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Composer/Bassoonist Joy Guidry shares how they protect their own mental health while exploring personally traumatic content in their art. We discuss their critically acclaimed debut album, Radical Acceptance (2022), which traces Joy's personal experiences of Bipolar Disorder and PTSD. Joy differentiates between the harmful nature of forcing oneself to relive a traumatic personal memory in order to create art, and the act of reclaiming and transforming one's experience through communal storytelling. Lastly, Joy shares what they wish others knew about Bipolar Disorder and how musical institutions can be more ADA compliant and accessible. www.guidrybassoon.com Questions or comments may be shared on Julia Adolphe's YouTube Channel

Composer Frank Ticheli shares his experience with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, which manifested in his 30's in the form of chronic pain and impeded his ability to compose. We discuss how Frank reframed his relationship to his writing process in order to reconnect with his work, difficulties with medication and therapy, and how cultivating a dialogue with one's subconscious enriches creativity. Lastly, we discuss Frank's An American Elegy, commissioned by the Alpha Iota Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi in memory of the victims of the mass shooting at Columbine High School, and the role that educators can play in caring for and monitoring their students' mental health during increasingly anxious times.   https://www.manhattanbeachmusiconline.com/frank_ticheli/   Questions or comments may be shared on Julia Adolphe's YouTube Channel

Two-time Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke shares her experience of imposter syndrome, a feeling that one is not worthy or deserving of one's success. We discuss how these inner bullying voices originated in relation to her body image and how music became a safe, empowering space. Lastly, Sasha shares how couples therapy and practicing gratitude enable her to take ownership and responsibility for her personal and musical life, and how she stays connected to her kids when she's on tour. This episode of LooseLeaf NoteBook is supported by New Music USA and featured on NewMusicBox. www.sashacooke.com Questions or comments may be shared on Julia Adolphe's YouTube Channel

Ukrainian-born violinist Dr. Myroslava Khomik shares how anyone with creativity and compassion can work as a spiritual leader during times of global crisis. We discuss the centuries-long history of Russian aggressors targeting and executing Ukrainian artists while appropriating Ukrainian culture, why promoting Ukrainian music is a revolutionary act, and how we can each use our own unique individual voices to contribute to the health of our society.    www.myroslavakhomik.com  www.helpmusiciansukraine.com   Questions or comments may be shared on Julia Adolphe's YouTube Channel 

Psychiatrist Alana Mendelsohn, MD, PhD, Catherine Hancock, and Katya Gruzgliina share the mission of Creatives Care, which aims to partner artists with affordable mental health care providers and help individuals assess what kind of therapy might be right for their specific needs. Our conversation covers why therapy is particularly beneficial for artists, how to understand when you might need help, and how to handle obstacles that keep us from seeking support. Catherine and Katya share their own personal experiences with vocal injury and its relationship to their work de-stigmatizing mental and physical illness within the arts. Lastly, we discuss questions collected from our podcast listeners, which range from how to handle career disappointment, leaving the arts, to how to process the unfolding crisis in the Ukraine. This episode is supported by New Music USA and featured on NewMusicBox www.creativescare.org Questions or comments may be shared on Julia Adolphe's YouTube Channel

Composer Andrew Norman shares how his creative anxiety has led him into a current period of writer's block. We discuss how his frenetic language captures how thoughts move in his mind, the underlying sources of his anxiety, and brainstorm together how he can move forward to reconnect with the joy of his creative process.   This episode of LooseLeaf NoteBook is supported by New Music USA and featured on NewMusicBox.    www.andrewnormanmusic.com   Questions and comments may be shared on my YouTube channel. 

Conductor Ryan McAdams shares how the myth of the "ideal" conductor, perpetuated at conservatory and within Western culture, glorifies destructive lifestyles such as living in isolation, excessive behaviors, constant striving for perfection, appearing omniscient, and hiding all human vulnerabilities. In order to manage these impossible professional standards, Ryan believes many conductors turn towards self-destructive behaviors, and Ryan shares some of his own personal struggles. Lastly, Ryan suggests how young conductors could be nurtured and prepared for the challenges of the profession, instead of being told they are not cut out for the job if they cannot cope with stress.   www.ryan-mcadams.com    Questions or comments may be shared on Julia's YouTube Channel

I share my strategies for continuing to write during a time of personal hardship and discuss the pressures and myths surrounding creating art in response to moments of crisis.   Questions or comments may be shared on Julia Adolphe's YouTube Channel

One of the hardest parts of accepting my diagnosis of Generalized Anxiety Disorder was relearning to trust my voice, mind and body after I felt it had betrayed me. I discuss the importance of trusting your voice in your personal life in order to fully trust your creative voice and vision as an artist.   Questions or comments may be shared on Julia Adolphe's YouTube Channel

