For Episode "Feel-Good Fifty" (it's our 50th episode, hurray for arbitrary milestones!) Chris and Isaiah attempt to loosen the shackles of confirmation bias. In this brief respite from our regularly scheduled programming ("Why Doing Music Makes Me Feel Bad, Parts 1-49"), we hear from soprano and music-psychotherapist-in-training, Lesley Emma Bouza. Throughout an interview that manages to be both educational and inspiring, Lesley eloquently advocates for her discipline via real-life examples of the who, what, and why.

How do the realities of daily life as a music therapist match up to our preconceptions? Who can benefit from music therapy? Is our societal perception of music as an elite art a hindrance or help in releasing its therapeutic properties — or can it somehow be both?

Lesley also graces us with a sweet and pithy haiku, and our fears that the Tibetan singing bowl is a heathen religious object are put squarely to rest. -=- Show notes -=- YouTube - Mozart: Laudate Dominum performed by TMChoir with soprano Lesley Bouza https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVK9HZTF-Rs YouTube - Music Improvisation - Lonliness, from Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ALShMMbJ-k YouTube - Music Therapy at the Holland Bloorview Kids Rehab, at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehab https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUh7ig8tHYg Website - Laurier University - Music Therapy (MMT) Program Overview https://wlu.ca/programs/music/graduate/music-therapy-mmt/index.html YouTube - Meet Adam Zinatelli, Principal Trumpet with the Calgary Philharmonic Orcehstra https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTPa_SzIZoo Copyright © 2017 Chris Mayell, Isaiah Bell

Have you ever had the feeling you're descended from a line of forgotten royals? How about a suspicion that your ancestors may have been a dynasty of chambermaids, valets, and tenant farmers? This week Chris and Isaiah welcome recurring guest Woeful Inadequacy back onto the podcast to talk about that deep-down feeling that not only may you not be doing well enough — you could actually just not be good enough.

Perhaps it served our forebears well, in their domestic duties, to feel that they were second-class, but when one has to get up in front of thousands of people on a regular basis and command attention, this becomes a less useful trait.

Chris finally cracks open his decorative copy of "Mind Over Mood", and Isaiah extols the virtues of accepting you're broken. PLUS a classic haiku to make you go 🤔...

Megan Ihnen – American mezzo, new music maven, writer, and self-described extrovert (I know! How exotic) – joins us this week to talk permission. Classical singers spend so many years – decades?! – being inculcated with respect for tradition (and humility about our own judgement) that some of us find ourselves, long into our professional careers, still asking for permission from some unseen authority to just do what we do. Does everyone feel this way? How do you balance respect for outside guidance with a sense of confidence in your autonomy? When can you start trusting your own taste, and your own skills? Is the Future Truly Now?? Commence animated discussion! -=- Show notes -=- Website - Megan Ihnen | Mezzo-Soprano http://meganihnen.com/ Website - The Sybaritic Singer | If classical music really were dead, I'd have a lot more time for yoga and bourbon... https://sybariticsinger.com/ Website - E-mail List Sign-up for all things 'Megan Ihnen' http://eepurl.com/ba9pTX Wigmore Hall/Kohn Foundation International Song Competition https://wigmore-hall.org.uk/song-competition/wigmore-hall-kohn-foundation-international-song-competition YouTube - Bryn Terfel sings Schubert's 'An die Musik' with Malcolm Martineau at piano https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzVZjnn7CS8 Copyright © 2016 Chris Mayell, Isaiah Bell

This week Chris and Isaiah season Season Two's barrage of all-star guests with a brief return to the one-on-one format. And in classic Overthought fashion, we're going deep – deep into the neurotic mind. Some egos are unassailable. They can trundle on, secure in their place in the world, in the face of hostile environments, personal inadequacies, or unfavourable public opinion. Those egos are not our egos. 'Oh, how refreshing,' I hear you say, 'An introspective exploration of self-esteem issues.' Well, perhaps this IS ground that's been traversed before, on occasion, but on those theoretical occasions Ayn Rand was left entirely out of it! In addition to rectifying that, this week's 'cast asks some tough questions: can one's sense of personal value ever detach itself from accomplishment? Is it possible to change your essential way of interacting with the world? Can we actually turn self-doubt into fuel instead of fretfulness? -=- Show notes -=- YouTube - Anchoring To Gain Instant Confidence With NLP, by Tim Brownson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3f9zqk3AM4 Article - 'NLP Anchors - How to Feel Amazing On Demand' http://www.personal-development-planet.com/nlp-anchors.html Article - 'Barbara Hannigan, Multidimensional Performer and New Music Superstar!', by Joan Melton http://www.barbarahannigan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/VoicePrint-June-2016-Issue-52-5-9.pdf Website - The Complete Guide to the Alexander Technique http://www.alexandertechnique.com/ Website - The Feldenkrais Method of Somatic Education http://www.feldenkrais.com/ Website - James McLennan, Tenor http://www.jamesmclennan.com/ Wikipedia - Red River Floodway https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_River_Floodway YouTube - Shampoo Prank, Pt. 7 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVm7FkQI4BM Website - 'The Guest House', A Poem - Mrs. Mindfulness http://mrsmindfulness.com/guest-house-poem/ Book - 'The Fountainhead', by Ayn Rand http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2122.The_Fountainhead Image - 'Picture of Ikea Sticker for Jamie' http://www.overthoughtpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ikea-sticker-for-jamie.jpg Book - 'Speaking of Siva', by A.K. Ramanujan (Translator), Basavanna, Devara Dasimayya, Mahadeviyakka, Allama Prabhu http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/389661.Speaking_of_Siva Copyright © 2016 Chris Mayell, Isaiah Bell

