When Michal and his mother moved to Fort Myers, FL from the Czech Republic when he was seven, he had no idea what was in store for him. He looked for a way to succeed and, at 12, found he excelled at the flute. His journey over the following decade is filled with important lessons for music educators and students. And the decade after is a testament to what highly-trained classical musicians can accomplish in any field.

Michal has been a dear friend since we roomed together during college at Carnegie Mellon, and I was delighted to have Michal visit my home recently, just months before he will be welcoming his first child. As we recorded this podcast, I learned many amazing details of Michal’s journey, from his early childhood to his recent endurance and service when his community was destroyed by Hurricane Ian. I know that Michal’s exceptional work ethic and caring spirit will make him an exceptional musical father.

Michal’s story has something to challenge, encourage, and inspire everyone who listens, so if you have a shorter commute, feel free to hit pause along the way and come back, or enjoy the whole episode while you are working in your yard over the weekend. (Speaking of, we ran out of time to talk about Michal and his wife Lavender’s 26 chickens, their dog, Mango, and the soap they’re making from their goats!)

Learn more about Captain Mike’s charter fishing company at swflcharters.com

Intro/outro music: Partita in A minor for solo flute, BWV 1013 - II. Corrente by J.S. Bach, performed by flutist Scott Goff, from Musopen.org

For more on music, family, and the polyphonic process of weaving the two together, visit themusicalfather.substack.com

At four years old, my little brother’s two favorite activities were riding on our dad’s lap on the big John Deere tractor and playing the cello. Today, James is still playing the cello, and his son Elijah gets to sit on his lap as he plays.

James and his family spent several days with us over the holidays, and we had a blast playing Bach and bluegrass around the house. We also got to share some music at a local retirement home, as we did countless times growing up.

James is a world-class, international prize-winning cellist, and we discussed his 20-year journey from starting the cello at age 4 to how he landed a job as cellist with the “Pershing’s Own” U.S. Army Strings. You will not meet a more humble guy in the profession, and I am proud to see how James loves and cares for his family amid his excellent musical pursuits.

Navigating music and parenthood is a lifelong journey, so come learn with us. This is the first podcast episode of The Musical Father, and you can gain future episodes and regular articles on music, family, and the polyphonic life of J.S. Bach by subscribing at themusicalfather.substack.com.

The intro music for the podcast comes from a very special memory of James and I playing together just before he left for boot camp for his current role.