The Mindful Musical Life Podcast

This week's guest is Dr. Katy Carnaggio. From recording studios to live television, concert hall stages to a canopy of trees overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Dr. Katy Carnaggio has enjoyed performing professionally for audiences across the United States. Katy is Creative and Managing Director of Fearless Performance, coaching performers of all specialties to share the best versions of themselves in performance and to make their best better.  A cognitive science researcher, Katy has done work on the psychological, developmental, and neurolinguistic underpinnings of music performance. Her cutting-edge, research-grounded methods in practice, preparation, and execution were awarded by the Presser Foundation in 2020. Katy has worked with Jeff Nelsen over the past four years to create tools to fill the gaps in musicians' training, including online courses, a performance training podcast called Performing Beyond Doubt, and most recently, an innovative online performance academy and lab called Elevate. Links and Contacts for Fearless Performance Website: www.fearless-performance.com Instagram: instagram.com/fearless_performance Facebook: facebook.com/FearlessPerformance

Our guest this week is has to be my favorite Canadian, pig-farm-raised magician horn players in the world: Jeff Nelsen is the current horn player with the world famous Canadian Brass and has spent a total of over 10 years touring and recording with them, Jeff has also performed concerti and chamber music on six continents, and in the horn sections of dozens of orchestras including the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics, and the Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Montreal, and St. Louis Symphonies. He is professor of horn at the prestigious Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and is founder of Fearless Performance LLC, a company that focuses on training musicians and more to consistently perform their best.  Jeff knows how important one's mental approach is to high-level performing, and in this interview we discuss his Fearless performance training system and online learning community, as well as Jeff's experiences with the mental and emotional challenges present in performing, and how he has trained himself to overcome these challenges. I have spent a lot of time in my life listening to Jeff and working with him, but there is something new or excited that I discover every time we talk, and I am sure you will feel the same way after this conversation. Links and Contact Information Website: www.fearless-performance.com Instagram for Fearless Performance Instagram for Jeff Nelsen Performing Beyond Doubt podcast

My guest this week is composer, arranger, guitarist, and producer, Graham Campbell. Based in Toronto, Canada, Graham's colorful and melodic chamber music grounded in jazz, folk, and cinematic styles has been heard at many major festivals across Canada and Europe, including the Ottawa Chamber Fest, The Festival of the Sound, and the Tiberius International Chamber Festival. He collaborates often with his father, world renowned clarinetist James Campbell, including on the full-length album As You Near Me, which features Graham as a composer, arranger, guitarist, and producer. His film scoring credits include the post-apocalyptic sci-fi "My Girl, Skelly", which was an official selection at the Markham International Film Festival and a finalist at the Vancouver Independent Film Festival, and the animated short "Predestination" for which his orchestral score won Best Original Score at the Anatolia Film Festival in Istanbul. ​Graham also has extensive experience as an educator spending over 10 years working with Strings Across the Sky, a program that teaches traditional fiddling to indigenous children. Graham's experience as a meditator plays a roll in his life as a performer, educator, and composer. In this interview we discuss his background in mindfulness meditation and Alexander technique, including what his daily practice looks like now, and how meditation directly influenced several of his pieces on his new album, “Palms Upward.” We also discuss how mindfulness has helped him with performance anxiety as a professional guitarist.  Links and Contact Information Website: www.grahamcampbell.ca Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090053194466 Instagram: www.instagram.com/grahamkcampbell/ Email: graham@grahamcampbell.ca

Jessica Escobar is a longtime violinist with the Reno Philharmonic Orchestra and other ensembles all around Nevada and beyond. By day, she works across the street from the Pioneer concert hall as a full-time certified court interpreter for the Second Judicial District Court of Nevada. In her job as interpreter, she helps people oflimited English proficiency gain access to justice by bridging the language gap in court proceedings. In addition to her current career as an interpreter, Jessica used her double major in French and Anthropology to teach English and French classes first in France for two years, then here in Reno at the University of Nevada and Truckee Meadows Community College. She has translated and interpreted for regional police departments, hospitals, mental health facilities, courts, and even the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair as a freelancer for ten years before obtaining her current position. After learning more about the role of interpreters, its easy to see why a 2001 study placed interpreters in thecategory of "high-stress professions," which included first responders, military personnel, neurosurgeons, and air traffic controllers. So in July 2017, Jessica decided to take up Transcendental Meditation, or TM for short, in hopes of improving her quality of life and preventing future health problems caused by stress and anxiety. In our conversation we talk about how Jessica first was introduced to Transcendental Meditation and what drew her to that practice specifically, how she views her musical life and meditation, and some recommendations for how to get started if you are interested in TM. Jessica has seemingly boundless energy and kindness and brings such a wonderful presence with here to every situation. It was a pleasure to talk with her and I am sure you will all get a lot out of this conversation.  Links and Contact Information More info about Jessica: www.renophil.com/jessica-escobar/ Reno Transcendental Meditation center: www.meditationforlifereno.com/

