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Hello everyone, welcome to Kay Smith Music. I’m Kay, and today, we are doing something a little different, but very special. I’m here with Rachel Riddle. So, Rachel Riddle is a local pianist in the Yakima and Kittitas valley area, who has given live recitals, participated in several festivals including the Interharmony International Music Festival in Europe, received her bachelors and masters degrees from Central Washington University under the instruction of Dr. John Pickett, and has recently been accepted into Ball State University for her doctoral studies. So Rachel, thank you for taking the time to be with us today.
RACHEL: Thanks so much for having me.
KAY: Also, we have Rachel’s very special guest, her dog Lucy is with us. So, if you hear any panting or anything like that, that’s who it is.
RACHEL: It’s not me.
KAY: So Rachel, let’s get into our first question.
Why did you choose to play the piano?
RACHEL: My journey as a pianist has definitely been a unique one, I think. I’m not your typical doctoral piano student. It’s been a huge journey that’s really gotten started since I started college. It’s been journey that I’ve had amazing teachers who have taken me really an intermediate pianist level, and have gotten me accepted into doctoral school. So, it’s been a huge journey. I love the expression that you can get when you play the instrument. It’s all about what you’re communicating and how you’re doing that. And so, that’s what’s driven it.
KAY: And you’ve done Choral stuff as well, but you chose to lean towards piano.
RACHEL: Yeah, I really love the hard work piano takes and cherish the time I’m solo in a practice room. You know, choral music is great because you’re doing it as a group and you have that group goal of doing something together, but piano, the complexity of the music and the work ethics is really rewarding.
How did you initially become interested in music as a profession?
RACHEL: It started when I was in community college. I did running start my senior year of high school and I took music theory, just for the fun of it because I’ve always liked music. And my theory teacher was the first one who really started encouraging me in that area. He was like, “you know what Rachel, you’re doing pretty well at this, why don’t you consider this as something you go after.” You know, he was thinking an elementary music teacher or something along those lines. So he’s the one who really got me going and he’s the one who encouraged me to audition for music school. So, that’s where it really started.
KAY: Now just to clarify for some of our listeners, running start is just like starting college courses while you’re still in high school.
RACHEL: Correct. Yeah, you can take college courses while you’re still in high school and get college credit for free that way, which is amazing.
Do you find it difficult to earn a living in the field and feel that you have to supplement work outside of music?
RACHEL: I have never had to do that. I double majored, so I was an education major and a performance major for my undergrad, then I went on and got my performance in my masters. But having that education background, there’s a huge need for music teachers and I am fortunate to have a very good job these past three years with teaching music. On top of that, I teach private lessons, and I’ve accompanied students and choirs, and I have had church jobs; and so all of my jobs have been around music.
KAY: So teaching in the school, you were teaching what level?
RACHEL: I taught fifth grade through twelfth grade. I taught fifth grade beginning orchestra and I taught sixth through twelfth grade choir.
KAY: Wow, so quite the span.
RACHEL: Oh yeah.
KAY: That’s really great. I think we as a society really appreciate people like that not only entertainers, but also educators.
In what ways do you feel music education benefited you while you were in school?
RACHEL: As a kid I did piano lessons and I was really involved in ballet, actually. Was huge in my development as a kid. But I would say the music education side in college was really good, and I think that’s just being involved in so many different ensembles. And when you are involved in so many different ensembles, you get to learn from so many different, wonderful teachers. And so as an educator, I kind of pick and choose what I liked from all of my different directors and kind of took all of them as role models to what I do. And so my choir directors, or my vocal jazz directors, or jazz band, or different choirs, you know, chamber choir verses choral. So that broad aspect really helped me as a teacher.
So what areas do you find intersect with music as a career that many people might not realize exist?
RACHEL: I think something a lot of people don’t realize is how much accompanists are needed. You know that is huge, like if you’re a pianist, people are always asking you to accompany, whether it’s for a local church choir, or it’s for a children’s choir, or if it’s a college choir, there’s such a huge need. And than you have solo and ensemble, So you have to accompany students for solo and ensemble. Or other instrumentalists who want to perform. And so there’s this huge need for pianists in that area that can go, not really unnoticed, but kind of brushed over, not really seen, not really recognized to much. But it’s a huge need, it’s a huge way to serve, really every other musician out there.
KAY: And also music education. All those music educators are musicians right?
