NPR's From the Top's is featuring rural musicians, inlcuding Adam Brachman from Fargo. ~~~ Whether you like charcoal, gas, or pellets, it's time for grilling season. We visit with Rick Gion for Prairie Plates. ~~~ May is mental health awareness month. Today we’re going to meet a gentleman who had a career as a web developer…started studying dancing and deuling….and ended up with a career refresh.
From the Top Transcript
Ben Rosenthal and Laurel Harned have been chosen to perform in an upcoming episode of NPR's From the Top. The segment will be titled Musicians from Rural America and will be aired right here on Prairie Public this Sunday, May 5th. Laurel and Ben will join Fargo's Adam Brockman and others on the show. Today we'll hear from three incredibly talented musicians, Ben, Laurel and Adam, prior to the airing of From the Top, which will feature them this Sunday on Prairie Public.
We begin with Ben Rosenthal, a high school student. He has been playing the violin for 12 years and is currently a member of the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra.
Ben, welcome to Main Street and tell me where are you right now?
Ben Rosenthal
Right now, I'm in Damariscotta, Maine. I'm volunteering at a high school film shoot as an extra in a role that a film that was written by a high school student here at the local high school. I am volunteering for today's filming.
It's pretty fun. A pretty exciting day right now.
Craig Blumenshine
Before we get into your musical accomplishments, Ben, you collect shoes. Tell me about that just a little bit.
Ben Rosenthal
So I started collecting shoes around two years ago with a real interest in some of the more vintage brands that either you don't see anymore or you can still find them, but in terms of quality have decreased so much. When I first got into shoes, I saw them as a real piece of craftsmanship and quality that I thought was a very unique form of self-expression. Some of the brands that I've gained a liking for are, I'd say, vintage Forsheim, Allen Edmonds, some of the vintage Bostonian, Alden of New England, all great American shoemakers.
I currently have between 20 and 25 pairs in my collection right now. I don't really feel the need to keep adding to that collection because, as I said, it's more of a personal statement. My goal is to get the highest quality shoes I can get.
I prioritize that more so than having as many. That's something I've really gotten into and enjoyed over the last few years.
Craig Blumenshine
So my wife still may end up with more shoes than you have, Ben. Is that what you're telling me? Yeah.
Ben, let's turn to your music accomplishments. You started playing the violin when you were just four. How did that happen?
Ben Rosenthal
Neither of my parents are especially musical, but my brother, who's five years older than me, he had started playing violin when he was five. That was always something that was around in the house. Like, it was always a constant influence on me.
I think I picked up on that pretty well. It was really inspiring and it was not just in music, like, just having an older brother in the first place was great for me because he was a great role model and someone wonderful to look up to and obviously, I think it definitely carried over into music as well.
Craig Blumenshine
When did you figure out you were pretty good, Ben?
Ben Rosenthal
Not until I started studying with the teacher I'm studying with now because it was always, I always made it a competition. I guess I always framed it as a competition, I should say, because I always would listen to my brother practice and then I'd go and practice myself and hear how much worse I was technically and there was always motivation for me to keep practicing. But it wasn't until I started studying with my teacher, Lin Chang, who I currently study with now in Boston.
He was really wonderful at motivating me to practice, pushing me to get the most out of it that I could. I don't want to say I've isolated myself, but I really have more of an emotional connection with later romantic era of classical music.
Craig Blumenshine
Ben, tell me about your journey to end up performing with NPR's From the Top.
Ben Rosenthal
It's very interesting because I was having this talk with someone else, like, as a musician, how do you get exposure? How do you, how do you get yourself out there? What this person told me was that people are gonna be watching you, like, in the background.
I was nominated by one of my, I had never discussed this with my teacher, but it was, this was a program, From the Top's Fellowship Program, that I was selected for. She had nominated me for this without even telling me, but it was one of my previous teachers and mentors at the Baychamber Music School in Rockport, Maine. I had worked with some of her summer programs before and won some competitions up there.
The more you put yourself out there, the more you're gonna be seen. The right people see you, I think that's what's most important. I don't really think, like, this is not something that I can pin on one particular event.
It's just, making a good impression is really important.
Craig Blumenshine
Ben, you compose and you perform. Those are two very different things. Do you have a preference?
Ben Rosenthal
Yes, I prefer composition. It's a much smaller part of the contribution I've worked on in music. I practice between one and three hours a day.
Composition, I do much more sparsely, but it's the same thing as any artist or writer, in that composition for me is a very, very unique way to channel your emotions that could not be done so in any other way. I mean, music, in performance at least, it's very interesting because you're basically reinterpreting the emotions of the one who composed the piece in the first place. Composition is pretty unparalleled in my opinion.
