Intentional Musicianship

Jeff Price
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Music
  • Updated Bimonthly

Welcome to Intentional Musicianship, hosted by Jeff Price. Jeff is a lifelong performer and listener who believes great performances are built with intention. Intentional Musicianship is a podcast for musicians who want more from their time on stage and more connection with the people listening. This is not a typical "play better" show. We move beyond technique to explore stage presence, musical storytelling, audience communication, and the often unspoken norms that shape live performance. Each episode is designed to help you think differently about what happens at center stage and how your preparation behind the scenes impacts the experience you create. Whether you are an amateur, a seasoned professional, or a music educator, the goal is simple: to help you create performances that resonate. That might mean deeper audience engagement, stronger community support, or a more sustainable return on your performance efforts through loyalty, attendance, or merchandise sales. The show uses an adult learning model. We assume you already have performance experience. Instead of starting from scratch, we focus on refining, rethinking, and expanding what you already do well. There are no rigid rules here, only new possibilities. At its core, Intentional Musicianship is about creating unforgettable musical experiences that go beyond notes and technique and invite the audience into something meaningful. What you'll hear: - How to break the fourth wall and engage audiences authentically - Strategies for shaping musical narratives and programming with purpose - Tools for managing performance anxiety, perfectionism, and self doubt - Genre aware insights for different ensembles, venues, and settings - Ways to increase the return on your performance investment and build loyal supporters We are here to help you remove barriers, think creatively, and strengthen the connection between performer and audience. Connect with us: Visit intentionalmusicianship.com to join the conversation, explore resources, and become part of a growing community of intentional musicians. Your experiences matter, and we look forward to connecting with you on the next episode of Intentional Musicianship.

  1. 2d ago

    Music in the Marketplace: Where Do You Find Your Fit?

    What happens when an outstanding musical organization struggles to attract audiences while another performer has people spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars for a concert experience? Is it the quality of the music, the price, the audience, or something else entirely? Maybe understanding the marketplace can give us another frame of reference. In this episode of Intentional Musicianship, Jeff Price explores how audience choices, business models, and changing expectations influence the opportunities available to musicians. Inspired by a Cadenza article examining the challenges facing American orchestras, Jeff takes a broader look at the marketplace and how musicians, educators, and organizations can better understand where they fit. From the changing price of a Five Guys hamburger to Taylor Swift's concert experiences, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra's programming, and the popularity of candlelight concerts, this episode examines how people decide where to spend their time, attention, and money. You'll discover three ideas to consider in your own musical environment: 1.   Notice the patterns in your marketplace. What are audiences choosing, what influences those decisions, and what can those choices tell us about the experiences people value? 2.   Understand how your musical environment operates. Whether you're involved with a professional orchestra, a school music program, a community ensemble, or an independent band, understanding funding sources, audience expectations, and organizational relationships provides another perspective. 3.   Consider where you fit. Explore how your musical interests, skills, and experiences connect with the people you hope to reach. Sometimes a small adjustment, a new relationship, or a different approach can create opportunities. Jeff also introduces practical business concepts, including price sensitivity, supply and demand, differentiation, customer experience, and value propositions. He touches on nonprofit funding, publicly available IRS Form 990 information, and how understanding the business side of music can expand professional possibilities. Whether you're a student, music educator, community musician, or established professional, this episode offers another frame of reference for considering your musical opportunities. Success at center stage isn't always about improving what happens during the performance. Sometimes it's about understanding where that performance fits into the lives of the people we hope to reach. Continue the Conversation Who are you trying to reach? What other choices compete for their time, attention, and resources? Have you discovered an unexpected opportunity or changed something about how you connect with an audience? We'd love to hear about your experiences. Visit intentionalmusicianship.com to continue the conversation. References and Further Reading Cadenza: The Fall of the American Orchestra Read the article Aubrey Bergauer: Run It Like a Business: Strategies for Arts Organizations to Increase Audiences, Remain Relevant, and Multiply Money Without Losing the Art League of American Orchestras: Orchestras at a Glance, October 2024 View the report Internal Revenue Service: Tax Exempt Organization Search Explore nonprofit organization filings Fever presents Candelight  Related Intentional Musicianship Episodes Episode 6: Navigating Audience Expectations and Preferences Episode 19: Customer Service vs. Customer Experience: Building Audience Engagement and Lasting Connections Episode 30: Was It Worth It? ROI, Expected Value, and Transformation in Performance Episode 42: Money, Fundraising, and Finishing the Experience Episode 46: Small Changes, Better Performances: Piloting the 1%   #IntentionalMusicianship #MusicInTheMarketplace #MusicBusiness #MusicCareers #MusicEducation #AudienceEngagement #CustomerExperience #ArtsManagement #LivePerformance #MusicianDevelopment #MusicMarketing #CommunityMusic #ProfessionalDevelopment #FindingYourFit Welcome to Intentional Musicianship! The Intentional Musicianship podcast, hosted by Jeff Price, is designed for musicians who aim to elevate their performance on multiple levels. This isn't your average "how to play better" show. We go beyond technique to focus on improving your stage presence, musical storytelling, audience communication, and breaking genre norms to form a deeper connection with your audience. Whether you're an amateur, a seasoned professional, or a music educator, our goal is to help you achieve a greater return on your performance investment. This could range from building a more committed fanbase to increasing merchandise sales. We utilize an adult learning model, so we assume you already have a foundation in performance and aim to refine and innovate on your existing skills. The ultimate goal? To create unforgettable experiences that not only entertain but engage your audience on a deeper level. The call to action is to foster community, encourage engagement, and provide actionable insights, all of which can be further explored at intentionalmusicianship.com.

  2. Oct 7

    What Makes a Great National Anthem Performance?

    What Makes a Great National Anthem Performance? What makes a great national anthem performance? Is it the voice, the arrangement, the interpretation, or understanding the role you're being asked to play in the moment? In this episode of Intentional Musicianship, Jeff Price draws on his experiences as a U.S. Army musician and Bandmaster to explore national anthem performances from a different perspective. From performing O Canada in Canada, to auditioning Soldiers for graduation ceremonies, timing The Star-Spangled Banner with a jet flyover in Alaska, and performing at Fort McHenry, each experience points toward the same question: What does this moment need from the musician? We also look at Whitney Houston's iconic 1991 Super Bowl performance and why interpretation isn't necessarily the problem. The better question is whether your musical choices fit the performer, the audience, and the occasion. In this episode: Why a national anthem is more than another piece of music on the program How changing from featured performer to leader can completely change an audience's experience Why singability matters What Whitney Houston's Super Bowl performance can teach us about interpretation and context Why sometimes the performance has to fit something as practical as a jet flyover The responsibility of performing another country's national anthem What performing at Fort McHenry taught Jeff about being part of a moment that was already bigger than the performer The music tells you what notes to play. The moment tells you why you're playing them. Whether you're a student, educator, community musician, or professional performer, the challenge is the same: Know the music. Know the moment. Know your role. Prepare well. Respect the people you're there to serve. And then lead the moment. Would you rather give a great performance at an event or help create a great moment for everyone at the event? Maybe sometimes those are exactly the same thing.   Mentioned in the podcast  The Story of Whitney Houstone Epic National Anthem Performance at 1991 Super Bowl  The Lasting Power of Whitney Houston's National Anthem  Defender's Day  Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine #IntentionalMusicianship #NationalAnthem #NationalAnthemPerformance #LivePerformance #PerformanceTips #Musicianship #MusicEducation #MusicEducator #PerformingMusician #AudienceEngagement #StagePresence #MusicPerformance #MilitaryMusic #ArmyBand #TheStarSpangledBanner #OCanada #WhitneyHouston #FortMcHenry #LeadTheMoment #MusicPodcast #FrancisScottKey Welcome to Intentional Musicianship! The Intentional Musicianship podcast, hosted by Jeff Price, is designed for musicians who aim to elevate their performance on multiple levels. This isn't your average "how to play better" show. We go beyond technique to focus on improving your stage presence, musical storytelling, audience communication, and breaking genre norms to form a deeper connection with your audience. Whether you're an amateur, a seasoned professional, or a music educator, our goal is to help you achieve a greater return on your performance investment. This could range from building a more committed fanbase to increasing merchandise sales. We utilize an adult learning model, so we assume you already have a foundation in performance and aim to refine and innovate on your existing skills. The ultimate goal? To create unforgettable experiences that not only entertain but engage your audience on a deeper level. The call to action is to foster community, encourage engagement, and provide actionable insights, all of which can be further explored at intentionalmusicianship.com.

