Crushing Classical

Heather Niemi Savage is a North Carolina-based composer with an eclectic style drawing on her broad background in classical, jazz, musical theater, and sacred music. Her compositions have been performed throughout the United States by ensembles such as the Argus String Quartet, the North-South Consonance, the Great Woods Symphony, and members of the Raleigh Symphony. Her most popular piece “Daughter of the Stars,” for string orches...

Sam Reti is a founder, musician, and creator behind Muzie.Live and Hiyve.io. He’s helped power over 250,000 online lessons and is now building AI-native video tools designed to reinvent how people meet and collaborate.

You can explore Hiyve at https://www.hiyve.io/music or connect with sam at sam@hiyve.io

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I love planning and goalsetting, especially at this time of year. 

But I'm exploring in a new way right now, and thought perhaps it could interest you as well! 

Make sure you SUBSCRIBE to Crushing Classical, and maybe even leave a nice review! 

Thanks for joining me on Crushing Classical! 

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I help people to lean into their creative careers and start or grow their income stream...

Sometimes on this podcast it's just a pleasure to listen to a great artist talk about the art! 

An “expert in 18th-century style” (The New Yorker), Nicholas McGegan is in his sixth decade on the podium. Following a 34-year tenure as Music Director of Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale, he is now Music Director Emeritus. He is also Principal Guest Conductor of Hungary’s Capella Savaria. 

McGegan’s approach — i...

I just accomplished a task I've been putting off for three weeks. It took five minutes. 

But over the last three weeks, my Happiest Musician Visibility Lab participants have been KNOCKING IT OUT OF THE PARK in terms of their action taking. 

What can we learn from this? 

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Ian Maksin is a cellist, composer, arranger and vocalist, currently singing in 42 different languages. Known for his soulful blend of classical, world, and contemporary sounds, he has performed across the globe, infusing each project with stories, traditions, and voices of the cultures he explores.  

https://ianmaksin.com 
https://www.youtube.com/@IanMaksin 
https://www.instagram.com/ianmaksin

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What if we normalized paying musicians for their expertise and professionalism? What if we normalized asking for the fee we need?  This is not ALWAYS possible, and not ALWAYS advisable - but if you've never thought about it, let's think!

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Thanks for joining me on Crushing Classical! 

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Radhika Vekaria is a GRAMMY® nominated, award-winning multi-instrumentalist and sensory artist who fuses her British, East African and Indian heritage to create transcendent music. Renowned for her evocative Sanskrit mantras, Radhika leads listeners on transformative healing journeys while pushing the boundaries of how sacred music can be experienced.

The first mantra artist to perform at SXSW in 2022, Radhika is an innovator a...

Have you ever dragged yourself through your day, your gig, your teaching? Have you ever pushed through a "The Show Must Go On" moment? 

Might there be a better way?

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I help people to lean into their creative careers and start or grow their inco...

Starting her money journey in 4th grade by selling enough milk to put herself through school, Kim Butler has dedicated over 30 years to helping people buy life
insurance nationwide and optimize their finances. Her main effort has centered around helping families develop the mindset and skills needed for financial prosperity, supported by practical tools and consistent education.

Check out the special video Kim has created just f...

I see this question a lot. Indeed, musicians rarely get work directly from their website, and it can be annoying to have to keep one up to date. 

But on the other hand...

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Thanks for joining me on Crushing Classical! 

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I help people to lean into their creative careers and start or grow their inc...

Composer and author Tina Davidson’s memoir, Let Your Heart Be Broken, is available in audiobook format on all major platforms starting August 12, 2025 via publisher Boyle & Dalton. The audiobook, read by Davidson herself, features her music woven throughout, interspersed in sections where she discusses the compositions’ creation. This rare look inside a composer’s creative process juxtaposes recordings of Davidson’s music, memo...

Should you EVER play for free, or accept less than your normal rate? Normally I would say no, but I found myself offering the OPPOSITE advice recently to a client and thought I should explore that for you. 

Make sure you SUBSCRIBE to Crushing Classical, and maybe even leave a nice review! 

Thanks for joining me on Crushing Classical! 

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I help people to lean into their creative car...

Recognized for her "sensual" and "strong" voice (New York Times), mezzo-soprano Devony Smith is a versatile performer with a wide-ranging repertoire in opera and concert music. 

Devony is a sought-after collaborator with composers, having premiered works by Grammy-award winning composer Jennifer Higdon, Jake Landau, Eve Beglarian, and Luna Pearl Woolf. 
 
This season, Devony has been featured on...

I had a real AHA moment in my own life recently, and thought I'd tell you about it. 

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Thanks for joining me on Crushing Classical! 

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I help people to lean into their creative careers and start or grow their income streams. You can read more or hop onto a discovery call from my website.  https:/...

Nicole Cash is a highly skilled performer whose training in classical music allows her to captivate audiences and connect people through the power of sound. She served as 3rd Horn with the Dallas Symphony, and Associate Principal Horn of the renowned San Francisco Symphony, until she was diagnosed with focal dystonia, a career-ending repetitive movement disorder.

The meandering road of recovery and rediscovery led Nicole t...

And why we ALL need more visibility! 

People have been asking: is the Happiest Musician Visibility Lab for me if I don't HAVE an audience yet? If I don't KNOW HOW? 

Visibility is SCARY for all of us but it is the best way I know to build your own career.  Let's talk about it! 

Your portfolio career is YOURS to design. If you are seeking inspiration, grab the first chapter of my book for FREE at the link below! You are a...

Dr. Molly Gebrian is a professional violist and scholar with a background in cognitive neuroscience. Her area of expertise is applying the research on learning and memory to practicing and performing music. Her book, Learn Faster, Perform Better: A Musician’s Guide to the Neuroscience of Practicing was published in 2024 by Oxford University Press. As a performer, she prioritizes the works of living composers and those who have trad...

The story of my reed business is a BORING one, in which for a long time nothing happens. And then suddenly it became a 6 figure revenue stream in which I am able to employ other musicians! 

What made the magic? Was it just waiting for 20 years of momentum to finally work? 

Nope. it was visibility. 

Your portfolio career is YOURS to design. If you are seeking inspiration, grab the first chapter of my book for FREE at the link below! Yo...