The Trained Musician™

In this installment, your resident Trained Musician chats with William Clay Thompson about life as a bass-baritone. They discuss the joys of being professionally menacing, the fine art of making ugly noises, and the occasional occupational hazard of nearly having your tonsils removed by a stage prop.

Additional topics include audition packages, the tyranny of checking all the boxes, and the increasingly distant goalposts of when a bass voice is supposed to mature. Is it age 41? Who can say?

Plus: why comparison is the thief of joy, what old recordings might be keeping from us, and a few questions for Puccini about his suspicious lack of interesting bass roles.

Links:

Instagram: @wmclaythompson

Website: https://www.wmclaythompson.com

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📱 Instagram: @Robert.Bosworth.Music

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🎵 Intro/Outro music by Robert Bosworth, Trained Musician™️

🎙️ Produced by: phMediaStudio, LLC

In this episode, your host is joined by the multi-talented and always-charismatic Aubrey Logan. She plays trombone, sings, and has made peace with the fact that she is apparently not going to pick one.

The two Trained Musicians discuss what it means to be a multi-hyphenate musician, the peculiar business of promoting yourself on the internet, and why making fun of the whole thing might be the only sensible response.

Also: the difference between having good ears and being able to read the page, the teacher who finally made sight-reading click, whether you actually need another music degree, and what happens when a trained singer discovers that being trained does not make you immune to needing help.

Links:

https://www.aubreylogan.com

https://www.instagram.com/aubrey_logan

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Stay connected:

📱 Instagram: @Robert.Bosworth.Music

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🎵 Intro/Outro music by Robert Bosworth, Trained Musician™️

🎙️ Produced by: phMediaStudio, LLC

In this installment, your ex-euphonium-playing host is joined by clarinetist and entrepreneur Kelly Riordan to chat about teaching, marketing, and the increasingly suspicious idea that you have to do things the way everyone else has done them.

From her private studio which amassed 43 students in three months to a Facebook group that eventually became a business, Kelly gives great insight into the diversified career she has built for herself.

The two trained musicians also discuss graduate school burnout, AI-generated emails, how Kelly’s soft palate led to her becoming a medical case study, and whether Robert should finally learn to play the clarinet he acquired during COVID.

Links:

OutsideTheBachs.com

instagram.com/kellyriordanmusician

tiktok.com/@kellyriordanmusician

youtube.com/@outsidethebachsofficial

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Stay connected:

📱 Instagram: @Robert.Bosworth.Music

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🎵 Intro/Outro music by Robert Bosworth, Trained Musician™️

🎙️ Produced by: phMediaStudio, LLC

In this installment, your increasingly distracted host is joined by pianist, singer, entrepreneur, and Fearless Artist Michelle Lynne to chat about the wonderfully weird life of a freelance musician: living in the Netherlands, traveling with a dog who apparently needs a passport, making albums, and putting a piano bench in the ocean.

They get into why difficult things are worth doing, how discipline sometimes requires becoming a different person for 40 minutes, and what years of being motivated by shame can do to your relationship with the practice room.

Plus: teacher egos, ideal client avatars, social media robots, fake laptops, the problem with trying to please everyone on Instagram, and why Michelle eventually starts interviewing Robert instead.

Be Fearless. And then, of course, go practice.

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Stay connected:

📱 Instagram: @Robert.Bosworth.Music

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🎵 Intro/Outro music by Robert Bosworth, Trained Musician™️

🎙️ Produced by: phMediaStudio, LLC

In this installment, your ex-euphonium-playing host is joined by trumpeter Adam Gautille to chat about the wonderfully weird life of a working musician: surprise gigs, freelance politics, playing with the Boston Pops, learning music by ear, and why you should probably keep a tuxedo in your car.

They get into why resourcefulness might be just as important as practicing, how to create opportunities instead of waiting around for them, and what to do when you have to play music you don't particularly like.

Plus: sight-reading at concerts, writing your own cadenzas, the problem with playing the same high E fifteen times, and why your career may be growing in more ways that you can realize.

Instagram: @adamgautille

And then, of course, go practice.

