them context, right, because otherwise, these 549 00:37:48,320 --> 00:37:54,440 days, especially students are having a hard time connecting to music from 200 years ago. 550 00:37:54,440 --> 00:37:55,480 Totally, right. 551 00:37:55,480 --> 00:38:00,160 And then especially we are abundant with all sorts of music around. 552 00:38:00,160 --> 00:38:06,720 And with the press of a button, you can listen to music of any choices of your favorites. 553 00:38:06,720 --> 00:38:07,720 Right. 554 00:38:07,720 --> 00:38:11,880 So can you tell us what are some challenges you encounter? 555 00:38:11,880 --> 00:38:18,240 Some great things too, obviously, but when you are teaching, trying to relate to students, 556 00:38:18,240 --> 00:38:24,400 the greatest challenge for me sometimes is under, it's just reminding myself, you know, 557 00:38:24,400 --> 00:38:31,480 meet where the students at, you know, it's, you can see the potential of a student and 558 00:38:31,480 --> 00:38:35,800 it can be frustrating at times when you're like, Oh, if only you just put in like the 559 00:38:35,800 --> 00:38:41,160 time that you need, you can be freaking amazing, you know? 560 00:38:41,160 --> 00:38:43,280 And so I dropped, I had to drop that really quick. 561 00:38:43,280 --> 00:38:50,160 I was like, you know, the challenge today for any kind of teacher is time management 562 00:38:50,160 --> 00:38:51,520 for, for kids. 563 00:38:51,520 --> 00:38:54,040 I don't, did we have to go through that? 564 00:38:54,040 --> 00:39:00,200 Like, it's just seems like homework is like overwhelming, you know, you have to now have 565 00:39:00,200 --> 00:39:05,360 like 30 hours in a day to, for, you know, a kid needs to have 30 hours in a day just 566 00:39:05,360 --> 00:39:09,080 to like get all the things that they need done. 567 00:39:09,080 --> 00:39:19,680 So my challenge is, it's just, it's just really saying to myself, it's okay that they're not 568 00:39:19,680 --> 00:39:25,640 practicing the hour and a half that you want them to practice, you know, make sure that 569 00:39:25,640 --> 00:39:31,920 they're getting what, something meaningful out of, out of the lesson, you know, and I 570 00:39:31,920 --> 00:39:39,040 definitely am giving them the specific amazing tools I got, you know, I had a very, very 571 00:39:39,040 --> 00:39:40,640 serious upbringing. 572 00:39:40,640 --> 00:39:45,760 So you know, does this kid need to know how to play the B flat major scale, you know, 573 00:39:45,760 --> 00:39:49,800 you know, in doubles, triplets, and you know, quadruplets in a certain time, you know, that's 574 00:39:49,800 --> 00:39:50,800 not the point. 575 00:39:50,800 --> 00:39:52,800 It's teaching him discipline, right? 576 00:39:52,800 --> 00:39:56,920 And managing expectations is, that's the fundamental answer. 577 00:39:56,920 --> 00:39:59,920 It's managing expectations from the parent. 578 00:39:59,920 --> 00:40:06,160 For me, you know, I have a mom who really is like, put her in a competition. 579 00:40:06,160 --> 00:40:11,760 It's like, well, there was going to, you have to give certain amount of time if you're going 580 00:40:11,760 --> 00:40:13,800 to do this. 581 00:40:13,800 --> 00:40:22,440 And I feel lucky that I have enough of a presence and sort of a, an active concert career because 582 00:40:22,440 --> 00:40:24,520 it's like, I know what I'm talking about. 583 00:40:24,520 --> 00:40:30,440 You know, it gives, it gives a little bit of a, a little backing. 584 00:40:30,440 --> 00:40:31,440 Yeah. 585 00:40:31,440 --> 00:40:32,440 Yeah. 586 00:40:32,440 --> 00:40:35,440 Let me just say after I played Totent Hans this past weekend and my kids came to it, 587 00:40:35,440 --> 00:40:41,160 they're like, they went to the, the mom's like, see, if you're lucky to be with her, 588 00:40:41,160 --> 00:40:42,160 I'm like, oh, thank you. 589 00:40:42,160 --> 00:40:46,080 You know, it's like really nice to have those moments. 