I am very excited to announce this week's guest and Reno local, Gary Mayne. Gary has performed, recorded, taught, presented clinics and provided masterclasses at Universities, public schools, conferences, and festivals around the world. He regularly presents on topics of mental health at universities such as the Eastman School of Music, Arizona State University, University of North Texas, University of Iowa, and the University of Nevada Reno. Gary served as the trombone teacher at the LeBam Music Camp in Beirut, Lebanon as well as an ensemble director at the Cyprus Jazz Workshop in Nicosia, Cyprus. As a big band performer he has performed and recorded regularly with groups such as the Glenn Miller Orchestra, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, the Ben Markley Big Band, The Arturo Sandoval Mambo Big Band the David Caffey Jazz Orchestra, and many more. As a symphonic musician, Gary has performed with the Colorado Symphony, the Reno Philharmonic, the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra, Opera Colorado, the Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra, the Wyoming Symphony and the Colorado Springs Philharmonic and has toured as a member of the SPARK Brass Quintet. Gary also spent 10 years as the trombonist with Big Head Todd and the Monsters and has performed and recorded with them in Colorado, Florida, and the Caribbean as well as performing at numerous festivals with multiple headlining shows at Red Rocks Amphitheater. In addition to his impressive musical credits, Gary is a licensed therapist in Reno and owns Sound Minds Mental Health PLLC. Gary specializes in treating trauma and working with couples, but also works with general needs like anxiety, depression, grief, and other human experiences. Gary attended the University of Northern Colorado and Trinity Washington University in Washington, DC.Gary has a truly unique and special combination of experiences that provides deep understanding into the mental health challenges that musicians face. He valuable suggestions in this interview are applicable to just about everyone, musician or not, but can easily be applied to the specific challenges that musicians face.

My guest this week is Brad Cole, a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor working out of Denver, CO. Brad is also a Case Manager and a member of the Clinical Team for Backline, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that connects music industry professionals and their families with mental health and wellness resources. Brad has worked with Backline for over 2 years now, and directly supports the Clinical Director and Director of Case Management. Brad works directly with Backline clients coming through Backline's Case Management service, runs support groups for Backline, and provides consultation for all new Case Managers. One of Brad's main projects at Backline is the free grief support group, Waves: Mindful Grieving for the Music Industry. Outside of Backline, Brad works as a therapist under supervision in the State of Colorado and has recently achieved with LPCC licensure. He has a passion for the industry, loves live music, and is very passionate about supporting a community that has brought so much peace, joy, and excitement into his life. In this episode we discuss some of the mental health challenges of the music industry that Brad helps his clients to face, how to keep an eye out for the ever-threatening burnout, and some helpful tips on how to encourage better mental and emotional wellbeing in the challenging, but highly rewarding professions we find in the music industry. You can tell from the way he talks that Brad is very passionate about his work in this crucial area, so I know you will get a lot out of this conversation.  Contact information and links Homepage for Backline: backline.care/Brad's Instagram: www.instagram.com/mindfulmusicallife

This week's episode features Jarrett McCourt. Jarrett has been named one of Canada's “hottest 30 classical musicians under 30”, and currently serves on faculty at Vanderbilt University, and performs as Principal Tuba with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra and the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, and has appeared with some of the world's top ensembles including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Utah Symphony Orchestra, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, l'Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal, the National Arts Centre Orchestra and the Canadian Brass. Passionate about mental health and suicide prevention, Jarrett has been a guest on popular music-themed podcasts including The Brass Junkie, That's Not Spit It's Condensation and Sound Mind Musician, speaking largely about ways to stabilize and improve one's mental health as a musician in the 21st century. In his spare time, Jarrett works as a supervisor with the Crisis Text Line, a global not-for-profit organization providing free crisis intervention and suicide prevention via SMS message.  Jarrett has also visited several colleges, universities and summer festivals to speak, including Northwestern University, the University of Michigan, DePaul University, the New World Symphony, and the Pokorny Low Brass Seminar. Moreover, Jarrett is a certified yoga instructor, and is a firm believer in the positive effects of mindfulness on one's happiness. In this interview we discuss the importance of mental health for all musicians at every level, how Jarrett keeps himself calm through the demanding work of audition preparation, and some suggestions about how to monitor your own mental health and offer support to others as well. Not only is Jarret a performer at the highest level, but his experience with helping others with mental health makes his advise truly special. Contact information and links Website: www.jarrettmccourt.comInstagram: www.instagram.com/jarrettmccourtFacebook: www.facebook.com/jarrett.mccourt

