October 12, 2025 • 13 mins
We loved having singer songwriter Cecilia Castleman from the great folks at GlassNote Music on Music Saved Me. She talks about the inspiration behind her music and how music has saved her at moments in her life.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Music Saved Me.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Time really does heal. I'm a completely different person from
back then than when I was now, and I think
i've everything that's hard. You just mature. I think I
think I wouldn't be right here if I didn't go
through everything back then. So I think, as hard as
it is in the moment, I think in a weird way,
(00:23):
you learn a lot of beneficial lessons from it.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
I'm Lynn Hoffman and welcome to the Music Saved Me Podcast,
the show where we talk with musicians about the deep
healing power of music. Now, if you like our podcast,
we hope you do follow us and share with your friends,
please and thank you. We talk with Hall of famers
and rising stars, and today I get to speak with
Glass Note Records recording artists Cecilia Casselman. Her latest single
(00:51):
is called Looking for June, and her self titled debut
album will be out in early twenty twenty five. Let's
explore Cecilia's inspiring journey and how new music has impacted
her life on Music Saved Me. Cecilia, Welcome to Music
Saved Me. It's so good to have you.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Thank you, thanks so much for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
So I'm going to start off with I'm hoping it's
not a hard question, but I just need to know.
Do you feel that music has healing powers? Oh?
Speaker 2 (01:18):
One thousand percent. Yeah. I mean that's the whole reason
I got through my childhood was because of music.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
So well, let's let's talk a little bit about that.
Let's start off with your first experiences that led you
to your deep connection with music. Can you tell us
a little bit about that?
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Sure, I mean, I just remember always having a guitar
within Both of my parents were musicians, and so instead
of you know, giving me twenty bucks to go to
the mall, it was here, here's a guitar. You know,
that's something free to do. But yet, you know, now
it's become such a priceless thing in my life. And yeah,
(01:56):
I was just my mom just sort of bottle fed
me everything music wise, since I was, you know, such
a young adult. And I just remember growing up on
you know, Flew the Mac and Prince and John Mayer
and I would save We didn't have a lot of
money growing up, my mom and I and so I
would just save my lunch money and we'd go to
(02:18):
Best Buy to the clear clearance section. Back when best
Buy you know, had a music section and I would
pick out records and that that's what I did, and
that's all I did. I don't remember ever doing anything
else besides you know, mowing the yard and listening to
records growing up?
Speaker 1 (02:36):
Wow, Now was it was it music and writing songs?
Was it writing songs first and then writing the music
for you?
Speaker 2 (02:46):
It was always I love guitar. I'm like a super
guitar head, so it was always me, you know, writing
a track and then sort of putting melodies and words
over it. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Now, would you and write just for yourself and not
to share with others? Or did you write it thinking
it was for other people to listen to?
Speaker 2 (03:09):
I wrote it for myself. I wouldn't show anyone, Like,
no one in school knew I even played guitar loved
music as much as I did. I think I kept
it to myself because I didn't want anyone to have
really opinions about it subconsciously, and I think, I, yeah,
that's all I did. And it wasn't until later when
(03:29):
I got a publishing deal and everything that people were like, oh,
you like you do music, and I was like, well, yeah,
I always did. But I think I kept it that
private for a reason, because it was so sacred to me.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Yeah, so it's very personal for sure. Anyone I've ever
talked to has always said, you know, it's like I
always use this example, it's like birthing children, you know,
and then you put them out there for the world
to judge, and you have no say over what anyone
else thinks about it. And you can help, but you
just don't know. I was just listening to your song
(04:02):
It's all Right, and I actually was watching the video
and you play a mean guitar. At the beginning of
the show, I'd asked you if you thought music had
healing powers and that song and the words sort of resonated.
Did that have anything to do with your life with
maybe your parents, because I know when you were very
young it was pretty traumatic for you for them to
get divorced, And as a child of divorced parents myself,
(04:24):
I can totally connect with that.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Yeah, they split when I was eleven, which was when
I was started writing. And yeah, it's all right. It's
very much so that like it's my restless, sort of
rebellious song that I'm talking to myself, and that song, like,
you know, everything is gonna be fine. You're gonna make
it through, You're gonna grow up, and you're gonna, you know,
(04:47):
find your way as like a young girl in this world,
and everything's gonna be fine. And I write a lot
in the third person, but all of those songs of
my record are about you know, me, and it's sort
of a way to sort of shield me and not
you know, expose everything, which I guess I just did.
