Testimonies

Refer to some of our testimonies to see if this community can be a positive resource for you, your students, colleagues, parents, etc. As always, we'd love for you to join! 

Featured
Erin Morse

“Carrie’s project is incredible! In an industry that can be very lonely and competitive, it’s a relief to be able to openly discuss our struggles, hopes, fears, success, and failures in a way that brings people together to support one another. I’m so glad to have met this wonderful person, participate in something meaningful, and realize we are all human and can relate to each other in some way”

 

Michael Rushman

 "I think A’tudes and Brews is a great way to promote a sense of unity and care among musicians. By reading the interviews, we learn that behind every face we see at a gig is a story, often one surprisingly similar to our own. In an over-saturated market such as Los Angeles, a project like this is sorely needed. Often, even the most skilled musicians can feel like they’re drowning in a sea of talent, and that their voice or craft is disposable. I feel that A’tudes and Brews seeks to remedy that unavoidable feeling of alienation. The questions asked in the interview are great at pulling out deeper thoughts and more personal stories than one might not hear otherwise. I enjoyed my experience being interviewed and was honored to have been given the opportunity. Carrie is a great interviewer because she asks the right questions and listens carefully to the responses. Nothing about the process felt artificial, controlled, or forced like many interviews can. Carrie has done a great job making her subjects feel at ease and safe – creating an essential trust with the interviewee that allows them to answer more candidly. The end result is that every interview reminds the reader that artistic pursuits are born out of common human needs and natures, and every person has a unique perspective, or starting point on the journey, even if their final destination is the same: that enigmatic landmark we call “success”."                         

Elena Sloman

"I felt honored when Carrie asked me to participate in A'tudes & Brews!  It was a really nice thing to do--to sit down in the midst of the busy daily life at school and just have a long conversation of why we're doing this "music thing." It was thought-provoking, reaffirming, and eye-opening all at once as we discussed some of the many topics that are relevant to us as individuals in our field. One particularly interesting and helpful topic was something along the lines of "what would you say to a fellow musician who comes to you saying they're struggling with their music?" Talking about it helped me realize some ways to deal with those times on my own but also views from others (Carrie in this case) that would also really help. It's important to take a second every now and then and remember that we're not alone if we are struggling. There is a whole world of people out there, many of whom may have gone through the same thing and could drop a hint or two on how they managed.  Being able to reach out to each other like in these interviews is a very empowering thing. Also, the tea was excellent."

Kristen Klehr

"I participated in Carrie Rexroat's A'tudes & Brews" project in 2015 and had a wonderful time sharing my thoughts and perspective. I think it is important for musicians and arts managers to share their background, experiences, lessons learned, and pro-tips for future success to others, because we can learn so much from each other. We can learn that the struggles and challenges often that we are experiencing in our own journeys may not be as foreign as we think, and we also learn new viewpoints that perhaps we had never considered prior. I strongly believe that projects like Carrie's can act as cultural social agents in our modern society, in the arts community and beyond. When people share their individual beliefs and values, and others connect or resonate with those viewpoints it can strengthen confidence in their own trajectory, as well as learning how many lives are intertwined. In short, when you have a passion that you want to pursue and you hear others tell their stories of pursuing their careers, it helps make those pursuits more tangible and in turn strengthens confidence to take strides forward. We need more of this kind of encouragement in our world; it can bring passion to fruition."   

 

 

Edgar David Lopez

"I was very happy to have been part of this project! It was my first interview in English and it reminded me why I'm doing this and why I started music in first place; it gave me perspective. Also, it's nice to read the other interviews that Carrie did because it's interesting to see how similar musicians are in their behaviors and how we develop as people. I hope to read interviews of people who aren't musicians to see the similarities between people regardless of their field of study. All in all, Carrie is a beautiful person and it is so easy to talk and be around her."

Justin Su'esu'e

"This project is valuable to young musicians because it simply helps create a strong community amongst each other. I throughly enjoyed my interview because the questions were spot on and they provoked so much thought; I really enjoyed just being able to share my experience with music because I feel that is the most valuable thing we can do. So many people have different paths to music, so it's important to get different experiences and perspectives. We can start to understand humans more by taking the time to know their story. This project serves as a platform for any person express themselves and maybe even inspire someone else; it definitely is a great way to get to know people outside of your norm."

Rachel Van Amburgh

"Having the opportunity to participate in an interview for A'tudes & Brews was a tremendously worthwhile experience. It was so wonderful to have the chance to talk about struggles and sources of inspiration in my musical career with my great friend Carrie, along with my other good friend and co-interviewee, Erin Young. It is equally inspiring to read the other interviews to gain new perspectives, and I have been pleased to find that while all of us come from different backgrounds, in many cases we have shared experience.  In all cases, our passion for music is apparent through Carrie's excellent ability create a relaxed interview environment, where interviewees feel comfortable to share their thoughts and stories openly. This platform could be tremendously valuable for musicians on a much larger scale, nationally and even globally, if given the opportunity to expand. The diversity and openness of this project is a welcome breath of fresh air in the sometimes stuffy world of classical music, and it is sorely needed."

Chris Wilson

"Love this vision for A'tudes & Brews! It was a fun experience, and I hope Carrie is able to keep it going and hopefully expand it!"

Tommy Militello

"The A'tudes & Brews interview process was a highly positive experience for me. The questions about motivation, inspiration, and dedication made me realize I lost sight of what I wanted, due to the craziness of college. Hearing myself talk about my experiences and goals helped me remember why I loved music so much and why I wanted to do it in the first place. It helped me remember my passion and why I wanted to be a musician in the first place. Reading about the experiences of others has helped me too. As a musician it is so easy to feel alone, and reading that others feel the exact same way is beyond encouraging. It's inspiring. A'tudes and Brews has been a positive outlet in my life and I encourage leaders from other areas of art take the same action Carrie has."

Stephanie Ginnings

"I was fortunate to take part in Carrie Rexroat’s project “A’tudes & Brews” last year. She made me a cup of tea and then interviewed me for around an hour. She asked questions that made me think about things that I really had not given much thought to before. The interview made me realize where I draw my inspiration from and how to persevere in my musical endeavors even when I don’t feel inspired. My favorite part of Ms. Rexroat’s project, however, was getting to read the interviews of other musicians; I saw people I looked up to being interviewed and it was refreshing reading their answers. I learned so much about some truly great musicians, in a way that I might not have if not for Ms. Rexroat’s interview. It was inspiring to see that every musician faces struggles and setbacks. Relating to other people in the music field is so important, and Ms. Rexroat has done great work in this regard-I very much enjoyed participating in her project!"   

Catherine Baker

"I loved being interviewed by Carrie, but especially loved reading about the other interviews that she did as part of A'tudes & Brews. It really humanizes the entire life that it is to be an artistic musician trying to survive in this dog eat dog world! It helped to inspire the way I have been growing as a musician, as I still go back to read those interviews periodically!"      

Elizabeth Kosko

"I believe that A'tudes & Brews is a unique and beneficial project highly worthy of continuing its endeavors to promote positive attitudes and empower musicians to tell their stories. I thoroughly enjoyed the interview I did with Carrie in which she was able to prompt good conversation and thoughtful responses on my part. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for Carrie and the project, and I believe that the more its reach grows the bigger the impact it will have on the music community"