In a world that often equates perfect with excellence, it's easy to overlook how such mindsets can obscure the true essence of creativity: sincerity.  This episode delves into the emotional complexity behind how many of us inadvertently sacrifice the genuine sincerity that breathes life into our life in an attempt to abandon perfectionist habits.    Read the full blog post (with academic references):   https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/blog/sincerity-vs-perfectionism   Explore coaching + courses for independent artists:   holisticmusicianacademy.com ––– Work with me:   → C.I.A.R. self-paced course: https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/ciar   → HMA group coaching & 1:1 mentorships https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/coaching   Join the newsletter:  → holisticmusicianacademy.com/newsletter   Connect:  IG: @everynowheremusic   YT: Tapasya Loading   Podcast archive: https://www.tapasyaloading.com/ Music and Audio Production: www.everynowheremusic.com Episode Notes / Text : www.tlwrites.com Music and Audio Production: www.everynowheremusic.com Episode Notes / Text : www.tlwrites.com

In the whirlwind of year-end sales and irresistible deals, many artists find themselves caught in a familiar cycle of seeking external fixes for deeper creative uncertainties, often without realizing the true cost. This pattern, fueled by emotional urges rather than genuine progress, can leave musicians chasing fleeting highs that never quite resolve the underlying doubts.   Read the full blog post (with academic references):   https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/blog/stop-buying-gear   Explore coaching + courses for independent artists:   holisticmusicianacademy.com ––– Work with me:   → C.I.A.R. self-paced course: https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/ciar   → HMA group coaching & 1:1 mentorships https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/coaching   Join the newsletter:  → holisticmusicianacademy.com/newsletter   Connect:  IG: @everynowheremusic   YT: Tapasya Loading   Podcast archive: https://www.tapasyaloading.com/ Music and Audio Production: www.everynowheremusic.com Episode Notes / Text : www.tlwrites.com

Sæunn happens to be one of the most respected cellists in the world, performing with orchestras like the Los Angeles Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, and Iceland Symphony, and in venues like Carnegie Hall, Barbican, and Suntory Hall, to name just a few accolades. She’s basically one of the best out there, for those who find language like that easier to understand.  But what makes Sæunn stand out beyond her accolades are the challenges she throws at accepted narratives both in the classical music world and beyond.  Sæunn is the kind of kindred spirit I don’t have to circle around or soften edges for. There’s an immediate intellectual and emotional honesty and shared language that allows us to get straight to the heart of the matter without performance. This was her first reappearance on Tapasya Loading since lockdown.  The last time we spoke, the world was paused.  And both of us have stepped away from academia as full-time identities since, and re-examined calendars from a  different lens as performing artists as well.  A central thread in this chat is our shared fascination, and frustration, with how many co-artists remain passively locked into inherited industry narratives.  So we talk candidly about how many of these myths get internalized, shape behaviour, and how difficult it can be to step outside them without feeling like we’re risking our worth. We reflect on the assumption of being ‘busy’ being the same as being ‘good’, and the fear and freedom that comes when we’re no longer chasing multiple forms of what are essentially external sources of validation.   Complete Episode https://www.saeunn.com/ www.findTL.com   Explore coaching + courses for independent artists:   holisticmusicianacademy.com   Work with me:   → C.I.A.R. self-paced course: https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/ciar   → HMA group coaching & 1:1 mentorships https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/coaching

In a world overwhelmed by information, the concept of "signal-to-noise ratio" as used in music production can be a powerful life philosophy in our everyday lives. Clarifying what truly matters amidst the distractions can steer us from reactive chaos to intentional harmony.    Read the full blog post (with academic references):   https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/blog/signal-to-noise   Explore coaching + courses for independent artists:   holisticmusicianacademy.com ––– Work with me:   → C.I.A.R. self-paced course: https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/ciar   → HMA group coaching & 1:1 mentorships https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/coaching   Join the newsletter:  → holisticmusicianacademy.com/newsletter   Connect:  IG: @everynowheremusic   YT: Tapasya Loading   Podcast archive: https://www.tapasyaloading.com/