But yeah, it's all right, that's about me saying everything's
(05:09):
gonna be fine.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
That was so interesting because before I heard that, and
I had no idea that that's what that song was about,
but I knew it was something that was going on
in your life. Do you believe that the music has
the ability to give people hope?
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Oh a thousand percent. Yeah. If I didn't have all
of those records that I did growing up and sort
of that drive to do something with my life, I
mean I came from nothing. I didn't have anything growing
up but those songs and what I could play and
what I could make myself. So yeah, it gives me
(05:48):
hope for the future for sure. I mean I wouldn't
have anything without it, and if it went away, I
don't know what i'd do, So yeah, a thousand percent.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Did you know when you were writing songs that it
was like therapeutic for yourself or did you just know
that you felt good after you got it on paper?
How did that work in your mind?
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Sure? I think it was all subconscious back then. I
think I did it and I do it now and
I still don't know the reason why. I think that's
what's so magical about music. It was very much so
a subconscious thing for me back then. In the words
that I write, I would have never said out loud,
but somehow I felt a way that I could through
you know, lyrics. So yeah, I got it all out,
(06:33):
you know, sixteen seventeen and.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
A record deal it twenty one am I right? Uh, yeah,
that's pretty amazing. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
I was very very lucky that I had such great
mentors and you know, everyone around me. Yeah. I still
have a long way to go, but it's been fun.
(07:11):
I can't I can't take it. I mean, it's still
so new for me to hear people like singing words
back to me that I just have to look the
other way. And most of the time it's really nice
because I can. I you know, it's so dark, I
can't really see anyone but smaller shows here in Nashville,
and I see people, whether it's like my friends or
even my mom, Like, I just can't. I have to
(07:34):
look away or it's going to make me not be
able to finish this song and just break down and cry.
But I mean, that's the dream. That's all I've ever wanted,
is for you know, people to sort of find company
within my songs and make them feel better about stuff,
or make them cry or you know, whatever they're feeling. Yeah,
(07:55):
that it's wild to me.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
It's very surreal, I bet, especially going from not one
to share any of it to having it be so
out there.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
Can you describe what it's like when you're writing a
song or when you're creating the music to a song,
what comes first and what's your process? And also when
you were going through something as a young child, whatever
it was, what music and artist did you turn to,
maybe specific songs that you listened to that helped you
(08:26):
through those times.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
When I was growing up, it was a lot of
Fleet and Mac. I remember that my mom got me
that Tusk record for my fifteenth birthday and I had
just gotten my permit and she'd gotten me that and
there's a song on there called Storms that Stevie Nicks.
I'm a huge Stevie Nicks fan. I think she's like
(08:51):
the best thing that's you know, in the world, and
all of her lyrics really resonated with me growing up,
I think because it was just she showed a woman's heart,
even though I obviously wasn't a woman then, but I
could just feel like that feminine sort of you know,
a woman trying to figure out her life and and
(09:13):
going through stuff and heartbreak. And I really resonated with
her growing up. Obviously still too, but it was songs
like Storms and Beautiful Child and you know, Sisters of
the Moon sort of that rage, you know, but also
the vulnerability of being a woman. And it was a
lot of her. But then I loved, like, you know,
(09:35):
very heavy guitar music. I feel like everything I listened
to it was very guitar. I heavy Tom Petty, John Mayer, Prince,
all the Lindsay Buckingham stuff. I very much so gravitated
towards all of that. Uh. And yeah, I think it's
because I grew up. You know, Nashville's very it's super country,
and which is awesome. But I think once I heard
(09:57):
that like rock stuff, I was like, yeah, like that's
what I needed.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Have you met anyone from Fleetwood Mac or Stevie No.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
No from Heartbreakers? He played on my record. It's crazy,
it's amazing. Yeah, I met John here, but no. Stevie
Nix is like my She's like.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
If I smell a duet somewhere down the road, I
could you imagine, Well, tell me this, And I'm sure
she would be so excited if she was listening to
this that you had that she had such an impact
on you. She's super sweet. I've worked with her, I've
been lucky enough to and yeah, you'll you'll find out,
I'm sure in the not too distant future. Can I
(10:39):
ask what you would give for advice to someone who
may be dealing with some difficult times in their life,
of what you would suggest for them in terms of
any part of the song making, writing listening process.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Sure. Yeah, that's so tough because you kind of don't know.
