Brave Musician

In this episode, Monica and Quez Cantrell (an artist, MC, producer, and web designer from Nashville, TN) continue their conversation where they left off in Part 1. They dig into their personal experiences with isolation, emotional incarceration, self-guilt, forgiving, and moving through deeply painful experiences. They talk about reading and sharing books they have found helpful and figuring out how to rest when needed. They talk about collaboration, lifting up others, being sure of your story and figuring out what a moment sounds like. They share their mutual respect for Rakim and Kendrick Lamar, being unconventional, and making sure that the things you do are sitting right with your spirit. They talk about the importance of trusting people and letting them do what they do, learning how to say no and be told no, motivation and inspiration, setting intentions, and Quez answers the “Behind the Curtain” questions. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. The Brave Musician podcast is a part of BraveMusician, which includes a variety of workshops, a blog, and other opportunities to connect within this community. Please visit BraveMusician.com to find out more. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcasts.

In this episode, which is part one of a two-part series, Monica has a profoundly honest and deeply vulnerable conversation with Quez Cantrell, an artist, MC, producer, and web designer from Nashville, TN. They talk about how they met (it all started with an NPR article about the Nashville Hip Hop scene that came out during the pandemic) and Quez's unconventional journey that led him to put his brutally honest music out into the world. Quez shares some of the challenges that he's encountered growing up Black in Nashville and trying to build a career when you're not a country music artist. We dive into his writing process, influences, and how they both want to know the backstory of how a song comes together. Quez also shares how playing football prepared him for being on stage, but it was music that helped him deal with and process his brother's murder. They talk about building a community that values what different people bring to it, being ok with being vulnerable, self-reflecting, growing as a person and learning how to feel emotions and face them. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. The Brave Musician podcast is a part of BraveMusician, which includes a variety of workshops, a blog, and other opportunities to connect within this community. Please visit BraveMusician.com to find out more. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcasts.

In this episode Monica is joined by drummers Matt Crouse (from Nashville, TN) and Zack Albetta (from Atlanta, GA) who are the hosts of The Working Drummer podcast. They talk about some of the challenges and rewards of producing a podcast, the story of how Matt and Zack started working together and what they each bring to the table. They share how they both enjoy talking about making a living playing drums and the logistical, psychological, physical and emotional obstacles that are inherent within the profession. They discuss some of the misconceptions of the music business, the desire to learn and understand one's options, the art of asking questions and why it can be hard for some to open up. Matt and Zack also answer the “Behind the Curtain” questions. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. The Brave Musician podcast is a part of BraveMusician, which includes a variety of workshops, a blog, and other opportunities to connect within this community. Please visit BraveMusician.com to find out more. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcasts.

In this episode, Monica chats with singer and songwriter, Chelcie Jette about her journey as a songwriter, how she ended up in Nashville after graduating with a degree in music business from Berkeley, and all of the different odd jobs that she has done. They talk about being inspired by others, learning from co-writing, researching and finding sounds that resonate. Chelcie shares her songwriting process for the songs on her up-coming EP (which drops August 18) including some audio clips and the rollercoaster of emotions that comes with putting work out into the world. We talk about our individual recording experiences, the important contributions of others, and getting creative with funding projects. Chelcie answers the “Behind the Curtain” questions, and we try not to get too distracted by her two extremely cute cats. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. The Brave Musician podcast is a part of BraveMusician, which includes a variety of workshops, a blog, and other opportunities to connect within this community. Please visit BraveMusician.com to find out more. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcasts.  

In this episode, Monica has an inspiring conversation with Ashley Shabankareh - a musician, musician educator, and administrator based in New Orleans. Ashley is a trombonist, vocalist, the Director of Operations and Programs for the Trombone Shorty Foundation, works with a wide variety of organizations, teaches at Loyola University, and is an artist, costume maker and dancer. Monica and Ashley talk about the challenges with explaining what we do as creatives in a label-oriented world, describing music in terms of bands instead of genres, sharing different influences and listening habits, as well as some listening recommendations. They also have a candid conversation about the process over the end product and allowing people to fail without negative repercussions, the little bit of panic and stress that still comes from being asked to solo and dissecting why that is and how to approach learning differently from a place of extending the grace and space which allow to each other grow, while acknowledging that each of us may bring different experiences, understandings, disabilities, mental health factors, etc into any musical situation. Ashley shares how sometimes the hardest things that happen to us can also be gifts, how we are more than our titles, and the importance of allowing calm and relaxation into our lives. She also answers the “Behind the Curtain” questions.  _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. The Brave Musician podcast is a part of BraveMusician, which includes a variety of workshops, a blog, and other opportunities to connect within this community. Please visit BraveMusician.com to find out more. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcasts.