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Stay connected:

📱 Instagram: @Robert.Bosworth.Music

👉 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

🎵 Intro/Outro music by Robert Bosworth, Trained Musician™️

🎙️ Produced by: phMediaStudio, LLC

Ever wonder what happens when being a successful singer forces you to figure out who you actually are?

Deanna Breiwick joins your humble host for a chat about authenticity, anxiety, boundaries, vocal challenges, and the increasingly complicated business of being a musician in the modern world. They talk about learning to say no, why the old “this is just how the industry works” mentality needs to take a hike, and what happens when you stop hiding the less glamorous parts of the artistic life.

They also get into Deanna’s bestselling book, Pulling Back the Curtain: A Singer’s Journey to Authenticity, the power—and terror—of sharing our stories honestly with each other, why she believes singers should stop living in their “huts of shame,” and how social media can become more than a place to post singing videos—it can be a way to build connection and community.

Get Deanna’s book here: https://a.co/d/07zQjbGg

Instagram: @deannabreiwick

Website: https://www.deannabreiwick.com/

Free guided Quick & Confident vocal warm-up: https://deannabreiwick.myflodesk.com/quickandconfident

And then, of course, go practice.

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Stay connected:

📱 Instagram: @Robert.Bosworth.Music

👉 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

🎵 Intro/Outro music by Robert Bosworth, Trained Musician™️

🎙️ Produced by: phMediaStudio, LLC

This week, your resident Trained Musician™️ talks with contralto Emily Geller about voice types, branding, casting, and the somewhat complicated business of figuring out what kind of singer you are.

Emily talks about her journey from lyric mezzo to contralto, why the voice should probably come before the label, and how getting technically stronger can change the repertoire you’re able to sing.

They also get into how to learn roles the right way, the importance of rhythm for acting and comedy, Gilbert & Sullivan, audition packages, and the ongoing challenge of making yourself easy for the industry to find.

Emily’s website : https://www.emilygeller.com

Instagram : @emilygeller

And then, of course, go practice.

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Stay connected:

📱 Instagram: @Robert.Bosworth.Music

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🎵 Intro/Outro music by Robert Bosworth, Trained Musician™️

🎙️ Produced by: phMediaStudio, LLC

In this installment, your delighted host is joined by Lee Anne Myslewski, Vice President of Opera and Classical Programming at Wolf Trap Opera for a chat about auditions, young artist programs, and the qualities that help a singer stand out from the crowd.

Lee Anne shares practical advice on choosing repertoire, building an audition package, presenting yourself professionally, and why trying to be perfect is usually less effective than simply being yourself.

They also pull back the curtain on what audition panels are really looking for, how Wolf Trap approaches casting, and why the people behind the table are far more invested in your success than most singers realize.

Along the way, Robert shares one of his more embarrassing audition stories, they debate audition attire, and, as with most good conversations, somehow end up discussing the Swedish Chef, Renée Fleming, and a brewery that accidentally saved an opera production.

Follow Lee Anne on Instagram at @rahree and Wolf Trap Opera at @wolftrapopera.

And then, of course, go practice.

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Stay connected:

📱 Instagram: @Robert.Bosworth.Music

👉 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

🎵 Intro/Outro music by Robert Bosworth, Trained Musician™️

🎙️ Produced by: phMediaStudio, LLC

In this first-ever in-person episode of The Trained Musician, your initially-flustered host is joined by Megh Jennings-Posner, stage manager extraordinaire. Together, they pull back the curtain on one of the most unsung heroes of the theatrical world.

From calling hundreds of cues in a single performance to juggling the needs of conductors, directors, singers, and technical crews, Megh shares what it takes to keep the show running—and why her musical training is at the center of it all.

The two also venture into discussions regarding the use of microphones in opera, flying batons, The Magic Flute, and the unending presence of the word “go.”

Follow Megh's adventures at:

meghjenningsposner.com

Instagram: @meghthegingermom.

And then, of course, go practice.

Stay connected:

📱 Instagram: @Robert.Bosworth.Music

👉 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

🎵 Intro/Outro music by Robert Bosworth, Trained Musician™️

🎙️ Produced by: phMediaStudio, LLC

In this episode, your nonsense-intolerant host is joined by voice scientist and coach Emily Workman, whose own no-nonsense approach to singing has made her a much sought-after teacher to every breed of singer, be they operatic or emo.