Seeking help can feel like a luxury or something that qualifies us as 'weak' by default. By the time we finally are ready to reach out, we've experienced what I refer to as one of the Five D's—Death, Disease, Divorce, Discernment, and Disillusionment. Today's episode explores how these critical junctures often arise when we ignore the subtle signals that nudge us towards change. I go on to try to offer an alternate take: the benefits of a proactive approach that challenges the cultural narratives of self-sufficiency that often hinder our growth.    📖 Read the full blog post (with academic references):   👉 https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/blog/death-disease-divorce-discernment-disillusionment   🎓 Explore coaching + courses for independent artists:   👉 holisticmusicianacademy.com ––– 🧭 Work with me:   → C.I.A.R. self-paced course: https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/ciar   → HMA group coaching & 1:1 mentorships https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/coaching   📝 Join the newsletter:  → holisticmusicianacademy.com/newsletter   📲 Connect:  IG: @everynowheremusic   YT: Tapasya Loading   Podcast archive: https://www.tapasyaloading.com/  

Professor Miles Miniaci returns to the podcast, with another exchange filled with effortless resonance and curiousity.   A mentor writing instructor, we crossed paths serendipitously at the Tate Modern in London right after my master’s graduation ceremony, to launch immediately into the beginning of this sober and astutely honest, ongoing conversation that is made so striking by his wise lens.   We begin with zero-sum thinking, the insiduous presumption of someone else gaining something results in the loss of another. We explore mindsets that run the risk of shaping everything from politics to personal worldview, and how easily it can seep into the arts. Territorial behaviour, the subtle panic around “running out of space,” and the pressure to compete instead of expand.   We talk about the shifts that open up when we stop operating from there and move on to modern obsessions with 'solving' things as the poor man's version of creativity.   Fix the draft. Streamline the process. Optimise the workflow. The fast track to flattening the very beauty art tries to build, how it shows up in our inner world, and why some of the most meaningful work comes from staying with a question rather than rushing to answers.   We eventually return to the topic that brought Miles to the podcast the first time: AI and creativity. Back in the day when we first talked, AI was still speculative.   Now, as it's embedded so many corners of the creative world, the conversation an honest check-in about what has actually changed as opposed to the poles of 'warning' or 'celebration'   Authorship, agency, and voice, and how the temptation to hand over too much to a tool can quietly disconnect the creator from the work, while acknowledging ways in which AI can genuinely support the process when present, awake, and responsible for the final expression.   Complete Episode   https://www.milesminiaci.com/ https://findtl.com   Join the waiting list for my Artist Mastermind and get your first month free.  https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/group-coaching   Courses: https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/courses   1:1 Mentoring:  https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/1-on-1-mentorship   Music and Audio Production: www.everynowheremusic.com   Episode Notes / Text : www.tlwrites.com   Music and Audio Production: www.everynowheremusic.com  

In this episode, I reconnect with guitarist, educator, and fellow Effortless Mastery retreat graduate Corey Congilio—a musician whose presence in the Nashville scene is more than skill; it’s a standard.   Corey’s work as a pioneering educator has shaped players across generations, with a roster of students that include the likes of artists like Seal and countless guitarists who’ve come to rely on his clarity, precision, and grounded musical wisdom.   But beneath the technique and the résumé lies the real connective tissue of our friendship: a shared devotion to the inner world of the artist.   Our common love and passion beyond the obvious is a vision of a music industry where musicians are more conscious of one of the most underaddresed skillsets of a professional aritist in the current era: personal development.   Corey is a self-proclaimed 'therapy junkie', while I took things to a whole different level by getting certified as a therapist myself and eventually making coaching an integral extension of my artistic practice.   A significant part of this conversation dives into the soul-level decisions behind where we choose to live and create. Corey breaks down why Nashville became his creative ecosystem—not for the clichés, but because the city demanded, shaped, and refined him. I share my own unconventional pull toward Berlin: both choices rooted less in career strategy and more in inner alignment, curiosity, and the need for a different kind of creative oxygen.   From there, we shift into the heart of Corey’s newest chapter: the release of his debut solo EP—a reclamation of artistic identity after years of amplifying other people’s visions in one of the world’s most competitive music environments.   We explore:   the psychological shift from sideman to solo artist. the intricacies of collaboration and the invisible emotional contracts musicians enter. why hiring the right bandmates is an energetic choice as much as a musical/logistical one. the realities of touring: mental endurance, boundaries, and humanity. the subtle anatomy of a classic Nashville Live-band studio workflow. how location, community, and self-awareness shape the art we make. (This is the official edited release of our exchange. The uncut version lives inside the community.) Complete Episode   https://coreycongilio.com/ https://findtl.com   Join the waiting list for my Artist Mastermind and get your first month free.  https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/group-coaching   Courses: https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/courses   1:1 Mentoring:  https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/1-on-1-mentorship   Music and Audio Production: www.everynowheremusic.com   Episode Notes / Text : www.tlwrites.com   Music and Audio Production: www.everynowheremusic.com   Episode Notes / Text : www.tlwrites.com  