My guest this week is cellist, Gloria Lum. Gloria has been a member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since 1985, and in her 30 plus years with the orchestra has performed all over the world, and for many of the world's best conductors. A frequent participant in the LA Phil's Chamber Music series, she has appeared with André Previn, Emanuel Ax, Lars Vogt, and Joshua Bell. Gloria also currently teaches cello and chamber music at Occidental College. In addition to her impressive performance career and reputation, Gloria is the founder of Audition Confidential, a program that helps cellists train more efficiently for auditions through detailed techniques and strategies, both musical and mental. In this interview we discuss the inspiration for Gloria's program, what she has seen in her many years serving on audition committees for the LA Phil, and how she helps students strengthen their mental approach to performance. Gloria is a kind, passionate educator and mentor, and offers a lot of valuable advice for musicians at all stages of performance preparation.

My guest this week is Emily Rodriguez Quirós. Emily is a tenured professor of violin at the National University of San Agustín in Arequipa, Peru, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate violin students. Also, Emily is a certified instructor in Mindfulness Based Wellness and Pedagogy, and incorporates mindfulness into her violin studio teaching.  She has participated in several international music festivals in Puerto Rico, United States and Europe, and has played with different symphony orchestras and chamber music in the Caribbean, United States, South America and all over Europe. Moved by the talent of the children and young musicians of Peru she created the VerArte International Music Festival in 2015, with the intention of offering students the best quality lessons and musical exchanges with internationally recognized teachers.  In our conversation, Emily discusses how she merges mindfulness with her violin pedagogy, the common areas of hesitancy she sees in students when first learning mindfulness skills, and how mindfulness has really helped her as an educator and performer at the highest levels. Emily has a beautiful philosophy regarding music education and her insights into how to incorporate mindfulness elements into teaching are not to be missed. Contact Information and Links Emily's professor page: www.unsa.edu.pe/experiencias-pedagogicas/emily-delphy-rodriguez-quiros/Email: erodriguezqu@unsa.edu.pe

Last week the University of Nevada Reno was lucky enough to host two incredible musicians for master classes and performances, Priya Darshini and Max ZT. Despite a very full schedule, they were gracious enough to squeeze in an hour for the wonderful conversation you are about to hear! Priya has collaborated with a wide range of artists from Pearl Jam; GRAMMY® Award winners Roy “Futureman” Wooten; Jeff Coffin, Philip Lassiter, Silk Road Ensemble's Shane Shanahan; virtuoso ukulele player Jake Shimabukuro, Dave Eggar, Karsh Kale, House of Waters, and many more. In 2020, Priya released her sophomore solo album – Periphery –and was nominated for the 63rd Annual GRAMMY® Award for Best New Age Album. Based out of Brooklyn, New York Priya has sung for over a hundred television and radio commercials, as well as recorded for several award-winning and chart-topping  movie sound tracks. Lauded as the “Jimi Hendrix of dulcimer” by NPR, Max ZT has performed with the likes of Ravi Shakar, Jimmy Cliff, Bela Fleck, Victor Wooten, and so many more. His band House Of Waters — who release music on Snarky Puppy's GroundUP Music — have been deemed “truly mesmerizing” (All About Jazz) and “a sight to behold” (Timeout NY). House Of Waters have toured throughout the world including Europe and India, and their latest release is their 2019 album Rising, produced by GRAMMY-winner Guy Eckstine (Herbie Hancock). Max and Priya both ascribe to a mindful approach to their musical creativity and performance. We discus their musical training and how important one's point of view can be to success, and how to handle challenging surges of emotion or thoughts during a performance, and much more!. Their insights into the philosophy of a musical life are refreshing and inspiring, and I am sure you will enjoy this conversation very much!  Links and Contact Max ZT Website: www.maxzt.comAlbums available here and on all streaming sourcesInstagram: www.instagram.com/maxzt Priya Darshini Website: www.priyadarshini.comAlbums available here and on all streaming sourcesInstagram: www.instagram.com/priyism

