Overthought, A Podcast

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 sop

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 Internat

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

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-Melach

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

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 t

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 f

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://penguinr

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 Mat

So many performing artists find themselves sharing their lives with people from outside the artsy career pool. Coincidence? For Chris and Isaiah, two strong proponents of this odd-couple lifestyle, the benefits are manifold. Are there drawbacks? And what goes ON in the minds of these Citizens of the Real World, drawn like masochistic moths to people in the grip of the greedy artist life? This episode (featuring a dramatic sound-quality upgrade that occurs mid-cast) was inspired by a suggestion from celebrity Schmopera-blogger Jenna Douglas. You can suggest too! -=- Show notes -=- Twitter - Jenna Douglas https://twitter.com/jennamariepiano Schmopera http://www.schmopera.com/ What Three Words http://what3words.com/ IMDb - Dark Victory (1939) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031210/ YouTube - Clip from Dark Victory-Judy becomes blind https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZeIpxAyaxs Website - xkcd - ( https://xkcd.com/859/ Website - Cornell Astronomy - Ask an Astronomer http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/physics/81-

Life is crazy, OK? The ups. The downs! Even the middles... are crazy. And everything is exaggerated under the microscope of performance pressure. So it's healthy to try to keep an even keel when possible, yes? Honestly? We don't know. Is it false and unhelpful to force "balance" in the face of the vicissitudes of life? For those of us whose ultimate Saturday night involves peace, quiet, and an early bedtime, adrenaline and nerves are hard to embrace. But what if life just Isn't about feeling normal? Things get very real very quickly in this episode, and the whole discussion is capped off by what could possibly be the most depressing Benjamin Button tagline ever imagined. Remember: we know nothing. -=- Show notes -=- Video - Our (unused!) Acceptance Speech for the 2016 Podcast Awards #pc2016 https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Foverthought%2Fvideos%2F1740566242853698%2F Website - Daniel Taylor, Countertenor - 'Four Thousand Winter' CD http://www.danieltaylor.ca

It took two false starts (Episode 35 and "The Bad One") and an 11th-hour data-loss scare before our discussion of Boundaries could be unleashed upon the world. [But aren't boundaries always difficult to establish? ...*sage nodding*...] Chris can find himself going WAY beyond the call of duty in his dealings with certain hard-to-please clients... But is it keen business acumen, or poorly defined boundaries? Meanwhile Isaiah reveals a shocking and unfortunate default mindset (another one?!) - a sort of evil twin to "innocent until proven guilty". Do we people-pleasers actually look for excuses to enable other people to take advantage of us? And are we just vulnerable to other people's problems because we're Sensitive Artistes? This episode features our first attempt at introducing ourselves and "who we are today" at the top of the show. Because even we get our voices confused sometimes. For serious. -=- Show notes -=- Website - Car2go http://car2go.com/ Website - IMDb - Lady Dynamite (TV Series, 2016-) http:

For the first time ever, Chris and Isaiah are podcasting simultaneously from the very same room!? To mark this momentous occasion, and the arrival of Episode Number Lucky 37, we're talking about Good Things! Positivity! Optimism! For one thing: why is it so much easier to focus on the negative? Perhaps we learn more from bad experiences - but is life appreciation a skill we can actually acquire? And is there some universal truth behind "The Secret" or is optimism naïve? We also bid goodbye — for now — to our omnivorous Disclaimer (with a duet recitation!). Episode 38 will herald somewhat of a new dawn in our format, but don't worry - if circuitous navel-gazing is what you've come for, circuitous navel-gazing you shall have. -=- Show notes -=- Website - Schmopera http://www.schmopera.com/ YouTube - Lemur Requires To Scratch His Back https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Znh2WNem8I YouTube - Viral Video UK: Monkey loves to be groomed! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y21LdIwXk4c Website - Instagram - Mabel The D

Dear Overthought Podcast Subscribers: This is not a drill. Things went seriously wrong this week, and, well, we didn't have time to make good. It's not that we didn't record. We did. It's just... Well, we all have off days — right?? Anyway. There are those among you with a macabre fascination for the depths of human neurosis. To you, and you alone, we offer up — with this caveat — a tangled, halting, and perversely meta cri de coeur uncomfortably reminiscent of an improvised open-mic homage to "Synecdoche, New York" performed by a pair of jet-lagged preteens with crippling social anxiety. Sure, there's a compelling misquote or two. Yes, if you listen through to the end there's some pretty badass 1000-year old poetry juxtaposed against haiku that just couldn't be fresher (composed in real time, you guys). Aching to hear Mrs. Dalloway analyzed at length by someone who hasn't read it since college? Look no further. But, let us reiterate: it's no good. (Not Mrs. Dalloway — that stuff is gold... If memory serves.

