I want to start today's episode with a confession.

I struggle with imposter syndrome, right?

Which is ironic, given that I'm here offering advice and insights on navigating life's challenges.

I mean, after all, I am not a licensed therapist or an expert.

I'm not a psychologist, not a doctor, right?

I'm a concert pianist who dropped out of college to continue my pursuit and music.

But for all intents and purposes, I am a composer and pianist. I mean, that is my career. So when I started this

podcast, calm it down, a part of me wondered, who am I to be doing this? What gives me the

authority to guide others.

The thing is, I deeply, genuinely care.

I have spent years studying the marriage of music and mental health,

and when the pandemic hit,

I wanted to stay connected to my musical audience,

my listening audience, my listeners. And I thought, well, let's move it from the stage to the microphone,

thinking that this pesky little pandemic would be, you know, done in just a few months,

and then it would pass.

Oh my word, what little did we know.

But I knew I wanted to find a way to connect with my listeners through such a difficult time.

For years, I've heard from thousands of people who share how my music has carried them through their most difficult seasons.

Losing loved ones, navigating divorce, overwhelming stress.

And these stories are really what inspired me to keep learning, to reach out to experts and

ask them questions, and to dig deeper into the science of well-being.

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