In this deeply insightful interview, host Tony Plog chats with Wes Nance, trumpet with the Rochester Philharmonic, about the often-overlooked artistry behind Sleigh Ride's iconic horse whinny. Wes reflects on his time at the Eastman School of Music, his unconventional teaching methods, and the annual Horse Whinny Challenge — a competition as fun as it is fierce. Along the way, they explore what really resonates with audiences, proving that a well-timed whinny can steal the show!

Would you like more inspirational stories, suggestions, insights, and a place to continue the conversations with other listeners? Visit anthonyplog-on-music.supercast.com to learn more!

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• Podcast Reflections: Tony's written recaps and thoughts on past interviews, including valuable tips and suggestions for students.
• Ask Me Anything: Both as written messages and occasional member-only Zoom sessions.
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Jeffrey Biegel is a pianist who has dazzled audiences across the globe, performing with major orchestras from a young age. But his contributions go far beyond the concert stage — He's commissioned over 25 new works from living composers, leaving a lasting mark on contemporary piano music. Always pushing the boundaries, Jeffrey has performed weekly online concerts during the Covid pandemic and even pioneered the first-ever live audio/visual recital on the internet in 1997, broadcasting from Steinway Hall in New York. We explore Jeffrey’s extraordinary journey—from his early challenges with being unable to hear to his studies at Juilliard, and his deep passion for bringing new music into the world. Along the way, we discuss his creative process, his experiences as a performer and teacher, and even a futuristic story he’s written, which you can find on his website.

Part 1 dives into Jeffrey’s early life, starting with the incredible story of overcoming hearing issues before discovering his musical gift. By age 10, he was already performing concerti! We talk about his time at Juilliard and the lessons he learned from that transformative period. Since Jeffrey has brought so many new works into the piano repertoire, I ask him to walk me through the fascinating process of commissioning new music. We wrap up with a fun, hypothetical set of questions based on one of his creative stories.

Part 2 [Subscriber Content] turns to another key part of Jeffrey’s career — teaching. We also dig into a question that musicians often grapple with: how much freedom should a performer take when interpreting a composer’s work? Finally, we end on a high note, discussing two unique pieces Jeffrey has been closely involved with: Leroy Anderson’s Concerto in C and Peter Schickele’s Concerto for Very Grand Piano (you might know him as Mr. PDQ Bach).

Would you like more inspirational stories, suggestions, insights, and a place to continue the conversations with other listeners? Visit anthonyplog-on-music.supercast.com to learn more!

As a Contributing Listener of "Anthony Plog on Music," you'll have access to extra premium content and benefits including:

• Extra Audio Content: Only available to Contributing Listeners.
• Podcast Reflections: Tony's written recaps and thoughts on past interviews, including valuable tips and suggestions for students.
• Ask Me Anything: Both as written messages and occasional member-only Zoom sessions.
• The Show's Discord Server: Where conversations about interviews, show suggestions, and questions happen. It's a great place to meet other listeners and chat about all things music!
• Can I just donate instead of subscribing? Absolutely!
• Cancel at anytime and easily resubscribe when you want all that extra content again.

Learn more about becoming a Contributing Listener @ anthonyplog-on-music.supercast.com!

Ed's career in music has been nothing short of remarkable, spanning multiple roles including trumpeter, teacher, conductor, and entrepreneur. His deep involvement in so many facets of the musical world has made him a leading voice not just in the trumpet community, but in the broader world of music.

In Part 1 of our conversation, Ed takes us back to his early days, sharing stories from his time studying with two of the most iconic trumpet teachers of his era—Vincent Cichowitz and William Vacchiano. We’ll dive into his experiences at Juilliard and hear about his early days in New York, including what it was like to work with legendary conductors like Leonard Bernstein and Pierre Boulez. Ed also shares fascinating anecdotes about some of the great orchestral trumpet players he’s encountered, such as Tom Stevens, Morris Murphy, and John Wilbraham, and their unique approaches to working with conductors. Plus, he’ll give us an inside look at his teaching philosophy, particularly his thoughts on preparation methodology.

[Subscriber Content] In Part 2, I ask Ed a thought-provoking question: if he were a student today, knowing what he knows now, what would he do differently? His answer leads us into a rich discussion about music and interpretation that goes beyond the trumpet. We wrap up our conversation by delving into Ed’s significant contribution to the trumpet community—Chosen Vale, a project that has left a lasting impact on musicians everywhere.

Would you like more inspirational stories, suggestions, insights, and a place to continue the conversations with other listeners? Visit anthonyplog-on-music.supercast.com to learn more!

As a Contributing Listener of "Anthony Plog on Music," you'll have access to extra premium content and benefits including:

• Extra Audio Content: Only available to Contributing Listeners.
• Podcast Reflections: Tony's written recaps and thoughts on past interviews, including valuable tips and suggestions for students.
• Ask Me Anything: Both as written messages and occasional member-only Zoom sessions.
• The Show's Discord Server: Where conversations about interviews, show suggestions, and questions happen. It's a great place to meet other listeners and chat about all things music!
• Can I just donate instead of subscribing? Absolutely!
• Cancel at anytime and easily resubscribe when you want all that extra content again.

Learn more about becoming a Contributing Listener @ anthonyplog-on-music.supercast.com!