Suzie Brown is a musician, a part-time cardiologist, a TEDMED speaker–as well as a Jewish mom to two young daughters. This month, she’s releasing her new album “Sometimes Your Dreams Find You” with her husband, songwriter/filmmaker Scot Sax. Previously, Suzie and her husband released, “Our Album Doesn’t Like You Either.”
About her new album, she said it was inspired by the fact that it was hard for her to write post-pregnancy (and you know, parenting a toddler), telling Kveller:
“I was in a creative rut because I hadn’t been writing a lot while I was pregnant with my second baby and chasing around a toddler. I was having trouble bringing myself to book co-writes because I was feeling so out of practice, and being in Nashville I felt a lot of pressure to be a superstar in every writing session. The more time went by, the more out of practice I felt and the more hesitant I got to write and it started a negative creative spiral.
[The first song] is a response to anyone who might think my life is so uncool now, never going out and having to get up early every day and living in a messy house full of toys and baby stuff. I know that’s how it might look from the outside, but from the inside it feels so magical.”
Listen to Suzie talk about balancing it all here at TedMed. I was lucky to be able to talk with Suzie–check out what she has to say about being a Jewish mom and musician below:
How do you balance being a mom, musician, and cardiologist? We want to know how it’s possible!
I’ve kind of given up on balance–it’s such a moving target. I try and prioritize what’s the most important at the time, and accept that there will always be things I am letting slide a little. At a certain point in the day I just have to go to sleep already!
What’s been one of your biggest hurdles as a mom and as a professional?
As a mom: sleep deprivation. As a professional: sleep deprivation (and being away from my family).
If you could be anyone or anything, just for one day, what would you be?
It sounds totally tacky, but I don’t want to be anyone else or anything else! There are definitely places I’d love to go and people I’d love to meet, but I love my life the way it is.
What was your favorite music record/album?
Here are five of them (there are many more too!): Bonnie Raitt’s “Bonnie Raitt” (her first album), Brandi Carlile’s “The Story, Kathleen Edwards’ Voyager,” Jackson Brown’s “Running on Empty,” Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours.”
What TV show have you binge watched?
“Downtown Abbey,” “Masters of Sex,” “Mad Men,” and most recently, “The Get Down.”
Who are you, in one sentence?
If I ever figure it out, I’ll let you know.
Biggest pet peeve:
Arm-chair critics (people who sit around and criticize and cut down other people who are actually out there trying to do things that they would never dare attempt).
If you were a Jewish holiday, which one would you be?
I’m definitely not Passover, because I would never give up bread!
What’s the best thing about yourself? What’s the worst?
Best: I’m a good worker, a good practicer, I don’t cut corners.
Worst: I don’t cut corners and sometimes drive myself nuts with my perfectionism. Sometimes perfect is the enemy of good.
Childhood goal:
At different times I’ve dreamed of being a doctor, a musician, and a wife/mother. How did I get this lucky?!
