The Dominic Brancazio Podcast Dominic Brancazio

Hello and welcome back to the Dominic Brancazio Podcast, where we talk about all things classical music! In today’s episode, we’re joined by Dr. Eftihia Arkoudis. Eftihia leads a multi-faceted career as a flute performer, teacher, and arts entrepreneur. As the Director of West Virginia University’s Community Music Program and Music Business & Entrepreneurship faculty member at the University of Florida, Eftihia is a leader passionate for arts advocacy, community-building, and empowering the next generation of musicians. 
Today’s episode showcases Eftihia’s role as the Director of the Community Music Program and we do a deep dive into how the program can make an impact on a person’s education. We talk about Eftihia’s background coming from Greece to the United States, how she got involved with the Community Music Program at WVU, and talk about all of the responsibilities she has director of the program. In addition to these topics, we also cover how students can sign up for the Community Music Program, discuss the importance of having a well rounded education, talk about how to maintain balance in life with a busy schedule, and go over the benefits of having great teachers and mentors in your musical endeavors.
If you want to learn more about Eftihia or her work, please check out the links in the description below. I loved getting the chance to talk to Eftihia in this episode! When I first met her, I couldn’t believe how much she did as the director for the Community Music Program and I think it would be beneficial for people to hear an example of someone who goes above and beyond for the arts. This talk was really inspiring to listen to and I hope you all get as much out of it as I did. It is also really meaningful for me to be a teacher in the Community Music Program. I love its core mission of fostering a love of music for the individuals in Morgantown, WV, and making a high-quality music education accessible to everyone. If you are interested in learning more about the program or how to sign up, the links in the description below will provide all the details you need to know.
This episode is the last one of the year, so for everyone who has being tuning in up until now, I want to thank you so much for your time and support. I have had the great fortune throughout my career to cross paths with so many wonderful artists, mentors, and friends. It has been really fun showcasing their stories with you all and I hope hearing their perspectives can help you along your own musical journey. I believe the more we share our experiences with each other, the easier it will be for us all to move forward with our own endeavors and progress in our goals. I think this episode is a great way to end off the year and I hope you all have a great time listening. Thank you all and now please enjoy the show.
To learn more about Eftihia:
https://www.eftihiavarkoudisflute.com
To learn more about West Virginia University's Community Music Program:
-General Information: https://www.music.wvu.edu/cmp
-Registration: https://www.music.wvu.edu/cmp/registration
-Faculty: https://www.music.wvu.edu/cmp/faculty-staff
-Payment Policies: https://www.music.wvu.edu/cmp/tuition-payment-policies
-Contact: https://www.music.wvu.edu/cmp/contact-us
If you would like the "4 Ways to Prevent Burnout" handout mentioned in the episode, please contact Eftihia through the following link:
https://www.music.wvu.edu/cmp/contact-us
To learn more about Dominic:
-Website: https://www.dominicbrancazio.com
-YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoKVS28ZZearcnykkOsJ4qQ
-Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dominic-brancazio-podcast/ id1575537139?I=1000605710860
-Instagram: http://instagram.com/thedominicbrancaziopodcast/

Hello and welcome back to the Dominic Brancazio Podcast, where we talk about all things classical music! In today’s episode, we’re joined by Barbara Jöstlein Currie and Emma Currie. Barbara plays 4th horn with the Metropolitan Opera and is a faculty member at the Bard Conservatory of Music, Emma is a Graphic Designer and Videographer, and together they’re both co-founders of the wonderful product call the Brass Witch.

The Brass Witch is an amazing pencil clip accessory made out of vegan leather with a powerful magnet that comes in a variety of different sizes to fit on all the brass instruments. I love using it for my horn and I think it’s the perfect aid to any practice session or rehearsal. In this conversation, we go over the origins of the Brass Witch, how it started as a prototype and developed to the final product, how Barbara and Emma came up with the design and branding for it, and we talk about the steps they took in order to establish the brass witch as an internationally acclaimed product.

If you would like to find out how to purchase your own Brass Witch or learn more about Barbara and Emma, please check out the links in the description below. I loved getting the chance to meet Barbara and Emma in this talk! It is so fascinating for me to hear how musicians create projects in addition to their musical careers. I think designing products of your own can be a really great way to enhance your creativity and it can also be other fun way to add different streams of income to your career. I believe this talk can help guide others who are interested in pursuing their own entrepreneurial endeavors with concrete examples on how to get started. I had so much fun putting this episode together and I hope you all enjoy it too. Thank you for listening and please enjoy the show.

