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My guest today is actor, improviser, writer, producer and comic genius, Roni Geva. So, a nihilist, a realist, and an optimist walk into a bar... That's actually not a joke, just the backstory of how my guest today became the incredible human being that she is. A disclaimer and a trigger warning for this episode: the actor Will Smith is part of our conversation, but this interview was recorded before the slap heard 'round the world occurred. So when we don't bring up that topic, you will understand why. Also, this episode discusses abortion. Roni us one of the most hilarious, bubbly people I have ever met, and she is also a master at shining a spotlight on history, civil rights, and other very serious things. This episode is not totally serious--there's some amazing, behind-the-scenes info on how TV shows and movies are made. Also, we'll teach you a little bit of Hebrew. Enjoy and Happy Listening! Chris @ Honesty Pill The Honesty Pill Podcast is proud to be sponsored by the Yamaha Corporation of America. Thank you, Yamaha!

My guest today is the E-flat Clarinetist at the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in New York, Jessica Phillips.  We’re going to talk about her performance career, auditions, and how she ended up playing in one of the most regarded opera orchestras in the world, but Jessica has a lot more going on in her life than just playing the clarinet. We’re going to dig into her life as an educator, musician entrepreneur and advocate for the arts.  Happy listening!  Chris @ Honesty Pill   Links: http://www.jessicaphillipsclarinet.com/ https://www.metorchestramusicians.org/ https://www.metopera.org/    

My guest today is performer, coach and entrepreneur Elizabeth Gentner. And I just want to give you all a heads up, this was a heavy episode and we hit a lot of topics as you can tell from that intro clip, that I think are really critical and important to talk about so I am going to be quiet and let Elizabeth do most of the talking on this episode. I do just want to set this up by asking you the question, What do you think about the word, “Diva”? Is it a good thing? Is it a negative thing? Have you ever referred to someone as a diva, and if so, what were you trying to communicate? We’re going to get Elizabeth’s definition and find out why she is taking that word back, and even went as far as to name her website, coaching and brand after the word by becoming, The Red Diva.com.

My guest today is transformational voice coach, singer, pianist, musician, composer, author, multi-instrumentalist and teacher, Helane Marie Anderson.  For those of you who have been listening to the podcast for a while, and were wondering, “What is a sound healer” that I always mention in the intro, you’re going to find out exactly what that is and why you need to know about it in today’s episode.   Helane has had an incredibly varied career doing all of the things I just mentioned, including being a praised in LA Magazine as “a healer who sings like an angel, taking you into the celestial world with her voice paired with crystal singing bowls, chimes and alchemical bowls.” Enjoy and Happy Listening.  The Honesty Pill Podcast is proud to be sponsored by the Yamaha Corporation of America. Thank you, Yamaha! LINKS Website: www.sacralsounds.com Instagram: @sacralsoundsla Facebook Page: Sacral Sounds Book: "You are Meant to Sing"

My guest today is the founder of “Audition Confidential” coaching for musicians, and cellist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Gloria Lum. If you've ever wanted a helicopter view of the orchestra audition process, taken an audition and not advanced, or been involved at an audition where nobody even got hired, this episode is for you. Gloria is going to unpack exactly what committees are looking for, and give you some strategic ways to make sure you are giving it to them when it counts…under pressure. And a quick announcement that Gloria’s program “The 360 Method to Audition Preparation” specifically designed to help cellists nail their auditions is launching in a few weeks. You're going to find out where you can book a totally free discovery call and learn more about that during our conversation. OK let's hop into my conversation with Gloria and find out what rocket science has to do with audition strategy. Enjoy and Happy Listening.  The Honesty Pill Podcast is proud to be sponsored by the Yamaha Corporation of America. Thank you, Yamaha! LINKS Website: Audition Confidential Instagram: @auditionconfidential Facebook: Audition Confidential Group  

