Teagan Faran is a remarkable violinist known for her versatility as a performer, composer, and improviser. In this episode, you’ll hear selections from her album Middle Child—a compelling and genre-spanning musical journey featuring works by acclaimed contemporary composers, as well as Tegan’s own reimagining of Brahms’ beloved Intermezzo.

A Fulbright grant recipient, Tegan spent nine months in Argentina delving into the rich traditions of tango and regional folk music. She shared insights about her time there, along with stories of collaboration and mentorship, including her work with the Grammy-nominated ensemble Palaver Strings and the electroacoustic duo Persephone & the Phoenix.

Tegan has also built a dynamic career as an educator and has studied under renowned teachers like Danielle Belen. In our conversation, we touched on her diverse teaching experiences, the importance of injury prevention, and her parallel path as a certified personal trainer. My website link takes you to the video and transcript.

Teagan Faran Website

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Other episodes you may enjoy: Julie Lyonn Lieberman

Meg Okura

Martha Mooke, bad snacks, and Margaret Maria among so many!

photo: Naomi Vand

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(01:53) album Middle Child with clip of Brahms Intermezzo

(05:42) Davis West, with clip of Outermezzo, Deedee Bridgewater

(08:44) Palaver Strings

(15:58) FARAHMS Misha Vayman with clip

(17:59) Persephone & the Phoenix Duo Nicole Brancato

(22:51) Casimiro by Julián Granciano with clip, tango, learning in Argentina

(28:31) Little Things album, sheet music with clip of El Silbador

(34:22) other linked episodes and ways to support this series

(35:11) stir crazy by Carlos Simon with clip, Leo Sussman

(37:01) mentor Matt Albert

(40:41) musical and personal identity

(44:24) mentor Danielle Belen, concert presentation, teaching, Ithica, Sphinx

(53:06) career advice, exploring instruments

(56:29) Temptress Jens Ibsen with clip

(59:37) personal trainer, avoiding injury

Conversations with Musicians with Leah Roseman is available wherever you listen to podcasts. The video and transcript are linked here on my website, where you can check out my episodes catalog and sign up for Sneak Peeks for upcoming guests: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/jeremy-mastrangelo

This week’s guest is violinist Jeremy Mastrangelo, who’s a wonderful colleague of mine in Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra. He’s known in our greenroom as a great storyteller, onstage as an excellent musician, and having heard him give brilliant masterclasses I can attest to his excellence as an educator as well. This episode is infused with Jeremy’s wit and wisdom as well as a couple of beautiful violin performances. We talk about violin shopping in Cremona, teenage life at Interlochen Academy, the difficulties and joys of a career as an orchestral musician, family, and the benefits of deepening our understanding of the composers we play. You will find that one of the wonderful stories in this episode reveals an unexpected discovery!

This independant podcast needs your support. Can you help with $3? https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman Thanks so much!

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(02:11) Jeremy’s brother Dave, his childhood starting violin

(10:31) Bach Aria from Goldberg Variations

(13:23) Dave Mastrangelo arrangements

(15:05) orchestra audition process

(19:11) working conditions, collective agreements, Syracuse orchestra experience, Sara Mastrangelo

(27:21) please support the podcast!

(28:00) different roles and chairs in the orchestra

(30:31) Interlochen

(34:13) intro to Piazzolla etude

(35:45) Piazzolla Tango Etude no. 3

(39:34) dealing with uncertainty, pandemic Syracuse then Ottawa with Pinchas Zukerman

(45:37) ideal orchestra experiences, role of conductor and players

(50:15) Cremona with wife Sara, Italian heritage, Vittorio Villa

(55:54) Jeremy’s violin teachers Rafail Sobolevsky, Bill Preucil, Hal Grossman, Paul Kantor

(01:03:26) Rafail Sobolevsky story

(01:10:13) Sally Thomas, James Ehnes

(01:14:12) cooking

(01:16:07) great books about composers and performers

(01:20:37) solo experiences, stress dreams, benefits of knowing more about the composers

