The Mindful Musician

Building a creative life from the inside out. Hosted by Matt Oestreicher — professional musician, Apollo Theater house band member, arts executive, therapist, and thinker — this podcast explores music, the business behind it, and the psychology of sustaining a meaningful career in the arts. Craft. Ego. Discipline. Leadership. Spirituality. The inner game behind the outer work. www.mattoestreicher.com

Ep. 42 Both Sides Now ft. Danielle Wertz and Robbie Schaefer 04/20/2026

Ep. 42 Both Sides Now ft. Danielle Wertz and Robbie Schaefer Tickets for BOTH SIDES NOW on Saturday April 25th at SHU Community Theatre: About the show BOTH SIDES NOW: “Two singer-songwriters sit on the edge of a cliff…” With these words, we are drawn into the world of Both Sides Now - a theatrical concert that explores the music and lives of long-time friends and one-time lovers, Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen. Created by, and starring Robbie Schaefer and Danielle Wertz, the cabaret-style performance traverses decades alongside songs such as A Case of You, Hallelujah, Big Yellow Taxi, Suzanne, and many more. Both Sides Now is at once a piece of the 60’s and 70’s, and of right now -- offering us a story about the messiness of being human, of lives persistently lived at the edge of growth, and of finding the courage to turn toward one another, again and again. Artist Bios: Robbie Schaefer Robbie is a rabbi, singer-songwriter and theatre/film artist. The guitarist and songwriter for the indie folk band Eddie From Ohio has several solo releases as well, including the 2023 single Under the Sun. He is the founder of Lamplighters, an online community that cultivates small-batch, relationship-driven, inclusive Judaism. He is also the founder of OneVoice, an international non-profit that unites and empowers youth through music and the creative arts. The organization was active from 2011-2023 and completed projects in Tanzania, Nicaragua, India, Greece, and Israel. Robbie has shared the stage with Jason Mraz, Sara Bareilles, Josh Groban, Keb ‘ Mo, and Emmylou Harris, among others. His first work for musical theater, Light Years, which explores his relationship with his father, a Holocaust survivor, saw its world premiere at the Tony Award-winning Signature Theatre in 2018. The musical is now a feature film entitled Burst The Silence (Rolling Pictures), which is due for release on streaming platforms in 2025. He is currently at work on a new musical, The Blue Poppy, an Irish-Jewish ghost story written in collaboration with Scottish playwright Grace Barnes, and Songs From The Wilderness, a new album of Jewish musical midrash (interpretation), due for release in early 2026. Also, he likes olives. A lot. Danielle Wertz Danielle is a storyteller, collaborator, jazz musician, composer and arranger. Described as, "untarnished by the politics of music" (Jazz Music Archives) and "a masterful ballad interpreter" (New York City Jazz Record) she has rapidly gained national acclaim. After being named a 2015 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocals Competition semi-finalist, Danielle independently released her debut album, Intertwined, which ranked #4 on Capital Bop's list of "Best DC Jazz Albums of 2017." That same year she placed 2nd in the Ella Fitzgerald Jazz Vocal Competition and 3rd in the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Vocal Competition. In 2023 Danielle released her sophomore album, Other Side. With this project she made a quantum leap as a composer and conceptualist. Reimagined and rewritten during the pandemic, the album pairs her original compositions with carefully crafted arrangements of standards from the Great American Songbook. Jazziz called the album “expressive and polished” and Jazz Weekly noticed a “Joni Mitchell’d tenderness to her material.” Danielle continues to be an avid collaborator internationally and as a member of the NYC jazz scene, and is looking forward to headlining her first European tour in 2025. Also, she loves chocolate. A lot. CORRECTION: The show is at SHU Community Theatre in Fairfield, CT on Saturday, April 25th NOT April 26th. Matt Oestreicher is the host of The Mindful Musician Podcast: https://www.mattoestreicher.com/ /episode/index/show/themindfulmusician/id/40947370