My guest today is Los Angeles Philharmonic Principal Trumpet, Tom Hooten. We’re going to talk about the three rules that Tom applies to EVERYTHING when it comes to playing the trumpet. He’s going to share the details with you, right here. Think a player like Tom just sits around thinking and reading about nothing but the trumpet all day? I am willing to bet that the book he is going to recommend is NOT on your current reading list. And stick around until the end, because Tom has just launched a really accessible and impactful video series called, “Studio Time with Tom” that you are going to want to check out. Enjoy and happy listening!  The Honesty Pill Podcast is proud to be sponsored by the Yamaha Corporation of America. Thank you, Yamaha! LINKS Instagram: @tomhooten Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TomHootenTrumpet/ Website: https://tomhooten.com/ Email: Trumpetmastery2020@gmail.com Amazon store: https://www.amazon.com/s?me=AKME9HG4KQMU5&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER

My guest today is Los Angeles Philharmonic violist Mick Wetzel, who in addition to being a world class musician, is also the founder of The Viola Pro coaching for musicians on auditions, competitions and really tactical ideas on how to practice. We’re going to talk about his own audition journey, how he learned to deal with performance anxiety and pressure, and exactly what Mick does in his OWN practice room to get ready to walk on stage at the Walt Disney Concert Hall week after week. Mick is also going to debunk a huge myth about whether or not talent has anything to do with being successful. What a great topic. I have to say, being a brass player and aiming my trumpet directly at the back of Mick’s head in the LA Phil for the past decade and a half, the fact that we are still friends speaks to Mick’s incredibly professional and friendly demeanor. And he’s a pretty big dude too, so I’m really grateful we get along. Listen all the way to the end of this one, because The Viola Pro has some brand-new programs coming up that you are going to want to know about. Enjoy and happy listening!  The Honesty Pill Podcast is proud to be sponsored by the Yamaha Corporation of America. Thank you, Yamaha! LINKS Mick Wetzel (Facebook) mick.wetzel (Instagram) theviolapro (Instagram) theviolapro.com (website)

My guest today is the self-proclaimed “Unfussy Oboist” Jennet Ingle. I love that title…can’t wait to hear the explanation. Jennet, who in addition to being the Principal Oboist of the South Bend Symphony Orchestra, is also the creator of tons of online resources for musicians, including her signature group program, Invincible Oboist, that helps oboists get past the struggle to find ease in their playing. Sounds pretty good! She also created the Reed Club, that meets every Monday online for social connection and actual making of fantastic oboe reeds, and a group for beginning reed makers called, “Zero to Reedmaker” which has group classes and elements of accountability. She even has a big announcement about a book that she just wrote and that’s coming out soon! Wow…that’s a lot of reed talk, and since I am the opposite of an expert on making or playing oboe reeds, let’s get right to my conversation with Jennet Ingle. The Honesty Pill Podcast is proud to be sponsored by the Yamaha Corporation of America. Thank you, Yamaha! LINKS @jennetingleoboist on Facebook @jennetingle on instagram www.jennetingle.com is my website @jennetingle on YouTube

My guest today is composer and founder of “The Wizarding School for Composers”  …can’t wait for you guys to hear about that… musician entrepreneur Joseph Sowa. Musicians, let me ask you a question…you PLAY music all the time…but have you ever WRITTEN a piece of music? DO you even have a clue how you might go about trying to do that? And, if you were going to work on writing a piece of music…how would you know when it’s done? We’re going to get a behind the scenes glimpse at what a professional composer’s creative process looks like. So, you’ve written a piece of music…now, how do you get it performed? Joseph is going to talk about ways to effectively grow your network and connect with the people who have the connections to get your music on stage. The Honesty Pill Podcast is proud to be sponsored by the Yamaha Corporation of America. Thank you, Yamaha! Show Notes and Links http://www.josephsowa.com  