RACHEL: Yeah, oh yeah. And choral directors and pianists are very important. You see, I have many friends who are educators and they play in the orchestra, or they play in multiple orchestras, so they’re travelling all over the country to perform or play, and they’re teaching on the side, and they’re working at the local music store, and they’re just throwing themselves into their career.
KAY: Yeah, basically everything in music, just a whole bunch of different areas.
RACHEL: Yeah, you get to be really diverse, which is really cool.
Who are you inspired by?
RACHEL: My piano teacher, without a doubt. He has been the most inspiring person in my career, so far. He’s encouraged me to work hard, he’s shown me this world of expression and technique that I can keep exploring my whole life. He’s really given me the tools to keep exploring my whole life, which I’m very grateful for. And my other directors as well. All of my music teachers. In fact, I was writing this down just the other day. I have so many teachers that just really inspire me, but definitely my piano teacher.
What’s an average day like for you?
RACHEL: Well, this has been summer, so it’s been really nice. But do you want like, a school day, like when I’m normally working?
KAY: Sure because that’s most of the year.
RACHEL: It will about to change, since I’ll be starting doctoral school. but my average day was I would get up early, get to work. In the morning I taught at the middle school, plan and prep, and then teach a class at the high school. As soon as I got home that afternoon, I would start practicing. And so, I wanted to use as much of my fresh, mental energy after teaching that you can possible have and took as much good work in as I possibly could on my instrument. And then, in the later afternoon and evening, I teach a couple of lessons, and in-between there, take my dog on a walk or fetch, eat some dinner, start the day again. So, lots of music. Full of music. Doesn’t change much since college actually. It’s pretty much the same, just you’re teaching instead of being taught so much.
KAY: And do you anticipate a similar schedule when you start doctoral studies?
RACHEL: I do, yeah. I’ll be teaching a couple of classes there as well, which I’m super excited about. And then, I’ll be taking classes, and practicing, and taking lessons. And so, yeah I think it’s going to be pretty similar.
So, Do you collaborate with others?
RACHEL: Well, in the teaching world I collaborate with everyone every single day. I’ve been very fortunate to sing in a semi-professional group in Yakima, Canticus, which has been a huge, just a wonderful opportunity. It’s directed by Dr. Scott Peterson, and that group I say semi-professional because it’s made up of a large majority of music teachers actually. Music teachers, just musicians, but we don’t get paid. So it’s at a very high level, but it’s not something that really adds to my finances. But it’s super rewarding because I get to collaborate with other musicians and just perform music with other people at a high level and that’s just been great. And than my other collaborating has just been with colleagues with accompanying their choirs or stuff like that. So, yeah. there’s a really close musical world, which is really close to be a part of. Playing duets with people, sight-reading beforehand with people is a lot of fun. So I do all of that too.
KAY: That sounds like a ton of fun. Even when you’re not getting paid, especially at that high level.
RACHEL: Oh yeah, that’s just rewarding in and of itself, and it’s nice to have that outlet when you are working with kids all day to then get together with adult musicians to sing.
What is your favorite and least favorite part about this line of work?
RACHEL: There’s a lot of different angles because there’s the line as a musician personally, and how I personally like to work towards a goal and keep pushing myself and growing. And than along those lines being expressive and trying to communicate to my audience what I’m feeling, which is really, really important. And than, there’s the side of passing that on to students as well. Encouraging a whole new generation of musicians, and teaching them work ethic and stuff too, which I think is very important in our society. Students, to learn music, it’s not instant gratification, they don’t just learn it overnight, they can’t master it in a week. It takes a lot of work ethic, and passing that on to students is really important to me because it’s the reward that comes after you’ve put in the work. It just doesn’t come naturally. I mean to some extent, you have gifted and what not, but it takes a dedication and I think that’s just one of the most rewarding parts is just that dedication and how you see it change you as a person, and you hope that it can change others. Hope that they can pass that on to other kids.
KAY: Yeah, it’s very powerful, and very purposeful.
RACHEL: Very. Music and life are like the same.
RACHEL: Least favorite part. I don’t know. I think sometimes it can be hard when people don’t take it seriously. Sometimes you get faced with people who have the attitude, “ah, it’s just a hobby, why are you waisting your time, or why can’t you go on a vacation, or why can’t you just go to the movies with us, or why are you practicing when you should be building relationships socially or something.” And it’s like, “well I do that, but I have to really manage my time well.” And so I think that can be the most difficult, is just persevering through and understanding that people are just not going to understand. Does that sort of answer your question?
KAY: Yeah, I mean, people just not understanding that this is a profession too. We do have to dedicate our time to it.
