Examples In Practice

Anonymized examples from my work with professional musicians

I’m not the hero of these stories.

People who do this kind of work rarely are.

Because this work is mostly invisible.

The musicians you’ll read about were already capable. Many were established professionals. What they were struggling with wasn’t a lack of skill, but the steady weight of doubt, fear, or mental and physical overload that made their work harder than it needed to be.

So you won’t read much about me in these stories.

But I might be behind a colleague’s quiet return to confidence.
Or a musician you admire finding their way back after a long break.
Or the subtle change you notice when your student starts performing with less strain and more steadiness, and you can’t quite name why.

In all of these stories, what helped wasn’t a breakthrough moment, but a series of small, practical adjustments that accumulated over time.

Changes that made practicing feel clearer, performing feel safer, and music feel workable again.

That’s the work. And these stories show what it can look like.

Back to the Stage After 22 Years: The Audition He Didn’t Cancel

After years of sidelining his voice, a classically trained tenor facing burnout, shame, and crippling performance anxiety did something quietly radical: He showed up to his first audition. Not to impress, but to reclaim. This is the story of the audition he didn’t cancel — and the slow, brave return to a life shaped by presence, not perfection.

5 min read

Gifted, Anxious, and Totally Done: Was It Too Late to Start Over?

A 35-year-old opera singer was at a crossroads. Having taken a break from her career due to intense stage anxiety and crushing perfectionism, she was questioning everything: Was opera still right for her? Should she shift to another path entirely? All she knew was that singing had once been her lifelong dream — but now, even that felt uncertain.

4 min read

Even After Therapy and Hypnosis: Singing Still Filled Her with Anxiety

Despite her experience and undeniable talent, she often felt disconnected from her voice. Some days, her anxiety showed up physically — tightness in the throat, sweaty palms, racing heart… Other times, it felt like her voice belonged to someone else entirely, creating a disorienting, almost out-of-body sensation. Her inner critic was relentless, especially during live performances. And even when things seemed to be improving, the sense of insecurity lingered.

6 min read

The Cost of Being ‘Professional’: Relearning Joy After 200 Concerts a Year

A French horn player in her 30s performing with a major orchestra, delivering over 200 concerts a year. But even from that place of achievement, something vital had gone quiet: She no longer enjoyed music. Despite her outward success, she felt disconnected from the very thing that had once lit her up. And she was preparing for two important auditions: One for a prestigious commercial TV orchestra, and another for an even larger city’s top ensemble.

5 min read