Introducing Season 7: Culture & Courage

日本語のYouTubeチャンネル. Hi everyone, this is Yukimi. I hope you're having a wonderful summer. I wanted to check in and share a little preview of what's coming as we get ready for Season 7 this September. Over the past 6 years, our show has grown into something I never could have imagined. What began in the summer of 2020 as a small, independent project has become a global community of artists, educators, students, and music lovers who believe that meaningful conversations matter. Before we officially begin Season 7, I wanted to take a few minutes to talk about the theme I chose for this season and why it feels important to me right now. Starting with Season 5, I began giving each season a 2-word theme. Season 5 was Authenticity and Joy, and Season 6 was Creativity and Connection. At first, I thought these themes would simply help me organize the season, but they became much more than that. They became intentions, changed the way I prepared for interviews, the questions I asked, and the way I listened. And without forcing it, the conversations naturally began to gather around those ideas. So, when I started thinking about Season 7, I found myself searching for another pair of words. I thought about innovation, leadership, vision, curiosity, All important ideas, but none of them felt quite complete. Then I realized I kept coming back to this word: culture. And for this season, I don't mean culture as something decorative or performative. I don't mean culture as a label. I mean culture as a way of seeing. Culture changes how we understand beauty, meaning, and artistry. It reminds us that our own experience is not the only lens through which the world can be understood. To me, culture is curiosity, context, discernment, and the willingness to be shaped by people, places, histories, and ideas beyond our own familiar world. It deepens our taste, sharpens our questions, helps us create work with more imagination, humility, and humanity. But culture alone isn't enough. At some point, culture has to become action. That's where courage comes in. And by courage, I don't mean being loud for the sake of being loud. I don't mean being controversial just to get attention. I mean the courage to stop beyond the supposed to's, the expected career, the expected repertoire, expected role, and expected path. The courage to create something that doesn't exist yet. The courage to risk comfort in pursuit of meaning. As I have reflected on nearly 150 episodes of this podcast, I realized something. I am not interested in interviewing artists simply because they are accomplished. Of course, excellence matters. It always will. But I am increasingly drawn to fellow artists whose excellence extends beyond performance. Artists who build communities, artists who commission new music, who cross disciplines, who rethink education, Create opportunities for others? Shape culture, not just participate in it? Those are the conversations I want to have. And that's why Season 7 will mark a new chapter for The Piano Pod. This season, we will be producing monthly carefully curated conversations instead of 20. The goal is not to do more, It's to go deeper. We will also continue expanding beyond the podcast through more live events, institutional partnerships, and opportunities to bring those conversations into physical spaces. I've always believed that meaningful dialogue builds community. Now I want to explore what that looks like beyond the screen. So as I curate Season 7, I'd love your help. If you know a musician, educator, composer, innovator, entrepreneur, or creative leader whose work embodies culture and courage, I hope you will nominate them. And if that person is you, I'd love to hear from you as well. The best conversations often begin with a simple introduction. Thank you for being part of this community. Thank you for listening. And for believing that thoughtful dialogue still has a place in our profession. I am so excited about what's ahead. Season 7 begins this September. I can't wait to share it with you. Welcome to the next chapter of The Piano Pod with Yukimi Song with Yukimi Song with Yukimi Song. Culture and courage.