In this episode, Monica has a conversation with pianist, vocalist, and composer Rachel Eckroth about the process of creating, including composing, songwriting, collaborating with other musicians, and production. They talk about expressing yourself through lyrics, working with synths verses acoustic instruments, how to decide what to keep when faced with limitless possibilities, self-confidence, and improvisation as a composition tool. Rachel shares the inspiration and some of the processes behind the creation of her Grammy nominated album, The Garden (2021) and answers the “Behind the Curtain” questions. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. The Brave Musician podcast is a part of BraveMusician, which includes a variety of workshops, a blog, and other opportunities to connect within this community. Please visit BraveMusician.com to find out more. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcasts.

Welcome back! In this episode, Monica revisits her definition of what it means to be Brave and shares her updated definition and how she arrived at it (hint: with a little help from Glennon Doyle, Martha Beck and Brene' Brown.) Monica offers three "easy" ways to get started connecting with ourselves in integrity and some further reflections about what it could mean as a Brave musician.  _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. The Brave Musician podcast is a part of BraveMusician, which includes a variety of workshops, a blog, and other opportunities to connect within this community. Please visit BraveMusician.com to find out more. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcasts.

In this episode, Monica is joined by Tanner Guss, a drummer and podcaster from New Orleans to discuss being a musician, the value of mentors, joys and struggles of creating a podcast, jam sessions, playing with people and forming relationships with fellow musicians that ultimately make the music better. They share their experiences of moving to a new city and getting into a new scene, the importance of enjoying the gig and staying present, creativity vs curation, feeling musically awkward, making others feel seen and heard both on and off the bandstand, and not wanting to end up hating to play music. Monica and Tanner figure out how much their goals and philosophies align and reinforce that working together is always the way to go. Find out more at TheHappyMusicians.com and be sure to check out Monica's episode on the The Happy Musicians podcast. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcasts.

In this episode, Monica sits down with bandleader, composer and drummer Sofia Janelle to talk about her life, career and the making of her second album. Sofia shares how she started playing drums, how attending Berklee's 5-week summer program in high school and learning under the wing of Esperanza Spalding and spending time in Boston affected her. She shares her experiences while a college student at Berklee, her personal life at the time, including being sexually assaulted and struggling with depression and anxiety, dropping out of school and returning to complete her degree. She talks about her move to Nashville, about freelancing, and why she started her own group. Monica and Sofia share their experiences as female musicians, how the idea of “cutting your teeth” is a little more loaded, and offer up some ideas on how to make things in their world more equitable, safe, and a place where everyone is allowed to grow. Sofia talks about her group, The Sofia Goodman Group, shares behind the scenes look into the making of her second album and her IndieGoGo campaign to help fund the project. They also discuss the importance of yoga and gardening. (CW: depression, sexual assault) _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcasts.

In this episode, which is part 2 of a 2-part series, Monica continues her conversation with saxophonist Joel Frahm about rebuilding in Nashville, why he chose Nashville, and how they are starting to see things sputtering back to life. They chat about the importance of keeping plugged in and being social, how they both enjoy bouncing ideas off other people, and mitigating negative thought loops. They dive into some deep, vulnerable conversation sparked by Joel's answers to the “Behind the Curtain” questions. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcasts.

In this episode, which is part 1 of a 2-part series, Monica sits down with saxophonist Joel Frahm to discuss his musical upbringing, the first jazz LP's he was given, and his early professional gigs and record hunting with pianist Brad Mehldau, and his move to NYC. They talk about the importance of listening, first transcriptions, going through jaw surgery, and have an honest discussion about perfectionism, joy, showing vulnerability, struggling, and not losing hope. They share stories about discipline with practicing, playing with other people, and the fear of being left behind. Joel shares his process and philosophy about making records and offers Monica (and anyone else who needs it) some encouragement about recording. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcasts.

