Episode 173
Episode #168 - Learning To Be Enough (& More): An Interview With Catherine Sipher
The creative side of our brains allow us to discover and explore possibilities that our analytical sides may not always be able to rationalize. Through this creativity, we are unlocking paths that are not explored through traditional means, and provides us with a clarity and direction that we can replicate in ways that make us explore new paths to freedom. The owner of Blossom Piano Studio & author of two anthologies, Catherine Sipher, shares her journey from difficult pain points in her life and "rebecoming" herself through the music that she teaches with her students all across the world. Through this exploration, learn how she has been able to invest not only of students of all ages, but how this has given her the value that we all seek in life. Regardless of what you may feel about your self-worth, today's story exemplifies the pursuit of giving yourself opportunities to discover them through the creative juices that we have flowing inside of ourselves, and permission to explore them at the same time.
Guest Bio
Catherine Sipher wears two creative hats: a writer, poet, and the founder of Blossom Piano Studio, a platform for remote piano instruction. Through her poetry collection, "Barely a Whisper: Poetry from the Heart of A Woman Re-becoming," Catherine empowers women on their journeys of self-discovery and transformation. Her poems give voice to their struggles, celebrate their strength, and ignite their belief in their worth. As a piano teacher with over 20 years of experience, Catherine's mission is to help adult musicians of all ages and abilities find joy and fulfillment in their musical practice through her remote private lessons and practice journal “Notes to Self: A Guided Mindful Practice Journal.” Outside of her creative pursuits, Catherine can be found in nature, practicing yoga, and spending time with her 6 children.
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Intro/Outro By: Michael Dugan, Podcast Host: Voice4Chefs
Transcript
Welcome to the podcast where relationships, confidence, and
2
:determination all converge into
an amazing, heartfelt experience.
3
:This is Speaking From The Heart.
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:Joshua: Welcome back to episode
number 168 of Speaking from the Heart.
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:Today we have Catherine Sipher with us,
and Catherine wears two creative hats:
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:a writer and a poet, in which she has
founded the Blossom Piano Studio, which is
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:a platform for remote piano instruction.
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:Through her poetry collection, Barely
a Whisper: Poetry from the Heart
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:of a Woman Rebecoming, Catherine
empowers women on their journeys of
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:self discovery and transformation.
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:Her poems give voice to their
struggles, celebrate their strength,
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:and ignite their belief in their worth.
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:As a piano teacher with over 20 years of
experience, Catherine's mission is to help
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:adult musicians of all ages and abilities
find joy and fulfillment in their musical
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:practice through her remote private
lessons, and practice journal, Notes To
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:Self: A Guided Mindful Practice Journal.
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:Outside of her creative pursuits,
Catherine can be found in nature,
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:practicing yoga, and spending
time with her six children.
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:This busy lady certainly had a lot to
share, not just through the power of
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:music, but how her perspective today
really gives us an enthusiasm that
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:has all kinds of different qualities.
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:I love when I see people like this on
the show because not only do they bring
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:an interpersonal connection to it, but
she shares something that, oftentimes,
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:that we forget: "Come as you are.
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:You are enough."
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:That phrase, especially when I heard
it later on in our interview, really
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:perked my curiosity not only about what
she brings to the table for so many
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:individuals both young, middle aged,
and older, especially when it comes to
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:her piano instruction, but also how she
pays attention to so many other types
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:of things that are happening around
her, creating that connection, but
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:more importantly, finding that passion
through what she loves: her music.
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:You can find your own passion in so
many different ways, and I hope that
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:Catherine's story today, especially
with the reason why she started this,
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:really helps you to understand that it
isn't just about the traditional ways
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:in which we can express ourselves,
but it's the creative ways, just like
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:music and poetry, that can help us
become the best versions of ourselves.
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:But with that, let's go to the episode.
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:All right.
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:We're here with Catherine Sipher.
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:Catherine, thanks for sharing
your heart with us today.
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:Catherine: I am so
honored to be here today.
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:Joshua: I love that you're here.
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:You have broken another record here
on Speaking From the Heart already
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:by your background, which I've
already shared with the audience.
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:I love the fact that you deal with music.
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:You deal with piano specifically, and I've
had music teachers on the show before,
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:but nothing quite like you do, so I
actually just want to jump right into it.
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:What got you interested into
the creative arts, because I
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:noticed that you like to write.
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:You have a poetry book out there.
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:You have all kinds of things that you do
on YouTube with piano lessons that I was
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:watching before we even started this.
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:I am so enthused by how much talent
you have, so I am just wondering
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:what got you started in all of that?
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:Catherine: I got started with piano
when I was about eight years old.
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:We were, as a family, hanging out
with another family, and I was eight.
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:I think I was hanging out with a little
girl who was about six years old,
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:and she was playing twinkle, twinkle,
little star on the piano, and at that
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:point, even at age eight, must had
really low self confidence, because
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:I remember thinking or even saying,
"There's no way I could ever do that.
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:That's like amazing what you're
doing.", and she's like, "Oh,
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:you could totally do that.
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:Let me teach you.", and she showed
me, and then her mom happened to be
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:a piano teacher, so her mom turned
into my first piano teacher, and
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:sadly, that family moved out of town
at the end of that year, and I moved
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:up to another piano teacher, but that
kind of was the beginning of the end.
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:I very quickly fell in love with the
piano; excelled pretty quickly at it, and
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:by the time I made it to high school, I
had added a couple of more instruments,
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:and knew that I wanted to be a piano
teacher when I grew up, and even started
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:teaching piano when I was in high school.
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:Went to college for music, and that's
kind of the end; went on to teach
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:piano, and that's how I got into it.
