🎹✨ Can music heal, comfort, and truly transform lives?

In this special Season 6 premiere of The Piano Pod, I sit down with Billboard-charting pianist and composer Chad Lawson — also the first musician ever appointed as a U.N. Ambassador for the World Federation for Mental Health. His composition “The Light Within” became the official theme song for World Mental Health Day, and his music has touched millions through streaming, concerts, hospitals, and beyond.

In our conversation, Chad opens up about:

• The inspiration behind his latest album, Where We Are: Unity Edition
• How he turned adversity into artistry with his debut Set on a Hill
• Why combining music and wellness has become his mission
• And the story of how he became a U.N. Ambassador through music

👉 Stay tuned until the end for rapid-fire fun, personal insights, secrets to building a successful creative career, and an exclusive excerpt of Chad’s breathtaking piece “Sanctuary.”

[Chad Lawson]

• Sanctuary full video: https://youtu.be/QZwL3ojac0I?si=dR6CUnz-UECGgH5g
• The Light Within: https://youtu.be/QZwL3ojac0I?si=dR6CUnz-UECGgH5g
• Website: https://www.chadlawson.com/
• Podcast: https://www.calmitdownpodcast.com/

[The Piano Pod - a global hub for innovation, education, and connection in classical piano music]

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🎹✨ Can music heal, comfort, and truly transform lives? In this special

Season 6 premiere of The Piano Pod, I sit down with Billboard-charting pianist and composer Chad Lawson — also the first musician ever appointed as a U.N. Ambassador for the World Federation for Mental Health.

His composition “The Light Within” became the official theme song for World Mental Health Day, and his music has touched millions through streaming, concerts, hospitals, and beyond. In our conversation,

Chad opens up about:

• ✅ The inspiration behind his latest album, Where We Are: Unity Edition
• ✅ How he turned adversity into artistry with his debut Set on a Hill
• ✅ Why combining music and wellness has become his mission
• ✅ And the story of how he became a U.N. Ambassador through music

🎬 Join the broadcast of this special episode on September 9, 2025, at 8:00pm ET:

[Chad Lawson]

• 📺 Sanctuary full video: https://youtu.be/QZwL3ojac0I?si=dR6CUnz-UECGgH5g
• 🎹 The Light Within: https://youtu.be/QZwL3ojac0I?si=dR6CUnz-UECGgH5g
• 🌐 Website: https://www.chadlawson.com/
• 🎧 Podcast, Calm It Down: https://www.calmitdownpodcast.com/

[The Piano Pod - a global hub for innovation, education, and connection in classical piano music]

• 💖 Subscribe for free or unlock exclusive materials with a paid subscription: https://thepianopod.substack.com/subscribe
• 🎵 Subscribe to our Sounds of Inspiration – Piano Works from Season 6: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeBrJAY2RQ_uqBAHXTkMwM4nISe9vxvDa
• 📫 Subscribe to our monthly newsletter: https://bit.ly/40kiukh Stay Connected:
• 🚨 Latest News: https://linktr.ee/thepianopod
• 🌐 Website: https://thepianopod.com
• 📱 Instagram: @thepianopod
• 😃 Facebook: https://facebook.com/ThePianoPodNYC
• ⏳ TikTok: @thepianopod

✨ Season 6 of The Piano Pod is here! ✨

This year, it’s all about Creativity and Connection — the messy, vulnerable, transformative stories behind the music.

🎹 We kick things off with an inspiring lineup: 🎶

• Chad Lawson on September 9, 8:00 pm ET.
• Mădălina Dănilă & Hugh Sung — the award-winning Mada & Hugh Piano Duo, whose artistry and unique bond radiate joy, innovation, and cultural connection.

And for the first time ever — The Piano Pod Live in Concert! 🎉 📅 October 4, 2025 📍 Stiefel Hall at The New School, in collaboration with Mannes Prep. Featuring performances and conversations with Donna Weng Friedman, Dr. Jee Hoon Krska, Dr. Nnenna Ogwo, and Eleonor Bindman.

