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-Gómez — Acting Associate Concertmaster of the Atlanta Symphony — shares the inner transformation that led her back to herself, her artistry, and her love of music.

Lauren opens up about:

• Nearly walking away from the violin
• The internal pressures and perfectionism that buried her love for music
• Rebuilding self-worth from the inside out
• What it means to cultivate an inner coach
• How freedom became her guiding lighthouse
• The moment she realized her worth wasn't tied to a single note, run, or result
• Her career pivot rooted in creating a life aligned with her values
• How self-compassion — not self-criticism — became her most powerful performance tool
• Whether you're a musician, a creative, or someone who has ever questioned your path, Lauren's story is a reminder that you're allowed to evolve, to reconnect, and to come home to your art — one opus at a time…

Timestamps

(00:00) - Introduction

(02:19) - Interview begins

(04:01) - Why Lauren chose coaching

(07:00) - Ebb and flow of violin journey, and making it her own

(11:30) - Tackling feelings of inadequacy, perfectionism and muddy waters

(13:35) - Self-compassion

(15:25) - Concerto moment: performance shift + self-worth

(20:30) - Audition journey: inner coach + critic, resilience amidst obstacles

(27:15) - The desire to win, balanced with with releasing any outcome

(32:12) - Knowing yourself: self-determination, discipline, perseverance, fierce self-compassion

(35:50) - Create the life you want: career pivot, values work, decisions from self-trust and self-love

(42:10) - How being yourself is the best way to honor your teachers

(45:48) - Rapid fire questions

Also - Come say hi! @mindfulopus on Instagram, or mindfulopus.com

When your worth depends on your results, and how that pressure leads to burnout.

If your inner-critic has been running the show — the one that tells you you're only as worthy as your latest performance, audition result, or practice session — this episode is for you.

In this conversation, I share the real cost of being your own worst critic: how tying your worth to your results quietly fuels burnout, anxiety, procrastination, and overworking. We'll look at what happens in your nervous system when you practice from a place of threat instead of safety, and why "pushing harder" stops working over time.

From there, we start shifting from inner-critic to inner-coach. Drawing on the work of Dr. Kristin Neff, I'll walk you through the idea of self-compassion as inner resilience training — both the tender support that lets you rest, and the fierce support that helps you set boundaries, show up, and take brave action without the whip. You'll be invited to build your own inner-resilience toolbox for body, mind, and music, so you can work in a way that's sustainable and kind.

In this episode, we explore:

• How tying your self-worth to your results is hurting you, on and off stage
• Why harsh self-criticism backfires (and actually blocks learning)
• The difference between judgment and data — and how to actually progress in a healthy way
• Tender vs. fierce self-compassion, and how both ways support your artistry and your life
• How to start creating your own inner-resilience toolbox so you can practice, perform, and live from a place of safety instead of fear

Because when your worth is no longer tied to your artistic product, your nervous system can settle, your curiosity can return, and you create sustainable growth in a way that serves you long-term.

Listen on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube.

Also - Come say hi! @mindfulopus on Instagram, or mindfulopus.com

A conversation around vulnerability, long-haul artistry, and the case for communication over perfection—through the lens of a 35-year run in one of the most high-pressure chairs in the orchestral world.

In this episode, I sit down with my friend and musical hero, Joshua Smith—Grammy-nominated Principal Flute of The Cleveland Orchestra. We trace his early musical journey (yes, it all started with a cool flute case), how showtunes and theatre taught him phrasing and stage presence, and why he's not interested in perfection as a goal. Josh shares how curiosity helps him meet the pressures of a 35-year career, why he resists having a rigid "formula," and how meditation, yoga, and his recent sabbatical re-anchored him into his "beginner's mind". We also talk about his new audition books, The Audition Method and how his core artistic value – communication – has guided him all these years.

Favorite quote: "You can't really have freedom and safety at the same time".

Who this is for

If you're in a high-pressure performing environment and want to know how to cultivate a healthy long-term approach to high-standards and limitless curiosity and freedom in the process, this one's for you.

Timestamps

(03:10) Early days in music (acting, musicals, phrasing, communication)

(12:10) Life is the high-pressure chair (pressure, curiosity, authenticity, perfection, inner-critic, shame, vulnerability, freedom)

(36:50) Yoga, meditation, sabbatical, hobbies + creativity, audition book

(58:25) Rapid fires

Mentioned

• Debussy: Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune
  
• Beethoven Symphony No. 9
• Brené Brown on perfectionism & vulnerability
• Tara Brach (talks), Yoga Nidra
• Slow Horses (series)
• The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny (novel)
• New York Times Book Review (podcast)

Guest

Joshua Smith — Principal Flute, The Cleveland Orchestra (Grammy-nominated), author of The Audition Method (flute; series also includes clarinet & violin).
IG: @JoshuaSoloFlute • Web: soloflute.com

Connect with me

IG: @mindfulopus • Web: mindfulopus.com

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