RACHEL: Right, yeah. It’s a profession that you can’t just turn off at the end of the day. You can’t walk away from it. If you have a recital, you’re going to go to bed with your scores, and you’re going to study that music before you go to bed, just so that you’re visualizing it. It just takes commitment like that, that I think goes unnoticed, which is totally understandable, but it makes it challenging sometimes.
KAY: I know in my personal experience, sometimes I’m my own worst enemy because you work your day job and most people they have their nine to five job and they go home, and that’s it for the day. But than, no you can’t turn that off yet, you still have this work to do.
RACHEL: Right, exactly. It’s not just getting home from work and just having your cup of tea, and turn on Netflix, or anything. It’s like, well now I’ve got to get in a couple hours of practicing now and I need a mental energy to do that. Yeah, it’s a struggle sometimes, but you can’t imagine doing anything else.
Have you ever dealt with performance anxiety?
RACHEL: [laughs] Have I ever dealt with performance anxiety? Yes. Yes. Okay, story time. There was a time when I was an undergraduate, and I was playing the first movement, I think it was the first movement of Beethoven’s Tempest Sonata, and I was playing for studio class, and there’s this part in the left hand that’s kind of broken, sort of, sort of tremolo-ish and my hand was just shaking so much. So, so much. Just wouldn’t stop shaking in this little studio class and my teacher was just like, “boy it’s easy to do that tremolo, you know, when your hand manages to just sit there shaking for ya.” And so, performance anxiety is something I really had to work hard to overcome. It’s still there; it never really goes away, you just get better at being nervous, you’re just better at being terrified. Yeah, and obviously the more you prepare, the better you feel, so there’s always that. The prepared you feel and the more you know your music a hundred percent walking on that stage, the less that fear will consume you.
KAY: That’s a good way to put it.
RACHEL: So, it’s been a journey. Always learning. Always overcoming.
What’s the biggest problem you’ve had to overcome so far?
RACHEL: Well, definitely my performance anxiety, but really beyond that has been my ability to memorize and my ability to know my music without a doubt. As a solo pianist, you go on stage completely memorized with a full hour program, you know, and really to overcome that has really been a process of learning how to study and how to learn music. Which sounds kind of obvious, but it’s really many different layers than that. There’s the analytical layer, there’s the technique layer, and everything, there’s the visualization layer, there’s the singing it layer. There’s just so many different aspects of memorization that are going to give you that confident performance, and that’s been something that I’ve really had to work at, to start to overcome.
KAY: Well, like you said, it’s been a learning process.
RACHEL: [chuckles] Yes.
What has been your favorite performance so far?
RACHEL: …The first time I performed Liszt’s Funerailles. That I think was a favorite performance for me. I came back after I graduated and played it for a studio class at Central. It was just such a powerful piece, and it was just like it came together and I just felt the whole story. I had just been to a funeral and that just made the piece so real to me. And so, getting to take that and share it, was just really cool.
KAY: It seems like it would really be soul wrenching.
RACHEL: Oh yeah, yeah.
KAY: So I’m guessing with you going back to school here, very soon, that you don’t have any planned performances coming up?
RACHEL: It would be at the end of this year. It will be my first doctoral recital. So that one. Trying to learn music for it.
KAY: And that will be in Indiana. So anyone over there can go listen to you there.
RACHEL: Yes, absolutely. Come fly down. Fly across the country for me.
So that we know you are a human and not a robot, name one activity you like to do that is not music related.
RACHEL: Playing with my dog. Go figure.
KAY: Go Lucy!
RACHEL: Go Lucy! Yeah, playing with my dog and going hiking. You know, stuff like that. I love getting outside in the outdoors.
KAY: Especially being cooped up.
RACHEL: Yeah. You’re cooped up, which is great, but than getting out into the mountains, or something is so refreshing.
What advice for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?
RACHEL: Don’t give up. Quitting is not an option, and be willing to work hard, and keep pushing to be expressive.
KAY: I think that’s about it. So, thank you so much Rachel for taking the time to sit and answer all of these questions with us today. And thank you Lucy, for being such a great, extra guest here, and we hope that the best comes in your next step in life as you do your doctoral studies.
RACHEL: Well thank you so much. Thanks for having me.
And that’s it. Apologies if you were annoyed by any background noise. But if you enjoyed this interview and would like more, please give it a like and share among others. If you have an idea for future music community ideas, you can either leave your comments below or contact us. Thank you and learn more next time.