My guest today is the Principal Percussionist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, one of the most friendly musicians you could ever work with, my friend and colleague, Matt Howard. Sports, sports, and more sports…today’s episode is a straight up masterclass on how being a professional musician is completely parallel to being a professional athlete.   Think your tenure process was tough? Make sure you listen all the way to the end for an unbelievable story about the types of hoops LA Phil musicians jump through to make our boss, Gustavo Dudamel happy. Worried that you got a “late start” in classical music? Wait until you hear the surprising success timeline for someone who later became one of the world’s premiere orchestral players… He wasn’t at all competitive Had never heard his hometown orchestra until he was a senior He mostly just played drums in a rock band Didn’t practice Didn’t take lessons And when he finally decided that we wanted to go to college for music, he only applied to one college, into which he did not get accepted. Sound like a roadmap to success? You might be surprised… Matt’s going to share some amazing advice on how to prepare for an audition, how to effectively use a metronome, and we’re even going to find out who he thinks is the greatest drummer of all time. You’re even going to get a free percussion rudiments lesson from Matt, totally for free by listening to this podcast…you’re welcome. Enjoy and happy listening!  The Honesty Pill Podcast is proud to be sponsored by the Yamaha Corporation of America. Thank you, Yamaha! LINKS Matthew Howard, LA Phil Bio  

My guest today is vocalist, voice coach and podcast host Gina Morgano, and her website bio copy is so awesome I’m not even going to try and find a better way to say it, so let me just read this for you… “Gina Morgano is a radical romantic who believes in using her voice as an instrument of peace. She interprets uplifting stories with timeless fancy, inspiring hope so that goodness may shine.” Well, I don’t know about you listener, but can we agree that all of us could use a little more shining goodness in our world right now? Yes? Okay. Good. What else can I tell you about Gina… She’s a vocal soloist, chorister in her sixth season as a performer with National Chorale at Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall, and is also an avid recitalist and cabaret artist throughout the country. And just to jump off her resume credentials for a second, Gina is a true creator. From her podcast and Facebook Group a downloadable practice planner and workbook for musicians to a reading library called the “Singer’s Bookshelf” You are going to find a ton of inspiration and knowledge on her website ginamorgano.com Enough teasing, let’s get into my conversation with Gina! The Honesty Pill Podcast is proud to be sponsored by the Yamaha Corporation of America. Thank you, Yamaha! Links www.GinaMorgano.com @GinaMorgano on FB, TY and IG contact@ginamorgano.com

My guest today is Scott Quackenbush, Principal Trumpet Omaha Symphony, Owner and Founder of Creative Measures, and it’s worth mentioning that as a fellow homebrewer of excellent beer, Scott has developed a killer Double IPA recipe, which, by the way…I’m still waiting on that bottle to arrive in the mail, Scott… We’re going to tackle the questions: Is there a linear path to becoming successful as an artist, and if so, what would that even look like? What does the phrase, “Neurodiverse strategies from a neurodivergent mind” mean and where did it come from? What is the ONE book you need to read if you want to learn more about how the ADHD mind works And Scott is going to give you deliberate practice strategies for musicians with ADHD that are TOTALLY relevant for anyone… If that’s not enough, we’re even gonna talk smack about people who we went to elementary school with… Ok…that’s enough teasing…here we go… The Honesty Pill Podcast is proud to be sponsored by the Yamaha Corporation of America. Thank you, Yamaha! Show Notes and Links Register for Scott's list and get his "In-STEP Practicing: 5 Practice Strategies for ADHD Musicians" guide right HERE.  www.takecreativemeasures.com https://www.instagram.com/takecreativemeasures https://www.facebook.com/Creative-Measures-106974531097248 Youtube: Take Creative Measures The ONE book to read on ADHD, "Driven to Distraction" by Edward Hallowell.     