To learn more about the Brass Witch:
-https://www.brasswitch.com/
-https://www.instagram.com/brasswitch
-https://www.linkedin.com/company/brass-witch/
-https://www.facebook.com/METOrchestra/
-https://www.tiktok.com/@brasswitch

For size info, ordering info and testimonials for the Brass Witch:
-https://www.brasswitch.com/products
-https://www.brasswitch.com/contact-us
-https://www.brasswitch.com/testimonials

For Styl Witch pre-orders:
-https://houghtonhorns.com/products/styl-witch-magnetic-pencil-and-stylus?_pos=1&_sid=e06b27721&_ss=r

Preorder price for the Styl Witch is $19.99 and the regular price is $29.99. Details about this in the link above.

To learn more about Barbara:
https://www.metorchestramusicians.org/portfolio/barbara-jostlein-currie-horn/

To learn more about Emma:
https://emmac.myportfolio.com

To learn more about Dominic:
-Website: https://www.dominicbrancazio.com
-YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoKVS28ZZearcnykkOsJ4qQ
-Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dominic-brancazio-podcast/ id1575537139?I=1000605710860
-Instagram: http://instagram.com/thedominicbrancaziopodcast/

If you would like to support the podcast, please check out the following links:
-Store: https://www.dominicbrancazio.com/store
-Donate: https://www.dominicbrancazio.com/donate

Hello and welcome back to the Dominic Brancazio Podcast, where we talk about all things classical music! In today’s episode, we’re joined by my good friend Julia Thurston. Julia is an Elementary Music Teacher at Bennett-Hemenway Elementary School and is a freelance horn player based out of Massachusetts. In today’s episode, we talk about ways musicians with a performance background can learn to become teachers and ways people can craft their own meaningful careers. We specifically go over Julia’s background, how she got into music, talk about what an accelerated post bachelor program is, how music can be a transferable skill into other fields, what it’s like to teach students of different ages,  and we also discuss whether or not musicians have an obligation to teach.

If you would like to learn more about Julia, please check out the description below. This was so wonderful getting the chance to talk to Julia again in this episode. She is amazing person, a really good friend of mine from our undergraduate years, and she has so much wisdom to share in this talk. If you are a classical music performer, then at some point in time you are most likely going to have to teach others in some way. I believe it can be a really rewarding and fulfilling path to take in your career. If you interested in teaching, this will be a great episode to check out.

Before we dive into the episode, I want to thank everyone who has been tuning in all the way up into the 50th episode. This is my first big milestone with the podcast and I can’t wait to share more episodes with you soon. I also want to thank everyone who has given their time to be on this show. It means the world to me that people are willing to join me on this endeavor. Going into music can be challenging, but the more we share our experiences, tips, and stories, I believe the easier it’ll be for all of us. This was a fun episode to do and I had great time putting it together. Thank you for tuning in and please enjoy the show.

To learn more about Julia:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-thurston-9ab923219/

To learn more about Dominic:
-Website: https://www.dominicbrancazio.com
-YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoKVS28ZZearcnykkOsJ4qQ
-Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dominic-brancazio-podcast/ id1575537139?I=1000605710860
-Instagram: http://instagram.com/thedominicbrancaziopodcast/

If you would like to support the podcast, please check out the following links:
-Store: https://www.dominicbrancazio.com/store
-Donate: https://www.dominicbrancazio.com/donate

Hello and welcome back to the Dominic Brancazio Podcast, where we talk about all things classical music. In today’s episode, we’re joined by Julia Danitz. Julia is an acclaimed NYC based violinist and she’s also co-founder and co-director of Sonora Collective, a musicians collective that collaborates with contemporary artists to create amazing performance experiences in special venues and spaces. 

In today’s episode, we talk about how Julia co-founded Sonora Collective with her business partner Katie Althen and we talk about the steps they take in order to put their concerts together. We specifically go over the origins of Sonora Collective, how Katie and Julia met, how they form concerts, how they decide repertoire and the theme of concerts, why pairing music and the arts can create a powerful performance experience, the importance of musicians connecting with the audience members, we talk about some of the logistics of putting concerts together that may not be so apparent when starting out, and things musicians should consider to help them balance a busy schedule.

If you would like to learn more about Julia or Sonora Collective, please check out the links in the description below. I had such a great time getting to know Julia in this episode. She is an amazing musician and it is always great getting to hear how people put concerts together. If you are ever wondering how to put your own performances or projects together, I hope this conversation sheds some light on how one can get started. I had a great time putting this episode together and I hope you enjoy too. Thank you for listening and please enjoy the show.

To learn more about Julia:
https://www.juliadanitz.com/
https://www.instagram.com/juliadanitz/

To learn more about Sonora Collective:
https://www.sonoracollective.org/
https://www.instagram.com/sonoracollective/
https://www.facebook.com/officialsonoracollective


To learn more about Dominic:
-Website: https://www.dominicbrancazio.com
-YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoKVS28ZZearcnykkOsJ4qQ
-Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dominic-brancazio-podcast/ id1575537139?I=1000605710860
-Instagram: http://instagram.com/thedominicbrancaziopodcast/


If you would like to support the podcast, please check out the following links:
-Store: https://www.dominicbrancazio.com/store
-Donate: https://www.dominicbrancazio.com/donate

Hello and welcome back to the Dominic Brancazio Podcast, where we talk about all things classical music. In today’s episode, we’re joined by my friend Alan Toda-Ambaras. Alan is a renowned cello soloist and chamber musician, cofounder of Eureka Ensemble, and is the General Coordinator to the Japan-America Academic Center in Boston, Massachusetts.

In today’s episode, we dive into Alan’s background and discuss details on how to have a thriving and meaningful career as a musician. We specifically go over Alan’s upbringing, talk about his time doing the Harvard/NEC Dual Degree Program, go into details about how he cofounded Eureka Ensemble, and talk about his work with the Japan-America Academic Center.

If you would like to learn more about Alan, please check out the links in the description below. I had such a wonderful time catching up with Alan in this conversation. This particular episode was very special for me because we actually went to high school together and this talk brought back a lot of fond memories for me. Hearing Alan talk about his own endeavors reminded me of how valuable music can be in our society. He is a true role model and I hope hearing his perspective can help inspire you all listening to create your own opportunities in your own careers. I had a wonderful time putting this episode together and I hope you all enjoy it too. Thank you so much for listening and please enjoy the show.

To learn more about Alan:
https://www.eurekaensemble.org/alan

To learn more about Eureka Ensemble:
https://www.eurekaensemble.org/

To learn more about Dominic:
-Website: https://www.dominicbrancazio.com
-YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoKVS28ZZearcnykkOsJ4qQ
-Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dominic-brancazio-podcast/ id1575537139?I=1000605710860
-Instagram: http://instagram.com/thedominicbrancaziopodcast/

If you would like to support the podcast, please check out the following links:
-Store: https://www.dominicbrancazio.com/store
-Donate: https://www.dominicbrancazio.com/donate

Hello and welcome back to the Dominic Brancazio Podcast, where we talk about all things classical music. Today we’re joined by my friend Helen Wargelin. Helen is the 2nd horn player with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and in today’s episode we talk about what it is like playing as a professional musician after coming straight out of school. We specifically go over Helen’s background, her studies at Northwestern University and New England Conservatory, her audition journey leading up to her Virginia Symphony Orchestra audition, some of the differences of what it’s like playing in a professional orchestra vs a school orchestra, we talk about being in a committee, and we also talk about the tenure process for orchestras.

If you would like to learn more about Helen, please check out the links in the description below. I loved catching up with Helen in this episode! She is such a wonderful friend and an absolutely fantastic musician. I think this conversation will be especially useful for students currently in school who are wondering what it’s like to play professionally. We go into a lot of detail about Helen’s perspective going straight from school to playing in an orchestra and we talk about a bunch of topics that are maybe not always discussed when you’re in school. It was so much fun hearing Helen in this conversation and I hope you all get a lot out of it too. Thank you for listening and please enjoy the show.

To learn more about Helen:
https://helenwargelinhorn.weebly.com/
https://www.instagram.com/helenthehorn/?hl=en

To learn more about Dominic:
-Website: https://www.dominicbrancazio.com
-YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoKVS28ZZearcnykkOsJ4qQ
-Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dominic-brancazio-podcast/ id1575537139?I=1000605710860
-Instagram: http://instagram.com/thedominicbrancaziopodcast/

If you would like to support the podcast, please check out the following links:
-Store: https://www.dominicbrancazio.com/store
-Donate: https://www.dominicbrancazio.com/donate