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.

How to Share Music with Nancy Shear – How To Share

In this episode of "How to Share," host Wynne Leon engages in a captivating conversation with author and educator Nancy Shear about her memoir, "I Knew a Man Who Knew Brahms." Nancy shares her remarkable journey, beginning as a teenager who snuck into the Philadelphia Orchestra, which ultimately led to her career as an assistant librarian for the orchestra at just 17 years old. Through her stories, she recounts her encounters with legendary figures like conductor Leopold Stokowski and cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, revealing the behind-the-scenes workings of orchestras and the profound impact of music on her life. The discussion delves into the essence of classical music, its relevance in today's world, and the beauty it brings to our lives. Nancy emphasizes the importance of finding one's own path, especially for young people who may feel limited by financial constraints. Her insights on courage, creativity, and the transformative power of music resonate throughout the episode, leaving listeners inspired to embrace their own stories and opportunities.Takeaways:"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."Links for this episode:How To Share Music transcriptI Knew a Man Who Knew Brahms by Nancy Shear on Barnes & Noble, Amazon and Simon & SchusterNancy Shear's website: https://nancyshear.com/From the host:Wynne's blog: https://wynneleon.com and book about her beloved father: Finding My Father’s Faith
  1. How to Share Music with Nancy Shear
  2. How to Share Snapshots of the American Dream
  3. How To Share: From International Lawyer to Thriller Writer
  4. How to Share Our Luck with Gil Gillenwater
  5. How to Share 1970's Chicago with Doug. E. Jones

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.

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    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!

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  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.

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  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!

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    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!

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  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.

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    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!

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    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!

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  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…

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  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!

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