Ryan Hurst returns to Tapasya Loading on the launch of his much-awaited book On The Mat Forever (OTMF), with a conversation that leaves as powerful  and deep an imprint as our first 3 years ago. Ryan holds four black belts, and spent twenty-eight years in Japan immersed deep in the study of martial arts and its philosophy.  (He is also a pretty serious guitar player, even if mostly a quiet one.)  The fact that most people have no idea about any of this is a clue towards the brand of humility and restraint that mark real mastery like his. ‘’Posture, breath, mindset’’.  These were the three words that kept me steady when everything else felt like it was falling apart during one of the hardest chapters of my life, hours after I’d just learned of a health scare my mum was going through when OTMF reached me.. We talk about that and how the book has been a companion through personal storms, and why it feels so needed right now.  We explore the tension between the two dominant archetypes of martial artists today, and differences he notices in how masculinity expresses itself across cultures as he moves into a new chapter with core philosophies of ‘mutual benefit and welfare’ taking the forefront in a world where kindness, generosity, and calm are often misread for weakness in times of confrontation. And we unpack the dissonance of reverse culture shock. How it can be a reminder that it is not our environment that defines us-but how we respond to it. Timeless truths of the true warrior that risk being buried under noise, and why OTMF is an endeavour to bring them back to where they belong.   Connect with Ryan: https://www.stayonthematforever.com/ https://gmb.io/ Instagram: @ryhurst Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GMBfitness/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/GMBFitnessSkills   (This is the official edited release of our exchange. The uncut version lives inside the community.)   Complete Episode https://www.reztone.com/ https://findtl.com Join the first cohort of my Artist Mastermind and get your first month free.  https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/group-coaching Courses: https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/courses 1:1 Mentoring:  https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/1-on-1-mentorship   Music and Audio Production: www.everynowheremusic.com Episode Notes / Text : www.tlwrites.com    

Guitarist, composer and educator Rez Abbasi joins T L Mazumdar for a conversation that begins with music but doesn’t end there. Born in Karachi and raised in California, NYC-based guitarist Rez Abbasi has long been a bridge between worlds: jazz, South Asian and urban traditions, intellect and instinct, virtuosic precision and play.  A teacher at the New School in New York, apart from being a touring and recording artist, he is known for a sound that is as fearless as it is fluid, garnering him a brand of quiet, irrefutable respect amongst peers and audiences alike that is rare in the current music industry.  His latest album Sound Remains, dedicated to his late mother, becomes the quiet centrepiece of this exchange.  We talk about what happens when music begins to outgrow technique and extrinsic goals, when surrender starts to feel more powerful than control.   We touch on how ‘jazz’, in its modern form, has grown increasingly slick, and how that polish both reveals and conceals something about the times we live in.    Mentoring comes up as well. Not as a profession, but as a practice in awareness, a way of transmitting freedom rather than formulas.   As the dialogue deepens, it becomes less about the conventional mechanics of music and more about what keeps us playing at all.    Rez speaks of loss and of finding presence inside it. I share how the the loss of my father last year, and recent health-scare of my mother, peeled away my tolerance for pretense in an industry  and lifestyle in a world where so many of us still feel pressured to play along with very questionable rules. What emerges is not grief alone, but a quiet clarity about why we keep returning to sound after the noise fades.   (This is the official edited release of our exchange. The uncut version lives inside the community.) Complete Episode https://www.reztone.com/ https://findtl.com Join the first cohort of my Artist Mastermind and get your first month free.  https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/group-coaching Courses: https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/courses 1:1 Mentoring:  https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/1-on-1-mentorship   Music and Audio Production: www.everynowheremusic.com Episode Notes / Text : www.tlwrites.com

You play the gig. You get the praise.  Then silence.  You send the pitch. No reply.  Then—out of nowhere—a playlist bite. Enough to keep you hooked. Not enough to feel whole. This episode is about a subtle but powerful loop most artists find themselves in without even realizing it:   **Intermittent reinforcement**—a reward system rooted in the nervous system, mirrored in the music industry, and normalized in relationships, rehearsal rooms, and even digital platforms.   In this solo episode, I explore: – What intermittent reinforcement actually is (beyond pop psych)  – How it shows up in artist careers through gigs, praise, playlists, and power dynamics  – Why our nervous systems get addicted to “maybe”  – How scenes like *Whiplash* aren’t just cinema—they’re memory  – And what a healthier, rhythm-based alternative could look like This one’s personal. For every artist who’s confused their grind for devotion.   For every creator who's stayed too long because something *almost* happened once.   📝 Join the Free Training:  → https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/artist-mindmap   📖 Read the full blog post (with academic references):   👉 https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/blog/artists-and-intermittent-reinforcement   🎓 Explore coaching + courses for independent artists:   👉 holisticmusicianacademy.com ––– 🧭 Work with me:  → C.I.A.R. self-paced course: https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/ciar   → HMA group coaching & 1:1 mentorships https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/coaching   📲 Connect:  IG: @everynowheremusic   YT: Tapasya Loading   Podcast archive: https://www.tapasyaloading.com/

