Artistry with Heart: A Musician’s Wellness Podcast

For A Woman of Her Name: Grit and Grace in Opera with Emily Geller

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 away from our conversation feeling deeply inspired. I hope you will too.
A huge thank you to the Association of Body Mapping Education for sponsoring this episode and for the life-changing work they continue to do for musicians around the globe.
Get in touch with Emily Geller at emilygeller.com
Find out more about Body Mapping for Musicians at bodymap.org.
Produced and Edited by Vic Billones

A Voice Unshaken with LaRhonda Steele

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 true voice. Through heartfelt storytelling, LaRhonda reveals how she transformed pain into purpose, fear into freedom, and hardship into artistic expression.
This episode is a must-listen for musicians, creatives, and anyone facing personal struggles, offering wisdom on:✔ Overcoming adversity through music✔ Silencing the inner critic and stepping into confidence✔ Healing through artistic expression✔ Finding joy, purpose, and resilience in life’s hardest moments
------------------------------------------
LaRhonda Steele is an award-winning Blues and Gospel singer/songwriter who is recognized as one of Portland’s best vocalists. 
Dubbed "The First Lady of Portland Blues”, she was inducted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame in 2020, and currently fronts the LaRhonda Steele band, and serves as music director of the non-profits: Portland Interfaith Gospel Choir, These Are They of Bethel AME, and the Portland Center for Spiritual Living.
Resources & Links:
Follow LaRhonda: Instagram
Listen to her music: Spotify, Apple Music
Support her work: The Portland Interfaith Gospel Choir
------------------------------------------
Support us on Patreon

Every Note is a Gift with Ben Landsverk

“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 founding Voices Unlimited – a non-profit dedicated to providing an excellent chorale experience for neurodivergent adults.
Ben talks about how music builds connection, breaks barriers, meeting your audience halfway, and how creativity can bring us together.
Wonderly’s album “Wolves” is out now.
--------------------
Hailed as a “prominent Portland composer” (Bloomberg Magazine) and praised for his “stunning prowess on viola and mandolin” (Willamette Week), Ben Landsverk is best known for his work as one half of the duo Wonderly.
Their compositions include numerous podcast/radio theme songs, including the New York Times’ "The Daily" and Cheryl Strayed’s "Dear Sugar Radio"; many indie film scores and soundtracks, including James Westby’s "At the Video Store" and Jon Garcia’s "Luz"; and three studio albums, "We Are", "Story We Tell", and "Wolves".
An active session musician and orchestral/choral arranger, Ben has worked with musical luminaries such as Father John Misty, Ruby Friedman, Pink Martini, Storm Large, Smokey Robinson, Van Dyke Parks, Rachel Taylor Brown, Holcombe Waller, Liz Vice, Kasey Anderson, Box Set, and Alela Diane.
benlandsverk.comlowbarcharoale.comwonderlymusic.comvoicesunlimited.net

Happiness is a Skill with Jennifer Roig-Francolí

“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, performance anxiety, and mindset obstacles through her Art of Freedom Method, emphasizing that true artistry comes from an integrated approach to mind, body, and spirit.
——————
Honored as a “Rising Star” by TIME magazine, Jennifer Roig-Francolí is a prize-winning violinist who has performed all over the world, including Carnegie Hall, and has collaborated with orchestras such as the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Berlin Symphony Orchestra.
She is also an Alexander Technique teacher, and The Art of Freedom® Coach for musicians and creatives, specializing in helping musicians overcome pain, performance anxiety, and mindset obstacles to achieve artistic success, and is an author of the #1 Amazon Bestseller “Make Great Music with Ease!”

