Avi Kishna is a Dutch sarod player based in Amsterdam, of Indo-Surinamese heritage. You’ll get to know the sarod as an instrument and hear Avi’s perspectives on Dutch society and his interesting collaborations. Among his mentors is his inspiring father, Ramdew Kishna, a multi-talented musician, director, and painter, who played a pivotal role in shaping Avi's musical journey along with his guru, Koustuv Ray. As a young man, Avi embarked on a successful career as in sales and marketing, but during this time he pushed music aside, and I found it deeply touching to hear how he was able to come back to music with the wisdom of having left such an important part of himself behind. You’ll hear about Avi’s project working with schools in Amsterdam to help provide music programs in underserved communities and this episode features some of his sarod music.

In this episode I speak with a wonderful colleague, the Bass Trombonist Douglas Burden, who has recently retired from Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra after 50 years. He shares his perspectives on his career, including wisdom passed down from some of his mentors including Emory Remington and Arnold Jacobs, and the lessons he learned about staying healthy and keeping his playing at the highest level. Doug is also well-known as an educator and will continue to teach at the University of Ottawa; he also shares his thoughts on what an orchestral career means, his memories of different conductors, his practice tips, and the importance of balancing different aspects of a life well-lived.