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:Joshua: Why specifically the piano?
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:I mean, there's so many different musical
instruments to choose from, so I'm just
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:curious, even outside of what you have
shared that it was an influence from a
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:friend that's mom really created that.
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:What drew you into the piano?
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:Catherine: I'm not really sure.
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:That's a great question.
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:I've never been asked
that question before.
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:We had a piano at home, and I think
my mom knew how to play a little bit.
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:There has definitely been some
history of music and my family.
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:My mom played clarinet, and I
guess a little bit of piano.
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:My grandmother played clarinet, and piano,
apparently pretty good based on some
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:of her old sheet music, so I think that
music is just kind of always been there.
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:My parents always played a lot of
classical music in the home when I was
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:growing up as well, so that's definitely
my genre is more of the classical music
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:set, but I think it was accessibility.
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:It was there, because then when I went
on to add a band instrument, of course,
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:I added the clarinet, because that was
kind of the family lineage; also added
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:sousaphone in there for marching band
for good measure to get a little brass in
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:there, and I went to school for both piano
and clarinet and studied both of them in
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:college, and now I only play piano, and
there was a time in there where I kind
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:of dropped the piano for a little bit,
thinking that I needed to focus more on
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:the clarinet, and then the tides reversed,
and I came back to my first love, and
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:what I love about the piano, specifically,
is that it can be such a solo endeavor.
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:You can really do it for a lifetime.
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:You don't need an ensemble to feel like
you're getting a full musical experience.
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:It can be you with your instrument,
which means I've got a long time.
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:I can still enjoy my instrument.
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:Joshua: I love that, because
that gives you a lot of variety.
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:It gives you a lot of diversity when
it comes to the different rhythms and
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:sounds, and it's interesting, because as
I hear this, I almost hear myself when
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:I coach my public speaking clients about
using your vocal variety, using your
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:range, so I never thought in a million
years that I'd be talking to someone
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:that kind of ties all that together too.
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:I have to ask, and I'm sure
you get asked this a lot.
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:Who's your favorite composer, or musician,
that you usually play music from?
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:Do you have an artist that
you usually lean towards?
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:You said that you do a lot of classical.
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:Is there some type of old genre,
or somebody that you really admire
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:playing, and if so, who is that and why?
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:Catherine: I would say my
favorite is probably Debussy.
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:He's from the oppressionist time period.
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:I just feel like the soundscapes that
he makes; he paints these beautiful
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:pictures with sounds, and I just really
get into the slight dissonance, and
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:the tonal qualities of Debussy's music.
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:Chopin's music I think is amazing,
and I'm really drawn to a lot of his
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:really somber, sad pieces of music,
which is actually a big part of my
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:story is returning to consistent
playing at the piano through Chopin
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:because it was balm to my soul,
and a really hard time in my life.
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:Joshua: I find it interesting, especially
with the music genre, and the music
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:industry as a whole, either you see it
where people really want to break into it.
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:I know I have musician friends that
have been playing for a number of years.
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:They have a band and they trying to get
into it, but the other dynamic that I keep
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:seeing that I really get worried about
is kids having an opportunity to learn
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:music, and I know growing up myself, which
I'm not all that old, and my listeners
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:know that I'm only in my later thirties,
Catherine, so it isn't like I'm looking
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:at 60, 70 years old, like a long time ago.
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:No, it's not like that, but I
often see the struggles with school
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:districts, and even other people
trying to fund music programs and such.
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:How do you feel that you fit into that
broader landscape, because I feel like
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:you provide an important service to
people that do want to learn how to
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:play a music instrument, or the piano
specifically, so I'm wondering how
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:you kind of help bridging some of that
gap, if you don't mind explaining.
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:Catherine: Yeah.
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:I definitely think there's a bit of
a cultural arts crisis in the world.
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:I think kids, and my own kids, are
on screens too much, and they're not
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:as active in the creative pursuits.
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:In general, of course, there's plenty
of exceptions to that rule, and there
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:is lower funding in the schools, or
you've got music teachers that are
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:doing the very best that they can, and
they're fantastic people and teachers,
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:but they're stretched, because they're
being asked to do so many things.
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:I'm really thankful that I was able to
grow up in some stellar, I think, music
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:programs, with consistent teachers and
directors, but my piano teacher was the
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:biggest role model for me in my musical
career, because I studied with her from
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:fourth grade up through a senior in
high school, and then I had my college
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:professors, but when you think about
the length of time, my formative years
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:were spent with this one teacher all
those years, and that makes a really big
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:impact, and these are people that you
get to know on a personal level, and I
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:mean, she knew me when I was nine, and
then when I was a senior, like, that's
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:a big difference, and so as a teacher, I
love getting to watch my students grow as
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:people and expand, and blossom, the name
of my piano studio is Blossom Piano Studio
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:for that reason, because there's so much
interpersonal growth that happens for
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:music students, both of youth and adults.
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:I teach adults too, and you really see
that the art of music, the study of music,
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:the obstacles we have to overcome while
we're studying it, there's so much inner
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:work that is happening in the process
of learning how to play an instrument,
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:or play in ensembles when you have those
ensemble opportunities too, but as a
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:private piano teacher, and I teach all
remote lessons too, which is really great.
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:I can reach students from wherever.
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:They don't have to be local.
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:I really get to be a part of their
lives, and help shape their experiences
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:of music, so one of the things we
do beyond what they just study, but
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:for what they're playing, we learn a
different composer every month, so they
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:get to learn about the history of that
composer, and get exposed to the music
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:that they wrote, and experiment with
playing songs that that composer wrote
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:too, so, I feel like I've got a really
important role in helping expand the arts,
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:and helping students access the arts.
