Down the Pit

Down the Pit
  • 5.0 (37)
  • PERFORMING ARTS
  • UPDATED BIMONTHLY

Professional musicians Sami Merdinian and Ian Loew are the co-hosts of Down the Pit, a podcast series that delves into the world of classical music, bringing in leading conductors, composers, and performers to the show, to demystify, promote increased accessibility for the genre, and analyze its future. Each episode will have an incredible guest, and through casual and fun conversations, we will dive into their fascinating lives. To become a Down the Pit supporter, please visit www.Anchor.FM/Down-the-Pit.

  1. 05/30/2025

    What's the MATA? A Festival Built with Grit with Pauline Kim Harris and Jessie Cox

    Great conversation with Executive Director of Mata Festival Pauline Kim Harris and featured composer Jessie Cox. Music at the Anthology (MATA) celebrates its 27th Annual Festival with performances at the Issue Project Room in Brooklyn from June 11th to 14th 2025 Titled Intergalactic Infinity: Music Between Spaces, the festival promises to be an incredible few days of sounds, creativity and imagination, that will blow your mind. The episode serves as a way to dive in into the world of MATA, the process of curating a festival of this caliber, and a behind the scene view into the creative process of composers, their source of inspiration, their grit, how they view the future of music and a lot of fun topics you will love! We cannot wait for you to learn more about MATA Thanks for listening and please Subscribe, Rate and Review the Podcast. A lot of work goes into bringing Down the Pit to you, and we would to know your thoughts on how we are doing! To become a Down the Pit supporter for as little as $0.99/month, please visit ⁠⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/down-the-pit⁠⁠⁠ Visit tonebase.com for some amazing online courses and lessons for Violin, Piano, Cello, Flute, Guitar, etc. The best online platform with hundreds of instructional videos and lessons for musicians of all levels! Check it out and use Promo Code ⁠⁠⁠SAMI-30⁠⁠⁠ at Checkout for a 14-day FREE trial and 30% off for a yearly subscription. Sign up TODAY! Thanks to our corporate sponsor ⁠⁠⁠U.S. PAVE⁠⁠⁠ for their continued support! We are on Instagram/TikTok/Twitter @downthepit_pod Facebook: Down the Pit Podcast Co-hosts: Sami Merdinian: ⁠⁠⁠@samimerdinian⁠⁠⁠  Ian Loew: @lunchmeat1836 Producer: Sami Merdinian Mata Festival 2025 For tickets and passes click HERE Guests: Pauline Kim Harris - https://www.paulinekimharris.com/ Jessie Cox - https://www.jessiecoxmusic.com/ ⁠⁠Please Support this podcast for more interviews!⁠⁠

    1h 8m

  2. 01/28/2025

    Of Love, Of Colors, Of Power with Violinist & Composer Curtis Stewart

    A highly entertaining and informative conversation with 6 time GRAMMY-nominated violinist & composerCurtis Stewart. In the episode, Curtis talks about tearing down the facade of "classical violinist" and his constant pursuit of his musical authenticity, treating art as a battery for realizing citizenship. His creative process, his upbringings, upcoming projects, are all part of this 60 min talk with him, as he gets ready for Grammy week where he has 2 nominations! Thanks for listening and please Subscribe, Rate and Review the Podcast. A lot of work goes into bringing Down the Pit to you, and we would to know your thoughts on how we are doing! To become a Down the Pit supporter for as little as $0.99/month, please visit ⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/down-the-pit⁠⁠ Visit tonebase.com for some amazing online courses and lessons for Violin, Piano, Cello, Flute, Guitar, etc. The best online platform with hundreds of instructional videos and lessons for musicians of all levels! Check it out and use Promo Code ⁠⁠SAMI-30⁠⁠ at Checkout for a 14-day FREE trial and 30% off for a yearly subscription. Sign up TODAY! Thanks to our corporate sponsor ⁠⁠U.S. PAVE⁠⁠ for their continued support! We are on Instagram/TikTok/Twitter @downthepit_pod Facebook: Down the Pit Podcast Co-hosts: Sami Merdinian: ⁠⁠@samimerdinian⁠⁠ - Ian Loew: @lunchmeat1836 Producer: Sami Merdinian Special Guest: Curtis Stewart Instagram: @curtis.stewart_violin https://curtisjstewart.com/ ⁠Please Support this podcast for more interviews!⁠

