Tapasya Loading
Tapasya Loading is hosted by Indian-German Musician / Educator and founder of the Holistic Musician Academy, T.L.Mazumdar.
This podcast is a safe space to attempt honest, raw, and authentic conversation in homage to the act of stoking a sacred fire. Through open conversations and exchanges with fellow artists and thought-leaders, it pays proverbial homage to the ancient ritual of burning fear away with love and joy.
(Disclaimer: the views and opinions of the guests are not necessarily reflective of the show).
New to Tapasya Loading?
45
Feb. 7, 2022
Studying Traditions authentically and Navigating Multiple Musical Modalities in a Contemporary Context with Pete Lockett
Pete Lockett speaks to T.L. Mazumdar
56
Jan. 3, 2023
Blurring Lines Between Performing and Teaching, Common Causes of Piano Injury, Unpacking Jazz Piano Pedagogy in 2023 and Mistakes to Avoid in Audience Building w/ Noah Kellman
Noah Kellman talks to T.L. Mazumdar
41
Nov. 18, 2021
Common Threads between Miles Davis, Carlos Santana, Sheila E, The Crusaders and Enjoying Fresh Strawberries with Benny Rietveld
Bassist with Miles Davis and Carlos Santana speaks to T.L. Mazumdar
Feb. 15, 2021
Multiple Lifetimes In One With Kai Eckhardt (Pt 1)
T.L. Mazumdar talks to legendary Liberian-German Jazz-Fusion Bassist Kai-Eckhardt.
62
March 21, 2023
Demystifying PR for the Post-Pandemic, Hyphenated, Independent Artist w/ Ariel Hyatt
NYC-based Founder of Cyber PR and Bestselling Author Ariel Hyatt Speaks to T.L. Mazumdar
65
June 13, 2023
Creating Great Art and Taking Care of Your Fans w/ Emily White
Amazon #1 best-selling author and podcaster Emily White speaks to T.L. Mazumdar
43
Jan. 10, 2022
'Effortless Mastery' to 'Becoming the Instrument' with Kenny Werner
Iconic Pianist/Composer and Author of 'Effortless Mastery' Kenny Werner speaks to T.L. Mazumdar.
68
Aug. 8, 2023
’Good’, Bad’ and ’Perfect’ Music w/ Jake Sherman
Brooklyn-based Pianist/Singer-Songwriter/Producer/Multi-instrumentalist Jake Sherman speaks to T.L. Mazumdar.
78
March 7, 2024
Theoretical Physics and the Internal Integrity of Music w/ John Matthias
Dr. John Matthias Speaks to T.L. Mazumdar
126
Aug. 26, 2025
Redefining Rockstar w/ Graham Cochrane
(Rec. 5th March 2025) Some revolutions begin in the mind of someone who never set out to be the loudest in the room. Graham Cochrane’s story is a reminder that the word “rockstar” doesn’t always mean what we were taught it does. When his bandmates in school abandoned the dream for law firms and investment banking, he chose the harder road, ignoring his counselor's insistence on focusing on that 'real job' in college applications. The result? A near-miss record deal in Nashville, the wei
132
Oct. 7, 2025
Otherness, Art, and the The Myth of the ‘Professional Musician’ w/ Soumik Datta
Composer, sarodist, and cultural shapeshifter Soumik Datta joins T.L. Mazumdar for a conversation that goes far beyond the usual talk of craft and career. Born in Mumbai and raised in London, Soumik grew up between cultures, mentored by Pandit Buddhadev Das Gupta in Kolkata and later trained in composition at Trinity Laban. Today, he stands as one of the rare contemporary artists bridging heritage and innovation with equal devotion. His work spans collaborations with Beyoncé, Anoushka Shan
136
Nov. 4, 2025
Surrender, Mortality and why Sound Remains w/ Rez Abbasi
In his third appearance on Tapasya Loading, guitarist, composer, and educator Rez Abbasi joins T.L. Mazumdar for a conversation that begins with music but doesn’t end there. Born in Karachi and raised in California, NYC-based guitarist Rez has long been a bridge between worlds: jazz, South Asian and urban traditions, intellect and instinct, virtuosic precision and play. Award-winning touring and recording artist and teacher at the New School in New York, he is known for a sound that is as
142
Dec. 16, 2025
From Busyness to Sustainability w/ Sæunn Thorsteinsdóttir
Sæunn happens to be one of the most respected cellists in the world, performing with orchestras like the Los Angeles Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, and Iceland Symphony, and in venues like Carnegie Hall, Barbican, and Suntory Hall, to name just a few accolades. She’s basically one of the best out there, for those who find language like that easier to understand. But what makes Sæunn stand out beyond her accolades are the challenges she throws at accepted narratives both in the classical music wo
148
Jan. 29, 2026
