Conversations with Musicians, with Leah Roseman

Heather Taves is an acclaimed Canadian pianist, also a composer, improviser, educator and writer. She spoke to me about her unique and inspiring Beethoven Journey, her popular weekly blog which she started in 2023 , paired with performances of all of Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas. We talked about getting to know Beethoven as a person and her fascinating research about many women that are part of this history. We also talked about Heather’s work as an educator, developing creativity and approaching teaching music from different angles. She spoke about her mentors including pianist Gil Kalish and writer Diane Shoemperlen, and her experiences travelling around the world by herself. You can also watch this on my YouTube channel, transcript and complete show notes with suggested episodes too on my website! [https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/heather-taves] Heather Taves website [https://heathertaves.com/] It’s a joy to bring these inspiring episodes to you every week, and I do all the many jobs of research, production and publicity. Buy me a coffee? [https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman] Podcast merch [https://www.leahroseman.com/beautiful-shirts-and-more] Newsletter sign-up [https://mailchi.mp/ebed4a237788/podcast-newsletter] Waves Play [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyBDUR8jRNs] from East Coast Suite Arabesque [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5WVYEOTqbU]in C major by R. Schumann photo: Terry Manzo (00:00) Intro (02:25) Beethoven Journey, Nanette Streicher, sonata cycle (08:32) Jan and Jean Narveson, Anton Kuerti, women interpreters research (17:52) clip of R. Schumann Arabesque in C major (album linked in show notes) (19:30) Heather’s childhood (22:11) East Coast Suite, Toccata based on Fibonacci series (23:14) Waves Play Toccata by Heather Taves from East Coast Suite (25:49)Creative Projects, helping students to find their voice (32:44) getting to know Beethoven the person (38:39) performing from memory (41:20) Gil Kalish (45:48) other episodes you’ll like and ways to support this series (46:42) Beethoven journey blog (59:18) writing mentor Diane Schoemperlen (01:043:23) Dame Myra Hess (01:07:54) Heather’s life as a composer, her father (01:11:35) world trip, questioning identity (01:16:48) final reflections on the life of a performer

Archive highlight, originally released in 2023: Renée Yoxon is a trans non-binary singer, songwriter, jazz musician, and trans voice teacher. Renee shares some beautiful and inspiring performances from their albums, as well as stories from life as a disabled person and how their disability and chronic pain has guided the direction of their career. We talk about their musical development, and their experiences both bad and good as they navigated their musical education (after finishing a degree in physics!). Renée explains the kind of work they do with trans vocal exploration and we dive into all kinds of topics in the usual tangential style of this series. The transcript and video are linked here on my website [https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/rene-yoxon] Buy me a coffee? [https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman] Podcast merch [https://www.leahroseman.com/beautiful-shirts-and-more] Renée Yoxon website [https://www.reneeyoxon.com/] Newsletter sign-up [https://mailchi.mp/ebed4a237788/podcast-newsletter] photo: Laurence Philomène podcast theme music: Nick Kold Timestamps: (00:00:00) Intro (00:01:21) Renée’s physics degree, start in school band, Jazz Works camp (00:04:19) free improv group, intergenerational friendships (00:06:38) intro to “Willow Weep for Me” by Ann Ronell (00:08:53) “Willow Weep for Me” with René Gely (00:13:57) piano, ukulele (00:15:26) “Beautiful Alchemy”, film with Teagan Lance and album (00:17:14) “Terrible Alchemy” (00:23:19) Blossom Dearie (00:23:52) worldless improv (00:24:37) studies in New York, living as a disabled person, vocal technique (00:29:33) singing in rock band “Gorgeous George”, care of the voice and endurance training (00:32:20) trans voice aleration, TikTok success, pitch lowering, taking risks and learning to be silly (00:40:14) gender presentation and gender identity (00:42:35) ways we can alter the voice (00:45:09) different languages in terms of vocal alteration, vocal fry and gendered cutural coding for vocal characteristics (00:47:52) TikTok (00:49:22) teaching Trans Voice Alteration to other teachers (00:51:45) the importance of teaching business skills to musicians, University of Limerick, Edel Meade (00:55:58) Banff, McGill, growing up in Ottawa, the importance of mentors, Mark Ferguson, René Gely (01:00:29) social anxiety, speaking in public with a different voice or new language (01:02:38) different people who take Renée’s courses on voice alteration (01:03:18) songwriting, Aoife McAtamney Pink Breath (01:04:27) “Drinking Coffee” (01:08:58) songs “The Bad Years” about their chronic illness (01:10:27) Kazaa music sharing, learning jazz repertoire (01:12:53) Renée’s perspective on the music industry as a disabled person, and experiences at McGill university with lack of accessibility (01:17:46) Mx non-binary honorific, the importance of pronouns (01:20:32) disability rights, more about their McGill experience (01:22:45) Montreal