In the episode, Monica talks with music teacher, trumpet player, classically-trained singer, and author, Nick Burdick about his book The Practice Habit. They discuss creating an intentional life, coping with severe burnout, the importance of reflection and experimenting with your goals and different sources of influence. They dig into the three different pieces of the book: direct practice, domain knowledge, and self management. Nick shares why he wrote the book and the process of researching and writing it. Listeners of the podcast can get a discount on the book by going to ThePracticeHabit.com/brave _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcasts.

In this episode, Monica talks with musician, clinician, composer, and Tube Visionary, Bill Muter about creating job security and empowerment in the music industry through diversifying income streams, preparation vs impossible situations, building relationships and bringing what you can to the table. They discuss individual goals with social media, musical resumes, over-producing vs putting out content where you are, and Bill shares why he makes videos on IG. They open up about their individual stories dealing with performance anxiety, what it means to them, and how they have learned to handle it. They also talk about the importance of the hang and conversation. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcasts.

In this episode, Monica sits down with saxophonist, educator and advocate, Jessica Stover to discuss her musical journey from how she got started with music to realizing that teaching music was her passion. She shares how the challenges she has faced being legally blind has inspired her to advocate for herself, her classmates, and her future students. They talk about learning music, both by ear and reading Braille music, classroom management, Jessica's amazing guide dog, Inca, resilience, awesome sisters, and what ground cherries are. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcasts.

In Part 2, Monica continues where she left off in Part 1, and Bravely discusses her journey and process rebuilding her "profession", her career struggles, goals, and possible solutions. She shares some of the questions that she uses to explore what's going on inside her brain, how she is learning to trust herself again, what she wants to do professionally, and some of the mental blocks that she's learning to remove. Monica shows how she plans to move forward with her goals in a way that allows her to be safe to make mistakes, be imperfect, and be authentic. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcasts

In this first episode of season 5, Monica talks about this season's theme, which is "Rebuilding" where we explore how Brave Musician's are overcoming challenges around passion, creation, and music-making opportunities, and talk about how we are rebuilding and reconnecting with our Brave selves musically and personally. Monica shares her personal rebuilding and introduces a new Q&A segment to the show, "Behind the Curtain". _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcasts.

In this episode, Monica reconnects with Kayoko Dan, the music director of the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera. They are old friends from their days at Arizona State University who both now live in TN now. Kayoko talks about being an orchestra conductor, how she always wanted to be a music teacher growing up, and how she landed first professional gig. She shares her method of studying scores, programming, and the logistics behind putting a symphony season together. Monica and Kayoko talk about their experiences as women in their fields and what they have learned about courage and standing up for themselves. They reflect on the preparation process, growth and improvement. Kayoko shares her hobbies including sewing, crafts, playing duets with her sister using the Acapella App, and recording Japanese children’s songs. She also gives her thoughts on being brave and vulnerable. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcasts

In this episode, Monica has a thought-provoking conversation with Matt Jefferson, who is a trombonist, studio musician, educator, and videographer in Nashville, TN. They talk about getting by in the pandemic and the need to pivot and adjust when life throws you curveballs. Matt shares what a typical gig in the recording studio looks like as well as the formation and growth of the Maniacal 4 Trombone Quartet. They explore the idea of being comfortable with being uncomfortable, how resistance can be a barometer for something you really care or want to know more about, and how to keep doing things you suck at if you enjoy them. They talk about balance, rest, and determining what’s worth giving up to accomplish something else.    Matt and Monica share revelations about anxiety, perfection, passion, ego and work within the context of recording and performance. They talk about production, finding gear, separating your selfworth from your music, and mental breakthroughs. They deep drive into process, product, and the mental and professional pros and cons of using social media and figuring out how and what to share. Matt talks about how he got into video editing and the joy and vulnerability of learning by trial and error. We tie everything up with an honest discussion about choosing and owning your passion and journey. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcast.

In this episode, Monica reflects on all of the new information she consumed at the Jazz Education Network virtual conference in January 2021. She considers how we can process and then do something with “what” we learn, how this idea is applicable to aspects of life and learning outside of music, and offers her 4 steps on processing and applying new information. This episode includes thought-provoking questions and ways to start answering them. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcast.

