The Playful Musician

Steve Davidson
  • 5.0 (26)
  • MUSIC INTERVIEWS
  • UPDATED DAILY
The Playful Musician

The Playful Musician dives deep into a musician’s journey, techniques and influences. From the first instrument they played to how they prepare for big concerts or recordings to how they find joy in the long practice hours, this podcast reveals the beautiful, and peculiar, details of an artist’s journey. Whether you’re an aspiring musician looking for inspiration, a seasoned pro trying to find new techniques, or just a fan of the musical process, you’re going to love this podcast.

  1. DEC 2

    Israeli Chamber Group - Tibi Cziger, Founder, Artistic Director and Clarinetist

    In this episode I sit down with Tibi Cziger, clarinetist, founder, and Artistic Director of the Israeli Chamber Project before his visit and performance with the Chamber Music Concert December 4th in Ashland, Oregon. The Israeli Chamber Project consists of strings, winds, harp, and piano. They were named the winner of the 2011 Israeli Ministry of Culture Outstanding Ensemble Award and 2017 Partos Prize Tibi is the founder, and Artistic Director of the Israeli Chamber Project. It’s been 16 years since their group first debuted, and we sit down to talk about how it came to be. We discuss his love of programming, how he manages a traveling chamber orchestra, including where the harp comes from, “a harp in every port”. It wasn’t always that way, how wanting to include a new composition by a new Israeli composer in each program is a great idea that proved challenging. Of course, speaking with another reed player, we dive into and “nerd out”, on reeds. Tibi’s dreaming spirit, self-starter work ethic and idealism is sure to inspire.

    54 min

  2. NOV 22

    Carla Ecker - Violinist and Concertmaster

    Carla Ecker, concert violinist, and I sat down in Ashland, Oregon, for a delightful in-person conversation. She has performed with renowned orchestras, including the Sarasota Opera Orchestra, New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, Santa Fe Pro Musica, Charleston Symphony Orchestra, Pacific Symphony, El Paso Symphony, and the Phoenix Symphony. Currently residing in Tucson, Carla maintains an active performance schedule across the U.S. and has served as the Concertmaster of the Rogue Valley Symphony for the past eight years. During our conversation, we explore the definition of a Concertmaster and delve into this fascinating and vital role within an orchestra. Carla shares her experience working with Martin Majkut, Music Director of the Rogue Valley Symphony and a friend of the podcast. She explains how the collaboration between the Conductor and Concertmaster is essential for creating an efficient and effective orchestral environment—one that, when successful, elevates the music to extraordinary levels. Carla’s natural grace and leadership make her a perfect fit for the role of Concertmaster. We also discuss the challenges she has faced and overcome in her life, as she has continually sought opportunities and refused to let struggles define her. Her perspective on how music can unite us, even during times of deep division, offers a hopeful and uplifting message for citizens of both the United States and the world.

    1h 12m

  3. OCT 25

    Angela Johnson - Singer, Songwriter, Producer on Her New Release The Best of Both Worlds

    Angela Johnson’s music is rich and funky, featuring smart and, at times, laugh-out-loud funny, soul-baring lyrics. She broke onto the music scene as a member of Cooly's Hot Box, which showcased her unique blend of jazz, soul, and R&B. Johnson then released her first solo album, “They Don't Know,” jumpstarting her solo career and highlighting her production skills. As a singer, songwriter, and producer known for her soulful voice and compelling compositions, she has a soul made for storytelling, and boy does she. I sit down with Angela on the day her latest album, “The Best of Both Worlds,” is released by Reel People Music —a collaboration with Opolopo (AKA Peter Major). We discuss the trials and triumphs of being a female producer, her writing process and inspiration, her attraction to high-vibration music, and her new endeavor of writing scores for films. This episode is packed with her unique playfulness, which you'll find infectious.

    1 hr

  4. SEP 27

    Martin Majkut - Music Director of the Rogue Valley Symphony on the 2024-25 Season

    I’m grateful to be sitting down once again with Martin Majkut, Music Director of both the Rogue Valley Symphony in Oregon and the Queens Symphony Orchestra in New York. We haven’t spoken since 2020, and there’s much to catch up on. We geek out over Beethoven's 5th Symphony and the ongoing debate about its proper tempo. Martin shares how fatherhood has transformed him as both a person and a conductor, explaining why becoming a father later in life has been ideal for him. We also delve into the aftermath of the pandemic and how it has positively changed both him and the makeup of his orchestra. This conversation, like all my discussions with Martin, is delightful. You'll come away with wisdom to apply to your own path in life and an intimate look at this wonderful composer.

