Episode Summary:

There’s a certain kind of silence that lives in a classical music studio — not the absence of sound, but the presence of feeling. In this episode, Michael reflects on his years as a classical music presenter and the quiet, emotional truths that lie within music.

From the grief and beauty of Barber’s Adagio for Strings to the joy of Mozart’s Horn Concerto, the cosmic uplift of Holst’s The Planets, and the playful delight of Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals, this episode explores how music helps us access, regulate, and understand our emotions.

It’s an invitation to let music speak for you when words fall short, and a reminder that emotional intelligence sometimes begins with a melody.

Topics covered:

• Emotional self-awareness and mood recognition
• The role of music in memory, identity, and healing
• Insights from classical composers and neuroscience
• Emotional regulation without emotional suppression
• Personal reflections from broadcasting and beyond

Mentioned in this episode:

• Adagio for Strings – Samuel Barber
• Horn Concerto No. 4 – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• The Planets – Gustav Holst
• Carnival of the Animals – Camille Saint-Saëns
• Largo al factotum – Gioachino Rossini (The Barber of Seville)

Reflection Prompt:

What piece of music has ever told the truth about you — before you could speak it yourself?