In this episode, Monica sits down with Jazmine Rampas, director of the Terrible Adult Chamber Orchestra - LA, known as TACO. They talk about the goals and mission of TACO, feelings of apprehension and worry that many of the participants have at first, the word “terrible” as a reminder, and how important and wonderful it is to have a community of people coming together to play music and have fun. Jazmine shares how she discovered TACO with her sister, her perspective directing the group and what a typical rehearsal looks like. She shares some of the emotions and fears from members she has witnessed, as well as her own. They discuss letting go of the negative thoughts about how one feels about their playing, imposter syndrome,  surviving music school, culture of production, mental health, and embracing mistakes. Monica and Jazmine share their personal conducting experiences, making videos for online, and dealing with the pandemic. They also talk about Jazmine’s personal experience as a musician, how she started the violin, and how we created the things that we both needed and wanted in the world _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcast.

In this episode, Monica talks with musician, saxophonist, and composer, Armando Salas. They have a conversation about the challenges of playing woodwind instruments with other people during Covid, teaching virtual music lessons, and his transition to opening his own teaching studio. They talk about technology and how this is both an informal and yet extremely vulnerable time. They share candidly about podcasting, the joy of connecting with people, and share being nervous about talking to people sometimes. They discuss goal setting and tracking, labels, and baggage that can come when judging yourself against those labels, burnout, and taking time to reevaluate things in your life. They talk about sharing their own stories and experiences and about having the courage to make waves. Armando shares his advice for someone struggling with motivation and offers different things to try. They talk about practicing, including how they define practice, purposeful practice, and finding the joy in practicing. They reflect on the importance of talking about feelings of isolation and the importance of connecting with people, and the inevitability of change. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcast.

In this episode, Monica sits down with Matt Storto - musician, percussionist, composer, and member of the band Harrison Fjord - to talk all about the creative process both in terms of his own composing and how the members of the band compose together. Matt shares how he creates drum parts, self-awareness as a composer and player, how the band’s composition process varies depending on the circumstances and who’s writing the songs, and how being at home has shifted things. They talk about listening to music, mining for outside influences and stimulus (that used to come from playing with people live), and having unbridled access to content. They discuss a variety of creative activities including lyric writing, adding imagery to music, reworking, digital art, and the importance of play. Matt gives his advice on how to get started from scratch and the value of making home demos. In the second portion, Monica and Matt catch back up with each other and talk about what’s happened since the first discussion, including a candid sharing of struggles with social media planning. Matt opens up about how the pandemic affected the band and the exciting release of Harrison Fjord’s new single the beginning of Dec.. Matt shares his optimism and reminds us of the resiliency of musicians during the pandemic.  _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcast.

In this episode, Monica shares the processes she used and the stories behind three of her original compositions: "Knom", "I'm Sorry About Your Face", and "Keep it on the DL". She goes over how each one was created, the inspiration for the piece, and a provides a recording to reference. Monica offers 6 lessons that can help anyone start creating and talks about her workshop, Dive Into Composition, which begins on Dec. 1. Visit BraveMusician.com/dive for more info on the workshop.  _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcast.

In this episode, Monica sits down with Kathleen Hollingsworth, a teacher, performer and writer from near Portland, OR. Kathleen shares her journey from choral music roots to a doctorate in jazz, and how that journey positively and negatively affected her as a performer and educator. Together, they discuss the composition process, lyric writing, and the biggest struggles and lessons from the last 8 months. They share how they both found joy in improvising and a very candid and vulnerable conversation about the moment both recently considered quitting music due to exhaustion, feeling stuck, and deep wounds that needed healing. Kathleen shares her story of being a beginner with learning silks, and how that offered perspective that she applied to the rest of her professional life. Monica and Kathleen also talk about their mutual love of nature and how it inspires and heals both of them. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcast.  

