At The Table : Nick Luby and Susan Zhang, Founders of The Concert Truck

Outspoken with Shana Cosgrove

In this episode of The Outspoken Podcast, host Shana Cosgrove talks to professional pianists and founders of The Concert Truck, Susan Zhang and Nick Luby. The pair talk about the beginning stages of starting their business and what it’s like performing concerts in a truck! They also speak about their other musical experiences such as their education, teaching piano, and their entrepreneurial view of the industry. QUOTES"The only reason to do music is the music itself." Nick Luby - [09:40]"There are a lot of ups and downs with learning to play an instrument, or really learning any craft well. I think that it’s good to experience that. Even when you’re young. Because you learn that to get better than anything, you’re going to have to feel those uncomfortable feelings. And that’s an important part of the process." Susan Zhang - [13:13]“If you’re a great improviser, then you’re automatically a good composer because improvisation is spontaneous composition.” Nick Luby - [16:14]TIMESTAMPS[00:04] Intro[01:00] Nick Luby Musical Excerpt[01:30] Meet Nick Luby and Susan Zhang[02:08] Teaching Piano[04:20] Meeting and Creating The Concert Truck[07:54] College[09:03] Family[10:25] Susan’s Education Experience[10:53] Susan Zhang Musical Excerpt[11:25] Susan’s Parents[12:00] Kids Starting in Music[14:33] Vulnerability and Improvisation in Music[17:13] Success[17:49] Adopting The Concert Truck[19:47] Entrepreneurship[21:54] Nick Luby and Susan Zhang Musical Excerpt[22:23] Entrepreneurship Continued[25:03] Nyla Technology Solutions[25:36] Driving The Concert Truck[27:37] First Concert to Now[33:37] Wrap Up Questions[35:35] OutroRESOURCEShttps://peabody.jhu.edu/ (Johns Hopkins Peabody Institute)https://www.gilman.edu/ (Gilman School)https://www.wesleyan.edu/ (Wesleyan University)https://www.biography.com/musician/johann-sebastian-bach (Johann Sebastion Bach)https://www.biography.com/musician/wolfgang-mozart (Wolfgang Mozart)https://www.biography.com/musician/ludwig-van-beethoven (Ludwig van Beethoven)https://www.biography.com/musician/frederic-chopin#:~:text=Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric%20Chopin%20was%20a%20renowned,piano%20compositions%20were%20highly%20influential. (Frédéric Chopin)https://www.southcarolinaarts.com/ (South Carolina Arts Commission)https://sc.edu/ (University of South Carolina)https://www.esm.rochester.edu/ (Eastman School of Music)https://www.npr.org/2011/07/18/124272297/the-life-and-music-of-samuel-barber (Samuel Barber)http://www-personal.umich.edu/~cyoungk/kapustinbio.htm (Nikolai Kapustin)https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sergey-Rachmaninoff (Sergey Rachmaninoff)https://www.scpianofestival.org/ (South Carolina Piano Festival)http://sepf.music.sc.edu/study/competition/ (Arthur Fraser International Piano Competition)https://www.dallassymphony.org/ (Dallas Symphony Orchestra)https://fourseasons.ecu.edu/ (Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival)https://www.kennedy-center.org/ (The Kennedy Center) https://www.amazon.com/Willpower-Instinct-Self-Control-Works-Matters/dp/1583335080 (The Willpower Instinct) by Kelly McGonigalRELEVANT LINKShttps://www.theconcerttruck.org/ (The Concert Truck)https://www.theconcerttruck.org/events (Upcoming Events with The Concert Truck)https://www.facebook.com/theconcerttruck/ (The Concert Truck on Facebook)https://www.theconcerttruck.org/team (About Nick Luby and Susan Zhang)https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickluby/ (Nick Luby on LinkedIn)https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-zhang-5b135827/ (Susan Zhang on LinkedIn)https://twitter.com/szhang26?lang=en (Susan Zhang on Twitter)https://nylatechnologysolutions.com/ (Nyla Technology Solutions)I’d love to hear from you -- your feedback is important to me and I read all of it. If you enjoyed the podcast, I hope you’ll give us 5 stars. I’ll be sure to thank you via email. If not, let me know what you think we should do differently....