Lloyd Goldstein is a certified music practitioner at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida

Today’s episode features Lloyd Goldstein, who has transitioned from playing in the Florida Orchestra to his current role working as a certified music practitioner at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa.  It’s so exciting to speak with someone who has continued to evolve so dramatically in his craft and career throughout his life.  Lloyd’s path is unconventional and inspirational.

We get into all sorts details about Lloyd’s life like his “burning bush” moment that propelled him into a career on the bass, his circuitous path to the Florida Orchestra, discovering François Rabbath, the multiple benefits he has experienced from his practice of yoga, and how he came to find himself in his current role as a certified music practitioner.

Links:

• Lloyd’s website
• PBS program featuring Lloyd’s work at Moffitt
• Music for Healing and Transition Program
• Albums and book

Interview Highlights

Early Years

• bass first musical instrument
• no bass lessons outside of 1/2 hour weekly public school lessons
• graduated high school early, started college at 16
• decided at 20 that he wanted to study bass
• had a “burning bush” moment propelling him to the bass during a table saw injury
• began to study bass through several Florida schools, eventually began to study with Lucas Drew
• practicing 5+ hours a day
• got a job in the Florida Gulf Coast Orchestra, eventually became the Florida Orchestra
• stayed there for 21 years

Discovering François Rabbath

• 10 years into his time at the Florida Orchestra, Lloyd felt like he had hit a wall in his bass playing
• went to George Vance workshop in Washington D.C. area where Rabbath was teaching
• that was “the” moment for him
• started making yearly trips to Paris to study with François
• would practice all day and walk around Paris at night
• learning the “first bow stroke” – the son premier on which all other bow strokes are based
• the forearm is the conductor and the wrist and fingers are relatively passive
• François says that we never unlearn anything – you don’t get rid of bad habits – you add new skills

The Power of Practicing Yoga – 700 pieces of writing emanated from Lloyd’s first two years of practicing yoga and 400 drawings – eventually compiled into Lloyd’s book Inside Yoga

Finding balance between organized practice goals and “obsessing” on something

Working in a hospital environment

• Lloyd had started to compose simple melodies from which pieces emerged
• through yoga practice, kept getting this inner self message to do volunteer work
• began to volunteer at Moffitt Cancer Center
• learned about certified music practitioners through contact at Moffitt
• became certified and began to work in the Moffitt Arts In Medicine program
• took a year’s leave from the Florida Orchestra to try out this new career and loved it
• got hired as an artist-in-residence at Moffitt 8 years ago
• performing versus giving a gift of music
• details about the experience of performing in this setting
• the idea of entrainment and meeting patients where they are
• entrainment has two aspects to it:
  • physical
  • psychological/emotional