Brave Musician
This is a community for the Brave Musicians. Brave Musician® is a space for all musicians to share their stories and talk about what it means to be a human making music. Created and facilitated by saxophonist, composer, visual artist, and bandleader Monica Shriver, Brave Musician® includes the Brave Musician® Podcast, various resources for creative confidence and artistic/personal development, and opportunities within the community to connect and support. Brave Musician is for all of us: the pros, the hobbyists, the students, and everyone in between.
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Marta Sánchez - Evolution, discovery, and loving people
05/03/2026
Marta Sánchez - Evolution, discovery, and loving people
In this episode, which is episode 6 in the Creative Residency series where Monica talks and plays saxophone with fellow jazz instrumentalist bandleaders who are women, Monica speaks with Marta Sánchez, a pianist, composer, bandleader based in New York City. This series is made possible by the Jazz Road Creative Residency grant organized by South Arts with support from the Doris Duke Foundation and the Mellon Foundation. ___ Brave Musician® is a space for all musicians to share their stories and talk about what it means to be a human making music. Created and facilitated by saxophonist, composer, visual artist, and bandleader Monica Shriver, Brave Musician® includes the Brave Musician® Podcast, various resources for creative confidence and artistic/personal development, and opportunities within the community to connect and support.
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Arcoiris Sandoval - sisterhood, better opportunities, and healing thru community
04/21/2026
Arcoiris Sandoval - sisterhood, better opportunities, and healing thru community
In this episode, which is episode 5 in the Creative Residency series where Monica talks and plays saxophone with fellow jazz instrumentalist bandleaders who are women, Monica speaks with Arcoiris Sandoval, a pianist, composer, and bandleader based in New York City. This series is made possible by the Jazz Road Creative Residency grant organized by South Arts with support from the Doris Duke Foundation and the Mellon Foundation. ___ Brave Musician® is a space for all musicians to share their stories and talk about what it means to be a human making music. Created and facilitated by saxophonist, composer, visual artist, and bandleader Monica Shriver, Brave Musician® includes the Brave Musician® Podcast, various resources for creative confidence and artistic/personal development, and opportunities within the community to connect and support.
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New Orleans - Monica's Creative Residency Reflection
04/02/2026
New Orleans - Monica's Creative Residency Reflection
In this episode, Monica reflects on her time in New Orleans for the first part of her Creative Residency. This series is made possible by the Jazz Road Creative Residency grant organized by South Arts with support from the Doris Duke Foundation and the Mellon Foundation. ___ Brave Musician® is a space for all musicians to share their stories and talk about what it means to be a human making music. Created and facilitated by saxophonist, composer, visual artist, and bandleader Monica Shriver, Brave Musician® includes the Brave Musician® Podcast, various resources for creative confidence and artistic/personal development, and opportunities within the community to connect and support.
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Zahria Sims - confidence, putting yourself out there, and loving the saxophone
03/12/2026
Zahria Sims - confidence, putting yourself out there, and loving the saxophone
In this episode, which is episode 3 in the Creative Residency series where Monica talks and plays saxophone with fellow jazz instrumentalist bandleaders who are women, Monica speaks with Zahria Sims, a saxophonist, composer, and bandleader based in New Orleans. This series is made possible by the Jazz Road Creative Residency grant organized by South Arts with support from the Doris Duke Foundation and the Mellon Foundation. ___ Brave Musician® is a space for all musicians to share their stories and talk about what it means to be a human making music. Created and facilitated by saxophonist, composer, visual artist, and bandleader Monica Shriver, Brave Musician® includes the Brave Musician® Podcast, various resources for creative confidence and artistic/personal development, and opportunities within the community to connect and support.
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Amina Scott - evolution, time off, and the power of reflection
02/23/2026
Amina Scott - evolution, time off, and the power of reflection
In this episode, which is episode 2 in the Creative Residency series where Monica talks and plays with fellow jazz instrumentalist bandleaders who are women, Monica speaks Amina Scott, a bassist and composer based in New Orleans. This series is made possible by the Jazz Road Creative Residency grant organized by South Arts with support from the Doris Duke Foundation and the Mellon Foundation. ___ Brave Musician® is a space for all musicians to share their stories and talk about what it means to be a human making music. Created and facilitated by saxophonist, composer, visual artist, and bandleader Monica Shriver, Brave Musician® includes the Brave Musician® Podcast, various resources for creative confidence and artistic/personal development, and opportunities within the community to connect and support.