In this episode, Monica sits down with storyteller Paisha Thomas - singer, songwriter, and pottery artist, from Columbus, OH. They share how they first met (on a gig!) and some thoughts they had about each other before and after. They discuss how they find color inspiration from looking around the world, their common thread of Stan Smith and his support, and how there’s always something to do next, even when it feels like you're stuck. Paisha discusses some of the important topics that she addresses in her art, including the problem of police use of force against black humans, gentrification, red lining, and economic inequality in Columbus.    They dig into the process of making both art and music, growth and how they are each moved to try new things. They explore the structure of writing a song, Paisha’s trick of asking a mentor for a title and a deadline, protest singing, writing stuff that they can’t play, working with others and utilizing their strengths. They also talk about Monica’s process of chaos and focus, how music is different depending on who you play with, discovering titles, and dealing with emotions in our music. They also talk about success and growth, and moving on from it.  (Note: this was recorded on 4/20/20) _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcast.

In this episode, Monica talks about the return of the podcast, getting settled in Nashville, life during the pandemic, and how vital music is to the world right now. She offers some ideas on different things to work on, and thoughts that have helped her - including redefining “success” and finding a practice buddy. She also talks a little about Brave Musician’s latest program, Sponsor a Musician (SAM) and how you can support. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model, SAM (Support A Musician) and how you can give. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcast

In this episode Monica speaks with poet, hip hop artist, advocate and educator, Myrlin Hepworth about the creation process, ego and its potential to sabotage us, expression and being present when you create. Myrlin shares his experience with teaching writing to inmates in prison and how art can help humans connect, as well as a discussion on vulnerability, risk, and daring to be authentic. They talk about the process of writing, revision and the art of crafting, and how to find universal appeal through universal truth. They dig into the difference between the desire to create a product vs being present in the process, an honest conversation about judgement, sharing our work, and need vs desire. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcast.

In this episode, Monica talks with trumpeter, educator, and producer, Jeremy Pelt. They discuss his experience as a producer, and the importance of having a clear vision and looking at a project as a whole. They talk in depth about his composition process, and some behind the scenes details about some of his pieces, how he’s always listening to music, and what inspires him. He shares some of the “messing around” that he’s currently doing with the extra time he has right now, their mutual love for the bass, and how interest, love and curiosity is vital to any artist at any level. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcast.

In this episode Monica talks with the educator and musician, Jarritt Sheel, who is a Doctoral Candidate at Teachers College Columbia University, Professor of Music Education at Berklee College of Music, Father, Husband, Musician and DJ. They discuss the creative process from a variety of angles and perspectives, including ones outside of music. They dive into some of the challenges with the human part of being a musician and the fear of being alone and dealing with our thoughts. Jarritt explains how spending 10 minutes a day imagining can help you envision your future, and how crucial imagination, a little alone time, and permission to explore is. They discuss forward thinking in the arts, using the scientific method to create new things and much more. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcast.

Welcome to season 4 of the Brave Musician podcast. In this episode, Monica introduces the first episode of the new season which will focus on one of her favorite subjects - the creation process. She includes some questions to get us thinking about why and how we create, some of the struggles (especially under the current circumstances) and joys, how we have found ourselves in a space where we are “creating” more and have more time to create than we ever have and she shares her excitement over the upcoming season! _________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help.. __________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcast

On Friday 4/3/2020 co-founder of Brave Musician, Monica Shriver, sat down with saxophonist Rahsaan Barber, bassist Natalie Boeynik, and trumpeter Del Lyren for a candid discussion on progress and uncertainty during these unprecedented times. Coming from varied perspectives and experiences as freelance musicians, educators, students and business owners, they share how they are feeling, processing, and navigating this new territory. They talk about their routines, how interaction has changed, disconnection of purpose, social media, and how each of them is progressing at the moment. Enjoy this inspiring, honest, and special panel discussion: Now’s The Time: Conversations on progress and uncertainty. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/YePZV_U0ESc _____________ To support our mission, please join our Patreon page - Patreon.com/BraveMusician. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcast.

In this episode, which is part 2 of a 2-part series, Monica sits down with technology executive and musician, Dean Barker. Dean has two careers, one where he runs a group of designers for a fortune 100 company and the other as a gigging musician. In part 2 he talks in depth about his visiting lecture advocating for a double life and about exploring different possibilities and paths. He talks about being Brave and how to him it is about being creative. We share our separate journeys with Morning Pages (Julia Cameron) and other ways that we have faced creative challenges. He shares how he created a support group that helped through a tough creative slump, how he started making coffee haikus, “coffeeku” and the importance of daily creation. As an unintended bonus, these two episodes are full of great book recommendations.  _____________ To support our mission, please join our Patreon page - Patreon.com/BraveMusician. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcast.

