The Inner Take

Ramón Gardella
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The Inner Take is a podcast for musicians. A space to explore what happens inside us when we make music — the thoughts, emotions, doubts, and discoveries that shape how we play and who we become. Hosted by Ramón Gardella, each episode dives into the inner world of musicianship. Through personal reflections and conversations with other artists, this podcast goes beyond technique and performance. It focuses on the psychological, emotional, and human side of making music. This is not a podcast about scales, gear, or practice routines. It’s about identity, growth, creativity, and the inner journey behind every note. If you’re a musician searching for depth, clarity, and connection, you’re in the right place. New episodes regularly.

  1. 5 Fundamental Ideas Every Musician Needs to Hear

    1d ago

    5 Fundamental Ideas Every Musician Needs to Hear

    There are certain ideas that every musician encounters sooner or later, yet almost nobody talks about them. They shape the way we practice, perform, deal with fear, build a career, and understand our place in the world. After thirteen episodes and countless conversations with guests, colleagues, friends, and listeners, I realized that these five ideas keep appearing again and again. They are not small topics or simple self-help advice—they are fundamental questions that every artist eventually has to face. In this episode, I reflect on the five biggest lessons that have emerged through creating this podcast and through the conversations that have grown around it: • Why our inner world matters just as much as technical progress. • Why you are not alone in your fears, doubts, and insecurities. • The difference between making music and building a career. • Why understanding your true motivation changes the way you practice and perform. • And why nobody is ever going to give you permission to create your own project. If you have ever struggled with stage fright, self-doubt, imposter syndrome, or the feeling that you are constantly trying to live up to other people's expectations, this episode is for you. Because growing as an artist is not only about playing better. It is about learning to think more clearly, understanding yourself more deeply, and building a healthier relationship with music, creativity, and your own artistic path.

    27 min
  2. Patricia Pinheiro: Creativity, Identity & Mental Health for musicians

    May 24

    Patricia Pinheiro: Creativity, Identity & Mental Health for musicians

    What happens when the thing you love most also becomes the thing that breaks you? In this episode of The Inner Take Podcast, I talk with Portuguese oboist and performer Patricia Pinheiro about the emotional realities behind a life in music. Patricia shares her unusual beginning in music — auditioning for an instrument she didn’t even know how to play — and opens up about navigating abusive teachers, depression, self-doubt, and the many moments where she almost walked away from music completely. We talk about the inner voice musicians live with, the importance of asking for help, and why sometimes leaving music is not giving up, but creating space to reconnect with yourself and your creativity. This conversation also explores a powerful idea: maybe artists are not meant to fit into systems with rules already written for them. Maybe we are meant to create our own systems, our own ways of making art, living, and connecting. Patricia also speaks about A Mesa Project, an initiative that brings contemporary music into rural areas of Portugal, creating intimate shared experiences where music and local stories meet around one table. A deeply honest conversation about identity, fear, creativity, and remembering that what we do is not who we are. And maybe most importantly: if music stops being fun, we are allowed to imagine another way.

    1h 4m
  3. What Kind of Music Interpreter Are You?

    May 10

    What Kind of Music Interpreter Are You?

    In this episode, we explore a question that most musicians are never asked: What does it really mean to be a music interpreter? Many of us spend years improving technically, but we never stop to think about what kind of interpreter we are becoming — or where we actually want to go. Based on ideas from the book Music and Emotions, this episode presents four types of music interpreters, defined by their objectives, their way of studying, and their relationship with the music, the composer, and themselves. You may recognize yourself in one of them — or maybe in several. This episode invites you to become aware of your own path as a musician.

    23 min
  4. When Music Leads, Your Career Grows

    May 3

    When Music Leads, Your Career Grows

    What if the problem is not your talent… but your focus? Many musicians spend years trying to build a career — auditions, competitions, networking — and still feel empty, insecure, or stuck. In this episode, we talk about a fundamental idea that can change everything: Music is the cause. Career is the consequence. When you play only to be accepted, you lose your connection with music. When you reconnect with music, your career starts to move in a natural way. I also share a real story: how a simple improvisation with a woodblock became a piece I later composed (WB1), and how that moment—when I was just exploring, without trying to prove anything—opened unexpected opportunities in my career. We’ll also talk about something very important: 👉 What music are you not making because it doesn’t “fit” your career? And one key question that can change how you approach your instrument: Why do you play? Not for the result. Not for approval. But your real intention when you sit down to play. If you’ve been feeling disconnected, pressured, or stuck, this episode is for you. There is a place for you in music—exactly as you are.

