Welcome to The Fearless Artist Podcast where we empower classical musicians to build their own thriving careers. In each episode, we will explore the intersection of artistry and entrepreneurship, teaching you the Fearless Mindset with practical steps and strategies to build a sustainable career. https://podcast.thefearlessartistmastermind.com/
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September 11, 202616 min
It's time to uplevel your life
In this episode of The Fearless Artist podcast, Michelle Lynne shares highlights from Career Day, a 10-hour event helping classical musicians build fulfilling, sustainable careers. Topics include effective practice, audience engagement, marketing, negotiation, financial stability, and navigating career transitions. Michelle reflects on the power of community and investing in yourself, encouraging musicians to turn new ideas into action and build careers that bring them joy. ✨ Explore The Fearless Mastermind: Website – thefearlessartistmastermind.com Instagram – @thefearlessartistmastermind 🎵 Intro, Outro music by Michelle Lynne 📌 Episode produced by phMediaStudio, LLC
September 4, 202632 min
Stop Saying You Don’t Know How To Start
What does it really take to build a fulfilling and sustainable career as a classical musician? In this solo episode, Michelle Lynne shares a personal invitation to Fearless Career Day on September 8 —a full day created to tackle the career skills musicians often don’t learn in school. Michelle reflects on the realities of freelance life and why musicians need to take an active role in creating their own opportunities. From finances and effective practicing to personal branding, visibility, entrepreneurship, and overcoming the fear of judgment, she encourages artists to stop waiting until they feel ready and start taking small, consistent steps forward. She also introduces the Career Day’s lineup of guest speakers, who will share practical insights on money management, neuroscience-based practice strategies, audience building, record labels, self-advocacy, career resilience, and artistic identity. Above all, this episode is a reminder that a successful music career doesn’t have to follow one traditional path. By investing in new skills, taking initiative, and defining success for yourself, it’s possible to build a career, and a life that truly works for you. ✨ Fearless Artist Career Day 2026: https://beyourownmanager.com/careerday ✨ Explore The Fearless Mastermind: Website – thefearlessartistmastermind.com Instagram – @thefearlessartistmastermind 🎵 Intro, Outro music by Michelle Lynne 📌 Episode produced by phMediaStudio, LLC
August 28, 202638 min
Fearless career day is back - Sept 8!
Michelle Lynne welcomes Bernhard Kerres back to The Fearless Artist Podcast to discuss freelance classical music careers and the upcoming Fearless Career Day on September 8. Their conversation begins with Bernhard’s widely shared observation that about 25% of classical musicians live below the poverty line. Both agree that musicians should be able to pursue meaningful artistic work without constant financial insecurity. Bernhard believes this is one of the best times to build a sustainable freelance career because technology has created new ways to reach audiences, develop projects, and generate income. He encourages musicians to use social media, AI, and digital tools as opportunities rather than threats. Visibility, he says, helps artists connect with people beyond traditional concert halls and expand their impact. They highlight several Fearless Career Day speakers who represent different career paths. Rob Guy built successful classical music projects in North Wales despite being told they would fail. Roseline Anienie is developing orchestral and operatic projects in Nigeria that combine classical and African traditions. Other speakers will cover entrepreneurship, financial management, negotiation, recording, neuroscience, and service design. Bernhard also discusses his experiments with AI, including career-management chatbots and role-playing tools that help musicians practice pitching projects and handling professional conversations. He encourages artists to experiment with technology and create new services, resources, and audience experiences. Ultimately, Michelle and Bernhard describe Fearless Career Day as a catalyst for action. Participants are encouraged to ask difficult questions, learn from experts and peers, and leave with no more than three concrete steps to begin immediately. Their message is simple: take ownership of your career, stay open to new possibilities, and build a life that supports both meaningful music-making and financial stability. ✨ Fearless Artist Career Day 2026: https://beyourownmanager.com/careerday ✨ Explore The Fearless Mastermind: Website – thefearlessartistmastermind.com Instagram – @thefearlessartistmastermind 🎵 Intro, Outro music by Michelle Lynne 📌 Episode produced by phMediaStudio, LLC
August 21, 202656 min
How to rewire your brain and learn to motivate yourself with Coach John Blackburn
Coach and drummer John Blackburn joins Michelle to unpack the “hamster wheel” for musicians, using NLP, clear goals and identity shifts to build stability without losing freedom. Learn to “push your own buttons” and design routines that support your art and life. ✨ Connect with John Blackburn: Instagram – @coachjohnblackburn Website - https://www.john-blackburn.com/nextsteps ✨ Explore The Fearless Mastermind: Website – thefearlessartistmastermind.com Instagram – @thefearlessartistmastermind 🎵 Intro, Outro music by Michelle Lynne 📌 Episode produced by phMediaStudio, LLC
August 14, 202651 min
The Art of Strategic Networking for Modern Musicians
In this crossover episode, Michelle and Ghenadie reflect on their experience at Classical in Budapest and share practical strategies for making meaningful connections at music-industry conferences. They discuss researching attendees, prioritizing key contacts, preparing a concise elevator pitch, using social media effectively, starting authentic conversations, and knowing when to move on gracefully. Their conversation expands into the future of classical music, including audience development, music education, innovative concert formats, streaming royalties, and the growing influence of AI. They explore why artistic excellence and genuine human connection still matter more than chasing trends. Along the way, they discuss confidence, self-management, career mistakes, and the importance of taking chances instead of rejecting yourself before anyone else can. ✨ Connect with Ghenadie Rotari Website - https://www.ghenadierotari.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ghenadie_rotari_accordionist ✨ Explore The Fearless Mastermind: Website – thefearlessartistmastermind.com Instagram – @thefearlessartistmastermind 🎵 Intro, Outro music by Michelle Lynne 📌 Episode produced by phMediaStudio, LLC
