PODCAST
In the years during her bachelor degree in piano performance, Maria engaged in conversation with her fellow colleagues, professors and friends about topics that musicians don’t necessarily share publicly. With questions like ‘What kind of shape do I want my career to take?’, ‘Do I have anything holding me back from giving my best ever performance?’.
She started to wish she could record these conversations, so that they could listen back and maybe have a helpful session of self-analysis… This podcast became a space for people to reflect on their own (musical) development, while listening to me – a young professional in the middle of her own game -, seasoned artists and/or certified experts talking about topics like anxiety, performance pressure and dealing with setbacks.
If any of the themes inspire a line of thought, please feel free to drop me a message through social media or by filling in the contact sheet.
Collaborations 2023 – 2024
Certified psychologist Jacqueline Verheijen takes us listeners through the six chapters of the Acceptance & Commitment Training (ACT).
In between every chapter I have had the pleasure to interview colleagues and specialists from all walks of life and hear how the chapters of ACT have become a part of their lives. Musicians
Caspar Vos (classical pianist, pedagogue) and Mattias Spee (pianist, composer) have previously been on the show.
Psychologist Jacqueline Verheijen on Mindfulness ACT x TAM III
Join me in this 20 minute episode about mindfuless as a new back-to-school-and-work season begins! Our brains job is to think. It simply loves to do just that. Sometimes it can even cloud our present moment, our decision making and the 100 things we still have to get done today. Let’s see how we can (kindly) urge it into a halt and make it work for us.
“The body benefits from movement and the mind benefits from stillness” – Sakyong Mipham
In this episode we discuss:
- A quick definition of mindfulness
- How mindfulness helped me as a musician
- Mindfulness within the Acceptance and Commitment Training
- Some easy exercises to implement in your day
- Is there such a thing as true happiness?
- Applying mindfulness to a musicians practice
The World of Composer and Pianist Mattias Spee
In this episode I welcome composer and pianist Mattias Spee. He released his second studio album – ‘Eclipse, Vol. 2’ – back in May, featuring works by fairly unknown composer Hans Henkemans.
Our friendship celebrates its 10 – year anniversary this year and I wanted to share his authenticity and overall inspiring energy with you.
Mattias: “There are many treasures to be discovered in the history of music. If you are just a little bit curious, a boundless world opens up, full of hidden gems, that the general audience is not aware of. It is one of my big passions to look for those treasures and to shine a light on them. This passion led me to make a series of albums entitled Eclipse, featuring music that nobody knows, but everyone should know.”
In this episode you’ll hear us talk about:
- The rollercoaster that’s called your ‘golden twenties’
- The moment Mattias knew he was becoming a composer and improvisor
- The 20th century tradition of playing the ‘right’ notes
- Changing something in a score: courageous or arrogant
- Working with an ensemble vs an orchestra
- Being hard on yourself
- The (thought)process of making a recording
- Tools for dealing with unhelpful thoughts
Psychologist Jacqueline Verheijen on Control and Avoidance ACT x TAM I
This brand new audioproject collaboration with certified psychologist Jacqueline Verheijen will take artists/creators through the Acceptance & Commitment Training, in order to provide them with more flexibility in dealing with the challenges life throws at their feet…
In this first episode we’ll be discussing:
- What kind method ACT is
- How it impacted me
- Tools & exercises
Pianist Caspar Vos on the next generation of musicians, ACT x TAM 1.2
My guest today is Caspar Vos: Dutch classical pianist, director of the Schiermonnikoog Festival, an avid collaborator and chamber musician.
In this episode you’ll hear:
- Stigmas around a musicians mental health in the classical music industry
- Musicians are athletes
- Psychological support for 70 young musicians of 30 nationalities during the Schiermonnikoog Festival 2023
- The teacher – student dialogue
- How Vos experiences discipline and control (on stage)
- Art as a medium for expression
- Taking care of your mind
Psychologist Jacqueline Verheijen on Control and Avoidance ACT x TAM I
In this episode you’ll hear:
- What ‘defusion’ is (hint: it’s a superpower)
- Self-esteem in performance practice
- Humour as a gatekeeper for negativity
- 8+ techniques for training mental freedom, like ‘naming your mind’ and ‘a play on words’
A Classical Musician’s Q&A
There are many factors that play a part in this profession. Questions like ‘what do I want to convey with my music?’, but also broader questions about how talent can be described… This episode features a collection of questions I have asked, or have been asked.
“In music, recording yourself is a pivotal tool in understanding your own strengths and weaknesses.To me, it’s by far the fastest way to improve my playing.
This is a podcast that holds space for thinking out loud.”
Let the Progress join the Party
Progress, when compared to success, seems way less glamorous. But what would happen if we recognise our stepping stones just as much as our breakthroughs?
Source quote: Robin Sharma, author of The 5AM Club and The Monk who sold his Ferrari.
Is this year '2020, too’?
Here we are, it’s officially 2022! Cheers to all the musicians and creatives who’ve inspired themselves to hang on and produce their best work yet. But sometimes we can all use a little check-in with our process, especially during this ever-raging global pandemic. In this very first episode I hope to share some ideas about how to make this year seem like a fresh start, instead of a sad, third part to a depressing movie. I might have quoted a movie though.
That’s why all rights belong to New Line Cinema, WingNut Films, The Saul Zaentz Company and J. R. R. Tolkien.
