12. The 21st Century Musician, with 9 Horses (Joe Brent, Sara Caswell, Andrew Ryan)

10/01/19 • 42 min

When improvisational chamber group/band/ensemble 9 Horses came to the Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory of Music (where I work) as a guest ensemble-in-residence, I knew I had to get them on my podcast.

Joe Brent, Sara Caswell, and Andrew Ryan are living the realities of being professional musicians—or as we continue to say in 2019, “musicians of the 21st century.” (When will that century distinction end, btw?) The members of the trio collectively have experiences under their belts like working with Regina Spektor and Esperanza Spalding, composing music across multiple genres, and oh yeah, violinist Sara Caswell’s 2018 GRAMMY nomination for Best Improvised Jazz Solo.

This conversation took place crammed in a tiny basement recording studio, streaming Live on Facebook, and it definitely touched a lot of bases. To be honest, sometimes we slid into the bases, knees in the dirt and dust kicked up everywhere. It was productive, fun, and enlightening.

Here’s some of what we talked about:

What curriculum they'd include if they built a Conservatory of Music from scratch

How they feel about social media & marketing (fair warning, it's a heated discussion...)

How music is becoming "genreless," and

Whether there actually is enough time to practice.

I want to make sure I take a moment to thank a few people who made this conversation possible at Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory of Music, especially dean Susan Van Vorst, Erika Haskell, and Bill Hartzell, as well as Scott and Julie Mawaka, whose generous support allowed for 9 Horses to visit with our students and help them create an educational, life-affirming experience. Thank you!

Show notes are available here: http://www.megan-kuhar.com/blog/the-21st-century-musician-with-9-horses

Here’s some of what we talked about:

What curriculum they'd include if they built a Conservatory of Music from scratch

How they feel about social media & marketing (fair warning, it's a heated discussion...)

How music is becoming "genreless," and

Whether there actually is enough time to practice.

Show notes are available here: http://www.megan-kuhar.com/blog/the-21st-century-musician-with-9-horses

Previous Episode

11. Time management, mindset, and avoiding burnout as a musician, with Katie Zaccardi

Katie Zaccardi is a songwriter, artist, music industry professional, and certified yoga instructor. Through her work in both music and wellness, along with her own experience with a generalized anxiety disorder, Katie discovered the urgent need for conversation surrounding mental health and self care within the music industry. Realizing the music industry’s demand for honest discussion on such topics as mental and physical wellbeing, Katie established Out To Be. Out To Be advocates a balanced path to personal and professional success that is grounded in wellness.

In this episode, Katie and I talked about common habits musicians have that cause stress & anxiety, how to say NO to opportunities that don't align with you, and some of her best tips for "beating the overwhelm."

If you've ever felt stressed out or panicked about your day-to-day tasks, this episode is for you.

Next Episode

13. From Fearful to Fierce on Social Media: A Call with Fan Finder Participants Madeline & Lindsay

Recently, I chatted with Madeline and Lindsay, two of my clients and the musicians who make up duo The Twosdays, to talk about how their approach towards social media has changed since enrolling in my program Fan Finder.

Before taking the course, Lindsay explained that marketing and social media was just something that she “really had to try to care about.” She goes on to explain that not only was it difficult to approach, but that she was actually afraid of how to use it. “I was scared of infiltrating,” she said.

Now? Madeline and Lindsay are having fun, reaching their audience, and using social media as a means to develop a loyal fanbase.

You can listen to the episode now to hear how Lindsay and Madeline went from Fearful to Fierce on social media, and how you can learn my 3-step formula for building your brand for FREE!

Links: megan-kuhar.com/masterclass

Show notes: megan-kuhar.com/blog/madeline-and-lindsay