MindfulOpus

Gap vs. Gain: A More Joyful Path to Musical Excellence

S3 E7: As classical musicians, we pour ourselves into performances that ask a lot of us. Whether we're stepping out as a soloist or chamber musician, leading an orchestra

From Getting Busy to Getting Happy: Finding Your Own Path with Mike Block

S3. E6: What if the goal of your music career isn't to get busy, but to get happy? I sit down with my longtime friend, pioneering multi-style cellist, singer, composer,

Five Things I Wish I'd Known in Music School

S3 Ep. 5. Surprise Fellow Opus Creator, I'm popping in for a bonus episode! Recently in getting ready for our first StudentOpus session, I've been thinking a lot about

The Myth of Having It All Figured Out: Impostor Syndrome and The Pressures Of Being A Performing Artist

S3. E4: What happens when, from the outside, you look like you're thriving and have it all figured out—but on the inside, you're riddled with self-doubt, a noisy inner cr

Let The Path Curve: Yoga, Agency & The Artist+ Life with Elena Urioste & Melissa White

S3 Ep.3: Violinists Elena Urioste and Melissa White of Intermission join me for a conversation about yoga, performance nerves, ditching perfection, healthier practice, ar

Chasing Confidence: Why It Doesn't Work, and What To Do Instead

S3 Ep. 2: What if confidence isn't what you actively need to cultivate to show up boldly on stage? In this solo episode, I'm breaking down confidence by working backwar

Season 3: The Evolving Opus

S3 E1: A conversation about outgrowing old structures, choosing curiosity over control, and creating frameworks that support who you are today. Season 3 is here, and in

Plot Twist: I'm the Guest! Interviewed by my Life and Business Coach...

Bonus Ep 2: A conversation about career transitions, perfectionism, identity, and creating your life one mindful opus at a time. In this special episode, the microphone

What Blue Jays Taught Me about Life, Music and Transitions

In this reflective bonus episode of the MindfulOpus Podcast, I share the surprisingly powerful lessons I learned by watching two blue jays, Harry and Sally, build a nest,

My Next Opus: A New Chapter After 20 Years with The Cleveland Orchestra

S2 Ep #10: This is one of those episodes I've been sitting with for a while. I have some big news to share, and honestly, even typing that feels surreal. After more than

Self-Trust for Musicians: How We Lose It and Begin to Rebuild It

S2 Ep #9: Self-trust might be one of the most quietly radical acts we can practice as artists — and honestly, as humans. It sounds simple, but for so many of us in this f

Kayleigh Miller: Speaking Up for Musicians' Health and Well-Being

S2 Ep #8: Kayleigh Miller is someone I've wanted to have on the podcast since the beginning. And our conversation today doesn't disappoint: we talk about musicians' body

Finding Your Inner Compass When Life Gets Hard

S2 Ep #7: There are moments in life when the map disappears. You thought you knew where you were headed, and then something shifts — a loss, a disappointment, an unexpect

Theresa Rudolph: Learning to Trust Yourself Again

S2 Ep #6: This episode felt like a conversation I'd been wanting to have for a long time — one that goes beyond the highlight reel and into the real, sometimes messy, alw

Transformational Change: Create Lasting Well-Being On and Off Stage

S2 Ep #5: The Four Pillars of Well-Being for Performers Most of us who pursue music or are seeking excellence in any endeavour have been told at some point that it has

Finding Alignment: Saeunn Thorsteinsdottir on Creativity, Authenticity & Change

S2 Ep #4: There comes a point in any creative life where pushing harder stops working. Where the effort that once felt necessary begins to feel depleting, and the questio

Grit Over Grind: How To Work Hard Without Burning Out

S2 Ep #3: How To Work Hard Without Beating Yourself Up    Hard work is something most artists know intimately. But the way we relate to that hard work can make the diff

Jonathan Biss: "Perfection Is Stagnation"

S2 Ep #2: On Perfectionism, Performance Anxiety, and the Purpose of Music   Perfectionism and performance anxiety are two forces that so many artists struggle with, o

Let Your Values Guide You, On and Off Stage

S2 Ep #1: As artists, it's easy to get caught up in the pressure to meet others' expectations, which can lead us to create in ways that feel disconnected from our true se

Welcome to Season 2 of The MindfulOpus Podcast!

In this season, we're diving even deeper into the human behind the art, exploring how mindfulness, well-being, and authenticity are essential for creatives like you. If y