I mean, everyone acts sort of differently no matter what
you know people go through. But I think it's just
it's I mean, it's hard because some people are For me,
when I went through everything, I was very shy, like
I just become became silent. I would go to school
(11:16):
and I would remember I could go all day and
not say a word to anyone, and I think it's
it's I can see people, you know, the quiet ones
I feel like always have the best stories just growing
up in school, and you know the ones that like
wouldn't say anything, it would sort of hide and were
Those are the thinkers and those are the dreamers. To me,
I don't know. It's so hard to go through things,
(11:37):
no matter how little or how big. But I guess
just taking it day by day and time really does heal.
I'm a completely different person from back then than when
I was now, and I think I've everything that's hard.
It just you just mature. I think I think I
(11:58):
wouldn't be right here if I didn't go through everything
back then. So I think, as hard as it is
in the moment, I think in a weird way, you
learn a lot of beneficial lessons from it.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
But no, No, that was a wonderful answer. And I
have this feeling that you're a very old soul, not
just from the artist that you grew up listening to,
because you blow me away. I mean those are all
of the artists I grew up listening to, and you're
half my age, so it's pretty amazing. I'm just so
excited for you, and I hope that all good things
(12:33):
continue in your life and in your career, and I
will be looking forward to your self titled debut. You
said it was coming out in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
Yeah, day before my birthday, January twenty fourth.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
Oh my goodness, are exciting. And Looking for June is
the single that'll be out soon as well.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
Yeah, Looking for June is out, and then yeah, we
might have one more before the album. I'm not sure.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Awesome. Well, thank you so much for coming on the
show and good luck, and you just making me smile
so much. I can't even think about how to say goodbye.
But I'm very excited for you. And it's always wonderful
to see new artists coming up and coming and doing
great things. And thank you, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
This is so so fun. Thanks for having me
Music Saved Me.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Time really does heal. I'm a completely different person from
back then than when I was now, and I think
i've everything that's hard. You just mature. I think I
think I wouldn't be right here if I didn't go
through everything back then. So I think, as hard as
it is in the moment, I think in a weird way,
(00:23):
you learn a lot of beneficial lessons from it.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
I'm Lynn Hoffman and welcome to the Music Saved Me Podcast,
the show where we talk with musicians about the deep
healing power of music. Now, if you like our podcast,
we hope you do follow us and share with your friends,
please and thank you. We talk with Hall of famers
and rising stars, and today I get to speak with
Glass Note Records recording artists Cecilia Casselman. Her latest single
(00:51):
is called Looking for June, and her self titled debut
album will be out in early twenty twenty five. Let's
explore Cecilia's inspiring journey and how new music has impacted
her life on Music Saved Me. Cecilia, Welcome to Music
Saved Me. It's so good to have you.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Thank you, thanks so much for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
So I'm going to start off with I'm hoping it's
not a hard question, but I just need to know.
Do you feel that music has healing powers? Oh?
Speaker 2 (01:18):
One thousand percent. Yeah. I mean that's the whole reason
I got through my childhood was because of music.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
So well, let's let's talk a little bit about that.
Let's start off with your first experiences that led you
to your deep connection with music. Can you tell us
a little bit about that?
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Sure, I mean, I just remember always having a guitar
within Both of my parents were musicians, and so instead
of you know, giving me twenty bucks to go to
the mall, it was here, here's a guitar. You know,
that's something free to do. But yet, you know, now
it's become such a priceless thing in my life. And yeah,
(01:56):
I was just my mom just sort of bottle fed
me everything music wise, since I was, you know, such
a young adult. And I just remember growing up on
you know, Flew the Mac and Prince and John Mayer
and I would save We didn't have a lot of
money growing up, my mom and I and so I
would just save my lunch money and we'd go to
(02:18):
Best Buy to the clear clearance section. Back when best
Buy you know, had a music section and I would
pick out records and that that's what I did, and
that's all I did. I don't remember ever doing anything
else besides you know, mowing the yard and listening to
records growing up?
