“Impassioned Thought Leader. Classical Pianist. Hypnotherapist. NLP Practitioner.
Bridging gaps between professional artists and creative professionals. “
Have you ever started down a road and thought you knew exactly where you were headed, but appeared in an unexpected place? When I performed in New York City for a sold-out Carnegie Hall, I thought my future path was assured, but much was yet to be discovered, something remarkable…
I was born in Moscow, Russia and my creative potential was noted early, and nurtured by my mother, as well as my first piano teacher, Raisa Bekerman, my friend to this day and a woman who has unlocked one of the doors of my future success. Fortunate to be immersed in a cultural society focused on high caliber performance, I was surrounded by peers and teachers who inspired me every day. My passion for theater, singing and dancing often competed for my attention. My creative light shined bright and big dreams were born.
At 14-years-old, I immigrated to the United States with my family. A year later, a serendipitous encounter at a performance led to a full scholarship at Interlochen Arts Academy under the tutelage of Stephen Perry. Afterward, I studied with Phillip Kawin at the Manhattan School of Music, and John Perry at the University of Southern California and Colburn School of Music. These experiences opened new doorways and I thought the universe was aligning for my career as a concert pianist.
However, the harsh realities of the entertainment industry, in which one had to weed out personas that wanted to support my artistic path only for their own financial, personal or emotional gain from honestly guiding hands, had a toll on my then inexperienced, wide-eyed personality. I gained wisdom, confidence and independence, eagerly learning every detail of the business to make myself soar above the challenges, and deepened my gratitude for those who truly committed and supported my growth along the way.
88 Keys. 14,000 Eyes. Breathe, Yana.
My career began to bloom. As a pianist, I've played for audiences of thousands on the world's beautiful stages. Following graduate school, I became a Brand Ambassador for Roland and signed with Live on Stage to perform 80 concerts internationally that year. I appeared on everything from the Late Show with Craig Ferguson, to the ACM Awards on PBS with Carrie Underwood. As a classical pianist, I'd reached the pinnacle of success. Now, I had my own talk show, media outlets around the globe featured my work, and I was invited to be a soloist and actor with the Los Angeles Philharmonic - a career highlight that reminded me of my multifaceted dreams from my childhood.
From the eyes of the audience, I’d “made it”, but what nobody could see was the search for the grand meaning of life, purpose, and fulfillment where I tapped into every creative resource that was given to me via my dreams and muses. I knew I had to say more. Explore more. Bring more direct inspiration to people’s hearts. I had to finally face the fact that the piano was only one of my many passions.
As the pressure of my calling intensified, it reached a boiling point and manifested outward as a life-altering “failed” performance, in which I had a memory slip in the middle of a concert performing Schumann’s Piano Concerto. I froze, the world around me turned black, and the conductor stopped the orchestra. My soul deserted me. We somehow restarted from a few measures previous and finished the concerto, later just simply editing out the “incident” from the recording as if no such event occurred in history. It took me many years to fully understand that this “failed” performance was a most powerful jumpstart from the Universe. If the train didn’t jolt, I would have never started to truly question and truly change.
“ It was thrilling. Like fire burning through a city. Burning everything in sight. Cleaning all on its path. Infusing all with new life.”
Introspection
Piano has always been and always will be a piece of my soul. My love for music is everlasting. I have had many talents and interests since I was a young girl, and, like many humans, one chosen path, and limited breaths to breathe. Now I could no longer define myself solely as a concert pianist but had no clear path to turn to. I began a journey to recover my childhood dreams when every path was exciting and accessible.
“If you want to work on your art, work on your life. ”
Spirituality
My spiritual journey began in 2008 with an introduction to books that inspired awakened consciousness. I was drawn to explore practices like Vipassana silent retreats, biofeedback, and holotropic breathwork in a quest to improve, heal, connect, and strive to be my best self. It wasn't until 2017, when my professional and personal lives were shaken, that I first tried psychedelic medicine to help guide my evolution - an experience that radically shifted my perspective. Through years of integration, my light started to shine again and the fire of creative energy was reignited inside. Then came the “Artists’ Way” book that laid a path for a brand new creative project and an inspired way of life.
Personal Journey
For over a decade, as I pursued my career as a pianist, I had a wonderful man by my side, the love of my life, and now my husband - Andrey. He fell in love with me as a woman and as a musician, and patiently supported me in shifting my identity. Letting go of 6 hour daily piano practice sessions had its positive side effects - we traveled the globe across 19 countries, snorkeled between tectonic plates in Iceland, became sailors and divers, and even kissed Santa’s reindeer at the North Pole.
As Andrey and I searched for new heights together, we brought a child into the world, a decision I had deeply struggled with before my eye-opening experiences with psychedelics. We found more balance between our careers, personal growth, family, and emotional well-being.
Multipotentialite
“...an individual whose interests span multiple fields or areas, rather than being strong in just one”
As I dove deeper into reconnecting with my childhood dreams, I started to embrace my identity as a multipotentialite. I immersed myself in exciting explorations through acting, film editing, producing, Swing and African dancing, wheel throwing, sailing, diving and started to give back by teaching piano and consulting artists on career development. My desire to understand the human brain and psychology of our experience led me to get certified in Hypnotherapy and Neuro-Linguistic Programming, and guiding a course of the “Artists’ Way”. I realized that my own flow came from continuous learning and self-discovery, and inspiring creativity in others.
As I finally gave myself the permission to tap into all my passions, suddenly the stars began to align. As if the Universe gave approval to my discoveries - all my planted seeds began to sprout.
“Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes. ”
This renewal transformed my identity and my dream is for my art, journey, and experiences to help guide your process and infuse inspiration for the next chapter of your story. Wherever you are now, I want to hold your hand and create a beautiful space for us to connect, expand and flourish.
I want to share my music, my words, and my insight with you. Create with me, as I invite you to explore how we can build a community around discovery and reinvention in a thoughtful, fun, extraordinary, and alternative way.
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