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:Whether they become a performer or not,
they're developing a deeper understanding
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:of music and the arts so they can
appreciate it better, so we have people
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:that still want to go to the concerts.
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:I think it's really important.
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:Joshua: I'm sure my listeners have been
wondering all along because obviously I
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:shared with them that you have six kids.
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:How do you balance six kids, and having
a full clientele with them practicing all
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:kinds of different composers every month?
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:How do you do it?
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:I'm sure that there's some
people that want to learn the
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:secrets of how you balance that.
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:Catherine: Well, I think I have been given
a very unique drive in life and energy.
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:I honestly don't sleep a lot, and
I work very hard, and some of that
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:could be a little bit of a trauma
response there, so I identify that.
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:I'm also learning how to be, and not
always do, but yeah, it's a balance.
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:I am really thankful that I do
actually teach remote lessons,
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:because I'm a single mom.
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:I got divorced about four and a half,
five years ago, and so now, I'm balancing
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:raising these six kids, and running
my business, and by teaching remotely,
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:it's actually worked really well.
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:I've trained the kids to just stay out
of my office, do what they need to do
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:during the hours, because I'm in business
for myself, and I'm in my own house.
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:I don't have people coming
in and out of my house.
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:I'm not at a studio someplace else,
hiring childcare, and I can also make
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:my own hours, so there's plenty of music
teachers that are teaching on Saturday
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:and Sunday, and well into the evenings,
and that is wonderful and fabulous, and
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:we need them to do that, because sometimes
that's when some people only have the
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:availability to go take those lessons,
but I really monitor when I am working
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:so that I can be with my children as much
as possible, so I try to teach during
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:the day when my kids are at school to
maximize my time that I have with them,
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:and then I stay up late and I work.
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:There's no mystery here.
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:Joshua: But you're doing something
that, I think for many of us, we often
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:feel like we're stuck in a nine to
five job and we have no place to go.
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:I feel that sometimes even after all
this time, even having my own business,
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:I still work a full time job and
building that consistency, building
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:that direction of where I want to go,
it does take a lot of sacrifice, but
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:I love that you've taken a passion.
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:You turn it into something that you
can teach others, while balancing the
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:demands of being what a single mom is, so
kudos to you being a successful business
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:entrepreneur and managing all of that.
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:I think that is a unique balance,
to say the least, which leads me
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:into wanting to talk more about your
business, so you've already mentioned
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:the name of your business is Blossom
Piano Studio, and you said that you do
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:these remotely, so I'm kind of curious
with your background, you've been doing
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:this for over two decades from what
it says on your website, which for my
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:listeners, I'll put in the episode notes.
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:Can you tell us what could we
experience being a client that we
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:could get over Zoom, or over any sort
of platform that might be different
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:than, say, going to meet somebody in
person and have those piano lessons?
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:I mean, I'm sure that some people are
skeptical when they hear that, thinking,
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:"How do I know where to put my fingers
on the keys, especially with pianos?"
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:I mean, personally, myself,
I never played the piano.
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:My grandmother had an organ when she
was in her house when I went to visit,
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:but never learned how to play it.
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:She also had a piano too, so it was
all kinds of different musical talents,
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:but I sit back and I think, "Man.
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:I wonder how you do that.", so I
wonder if you could break that down
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:for us, how that would actually work.
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:Catherine: Yeah, sure.
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:Honestly, I didn't know if it would
work either, but I was walking through
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:a divorce at the height of COVID, and
so I knew that I needed to somehow
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:support my family, so I went from
being a stay at home, homeschooling
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:mom, to being a single mom that needed
to somehow bring in an income, and
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:at the time my youngest was one, so
I was like, "What am I going to do?
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:Childcare is so expensive.
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:The whole world has shut down.", right,
so, it's been this grand experiment
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:that now has been really successful,
and is a very valid way to teach
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:for the past four and a half years.
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:The way that I do it, we use Zoom as
the platform, but my students and I
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:both put two videos on our screen, so
we have that face to face connection
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:with a video on our faces, and then
we both have a video screen pointed
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:at our instruments, our piano, so that
way, I can see what they're doing.
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:I can demonstrate things for them as well.
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:I can move camera angles to
different places, but I think,
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:again, that I don't want to teach
just the bellies and to hands.
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:I think facial expression is so
important, and be able to read my
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:student's body language to see how
they're feeling, how they're doing.
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:Are they holding tension in their hands?
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:Are they using their wrists right?
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:Are they sitting too close, too
far away, all those kinds of
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:things so I can see all of that.
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:I've been in this world for long enough
to be able to access that, even through
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:Zoom, and then I've got a couple other
great tools and resources, like an app
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:that I use, to pass lesson notes back to
the students, and the parents can access
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:them too, and I can also upload videos
and other things so if it turns out that
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:I can tell that my student needs an extra
video training or tutorial, I can create
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:a quick little video for them, pop it
into that app, and they've got access to
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:it 24/7, instead of just when they come
to their next lesson, which I don't know
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:that I ever would have moved to that kind
of technology for note taking if I hadn't
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:been forced onto the online platforms.
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:Joshua: It sounds like to me you meet the
student with where they're at, whether
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:that is using an app, using different
camera angles, you're really trying to
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:create this immersive experience, if
I'm understanding what you're saying.
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:Catherine: Absolutely.
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:I believe that every person is unique
and different, and so their learning
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:style is slightly different, and
I adjust and adapt based on what
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:student I am working with at the time,
so some kids need that big hurrah.
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:"You're doing awesome!