Ep. 41 Charlie Hunter 03/24/2026

w/ Nathan East and Noah East - Father Son 02/23/2026

w/ Nathan East and Noah East - Father Son Nathan East & Noah East The Mindful Musician Podcast with Matt Oestreicher In this episode of The Mindful Musician, Matt Oestreicher sits down with legendary bassist Nathan East and his son Noah East for a wide-ranging conversation about musicianship, philosophy, legacy, and what it truly means to sustain a life in music. This episode is connected to the March 1st performance at the SHU Community Theatre, where Nathan and Noah will appear live, opening for 11-time Grammy Award winner Christian McBride. About Nathan East Nathan East is one of the most recorded bass players in modern music history. A founding member of the contemporary jazz supergroup Fourplay and a longtime member of Eric Clapton’s band for more than four decades, Nathan has also performed and recorded with Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones, Anita Baker, Barry White, Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan, and countless others. He co-wrote the hit song “Easy Lover” and has played on some of the most iconic recordings of the past 40 years. About Noah East Joining him is Noah East — pianist, composer, and collaborator — whose new album Father Son marks the first full recording project between father and son. While Noah grew up immersed in musical excellence at the highest level, he is carving his own artistic identity with clarity and depth. In this conversation, Matt makes a point to engage Noah directly, exploring the experience of growing up in a legendary musical household while building an independent voice. Their dialogue touches on intergenerational collaboration, ego, listening, favorite drummers, Yamaha basses, longevity, and the responsibility of raising a musical child. Thank you to everyone who submitted questions on Facebook — several of them made their way directly into this conversation. Live at SHU Community Theatre Nathan and Noah East will perform live at the SHU Community Theatre on March 1st, opening for Christian McBride and Ursa Major. The SHU Community Theatre is a 500-seat nonprofit performing arts center in Fairfield, Connecticut presenting world-class music, film, and live events. More information and tickets: The Mindful Musician is hosted my Matt Oestreicher find him at /episode/index/show/themindfulmusician/id/40207140

@SHUCT: w/ Guitarist John Scofield 11/13/2025

@SHUCT: w/ Guitarist John Scofield 🎙️ New Episode of ON THE MARQUEE This week on The SHU Community Theatre Podcast, we welcome legendary guitarist John Scofield. John Scofield’s guitar work has influenced jazz since the late 70’s and is going strong today. Possessor of a very distinctive sound and stylistic diversity, Scofield is a masterful jazz improviser whose music generally falls somewhere between post-bop, funk edged jazz, and R & B. Born in Ohio and raised in suburban Connecticut, Scofield took up the guitar at age 11, inspired by both rock and blues players. He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. After a debut recording with Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker, Scofield was a member of the Billy Cobham-George Duke band for two years. In 1977 he recorded with Charles Mingus, and joined the Gary Burton quartet. He began his international career as a bandleader and recording artist in 1978. From 1982–1985, Scofield toured and recorded with Miles Davis. His Davis stint placed him firmly in the foreground of jazz consciousness as a player and composer. Since that time he has prominently led his own groups in the international Jazz scene, recorded over 30 albums as a leader (many already classics) including collaborations with contemporary favorites like Pat Metheny, Charlie Haden, Eddie Harris, Medeski, Martin & Wood, Bill Frisell, Brad Mehldau, Mavis Staples, Government Mule, Jack DeJohnette, Joe Lovano and Phil Lesh. He’s played and recorded with Tony Williams, Jim Hall, Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock, Joe Henderson, Dave Holland, Terumasa Hino among many jazz legends. Throughout his career Scofield has punctuated his traditional jazz offerings with funk-oriented electric music. All along, the guitarist has kept an open musical mind. Touring the world approximately 200 days per year with his own groups, he is an Adjunct Professor of Music at New York University, a husband, and father of two. John Scofield Trio will be performing at SHU Community Theatre on 11/23/25 For Tickets and More Information go to: https://www.shucommunitytheatre.org/all-events/john-scofield-trio John Scofield’s Website: /episode/index/show/themindfulmusician/id/39029105