My guest today is Violinist & EFT Coach for Musicians & Stage Artists, Jenny Clift! OK, listeners, raise your hand if you know what an EFT coach is… OK I see a few of you with their hands in the air...good for you! Personally, I had no idea what this technique was before I met Jenny and I found it so helpful and frankly mind-blowing that I had to have her as a guest on this show so you could learn about it too. Jenny is going to take ME through an actual EFT tapping session and explain what it means, some tips on adding tapping to your meditation sessions, and how to do it on your own at home. One of the things we talk about in this episode is “The Power of Neutral”, when things in our lives get stressful or you’re feeling negative, how to get yourself to back neutral and actually create mental space for the positive thoughts to come back in. I know I could definitely use some help with that sometimes, and if YOU are going to be spending some extended time visiting family over the Holidays, you are going to want to take some notes from this episode! Oh, and by the way, the results are in and this episode registered a 9.2 on the “Woo Scale”, so for all of my Vortex, Universal Energy, Unicorn Type listeners who already know and love Jenny Clift’s work…you’re welcome. Enjoy!  The Honesty Pill Podcast is proud to be sponsored by the Yamaha Corporation of America. Thank you, Yamaha!   Show Notes and Links Subscribe to Jenny's list and get her "Shine on Stage: 10 Energy Tips to Banish Performance Anxiety" right HERE.  View Jenny's "Tapping Points" PDF right HERE. Watch Jenny's "Make Space for Greatness" Youtube video right HERE.  Website: https://abetterlifetapping.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abetterlifetapping/ YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/c/JennyCliftCoachingEFTtappingintoabetterlife Email: jenny@jennyclift.com  

I’m so excited to welcome Lisa Husseini, Professional Coach and Author of a brand-new book, which you’ll find out about in a minute, and Lisa is going to walk us through her journey from being a conservatory trained flutist to arts management and finally evolving into a powerhouse business coach. Here’s a quick quiz for you…what’s the difference between a coach, a teacher, and a therapist? Lisa is going to unpack all of that too. Oh, and by the way, one more thig…be sure to listen all the way to the end of this episode for a fun giveaway for one Honesty Pill listener…who’s it going to be? Is it you? Let’s listen to the show and find out… Links www.lisahusseini.com www.facebook.com/thelisahusseini www.instagram.com/lisanajibe  

My guest today is the amazing Gin Walker who is an actor, and as I like to call her, “Copy Consultant to the Stars”, and once you get to meet her, you’ll realize that her word smithing skills are eclipsed only by her energy and sense of humor. Let me ask you a question… do you consider yourself a good writer? And I don't mean of novels or screenplays but of the type of writing we need to use every day in our communication with the people who are interested in what we do for a living. I'm talking about emails, social media posts, or even copy you would find on a website. Because if you're like most musicians you are better at playing your instrument than you are at talking about it and that includes when it comes time to send out those emails. I wanted to talk to Gin on the podcast because and forgive me for saying so but most musicians are terrible writers specifically when it comes to talking about what we do for a living. And it's really important especially in the hybrid environment that we're all living in online. Like all of the guests on my podcast, Gin is going to give you actionable advice on how you can evolve the way you create and structure your written communication and messaging. How Gin uses her experience as an actor to “step into character” when helping her clients write emails and social media posts There is so much in this interview that I'm going to stop talking right now and let you get to it… let's listen to my conversation with Gin Walker. The Honesty Pill Podcast is proud to be sponsored by the Yamaha Corporation of America. Thank you, Yamaha! Links I'm on Instagram at @copygenie and on FB as Gin Walker, Copy Expert at https://www.facebook.com/copygenie. Website is ginwalker.com Email copygenie@ginwalker.com  

My guest today is social media giant, classical musician, founder of the podcast “Faking Notes”, hip-hop artist, and…a viola player. We are talking to Drew Alexander Forde, also known by over a hundred thousand followers on Instagram as, That Viola Kid” We’re going to dig into some of the issues facing classical musicians and how we market our work, we’re going to talk about being broke and figuring out how to hustle for the rent money, we’re going to talk about where he got the name “That Viola Kid” and how he grew his social media following to the top two percent of the entire platform. If you’ve ever wondered how to get your message out, how you define being successful, or needed a 101 intro into the world of Hip-Hop music, this one is for you. The Honesty Pill Podcast is proud to have the Yamaha Corporation of America as our keynote sponsor!  Links The Faking Notes Podcast Thatviolakid.com instagram.com/thatviolakid YouTube.com/thatviolakid Twitter.con/thatviolakid "The Rap Yearbook" Shea Serrano

