In this candid, wide-ranging conversation, Kara sits down with internationally renowned pianist, composer, author, and educator Sara Davis Buechner for a deeply personal discussion about music, identity, aging, politics, and what it means to stay creatively alive in an increasingly hostile cultural climate.

From growing up in a Baltimore suburb to entering Juilliard on her 17th birthday, Sara reflects on the mentors who shaped her, the musicians who taught her how not to grow old, and why great artists never truly retire — they simply keep discovering.

The conversation moves seamlessly between humor and gravity, touching on trans visibility in the arts, political disillusionment in the United States, and why Beethoven’s Ninth might just become a sing-along event in Hiroshima.

** Special thanks to the Sydney Symphony Orchestra for its lovely rendition of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9: Ode to Joy Excerpt 1

SARA DAVIS BUECHNER

Sara’s upcoming performances: https://saradavisbuechner.com/

Instagram: @sdbfan1959

Substack, Facebook, and YouTube: @saradavisbuechner

BlueSky: @sdbue.bsky.social

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

@karakavensky on Substack, FB, IG, LinkedIn and Threads

Receive updates on Kara's new memoir release, TELL ME ABOUT JOY

Sponsored by: Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by: Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by: Adam W. Gibson

CHAPTERS

[01:00] Introduction: Sara Davis Buechner

[03:28] Great musicians don't retire

[05:51] Nurturing a child prodigy

[07:44] Pianos and pig farming

[09:16] Reynaldo Reyes, more than a mentor

[11:19] Teaching others

[12:44] Upcoming projects, no trans biography

[15:40] Doing all the same things, just in a new key

[16:51] Anti-trans sentiment

[19:20] Living and traveling around the world

[20:56] Beethoven's Ninth Symphony in Hiroshima

Kara sits down with psychologist and resilience researcher Dr. Sherry Hamby, author of the forthcoming book, STRONGER THAN YOU THINK: BUILDING LIFELONG RESILIENCE.

Dr. Hamby shares what decades of research — and lived experience — reveal about healing after trauma, why resilience is not about perfection or “toughing it out,” and how people can truly flourish after hardship.

Together, Kara and Sherry explore the disconnect between academic trauma research and real-life recovery, the role of purpose, relationships, and emotional regulation, and why resilience is best understood as a portfolio of strengths — not a single trait.

This conversation blends science, storytelling, and honesty, offering listeners a grounded and hopeful reframe of what it means to be resilient.

STRONGER THAN YOU THINK is available for pre-order now and releases May 26, 2026.

SHERRY HAMBY, PhD

LinkedIn

BlueSky

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

@karakavensky on Substack, FB, IG, LinkedIn and Threads

Receive updates on Kara's new memoir release, TELL ME ABOUT JOY

Sponsored by: Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by: Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by: Adam W. Gibson

CHAPTERS

[01:05] Introduction: Sherry Hamby PhD

[02:47] Background for writing STRONGER THAN YOU THINK

[05:57] Related academic work

[07:32] The challenge of sharing your own story

[10:02] Gaps in research on trauma and healing

[11:03] Research and the current political climate

[12:04] Parenting and potty training

[13:51] Academic writing vs. writing for the general public

It’s inspiration week with Eliz Taylor! The insanely creative and legendary marketing exec joins me to share the down & dirty of her shopping mall maven career in a very male-dominated culture.

Eliz was at the forefront of the rise of the shopping malls during the 80s, where she coined the name “Mall of America” and other historic marketing feats (creating the largest EVER NBA All-Star game audience, and one of the most successful Monday Night Football games — on Halloween — both in Indianapolis).

Eliz’s memoir, THREE JEWS WALK INTO A SHOPPING CENTER, is one of my favorites!

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

@karakavensky on Substack, FB, IG, LinkedIn and Threads

Receive updates on Kara's new memoir release, TELL ME ABOUT JOY

Sponsored by: Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by: Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by: Adam W. Gibson

CHAPTERS

[01:03] Introduction: Elizabeth "Eliz" Kraft Taylor

[01:52] Three Jews Walk into a Shopping Center

[03:16] Innate creativity

[05:02] The Indianapolis 500 Festival

[06:31] The NBA and Simon's great marketing "guy"

[08:03] All talent, no respect

[09:19] The Mall of America and the 1st Race for the Cure

[10:51] The NBA All-Star Game and Monday Night Football

[12:52] Bringing Nordstrom to downtown Indy

[15:16] One of a kind

[19:10] Eliz's advice to women

[21:44] Women in the workplace

[23:36] A memorable memoir