Episode 75 comes out on Friday, and we’re talking about the psychology of performing and dealing with nerves. Here is a clip of our guest, Elisa Di Napoli, talking about the choice of your words that you tell yourself, and how that has a huge influence on your response.
On Friday, LIFE IN THE PIT returns!! Here is a clip of our next guest, Marci Shegogue, a music director, keyboardist, and founder of a youth theatre company. In this clip, she talks about kindness being one of the most important qualities of success. The full episode will be available Friday morning.
Episode 72 comes out tomorrow morning on podcast apps everywhere, and our guest is Dennis J. Arcano, a drummer/percussionist who has subbed on Broadway productions such as Follies, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Jagged Little Pill, and Mrs. Doubtfire. Here's a clip of him talking about his approach to preparing to sub for a show.
Here is a short clip from Episode 70, which will be available this Friday. Our guest, Angela McCuiston, is both a pit musician and a personal trainer of Music Strong, LLC who works with other musicians. Here she talks about all the musicians who assume they have carpal tunnel and what's likely really going on.
Episode 69 comes out Friday! Here is our clip from Jeff Saver, who conducted the final year of the original Broadway run of “Into the Woods”, sharing one of many memories from that show.
Episode 67 comes out Friday, and our guest is Arnold "Arnie" Gross, a music director and pianist with impressive Broadway credits we'll talk about more on Friday...and also the dance music arranger and on-screen pianist for the 1979 film "All That Jazz". Here's a clip of him remembering that experience.
An earlier-than-normal episode drops tomorrow, and it features a special conversation about The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical with composer and lyricist Rob Rokicki! Here’s a clip of Rob talking about how important the guitar is to this show.
Episode 65 comes out Friday, and here’s a preview clip. We’re talking about financial health for freelance musicians, and our guest is Samantha Absher of WTF is a Budget. In this clip, Sam talks about handling the need for time off if you still have debt.
Here’s a clip from our next episode, and our next guest is well-known in drama programs in many states because he is Jose, The Piano Man from SETC since the late 90s. We’re talking about the high pressure world of accompanying auditions, and Jose Simbulan has seen it all! Here’s a clip talking about when he feels like he hasn’t done his best.
Here is a preview of Friday’s episode. Did you know that many pit musicians are also private instructors of their instruments? This Friday, we’ll be chatting about getting the business side of things in order with Eric Branner of Fons! This is Eric talking about that 1st step for a successful studio.
We’re back with a new episode tomorrow, chatting with pit musician and doctoral student Tanner Harrod! Here’s a preview clip talking about why a good pit musician is active in multiple ways outside theatre.
LIFE IN THE PIT is back tomorrow with a new episode! We’ll be chatting with Joe LaRocca, currently touring as a reed player on the Jesus Christ Superstar 50th Anniversary tour! That book heavily features tenor sax, an instrument Joe had learned well but abandoned and sold when this gig was offered. This clip is how he responded.
Episode 60 releases tomorrow with Paul Baron discussing his very helpful book for trumpeters! We chatted about a lot of topics common to other musicians, such as “stupid chops” as mentioned in this clip. Check out tomorrow’s episode for more!
LIFE IN THE PIT returns tomorrow talking to an amateur musician who loves playing for community and school theatres in Bakersfield, CA. We talk about a lot of things related to local markets including (in this clip) why ALL musicians should be paid regardless of the theatre.
LIFE IN THE PIT is back this Friday! Our guest is Tish Diaz, who has had a long career doing professional theatre and other performance work in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Branson. Here’s a clip telling what it was like programming keyboards in the earlier days of her career.
Episode 57 will be here Friday! My guest is Rhode Island music director Alex Tirrell. Here he is talking about the process of reducing orchestrations, something that is often necessary for smaller regional theaters on a budget.
LIFE IN THE PIT is back this Friday with Episode 56! Our guest is Laura Sherman, the original Broadway harpist for Wicked and the harpist for the cast recording of Hamilton! Here’s a preview clip of talking about the specific challenges of composing for the harp and what harpists have to do with scores that don’t observe those challenges. Full episode is Friday!
Tomorrow’s episode is content-PACKED, featuring Paul Perfetti, the veteran 1st trumpet of the Les Mis national tour with more than 5,000 performances of that one show! This is an abridged clip of his response after I asked if he’d memorized the book. Check out tomorrow for many more perspectives he has gained!
Not all theatre environments are equal, Jennifer Wharton (Broadway trombonist for shows like “Beautiful” and “West Side Story” among others) talks about a good one in this clip. Check out tomorrow’s episode to find out which show this is along with other great stories of her time in the pit!
Listen to this clip of our next guest, Matthew Croft (keyboardist and conductor for multiple Broadway tours, including the upcoming Jesus Christ Superstar anniversary tour) discuss the importance of demo reels for landing the gig. Full episode releases tomorrow!
