Classical Schmassical

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Join Murph and Alexa as they talk with composer, educator, and publisher Adrian Gordon about his career and new book, Note to Self: A Music Director’s Guide for Transitioning to a New School and Building a Thriving Music Program
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Adrian Gordon is an internationally performed composer and seasoned music educator.
After 17 years of teaching music in the classroom in South Florida and going through four music director job transitions in two different schools, as well as general music, choir, and two string orchestra positions, Adrian realized there was a gap in his music education training. Even though his undergraduate and graduate programs were musically and pedagogically extensive, he never felt as though they touched on those hard-to-navigate areas of transitioning between jobs.
Adrian currently serves as the director of orchestras at Providence Day School in Charlotte, NC. He believes in the power of music education in a child's life and understands the necessity of having passionate, confident, and supported music teachers at the helm, promoting great musical experiences for students.
In addition to teaching, Adrian is the founder of Leap Year Music Publishing, which publishes string music for elementary, middle, and high school ensembles. His compositions appear on the Florida, Texas, Maryland, and Georgia Orchestra Association Music Performance Assessment Lists. His compositions are distributed through J.W. Pepper and have been performed throughout the world. He takes pride in creating music that is fun and pedagogically sound at all levels.
Adrian received his BA in music from the University of Miami and his master's degree in music education at Florida International University. Born and raised in Miami, FL, he currently resides in Charlotte with his wife, Kelly, and their two sons. Learn more at www.adriangordonmusic.com
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Join me (new host Murphy Severtson!) as I talk with Joshua Roman on what it means to be a soloist, artistry, collaboration, and chronic health.
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Joshua Roman is a cellist, composer and curator whose performances embrace musical styles from Bach to Radiohead. Before setting off on his unique path as a soloist, Roman was the Seattle Symphony’s principal cellist - a job he began at just 22 years of age. He has since become renowned for his genre-bending repertoire and wide-ranging collaborations. He was also named a TED Senior Fellow in 2015.
Collaborators include Tony-winner/MacArthur Genius Grant recipient Bill T. Jones and East African vocalist Somi, the JACK, St. Lawrence, and Verona Quartets, Tony-nominated actor Anna Deavere Smith, poet Tracy K. Smith, violinist Vadim Gluzman, and conductor David Danzmayr.
Roman’s outreach endeavors have taken him to Uganda with his violin-playing siblings, where they played chamber music in schools, HIV/AIDS centers and displacement camps.
On January 14th, Roman will perform Tan Dun’s Crouching Tiger Suite and premiere Donna Milanovich Composer in Residence Reinaldo Moya’s cello concertino “Rise,” with the Chicago Philharmonic. Also programmed on the concert, guitarist Sharon Isbin will also perform the American Premiere of Dun’s Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra (Yi2).
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Join me as I talk with the members of the newly formed Mosaic Composers Collective, of which I am a member!
Collective Mission Statement:
Mosaic Composers Collective, featuring Kevin Arthur Jr., Aidan Arbona, Naamia Rivera, Murphy Severtson, Alexa Letourneau, and Athos Maelstrom, is a gathering of composers in pursuit of an intimate – yet fearless – sound exploration of humanity’s many colorful spheres. Centered in curiosity, the Collective strives to create and curate that which challenges the world around them.
Artist Bios:
New York-based composer and cellist ATHOS MAELSTROM (b. 2002) [note: Podcast audio uses Athos' deadname], originally from Windsor, Colorado, is a fierce advocate of new art who seeks to become a vessel for the sonic imaginations of the world around them. They believe that music is social in nature and deeply respect the personal tenets that have always thrived in human sound. Athos works to carefully curate this material themself, utilizing identity and anecdote as a space of community between composer, performer, and listener.
MURPHY SEVERTSON (b. 1999) is a composer, improvisor, and academic from Delray Beach, Florida. Currently based in New York City, they received their undergraduate degree from St. Olaf College in 2022. In 2021, they composed Standing Upright, a testament to the strength of those struggling with chronic illness, for the American Prize-winning St. Olaf Band, funded by the St. Olaf CURI Project. Recently, their music has explored Florida nature, specifically mangrove trees and forests. A commissioned piece for high school band and choir, Tangled Roots, will be premiered in early 2023. Murphy finds the greatest amount of joy in making music that allows the audience, performers, and all those involved to be equal and loved collaborators.
NAAMIA RIVERA (b. 2004) is a black/hispanic composer and flutist based in New York City. They went to Fiorello H. Laguardia for Instrumental Music and they were a student of Music Composition and Flute at The Juilliard School Music Advancement Program. As a composer, they are interested in writing music about social justice, improvisational music, electronic/ambient music, and music from different countries/cultures. Naamia is in the studio of Valerie Coleman, where they study Composition and Flute simultaneously.
New York based creative ALEXA LETOURNEAU (b. 1998) is a composer, flutist, singer, researcher, and educator. An Ohio native, Alexa began playing the flute at eight years old. Within weeks, they were taping 5 pens together to draw a staff on which to begin composing. At present, their works are focused upon an exploration of shared human identity through sonic journeys, and as a performer, they frequently play premiers and workshop pieces with living composers. Alexa is not only a musician, however; they spend their free time developing recipes, writing poetry, and sewing increasingly outrageous costumes.
KEVIN ARTHUR JR. (b. 2004) is a Philadelphia born composer and instrumentalist with training in both jazz and classical music. He was a member of the Philadelphia All-City Fellowship and attended The Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts. His musical style is uniquely contemporary in approach with powerful infusions of Jazz, yet deeply romantic at heart. He enjoys the creative freedom that composing gives him, along with the beautiful collaboration it fosters.
AIDAN ARBONA is a composer, pianist, and educator from Brooklyn, New York. Inspired by eclectic musical styles such as: Opera, Bebop, Funk, Lofi, Postmodernism, Grunge, and EDM, Aidan’s music is a mixture of dense harmony, syncopation, counterpoint, and interesting timbral mixtures. Eager to write new music for modern musicians, Aidan approaches music

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Join me as I talk with arts administrator Christina Salerno about her artistic practice!
Guest Bio:
Appointed the Executive Director of Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra in January 2017, Ms. Salerno joined the symphonic world having spent seven years as Executive Director of Salt Creek Ballet (SCB). While at SCB, Ms. Salerno led a campaign to build all new sets and costumes for the company’s annual production of The Nutcracker and successfully brought live orchestral accompaniment back to the production. Her passion for increasing the visibility and capacity of arts organizations has led her to lead initiatives aimed at increasing contributed and earned revenue levels, developing board capacity, and building innovative community engagement programming. Ms. Salerno holds a Masters of Performing Arts Administration degree from Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts and a Bachelor of Arts degree with a concentration in Nonprofit Administration from Skidmore College. She has appeared as a guest lecturer for Loyola University’s Dance Department and Arts Reach, and currently serves as treasurer for the Illinois Council of Orchestras and VP Philanthropy of the Hinsdale-Clarendon Hills chapter of the National Charity League. Prior to moving to the management side of arts organizations, Ms. Salerno enjoyed a 15-year professional ballet career as a soloist with Boston Ballet, Zurich Ballet and The Royal Ballet in London.
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Join me in conversation with Asher Laub about his career path as a multidisciplinary musician, shaped by changing goals, influences, and even his physical health.
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Guest Bio
Asher began classical violin training at the tender age of 2 and had already performed with the Buffalo philharmonic by age 13. Asher’s expertise in improvisation across multiple genres has led him to a career as a soloist in demand,
performing at venues such as Madison Square Garden,
Hammerstein Hall, Lincoln Center, the Jacob Javitz
Center and across four continents. Asher has also been
featured on PBS, and has made headlines on CNN,
WABC, NBC, and the New York Post among many other major news sources. He has been booked to perform at special events for Google, Nickelodeon, TNT, National Geographic, Citigroup and a list of notables including George W. Bush, Ivana Trump and many others.
In 2014 Asher lived a musician’s nightmare when he lost the strength to play his violin for a number of years. Refusing to accept conventional advice he found a way to heal, building his strength to an unprecedented level. He used this experience as fuel to reinvent his live concerts as a high-energy contemporary violinist. In only a few months, Asher learned to merge, popular tunes and breakdancing choreography into his performances.
Asher also uniquely performs as a DJ violinist bringing his experience as a live performer and technical prowess as an audio editing and mixing guru to countless clubs and stages.
Asher has been privileged to teach children and adolescents from under resourced neighborhoods in the Bronx for almost 4 years. This has fostered his drive to make a positive imprint on others.
With a growing fan base in the tens of thousands, Asher is working to influence societal norms and conventional thinking about musical performance, helping to break down social and physical barriers for his fans and beyond.
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