Life Between The Notes

Episode #12 - ”Ho-Ho-How Do We Get Through the Holidays?”

Episode #12 brings us our first co-host conversation since our premiere episode! Navigating the holidays can be difficult for anyone, but sometimes it seems even more-so for musicians who can find themselves to be overwhelmed with balancing their personal and professional life.
In the thick of the holiday season, we discuss the top 5 stressors that musicians face during the holidays and ways to strategize and cope with, what is often, our busiest time of the year.
Let us know in the comments, DM or email (lifebetweenthenotes@gmail.com) what your experience has been and if you have anything to add to the conversation, we'd love to know!

Episode #11 - Frances Drost & Double Keyed; Part II

Frances Drost has recorded 9 solo albums throughout her career, but her 10th, which is to be released on November 4, 2022, is one of collaboration. LBTN's co-host, Kirstin Myers, approached her last December after pondering the thought of recording a Christmas album with new arrangements for the oboe/English horn and piano. After this, the rest was history - but in our 11th podcast, Frances and Kirstin share their history of this past year. From the conception of the project, traveling to Nashville to record it to waiting for CDs to arrive, they discuss not only the technical process of recording, but all the fears, hopes and vulnerabilities that go along with it.
 
Arranged and produced by Nashville composer Phillip Keveren, "Midwinter's Gift" is a heartfelt and unique Christmas album that fills a gap in the oboe/English horn literature while also filling the listener with a sense of hope and peace. While many notes were played on this recording, listen in to this episode to find out what happened in-between them...and how it not only helped forge their friendship but how it changed these two musicians on their musical journeys.

Episode #10 - Frances Drost, singer/songwriter; Part I

From her early beginnings that were peppered with encouragement from her mother to play the piano, Newville Pennsylvania’s own singer/songwriter, Frances Drost, has paved a fascinating path with her musical career.
 
During her childhood, Frances’s empathetic nature absorbed several tragedies in her family. Her intense feelings combined with her musical gifts have created a positive way of channeling her grief. In this episode, Frances discusses not only the impact her family has had on her life, but how she has been heavily influenced and inspired by Nashville artists and producers.
 
Frances’s passion to help others has been a common thread throughout her life. This is exemplified with her involvement as a worship leader, a songwriter for Songs of Love – a nonprofit organization that connects songwriters with terminally ill children, a pianist with Center Stage at Penn State Hershey Medical Center and with her creation of an interactive Facebook show called Hit Pause during the Covid shutdown which provided inspiration for many homebound people.
 
As you will hear, Frances exudes a love and passion for creating and performing music. This passion helped her work through not only the hurdles she encountered throughout her own life, but the challenges that the Covid shutdown presented all musicians. Her musical innovation has not only helped her career but has helped her many fans and friends navigate troubling times.
 
We know you will enjoy getting to know Frances’s life…between the notes.

Episode #9 - Dr. Jon Moyer, trombonist, public school educator & adjunct professor

Dr. Jon Moyer, originally from Butler, Pennsylvania, is a performer, teacher and professor who eventually navigated his way further east when he landed his job in the Central York School District. A former student of Harding "Corky" Whitacre while in high school and Mark Lusk during his time at Penn State University, Jon credits both of his applied music teachers as both great inspirations and excellent teachers who helped shape him into the musician he is today.
In this episode we discuss how it often "takes a village" to support a musicians' lifestyle and how his family's support, in particular his wife Angeline, is how he has managed to accomplish all that he has in his career thus far.
Jon's involvement in the Nittany Trombone Quartet and other local groups has created a busy schedule in addition to his CYSD job as their beginning band and lesson instructor. We discuss his philosophy on a student's initial instrument choice and why a solid foundation in these beginning skills is so crucial. We also touch on the challenges of the Covid shutdown and how it not only affected his numerous jobs but how it changed his outlook on the rest of his career.
If being a performer and teacher isn't enough, Jon was formerly an adjunct professor at York College and is currently teaching trombone and is involved as a member of the graduate school's music education faculty at Messiah University. We discuss the dichotomy of his beginning band and university jobs as well as his thoughts on the challenges that face education today.
There are many takeaways in this episode, especially for young music educators - thanks for listening!

