From our AOS Wellness channel, the exclusive interview with trombonist Amanda Stewart that Laura Dwyer did last year for our membership. They discuss the ideas women in the orchestral workplace have to think about moving forward in 2025 - Amanda opens up to Laura about her youth as a student, her early days of learning how to stand up and bear witness with compassion. Laura speaks to Amanda about listening, especially to other women, and being brave when you need to be. They discuss the consequences of standing up for injustice as a woman in the classical music work space. Laura asks Amanda “Do you regret losing your job over standing up for justice at the NY Philharmonic?”You can also catch Amanda on YouTube with her video regarding DEI in music from the International Trombone Festival in 2024.I

I’ll include the link here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D4Ecj59qFA

And the article referenced: https://www.vulture.com/article/new-york-philharmonic-sexual-assault-scandal.html

We begin with Ting-Yu Yeh – a newly graduated student. Someone who leads us not only in music, but also in a journey through what it means to be a woman in male-dominated fields-both chemical engineering and classical music. Here are the questions I asked of these students-and Tingyu Yeh will be answering them a little differently than you might expect:What did you think of SMTD? Did it meet or exceed expectations?Do you feel equipped to be in the music world better than you did when you got here? What was your favorite thing about SMTD? About the studio? About the experience? What advice do you have for applicants for 2026? Where do you see yourself in 5 more years?

Buy the AOS book here: https://www.amazon.com/Anatomy-Sound-Invitation-Discover-Musician/dp/B0F674SCXH