Being a single parent creates unique challenges and struggles that are invisible to most people. So how do you walk through life as a single parent, especially if the relationship with the former spouse is strained? We are so blessed to welcome Singer/ Songwriter Andra Moran to this episode of the Music for the Soul Podcast. Andra shares her story of walking through a difficult divorce while performing as a singer across the country and how she used music as a catalyst to help her walk through t...
Jul 16, 2025•39 min•Season 4Ep. 7
“What started out as a simple trip home from the beach ended in a five-car pileup started by an uninsured, inattentive driver while we sat waiting at a red light." This is the start of a story of brokeness, healing, and restoration from our guest, author Carmen Leal. On today's episode of the Music for the Soul Podcast, Carmen shares with us how she healed from the emotional heartbreak and physical pain of a traumatic brain injury by adopting a dog, which she named Coconut. Carmen explains just ...
Jun 18, 2025•38 min•Season 4Ep. 6
We have spoken before on Music for the Soul the amount of physical, emotional, and spiritual trauma abortion can inflict. Today we are so blessed to welcome Founder and President of SaveOne, Sheila Harper, to this episode of the Music for the Soul Podcast. Sheila shares her story of having an abortion when she was just 19 years old and how traumatic the decision was for her. Over the course of 7 years, she describes her decent into addiction, isolation, and even attempted suicide. However, she b...
May 21, 2025•41 min•Season 4Ep. 5
On this week's episode of the Music for the Soul Podcast, we are starting a new series where we want to hear from you! We are looking for listeners who have been deeply impacted by music in their lives and would like to come on the show to share those stories with out listeners. Steve Siler shares his story of how music transformed his life and how a piece he originally wrote for a friend about the AIDs epidemic, We're All In This Together, helped kickstart his journey of what would eventually b...
Apr 16, 2025•37 min•Season 4Ep. 4
Miscarriage is a tragedy that strikes many expecting mother's every year. However, one area that can often times go overlooked is the impact it has on the fathers. That is why we are so blessed to welcome singer-songwriter Brian Parker to this heartfelt episode of Music for the Soul. Brian opens up about his personal journey through grief after experiencing a miscarriage as a husband. He shares how music helped him walk through the grief of loss and how a black and white dragonfly became his ins...
Mar 19, 2025•41 min•Season 4Ep. 3
God hides a teasure inside every affliction. These powerful words come from a guest we are honored to have on this episode of the Music for the Soul Podcast. Susan Piper joins us to share her story of how, guitar in hand, she walked into the Cleveland bars at 15 years old in pursuit of stardom. A couple of decades later, Jesus decided that was long enough and pulled her out again with His mighty outstretched arm. Listen in as Susan tells warm-hearted and self-deprecating stories of the people wh...
Feb 19, 2025•38 min•Season 4Ep. 2
We have discussed trauma on many episodes of the Music for the Soul Podcast. However, today's discussion really digs down to the root of trauma and what recovery, support and healing look like for victims struggling with big T and little t trauma. Our guest on today's episode is licensed professional counselor, EMDR trauma Therapist and author Lisa Saruga, as she speaks on different points from her debut book, The Trauma Tree . Lisa shares the story of recovering from her own trauma at 18 years ...
Jan 22, 2025•47 min•Season 4Ep. 1
As we close out 2024, Music for the Soul reflects on the extraordinary guests who’ve graced our podcast this year. In this week’s special episode, we revisit some of our most memorable moments with living legends of the music industry—Gloria Gaither, Larnell Harris, and Bob Farrell. Steve and Becky share what made these conversations truly special, as they explore the heartfelt stories and life-changing insights these icons shared about their careers, personal journeys, and the transformative po...
Dec 18, 2024•47 min•Season 3Ep. 30
The holidays are often a time spent with family, friends, and festive traditions. Yet for many, this season can also bring feelings of stress, sadness, or loneliness. In this episode, we are honored to welcome Sue Foster, a licensed marriage and family therapist, to help us navigate these complex emotions. Sue dives into common challenges people face during the holidays—whether it's tension within families, financial or medical hardships, or struggles with depression and anxiety. Sue shares prac...
Dec 04, 2024•44 min•Season 3Ep. 29
We've spoken a lot about anxiety and stress on the last few episodes of the Music for the Soul Podcast. They both can be debilitating and raise a lot of "what if" questions in our lives. However, what would happen if we started asking "what if this is God's best for my life?" We are so blessed to welcome vocalist Ally Jackson to this week's episode of the Music for the Soul Podcast. We had the pleasure of having Ally perform for several tracks on our newest project, What Hope Says , and today sh...