590 00:40:46,080 --> 00:40:49,200 And I think it's important for teachers to do actually. 591 00:40:49,200 --> 00:40:56,040 And you all are fantastic pianists, but I think every music teacher should give an opportunity 592 00:40:56,040 --> 00:40:58,760 for, for students to hear them. 593 00:40:58,760 --> 00:41:02,000 I love Eric, how you would play on your student recitals. 594 00:41:02,000 --> 00:41:09,360 You'd give them something to, to aspire to, you know, it's like, okay, this is, this is 595 00:41:09,360 --> 00:41:14,200 why I'm practicing, you know, it's, it's not fair to give the kids scales when you can't 596 00:41:14,200 --> 00:41:17,200 play scales, you know? 597 00:41:17,200 --> 00:41:18,200 Yeah. 598 00:41:18,200 --> 00:41:23,320 It's like, oh, sorry for anybody who was just listening. 599 00:41:23,320 --> 00:41:24,960 I just did a big oops. 600 00:41:24,960 --> 00:41:26,920 I suck at scales. 601 00:41:26,920 --> 00:41:27,920 Yeah. 602 00:41:27,920 --> 00:41:28,920 That's, yeah. 603 00:41:28,920 --> 00:41:32,400 That was a big part of my upbringing. 604 00:41:32,400 --> 00:41:34,960 So continuing that tradition. 605 00:41:34,960 --> 00:41:37,560 Tradition you've kept. 606 00:41:37,560 --> 00:41:44,720 I mean, everything you've told us, it's really been very moving because there's a lot of 607 00:41:44,720 --> 00:41:49,240 artists out there who are content to just kind of follow the playbook, not to take anything 608 00:41:49,240 --> 00:41:53,800 away from them, you know, but it's clear with you that from the beginning you were different 609 00:41:53,800 --> 00:41:55,820 because you really wanted to connect. 610 00:41:55,820 --> 00:42:00,480 One thing we didn't mention is when you're playing in a homeless shelter and somebody 611 00:42:00,480 --> 00:42:02,600 is standing right next to your piano, right? 612 00:42:02,600 --> 00:42:05,720 That is an experience you can't have in a concert hall. 613 00:42:05,720 --> 00:42:07,120 Where does that come from? 614 00:42:07,120 --> 00:42:13,640 You know, what, what, what suited you for this life from the earliest ages? 615 00:42:13,640 --> 00:42:14,640 Right. 616 00:42:14,640 --> 00:42:17,920 Because that was always a part of you. 617 00:42:17,920 --> 00:42:19,320 Yeah. 618 00:42:19,320 --> 00:42:28,360 It is a matter of understanding who's standing in the same room as you or sitting in the 619 00:42:28,360 --> 00:42:31,040 same room. 620 00:42:31,040 --> 00:42:33,120 I'm a good listener. 621 00:42:33,120 --> 00:42:39,800 So I have a lot of empathy and sympathy. 622 00:42:39,800 --> 00:42:44,440 So I think that's a very important component to what I do. 623 00:42:44,440 --> 00:42:45,760 Like what makes a good teaching artist? 624 00:42:45,760 --> 00:42:57,000 It's not about me, you know, and also getting to the reason why we're all there. 625 00:42:57,000 --> 00:43:01,880 You know, I'm not going to force Beethoven on anyone, you know, who is not ready to listen 626 00:43:01,880 --> 00:43:02,880 to. 627 00:43:02,880 --> 00:43:04,520 I mean, there's a way to prepare things. 628 00:43:04,520 --> 00:43:05,520 Yeah. 629 00:43:05,520 --> 00:43:11,520 My mom used to put me in front of a lot of different audiences. 630 00:43:11,520 --> 00:43:14,240 I was, I owe my mom so much. 631 00:43:14,240 --> 00:43:20,960 Of course we all do, our parents a lot, but you know, my mom would take me to this annual 632 00:43:20,960 --> 00:43:28,880 like new year's Eve party run by really wonderful people in this town. 633 00:43:28,880 --> 00:43:37,220 But there, I, I was, gosh, the youngest person there was like 60 years old and they were 634 00:43:37,220 --> 00:43:41,200 also on the other side of the political party, you know? 635 00:43:41,200 --> 00:43:45,960 And so I learned very early on that we can all get along. 