It provides a really unique space to relay all of your own emotions without judgment from anyone else. So because of that, I do tend to prefer composition.
Craig Blumenshine
We're going to play a piece that you composed a little bit later for our listeners, Ben, but we also want to give our listeners a taste of how you perform. What are we going to hear?
Ben Rosenthal
First, we'll be listening to a performance I made back in September of the second movement of Baal Shem by Ernest Bloch. The second movement is called Migun. The piece is, Baal Shem is subtitled as Three Portraits of Hasidic Life or Jewish Life, written by Ernest Bloch, dedicated to his mother.
Craig Blumenshine
And as we come out of this performance, it's just beautiful. Do you struggle balancing your commitment to music with other things that you want to do as a high school student?
Ben Rosenthal
I struggle, but whenever I do, I have to remind myself that this is really something that I'm passionate about and that I can see myself pursuing because I think it's most important to prioritize what it is that you can see yourself doing later in life. And in terms of school, I am home-schooled, which is great because it gives me so much more flexibility than I would have in a typical school environment. If I want to, I could spend six, seven hours a day practicing and just stay up studying until 11 or 12 each night.
And because I am home-schooled, I have that freedom to do that, not that I would do it every night. It also gives me independence because it lets me determine my schedule. I think as long as I'm able to prioritize what I know for myself is my most important thing to work on for my career and my future, and then anything else I want to do is kind of secondary to that.
Craig Blumenshine
Ben, you said earlier that your parents aren't necessarily musically inclined. What do they think about your passion that you have for music?
Ben Rosenthal
They are wonderful in that they'll support whatever I put my mind to. Their mindset on this is that if they don't see the commitment and the dedication on my part, then they have no reason to support that, as they shouldn't. Because if this is really something I'm serious about committing my life to, they'll see that in the hours that I devote to practicing and music.
If they don't see that dedication, they would tend to second-guess that. But as long as it's something that they can see that I'm really passionate about, they have been really supportive.
Craig Blumenshine
In more detail, perhaps, what are your aspirations for the future? Where do you think music will take you, and where would you like it to take you?
Ben Rosenthal
This is really something I'm still working on figuring out, following high school at least. I'm hoping to pursue some sort of either dual degree or double major with violin performance, a minor in composition, and then an academic degree, which I'm still considering. I have many interests in public policy, environmental science, also in biology and neuroscience as well.
The hardest part for me is finding that balance, as you were saying. What I want to do professionally, how to incorporate music with that. To find that balance is difficult, but the biggest lesson I've learned is to be creative, to not let yourself be defined by anything.
One of my mentors is the first violinist in a string quartet. She has basically devoted the string quartet and all the work that they do to using music to bring awareness to the environment, so passion projects like that I think are wonderful, and I could definitely see myself following a similar track.
Craig Blumenshine
I'm guessing there are some young people, perhaps younger than you listening, that will listen to you when you appear on NPR's From the Top. What advice would you give someone who's younger than you, who really has an interest in music?
Ben Rosenthal
The best advice I can give is see as much live music as possible. There is nothing more inspiring than a wonderful live music performance. The first time I saw Mahler's Second Symphony performed live was truly life-changing.
There are certainly times as a musician that you lose inspiration, you lose that drive and the passion to keep going, keep practicing two, three hours a day, and there is nothing like an amazing performance to re-spark that passion and the motivation.
Craig Blumenshine
Ben, you're going to take our listeners out with something that you have composed. What are we going to hear?
Ben Rosenthal
We will be ending with the second movement of a piano quartet I wrote almost two years ago that was selected as one of three winners of the National Young Composers Challenge and performed in Orlando, Florida last April in Steinmetz Hall by graduate students at the University of Central Florida. The piece is called Scherzo.
Craig Blumenshine
And now we are pleased to be joined by Laurel Harnard, who will be featured this Sunday in an episode of From the Top right here on Prairie Public. She'll join Ben and Fargo's Adam Brockman, who we'll hear from next. Laurel, it's a pleasure to have you on Main Street.
Laurel Harned
Thank you for having me. I'm so excited. Where are you from, Laurel?
I'm from Redlands, California.
Craig Blumenshine
When did you first pick up the guitar? And I can't wait to hear what you have to play for us. But when did you first pick up the guitar?
And then next, when did you think that you were pretty good?
