How to Share Music

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“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the wind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.” – Plato

I’ve seen it on Hallmark cards, Instagram, Facebook, and journal covers. It’s the image of someone doing something gutsy like jumping over a chasm with the words, “Leap and the net will appear.”

I think I’ve found variations of this idea in every spiritual tradition and book of writing advice that I’ve studied. There is something powerful in setting your sights on something and THEN figuring how to make it happen.

Hearing someone else’s story about how they did this is pure inspirational gold. In this episode of the How to Share podcast, author and educator Nancy Shear tells her story of leaping. She was 15 years old when she first heard the Philadelphia Orchestra. She knew she had hear more but she didn’t have the price of the ticket. Through patience and pluck she figured out how to go in by the stage door – and that led to the amazing stories she tells in her book, I Knew a Man Who Knew Brahms.

Nancy and I talk about how sneaking in through the back door of the Philadelphia Orchestra opened so many fascinating doors in her life such landing the job as the assistant librarian to the Philadelphia Orchestra at age 17. We get to ride along with Nancy to meet all the incredible people she got to know including the wonderfully charismatic conductor Leopold Stokowski who starred in Disney’s Fantasia to the incredible cellist Mstislav Rostropovich.

Nancy lets us in on so many fantastic aspects of the workings of an orchestra and I reveal some of the ways her book changed how I listen to a performance. Her nerve, grit, and storytelling will leave you amazed and inspired. I know you’ll love this conversation with the delightful Nancy Shear.

Here are some favorite quotes:

  • “If you have no choice, then you make a life.”
  • “Money is not necessary; it led to my going backstage and meeting all these people.”
  • “Beauty still matters in this battered world.”
  • “What is to lose? You’re walking into a room of human beings.”
  • “Writing the book was where the courage really came in.”

And here’s Nancy telling the story of sneaking in to the Philadelphia Orchestra:

Here are some ways you can watch this fascinating and delightful episode:

Please listen, watch, provide feedback and subscribe.

48-How to Get Unstuck: Michael Yang on Saying Yes, Resilience, and Coming Alive – The Life of Try: Personal growth, one try at a time.

What happens when you say “yes” to an adventure? Host Wynne Leon talks with tech entrepreneur and author Michael Yang about his memoir Coming Alive on the Ride and the way motorcycle travel became both a literal journey and a powerful metaphor for personal growth. Michael shares how stepping outside your familiar environment can help you hear “life’s invitation” to dream, venture, and rediscover what makes you feel fully awake.Together they explore resilience through the Korean concept of han—the accumulated weight of difficult circumstances—and how setbacks can become fuel for perseverance. Michael reflects on immigrating from Korea at 14, building a life through gratitude and hard work, and learning (again and again) that rejection doesn’t have to be the end of the story.From riding thousands of miles with a lifelong friend to a memorable run-in with Steve Jobs at Macy’s in 1982, Michael’s stories remind us that courage grows through companionship and curiosity. They also discuss the Korean guiding philosophy of Hongik—living in a way that benefits all humankind—and how our bravest tries can ripple outward in ways we may not expect.In this episode, we cover:Why “accepting the invitation” is simple—but the road rarely runs straightHow to tell the difference between healthy risk and avoidable dangerHan, perseverance, and turning setbacks into strengthThe immigrant mindset: gratitude, effort, and going for opportunityFriendship as a confidence builder—on the road and in lifeCuriosity, rejection, and holding onto a vision (plus the Steve Jobs story)Hongik: living for the wider benefit and making a positive dent in the worldWhether you’re craving a literal road trip or a fresh start at home, this conversation will nudge you toward your next brave yes.The Life of Try is a personal growth and self‑help podcast about getting unstuck, navigating uncertainty, and choosing to try—even when it’s uncomfortable, inconvenient, or not your idea.Hosted by Wynne Leon, the show explores how real growth, reinvention, and discovery often begin not with confidence or clarity—but with a single attempt. Through thoughtful interviews, reflective conversations, and real‑world case studies, each episode examines what it looks like to keep going when doubt shows up, plans fall apart, or life forces a change you didn’t ask for.This podcast is for anyone who:Feels stuck or uncertain about what’s nextIs navigating change, burnout, or reinventionWants to live more intentionally without pretending growth is easyBelieves progress starts by trying—again and againThe Life of Try isn’t about hustle or perfection. It’s about learning as you go, surfacing what matters, and sharing what you discover along the way.If you’re ready to surf the uncertainty, outlast the doubts, and step into your own try‑cycle, you’re in the right place.Links for this episode:48-How to Get Unstuck: Michael Yang on Saying Yes, Resilience, and Coming Alive transcriptMichael Yang's websiteComing Alive on the Ride at Barnes & Noble, Amazon
  1. 48-How to Get Unstuck: Michael Yang on Saying Yes, Resilience, and Coming Alive
  2. 47-From Stuck to Momentum: Thomas Edison’s Method for Progress (Try, Learn, Improve, Repeat)
  3. 46: The Quiet Transformation That Changes Everything
  4. 45: The Life of Try: Alex Honnold Case Study
  5. How to Share a Reimagined Sci-Fi Trilogy with Dr. Wayne Runde

