Is it Recess Yet? Confessions of a Former Child Prodigy
Is it Recess Yet? Confessions of a Former Child Prodigy is about concert violinist Tricia Park's years as a child prodigy and her quest to evolve beyond that identity. Get an insider’s look into the classical music world and listen to conversations with innovative artists who are forging new - and playful - paths into creativity.
- Update frequency
- every 13 days
- Average duration
- 40 minutes
- Episodes
- 41
- Years Active
- 2018 - 2021
Mai Der Vang: "I have to be twice as good to be given access, to be heard." A chat with award-winning writer, Mai Der Vang, about being the child of Hmong immigrants; the challenges of being a female, P.O.C. artist; and why we must trust our own creative impulses.
"It's a weird time to try to reinvent yourself." A chat with Nick Photinos, innovative cellist and founding member of Eighth Blackbird, about career transformation and the importance of preserving our mental health during this time of pandemic.
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4:23 - Struggling with productivity and career transformation during the pandemic.
4:38 - Nick talks about the "profound change" his career is taking now as…
"Don't beat yourself up." A chat with Alexandra DiPalma, audio producer, editor, consultant and teacher, about pushing past perfection and why we really shouldn't put pressure on ourselves right now.
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3:25 - Alex and I talk about coming to terms with competitiveness.
5:45 - Seth Godin and The Podcast Fellowship: how Alex and Seth Godin created this pl…
"Confused and scared is better than meaningless." A chat with Mike Block, pioneering cello player, singer, composer, and educator, about taking creative risks and why we shouldn't wait to pursue our interests.
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3:37 - How Mike got started growing up in a family of classical musicians.
5:09 - Mike shares his experience of unhappiness in classical music and the creative …
"How long should it take to get over someone?" Musings on love in the time of Covid-19: A flash essay on heartbreak, ghosting, and why it's so hard to let go.
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Here's the essay:
When it comes to dating, there are so many new ways to be cruel to one another. Ghosting, catfishing, breadcrumbing.
And then there are all the fun var…
"We didn't think, 'we're gonna master virtual rehearsing and share it with the world.'": A Chat about virtual rehearsing and the Covid-19 pandemic with Laura Usiskin, cellist, educator, entrepreneur, and member of the Bayberry String Quartet
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Check out the Bayberry String Quartet's ONE-PAGE "QUICK GUIDE" TO REHEARSING REMOTELY!
2:25 - Laura talks about how she got started with her first cello teac…
"You play the violin?" A 5-minute essay about "gigging" life, unfair speeding tickets, and the unexpected turn.
Ian offers wonderfully rich prompts and all the pieces must be performed live and they must not exceed 5 minutes. It’s quite amazing how this crystalizes all the bullshit thoughts that normally takes…
"The belief that perfection equals worthiness is the biggest struggle of my life.": PART TWO of A Chat with Dr. Sarah Carter, physician, cellist, writer, and former child prodigy.
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2:34 - Sarah talks about her resentment upon realizing she hadn't had a childhood.
3:34 - What Sarah's classical music training taught her and the skills that serve her i…
"In the depths of major depression, I realized I'd lived my whole life in someone else's dream.": PART ONE of A Chat with Dr. Sarah Carter, physician, cellist, writer, and former child prodigy.
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8:37 - How Sarah became serious about the cello as small child and how she was carried along by the enthusiasm and pressure from adults.
10:23 - Sarah shares how her feel…
"The most important skill is connecting with people": Why connection is the most valuable skill. A Chat with Assaff Weisman, pianist, teacher, and Executive Director of the Israeli Chamber Project.
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Learn more about the stuff we talk about in this episode here:
3:54 - How the right teacher can change everything and why he credits his life as a musician …
"The child of Korean immigrants, living in the in-between space": An excerpt from my work-in-progress, LUNCH BOX, about food, mothers and daughters, identity, microagressions, representation, and one kind of Asian American experience.
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From LUNCH BOX by Tricia Park
Once when I was in fourth grade, Tally McMasters came up to me and asked:
“Are you Chinese?”
I was waiting for my turn at double dutch. “N…
"The crisis of perfectionism in classical music": Why a career is much more about the people than playing well. A Chat with Rebecca Fischer, violinist, writer, and educator.
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Learn more about the stuff we talk about in this episode here:
4:10 - The complexities of growing up in a musical household and striving to find one's own …
"Asians are both the 'model minority' and an invisible minority": Creating space for conversations about racism against East Asians in classical music. A Chat with Mina Yang, pianist, professor, and writer.
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Learn more about the stuff we talk about in this episode here:
Mina’s article that became a chapter in her book: East Meets West in the Concert Hall: Asians and …
"'Zero f**ks given': Why vulnerability is the most important thing." A Chat with Zach Brock, jazz violinist, composer, and member of Snarky Puppy
In my conversation with jazz violinist, Zach Brock, we talk about his musical upbringing and how he straddles the line between classical training and improvisation.
Snarky Puppy
What it means to tak…
"Why 'perfect' isn't interesting." A Chat with Jennifer Fawcett, playwright, fiction writer, and doula.
.This interview happened during Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's testimony at the Kavanaugh hearing In my conversation with playwright, fiction writer, and doula, Jennifer Fawcett, we talk about:
How do…
"We are human beings not human doings." A Chat with Morgane Michael, host and producer of Kindsight 101
In my interview with Morgane Michael, host and producer of Kindsight 101, we discuss why kindness gets a bad rap; the research that shows how kindness and compassion actually increase creativity and …
"Growing Up Prodigies: The Mid-Life Crisis" A Chat with Prof. Jeanne Bamberger
In my interview with Professor Jeanne Bamberger, we discuss her article entitled “Growing Up Prodigies: The Mid-Life Crisis”; her experiences as a former child prodigy and the challenges she faced as…
BONUS EPISODE: "What if there isn't a 'winner'?" Bonus Chat with Performance Psychologist Noa Kageyama
In this BONUS TRACK interview with performance psychologist, Noa Kageyama, listen to Noa “coach” me in my post-interview performance evaluation! In this super meta moment, we have a 'behind the sce…
"Is it too late?" A Chat with Performance Psychologist Noa Kageyama
In my interview with performance psychologist, Noa Kageyama, we learn what he meant at age 2 when he said "oa wike mugas"; what it was like to studying with Mr. Suzuki himself in Japan as a little ki…
"Why am I doing this?" A Chat with Violinist Miki-Sophia Cloud
In my interview with violinist Miki-Sophia Cloud, we talk about her former life as a strolling ‘gypsy violinist’; playing by ear versus playing from sheet music; her musical studies and mentors at Ha…