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:I'm so proud of you!", and I've got
like the jazz hands up, and I'm like
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:doing a little dance, and some of
them are more reserved, so like we
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:don't go quite that far, and every
student is working on different things.
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:They have different pieces of
music that they want to learn.
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:Of course, I'm still teaching from a
very classical perspective in general,
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:but we're still also learning how to
play chord charts, and especially with
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:my adults, it's a wide variety of what
we're learning there, because the adults,
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:they kind of leave a little bit more
that way, and I'm more of a coach to my
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:adult clients, but yeah, I really pride
myself on being their cheerleader, and
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:their guide, and their encourager, and
building that relationship, you know, so
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:I know, I've brought to tears many times
in lessons when I'm like, "Oh my goodness!
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:What you just did was huge for you, and
I am celebrating that, because I know
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:what it took for you to do that.", and
I think that's really important, that
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:personal connection is so important.
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:Joshua: You touched on it with
that answer and I have to ask.
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:I love that you teach from
a variety of different ages.
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:I noticed on your website, you mentioned
that you've taught someone that's 76
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:years of age with the piano, and I'm
wondering, if you don't mind sharing a
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:little bit about that experience with
this person, how that helps them to gain
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:some confidence in learning the piano.
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:I wonder if you could talk about that.
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:Catherine: Yeah, this was a really
special gentleman, and I actually broke my
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:virtual rule and I taught him in person.
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:Joshua: So there is hope ladies and
gentlemen, that maybe if you're close to
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:Catherine, that she will break the rule.
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:Catherine: There is hope.
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:He was this sweet man that had just
moved to the town, and yeah, he was
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:76 years old, and I love his story.
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:He started piano at age
65, and I just love that.
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:He was not like, "I've been
playing this all my life."
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:He started at age 65, had taken lessons
from several professors that, you
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:know, pretty well known universities
and found me when he moved into town,
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:and he's like, "Oh, well, I really
want to learn this Brahms intermezzo.
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:that's what I want to learn."
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:I was like, "Oh.
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:Yes.
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:Let's do that.", I made an exception,
and he did take lessons in my
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:home while my kids were in school,
and he was absolutely delightful.
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:Sadly, he's battling brain cancer,
and so the medicine that he's on has
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:impacted his ability to concentrate as
much as he would like to be able to sit
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:at the piano as long as he wants to,
but I really treasured this gentleman.
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:I really loved my time with him,
because he would sit there and just
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:really diligently work his way through
this piece of music that was really
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:challenging, and maybe a little bit
out of his reach, but you know, I'm
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:going to sit there and encourage you.
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:We're going to get this.
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:We're going to figure this out, but he
would play a chord and then just stop
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:and listen to it and say, "Now wasn't
that beautiful?", and I would say, "Yes.
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:It was.", so we would just delight in
the beauty of these chords, and the
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:chord progressions, that Brahms had
put together, and I was introduced
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:to an absolutely beautiful piece of
music I hadn't necessarily worked
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:on before and just had a beautiful
experience with this gentleman.
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:Joshua: I love to hear stories of that
nature because we all bring different
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:types of perspectives to the table,
regardless of how old we are, and
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:I've been blessed enough, even with my
business, to see a variety of different
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:people, not quite as old as that, but
even then, I always feel like we're
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:part of the success story for them
when they see that "aha" moment; that
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:light bulb that turns on for somebody,
so I love hearing that, and I love
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:that you're celebrating that as well.
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:I want to pivot just a little bit,
because you do a lot of the piano, and
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:obviously that's a big part of your
business, but there's a different side
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:of you, which is the writing aspect,
so I want to talk a little bit about
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:that, and one of the things that I
shared, which you also shared with me,
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:is that you have a poetry collection.
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:It's called Barely A Whisper: Poetry
From The Heart of A Woman Rebecoming.
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:I never heard of the phrase "rebecoming"
until I read that, and I was like,
335
:"Is that grammatically correct?"
336
:was my first initiation, because being
a public speaker, I've got to make
337
:sure that I say things correctly,
which sometimes I don't, even on this
338
:show, but, even with that said, I
found that you wrote this for a reason.
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:I'm wondering if you could share a
little bit of why you express yourself
340
:in writing, and why particularly
this set of poetry that you've done.
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:Catherine: Absolutely.
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:Yeah, and I don't know.
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:I don't know that rebecoming is
a word either, but I'm using it.
344
:Joshua: Hey.
345
:Hey.
346
:If you're using it, then that means
I have credence to use it too,
347
:so thank you for that permission.
348
:Catherine: Exactly.
349
:I've got a couple in there
that are maybe real words, but
350
:we're going to go with them.
351
:Yeah, so it's taken me a while even
just to accept that I'm a writer and
352
:a poet, but I was walking through
a divorce, and also deconstructing
353
:from my faith, all at once, at the
same time that the whole world shut
354
:down, and we had a global pandemic.
355
:The world went really, really quiet,
really fast for me and really, really
356
:dark, and trying to make sense of
it all I started, I think it's Julia
357
:Cameron's suggestion from the book
Of The Artist Way, and one of the
358
:things that she suggests in there
is to have a ritual of morning pages
359
:where you just sit down, stream of
consciousness, write three pages.
360
:It doesn't matter what you're writing.
361
:Just write.
362
:Like, I don't even know what I'm writing.
363
:Why am I writing?
364
:What's going on, and you just write
and you get it out, and I vomited on
365
:that page like my life depended on it.