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Welcome back and the Creative Residency Series
02/23/2026
Welcome back and the Creative Residency Series
The podcast has returned! In this episode, Monica shares what she’s been up to since the last episode and talks about the creative residency series, "Here, There, and Everywhere" where she talks and plays with 18 fellow jazz instrumentalist bandleaders who are women. This series is made possible by the Jazz Road Creative Residency grant organized by South Arts with support from the Doris Duke Foundation and the Mellon Foundation. ___ Brave Musician® is a space for all musicians to share their stories and talk about what it means to be a human making music. Created and facilitated by saxophonist, composer, visual artist, and bandleader Monica Shriver, Brave Musician® includes the Brave Musician® Podcast, various resources for creative confidence and artistic/personal development, and opportunities within the community to connect and support.
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Quez Cantrell - Part 2 - growth, being unconventional, truthful and culture-shifting
08/24/2022
Quez Cantrell - Part 2 - growth, being unconventional, truthful and culture-shifting
In this episode, Monica and Quez Cantrell (an artist, MC, producer, and web designer from Nashville, TN) continue their conversation where they left off in Part 1. They dig into their personal experiences with isolation, emotional incarceration, self-guilt, forgiving, and moving through deeply painful experiences. They talk about reading and sharing books they have found helpful and figuring out how to rest when needed. They talk about collaboration, lifting up others, being sure of your story and figuring out what a moment sounds like. They share their mutual respect for Rakim and Kendrick Lamar, being unconventional, and making sure that the things you do are sitting right with your spirit. They talk about the importance of trusting people and letting them do what they do, learning how to say no and be told no, motivation and inspiration, setting intentions, and Quez answers the “Behind the Curtain” questions. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. The Brave Musician podcast is a part of BraveMusician, which includes a variety of workshops, a blog, and other opportunities to connect within this community. Please visit BraveMusician.com to find out more. _____________ See the show notes at .
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Quez Cantrell - Part 1 - the journey of self-reflection, releasing pain, and healing through music
08/03/2022
Quez Cantrell - Part 1 - the journey of self-reflection, releasing pain, and healing through music
In this episode, which is part one of a two-part series, Monica has a profoundly honest and deeply vulnerable conversation with Quez Cantrell, an artist, MC, producer, and web designer from Nashville, TN. They talk about how they met (it all started with an NPR article about the Nashville Hip Hop scene that came out during the pandemic) and Quez’s unconventional journey that led him to put his brutally honest music out into the world. Quez shares some of the challenges that he’s encountered growing up Black in Nashville and trying to build a career when you’re not a country music artist. We dive into his writing process, influences, and how they both want to know the backstory of how a song comes together. Quez also shares how playing football prepared him for being on stage, but it was music that helped him deal with and process his brother’s murder. They talk about building a community that values what different people bring to it, being ok with being vulnerable, self-reflecting, growing as a person and learning how to feel emotions and face them. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. The Brave Musician podcast is a part of BraveMusician, which includes a variety of workshops, a blog, and other opportunities to connect within this community. Please visit BraveMusician.com to find out more. _____________ See the show notes at .
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Matt Crouse and Zack Albetta - thinking, feeling, and breaking down barriers with The Working Drummer podcast
07/13/2022
Matt Crouse and Zack Albetta - thinking, feeling, and breaking down barriers with The Working Drummer podcast
In this episode Monica is joined by drummers Matt Crouse (from Nashville, TN) and Zack Albetta (from Atlanta, GA) who are the hosts of podcast. They talk about some of the challenges and rewards of producing a podcast, the story of how Matt and Zack started working together and what they each bring to the table. They share how they both enjoy talking about making a living playing drums and the logistical, psychological, physical and emotional obstacles that are inherent within the profession. They discuss some of the misconceptions of the music business, the desire to learn and understand one's options, the art of asking questions and why it can be hard for some to open up. Matt and Zack also answer the “Behind the Curtain” questions. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. The Brave Musician podcast is a part of BraveMusician, which includes a variety of workshops, a blog, and other opportunities to connect within this community. Please visit BraveMusician.com to find out more. _____________ See the show notes at .
