Dancing with Porpoises – Stephen Paré’s Story of Wonder on the Open Sea
Stories from Under the Piano
What happens when you find yourself on a boat in the middle of the foggy Pacific, searching for birds—but instead, you become the audience to an astonishing dance of nature? In this episode of Stories from Under the Piano, multidisciplinary artist Stephen Paré shares a breathtaking memory from his university days. As he sailed through Monterey Bay on an ornithology field trip, he expected to see rare birds. Instead, he witnessed something extraordinary—two Dall’s porpoises playfully racing alongside the boat, performing a synchronized, awe-inspiring maneuver that left the entire crew...
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Rebirth and Resilience: Steve Honyotski’s Journey Through Trauma and Healing
Stories from Under the Piano
Life can change in an instant. For Steve Honyotski, a car accident turned into a 321-day battle for survival, involving multiple comas, 14 surgeries, and over 100 pints of blood. In this deeply moving episode, Steve shares his extraordinary journey of resilience, gratitude, and the profound realization that life’s simplest moments—feeling the sun on your face, walking, eating—are gifts not to be taken for granted. Through his experience, Steve found a new purpose: advocating for blood donation, the very thing that saved his life. Now, as an organizer of multiple blood drives each year,...
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Surviving the Invisible: Gabrielle Senza's Life-Changing Brush with Death
Stories from Under the Piano
In this episode of Stories from Under the Piano, Craig welcomes multidisciplinary artist, educator, and empowerment coach Gabrielle Senza. Gabrielle’s award-winning work, featured in prestigious collections like MoMA and the Whitney Museum, highlights the transformative power of art to heal, inspire, and create meaningful change. Gabrielle shares a gripping and deeply personal story of survival—an unintentional brush with death caused by carbon monoxide poisoning during her teenage years. She reflects on how this pivotal moment transformed her perspective on life, inspiring her to embrace...
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The Best Bad Thing That Ever Happened: Jill Arena’s Story of Reinvention
Stories from Under the Piano
In this episode of Stories from Under the Piano, Jill Arena shares a deeply personal and transformative story about the unexpected turn that changed her life—and ultimately set her on a path to greater success and fulfillment. Jill, a dynamic healthcare executive, author, podcaster, and entrepreneur, takes us back to 2009 when she was fired from a business she co-founded—a cutting-edge primary care clinic designed to transform patient care. What began as a bold and innovative venture turned into an abrupt ending, leaving her reeling with shock, anger, and uncertainty. Through heartfelt...
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A Story of Strength and Support: Peaches Udoma’s Open-Heart Journey
Stories from Under the Piano
In this powerful episode of Stories from Under the Piano, Craig sits down with Peaches Udoma, a trailblazing academic writer, editor, communication strategist, and coach who has spent decades empowering others to achieve their dreams. Peaches shares a deeply personal story about her battle with severe aortic valve stenosis, a diagnosis that led her to open-heart surgery at the age of 61. Peaches takes us through her family’s cardiac history, the fear of facing her own diagnosis, and how a major reframe turned her greatest anxiety—the ventilator—into her unexpected ally. She recounts her...
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Connecting with Nature: A Journey of Love, Stewardship, and Letting Go with Susan Kaplan
Stories from Under the Piano
In this episode of Stories from Under the Piano, I sit down with the inspiring Susan Kaplan, founder of Sustainable Futures Consulting. Susan shares her deep connection to nature, cultivated from childhood through mossy forests and oceanic horizons, and how it evolved into a spiritual journey during her life on a 43-acre property in New Hampshire. We explore her touching story of stewardship, her bond with her beloved dog, Libby, and the bittersweet process of saying goodbye to the land she’s nurtured. As always, I create a unique piano composition inspired by her journey, capturing...
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Reclaiming the Dance of Life with Kristen Mangione, the Dance Alchemist
Stories from Under the Piano
In this inspiring episode of Stories from Under the Piano, I sit down with Kristen Mangione, also known as the Dance Alchemist. Kristen shares a powerful story from her childhood, where the innocence of dance met the harshness of judgment, leading her to abandon her true self-expression. Years later, she found the courage to embrace her passion once more, leading to a lifelong journey of helping others reconnect with the power of movement through her practice, Dance Alchemy for the Soul. Join us as Kristen recounts the impact of reclaiming her creative identity and the resilience it takes to...
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Soaring Beyond Fear with Ruth Wishengrad
Stories from Under the Piano
In this episode of Stories from Under the Piano, Craig Addy is joined by Ruth Wishengrad, founder of Upbeats Media and Get Reel Videos. With over 30 years of experience in education and video production, Ruth shares how she helps entrepreneurs create engaging content that truly connects with their audiences. She also reveals her passion for working with children and parents to build confidence from the inside out using music and movement. Ruth takes us on an emotional journey, sharing a powerful story about overcoming fear during an Outward Bound experience and how, years later, a chance...
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Beyond Time and Space: Alfred DePew’s Akashic Discovery
Stories from Under the Piano
Welcome to another episode of “Stories from Under the Piano”, where personal tales come to life through the magic of music. In this episode, I am joined by Alfred DePew, an award-winning author, painter, coach, and spiritual guide, as he takes us on a transformative journey into the Akashic Records — a mystical dimension of knowledge and wisdom that transcends time and space. Alfred shares the profound story of his first encounter with the Akashic Records, a moment that deeply shifted his perspective on life and the universe. This extraordinary experience, both enlightening and humbling,...
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M. L. Ayer – Author of the Simon Spring magical children's series
Stories from Under the Piano
In this enchanting episode, Craig Addy welcomes author M. L. Ayer to discuss her long-standing passion for storytelling, sparked from a young age, and how a dream involving a flying witch inspired her magical imagination. M. L. Ayer shares fascinating details about her *Simon Spring* series, which follows a boy on extraordinary adventures, infused with magic and mystery. The episode features a special treat: M. L. Ayer reads excerpts from her work, including a scene where Simon Spring finds a mysterious egg, glowing with gold and silver. Craig, ever the musical artist, selects one...
info_outlineIn this episode of Stories from Under the Piano, Craig Addy is joined by Ruth Wishengrad, founder of Upbeats Media and Get Reel Videos. With over 30 years of experience in education and video production, Ruth shares how she helps entrepreneurs create engaging content that truly connects with their audiences. She also reveals her passion for working with children and parents to build confidence from the inside out using music and movement.
Ruth takes us on an emotional journey, sharing a powerful story about overcoming fear during an Outward Bound experience and how, years later, a chance encounter with a top hang glider pilot helped her rewrite that fearful memory with a sense of freedom and exhilaration. Ruth’s tale of soaring—both literally and figuratively—reminds us how we can release past fears and embrace new perspectives on life.
Following the story, Craig composes a spontaneous piano piece that captures the emotional highs and lows of Ruth’s adventure, transforming her story into music.
Connect with Ruth: Ruth is passionate about helping both adults and children gain confidence through creativity. Learn more about her work and the services she offers by visiting her websites below:
- Upbeats Media: https://upbeatsmedia.com
- Get Reel Videos: https://getreelvideos.com
Learn more about Craig Addy’s work and Under the Piano:
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Stories from Under the Piano Podcast