Pianists Not Practicing

Chloe Weston

Welcome to Pianists Not Practicing — A biweekly show that catches classical pianists out in the wild - outside of the practice room (!!) - and spills all the juicy details about their lives. We dive into candid, unfiltered conversations with pianists at all stages of their careers—from seasoned pros to fresh-faced grads. OK fine, we’ll talk about practicing — let’s be real — but we’ll also get into everything else: the creative process, career twists and turns, mindset, body care, and all the behind-the-scenes realities of being a musician. So, whether you’re looking for inspiration, solidarity, or you just wanna hang out in the practice room hallway, talk shit, and avoid practice with us — you’re in the right place. We’re all in this together. Hosted by Canadian classical pianist, Chloe Weston You can keep up with Pianists Not Practicing on Instagram @ChloeWestonPianist and YouTube @ChloeWestonPianist

  1. PIANISTS NOT PRACTICING…in Toronto…with Dr. SHULAMIT MOR

    May 14

    PIANISTS NOT PRACTICING…in Toronto…with Dr. SHULAMIT MOR

    Part 1 Welcome to our episode with Dr. Shulamit Mor, a concert pianist who started her professional performance career at age 10. After concertizing internationally, she made a career transition to psychology, and focussed her research and clinical work on issues related to the performing arts. In addition to her work with performers of all kinds, she has conducted workshops on topics such as: performance anxiety, maximizing optimal performance, the pursuit of excellence, creative blocks, and the pedagogy of teaching music. Dr. Mor is an expert on mental rehearsal, performance anxiety, optimal performance and career transition. Her perspective through the lens of a performer and psychologist uniquely positions her to provide us with incredible insights and strategies as we pursue ease and joy on stage. She works with musicians in her private practice, as well as at the Mor Centre for Performance Psychology where she helps artists and performers flourish and thrive in their pursuit of excellence. This convo features her journey as a pianist, her transition to her profession as a psychologist, and is filled with strategies and new perspectives that we can adopt to help serve our artistry and strengthen our performance mindset. Check out the Mor Centre for Performance Psychology Check out her latest book chapter: Managing Psychological Disturbances in Performing Artists ✨ Stay connected with Pianists Not Practicing: Instagram — @ChloeWestonPianist YouTube — @ChloeWestonPianist 🎶 Intro/Outro Music: Ankur Mukhopadhyay — @ankurrmm 🎙️ Produced by: phMediaStudio, LLC

    40 min
  2. PIANISTS NOT PRACTICING…in Los Angeles…with TRACY WONG

    Apr 30

    PIANISTS NOT PRACTICING…in Los Angeles…with TRACY WONG

    Welcome to our episode with the queen of creativity and innovation who truly does it all from performing, to teaching to administration - we explored her extremely varied and exciting career from her early days premiering with orchestra in Russia at the age of 9, to her current life-changing work with students at the Colburn school in Los Angeles as Assistant Director of Colburn’s Center for Innovation and Community Impact where she also teaches a course she created and entitled: The Enterprising Creative. Tracy is such an innovator whose creativity knows no bounds - she is always driven by curiosity and exploration - and this is reflected in her education as a double major in psychology and music as an undergrad, to her work now with students weaving together entrepreneurship and arts advocacy. I’m so excited for you to hear this convo because you will learn all about her approach to creating an aligned careerhow to be an advocate for the arts and evenhow to create your own elevator pitch (?!) So, if you’re in need of a little inspiration today - buckle up and enjoy! Follow Tracy on instagram: @artist.at.play Check out her website: www.tracywongpiano.com Check out the book Design Your Life ✨ Stay connected with Pianists Not Practicing: Instagram — @ChloeWestonPianist YouTube — @ChloeWestonPianist 🎶 Intro/Outro Music: Ankur Mukhopadhyay — @ankurrmm 🎙️ Produced by: phMediaStudio, LLC

    1h 12m
  3. PIANISTS NOT PRACTICING…in Los Angeles…with CHI-JO LEE

    Mar 19

    PIANISTS NOT PRACTICING…in Los Angeles…with CHI-JO LEE

    Part One Welcome to our episode with an energetic, warm and joyful pianist whose playing has been described as “virtuosic…with impressive grace” (San Diego Union-Tribune) - Chi-jo! In this convo we chat about her formative experiences as a pianist - from her upbringing in Taiwan in a specialized music program in high school, to the wisdom she absorbed from her legendary mentor while studying at Indiana University: Andre Watts. We dove into her extensive experience with piano competitions and how her relationship with them has evolved over the years, and how she cultivates joy and confidence in her music-making amidst the setbacks and uncertainty of this pianist life. We caught up with Chi in her practice room at the Colburn school in Los Angeles between practice sessions as she’s preparing a wide range of repertoire for upcoming solo and collab concerts - and we argued about the age-old question - are we allowed to perform solo rep without memorizing!? This episode showcases how candid, open and generous Chi-jo is with her kindness and perspective and is a true look behind the curtain of such a beautiful artist. Please enjoy! Connect with Chi-Jo here: www.chijoleepianist.com Follow her on instagram @chijo_lee Check out her moments musicaux here Check out her favorite recording of her mentor Andre Watts here ✨ Stay connected with Pianists Not Practicing: Instagram — @ChloeWestonPianist YouTube — @ChloeWestonPianist 🎶 Intro/Outro Music: Ankur Mukhopadhyay — @ankurrmm 🎙️ Produced by: phMediaStudio, LLC