In this episode, which is part 1 of a 2-part series, Monica sits down with technology executive and musician, Dean Barker. Dean has two careers, one where he runs a group of designers for a fortune 100 company and the other as a gigging musician. In part 1, he talks about his experiences as a full time musician as a young adult, his mix of influences growing up, and his musical upbringing. We talk about his two sons and their musical interests and share some stories about them. Monica and Dean dig into some harmonic conversation about “wrong” notes and playing what you hear, along with the importance of deep listening alone and with others. We start in on the conversation about a double life where Dean shares how he makes it work, the importance of vision and see possibilities, the luxury for him of being able to take gigs without worrying about the bread, the projects he has been able to self-fund, and how he has funded others to bring new music into the world. They explore how Dean takes classes online to keep learning, and the importance of staying curious and wanting to experiment with the new tools out there. They conclude this portion with the reality that you can’t do it all and how he uses his time to practice as much as possible with the time he has available. As an unintended bonus, these two episodes are full of great book recommendations. _____________ To support our mission, please join our Patreon page - Patreon.com/BraveMusician. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcast.

In this episode, Monica talks about one of the core values of Brave Musician, which is community and addresses that as we head into this uncharted, confusing, unpredictable, and frightening territory right now with quarantines, the reality that performing and seeing live shows is temporarily no longer possible, the challenges of moving work and education online, and isolation, we need community more than ever. Monica talks about the “Brave Musician COVID-19 Isolation Challenge” itself and offers some suggestions to keep in mind for ourselves and others as we navigate this challenging time of social distancing. _____________ To support our mission, please join our Patreon page - Patreon.com/BraveMusician. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcast.

In this episode, Monica has an insightful and thought-provoking conversation with freelance trombonist Lisa Lizanec, who regularly performs in both Phoenix, AZ and Japan. They talk about how the paths that they both forged were different from the ones that they were told about and how it’s so important to find the music that speaks to you the most. Lisa shares her passion for pop music, how she started touring with shows including Blast, and gives a behind the scenes account of the intensive rehearsal process and the work that goes into learning to perform a show like that. They have a candid conversation about being female musicians, including real talk about competition, role models and mentors, the importance of supporting and lifting up each other, and about finding other female musicians to connect with. Lisa also talks about living in a foreign country and what it’s like as a “foreign freelancer” from the perspective of not speaking the same language, learning the culture, social navigation, and different gig structures. They take a look at how different performance opportunities helped to build confidence, and the process of figuring out what success looks like when you're exploring different paths and building the confidence to be ok with your own decisions. They address finding your voice online, using social media and Lisa shares how she started making online videos, how she discovered and fostered her love of arranging, editing, and sharing, even though it wasn’t easy at first. They explore the myth “don’t put anything out that’s not perfect” and how they believe people are interested in the seeing the process as well as the final product and challenge all our listeners to make a video, post it, and tag #bravemusician.  _______ To support our mission, please join our Patreon page - Patreon.com/BraveMusician. _______ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcast

In this episode, which is the second of a 2-part series with trumpeter Bill Dowling, Monica continues her conversation with Bill about his trumpet journey. From relentlessly practicing in a coat closet, to applying to one music school for college, to moving across the country to study with legendary players living in LA, Bill has always known exactly what to do in order to find specific answers to specific questions. They dig into the difference between gathering knowledge and applying it, and the importance of experiencing in real life different situations so you can see and hear how it all works for yourself. They talk about why you have to keep learning and going after the things you are looking for.  ___________ To support our mission, please join our Patreon page - Patreon.com/BraveMusician. ___________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcast.

In this episode, which is part 1 of a 2-part series, Monica sits down with trumpeter Bill Dowling and talks about what life was like on tour as the lead trumpet player with the Ringling Bros’ and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Bill shares how he got the gig, the extreme requirements for that particular position, the rehearsal process, how the show gets created from the musician point of view, and living on the train. They dig into the mental, physical and stylistic challenges of playing in that unique setting, how the shows are constantly changing with hundreds of different cues.  Join us next week for Part 2 where we will continue our conversation with Bill Dowling about his path as a musician. _____________ To support our mission, please join our Patreon page - Patreon.com/BraveMusician. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcast.

