Feeling the Feeling: Emotion, Awareness, and Thought in Music

The Crystal of Three Minds: A Fever Dream

✨ Premiere Announcement

Tonight,  Atlanta Music Critic unveils its most ambitious cinematic story yet.
The Crystal of Three Minds merges reality, imagination, and the language of sound — a vision born from real AMC interviews, transformed into a fever-dream where music and consciousness collide.

🎬 Watch below, or open on YouTube for full cinematic quality and to join the live discussion.

🌌 About the Film

In a candle-lit chamber called Zora’s Room, three artists from different worlds encounter their own visions of music, time, and fevered creation.
Drawn from genuine AMC interviews, this film honors their insights while imagining what happens when artistry crosses into dream.

This short film continues AMC’s exploration of how artists think — how emotion becomes structure, and how structure dissolves back into feeling.

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🎬 Highlights from the Film

• “Music is the only fever that heals.”

• “We dream in triads; we wake in dissonance.”

• “Every conductor holds a crystal — not of quartz, but of sound.”

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💬 Join the Conversation

🕯️ Comment on YouTube: Share your interpretations of the symbols and storylines.
❤️ Subscribe: @AtlantaMusicCritic on YouTube

A Conversation with Pianist Jan Lisiecki- Not to be missed!

A Conversation with Beatrice Rana

Classical Music for Grown Ups!

 

🎹 Two Young Titans of the Piano

In the crowded world of classical music, it’s rare to encounter interviews that breathe — that give artists the time, space, and respect to reveal who they truly are. At Atlanta Music Critic, that’s exactly what we do.

In my newest conversations, I sit down with two of the most compelling young pianists of our time — Beatrice Rana and Jan Lisiecki — both destined to shape the concert stage for decades to come.

Beatrice Rana, the brilliant Italian pianist, brings the charm and sophistication of her Neapolitan roots. She is open, witty, and self-aware — a performer who connects intellect and emotion with irresistible warmth.

Jan Lisiecki, the Canadian-Polish prodigy turned thoughtful artist, is deliberate, insightful, and deeply reflective. Behind his poise lies a mind as disciplined as his touch at the keyboard — calm, precise, and quietly magnetic.

These are not celebrity chats or promotional soundbites. They are adult conversations — explorations of artistry, purpose, and identity. My questions are designed not to dominate, but to invite; not to corner, but to create space. In that space, these remarkable artists speak freely, and you’ll hear them as few ever do.

🎧 You won’t find this kind of interview anywhere else in the classical music enterprise.

Watch the full interviews now on YouTube.com/@AtlantaMusicCritic, or read them on Substack.com/WilliamFordamc

And while you’re there, don’t miss my groundbreaking research study — “Balancing the Scales of Classical Music: Comparing Strength, Fragility, and Community Support Across 18 Major U.S. Orchestras” — available at AtlantaMusicCritic.com.

This is what thoughtful music journalism looks like: intelligent, independent, and human.

Interview Release: Stacey Fraser

 Atlanta Music Critic is proud to share a new interview with soprano Stacey Fraser, whose artistry ranges from opera to chamber music. Fraser is also a member of  Brightwork New Music Ensemble, known for championing bold new works.

🎬 Watch the full conversation here: https://youtu.be/7afl1S9Xx7k?si=VfaV30ovbN3H5o0Y

In this wide-ranging discussion, she reflects on her performance career, her work with students, and the importance of building spaces for contemporary music.

You Should Watch If…

• You want to hear how one singer builds bridges between performance and education

• You’re interested in Brightwork Ensemble’s role in supporting contemporary composers

• You’re fascinated by the real-world balance of artistry, collaboration, and teaching

A Conversation with Composer David Lefkowitz

New Interview: David Lefkowitz on Craft, Curiosity, and the Composer’s Life

Atlanta Music Critic presents an in-depth conversation with the award-winning composer

I’m excited to share my new interview with composer David Lefkowitz—a wide-ranging discussion about process, mentors, risk-taking, and how composers navigate today’s musical landscape. Watch here:

👉 Full video: https://youtu.be/PJD6-KWKZvA

Why watch

• Insightful, plain-spoken talk about how pieces start—and how they really get finished

• Practical thoughts on teaching, influence, and finding a personal voice

• Honest takes on career resilience and sustaining a life in music

• Examples from his catalog that show range, humor, and depth

Highlights from the interview

• On process: how constraint and curiosity shape the first bars

• On influence: what to take from teachers—and what to leave behind

• On audiences: writing music that challenges without alienating

• On career: balancing commissions, teaching, and the long arc of a catalog

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Watch the interview now: https://youtu.be/PJD6-KWKZvA

If you enjoy this kind of long-form conversation and independent coverage, you can support the work here: Patreon.com/AtlantaMusicCritic