Arcata, California

Hard question. It would be a tossup between Handel's Messiah as recorded by St Martin-in-the-Fields, because it's a recording that got me interested in classical music and Andy Akiho's The War Below, because I absolutely love the sounds that he is wrote for that album.

Baking, Rock Climbing, Biking, Going to Concerts

Wei He, Mark Sokol, Rob Diggins

Learning music is like learning to walk. People fall when they learn to walk and then eventually they don't need to even think about it. It's about getting up and trying again; soon it becomes second nature.

"Why do we do that?" The most important question there is. It's like when a child asks "but why?" It is most important when learning how to play to understand not only what we're learning but why it's important, so we can fully understand what it means to learn whatever technique or music we are learning.

I had a performance with my teacher where we played a set of six Haydn quartets and I realized that not only was performing extremely enjoyable for me and the audience but that process of working on the music could be equally enjoyable for me and the other plyers.  

Attending San Francisco Conservatory of Music and being invited to perform with Friction Quartet. It was my first experience being able to be surrounded by people that wanted to do all of the same things I wanted to do. It was also the first time I was exposed to modern classical music that was written by current, living composers. That was eye opening for me.

I can't imagine it, but since I love cats I would definitely choose to work at an animal shelter.

Scales, Exercises and passage work. Every day some solo Bach Partitas and Sonatas.

That's too few but if I must: Hadyn, Missy Mazzoli, Paul Mortilla.

1550 Rome. The amount of distinct and inventive music being written during this time in Rome/Florence/Venice is staggering. And my favorite part is that this Renaissance music was written without compositional "rules" in place. Composers were even experimenting with microtonal music!

To start an outdoor summer concert series that features accessible and genre-blending new music.

Music is an incredible art. For every moment there is new art being created and each moment can be interpreted in a different manner by each audience member. It's like each concert is multiple artworks being created at once. Live music can transport the audience and performers to wildly different places and although everyone is gathering to experience it together, it means so many different things to so many different people. To me that is the unique magic of a live concert.

Commissioning Andy Akiho "The War Below", Working with Kronos Quartet to premiere pieces as a part of their 50 to the future project, Working with members of Emerson Quartet at Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival and New Music for Strings.

Second Prize, Schoenfeld International Strings Competition. Chamber Music America Grant, Andy Akiho "The War Below". Chamber Music America Grant Paul Mortilla "Comedia"

Two Self Produced Releases by Friction Quartet - "Resolve", "Rising"
Aki Rhythm Press - "The War Below"
Le Bouef Brothers Music - "Ritual Being"
Albany Records - "The Chamber Music of David Conte"