Coaching
A Conductor’s Perspective:
Musical Coaching by Andrew Grams
How often have you wondered: “Why did I not win that?! What did they want to hear? What can I do differently?” We usually only get coached by our own instrumental teachers, but committees are filled with musicians of all instruments, and you cannot win an orchestral job in this country without the music director’s vote.
A Conductor’s Perspective offers the serious instrumental musician coaching sessions to aid your preparation for the next professional, school or summer music festival audition, solo or chamber recital, competition, or concerto performance. Andrew Grams offers a fresh set of ears and experienced perspective, having had a widely varied career as a professional orchestral violinist, music director, guest conductor and music educator.
A graduate of Juilliard and Curtis, Grams has a wholehearted commitment to educational conducting and orchestra building. He is regular guest conductor and performance coach at many educational institutions:
- New World Symphony
- Civic Orchestra of Chicago
- Rice Shepherd School of Music
- Curtis Institute of Music
- Cleveland Institute of Music
- Manhattan School of Music
- Peabody Conservatory
- San Francisco Conservatory
- Indiana University
- Roosevelt University
- Southern Methodist University
- Amsterdam Conservatory
- Stony Brook University
He has also worked with students at NOI, NRO, Music Academy of the West, the Texas Music Festival, Brevard, Sewanee and is passionate about helping students and young professionals fulfill their career goals and enjoy music-making free from instrumental encumbrances.
Having won a violin position in the New York City Ballet Orchestra in his senior year at Juilliard and performing in many NYC-area orchestras, educated by the revered conducting teacher Otto-Werner Meuller at Curtis before becoming an assistant conductor with The Cleveland Orchestra, Grams brings a unique, practical, enthusiastic, supportive, and intellectual approach to coaching, and is beloved by the young colleagues whom he has taught over the years. An enthusiastic advocate for young soloists and BIPOC artists, the conductor of the 2023 ARD competition in Munich, many annual Sphinx Competitions and other major international competitions, he enjoys assisting young soloists realize their career dreams as well.
We are all capable of musical wizardry: those exhilarating moments when our musicality, technique and mental concentration come together to create music free from instrumental encumbrances.
Grams is happy to offer:
- 1-2 hour educational sessions
- Lessons in individual or group formats
- Options: in-person at your school, or on Zoom at the musicians’ convenience.
He specializes in:
- Mock auditions with comments
- Competition and recital soloist coaching
- Chamber music coaching
- Orchestral repertoire sectionals
Affordable fees start at $100/hour, with financial aid available. Master class and coaching packages for institutions can be easily negotiated via email, phone or text per your needs. References available upon request. The goal is to make this program available for any student, young professional or school who feels they might benefit from it.
It is often difficult to know what is necessary in our playing to realize our musical and professional goals. Through this program, Grams aims to support young artists as a coach, mentor, teacher and advocate to help their transition into the field be as joyous and rewarding as possible; to challenge them to harness their own talents, and to consistently create the highest level of musically intelligent auditions and performances as they grow, develop, strive and thrive as inspiring musicians and young professionals.