Empathetic Musicians

By Sophia Stermer

Welcome to Empathetic Musicians! Sophia Stermer's mission is to share more stories about powerful musicians with a unique voice in music. As the founder of (previously So Just Collab) Release with Sop... more

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FAQs about Empathetic Musicians:

How many episodes does Empathetic Musicians have?

The podcast currently has 34 episodes available.

Empathetic Musicians episodes:

August 02, 2022 Ep. 24 - How do I start again? How do I make music for me?
Happy August Soul Artist!
How are you feeling about this new month?
For some, I know, thinking about the whole month is overwhelming. And there is some truth to that! I am a fan of focusing on the present! :) But for me it’s easy to overlook the whole month and stay present. I’ve wrestled with my relationship with music and I like to say that I made it through.
Everything is easier said than done.
Why is it that I am here, but other’s aren’t?
Or they are somewhere in the middle.
Why Does Society Not Leave Room for Making Music?
Highlights:
At 2:34
Somehow there is this part where we become “adults” and we psyche ourselves out of being able to do the things that we want to do. And shave off that time and make room for time for things that provide us home, financial security, things that we need to be able to be safe.
We don’t want to swim in this robotic system.
At 3:48
There may not be this built in room for you to do this hobby, for you to sing, to play guitar because you spent hours studying for this test, so that you can do this career that will give you the financial security and safety that you will have. That is the truth for a lot of people.
Where’s your true ownership.
At 4:32
But where do we give up and allow this system and exhaustion and pain and fear and guilt and shame and rejection and just not enough time, hours in the day, and energy to be able actually feed ourselves the thing that makes us feel alive the most.

As always our core values are Vulnerability, Imperfections, Empathy, and Being Seen.

Connect with Sophia:
Connect with me on Instagram - @sojustcollab
Website - sojustcollab.com
Email - [email protected]
...more
13min
July 26, 2022Ep. 23 - Mindset + Imperfections as a Soul Artist/Overview of Music Events I Attended in July
Hello soul artist! Welcome to Empathetic Musicians! On today’s episode I am sharing how July has been for me. The theme for the month was mindset.
Today I covered:
Where I have spent most of my free time

My disruptor story about why I represent something different than most "musicians"

Why I embrace and encourage imperfections

Watching a musical in an outdoor setting

Going to my first k-pop concert
"Soul artist, I can say today at the end of July and near the start of August, that I making choices more and more for me. And you deserve the same."
As always our core values are Vulnerability, Imperfections, Empathy, and Being Seen.
Connect with Sophia:
Connect with me on Instagram - @sojustcollab
Website - sojustcollab.com
Email - [email protected]
...more
17min
June 22, 2022Ep. 22 - Romanticizing the Mundane in Celebration of Pride as Soul Artists (Musicians)
Hello soul artists! Welcome to Empathetic Musicians! I realized as I recorded this episode that I am an alum of UC Irvine now. One of my last classes I took was History of Sexuality, which I highly recommend if you are a UC Irvine student. Today, I share a little of how this class opened my eyes to Pride Month and the LGBTQIA+ community in general. As soul artists, I truly see all of us as human beings who share a love for music, experimenting with music, and creating our own music.
In today's episode I cover:
Sharing some insights I got from taking my History of Sexuality class at UC Irvine

My thoughts on labels within society regarding our identities

Why we need to romanticize our own lives again

Connecting with nature is necessary

NOT acting passively in our lives
As always our core values are Vulnerability, Imperfections, Empathy, and Being Seen.

Connect with Sophia:
Connect with me on Instagram - @sojustcollab
Website - sojustcollab.com
Email - [email protected]
...more
11min
June 14, 2022Ep. 21 - "Still worthy when I wilt" with Noah Finn
Hello soul artist! In today’s episode of Empathetic Musicians, I am talking with my dear friend Noah Finn. I technically have known Noah since elementary school, but we went to the same high school and shared memories in the choir and drama department. Years after leaving our high school we reunited and it has been nothing but authenticity. Noah is truly one of the most incredible human beings you will ever meet.
In today's episode we cover:
Noah's early experiences with music including the album Metamorphosis by Hilary Duff on the walkman

the politics of “high school” music experiences

When voice lessons do or don’t help you

Noah’s Ark Productions and DAYBREAK LA

Celebrating Pride Month!!

When character roles in musicals/acting blend with real life

And more!!
One of my favorite moments on the podcast was when Noah said, “Still worthy when I wilt. You can be a rose, but even on your worst days when you are not feeling your best, or you feel like super depressed or that the world’s beating you down, you’re only wilted. But you’re still worthy of people’s respect love, kindness.”
As always, our core values are Vulnerability, Imperfections, Empathy, and Being Seen.
Connect with Noah:
Instagram - @noahfinn and @noahsark.productions
Email inquiries - [email protected]
Connect with Sophia:
Connect with me on Instagram - @sojustcollab
Website - sojustcollab.com
Email - [email protected]
...more
42min
May 17, 2022 Ep. 20 - "Maybe It's Because"... You're Surrounded By Creatives with Trúc
Hello soul artist! In today’s episode of Empathetic Musicians, we are sitting down with Trúc, one of my friends from the days I lived in New York City. I met Trúc at Marymount Manhattan College in 2016, where she eventually became a Film alumnus as Class of 2020. She was one of my first roommates and I will never forget those early college days with Trúc! I actually gave my piano away to Trúc before I left in Spring 2018.
Trúc talks about her father influencing her love for music through his early stories of teaching himself how to play guitar. Not surprisingly, Trúc herself takes up playing guitar, but her relationship with guitar changes over the years and she eventually starts up a Youtube channel. Something I picked up from the conversation I had with her is that she surrounds herself with people who are giving off this good energy and inspiring her to become a singer/songwriter. I cannot wait for you to dive into this episode with us!
As always, our core values are Vulnerability, Imperfections, Empathy, and Being Seen.