I am beyond excited to introduce the guest for this week. After a few haphazard interactions with mindfulness, I decided to attend a workshop back in 2017 on mindfulness for musicians at Indiana University while I was finishing up my doctoral work. From that moment on, I was totally hooked. Frank M. Diaz is associate professor of music in music education at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. An active scholar and teacher in the field of contemplative science, he is also an affiliate faculty member for the IU Cognitive Science Program. At Jacobs, Diaz teaches courses on instrumental music education, research methods, and mindfulness for musicians. He is also a highly sought-out clinician and conductor for honors, community, secondary, and collegiate orchestras, and is a frequent presenter and adjudicator for conferences, workshops, and festivals across the country. Diaz is the founder and director of the Institute for Mindfulness-Based Wellness and Pedagogy, where he collaborates with an international group of artists, educators, and scholars on disseminating research and best practices on the art of mindful living, teaching, and performance. He has taught meditative practices to thousands of students through courses and workshops at educational, religious, and non-profit institutions across the United States, and leads several mindfulness initiatives through partnerships with the Jacobs School of Music, IU Lifelong Learning, and the Eskenazi Museum of Art. As a scholar, Diaz focuses on mixed-methods investigations of meditative practices and on developing theoretical models that might effectively deal with existing gaps between scientific and humanistic approaches to understanding contemplative practices. His research is published in numerous refereed and practitioner journals and has been featured in media outlets such as CNN, NPR, Science Daily, and The Huffington Post. Contact info and links IU Bloomington faculty page: https://music.indiana.edu/faculty/current/diaz-frank.html

Austin Pancner is the founder of The Functional Musician, an online coaching company helping musicians live and perform without pain. During his graduate studies at Indiana University, and after switching from tenor trombone to the bigger and heavier bass trombone, he struggled through a three-year injury cycle that led to the creation of a health and wellness system that helps musicians overcome tension, pain, or injury, and sustainably support their lifestyle and career path. Austin has coached a wide range of musicians who work as freelancers, orchestral musicians, college students, jazz musicians, weekend warriors, and rock stars. Austin is certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine as a personal trainer and exercise specialist, and has additional certifications in nutrition, functional movement, and mobility. All of this training and experience alone would make Austin a fantastic coach and teacher, but the added personal experience of dealing with chronic pain and injury brings his level of understanding to another plane. Links and contact information www.thefunctionalmusician.comInstagram: @thefunctionalmusicianFaceBook: www.facebook.com/groups/thefunctionalmusicianAustin's recommended nutrition website: www.precisionnutrition.com

This week's episode features San Francisco Symphony Cellist, Barbara Bogatin. Barbara has been a member of the San Francisco Symphony since 1994, and prior to joining San Francisco was principal cellist and soloist with the New Jersey and Milwaukee Symphonies and played frequently with the New York Philharmonic, New York Chamber Soloists, Chamber Music Northwest, The Amati Trio, and Aston Magna Music Festival. She has given talks about music and meditation practice at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, The Juilliard School, and University of Nevada, as well as in a TEDX talk titled “The Art of Failure.” In collaboration with her husband, neuroscientist Clifford Saron, she has presented workshops at Esalen, Spirit Rock Meditation Center, Stanford Symposium on Music and the Brain, Telluride Compassion Festival, Conference on Mindfulness in South Africa, Cortona Symposium in Italy, Mallorca Conservatory of Music, and Nirakara Institute in Madrid. She received Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from The Juilliard School in New York. Barbara has an incredible career and in this interview shares deeply about the path she has taken in her life of professional music and meditation. We discuss her journey from the Juilliard School to San Francisco Symphony, how she got introduced to meditation, the profound impact her practice has had on her daily and professional life, and so much more. Enjoy! Contact information and links Website: www.barbarabogatin.comEmail: barbogatin@comcast.net

Welcome to the first installment of a new series called, Mindful Miniatures. These solo episodes will be interspersed around the normal interview programs, and will center on a specific idea or technique. In addition to lots of valuable information, these will always include a short mindfulness exercise as well. I hope you enjoy the first episode on the non-judgmental environment. For more information and guidance on developing the non-judgmental environment, please click here to set up a free, 30-minute consultation.

This week I am talking with Cory Barger. Cory is the principal bassoonist in the filarmónica de Boca del Río in Mexico, and maintains a full teaching studio in Boca del Rio as well. She has earned degrees from UCLA and from the Royal College of Music in London. In addition to her successful career as a professional bassoonist, she is the founder of Practice Happier, a program that focuses on making the most out of our practice time while emphasizing our physical and mental health. Early on in her career, she was plagued by a playing injury, which encouraged her to develop a more balanced approach to practicing as a professional musician. Cory's approach to musical practice is well thought-out and applicable to musicians at any stage and ability. This conversation was an absolute pleasure and I know you are going to enjoy hearing from Cory Barger. Contact information and links Instagram: www.instagram.com/practicehappierWebsite: www.practicehappier.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/practicehappierDirect contact: www.practicehappier.com/contact

This week's episode features performance coach and professional soprano, Ingela Onstad. Ingela is a High Performance Coach for attorneys, performing artists, and other professionals who are in the public eye. Her coaching business, Courageous Artistry, supports high performing individuals in their quest to perform at the top of their abilities when in front of the public by working on skills to target voice, body, anxiety-management, and mindset. Ms. Onstad is a board-certified coach, a licensed psychotherapist, and a professional opera singer who has enjoyed a varied international career in opera, concert work, and contemporary music. She utilizes tools from psychotherapy and the entertainment industry to help clients shine in front of crowds. Contact information and links Website: www.courageousartistry.comInstagram: @courageousartistryFacebook: facebook.com/courageousartistryLinkedin: linkedin.com/in/ingela-onstad

My guest today is Dr. Jessie Thoman. Jessie is the professor of Horn and Music History at University of Tennessee, Martin and earned her degrees at the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam (BM), The Ohio State University (MM, MA) and Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music (DM). Jessie is a regular performer with professional orchestras around the country and has shared the stage with artist such as Jeff Nelsen, Andre Watts, Leonard Slatkin, Michel Camilo, Sylvia McNair, Eric Ruske, Maureen McGovern and Byron Stripling. Jessie is also the cofounder of the Mirari Brass Quintet (www.miraribrass.com) which maintains a busy performing and touring schedule presenting master classes and recitals in public schools, colleges, universities, and performance halls all over the United States. Jessie and I first met when she gave me a horn lesson shortly after completing her doctorate with Jeff Nelsen at IU. She suggested I look into studying with him at some point… so I did! We recently reconnected and I have been reminded how amazing she is. Jessie is a deeply genuine person who openly shares her experiences to help others in an honest and inspiring way. I know you were going to enjoy this as our first of many conversations on this podcast. Contact information and links Instagram: @jkthomanFacebook page: facebook.com/JessieThomanMirari Brass Quintet: www.miraribrass.com

Today I am speaking with Benjamin Irons. In addition to his active life as a professional orchestral percussionist, Ben is a sound healer, meditation instructor and Artist-Collaborator for Dragonfly Percussion. Through his private practice, “Zen with Ben” (Boulder, CO), he works extensively with sound and vibration as a form of alternative medicine for stress-related conditions. He holds a B.M. in Instrumental Performance from Northern Arizona University, as well as certifications from the University of Holistic Theology, the Southwestern Institute of Healing Arts, and the Atma Buti® Sound & Vibrational School (Boulder, CO). He is a proud member of the International Association of Meditation Instructors, Sound Healers Association, and the American Federation of Musicians (San Diego, Local 325). Outside of his wellness practice, Mr. Irons currently serves as the Principal Percussionist with the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra. As a freelancer, he has performed throughout the United States, Europe, and China. Most notably, with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Diego Symphony, Hawai'i Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Tucson Symphony, Arizona Philharmonic, and Arizona Opera orchestras. IN this conversation we discuss Ben's approach to teaching and practice mindfulness, as well as his excellent new book, “Mindfulness for Musicians: A practical guide.” Ben is a passionate and kind person and teacher, and I think you will really enjoy this conversation. Links and Contact Information Ben's website: www.zenwithben.meBen's instagram: instagram.com/zenwithbenBen's email address: ben@zenwithben.me Link to purchase Ben's book, Mindfulness for Musicians: Amazon link

Hannah is the co-founder of corpSonore – sound | body | wellness, a platform, podcast, and newsletter dedicated to the health and wellness of all musicians. She is a certified 200-hour yoga teacher and a level-2 Timani Practitioner. Musicians' health, wellness, and mindful movement have been passions for years and influenced the focus of her doctoral dissertation, titled “Using Iyengar Yoga to Enhance Violin Playing,” published in 2017. Hannah is an active performer and educator currently based in Los Angeles, regularly performing with Opera Santa Barbara, the Pacific Opera Project, the Hollywood Chamber Orchestra, and San Bernardino Symphony, and currently serves as Associate Principal Second of the Tulsa Symphony and Tulsa Ballet. Links and contact information Hannah's personal website: https://www.activeviolinist.comWebsite for corpSonore: https://www.corpsonore.comcorpSonore instagram: @corpsonore