Artistry with Heart: A Musician’s Wellness Podcast
Artistry with Heart is a show that goes beyond the curtain and into the musician's mind. Through the stories of musicians, performers, and educators, Artistry with Heart navigates the complex themes of finding the courage to be vulnerable, and understanding what it means to create with compassion and authenticity, while creating resources that aims to inspire all creatives and make music accessible to all. The show is hosted by Stephanie Bernards, and is produced and edited by Vic Billones. Available on all platforms with new episodes every first Thursday of the month ---------------- We are building a support community for creatives. Putting yourself out there takes courage, and this podcast was created to help support you! If you have any questions or stories you’d like to share, email artistrywithheart1@gmail.com. Support the show: patreon.com/aristrywithheart1 buymeacoffee.com/artistrywithheart
Episodes
In this episode of Artistry with Heart, I'm joined by two extraordinary orchestral musicians for a conversation about parallel lives lived across continents: injuries, motherhood, and the pursuit of sustainable artistry.
Gwendolyn Cawdron is Associate Principal Viola in the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. She trained at Peabody Conservatory, New England Conservatory, and the Mozarteum in Salzb...
In this episode of Artistry with Heart, I sit down with tenor saxophonist, jazz improviser, educator, and composer Tristan Weitkamp, whose warmth and positivity shine both on stage and in the classroom.
Tristan traces his musical journey from picking up a clarinet in middle school band to a career that spans the podium, the stage, and the classroom.
We talk about:
In this episode, sit down with Emmalese Schultz who, at just 17 years old, is already becoming a force to be reckoned with both on and off the stage.
Four years ago, Emmalese was battling leukemia, a fight that tested her strength, resilience, and determination in unimaginable ways.
In this episode, Emily opens up about using music as a lifeline through treatment, what it meant to release h...
In this episode, we sit down with Allison Sky, singer‑songwriter, chronic Lyme survivor, and mother, to listen to her remarkable story about illness, recovery, and reclaiming creativity.
After decades of unexplained symptoms she was diagnosed with chronic Lyme Disease at 23 and found life-changing results with a treatment called LymeStop. Allison’s upcoming EP Behind This Smile turns postpartum struggle, brain fog, and long s...
On this episode, I sat down with my sister, Mallory Cooke – a soulful Seattle musician.
We dug into what it actually takes to use your voice — literally and emotionally. We talked about play, dreams, and the awkward bravery of sharing something raw. Her song “Guides” closes the episode and landed like a punch to the heart.
Key themes:
• Stepping into your ...
Kyshona is a Nashville-based musician, music therapist, and activist whose powerful work bridges music, healing, and social impact.
This episode is deep-dive into her 2024 album, Legacy, which explores ancestry, generational trauma, and the work of healing through song.
Kyshona talks bout therapeutic songwriting—turning participants’ journal entries into songs—and shares powerful stories about music as empowerment...
In this episode of Artistry with Heart, I sit down with Charleston-based trio Gale Bird.
Josh, Melissa, and Sean share how their songwriting is shaped by marriage, long-term friendship, parenthood, creative doubt, and the constant work of choosing authenticity over performance—both in art and in life.
Their original song featured at the end of the episode, Roses, was written from a place of deep heart and honesty—a remi...
In this special holiday episode, Artistry with Heart celebrates Voices Unlimited, a Portland-based choir, serving adults with special needs while also creating opportunities to socialize and form friendships in a safe, positive environment.
You’ll hear from founder Ben Landsverk and from the students themselves as they share what music means to them—joy, purpose, friendship, and having a place to truly belong. This conv...
In this episode of Artistry with Heart: A Musician’s Wellness Podcast, Portland-based singer-songwriter Rachel Taylor Brown shares her journey from classically trained soprano to DIY indie artist known for her darkly poetic, genre-bending sound—what critics once called “creep rock.”
Rachel reflects on her early years balancing ear training and sight-reading, overcoming imposter syndrome in acclaimed vocal en...
Country-soul artist Miko Marks has lived many lives—child of gospel, Carnegie Hall soloist, mother, and trailblazer in country music.
After a 14-year hiatus, she returned with a renewed sense of purpose, channeling her ancestors, her struggles, and her joy into music that heals and liberates.
In this conversation, Miko opens up about resilience, faith, and becoming a vessel for spirit and song.
What if music education put wellness first? Dr. Spencer Hartman shares how authenticity, wellness, and joy can reshape music education.
In this episode of Artistry with Heart, host Stephanie Lynne Bernards sits down with Dr. Spencer Hartman — flutist, educator, pianist, and passionate advocate for musicians’ wellness.
Spencer shares his late start on the flute, his journey from ...
Vocalist and interdisciplinary artist Katie Jacobson shares a powerful journey of creativity, chronic pain, and late-in-life autism diagnosis.
From early jazz training to stepping away from music school and eventually returning on her own terms, Katie reflects on how injury, burnout, and masking shaped—and ultimately deepened—her relationship with music. Her honesty and insight offer a moving reminder that healing and a...
What happens when you let go of the rules and make music that feels like you?
In this episode, Megan Diana opens up about her journey from classical training to pioneering her own genre: Dream Country Disco. From playing in hotel lobbies to founding her non-profit, Piano Push Play, and writing an album while isolated in a cabin, Megan shares what it means to create with heart, curiosity, and courage.
Whether you're an artist, a dre...
🎙️ In This Episode of Artistry with Heart, I sit down with Lucie Burns—industry-leading performance coach, speaker, and bestselling author of The Art of Live Performance Unlocked.
Lucie is the founder of Stage Ready Artists and host of The Singing Buddha Podcast. Named “a performance coach to follow” by LA Weekly, she’s been featured in two television documentaries for her transformational work with musicia...
In this episode, I speak with NYC-based contralto Emily Geller, whose lower extension has to be heard to be believed.
In our conversation, Emily and I pull back the curtain on what it really takes to build a career in opera—from navigating identity and voice type, to facing rejection, to finding strength in self-trust. Her honesty and grit are contagious, and I walked aw...
In this deeply moving episode, I speak with legendary vocalist, The First Lady of Portland Blues herself, LaRhonda Steele, who talks about her inspiring journey through music, resilience, and self-discovery. From navigating life with albinism to battling cancer, LaRhonda shares how music became her lifeline, healer, and source of strength.
She opens up about the inner critic, self-doubt, and the power of embracing one’s...
“When we sing together, our heartbeats synchronize.”
In this episode, composer and multi-instrumentalist Ben Landsverk shares how music can be so much more than the sum of its parts — it can be a gift to the audience, the space, and even the artist themselves.
From composing for The Daily with Wonderly’s Jim Brunberg, to leading Portland’s Low Bar Chorale, to f...
“Your mind, body, and spirit are your primary instrument—your musical instrument is secondary.”
Violinist, Alexander Technique teacher, and bestselling author Jennifer Roig-Francolí talks about the deep connection between music and well-being, as well as the transformative effects of The Alexander Technique.
She shares her methods on helping musicians overcome pain, perfor...
"Creation is not linear. Ideas orbit us like stars and moons—we grab them when we’re ready, and they reveal their purpose in time."
2024 Music Educator Grammy Nominee, Prof. Coty Raven Morris is a versatile musician and educator at Portland State University, takes us through her early life in New Orleans and how the loss of her mother and grandmother shaped her passion for music and social ju...
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