In this conversation we explore what becomes possible when we let music do what words alone cannot: bring us back into presence, into connection and community.
Gary shares his dream for the future of the Earth: a world where creative practice is recognised as essential to human wellbeing — not a luxury, but a daily practice as fundamental as movement or rest. As a composer, songwriter and founder of an online songwriting community, Gary has spent years helping people move through creative blocks and resistance, and he’s watched, again and again, how music synchronises us — our heart rates, our breath, our nervous systems — in a way that nothing else quite does.
We weave through the 6th Gene Key: the shift from Conflict to Diplomacy, and on to Peace. Gary embodies the archetype of the peacemaker: a songwriter who listens for what a room, a choir, a collective field needs, and finds the note that lets people meet there together.
We also touch on inclusive art: work that leaves room for many different feelings rather than prescribing one, and about how small, accessible acts like joining a community choir, singing to the people and animals we love are themselves real and meaningful musical connections that pave the path towards a more harmonious future.
Listen all the way to the end, and a special invitation is waiting for you as a Soulful Futures listener!
Connect with Gary
Gary Grundei is a NYC-based musician, composer, and teacher best known for his work with the band High Fiction and his original compositions for theatre, film, podcasts, and the concert stage. He has written music for NPR, MTV, The Kennedy Center, New York Stage and Film, and the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, and has collaborated with artists including Meredith Monk, Bill Pullman, and Matt Berninger of the National. He is also the founder of golden lotus studio, an online home for songwriters, and has taught at universities like Naropa University, Occidental College, and The Ohio State University.
You can connect with Gary here:
Gary’s website: garygrundei.com
Golden Lustis Studio: goldenlotusstudio.com
Instagram: @gary.grundei
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/gary-grundei/
Meet your inner songwriter!
As Gary shared on our conversation, you are warmly invited to try out The Sustainable Songwriting Collective for free for one whole month, you can join here:
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