Episode 118: Jason Choi - Craft, Comedy, Contentment

Episode 118: Jason Choi - Craft, Comedy, Contentment

Jason Choi is a standup comedian based in New York City. Instagram and all episodes [https://dashboard.rss.com/podcasts/artists-of-new-york/episodes/2407738/edit/] (00:00) Loving New York's Chaos (02:27) Childhood Comedy Obsession (04:58) Early Stand-Up Dreams (07:19) College, Writing, and Fear (09:43) Comedy Class Breakthrough (12:16) Advertising, Engineering, and Saving Money (15:08) First Sets and Bombing Hard (18:07) Grinding Through Open Mics (20:54) Opportunities Through Consistency (23:41) Leaving Software Engineering (26:31) Family Sacrifice and Financial Discipline (29:14) Recovering From Burnout (31:42) Success, Fulfillment, and Contentment (35:01) Sustainable Work and Resistance (38:06) David Attell, Mark Normand, and Craft (41:12) Finding Creative Ideas (43:25) Redefining Success (45:02) Letting Go and Trusting the Journey

Episode 117: The Heaven - Music, Meaning, Mastery

Preston from The Heaven is a musician based in New York City. Instagram and all episodes [https://dashboard.rss.com/podcasts/artists-of-new-york/episodes/2407738/edit/] (00:00) Driving a Prius to New York (02:18) Childhood, family, and moving to California (04:36) Discovering music through Johnny Cash and Kanye (07:12) Wanting to become a musician (09:51) Guitar as a lifeline (12:46) Daily obsession and first bands (15:21) Choosing music despite industry uncertainty (18:08) Why rock bands became less viable (21:16) Pursuing music after high school (24:02) Touring, networking, and building opportunities (27:05) Talent versus relentless hard work (30:11) Streaming economics and modern music careers (33:28) Multiple projects versus one band (36:02) Songwriting identity and solo performances (39:06) Mastering guitar through persistence (42:14) Leaving Los Angeles for New York (45:37) Finding home in Brooklyn (48:34) New York's creative energy (51:03) The city's music scene and favorite venues (53:22) Planning to stay on the East Coast (54:45) Redefining artistic success (56:18) Authenticity over popularity

Episode 116: Isabel Hagen - Viola, Versatility, Vocation

Isabel Hagen is a classical violist and standup comedian based in New York City. Instagram and all episodes [https://dashboard.rss.com/podcasts/artists-of-new-york/episodes/2407738/edit/] (00:00) Growing Up in an Artistic Family (02:38) Choosing Music Over Everything (05:06) Conservatory Dreams and Juilliard Auditions (08:12) Getting Into Juilliard (10:07) Realizing Music Wasn't the Future (12:54) Discovering Stand-Up Comedy (15:41) First Open Mics and Early Lessons (18:27) Building a Comedy Career (21:06) Leaving Music for Stand-Up (24:11) Supporting Comedy Through Music (27:01) Earning Opportunities and Growing (30:14) JFL and The Tonight Show (33:12) Headlining and Defining Success (36:07) Staying Hungry as a Comedian (38:14) Comedy, Shyness, and Observation (40:42) Favorite Comedians and Venues (43:01) Defining Success (44:16) Advice for Modern Comics

Episode 115: Adam Shor - Opera, Obsession, Overhaul

Adam Shor is a comedian based in New York City. Instagram and all episodes [https://dashboard.rss.com/podcasts/artists-of-new-york/episodes/2407738/edit/] (00:00) Discovering Opera and Moving to New York (03:12) The Allure and Reality of Opera Life (06:05) Why Opera Ultimately Didn't Work (08:48) Leaving Germany and Quitting at 31 (11:42) Identity, Failure, and Family Influence (14:36) Motivations Required for Artistic Success (17:25) Performance Anxiety and Vocal Struggles (20:18) Highs and Lows of an Opera Career (23:14) Living as a Working Opera Singer (26:02) Resentment, Jealousy, and Artistic Environments (29:01) What It Means When Art Doesn't Love You Back (31:53) Regrets, Teachers, and Overtraining (34:47) Knowing When It's Time to Quit (38:12) Depression, Blogging, and Losing Identity (41:18) First Exposure to Stand-Up Comedy (44:03) Why Comedy Felt Liberating (46:42) Early Sets, Bombing, and Learning the Craft (49:28) Meeting Eyal and Creating Comedy Songs (52:11) The First Time They Truly Murdered (54:56) Social Media Growth and Moving to America (58:02) Understanding the Algorithm and Building Fans (61:21) Quality Control and Viral Content Strategy (65:07) Touring, Building Audiences, and Comedy Business (69:08) Louis C.K., Success, Family, and the Future

Episode 114: Shane Torres - Algorithms, Art, Authenticity

Shane Torres is a standup comedian based in New York City. Instagram and all episodes [https://dashboard.rss.com/podcasts/artists-of-new-york/episodes/2407738/edit/] (00:00) Moving from Portland to New York (02:08) Reaching Comedy’s Ceiling in Portland (04:11) Discovering Stand-Up and Bill Hicks (07:18) Why Bill Hicks Mattered (11:02) First Open Mic at Hungry Tiger (13:48) Early Bombs and Finding Purpose (16:02) Surviving on Service Jobs (18:27) Living Cheap in New York (21:01) Comedy Before Social Media Dominance (25:05) Fame, Followers, and Premature Success (28:12) First New York Clubs and Career Goals (31:22) Getting Passed at The Comedy Cellar (35:06) Respect, Community, and Recognition (38:10) Finding Original Angles in Comedy (42:41) Content Culture Versus Craftsmanship (47:18) Expertise, Nuance, and Modern Media (51:06) The Comedian’s Role in Culture (54:02) Success, Recognition, and What Comes Next