Episode #8 - Dr. Will Rapp, conductor & percussionist

Dr. Willis Rapp, undoubtedly one of the finest educators and musical visionaries in our region, has enjoyed an illustrious career as a professor in higher education, an author of 500+ publications, principal timpanist of the Allentown Symphony, conductor of the Reading Pops Orchestra and guest conductor, recitalist and clinician. His musical journey has taken him from Pennsylvania to Louisiana to Iowa to Washington D.C. as well as to several provinces in Canada. Despite his travels, he has made eastern Pennsylvania his home and continues to have a widespread impact on the musical community here.
In 2013 Will retired from Kutztown University with the distinction of Professor Emeritus which included receiving the KU Faculty Research Award in 2007 and the Arthur and Isabel Wiesenberger Faculty Award for excellence in teaching in 2009. In addition to these accolades, Will was also awarded the Percussive Arts Society Lifetime Achievement in Education Award in 2019.
Will credits his high school band director, Ronald Demkee (Associate Conductor of the Allentown Symphony), for giving he and many other students an early exposure to great band literature. Fred Hinger of the Philadelphia Orchestra was also a great influence on the trajectory of Will's career. In our interview he also acknowledges colleagues who have been great influences and inspirations such as Dr. Samuel Bellardo, a colleague at KU, who made an impression with his gifted teaching style and patience with all students.
For many, retirement is a time to relax and reap the rewards of their well-earned accomplishments. However, Will has taken on what he considers a "Legacy Project". For the past several years he has made it his mission to give the Center for Mallet Percussion Research a tangible home. Not just any home but a 13,000+ square foot building that rests on the campus of Kutztown University. This state-of-the-art construction will include a 2100 sq. ft. performance space, artifacts, music, photos and will also house over 60 vintage mallet instruments that will be available to see and even play. The Wells-Rapp Center will also feature a section honoring the women of mallet percussion.
Construction of the Wells-Rapp Center for Mallet Percussion Research is to be completed in October of 2022 and it's grand opening will take place the first weekend in November. The grand opening will include concerts featuring the Heartland Marimba Quartet on November 5 and again on November 7 where they are featured with the Reading Pops Orchestra.
Information about the Kutztown University Foundation can be found at www.kuf.org and The Center for Mallet Percussion Research is found online at www.kucmpr.org
This podcast episode is sponsored by the Reading Musical Foundation: www.readingmusicalfoundation.org 

Episode #7 - Michael Vitale, bassist

Please join us as Mike Vitale invites us on a tour of his life as a freelance musician in not only the Lancaster area, but throughout ALL of Pennsylvania and cruise ships around the world 🛳 🎶 🌎
 
Mike shares his very early experience with piano and a brief ill-fated encounter with a woodwind instrument 👀😯 that eventually led him to his true calling as a double bassist. Mike credits Dave Rentschler, a former Director of Music as well as elementary principal with the School District of Lancaster, as his greatest inspiration for learning more about the bass. Peter Brye, a prominent cellist in the area and former professor at Millersville University is also significantly credited for jumpstarting his college career at Millersville.
 
Mike’s steadfast dedication to his profession is exemplified in his willingness to put himself on the line in a variety of ways. From jumping headfirst into gigs where many people would be uncomfortable to working through months of physical therapy to overcome a severe injury that could have been catastrophic to his career. Mike is perseverance personified and we are so glad he took the time to share his life with us…between the notes… 🎵

