A familiar chorus can change your life twice—first when it finds you, and again when you hear it years later with new eyes. That’s the energy running through our conversation with John Ondrasik of Five for Fighting as we unpack what happens when “Superman” and “100 Years” trade arena volume for a string quartet’s precision. We talk about rebuilding beloved songs inside intimate rooms, letting stories breathe between notes, and why a seated theater can feel less like a show and more like a novel you get to experience with the author.

John shares how the orchestral shift started as an experiment and became a lens that sharpens his catalog. With elite Broadway players at his side, he steps offstage mid-set to let the quartet surprise the room—Rachmaninoff one night, Led Zeppelin the next—then returns to songs that grew up alongside his listeners. We dig into the way meaning evolves: a track that hits at 28 means something new when you’re holding a child, saying goodbye to a parent, or simply earning the lines you once sang for fun. The personal meets the universal when his daughter opens the show and joins him to sing a tune they began when she was four, a full-circle moment that still brings tears.

We also explore music’s civic muscle. From ALS benefits to performing with a Ukrainian orchestra and releasing a new version of “Superman” tied to hostage awareness, John makes the case for songs as bridges in polarized times. A melody can lower the temperature, invite questions, and start conversations where speeches fail. He talks candidly about the pressure and craft of pin‑drop concerts, the code of giving your best to the one person who may only see you once, and the renewed gratitude many artists feel after the shutdowns. Looking ahead, he’s drawn to purpose-led projects—musicals, television, and an initiative to put a music teacher in every school—while leaving the door open to whatever song arrives next.

If you care about songwriting, live performance, and the quiet places where art becomes service, you’ll feel at home here. Follow the show, share this with a friend who loves strings and story, and leave a review to help more listeners find conversations like this.