Resilience, Art, and Advocacy with Coty Raven Morris

"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 justice.
She discusses the healing power of music, the importance of sharing authentic stories, and her non-profit, Being Human Together, which seeks to normalize difficult topics through music and connection.
------------------------------
Coty Raven Morris is the Assistant Professor of Choir, Music Education, and Social Justice at Portland State University and founder of Being Human Together, a budding community normalizing difficult topics through  music education, conversation, and connection.
She is a sought-after clinician, artist, and speaker across the country. Her most recent acknowledgments include being a nominee for the Portland State University George C. Hoffman Faculty award,  Finalist for the 2024 Music Educators Grammy, and was just named a Quarter-Finalist for the 2025 Music Educator Grammy.
You can learn more about Coty here
------------------------------
Subscribe to the newsletter

Non- Profit Holiday Feature: Being Human Together

This holiday season, Artistry with Heart is spotlighting Being Human Together,a non-profit founded by Coty Raven Morris.
In Coty’s words, “Love is a Verb” - and as teachers, we need to be preventative about oppression as we embrace and learn about our beautiful and diverse community around us.
In a world that seems so divided right now, we need more resources for our communities to learn from, and teach the next generation how to unite under our fundamental humanity and embrace the diversity of our individuality. We need both to make the world a more beautiful and effective place. 
Tis the season to spread love and light to those around us. and support our local non-profits! Check out the holiday episode below where you can hear all about this incredible cause.
Click the link here to make your donation!

Follow your Heart with Sofia von Trapp

Sofia von Trapp is an internationally renowned vocalist, performer, songwriter, and producer who has a deep-rooted musical gift that is both empowering and magnetic. She studied voice and music business at the Berkeley College of Music, toured the world as a professional musician for 15 years with her three incredibly gifted siblings, The von Trapps, and is now producing and songwriting music of her very own. 
This episode was produced and edited by the incredible Victoria Billones.
In this conversation, we talk about following your heart, tuning into your intuition, listening to the voice of love and not fear, and so much more. I gained so much insight and inspiration from my conversation with Sofi, and I hope you do too. 
 
This resource is here to support you on your creative journey, wherever it may lead you. I’d love to hear from you about where yours, and how this conversation resonates with you.

Summit your own Everest with John Pickett

In Episode 5 of Artistry with Heart, I dig in to an insightful and inspiring conversation with Dr. John Pickett, a virtuoso classical pianist who received his doctoral degree at Indiana University, and was a professor of piano for 33 years at Central Washington University. Since his retirement, John has dived into composing and singing his own original material which can be found at johnpickett.bandcamp.com.
 
In this conversation, we talk about finding inspiration everywhere, summiting your own personal Everest, admiring the good in others, and so much more. 
 
This resource is here to support you on your creative journey, wherever it may lead you. 
 

Jump and the Net will Appear with Lisa Ann Marsh

In this episode, we dig into an inspiring conversation with Professor Lisa Ann Marsh, an incredible pianist, instructor and composer who is notorious for her ability to lead injured musicians to healing.
Lisa has a striking ability to write compositions that fuse the natural and supernatural worlds while deeply embodying the complexity of human emotion. 
In this conversation, we talk about dreaming big, debunking perfectionism, putting your spirit before your ego, and so much more. 
I gained so much insight and inspiration from my conversation with Lisa, and I hope you do too. This resource is here to support you on your creative journey,  wherever it may lead you. 

Stepping into the Unknown: Songwriting as Truth-telling with Matt Meighan

In Episode 3 of Artistry with Heart, I dig into an insightful and inspiring conversation with Matt Meighan, a deeply poetic, insightful and profound songwriter whose soul radiates from his lyrics, vocals and compositions.
Matt inspires musicians of all levels and genres to tap into their musical voice through the medium of songwriting, and always from a place of authenticity and truth.
In this conversation, we talk about trusting your path, the Inner Critic vs. the Inner Editor, strategies for dealing with performance anxiety, the power of community in creativity, and so much more.
I gained so much insight and inspiration from my conversation with Matt, and I hope you do too. This resource is here to support you on your creative journey, wherever it may lead you.
Get in touch with Matt at mattmeighan.com
Reach out to me and let me know your thoughts on his episode at artistrywithheart1@gmail.com or Instagram @steph.bernards or on TikTok @ArtistrywithHeart.
 
Podcast Produced and Edited by Vic Billones