Laurel Harned
So my mom simply started me on lessons when I was nine years old. I've always been homeschooled, so it was kind of just part of a homeschool curriculum, so to speak. So I was nine years old when I had my first lesson, and I thought it was so much fun.
And my parents never had to tell me to practice. I just had a blast with it and kind of progressed rather quickly, which was also a lot of fun, getting to play so many pieces and so much new stuff.
Craig Blumenshine
So, Laurel, you had some success early on. What was your first competition?
Laurel Harned
My first competition was in 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. It was the James Stroud National Classical Guitar Competition for high school age guitarists. So I'd never been in anything.
I had zero experience outside of lessons and a few little student recitals in my hometown. But this was a big, big jump. I flew with my parents to Cleveland for the semifinal round.
I did not make the finals, but it was kind of my first glimpse sort of into the bigger guitar community that was out there. So I definitely caught the bug pretty hard.
Craig Blumenshine
What genre do you most enjoy playing?
Laurel Harned
Classical. I've only ever really been classical. I've kind of started branching out into some jazz recently, but very, very little.
I have a long way to go in that regard. I did start out for a minute on a steel string guitar in my first couple lessons, kind of playing through little exercises and things. But I quickly switched over to a nylon string.
Craig Blumenshine
Any other instruments in your repertoire, Laurel?
Laurel Harned
No other instruments. I did attempt to teach myself the violin for about three weeks and quickly found out that that was not going to be an option.
Craig Blumenshine
You've had people, I'm sure, that have influenced you, Laurel, along the way. Your instructors, for sure. Are there others that really have been inspirational for you?
Laurel Harned
Really, I've had the opportunity to study with quite a few people recently. My very first teacher, her name was Susan Graves. She was just a local, had a local little studio.
And I studied with her for probably six or seven years. So she really gave me such a solid foundation and cultivated my love for the instrument. And I think she saw some potential.
So she'll always be the number one influence, I think. And then recently I've been studying with the new teacher, Jack Sanders. And he's really just kind of taken my playing to the next level through, you know, worked on my musicality and refined my technique.
And he has so much experience. I think those two are my biggest influences. And also I go to Marina Valley Community College.
I take a couple of classes there I have for the past few semesters. And they do happen to have a guitar program. So there's some wonderful teachers there, all University of Southern California grads.
Really a lot of connectivity in that program. And it's been really great to be over there.
Craig Blumenshine
Laurel, I want our listeners to be able to hear you play.
Laurel Harned
I'm going to play the double from BVW 997 by Johann Sebastian Bach.
Craig Blumenshine
Laurel, what do you want to do with your ability with the guitar? What's on the horizon for you?
Laurel Harned
On the horizon for me, I'm planning to transfer to a four-year university. I'll start applying in the fall. So we'll just kind of see where it takes me there.
My guitar and music has been something that allows me to travel, which I really enjoy. Travel and meeting people. I love, you know, making connections everywhere and just performing.
I love to be on the stage and perform and perform as much as I can and have fun while doing it.
Craig Blumenshine
So is music performance going to be your major or is it something like astrophysics?
Laurel Harned
Music performance for sure. Guitar.
Craig Blumenshine
Laurel, you also live on a small farm. What do you do on the farm?
Laurel Harned
I do live on a small organic farm. My parents full-time jobs. I used to help out quite a bit more.
You know, as a kid, I was just outside all the time, running around. We used to have some animals, like some chickens that I would take care of, but not in recent years.
Craig Blumenshine
Laurel, you are one of the recipients of From the Top's recent Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award. And this award has opened some doors for you. What are those doors?
Laurel Harned
It really has. I mainly have been using it for travel expenses and also private lessons. Masterclasses.
So it's been really awesome in that regard. The biggest, most exciting plan coming up, I'm going to be heading over to Europe for the first time with my mom and going to Italy to meet the luthier of my guitar. And maybe over to Spain for a minute to check out some guitar related things.
And then I'll be back over in Italy for the Volterra project, which is a 10 days, kind of just an intensive guitar masterclasses, workshops, lectures, all of that fun stuff.
Craig Blumenshine
Laurel, what motivated you and how did you learn about From the Top? What motivated you to want to try to be on the show?
Laurel Harned
Oh, that's a tough question. I think it just kind of happened. I initially heard about it, I think, through Instagram.
I saw something about the scholarship that they were offering and I had known about From the Top and their radio show for quite a while. Yeah, so I had just applied for the scholarship. Was the first time I did not receive the scholarship.
And so I applied for it a second time last fall and received it. And it was a kind of took off from there. Just the recording in Los Angeles and radio interviews.
