MindfulOpus

S3E8 I talk with trumpet player Alex Pride about auditioning for the Cincinnati Symphony chair his father once held—and the pressure of trying to win a job he was already doing on a temporary basis. We explore the work that helped him feel he had already won before the committee offered him the position. We talk about making room for doubt instead of fighting it, developing an inner coach alongsid...

S3 E7: As classical musicians, we pour ourselves into performances that ask a lot of us. Whether we're stepping out as a soloist or chamber musician, leading an orchestral section, taking an audition, or getting ready for studio class in school, we care deeply about how we play. In this episode, I explore how preparing for those moments can help us build self-trust, find more joy in our musical pr...

S3. E6: What if the goal of your music career isn't to get busy, but to get happy? I sit down with my longtime friend, pioneering multi-style cellist, singer, composer, and educator Mike Block, for an honest conversation about conservatory pressure, curiosity, and finding a path that feels like your own. Mike shares how he learned to choose work based on the experience he wanted to have, and how e...

S3 Ep. 5. Surprise Fellow Opus Creator, I'm popping in for a bonus episode! Recently in getting ready for our first StudentOpus session, I've been thinking a lot about my own conservatory years: the pressure to get everything right, the fear of making mistakes, and how often I put my own well-being last. So I'm popping in with a bonus episode to share five lessons I wish I'd known then. I talk abo...

S3. E4: What happens when, from the outside, you look like you're thriving and have it all figured out—but on the inside, you're riddled with self-doubt, a noisy inner critic, and the fear that one mistake could expose you? In this solo episode, I'm exploring imposter syndrome and the unique pressures that come with being a performing artist, especially in classical music. I look at why we can be...

S3 Ep.3: Violinists Elena Urioste and Melissa White of Intermission join me for a conversation about yoga, performance nerves, ditching perfection, healthier practice, artistic agency, and allowing a musical career to become bigger than one prescribed path. This episode feels a little full-circle for me… I first crossed paths with Elena and Melissa more than 20 years ago, back in our Encore School...

S3 Ep. 2: What if confidence isn't what you actively need to cultivate to show up boldly on stage? In this solo episode, I'm breaking down confidence by working backward from the outcome most of us want. We often tell ourselves that we need to feel confident before an audition or big performance, but confidence isn't an emotion we can summon on command. And "fake it till you make it" only takes us...

S3 E1: A conversation about outgrowing old structures, choosing curiosity over control, and creating frameworks that support who you are today. Season 3 is here, and in a fitting way, I'm kicking it off by changing the structure of the podcast itself. After two seasons with clear timelines, missions, and end dates, I'm opening things up: continuing every other Tuesday, bringing in a wider range of...

Bonus Ep 2: A conversation about career transitions, perfectionism, identity, and creating your life one mindful opus at a time. In this special episode, the microphone is turned on me as I sit down with my coach, Lindsay Dotzlaf, who interviews me! We unpack the journey that brought me from a 20-year career with The Cleveland Orchestra into this new chapter of building MindfulOpus full-time. We g...

In this reflective bonus episode of the MindfulOpus Podcast, I share the surprisingly powerful lessons I learned by watching two blue jays, Harry and Sally, build a nest, incubate their babies, and eventually leave the nest. What unfolds in my backyard becomes a meaningful metaphor for the classical music life: how we practice, how we wait, how we grow, and how we navigate change. For classical mu...

S2 Ep #10: This is one of those episodes I've been sitting with for a while. I have some big news to share, and honestly, even typing that feels surreal. After more than 20 years as a violist with the Cleveland Orchestra, I have officially stepped away from my position and am now full-time in MindfulOpus!! It's the kind of decision that took years to arrive at, and yet the moment it became real, m...

S2 Ep #9: Self-trust might be one of the most quietly radical acts we can practice as artists — and honestly, as humans. It sounds simple, but for so many of us in this field, it's anything but. This episode is a reflection on something I've been circling all season long, and something I've wrestled with deeply in my own life: what it means to actually trust yourself, follow your gut, and stop out...