August 7, 202645 min
HOW TO MAKE 1 MILLION AS A MUSICIAN WITH PAUL THE TROMBONIST
Paul the Trombonist shares how he broke out of the traditional freelance model and built a thriving online education business for musicians. Starting with YouTube trombone tutorials and a free album giveaway, he unintentionally built an email list that became the foundation of his business. When he later emailed that audience about a trombone method book, he earned several thousand dollars and realized the true power of direct audience connection. From there, he expanded into workshops, courses, webinars, and premium group programs for committed adult music students. Paul explains that he made his first million not through fame or a huge following, but by mastering conversations, offers, and paid advertising—converting roughly 1% of his leads into customers. He stresses that success comes from listening carefully to the market, refining offers based on feedback, and staying consistent through setbacks. His message is encouraging: musicians do not have to stay trapped in burnout and scarcity, but can build profitable businesses while continuing to make music. ✨ Connect with Paul Nowell: Instagram - @paulthetrombonist Website - paulthetrombonist.com ✨ Explore The Fearless Mastermind: Website – thefearlessartistmastermind.com Instagram – @thefearlessartistmastermind 🎵 Intro, Outro music by Michelle Lynne 📌 Episode produced by phMediaStudio, LLC
July 31, 202636 min
Keep it 100 on the land, the sea, the sky
In the 100th episode of The Fearless Artist podcast, Michelle reflects on the growth of the show and the lessons she has learned. The podcast was created to offer an honest look at freelance classical music careers, challenge perfectionism and comparison, and provide musicians with advice. Michelle discovered that guests are often willing to share their knowledge and that her solo episodes, despite causing her the most anxiety, frequently connect most with listeners. Hosting has helped her become a better listener and ask deeper questions. She credits the podcast’s consistency to teamwork, accountability, simple guest outreach, and a willingness to produce a minimum viable version instead of waiting for perfection. Her first episode lasted only nine minutes, and she avoided checking statistics for six months to protect the project from self-criticism. Guests taught her valuable lessons about emotional marketing, strategic career planning, negotiation, audience data, and making concertgoers feel welcome. Michelle also learned to schedule interviews around her energy levels and stop overthinking solo recordings. Her central advice is to begin with the smallest practical step, track what works, accept early awkwardness, seek support, and make gradual improvements. Consistent action, rather than perfection, allows creative projects and careers to grow. -- The Fearless Mastermind Website - https://www.thefearlessartistmastermind.com/ The Fearless Mastermind Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thefearlessartistmastermind/ -- 🎵 Intro/Outro Music by Michelle Lynne 📽️ Produced by phMediaStudio, LLC
July 24, 202652 min
How to negotiate and earn more money as a musician with Jessica Phillips
Met clarinettist and Juilliard professor Jessica Phillips shares her MBA insights on music careers. Learn to shift from a scarcity mindset to "making the pie bigger" in negotiations, embrace lifelong upskilling, and discover your true value as an artist. 🔗 Connect with Jessica Phillips Website: https://www.jessicaphillipsclari.net Instagram: @jessicaphillipsclarinet Links: https://www.jessicaphillipsclari.net/links -- The Fearless Mastermind Website - https://www.thefearlessartistmastermind.com/ The Fearless Mastermind Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thefearlessartistmastermind/ -- 🎵 Intro/Outro Music by Michelle Lynne 📽️ Produced by phMediaStudio, LLC
July 17, 202634 min
Michelle Lynne on empowering musicians to build thriving careers
In this episode, David speaks with pianist and entrepreneur Michelle Lynne. Not only does Michelle embody what a modern musician is today, but she empowers other musicians to have their own thriving careers. As well as performing across the world with immersive performances, she is the co-Founder of The Fearless Artist Mastermind, coaching musicians on their careers, and has taught entrepreneurship at conservatoires in the Netherlands. In this conversation, we dive into the power of entrepreneurship and self promotion for musicians. We look at some of the challenges that musicians are facing in their careers and how to overcome them. We also explore the impact of AI, the power of telling stories in performances, and the power of continual learning. Join us in Katowice, Poland for Classical:NEXT 2027 from the 11th to the 14th of May: www.classicalnext.com Follow us on: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn The Classical:NEXT Podcast: Hosted by David Taylor Produced by Aliena Haig Learn more: classicalnext.com/update/introducing-the-classicalnext-podcast www.classicalnext.com
July 10, 20261 hr 0 min
How to blow up your YouTube channel and create a new career path with The Chopin Pod creator Ben Laude
Classical pianist/educator Ben Laude shares his path from Tonebase to YouTube creator: a 16-part Chopin Podcast with a searchable Opus Index and hosting the Warsaw Chopin Competition. He champions sports-style analysis, explores monetization via Patreon, and urges creatives to write ideas down. 🔗 CONNECT WITH BEN LAUDE Website: https://benlaude.com/ YouTube: @benlawdy Instagram: @benlawdy -- The Fearless Mastermind Website - https://www.thefearlessartistmastermind.com/ The Fearless Mastermind Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thefearlessartistmastermind/ -- 🎵 Intro/Outro Music by Michelle Lynne 📽️ Produced by phMediaStudio, LLC
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