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Hello, friends, and welcome back to the PianoPod.

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I am Yukimi -san, and I am so excited to kick

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off Season 6 with you. I hope your summer gave

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you space to recharge, to create, and even to

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stumble into some unexpected musical discoveries.

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As we step into this new season, I want to invite

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you into a theme that has been sitting on my

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heart for months. Creativity and connection.

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We're going to go deeper. Beyond polished performances,

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beyond perfect takes, we are celebrating the

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stories behind the curtain. The moments of process,

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risk, and rediscovery. Because, let's be honest,

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art doesn't come from perfection. It comes from

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the honest, messy, exhilarating work in between.

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Last season was such a milestone for The Pianopod.

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20 episodes, 6 generous sponsors, over 350 ,000

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downloads. Nearly 3 ,000 YouTube subscribers

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and recognition in outlets like Yahoo Finance,

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Insider, and the Quill Podcast Awards. None of

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that would have happened without you, your listens,

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your shares, and your support. Truly, this is

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as much your community as it is mine, and I am

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so grateful. So what's ahead in Season 6? We

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are starting strong. First up... is Chad Lawson,

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Stymie artist, Billboard charting composer, and

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United Nations Arts Ambassador. Chad has reimagined

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classical piano as a space for stillness and

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connection. Through his recordings and his podcast,

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Calm It Down, he invites millions of listeners

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to slow down, breathe, and find calm in the middle

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of life's chaos. This first episode of Season

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6 will drop next Tuesday, September 9th at 8

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p .m. Eastern Time everywhere you listen to podcasts

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and, of course, on YouTube. I hope you will join

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us. Then we'll hear from Madalena Danila and

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Hugh Sung, the award -winning Mada and Hugh piano

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duo. Their partnership is extraordinary. Two

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brilliant artists daring to take risks together.

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Their artistry radiates joy and creativity, and

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their innovative arrangements and collaborations

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show us how music can bridge cultures and remind

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us that classical musicians are not just performers.

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We are creators, shaping music in many forms.

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That episode premieres on Tuesday, September

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23rd at 8pm Eastern Time on our YouTube channel.

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And here is something I have been bursting to

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share. For the very first time, the PianoPod

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is stepping onto the stage for a live concert.

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On October 4, 2025, at Stiefel Hall at the New

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School, we'll gather for an afternoon of performances,

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interviews, and conversation presented in partnership

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with Manus Prep at the New School, a pre -college

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music program offering comprehensive and nurturing

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pre -professional training. In this special live

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concert, You will hear from our alumni guests,

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multi -award -winning filmmaker and pianist Donna

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Wang Friedman, MIT -trained engineer and founder

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of Keys to Success, Dr. Jihoon Kerska, pianist

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and founder, artistic director of Juneteenth

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LP, Dr. Nena Agwo, and pianist, arranger, and

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recording artist Eleanor Byneman, known for her

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innovative Bach transcriptions. Together, these

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four visionary women will share powerful performances

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and meaningful conversations that highlight the

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many ways music builds, impacts, and sustains

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community. This season is also expanding how

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we connect. On Substack, you will find Meet Our

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Guest, my reflections on each artist's creative

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pulse. For paid subscribers, behind the mic.

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exclusive posts where I share personal stories,

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production notes, and creative lessons I have

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learned along the way. And in addition to our

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regular lineup, I'll be sharing three bonus mini

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episodes, casual intimate catch -ups with past

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guests. This season of creativity and connection

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is an invitation to listen more closely, to feel

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more deeply. and to experience classical music

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not as a finished product, but as a living story

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in motion. Thank you for being here, for making

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this community possible, and for believing in

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the power of music and human connection. If you'd

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like to support this work, please subscribe to

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the PianoPod on Substack and YouTube, follow

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us on social media, share an episode with a friend,

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And if you are in New York, join us live on October

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4 at Stiefel Hall in New York City. I am Yukimi

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Song, and this is The Piano Pod. Let's make Season

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6 a space where music isn't just heard, but felt,

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shared, and reimagined together. See you next

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week, September 9 at 8 p .m. Eastern, for our

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first full episode with Chad Lawson. You don't

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want to miss it.