💡 Why tune in? Because behind every polished performance is a story—unexpected, human, and full of resilience. This season dares to ask: What does it really mean to be a 21st‑century musician?

👉 Watch episodes on YouTube or listen on your favorite podcast platforms, and join our community on Substack.

Don’t miss the premiere: September 9, 2025, at 8:00 pm ET with Chad Lawson!

#ThePianoPod #Season6 #CreativityAndConnection #ChadLawson #MadaAndHugh #ClassicalMusic #PodcastLaunch

This episode is brought to you by Juneteenth LP — celebrating Black artistry and legacy in classical music. 🎉 Get Your Ticket: https://publictheater.org/performances-jp/2025/j/juneteenth-lp/

🎹 What does it mean to live and create with authenticity?

In this powerful season finale, we sit down with Dr. Maria Thompson Corley — pianist, composer, novelist, poet, educator, and advocate — for a conversation that is as multifaceted as her artistry. From performing her compositions to championing music by Black composers and writing novels and librettos, Dr. Corley shares how her lived experiences—as a mother, artist, and scholar—fuel a profoundly human and inclusive vision for classical music and beyond.

💡 In this episode, we explore:

• ✅ What true inclusion looks like in classical music today
• ✅ How Dr. Corley integrates underrepresented composers into mainstream repertoire
• ✅ Her experiences raising two creative children, one of whom is neurodivergent
• ✅ Writing opera, novels, and poetry as extensions of her voice
• ✅ Co-founding Silence-Optional concerts for sensory-sensitive audiences
• ✅ Her reflections on legacy, authenticity, and creative purpose

Whether you are a musician, educator, or listener seeking a deeper connection through music, this conversation will move you, challenge you, and expand your sense of what classical music can be.

🔗 Connect with Dr. Corley:

• 🌐 Website
• 📘 Facebook
• 📷 Instagram

📰 The Piano Pod Links

• 🎧 Sounds of Inspiration (Season 5) - all the music mentioned
• 📝 Substack VIP Access
• 🎁 Make a Donation: https://bit.ly/3EsvRDg
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• 👍 Facebook: /thepianopodnyc
• 🎵 TikTok: /thepianopod

This episode is brought to you by ‪Juneteenth LP — Celebrating Black artistry and legacy in classical music.

🎧 What if every child could see themselves in the music they study? In this robust conversation, Dr. Leah Claiborne —pianist, Yamaha Artist, educator, and founder of Ebony Music Inc.—joins The Piano Pod to discuss her mission to expand and redefine the classical canon.

From her work on the 100 Works by Black Composers project to her publications and courses on inclusive teaching, Dr. Claiborne is shaping the future of music education through artistry, purpose, and a sense of belonging.

🎹 In this episode, we explore:

• ✅ The groundbreaking 100 Works by Black Composers project (Sphinx Venture Fund)
• ✅ Why beginner repertoire is where real change begins
• ✅ How identity and community shape pedagogy
• ✅ Tools for teachers committed to diversity and inclusion
• ✅ Her musical journey—from a jazz-rooted upbringing to classical advocacy

Whether you are a piano teacher, student, performer, or arts leader, this conversation will leave you inspired, challenged, and equipped to make classical music more inclusive and representative.

Connect with Dr. Claiborne:

• 🌐 Website
• 🌐 Ebony Music Inc

Dr. Claiborne’s Publications – Expanding the Repertoire (Hal Leonard):

• 🔹 Level 1
• 🔹 Level 2

About Our Sponsor — Juneteenth LP

Founded by pianist and cultural leader Dr. Nnenna Ogwo, Juneteenth LP is now in its 10th year of celebrating Black classical musicians through transformative performances, education, and community events. From their annual concert at Joe’s Pub to their ongoing advocacy, Juneteenth LP is helping to reshape the future of classical music through the lens of heritage, liberation, and joy.

🔔 Like, comment, and subscribe to The Piano Pod for more conversations at the intersection of artistry, equity, and innovation in classical music.