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Chelcie Jette - Direction, balance and making way for dreams
06/29/2022
Chelcie Jette - Direction, balance and making way for dreams
In this episode, Monica chats with singer and songwriter, Chelcie Jette about her journey as a songwriter, how she ended up in Nashville after graduating with a degree in music business from Berkeley, and all of the different odd jobs that she has done. They talk about being inspired by others, learning from co-writing, researching and finding sounds that resonate. Chelcie shares her songwriting process for the songs on her up-coming EP (which drops August 18) including some audio clips and the rollercoaster of emotions that comes with putting work out into the world. We talk about our individual recording experiences, the important contributions of others, and getting creative with funding projects. Chelcie answers the “Behind the Curtain” questions, and we try not to get too distracted by her two extremely cute cats. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. The Brave Musician podcast is a part of BraveMusician, which includes a variety of workshops, a blog, and other opportunities to connect within this community. Please visit BraveMusician.com to find out more. _____________ See the show notes at .
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Ashley Shabankareh - extending grace and space
06/15/2022
Ashley Shabankareh - extending grace and space
In this episode, Monica has an inspiring conversation with Ashley Shabankareh - a musician, musician educator, and administrator based in New Orleans. Ashley is a trombonist, vocalist, the Director of Operations and Programs for the Trombone Shorty Foundation, works with a wide variety of organizations, teaches at Loyola University, and is an artist, costume maker and dancer. Monica and Ashley talk about the challenges with explaining what we do as creatives in a label-oriented world, describing music in terms of bands instead of genres, sharing different influences and listening habits, as well as some listening recommendations. They also have a candid conversation about the process over the end product and allowing people to fail without negative repercussions, the little bit of panic and stress that still comes from being asked to solo and dissecting why that is and how to approach learning differently from a place of extending the grace and space which allow to each other grow, while acknowledging that each of us may bring different experiences, understandings, disabilities, mental health factors, etc into any musical situation. Ashley shares how sometimes the hardest things that happen to us can also be gifts, how we are more than our titles, and the importance of allowing calm and relaxation into our lives. She also answers the “Behind the Curtain” questions. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. The Brave Musician podcast is a part of BraveMusician, which includes a variety of workshops, a blog, and other opportunities to connect within this community. Please visit BraveMusician.com to find out more. _____________ See the show notes at .
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Rachel Eckroth - experimenting, collaborating, and saying the truth
06/08/2022
Rachel Eckroth - experimenting, collaborating, and saying the truth
In this episode, Monica has a conversation with pianist, vocalist, and composer about the process of creating, including composing, songwriting, collaborating with other musicians, and production. They talk about expressing yourself through lyrics, working with synths verses acoustic instruments, how to decide what to keep when faced with limitless possibilities, self-confidence, and improvisation as a composition tool. Rachel shares the inspiration and some of the processes behind the creation of her Grammy nominated album, The Garden (2021) and answers the “Behind the Curtain” questions. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. The Brave Musician podcast is a part of BraveMusician, which includes a variety of workshops, a blog, and other opportunities to connect within this community. Please visit BraveMusician.com to find out more. _____________ See the show notes at .
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Revisiting "what does it mean to be Brave?"
06/01/2022
Revisiting "what does it mean to be Brave?"
Welcome back! In this episode, Monica revisits her definition of what it means to be Brave and shares her updated definition and how she arrived at it (hint: with a little help from Glennon Doyle, Martha Beck and Brene' Brown.) Monica offers three "easy" ways to get started connecting with ourselves in integrity and some further reflections about what it could mean as a Brave musician. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. The Brave Musician podcast is a part of BraveMusician, which includes a variety of workshops, a blog, and other opportunities to connect within this community. Please visit BraveMusician.com to find out more. _____________ See the show notes at .
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Tanner Guss - connecting with sound, building music around relationships, and being a Happy Musician
11/08/2021
Tanner Guss - connecting with sound, building music around relationships, and being a Happy Musician
In this episode, Monica is joined by Tanner Guss, a drummer and podcaster from New Orleans to discuss being a musician, the value of mentors, joys and struggles of creating a podcast, jam sessions, playing with people and forming relationships with fellow musicians that ultimately make the music better. They share their experiences of moving to a new city and getting into a new scene, the importance of enjoying the gig and staying present, creativity vs curation, feeling musically awkward, making others feel seen and heard both on and off the bandstand, and not wanting to end up hating to play music. Monica and Tanner figure out how much their goals and philosophies align and reinforce that working together is always the way to go. Find out more at and be sure to check out Monica’s episode on the The Happy Musicians podcast. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. _____________ See the show notes at .