Ep. 38 SHUCT Podcast Featuring Coley O'Toole 05/26/2025

Ep. 38 SHUCT Podcast Featuring Coley O'Toole Matt shares his new episode of the SHU COMMUNITY THEATRE PODCAST with the Mindful Musician. VENUE WEBSITE: This week on The SHU Community Theatre Podcast, we welcome singer/songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Coley O’Toole. A proud Connecticut native, Coley shares the incredible story of his journey from playing local gigs to touring the world as a keyboardist and vocalist with Green Day. He opens up about his roots in CT, his early love of music, and the bands he helped build — including the platinum-selling pop-rock group We the Kings, who are hitting the road this summer with Avril Lavigne. Whether you're a musician, a music lover, or just curious about life on the road and inside the industry, this episode offers an honest, inspiring look at what it takes to make it in music — and stay there. Coley’s Website: Coley’s Instagram: WE THE KINGS band: https://www.wethekingsmusic.com/ Their most popular song: Book a songwriting session with him here: https://mastermindroad.thrivecart.com/songwriting-coley/ Music: Per Your Request (written and arranged for The Verve Jazz Ensemble by Matt Oestreicher) GENERAL PODCAST INFORMATION: The SHU Community Theatre On The Marquee podcast. Welcome to On The Marquee—the podcast that takes you beyond the spotlight and behind the scenes of the performing arts! Hosted by SHU Community Theatre’s Executive Director, Matt Oestreicher, this show shines a light on entertainment and education in concert by featuring exclusive conversations with upcoming performing artists. Each episode, Matt peels back the curtain to reveal the artist’s journey—demystifying the creative process, sharing untold stories, and uncovering what it's like to be a performing artist. Whether you're a lifelong arts lover or just curious about why you should come to a performance, On The Marquee is your all-access pass to the arts and entertainment world. /episode/index/show/themindfulmusician/id/36709895

Ep. 37 The SHU Community Theatre (Featuring Todd Barry) 02/24/2024

Ep. 36 An Exploration of Improvisation with Stephen Nachmanovitch(part 2) 10/26/2019

Ep.35 An Exploration of Improvisation with Stephen Nachmanovitch(Part 1) 10/15/2019

Ep.34 Mini Episode - Initiation into the mystical side of music/self-promotion 09/30/2019

Ep. 33 Jamey Aebersold 09/03/2019

Ep. 32 Mini Episode about Dealing With Rejection 06/14/2019

Ep. 31 David Friedman (Part 2) 04/09/2019

Ep. 31 David Friedman (Part 2) DAVID FRIEDMAN David Friedman, composer of the award-winning hit musical, Desperate Measures, (Drama Desk for Music and Lyrics/Outer Critics and Off Broadway Alliance Awards for Best Musical) is one of this country's most beloved songwriters, best known for writing songs that touch our hearts and speak to our souls. He has written songs for everyone from Disney to Diana Ross, produced all of the late/great Nancy LaMott’s CD’s and wrote many of her best known songs, (Listen To My Heart/We Can Be Kind/We Live on Borrowed Time/I’ll Be Here With You/Just in Time For Christmas), conducted and vocal arranged 6 musicals on Broadway and numerous Disney Animated Films (including Beauty & The Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame) wrote songs for The Lizzie McGuire Movie, Aladdin and the King of Thieves, Bambi II and Trick, scored 3 television series, performed his revue Listen To My Heart – The Songs of David Friedman to audiences Off Broadway, all over America and abroad, and is currently in his 10th year of co-writing (with Kathie Lee Gifford) and performing a song-a-month for the Today Show’s Everyone Has a Story Segment. (This month will be his hundredth song.) In addition to Desperate Measures, David has written 4 other musicals with Peter Kellogg: Chasing Nicolette played to rave reviews at The Westport Country Playhouse, the Prince theater in Philadelphia (where David was awarded the Barrymore Award for best score) and Village Theatre in Seattle, and recently had a backer’s presentation in New York with John Rando directing; Stunt Girl, about the life of Nellie Bly, the first woman investigative reporter in New York and the first woman to run a major corporation, was seen in a critically acclaimed production at the Village Theater in Seattle, which was followed by a staged reading at Manhattan Theatre Club in New York. (After seeing this reading, Gloria Steinem called it, “Altogether, the strongest female story I've ever seen on Broadway -- or pretty much anywhere”); Money Talks, a four-character musical that follows the path of a $100 bill as it passes from person to person, with Benjamin Franklin playing the $100 bill, was presented at the Davenport Theatre last year; and Lincoln in Love, a musical about Abe Lincoln’s early years, was presented at Goodspeed. David’s Christmas Oratorio, King Island Christmas, written with Deborah Brevoort, has had over 50 productions around the world. David is also a best-selling author with 5 books including We Can Be Kind - Healing Our World One Kindness at a Time, based on his song of the same name. (Currently in its Fifth printing.) His three books on his Metaphysical Method, The Thought Exchange, explore how to not only choose the thoughts we wish to hold, but how to stay with them and see them manifest in our lives. He is a sought after speaker, lecturer and teacher around the country. For more information, go to www.MIDDERMusic.com. LINKS Davids Website: We Can Be Kind - book and song Nancy LaMott singing We Can Be Kind: Koga (animated children’s series): The Mindful Musician Podcast: www.mattoestreicher.com /episode/index/show/themindfulmusician/id/9324170

Ep. 30 David Friedman (Part 1) 03/25/2019

Ep. 30 David Friedman (Part 1) DAVID FRIEDMAN David Friedman, composer of the award-winning hit musical, Desperate Measures, (Drama Desk for Music and Lyrics/Outer Critics and Off Broadway Alliance Awards for Best Musical) is one of this country's most beloved songwriters, best known for writing songs that touch our hearts and speak to our souls. He has written songs for everyone from Disney to Diana Ross, produced all of the late/great Nancy LaMott’s CD’s and wrote many of her best known songs, (Listen To My Heart/We Can Be Kind/We Live on Borrowed Time/I’ll Be Here With You/Just in Time For Christmas), conducted and vocal arranged 6 musicals on Broadway and numerous Disney Animated Films (including Beauty & The Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame) wrote songs for The Lizzie McGuire Movie, Aladdin and the King of Thieves, Bambi II and Trick, scored 3 television series, performed his revue Listen To My Heart – The Songs of David Friedman to audiences Off Broadway, all over America and abroad, and is currently in his 10th year of co-writing (with Kathie Lee Gifford) and performing a song-a-month for the Today Show’s Everyone Has a Story Segment. (This month will be his hundredth song.) In addition to Desperate Measures, David has written 4 other musicals with Peter Kellogg: Chasing Nicolette played to rave reviews at The Westport Country Playhouse, the Prince theater in Philadelphia (where David was awarded the Barrymore Award for best score) and Village Theatre in Seattle, and recently had a backer’s presentation in New York with John Rando directing; Stunt Girl, about the life of Nellie Bly, the first woman investigative reporter in New York and the first woman to run a major corporation, was seen in a critically acclaimed production at the Village Theater in Seattle, which was followed by a staged reading at Manhattan Theatre Club in New York. (After seeing this reading, Gloria Steinem called it, “Altogether, the strongest female story I've ever seen on Broadway -- or pretty much anywhere”); Money Talks, a four-character musical that follows the path of a $100 bill as it passes from person to person, with Benjamin Franklin playing the $100 bill, was presented at the Davenport Theatre last year; and Lincoln in Love, a musical about Abe Lincoln’s early years, was presented at Goodspeed. David’s Christmas Oratorio, King Island Christmas, written with Deborah Brevoort, has had over 50 productions around the world. David is also a best-selling author with 5 books including We Can Be Kind - Healing Our World One Kindness at a Time, based on his song of the same name. (Currently in its Fifth printing.) His three books on his Metaphysical Method, The Thought Exchange, explore how to not only choose the thoughts we wish to hold, but how to stay with them and see them manifest in our lives. He is a sought after speaker, lecturer and teacher around the country. For more information, go to www.MIDDERMusic.com. LINKS Davids Website: We Can Be Kind - book and song Nancy LaMott singing We Can Be Kind: Koga (animated children’s series): The Mindful Musician Podcast: www.mattoestreicher.com /episode/index/show/themindfulmusician/id/9131861

Ep. 29 Lipbone Redding (One-Man Orchestra) 01/06/2019

Ep. 29 Lipbone Redding (One-Man Orchestra) Lipbone Redding is an award-winning vocalist, guitar player, voice-strumentalist, storyteller, songwriter, author, teacher and traveler. He is best known for his one-man orchestra show; simultaneously playing, singing and making the instrument sounds with his mouth and without the use of a loop pedal. Lipbone incorporates a full spectrum of musical styles from American Roots and Jazz to throat singing and Indian Classical. Origins A free-range child, native to the swamps, farmlands and beach towns of coastal North Carolina, Lawrence “Lipbone” Redding cites his mama’s Soul, Boogie, Blues and Disco records as early stylistic origins. As a young man he became interested in Art, Opera, Books and Theater and often dreamt of travel to exotic places. At 21 years old, no longer able to be contained by a small town, Lipbone escaped to New York City and discovered Improvisation, Comedy, Jazz, Modern Art, Dance and Performance Art. Lipbone’s decade at the cultural crossroads sparked his curiosity and paved the way for future influences from around the globe. New York became a launching pad for what was to become a lifetime of travel and collaboration with artists and audiences alike. After a brief stint as an actor, carpenter, bartender and producer for the Museum of Sound Recording, Lawrence Redding accidentally became a NYC subway musician and adopted the name “Lipbone.” He made “funny” sounds while playing guitar. Curious folks would often ask, “what do you call that sound?” He would tell them, “It’s my Lip Trombone!…My Lipbone!” Hence the name. It was there in the underground caverns that Lipbone Redding experienced artistic redemption, and honed the skills that eventually allowed him to travel and make a living wherever life took him: India, Europe, South America, New Orleans, San Francisco, and points between. “Music is like pollen that drifts through the air and becomes a seed in the imagination. Music is a carrier wave for revolution. With music, I speak with friends who I have never met. We tell each other, ‘Everything is alright. You are not alone.’” - LB Traveling the world making friends and music, Lipbone spends most nights on the road in his small RV, “The Beautiful Flying Machine.” Outfitted with solar panels, a kitchen and comfortable living area, he boasts waking up to some of the most stunning views on planet Earth. From his mobile headquarters, Lipbone makes art, writes songs, records music, perfects his vegan recipes, interviews fascinating strangers for his podcast, and shares photos and video of nature’s beauty. Recently Lipbone’s live show was featured on PBS, On Tour with Lipbone Redding. The program has been seen by viewers nationwide. Most recently, Lipbone has released a digital album on his own label, Beautiful Flying Records entitled Return Of The Beautiful, co-produced by Mashti (Mads Nordheim). The two have collaborated on an earlier record entitled Runaway Snail, recorded in Goa, India. Both albums are available in digital format from www.LIPBONE.com, on Spotify and iTunes. With the decline of CDs and physical music merchandise, Lipbone has taken a new tact. Already making art and writing on a daily basis, he has been making small runs art booklets with full album Part of his DIY aesthetic, the physical objects that accompany the albums are a thought provoking collection of art, stories and lyrics. WHERE TO FIND LIPBONE REDDING Songs by Lipbone heard in this podcast: 1) Cowgirls Meet on Guadalupe Street 2) Dogs of Santiago 3) Refugees and Vagabonds THE MINDFUL MUSICIAN PODCAST Homepage: On iTunes: Twitter: /episode/index/show/themindfulmusician/id/8148932

Ep. 28 Dwayne Cooper 12/04/2018

EP. 27 Author and Musician JEFFREY LEE CAMPBELL 09/18/2018

Ep. 26 Stas Mavrides (Part 2) 01/30/2018

Ep. 25 The Time I Toured With The "Enlightened" Guru (Feat. Stas Mavrides) 01/03/2018

Ep. 24 Dealing with Difficult People and Situations in the Music Biz feat. Travis LaMothe 10/03/2017

Ep. 23 Being a musician in NY vs. LA with (Part 2 with Dmitry Gorodetsky) 08/21/2017

Ep. 22 The Inner Game of Music Freelancing(Part 1) w Dmitry Gorodetsky 05/08/2017

Ep. 21 Year In Review(Part 2) with Adam Rafferty 03/13/2017

Ep 20 Year In Review with Adam Rafferty 02/24/2017

Ep. 19 How To Make It In The New Music Business w. Ari Herstand 02/07/2017

Ep. 18 The Entrepreneurial Musician w. Andrew Hitz 10/30/2016

Ep.17 David Nichtern 10/07/2016

Ep.17 David Nichtern EPISODE NOTES NOTES Featuring Buddhist Teacher, Author, and Award Winning Musician David Nichtern Davids New Book: Awakening From The Daydream http://davidnichtern.com/awakening-from-the-daydream/ David will be teaching a workshop at Kripalu Center For Yoga & Health from Oct 16 to Oct 21st https://kripalu.org/presenters-programs/awakening-daydream-meditating-wheel-life His course entitled "Creativity, Spirituality, and Making a Buck" is available on creativelive.com https://www.creativelive.com/courses/creativity-spirituality-making-buck-david-nichtern All music from the podcast is by David Nichtern Intro music: Thank Kevin from his album From Here to Nichternity Full song at the end of podcast: Moon of Tunis from his group The Beyman Brothers (with Christopher Guest) The young jazz piano prodigy that David mentions: http://joeyalexandermusic.com/ The young man that David and I pay tribute to at the end of the podcast: http://mrisaacallen.com/ David Nichtern Full Bio: David Nichtern is a senior teacher in the Shambhala Buddhist lineage of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. This tradition combines a contemporary, secular approach to meditation with the ancient practices and philosophies of Tibetan Buddhism. David was one of the initial American students of renowned meditation master Trungpa Rinpoche and studied closely with him soon after his arrival in the United States in 1970. David has been co-director of the LA Shambhala Center and Karme Choling Meditation Center in Vermont, as well as Director of Expansion for Shambhala Training International and Director of Buddhist Practice and Study for OM yoga. He has been a featured writer and regular contributor to The Huffington Post and leads meditation workshops around the world and online. David also works individually with meditation students in person and via Skype, and has created and taught meditation teacher trainer programs for OM yoga, Empowered Yoga, Kaia Yoga, Metrowest Yoga, True Nature Yoga (Tokyo), and Journey Meditation. He has also been a business consultant with companies creating a variety of offerings integrating meditation in a larger health and well-being context – including Balanced Athlete, Journey Meditation, The Center for Health & Healing, and Om Births, among others. His new book “Awakening From the Daydream: Re-imagining The Buddha’s Wheel of Life”, will be released by Wisdom Publications on October 4, 2016. He has several online meditation workshops available through CreativeLive.com and a DVD/CD package OM YOGA & MEDITATION WORKSHOP, created in conjunction with yoga teacher Cyndi Lee. David Nichtern is also a well known composer, producer and guitarist – a four-time Emmy winner and a two-time Grammy nominee. He is the founder of Dharma Moon and 5 Points Records. David has recorded and played with Stevie Wonder, Jerry Garcia, Lana Del Rey, Maria Muldaur, Paul Simon and many others. Among his many credits in records, film and TV, David wrote the classic song “Midnight at the Oasis” and composed the score for Christopher Guest’s film “The Big Picture”. As the Beyman Bros, he collaborated with Guest and CJ Vanston on an album “Memories of Summer as a Child”, and has produced multiple records for Grammy nominated kirtan performer Krishna Das as well as touring frequently as guitarist with KD over the last 10 years. /episode/index/show/themindfulmusician/id/5331200

Ep. 16 Rising Stars in the Modern Music Business 09/19/2016

Ep. 15 What is The Mindful Musician Podcast? 07/15/2016

Ep. 14 The Jazz Pianist and The DJ (Part 2) Feat. Michael Cain 06/04/2016

Ep. 13 The Jazz Pianist and The DJ - Feat. Michael Cain (Part 1) 05/29/2016

The Mindful Musician

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