366
:Any moment that I put more than three
pages in when I first started this
367
:habit, I was doing it while kids were
taking baths, while I was cooking,
368
:like wherever I was writing, and it
was the first time in my life, or at
369
:least 20 plus years, that I had really
even begun to hear my own voice, and I
370
:couldn't even hear my thoughts unless
I wrote them down on a journal at that
371
:point and so it was while I was writing
in that journal that every now and
372
:then just a couple of lines of poetry
would pop out, or I'd write something.
373
:I think, "Oh my goodness!
374
:I think that's poetry.", so I kind of
like stuck that in the back of my mind,
375
:and kept writing, and kept writing,
and kept writing, and as I was on my
376
:healing process and journey through
all of that, I started looking for
377
:various writing prompts, you know,
just to kind of like help me get out
378
:of the despair of what I was writing.
379
:Let's see if we can like turn the tide
a little bit; find something else,
380
:and then it seems like everything
that was coming out was coming
381
:out in poetry, instead of prose.
382
:I've been told before that my writing
is powerful and good, but it had only
383
:ever really been written when I was
giving medical updates on some of my kids
384
:have been through some medical crisis,
so I used to write updates and emails
385
:to people, and people would say, "Oh!
386
:Your writing so beautiful.", and
I'm like, I didn't do so good with
387
:writing in English back in high
school, so I don't know what you're
388
:talking about.", but I just kept
writing, and then as I was again,
389
:re-envisioning my life, and deciding,
"What do I want to do with my life?
390
:I'm at this crossroads what I want to
do.", and one of the things that I wanted
391
:to do was start using my writing for good,
to empower other women, to help women
392
:tell their stories to help people access
that vulnerable, authentic self part of
393
:themselves so they could find their own
voice so they could take agency over their
394
:lives, and one of the things I thought I
needed to do was write my own memoir and
395
:at least start attempting to, so I hired
a writing coach, and started writing a
396
:bit of my memoir, and again, with all
those writing prompts, poetry kept coming
397
:out, so I told my writing coach, "Okay!
398
:I think I've got like, I don't
know, 40, 50, 60, of these
399
:poems.", and she's like, "Well.
400
:Throw them in a document.
401
:Let's see what you got.", so
I gathered them all together.
402
:I threw them in a document, and then
organized them based on, chronologically,
403
:as to how I wrote them, but just how
much strength I could see in myself at
404
:that state in that poem, so they were
very, like very, not the poems aren't
405
:weak, but like my voice was very quiet.
406
:It was barely a whisper, and then
learning how to find that strength,
407
:and to believe in myself, and to
come be the hero of my own story and
408
:rescue myself, and so there's a line
in there that talks about, "Well.
409
:What if now she's a roar?", you know,
the voice is really loud now, so that's
410
:the story, and that might've been a long
winded way of saying that, but it was
411
:part of my own journey, and it kind of
accidentally happened, and it's taken
412
:a while for me to then say, "Oh wait.
413
:Yeah.
414
:This is poetry, and this is worthy
to be shared.", and hopefully, people
415
:that read it will resonate with, it and
identify with it, as they are in various
416
:stages of their own healing process.
417
:Joshua: The way you described that just
now made me think about what you said
418
:earlier about why you do music, and I
find the parallels to be fascinating,
419
:so I really want to ask you this.
420
:Hearing what you said about writing,
hearing what you do with music, do you
421
:find it that those are your creative
outlets of expression to be able to
422
:share what you've been through in this
world, and if so, if you believe that's
423
:true, what do you think the message is
that you're trying to share to, say,
424
:women, since a lot of what you've been
through, I would say is directed to that,
425
:and even you say in the title of your
poetry, it is directed towards women.
426
:What do you think you're trying
to help accomplish or bring
427
:awareness to as a result of that?
428
:Catherine: I think right now
my message is come as you are.
429
:You're enough.
430
:There were many years I didn't think
that I was enough in the musical space,
431
:and I even called myself a former
musician for over a decade, because
432
:I didn't get my master's, because I
didn't win the orchestra job, because
433
:for a while I wasn't teaching, because-
whatever, fill in the blank, like I
434
:wasn't doing things, and so I thought
that that meant that I wasn't a musician.
435
:I couldn't claim that title
for myself, because I wasn't
436
:actively being a musician.
437
:I wasn't doing those things, and one of
the things that has been a part of my
438
:journey has been coming back to piano.
439
:It was when I was at my rock bottom.
440
:Why did I find myself at the piano playing
the saddest song I could possibly find?
441
:Well, because I'm a musician.
442
:That's part of the word
they're rebecoming, you know.
443
:I was coming back to who I was,
but in a different version.
444
:I'm playing, not that I should be
in Carnegie Hall performing, but
445
:I am playing better than I have
ever played before, because there's
446
:something more settled about me now.
447
:There's something more confident about
me now that knows that I get to do this
448
:for joy, not because I have to do it a
certain way to make it wrong or right,
449
:and I think that ties with writing too.
450
:I mean, who am I to
publish a book of poetry?
451
:Well, why can't I, like, who am I not?
452
:I think we all have something valid to
say, and as a teacher, why can't they
453
:study, like, they need to study every form
of musical expression is valid and worthy
454
:of being celebrated and seen and shared.
455
:I don't think we have to reach some
certain level of some arbitrary
456
:standard in order for us to be able
to share our art with others, because
457
:our art is coming out of our soul, and
if it's coming out of us, and out of
458
:our soul, and we are worthy beings.
459
:We are worthy of just existing, and
being loved and cared for, because
460
:we exist, then doesn't the art
that comes out of our soul equally
461
:worthy of being seen and celebrated?
462
:Joshua: I've had so many
different types of coaches.
463
:I've had people that have
energy readings that they do.
464
:I've had people that have been
successful business owners.