Speaker 1 (02:36):
Wow, Now was it was it music and writing songs?
Was it writing songs first and then writing the music
for you?
Speaker 2 (02:46):
It was always I love guitar. I'm like a super
guitar head, so it was always me, you know, writing
a track and then sort of putting melodies and words
over it. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Now, would you and write just for yourself and not
to share with others? Or did you write it thinking
it was for other people to listen to?
Speaker 2 (03:09):
I wrote it for myself. I wouldn't show anyone, Like,
no one in school knew I even played guitar loved
music as much as I did. I think I kept
it to myself because I didn't want anyone to have
really opinions about it subconsciously, and I think, I, yeah,
that's all I did. And it wasn't until later when
(03:29):
I got a publishing deal and everything that people were like, oh,
you like you do music, and I was like, well, yeah,
I always did. But I think I kept it that
private for a reason, because it was so sacred to me.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Yeah, so it's very personal for sure. Anyone I've ever
talked to has always said, you know, it's like I
always use this example, it's like birthing children, you know,
and then you put them out there for the world
to judge, and you have no say over what anyone
else thinks about it. And you can help, but you
just don't know. I was just listening to your song
(04:02):
It's all Right, and I actually was watching the video
and you play a mean guitar. At the beginning of
the show, I'd asked you if you thought music had
healing powers and that song and the words sort of resonated.
Did that have anything to do with your life with
maybe your parents, because I know when you were very
young it was pretty traumatic for you for them to
get divorced, And as a child of divorced parents myself,
(04:24):
I can totally connect with that.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Yeah, they split when I was eleven, which was when
I was started writing. And yeah, it's all right. It's
very much so that like it's my restless, sort of
rebellious song that I'm talking to myself, and that song, like,
you know, everything is gonna be fine. You're gonna make
it through, You're gonna grow up, and you're gonna, you know,
(04:47):
find your way as like a young girl in this world,
and everything's gonna be fine. And I write a lot
in the third person, but all of those songs of
my record are about you know, me, and it's sort
of a way to sort of shield me and not
you know, expose everything, which I guess I just did.
But yeah, it's all right, that's about me saying everything's
(05:09):
gonna be fine.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
That was so interesting because before I heard that, and
I had no idea that that's what that song was about,
but I knew it was something that was going on
in your life. Do you believe that the music has
the ability to give people hope?
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Oh a thousand percent. Yeah. If I didn't have all
of those records that I did growing up and sort
of that drive to do something with my life, I
mean I came from nothing. I didn't have anything growing
up but those songs and what I could play and
what I could make myself. So yeah, it gives me
(05:48):
hope for the future for sure. I mean I wouldn't
have anything without it, and if it went away, I
don't know what i'd do, So yeah, a thousand percent.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Did you know when you were writing songs that it
was like therapeutic for yourself or did you just know
that you felt good after you got it on paper?
How did that work in your mind?
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Sure? I think it was all subconscious back then. I
think I did it and I do it now and
I still don't know the reason why. I think that's
what's so magical about music. It was very much so
a subconscious thing for me back then. In the words
that I write, I would have never said out loud,
but somehow I felt a way that I could through
you know, lyrics. So yeah, I got it all out,
(06:33):
you know, sixteen seventeen and.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
A record deal it twenty one am I right? Uh, yeah,
that's pretty amazing. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
I was very very lucky that I had such great
mentors and you know, everyone around me. Yeah. I still
have a long way to go, but it's been fun.
(07:11):
I can't I can't take it. I mean, it's still
so new for me to hear people like singing words
back to me that I just have to look the
other way. And most of the time it's really nice
because I can. I you know, it's so dark, I
can't really see anyone but smaller shows here in Nashville,
and I see people, whether it's like my friends or
even my mom, Like, I just can't. I have to
(07:34):
look away or it's going to make me not be
able to finish this song and just break down and cry.
