Reflections on my Interview with Robert Taub

I’ll admit that I was pretty overwhelmed when I had to interview someone AND blog about it. It was a skill that I never really exercised and broke the norm of formal academic writing. However, having gone through the process, I found it to be quite an enjoyable experience.
I began my interview process by compiling a well-researched list of potential candidates that I wanted to get to know better. It was not until after I compiled this list that I considered my teacher’s wife who is a prominent singer and interpreter of 21st music. We got in touch, but due to her limited ties to the Princeton area, she recommended that I pursue a person that is more based in the town. The name she gave to me was Robert Taub.
Upon my research of Mr. Taub, I discovered that he was a concert pianist who was noted for his interpretations of the Beethoven as well as working with several well-known 20 and 21st century composers. Mr. Taub is the editor of the Schirmer Performance editions as well as having written a book on the sonatas themselves. In addition to a successful performance career and success as author, Mr. Taub is also the founder of MuseAmi which a music software company.
My interview with Mr. Taub went exceptionally well. Being a pianist and modern music enthusiast, I could talk for hours on any of this subject matter. The interview became more of two friends talking about music. Mr. Taub discussed his experience as a student at both Julliard and Princeton University as well as the effect that both environments had on his musicianship. He also spoke on his relationship with the famed composer Milton Babbitt.
What I found most remarkable was that Mr. Taub had an insatiable thirst for knowledge which caused him to be quite diverse in his professional career. He stated that one of the most influential classes he’s ever taken was an organic chemistry class at Princeton. He reduced the number of concerts he played to start a company that makes software to better the lives of musicians. He was so eager to learn more and do everything. This diversity contributed heavily to his artistic identity as he channels every drop of knowledge into all the work that he does.
I learned quite a bit from Mr. Taub in our 30 minute interview. He is a deeply caring person and a true artist. He is continuing to make music more accessible to people as well as being a role model to people that are firmly rooted in the art.