In this inspiring episode of The Piano Pod, "Bach Reimagined - Artistic Innovation of Timeless Music for All Audiences," Eleonor Bindman - pianist, arranger, and recording artist - joins us for an intimate conversation about her groundbreaking work reimagining the music of J.S. Bach for solo and four-hand piano.

From her bestselling Brandenburg Duets with Jenny Lin to her most recent solo project ABSOLUTE—featuring beautifully idiomatic piano transcriptions of Bach’s Lute Suites—Eleonor’s artistry invites musicians and listeners of all levels to discover the joy, depth, and brilliance of Bach.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why she believes “there is no one way to play Bach”
• Her transcription philosophy and creative process
• Advocating for accessible classical music—without compromising quality
• How piano duets can foster collaboration, joy, and musicianship at every stage
• Tips for navigating polyphony, articulation, pedaling, and ornamentation in Bach’s keyboard works
• Her Stepping Stones to Bach series and empowering adult amateurs and young students alike
• Legacy, innovation, and what it means to be a 21st-century artist-educator

🎧 Whether you are a teacher, performer, or passionate amateur, this episode is packed with insights, artistry, and heart.

[Eleonor Bindman]

• Website
• Spotify:
• 🎹 Prelude, BWV 998 (from ABSOLUTE)
• 🎹 Stepping Stone Excerpt
• 🎹 Four-hand Orchestra Suite
• 🎹 Brandenburg Concerto
• 🎹 Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007 - I. Prelude
• 🎹 Allegro from Prelude, Fugue and Allegro BWV 998

What does it mean to carry a musical legacy forward—not through imitation, but through living artistry? In this powerful and intimate episode of The Piano Pod,

I sit down with pianist-scholar Jarred Dunn and concert pianist Anna Górecka, daughter of the legendary Polish composer Henryk Mikołaj Górecki, to explore his emotional, historical, and deeply human world of music.

We discuss the making of their new album, Górecki’s World of Piano—featuring the first-ever recording of an unpublished Górecki piano work—and what it means to honor a legacy while creating something new. Along the way, we reflect on Górecki’s profound impact, his voice as a composer, and the responsibility of carrying forward a family and cultural tradition through music.

This conversation isn’t just about music; it’s about mentorship, intergenerational collaboration, identity, history, and what it truly means to be a classical musician today.

🎧 Don’t miss this rare conversation at the intersection of legacy, artistry, and collaboration. 📖 Read the full story

👉 Support The Piano Pod and get early access by becoming a VIP member!

[Links for This Episode]

• 🎵Jarred and Anna’s New Album, Gorecki’s World of the Piano: https://atmaclassique.com/produit/goreckis-world-of-the-piano/
• 🎹 Jarred Dunn
• 🎹 Anna Górecka

[The Piano Pod]

1. 🎗️ Support Our Work: Make a donation
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Stay Connected:

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“How many hours did you practice today?” If that question still defines your worth as a musician, this episode might just change your life.

In this eye-opening conversation, Dr. Molly Gebrian—violist, neuroscience researcher, educator, and author of Learn Faster, Perform Better: A Musician’s Guide to the Neuroscience of Practicing—joins The Piano Pod to challenge everything we thought we knew about practice.

Together, we explore why the illusion of mastery fools us, how interleaved practice transforms learning, and why breaks and sleep are not just helpful but essential to progress. Molly breaks down the science behind habit formation, memory systems, mental practice, and performance consistency, offering musicians practical tools backed by decades of cognitive research.

Whether you’re a student struggling with frustration, a teacher eager to support diverse learners, or a professional performer looking to sharpen your edge, this episode is for you.

🧠 Get ready to rethink the way you practice, teach, and perform.

📝 Read more about Dr. Gebrian on our Substack blog.

🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a new episode!

[Dr. Molly Gebrian]

• 🌐Website
• 📱Instagram
• ▶️ YouTube

[The Piano Pod]

• 💖 Support Our Work on Substack
• 🎗️ Support Our Work by Donation
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Stay Connected:

• 🚨 Latest News
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