    1h 2m

  3. 12/03/2024

    An Awkward First Date with Isabel Hagen

    Violist and Comedian Isabel joins Ian and Sami in a dynamic and fun conversation in which she dives into her life, going into details about the shift in her career, the viola, her standup comedy routines, her appearances in the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, her upcoming projects, goals and a lot more. Also, for the first time, we will be posting our full episode on YouTube (highly recommended) Please subscribe to our channel for notification on when that will be published! Thanks for listening and please Subscribe, Rate and Review the Podcast. A lot of work goes into bringing Down the Pit to you, and we would to know your thoughts on how we are doing! To become a Down the Pit supporter for as little as $0.99/month, please visit ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/down-the-pit⁠ Visit tonebase.com for some amazing online courses and lessons for Violin, Piano, Cello, Flute, Guitar, etc. The best online platform with hundreds of instructional videos and lessons for musicians of all levels! Check it out and use Promo Code ⁠SAMI-30⁠ at Checkout for a 14-day FREE trial and 30% off for a yearly subscription. Sign up TODAY! Thanks to our corporate sponsor ⁠U.S. PAVE⁠ for their continued support! We are on Instagram/TikTok/Twitter @downthepit_pod Facebook: Down the Pit Podcast Co-hosts: Sami Merdinian: ⁠@samimerdinian⁠ - Ian Loew: @lunchmeat1836 Producer: Sami Merdinian Special Guest: Isabel Hagen Instagram: @isablehagen_ TikTok: @isabelhagen isabelhagen.com Please Support this podcast for more interviews!

    59 min

  4. 10/04/2024

    Anthony Williams: The Michael Jordan of Music Education

    In this episode, Sami Merdinian and Ian Loew have a great conversation with music educator in Florida Anthony Williams who is known to be the Michael Jordan of Music Education down in Florida. As retirement approaches, he shares his passion and life mission of making the world a better place through music and the importance for accessibility no matter the background. An uplifting episode that makes us wonder the importance of mentors in our lives and how essential music is for everyone's early education. Thanks for listening and please Subscribe, Rate and Review the Podcast. A lot of work goes into bringing Down the Pit to you, and we would to know your thoughts on how we are doing! To become a Down the Pit supporter for as little as $0.99/month, please visit https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/down-the-pit Visit tonebase.com for some amazing online courses and lessons for Violin, Piano, Cello, Flute, Guitar, etc. The best online platform with hundreds of instructional videos and lessons for musicians of all levels! Check it out and use Promo Code SAMI-30 at Checkout for a 14-day FREE trial and 30% off for a yearly subscription. Sign up TODAY! Thanks to our corporate sponsor U.S. PAVE for their continued support! We are on Instagram/TikTok/Twitter @downthepit_pod Facebook: Down the Pit Podcast Co-hosts: Sami Merdinian: @samimerdinian - Ian Loew: @lunchmeat1836 Producers: Sami Merdinian & Leo Finelli --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/down-the-pit/support