636 00:43:45,960 --> 00:43:50,840 You know, I learned how to get along with people very early on. 637 00:43:50,840 --> 00:43:58,320 Like I was nine or 10, you know, and in listening to their stories and, you know, when it was 638 00:43:58,320 --> 00:44:03,320 time for me to play, it, it just was about connecting with people in the room who were 639 00:44:03,320 --> 00:44:08,960 far older than me and look very different from me. 640 00:44:08,960 --> 00:44:12,760 But that was like an early experience of mine that was very important. 641 00:44:12,760 --> 00:44:16,880 It was just trying to be on the same level with the audience. 642 00:44:16,880 --> 00:44:23,200 We're not some angelic, like amazing deity that comes, plants ourselves in from the concert 643 00:44:23,200 --> 00:44:26,640 stage, even though it's really sweet when people are like, oh, you're so amazing. 644 00:44:26,640 --> 00:44:28,160 I'm like, okay, chill out. 645 00:44:28,160 --> 00:44:29,160 It's okay. 646 00:44:29,160 --> 00:44:31,360 You know, like we're all human. 647 00:44:31,360 --> 00:44:36,320 And so I think when you can relate to the audience, it's, it's very important. 648 00:44:36,320 --> 00:44:40,160 And I was able to give her a teaching, have a teaching moment with my mom, which is really 649 00:44:40,160 --> 00:44:47,400 cool because I said to her, you know, mom, I'm supremely lucky to have you as my mom. 650 00:44:47,400 --> 00:44:52,480 Like I was born to a mom who didn't use drugs or drink. 651 00:44:52,480 --> 00:44:57,720 Had you been doing that and abusing that I would be, I would have that addiction, right? 652 00:44:57,720 --> 00:45:04,520 I you know, I, I have a mom who worked really hard and gave me all the amazing things that 653 00:45:04,520 --> 00:45:05,520 she gave me. 654 00:45:05,520 --> 00:45:09,040 You know, that person there didn't have that, that chance. 655 00:45:09,040 --> 00:45:10,540 And so I'm just sharing that. 656 00:45:10,540 --> 00:45:15,440 And so what that did was it lowered her fear level with, you know, just like a random homeless 657 00:45:15,440 --> 00:45:16,440 person. 658 00:45:16,440 --> 00:45:20,400 She I'm like, mom, they're not going to come in, like take your purse away or something. 659 00:45:20,400 --> 00:45:27,360 Like they're just as, you know, frightened of everything else as you are there in a very 660 00:45:27,360 --> 00:45:29,120 vulnerable position. 661 00:45:29,120 --> 00:45:34,340 And so I only got to learn that from experiencing life around different populations. 662 00:45:34,340 --> 00:45:40,000 That's really important too is under saying I could so have easily surrounded myself with 663 00:45:40,000 --> 00:45:41,640 just classical musicians. 664 00:45:41,640 --> 00:45:46,480 I I'm very, I've been very introspective and retrospective these days, you know, reflective 665 00:45:46,480 --> 00:45:47,480 these days. 666 00:45:47,480 --> 00:45:52,000 It's like, Oh, what if I went this way to this conservatory or what if I did that? 667 00:45:52,000 --> 00:45:53,840 Because who doesn't have a little bit of envy? 668 00:45:53,840 --> 00:45:58,000 Like look, like I could sew down what she's been doing. 669 00:45:58,000 --> 00:46:01,200 Only my practice six more hours a day. 670 00:46:01,200 --> 00:46:02,820 We all have that. 671 00:46:02,820 --> 00:46:03,820 We all have that. 672 00:46:03,820 --> 00:46:10,880 And so I was like, no, this is, this is the path that we're all it's the path that we're 673 00:46:10,880 --> 00:46:11,880 supposed to be on. 674 00:46:11,880 --> 00:46:15,240 It is okay to not be okay. 675 00:46:15,240 --> 00:46:20,960 It is okay to also, you know, to be where we're at, you know, and it's just looking 676 00:46:20,960 --> 00:46:21,960 forward. 