Nov 20, 2024•39 min•Season 3Ep. 28
Stress can play a large role in musicians lives. From expectations of how they will perform during events to personal anxiety about venues or songs, how can we find calm and peace when creating and performing music. Well we are so blessed to welcome Jeniffer Roig-Francoli to this week's episode of the Music for the Soul Podcast. Jennifer is an award-winning violinist who has performed on some of the biggest stages throughout the world. She shares with us the unique technique she learned that hel...
Nov 06, 2024•51 min•Season 3Ep. 27
This week's episode of the Music for the Soul Podcast is one that is very near to all of us at Music for the Soul. Founder Steve Siler shares his story about the creation of the song Whole in the Sight of God and the new music video to accompany it. Steve talks about going to get a routine ultrasound on his wife in 1994 and being told by the nurse that their son would be born with Spina Bifida. Spina Bifida is a rare birth defect where the baby's spinal cord doesn't develop properly, which can l...
Nov 03, 2024•35 min•Season 3Ep. 22
Welcome back to the second part of our two part discussion on Music for the Soul's newest project, What Hope Says. This week, Steve Siler, Scott Krippayne and Tony Wood discuss the second half of the album including the songs Tell Yourself the Truth , Taking Care of Me , Hope Says There's a Way , Merciful Jesus , Anyway , and Imagine God's Best . Steve shares that each of these songs serve to provide insight, hope and restoration for those walking through bouts of anxiety and how each of them ca...
Oct 23, 2024•45 min•Season 3Ep. 26
We are very excited to bring you this episode today with guests Scott Krippayne, Tony Wood, and our own Steve Siler as they discuss the creation and release of Music for the Soul's latest project, What Hope Says . The team talks about how What Hope Says was conceptualized, and that after years of discussion with therapists, the number one issue most people encounter or experience in their day to day lives is anxiety. Steve goes on to explain we live in a world of constant stressors and stimulati...
Oct 16, 2024•50 min•Season 3Ep. 25
Directing choirs is one of the most important pieces to delivering the emotion and depth of a song. That is why we are blessed to welcome Choral Director and Musician Chris Smith to this episode of the Music for the Soul Podcast. Chris shares his experience of directing choirs, starting in 1990 with a local church in Nashville at the request of one of his friends Reverend Dr. James K Bailey as a "one time thing". From there, Chris discovered his passion not only for creating music, but also mana...
Oct 02, 2024•44 min•Season 3Ep. 24
We are incredibly blessed to welcome a living legend to the Music for the Soul Podcast today: Grammy Award-winning singer Larnelle Harris. Join us as Larnelle shares stories from his remarkable career and reveals how his passion for singing began. He talks about starting out as a percussionist before transitioning to being a singer. However, just as his career began to take off, he faced a life-changing challenge—losing his voice. Larnelle states that this was a critical moment in his career tha...
Sep 18, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 3Ep. 23
Marketing is such an important aspect to businesses and non-profits alike. So what goes into managing a firm's brand image and creating engaging marketing that accurately reflects their message? We are blessed to have someone who has worked with Music for the Soul's social media and marketing for a few years, Kelsey Vredeveld. Kelsey shares her story of finding her passion for marketing, what drew her to working with us at Music for the Soul, and how God played a pivotal role in guiding her down...
Aug 21, 2024•41 min•Season 3Ep. 21
Finding your giftings in life can often take unexpected turns in where you end up and what the Lord calls you to do. We are very blessed to welcome legendary violinist and long time musican with Music for the Soul projects, David Davidson, to this week's episode of the Music for the Soul Podcast. David shares with us his story of studying and playing classical music from a young age. He shares that after picking up the violin at age 9, he continued to practice all throughout his academic career,...
Aug 07, 2024•32 min•Season 3Ep. 20
Sexual Trauma is a topic that we have covered many times here on the Music for the Soul Podcast. The impact of sexual abuse and the subsequent trauma is an event that truly reshapes the brain of the person who has to endure the horrible actions of another person. However, we always want to remind survivors out there that there is hope and healing from sexual trauma. That is why we are so blessed to welcome licensed therapist and founder of the Child Sexual Abuse Institute of Ohio, Vicky Didato. ...
Jul 24, 2024•46 min•Season 3Ep. 19
We have spoken a lot about loss on the Music for the Soul Podcast and how it affects all of us on a deep level physically, mentally and spiritually. But how should we walk through continual losses? When it seems loss begets loss and we struggle to find any mountain tops in the valleys of grief? Well we are so blessed to welcome Lee Spotts to share his story of hope through loss on this episode. Lee is a Worship Leader and Christian Counselor who's message is that music provides us with an outlet...
