She Was Supposed to Be a Doctor. Now She Conducts at Carnegie Hall

<p>Marie Bucoy-Calavan, the Artistic Director of the <b>Choral Arts Society of Washington</b>, joins <i>The People You Meet in Old Town</i> podcast to share her remarkable journey from a Filipino immigrant household to the conductor's podium at the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall. Marie recounts how parental pressure to pursue medicine or law gave way to a deep love of music, and how a mentor's belief in her at age 21 set her on the path to earning a <b>Doctorate of Musical Arts in Conducting</b> from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. Marie explains why Washington, D.C. is a <b>"choral mecca"</b> — home to a thriving ecosystem of choral ensembles — and highlights the incredible venues across the region where live choral performances come to life. She also speaks passionately about <b>musical education for young children</b>, the Mozart effect, the Suzuki method, and hidden classical music gems in beloved children's shows like <i>Bluey and Danny Go</i>. And she shares what it means to lead the Choral Arts Society to <b>Carnegie Hall</b> for the concert, <i>From Darkness to Light</i>.</p><p> </p><p><b>Timing:</b></p><p>00:00 A Baton and Harmony</p><p>00:59 Meet Marie Bucoy-Calavan</p><p>01:03 How We Met in Old Town</p><p>01:32 Finding the Conductor Path</p><p>04:11 Arts Career Doubts</p><p>05:37 From Piano to Many Instruments</p><p>08:53 Empathy for the Orchestra</p><p>09:57 Doctorate and Training</p><p>11:10 DC as Choral Mecca</p><p>12:33 Best Venues and Joining Choirs</p><p>14:45 Carnegie Hall and New Programs</p><p>15:59 Kids and Early Music Exposure</p><p>19:39 Singing Toys to Choirs</p><p>20:05 Kids Chorus Options</p><p>21:42 Danny Go Movement Songs</p><p>23:24 Bluey Classical Easter Eggs</p><p>27:07 Taylor Swift Parallels</p><p>29:11 Live Performance Stamina</p><p>30:33 Handling Mistakes Onstage</p><p>32:00 Old Town Lightning Round</p><p>33:27 Closing Thanks and Culture</p><p><b> </b></p><p><b>Around Old Town and beyond:</b></p><p>•       <b>Maman: </b>500 King St | <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://mamannyc.com" target="_blank">mamannyc.com</a> | IG: @mamancafe</p><p>•       <b>Café du Soleil: </b>1723 Connecticut Ave NW | IG: @cafedusoleildc</p><p>•       <b>Le Refuge: </b>127 N Washington St, Alexandria | IG: @lerefugealexandria</p><p>•       <b>Orangetheory Fitness Alexandria: </b>1101 King St | <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://orangetheory.com" target="_blank">orangetheory.com</a> | IG: @orangetheoryfitness</p><p>•       <b>Choral Arts Society of Washington: </b><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://choralarts.org" target="_blank">choralarts.org</a> | IG: @choralarts</p><p>•       <b>Levine Music: </b><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://levinemusic.org" target="_blank">levinemusic.org</a> | IG: @levinemusic</p><p>•       <b>Children's Chorus of Washington: </b><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://childrenschorusofwashington.org" target="_blank">childrenschorusofwashington.org</a> | IG: @childrenschorusdc</p><p>•       <b>The Strathmore: </b>5301 Tuckerman Ln, North Bethesda | <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://strathmore.org" target="_blank">strathmore.org</a> | IG: @strathmore</p><p>•       <b>The Kennedy Center: </b>2700 F St NW, Washington DC | <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://kennedy-center.org" target="_blank">kennedy-center.org</a> | IG: @kennedycenter</p>