From jazz bass players to food bloggers, opera singers to business coaches, beauty company founders, composers, electronic violinists, kid's songs writers and arts administration trail blazers––Season One of the Honesty Pill podcast had a LOT packed into it.  Join me for a look back on some of the absolutely fabulous moments in our show's first season.  And THANK YOU for listening all season, thank you for your emails, your ideas and your generous reviews. My Honesty Pill audience is the BEST! See you next season! Chris @ Honesty Pill      

My guest today is clarinetist, musician entrepreneur, founder of eco-beauty company Take My Face Off, and also my incredible wife, Amanda McIntosh. So, what do you think of the idea that if you have an interest other than just playing our instrument, that you’re not a serious musician? Mandy is going to debunk that myth, and give you her favorite curse word filled self-help book recommendation. Some other topics we cover on the show today: What to do when your studio teacher looks you right in the eye and says, “Are you sure you want to do this clarinet thing? Maybe orchestra is not the place for you”…ouch. What exactly is an extroverted introvert…and what’s the best way to feed and care for one…hint..…give them a quiet space and a stack of books. And why does anything that is authentic, non-airbrushed and unexpected perform so well on social media? You’ll hear about the Storyline System that Amanda has developed for anyone ready to stop worrying over “what to post” everyday. You’re going to find out about all of that and a lot more in my conversation with Amanda McIntosh, right now… About Amanda Amanda McIntosh has always loved skincare and makeup, but it never occurred to her that she could make a career out of them. Encouraged by her musical father (thanks, Dad!), she started off life as a classical musician and worked in symphony orchestras in Europe. Later, she joined the consulting practice founded by her mother (way to go, Mom!), and helped companies all of over the world improve their customer service operations. On the way home from playing a concert a few years ago, she remembered that all of her washcloths were in the dirty laundry. A friend had turned Amanda on to a cleansing routine that required a washcloth. It was a great routine, except for the fact that washcloths were gross. She hated her stash of terrycloth, bamboo, and microfiber rags. She couldn't find anything better. Since she refused to spend more money on things she didn’t like, she often ran out before laundry day. As she pulled into her driveway late that night, Amanda decided she would be the person to reinvent the washcloth. How hard could it be to create something less coarse, less clumsy, and less ugly? Turns out, it was really hard. Hundreds of fabrics, many sewing machines, lots of legal mumbo jumbo, and several trade shows later, the Mitty was born. As she developed the brand, Amanda learned more about beauty-related pollution. And so her project became a mission—she decided to offer products so beautiful, convenient, and effective that it would be easy for consumers to ditch their disposables. Take My Face Off products first hit stores as part of the Sephora Collection. The Mitty can now be found in prestige and specialty retail stores across the country, as well as online. Amanda is busy planning new product launches as well as eyeing expansions into other areas, such as men’s grooming and children’s products. She is a proud founding member of The F Project, a social-impact initiative aimed at raising the profile and economic success of female founders. Take My Face Off's ultimate mission is to make it easy for consumers to improve the planet and their skin at the same time. All Take My Face Off products have quantifiable environmental benefits, but we also collaborate with and donate to organizations such as the Ocean Conservancy, Heal the Bay, the Pollinator Partnership, and the Trevor Project. Links Website: www.takemyfaceoff.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/takemyfaceoff/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/takemyfaceoff Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/319069689548517 The Storyline System™ Other Links Duchess Goldblatt Twitter Feed Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, Susan Cain. You Are A Badass, Jen Sincero  

