Episode #19: Shona Goldberg-Leopold
Hello and welcome back to the Dominic Brancazio Podcast! In this episode we begin a new segment on the show all about freelancing. In addition to the general interviews and practice strategy discussions that have come before this episode, these particular chats will focus on the lives of freelance musicians and how they make their careers happen. I think these will be valuable conversations because making a career in music can be very difficult and a lot of the time with freelancing there isn’t too much information on how to get started. I hope these specific episodes can provide more insight on how freelancing works and give anyone interested in making it their career new ideas to explore and think about. I don’t know of a better way to start off this segment on freelancing than with talking with my friend Shona Goldberg-Leopold.
Shona is a wonderful friend and an absolutely fantastic freelance horn player in the Baltimore and Washington D.C. area. In this episode we talk about how Shona got into music, about transitioning from school life to freelancing, prioritizing your time, accounts of subbing with a professional orchestra for the first time, etiquette when showing up to a gig, traveling to concerts, and other factors to consider when taking on gigs.
If you all have any questions for Shona and I about anything in the episode, please feel free to leave a comment in the comment section on the YouTube channel. It was a real treat getting to see Shona again and getting to hear all of her wisdom on the topic. I definitely was low-key taking notes on everything and I hope you all find it informative and engaging as well. Thank you for listening and please enjoy the show.
To learn more about Shona: