The Journey Back to Music: A Season 1 Celebration

TEASER CLIP

BECKY BOYLAND: Let's be honest about something. Sometimes the path back to music doesn't go through a gentle awakening or a gradual transition. Sometimes it goes through our deepest valleys. Sometimes life has to knock us down before we finally listen to what our hearts had been trying to tell us.

Three years ago, I had spine surgery. The surgery was successful, but I woke up with a paralyzed vocal cord. As a singer and songwriter, losing my voice was terrifying. But I wasn't alone in facing unexpected challenges. Listen to Adassa, the voice of Dolores and Disney's Encanto:

ADASSA: I was paralyzed from the neck down. I drove myself there and then I couldn't barely put an X on a piece of paper. Why did this have to happen to me? Like why this opportunity since I was like nine years old, my dream, and then all of a sudden I find myself in this situation.

BECKY BOYLAND: But here's what I learned from every single one of these stories, Sometimes our greatest challenges become our greatest teachers. Sometimes we have to lose our voice to find it.

INTRODUCTION TO THE SEASON FINALE OF SECOND VERSE

BECKY BOYLAND: Welcome to a very special episode of Second Verse, the podcast for indie artists and late bloomers who believe their most meaningful music is still ahead. I'm your host, Becky Boyland, and today we're celebrating something incredible, the completion of season one, and the extraordinary artists and creatives who've shared their stories with us.

When I started this podcast, I knew I was creating a show about musicians who returned to music after life, took them somewhere else, but what I discovered was something much deeper. These aren't comeback stories. They're coming home stories, stories of people who finally give themselves permission to become who they were always meant to be.

In this episode, we're going to revisit the most powerful moments from season one, weave together the threads that connect all these journeys, and hopefully inspire you to take next steps in your own second verse. If you've been here since episode one, thank you. If you're just joining, welcome, and I can't wait for you to go back and catch up on these amazing stories for yourself.

But first, let me share what might be the most important thing any guest has said to me this season.

KELLY HASTINGS: You never know what the universe has planned for you, but if it's whispering that you need to do something, you need to pick up that microphone or you need to write lyrics or you need to go and hunt your guitar down, you do it.

Just do it. Do it, definitely.

BECKY BOYLAND: That's Kelly Hastings, mother of six, semi-finalist on The Voice UK, who found her way back to music after raising her family. And if you're listening right now and feeling that whisper Kelly talked about this episode is especially for you.

THE CALL BACK TO MUSIC

BECKY BOYLAND: Every single guest I've spoken with had a moment when they heard that whisper Kelly talked about.

For some it was subtle. For others, it was life shouting at them to pay attention. But here's what I've learned. There is no expiration date on dreams.

But maybe you're thinking, "That's great for them, but I'm too old," or "I've waited too long," or "I don't have enough experience."

If that's you, I need you to hear this from Tia Hoffer, former FBI agent turned music producer.

TIA HOFFER: Usually people, at the end of our lives, don't regret things we've done. We regret the things we haven't done, which I think is so true. Like, start now. Start right away if there's any interest that you have in doing it, jump in, know that it's not gonna be perfect, but not starting is what you'll regret if you don't.

BECKY BOYLAND: Tia didn't start music production until after retiring from the FBI. She was a federal agent working on some of the most intense cases you can imagine, and now she's creating music that heals and connects people. If she can make that transition, what's really stopping you?

But I get it. How many of us were told to get "real jobs" first? To be practical? To have something to fall back on? Nearly every guest shared a version of this story — being encouraged to pursue stable careers while keeping music on the side.

Greig Watts worked in banking for years before becoming a successful music publisher. Cindy Slee became a nurse because that's what her family encouraged. Tia Hoffer went into psychology and then law enforcement. Chris Evans built a career writing software before writing songs. The list goes on.

But here's what Bob Strachan taught me about timing and destiny in the most beautiful Scottish wisdom I've ever heard.

BOB STRACHAN: We have a phrase in Scotland, that says, " Whit’s fur ye’ll no go by ye." What's for you will not go by you. If it's meant to be, it will be. Just watch for those opportunities and grab them when they come.

BECKY BOYLAND: What's for you will not go by you. I've been thinking about that phrase for months now. It doesn't mean we sit back and wait for things to happen. It means we stay ready. We keep developing our skills, we build our community, and when the moment comes and it will come, we are prepared to step into it.