Jul 10, 2024•39 min•Season 3Ep. 18
We all strive in life to find comfort in a job and settle into a routine with it. However, what should we do if we feel the Lord calling to us that our season is changing? How can we find comfort in moments of our lives that feel downright uncomfortable? We are so blessed to welcome Grammy-Nominated Singer and Songwriter Denise Carite to this episode of the Music for the Soul Podcast. Denise has had a very illustrious career performing with artists such as Cold Play, Katy Perry, Stevie Wonder, a...
Jun 26, 2024•41 min•Season 3Ep. 17
We've spoken before about the difficulties caregiving can present to those caring for a parent or child and the strain it can put on the relationships in a family. Sometimes it can feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. So what can we do to find the beautiful in the ashes and pain of caring for a loved one? We are so blessed to welcome Award-Winning Author and Speaker Shelly Beach to this episode of the Music for the Soul Podcast. Shelly talks about her deep understanding of car...
Jun 12, 2024•44 min•Season 3Ep. 16
We've spoken a lot about abuse on this show and the lasting, traumatic impact it has on victims lives. So what does God say about abuse? What verses can we turn to when someone we know suffers from an abusive situation? We are so blessed to welcome Dale and Faith Ingraham from Speaking Truth In Love to this week's episode of the Music for the Soul Podcast. Faith tells her story as a survivor of childhood sexual abuse from her father, who was a pastor at their local church. She describes her rela...
May 29, 2024•50 min•Season 3Ep. 15
Getting good at any skill is something that takes practice. So, how can we learn to stay committed to our passions and refine them to the best of our abilities? Well, we are extremely blessed to welcome legendary musician, producer and composer, Jason Webb to this episode of the Music for the Soul Podcast. Jason speaks about his work in music starting at the age of 5, surrounded by a prolific family of musician. He shares how he developed a love for music as a whole, and how he dabbles in a vari...
May 15, 2024•45 min•Season 3Ep. 14
On today's episode of the Music for the Soul Podcast, we are blessed to welcome Dove Award winning songwriter Belinda Smith as our guest. Belinda shares her journey into becoming a songwriter starting during her childhood in the church services led by her grandfather in West Virginia. She explains how in songwriting it is important to find ways past the "editors" that live in our minds in order to get to the true depth a song can bring. Belinda also discusses what is important to look for when f...
May 01, 2024•45 min•Season 3Ep. 13
On this special episode of the Music for the Soul Podcast, we are taking time to talk about the life and impact of a dear friend to Music for the Soul, James Eric Myers. Eric tragically lost his life in a motorcycle accident at just 49 years old. So today, we are going to speak about how extraordinary Eric was in transforming the lives of others. Eric, a member of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment in the U.S. Army, worked passionately on helping other returning veterans with PTSD. He helped work...
Apr 17, 2024•45 min•Season 3Ep. 12
Losing a child is a grief that no parent should ever have to walk through. So what can you do if tragedy strikes and your child loses their life? We are so blessed to have Daphne Greer share her story on this episode of the Music for the Soul Podcast. Daphne speaks about the tragic day in 2008 when she lost her 5 year old daughter in a car accident, how she was able to find life again after the loss of her daughter, and how she is now working to help other grieving parents do the same. Daphne sp...
Apr 03, 2024•39 min•Season 3Ep. 11
Hymns are some of the most spiritually deep, emotionally charged songs in all of scripture. So how can these hymns provide hope to us in times of sudden or chronic suffering? We are so blessed to have author, speaker and singer Joni Eareckson Tada as our guest on today's episode of the Music for the Soul Podcast. Joni speaks about how she has become someone who preaches hope in the midst of constant suffering and how hymns have created a lasting, transformational change in her life. She also exp...
Mar 20, 2024•32 min•Season 3Ep. 10
God is the guiding force in our lives in everything that we do and it is through His words that we can change lives for the better. But what exactly does that look like when it comes to songwriting or performing? We are so blessed to have Grammy Nominated Singer/Songwriter couple Sam and Becca Mizell on this episode of the Music for the Soul Podcast. Sam and Becca share their story of how the Lord brought them together and really laid on their heart that they were meant to be husband and wife. F...
Mar 06, 2024•46 min•Season 3Ep. 9
Pornography addiction is something we've talked about extensively on this show and we've showcased the devistation it can have on someone's life, their relationships and their faith in God. So what leads people to pick up this addiction and how can they free themselves from it? We are so excited to have singer, musician and worship leader Michael O'Brien as our guest on this week's episode of the Music for the Soul Podcast. Michael shares his story of becoming a musician who played all over the ...
Feb 28, 2024•42 min•Season 3Ep. 8