    17 min
  5. Ina Greiner: The Artist & The Body

    Apr 26

    Ina Greiner: The Artist & The Body

    In this episode of The Inner Take Podcast, I’m very happy to welcome my first non-musician guest: Ina Greiner. Ina is a dancer and teacher of tango and folklore based in Cologne, originally from Berlin. Through many years of working with movement and body awareness, she has developed a deep understanding of the connection between body, expression, and presence. She is currently training in Transformative Bodywork, a practice that helps people reconnect with their bodies and release patterns that limit creativity, confidence, and well-being. This episode marks an important step for the podcast: TITP is not only for musicians, but for anyone exploring creativity, expression, and personal growth. We talk about the body as an instrument — something that is often overlooked, especially in music — and how physical awareness can directly influence performance, self-confidence, and artistic freedom. Ina shares how unconscious patterns and defense mechanisms are stored in the body, how they shape the energy we have available, and how we can begin to work with them more consciously. This episode is for you if you: • feel blocked in your creativity, performance, or motivation • struggle with fear, anxiety, or self-doubt • want to reconnect with your body and feel more present • are looking to develop more grounding, trust, and freedom Even if you’re not a musician, this episode is for you. And if you are — this might change the way you relate to your instrument.

    38 min
  6. Making Music vs. Building a Career in Music: The Key Difference

    Apr 19

    Making Music vs. Building a Career in Music: The Key Difference

    The difference between making music and building a career in music is the key to understanding why musicians suffer—because we spend our lives playing to be accepted by someone else. In this episode of The Inner Take Podcast, we explore a fundamental idea that can completely change how you understand your life as a musician. This is not just another concept. This is one of the main reasons why so many musicians feel lost, pressured, or disconnected from music. Why does something that once felt like pure play become something heavy? When does expression turn into the need for approval? And what happens when your music is no longer truly yours? Through personal experience and insights inspired by the book Music and Emotions by Mauricio Weintraub, this episode dives deep into the tension between inner expression and external validation. If you’ve ever questioned your path… If you’ve ever felt disconnected from your music… This might be one of those episodes that changes how you see everything.

    23 min
  7. When Guilt Takes Control

    Apr 12

    When Guilt Takes Control

    Guilt is one of the most common emotions in musicians. That voice in your head that says: “You should be practicing…” That feeling that no matter what you do, it’s never enough. In this episode of The Inner Take, we explore how guilt works, why it is so present in musicians, and how it can become destructive if we don’t question it. I also share a very personal story about how guilt led me to a panic attack during my studies—and what I learned from that experience. Finally, I give you practical tools to help you deal with guilt, organize your practice in a healthier way, and start building a better relationship with your music and yourself.

    24 min
  8. How You Listen Opens the Door to Your Inner Source

    Apr 4

    How You Listen Opens the Door to Your Inner Source

    In this episode, we move from theory into real experience. We explore something essential: your inner source—the place where your music truly comes from. But instead of starting with how you play, we begin with a different question: How do you listen? Because the way you listen shapes not only your experience with music—but also how you play, and how you speak to yourself as a musician. Through a personal experience at a concert by Mark Guiliana, we explore what happens when you truly open yourself to listening. What you feel, what you project, and how your sensitivity becomes a central part of your musical identity. We talk about: Listening for mistakes vs. listening to feel How your listening reflects your inner dialogue The role of the audience in shaping the performance Why reconnecting with your inner world changes your music This episode is an invitation to reconnect with your sensitivity—and start listening in a different way.

    23 min
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About

The Inner Take is a podcast for musicians. A space to explore what happens inside us when we make music — the thoughts, emotions, doubts, and discoveries that shape how we play and who we become. Hosted by Ramón Gardella, each episode dives into the inner world of musicianship. Through personal reflections and conversations with other artists, this podcast goes beyond technique and performance. It focuses on the psychological, emotional, and human side of making music. This is not a podcast about scales, gear, or practice routines. It’s about identity, growth, creativity, and the inner journey behind every note. If you’re a musician searching for depth, clarity, and connection, you’re in the right place. New episodes regularly.

Information

  • Creator
    Ramón Gardella
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    The Inner Take

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