We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Alexandre Abdoulaev. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Alexandre below.

Alexandre, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

As strange as this sounds, I’ve mostly learned how to do what I do by failing repeatedly. My initial degree (BMUS) was in piano performance, and while this was a useful degree in the confines of academia, it did not confer on me the knowledge of how to apply my skills in the real world. As a result, I was repeatedly put in situations that were either poorly suited to my skill set, or required me to know something I did not. Overtime, after repeated flubs, I have gathered enough incentive to learn additional skills to supplement my degree (conducting, band management, transcription and orchestration, and many others.

Had I the ability to do it all over again, I would have definitely been more proactive in seeking out anyone and anything that could broaden my skills, and put myself into more and more situations which would allow me to utilize those skills more directly.

Alexandre, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Professionally, I wear two hats: a musician, and a semi-professional photographer. Although these two specializations don’t often overlap in practice, they share plenty of common threads that I feel comfortable discussing them side by side.

I work as both performing pianist and college educator and, as such, do a variety of things in this field. The bulk of my occupation is relegated to teaching at various universities; currently, I am teaching a seminar on blues and a general course on music appreciation at West Chester University. Concurrently with that, I am also running an online course at my alma mater, Boston University, where I am responsible for creating the lecture content and curating a variety of primary and secondary sources to enrich the educational experience. In addition, I am also a performing classical and jazz pianist, and currently perform as a soloist at a number of venues in the DC/Maryland/Virginia area. Lastly, I am also an active conductor and music director in DC’s vibrant musical theatre scene, and frequently supplement my income by doing composition and arrangement side gigs as they become available.

Photography, though not the mainstay of my professional life, is nevertheless something I am very passionate about and proud of. Over the past five years, I have developed an interest in cosplay photography, though this has since expanded into a variety of other styles. I primarily use a Canon EOS R model camera, and photograph in a combination of natural and artificial light. My most recent undertaking is the D’Aubigny Project, slated to launch in early 2023; this series of photos will spotlight non-white, non-cis/het models in a variety of traditional historical European costumes and settings to accentuate historically preconceived biases.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, it’s very much the process. While I appreciate the end result, the most enjoyable part of any collaborative creative activity is the preparation, the development of the idea, and its eventual implementation by a group of like-minded individuals. I have truly come to appreciate the creative process in a variety of settings, but mostly in my work as a theatre conductor, collaborating with other musicians, actors, and creative staff members to develop ideas that eventually come to fruition on stage; and in photography, where the combined efforts and visions of a photographer and any number of models will contribute towards a favorable and successful outcome.

Alright – so here’s a fun one. What do you think about NFTs?

They are a pyramid scheme. Next question!

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.alexandreabdoulaev.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/comrade.america/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandre-abdoulaev-b259736/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmericaComrade

Image Credits
Julian Deaton Caitlin Farthing Amanda Kinbar Shanae Thomas Demetrius Holt Kayci Lyn Cooper Cameron Bajus