Welcome to episode 9 of the Piano Fortissimo Podcast! Today, we're diving deep into a topic that resonates with many musicians: handling stress, stage fright, and finding balance in a demanding career. My guest is Mariella Bruckner, an experienced psychotherapist and coach who has worked extensively with artists and performers. She combines her knowledge of life balance and stress management with a unique perspective on the specific challenges that creative professionals face. Mariella has nearly 20 years of experience teaching at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, where she works with students at the Institute for Cultural Management, where we also met and worked with each other a couple of years ago. She also trains groups in social skills and runs her own practice in Vienna’s 9th district. She’s passionate about her work and finds great meaning in helping people manage life's challenges and enjoy it more fully. You can learn more about her, her background, and her services on her website: www.mariellabruckner.info I'm so excited to welcome Mariella to the podcast today. We're going to explore the pressures musicians face, and she'll offer insights into managing performance anxiety and maintaining a healthy balance in such a demanding profession. Let’s get started!