Episode #6 - Ryan Kauffman, saxophonist

Raised in the heart of Lancaster County, saxophonist Ryan Kauffman of Millersville University's Tell School of Music, shares his musical journey with us in our sixth episode! A graduate of Lancaster Mennonite HS, Ryan credits his teacher Phil Smith for pushing him forward in his saxophone studies which eventually transported him to Eastern Mennonite University and West Chester University. Listen in to find that surprisingly enough, he didn't begin his collegiate career on the saxophone...
Ryan describes how immersion in his craft is what took him to another level and how no matter what avenue he travels musically, it all comes back to jazz. The influence of John Coltrane is discussed as well as his continued involvement in the local nonprofit group Naked Eye Ensemble, of which he has been a member since its inception.
Musical and visual art has always been a passion of Ryan's and you will find that his desire to create has been woven into the fabric of his life in many ways. Here is Ryan's life, between the notes...

Episode #5 - Jen Schoener, music educator & nonprofit director

Jennifer Schoener, a Lancaster County native and dynamic Director of Educational Programming at the Upper Darby Arts & Education Foundation, sits down with us to share a multitude of aspects in her musical life.
Jen shares the fascinating story of how her parents met at WGAL8 as well as what it was like to grow up next door to Millersville University where she would later earn her Music Ed degree. She also reflects on her involvement with New Holland Band and the Elizabethtown Summer Music Camp and how they both had a great impact on her trajectory as a musician.
Great musical influences in her life included Jack Colangelo and Jean Romig from Millersville and Jere Fridy at Octorara HS who she accredits in an incredible (or incredulous?) story as the reason she didn't fail student teaching.
Listen to Jen's incredibly inspiring story of how her late husband's drive and passion helped fuel her own. She relays how the Brad Schoener Memorial Fund they created a month before his passing is the foundation from which the Music Man Academy was built. The Schoener Music Man Academy is a 7 week-long summer camp that includes a variety of affordable music workshops and lessons in the Upper Darby area.
Jen also retired in 2021 from the ELANCO school district after 30 years in her roles...inititally as their HS band director and eventually shifting to her role as elementary band director in the district.
We hope you enjoy Jen's incredible story!

Episode #4 - Gretchen Dekker, pianist

A veritable icon in the York county music scene, pianist Gretchen Dekker has impressed both local and international audiences since her teens. A current professor at York College of PA, Gretchen has been a featured soloist with the Peabody Chamber Symphony, the Harrisburg Symphony, the York Symphony Orchestra, the Hershey Symphony and the York Oratorio Society among others. Gretchen is a graduate of the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore and was also a recipient of the Distinction in Performance Award from the New England Conservatory in Boston while working on her Masters.
In this episode, Gretchen shares how grateful she was for teachers such as Randy Yoder at Northeastern School District who she describes as the "consummate professional" and relays the incredible importance of our school music teachers. She also describes being drawn to the piano as a young girl, however we also learn this was not the only instrument she has a passion for!
Gretchen reflects fondly of her time in Amsterdam and Boston and how jumping in to the work she had there was partially out of naiveté but in turn provided some wonderful experiences.
We also discuss the insecurities of musicians and how she personally de-stresses from stressful situations.
This episode was made possible by the York Youth Symphony and the York Music Teachers Association. Gretchen also shares her ties to the YYSO and the important role it played in her life and for other students.
Bonus Material! In the beginning of this episode you will hear an excerpt of Gretchen's most recent performance with the York Symphony Orchestra, the cadenza from Beethoven's Choral Fantasy. This performance is referred to within our episode and if you stick with us to the end, you can enjoy the cadenza in its entirety.
We hope you enjoy this special episode with Gretchen!

Episode #3 - Kim Webster, oboist

Oboist Kim Webster, a pillar in the Berks County music community, shares with us how she (accidentally?) started playing the oboe and the great influence Wes Fisher had on her professional career. We also discuss what she wishes to impart to her private students as well as her many years of involvement with the Reading Symphony, the Reading Pops Orchestra and the Reading Musical Foundation.
What a fun conversation this was, we hope you enjoy learning more about Kim! If you would like to contact us, please message us at lifebetweenthenotes@gmail.com