Links for this episode:

How To Share Music transcript

I Knew a Man Who Knew Brahms by Nancy Shear on Barnes & Noble, Amazon and Simon & Schuster

Nancy Shear’s website: https://nancyshear.com/

From the host:

My book about my beloved father: Finding My Father’s Faith

(featured photo from Pexels)

(quote from Jennie Fitzkee – Edelweiss)

30 thoughts on “How to Share Music”

  1. Quite a story and one that is easy for me to relate to. I also did a bit of sneaking into Chicago Symphony concerts, eventually published a few articles for an about musicians, and became the CSO’s unofficial oral historian for over two decades. Good for Nancy’s recognition that doors open and it is essential that we walk through them. Such decisions depend on our recognition and belief that we will fit in and do good on the other side of the door. Nancy’s professional success made for an interesting and satisfying life, and, I imagine, somewhat of an escape from the difficult childhood she referred to. Cheers to her and thanks for introducing us to her, Wynne.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I thought of you and your experiences with the CSO as I was reading her book and doing this interview. I know you agree that music matters and how deeply it can touch us!

      Your other comments are so true – we have to hold that belief we will fit in and do good on the other side of the door. Well said, Dr. Stein. Thank you for tuning in!

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Fascinating story. Love how Nancy tells the story. Love her quotes too. “If you have no choice, then you make a life.” Wow, so relatable. And yes, beauty still matters in this battered world. Makes me want to sneak into the next concert on my bucket list. If I get caught and put into handcuffs, I’m telling security and local police that Surprised by Joy: How to Share Music gave me the encouragement I needed to sneak in to see the concert!! Ha, ha, love it Wynne.

    Liked by 2 people

  5. This is crazy, Wynne, but when Nancy started with her story of meeting Eugene Ormandy by the back door, I instantly “saw” his name on an album that my father listened to; I know I remember that name. I love how Nancy needed classical music and her comment about why classical music matters because it can still elicit a response, a beautiful response; wow. Here is someone who needed to publish her stories for the rest of us. She is very impressive. Or, as you say, her stories are legendary. So cool!

    Liked by 4 people

    1. I love this comment, Melanie! How cool that you connected to Eugene Ormandy’s name like that – that is so cool! Thank you so much for tuning in – given the way you listen, I can imagine that there is much about these stories that you relate to! Thank so much for the generous comment!

      Liked by 1 person

  6. I look forward to listening to the entire podcast. What a fascinating story. I’m sure I’ll appreciate Nancy Shear’s story coming from a musical family and now my DIL’s family of musicians. Of seven siblings, they all went to college on string instrument scholarships. Two are professional musicians now.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Seven out of seven scholarships with two professional musicians. That’s incredible! I hope you enjoy all Nancy’s stories – she really is remarkable and the book is great!

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  10. Live a life of courage and to admire the beauty that endures through time and darkness. What a beautiful conversation, Wynne and Nancy! The wonderful thing about teenage hood is that courage to do things like sneaking into the back door, figuratively and literally. What a life, career and community it opened up.

    A mature society is one that makes the arts and cultural experiences available more freely to its youth and this conversation demonstrates that so strongly. And you both also had me at librarian. 🙂 What a unique aspect of librarianship!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I love your librarian connection, Ab. Nancy has so many wonderful details about that aspect of her work in her book about being an orchestra library that I thought were fascinating. You are so right about the freedom in teenage hood. Such a great point! Thanks for tuning in!

      Liked by 1 person

  11. What a wonderfully inspiring interview!
    This quote really stuck out to me, especially now: “Beauty still matters in this battered world.” 💞
    And Rostropovich’s story of defending human rights – wow – what a price he paid.
    Can you imagine the joy of being an orchestra librarian?
    And I love how near the end of the interview Nancy says: “I really didn’t want to die with the information that I had accumulated all these years about, mainly about people and humanity and most of all about my beloved classical music. So I had to write this book. had no choice.” I think most writers ‘feel’ this, they have to write because they have no choice…

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Thanks for a magnificent podcast, Wynee and Nancy! “I was very young and someone gave me a ticket to the Philadelphia Orchestra. And I went to that one concert, and I was overwhelmed with the beauty of it. … And listening to that was one of the great experiences of my life.” – simply beautiful!

    Liked by 1 person

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