In fact, Greig Watts gave him himself one year to make it in music. At the end of that year, when he was ready to go back to the bank, the opportunity he'd been working toward finally appeared. Just three months more, he and his wife said, but it only took one more month. That was more than 20 years ago, and he never went back to banking.

THE JOURNEY THROUGH DARKNESS

BECKY BOYLAND: But let's be honest about something. Sometimes the path back to music doesn't go through a gentle awakening or a gradual transition. Sometimes it goes through our deepest valleys. Sometimes life has to knock us down before we finally listen to what our hearts had been trying to tell us.

Three years ago, I had spine surgery to address chronic pain I'd lived with for over two decades. The surgery was successful, but I woke up with a paralyzed vocal cord. As a singer and songwriter, losing my voice was terrifying. For six weeks, I could barely speak above a whisper.

But I wasn't alone in facing unexpected challenges. Listen to Adassa, the voice of Dolores and Disney's Encanto, describing what happened right as she was about to land the role of a lifetime.

ADASSA: I was paralyzed from the neck down. I drove myself there and then I couldn't barely put an X on a piece of paper. Why did this have to happen to me? Like why this opportunity since I was like nine years old, my dream, and then all of a sudden I find myself in this situation. So that's what took a turn. In the middle of, like, the biggest audition of my life, in the middle of trying to make this leap of just faith growth that I was having, I found myself completely unable to even put two words together.

BECKY BOYLAND: Adassa was literally paralyzed from the neck down just weeks before she was supposed to record for Encanto. She thought she was dying. She had seven children depending on her, and this dream she'd held since childhood seemed to be slipping away just as it was becoming real.

Bob Strachan lost his father when he was eight years old. It's heartbreaking enough for a parent to pass away at a young age, but the loss of Bob's father due to a contaminated blood scandal that persists to this day, robbed his family of support and understanding for decades, he carried grief and anger that affected every part of his life.

These aren't just career setbacks or minor obstacles. These are the kind of challenges that can make you question everything — your faith, your purpose, your future. But here's what I learned from every single one of these stories, including my own. Sometimes our greatest challenges become our greatest teachers. Sometimes we have to lose our voice to find it.

Adassa recovered and recorded Encanto in what she describes as a miracle, but more than that, she discovered a deeper purpose in her music and a renewed appreciation for every note that she could sing.

I recovered too, but the journey taught me new techniques and gave me a different relationship with my voice. One built on gratitude rather than taking it for granted.

And Bob? He found healing through writing songs to his father, finally saying the goodbye he never got to say as a child.

Music was even a type of physical therapy for Alfredo Paz, who had challenges with fine motor skills after being born premature. Learning to play organ at age 11 or 12 was as healing as it was musically inspiring.

But the healing power of music extends beyond personal recovery. Listen to Kelly Hastings on why she writes.

KELLY HASTINGS: For me, that's a really important part for my journey. ' Cause it offers me healing. And more than that, I believe that, well, what if my words were to heal somebody else? What if they were to hear them? And it means something to them. And I think that's what drives me, the healing power of music.

BECKY BOYLAND: Jack Marchant experienced this firsthand. He and rapper Georgio Music created a demo song about mental health called "Healing" in Jack's bedroom studio. They put it out expecting maybe 15 streams. Instead, it got 300,000 streams and became the foundation of a community for people struggling with mental health.

That's the power we're talking about. Music that doesn't just heal the creator. But creates ripples of healing that reach people we may never meet.

SPONSOR: ATTITUDE CREATIVITY

BECKY BOYLAND: We'll be back with more after this break.

Second Verse is sponsored by Attitude Creativity.

Many indie music artists don't have a website that grows their audience and reflects who they are, so they get lost in the noise of streaming. Marketing and brand messaging with Attitude Creativity helps boost your brand and build a site that hits all the right notes. You wanna be an artist who stands out from the crowd, and to do that, you need your music to be heard.

If your website doesn't reflect who you are or make an impact, you feel like a singer who's been handed a pair of drumsticks instead of a mic. You deserve a website and brand messaging you can be proud of, and that doesn't take time away from your music. As an artist like you, I understand how overwhelming websites and marketing can be, and that's why putting on my other creative hat, I put my decades of marketing and development experience to work for you.

You'll no longer have to apologize for your website. You'll look and feel like a professional with a custom StoryBranded website you can be proud of. And right now you can get a headstart with my free downloadable EPK blueprint and start building your electronic press kit to promote your music. Head to attitudecreativity.com/blueprint to get your copy.

That's Attitude, A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E

SPONSOR: SINGING / STRAW

BECKY BOYLAND: creativity.com/blueprint.

