Homecoming with Jessica

Several years ago, a person entered my life as I was grappling with the most difficult of personal circumstances...divorce, abuse, disinheritance. That person's name is Daniel Piatek, and he's a healer and intuitive guide. Through thick and thin, Daniel supported and assisted me in navigating extraordinary stress and uncertainty. The fact that I'm here to make this podcast is, in no small measure,...

After attending a performance at the Sydney Opera House, I walked on the promenade overlooking the harbor. Waiting for the ferry to take me home, I decided to call a friend who lives 11,000 miles away in New York City - a beloved woman who holds a special place in my life. This podcast is about the faith we share, and how it was communicated that balmy night across the distance as my friend and I...

In a moment of poignant insight, I realize that the abuse and trauma I've experienced over decades has placed me beside myself. As much as I've achieved in my life, I wonder how much I am REALLY capable of? What will it take for me to come home to myself, to reclaim who I am, to actualize my gifts and abilities, truly? Piano music: "Katy, Ray of Hope" - composed and performed by Jessica Roemischer

On the occasion of Father's Day here in Australia, I watched the film, "Amazing Grace" - a concert of gospel music performed by the renowned singer, Aretha Franklin. Her vocalizations were transcendent, reaching the heavens. Her father was in attendance, and his expression of love for her only enhanced this unforgettable event. Piano Music: "Amazing Grace" by John Newton, arranged and performed by...

As the Amazon burns, what is happening to the smallest creatures there? As Hispanic children languish in detention, what are they experiencing, really? Amidst crisis and change, what if we give our attention to the helpless, the defenseless, the littlest beings among us? Piano Music: "All Creatures of Our God and King," music, Ralph Vaughn Williams; words, St. Francis of Assisi; arranged and perfo...

Australia is the oldest continent on earth, and its rocks the most ancient. For Aboriginal culture, there are "songlines" revealed in the land's geological contours. Since moving here I find myself, likewise, drawn by a feeling of mystery, by messages that seem to emanate from the sandstone rocks in my midst. I'm discovering that these magnificent rocks hold secrets--insights that can help us navi...

I find myself grappling with a two-fold challenge: physical distance from the man whom I've fallen in love with, and the anxiety and fears that naturally linger from my past. Music: "Smile" by Charlie Chaplin, arranged and performed by Jessica Roemischer

As I've experienced, an extraordinary, life-enhancing love can come forth from people with dementia - those who are often relegated to the fringes of society. What a gift to play music and sing for so many who are otherwise sequestered in assisted living residences. Indeed, their presence heals and restores me. Music: "Loch Lomond," Scottish ballad, arranged and performed by Jessica Roemischer

A few short months ago, a woman entered my life - an elderly woman who lived down the block. My friendship with her would turn out to be transformative in ways I could have never anticipated. Just this morning, I discovered that she had passed. This podcast is a eulogy for my dear neighbor, in heartfelt appreciation for the care and intuitive wisdom she offered me, which opened new doorways and po...

Messages come to me in different forms - through meditation, contemplation, as signs and symbols, in song lyrics that I notice as I'm listening to the radio. Unexpectedly, a vital message came in the form of a dream - a dream that a friend had about me. And as he described it to me, layers of my own life were revealed way back to when I was a girl, and an essential truth was revealed. Piano music:...

What does it mean for a woman to have a strong man in her life, someone to stand guard, to honor and protect her in the light of the abuse that so many women have experienced over millennia. As this podcast illustrates, this new and vital role for men will help us move into a new and beautiful era on earth. Piano music: Stravinsky's "The Firebird," arranged and performed by Jessica Roemischer

Having come through incredible hardship, and now asking the question, will it ever be possible to find real love, I'm discovering clues as to what will allow me to answer, Yes. Piano Music: "Out of the Blues" composed and performed by Jessica Roemischer

When I left my marriage, not knowing what was going to happen, I began a journey that would reveal the depths of the trauma I held. Here I ask, what does it take to really heal? After everything, is it possible to find love again? Piano Music: "A New Life" composed and performed by Jessica Roemischer

When I posted my previous podcast about leaving a traumatic marriage, I didn't anticipate the response I'd get. I didn't anticipate hearing from so many women who had the same experience as I. Those responses inspired deep self-reflection. Why are so many women in this world living an un-liberated life of fear? Why was I living an un-liberated life. Why hadn't I realized it? Here I share my though...

Home is more than a physical place. It's also the freedom from fear. These meanings of home reflect our basic human need for shelter and peace. Here I share the traumatic experiences I had in marriage and how they led me, ultimately, to step over the threshold never to return. The bare beginnings of a new life began with a few precious things, stored in a little safe deposit box, a place though ti...

A meditation of the preciousness of life...and how our love for the living things around us can, literally, restore this earth. And is our very best hope. Piano music - "Earthrise" composed and performed by Jessica Roemischer

What does it take to be truly fulfilled in a social media-driven world? How can we become masters of our own lives in the digital age? Here, I contemplate the human capacity to *choose* where we put our attention. I sense that we have to understand the effect of social media upon our consciousness. Becoming aware of what we're choosing to focus upon is essential! Piano music - "Bluesy Day" - compo...

One of my little piano students said today, "Guess what! I'm going on an Easter Egg Hunt!" And as she did, her eyes lit up. I was so taken with her innocence and delight. And I had to hold back my tears. Because suddenly, I found myself brought back to an Easter, fifty years ago, when I was a little girl looking here and there for colored eggs amidst the garden, a wicker basket hanging easily from...

When a child takes delight--in nature, in animals, in little games--and I join in their delight, it releases a feeling of even greater wonder. As I marvel with the child at its joyful discoveries, that child blossoms like a flower before my eyes. This podcast features a vignette about a little piano student of mine named, Ally. Listening to this episode of the Homecoming Podcast, you'll understand...

This podcast features music by three of my piano students. You'll hear them joyously improvising together. They call their creation, "Passion Fruit Music," because music is "yummy, like a passion fruit," and because "we feel joy in our hearts as we play." Join me, together with Nicoletta, Ava, and Grace, for a swinging, fabulous musical experience!

The difficulties of childhood--and as we grow--often shape who we become. What does it take to see our experiences for what they are, to finally come home to ourselves, no matter what we've gone through? As I'm realizing, it can be simple and immediate, as one's life is witnessed with care and loving curiosity. Piano music composed and performed by Jessica Roemischer

Amidst a torrential storm, a chance encounter with a woman at a cafe ends up protecting me. When I arrive home safe and sound, I think to myself, that was an angel. And I realize, angels can look like ordinary people, appearing suddenly and unexpectedly to help us. Music - Amazing Grace, arranged and performed by Jessica Roemischer

The lives of children - their adventures, discoveries and joys can enrich each and every one of us! Here, I share wonderful examples as I've observed children playing, surfing on the ocean, and learning the piano. The podcast concludes with a rendition of Beethoven's beloved melody, "Ode to Joy," played by my student, Leo Tagliazucchi-Claridge

A peek into my little music school, where children are allowed the freedom to create their own music, to learn the songs they love, to find their own voices. And that voice is the soul, it's that part of a student that's his or her essence, the thing that's the source of confidence, of who they really are! That's what inspires me to teach the piano and to share the beauty of music. The podcast con...

Since my father's passing, amidst the grief and memories, his spirit is coming to me. It's arising through messages I receive in prayer to him. And, interestingly, it's taking the form of animals whom I notice in my daily walks near the ocean. Here I describe an extraordinary encounter with a raven. As I endeavor to forge a life free from fear and anxiety, my dad's presence--more than ever before-...