In part one of this two-part conversation, Sarah sits down with singer-songwriter Emma Nissen to explore the stories that have shaped her up to this point in her life.

From her earliest musical experiences to the moment an unexpected vocal cord injury redirected her path from opera to (later) discovering jazz, Emma reflects on how detours can become divine redirections.

That redirection ultimately led her to serve a church mission, where she began writing music for the first time. Emma performs her first ever song, “Gotta Have Faith.” She goes on to share the sacred story behind a mission anthem inspired by her late grandfather - living proof of the angels she believes are among us guiding us every step of the way. As promised, Emma also announces the name of her brand new album and offers a thoughtful perspective on faith journeys—likening them to building a home.

This conversation isn’t just for fans of Emma’s music. It’s for anyone navigating a faith journey, unexpected change, and the realization that we have far more similar than we are different.

🎧 Part two will drop 2/10 -- don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss a thing!

CONNECT w/ EMMA:

- Instagram: @emsnissen

- Website: https://www.emmanissen.com/

- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCugTYWzLAuOwh1lE_ttySvQ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1DnRR6YVHXOJJ960ZKUzGS?si=BtVX_YmpRWqKbhaXxW1AzQ

CONNECT w/ SARAH:

- Instagram: @more_than_musicians and @sarah.t.davies

- Tik Tok: @more_than_musicians Facebook: @more_than_musicians

LISTEN/ SUBSCRIBE:

- Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/more-than-musicians/id1584874236

-Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4EYojMS3Ns9cHXVLE6IhVc?si=43cc8fc8c86542ca Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/ @More_Than_Musicians

PRODUCTION CREDITS:

This show is made possible by:

The Piano Place: https://thepianoplaceutah.com/ & One Music Schools: https://onemusicschools.com/

Production: Talmage Thayne w/ Film Laabhttps://www.instagram.com/talmagethayne/https://www.filmlaab.com/

HAVE A GREAT GUEST IN MIND? TELL US HERE!https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfG_Zp-4MoxFijfgAHuGmsXHEso-9v1-hg6n8CbghelJ2zelA/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=106212904550005997752

If you enjoyed this episode please share, it means the world to us!

Thanks for listening! See you next time for another episode!

In this episode of More Than Musicians I sit down with accomplished composer and arranger, Marshall McDonald to unpack his story.

Marshall opens up about how he navigates the creative process, the fears he’s faced along the way and some important life advice from his mom that we all need to hear. We discussed how Marshall has learned to let God guide his work and how he sees creativity as an act of faith that has allowed him to be an instrument in the Lord's hands.

Marshall tells a captivating story about his arrangement of Come O Come Emmanuel that he did for The Piano Guys and we discuss how important it is to remove ego from your creative work. I was so grateful for an opportunity to share with Marshall a special experience I had while playing one of his arrangements. This was truly a treat to sit down with someone so influential in my life personally.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, hesitant to start, or caught up in the need for worldly praise or recognition, this conversation will inspire you to create with courage, purpose, humility and faith.

CONNECT w/ MARSHALL:

Instagram: @marshallmcdmusic Website: https://www.marshallmcdonaldmusic.com/Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCgm1yeqZnI6xpFkTvpFBLMA?si=PPtKpLzhaC0D0hTz

CONNECT w/ SARAH DAVIES: Instagram: @more_than_musicians and @sarah.t.davies

Tik Tok: @more_than_musicians Facebook: @more_than_musiciansLISTEN/

SUBSCRIBE:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/more-than-musicians/id1584874236

Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/4EYojMS3Ns9cHXVLE6IhVc?si=43cc8fc8c86542ca

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/

@More_Than_Musicians

PRODUCTION CREDITS: Show brought to you by: Talmage Thayne w/ Film Laabhttps://www.instagram.com/talmagethayne/https://www.filmlaab.com/

ARE YOU OUR NEXT GUEST? https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfG_Zp-4MoxFijfgAHuGmsXHEso-9v1-hg6n8CbghelJ2zelA/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=106212904550005997752

Thanks for listening! See you next time for another episode!

We spend so much of life trapped in our bodies—lost in the stories our minds love to tell us,forgetting who we really are.We scroll. We eat. We numb. We chase distractions, searching for meaning in all the wrong places.In today’s episode, my guest Dr. Matt Townsend reminds us where true, lasting inner peace actually lives—and how to return to it.As his daughter, I’ve been incredibly blessed to learn from him over the years. These principles have carried me through dark seasons, helped me out of stuck mindsets, and continually pointed me back to hope. I’m so grateful to finally share them with you.In this conversation, we explore truths that change everything:✨ We aren’t human beings having a spiritual experience—we are spiritual beings having a human experience.✨ The common traps of the body and mind, and how a simple shift in awareness can turn our hearts back to Him.✨ Our personal “scars,” and the powerful truth that Christ chose to keep the scars in His hands.✨ The advice Matt shared at my wedding dinner—and why peace never comes from where we think it will.✨ How music can become a sacred bridge that reconnects us to God in a way few things can.This episode is deeply personal, honest, and full of hope.If you’ve ever felt disconnected, overwhelmed, or longing for peace and belonging—this conversation is for you. Watch to the very end for a special musical guest and an opportunity for you to "get into spirit." 🎧 Watch here! And if it resonates, please share it with someone who might need it.Find more of Dr. Matt at https://www.matttownsend.com or on instagram @drmatttownsend