But I mean, that's the dream. That's all I've ever wanted,
is for you know, people to sort of find company
within my songs and make them feel better about stuff,
or make them cry or you know, whatever they're feeling. Yeah,
(07:55):
that it's wild to me.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
It's very surreal, I bet, especially going from not one
to share any of it to having it be so
out there.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
Can you describe what it's like when you're writing a
song or when you're creating the music to a song,
what comes first and what's your process? And also when
you were going through something as a young child, whatever
it was, what music and artist did you turn to,
maybe specific songs that you listened to that helped you
(08:26):
through those times.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
When I was growing up, it was a lot of
Fleet and Mac. I remember that my mom got me
that Tusk record for my fifteenth birthday and I had
just gotten my permit and she'd gotten me that and
there's a song on there called Storms that Stevie Nicks.
I'm a huge Stevie Nicks fan. I think she's like
(08:51):
the best thing that's you know, in the world, and
all of her lyrics really resonated with me growing up,
I think because it was just she showed a woman's heart,
even though I obviously wasn't a woman then, but I
could just feel like that feminine sort of you know,
a woman trying to figure out her life and and
(09:13):
going through stuff and heartbreak. And I really resonated with
her growing up. Obviously still too, but it was songs
like Storms and Beautiful Child and you know, Sisters of
the Moon sort of that rage, you know, but also
the vulnerability of being a woman. And it was a
lot of her. But then I loved, like, you know,
(09:35):
very heavy guitar music. I feel like everything I listened
to it was very guitar. I heavy Tom Petty, John Mayer, Prince,
all the Lindsay Buckingham stuff. I very much so gravitated
towards all of that. Uh. And yeah, I think it's
because I grew up. You know, Nashville's very it's super country,
and which is awesome. But I think once I heard
(09:57):
that like rock stuff, I was like, yeah, like that's
what I needed.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Have you met anyone from Fleetwood Mac or Stevie No.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
No from Heartbreakers? He played on my record. It's crazy,
it's amazing. Yeah, I met John here, but no. Stevie
Nix is like my She's like.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
If I smell a duet somewhere down the road, I
could you imagine, Well, tell me this, And I'm sure
she would be so excited if she was listening to
this that you had that she had such an impact
on you. She's super sweet. I've worked with her, I've
been lucky enough to and yeah, you'll you'll find out,
I'm sure in the not too distant future. Can I
(10:39):
ask what you would give for advice to someone who
may be dealing with some difficult times in their life,
of what you would suggest for them in terms of
any part of the song making, writing listening process.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Sure. Yeah, that's so tough because you kind of don't know.
I mean, everyone acts sort of differently no matter what
you know people go through. But I think it's just
it's I mean, it's hard because some people are For me,
when I went through everything, I was very shy, like
I just become became silent. I would go to school
(11:16):
and I would remember I could go all day and
not say a word to anyone, and I think it's
it's I can see people, you know, the quiet ones
I feel like always have the best stories just growing
up in school, and you know the ones that like
wouldn't say anything, it would sort of hide and were
Those are the thinkers and those are the dreamers. To me,
I don't know. It's so hard to go through things,
(11:37):
no matter how little or how big. But I guess
just taking it day by day and time really does heal.
I'm a completely different person from back then than when
I was now, and I think I've everything that's hard.
It just you just mature. I think I think I
(11:58):
wouldn't be right here if I didn't go through everything
back then. So I think, as hard as it is
in the moment, I think in a weird way, you
learn a lot of beneficial lessons from it.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
But no, No, that was a wonderful answer. And I
have this feeling that you're a very old soul, not
just from the artist that you grew up listening to,
because you blow me away. I mean those are all
of the artists I grew up listening to, and you're
half my age, so it's pretty amazing. I'm just so
excited for you, and I hope that all good things
(12:33):
continue in your life and in your career, and I
will be looking forward to your self titled debut. You
said it was coming out in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
Yeah, day before my birthday, January twenty fourth.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
Oh my goodness, are exciting. And Looking for June is
the single that'll be out soon as well.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
Yeah, Looking for June is out, and then yeah, we
might have one more before the album. I'm not sure.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Awesome. Well, thank you so much for coming on the
show and good luck, and you just making me smile
so much. I can't even think about how to say goodbye.
But I'm very excited for you. And it's always wonderful
to see new artists coming up and coming and doing
great things. And thank you, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
This is so so fun. Thanks for having me
Host
Lynn Hoffman
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