Paving Your Own Path and Rethinking Success with Parisa Zaeri | #54

Click here to access a written transcript of this episode.

In this episode, I am delighted to give y'all a window into my longest-running friendship. I'm chatting with my childhood bestie, Parisa Zaeri, who is an accomplished conductor, coach, and collaborative pianist.

We talk about our own experiences growing up involved in the arts and how the music education we received has continued to affect our lives years later. We also delve into the problems with hustle culture and how rethinking success can allow you to live a life that is the best fit for you.

We discussed:

• Parisa's upbringing as a musician and the path her music career has taken up to this point.
• Striking the right balance when something you're really passionate about is also something you're relying on to make money.
• The harm caused by defining success in a limited way and glorifying hustle culture.
• The importance of having hobbies and creative endeavors that aren't monetized, especially if you're an artist.
• The impact music education had on Parisa's life growing up, and the ways in which kids are suffering from the budget cuts to arts funding.
• Artsy classes as a home for many misfits in high school.
• What it's been like for Parisa as a woman working in the very male-dominated field of conducting (and why she chooses not to focus on it).
• How Parisa defines health and wellness for herself at this moment in her life.

Mentioned in This Episode

• Pacific Opera Project
• The Colburn School
• Opera Colorado
• STEM vs STEAM

Featured in This Episode

Parisa Zaeri (she/her) is a native of Dallas and maintains an active career as a conductor, coach, and collaborative pianist. When not performing, Parisa spends her time advocating for arts education, most recently as the Impact & Assessment Analyst at The Colburn School. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband, cellist Zack Reaves, and two dogs, Cassie and Blue. You can find Parisa on her website, Instagram, and Facebook.