This was originally aired in 2023. Ceara Conway is an Irish contemporary vocalist and visual artist, and this episode features music from her album CAOIN as well as excerpts from some of her other projects. I find Ceara’s curiosity about so many important topics around arts and culture really inspiring and this conversation circled around to her explorations of different languages and cultures as well as her rootedness as an Irish speaker. She has had many interesting commissions dealing with history, illness, grief, and the natural world. She also spoke to me about some of her roles working with the Clare Arts office with artists with disabilities, how she started her career as a glassblower in Rome and how her upbringing has helped her navigate the world as a freelance artist. The video and transcript are linked here to my website [https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/ceara-conway?rq=Ceara%2520Conway] Ceara Conway website [https://www.cearaconway.ie/about] Newsletter [https://mailchi.mp/ebed4a237788/podcast-newsletter] Buy me a coffee? [https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman] Podcast merch [https://www.leahroseman.com/beautiful-shirts-and-more] (02:36) Ceara’s background, (17:03) the album CAOIN, Anach Cuain singing in different languages, (27:56) Ceara’s childhood (28:35) glassblowing, start in art and music, (35:28) books (41:23) Veriditas project (43:01) Plant Chant (49:18) Clare Arts Office Embrace arts and disability program (56:00) Seoithín Seothó (01:01:40) Georgian song, choirs (01:06:17) Dochas (01:09:05) Hanna Tuulikki, corncrake (01:13:14) Time to Say Goodbye (01:16:50) Irish language photo: Julia Dunin

This week's episode is a highlight from the archive, originally aired in 2023: I was so honoured to have this opportunity to talk with the inspiring Destiny Muhammad, who is a California-based jazz harpist and composer. You’ll get to hear inspiring stories from her life as well as her music. She had a dream to play the harp but didn’t have the opportunity until she was 30 years old. She speaks openly about the challenges in the 1980s due to the crack cocaine trade, her success as a barber, her determination and mentors including John Handy, and her unique perspectives in celebrating the legacies of Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane. I’m sure you’ll be inspired by Destiny’s stories and music! The video and transcript are linked here [https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/destiny-muhammad-jazz-harpist] Destiny Muhammad website [https://destinymuhammad.net/] Newsletter [https://mailchi.mp/ebed4a237788/podcast-newsletter] Buy me a coffee? [https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman] Podcast merch [https://www.leahroseman.com/beautiful-shirts-and-more]

I’m excited to feature Bente Illevold, the internationally renowned Norwegian euphonium player who has carved out a unique career path as a euphonium virtuoso. During this podcast, you’ll be hearing clips from some of her albums and live performances, and in the complete show notes on my website you’ll find the links to these specific albums and videos. I first heard about Bente from Katherine Needleman, when she asked Bente to premiere a newly commissioned concert piece for euphonium and piano by Kyrese Washington. Bente will be playing the American premiere of this new work at the International Women’s Brass Conference right after the release of this podcast, and the clip you’re going to hear is from the world premiere performance earlier this spring. Bente talked to me about her exciting new Rendalen Low Brass Seminar and ways to address the problems around inclusivity in the low brass world. She also spoke more broadly about music pedagogy and the importance of careful listening and self-reflection, and she stressed the need for authencity in engaging with our listeners. Video and transcript and all suggested episodes [https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/bente-illevold] Bente Illevold website [https://www.euphonia.no/] Buy me a coffee? [https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman] Podcast merch [https://www.leahroseman.com/beautiful-shirts-and-more] Newsletter [https://mailchi.mp/ebed4a237788/podcast-newsletter] Other suggested episodes: Katherine Needleman [https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/katherine-needleman?rq=Katherine%2520needleman] Hillary Simms [https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/hillary-simms?rq=Hillary%2520Simms] (the rest in the show notes on my website linked above, since I ran out of allowed words here!) (00:00) Intro (02:11) Euphonium’s place in the brass world, Kyrese Washington commission from Katherine Needleman (06:02) International Women’s Brass Conference (07:57) clip of Sonatine de Larmes by Kyrese Washington from live performance in Oslo, with pianist Monica Tomescu-Rohd (09:53) euphonium repertoire (12:30) lack of inclusivity in the low brass world, taking risks (15:45) collaborations with percussionist Anders Kregnes Hansen, Stig Nordhagen (18:46) clip from 2nd movement of Baut by Stig Nordhagen (20:14) problems with lack of community engagement with the arts (27:29) Music education and advice (36:58) why Bente loves Marcus Paus’ Notturno Lockdown Lullaby (42:12) live performance of Marcus Paus’ Notturno Lockdown Lullaby (45:16) Bente’s approach to writing music, perfectionism in Classical music (56:48) other episodes linked, ways to support this series (57:52) about Elbaus’ DSDHT Euphonium with fixed media, with audio clip (01:00:22) touring, Northern Lights duo with David Earll, Rendalen Low Brass Seminar (01:09:08) clip of live performance Northern Lights duo (link in show notes) (01:10:59) lack of inclusion in low brass community, Katherine Needleman, commission from Kyrese Washington (01:23:13) advice how to keep improving