Art often emerges as a vital sanctuary for those navigating life's deepest fractures, offering a sense of connection and safety. Yet, this very refuge can unwittingly evolve into a subtle trap, where unprocessed wounds forge unbreakable ties that blur the line. As artists chase authenticity and belonging, they may find themselves ensnared in cycles of pain and relief that hinder true growth and joy.  Unprocessed trauma can distort the mind into mistaking familiar feelings (even if painful) for safety, and survival for intimacy.   Free Training: artistmindmap.com   Read the blog post.   Join the first cohort of my Artist Mastermind and get your first month free.  https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/group-coaching   Courses: https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/courses   1:1 Mentoring:  https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/1-on-1-mentorship  

In the fast-paced world of independent artistry, the concept of "hustle" has evolved from a symbol of self-reliance to a relentless pressure to produce and promote without pause. This episode delves into the historical roots and modern implications of hustle culture, revealing how it has shifted from a tool for liberation to a potential trap that can erode an artist's inner life and creative joy.  Free Training: artistmindmap.com   Read the blog post.   Join the first cohort of my Artist Mastermind and get your first month free.  https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/group-coaching   Courses: https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/courses   1:1 Mentoring:  https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/1-on-1-mentorship

Composer, sarodist, and cultural shapeshifter Soumik Datta joins T.L. Mazumdar for a conversation that goes far beyond the usual talk of craft and career. Born in Mumbai and raised in London, Soumik grew up between cultures, mentored by Pandit Buddhadev Das Gupta in Kolkata and later trained in composition at Trinity Laban.  Today, he stands as one of the rare contemporary artists bridging heritage and innovation with equal devotion. His work spans collaborations with Beyoncé, Anoushka Shankar, Nitin Sawhney, Akram Khan, and the BBC Singers, as well as large-scale projects through his own organisation, Soumik Datta Arts. But what makes his story compelling isn’t the résumé — it’s the restlessness underneath it. In this conversation, we revisit the early years and the quiet ways we both learned what it meant to be ‘othered’, long before we had the language for it. We talk about the invisible labour behind becoming a professional artist, the parts of the iceberg that rarely see daylight, and why the industry’s current definition of a “professional musician” might not be serving anyone — not the artist, not the audience, not the art. This is the official edited release of our exchange. The complete, unedited version — with all the silences, laughter, and contradictions intact — lives exclusively inside the community. https://www.soumikdatta.com/ https://findtl.com Complete Episode  

A real mentor isn’t someone polishing your next single for the algorithm. They’re a guide who holds space for your whole journey—creative, human, and messy. In a world crowded with 'coaches' promising shortcuts, the difference lies in lived craft and soul. Real mentorship goes deeper than strategy.  This piece unpacks the myths and points to what matters: a mentor who’s both a practicing artist and a trusted guide, who understands that evolution is about becoming—not just producing.    Free Training: artistmindmap.com   Read the blog post.   Join the first cohort of my Artist Mastermind and get your first month free.  https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/group-coaching   Courses: https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/courses   1:1 Mentoring:  https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/1-on-1-mentorship  

What happens when social expectations collide with artistic vision? In this episode, vocalist, producer, and founder of Tamil Jazz Collective, Harini Iyer shares her journey of carving out a path beyond conventional definitions of success. With a diverse background including engineering and business analysis, and a Grammy nomination as part of a Berklee ensemble, Harini’s story bridges the worlds of structure and improvisation. From navigating the pressures of tradition, playing the quintessential overachieving immigrant, to experiencing the double-edged sword of virality, we riff on the setbacks that shape resilience and the breakthroughs that led to her unique artistic voice.    This episode is brought to you by Holistic Musician Academy.   Group Coaching:  https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/group-coaching   Course: https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/ciar   Coaching:  https://attractwell.com/holisticmuscianacademy/page/coaching   Download my FREE 'Artist Mindmap'. A one-page mini-masterclass for independent musicians. Music and Audio Production: www.everynowheremusic.com Episode Notes / Text : www.tlwrites.com