(01:28:16) one final orchestra story

Avi Kishna is a Dutch sarod player based in Amsterdam, of Indo-Surinamese heritage. You’ll get to know the sarod as an instrument and hear Avi’s perspectives on Dutch society and his interesting collaborations. Among his mentors is his inspiring father, Ramdew Kishna, a multi-talented musician, director, and painter, who played a pivotal role in shaping Avi's musical journey along with his guru, Koustuv Ray. As a young man, Avi embarked on a successful career as in sales and marketing, but during this time he pushed music aside, and I found it deeply touching to hear how he was able to come back to music with the wisdom of having left such an important part of himself behind. You’ll hear about Avi’s project working with schools in Amsterdam to help provide music programs in underserved communities and this episode features some of his sarod music. Like all my episodes, you can also watch this on my YouTube channel, and I’ve also linked the transcript here to my website: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/avi-kishna

Can you buy this podcaster a coffee to support this series? https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman Thanks!

Here you'll find the links to Avi's projects like Raga Reflections, where to stream and buy his music, upcoming performances, including a video with dancer Shailesh Bahoran (which we talk about): https://www.sarodbyavi.com/

Link to Muziek Educatie Centrum Amsterdam: https://www.muziekeducatiecentrum.nl/jeugd-fonds-sport-cultuur-amsterdam

Follow me on Social Media: https://linktr.ee/leahroseman

Episode with sitar player Mohamed Assani: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/mohamed-assani

Episode with bansuri player Milind Date:

https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/milind-date-bansuri-player

Complete Catalog of Episodes: https://www.leahroseman.com/about

Newsletter sign-up: https://mailchi.mp/ebed4a237788/podcast-newsletter

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(03:42) the sarod

(11:57) Indo-Surinamese heritage and history

(16:16) South Asian music in the Netherlands

(19:38) dancer Shailesh Bahoran

(25:00) excerpt from While She Sleeps

(28:06) bringing different music together, Soundscape Sessions

(38:01) please support this podcast!

(38:39) Ramdew Kishna, Avi’s father

(43:27) racism and inclusion

(50:53) sarod guru Gungun Kaustuv Ray

(56:14) learning from others

(57:56) Raga Reflections

(01:04:19) Darbari

(01:08:00) sales and marketing career, return to music

(01:13:05) giving back through music education

I’m joined by the extraordinary Olcay Bayir, a British singer-songwriter of Kurdish Alevi origin, originally from Turkey. Olcay opens up about the challenges of immigrating as a teenager, her classical training in opera, and how she has forged her own unique musical path.

You’ll hear clips from her 2024 album Tu Gulî, along with selections from her earlier projects, featuring songs in several languages. Her rich voice and evocative arrangements breathe new life into Anatolian folk traditions, offering a vibrant and powerful reimagining of this timeless music.

In our conversation, Olcay shares:

• Insights into Alevi culture and spirituality
• How she honours the strength and stories of Anatolian women
• her creative process and inspiration from masterful collaborators

As always, you can watch this episode on my YouTube channel or listen on your favourite podcast platform. A full transcript is also available, all linked on my website

Support page: Ko-fi

Podcast merch

Newsletter

Other episodes I suggest: Omo Bello

Sophie Lukacs

Gilad Weiss

Shahriyar Jamshidi

Ali Omar El-Farouk

Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto

(00:00) Intro

(01:54) Songline Music Festival, BBC project, Babel Music Expo inspiration

(04:05) album Tu Gul î

(07:32) clip of Edlê with Olcay’s intro, from Tu Gul î

(08:15) Songwriting, performing in 4 languages, diversity of Anatolian cultures

(12:15) Alevi culture

(15:12) clip of Ötme Bülbül with Olcay’s intro, poet Pir Sultan Abdal

(17:18) choices in instrumentation and arrangements, Ignacio Monteverde

(19:46) clip of Ay Dilberê with Olcay’s intro, poet Feqiyê Teyran

(21:27) the sad story of Husna, with clip

(25:56) childhood in Turkey, how music helped her with the challenges of immigration

(29:09) clips of Daha Senden Gayrı Aşık Mı Yoktur? and Nare, Nare with Olcay’s commentary