465
:The way you just said that just
resonates with me, and I'm just going
466
:to read back to you what I wrote
with you with what you just said.
467
:There is no standard.
468
:There's no high level that
we have to prove to anybody.
469
:We could just exist,
and I love hearing that.
470
:It's expression that we don't
have to be given a right to.
471
:It's already been given to us to give, so
with that said, how do you think you bring
472
:that out of people that you work with?
473
:Do you do that, and if
so, how do you do that?
474
:Catherine: Yeah.
475
:I think it's in the little ways, you
know, when my students playing for me,
476
:and their hands are visibly shaking.
477
:Hey, like we're on a screen, you know.
478
:I can't like jump through the screen
and swat your hand with a ruler
479
:maybe like the nuns used to do.
480
:You're safe, like you're so safe, right,
but there's this thing that we get inside
481
:of ourselves that we feel like we have to
do it right because somebody's going to
482
:tell us we're wrong, and yes, as a music
teacher, I'm there to tell you, "You did
483
:it wrong.", but like, I'm also there to
tell you, "We're going to do it right.
484
:We're going to figure this
out, and you did awesome.
485
:You tried it.
486
:Yeah.
487
:You missed that rest, but we're going to
get it this next time.", I can't tell you
488
:how many times students apologize to me.
489
:"Oh, I'm sorry.
490
:I'm sorry.
491
:I'm sorry."
492
:or, "I did this better
before you were here."
493
:" No!
494
:You deserve to exist in this space
however you happen to show up right now,
495
:and you don't need to be scared, and
you don't need to be nervous, because
496
:whoever you are and however you're
playing right now is enough, and yes.
497
:We're going to talk about it.
498
:We're going to correct your mistakes.
499
:We're going to continue to
learn and make progress."
500
:but it's not about I don't know, this
ideal of like, it has to be perfect, and
501
:yes, in classical world, we're trying
to make it perfect, but do we really?
502
:We're here for joy.
503
:We're here for self care.
504
:We're here to enjoy the arts, and yes,
we can enjoy the arts while pursuing
505
:perfection in that, and excellence
in that, but nothing's ever perfect,
506
:so why are we pursuing perfection?
507
:Let's pursue excellence, and excellence
can be wherever we are now, not some
508
:standard that's maybe five years from
now from what we'll be able to reach.
509
:Joshua: I love everything
that you said with that.
510
:I'm struggling to even ask a question
from that, because I just align with that
511
:even myself, and mainly, the purpose of
even having this discussion is to share
512
:those perspectives to know that there
is hope in even the things that we do.
513
:I guess my final question before I give
you an opportunity to pitch yourself,
514
:Catherine, is you shared so much about
your experiences, what you've been
515
:through, what you've created, what you've
endured to get to this point, which,
516
:needless to say, even six kids would
make me feel exhausted, and I have zero
517
:kids, by the way, for the record, but
you said something that you even say
518
:on your website that touches upon this.
519
:You've had to rethink, reimagine, and
bring creativity to what was, even four
520
:years ago, a very challenging time,
so for my listeners, what's one piece
521
:of advice that they could do today to
help rethink, reimagine, and bring that
522
:creativity, whether that's through music
or through writing, or maybe something
523
:else that's moving you today that maybe
you want to share with our listeners?
524
:Catherine: For me, and not everybody
is one of these people, but for
525
:me, journaling has been key.
526
:It's been learning to tap into my inner
voice, because for so many years, my inner
527
:voice was told to me that it was wrong,
that it could not be listened to, that it
528
:could not be trusted, and that anything
of me was really not good, and then I
529
:needed to fill myself with everything
else other than me, which meant that
530
:I lost who I was along the way, and so
for me, this whole journey, this whole
531
:rebecoming journey, building a business in
a global pandemic with six small children,
532
:learning to write, and be a writer, and
publish, and create this life that now,
533
:yes, days are still hard, but there have
been moments where I'm like, "Oh my gosh!
534
:What's that in my chest?
535
:Oh, I think that's joy."
536
:I haven't felt that in I don't
know how many years, right?
537
:"Oh, that's what it feels like."
538
:I wouldn't be where I am today if it
wasn't because I had figured out how to
539
:tap into my intuition, and trust that
she knows what is best for me, and so I
540
:can't trust her if I can't even hear her
voice, and for me, learning to hear my
541
:voice started with journaling, and that
has really led me every step of the way.
542
:It informs my business.
543
:It informs my writing.
544
:It forms my poetry.
545
:It informs the way that I parent.
546
:It informs everything about me.
547
:Joshua: Trusting the process.
548
:Hmm.
549
:I love that.
550
:I think that it's just so simple enough,
but it has many layers to it, of course,
551
:also, but I think that, for all of
us, we have to figure out how to write
552
:that out, or even express ourselves,
in whatever way we feel comfortable,
553
:so I love that journaling is important.
554
:It's something that I continuously
am working on myself to be able to
555
:better express too, and I know that
it just takes discipline, which
556
:obviously, you have perfected.
557
:You're doing that with your
music, and with that, I'm going
558
:to ask you, Catherine, since
we're at the end of our time.
559
:Give us a few minutes here of how
we can get in contact with you, how
560
:we can find out a little bit about
maybe taking virtual piano lessons.
561
:I never thought I would be saying this
on this show that, "Hey everybody!
562
:You want to listen, and maybe,
perhaps, learn some piano?
563
:This is the time to do it."
564
:I've been always amazed by how
these things come together, but
565
:anyway, how people can reach
out to you in that regard.
566
:Maybe they want to contact you in general.