In today's creative landscape, the multi-hyphenate identity—where artists juggle roles like musician-producer-coach—has become a badge of survival, but it often masks deeper struggles in an unforgiving economy. While diversification promises adaptability, it can lead to fragmentation, diluting the very passion that fuels artistic pursuits. Experts warn of the invisible tradeoffs, where spreading too thin risks sacrificing true mastery for mere breadth. Yet, beneath this hustle lies a path to genuine alignment, challenging outdated myths about art and commerce. Dive deeper to uncover practical frameworks that could transform how you navigate your creative journey.   In an era where artists are subtly coerced into the roles of content creators and market disruptors, the core essence of artistry risks being overshadowed by entrepreneurial ambitions. Modern creative culture often blurs the lines between genuine self-expression and commodified authenticity, leading artists toward the tempting yet restrictive path of scale, predictability, and market demand. Read on to understand how to strike a balance between financial sustainability and creative integrity.   Read the blog post. Join the first cohort of my Artist Mastermind and get your first month free.  https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/group-coaching   Free Artist Training: artistmindmap.com   Courses: https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/courses   1:1 Mentoring:  https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/1-on-1-mentorship

In an era where artists are subtly coerced into the roles of content creators and market disruptors, the core essence of artistry risks being overshadowed by entrepreneurial ambitions. Modern creative culture often blurs the lines between genuine self-expression and commodified authenticity, leading artists toward the tempting yet restrictive path of scale, predictability, and market demand. Read on to understand how to strike a balance between financial sustainability and creative integrity.   Join the first cohort of my Artist Mastermind and get your first month free.  https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/group-coaching   Free Artist Training: artistmindmap.com   Courses: https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/courses   1:1 Mentoring:  https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/1-on-1-mentorship  

While the myth of sudden discovery and rapid success still tempts many artists, the reality is a system surprisingly young. And yet, one that continues to dominate artists' perceptions of success. The fascinating history of music as sacred ritual o the other hand, once a source of healing across cultures, has been transformed into a mass-produced entity under modern industry pressures.    Free Training: artistmindmap.com   Courses: https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/courses   Coaching:  https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/coaching   Read the Blog post: Blog Post

(Rec. 5th March 2025)   Some revolutions begin in the mind of someone who never set out to be the loudest in the room. Graham Cochrane’s story is a reminder that the word “rockstar” doesn’t always mean what we were taught it does. When his bandmates in school abandoned the dream for law firms and investment banking, he chose the harder road, ignoring his counselor's insistence on focusing on that 'real job' in college applications. The result? A near-miss record deal in Nashville, the weight of a new marriage and fatherhood under a collapsing economy, jobs that drained him, and nights of counting food stamps just to get by. On paper, it looked like the ultimate 'rockstar-failure'. In reality, it was the furnace that forged resilience to build what might be one of the most important chapters in the history of online music entrepreneurship. A furnace birthing The Recording Revolution—an online education platform that rewrote rules. Showed a generation of recording artists around the globe that they didn’t need permission or a million-dollar studio to make world-class records from their homes.  Today Graham is an acclaimed entrepreneur, speaker, coach, and bestselling author of Rebel, a husband and father of two. Still controversial to some, he remains an irrefutable pioneer. The kind who turned introversion into focus, doubt into action, and setbacks into a legacy. In an era where artists wrestle with collapsing industry frameworks, the rise of AI, and the constant pressure to survive, stories like Graham’s demand attention. Because they remind us that the dance between innovation, rebirth, and redefining doesn't have to be reserved for the chosen few. But can be a space we can step into on our own terms. We dig deep, fast, and ferocious in one of the most information-dense conversations on Tapasya Loading.   Connect with Graham:  https://www.grahamcochrane.com/   This episode is brought to you by Holistic Musician Academy.   Group Coaching:  https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/group-coaching   Course: https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/ciar   Coaching:  https://attractwell.com/holisticmuscianacademy/page/coaching  

In a society that often measures success by the weight of its wallets, the true essence of wealth remains elusive. Artistry, frequently labeled as an unprofitable pursuit, challenges this superficial narrative by revealing deeper emotional coordinates like fulfillment and alignment-the wealth we  we truly seek. While mainstream paths chase metrics, artists question "What would I still do if no one paid me?".   Read the Blog post: Blog Post   Free Artist-Training: https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/artist-mindmap   Courses: https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/courses   Coaching:  https://holisticmusicianacademy.com/page/coaching   Music and Audio Production: www.everynowheremusic.com