Stay in Your Boat: Stories on Life and Music with Ron Patterson
MindfulOpus
A concertmaster’s perspective on perfectionism, nerves, and the permission to be human In the season 1 finale of The MindfulOpus Podcast, I’m joined by my dad, Ron Patterson — world-class violinist, former concertmaster of the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic, Houston Symphony, and Miami Philharmonic (among others), member of Duo Patterson, and recently retired professor of violin at the University of Washington School of Music. In this conversation, we reflect on his life in music shaped by high standards, old-school training, and decades of high-stakes performance — and how Ron’s...
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Befriending Performance Nerves
MindfulOpus
7 tools to help you actually enjoy performing again In this episode, I share a compassionate, practical, and research-informed approach to one of the biggest challenges we face as performers: what to do when the nerves show up — on stage, in auditions, in big meetings, and in any moment that really matters. Building on the personal performance framework from last week’s episode, I walk you through 7 powerful tools drawn from my decades as a performing artist and my work coaching high-level musicians. Each tool comes with a concrete exercise so you can begin shifting your relationship with...
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Stuck, Scattered, or Overthinking Your Prep?
MindfulOpus
My two-part process to help you find clarity, confidence, and calm before any big artistic event What if preparing for a big performance didn’t have to feel overwhelming, rigid, or all-consuming? In this episode, I’m sharing the exact framework I use with my coaching clients to help them create their own personal process — one that supports not just their playing, but supports them as a whole human — both leading up to a big event and on the day itself. Whether you’re preparing for an audition, competition, recital, solo or orchestral feature, or any meaningful creative project, this...
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Finding Freedom: Lauren Roth-Gómez’s Journey of Self-Worth
MindfulOpus
A story of reconnection, self-belief, and coming home to your art. What happens when you’ve spent years feeling like your playing is never good enough, you’re disconnected from your art, or unsure whether this music-thing you once loved is still right for you? In this deep and meaningful conversation, violinist Lauren Roth-Gómez — Acting Associate Concertmaster of the Atlanta Symphony — shares the inner transformation that led her back to herself, her artistry, and her love of music. Lauren opens up about: Nearly walking away from the violin The internal pressures and perfectionism...
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The Cost of Being Your Own Worst Critic
MindfulOpus
When your worth depends on your results, and how that pressure leads to burnout. If your inner-critic has been running the show — the one that tells you you’re only as worthy as your latest performance, audition result, or practice session — this episode is for you. In this conversation, I share the real cost of being your own worst critic: how tying your worth to your results quietly fuels burnout, anxiety, procrastination, and overworking. We’ll look at what happens in your nervous system when you practice from a place of threat instead of safety, and why “pushing harder” stops...
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Inside the Genius of Joshua Smith
MindfulOpus
A conversation around vulnerability, long-haul artistry, and the case for communication over perfection—through the lens of a 35-year run in one of the most high-pressure chairs in the orchestral world. In this episode, I sit down with my friend and musical hero, Joshua Smith—Grammy-nominated Principal Flute of The Cleveland Orchestra. We trace his early musical journey (yes, it all started with a cool flute case), how showtunes and theatre taught him phrasing and stage presence, and why he’s not interested in perfection as a goal. Josh shares how curiosity helps him meet the pressures...
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The Well-Being Wheel: A Whole-Human Approach to Music
MindfulOpus
If you’ve ever felt like music has taken over your entire life — the long hours, the pressure, the constant fear of not doing enough — this episode is for you. We’ve been taught that total dedication is the only path to mastery. But what if that belief is actually holding you back? In this episode, I introduce The MindfulOpus Well-Being Wheel — a framework designed to help musicians move from burnout to balance. You’ll learn how nurturing all parts of your life — your music, mind, body, spirituality, hobby, social and rest — can strengthen your focus, creativity, and...
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The Mindful Audition: How Feeling Good Became James Patterson’s Secret to Winning
MindfulOpus
A conversation around mindfulness, perfectionism, well-being, and rewriting the audition story from the inside out. In this powerful conversation, I sit down with James Patterson, Tredjestilling Horn (3rd/1st horn) player with the Oslo Philharmonic, to explore the intersection of mindfulness, performance, and the audition journey. James shares how mindfulness first became a steadying force for him during school—helping him manage stress, explore healthy hobbies, and cultivate balance beyond the practice room. But the heart of this episode lies in his story of transformation: from feeling...
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The Perfection Trap
MindfulOpus
Are you chasing perfection...or pursuing excellence? In this episode of the MindfulOpus Podcast, I dive into one of the most common — and costly — mindsets musicians face: perfectionism. On the surface, perfection can feel like a motivator. But in reality, it’s a trap that leads to performance anxiety, burnout, and a loss of joy in music-making long-term. I’ll share why perfection isn’t sustainable, and how excellence becomes the foundation for a career and life you can sustain. Along the way, I’ll bring in science-backed facts, and offer the Excellence over Perfection...
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Winning, But at What Cost?
MindfulOpus
In the classical music world, we’re often taught that struggle is the price of greatness. That if you just sacrifice a little more—your health, your time, your relationships—you’ll finally get the result you’ve been chasing. But what if our artistry didn’t have to come at the cost of our humanity? In this debut episode, I take you behind the curtain of my own journey - and when my biggest win also became your biggest wake-up call. From grueling childhood auditions in France, to winning my dream job at 21 and facing career-threatening injuries, I share how burnout forced me to find...
info_outlineAre you chasing perfection...or pursuing excellence?
In this episode of the MindfulOpus Podcast, I dive into one of the most common — and costly — mindsets musicians face: perfectionism. On the surface, perfection can feel like a motivator. But in reality, it’s a trap that leads to performance anxiety, burnout, and a loss of joy in music-making long-term.
I’ll share why perfection isn’t sustainable, and how excellence becomes the foundation for a career and life you can sustain. Along the way, I’ll bring in science-backed facts, and offer the Excellence over Perfection Framework that I use with 100% of my clients, to help you in how you show up in the practice room and on stage.
I’ll share five key concepts that can change how you approach your practice and your performance:
- High Score vs. Perfect Score — why shooting for less than 100% unlocks consistency and flow.
- Curiosity vs. Shame — how to meet mistakes with experimentation instead of self-criticism.
- Growth vs. Fixed Mindset — shifting from proving yourself to improving yourself.
- Inner Coach vs. Inner Critic — why your self-talk shapes your entire experience.
- Resilience vs. Burnout — how excellence supports a sustainable, healthy, creative career.
And as a takeaway, I share a practical thought experiment that helps you spot the trap of perfection — and step confidently into excellence instead.
My hope is that by the end, you’ll see that letting go of perfection doesn’t mean lowering your standards — it means pursuing them in a way that actually lasts.
TIMESTAMPS
(04:18) 1st concept: high, not perfect score
(05:43) 2nd concept: curiosity vs. shame
(07:35) 3rd concept: growth over fixed mindset
(10:18) 4th concept: inner-critic vs. inner-coach
(12:48) 5th concept: resilience vs. burnout
(16:03) Thought experiment
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