Things Musicians Don't Talk About

Hattie Butterworth & Rebecca Toal

Hattie Butterworth and Rebecca Toal host a podcast of insight and change in the classical music and arts professions. Delving into the often stigmatised worlds of mental health, injury, discrimination and productivity, classical music issues are spoken and revived. Join Hattie, Rebecca and guests for important conversations, inspiring moments of wisdom and poignant vulnerability. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. JAN 9

    106. Lizzie Ball: Classical Music for Contemporary Society

    We bring you a special filmed episode from Ronnie Scott's legendary London jazz club where we speak with the fabulous Lizzie Ball. Alongside pianist James Pearson, Lizzie will be curating the much-anticipated classical series Upstairs at Ronnie’s. We chat about the series, and then onto Lizzie's backstory of becoming an improvising violinist, coaching musicians with performance anxiety, and what classical musicians could learn from jazz. Lizzie Ball: Lizzie Ball is a violinist, vocalist, producer, and founder of Classical Kicks Productions, dedicated to bringing classical music to new audiences in diverse settings. A Cambridge graduate and Royal College of Music alumna, she has performed internationally for over two decades. In 2018, she received an Honorary Masters from the University of Derby for her innovative contributions to music and was named one of the UK’s most inspirational females in a list of 50 outstanding UK women making an impact, in a feature run by Daily Mail.   Classical Kicks, her flagship project, has staged eclectic collaborations at Ronnie Scott’s and beyond, featuring everything from string quartets to rappers. Lizzie also co-created Corrido: A Ballad for the Brave, an immersive audio-visual production inspired by Frida Kahlo, premiered with the V&A Museum. Other projects include reimagined productions of Verklärte Nacht and shows blending music with visual art and storytelling.   Alongside her productions, Lizzie enjoys a thriving freelance career. She has been featured soloist with Jeff Beck (US arena tour), Brian Wilson, and Grammy-award winning choir New York Polyphony, and worked with Hugh Jackman, Ariana Grande, and Liam Gallagher. She was concertmaster of Nigel Kennedy’s Orchestra of Life for eight years, including BBC Proms appearances. Her recording credits include film scores (Captain Marvel, Terminator Genisys) and major pop albums.   Passionate about outreach, Lizzie has led workshops worldwide and collaborates with the Sheffield Music Hub and PRISMA charity in Mexico. Her latest venture, Set Your Stage, combines her performing career with mentoring, helping young people and professionals develop confidence, creativity, and leadership skills. Lizzie's website Follow Lizzie on Instagram Hosts: Rebecca Toal & Hattie Butterworth Edited by: Oscar Gormley & Rebecca Toal Thank you to ABRSM for sponsoring this episode. Go to www.ABRSM.org/sfmt to check out their Musical Theatre syllabus. ------------------------------------------------------------- Things Musicians Don't Talk About is supported by the Royal Society of Musicians! Follow RSM on Instagram, X and Facebook. ------------------------------------------------------------- Support TMDTA Donate to our ongoing costs: https://www.gofundme.com/f/v9jgf-things-musicians-dont-talk-about Want to support us on a regular basis? Consider joining our Patreon from £1 a month: https://www.patreon.com/tmdta Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    37 min
  2. 12/03/2025

    105. Dr Anna Bull: class and classical music

    Dr. Anna Bull is a Senior Lecturer in Education and Social Justice, Co-director of The 1752 Group and a former professional pianist and cellist. We return to Zoom to speak with her about class and socioeconomic issues in the classical music industry, and pick her brains about what, if anything, can be done. She also tells us about her work on sexual harassment in music conservatoires, and why the master-apprentice model has created a particularly risky environment. Anna’s monograph Class, control, and classical music was published in 2019 with Oxford University Press and in 2020 was joint winner of the British Sociological Association Philip Abrams Award. She has recently co-edited a volume calledVoices for Change in the Classical Music Profession: New Ideas for Tackling Inequalities and Exclusions, and Anna was lead author on the report Slow Train Coming: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in UK conservatoires. Her research published in 2022 for the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Music Studies network. Anna is speaking at the Class Ceiling conference on 9th December 2025. Free and discounted tickets are available. Read more of Anna's work: Bull, A., & Prince, K. (2025). Addressing harassment and sexual misconduct experienced by postgraduate researchers. The 1752 Group.https://1752group.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/harassment_pgrs.pdf Read an interview about the toolkit for addressing harassment and sexual misconduct among postgraduate researchers, and read Anna's comment piece in Nature about the toolkit. ------------------------------------------------------------- Things Musicians Don't Talk About is supported by the Royal Society of Musicians! Follow RSM on Instagram, X and Facebook. ------------------------------------------------------------- Support TMDTA Want to support us on a regular basis? Consider joining our Patreon from £1 a month: https://www.patreon.com/tmdta Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    53 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Hattie Butterworth and Rebecca Toal host a podcast of insight and change in the classical music and arts professions. Delving into the often stigmatised worlds of mental health, injury, discrimination and productivity, classical music issues are spoken and revived. Join Hattie, Rebecca and guests for important conversations, inspiring moments of wisdom and poignant vulnerability. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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