Kari Cruver Medina was born a composer and storyteller! She prefers to live a life which dwells in possibilities (thank you, Emily Dickinson), and chooses to “tend and befriend” whenever she can. Today she chats with Nicole and Elizabeth about not doing it all in favor of a life led with intentionality and exploration. We also learn more about her wildly varied duet for flutes, Cabinet of Curiosities, an FNMC competition winner in 2024, and get schooled in some poetry for beginners.

https://www.karicruvermedina.com/

Emily Dickinson: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/emily-dickinson

Mary Oliver: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/mary-oliver

Billy Collins: https://youtu.be/DOvbl3ZPPV4?si=eZrO6PgS9Liw4vvb

Are you regularly cooking up new, complicated projects in need of funding? This episode’s for you. Elizabeth reveals her super-secret project, South Dakota Chamber Winds, which came to fruition this past summer. What follows is a pretty specific discussion about how to strategize for grant writing, how to survive running The Thing, and for dessert, a delightful lil’ name drop of some perhaps new-to-you composers you should know. Nicole and Elizabeth also go down the rabbit hole of analyzing the unique vibe of non-academic venues with non-academic audience members. And finally, there is an ode to the ever-patient, ever-suffering regional personnel manager.

South Dakota Chamber Winds: http://www.southdakotachamberwinds.com/

Marie A. Douglas: https://www.marieadouglas.com/

Alyssa Morris: https://www.alyssamorrismusic.com/

Jonathan Newman: https://jonathannewman.com/

An eclectic and versatile performer, NYC-based clarinetist Chris Grymes has made a name for himself in the new music scene, as a performer, show producer, and the founder of Open G Records, which he started in 2012. Today he talks about his decades-long friendship with Joan Tower, the surprisingly inherent music of Jiu-Jitsu, and the guiding principle that drives his choice of projects: making nice stuff with his friends. He considers himself the funny uncle of the new music world and hopes, first and foremost, to leave behind “something that’s not dumb”.

National Sawdust: https://www.nationalsawdust.org/

Boulez,Dialogue de l'ombre double: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJKhUZEhtX8

Open G Records: https://www.youtube.com/@OpenGRecords

Radiohead, OK Computer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDRauh2lETo&list=PLD3LS5Z2bqoFChIzb5H0CY-XwmUB02buA

Brahms, op. 118: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b76pK6FRGJc&list=PLabI4D17uS1IEfjbHmdKQk_aP-RcpsByO

Stravinsky, Firebird (full): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFEUfvMnCmM&list=PLt_iN-ytBvZxkr4sS-It8d8rvDDhuu1VI

Season 3 of Music Crush is coming soon!

In this season finale episode, Nicole is puzzling over how to keep a healthy balance between ambition and personal boundaries. Elizabeth is starting to see her past experiences through a more nuanced lens. No one is everyone’s cup of tea, and this conversation is all about being kind to yourself and acknowledging the things you can’t control…this is middle age, folks!

Up-and-coming composer, Dianna Link, won FNMC’s Composition Competition in 2023 with her flute-piano piece, “Old As Time”. It’s a feminist reimagining of the tale of Beauty and the Beast, and she spoke with us about her interest in exploring themes of resilience and self-determination in her reworking of this classic fairy tale. She also discusses the existential crisis of having to fit neatly into one box in school, her inspiring time spent studying through OAcademy and Boulanger Initiative, her history of taking liberties with the score, and music-crushes on her main mentors, Annika Socolofsky and Alex Gardner.

https://www.diannalink.com/

Boulanger Initiative: https://www.boulangerinitiative.org/

OAcademy: https://oacademy.live/

Tophouse, “The Mountain Song”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaDC_e4SjBQ

Twisted Pine, “Come Along Jody”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6-OLP2FTI8

How to Train Your Dragon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQxr-HeSp68

Composer Reena Esmail sat down with us today to fill in some background for the beautiful new solo flute piece that FNMC recently commissioned, Pathways of Desire. She also shared some surprising insights on the differences (musical and pedagogical) between Western and Hindustani classical musics, discussed the value of carving your own path, and revealed the secret to pleasing her with your performance! A teacher at heart, she’s curious about ways the old conservatory model of teaching could be updated, and recognizes a big truth she learned years ago as a student: it’s easier to learn when the teacher believes in you. If you're looking for some positive inspiration in the middle of a hard week, this episode is for you.

https://www.reenaesmail.com/

The Observable Universe: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/723150/the-observable-universe-by-heather-mccalden/

Reena’s Sonata for Trombone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ze0de_DFbFQ

Thomas Adès, Inferno: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6r2vc_oulPg

Schumann piano Quartet, mvt. 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MKZAG8Oqu8

Mendelssohn B minor piano trio, mvt. 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LDPTbFtprE

Flutist Christine Erlander Beard enjoys an active international career as a soloist, chamber artist and teacher. You may know her from her current commissioning project, #theflutistactivist initiative. Today she joins Elizabeth and Nicole to discuss her social advocacy work, both on and off stage, her lifelong love affair with the piccolo, and the importance of teaching the whole person, with your whole self.

https://www.christiebeard.net/

Linthicum-Blackhorse, C10H15n: https://youtu.be/PWq8kY1htHA?si=psJO3DwNK75Zc2ci

Jan Novak, Marsyas: https://youtu.be/xsx4vMZXfds?si=3uOAkM2wzOQNTJlr

EJ Louwerse, 50 Fish: https://youtu.be/qyCgAvrjAVQ?si=WRYYBxCmjjt3TyT3

Erwin Schulhoff, Sonata: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9A9F5YlbVo