For someone like me who grew up on classical music it’s always been super approachable. That is not, however, the experience for many. For most folks, classical music carries an air of something elite, unapproachable and, let’s be honest, stuffy. Donato Cabrera – the Music Director of the California Symphony and Las Vegas Philharmonic – busts up these myths and expectations in many ways. For starters, he’s about as down to earth a guy as you could meet, and he also takes the literal translation of that storied moniker of “Maestro” literally. You see, all that word means – for all its elite sound – is teacher. To Donato, those who lead symphony orchestras have a responsibility to teach – both the orchestras they lead and the audiences they entertain. In today’s episode, I talk with Donato about his perspective on music – how it heals and teaches – and also about the most important qualities of leadership. He has a fearless passion for his work, and he credits that to a Bassett Hound named Samantha.

What motivates people? Why do they do what they do? What does leadership actually mean in today’s world? Good questions, right? That’s what Cathy Brooks, thought. And it’s why she created Talk, Unleashed – a new podcast of entirely candid conversations with fascinating people doing remarkable things. This weekly podcast will feature guests from arts and entertainment to business to technology to food to activism to politics (well, we’ll see on that last one). Talk Unleashed invites these influencers to consider the things that have led to them to where they are, the lessons they’ve learned and how all those things can come together to create a better world.

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