Check, check

I got an email yesterday afternoon from one of the producers of WNYC’s daily music show, Soundcheck asking me if I’d be interested in joining a discussion about marketing classical musicians – for today’s show! We exchanged a few emails and phone calls about coordinating things and potential topics for discussion, and then at 1:45 today I did a phone check and we were on – live!

I had to be at the Met for a potential brush-up rehearsal, so we conducted the interview via phone from my dressing room. I was officially released from rehearsal just as we were getting started, so I was able to relax and not worry about having to cut things short and run to the stage (to the pit, actually, but more about that soon).

Joining me in a “round table” discussion with our host, John Schaefer, were pianist Jonathan Biss and publicist Albert Imperato. (Oops, I just realized that I referred to Albert as “Alberto” at one point, combining his names! Sorry, Albert, if you’re reading!)

If you’d like to hear what we all have to say about cultivating (or not) an image as a classical musician, you can listen on the website or download the podcast from iTunes. It was a fun and interesting conversation, one that could have continued much longer than the 20 minutes or so we had today. One point I will reiterate here is something that was said a few different ways on the program: no matter how polished or well-thought-out or “hip” your image is, what the audience is really coming to experience is your musicianship. If I can’t sing with artistry, it doesn’t matter how stylish I am; if I can’t move you with my voice, writing an interesting blog isn’t going to help. But there’s no reason I can’t aim for all of it!

Which leads me to the fact that this morning I was faced with the question: what do you wear for a radio interview? In reality, it doesn’t matter; I just dressed for another day, but I chose to wear my purple dress to help celebrate ROCKTOBERFEST!!!!!! Thanks to AG for the heads’ up on that great article. This is a season for the record books, my friends.

Welcome to all the visitors finding their way here from the WNYC site! Make yourselves at home: please explore the archives; check out my friends and colleagues on the blogroll; learn about The Bhakti Project, my collaboration with Jocelyn Dueck and Judd Greenstein which I mentioned in the interview. Please consider making a donation!

Teaser: tomorrow I’ll announce the next performance of Hillula, Judd’s gorgeous piece. It’s soon!! Stay tuned...