I was honored to have this conversation with Marilyn Lerner, who is a unique pianist and composer who is a powerfully expressive musician across a range of styles. She’s a wonderful improvisor and has performed worldwide, as well as recorded extensively as both a soloist and as an ensemble player. She’s also a therapist and psychoanalyst, and our conversation moved through many fascinating and important topics including ideas around identity and creativity.

I was thrilled to have a fascinating chat with the inspiring and innovative multi-style violinist/vocalist, author, composer, producer and educator Julie Lyonn-Lieberman. I first learned about her when I bought her book "You Are Your Instrument", which was the first book written about how to overcome and prevent musicians’ overuse injuries. In this conversation we discuss her unique path through world music, some of the research she’s done for her book and radio programs, illuminating the history of slave fiddlers and the evolution of improvised string playing in the United States. She gives some wonderful advice about following your own path: Julie Lyonn Lieberman: "When people tell you that your ideas are not valid and that you should go the pathway that's already carved out, but you're hearing a different drum beat, follow your heart and soul because this is your life. And I've always said that when I reach the final moments of my life, I don't want to look back with any regrets about anything. I want to be able to look back and say that I created everything that was important to me. And this idea of you're supposed to do something that's distasteful for you so that later on, when you retire or later on in your life, you can get to the things that you really want to do, I don't abide by that. Yes, the going is harder when you are making your own pathway through the woods that never had a path. But, it's so deeply satisfying. Then you feel whole about what you came here in this lifetime to do."

In Episode 19 Season 1 of my interview series, I was delighted to welcome the inspiring musician Hooshyar Khayam to my home, to improvise and speak about his perspectives on improvisation, the music of Central Asia, the Middle East and Western Classical music. We speak about some of his beautiful recordings in his large discography, and his creative process. He also speaks about his role as founder and producer of Tehran Records. In a separate bonus episode you can hear an improvisation we played together. http://hooshyar-khayam.com/site/