Violinist Maia Jasper White shares how her relationship to music-making changed as she cared for her young daughter, who underwent surgery for craniosynostosis and a subsequent period of PTSD. We discuss how Maia temporarily stepped away from creative work and how the personal crisis changed her understanding of her own artistic expression. As co-founder of The Salastina Music Society, Maia shares her experience performing for hospital patients during Covid through Project Music Us.   https://www.salastina.org/   Questions or comments may be shared on Julia Adolphe's YouTube channel

I reflect on why art is always imperfect and unpack a wave of anxiety that emerged for me while finishing a large-scale work for the LA Philharmonic. With some advice from my creative coach, Cherry Jeffs, I was able to move past emotional blocks and tackle the work's conclusion.   If you're curious about creative coaching, you can visit Cherry's website and read her book on finishing projects here   Questions or comments may be shared on Julia's YouTube Channel

Co-hosts of the Trilloquy podcast Garrett McQueen and Scott Blankenship share their experiences with depression, therapy, medication, cannabis, creativity, and addiction. They discuss how they continue to navigate their professional and personal relationship following Garrett's controversial termination from American Public Media, the original owner of Trilloquy and parent company to Minnesota Public Radio, where the two worked together as broadcasters and Garrett served as the only Black classical music host. Scott and Garrett share how they put their relationship first, how they stay motivated in their work to decolonize classical music, and the importance of being vulnerable and honest in conversations surrounding mental health. www.trilloquy.org

For years in therapy, I focused on recognizing and then extracting my anxious impulses from my creative process to allow greater room for freedom and play. Now, I am examining how my lingering anxiety that appears while I write can actually serve as a tool in the editing process, provided it remains in check and in direct dialogue with my work. 

Composer Christopher Trapani shares his experience with clinical depression and how it impacts the nature of his creative process, memory, and communication. Chris discusses how he both evades and encodes the filter of depression into his music, myths about the tortured artist, medication, and therapy, and how mental health challenges can be better addressed in the workplace and in schools. www.christophertrapani.com Questions or comments can be shared on Julia Adolphe's YouTube Channel

The idea that art stems from deep suffering is ingrained in Western European classical tradition. I share my thoughts on why this myth is attractive to society and to myself personally, as I was struggling to come to terms with my Anxiety Disorder. Belief in this myth ultimately did me more harm than good, and I discuss why I've let go of this romanticized, if not dangerous notion of the creative process.   For questions or comments, please visit Julia Adolphe's YouTube Channel

Violinists & yoga instructors Melissa White & Elena Urioste share why they founded Intermission Sessions, a program uniting musicianship, movement & mindfulness that emphasizes individual focus on one's own physical & emotional needs. We discuss the impact of abusive or unsupportive teachers & methodologies in conservatory life that strip power from students instead of inspiring self-care and compassion. Elena & Melissa share their experiences of performance anxiety, how that has shifted in the pandemic, and the stigma surrounding injury in classical music. Lastly, they offer insight into what yoga and meditation has taught them about their own musical voices and mental health. www.intermissionsessions.com Questions or comments may be shared on Julia Adolphe's YouTube Channel

States of high anxiety can produce thought patterns similar to those experienced during the creative process - seemingly disparate thoughts connect to create new meanings and stories - but there are also stark differences between imaginative impulses and anxious physiological signals. I unpack the positive and negative impacts of anxiety on creative work, and why the two are easily confused.   Questions or comments may be shared on Julia Adolphe's YouTube Channel 

Conductor & composer Daniela Candillari shares how she discovered surprising musical and personal truths about herself through new and pleasurable activities, such as pottery and gardening, while she strove to cope with her forced hiatus from conducting caused by the pandemic. We discuss how play, meditation, letting go of control, and deep listening impact creativity and mental health. Daniela reflects on her personal experience with performance anxiety, how emotion shapes our perception of time, and why her memories of living through the wars in the former Yugoslavia return to her during this period. www.DanielaCandillari.com Questions and comments can be shared on Julia Adolphe's YouTube Channel

Pianist and Music Educator Cindy Lam shares her experience of PTSD, initially triggered by surviving a car accident at 18, which temporarily threatened her musical capabilities, and heightened in 2020 by the loss of her father to a rare genetic Prion disease. Cindy discusses her ongoing healing process, the importance of sharing one's story, finding joy through teaching and musical expression, and feeling strong enough to momentarily step away from music to focus on her health. She emphasizes the need to connect with our inner child, both to inspire creativity and to ultimately heal trauma. Lastly, Cindy shares her view on the stigma surrounding mental health challenges within Asian and Asian-American circles, and reflects on the escalating hate crimes against the AAPI communities and their possible impact on mental health.   www.CindyLam.com    Questions and comments may be shared on Julia Adolphe's YouTube Channel

Composer Sarah Kirkland Snider shares her experience with Generalized Anxiety Disorder & Major Depressive Disorder and how they impact her creative process. She unpacks the shame and stigma surrounding mental health challenges, the toxic myth of the tortured artist, strategies for coping and silver linings of hypersensitivity, and the importance of nurturing support systems within our families, universities, and professional communities. www.SarahKirklandSnider.com Questions or comments may be shared on Julia Adolphe's YouTube Channel