Show notes
Sponsored by The Mountain Air | Sponsored by Benny’s Pizza | SLOFreeParking
Maestro Andrew Sewell is back Up+Adam, and this conversation arrives at one of those fascinating moments when celebration and transition are happening at exactly the same time.
Andrew joins Adam ahead of Pops by the Sea: Symphony Remix, the SLO Symphony’s end-of-summer celebration at Avila Beach Golf Resort featuring local powerhouse horn band Brass Mash. They get into what happens when a full symphony collides with the music of The Beach Boys, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Cranberries and more, including some seriously clever mashups that turn the concert into a little bit of a live “name that tune.” Andrew also explains why a song like “A Whiter Shade of Pale” may have more classical DNA in it than you ever realized, and what it takes to make an outdoor symphony concert work when the ocean, weather, amplification and acoustic instruments all become part of the equation.
But there is a much bigger conversation underneath the music. Andrew recently announced that he plans to step down as Music Director of the San Luis Obispo Symphony following the 2027-28 season, completing an 11-year tenure. He opens up about why he chose to give the organization two years to thoughtfully prepare for its next leader, how becoming a grandfather has shifted some of his priorities, and why loving the music does not necessarily mean holding onto the position forever.
Adam and Andrew also talk about what San Luis Obispo has taught him, the extraordinary philanthropic spirit of the Central Coast, the 46 musicians he has hired during his tenure, and the importance of putting instruments into the hands of young people. Andrew traces some of that passion back to being eight years old and attending the symphony concert that made him want to learn every instrument in the orchestra.
And then there is this little revelation: Andrew says actual conducting is only about five percent of what a Music Director does. The rest is programming, rehearsals, organizational leadership, development, community building and figuring out how to turn dozens of extraordinary individual musicians into one unified musical voice.
Of course, Adam and Andrew also revisit their previous adventure together, when Maestro Sewell put a baton in Adam’s hand and attempted to teach him how to conduct. Somehow, both men survived.
It is a conversation about music, leadership, community, knowing when to make room for what comes next, and why the SLO Symphony continues finding new ways to invite people into an art form they may not even realize they already love.
Learn more and get tickets:
• Pops by the Sea: Symphony Remix
Pops by the Sea tickets and event details
• San Luis Obispo Symphony
SLO Symphony official website
• Maestro Andrew Sewell
Andrew Sewell biography
• Brass Mash
Brass Mash official website
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