Connect with Trúc:
Instagram - @misss_truc
Youtube - Miss Trúc

Connect with Sophia:
Follow us on Instagram - @sojustcollab
Website - sojustcollab.com
Email - [email protected]
...more
38min
May 03, 2022 Ep. 19 - Valuing Yourself: AAPI Month Edition
Hello soul artists! Happy Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! As one of the new values of my company So Just Collab, Being Seen, I want to continue to evolve as I better plan for the months and holidays that I highlight and this goes for how I want to start 2023! I am your CEO, but I am your Soul Artist Sophia.
I am half Filipino and want to highlight how I’ve recently incorporated my heritage into my identity as a soul artist. Something I don’t talk about often is how I feel about being half Filipino. For most of my life I’ve felt disconnected with this side of my identity because I didn’t grow up speaking Tagalog.
In this episode I share how, "we can connect with ourselves deeper at any moment." There’s no “too late”. There’s no “you’re not a part of this identity.”

As always our core values are Vulnerability, Imperfections, Empathy, and Being Seen.

Connect with Sophia:
Instagram - @sojustcollab
Website - sojustcollab.com
Email - [email protected]
...more
13min
April 12, 2022 Ep. 18 - How to Stay Inspired Creatively: Human Connection + Musicals
Today on Empathetic Musicians, I talk about my emotional experience at a local music event hosted by MoCa (Musicians of Color Association) that deeply inspired me, musical theatre, and how this relates to human connection. Watching someone sing can creatively inspire you because you are sharing in their storytelling and their raw emotions.
“You don’t have to be a theatre nerd to love musical theatre.”
I also talk about how lyrics from musicals are powerful. I share some musicals that have been forever connected to my rocky journey back to making music. Some musicals, through artists, have the ability to ask yourself, “Who are you? Do you know yourself?”
Highlight:
“Musicals have that quality where if we all know it, somehow we’re all connected.”

As always our core values are Vulnerability, Imperfections, Empathy, and Being Seen.

Connect with Sophia:
Join our FB Group "Mindset Through Music" to connect with more soul artists!
Instagram - @sojustcollab
Website - sojustcollab.com
Email - [email protected]
...more
18min
April 05, 2022 Ep. 17 - Positive Self Talk: "We don’t need to talk about pitches”
Welcome to Empathetic Musicians, hosted by Sophia Stermer, owner of So Just Collab LLC. Today on Empathetic Musicians, I very much share how I reframed my way of thinking about myself. And this starts with our everyday thinking. In the 24 hours of a day, now 16 or more hours depending on how much you sleep, What do you think about? what do you say to yourself? How do you comment about yourself through commenting on others? By the end of the episode I share what I have done to negative thoughts about my musical talents. And this is SIX years in the making. Post high school. As you can tell from the title of this episode, I am on fire and am ready for you to hear about my take on the phrase "too pitchy."
As always our core values are Vulnerability, Imperfections, Empathy, and Being Seen.

Connect with Sophia:
Join our FB Group "Mindset Through Music" to connect with more soul artists!
Website - sojustcollab.com
Email - [email protected]
Instagram - @sojustcollab
...more
14min
March 29, 2022 Ep. 16 - Embracing My Value Through Opportunity with Annabella Johan
Welcome to Empathetic Musicians, hosted by Sophia Stermer, owner of So Just Collab LLC. In today’s episode, we are sitting down with Annabella Johan, a soul artist at heart. Sophia met Anna virtually through a friend of a friend at UC Irvine, and ever since that day, she knew she wanted to share Anna's music story!
Anna talks about how she had a connection to pop music at a young age, had several opportunities to perform, including being in a band, as well as a special guitar from her childhood that is still in the family to this day. She also talks about what she hopes to see in her future self in regards to making music. “I want future Anna to have music in her life. I also hope that I would perform more again… Even whenever someone needs a singer… in the moment.” This last quote from Anna is what we hope to instill in you after you listen to today's episode.
As always, our core values are Vulnerability, Imperfections, Empathy, and Being Seen.
Connect with Sophia:
Join our FB Group "Mindset Through Music" to connect with more soul artists!
Stay tuned! Our first FREE workshop, "Mindset Through Music," will be in late April! More info to come!
Follow us on Instagram - @sojustcollab
Website - sojustcollab.com
Email - [email protected]
...more
44min
March 22, 2022 Ep. 15 - Welcome to Mindset Through Music
Hello soul artist! Wherever you are in the world, whatever you are doing as you listen to today’s episode of Empathetic Musicians. Hi! I am really glad you are here today because I can’t wait to share what is to come in the coming months! First, I think it’s important to reintroduce myself for anyone who is new to the podcast or the So Just Collab community! My name is Sophia Stermer and I am a Mindset Music Coach who is here to help you build and maintain a lifelong relationship with music. The core values of my company are Vulnerability, Imperfections, Empathy, and Being Seen.
In this episode I talk about what Mindset Through Music is and why this is what you have been looking for. I'm here to provide an ongoing support system for the soul artist who has been called back to making music, whatever it takes! I'm not here to "help" you. You already have what you need. I'm here to remind you, why you were put on this Earth to be a soul artist!
Connect with Sophia:
Join our FB Group "Mindset Through Music" to connect with more soul artists!
Website - sojustcollab.com
Email - [email protected]
Instagram - @sojustcollab
...more
14min

FAQs about Empathetic Musicians:

How many episodes does Empathetic Musicians have?

The podcast currently has 34 episodes available.