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Sofia Janelle - duality, imagination, and persistence
10/29/2021
Sofia Janelle - duality, imagination, and persistence
In this episode, Monica sits down with bandleader, composer and drummer Sofia Janelle to talk about her life, career and the making of her second album. Sofia shares how she started playing drums, how attending Berklee’s 5-week summer program in high school and learning under the wing of Esperanza Spalding and spending time in Boston affected her. She shares her experiences while a college student at Berklee, her personal life at the time, including being sexually assaulted and struggling with depression and anxiety, dropping out of school and returning to complete her degree. She talks about her move to Nashville, about freelancing, and why she started her own group. Monica and Sofia share their experiences as female musicians, how the idea of “cutting your teeth” is a little more loaded, and offer up some ideas on how to make things in their world more equitable, safe, and a place where everyone is allowed to grow. Sofia talks about her group, The Sofia Goodman Group, shares behind the scenes look into the making of her second album and her IndieGoGo campaign to help fund the project. They also discuss the importance of yoga and gardening. (CW: depression, sexual assault) _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. _____________ See the show notes at .
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Joel Frahm - musical friendships, joy, and growth - Part 2
10/22/2021
Joel Frahm - musical friendships, joy, and growth - Part 2
In this episode, which is part 2 of a 2-part series, Monica continues her conversation with saxophonist Joel Frahm about rebuilding in Nashville, why he chose Nashville, and how they are starting to see things sputtering back to life. They chat about the importance of keeping plugged in and being social, how they both enjoy bouncing ideas off other people, and mitigating negative thought loops. They dive into some deep, vulnerable conversation sparked by Joel’s answers to the “Behind the Curtain” questions. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. _____________ See the show notes at .
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Joel Frahm - musical friendships, joy, and growth - Part 1
10/15/2021
Joel Frahm - musical friendships, joy, and growth - Part 1
In this episode, which is part 1 of a 2-part series, Monica sits down with saxophonist Joel Frahm to discuss his musical upbringing, the first jazz LP’s he was given, and his early professional gigs and record hunting with pianist Brad Mehldau, and his move to NYC. They talk about the importance of listening, first transcriptions, going through jaw surgery, and have an honest discussion about perfectionism, joy, showing vulnerability, struggling, and not losing hope. They share stories about discipline with practicing, playing with other people, and the fear of being left behind. Joel shares his process and philosophy about making records and offers Monica (and anyone else who needs it) some encouragement about recording. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. _____________ See the show notes at .
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Nick Burdick - Being intentional, protecting your yes, and The Practice Habit
10/08/2021
Nick Burdick - Being intentional, protecting your yes, and The Practice Habit
In the episode, Monica talks with music teacher, trumpet player, classically-trained singer, and author, Nick Burdick about his book The Practice Habit. They discuss creating an intentional life, coping with severe burnout, the importance of reflection and experimenting with your goals and different sources of influence. They dig into the three different pieces of the book: direct practice, domain knowledge, and self management. Nick shares why he wrote the book and the process of researching and writing it. Listeners of the podcast can get a discount on the book by going to ThePracticeHabit.com/brave _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. _____________ See the show notes at .
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Bill Muter - creating security, communicating, and being yourself
10/01/2021
Bill Muter - creating security, communicating, and being yourself
In this episode, Monica talks with musician, clinician, composer, and Tube Visionary, Bill Muter about creating job security and empowerment in the music industry through diversifying income streams, preparation vs impossible situations, building relationships and bringing what you can to the table. They discuss individual goals with social media, musical resumes, over-producing vs putting out content where you are, and Bill shares why he makes videos on IG. They open up about their individual stories dealing with performance anxiety, what it means to them, and how they have learned to handle it. They also talk about the importance of the hang and conversation. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. _____________ See the show notes at .