    50 min
  4. PIANISTS NOT PRACTICING…in Barcelona…with ALBA VENTURA

    Mar 5

    PIANISTS NOT PRACTICING…in Barcelona…with ALBA VENTURA

    Segunda Parte This week we continue our convo with Alba and it is so FULL of amazing strategies and ideas for how to approach performing and practicing. Definitely check out Part One of this conversation in Episode 13 if you haven’t already! In this convo, we chat about Alba’s memorization and practice strategies, including mental rehearsal and visualization, her mindset for performing from memory on stage, and what happens when you meld together two different mozart sonatas on stage! She believes that the best part of being a musician is having the chance to evolve, learn and improve - approaching making music like a craftsman - always refining and working on the process. The craftsmanship is what makes our work artistic - crafting sound, colour, and beauty into our repertoire. She reminds us that our journeys as musicians are not about achievement but all about process. —- Meet the “heir to the great legacy of the Spanish piano school”, Alba Ventura. Born in Barcelona, Alba is a passionate, nuanced performer who made her solo debut at the age of thirteen performing Mozart’s “Jeunehomme” piano concerto with the Cadaqués Orchestra and Sir N Marriner. She began her studies at the Académia Marshall, founded by Enrique Granados, and her mentors include Carlotta Garriga, Alicia De Larrocha, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Dimitri Bashkirov and Irina Zaritskaya. Her discography includes a wide range of repertoire - everything from Mozart to Rachmaninoff to Rautavaara, and of course includes the Spanish giants: Granados, Albeniz and Mompou. We caught up with Alba in her practice studio in Barcelona where she shared her depth of experience and wisdom with us - sharing her journey as a concert pianist, and how she finds balance as a professor, mother, chamber musician, recording artist and performer. This conversation is full of light and joy and love for music. I can’t wait for you to hear it and to learn from this incredible artist! Connect with Alba here: www.albaventura.com Follow Alba on instagram @albaclassics Listen to her new album IBERIA here! ✨ Stay connected with Pianists Not Practicing: Instagram — @ChloeWestonPianist YouTube — @ChloeWestonPianist 🎶 Intro/Outro Music: Ankur Mukhopadhyay — @ankurrmm 🎙️ Produced by: phMediaStudio, LLC

    49 min
  5. PIANISTS NOT PRACTICING…in Barcelona…with ALBA VENTURA

    Feb 19

    PIANISTS NOT PRACTICING…in Barcelona…with ALBA VENTURA

    Primera Parte Meet the “heir to the great legacy of the Spanish piano school”, Alba Ventura. Born in Barcelona, Alba is a passionate, nuanced performer who made her solo debut at the age of thirteen performing Mozart’s “Jeunehomme” piano concerto with the Cadaqués Orchestra and Sir N Marriner. She began her studies at the Académia Marshall, founded by Enrique Granados, and her mentors include Carlotta Garriga, Alicia De Larrocha, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Dimitri Bashkirov and Irina Zaritskaya. Her discography includes a wide range of repertoire - everything from Mozart to Rachmaninoff to Rautavaara, and of course includes the Spanish giants: Granados, Albeniz and Mompou. We caught up with Alba in her practice studio in Barcelona where she shared her depth of experience and wisdom with us - sharing her journey as a concert pianist, and how she finds balance as a professor, mother, chamber musician, recording artist and performer. In this convo, we dive into her methods of preparing music, how she practices, the power of mental rehearsal and visualization, and the importance of following your own voice and strengths as you make your way on your own artistic path. Ultimately, her message is to enjoy the process in all of its forms - from your practice alone at the instrument, to the ebbs and flow of career milestones, and not to be afraid to continually refine as you go. This conversation is full of light and joy and love for music. I can’t wait for you to hear it and to learn from this incredible artist! Connect with Alba here: www.albaventura.com Follow Alba on instagram @albaclassics Listen to her new album IBERIA here! ✨ Stay connected with Pianists Not Practicing: Instagram — @ChloeWestonPianist YouTube — @ChloeWestonPianist 🎶 Intro/Outro Music: Ankur Mukhopadhyay — @ankurrmm 🎙️ Produced by: phMediaStudio, LLC

    38 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Welcome to Pianists Not Practicing — A biweekly show that catches classical pianists out in the wild - outside of the practice room (!!) - and spills all the juicy details about their lives. We dive into candid, unfiltered conversations with pianists at all stages of their careers—from seasoned pros to fresh-faced grads. OK fine, we’ll talk about practicing — let’s be real — but we’ll also get into everything else: the creative process, career twists and turns, mindset, body care, and all the behind-the-scenes realities of being a musician. So, whether you’re looking for inspiration, solidarity, or you just wanna hang out in the practice room hallway, talk shit, and avoid practice with us — you’re in the right place. We’re all in this together. Hosted by Canadian classical pianist, Chloe Weston You can keep up with Pianists Not Practicing on Instagram @ChloeWestonPianist and YouTube @ChloeWestonPianist