The Conductor's Podcast

Today's episode is a must listen for musicians as we learn marketing for ourselves, create opportunities and put ourselves out there for business!

Karen Cubides is the passionate and engaging founder and CEO of the Karen Cubides Agency based in Nashville, Tennessee. Her holistic approach to coaching her clients allows her to serve a wide range of well-established musicians and young professionals alike in unique and p...

Conducting auditions are something that's hard to navigate as each organization and ensemble does look for different things, but no one would disqualify a good conductor!

Typically, an audition for an assistant conductor would be only 10-15 minutes, while a music director audition might be a full rehearsal (2-3 hour), or even a concert cycle consisting 4-6 rehearsals, depending on the ensemble's schedule.

My objective of al...

Today’s episode is the second half of my conversation with a long-time friend, Kevin Fitzgerald, current Associate Conductor of the Jacksonville Symphony.

Last week we spoke about preparing for job applications and auditions, and today we will continue the conversation and hear all the behind the scene stories of navigating the business.

As 2021 Tanglewood Music Center Conducting Fellow and four-time recipient of Career Assistance Gr...

In today's episode, you will hear the first half of my conversation with a long-time friend, Kevin Fitzgerald, current Associate Conductor of the Jacksonville Symphony. We went way back to my years at the Eastman School of Music, and it's such a pleasure to speak with him on the topic of preparing for job applications and auditions.

As 2021 Tanglewood Music Center Conducting Fellow and four-time recipient of Care...

Should I enter a graduate program? Look for jobs? Go to masterclasses? Those are some questions that I got asked the most.

For us conductors, we have to create our own curriculum, our own path, and to make decisions all the time.

In today's episode, I will share with you three main factors to consider when figuring out "what's next:"

• YOUR MUSICIANSHIP

You have to be a good conductor, and that includes your ...

Last week I spoke with social media guru Nicole Riccardo about how musicians can create a meaningful online community through social media. She generously provided a lot of tips and suggestions for my listeners.

When we talk about marketing, curating an image of our own for the world, it's unavoidable to discuss one's brand.

Are you struggling with defining your "brand" or finding your "niche"? What are ...

I am not a person who is naturally good at social media - when I say I'm an introvert, many people would seem surprised, but I am really awkward starting a conversation with strangers.

Flutist turned digital marketer, Nicole Riccardo, the Founder & President of NR Media was introduced to me through a common flutist friend years ago when I was just naively debating whether I should learn more about social media and started t...

Diversity Statement has become a more and more frequently asked application material. No matter you are applying for a music directorship or an educational role, the organization very often is interested in knowing your vision on diversity, inclusion, and equity.

Feeling stuck as a straight white man (or anything else)? No worries, let me show you how to kill your diversity vision, and how to revive it.

Best Ways to Kill Your Diver...

Zoom Interviews are now more common since Covid - and organizations are often skipping the traditional phone interview and conduct a zoom interview for shortlisted candidates instead.

If you've had unsuccessful zoom interviews in the past, you want to do a quick self-check and see if you've got it right, and know the purpose of the interview: to obtain enough interest in order advance to the next round

Some...

• Get stuck in bowing discussions
• Not knowing your terms
• Give instructions on bowing or fingering 

• Always have a set...

In this wisdom-filled episode, my guest is the world-renowned conductor, Diane Wittry. She is the music director of the Allentown Symphony and the Music Director and Conductor of the Garden State Philharmonic. She is also the author of award-winning books, “Beyond the Baton” and “Baton Basics - Communicating Music through Gestures.”

To understand the essence of conducting and how to improve as a conductor, you’ll need to indulge in ...

Hi there! 

Happy end of September and welcome to episode no.9 of the Conductor’s Podcast Wisdom series, a new series full of shared life experiences and, of course, wisdom! This series is aired on the last Thursday of each month, and in each episode, I am going to pose a question to 10 musicians, conductors, or business gurus. So including myself, you will hear all the goodies from a wide variety of people, thus called the...

In this episode of The Conductor’s Podcast, my guest is Gabriel Lena Frank.  As she continues to be a remarkable composer, she’s fulfilling her passion of wanting to live by 100 years and seeing that music becomes more accessible to individuals who really want and need it. 

Tune in this episode and be inspired on how creativity impacts society and how you can navigate the world of music despite being bombarded with biases and differ...

Opera is one of the greatest and the most classic art forms. It combines the ingenuity of a great storyline and the elegance of music in one captivating show. 

As this classic art form continue to become a favorite among enthusiasts, new operas are giving audiences a fresh perspective to shows that feature newly-composed music and storylines that haven’t been heard yet. 

In this episode, Kanma Gupta discusses the process of developin...

In this truly exciting episode, the one and only Dr. Cynthia Johnson Turner discuss the broad meaning behind good conducting and how you can stand up on the podium as a leader. 

Johnston Turner, a dual citizen of Canada and the United States, earned her Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY and her Master of Education in Music Education from the University of Victoria, B.C.

H...

Want to booster your productivity? Listen to today's episode where I share my newly discovred productivity hacks!

1. Always check your why: What's your purpose?
2. Morning Pages Journal: clear your mind before starting your day!
3. App: Todoist
Answer these questions daily:

• Identify the most important tasks (one or two)
• Is what I am doing today supporting my long-term goals?
• The setback of the day
• Wha...

Hi there! Happy end of August and welcome to episode no.8 of the Conductor’s Podcast Wisdom series, a new series full of shared life experiences and, of course, wisdom! This series is aired on the last Thursday of each month, and in each episode, I am going to pose a question to 10 musicians, conductors, or business gurus. So including myself, you will hear all the goodies from a wide variety of people, thus called the wisdom serie...

While conducting music requires a specific level of technique, one’s success as a conductor cannot be complete without mastering musicianship. 

In this episode of The Conductor’s Podcast, I am beyond ecstatic to have Dr. Carolyn Watson as my guest as she enlightens young and experienced conductors alike, the essence of musicianship, musical intent and musical conviction when conducting study. 

Carolyn Watson is Director of ...