Ariel Bart: Harmonica Player and Composer

Conversations with Musicians, with Leah Roseman

05/04/24

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64m

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This podcast strives to inspire you through the personal stories of a diversity of musicians worldwide, with in-depth conversations and great music, that reveal the depth and breadth to a life in music.

This week’s episode is with the wonderful harmonica player and composer Ariel Bart. I first started listening to her music with her debut album, “In Between” in which she presents a unique approach to the harmonica and all her albums feature her original music which is inspired by the European jazz tradition and the Middle-Eastern world. Ariel began playing the chromatic harmonica at the age of 7 and since then it’s been her primary instrument. We’re including music from several of her albums. You’ll hear about some of her inspiring mentors and collaborators and her positive experience at the New School University for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York City, including working with Reggie Workman, Shai Maestro, and Jane Ira Bloom. We also talked about the music business, and her delight in using storytelling and film with her music. Like all my episodes, you can also watch this on my YouTube channel and I’ve also linked the transcript to my website, everything linked together here: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/ariel-bart

Besides being the host, I take care of all the many jobs of research, production, and publicity for this podcast, and I really do need the help of my listeners to keep this project going; please consider buying me a coffee through my support page which is linked to Paypal: https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman

Did you know that this podcast is in Season 4, and that I send out a weekly email newsletter where you can get access to Sneak Peeks of upcoming guests and be inspired by highlights from the archive? Sign-up here: https://mailchi.mp/ebed4a237788/podcast-newsletter

Ariel Bart website: https://www.arielbart.com/

Take a Ten Minute Break, solo Nine Souls video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8VnpGV2b58

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(02:51) Ariel Bart’s harmonica journey and music education, starting to compose

(07:40) In Between

(13:16) Brendan Power, chromatic harmonica, playing technique

(18:15) harmonica improvisation

(20:03) Ariel’s influences and mentors, Jane Ira Bloom, New School in New York, Reggie Workman, effect of many influences

(28:36) please help this series keep going!

(29:13) making Teardrop narrative video, storytelling

(31:55) Teardrop

(35:18) The Trio Project

(37:52) part two Listening to Shame from The Trio Project

(42:12) writing for film, collaborations cellists Mayu Shviro, Talia Erdal

(46:17) European contacts, the challenge of teaching

(48:56) the need to learn the business side of a music career

(52:32) clip from Deep Down with Omri Bar Giora

(53:23) creative process, the importance of collaboration

(54:56) the novelty of the harmonica for audiences, listening to singers

(56:01) Nine Souls film project Take a Ten Minute Break

(57:33) Nine Souls ensemble version from album Documentaries

Previous Episode

Gail Archer: GRAMMY-nominated trailblazing organist

April 27, 2024

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96m

Dr. Gail Archer is a GRAMMY-nominated internationally touring concert organist and trail-blazer for women organists. She has fantastic advice on not only approaching a career in music, but in living life to it’s fullest. We talked about learning languages, some fascinating history, the magic of choirs and much more. This episode features music from several of her acclaimed recordings, and we discuss women composers, and the challenges facing women organists. We also speak about Musforum the international network for wormen organists that she founed. Gail’s work highlighting composers from many Eastern European countries including Poland, Ukraine, Bulgaria and Russia was a big part of this conversation and you’ll hear some of this music as well as that of Fanny Mendelssohn, a discussion of the Bach revival and interesting details about J.S. Bach himself, and one of Gail’s recordings of one of his sublime Chorale preludes. I learned a lot about the history of the pipe organ and gained not only a better understanding of the instrument and it’s vast repertoire, but I also gained important insights into the work of choir directors. One of the main topics Gail addressed was how to build a robust career and live a full life, with sensivity, curiosity, intelligence and determination.

Gail Archer website: http://www.gailarcher.com/ Musforum network for women organists: https://musforum.org/ This is also available on YouTube, and the transcript is linked there as well: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/gail-archer

I really do need the help of my listeners to keep this project going; please consider buying me a coffee through my support page which is linked to Paypal: https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman photo: Stephanie Berger

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(03:32) playing on different organs

(05:55) J.S. Bach Chorale preludes, Fritz organ

(08:30) Chorale Prelude An Wasserflüssen Babylon, By the Waters of Babylon, from Gail Archer’s album "J. S. Bach The Transcendent Genius"

(13:02) history of the organ

(26:17)Fanny Mendelssohn Prelude in G major from Gail Archer’s album “Mendelssohn in the Romantic Century”

(28:36) Musforum and sexist challenges facing women organists

(36:47) please support this series!

(38:23) scene in England and Europe for women organists

(39:25) Eastern European organs, Chernivsti

(45:22) Chacona by Svitlana Osgtrova from album Chernivsti

(48:28) St. John Cantius in Chicago rescued organ from Canada, Polish album

(51:28) excerpt from Grazyna Baciewisz Esquisse on album Cantius

(51:53) interpreting repertoire, choosing registers, Messiaen, Bulgarian project

(58:08) Baroque performance practice

(01:00:01) choir director, the magic of choirs, building her career, Harriman institute at Columbia

(01:07:07) learning Russian and Italian

(01:10:02) choral director, priorities working with choirs

(01:15:10) books and history, Mendelssohn family, Clara Schumann, Bach revival

(01:24:02) advice, how Gail built her career

Next Episode

Cheng² Duo

May 11, 2024

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79m

This week’s episode is with the brilliant cello-piano ensemble, Cheng2 Duo, with siblings Bryan and Silvie Cheng. They have performed to great acclaim worldwide and have released to date four fantastic albums, the most recent Portrait which was nominated for a JUNO award. Portrait features music by composers from diverse Asian heritages, and in this podcast, Bryan and Silvie reflect on some important personal experiences related to this. We are featuring some of the music from Portrait and some of their other projects in this episode, with their insights on championing living composers such as Paul Wiancko and Dinuk Wijeratne and reaching new audiences. I asked them about their Carnegie Hall debut when Bryan had just started high school, and some of their individual experiences with concert preparation, touring, and finding a life-balance. Some of what you’ll hear about are Bryan’s reflections on his memorable childhood lessons with Yuli Turovsky, the incredible opportunity he’s had to play the Bonjour Strad, and his experiences with international competitions. Silvie shared her reflections on her mentors and her life as a performer and educator in New York. Bryan and Silvie grew up in Ottawa, Canada where I live and it’s wonderful to see their careers expanding both individually and as a world-renowned chamber ensemble. Bryan spoke to us from his home in Berlin, and Silvie from her home in New York.

Can you buy this independent podcaster a coffee? https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman Thanks!

Like all my episodes, you can also watch this on my YouTube and it's linked with the transcript on my website: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/cheng2-duo

https://www.cheng2duo.com/

Weekly newsletter sign-up: https://mailchi.mp/ebed4a237788/podcast-newsletter

Catalog of Episodes: https://www.leahroseman.com/about

photo: Andrej Grilc

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(03:11) album Portrait, early pandemic in New York, Asian heritage, erhu

(12:33) Hua Yanjun Moon's Reflection upon a Spring

(20:26) anti-Asian harassment, making a difference in the world as musicians

(24:46) Paul Wiancko

(29:00) Paul Wiancko clip from Sonata 1, Part 1

(28:59) concert presentation, connecting with the audience