 Second Verse is brought to you by Singing / Straw.

Ooh, oh, you caught me in the middle of a vocal warmup. This is one of my favorite ways to wake up my vocal cords before a singing session or even a nice long conversation for the Second Verse podcast. It's the Singing / Straw, a simple but powerful tool for straw phonation, a vocal technique that promotes healthy vocal cord closure, and a gentle but mighty way to increase range and identify areas to work on. For me, it was key to regaining my voice after vocal cord paralysis, but you don't have to wait until a vocal injury to use it. In fact, I recommend that you don't. Make the Singing / Straw part of your daily routine. And you'll be amazed what your voice can do.

Check it out at secondversepod.com/singingstraw.

FINDING YOUR TRIBE

BECKY BOYLAND: One of the most beautiful discoveries of this season has been how music brings us home to our people. Nearly every guest talked about finding their tribe, that community of people who just get it.

Jack Marchant built an entire community around mental health awareness through music. Bob Strachan discovered that most of his closest friends and collaborators share his neurodivergence. Adassa and her husband Gabriel created the Production Music Masterclass community that has supported hundreds of musicians. Rose Calkins found songwriters and visual artists to collaborate with during the pandemic.

But Greig Watts said something that really stuck with me about finding your creative tribe.

GREIG WATTS: When you put yourself amongst other dreamers, things start to happen. And songwriters are dreamers 'cause they've fought from an early age of writing songs and having their songs appear on TV or on stage or whatever. Sometimes we need realistic people as well. But I think dreaming is powerful and we should keep on doing it.

BECKY BOYLAND: "When you put yourself amongst other dreamers, things start to happen." That's not just beautiful, it's practical advice. The people who understand your creative drive, who don't think you're crazy for wanting to write songs or start a band at 40 or 60, who celebrate your small wins and encourage you through the setbacks, those are your people.

Rick Molloy also taught me something profound about community versus isolation. When he was in corporate environments surrounded by other dreamers and creative people, opportunities emerged naturally. After he retired, he had to be particularly intentional about maintaining creativity in community.

RICK MOLLOY: As I got into teaching the workshops, the whole point was like, well, people can pay me for two hours of labor to set up their guitar, or we can do it together. It's my time. It's the same amount of time, so it doesn't cost more for them. And I get to hangout for two hours with someone who's interested in guitars, and they get to learn really practical, valuable skills. And the music studio is the same way. Of course I will record bands and that kind of thing, but also I'm working on having community days where we just invite folks together and we make music that everybody likes and it's not about anything other than trying to make good music in a day.

BECKY BOYLAND: We need our people. We need the ones who speak our language, who understand why we stay up till 2:00 AM working on a song, who get excited about a perfect harmony or a lyric that captures exactly what we're feeling. And sometimes that tribe includes mentors who see potential. We don't even know we have.

Greig Watts has built his entire career around developing other songwriters, helping them see possibilities they couldn't see for themselves.

GREIG WATTS: The biggest thing about mentorship is having someone you're accountable to. The truth is, once you have a support network, you can actually then achieve loads of things.

BECKY BOYLAND: Accountability, support, someone who's walked the path ahead of you and can help you navigate the challenges that they've already figured out. Jack Marchant talked about how working with a mentor for just four months transformed the quality of his production work in ways that would've taken him years to achieve on his own.

But here's what I love about mentorship. It's not just about technique or business knowledge. It's about possibility. It's about someone looking at you and saying, "Yes, you can do this. I believe in you. Now let me show you how."

Adassa and Gabriel don't just teach production techniques. They create a community where people support each other's dreams. Greig doesn't just help people write better songs. He helps them see themselves as professional songwriters. That's the kind of mentorship that changes lives.

STARTING SMALL, DREAMING BIG

BECKY BOYLAND: So how do you actually begin? How do you move from dreaming about your Second Verse to living it? Every one of these artists started exactly where you are right now — with a choice to begin.

Rick Molloy started by going to open mics with a friend, Tia Hoffer started with five minute practice sessions. Phil Lovell started by dedicating time to regularly attending retreats to hone his songwriting skills. Chris Evans built a professional home studio while still working in software.

None of them waited until they felt ready. None of them waited until they had all the answers. They just started.

Listen to Rick on the power of showing up.

RICK MOLLOY: You have to be willing to work on it and just do a little bit better, and when the world knocks you down, you just get back up and keep going... showing up, being consistent and being aware.

