Superfan, Jenion swings by to offer her two cents as a choral director alongside Paula and Tyler in discussing the BBC docu-series, "The Choir: Our School by the Tower." This show chronicles the work of choirmaster, Gareth Malone as he takes on the task of orchestrating a coming-home concert with the choir at Kensington-Aldridge Academy (North Kensington, London, UK). In June 2017, an adjacent residential tower called Grenfell succumbed to a blazing fire claiming the lives of seventy-two, five of which were students of the school. You don't need to have seen this documentary to get a strong sense of how music transforms the students while healing a broken community in the wake of a most tragic and preventable incident. Also, shout out to Steve Laifer for sharing a truly epic (and horrifying) gig story! All this and more on this episode of "My First Gig!" If you like what you hear, please remember to rate/review/subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. Share your gig stories at myfirstgigpodcast@gmail.com!

My First Gig

028: "The Choir: Our School By The Tower" with Jenny Henion!

"Now, was I rushing or was I dragging?" Paula and Tyler kick off Teacher Appreciation month early by digging deep into J.K. Simmons's incredible portrayal of the most intense music teacher EVER in the 2014 film, "Whiplash." We also discover how writer/director, Damien Chazelle was influenced by his humble beginnings as a jazz drummer in a highly competitive high school music program in NJ... and does the film in fact have a happy ending?! All this and more on this episode of "My First Gig!" If you like what you hear, please remember to rate/review/subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. Share your gig stories at myfirstgigpodcast@gmail.com!

027: Whiplash

Paula & Tyler welcome Minkus-impersonator and long-time friend, Master Sergeant Mark Metrinko to the show to discuss his career as a military musician in the U.S. Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps. Also, Paula gets sick before a gig and has to bow out?! All this and more on this episode of "My First Gig!" If you like what you hear, please remember to rate/review/subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. Share your gig stories at myfirstgigpodcast@gmail.com!

026: My Army Band Gig w/MSG Mark Metrinko!

Paula & Tyler tackle the issue of equal pay in the orchestra as it pertains to our nation's premier symphonies. Elizabeth Rowe, principal flute of the Boston Symphony filed an historic lawsuit against the symphony in 2018 on the grounds that she should be equally compensated to that of her woodwind counterpart, principal oboist John Ferrillo. Join us in the discussion! All this and more on this episode of "My First Gig!" If you like what you hear, please remember to rate/review/subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. Share your gig stories at myfirstgigpodcast@gmail.com!

025: Gender Pay Gap In The Symphony?

Superstar hornist and pretty good human, Claire McKenney joins Paula and Tyler this week to discuss pit gigs! Tyler is pastorally presented coitus via "Pippin," Paula narrowly survives a sorceress death plunge, and Claire bears witness to Peter Pan's failure to launch. All this and more on this episode of "My First Gig!" If you like what you hear, please remember to rate/review/subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. Share your gig stories at myfirstgigpodcast@gmail.com!

024: My Pit Gigs w/Claire McKenney!

Paula and Tyler are back after computer woes to bring you an in-depth analysis of the 1996 film, "Brassed Off!" featuring the music and plight of the Grimethorpe Colliery Band, an award-winning British brass band from Northern England. Ewan McGregor has an embouchure for days... Tara Fitzgerald doesn't have any coffee... Peter Postlethwaite insists his indigent clown-son buy a new trombone... and everyone mines coal?!?! This is the best musician/coal-miner movie that you've never heard of. All this and more on this episode of "My First Gig!" If you like what you hear, please remember to rate/review/subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. Share your gig stories at myfirstgigpodcast@gmail.com!

023: Ewan McGregor Plays A Pretty Little Tenor Horn

Happy New Year! Paula and Tyler reflect back on some of their favorite moments of the podcast since it started nearly a year ago. If you've been interested in checking us out but didn't know where to start, this episode is for you! Also, 2019 predictions! All this and more on this episode of "My First Gig!" If you like what you hear, please remember to rate/review/subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. Share your gig stories at myfirstgigpodcast@gmail.com!