In the most extreme occurrence of invasive OUTBREED (Overthought Unrelated Tangent Based on Recent Experience, Event, or Discovery) ever recorded, Chris and Isaiah set out to discuss one topic and end up spending the entire hour on a very different one. While Chris contemplates wading into a new market (NEW! YORK! CITY!), Isaiah confronts old anxieties in the audition room. What would happen if every bad thing we're secretly afraid of actually came true? Are risks and investments wasted if we can't show our best selves when it matters most? How can we convince that tender little turtle of creative individuality to stick out his head in a hostile environment? Startling Admissions! Shocking Techniques! Real World Tales In Gritty, Unflinching Detail! Begin befriending your own inner child today, with the help of our combined sixty-four (64!) years of life experience.... -=- Show notes -=- YouTube - Katamari Damacy - Full HD gameplay on PCSX2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVVW41iAu5A Article - 'The Weight

and it opens the door for us to fully realize our creative potential. Right? ........riiiiiight. The course of uvulas never did run smooth, as Shakespeare probably once said. Singers so regularly hear that technique is our bedrock and our safety net that it seems obvious (to those of us living inside or own heads) that the path to consistency lies in closely monitoring and controlling the actions of our bodies. But singing is infinitely more than just the mechanics of bellows, reed, and resonance. And believing we can always achieve the desired results with just this limited view of "technique" is a recipe for frustration. But can an overthinker ever learn to trust the less concrete forces that shape our art??? In this episode, the fellas spend an unprecedented amount of time on Highly Relevant tangents and preamble BEFORE even launching into the central theme, so if you hate fun, fast forward to 23:44! -=- Show notes -=- Clemance Hall Creative https://www.facebook.com/clemancehallcreative/ WebMD - EMDR:

"It's 4 p.m. and I haven't been a useful member of society yet," says Chris at the top of the show. When schedules are self-directed, the pressure to make our time count can be at its worst. Which could be fine, were it simply to motivate us and then dissipate. Unfoooortunately, the feeling that we're not getting enough done often persists after - and even during - productive periods. In addition to causing general discomfort, this can interfere with our ability to recharge and with our capacity to enjoy the non-work side of life. Ironically, it can also actually impede creativity and productivity, leaving us skipping restlessly from one thing to the next in a vicious cycle of dissatisfaction. Why? Ask our pioneer ancestors, I guess. Chris and Isaiah peel back the layers in what is likely an ongoing exploration of what drives us to be driven. PLUS EXCITING SPECIAL BONUS: stay tuned til the end for a mini-preview of one thing our productivity is producing these days — a show written by Isaiah and starring Chri

Are you an artist? Have you ever heard someone innocently say something like "Keep following your dreams!" and had an irrational attack of irritability? (If not, DO keep following your dreams! Passion gives your soul wings. #blessed). We know being a professional in the arts is a privileged position, but clichés about the magic and whimsy of the artist's life can still touch a nerve. Is it because we'll always be hungry to be taken seriously? Or does that free spirit from the TV commercials just bear no relation to our real lives? Chris and Isaiah unpack the reasonable and less-than-reasonable elements of this knee-jerk reaction, and in the process Chris composes a topical haiku - ON THE SPOT, you guys! -=- Show notes -=- YouTube - Leo Reisman Casino Royal Orchestra - Katie Went To Haiti 1939 Cole Porter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6RavpanzGc Schmopera - 'The Business of Passion' by Isaiah Bell http://www.schmopera.com/the-business-of-passion/ Schmopera - 'Performers: unwilling players of mind games'

We're all familiar with that sickest of grown-up burns: I'mnotmad, I'm just disappointed. Well, we're all grown-ups now; howdowe cope when life disappoints us? With personal failure wecanalways turn our focus to trying to do better next time, butwhatabout when things just don't go out way through no fault ofourown? Do we get mad? Or do we somehow try to stay Zen? Like, doweliterally read half a book called "The Zen Way to MartialArts"[Penguin, 1992] and then try to convince everyone that wenowpractice The Way? Only one thing is certain: Overthoughtepisodesnow feature a wicked haiku sign-off.-=- Show notes -=-Bengal Spice Herbal Tea, by Celestial Seasoningshttp://www.celestialseasonings.com/products/herbal/bengal-spice-herbal-teaYouTube - Lean Startup Lessons: Changing Course on a BusinessIdeaWithout Giving Uphttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO5ttpuIuvgBook - 'The Lean Startup', by Eric Rieshttp://www.amazon.com/Lean-Startup-Entrepreneurs-Continuous-Innovation/dp/0307887898/IMDb - Black Mirrorhttp://www.imdb.co