Apr 29, 2020

Vijay Iyer didn't know his life could be in music until he was 23. Vijay and Kai talk about watching his parents build an Indian community for themselves while living in a largely white city (6:54), how he created opportunity for himself by playing in the dining hall at Yale (11:28), and quitting his Ph.D. in Physics...

Apr 22, 2020

Joan Tower loves dancing. Joan and Kai talk about how growing up in Bolivia was the best thing that happened to her (4:50), the importance of having a sense of urgency (17:07), and her first terrible compositions at age 18 (24:23). They also discuss what kept her going through those first compositions (27) and...

Apr 15, 2020

Micah Wilkinson roasts his own coffee. Micah and Kai talk about the value of live performances (10:20), the similarities between professional orchestral musicians and professional athletes (15:20), and not always being the best player growing up (24). They also discuss how he practiced to make leaps and bounds (35:30),...

Apr 8, 2020

Joshua Weilerstein has two pet rabbits. Joshua and Kai talk about how carrots are like donuts for rabbits (4:48), growing up with superstar cellist Alisa Weilerstein (12:18), and balancing respect with collaboration as a conductor (18:50). They also discuss managing competition with colleagues (34:07) and his podcast,...

Apr 1, 2020

Annie Dorsen applied to the Yale School of Drama on a whim. Annie and Kai talk about being the daughter of one of the most prominent civil rights attorneys of our time (3:45), feeling lucky to not have jumped into the rat race right away (21), and the impact Europe's contemporary theater scene had on her (24). They also...