In this episode, Monica sits down with jazz violinist, Sara Caswell during the Jazz Education Network Conference in New Orleans last month. They talk about her early experiences with different styles of music and how she made the decision to focus more on jazz and what drew her to it. Sara shares how she reached the conclusion that she wanted to move to NYC and they explore the feelings around that decision, and the challenges of figuring out if something is working for you. They talk candidly about different emotions that come up in life, how we emote through music, and how to deal with those emotions, especially professionally.  Sara shares how she grows from a variety of musical situations and gives her recommendations on starting your own group. Monica and Sara confess the nerves they both get around showing bandmates new music and the need for constructive feedback, learning and growing from the musicians around us. Sara gives a little behind the scenes into how the making of her new album was a transformation, and how she channeled her inner courage and confidence, including how vital and important it is to collaborate and surround yourself with a supportive team of people.  Sara Caswell is a musician, educator, bandleader, arranger and composer who has worked with artists such as Esperanza Spalding, Linda Oh, and Brad Mehldau. She teaches at Berklee College of Music and Manhattan School of Music. _____________ To support our mission, please join our Patreon page - Patreon.com/BraveMusician. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcast.

In this episode, Monica talks a little bit about her separate journeys as a visual artist and music composer. She shares the stories behind this path including how they came together, the creation of the “Monica Shriver’s Abstract Art Creative Music Experience” which involves original compositions, artwork, and improvisations. She shares some of her creation processes for both. Monica also reflects on some of the lessons she has learned, how she’s learning to honor her inner desire to be creative in different mediums and how the practice of these two things both separately and together have helped her develop her voice and be braver. At the end, she answers some questions from Brave Musician listeners. _____________ To support our mission, please join our Patreon page - Patreon.com/BraveMusician. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcast

In this episode, Monica sits down with Shreyas Iyer, a tabla player originally from India, who performs, teaches and studies tabla in Phoenix, AZ.  Insightful and inspirational, they discuss how the process of learning new things never stops, how feedback and signs can help you know where you are supposed to go, trusting your gut as a musician, uncomfort vs discomfort, looking at boundaries and how to expand them, and living on the edge of curiosity. They talk about the meaning of brave, curious, and fears, how important it is to put positive things out into the world, and how failing helps us learn. Shreyas shares his willingness to grow and gives an honest reflection of his process and some of the lessons he learned while forging his unique path, including the lesson that music provides us the time and space to just be. _____________ To support our mission, please join our Patreon page - Patreon.com/BraveMusician. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcast.

In this episode, Monica sits down with interdisciplinary narrative artist, Megan DeJarnett. Whether it’s music, dance, writing, or anything else she can imagine, Megan’s work is always centered around a story. Monica and Megan have a thoughtful and raw conversation about building trust and comfort with other musicians, the importance of having tough conversations and working towards solving problems, making space for people - emotionally and physically, and different kinds of “uncomfortable”. She shares her use of composition to work through her own trauma, gives us a behind-the-scenes of the process of creation, both the craft and the message, recording, rehearsals and how the different arts inform each other. We deep dive into conversations about being resources for people, her blog, compassion fatigue, the goal of being able to communicate with words, feeling like a disappointment to mentors and big life decisions. (CW: sexual assault) _____________ To support our mission, please consider joining our Patreon page - Patreon.com/BraveMusician. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcast

In this episode, Monica chats with musician, actor, director, writer, songwriter, and UBU Project founder, David Simmons. David openly shares his path, including the struggles and tragedies, and shares how he arrived at a place of hope, resilience, and self-compassion, which he utilizes in everything he does. We discuss influences, songwriting process, teaching and arts integration, and visual art. This episode is full of love, laughter, and even some singing! (CW: suicide attempt, substance abuse, bullying) _____________ To support our mission, please consider joining our Patreon page - Patreon.com/BraveMusician. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcast.