677 00:46:21,960 --> 00:46:23,040 What's our next step? 678 00:46:23,040 --> 00:46:25,120 So thanks Alex. 679 00:46:25,120 --> 00:46:29,580 Yeah, many thoughts about that, but unfortunately we have to move on. 680 00:46:29,580 --> 00:46:36,240 So one last question before rapid fire and that's what do you see are some of the challenges 681 00:46:36,240 --> 00:46:42,600 for the current generation of young musicians coming up and what's your advice for them? 682 00:46:42,600 --> 00:46:47,880 I don't see as many challenges as I see opportunities. 683 00:46:47,880 --> 00:46:50,880 Wow. 684 00:46:50,880 --> 00:46:58,420 Because there are so many things that are available to musicians now, like you can edit your whole 685 00:46:58,420 --> 00:46:59,960 own music video. 686 00:46:59,960 --> 00:47:02,280 How fricking cool is that? 687 00:47:02,280 --> 00:47:06,080 Like I was like, why don't I mean Anderson and Rowe epic? 688 00:47:06,080 --> 00:47:12,520 Like I was like, why doesn't every artist have their own amazing music video like that? 689 00:47:12,520 --> 00:47:13,520 Right. 690 00:47:13,520 --> 00:47:19,560 But what's so what inspires me from the younger generation and what's probably like what, 691 00:47:19,560 --> 00:47:23,400 you know, older musicians or people kind of poop about it. 692 00:47:23,400 --> 00:47:24,560 Oh, what's this tick tock thing? 693 00:47:24,560 --> 00:47:30,000 I'm like, I see so much creativity, you know, the kind of editing that's done, the kind 694 00:47:30,000 --> 00:47:31,240 of fast pacedness. 695 00:47:31,240 --> 00:47:35,120 I mean, yeah, it's a little ADD ish, you know what I mean? 696 00:47:35,120 --> 00:47:39,600 But you know, you think that is only catered to those people, but I enjoy it. 697 00:47:39,600 --> 00:47:48,840 I enjoy seeing really creative ways that young people are bringing, you know, to to what 698 00:47:48,840 --> 00:47:49,840 they do. 699 00:47:49,840 --> 00:47:51,960 You know, suddenly everything is interesting. 700 00:47:51,960 --> 00:47:55,960 It's like eating a bowl of cereal can certainly be interesting if you cut and edit the right 701 00:47:55,960 --> 00:47:56,960 way. 702 00:47:56,960 --> 00:47:57,960 Right. 703 00:47:57,960 --> 00:47:58,960 It's like, how did this happen? 704 00:47:58,960 --> 00:48:03,880 There are challenges, of course, like if you're growing up in a typical conservatory, like 705 00:48:03,880 --> 00:48:05,360 type training. 706 00:48:05,360 --> 00:48:13,160 Yeah, I was just telling my boyfriend who's not a musician how fortunate it feels to play 707 00:48:13,160 --> 00:48:20,440 with an orchestra like, oh, my God, like, no, I'm not like you, John, who gets to like, 708 00:48:20,440 --> 00:48:21,520 you know, tort, right? 709 00:48:21,520 --> 00:48:26,160 You know, none of us, you know, it's like, it's just you, John, who gets in long, long, 710 00:48:26,160 --> 00:48:28,600 who have like, they're hogging all the gigs. 711 00:48:28,600 --> 00:48:29,600 No. 712 00:48:29,600 --> 00:48:36,400 But you know, that opportunity to play like a real standard piece of repertoire, right, 713 00:48:36,400 --> 00:48:42,640 with an orchestra, like, what, what an honor and a privilege. 714 00:48:42,640 --> 00:48:48,720 So if someone is being groomed only to do that, they're in trouble, because that doesn't 715 00:48:48,720 --> 00:48:49,720 happen often. 716 00:48:49,720 --> 00:48:56,640 I mean, like, you know, and I'm certainly not the best pianist and like, you know, this 717 00:48:56,640 --> 00:48:59,680 state, but I got chosen to play it, right. 