Classical music may not be new, but it's certainly never gone out of style. Join college music students and PCM alums Erica Lee and Ashley Cheng as they talk about life as music students, performance anxiety, musical movies and TV shows, and anything to do with— you guessed it— music by tuning into Practice Break on your practice breaks.
Erica and Ashley’s Classical Picks for Every Situation
For the season 2 finale of Practice Break, Erica and Ashley share their favorite classical pieces once again, but this time with a twist! Hear excerpts from beautiful classical works as they pair favorite works with an assortment of scenarios. And as a thank you for spending your practice breaks with us for yet another season, listen to our playlist with the major pieces of music shared from this past season here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3EkzHWB8lainPKUa00rVHW
20 Jan 2021
TV Show Review: Your Lie in April
Longing for a new musical watch to take over your life? Fear not— Erica and Ashley are here to the rescue with the second installment of their classical TV show reviews. In this episode, they explore the first ten episodes of the Japanese animated series Your Lie in April, share first impressions, analyze its depiction of classical life, and discuss the repertoire that is performed throughout the show.
13 Jan 2021
Virtual Music Making w/ the Student Symphony Orchestra of USC
Ever wondered how orchestras play together while apart? In this episode, Erica and Ashley are joined by Elaine Huang, Linda Diaz, and Adam Karelin from the Student Symphony Orchestra of USC to share their experiences with virtual music making. Tune in to hear how they navigate running an online orchestra, the types of softwares they use, and the ways they have pushed the envelope of classical music through this new medium. To learn more about SSO, visit them at their website here: https://studentsymphonyorchestra.org/
6 Jan 2021
A Virtual Trip to the Opera
Ah, opera— the drama queen sister of the classical music family, in the best possible way. This week, Erica and Ashley take you on a virtual trip to the opera house to review its history, discuss exoticism in famous works, and gush over angelic arias and dreamy set design. You won’t even have to change out of your sweatpants.
30 Dec 2020
2020 Wrap-up
2020 has been... a very long year. To wrap it up, Erica and Ashley review moments from Season 1 and share goals for the new year. The best part: to spread some love for music before the year closes, we asked our friends, family, and the PCM community why they’re thankful for music this year. To hear their responses, tune in to this year-end episode of Practice Break.
23 Dec 2020
Holiday Special: Deck the Halls with Music from Christmas Past and Present
What better way to kick off the winter season than by talking about holiday tunes? In this episode, Erica and Ashley recount the history of Christmas music from the pre-1700’s to the 21st century, share holiday favorites, and reminisce on the best musical festivities to celebrate the season. (Hot cocoa or your favorite warm beverage recommended.)
12 Dec 2020
Winter Season Trailer
Winter means hot cocoa, holiday cheer, and a new season of Practice Break with Erica and Ashley! Join us for a sneak peek of what we’re cooking up for our winter season and catch us every week on Wednesdays starting on December 23.
9 Sept 2020
A Film Music Finale: Classical vs. Film, Favorite Scores, and Joe Hisaishi
A season finale deserves an epic topic, so for the last episode of Season 1 of Practice Break, Erica and Ashley are joined by guests Andrew Zhao and Sam Ostroff to talk about the distinctions between film and classical and share all their favorite scores. Check out our film music Spotify playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0xk7SEl01gOZHbYV1vE8hJ?si=QQ79u1mOTRKsgv7BlZWFMg
2 Sept 2020
College App Survival Guide (the music stuff): Tips on prescreening recordings, writing personal statements, and live auditions
To those considering music school— this episode is for you! This week, Erica and Ashley recount their experiences with the intense college application process for prospective music majors, from prescreening recordings to live auditions. Tune in to hear their audition success (and horror) stories, and for tips on navigating the whole darn thing.
26 Aug 2020
Let’s Talk: The Classical Canon vs. New Music
Although it may evoke associations limited to the likes of Bach and Beethoven, classical music is very much a living, ever-changing thing. So today, Erica and Ashley are joined by guests Sarah Koo and Sam Ostroff to discuss the implications of the classical canon and the importance of new works in our musical age today. Tune in to hear their stories on working with living composers, experiences with writing music today, and new music recommendations! If you enjoy hearing from Erica and Ashley, feel free to connect with Erica and Ashley via email at elee@pasadenaconservatory.org for questions and suggestions :)
19 Aug 2020
How to Survive Social Distancing: Online Learning, Plant Parenting, and Animal Crossing
It’s time to get real — as schools across America are officially declaring online plans for the fall semester, many performing arts students and faculty will be staying home again and facing new challenges. But fear not! This week, Erica and Ashley are discussing their thoughts on online music learning and how to make the most of it, as well as their favorite stay-at-home hobbies they’ve picked up since being in quarantine :)
12 Aug 2020
Erica and Ashley’s Top Classical Picks
What’s a classical music podcast without playing actual pieces? In this episode, Erica and Ashley share their current favorite classical works and play a few excerpts. Get to know new gems or revel over old favorites through a truly immersive, euphonious experience. If you enjoy hearing from Erica and Ashley, feel free to connect with Erica and Ashley via email at elee@pasadenaconservatory.org for questions and suggestions :)
6 Aug 2020
TV Show Review: Nodame Cantabile
TV binge session, but make it classical. You’ve heard about what it’s like to be a musician in college, but what about watching it? This week, Erica and Ashley will be reviewing the first episode of Nodame Cantabile, a Japanese live-action adaptation of the original animated series. If you enjoy hearing from Erica and Ashley, feel free to connect with Erica and Ashley via email at elee@pasadenaconservatory.org for questions and suggestions :)
29 Jul 2020
Practicing 101: Everything from music learning and practicing strategies to performance anxiety
Practicing — love it or hate it, every musician’s gotta do it. So this week, Erica and Ashley will be discussing the tUmUlTuOuS process of tackling a piece of new repertoire, from cracking the score open for the first time to performing it in a recital hall. Tune in to hear their learning tips, practicing strategies, performance rituals, and personal stories about grappling with frustration and performance anxiety. As always, if you enjoy hearing from Erica and Ashley, make sure to subscribe to this podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes. Episodes are presented by the Pasadena Conservatory of Music. Feel free to connect with Erica and Ashley via email at elee@pasadenaconservatory.org for questions and suggestions :)
22 Jul 2020
Growing up: From kids at a pre-college conservatory to collegiate music students
Welcome to the first episode of Practice Break! To kick things off, Erica Lee and Ashley Cheng recount their studies at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music starting way back in 2007 and share some of their experiences as musicians in college. If you enjoy hearing from Erica and Ashley, make sure to subscribe to this podcast and leave us a rating on Spotify and iTunes. Episodes are presented by the Pasadena Conservatory of Music. Feel free to connect with us via email at elee@pasadenaconservatory.org for questions and suggestions :)
3 Jul 2020
Practice Break Trailer
Join us (Ashley Cheng and Erica Lee) every week starting on July 22 as we dive into our experiences with music study during this time, music performance and practice, classical music in entertainment, and much more with occasional interviews with guests. For the lowdown on life as a music student, our take on musical movies and TV shows, or anything to do with — you guessed it — music, tune into Practice Break on your practice breaks.
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