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: @wmclaythompsonWebsite: https://www.wmclaythompson.com✨ Trained Musician™️ mug: https://the-trained-musician.printify.meStay 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 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:aubreylogan.cominstagram.com/aubrey_logan✨ Trained Musician™️ mug: https://the-trained-musician.printify.meStay 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 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.cominstagram.com/kellyriordanmusiciantiktok.com/@kellyriordanmusicianyoutube.com/@outsidethebachsofficial✨ Trained Musician™️ mug: https://the-trained-musician.printify.meStay 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 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.✨ Trained Musician™️ mug: https://the-trained-musician.printify.meStay 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 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: @adamgautilleAnd then, of course, go practice.✨ Trained Musician™️ mug: https://the-trained-musician.printify.meStay 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/07zQjbGgInstagram: @deannabreiwickWebsite: https://www.deannabreiwick.com/Free guided Quick & Confident vocal warm-up: https://deannabreiwick.myflodesk.com/quickandconfidentAnd then, of course, go practice.✨ Trained Musician™️ mug: https://the-trained-musician.printify.meStay 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.comInstagram : @emilygellerAnd then, of course, go practice.✨ Trained Musician™️ mug: https://the-trained-musician.printify.meStay 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 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.✨ Trained Musician™️ mug: https://the-trained-musician.printify.meStay 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.comInstagram: @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: @classicalvoicecoachingAnd 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