    1h 5m

  5. 05/18/2023

    Becoming "FIERCE": how to create a successful career path with Jessica Meyer

    In this episode, Sami Merdinian and Ian Loew have a great conversation with violist/composer/educator Jessica Meyer who has established herself to be an incredible force in the industry thanks for her passion, perseverance, entrepreneurial skills and extraordinary talent. She talks about all of her projects, her path to becoming a very influential figure, her grind, the importance of improvisation, her method of composition, finding quality time to decompress in nature and with friends and family, the joys of teaching and her inspirational workshops so students can be the best advocates for their own careers. She talks about her solo shows with loop pedal, writing a piece for the US Presidential Marine Band, and the premiere of her own viola concerto in NYC. Thanks for listening and please Subscribe, Rate and Review the Podcast. A lot of work goes into bringing Down the Pit to you, and we would to know your thoughts on how we are doing! To become a Down the Pit supporter for as little as $0.99/month, please visit https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/down-the-pit Visit tonebase.com for some amazing online courses and lessons for Violin, Piano or Guitar. The best online platform with hundreds of instructional videos and lessons for musicians of all levels! Check it out and use Promo Code SAMI-30 at Checkout for a 14-day FREE trial and 30% off for a yearly subscription. Sign up TODAY! Thanks to our corporate sponsor U.S. PAVE for their continued support! Check out our website www.downthepit.com We are on Instagram/TikTok/Twitter @downthepit_pod Facebook: Down the Pit Podcast Co-hosts: Sami Merdinian: @samimerdinian - Ian Loew: @lunchmeat1836 Producer: Sami Merdinian - Assistant Producer: Chris Ellis https://www.downthepit.com https://jessicameyermusic.com/ @jessicameyermusic

    1h 22m

  6. 01/09/2023

    Brandon Ridenour: Superstar Trumpeter, Composer, Arranger, Comedian and more

    Happy New Year listeners!!! In this episode, we learn the unique story of one of the best trumpeters of his generation. The youngest player to ever play with the legendary Canadian Brass, Brandon Ridenour engages in a very entertaining  and informative conversation; his first piano lesson with his father at age 5, to his parents crushing his dreams to play drums, Brandon shares his path to the versatile artist he's become. His amazing career as a trumpeter, composer, arranger, his fascination with comedy, the importance of humanity coming together to take better care of our planet and each other, advice for young players, tour life anecdotes, new projects, his new appointment as faculty  at the New School and his love for pedagogy are just a few topics we cover during the first episode of 2023. Cheers to everyone for a great year ahead!!! Thanks for listening and please Subscribe, Rate and Review the Podcast. A lot of work goes into bringing Down the Pit to you, and we would to know your thoughts on how we are doing! To become a Down the Pit supporter for as little as $0.99/month, please visit www.Anchor.FM/Down-the-Pit. Visit tonebase.com for some amazing online courses and lessons for Violin, Piano or Guitar. The best online platform with hundreds of instructional videos and lessons for musicians of all levels! Check it out and use Promo Code SAMI-30 at Checkout for a 14-day FREE trial and 30% off for a yearly subscription. Sign up TODAY! Thanks to our corporate sponsor U.S. PAVE for their continued support! Check out our website www.downthepit.com We are on Instagram/TikTok/Twitter @downthepit_pod and @samiviolin Facebook: Down the Pit Podcast Co-hosts: Sami Merdinian: @samimerdinian - Ian Loew: @lunchmeat1836 - Producer: Sami Merdinian - Assistant Producer: Chris Ellis https://www.downthepit.com https://www.brandonridenour.org/ @b.ride.music

