May 2026. For this post, I'm sharing an excerpt from my upcoming book, Onstage: A Journey From Fear to Faith. (working title). This is from the chapter called Rule Your Mind. It starts while I’m having a panic attack during a Los Angeles Philharmonic concert, many years ago, while on tour in Salzburg, Austria. I’m counting the measures until the 2nd violin solo entrance. Two bars to go. My body feels like jelly. I know I won’t be able to do this. But I pretend, and lift the

April 2026. Celebrations of Passover and Easter are getting underway this week, and it’s a great time to pause and reflect on their significance. Both holidays commemorate God bringing deliverance from slavery for His people. Passover was a foretelling of the ultimate deliverance that would come through Christ. In the Passover, it was deliverance for the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt. In the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, it was deliverance from

March 2026. The working title of the book is From Stage Fright to Strength: An Anxiety Fieldguide. Early on in my journey to overcoming anxiety, I came across a passage in the Bible, a goldmine, really…that became my template for how to face fear. In the Old Testament, 2 Chronicles 20 recounts how King Jehosophat and the people of God were about to be obliterated by three pagan armies that had joined forces against them. They were outgunned and outnumbered by a lot, with no h

February 2026. Years ago, in a passing fit of bravery, I volunteered to give the pre-concert talk at one of the LA Phil’s Casual Friday performances at Walt Disney Concert Hall. I had not attempted any public speaking before this, but I thought, how hard can it be? I composed my 5-minute speech, memorized it, practiced it, and promptly decided this had been a horrible idea. My anxiety grew as the day approached. I was terrified I would lose my nerve, have a memory slip, or tr

New Year’s Day, 2026. I love football. And it seems especially appropriate to talk football on Rose Bowl Day. (Go Hoosiers!) During a game, the offensive line tries to get the ball past the defense, down the field, and into the end zone for a touchdown. Sometimes the quarterback is sacked, and doesn’t even get to throw the ball; sometimes the offense only gains a couple yards. But the players just line up again for the next drive, and try to get the ball a little further. It’