When the symphony of life hits a dissonant chord, how does a musician find harmony again? This is just one of the soul-stirring questions Russell Rybicki answers as he joins us for a rich tapestry of tales on personal transformation, mental health, and the art of self-discovery in the demanding world of classical music. From playing horn and arranging to finding silence in meditation, Russell unveils the intricate journey of an artist seeking balance amid professional peaks, personal trials, and the quest for inner peace.SPECIAL EVENT: On April 21st, Sound Mind will be hosting its very first in-person panel event at the New World Center in Miami Beach, FL titled “between the notes: exploring identities as artists”. Join us to explore the multifaceted career path as musicians and the diverse identities that shape the art and artists within it. Register now at this link.Russell Rybicki is currently acting third/assistant horn in the San Antonio Philharmonic and is the hornist and arranger for the Monarch Chamber Players. He’s previously held positions with the San Antonio Symphony, the Vancouver Symphony, and the New World Symphony. Russell is also a certified Holistic Life Coach passionate about deep personal work involved in self-acceptance and self-compassion through a holistic process.

Percussionist Alana Wiesing joins us on the podcast to talk about her musical journey (which included almost walking away from music entirely), the importance of taking care of your body and brain, the ability to compartmentalize and focus, and much more.Alana Wiesing is the principal Timpanist of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra and Adjunct Professor of Percussion at the University of Arizona. She’s an alumni faculty member at the National Orchestral Institute + Festival, and serves as the President and Chair of the board of directors for the Network for Diversity in Concert Percussion.

Happy 2024! This January we are joined by Elizabeth Rowe (principal Flute, Boston Symphony & Leadership and High-Performance Coach) to discuss her stepping down from the Boston Symphony Orchestra to pursue coaching full-time, her year of “both/and,” letting go of what no longer serves us, and much more. Elizabeth Rowe is a Leadership and High-Performance coach, working at the intersection of personal and professional development. She helps high achievers across all industries learn to thrive in demanding work environments and successfully navigate career or personal transitions.  She is also the principal flutist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, a social justice advocate, and a public speaker. After her landmark equal paylawsuit in 2018 The Boston Globe honored her as a Bostonian of the Year, calling her “The Fighter.” Her ongoing commitment to opening up dialogue about complex subjects led to her TEDx talk, The Lonely Onlys, where she shared her personal story of learning to embrace the powers of imagination and vulnerability to create connection and community. You can learn more about all of this, including following along for her final season with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, at iamelizabethrowe.com

Happy December! This holiday season, we welcomed songwriter Eric Terino to the Sound Mind podcast. Eric is a multi-disciplinary artist from the New England region whose third LP “Innovations of Grave Perversity” blends elements of Folk, Classical, and Alternative together while talking about his life journey. Eric opens up about his experiences with agoraphobia, what it’s like to be a songwriter, and much more!Learn more about Eric at www.ericterino.com.

Tubist Jarrett McCourt (Tuba & Euphonium professor, UMKC) joined Alex on the podcast this month to discuss self-care, recharging, how trauma is processed, and much more! Learn more about Jarrett at www.jarrettmccourt.com. Our previous episode with Jarrett can be found here.

This month we welcomed back flutist Adam Sadberry to the pod to talk about being in the present, trusting our instincts, and following our heart, even when that path looks different from those around you.Adam is currently developing his workshop, “Feelin’ It: Tools to Help Musicians Expand Their Humanity.” You can donate to his GoFundMe at the link below.https://www.gofundme.com/f/career-shift-and-funding-an-equitable-workshop/donationsIG: @adamhappyberry www.adamsadberry.com

Leo Fotos & David Gosz (www.goszandfotos.com) are musical theatre creators based in New York City. On this month's pod, I sat down with David and Leo to discuss their musical, "TRU," a musical that shines a light into the life of Truman, a man living with mental illness personified as a toxic relationship with the manipulative “Her”. TRU will be performed LIVE in Chicago on September 10th as part of The Hope For Us Network's "Conclave 2023."Conclave 2023: https://www.hopeforusnetwork.org/post/the-conclave-preview

Musical performance and improvement expert Noa Kageyama talks with Dan Monte about breaking down commonly held perceptions on musical and technical growth. Working outside of typically binary narratives of success or failure, they discuss tactics and research toward a goal of musical development and progress.

Violinist, writer, educator, and podcaster Tricia Park joins Dan Monte for a discussion on relationship with one’s inner critic as a practicing musician.

Acting Executive Director of The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland Erica Bondarev Rapach speaks with Dan Monte about compassionate practices in team leadership from her perspective as an arts administrator.

Current project advisor to the Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative Adrienne Thompson speaks with host Dan Monte about creating communities around young artists to foster musical success.

Dr. Karen Bluth joins host Ben Manis to discuss methods and frameworks of compassionate behavior to better address life's challenges.

Guest Clara Donaldson discusses self compassion through her experience both as a performer and a certified clinical professional counselor.

Author, Clinical Psychologist, and Compassion expert Dr. Mary Welford joins host Dan Monte for a conversation on compassion's role in a musical life. Compassion is explored from all angles, from the interpersonal to the deeply personal, as well as strategies for framing self-compassion in a competitive field.

Dan and Alex deliver an important update regarding the upcoming 2022 Sound Mind Podcast season, changes within the Sound Mind Organization, and the exciting future ahead.

Guest Loren Meeker talks with host Benjamin Manis about the anxiety,  judgement, and trust in the classical music sphere, through the perspective of her career as a stage director.

Guest Brianne Borden talks with host Dan Monte about her experiences both as a visiting assistant professor of trumpet at SUNY Potsdam, as well as in her role as a yoga instructor with her online studio Yoga for All Musicians. Brianne and Dan reflect on the classical education experience and the teacher-student relationship, as well as mental health practices in the yoga studio environment.

Memphis Symphony Orchestra Acting Principal flutist Adam Sadberry joins host Alex Hoffman for a wide ranging conversation covering mental health struggles in college, being an African-American Orchestra Fellow at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, his family history, and reflections on his current home in Memphis. More about Adam can be found on his website at https://www.adamsadberry.comPodcast episodes are released often and can be found on soundmindmusician.org, via Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/soundmindmusician/, or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/soundmindmusician

Jarrett McCourt discusses his mindfulness and meditation practices. Hosted by Alex Hoffman, the two also discuss some techniques that Jarrett uses as a crisis hotline texter. If you have any thoughts you'd like to share with us, or if you are interested in getting involved with sound mind, please send an email to soundmindmusician@gmail.com.

Dr. Karen Cassiday discusses how fear and perfection plays a role in our lives as performing musicians. Karen gives great insight on how perfection can stand in our way. She mentions techniques that can help us be kinder to ourselves in the practice room. Hosted by Ben Manis, they also discuss CBT, joy in our music making, self-worth, and the role of medication. Karen's talk can be heard here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7OaAO4H_PcPlease write us at soundmindmusician@gmail.com, or check our website for more information: https://www.soundmindmusician.org/