567
:I'm going to give you the last few
minutes, Catherine, to pitch yourself.
568
:Go ahead.
569
:Catherine: Awesome.
570
:Thank you.
571
:Yeah, so if you're interested in
anything, piano music related, you
572
:can find me at blossompianostudio.com.
573
:I've actually just recently published
a journal that is called Notes To Self:
574
:A Guided Mindful Practice Journal,
that's designed specifically for adults
575
:to find mindful, intentional practice
sessions that are full of celebration
576
:to help you kind of get over that hurdle
of feeling frustrated or discouraged
577
:that you might feel while you're in
a practice session, so I've put a lot
578
:of intentional thought and effort into
creating a very positive practice journal
579
:for adults, so you can find all that,
and virtual lessons, and all my other
580
:offerings there, and then if you're
looking for my poetry, you can find all
581
:that information at catherinesipher.com.
582
:Joshua: I will put all that in the episode
notes, but to wrap up, Catherine, I have
583
:to say everything that you shared with me.
584
:Wow.
585
:You have a ton of energy, and
I don't know how you do it.
586
:Maybe it's coffee.
587
:Maybe it's good genes.
588
:I don't know, but here's the secret
that I think you have is that you're so
589
:passionate about what you're doing to
help create that atmosphere, not just
590
:for yourself, but the people that you're
working with, regardless of how old
591
:there are, and I love the fact that you
balance all of that, despite everything
592
:that you shared that you've been through,
and you still have that giving heart
593
:and you're willing to compose that in
a variety of ways, and deliver that,
594
:because watching your YouTube videos,
which I watched some of your shorts and
595
:all that you have amazing talent, and I
encourage my listeners to go check out
596
:your YouTube, which I'll also have, that
has so many different things to offer
597
:for not only those that are beginning,
but also inspiring, so for inspiring
598
:others and to become their authentic
selves, Catherine, thank you so much for
599
:being on Speaking From The Heart today.
600
:I really enjoyed our conversation,
and I definitely encourage you to
601
:continue practicing your talent.
602
:It is amazing to hear your music.
603
:Catherine: Thank you so much.
604
:It's been such a joy to be with you today.
605
:Joshua: I want to thank Catherine again
so much for being part of the show,
606
:sharing her creativity, the opportunity
in which she has developed herself
607
:into this overall powerhouse for women,
giving examples of ways of which she
608
:has been able to be so creative, not
just through her music, but through
609
:the many talents that she shares to
others, not only on her journey, but
610
:also growing as an individual, being
able to help others see their own
611
:light, whether that is through piano
playing or the poetry that she writes.
612
:I think that this is an important
lesson for us that anything is
613
:possible, especially when we look
at the creativity side of our brain.
614
:The influences of different types of tonal
qualities, the music that we play, really
615
:instills a different euphoric action that
we are aroused to do, especially when It
616
:comes to the different types of things
that we listen to, that we enjoy doing,
617
:the enthusiasm of the highs that we reach
when we play a guitar, or even having that
618
:instrument of our choice to even the lows.
619
:I think these are the things that
are oftentimes looked beyond, not
620
:even considered, when we look at all
the different various opportunities
621
:that we have to express ourselves.
622
:I think seeing this music, and having
it being played, is why we see so many
623
:different people of all ages resonate with
concerts, having that bond and connection
624
:over a variety of different types of
music, whether that is alternative,
625
:whether that is screaming bands, which
I know a few artists doing as of late,
626
:and even playing across the world.
627
:Looking at the success of even artists
like Taylor Swift makes me understand
628
:a lot more as to why these types of
influencers, these people that like to
629
:play music, really are able to express
themselves, but aren't we all musical
630
:players, if you really think about it?
631
:The instruments that we play might
not be of the traditional sense when
632
:you think of music, but seeing all
these different composers, having all
633
:these different types of tools at our
disposal, really gives us a light into
634
:the darkness that sometimes people go
through, especially when we see that
635
:they are playing at a different venue,
a different genre of music, or even
636
:just saying some things that might
be helpful from a vocal capacity that
637
:allows us to see inside their soul.
638
:Now, if you really want to talk about
how remote instruction might not work,
639
:this might not be the episode to do that,
because Catherine is doing really well.
640
:You can see that from all the different
experiences that she's been able to gauge,
641
:not only from the people that she has
had as clients, but the indirect impacts,
642
:which, if you always think about what
we've talked about in this show, it's
643
:always been about the individuals that are
able to make that impact that goes beyond
644
:their own comfort zone, which means if you
build that consistency, if you build that
645
:direction within your own life, imagine
what the consistency and direction it will
646
:be as it resonates across the world, just
like music does for many different people.
647
:Never say never then to all these
abilities that we can have by teaching.
648
:Teaching, at its fundamental core, is
something that will allow us to keep on
649
:celebrating our skills, passing it on
from one generation to the next, and being
650
:able to connect with others, celebrate
their successes, no matter how old you
651
:are, or how young you can be, in order
to start picking up your own instrument
652
:and start playing along the way.
653
:I think that when we deconstruct music,
and we look at the ways in which they
654
:have different frequencies, tones, and
abilities, when you look at music and
655
:even public speaking, you can see the
interconnectivity and how much they're
656
:not as different as you might think.
657
:When we look at all the areas in our
lives that we have to speak up for
658
:ourselves, the energy in which we even
communicate on has a frequency that
659
:dictates how it will resonate with others.
660
:That's why, for hundreds of years, even
thousands of years if you go back that far
661
:in history, you can see that some of the
basic, most simplistic instruments have
662
:been able to make a self expression in
so many different ways, just like how the
663
:first written language, which was really
a bunch of pictures, has allowed us to
664
:see so many different things about our own
lives as we have evolved as a human race.
