254 Finding Your Way Back to Playing - Gabriel Radford on rebuilding after fear, injury, and loss of control
Release Date: 03/20/2026
269 Chronicles of an Adventurous Violinist: Anthea Kreston on Building a Thriving Life and Music Career on Your Own Terms
The Mind Over Finger Podcast
What if the dream job you've worked so hard for isn't the life you actually want? In this candid, funny, and inspiring conversation, internationally acclaimed violinist Anthea Kreston shares the lessons behind her extraordinary career and new memoir, From burnout at Curtis to performing with the renowned Artemis Quartet, Anthea reminds us that thriving in music means more than collecting achievements. In this episode, we explore: · Overcoming perfectionism and reconnecting with the joy of making music. ...
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268 The Audition Is Over. Now What? 6 Steps to Turn Every Audition into Your Next Advantage
The Mind Over Finger Podcast
You spent weeks, maybe months, preparing for an audition. And then, suddenly, it's over. Whether you won, advanced, or didn't get the result you wanted, there's so much more to take away from the experience than a committee's decision. In this episode, I'm sharing six practical steps to help you learn from every audition and turn that experience into valuable preparation for your next win. In this episode, you'll learn: · What to do immediately after an audition to capture valuable information without overanalyzing. ...
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267 Make Space for What Matters: How to pursue your musical goals while creating space for a life you love
The Mind Over Finger Podcast
What happens when the goals you set no longer fit the life you’re actually living? In this first episode of Season 9, we’re exploring how to pursue meaningful musical goals while making space for rest, relationships, health, and the things that make you feel fully alive. In this episode: • Reassessing your priorities as your life changes • Creating boundaries around practice and work • Making real space for rest and recovery • Staying process oriented when a project feels overwhelming • Building a schedule that supports both the musician and the human Because the musician will...
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266 The Long Game of Musical Growth - Ben Ullery on Curiosity, Learning, and Performing at the Highest Level
The Mind Over Finger Podcast
Ben Ullery, Principal Viola of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, joins me for a thoughtful conversation about curiosity, lifelong learning, and what it takes to keep growing as a musician while performing at the highest level. In this episode, we explore: Why curiosity is one of a musician's greatest assets What happens after you land your dream job The role of visualization in performance Why perfection isn't the goal How to keep growing throughout your musical career If you’re ready to step on stage with confidence, perform at your best, and finally feel secure in...
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265 The Art of Pacing - Elizabeth Svoboda on Flow, Recovery, and Sustainable Excellence
The Mind Over Finger Podcast
What if the goal isn't to work harder, but to find the right pace? In this episode, I talk with science writer Elizabeth Svoboda, author of The Art of Pacing, about flow, energy management, recovery, and the habits that help high performers sustain excellence without burning out. You'll hear about: • Why pacing matters more than most people realize • How to create the conditions for flow in practice and performance • What elite performers understand about recovery, resilience, and long term success If you're tired of feeling like your performances don't consistently reflect...
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264 You Don't Need More Time - How To Perform Under Pressure When Preparation Feels Impossible
The Mind Over Finger Podcast
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, nervous system regulation, and the surprising ways urgency can actually work in your favor. In this episode: • Why resisting the situation drains the energy you need to perform • How to stop spiraling and start preparing effectively • What short timelines can teach you...
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263 What Winning The Audition Actually Took - My 90 Days of Preparation, Performance Training, And Building Trust Under Pressure
The Mind Over Finger Podcast
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 90 days of intense preparation and into the audition room. In this episode: • How I prepared mentally, physically, and musically while working full time and raising a family • Why trust under pressure matters more than “feeling confident” • The surprising gap between...
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262 From Battling Doubt To Dancing With It -How Robert Sanders Learned To Trust Himself Under Pressure
The Mind Over Finger Podcast
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 learning how to stop fighting yourself so aggressively underneath the pressure. In this episode: • Why self doubt does not disappear even at a high level • How Robert shifted from battling doubt to “dancing” with it • The surprising mindset shift that changed his...
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261 You Can Play Better Than This - Why You Don’t Sound Like Yourself Under Pressure
The Mind Over Finger Podcast
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 prepared brilliantly. In this episode: • Why your best playing can feel impossible to recreate on demand • What really happens when a different version of you shows up on stage • Why many musicians keep trying to solve the wrong problem If you’re ready to close the gap between how...
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260 The Journey to Winning — How Marie-Michel Beauparlant Reclaimed Her Confidence and Her Career
The Mind Over Finger Podcast
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 section playing because solo performing felt impossible, the guilt of chasing an audition with six-month-old twins at home, and what it actually took to go from dreading the spotlight to being, as she puts it herself, a little addicted to it. This is a real conversation about the...
info_outlineIf you've ever felt your body work against you in a performance, if tension, fear, or a loss of control has crept into your playing and you don't know why, and if you've wondered whether it can actually get better, this episode is for you. Gabriel Radford, Third Horn of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, was diagnosed with focal dystonia at the height of his career. He came back playing better than before, and co-founded the Embouchure Project to help other musicians do the same. This conversation is honest, practical, and full of things musicians rarely hear spoken out loud.
What you'll take away:
· Why fear can show up long before a playing problem becomes visible, and what that early signal means
· What neuroscience tells us about why the body stops cooperating, and how to reverse it
· Why rigid practice routines may be working against you
· The one daily habit that can rewire your relationship with your instrument
· What the Embouchure Project is
· And much more!
If you’re ready to step on stage with confidence, perform at your best, and finally feel secure in your playing, let’s talk! Book a free discovery call and let’s create a plan to get you there.
Are you ready to take your playing and career to the next level and create a life that feels purposeful and joyful? Let’s connect and explore how personalized coaching can support your journey. Click here to schedule your free consultation, and let’s start turning your goals into reality.
Book your FREE Music Mastery Experience Discovery call with Renée HERE
Book your free consultation with Renée HERE
Download the transcript from this episode HERE
GABRIEL RADFORD AND THE EMBOUCHURE PROJECT
Bio: https://www.tso.ca/about/orchestra/members-of-the-orchestra/gabriel-radford
Website: https://www.theembouchureproject.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theembouchureproject/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/881319796540674/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheEmbouchureProject
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6jOd5wjakuvJmZuiaGoKqP
Mind Over Finger
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THANK YOU:
Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show’s musical theme: Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson.