When the symphony of life hits a dissonant chord, how does a musician find harmony again? This is just one of the soul-stirring questions Russell Rybicki answers as he joins us for a rich tapestry of tales on personal transformation, mental health, and the art of self-discovery in the demanding world of classical music. From playing horn and arranging to finding silence in meditation, Russell unveils the intricate journey of an artist seeking balance amid professional peaks, personal trials, and the quest for inner peace.

Russell Rybicki is currently acting third/assistant horn in the San Antonio Philharmonic and is the hornist and arranger for the Monarch Chamber Players. He’s previously held positions with the San Antonio Symphony, the Vancouver Symphony, and the New World Symphony. Russell is also a certified Holistic Life Coach passionate about deep personal work involved in self-acceptance and self-compassion through a holistic process.

Percussionist Alana Wiesing joins us on the podcast to talk about her musical journey (which included almost walking away from music entirely), the importance of taking care of your body and brain, the ability to compartmentalize and focus, and much more.

Alana Wiesing is the principal Timpanist of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra and Adjunct Professor of Percussion at the University of Arizona. She’s an alumni faculty member at the National Orchestral Institute + Festival, and serves as the President and Chair of the board of directors for the Network for Diversity in Concert Percussion.

Happy 2024! This January we are joined by Elizabeth Rowe (principal Flute, Boston Symphony & Leadership and High-Performance Coach) to discuss her recent career shift, her year of “both/and,” letting go of what no longer serves us, and much more.

Elizabeth Rowe is a Leadership and High-Performance coach, working at the intersection of personal and professional development. She helps high achievers across all industries learn to thrive in demanding work environments and successfully navigate career or personal transitions.  She is also the principal flutist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, a social justice advocate, and a public speaker. After her landmark equal pay lawsuit in 2018 The Boston Globe honored her as a Bostonian of the Year, calling her “The Fighter.” Her ongoing commitment to opening up dialogue about complex subjects led to her TEDx talk, The Lonely Onlys, where she shared her personal story of learning to embrace the powers of imagination and vulnerability to create connection and community. You can learn more about all of this, including following along for her final season with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, at iamelizabethrowe.com

Happy December! This holiday season, we welcomed songwriter Eric Terino to the Sound Mind podcast. Eric is a multi-disciplinary artist from the New England region whose third LP “Innovations of Grave Perversity” blends elements of Folk, Classical, and Alternative together while talking about his life journey. Eric opens up about his experiences with agoraphobia, what it’s like to be a songwriter, and much more!

Learn more about Eric at www.ericterino.com.

Tubist Jarrett McCourt (Tuba & Euphonium professor, UMKC) joined Alex on the podcast this month to discuss self-care, recharging, and how trauma is processed.

Learn more about Jarrett at www.jarrettmccourt.com. Our previous episode with Jarrett can be found here.

This month we welcomed back flutist Adam Sadberry to the pod to talk about being in the present, trusting our instincts, and following our heart, even when that path looks different from those around you.

Adam is currently developing his workshop, “Feelin’ It: Tools to Help Musicians Expand Their Humanity.” You can donate to his GoFundMe at the link below.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/career-shift-and-funding-an-equitable-workshop/donations

Leo Fotos & David Gosz (www.goszandfotos.com) are musical theatre creators based in New York City. On this month's pod, I sat down with David and Leo to discuss their musical, "TRU," a musical that shines a light into the life of Truman, a man living with mental illness personified as a toxic relationship with the manipulative “Her”.