We spend so much of life trapped in our bodies—lost in the stories our minds love to tell us,forgetting who we really are.We scroll. We eat. We numb. We chase distractions, searching for meaning in all the wrong places.In today’s episode, my guest Dr. Matt Townsend reminds us where true, lasting inner peace actually lives—and how to return to it.As his daughter, I’ve been incredibly blessed to learn from him over the years. These principles have carried me through dark seasons, helped me out of stuck mindsets, and continually pointed me back to hope. I’m so grateful to finally share them with you.In this conversation, we explore truths that change everything:✨ We aren’t human beings having a spiritual experience—we are spiritual beings having a human experience.✨ The common traps of the body and mind, and how a simple shift in awareness can turn our hearts back to Him.✨ Our personal “scars,” and the powerful truth that Christ chose to keep the scars in His hands.✨ The advice Matt shared at my wedding dinner—and why peace never comes from where we think it will.✨ How music can become a sacred bridge that reconnects us to God in a way few things can.This episode is deeply personal, honest, and full of hope. Listen to the very end for a special musical guest and an opportunity for you to "get into spirit." If you’ve ever felt disconnected, overwhelmed, or longing for peace and belonging—this conversation is for you.

🎧 Watch here! And if it resonates, please share it with someone who might need it.

Find more of Dr. Matt at https://www.matttownsend.com or on instagram @drmatttownsend

What would you do if you woke up one morning and your body no longer worked the way it always had?While serving as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Lindsey Tait Curtis experienced a moment that would change her life forever. She woke up unable to walk—beginning a journey that would eventually lead to a diagnosis of Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), a condition that causes unpredictable episodes of paralysis and neurological symptoms. Lindsey never knows when the next episode will come or how long it will last, and the uncertainty has become one of her greatest trials.In this deeply moving conversation, Lindsey shares what it’s like to live in a body that doesn’t always cooperate, how grief and faith can coexist, and how she has leaned on God, music, and songwriting to process pain, fear, and hope. Rather than letting her limitations silence her, Lindsey has found her voice—using music as a form of prayer, healing, and testimony.This episode is an honest look at trusting God when answers don’t come quickly, when healing doesn’t look the way we expect, and when faith means continuing to believe even in the unknown. Lindsey’s story is one of resilience, positivity, and choosing hope—again and again. Lindsey’s original songwriting is featured throughout the episode, offering a powerful soundtrack to her story. Whether you’re navigating chronic illness, uncertainty, or simply wondering how faith can carry you through life’s hardest seasons, this conversation will remind you that even when the body falters, faith can still stand strong.

In this episode, Sarah sits down with Matthew Braidley Johnson, master piano technician and hymn arranger, to explore the powerful parallels between tuning a piano and tuning our hearts. Matt explains the concept of a pitch raise — why some pianos require a major adjustment before they can ever be finely tuned — and how that same principle applies to our spiritual lives, personal growth, and family priorities.

Matthew also shares the intentional decision to step away from the retail side of his business in order to create a family life more aligned with the goals he and his wife had for time together, especially on weekends with their young family. Together they discuss good, better, and best choices, and why choosing the best is individual often requires meaningful sacrifice.

Throughout the conversation, Matthew plays two of his hymn arrangements, shares scripture, and reflects on the spiritual power of music to shape our homes, strengthen faith, and bring greater harmony to our lives. You're not going to want to miss this one!

For piano tuning, moving, servicing and more visit - https://www.matthewbraidleypianos.com/

Matt's Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/5gfpqL1x73QDppTU68K24B

In this episode, Sarah sits down with her husband and co-founder, Brady Davies, to share the story behind The Piano Place — how it started, what they’ve learned, and the real stories from students and families that prove music can tangibly shape and strengthen a home.

Together, they open up about the early days of building a music school from scratch, the moments that strengthened (and tested) their marriage, and the experiences that confirmed to them that music truly does change lives. They also talk honestly about the regrets they carry from those early chapters — the sacrifices, the missteps, and the things they wish they’d done differently — and how, through all of it, they can now see God’s hand guiding each step of the way.

Whether you’re a parent wanting to bring more music into your home, an entrepreneur curious about what it takes to start a business, or someone who simply loves a good origin story, this episode will inspire you to see music as more than a hobby — but a transformative force inside any home, especially when you invite faith, grace, and growth into the process.

This week on More Than Musicians, Sarah sits down with Andy Phillips — a rare talent who has performed at a professional level in not just one discipline, but two. A former member of the U.S. Ski Team who later became the beloved kicker for the University of Utah football team (and even spent time in the NFL), Andy’s story is full of remarkable twists. And what many don’t know is that he’s also a gifted violinist.

Andy’s perspective is especially powerful because he’s now a coach to his own kids on various teams and a featured writer for the Salt Lake Tribune, where he is passionate about helping kids tap into their fullest potential. Together, he and Sarah dive into what today’s youth are facing in the world of competitive sports and nonstop activities: burnout, the value of multi-sport experiences, knowing when an investment has lifetime value, and how parents can tell when it might be time for a child to step back or even quit.

Insightful, grounded, and refreshingly honest, this episode offers practical wisdom for parents trying to help their kids thrive — a must-listen for parents, coaches, and anyone raising high-potential kids.

On this episode of More Than Musicians, Sarah welcomes Summer Adamson: wife, mother of four, author, and advocate. Summer shares her family’s journey after her daughter Jayne was born with Down syndrome—a diagnosis that, while unexpected, brought extra joy, curiosity, and compassion into their lives.

Jayne plays a special musical number on the piano at the end of the episode. Don't miss this one!

In this episode of More Than Musicians, we will explore the transformative journey of Lisle Moore, an award-winning, world-renowned composer as he discovers his faith. Through compelling stories and insightful conversations, and moving music, this podcast delves into the intersection of artistry and spirituality. Perfect for music lovers, faith seekers, and anyone interested in inspiring life stories. Lisle and his daughter Elica perform a special number live at the end. Don't miss it!