Tammy Takaishi on Music Therapy, Creative Careers & Hosting Creative Peacemeal Podcast
Conversations with Musicians, with Leah Roseman
09/07/25
•69m
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Tammy Takaishi is a Board Certified Music Therapist, Podcaster and writer based in New York.
We talked about her podcast Creative Peacemeal, her meaningful and multi-faceted career as a Music Therapist, and her full creative life including her writing. If music therapy is a career you’re curious about, you’ll be inspired by her stories and insights.
As a fellow podcasters, we definitely bonded over our enthusiasm for the medium and the wide range of fascinating, creative people we’ve been able to connect with. I know that fans of Tammy’s podcast will be interested to learn more about her path, personal perspectives and great advice including avoiding burnout.
You can watch this on my YouTube or listen to the podcast; I’ve also linked the transcript to my website
Tammy's podcast Creative Peacemeal
I wanted to let you know about some other episodes I’ve linked directly to this one, with Martha Anne Toll
(00:00) Intro
(01:42) Tammy’s musical childhood, juggling creative pursuits
(08:15) Creative Peacemeal podcast
(14:15) preventing burnout
(16:55) Music Therapy with babies NICU
(22:54) Music Therapy careers and training
(29:53) inspiring stories from life as a Music Therapist
(38:30) other linked episodes and ways to support this podcast
(39:10) music therapy life
(49:52) contrast between Houston
Previous Episode
Welcome to Conversations with Musicians with Leah Roseman with powerful, in-depth conversations with a fascinating diversity of musical guests wordwide. In this moving episode, I sit down with GRAMMY-winning composer Carla Patullo. Carla shares her deeply personal journey as well as audio clips from Nomadica, her gorgeous new album born from grief, healing, and resilience following the traumatic loss of her mother and her own battle with cancer. We dive into Carla’s creative process, her emotional transformation, and the collaborative magic behind the album — including features with Martha Wainwright, the Scorchio Quartet, and Tonality. You'll also hear about her powerful projects with partner Elizabeth Beech honoring animation pioneer Lotte Reiniger, her longtime work with Sandra Bernhard, and the meaningful mentorship she’s received within the LGBTQ+ music community, including from Laura Karpman. From her tight-knit Italian family roots to her evolution as a touring artist and composer, this episode is a must-listen for fans of ambient music, film composition, and stories of personal and artistic growth. Like all my episodes, you can watch the video or listen to the podcast; the transcript is linked to my website.
All the clips from Nomadica are listed in the timestamps, and you can buy or stream the album from Carla’s website.
Other episodes I’m sure you’ll love: Anze Rozman and Kara Talve Adam Blau Martha Mooke EmmoLei Sankofa J. Walter Hawkes Kavisha Mazzella
(00:00) Intro (02:05) album Nomadica, Scorchio quartet, Carla’s mother death (07:46) clip of A Handblown World (13:04) cancer treatments, Carla’s mother’s hair salon (16:40) clip of Nomadica (17:29) Tonality vocal ensemble (19:20) Martha Wainwright (21:35) clip of Fly Under (22:23) cover art, Jamie Dwyer (23:51) Italian family (28:08) Carla’s youth, first album, Berklee (33:07) Sandra Bernhard, LGBTQ+ community (37:25) Lotte Reiniger (39:31) Other linked episodes and ways to support this podcast (40:20) Lotte That Silhouettte Girl (42:26) inspiration for Nomadica, All of Us Strangers (46:40) creative process with clip of Isochronic Waves (48:19) film score work, immigrant experience, Italian heritage (50:52) cancer and recovery, self-care (56:40) Below the Surface with excerpt (59:20) The Hurricane musical, getting back on stage with SO SHE HOWLS (01:02:50) film composer life, effects of GRAMMY win, mindset, orchestration
Next Episode
Martha Redbone is acclaimed for her powerful performances as a singer, as well as her prize-winning song-writing, composition and arranging. For over 30 years she’s been in a successful collaboration with her partner Aaron Whitby and we talked about some of their new theatrical projects including Black Mountain Women, The Sex Variants of 1941, and Guardian Spirit: The Words of bell hooks. Throughout this episode you’ll be hearing clips from Martha’s powerful album The Garden of Love which sets the poetry of William Blake to the diverse music of Appalachia, written with Aaron and John McEuen of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Many people think of the music, culture and history of Appalachia in terms of the blend of white settlers in the area, but Martha’s family heritage from Harlan County Kentucky includes African American, British, Chickamauga-Cherokee and Mississippi Choctaw. She shared her experiences growing up with her grandparents as part of a coal-mining family, as well as the dramatic changes she has witnessed in Brooklyn over several decades.
In this wide-ranging episode, you’ll also hear Martha’s great advice for self-care, maintaining boundaries and working collaboratively. We started this conversation with Martha’s collaborations with clarinettist Tasha Warren and cellist Dave Eggar and if you missed my interview with Tasha last year it’s linked to this one below.
You can also watch this on my YouTube and I’ve also linked the transcript on my website
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Other episodes you'll love:
Tasha Warren Shakura S’Aida, Chuck Copenace, Jah’Mila, and Vahn Black
photo: Christine Jean Chambers
(00:00) Intro
(02:56) Tasha Warren, Dave Eggar clip Black Mountain Calling
(09:06) Black Mountain Women, clip of A Poison Tree
(13:12) history Black people in Appalachia
(16:06) mixed Black Indigineous family history
(25:00) Carnegie project, The Garden of Love with clip of The Garden of Love
(32:30) John McEuen, David Amram clip of Sleep, Sleep, Beauty Bright
(37:47) telling broader story
(42:47) learning Indigenous culture, Brooklyn
(48:02) other episodes,
(48:53) musical influences (music clip On Another Sorrow)
(54:01) Brooklyn
(58:15) bell hooks
(01:02:59) The Sex Variants of 1941, Stephen Trask, Steve Cosson, LGBTQ+ history
(01:07:53) Aaron Whitby
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