  3. Oct 1

    What Are We Really Getting From the Opening Tuning Note?

    What are musicians really getting from that familiar tuning note before a concert? It may be a slightly controversial question because the answer might not be tuning. In this episode of Intentional Musicianship, Jeff Price looks at the traditional opening tuning note used by bands, orchestras, and other instrumental ensembles and asks what value it actually brings to the performance. For the audience, the tuning note is part of the culture of the concert. It signals that the musicians are ready, the room is settling, and the performance is about to begin. For the musicians, it can serve as a psychological release valve. It gives everyone one last opportunity to play the instrument, feel that everything is working, hear the ensemble around them, and mentally lock in before the first downbeat. But does that one pitch actually tune the ensemble? Jeff shares a memory of his friend and fellow Army musician Chris Schweigert, along with a recent concert experience that raised the same question. By the time musicians reach the stage, the real preparation should already be complete. They should know their instruments, understand the pitch environment around them, and be ready to listen and adjust throughout the performance. The episode also offers a reminder for educators. Part of the training process is helping musicians learn how to prepare themselves so that when performance time arrives, they can trust the work they have already done. Three questions can help musicians examine any preconcert routine: Why do I do this? What value does it add to my performance or to the audience's experience? What would happen if I did not do it? #IntentionalMusicianship #PerformancePreparation #MusicianMindset #EnsemblePlaying #ConcertCulture #PerformancePsychology #MusicEducation #ListeningSkills #StageReadiness #PreConcertRoutine Welcome to Intentional Musicianship! The Intentional Musicianship podcast, hosted by Jeff Price, is designed for musicians who aim to elevate their performance on multiple levels. This isn't your average "how to play better" show. We go beyond technique to focus on improving your stage presence, musical storytelling, audience communication, and breaking genre norms to form a deeper connection with your audience. Whether you're an amateur, a seasoned professional, or a music educator, our goal is to help you achieve a greater return on your performance investment. This could range from building a more committed fanbase to increasing merchandise sales. We utilize an adult learning model, so we assume you already have a foundation in performance and aim to refine and innovate on your existing skills. The ultimate goal? To create unforgettable experiences that not only entertain but engage your audience on a deeper level. The call to action is to foster community, encourage engagement, and provide actionable insights, all of which can be further explored at intentionalmusicianship.com.

