The Inside Story: Teagan Faran and MIDDLE CHILD

MIDDLE CHILD from multi-instrumentalist Teagan Faran confronts concepts of culture and identity through the music of Johannes Brahms’ Intermezzo Op. 118, no. 2, from 6 Klavierstücke along with the works of contemporary composers. Reflecting on her Cantonese-Irish heritage, as well as her own “middle child” status and her family’s connection to Hawai’i, Faran seeks a sense of belonging through the blending of past and present through this Navona Records release.

Today, Teagan is our featured artist in the “Inside Story,” a blog series exploring the inner workings and personalities of our composers and performers. Read on to learn how working with dancers helped to fortify her sense of groove, and about the “pump-up ritual” from her ice hockey days that preps her for performances…

What advice would you give to your younger self if given the chance? 

I would encourage myself to practice asking for help openly and often! I think I had a sense that if I wanted something to happen, that I just needed to put my head down and do the work all by myself. There is so much wonderful creation that happens when even just one more perspective gets added to the conversation and I wish I could give my 14 and 18 year old selves the courage to ask for more support. I would encourage myself to be ok in taking more time to get to a solution because I was listening more to those around me who have different kinds of wisdom. 

How have your influences changed as you grow as a musician?

Each year, I find myself looking more into different fields for inspiration and guidance. I know my playing evolved a ton when I started working with dancers and adopting their understanding of groove and time. As my view of what it means to be a community member grows, I am continually looking at the work being done by other kinds of activists. In Ithaca, I have been inspired by the woodworkers and the hairstylists in town who explicitly use their areas of expertise to create space for a wider range of gender expression, equity in the workforce, and day-to-day empowerment. 

When I curate programs, I find myself returning to questions of audience need. In addition to the value of music and entertainment or education, I am curious about how to welcome people into a physical space. This started for me as an interest in lighting design and chair set up and has grown to an exploration of public transportation and event length. As much as I am asking for an audience’s support of my music, I hope I am returning that energy of care to them in making a space that is thoughtful and intentional. 

How do you prepare for a performance? 

My pre-performance routine is highly influenced by my former pump-up ritual from my ice hockey days: I focus on checking in with my body and give myself a mental quiet place to rest before going on stage. Especially during heavy touring weeks with Palaver Strings where performances can come after long travel days, taking that moment to stretch and breathe can make a world of difference. 

In the months leading up to a show, I am a big fan of mapping out practice goals and casual performance opportunities. One of my professors at the University of Michigan, Danielle Belen, instilled in me a drive to seek consistency in concert and made countless opportunities for us to share a piece as many times as possible ahead of a “Big Event.” That level of ultimate comfort is now such a dear trait in music for me and the intimacy of knowing a piece of music that well opens up room on stage for experimentation and creative risk-taking. I have a whiteboard in my studio with a timeline of the coming months, breaking down daily, weekly, and monthly aims to balance the long and the short term work to be done.

What are your other passions besides music?

Since moving to Ithaca, NY in August 2024, I have gotten extremely (EXTREMELY) into lacto-fermentation. It has been a real joy to talk with local farmers at the market each Saturday and learn more about their produce and then see how their flavors change with time and salt. It’s taken over a good amount of space in my kitchen. 

I am also fascinated by how the human body moves. In response to my own history of performance injury and to become a better teacher for my own studio, I got certified as a personal trainer to better understand how to prevent and recover from pain associated with playing violin. Understanding how and why my body moves the way it does has given me new joy in moving through the world and even more appreciation for the beauty of feats like Olympic athletes and professional dancers. 

What’s the greatest performance you’ve ever seen, and what made it special?

In November 2023, I attended the Kronos Quartet 50th Anniversary Concert at Carnegie Hall and, to be honest, I’m still a little speechless about it. The entire event felt like a family reunion; it was one of those times where there was palpable energy flowing around the audience and before a note was even played, I was invigorated. 

The program itself was a celebration of so much string music and included an absurd cast of all-stars. I find the topic of “relevancy” comes up frequently with artists as we consider our programming, and we always remark how incredible Kronos is as an institution that can simultaneously hold context and innovation in the same space. To sit in that hall and fully digest the five decades of work that had been done while looking forward to the years ahead still feels overwhelming in the most inspiring, uplifting of ways. 

After the final bow, I remember feeling like I could not even speak to anyone due to how big I was smiling so I walked myself around the corner to get an ice cream cone — a little cherry on top of an immensely nutritious sundae of musicking. 

What musical mentor had the greatest impact on your artistic journey? Is there any wisdom they’ve imparted onto you that still resonates today? 

Matt Albert is absolutely the person I want to be when I grow up. The producer of this album, he has been one of the most impactful voices in my life. It is such a surreal honor to me that he is part of this work and also completely on-the-nose as a nod to his guiding, supportive voice. 

I can point directly back to my study with Matt as the foundation of how I approach my creative practice today. He helped me revise my internal narrative as I practice and showed me how to both push for higher standards while nurturing a positive relationship with myself. It is through Matt that I have grown so much externally as well. He connected me with other wise folks like Dana Fontaneau and invited me into the family at the Cabrillo Festival. Matt is such a glowing example of how we can pave paths for other voices to join the fray while also honoring our own identities. Whenever I take a moment to breathe and truly think deeply before I speak, I thank Matt for showing me how.