Tia has a philosophy that I think about all the time. Five minutes matter. You don't need to carve out hours every day. Five minutes of consistent practice, five minutes of writing, five minutes of learning. It adds up to something significant over time.

And here's the secret that every successful guest shared in their own way. It doesn't have to be perfect to be powerful. Adassa's Second Verse breakthrough song was literally recorded for fun in their studio. They never expected it to change their lives, but it connected with exactly the right people at exactly the right time without chasing virality or vanity metrics.

ADASSA: It's not about how many. It's about the who. What do I mean with that? The who is watching, the who that is looking at your stuff or listening to it and goes, This is what I'm looking for, and then goes out of their way to get ahold of you. So make sure that your social media has your handles, has a way for you to be able to be gotten ahold of, because you never know who's listening.

BECKY BOYLAND: That song that feels too personal to share might be exactly what someone needs to hear. That performance that feels imperfect to you might be the one that moves someone to tears. That demo you recorded in your bedroom might be the one that opens doors you never even knew existed. You never know who's listening.

The goal isn't perfection. The goal is connection. The goal is authenticity. The goal is showing up as yourself and trusting that your voice, your actual voice, your artistic voice, your unique perspective matters.

CODA: YOUR SECOND VERSE AWAITS

BECKY BOYLAND: So here's what I want you to know as we wrap up season one of Second Verse. After all these conversations with artists, producers, mentors, and creatives from around the world, after hearing stories of triumph and struggle, of healing and hope, of community and courage, I've learned these three fundamental truths.

First. It's never too late. Your timeline is your own. Whether you're 25 or 65, whether you've been away from music for two years or 20, whether you're just starting to dream about this or you've been planning for years, your moment is now. If you choose it to be.

Second, your story is your strength. What you've been through, the path you've walked, the challenges you've overcome, these aren't obstacles to your music career. They're the foundation of it. They give you something unique to offer the world and to connect with others who need to hear about your journey.

Third. Community changes everything. You don't have to do this alone. In fact, you can't do this alone. The artists who thrive are the ones who find their people, who build relationships, who support others, and allow themselves to be supported.

Listen, one more time to Kelly Hastings on the transformation that's possible when you finally choose yourself.

KELLY HASTINGS: If I go back even five years, I was a totally different person then to what I am now. And had it not have been taking that step and investing in my future and my children's future as well. By investing in me, I'm investing in them. I'm setting them examples, and if I hadn't have done that, I wouldn't be where I am now and I wouldn't be this kind of person and I wouldn't have the outlook that I've got.

BECKY BOYLAND: By investing in yourself. You are investing in everyone around you. You're setting an example. You're showing others what's possible. You're adding your voice to the choir of people who refuse to let their dreams remain dreams.

So what's your next step? Maybe it's picking up that guitar that's been sitting in the corner. Maybe it's signing up for that songwriting class. Maybe it's booking that first open mic. Maybe it's just giving yourself permission to call yourself a musician.

Whatever it is, start there. Start small if you need to, but as David Rosen says.

DAVID ROSEN: So, you know, you just never know where something's gonna go unless you start. You gotta just start.

BECKY BOYLAND: Season two of Second Verse is coming soon with more incredible artists and more inspiring stories. But first I wanna hear from you, share your Second Verse story with us. Tell us what dream you're pursuing or are ready to pursue. Tag @secondversepod on social media or even send an audio message on the website, secondversepod.com/shareyourstory.

Because here's the truth: your Second Verse isn't just about you. It's about everyone who needs to hear your voice, see your courage, and be reminded that it's never too late to become who you are meant to be. So whether you're releasing your 10th album or just dusting off that guitar for the first time in years, your creativity counts. It heals. It connects, and it matters.

Thank you for joining me for season one. Thank you to every guest who trusted me with their story, and thank you for being part of this community of dreamers and believers and people who refuse to give up on the music inside them.

Please share Second Verse with your creative friends, whether or not they're musicians. We can all use a little inspiration. And when you like, subscribe and share, you help others find the podcast and make it possible for the podcast to keep going.

I wanted to close the season with a song I wrote called, "What You Mean to Me." It's a thank-you. To the people who supported me when I wasn't sure I had a voice to the creative community I've found along the way. And today I'm dedicating it to you, the listener, who's made this season what it is.

So stick around to listen, and until next time, keep chasing your Second Verse. I can't wait to hear what you create.

FEATURED SONG: "WHAT YOU MEAN TO ME" BY BECKY BOYLAND