  4. Sep 23

    Are You Fixing the Problem or the Symptom

    Why does the sound at a live performance sometimes seem off? Some musicians disappear, others suddenly jump out, and our attention immediately goes to the sound technician. But what if the problem we hear is only the symptom, and the actual problem started much earlier? In this episode of Intentional Musicianship, Jeff Price explores the difference between fixing the problem and fixing the symptom, using microphone discipline as a practical example. Experience as a musician does not automatically mean experience performing with microphones. Understanding how to work consistently with amplification is a skill that needs to be developed and rehearsed. You'll discover four actionable ideas for improving amplified performances and solving the right problem: 1.    Understand your relationship with the microphone, recognizing that different microphone setups may require different approaches. 2.    Treat amplification as a collaboration between the musician and sound technician, with each responsible for a different part of what the audience ultimately hears. 3.    Practice the conditions you will encounter in performance rather than relying on sound check to teach microphone technique. 4.    Work upstream before changing personnel, buying equipment, or trying to fix the most visible symptom. Jeff also revisits the Five Whys and explores leading and lagging indicators as tools for working backward from what the audience experiences to something earlier in the process that musicians and educators can actually influence. Whether you're a performer, educator, ensemble director, or someone working behind the soundboard, this episode offers a reminder that sometimes the thing everyone sees going wrong is not the thing that went wrong first. Before fixing what appears to be wrong, ask: Are you fixing the problem, or are you fixing the symptom? #IntentionalMusicianship #MicrophoneDiscipline #LiveSound #LivePerformance #MusicPerformance #PerformanceTips #PerformancePreparation #SoundCheck #SoundTechnician #MusicEducation #MusicianTips #FiveWhys #RootCauseAnalysis #ContinuousImprovement #PerformancePractice #AmplifiedPerformance #MusicianLife #PerformWithPurpose #PerformancePlanning #MusicalExpression Welcome to Intentional Musicianship! The Intentional Musicianship podcast, hosted by Jeff Price, is designed for musicians who aim to elevate their performance on multiple levels. This isn't your average "how to play better" show. We go beyond technique to focus on improving your stage presence, musical storytelling, audience communication, and breaking genre norms to form a deeper connection with your audience. Whether you're an amateur, a seasoned professional, or a music educator, our goal is to help you achieve a greater return on your performance investment. This could range from building a more committed fanbase to increasing merchandise sales. We utilize an adult learning model, so we assume you already have a foundation in performance and aim to refine and innovate on your existing skills. The ultimate goal? To create unforgettable experiences that not only entertain but engage your audience on a deeper level. The call to action is to foster community, encourage engagement, and provide actionable insights, all of which can be further explored at intentionalmusicianship.com.

  5. Sep 16

    Choose Your Own Musical Adventure

    This may be before your time but when I was a kid I read Choose Your Own Adventure books. You made a decision, turned to a different page, and discovered where that choice took you. Sometimes it worked. Sometimes it didn't. And sometimes you wished you could go back a few pages and choose again. Our musical lives aren't all that different. As we gain experience, we aren't starting from page one anymore. Every teacher, performance, audition, job, success, failure, course, colleague, and unexpected opportunity becomes part of the frame of reference we use to decide what comes next. In this episode of Intentional Musicianship, Jeff Price looks at adult learning and why experienced musicians don't have to accept or reject someone else's entire method to learn something valuable from it. The question may simply be: What can I use from this? We also explore pedagogy, andragogy, and self-determined learning; why experience helps us ask better questions; and why learning from someone doesn't require becoming them. The next time you encounter a new idea from a teacher, colleague, book, course, masterclass, podcast, or even social media, take what is useful, add it to your toolbox, and let your experience help you decide what comes next. Concepts discussed:  Pedagogy vs. Andragogy vs. Heutagogy: Understanding Learning Styles Across Lifespan #IntentionalMusicianship #ChooseYourOwnAdventure #MusicianDevelopment #AdultLearning #MusicEducation #MusicPerformance #ProfessionalDevelopment #LifelongLearning #Musicianship #MusicCareer #PracticeWithPurpose #PerformanceSuccess   Welcome to Intentional Musicianship! The Intentional Musicianship podcast, hosted by Jeff Price, is for musicians looking to elevate their performance beyond technique. This isn't just about playing better, it's about enhancing stage presence, storytelling, audience connection, and breaking genre norms to create unforgettable experiences. Whether you're a seasoned pro, an educator, or an aspiring performer, our goal is to help you get more from your performances, from growing a loyal fanbase to increasing gig opportunities. We assume you already have the technical foundation, now let's refine, innovate, and maximize your impact. Join us in the conversation at intentionalmusicianship.com.

