Wingspan: The Highs and Lows of Being a Musician

Episode 43 - Staying Afloat (2026 Edition)

Hana's getting married in two weeks and Mish lost her voice, so naturally we recorded a podcast. This week we're sharing our 10 tips for staying afloat when life and music are both coming at you full speed - covering everything from planning your wellness before you hit the road, to gamifying logistics, protecting your energy, and why panicking about a bad gig is pointless. Plus Crone Watch (keys, socks, perimenopause), and a very justified whinge about alpaca haircuts. Do you have the best job in the world but also want to quit at least once a day? Are you always on the VIP list but somehow end up eating dinner by the bins? Do you ever play to a crowd and yet sometimes feel like the loneliest person in the room? Do you lie awake at night questioning your life choices? Well, you’re not alone.  Being a musician is hard at the best of times, and we’re here to help. Join Mishkin Fitzgerald and Hana Piranha as they talk about the highs and lows of being a musician.

Love The Metronome

The metronome has a bad reputation. It's rigid, it's annoying, and it's few people's idea of a good time. In this episode, Hana and Mishkin make the case for why that's a mistake, and why the benefits go well beyond just playing in time. Do you have the best job in the world but also want to quit at least once a day? Are you always on the VIP list but somehow end up eating dinner by the bins? Do you ever play to a crowd and yet sometimes feel like the loneliest person in the room? Do you lie awake at night questioning your life choices? Well, you’re not alone.  Being a musician is hard at the best of times, and we’re here to help. Join Mishkin Fitzgerald and Hana Piranha as they talk about the highs and lows of being a musician.

Episode 41 - Holding the Note

⚠️ This episode contains discussions of pregnancy loss, postpartum mental health, and rage. Please take care listening. This week Hana and Mishkin are joined by Georgia Train — singer-songwriter, vocal coach, and one half of Bitter Ruin — for a conversation about what it really costs to be a musician and a mother. Georgia gets into the parts nobody talks about: the hormonal shifts, the identity loss, the rage, and why the industry makes all of it harder than it needs to be. Support Georgia's work directly:  Patreon: patreon.com/georgiatrain  Bandcamp: georgiatrain.bandcamp.com Do you have the best job in the world but also want to quit at least once a day? Are you always on the VIP list but somehow end up eating dinner by the bins? Do you ever play to a crowd and yet sometimes feel like the loneliest person in the room? Do you lie awake at night questioning your life choices? Well, you’re not alone.  Being a musician is hard at the best of times, and we’re here to help. Join Mishkin Fitzgerald and Hana Piranha as they talk about the highs and lows of being a musician.

Episode 40 - Zoom In, Zoom Out

Welcome to Season 4 of our podcast and a slight rebrand! After a packed start to the year involving tours, music videos, prison teaching stints, and at least one birthday meltdown in France, we've been thinking a lot about how musicians actually work. This episode is about the two seasons every musician moves through: zoom in, where it's all about daily practice, routine, and sharpening the saw — and zoom out, where a big project takes over and the routine completely collapses. We talk about the traps in both, what the transition between them feels like, and why giving yourself permission to just be in one season at a time might be the most useful thing you can do for your career. Do you have the best job in the world but also want to quit at least once a day? Are you always on the VIP list but somehow end up eating dinner by the bins? Do you ever play to a crowd and yet sometimes feel like the loneliest person in the room? Do you lie awake at night questioning your life choices? Well, you’re not alone.  Being a musician is hard at the best of times, and we’re here to help. Join Mishkin Fitzgerald and Hana Piranha as they talk about the highs and lows of being a musician.

Episode 39 - Waterfalls, Rivers, and Lakes

Singles, EPs, albums - how do you know what to release, and when? In this episode, Hana and Mishkin break down the case for each format using the only framework that matters: TLC. They cover why a single can get you pigeonholed before you've shown anyone the full picture, when an EP is worth the extra studio time, and why albums are still the most satisfying thing you can make even if they take three years and cost a small fortune. Plus: demo love, the mixed jury, and why staggering your mixing costs might save your sanity. Do you have the best job in the world but also want to quit at least once a day? Are you always on the VIP list but somehow end up eating dinner by the bins? Do you ever play to a crowd and yet sometimes feel like the loneliest person in the room? Do you lie awake at night questioning your life choices? Well, you’re not alone.  Being a musician is hard at the best of times, and we’re here to help. Join Mishkin Fitzgerald and Hana Piranha as they talk about the highs and lows of being a musician.