Jan Adams talks about growing up and making a career as a pianist and teacher in Carrollton, Georgia.

Episode 1: Jan Adams

Cathy Thacker talks about the value of being a life-long learner, returning to music after a life in the legal field, and the impact of music on her family.

Episode 3: Cathy Thacker

Debra Hughes talks about her own pursuit of music and helping students succeed through music.

Episode 5: Debra Hughes

Amy Phillips talks about juggling life and career as a young mom, establishing a new private studio during the COVID lockdowns, and developing a sense of humor about oneself.

Episode 11: Amy Phillips

Tracy Xian talks about her childhood and training in China, coming to America, and her recent pedagogical projects.

Episode 12: Tracy Xian

Joy Poole talks about her upbringing and the various hats she has worn as a musician, from public school teacher to church musician to private studio teacher.

Episode 14: Joy Poole

Owen Lovell shares about his journey to teaching in higher education and his philosophy on teaching.

Episode 4: Owen Lovell

Elena Dorozhkina talks about her training in Russia, graduate studies in America, and her teaching philosophy steeped in the importance of nurturing love of music in students.

Episode 6: Elena Dorozhkina

Kristi Helfen talks about taking organ and piano lessons growing up, going to Costa Rica for a year, joining and performing in a piano ensemble, earning a master's degree later in life, and creating a method book for retirement-age adults.

Episode 8: Kristi Helfen

Pam Asberry talks about teaching, composing, recording, creativity, and how to know if music is the right career choice.

To purchase Pam Asberry's compositions and hear her recordings, go to: https://pamasberry.com/

Episode 9: Pam Asberry

Grace Huang talks about the impact her teachers have on her life, her teaching approach, and advice for young professionals.

Episode 16: Grace Huang

Martha Thomas shares with us reflections on her musical education, experiences as a teacher, and recent projects.

Episode 17: Martha Thomas

Dian Lawler-Johnson talks about her education and extensive career in higher education teaching voice to students of all ages and abilities.

Episode 20: Dian Lawler - Johnson

Judith Siegel shares about the discovery and premiere of a Leschetizky Concerto, the origins of Alexander Peskanov's "Anniversary" Concerto, and her teaching philosophy.

Episode 26: Judith Siegel

Joshua Pifer talks about his beginnings in Tokyo, Japan, being a pre-med major who rejected a medical school acceptance for a life of music, and his journey to his current teaching position at Valdosta State University.

Episode 27: Joshua Pifer

Kelly Bryant shares about her love-at-first sight reaction to the flute, her performance and teaching career, and practical advice for parents about encouraging a love of music in children.

Episode 28: Kelly Bryant

Wendy Warner talks about her childhood in Chicago, studies at the Curtis Institute, and growth as a teacher in Georgia.

Episode 31: Wendy Warner

Monique Arar discusses a return to music after working in the non-profit sector, the importance of parental support for student success, and teaching composition to her students.

Episode 34: Monique Arar

Alex Wasserman talks about his late start in piano and how that has strengthened his teaching, recommends one of his favorite books, and shares a hopeful view for the future of classical music.

Episode 36: Alex Wasserman

Marissa Woodall shares about the influence of GMTA on her life, gives our listeners a sneak peak into the world of dressage freestyle, and shares life lessons about music and teaching that she has learned from her donkeys.

Episode 37: Marissa Woodall

Uni Choi talks about her musical development in Uzbekistan and America, the challenges of balancing professional life and personal life, and how being a musician has turned out differently than what she had imagined or expected for herself.

Episode 38: Uni Choi

Huu Mai shares about his passion for teaching, how this passion has come as a surprise to him, the convergence of his numerous interests, and the necessity of letting go of expectations in order to enjoy the process of music.

Episode 41: Huu Mai

Tom Pearsall shares about his self-taught beginnings, how group piano has changed in the last 30 years, and an insider's history into the GP3 Conference and its association with MTNA.

Episode 45: Tom Pearsall

Elena Cholakova shares about her musical upbringing in Bulgaria, her journey to America, her advocacy for lesser-known works and women composers, and the importance of saying "yes" to professional opportunities for young musicians.

Episode 47: Elena Cholakova

Larisa Elisha shares about her upbringing in former Soviet Union, her career in Poland, her journey to America, and collaborations with her husband, cellist, Steven Elisha. The interview concludes with Larisa's performance of Rodion Shchedrin's À La Manière d'Albéniz with pianist, Karla Rocker.

Episode 53: Larisa Elisha

Esther Park shares about her educational journey from Juilliard Pre-College to Germany to Yale, her experience preparing for international competitions, and playing as a professional piano duo with her sister. At the conclusion of the interview, Esther Park shares a performance of Chopin's Ballade No. 2 in F major, Op. 38.

Episode 56: Esther Park

Cellist Justin Dougherty discusses finding his way as a professional musician through the development of skills outside of academia, the importance of communicating realistic expectations to parents, and his interest in new music.

Episode 57: Justin Dougherty

Sarah Elias shares about how to motivate your students to practice, how to juggle a busy schedule as a professor and a mom, and what growing up in a household of professional musicians was like.

Episode 58: Sarah Elias

Amanda Sacchitello gives advice to college students on how to enjoy college, shares about taking group piano lessons with her family, and discusses her approach to teaching.

Episode 59: Amanda Sacchitello

Laura Lozier shares about the intersection of her philosophy training with music, her thoughts on how to nurture love of music into the future, and encouragement for young musicians about making the world a better place through music.

Episode 60: Laura Lozier

Yanni Chan shares about learning piano in Macau, overcoming performance injury, and her dreams and plans for the future.

Episode 61: Yanni Chan

Angela Duncan shares about her education in HongKong, coming to America as a teenager, returning to music after studying psychology, and ambitions and dreams for the future.

Episode 62: Angela Duncan

Jonathan Klein shares about his piano journey from childhood to thriving private studio, the challenges and joys of teaching, and book recommendations.

Episode 63: Jonathan Klein

Ipek Brooks shares about her musical beginnings in Turkey, her studies in New York and Georgia, her passion for teaching, and her interests in electro-acoustic music.

Episode 64: Ipek Brooks

Sergio Gallo shares a performance of Paralipomenes a la Divine Commedia by Franz Liszt with our listeners, opening with a short discussion on his career, significance of this work, and the process of learning this piece. 

To hear more performances by Sergio Gallo, go to Naxos: https://www.naxos.com/Bio/Person/Sergio_Gallo/239123

Episode 65: Sergio Gallo

Liza Stepanova shares about her musical background from Belarus to Germany to America, her approach to practicing, and her teaching philosophy.

Additional information about the Hip Hop Harmonic is available at: https://www.athenshiphopharmonic.com/

Episode 66: Liza Stepanova

Georgia Music Teachers Association: Interviews with Georgia Music Teachers

Made possible with support from the MTNA Foundation.

Georgia Music Teachers Association

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