And it was it was just a blast overall.
Craig Blumenshine
Laurel, do you perform? Do you most enjoy performing by yourself or as part of an orchestra? What experiences do you have performing?
Laurel Harned
I think that's a tough question. I enjoy both both solo and in ensembles. But I would have to say I enjoy ensemble a little more just because sharing, you know, sharing music with other people in a performance environment or even just in rehearsals, there's just something about it.
It's it's so enjoyable and it's kind of an immediate connection. I do enjoy solo very much as well, but it is a little more work. Last summer, I attended the Romero Institute in Oklahoma, Oklahoma City University.
There were quite a lot of ensemble opportunities there, duos and small ensembles and also a guitar orchestra. So that was my first experience with, you know, 20 guitars at one time. So that was also pretty awesome.
Craig Blumenshine
That was Laurel Harnard, who has been chosen to perform with Ben Rosenthal, who we heard from earlier, and Fargo's Adam Brockman, who joins us next. All have been chosen to perform in an upcoming episode of NPR's From the Top that will air this Sunday at 7 p.m. right here on Prairie Public. The star of the show, at least for those of us living here in North Dakota, will be Adam Brockman.
He sat with me earlier this year for an interview here on Main Street. Adam is a Fargo Davies High School senior. And I started by asking Adam when he started learning how to play the piano.
Adam Brachman
Well, I started playing piano halfway through kindergarten.
Craig Blumenshine
Kindergarten.
Adam Brachman
Yes. But I didn't really enjoy it until sixth grade. I had kind of just gone through the motions of learning what my teacher told me to.
But then once I got to sixth grade, I started playing what I wanted to play. I played things that I enjoyed. Specifically, my mother would always play a piece, Canon in D, and I made it my mission to learn that piece.
And then after I learned it, it was just like I couldn't stop. I just kept learning pieces that I thought were fun to play.
Craig Blumenshine
And what about the composition side of your world? When did you start writing your own music?
Adam Brachman
Well, honestly, I started writing right away. I found some old videos on my YouTube channel when I was 12 of some compositions I had written. They weren't amazing, but I didn't even remember writing when I was that young.
It wasn't until sophomore year, though, that I really got into composition. I wrote a lot for piano, but then I started to expand and I wrote more for chamber music, music that I didn't know. And most recently, I've written for larger works like symphony orchestra and wind band.
Craig Blumenshine
Is it harder for you to perform or is it harder for you to compose?
Adam Brachman
There's a pretty big difference. It's definitely harder for me to perform. Performing is you get one chance to show the world what you have to offer.
And all the preparation goes into that one moment. It's a lot of pressure. And with composing, it doesn't matter where I do it.
I could do it in my bedroom whenever. And people aren't wondering how long did it take you to prepare? How long have you worked on this?
They just look at the product that you've offered. You can spend time working on it and you can show people your best work.
Craig Blumenshine
When you're composing, give us a sense of or give me a sense of how that process works.
Adam Brachman
Well, I start by improvising on the piano. I find a melody that I like. If I'm writing for solo piano, I'll honestly sometimes just keep exactly what I had improvised.
But if I'm writing for a larger work with instruments other than piano, I might find a melody that I like, put it on a couple of instruments. And then from there, I almost work through it like a mathematical equation. I give the background chords to some instruments like the brass.
I harmonize everything. I think about the bass. And it's really an interesting experience because you kind of solve your own problems that you create.
And it really is a good way to show emotion and how you're thinking through music.
Craig Blumenshine
I'm guessing that you do this in a high tech world very differently than your predecessors did decades ago.
Adam Brachman
Yeah, mostly I work with just scoring. There's a lot of people that do online music production with DAWs, but I haven't really explored that yet. I definitely will have to in college.
But honestly, so far, I've really just done notation. I use a program called Musescore 4. I really like it because the MIDI playback is outstanding.
And I'm able to see what it would sound like when it's played in real life.
Craig Blumenshine
You have selected some clips that you want to share with our listeners, Adam. Set up the first clip for us.
Adam Brachman
Sure. The first clip I have is a composition I wrote this last summer for solo piano. It's more of a jazz contemporary style, but it's something I've worked on for a while.
(music clip)
Those were three very talented musicians, Ben Rosenthal, Laurel Harnard and Adam Brockman, who's a Davies High School student right here from Fargo. They'll be featured this Sunday on an episode of From the Top. More Main Street is ahead.
NOTE: Prairie Public transcripts are created on a rush deadline by turboscribe.ai. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of "Main Street" is the audio record of the show.