  6. Sep 9

    Small Changes, Better Performances: Piloting the 1%

    What happens when you already have a good performance, but you think one small change could make it even better? In this episode of Intentional Musicianship, Jeff Price explores the idea of piloting the 1%. Make one intentional change to an already solid performance, test its impact, and use what you learn to decide what happens next. Inspired by a student's observation during a recent master class, "Sometimes you've just got to change something," Jeff connects musical experimentation with the idea of a pilot used in business and Six Sigma. Instead of rebuilding an entire performance or committing resources to an untested idea, isolate one change and determine what you expect it to accomplish. The process starts with four simple questions: Why am I changing something? What am I changing? What do I expect that change to accomplish? What happened as a result? The episode looks at two different examples. Musically, a performer might pull out a section and intentionally exaggerate the phrasing, dynamics, articulation, or other musical choices to make the communication as clear as possible and determine whether the idea actually reaches the audience. On the audience engagement side, something as simple as adding a QR code to a concert's digital media can become a pilot. If the goal is to encourage audience members to connect through social media, the response can be measured before committing additional money or resources to putting that QR code into printed programs or other materials. The measurement follows the purpose of the change. Sometimes the result is something you hear, see, or experience. Sometimes it is something you can count. Sometimes the pilot may even show that an idea works, but the improvement is not worth the additional time, money, people, technology, or complexity required to make it happen. The goal is not constant change. It is intentional improvement. Keep it. Modify it. Or let it go. The performance itself can help develop the next performance.   #IntentionalMusicianship #PilotingThe1Percent #SmallChangesBetterPerformances #LivePerformance #MusicPerformance #PerformanceTips #PerformanceImprovement #AudienceEngagement #AudienceConnection #MusicalCommunication #MusicalExpression #PerformWithPurpose #PerformancePlanning #CriticalThinking #SixSigma #DMAIC #ContinuousImprovement #Stagecraft #MusicEducation #MusicianTips #BreakingTheFourthWall #IntentionalPerformance Welcome to Intentional Musicianship! The Intentional Musicianship podcast, hosted by Jeff Price, is for musicians looking to elevate their performance beyond technique. This isn't just about playing better, it's about enhancing stage presence, storytelling, audience connection, and breaking genre norms to create unforgettable experiences. Whether you're a seasoned pro, an educator, or an aspiring performer, our goal is to help you get more from your performances, from growing a loyal fanbase to increasing gig opportunities. We assume you already have the technical foundation, now let's refine, innovate, and maximize your impact. Join us in the conversation at intentionalmusicianship.com.

  7. Aug 31

    Further Your Story to Tell Your Story

    Sometimes we know where we want to go, but we don't have a perfect map to get there. That doesn't mean we're lost. In this episode of Intentional Musicianship, Jeff Price explores how the unexpected experiences, skills, relationships, and even detours we collect along the way can become an important part of where we eventually end up. Through the stories of former students beginning their careers, including one musician whose seemingly unrelated experiences in graduate school, the Army National Guard, and library science eventually came together in an opportunity with the United States Army Band, "Pershing's Own," Jeff considers the value of being prepared for opportunities we may not yet know are coming. Sometimes the straight road works. Sometimes the road takes a few unexpected turns. Either way, the goal is to keep learning and growing where you're planted. Three ideas to take with you: Have a destination, but stay flexible about the route. Collect capabilities, not just credentials. Make where you are better because you're there. You may not know today how a class, job, skill, relationship, or unexpected opportunity will fit into your future. Someday, though, an opportunity may appear and you'll realize: I've got something for this. The side quest wasn't really a side quest. It became part of your story. Learn more and connect with Intentional Musicianship at intentionalmusicianship.com. #IntentionalMusicianship #FurtherYourStory #MusicEducation #MusicEducators #MusicianLife #MusicCareer #CareerDevelopment #ProfessionalDevelopment #MusicStudents #MusicMajor #MusicTeacher #Musicianship #CareerJourney #LifelongLearning #MusicBusiness     Welcome to Intentional Musicianship! The Intentional Musicianship podcast, hosted by Jeff Price, is for musicians looking to elevate their performance beyond technique. This isn't just about playing better, it's about enhancing stage presence, storytelling, audience connection, and breaking genre norms to create unforgettable experiences. Whether you're a seasoned pro, an educator, or an aspiring performer, our goal is to help you get more from your performances, from growing a loyal fanbase to increasing gig opportunities. We assume you already have the technical foundation, now let's refine, innovate, and maximize your impact. Join us in the conversation at intentionalmusicianship.com.