This week we sit down with a current University of Toronto undergrad: baritone Jacob Feldman (well, actually, we were lying down, but you can't say that on TV). What was initially conceived as a generalized investigation of "student life today" quickly developed into an exploration of Jacob's unique situation: specifically, the potential conflicts between his identities as an Orthodox Jew and as an aspiring opera singer. Chris and Isaiah learn a lot, Jacob speaks eloquently, and the Lucky 37 will forever after wonder what someone really means when they say, "Is it dark in here"? -=- Show notes -=- Website - Instagram - Jacob Feldman, Baritone https://www.instagram.com/jacobfeldmanbaritone/ Website - Daniel Taylor, Countertenor http://www.danieltaylor.ca/ Website - The Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy for Young Artists at the Royal Conservatory of Music https://learning.rcmusic.ca/academy Article - The 39 Melachot, Chabad.org http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/102032/jewish/The-39-Melachot.htm Websiter - Judaism 101 - Shabbat http://www.jewfaq.org/shabbat.htm YouTube - 'Lord, God of Abraham' from Mendelssohn's Elijah, sung by Gerald Finley https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZI7x8Ac85U YouTube - 'Erwäge wie sein blutgefärbter' from Bach's Johannes-Passion (St. John's Passion), sung by tenor Thomas Moser. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3E4fj9DCMcM Website - COC Ensemble Studio at the Canadian Opera Company http://www.coc.ca/AboutTheCOC/CompanyMembers/EnsembleStudio.aspx Website - MYOpera https://www.myopera.ca/ Copyright © 2016 Chris Mayell, Isaiah Bell

When Dr. Leah Giselle Field, Esq., is our guest, the show is like baking soda and vinegar — very white, somewhat explosive, and a lot of fun. We're talking career streams this week: Dr. Field has recently plunged into life as a (in her words!) "not-so-young young artist" after having taken the academic elevator straight to the top. Isaiah jumped into YAPs straight out of undergrad and has often wondered if it was the most prudent choice. Chris split the difference – getting a Master's degree because it was "what's done" – and all three have questions about how we are building foundations for young singers. Is there such a thing as too much input for developing artists? How does the default Young Artist Program model promote sustainable growth? Can Classical music culture in general help singers buck the youth craze in order to build from the bottom up? A lot is said, and – in true Overthought tradition – there are more questions than answers. However (in the seemingly original words of Dr. Leah Field) "the course of true love never did run smooth!" -=- Show notes -=- Website- Leah Giselle Field | LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/leah-giselle-field-32b962b2 Website - UBC Music at The University of British Columbia http://music.ubc.ca/ Website - Western Music - Don Wright Faculty of Music http://www.music.uwo.ca/ Website - Vancouver Opera - The Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program https://www.vancouveropera.ca/about/employment/auditions/young_artists_program Website - The Old Trout Puppet Workshop http://www.theoldtrouts.org/ Article - 'The End of the Great Big American Voice', by Anne Midgette, New York Times www.nytimes.com/2005/11/13/arts/music/the-end-of-the-great-big-american-voice.html      Copyright © 2016 Chris Mayell, Isaiah Bell