718 00:48:59,680 --> 00:49:03,040 It's like, so then that's like about your connections and all of that, all these other 719 00:49:03,040 --> 00:49:04,040 things. 720 00:49:04,040 --> 00:49:10,800 So the challenge is just making sure if you are killing it with your technique, and you're 721 00:49:10,800 --> 00:49:16,240 playing, just look outside the box, you know, and vice versa. 722 00:49:16,240 --> 00:49:20,120 You know, like, if you're not practicing your skills, practice your scale. 723 00:49:20,120 --> 00:49:25,120 So you know, you don't have to worry about them when you have to play it and everything's 724 00:49:25,120 --> 00:49:28,960 up of scales, just play your skills, you know, so. 725 00:49:28,960 --> 00:49:29,960 Did you hear that Eric? 726 00:49:29,960 --> 00:49:30,960 Yeah, I was going to say. 727 00:49:30,960 --> 00:49:31,960 Yeah, I was looking right at you. 728 00:49:31,960 --> 00:49:32,960 Got homework, Eric. 729 00:49:32,960 --> 00:49:33,960 Yeah. 730 00:49:33,960 --> 00:49:40,880 Okay, right after this, I'm getting heading back to piano and practicing my skills. 731 00:49:40,880 --> 00:49:42,880 It's how I cram so well, actually. 732 00:49:42,880 --> 00:49:44,800 Yeah, I have no doubt. 733 00:49:44,800 --> 00:49:50,560 I have like the like, thank God my teacher was like practice this, this, this, this, 734 00:49:50,560 --> 00:49:57,040 you know, if you practice like the combination of scales, arpeggios, octaves, broken octaves, 735 00:49:57,040 --> 00:49:59,880 you know, the only thing I really didn't practice was double thirds. 736 00:49:59,880 --> 00:50:01,480 So I freaking hate them. 737 00:50:01,480 --> 00:50:04,400 But you know, luckily we don't encounter them too often. 738 00:50:04,400 --> 00:50:06,080 Yeah, boo to double thirds. 739 00:50:06,080 --> 00:50:07,080 So practice them. 740 00:50:07,080 --> 00:50:09,800 If you're young, start practicing them now. 741 00:50:09,800 --> 00:50:15,320 But yeah, no, it's learning music for me, especially because I contextualize things 742 00:50:15,320 --> 00:50:16,320 immediately. 743 00:50:16,320 --> 00:50:19,880 It's like I don't play them play slow drills from the get go. 744 00:50:19,880 --> 00:50:21,100 It's like, what does this sound like? 745 00:50:21,100 --> 00:50:22,320 How do I want to phrase this? 746 00:50:22,320 --> 00:50:25,880 Boom, you know, and then I plug in all the pieces. 747 00:50:25,880 --> 00:50:26,880 All right. 748 00:50:26,880 --> 00:50:32,400 Not going to be bad Eric, like big takeaway practice. 749 00:50:32,400 --> 00:50:33,400 I will, I promise. 750 00:50:33,400 --> 00:50:38,640 No, it's very funny because all my students are playing a lot of scales right now. 751 00:50:38,640 --> 00:50:43,880 So if any of them ever hear this, they're just going to laugh their way to the bank. 752 00:50:43,880 --> 00:50:47,640 Okay, so we got to wrap up. 753 00:50:47,640 --> 00:50:52,120 Sorry to have to end our time already, but it's on to rapid fire. 754 00:50:52,120 --> 00:50:54,760 So short answers only please. 755 00:50:54,760 --> 00:50:55,760 First thing that comes to mind. 756 00:50:55,760 --> 00:50:57,760 Are you ready? 757 00:50:57,760 --> 00:50:59,200 Yes. 758 00:50:59,200 --> 00:51:01,960 Number one, what is your favorite comfort food? 759 00:51:01,960 --> 00:51:08,800 Oh, it is either fried chicken or I just had mac and cheese. 760 00:51:08,800 --> 00:51:10,080 That was very comforting. 761 00:51:10,080 --> 00:51:11,080 Okay. 762 00:51:11,080 --> 00:51:12,080 Both good choices. 763 00:51:12,080 --> 00:51:19,400 I think I know the answer to this one, but cats or dogs and dogs. 764 00:51:19,400 --> 00:51:21,200 What are your words to live by? 765 00:51:21,200 --> 00:51:23,600 Oh, this is not a rapid fire. 766 00:51:23,600 --> 00:51:24,600 Oh my gosh. 767 00:51:24,600 --> 00:51:25,600 I'm on the spot now. 768 00:51:25,600 --> 00:51:26,600 Um, be kind. 769 00:51:26,600 --> 00:51:30,080 There you go. 770 00:51:30,080 --> 00:51:34,760 And what is most important quality you look for in people? 