  8. Apr 8

    Why Live Performances Can Feel Flat and How to Fix It

    In this episode of Intentional Musicianship, Jeff Price explores why strong musicianship does not always translate into a compelling live performance. Today's audiences are conditioned by film, television, and social media. Their attention is constantly guided through camera angles, movement, and intentional storytelling. When they attend a live performance, they bring those same expectations with them. The challenge is that most musicians are trained to focus on accuracy and execution, but not on directing the audience's experience. This episode introduces a simple but powerful shift. If live performance does not have cameras, then the performer must become the camera. Through a real world example of a live music video producer and a conversation with a developing band, we break down the gap between thinking about performance and actually rehearsing it. We also provide practical tools you can apply immediately: Describe your performance visually, not just musically Map your performance like a storyboard Use audience perspective through a simple "fishbowl" exercise Identify where attention should be directed at all times If the audience cannot see what matters, they will not fully experience what you are playing. This episode challenges you to move beyond playing correctly and begin shaping what the audience sees, feels, and remembers. Here is the instagram video that inspired this episode: behindthebroadcast hollzinhollywood  #intentionalmusicianship #liveperformance #stagepresence #musicperformance #performingmusicians #musiceducation #audienceengagement #showmanship #performanceskills #musicianmindset #musicteaching #bandperformance #stageperformance #musicrehearsal #performancecoaching #visualperformance #storytellinginmusic #artistdevelopment #livemusictips #performancetraining Welcome to Intentional Musicianship! The Intentional Musicianship podcast, hosted by Jeff Price, is for musicians looking to elevate their performance beyond technique. This isn't just about playing better, it's about enhancing stage presence, storytelling, audience connection, and breaking genre norms to create unforgettable experiences. Whether you're a seasoned pro, an educator, or an aspiring performer, our goal is to help you get more from your performances, from growing a loyal fanbase to increasing gig opportunities. We assume you already have the technical foundation, now let's refine, innovate, and maximize your impact. Join us in the conversation at intentionalmusicianship.com.

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Welcome to Intentional Musicianship, hosted by Jeff Price. Jeff is a lifelong performer and listener who believes great performances are built with intention. Intentional Musicianship is a podcast for musicians who want more from their time on stage and more connection with the people listening. This is not a typical "play better" show. We move beyond technique to explore stage presence, musical storytelling, audience communication, and the often unspoken norms that shape live performance. Each episode is designed to help you think differently about what happens at center stage and how your preparation behind the scenes impacts the experience you create. Whether you are an amateur, a seasoned professional, or a music educator, the goal is simple: to help you create performances that resonate. That might mean deeper audience engagement, stronger community support, or a more sustainable return on your performance efforts through loyalty, attendance, or merchandise sales. The show uses an adult learning model. We assume you already have performance experience. Instead of starting from scratch, we focus on refining, rethinking, and expanding what you already do well. There are no rigid rules here, only new possibilities. At its core, Intentional Musicianship is about creating unforgettable musical experiences that go beyond notes and technique and invite the audience into something meaningful. What you'll hear: - How to break the fourth wall and engage audiences authentically - Strategies for shaping musical narratives and programming with purpose - Tools for managing performance anxiety, perfectionism, and self doubt - Genre aware insights for different ensembles, venues, and settings - Ways to increase the return on your performance investment and build loyal supporters We are here to help you remove barriers, think creatively, and strengthen the connection between performer and audience. Connect with us: Visit intentionalmusicianship.com to join the conversation, explore resources, and become part of a growing community of intentional musicians. Your experiences matter, and we look forward to connecting with you on the next episode of Intentional Musicianship.

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