The two dive into everything from vocal myths and teacher-student relationships to building an audience, surviving criticism, and the experiences that quietly shape us as musicians long before we ever step on stage. It's equal parts practical, thought-provoking, unexpectedly personal, and occasionally hilarious.

If you've ever wondered why some advice sticks, why some teachers change your life, or why developing a healthy vocal technique is probably a good idea no matter what kind of music you sing, this is a chat you won't want to miss.

Follow Emily's adventures at:

Instagram: @classicalvoicecoaching

And then, of course, go practice.

Stay connected:

📱 Instagram: @Robert.Bosworth.Music

👉 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

🎵 Intro/Outro music by Robert Bosworth, Trained Musician™️

🎙️ Produced by: phMediaStudio, LLC

In this episode, flutist, teacher, and mindset coach Chelsea Tanner joins your newly mindful host to talk about the various ways musicians get their minds into a tizzy, and what to do about it.

Chelsea shares practical tools for working through fear, self-doubt, memory slips, and the tendency to avoid practicing after difficult performance experiences. The conversation also explores curiosity as a creative tool, how musicians can develop their own artistic opinions instead of simply copying recordings, and why you shouldn’t let audition panels determine your entire sense of self-worth.

Also included: the flutist vs. flautist debate, AI in the arts, and the surprisingly difficult skill of sitting still long enough to process what you’re actually feeling.

If you’ve ever overthought an audition, questioned yourself after a performance, or tried to figure out how to keep growing without losing your love for music, this episode is for you.

Follow Chelsea's adventures at:

Podcast: Align Your Mind PODCAST

Website: https://www.chelseatanner.com/

Instagram: @_chelseatanner/

And then, of course, go practice.

Stay connected:

📱 Instagram: @Robert.Bosworth.Music

👉 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

🎵 Intro/Outro music by Robert Bosworth, Trained Musician™️

🎙️ Produced by: phMediaStudio, LLC

In this episode, violinist, author, and all-around thoughtful human Vijay Gupta joins the show for a wide-ranging chat about performance, humanity, and why musicians might need to spend less time conquering music and more time accompanying one another through it.

From Juilliard and the LA Phil to Skid Row and Street Symphony, Vijay shares how his experiences outside the concert hall reshaped his approach to music-making and inspired his forthcoming book Restrung: A Memoir of Music and Transformation.

Lock up your trash cans, take a long walk, and enjoy.

Follow Vijay's adventures at:

website: https://www.vijaygupta.com/

Instagram: @guptaviolin

And then, of course, go practice.

Stay connected:

📱 Instagram: @Robert.Bosworth.Music

👉 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

🎵 Intro/Outro music by Robert Bosworth, Trained Musician™️

🎙️ Produced by: phMediaStudio, LLC

Vijay headshot Credit: Kat Bawden

In this installment, your humble host is joined by artistic administrator extraordinaire David Lomelí for a candid conversation on balancing a musical career with family life, navigating the multi-faceted world of opera administration, and presenting yourself professionally both in and after an audition.

The two trained musicians also discuss what administrators actually notice, how relationships are built in the classical music industry, and the occasional reminder that artistry and basic human decency are not mutually exclusive.

Follow David's adventures at:

@davidlomelink

https://www.lomeliconsulting.com

And then, of course, go practice.

Stay connected:

📱 Instagram: @Robert.Bosworth.Music

👉 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

🎵 Intro/Outro music by Robert Bosworth, Trained Musician™️

🎙️ Produced by: phMediaStudio, LLC

In this installment, the patient listener is treated to a somewhat haphazard solo reflection on how musicians can brace themselves for their favorite time of year: summer festivals and young artist programs.

Join your host as he talks you through a list of bullet points he made on his phone in the bathroom. Some may be obvious, but all are sure to help you put your best foot forward as you embark on your summer learning experiences, wherever they may be.

So grab your suitcase, your best friend, and a complete stranger, and enjoy.

And then, of course, go practice.

Stay connected:

📱 Instagram: @Robert.Bosworth.Music

👉 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

🎵 Intro/Outro music by Robert Bosworth, Trained Musician™️

🎙️ Produced by: phMediaStudio, LLC

In this installment, your charmingly underprepared host is joined by the ever-in-demand conductor Tori Longdon. We discuss everything from airports to solfège, as well as some amusing conducting anecdotes we’ve experienced from our respective corners of the globe.

Whether you’re a diehard choir nerd or just a normal person who enjoys a good game of “intonation vs. rhythm”, you’re sure to gain some interesting insights into the wonderful world of a choral conductor.

Sit back, sing your favorite note, and enjoy.

Follow Tori’s adventures at:

www.torilongdon.com

www.forgeconducting.com

www.worldchoir.org

And then, of course, go practice.

Stay connected:

📱 Instagram: @Robert.Bosworth.Music

👉 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

🎵 Intro/Outro music by Robert Bosworth, Trained Musician™️

🎙️ Produced by: phMediaStudio, LLC

In this installment, your delighted host is joined by world-renown soprano Christine Goerke to discuss whether she reads reviews, the force that was Jessye Norman, and why opera audiences should clap whenever they feel like it. We also dive into the importance of keeping opera relevant for modern theatergoers, share fun backstage (and onstage) secrets, and confirm that even international opera stars just want a burger after the show.

So sit back, sponsor us if you wish, and enjoy a lovely chat.

Follow Christine’s adventures at:

Christine Goerke: http://www.christinegoerke.com

And then, of course, go practice.

Stay connected:

📱 Instagram: @Robert.Bosworth.Music

👉 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

🎵 Intro/Outro music by Robert Bosworth, Trained Musician™️

🎙️ Produced by: phMediaStudio, LLC

Attention singers: ever gotten THAT look from your audition pianist when you hand over your music? You know the one...

Join your opinionated (but experienced) host for a deep dive into assembling an audition binder that can quietly make—or break—your audition.

From missing bass clefs to flying paper clips, these real-world tips show how you can set yourself up for success before you even sing a single note.

Help your pianist help YOU. Put together a binder worth the money it took to print a few double-sided pages.

And then, of course, go practice.

Stay connected:

📱 Instagram: @Robert.Bosworth.Music

👉 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

🎵 Intro/Outro music by Robert Bosworth, Trained Musician™️

🎙️ Produced by: phMediaStudio, LLC

In this episode, your humble host is joined by Soula Parassidis, singer AND musician, to discuss the importance of protecting your mental health amidst a busy performance career, daring to defy the Norms of the typical “classical musician”, and, of course, certain recent comments made by Tim Night Shyamalan, among many other stimulating topics.

Follow Soula’s adventures at:

Soula Parassidis: http://www.soulaparassidis.com/

Living Opera: http://www.livingopera.org/

New Release: O Lola

And then, of course, go practice.

Stay connected:

📱 Instagram: @Robert.Bosworth.Music

👉 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

🎵 Intro/Outro music by Robert Bosworth, Trained Musician™️

🎙️ Produced by: phMediaStudio, LLC

Look out, everyone. He figured out how to use his new microphone. (Kind of…)

Join your mildly irritated host, Robert Bosworth, as he pontificates on the importance and reality of deadlines and their existence in the wild world of the Trained Musician.

Learn how to clearly identify your deadlines and build a realistic plan of attack to help yourself conquer even the most potentially nauseating of projects.

And then, of course, go practice.

Stay connected:

📱 Instagram: @Robert.Bosworth.Music

👉 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

🎵 Intro/Outro music by Robert Bosworth, Trained Musician™️

🎙️ Produced by: phMediaStudio, LLC

Sometimes he talks to guests. Sometimes he talks to himself. Either way, come along for the ride as Robert Bosworth dives deep into the craft, quirks, and chaos that make up life as a Trained Musician™️.

And then, of course, go practice.

Stay connected:

📱 Instagram: @Robert.Bosworth.Music

👉 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

🎵 Intro/Outro music by Robert Bosworth, Trained Musician™️

🎙️ Produced by: phMediaStudio, LLC