S2 Ep #8: Kayleigh Miller is someone I've wanted to have on the podcast since the beginning. And our conversation today doesn't disappoint: we talk about musicians' body health, injury prevention, and what it means to use your voice to advocate for a healthier, more honest industry. I first discovered her on Instagram — not through her movement work, but through her voice. She writes openly about...

S2 Ep #7: There are moments in life when the map disappears. You thought you knew where you were headed, and then something shifts — a loss, a disappointment, an unexpected turn — and suddenly you're navigating without a clear north star. I've been there, and so have many of the clients I work with. This episode is my honest attempt to share what has actually helped me and them find some steadines...

S2 Ep #6: This episode felt like a conversation I'd been wanting to have for a long time — one that goes beyond the highlight reel and into the real, sometimes messy, always human experience of building a sustainable life as a professional musician. Theresa and I talk about injuries, burnout, rejection, perfectionism, and the surprisingly beautiful things that can grow out of our hardest professio...

S2 Ep #5: The Four Pillars of Well-Being for Performers Most of us who pursue music or are seeking excellence in any endeavour have been told at some point that it has to be everything. That if you're not living, eating, and breathing the work, you're not serious enough. But I've found the opposite to be true, and this episode offers concrete ways of implementing lasting change in support of your...

S2 Ep #4: There comes a point in any creative life where pushing harder stops working. Where the effort that once felt necessary begins to feel depleting, and the question starts to shift from "How do I make this work?" to "Is this actually aligned with who I am?" This conversation explores that turning point—what it means to return to yourself, and the courage it takes to choose that path even wh...

S2 Ep #3: How To Work Hard Without Beating Yourself Up    Hard work is something most artists know intimately. But the way we relate to that hard work can make the difference between sustainable growth and eventual burnout.   In this solo episode, I take a deeper look at a concept that sits at the heart of MindfulOpus: shifting from grind to kind. For many of us, the word grind has become synonymo...

S2 Ep #2: On Perfectionism, Performance Anxiety, and the Purpose of Music   Perfectionism and performance anxiety are two forces that so many artists struggle with, often quietly and alone. In this conversation, I sit down with concert pianist, author, and New York Times contributor Jonathan Biss to explore the powerful connection between perfectionism, control, and anxiety in the lives of perform...

S2 Ep #1: As artists, it's easy to get caught up in the pressure to meet others' expectations, which can lead us to create in ways that feel disconnected from our true selves. In this episode, I'll guide you through a practical framework for discovering your personal values- the foundation for creating authentic, fulfilling, and sustainable art, both on and off stage. By uncovering and aligning wi...

In this season, we're diving even deeper into the human behind the art, exploring how mindfulness, well-being, and authenticity are essential for creatives like you. If you're ready to move away from toxic grind culture and embrace a more balanced, empowered life, you're in the right place.   I'm Jo Zakany, violist with The Cleveland Orchestra, yoga teacher, and coach for classical musicians. Toge...

S1 Ep #10: A concertmaster's perspective on perfectionism, nerves, and the permission to be human In the season 1 finale of The MindfulOpus Podcast, I'm joined by my dad, Ron Patterson — world-class violinist, former concertmaster of the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic, Houston Symphony, and Miami Philharmonic (among others), member of Duo Patterson, and recently retired professor of violin at the Univer...

S1 Ep #9: 7 tools to help you actually enjoy performing again In this episode, I share a compassionate, practical, and research-informed approach to one of the biggest challenges we face as performers: what to do when the nerves show up — on stage, in auditions, in big meetings, and in any moment that really matters. Building on the personal performance framework from last week's episode, I walk y...

S1 Ep #8: My two-part process to help you find clarity, confidence, and calm before any big artistic event What if preparing for a big performance didn't have to feel overwhelming, rigid, or all-consuming? In this episode, I'm sharing the exact framework I use with my coaching clients to help them create their own personal process — one that supports not just their playing, but supports them as a...

S1 Ep #7: A story of reconnection, self-belief, and coming home to your art. What happens when you've spent years feeling like your playing is never good enough, you're disconnected from your art, or unsure whether this music-thing you once loved is still right for you? In this deep and meaningful conversation, violinist Lauren Roth-G ó mez — Acting Associate Concertmaster of the Atlanta Symphony...