The Inner Take

The Inner Take

By Ramón GardellaEducationMusicMusic Interviews
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The Inner Take episodes

  • A New Tool: Check Your Resume
    You're making more progress than you think.

    Measuring progress vs. measuring success

    Self-doubt and the fear of being judged
    A personal experience performing with an incredible orchestra
    How comparison distracts us from the present moment
    A simple tool to recognize your progress: check your resume
    Rethinking rejection and auditions
    Why changing your pace doesn't mean going backward
    Consistency over perfection
    Overcoming perfectionism and the fear of starting
    Recognizing how far you've come as a musician and artist

    13 min
  • I'm Back with a Gentle Reminder
    For me, and maybe for you too.

    In this episode:

    • Why coming back after a long pause can feel so difficult

    • Creative projects that don't pay the bills—but matter anyway
    • What happens when work becomes our entire identity
    • Making space for the people, projects, and routines that keep us grounded
    • A quick update on what's coming next for The Inner Take

    Instagram: @mentalnotes.music

    7 min
  • Cristóbal Gajardo on Practice, Self-Talk, and Musical Growth
    The Chilean percussionist reflects on influential teachers, evolving practice habits, and how endurance sports taught him to transform self-talk into a tool for growth

    How does the way we speak to ourselves influence the way we grow as musicians?

    In this episode of The Inner Take, Chilean percussionist Cristóbal Gajardo shares insights from his musical journey, reflecting on influential teachers, the evolution of his practice, and how endurance sports helped him become aware of—and reshape—his inner dialogue.

    A conversation about self-talk, learning, discipline, and the lifelong process of musical growth.

    Recommended Reading

    What I Talk About When I Talk About Running — Haruki Murakami

    Connect

    Cristóbal Gajardo: @cristobal.percu

    The Inner Take / Mental Notes: @mentalnotes.music

    44 min
  • 5 Fundamental Ideas Every Musician Needs to Hear
    What the first thirteen episodes of this podcast taught me about being a musician.

    After thirteen episodes, I realized that the same questions keep coming back—through conversations with guests, colleagues, friends, and listeners.

    In this episode, I share five fundamental ideas that have changed the way I think about music, creativity, and building an artistic career.

    We talk about:

    • Why your inner world matters as much as your technical development.

    • Why fear, doubt, and insecurity are part of every musician's journey.

    • The difference between making music and building a career.

    • Why understanding your motivation changes the way you practice and perform.

    • Why nobody is going to give you permission to start your own project.

    These are not small topics. They are fundamental questions that shape the way we make music, the way we build a career, and the way we relate to ourselves as artists.

    28 min
  • Patricia Pinheiro: Creativity, Identity & Mental Health for musicians
    What does it mean to create a life in music on your own terms?

    Starting music through an unusual oboe audition

    Abusive teachers and toxic power dynamics in music education
    Depression and emotional burnout
    The inner voice and learning to work with fear
    The importance of therapy and asking for help
    Leaving music to gain clarity
    Why stepping away is not the same as giving up
    Creating your own artistic system instead of fitting into existing ones
    Creativity, identity, and comparison in the music world
    “What I do is not who I am”
    Rediscovering joy and fun in music
    A Mesa Project and bringing contemporary music to rural communities in Portugal
    Patricia Pinheiro: www.patriciapinheiro.com
    Instagram: @mentalnotes.music

    1 hr 5 min
  • What Kind of Music Interpreter Are You?
    The Machine, the Reproducer, the Rebel, and the Re-Creator — four ways to approach music

    What is a music interpreter

    The problem: technique without direction
    Hidden objectives in musicians
    The three aspects: technical, analytical, emotional
    Developmental stages: childhood, adolescence, adulthood
    The Machine — playing to avoid mistakes
    The Reproducer — playing as it “should be played”
    The Rebel — playing based on feeling
    The Re-Creator — deep expression and integration
    Final reflection on your path as an interpreter

    24 min
  • When Music Leads, Your Career Grows
    A different way to understand growth, success, and your relationship with music

    In this episode, we explore a key idea:

    Music is the cause. Career is the consequence.

    What we talk about:

    The difference between making music and building a career

    Why playing for approval creates pressure, doubt, and disconnection
    How focusing only on career can make you feel empty
    A real story: how an improvisation became a composed piece (WB1) and later opened new opportunities
    The importance of reconnecting with your own musical voice
    A key question: Why do you play?
    How your intention changes your entire musical experience

    🎧 Listen to the piece mentioned in this episode (WB1):

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GGWVucFhGg&list=RD-GGWVucFhGg&start_radio=1

    📲 Stay connected:

    Instagram: @mentalnotes.music

    18 min
  • Ina Greiner: The Artist & The Body
    How Body Awareness Transforms Performance, Expression, and Presence

    In this episode, I talk with Ina Greiner about Transformative Bodywork and the role of the body in creativity and performance.

    We explore:

    • The body as an instrument
    • How unconscious patterns affect creativity and confidence
    • Dealing with fear, anxiety, and creative blocks
    • Building presence, grounding, and trust through the body

    This episode is for musicians, artists, and anyone who wants to reconnect with their body and express themselves more freely.

    Connect with us:

    Host: @mentalnotes.music
    Ina Greiner: @bailarina_tangofolklore

    39 min
  • Making Music vs. Building a Career in Music: The Key Difference
    When you realize you’ve spent your whole life playing for someone else’s approval

    Making music vs. building a career in music: a fundamental distinction

    The origin of music as play—and how we lose it
    The moment “the other” enters the picture
    Why external validation creates suffering
    How musicians lose connection with their inner source
    Rethinking success in music
    Returning to expression without losing your path

    Follow & contact:

    Instagram: @mentalnotes.music

    23 min
  • When Guilt Takes Control
    How guilt affects musicians, how it can go as far as a panic attack, and simple tools to take back control of your practice and your mind.

    In this episode, we talk about:

    Why musicians feel guilt almost every day

    The “inner voice” that creates pressure and fear
    How guilt ignores your reality, your level, and your process
    A personal story: when guilt led to a panic attack
    The hidden problem in music education: doing without understanding why
    The difference between being a person, an artist, and a musician
    Why practicing more is not always the answer

    Tools to work with guilt:

    1. Set clear practice limits

      2. Define when you start and when you finish

      Think of practice like a rehearsal
      Add breaks and structure your time
      Replace “I should be practicing” with “I already practiced today”

      1. Build a healthier internal dialogue

        2. After each session, ask: Did I show up and do the work?

        Answer simply: YES or NO
        Accept progress, even if it’s small

        1. Separate facts from thoughts

          2. Facts: what you actually practiced and achieved

          Thoughts: “It’s not enough”, “I’m not good”, “I should do more”
          Learn to recognize that these thoughts are not reality

          1. Take care of your “person self”

            2. You are not only a musician

            Rest, social life, and personal time are part of being a healthy artist

            Key message of the episode:

            Guilt does not make you better.

            Awareness and balance do.

            25 min

          About The Inner Take

          From the publisher's feed

          The Inner Take is a podcast for musicians.