Episode #41: Andy Hudson
Hello and welcome back to the Dominic Brancazio Podcast where we talk about all things classical music! In today’s episode we’re joined by Andy Hudson. Andy is a clarinet performer and teacher currently living in North Carolina and it was amazing getting to learn about all of the projects he has been involved in.
As an educator, Andy is currently the Assistant Professor of Clarinet at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, has served on the faculty at Lake Forest College, Northwestern University, Tennessee Valley Music Festival and has recently been appointed Associate Professor of Clarinet at the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music. He has given masterclasses worldwide and has co-authored method books with composer Roger Zare, titled Elements of Contemporary Clarinet Technique and SPACE BASS: Advanced Explorations for Bass Clarinet.
As a performer, he is co-Artistic Director with the international sextet Latitude 49, is the Bass/ 3rd Clarinetist of the Cabrillo Festival Orchestra, has performed as clarinetist/bass clarinetist with Miami’s Nu Deco Ensemble, he’s played with the Raleigh-based ensemble earspace, and is an in-demand orchestral and chamber music performer across the country. His playing can be heard on multiple recordings for the Sony, Naxos, and New Amsterdam record labels and his first solo album ‘halfway home’ released in 2022 can be found in the description below. I know I’m only scratching the surface with all of his accomplishments, but it was truly remarkable getting to know all the things he’s done so far.
In this episode, we talk about how one can explore all of the many different facets that make up a fulfilling and rich career in classical music. We specifically talk about Andy’s background getting into music, his approach to teaching and hearing auditions for prospective students, his experience recording his first solo record, how Andy co-authored his method books, the benefits of having a processed oriented mindset when it comes to playing music, connecting with other musicians in an ever-changing digital age, and so many other topics in-between.
If you would like to find out more about Andy or learn more about his work, please check out the link in the description below. Also, if you would enjoy episodes like these and would like to learn how to support this podcast, please check out the link below as well. I had so much fun getting the chance to sit down with Andy in this episode. His insight into music is really inspiring and I feel lucky I got the opportunity to get to share this conversation with you all. Thank you for tuning in today and I hope you all enjoy the episode.
To learn more about Andy:
https://www.theandyhudson.com/
Links to Andy’s books:
-Elements of Contemporary Clarinet Technique: https://conway-publications.com/product/ elements-of-contemporary-clarinet-technique/
-SPACE BASS: Advanced Explorations for Bass Clarinet: https://conway-publications.com/ product/space-bass-advanced-explorations-for-bass-clarinet/
Link to Andy’s first solo album ‘halfway home’: https://theandyhudson.bandcamp.com/album/halfway-home