Speaking Soundly: Podcast Episode with SFS Alum Kenji López-Alt

May 21st, 2024

Today, we’re excited to share news about an alum of the School for Strings who has, in recent years, gained widespread recognition as a chef, author, YouTuber, and recipe developer: Kenji López-Alt! David Krauss, husband of SFS Violin Faculty member Kristen Krauss and Principal Trumpet of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, hosts of a fantastic podcast called “Speaking Soundly” where he interviews musicians about their deepest feelings about the profession and pulls the curtain back on their careers. On the episode that is out TODAY, May 21, 2024, he interviews SFS alum Kenji López-Alt. The two discuss the commonalities between musicians and chefs, and the role of music in Kenji’s life. Below you can find a description of the episode, along with links to David Krauss’ podcast and Kenji López-Alt’s social media.

Principal trumpet of the Metropolitan Opera and podcast host David Krauss

Guest: Kenji López-Alt

Release Date: 5/21/24

Episode description: Kenji López-Alt is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, renowned chef, culinary scientist, podcast host, YouTube sensation, and violinist. Despite his transformative impact on the culinary world and how most people cook at home, he sits down with David to discuss his true passion, making music. Kenji reflects on his early beginnings on the violin at age 4 at New York City’s School for Strings, why he thinks the Suzuki method is “pretty special,” and how he evaded practice at home, thus David crowning him the “Ferris Bueller of the violin.” They go on to discuss Kenji’s summers at Greenwood Music Camp where he fell in love with music and pulled off mischievous tricks, why he ultimately chose the path of an engineering degree from MIT instead of studying at a conservatory, and his excitement for an event he’s co-hosting with James Ehnes for the Seattle Chamber Music Society this July. In the second half of the interview Kenji talks about his daughter’s first performance that made him “ugly cry,” as well as his first restaurant job, when he hit rock bottom of his cooking career, and how he changed course. To close it out Kenji contemplates the rewards of practice (cooking and music), his hopes for his children’s musical education, and why Beethoven Opus 130 still makes his back tingle.