cosmicgirlie cello chronicles

Musician burnout, and how it practically broke me down... Ooook so I’m…sort of back with my podcast? WHO ONLY KNOWS. (That’s half the fun. Heh.) After reaching absolute burnout last year, I stepped away from a lot of things in order to find my voice again, and remember what I actually love. It has felt like a looonnnng and painful process. But it needed to be done. Today I talk about the concept o...

The real talk on getting sh*t done as a neurospicy creative. Ever wondered how I manage being a full-time, professional cellist while navigating the chaos that is ADHD? Well... welcome to the ride 😂 In this episode, I’m literally sat in bed, half-awake, following a bolt of inspiration - because THAT is sometimes the only way anything gets done around here. I’m sharing how I actually run my...

Spoiler alert… it's not what you'd expect. Ever wondered what a professional cellist’s practice routine really looks like? You might think I’m running scales for hours on end, bowing in front of a metronome 'til I drop… but nope. This one might ruffle a few feathers 😅🎻 In this episode, I’m spilling the full tea on how I actually practice (or don’t). From chaotic schedules to creati...

Why envy has no place in my journey (and what I choose instead) Ever felt a stab of envy watching someone else do exactly what you dream of doing? 🎻✨ Yeah… same. This episode is one of those raw, real, slightly rambly but totally from-the-heart ones. Someone recently mentioned “cellist envy” and it got me thinking - do I actually get jealous of other musicians? Or is it something el...

The Good, The Bad, and the Slightly Ranty… Ever wondered what it’s really like being a professional cellist? Like, behind the glam wedding venues and the serene classical vibes? In this episode, I spill the honest truth - yes, including the weird jokes, the painful thumb positions, and the brutal nail sacrifices (RIP to long, pretty nails 💅🏾😩). I’m chatting from my sunny pa...

And, what do I absolutely NOT listen to... Everyone assumes I binge Bach and loop Elgar on repeat. But truth is... classical cello music? Barely features in my playlists. 😳 So what do I actually listen to as a full-time professional cellist? And what definitely doesn’t make the cut? I’m diving into the question that always gets me in a twist — What music do I listen to? From old school gar...

You will NEVER GUESS some of these! Hey hey, welcome to another episode of Cosmicgirlie Cello Chronicles! I’m Jay Émme, your luxury wedding cellist and music coach, and today, we are diving into the most bizarre, unexpected, and downright baffling wedding cello requests I’ve ever received. When someone first asked me, “Jay, what’s the weirdest request you’ve had at a wedding?”—I honestly thought,...

How I Manage My Bow Shakes In this episode of Cosmicgirlie Cello Chronicles, I dive into a topic that isn't discussed nearly enough - performance anxiety. As a solo cellist, I’ve battled stage fright for most of my 40-year playing career. From bow shakes to panic attacks, I’ve tried everything to get it under control - beta blockers, alcohol, hypnosis, therapy, EFT, NLP... you name it. Some method...

And the painful lessons I learned from it! 🚨 Ever shown up super prepared for a gig, only for everything to go sideways? Yeah… this was that gig. Picture this: 🎻 A last-minute booking at a "casual" folk festival ⏳ Hours of waiting around with zero communication 🎭 A very unexpected performance structure (or lack thereof) Oh, and did I mention the artist I was meant to...

You need the "3 M system"... Ok, BEFORE you even listen, sometimes I forget the name of my own podcast, but here we are, still thriving. Also, I’ve had my morning coffee, and it’s HIT, so let’s get into it! 😅☕️ Today, we’re talking about something BIG: saying no as a musician. We musicians are notorious for saying yes to everything—because we want the gigs, we don’t want to b...