My guest today is Digital Fiddler, Global Netizen, Reinvention Coach and Cultural Devotee, Todd Reynolds. How’s that for an into title! What can I say about this episode…Todd is the ultimate storyteller, both through his music and his words. While you’re going to get some seriously technical information during this interview, it’s also like, “story time with friends”. Todd’s going to give you a straight up masterclass on how broadcast quality microphones work, you’re going to hear his awesome Jascha Heifetz impression…your welcome. And if you’re afraid of improvising on your instrument, he’s going to give you an awesome hack use can use today, right now, in your practice room. And if you’re like me and dislike the term “classical music” Todd is going to explain what HE likes to call, "present music”, and how successful performance is directly related to mindfulness, and even meditation. Oh, and one more thing…I’ve got a brand new training coming up in two weeks, so you’ll want to listen all the way to the end. OK…Let’s dig in to my conversation with Todd Reynolds. About Todd I, Todd Reynolds, am a solo classical violinist gone horribly wrong. I started on a violin made of a standard elementary school ruler taped onto a Grape Nuts box and grew up playing all the sonatas and concertos that all the other kids did. I played in church by my father’s side for what seemed like an eternal adolescence, and by some stroke of good fortune, found myself in one of the last classes of the great Jascha Heifetz where he counseled me to sell insurance for the sake of my own happiness. In college, I became completely enamored with playing the music of living composers - it got me completely hooked on non-historic ways of thinking about music, stretching me beyond my planned trajectory. But then I won an audition and completely dropped out of school. In my third year of playing Principal Second Violin in the Rochester Philharmonic, I broke. Since the very moment I quit my job, I’ve reinvented myself four times, at least. First as Broadway musician, then as the creator of a new kind of amplified string quartet, then as a ‘composer in the woods’ recording artist, and finally, refocusing as an educator - not that that’s anywhere near the end of things. Now, and for the past 25 years, I’ve called myself a hybrid musician. I play with some of my long time idols - singer/songwriters, global musicians, minimalists, electronica artists, rock stars, New Music heroes, classical music heroes - I count them all my friends, colleagues and collaborators. I record, teach, and perform with my studio onstage and off, study Indian music, jazz, music programming, psychology, and mindfulness to varying degrees as disciplines. I’m as much a student as a teacher. That will never change. If you ever find the opposite? Run. Four years ago, I felt the industry changing yet again. CDs - gone, Broadway jobs - gone, commercial work - gone. My health was starting to go as well. My partner, Isabelle, and I moved to a beautiful place in the country, to pull it all together and build a community for teaching and supporting those seeking to do the same - to develop the tools for reinvention and expansion, and to look deeper into what it all means to be a musician today. You see, we musicians, we’re not our instrument, we’re not the music we studied, we are creators through and through, whatever form that expression takes. It is with the questions that we slay the dragon, not with our virtuosity. The Hero’s Journey exists for us as it does for anyone else, and we need only to walk forward with eyes open and a backpack full of good questions (and great gear), and we’ll find our next dragon. I’ve created this program, the inaugural one for my new(ish) online academy, for fellow musicians who feel that same nagging suspicion that ‘the box’ they currently inhabit is too small to contain them, that the times we’re living in are calling them forth to something larger, that they too want to think of themselves as creators, as storytellers, as activists, and agents of change. Todd's Links http://www.toddreynolds.com http://facebook.com/toddreynoldsmusic http://instagram.com/digifiddler  http://twitch.tv/digifiddler todd@toddreynolds.com Todd's gear: https://kit.co/digifiddler Other Links Drone Practice App “Droneo” Honesty Pill Links The Online Business Accelerator-6 Month Group Coaching Program Free Resource Library Facebook Group Mailing List