    1h 10m

  5. SEP 13

    Caity Gyorgy - Juno Award Winning Vocalist Talks Her New Album "Hello! How Are you?"

    Caity is a two-time Juno Award-winning vocalist from Canada, known for her remarkable musical talent and relentless work ethic. Her voice has an instrumental quality that can hold its own against any saxophone on an improvisational riff. Gyorgy has performed at jazz clubs and festivals across Canada, Mexico, Japan, and the United States, collaborating and recording with incredible musicians, including Christine Jensen, Pat LaBarbera, Jocelyn Gould, Ira Coleman, Bryn Roberts, and Joe LaBarbera, to name a few. Join us as we discuss her ambitious project of transposing 31 songs in 30 days, her ability to write music that feels as if it emerged organically from the 1950s, and how she has honed her writing and improvisational skills to stand out as a young jazz vocalist you'll want to keep an eye on. We also talk about her newly released album Hello! How Are You?, where she brings her joyful spirit and playfulness to these new tracks, and what's next for her career.

    47 min

  6. AUG 16

    Nikka Costa -Iconic Soul and Funk Singer Releases New Album 'Dirty Disco'

    Nikka Costa returns to the music scene after a career break, and we sit down to discuss her life and her new album, Dirty Disco. Costa’s evolution as an artist is truly inspiring. Each of her works invites the listener to peel back layers, revealing more about this transformative vocalist with every song and decade. In our candid conversation, we revisit her early fame, which began with an album that catapulted her to stardom at just seven years old. From being greeted by adoring fans at airports to growing up with musical legends, we explore her journey and what she enjoys listening to when she’s not creating new music. This episode offers an intimate look at an artist with decades of experience in the music industry and the stories to match. Tune in as we discuss showmanship, the art of guiding an audience, and how to write a song by listening to how it wants to be written. This episode is both profound and exciting, featuring advice and wisdom from an artist we’ve all eagerly awaited for her next big hit.

    1h 7m

  7. AUG 2

    Will Vinson - Jazz Alto Saxophonist and Composer

    Originally from London, Will Vinson has played as a leader and sideman in New York, Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Australia, and Japan. Will is a member of Rufus Wainwright’s band and has performed, arranged, and recorded with Sufjan Stevens, Sean Lennon, Martha Wainwright, Beth Orton, Harper Simon, and other jazz visionaries. In this episode, we discuss his mentors and how they have shaped his sound and that of other alto saxophonists. We also explore how his sense of time affects everything, his journey overcoming shyness to make a mark on New York and jazz, and how picking up the alto saxophone pushed him to carve his own path as a jazz leader with incredible power, dramatic sensitivity, and technical prowess.

    1h 3m

  8. JUL 5

    Sarah Belle Reid - Performer, Composer, Rule Breaker and Modular Synthesist

    Sarah Belle Reid is a rule breaker. A performer-composer who trained in trumpet and moved through, and at times against the status quo, to modular synthesizer, and an ever-expanding array of handcrafted electronic instruments. The personal voice she explores, moves between the intersections of contemporary classical music, experimental and interactive electronics, visual arts, noise music, and improvisation. Reid holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts from California Institute of the Arts, with a research focus on the development of new electronic instruments and musical notation systems as interfaces for exploring temporal perception and co-creation. Reid is on faculty at Chapman University teaching music technology, as well as Temple University, where she teaches Physical Computing and Electronic Instrument Design.  Sarah and I discuss her early career and how she disrupted her own ideas of musical success to forge a path all of her own. She shares the story of creating her own instrument, MIGSI, explaining what inspired its development, its mechanics, and how it has propelled the trumpet into the future with innovative sensing technology and sound processing. Sarah also reflects on her journey as an innovative musician in her field, building a social media presence, independent research and improvisation, and how she felt like she was “just starting”, once she realized she was not just a performer but so much more, herself. Sarah goes on to announce, for the first time publicly, her newest work, an opera titled “Times Undoing and Progress”.

    1h 12m
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5
out of 5
26 Ratings

About

The Playful Musician dives deep into a musician’s journey, techniques and influences. From the first instrument they played to how they prepare for big concerts or recordings to how they find joy in the long practice hours, this podcast reveals the beautiful, and peculiar, details of an artist’s journey. Whether you’re an aspiring musician looking for inspiration, a seasoned pro trying to find new techniques, or just a fan of the musical process, you’re going to love this podcast.

Information

  • Creator
    Steve Davidson
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2024
  • Episodes
    62
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Extra Deluxe Inc.
  • Show Website
    The Playful Musician

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