665
:The discovery of being able to
find that new music, being able
666
:to share that with others, is
something that is really courageous.
667
:We're able to share that strength, just
like Catherine has in today's story.
668
:Really, it shares not just what she's
been able to accomplish, but also all
669
:the things that, even as you come as
you are, you are enough, and now you see
670
:why I opened the show with that phrase.
671
:Catherine has really been able to come as
she had been, despite everything that she
672
:has endured to get to where she is today,
especially with having six kids, I commend
673
:her for being able to find flexibility,
and creativity, and helping people find
674
:the joy and passion of learning to play
music and do so much more, but it is
675
:about finding what you really enjoy.
676
:It's the joy in itself that even if it's
right, wrong, or indifferent, we have
677
:something that we should be able to say.
678
:Even if there is no standard that has
been done before, we can be the pioneers
679
:that create that destiny for ourselves.
680
:We have a place at the table as
long as we see the value that we
681
:can give to others and ourselves.
682
:Even if you do it wrong, even if
you do it right, that existence
683
:means that we have to figure out
what is right; what is wrong.
684
:Coaches have that ability to be
able to find not only that pain
685
:point that you're experiencing, but
will help you to move towards that
686
:future that you're destined to have.
687
:It's no secret.
688
:Today's episode isn't just another
success story in which we been able to
689
:share so many of those of how people
have been able to repurpose their
690
:lives to become much better than they
would have ever thought possible.
691
:Catherine's story is just another
example of how you can create various
692
:areas of growth, challenging your own
self image that you once held, and
693
:being able to journal, even find ways
in which you can express yourself
694
:in music, become much better than
you ever thought you could ever be.
695
:I think this is a reminder of why it's
so important for us to continuously
696
:evolve, creating that cohesiveness in our
life in which we are able to share, and
697
:express, and determine what influences,
what different types of tones do we
698
:want to strike of others, and how that
will resonate with our relationships,
699
:confidence, and determination, to
keep on creating wonderful music that
700
:for many people they like hearing.
701
:Now if I heard some very miserable,
non influential music, do you think
702
:that I would follow with you forever?
703
:Probably not.
704
:That's why you have to
constantly re-evaluate.
705
:See if things that
you're doing are working.
706
:Figure out if the people that you're
growing with are really striking the
707
:right tone for you, because even in
this world in which we really want to
708
:have thriving interpersonal connection,
we have to learn that sometimes those
709
:lessons that we learn, that consistency
in that direction that we try to gain,
710
:means that we can never say never to
the opportunities in which we're able
711
:to teach others to become much better.
712
:Pay attention to these details,
especially of what Catherine has shared
713
:today, because you can learn so much
about not only how you can create this
714
:writing for yourself, this ability to
share your music, but you can come as
715
:you are, because you are enough to be
able to learn, and grow, and evolve, if
716
:you're willing to have the right mindset
and strike the right musical chord.
717
:It doesn't always mean that you
have to have the right note,
718
:and it's okay to make a mistake.
719
:As long as you're willing to self
express and discover what opportunities
720
:are out there, I think that anything
is possible, but more importantly,
721
:there's something even more basic that
we have to learn from today's story.
722
:It's about being able to exist
in a place in which joy erupts.
723
:I would say that even for the longest
time in my life, your podcast host, really
724
:struggled with this, and still, there are
days in which I struggled, thinking that
725
:I would be able to hit the right note, but
even then, when we figure out what it is
726
:that we have to say that so confidently
is buried inside of ourselves, there is no
727
:standard in which we have to live up to.
728
:The only standard that we
have to adore is ourselves.
729
:We have to always give music, and love,
and appreciation, to those that really
730
:need to listen to us the most, and
sometimes, that just starts with yourself.
731
:You can do wrong, but you can also do
right, so there's always a choice every
732
:day that you wake up, whether you want to
play the song that you always wanted to
733
:play, that might never end, and yes, that
is a cue to a song that maybe you don't
734
:want to have in your head right now, but
even then, even if that song does end,
735
:what would you want to be remembered by?
736
:Having that musical quality in which no
one likes to hear, because you're just
737
:always striking that wrong tone, or are
you willing to work on yourself, giving
738
:yourself that opportunity to grow, but
yet more importantly, influencing all
739
:the qualities, all the frequencies,
all the tonalities, to become something
740
:better than you ever thought possible?
741
:The only thing that's standing in
your way Is your own enthusiasm.
742
:Are you willing to be more
creative than you ever thought?
743
:Are you willing to explore that with
someone that is willing to help you,
744
:regardless of where it is in your life?
745
:I think this is an opportunity for you
to think and reflect that sometimes,
746
:finding the ways in which we can
spread joy, whether that is through our
747
:writings or our music, can have so much
more impact than you might imagine.
748
:For all those musicians out there, and
for all those adoring writers, which every
749
:one of you are: keep on playing, keep
on communicating, and keep on writing.
750
:I know that you'll make that
breakthrough, because let's face it.
751
:You already are in your own little world
that will always be growing every time
752
:that you learn from right, learn from
wrong, and you learn from each other.
753
:Thanks for listening to episode
number 168 of Speaking From the
754
:Heart, and I look forward to
hearing from your heart very soon.
755
:Outro: Thanks for listening.
756
:For more information about our podcast
and future shows, search for Speaking From
757
:The Heart to subscribe and be notified
wherever you listen to your podcasts.
758
:Visit us at www.yourspeakingvoice.biz
for more information about potential
759
:services that can help you create
the best version of yourself.
760
:See you next time.