Choir Baton Podcast Episode 33. More than the music: an interview with Dr. Ryan Holder
Apr 07, 2020
I remember sitting on my bed one day and crying (sobbing) to my best teaching friend, Valerie, that I had made the wrong decision to go to graduate school. That I couldn't do it. I was not good enough and was crazy for thinking I could. Simply put, my first year of graduate school for my masters in music was not easy. But my second year felt like a breeze in comparison. There were many reasons for that, one being this. The one factor that was my constant during those 2 years and provided me a source of mentorship, friendship, and sarcasm was Dr. Ryan Holder. I was a graduate assistant for Dr. Holder (or as oft affectionally referred to as "Holder") and learned not just music from this man, but how to be a better person. In this episode, you'll hear a rare side to the professor who likes to be known for the fear he invokes in his women's chorale. We talk about vulnerability and depression. We talk about vocal jazz and women's choir music. We talk about his latest collaboration with the Sedona Academy of Chamber Singers that is already gaining talk of a Grammy nod. You'll hear how his passion for teaching students and helping them learn is why he was such an important part of my journey as a musician and why he continues to impact so many other students past and present.