022: My 2018 Retrospective

Merry Gigmas! Happy Gigmakkuh! Paula and Tyler celebrate the holidays with a return to eviscerating everything that is "Mozart in the Jungle," recapping/reviewing the second and third episodes of Season 1. Paula plays with blood and drops her instrument, and Tyler is the Hendrix of sourpussery. Plus!... your girl, Mariah hits ALL the high notes. All this and more on this episode of "My First Gig!" If you like what you hear, please remember to rate/review/subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. Share your gig stories at myfirstgigpodcast@gmail.com!

021: "Hear the Hair..." Mozart in the Jungle, S01e02-03

PAULA EPISODE! Paula discusses with Tyler her journey into the world of arts admin... her humble beginnings as a folder-stuffin' high schooler, her John Nash-style compulsory search for a job that fit her needs and wants, and thus her ultimate winning at life? Plus an update on P-V-A. All this and more on this episode of "My First Gig!" If you like what you hear, please remember to rate/review/subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. Share your gig stories at myfirstgigpodcast@gmail.com!

020: My Arts Administration Gig

Paula and Tyler travel back in time to discuss one of the OG bad-ass women of music, Hildegard of (von) Bingen! Christian mystic, healer, and writer/composer of the first known morality play, HVB set the stage for women to play a larger role in the church while serving as the first known female composer whose works have survived for over nine centuries. All this and more on this episode of "My First Gig!" If you like what you hear, please remember to rate/review/subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. Share your gig stories at myfirstgigpodcast@gmail.com!

019: "Vision" - From the Life of Hildegard von Bingen

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEJJJJJJJAAAYYYY! Paula and Tyler chat it up with international musical superstar, E.J. Swider in regard to his endeavors as an international performer and music teacher abroad at schools located in Oman, China, and Afghanistan! A true inspiration highlighting a musical career-path less travelled, yet seemingly worthwhile! All this and more on this episode of "My First Gig!" If you like what you hear, please remember to rate/review/subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. Share your gig stories at myfirstgigpodcast@gmail.com!

018: My International Gig w/E.J. Swider!

RE-MI-DO-DO(8vb)-SOLLLLLL.... Musical Aliens y'all! Tyler (mostly)and Paula (kinda) are ecstatic discovering the cross-section of classical music and ALIENS! John Williams, operatic blue alien singers, UFO cults, gravitational wave cellos! We have it all. All this and more on this episode of "My First Gig!" If you like what you hear, please remember to rate/review/subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. Share your gig stories at myfirstgigpodcast@gmail.com!

017: Spooky Thrills II: Musical ALIENS!

Get ready for a "My First Gig" Spooktacular! Paula and Tyler cross over into the world of true crime, discussing three distinct musical murders spanning over four centuries! Who'd have ever thought Carlo Gesualdo and Charlie Manson would be uttered in the same breath?! All this and more on this episode of "My First Gig!" If you like what you hear, please remember to rate/review/subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. Share your gig stories at myfirstgigpodcast@gmail.com!

016: Spooky Thrills I: Musicians Who Murder

"WHEN WILL I EVER HAVE TIME TO FINISH MY OPUS?!" Paula and Tyler revisit the beloved 90's film depicting the life and career of Glenn Holland and his pursuit to become a world famous composer, only to find out along the way that teaching music was his TRUE magnum opus all along... AWWWW. All this and more on this episode of "My First Gig!" If you like what you hear, please remember to rate/review/subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. Share your gig stories at myfirstgigpodcast@gmail.com!

015: Mr. Holland's Opus

After a short break, Paula and Tyler are back at it chatting it up with Superfan Laura about her job as an instrument repair technician! We get down and dirty learning all about what it takes to wield the awesome power of a mini blow torch, the satisfaction of straightening a flute bent in half like an elbow, and how if you have completely disassembled your instrument "for fun" at some point in your life, you're already halfway there to becoming an instrument repair technician! All this and more on this episode of "My First Gig!" If you like what you hear, please remember to rate/review/subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. Share your gig stories at myfirstgigpodcast@gmail.com!

014: My Instrument Repair Gig & Horror Stories w/Superfan Laura!

This podcast explores the world of classically-trained freelance musicians as well as how classical music is represented through pop-culture in a pastiche of comedic light-heartedness and tomfoolery.

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My First Gig

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