Ep. 9: Dr. Renée-Paule Gauthier

Written By Christopher Still

My guest today is violinist, teacher and performance coach, Dr. Renée-Paule Gauthier.

This was such an awesome episode, we got into so many topics, like, why it’s SO important to invest in yourself and that it’s totally OK to ask for help on your projects, your career, or anything that you’re working on.

We talk about learning how to shift your focus to things you actually have some control over, and how Renee was so dedicated to learning about becoming a better musician and teacher, she went and got a DMA in mindful practice.

By the way she did that while raising two kids, and holding down a busy free-lance career in Chicago, so all of you music students get ready to take some notes on how to work a google calendar and become a more efficient learner.

Towards the end of our interview you might hear Renee’s kids calling out in the background while they enjoy some video games, but I didn’t want to edit it out because it really is just the times we are living in right now with trying to work from home with kids during a pandemic, so you are NOT alone musician entrepreneur parents! We feel you.

Alright, get yourself a warm winter coat, because we’re heading to Chicago for this episode.


About Renée

Renée-Paule Gauthier is a passionate and dedicated performer, teacher, and high-performance coach.  Her career has taken her across the United States and Canada as a soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, orchestral leader, and clinician.  

Dr. Gauthier joined the Chicago Lyric Opera Orchestra for the 18-19 and 19-20 seasons, and she performs with some of Chicago’s finest ensembles, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Joffrey Ballet, Elgin Symphony, and Chicago Philharmonic.  She is the String Area Coordinator, Co-director of the Chamber Music Program, and Violin Instructor at North Park University.  

An accomplished concert artist, Renée-Paule Gauthier was mentioned as one of the "best violinist of her generation" in the book Violin Virtuosos, from Paganini to the 21st Century. Dr. Gauthier has won awards in several competitions, including the exclusive three-year loan of the Taft Stradivari violin through the 2009 edition of the Canada Council for the Arts’ Musical Instrument Bank Competition. She made her Kennedy Center solo debut in April 2014.  She was Concertmaster of the New World Symphony, in the first violin section of the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Canada, Assistant Concertmaster of the Calgary Philharmonic, and is the Founding Artistic Director of the Rendez-vous Musical de Laterrière, a chamber music festival in the province of Québec.  

Dr. Gauthier is a graduate of the University of Montreal, the Eastman School of Music, and Northwestern University. She blogs about creating a meaningful practice at her website, Mind Over Finger, and hosts the Mind Over Finger podcast.  The podcast offers discussions on mindful music-making, efficient practice, and building a purposeful career with the performers, pedagogues, and innovators who are shaping the classical music world today. Dr. Gauthier presents masterclasses and clinics on the topics of mindful practice, audition preparation, and anxiety management to audiences across the world.

 

Christopher Still https://www.honestypill.com
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