(32:46) Other epiosdes you’ll enjoy and ways to help this series

(33:49) opera studies, early musical experiences, coaching vocal technique

(36:51) performance skills

(40:10) 2nd album Rüya, clip of Yar Dedi, creative process

(42:21) içerde EP, Help Musicians UK, clip of Lost Child

(46:15) newfound joy in baking and cooking as a creative pursuit, buying the albums on Bandcamp

Joel Styzens is a composer and multi-instrumentalist whose career as a drummer was transformed due to sudden hearing damage. He talked to me about dealing with the physical and psychological effets of hyper acusis and tinnitus, the beauty of hammered dulcimer, and you’ll hear clips from his first 2 albums Relax Your Ears and Resonance. He’s a music educator who loves to help students to make discoveries on their own and we spoke about Joel’s passion for all kinds of artistic expression, and his positive recent experience at the Ragdale Artist residency. Joel’s personal story is so inspiring, and his music is so beautiful; please check out his albums .

You can also watch this on YouTube and the Transcript is also linked to my website

Support this series! It’s a joy to bring these inspiring episodes to you every week, and I do all the many jobs of research, production and publicity. Would you like to know about upcoming guests? Newsletter sign-up

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Other episodes you'll like: Jack Hui Litster Kirsten Agresta Copely Margaret Maria

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Photo of Joel: Sarah Boudreau

(00:00) Intro (02:49) Joel’s sudden hearing problems (09:47) meeting his wife through his music with clip of Viv (17:51) inspired from the Botanic Gardens in Chicago (20:28) video clip from Waterfall Garden featuring hammered dulcimer (20:32) clip from Burijji (24:51) David’s Dulcimers (28:52) dealing with tinnitus and hyperacusis (34:39) support from family, clips of Lifeline and Memento M (38:34) Other episodes you’ll like and ways to support this series (39:26) cellists Sophie Webber, Katinka Kleijn, ATLYS string quartet, Rob Clearfield (41:41) teaching multi-instrumentalist approach (53:32) Ragdale residency, exploring different forms of creative expression

Amanda Martinez writes and records mostly in Spanish, the language of her Mexican dad who biked all the way from Mexico to Canada, and you’ll learn how Amanda’s recent album Recuerdo helped her process her grief going through the illness and death of her father. Amanda is also an actor, and you’ll hear about some of her experiences acting, including My Little Pony, Kim’s Convenience and Rosie’s Rules for which she has composed songs. Amanda came to her acting and music career after pursuing science and business, and you’ll be inspired to hear how she navigated serious personal challenges to following her true path. She shares great wisdom about the importance of talking about mental health and also some of her personal tips for living a full and fullfilled life. You’ll be hearing clips from a few songs from the album Recuerdo, as well as Libérame from Libre featuring Kellylee Evans. You’ll also find Martinez’s music on several Putamayo world music compilation albums. Please check out the links to other episodes you'll like below. Transcript and video on my website

Buy me a coffee? Thanks! Podcast merch

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Libérame video

Other episodes you'll like:

Kellylee Evans

Jean Rohe

Fern Lindzon

Jah’Mila

Kavisha Mazzella

Shakura S’aida

(00:00) Intro

(02:33) album Recuerdo, Amanda’s dad Gustavo

(10:55) the band

(12:36) clip of Sol de Ayer

(13:30) Afro-Cuban influence, long-time collaborators

(14:59) identity as a musician, mentors

(18:55) grief, song with Aviva Chernick

(21:22) clip of No te vayas

(22:42) performing in South Africa

(25:56) Amanda’s teen years

(28:17) Other episodes you’ll like and ways to support this series!

(29:11) love of dance

(31:21) writing lyrics in Spanish

(33:16) clip of Release Me

(34:00) mental health challenges and background in business

(46:01) Libérame with Kellylee Evans (link to video in show notes)

(49:40) Namibia SOS Children’s Villages

(53:38) Acting career, Rosie’s Rules, My Little Pony, Ari Posner, Carl the Collecctor

(59:33) typecasting, Kim’s Convenience, memorizing lines

(01:04:40) personal routines and mental health, family

Heather Taves is an acclaimed Canadian pianist, also a composer, improviser, educator and writer.

