The Persistence Podcast: Recent Episodes
Ella Cole
Welcome to The Persistence Podcast! I am your host, 18 y.o. violinist and entrepreneur Ella Cole. In this podcast, I will deconstruct world class performers who demonstrate incredible persistence in achieving their goals to discover the tools, tactics and habits that have made them who they are today.
Micheal Fisher is a violinist and entrepreneur currently studying at the New England Conservatory of Music where he is a student of renowned violinist and professor Soovin Kim. Beginning his journey at age 4, Micheal’s passion, drive, and determination eventually led him to become a member of the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America for their 2019 season. During the Covid-19 pandemic Micheal grew his online presence by starting his own business where he teaches, performs and creates his own workout programs available for purchase on his website https://www.michaelfisherviolin.com. Additionally, he recently began his own blog where he shares his experiences being a classical musician. In this episode, Micheal and I discuss his upbringing, how and why he fell in love with music, his Instagram presence as both a violinist and entrepreneur and the college audition process for violinists. Micheal also shares what he has learned from becoming a teacher, how he was able to deal with and overcome an injury during his freshman year at NEC and the darker moments of being a conservatory student. I hope that you learn something from this conversation and that it helps you on your journey to success. I know that it helped me.
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Carol Cole is a violinist, educator, soloist and chamber musician. Equally at home as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestra leader, Cole has appeared at major music centers in more than 22 countries and 25 U.S. states. The venues include Carnegie Hall, Philadelphia’s Academy of Music, Field Hall at the Curtis Institute, the San Francisco Opera House, the Gusman theater, and many more! In this episode we discuss her fascinating journey with violin, how she has taken and explored fantastic opportunities across her career, and how she has trusted herself to be in the right place at the right time.
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Alyssa Tong is a violinist and entrepreneur who created opportunity for herself and others when faced with difficulty. In 2018 she was faced with a devastating injury that prevented her from playing violin for several months. Instead of choosing to be held back by this, she created opportunity for herself by developing a conference called the Strings Virtual Summit. In 2020, when the world was shutting down due to Covid-19, Alyssa founded her own online summer festival called the Online Solo String Intensive (OSSI). Since then she has worked to coordinate hundreds of students during her festival while working with world class faculty members. Today, Alyssa is studying for her masters degree at San Francisco Conservatory of Music. In this episode, we discuss courage and how to take action despite the fact that you might fail, the process of creating a summer festival and much more.
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Melanie Riordan (@melannie.rio) is a violinist, educator, entrepreneur and artistic director and creator for the Summer Strings Academy for Girls. Melanie has had the opportunity to perform in some of the world’s most prestigious concert halls and has taught hundreds of students from across Europe, Canada, the United States and Asia. Currently in pursuit of her Doctoral degree at Stony Brook University, she brings a unique and passionate outlook to the world of music. In this conversation, we discuss why it is so important to take care of your physical and mental health as a musician, the tools and tactics that have helped her, and the reasons she began her journey with music.
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Dasara Beta (@dasarabeta) is a 17 y.o. trumpet player pursuing a career in music. He was First Prize winner of the High School Division of the World Trumpet Society’s Daniel Patrylak Memorial Orchestral Competition, a major Prize winner of The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra's concerto competition as well as a member of the National Youth Orchestra of the United States. In this conversation we discuss his journey with the trumpet, how he developed a love of playing in orchestra and the tools and tactics he uses in his everyday life to practice and deepen his connection with music.
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Over the past week I had my 18th birthday and so I want to celebrate by sharing the 18 most important lessons I have learned so far on my journey through life. I know I have grown a lot by taking the time to reflect on myself and my past experiences and I hope you also find great value in today's episode!
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Violinist Stephen Sims teaches in the Cleveland Institute of Music's Joint Music Program with Case Western Reserve University and in CIM’s Sato Center for Suzuki Studies. His students have won numerous concerto competitions, served as concertmasters and section principals for the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra and various All-State and national youth orchestras, and continued on to successful careers in music. Additionally, he is a teacher and guide of mine as I learn to navigate a path to becoming a professional musician. In this episode, we discuss how to accept failure and find the right path for you, the ups and downs of pursuing a career in the field of classical music and the best way to maintain a positive relationship with your instrument and practice.
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Have you ever had something that you want to achieve that feels like it would be impossible to even start? Maybe you want to travel the world, publish your first poetry book, start a blog or even just ask someone you like out on a date. If you have ever thought of starting something then it's very likely that you have heard the little voice inside your head telling you that "your not ready, or you don't have the money, or what will people think of you? You don't know what you'r doing." Today I will address that voice and how you can learn to move past it to take the first step towards achieving your wildest dreams!
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David McNees has studied with world renowned Vietnamese Thiền Buddhist monk and mindfulness teacher Thich Nhat Hahn to discover the power of meditation and how we can use it in our daily lives. He has traveled the globe several times and gained a wealth of amazing experiences as a result, and he is a former middle school teacher and meditation guide. In this episode, we discuss David's path to being in the present moment, the importance of mindfulness and meditation, and how chaos is important for self growth and development.
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Vinay Parameswaran (IG: @vinayparameswaran) is a professional conductor originally from the San Francisco Bay Area. A graduate of both Brown University and the Curtis Institute of Music, Vinay currently works as associate conductor of The Cleveland Orchestra and director of The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra. In this episode, we discuss his journey with music, the rigorous training and practice that helped him along the way, and the importance of remembering why it is you do what you do when faced with obstacles.
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Welcome to my podcast, The Persistence Podcast by Ella Cole. Here you'll discover the importance of persistence in achieving greatness and creating a world class lifestyle! PRESS ON! NOTHING IN THE WORLD CAN TAKE THE PLACE OF PERSISTENCE!
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https://www.buymeacoffee.com/ellacole
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/ellacole)