My guest today is opera singer, business coach, and writer, Maren Montalbano. A graduate of Tufts University and the New England Conservatory of Music, Maren has sung at Carnegie Hall in NYC, Walt Disney Concert Hall in LA, multiple theaters in Europe, and even performed on stage, get this...with the Rolling Stones. Wow.  But Maren's career has suffered right along with the rest of us during this past year, but that didn't slow her down. When live performances disappeared during the pandemic, Maren turned her focus to the online world: writing, producing, and premiering a one-woman show called The Bodice Ripper Project as an interactive digital performance at the Philadelphia Fringe Festival. That show, along with the accompanying podcast of the same name, became an exploration of sexuality, feminism, and the journey to self-empowerment through the lens of romance novels. Guys, if you haven't listened to The Bodice Ripper podcast, put it at the top of your list...it's super fun and you might even learn a little bit about opera while you're at it.  Maren is passionate about uplifting and amplifying new and diverse voices in classical music, which has fueled her work as a business coach for musicians. We're going to debunk some singer stereotypes, hear about Maren's experience working on a cruise ship when she was only eight years old... You’re even going to learn what it means to slow down, meditate and move at what Maren calls "the speed of plants". That actually sounds pretty good given our world these days.  Alright––let's get to it and dig into my conversation with Maren Montalbano. Links Maren's Current Program: Inspiration to Implementation Singing: https://marenmontalbano.com Coaching: https://askmaren.com Podcast: https://bodiceripperproject.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/supermaren Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maren.montalbano/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/supermaren/ Here is a link to the YouTube video we talked about on the show...it's a must watch!  Honesty Pill Links The Online Business Accelerator-6 Month Group Coaching Program Free Resource Library Facebook Group Mailing List About Maren I am an artist who is passionate about elevating and amplifying new and diverse voices into the world. My world is one of classical music, which has traditionally been riddled with systemic racism, sexism, and classism. I believe right now in this industry we are undergoing a paradigm shift, and that the institutions which have been upholding these oppressive systems are crumbling in the face of the pandemic. Individuals have much more influence now than they ever have, and I am excited about creating a new, more equitable paradigm - not only in classical music, but across the world. My music career began at age three on the violin (my mom is a violinist, and she started me in on Suzuki, which she was also teaching). I ended up getting quite good: landing concertmaster of my middle school orchestra in 7th grade and taking private lessons at San Francisco Conservatory. I was being groomed for the Tchaikovsky Competition…but there was a lot of pressure to practice all the time, and it made me miserable. It was my mother’s dream, not mine, that I be a virtuoso violinist. I quit violin at age 13 and focused on singing. As a singer, I find my voice makes me a conduit between the tangible and the intangible. The music I sing communicates to something deeper that resides in all of us, and helping people tap into that well feeds my soul. My one-woman show, The Bodice Ripper Project, was born out of romance scenes I used to write backstage at the opera. I read them aloud to my fellow cast members in the dressing room, to everyone’s delight, and someone suggested I set it to music. That idea turned into a one-woman opera/cabaret hybrid show, which then evolved into an interactive digital performance at the Philadelphia Fringe Festival (thanks to COVID), and even an accompanying podcast of the same name! Writing the show provided much-needed focus for me during stay-at-home orders, but it also created a unique opportunity for me to explore an incident of childhood sexual abuse in my past, transmute that pain into art, and in the process, heal and empower myself. The transformation that I experienced working on that show was profound, and I will be ever grateful to the time I was given in this pandemic to slow down and really process these deep wounds. In addition to writing and performing, I also am a business coach for musicians. I worked for many years in arts administration (most recently as the Operations Manager for the GRAMMY Award winning choir The Crossing), and I see so many people in the classical music field come out of music school with lots of technical know-how on their instrument but very little practical real-world experience. This makes them more likely to look to a larger organization like an opera company or a symphony for job stability...but those gigs are very competitive, and as I mentioned above, the entire job search is rife with systemic oppression. I believe there is a better way for artists to get their voices heard. Creating and producing your own art is easier than you think, and I use my experience in arts administration to teach the basics of marketing, budgeting, fundraising, and networking to my students. Artists I work with are able to use the skills I teach to produce their own tours, albums, and recitals, bringing their work directly to the audiences without the need for a gatekeeper. I’m entering into my second season of The Bodice Ripper Project podcast, and this season will be focused more on other artists and their stories. I always ask my audience how they will rip their own bodice and let their true selves out...so as I interview authors, composers, and performing artists, I intend on finding out more about their creative processes and what the metaphor of bodice-ripping means to them.