She spoke to me about her unique and inspiring Beethoven Journey, her popular weekly blog which she started in 2023 , paired with performances of all of Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas. We talked about getting to know Beethoven as a person and her fascinating research about many women that are part of this history. We also talked about Heather’s work as an educator, developing creativity and approaching teaching music from different angles. She spoke about her mentors including pianist Gil Kalish and writer Diane Shoemperlen, and her experiences travelling around the world by herself.

You can also watch this on my YouTube channel, transcript and complete show notes with suggested episodes too on my website!

Heather Taves website

It’s a joy to bring these inspiring episodes to you every week, and I do all the many jobs of research, production and publicity. Buy me a coffee?

Podcast merch

Newsletter sign-up

Waves Play from East Coast Suite

Arabesque in C major by R. Schumann

photo: Terry Manzo

(00:00) Intro

(02:25) Beethoven Journey, Nanette Streicher, sonata cycle

(08:32) Jan and Jean Narveson, Anton Kuerti, women interpreters research

(17:52) clip of R. Schumann Arabesque in C major (album linked in show notes)

(19:30) Heather’s childhood

(22:11) East Coast Suite, Toccata based on Fibonacci series

(23:14) Waves Play Toccata by Heather Taves from East Coast Suite

(25:49)Creative Projects, helping students to find their voice

(32:44) getting to know Beethoven the person

(38:39) performing from memory

(41:20) Gil Kalish

(45:48) other episodes you’ll like and ways to support this series

(46:42) Beethoven journey blog

(59:18) writing mentor Diane Schoemperlen

(01:043:23) Dame Myra Hess

(01:07:54) Heather’s life as a composer, her father

(01:11:35) world trip, questioning identity

(01:16:48) final reflections on the life of a performer

Archive highlight, originally released in 2023: Renée Yoxon is a trans non-binary singer, songwriter, jazz musician, and trans voice teacher.

Renee shares some beautiful and inspiring performances from their albums, as well as stories from life as a disabled person and how their disability and chronic pain has guided the direction of their career. We talk about their musical development, and their experiences both bad and good as they navigated their musical education (after finishing a degree in physics!). Renée explains the kind of work they do with trans vocal exploration and we dive into all kinds of topics in the usual tangential style of this series.

The transcript and video are linked here on my website

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Renée Yoxon website

Newsletter sign-up

photo: Laurence Philomène

podcast theme music: Nick Kold

Timestamps:

(00:00:00) Intro

(00:01:21) Renée’s physics degree, start in school band, Jazz Works camp

(00:04:19) free improv group, intergenerational friendships

(00:06:38) intro to “Willow Weep for Me” by Ann Ronell

(00:08:53) “Willow Weep for Me” with René Gely

(00:13:57) piano, ukulele

(00:15:26) “Beautiful Alchemy”, film with Teagan Lance and album

(00:17:14) “Terrible Alchemy”

(00:23:19) Blossom Dearie

(00:23:52) worldless improv

(00:24:37) studies in New York, living as a disabled person, vocal technique

(00:29:33) singing in rock band “Gorgeous George”, care of the voice and endurance training

(00:32:20) trans voice aleration, TikTok success, pitch lowering, taking risks and learning to be silly

(00:40:14) gender presentation and gender identity

(00:42:35) ways we can alter the voice

(00:45:09) different languages in terms of vocal alteration, vocal fry and gendered cutural coding for vocal characteristics

(00:47:52) TikTok

(00:49:22) teaching Trans Voice Alteration to other teachers

(00:51:45) the importance of teaching business skills to musicians, University of Limerick, Edel Meade

(00:55:58) Banff, McGill, growing up in Ottawa, the importance of mentors, Mark Ferguson, René Gely

(01:00:29) social anxiety, speaking in public with a different voice or new language

(01:02:38) different people who take Renée’s courses on voice alteration

(01:03:18) songwriting, Aoife McAtamney Pink Breath

(01:04:27) “Drinking Coffee”

(01:08:58) songs “The Bad Years” about their chronic illness

(01:10:27) Kazaa music sharing, learning jazz repertoire

(01:12:53) Renée’s perspective on the music industry as a disabled person, and experiences at McGill university with lack of accessibility

(01:17:46) Mx non-binary honorific, the importance of pronouns

(01:20:32) disability rights, more about their McGill experience

(01:22:45) Montreal