In this Season 3 opening episode, Monica and Marina talk the season 3 theme of Bravely Forging a Path. We believe that the process of forging your own path path is a living, breathing thing. It involves creating and reacting to a series of moments that make up your cumulative journey, which we sometimes only notice when we look back. We share our own stories and give you a preview into the elements we will explore in season 3. In the episode, we mention our upcoming workshop in Phoenix, AZ on January 18, 2020. See more and register today!

Monica and Marina talk about their milestones, lessons learned, and powerful moments of 2019.

In the wrap up episode of Season 2, Monica and Marina discuss the insights and lessons from this season. Some of the common themes across the episodes included moving forward with faith, building expertise through curiosity, and setting intentions through energy. As always, we are so thankful for our guests, listeners, and everyone who has supported this season. We are always happy to hear feedback at monica@bravemusician.com. See you soon for Season 3! _____________ To support our mission, please consider joining our Patreon page - Patreon.com/BraveMusician. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcast.

In this episode, Monica explores how to “Keep Going” and dives into some of the ideas you can utilize when you feel like giving up, revisits some of the advice given by the guests this season, and shares some personal experiences.  _____________ To support our mission, please consider joining our Patreon page - Patreon.com/BraveMusician. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcast.

In today’s episode, Monica sits down with the incredible musician and jazz trumpeter, Alex Sipiagin. He shares tons of Brave stories including how he started playing trumpet by accident, what it was like learning jazz in Russia, and the first time he came to Washington DC after being a finalist in a competition without speaking any English, how he returned to the US and decided to stay and began to explore jazz clubs, sit in on jam sessions, and meet other musicians. Alex talks about his willingness to always grow, what inspires him, and shares an example of gaining strength and learning how to be Brave from others.  Alex has performed with jazz greats such as Dave Holland, Michael Brecker, Chris Potter, the Mingus Big Band, and so many more and has recorded 18 (soon to be 19) albums as a leader. _____________ To support our mission, please consider joining our Patreon page - Patreon.com/BraveMusician. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcast.

Today, Marina talks with Sharon Burch, an educator and author who advocates for beginning music at any age. We discuss why music is so crucial to brain development and how we can break down the core elements to make it easy to learn. Sharon also advocates for intentionally infusing music into our daily lives, just like we need daily nutrition and exercise. _____________   To support our mission, please consider joining our Patreon page - Patreon.com/BraveMusician. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcast.

In this episode, Monica sits down with saxophonist, composer, and educator Tia Fuller. They discuss the inspiration for her latest album, Diamond Cut, and the story behind the development of both the album and the tour. Tia also talks about how she got started in music, her first gig experiences after moving to NYC, how she grew while playing with Beyonce’, and her current job teaching at Berklee. They dig deep into what it means to be a female musician and band leader, and explore Brave topics such as faith vs fear, process, documenting, vulnerability, and transparency while playing music. _____________ To support our mission, please consider joining our Patreon page - Patreon.com/BraveMusician. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcast.

In part 2 of this episode, Monica continues her conversation with Drew Tucker - vibraphonist, educator, percussion director, composer, touring musician, cofounder of MalletLab, husband and father. They talk about building a plan and Drew shares how to enroll parents in the process. They talk about how important help is and how we all need it and get it. In addition, Drew shares what learned about himself while on tour to Costa Rica. They also dive into the problems with fear based listening and teaching, thoughts on being brave, the “deeper why”, and the story behind the making of his first studio CD. _____________ To support our mission, please consider joining our Patreon page - Patreon.com/BraveMusician. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcast.

In part 1 of this episode, Monica sits down with Drew Tucker - vibraphonist, educator, percussion director, composer, touring musician, cofounder of MalletLab, husband and father. They discuss how he started in music, hustled his first gigs, and shares the story of the first time he sat in on vibes when he was 15. They talk about being honest and being yourself in music making, some of the pathways available to do what you want to do in music and how Drew used social media to grow his business. He also shares the time he went to art school, learning to function best with adult ADD and dealing with anxiety with starting new tasks. We conclude Part 1 by talking about the importance of skill building, getting an education and doing the work. _____________ To support our mission, please consider joining our Patreon page - Patreon.com/BraveMusician. _____________ See the show notes at BraveMusician.com/podcast.