#63: Cellist Jennifer DeVore

Listen to the interview by clicking the arrow on the audio player below.

Very few of us make a living doing something that we started at age four. That’s when Jennifer DeVore began playing the cello. In the interview, I learned how her path has unfolded since then and what it takes to make it as a freelance musician in New York.

About Jennifer DeVore: DeVore received a B.A. in Art History from Harvard University before earning her Masters degree from the New England Conservatory. She is half of Zentripetal Duo, a violin/cello combo that performs frequently around New York City. She is also a member of the Harrisburg Symphony and a teacher affiliated with the Packer Institute in Brooklyn.

Over the years, DeVore has appeared at Lincoln Center, Merkin Hall, Zankel Hall, and Weill Hall, as well as concerts in Europe, Asia, Israel, and Costa Rica. A champion of contemporary music, she has worked closely with composers John Cage, Ornette Coleman, and John Zorn, and her diverse interests have led to recordings and performances with artists such as Alicia Keys, Jay-Z, Josh Groban, Suzanne Vega, and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

#62: Novelist Justine Musk

Listen to the interview by clicking the arrow on the audio player below.

A few weeks ago, when so much of the conversation about work (here and elsewhere) was being dominated by talk of Sheryl Sandberg’s book Lean In, I was introduced to Justine Musk. I was told that her blog tackled similar questionsabout ambition and powerbut from a very different perspective.

By the time we connected for the interview, we had both decided to set aside the Lean In debate, at least for now. Instead, we discussed the specifics of Musk’s own career path: how she came to be a writer, what she writes, how she’s using Pinterest to map out her next book, and what her intentions are for her blog.

About Justine Musk: Justine Musk is a Canadian-born, California-based novelist and blogger. Her first book, an urban fantasy titled Blood Angel, was published in 2005, and the sequel, Lord of Bones, came out in 2008. Musk has also written short stories and a YA (young adult) novel, Uninvited.

On her blog, justinemusk.com, she writes about creativity and other topics. In 2010, she told her (completely fascinating) personal story in this essay for the magazine Marie Claire.