What do you consider to be the most important ideas and concepts to impart to aspiring musicians?
LIZ: Remain open to new opportunities, discoveries, experiences, and pathways. Neither Greg nor I had ever imagined that we would be in a professional piano duo; we were on the conventional path of building solo careers, and we actually began playing together just for fun. But both of us did have lofty dreams and visions for how classical music could impact the world, and somehow we found that our ideals powerfully aligned (and this, alongside our friendship, is the glue holding our partnership together). We aim to keep open minds and hearts, as artists and people, because we hope to channel the full scope of the human experience through our music. And this openness has led to experimenting with different musical genres, performing in an array of diverse venues, and even setting a piano on fire for the sake of a music video. I would just urge musicians/performers to explore ways of integrating their art with the world around them, to live as fully as possible (i.e. beyond the practice room and stage), and to trust what feels most authentic in terms of their creative endeavours.
GREG: I would encourage aspiring musicians to explore the full potentiality of social media. For Liz and me, our mission to make classical music a relevant and powerful force in society, and what is more a powerful or relevant tool in today’s society than social media? Social media allows musicians to showcase the joyous, surprising, and life-changing potential of classical music to audiences far, far beyond the standard concert halls. The content we create for social media—whether it be our music videos, listening tips, or cocktail recipes—ultimately serves our mission and amplifies the listening experience for our fans, but also we’ve found that it enhances our performances as well, causing us to interact with our music from fresh and unique points of view. The impact social media has had on our careers has been immeasurable.
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