771 00:51:34,760 --> 00:51:36,760 Um, sincerity. 772 00:51:36,760 --> 00:51:38,120 Excellent. 773 00:51:38,120 --> 00:51:43,080 And what is your least favorite quality in people that you try to avoid? 774 00:51:43,080 --> 00:51:45,360 Um, greed. 775 00:51:45,360 --> 00:51:46,360 Greed. 776 00:51:46,360 --> 00:51:47,360 Yeah. 777 00:51:47,360 --> 00:51:50,640 I mean, you can have more than one. 778 00:51:50,640 --> 00:51:52,640 Oh, I have a whole list. 779 00:51:52,640 --> 00:51:55,640 I was just kidding. 780 00:51:55,640 --> 00:51:58,640 I was just kidding. 781 00:51:58,640 --> 00:52:04,800 Um, name three people who inspired you living or death. 782 00:52:04,800 --> 00:52:10,240 Definitely my mom, whether I wanted it to or not, it's good. 783 00:52:10,240 --> 00:52:17,600 Um, my, uh, Ms. G Erna Galabian was my, um, primary music piano teacher, um, based off 784 00:52:17,600 --> 00:52:18,600 California. 785 00:52:18,600 --> 00:52:23,400 And, uh, I have, but I have so many mentors. 786 00:52:23,400 --> 00:52:27,280 Like I, that's part of what does it right now. 787 00:52:27,280 --> 00:52:28,480 My boyfriend's doing a good job. 788 00:52:28,480 --> 00:52:29,480 He's wonderful. 789 00:52:29,480 --> 00:52:33,600 So shout out to Eric. 790 00:52:33,600 --> 00:52:39,920 Which historic figure or composer do you want to learn or take lessons from EP or she or 791 00:52:39,920 --> 00:52:40,920 a life? 792 00:52:40,920 --> 00:52:45,920 I'm almost afraid to say this because I know someone whose grandmother studied with Clara 793 00:52:45,920 --> 00:52:48,800 Schumann and she was right here. 794 00:52:48,800 --> 00:52:49,800 She's right here. 795 00:52:49,800 --> 00:52:51,640 It is strict, man. 796 00:52:51,640 --> 00:52:58,720 Like I read a letter from her and it literally said, uh, I was really disappointed in the 797 00:52:58,720 --> 00:53:04,880 way you played in the lesson last week, you know, and I was like, Oh, burn. 798 00:53:04,880 --> 00:53:07,080 But Clara seems like an amazing. 799 00:53:07,080 --> 00:53:08,080 Yeah. 800 00:53:08,080 --> 00:53:09,080 Person. 801 00:53:09,080 --> 00:53:10,080 She is. 802 00:53:10,080 --> 00:53:13,080 That's why I changed my name to hers. 803 00:53:13,080 --> 00:53:15,080 Oh yeah. 804 00:53:15,080 --> 00:53:17,960 Always behind me. 805 00:53:17,960 --> 00:53:22,120 Which historic figure or composer do you want to hang out with at the bar? 806 00:53:22,120 --> 00:53:24,640 If he or she or alive? 807 00:53:24,640 --> 00:53:30,360 Um, probably Brahms, a younger Brahms. 808 00:53:30,360 --> 00:53:35,600 So you get the lesson from Clara and then you'll go hang out with Brahms. 809 00:53:35,600 --> 00:53:36,600 Yeah, yeah, totally. 810 00:53:36,600 --> 00:53:38,600 I mean, he wasn't taken, right? 811 00:53:38,600 --> 00:53:41,440 So just like, just move on over. 812 00:53:41,440 --> 00:53:42,960 All right. 813 00:53:42,960 --> 00:53:44,600 My turn. 814 00:53:44,600 --> 00:53:49,120 Sing one piece in your current playlist. 815 00:53:49,120 --> 00:53:52,000 It's been the Christian Zimmerman recording of Totentons. 816 00:53:52,000 --> 00:53:55,800 Uh, but, Oh, you guys should check this out. 817 00:53:55,800 --> 00:54:01,220 Um, there's a newly signed Yamaha artist, Black Bok, B-L-K-B-O-K. 818 00:54:01,220 --> 00:54:06,000 He fuses, um, hip hop with classical. 819 00:54:06,000 --> 00:54:07,960 And he's on Instagram as that. 820 00:54:07,960 --> 00:54:12,640 And so I just met him and I've been totally stalking his stuff and it's so fun. 821 00:54:12,640 --> 00:54:13,640 So fun. 822 00:54:13,640 --> 00:54:14,640 Wow. 823 00:54:14,640 --> 00:54:15,640 Right. 