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Jessica Stover - advocating for everyone
09/24/2021
Jessica Stover - advocating for everyone
In this episode, Monica sits down with saxophonist, educator and advocate, Jessica Stover to discuss her musical journey from how she got started with music to realizing that teaching music was her passion. She shares how the challenges she has faced being legally blind has inspired her to advocate for herself, her classmates, and her future students. They talk about learning music, both by ear and reading Braille music, classroom management, Jessica’s amazing guide dog, Inca, resilience, awesome sisters, and what ground cherries are. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. _____________ See the show notes at .
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Rebuilding and reconnecting with our Brave selves - Part 2
09/15/2021
Rebuilding and reconnecting with our Brave selves - Part 2
In Part 2, Monica continues where she left off in Part 1, and Bravely discusses her journey and process rebuilding her "profession", her career struggles, goals, and possible solutions. She shares some of the questions that she uses to explore what's going on inside her brain, how she is learning to trust herself again, what she wants to do professionally, and some of the mental blocks that she's learning to remove. Monica shows how she plans to move forward with her goals in a way that allows her to be safe to make mistakes, be imperfect, and be authentic. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. _____________ See the show notes at
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Rebuilding and reconnecting with our Brave selves - Part 1
09/08/2021
Rebuilding and reconnecting with our Brave selves - Part 1
In this first episode of season 5, Monica talks about this season's theme, which is "Rebuilding" where we explore how Brave Musician’s are overcoming challenges around passion, creation, and music-making opportunities, and talk about how we are rebuilding and reconnecting with our Brave selves musically and personally. Monica shares her personal rebuilding and introduces a new Q&A segment to the show, "Behind the Curtain". _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. _____________ See the show notes at .
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Kayoko Dan - community, courage, and vulnerability
03/03/2021
Kayoko Dan - community, courage, and vulnerability
In this episode, Monica reconnects with Kayoko Dan, the music director of the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera. They are old friends from their days at Arizona State University who both now live in TN now. Kayoko talks about being an orchestra conductor, how she always wanted to be a music teacher growing up, and how she landed first professional gig. She shares her method of studying scores, programming, and the logistics behind putting a symphony season together. Monica and Kayoko talk about their experiences as women in their fields and what they have learned about courage and standing up for themselves. They reflect on the preparation process, growth and improvement. Kayoko shares her hobbies including sewing, crafts, playing duets with her sister using the Acapella App, and recording Japanese children’s songs. She also gives her thoughts on being brave and vulnerable. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. _____________ See the show notes at
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Matt Jefferson - comfortable with being uncomfortable
02/17/2021
Matt Jefferson - comfortable with being uncomfortable
In this episode, Monica has a thought-provoking conversation with Matt Jefferson, who is a trombonist, studio musician, educator, and videographer in Nashville, TN. They talk about getting by in the pandemic and the need to pivot and adjust when life throws you curveballs. Matt shares what a typical gig in the recording studio looks like as well as the formation and growth of the Maniacal 4 Trombone Quartet. They explore the idea of being comfortable with being uncomfortable, how resistance can be a barometer for something you really care or want to know more about, and how to keep doing things you suck at if you enjoy them. They talk about balance, rest, and determining what’s worth giving up to accomplish something else. Matt and Monica share revelations about anxiety, perfection, passion, ego and work within the context of recording and performance. They talk about production, finding gear, separating your selfworth from your music, and mental breakthroughs. They deep drive into process, product, and the mental and professional pros and cons of using social media and figuring out how and what to share. Matt talks about how he got into video editing and the joy and vulnerability of learning by trial and error. We tie everything up with an honest discussion about choosing and owning your passion and journey. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. _____________ See the show notes at .
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4 steps on processing and applying new information
02/03/2021
4 steps on processing and applying new information
In this episode, Monica reflects on all of the new information she consumed at the Jazz Education Network virtual conference in January 2021. She considers how we can process and then do something with “what” we learn, how this idea is applicable to aspects of life and learning outside of music, and offers her 4 steps on processing and applying new information. This episode includes thought-provoking questions and ways to start answering them. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. _____________ See the show notes at .
