Better late than never...! Here we are, already at episode 17 of the Gaining Proficiency Podcast - can you believe it?! Today's guest is Hannah Heinz, who has several amazing talents she shares with the world: she's a pianist, harpist, composer

Episode 15: Steve Landis (double bass, composition) & Amy Zigler (piano, musicology)

Apr 15th, 2018 1h 53m

"Music should always be a natural part of existence" - one of my favorite quotes from my interview with Steve and Amy in this week's episode of Gaining Proficiency! They were an absolute delight to chat with not only as a married couple thrivin

Episode 14: Gavin Brivik, film/television composer

Apr 2nd, 2018 40m 8s

Oscar-nominated composer Gavin Brivik is featured on today's episode of Gaining Proficiency! Gavin is CRUSHING IT in the film and television composition world, currently living in New York completing his Masters of Music in Composition with an

Episode 13: Allison Shinnick, pianist/instructor

Mar 15th, 2018 1h 25m

Piano pedagogy, oboe performance, living in Germany, playing for professional Girl Choirs, and reflecting back on 6th grade (the glory days!) are just a handful of subjects I covered with today's podcast guest, Allison Shinnick! I was so lucky

Episode 12: Bruce Faske, trombone & Brittany Hendricks, trumpet

Mar 1st, 2018 2h

Texas natives and husband/wife super-duo Bruce Faske and Brittany Hendricks are featured in Episode 12 on Gaining Proficiency. This interview was truly a double whammy in all senses: double the amazing storytelling, laughs and wisdom from two

Episode 11: Corey Seapy, conductor

Feb 15th, 2018 1h 2m

DMA candidate Corey Seapy is my honored guest on Episode 11 of Gaining Proficiency! CRAZY to think that Corey was only my second interview I had done last summer before knowing that the podcast would be a regular, bi-weekly thing! So exciting!

Episode 10: Scott Steele, software engineer/composer

Feb 1st, 2018 1h 10m

Making his own pasta sauce from scratch, stopping to smell the roses with wife June, and Buddhism - this is only a handful of my favorite moments in this interview with Scott Steele in today's episode. Scott is an amazingly intellectual friend

Episode 9: Daniel Morel, composer

Jan 15th, 2018 1h 10m

(Almost Dr!) Daniel Morel is today's guest on the Gaining Proficiency Podcast. Some highlights of today's episode for me include our shared experiences with Amish people and what happens to them while they shop at WalMart, his amazing story of

Episode 8: Erik Jansen, pianist

Jan 1st, 2018 50m 46s

What's NOT to love about Erik Jansen? Nothing. The answer is nothing. He was such a delightful guest to bring on to the Gaining Proficiency Podcast. We discuss his international tour (!), past life filled with karate and musical theater, his re

Episode 7: Bethania Baray Harrison, soprano

Dec 15th, 2017 1h 25m

Professional opera singer and college professor Bethania Baray Harrison is featured in episode 7 of GPP, where she and I discuss her advice for how to persevere in the cut-through vocal world and how to stay dedicated - but not TOO over the top

Episode 6: Mark Lauer, bassoonist

Dec 1st, 2017 1h 4m

Bassoonist Mark Lauer is my guest on today's episode, where we chat about his love for Frank Zappa, transitioning between degree programs, moving to Florida, and his amazing story of how he became the musician he is today. This interview is esp

Episode 5: Jessica Koebbe, pianist

Nov 15th, 2017 1h 1m

Dr. Jessica Koebbe is today's podcast guest, and she's a true gem of a human AND musician. In this episode, we discuss her life of balance as a mom, university educator, performer, collaborator, and how to deal with the haters who don't underst

Episode 4: Andy Schwartz, photographer/bass trombonist

Oct 31st, 2017 1h 18m

Andy's episode is one that I've been over-the-top giddy to release to all of you. He and I had such a great conversation about his musical training, owning his own photography business, and how to properly "adult" in this day in age - something

Episode 3: Christopher Fashun, conductor/performer/music educator

Oct 15th, 2017 1h 25m

WE'RE BACK!!! Today's interview was with Christopher Fashun, a long-time friend and mentor of mine who I first met during my undergraduate years at Goshen College. Since then, Dr. Fashun has done tons of great projects and continues to inspire

LIFE UPDATE!

Sep 27th, 2017 4m 23s

Holy SMOKES! It's been quite the summer over here, people! Here's a brief check-in where I tell you why the heck there have been no new podcast episodes, as well as some fun things to look forward to in the future episodes. Next episode will dr

Episode 2: Alison DeSimone, musicologist/harpsichordist

Jun 16th, 2017 1h 13m

In today's episode, I drink share some deep thoughts and red wine with Dr. Alison DeSimone, Assistant Professor of Music at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. We discuss her life as a keyboard player, her passion for Baroque music, how she

Episode 1: John Chittum, trombonist/composer/audio + software engineer

Jun 5th, 2017 1h 7m

In our first episode, I interview John Chittum, whose name I reference in the opening episode as someone who has truly make this podcast happen. He tells his story of living in a figure eight of locations, his time while as a Fulbright Scholar

WELCOME!

Jun 4th, 2017 11m 2s

Hi there! Listen to this episode first before you dive into the rest of the podcast so you know what to expect. I give a brief breakdown of how this project evolved, a bit of who I am, and what to expect in future episodes. Cheers!

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