This one could have gone on for hours! Jenna Douglas – pianist-coach and captain of the intrepid ship that is Schmopera.com – joins us this week for a topic that affects each of us nearly every day. Working contract-to-contract means musicians are unusually dependant on a climate of good will. We have to weigh many decisions – whether to tell uncomfortable truths, to stand up for ourselves, to stick with a controversial artistic vision – against the possibility that they will threaten our livelihood. How much is our fear of speaking our minds based in real danger? In theory, people respect self-confidence, but is there some safe point in a career before which you just can't afford to take any chances? And what about when you know the only thing you fear is... fear itself?! Jenna also raises the bar for all subsequent guests (and for us!) by coming prepared with original haiku tailored to the subject matter! Now that's a pro. -=- Show notes -=- Website - Schmopera http://www.schmopera.com/ Article - On the Recording of Opera Singers, Schmopera http://www.schmopera.com/on-the-recording-of-opera-singers/ Video - On the Recording of Opera Singers, Schmopera https://youtu.be/GKN27ZVONRQ Article - 'Shine on, Maureen Forrester', by MJ Buell, theWholeNote http://www.thewholenote.com/index.php/newsroom/feature-stories/5914-shine-on-maureen-forrester Article - 'Audition season, or the annual Festival of Shattered Dreams', by Anonymous author http://www.schmopera.com/audition-season-or-the-annual-festival-of-shattered-dreams/ Website - Eric Owens, Bass-Baritone http://imgartists.com/artist/eric_owens Website - The Center for Nonviolent Communcation - Needs Inventory https://www.cnvc.org/Training/needs-inventory Website - The Center for Nonviolent Communcation - How we hold "responsibility" and "accountability" in NVC? https://www.cnvc.org/how-we-hold-responsibility-and-accountability-nvc Article - 'In Defence of Singers', by Jenna Douglas | Schmopera http://www.schmopera.com/in-defence-of-singers/ Copyright © 2016 Chris Mayell, Isaiah Bell

Do you avoid looking at your bank balance? Do you feel guilty about spending money on anything other than essentials? Do you secretly welcome the clarity of having no money whatsoever, because it frees you from the panicky burden of fiscal responsibility? You are not alone. Enter Chris Enns, tenor, certified financial planner, and self-described personal finance nerd. It was not long ago that Chris, who now runs the fabulous ragstoreasonable.com (subtitled "money help for artists"), was ignoring all that complicated, numbersy stuff. But when he found himself on the pointy end of a massive tax bill, he knew something had to change. Isaiah and Chris ("Regular Chris") mostly listen in awe this week to Chris's story and his confidence-inspiring proclamations that you, too, can have a reasonably comfortable lifestyle. It's somehow both soothing and exciting... Could this be the most pleasant hour you've ever spent thinking about financial planning? -=- Show notes -=- Website - Rags to Reasonable - Money help for Artists http://www.ragstoreasonable.com/ Article - 'Talking to kids about money: Study highlights importance of parents discussing financial matters with children' ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140429092549.htm Website - You Need A Budget https://www.youneedabudget.com/ Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows http://www.dictionaryofobscuresorrows.com/ © 2016 Copyright Chris Mayell, Isaiah Bell

EXTRA! EXTRA! For the first time in HISTORY, Overthought welcomes a guest co-host! Vivien Shotwell – author, singer, and GP (Good Pal) – joins Chris and Isaiah to discuss a matter very close to our hearts: "Taking One's Own Path." All three of us devote a part of our working lives to a non-singing pursuit, despite traditional wisdom that discourages singers from attempting to be bi-vocational. And in the absence of appropriate role models, we all ask ourselves the same questions: If no one else has taken my path, how can I know if I'm fooling myself about its potential success? Is my parallel pursuit a distraction, or does it fulfill an essential need in me? Is there a way to do it without compromising? After a three-month hiatus (a marriage, a honeymoon, and a major moving of house) Overthought is back, in a fresh three-headed format, for Season 2.

-=- Show notes -=- Vivien Shotwell - Author by Day, Soprano by Night http://vivienshotwell.com/ Book - 'Vienna Nocturne', by Vivien Shotwell http://penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/219628/vienna-nocturne#9780385678056 Calgary Opera Emerging Development Program http://www.calgaryopera.com/discover/emerging-artists Extension Method - About Jeniffer Nichols http://www.extensionmethod.com/about/ Iowa Writers' Workshop https://writersworkshop.uiowa.edu/ Brent Calis Photography http://brentcalisphotography.com/ YouTube - The Vagabond, Vaughan Williams from The Songs of Travel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIaJ4RSyKT0 Movie - 'Florence Foster Jenkins' http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4136084/

Copyright © 2016, Chris Mayell, Isaiah Bell

It's weird to be a creature of habit in a career with constant changes of environment, workload, and colleagues; without the ability to maintain any regular routines, it can feel like you're not in control of your own life. Habits and routine give our lives structure, but they can also, of course, be insidious. How many times, as performers, have we been warned about the dangers of "going on autopilot"? This is where ritual can be a powerful tool. When we actively engage in familiar gestures and behaviours, it can work against the deadening effect of mindless routine. And for a performer who needs some sense of safety to allow for that thrilling release of control, rituals convince the nervous brains that we're on the same team. This episode features the extensive introduction of yet another invisible cast member, "Li'l Carl". And if you thought WE had issues.... -=- Show notes -=- Our disclaimer page http://www.overthoughtpodcast.com/disclaimer Article - 'Motivation is Overvalued. Environment Often Matters More', by James Clear http://jamesclear.com/power-of-environment Video - 'You Don't Say', by John McIntyre Baltimore Sun https://www.facebook.com/baltimoresun/videos/10154331580434712 © Copyright 2016, Isaiah Bell & Chris Mayell