Freedom, Love and Identity w/ Peter Crone
For over twenty years, Peter Crone (‘’The Mind Architect’’, ‘’Human Ayahuasca’’), has worked with some of the world’s most elite athletes, CEOs, artists, and Hollywood icons, helping them dissolve the mental constructs that create limitation and suffering. His approach doesn't attempt to offer behavioural fixes or quick-fix strategies, but goes where generic self-help tends to tiptoe around: dismantling the core beliefs underneath accepted constraints in the first place. Recorded with a li
154
March 12, 2026
Safety, Trust and the Piano w/ Pallavi Mahidhara
(Rec. 23rd Oct 2025) Photo: © Peter Pavlov When a serendipitous turn of events resulted in Mahidhara's international debut being on one of the most visible stages of the world, the cascade of events that followed leading to an illustrious career that breaks multiple stereotypes in the arts industry by default, was not on a premeditated agenda, but a natural bi-product of a passionate and tenacious work ethic amply apparent even in her earlier formative years. We dig deeper to trace t
174
Aug. 28, 2026
Rocking the Boat w/ Vivienne Aerts
Five years after her first appearance on Tapasya Loading, New York-based Dutch vocalist, composer, producer, educator and psychologist Vivienne Aerts returns as our first-ever guest to make a second reappearance.
Her new album, Current, was created aboard a tiny wooden sailboat that Vivienne and her husband, Ted Steinebach, first bought during the pandemic. What began with a fascination for the acoustics of open water eventually became a floating studio, travelling from Leiden towards Amsterd
Her new album, Current, was created aboard a tiny wooden sailboat that Vivienne and her husband, Ted Steinebach, first bought during the pandemic. What began with a fascination for the acoustics of open water eventually became a floating studio, travelling from Leiden towards Amsterd
173
Aug. 21, 2026
The Problem With ‘Holistic’
What happens when you stop trying to force incompatible parts of yourself into a single coherent identity, and recognize that the relationship between those parts is the identity itself instead?
Read the article.
Free Artist Training
Coaching + courses
Read the article.
Free Artist Training
Coaching + courses
172
Aug. 14, 2026
Why AI is embarrassing, not threatening
In an era when machines generate the appearance of creativity, understanding the difference is not sentimental.
Read the article.
Free Artist Training
Coaching + courses
Read the article.
Free Artist Training
Coaching + courses
171
Aug. 7, 2026
Coaching vs Therapy (2026)
The boundary between coaching and therapy has become impossibly blurred, particularly for independent artists navigating both creative ambition and psychological weight. Most distinctions you've heard collapse under scrutiny, revealing instead that what actually matters is scope, competence, purpose, and the specific geography in which support is being offered.
Here's my revised take in 2026
Read the article.
Free Artist Training
Coaching + courses
Here's my revised take in 2026
Read the article.
Free Artist Training
Coaching + courses
170
July 31, 2026
Identity and the Growth Mindset
Why a Growth Mindset less about trying harder and more about loosening your grip on who you think you are.
Read the article.
Free Artist Training
Coaching + courses
Music and Audio Production: www.everynowheremusic.com
Read the article.
Free Artist Training
Coaching + courses
Music and Audio Production: www.everynowheremusic.com
169
July 24, 2026
The perils of 'like' culture
How the relentless pursuit of "likes" ended up reshaping art.
Read the article.
Free Artist Training
Coaching + courses
Read the article.
Free Artist Training
Coaching + courses
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Weekly letters on art, identity, integration, and the working life of an artist. No noise, no urgency.
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About the Host
T.L. Mazumdar
Musician/Educator
T.L. Mazumdar’s 20-yr-plus artistic journey is reflective of an eclectic career that has aptly been described by Rolling Stone India of someone who ‘...personifies multiculturalism’.
He loves coffee, is passionate about arts as medicine, and is a quintessential Third Culture Kid who has gotten a lot better at dealing with his anxiety when asked 'where he is from'.
www.everynowheremusic.com
www.holisticmusicianacademy.com
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