824 00:54:15,640 --> 00:54:16,640 Yeah. 825 00:54:16,640 --> 00:54:17,640 I have to check it up. 826 00:54:17,640 --> 00:54:18,640 Check him up. 827 00:54:18,640 --> 00:54:21,640 So next question, name a book title you're currently reading. 828 00:54:21,640 --> 00:54:27,640 Um, what did I, it's, it's all very depressing. 829 00:54:27,640 --> 00:54:30,160 Like one is on trauma. 830 00:54:30,160 --> 00:54:32,120 I don't remember the full name of it. 831 00:54:32,120 --> 00:54:33,840 It's a, it's, it's a really wonderful book. 832 00:54:33,840 --> 00:54:35,960 I'll send it to you if you guys post it. 833 00:54:35,960 --> 00:54:38,400 It's really well regarded. 834 00:54:38,400 --> 00:54:39,640 Right. 835 00:54:39,640 --> 00:54:44,280 So you get only one song or piece to listen to for the rest of your life. 836 00:54:44,280 --> 00:54:45,400 What is it? 837 00:54:45,400 --> 00:54:47,920 I have the same answer as your other guests. 838 00:54:47,920 --> 00:54:49,400 I'd rather listen to nothing. 839 00:54:49,400 --> 00:54:53,160 Cause that's, it's hard to pick. 840 00:54:53,160 --> 00:54:54,160 I know. 841 00:54:54,160 --> 00:54:55,160 Um, yeah. 842 00:54:55,160 --> 00:55:01,320 I mean, I, I would say that the Revelle, um, slow movement of his G major concerto, 843 00:55:01,320 --> 00:55:02,320 it's quite nice. 844 00:55:02,320 --> 00:55:03,320 Beautiful. 845 00:55:03,320 --> 00:55:04,320 Yeah. 846 00:55:04,320 --> 00:55:08,360 Um, but I don't know if I want to listen to that on loop for the rest of my life. 847 00:55:08,360 --> 00:55:09,360 Yeah. 848 00:55:09,360 --> 00:55:10,360 Okay. 849 00:55:10,360 --> 00:55:11,920 So here's the last question. 850 00:55:11,920 --> 00:55:13,580 Fill in the blank. 851 00:55:13,580 --> 00:55:16,960 Music is blank. 852 00:55:16,960 --> 00:55:17,960 For everyone. 853 00:55:17,960 --> 00:55:18,960 Wonderful. 854 00:55:18,960 --> 00:55:19,960 Wonderful answer. 855 00:55:19,960 --> 00:55:20,960 Thank you. 856 00:55:20,960 --> 00:55:21,960 Great answer. 857 00:55:21,960 --> 00:55:22,960 All right. 858 00:55:22,960 --> 00:55:29,960 So that concludes this episode of the piano pod. 859 00:55:29,960 --> 00:55:37,760 Oh, thank you, Alex, for joining us today and sharing your insights and expertise. 860 00:55:37,760 --> 00:55:40,200 Thank you to our audience for tuning in. 861 00:55:40,200 --> 00:55:47,320 You can find more information on all of Dr. Lee's musical activities at alexandrialee.com 862 00:55:47,320 --> 00:55:52,080 and more about her nonprofit organization at notes with a purpose.org. 863 00:55:52,080 --> 00:55:56,960 If you enjoyed today's episode, please read and review on whatever podcasting platform 864 00:55:56,960 --> 00:55:57,960 you use. 865 00:55:57,960 --> 00:56:03,400 If you are watching us on YouTube, remember to hit the thumbs up button and be sure to 866 00:56:03,400 --> 00:56:05,640 subscribe to our channel. 867 00:56:05,640 --> 00:56:10,120 You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. 868 00:56:10,120 --> 00:56:13,000 The links are in the description below. 869 00:56:13,000 --> 00:56:19,000 If you have feedback back for us, please leave it in the comments or DM us via social media, 870 00:56:19,000 --> 00:56:25,160 or you can also email us at the pianopodnyc at gmail.com. 871 00:56:25,160 --> 00:56:26,160 That's all for now. 872 00:56:26,160 --> 00:56:29,000 We will see you for the next episode of piano pod. 873 00:56:29,000 --> 00:56:30,000 Bye everybody. 874 00:56:30,000 --> 00:56:31,000 Bye everyone. 875 00:56:31,000 --> 00:56:32,000 Thank you so much. 876 00:56:32,000 --> 00:56:33,000 Thank you. 877 00:56:33,000 --> 00:56:34,000 Thank you. 878 00:56:34,000 --> 00:56:35,000 Bye. 879 00:56:35,000 --> 00:56:36,000 Thank you so much.