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Jazmine Rampas - TACO, a safe space to make music
12/30/2020
Jazmine Rampas - TACO, a safe space to make music
In this episode, Monica sits down with Jazmine Rampas, director of the Terrible Adult Chamber Orchestra - LA, known as TACO. They talk about the goals and mission of TACO, feelings of apprehension and worry that many of the participants have at first, the word “terrible” as a reminder, and how important and wonderful it is to have a community of people coming together to play music and have fun. Jazmine shares how she discovered TACO with her sister, her perspective directing the group and what a typical rehearsal looks like. She shares some of the emotions and fears from members she has witnessed, as well as her own. They discuss letting go of the negative thoughts about how one feels about their playing, imposter syndrome, surviving music school, culture of production, mental health, and embracing mistakes. Monica and Jazmine share their personal conducting experiences, making videos for online, and dealing with the pandemic. They also talk about Jazmine’s personal experience as a musician, how she started the violin, and how we created the things that we both needed and wanted in the world _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. _____________ See the show notes at .
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Armando Salas - redefining, creating, and inevitable change
12/16/2020
Armando Salas - redefining, creating, and inevitable change
In this episode, Monica talks with musician, saxophonist, and composer, Armando Salas. They have a conversation about the challenges of playing woodwind instruments with other people during Covid, teaching virtual music lessons, and his transition to opening his own teaching studio. They talk about technology and how this is both an informal and yet extremely vulnerable time. They share candidly about podcasting, the joy of connecting with people, and share being nervous about talking to people sometimes. They discuss goal setting and tracking, labels, and baggage that can come when judging yourself against those labels, burnout, and taking time to reevaluate things in your life. They talk about sharing their own stories and experiences and about having the courage to make waves. Armando shares his advice for someone struggling with motivation and offers different things to try. They talk about practicing, including how they define practice, purposeful practice, and finding the joy in practicing. They reflect on the importance of talking about feelings of isolation and the importance of connecting with people, and the inevitability of change. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. _____________ See the show notes at .
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Matt Storto - the zen state of creation, optimism, and resilience
12/02/2020
Matt Storto - the zen state of creation, optimism, and resilience
In this episode, Monica sits down with Matt Storto - musician, percussionist, composer, and member of the band Harrison Fjord - to talk all about the creative process both in terms of his own composing and how the members of the band compose together. Matt shares how he creates drum parts, self-awareness as a composer and player, how the band’s composition process varies depending on the circumstances and who’s writing the songs, and how being at home has shifted things. They talk about listening to music, mining for outside influences and stimulus (that used to come from playing with people live), and having unbridled access to content. They discuss a variety of creative activities including lyric writing, adding imagery to music, reworking, digital art, and the importance of play. Matt gives his advice on how to get started from scratch and the value of making home demos. In the second portion, Monica and Matt catch back up with each other and talk about what’s happened since the first discussion, including a candid sharing of struggles with social media planning. Matt opens up about how the pandemic affected the band and the exciting release of Harrison Fjord’s new single the beginning of Dec.. Matt shares his optimism and reminds us of the resiliency of musicians during the pandemic. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. _____________ See the show notes at .
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Sharing the composition process and 6 lessons to help you create
11/18/2020
Sharing the composition process and 6 lessons to help you create
In this episode, Monica shares the processes she used and the stories behind three of her original compositions: "Knom", "I'm Sorry About Your Face", and "Keep it on the DL". She goes over how each one was created, the inspiration for the piece, and a provides a recording to reference. Monica offers 6 lessons that can help anyone start creating and talks about her workshop, Dive Into Composition, which begins on Dec. 1. Visit for more info on the workshop. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. _____________ See the show notes at .
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Kathleen Hollingsworth - Heart, soul, and clarity
11/11/2020
Kathleen Hollingsworth - Heart, soul, and clarity
In this episode, Monica sits down with Kathleen Hollingsworth, a teacher, performer and writer from near Portland, OR. Kathleen shares her journey from choral music roots to a doctorate in jazz, and how that journey positively and negatively affected her as a performer and educator. Together, they discuss the composition process, lyric writing, and the biggest struggles and lessons from the last 8 months. They share how they both found joy in improvising and a very candid and vulnerable conversation about the moment both recently considered quitting music due to exhaustion, feeling stuck, and deep wounds that needed healing. Kathleen shares her story of being a beginner with learning silks, and how that offered perspective that she applied to the rest of her professional life. Monica and Kathleen also talk about their mutual love of nature and how it inspires and heals both of them. _____________ To support Brave Musician, including the production of this podcast, please visit BraveMusician.com for information on our Pay-It-Forward model and how you can help. _____________ See the show notes at .
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