Today we’re talking concertmaster, and what it means to sit in the hot seat. What are the duties and expectations, and what makes “first chair violin” attractive or unattractive to different players? Is playing concertmaster more like being the point guard in basketball, or the quarterback in football? Remember: besides playing all those juicy solos, […]
episodes
030: All about Amadeus
Nathan says: “My top three movies of all time would be The Godfather, Rocky, and Amadeus in some order.” Akiko’s not into those “top whatever” lists. But both of us love Amadeus so much that we would drop whatever we’re doing and watch it again right now. Here’s why…
029: Living the rock star life at the Hollywood Bowl
It isn’t every day that you get to perform for 18,000 screaming fans… especially if you’re a violinist. But a handful of times each summer, we get the rock star treatment at the Hollywood Bowl! OK, so those 18,000 folks probably aren’t screaming just for the two of us… there might be some famous movie […]
028: Help, my audition’s tomorrow!
Maybe it’s the proverbial “seven minutes to midnight”, or maybe you’ve still got a week or two. It never feels like enough time, trust us. So here’s some advice for those last few days, hours, and minutes before your big day, inspired by the recent violin auditions at the LA Philharmonic.
027: A Fistful of Mahlers
First, some exciting news: we’ve got Stand Partners for Life T-shirts! Check them out here, and show your Stand Partner love! For this episode, Akiko and I just had a one-word outline: Mahler! And it turns out we had plenty to say about his symphonies. What’s it like to learn them, refine them, rehearse them, […]