    1h 12m

  7. 09/25/2022

    Lucia Micarelli, A Renaissance Woman

    “A VIOLINIST OF HEART-MELTING TALENT.” – The Wall Street Journal “DAZZLING SKILLS AND A MONA LISA SMILE.” – The Washington Post A very special episode with violinist, singer, actress Lucia Micarelli!  Born in Queens, New York, Lucia has been immersed in the arts since the age of three. After attending the Juilliard School and Manhattan School of Music,  Lucia began to develop a growing interest in non-classical music.  She started moonlighting with local jazz and rock bands in New York clubs, and  she was offered to tour with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra as a featured violinist and concertmaster. In addition, she’s been a featured soloist in two of Josh Groban’s world tours, toured extensively with Chris Botti and was featured in his “Live From Boston” PBS special along with being featured in Barbra Streisand’s 2013 international tour. She also released two solo studio albums, “Music From A Farther Room” and “Interlude”.  But 2009 saw Lucia broadening her career even further when she was cast in the starring role of “Annie” in HBO’s critically acclaimed series, “Treme”, created by David Simon and Eric Overmeyer, which ran for four seasons and won a Peabody Award as well as a Primetime Emmy Award. Since then, Lucia’s profile has continued to soar. In 2018, Lucia appeared in her first PBS concert special, which aired throughout the US and spawned the live album “An Evening with Lucia Micarelli”.  In 2020, Lucia joined the Hallmark Family and starred in the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries holiday movie “The Christmas Bow” alongside Michael Rady.  Whether on stage or screen, Lucia is sure to take you on an eclectic journey through her many musical influences - from classical to jazz to traditional fiddle music and Americana - all bound together by her trademark emotional vulnerability and technical wizardry. Thanks for listening and please Subscribe, Rate and Review the Podcast. A lot of work goes into bringing Down the Pit to you, and we would to know your thoughts on how we are doing! To become a Down the Pit supporter for as little as $0.99/month, please visit www.Anchor.FM/Down-the-Pit. Visit tonebase.com for some amazing online courses and lessons for Violin, Piano or Guitar. The best online platform with hundreds of instructional videos and lessons for musicians of all levels! Check it out and use Promo Code SAMI-30 at Checkout for a 14-day FREE trial and 30% off for a yearly subscription. Sign up TODAY! Thanks to our corporate sponsor U.S. PAVE! Check out our website www.downthepit.com We are on Instagram/TikTok/Twitter @downthepit_pod and @samiviolin Facebook: Down the Pit Podcast Co-hosts: Sami Merdinian: @samimerdinian - Ian Loew: @lunchmeat1836 - Producer: Sami Merdinian - Assistant Producer: Chris Ellis https://www.downthepit.com https://luciamicarelli.com/ @theloosh

    1h 28m

  8. 07/26/2022

    Composer Adam Schoenberg: Humans VS Artificial Intelligence

    Great conversation with composer extraordinaire, Emmy Award-winning and Grammy® nominated Adam Schoenberg who has been named among the top 10 most performed living composers by orchestras in the United States twice. His works have received performances and premieres at the Library of Congress, Kennedy Center, New York Philharmonic, The Cleveland Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and Hollywood Bowl. In this episode we talk about his musical family and his direct relation to George Gershwin. He talks about the very different experience he felt attending the Oberlin Conservatory VS The Juilliard School, the importance of having a support network, the path that took him to Los Angeles and to start a family there. He also shares details about the process of writing the Cello Concerto "Automation" for a human soloist and a hologram using technology and Artificial Intelligence, and some secrets to his huge success! Thanks for listening and please Subscribe, Rate and Review the Podcast. A lot of work goes into bringing Down the Pit to you, and we would to know your thoughts on how we are doing! To become a Down the Pit supporter for as little as $0.99/month, please visit www.Anchor.FM/Down-the-Pit. Visit tonebase.com for some amazing online courses and lessons for Violin, Piano or Guitar. The best online platform with hundreds of instructional videos and lessons for musicians of all levels! Check it out and use Promo Code SAMI-30 at Checkout for a 14-day FREE trial and 30% off for a yearly subscription. Sign up TODAY! Check out our website www.downthepit.com We are on Instagram/TikTok/Twitter @downthepit_pod and @samiviolin Facebook: Down the Pit Podcast Co-hosts: Sami Merdinian: @samimerdinian - Ian Loew: @lunchmeat1836 - Producer: Sami Merdinian - Assistant Producer: Chris Ellis https://www.downthepit.com https://adamschoenberg.com/ @adamshoenbergmusic

    51 min
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5
out of 5
37 Ratings

About

Professional musicians Sami Merdinian and Ian Loew are the co-hosts of Down the Pit, a podcast series that delves into the world of classical music, bringing in leading conductors, composers, and performers to the show, to demystify, promote increased accessibility for the genre, and analyze its future. Each episode will have an incredible guest, and through casual and fun conversations, we will dive into their fascinating lives. To become a Down the Pit supporter, please visit www.Anchor.FM/Down-the-Pit.

Information

  • Creator
    Down the Pit
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2025
  • Episodes
    42
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Down the Pit
  • Show Website
    Down the Pit