May 22, 2026
What happens when the audition is closer than you expected and the preparation feels impossible?
In this episode, I’m talking about how to handle high pressure performance situations when time is short, nerves are high, and your brain keeps telling you it’s not enough. We dive into mindset, performance psychology,...
May 15, 2026
What does it actually take to win a major orchestra audition?
In this deeply personal episode, I take you behind the scenes of my winning audition for the Lyric Opera Orchestra at 47 years old. I’m sharing the real preparation process, the mental work, the conditioning, and the mindset shifts that carried me through...
May 9, 2026
What if confidence is not the absence of doubt?
In this deeply honest conversation, violinist Robert Sanders shares what changed internally as he navigated auditions, pressure, comparison, and eventually won a full time position with the Bruckner Orchestra Linz. This episode is not about becoming fearless. It’s about...
May 8, 2026
You know that feeling when you walk off stage thinking, “I can play so much better than this”? In this episode, I unpack three powerful patterns I saw during the Musicians Edge Challenge with more than 300 musicians and why so many performers lose access to themselves under pressure even when they’ve...
May 1, 2026
If you've ever stood in the wings before a performance and wondered how you got there — not in a good way — this episode is for you. Marie-Michel Beauparlant is an accomplished cellist, a mom of twins, and one of the most honest guests we've had on the show. She talks about the years she spent hiding behind...