“Now I’m Happy With Who I Am”: Patti Spadaro on Guitar, Mindfulness and Becoming a Mystic Misfit

Question 01

You’ve opened for Eddie Van Halen and shared stages with Melvin Seals & JGB—two very different gravitational fields in rock. What did you take from each experience as a guitarist, and how did they shape the player you are now?

Eddie Van Halen, Steve Lukather of Toto and some LA session players lived in the area and would book these small, secret shows occasionally. They just wanted to play together and have fun, and basically do whatever they felt like musically. We were booked as the opening act, and even we didn’t know who was in the headlining band until that night. Word leaked out and the place was packed. Eddie absolutely shredded! And he played with such ease. There were moments when he’d watch his fingers fly and just smile. He was so relaxed and really having fun, going with the flow, loving the moment. He was an amazing guitarist, not just technically, but also innovative and creative. I was young, a recent graduate of Musicians Institute in Hollywood, and in awe. Watching Eddie, I knew I wanted to incorporate those same aspects into my music: being good at what I do and having a sense of ease, letting loose, being in the moment, having fun.

Melvin Seals & JGB were several years later at the Pittsburgh Hard Rock Café. Friends came to the show, and Jill Simmons, who I’m touring with in Brown Eyed Women, joined us on stage. There was a musical-family type of vibe. It felt like energy was flowing through Melvin. He had this presence, being “in the zone.” The crowd was excited and dancing. There was a sense of connection and tingly joy in the air. Again, I was inspired. Like, yes—this is what I want to do with music.

Question 02

“Mystic Misfit” is described as the place where your musical world meets your work in yoga, meditation and mindfulness. For a lot of artists, those would feel like separate lives. How did you arrive at the point where they felt like the same thing?

When I was a student at Musicians Institute, they had a meditation class that met once a week. They had amazing teachers there. I played with Scott Henderson, of Chick Corea’s band, almost every week, learning to improvise. John Entwistle, Robben Ford and Jeff “Skunk” Baxter from Steely Dan would give workshops and chat with us. And on Wednesday mornings they had an open meditation class for anyone who felt like showing up. So, I was introduced to meditation at music school. I found it helped clear my head, focus and relax while playing.

Years later, when I became a parent, I took yoga classes and enjoyed them so much that I started learning kirtan—music and chanting from the yogic tradition—which feels uplifting. Beatle George Harrison was into kirtan. When I’m playing with a great rock, blues or jam band, when the musicians are listening to each other and improvising together, and rehearsed enough that we can get out of our heads and let go into the music, it feels good. I feel very present and alive and relaxed and joyful. I have these same experiences in yoga and meditation, and started teaching to share these experiences. So, whether I’m playing music, teaching yoga or meditating, I hope to find some connection, joy and presence.

Question 03

You describe the track as “dreamy yet fully awake.” That’s a precise and unusual description for a song. What does that mean to you sonically—what did you want the listener to feel in their body while it’s playing?

“Mystic Misfit” starts with chordal openness, repeating rhythmic guitar picking layered with improvised clean lead riffs. The drums and tambourine create a feel of easy movement. There’s a dreamy quality where we can wander and explore and be free. We can find that when we’re awake too—letting go of the analytical mind’s distractions and churnings to be more present and enjoy the moment. Like enjoying a good, deep breath that is relaxing, freeing and energizing all at the same time. There’s some self-reflection in the song. The second half builds to feelings of being inspired. I’d like the listener to feel safe to explore and let go, simply be, and feel inspired.

Question 04

The lead-guitar work is central to the song. What were you reaching for with that expressiveness—was there a specific feeling or image you were chasing when you laid it down?

Guitar is my first instrument and my first love. I think it’s just natural for me to think in terms of guitar. Improvising is a great way to express myself. I enjoy creating and making things up. Athletes talk about “being in the zone”; I love to find that ease and freedom of expression with music. I generally just play and record myself and listen back, and keep what sounds good or feels good and adds to the song. Sometimes it’s a lot of trying different things until something arises that sounds and feels special, or right. Sometimes it’s getting out of my own way, taking a break and coming back to it fresh—trying to find that same presence and inspiration that might come through at a live performance.

Question 05

“Glass Shatters” charted across UK iTunes, Cashbox, Independent Music Network, National Radio Hits and World Indie Music, and the video earned international film-festival recognition. What do you think connected so widely, and did it change your expectations for what “Mystic Misfit” could do?

“Glass Shatters” is one of my favorites, and it features guest women singers and musicians. It’s about women’s empowerment, breaking glass ceilings, and the first U.S. woman Vice President. It was very timely, since it was released during Kamala Harris’ campaign for President. I’m thrilled it got so much international attention. We are currently working on a video for “Mystic Misfit” by the same local Pittsburgh videographer, David Heath. I’m loving his ideas and excited for the video release.

“Mystic Misfit” is more of an introspective song. I think it’s timely as well. Life is chaotic and there is a lot of disconnection right now. It’s important to stay centered and find some unity. I hope it resonates and people enjoy it. A big challenge for independent artists is having the song find its way to listeners. Word of mouth helps! Listeners can help by adding to playlists, downloading, sharing with friends, reviewing songs and requesting them on the radio. Most indie artists don’t have big budgets and support from labels, so fans sharing what they like is important.

Question 06

The word “misfit” carries a lot of weight—it can mean outcast, or someone who simply doesn’t fit a mold they never wanted anyway. Which version are you writing about, and how personal is that to your own story?

For this song, it just means different from the mainstream. It relates to my personal story. Growing up, I wanted to fit in, but felt different from both my family and kids at school. I’m an introvert. I started getting into electric guitar, which was uncommon for girls back then. I went to college and majored in physics—not a common thing. And then I just wanted to play music, so I moved to LA. At Musicians Institute, I was one of three female guitar students in a class of 700 or so guys. Certainly different from the norm.

When I had kids, I’d go to playdates and preschool pickup and feel a little like an alien around the moms. Any other moms here a guitar-shredding yogi? No? And I’d peruse band ads, some looking for dudes or bros, and feel like: this isn’t me. I started teaching college courses in yoga, meditation and mindfulness, and didn’t quite fit in with the professors. When I was young, I struggled, wanting to be accepted. Now, I’m happy with who I am, and happy I’ve followed the path that feels right for me.

Question 07

You’re touring this summer with Brown Eyed Women, the all-female Grateful Dead band. The Dead’s ethos was about improvisation, community and music as a collective spiritual experience. How much of that philosophy lives in the way you write and perform?

I am a total Deadhead. I went to my first Grateful Dead concert with my older brother in 1983. I traveled around Pennsylvania and California to see Dead shows with my husband, and caught many Dead & Company concerts too. I love improvisation; it’s my favorite part of music. That experience of freedom, letting loose, creating in the moment. The community is something special. When I was a physics major, I learned about the vibrations of sound and music. There is something about thousands of people hearing and feeling the same musical vibration at the same moment, and enjoying it, that’s unifying.

And forgetting their troubles for a while, paying attention to the music, getting out of their heads, smiling and dancing together—it can be a spiritual experience. I like to include these things with my performing. I’m also a big fan of their lyricist Robert Hunter, who has been an influence on me as a songwriter. And Bob Weir was a yogi, so we have that in common too.

Question 08

Mindfulness education is a serious discipline with its own vocabulary, practices and community. How do you bring that world into a rock song without it feeling like a concept rather than a feeling?

Mindfulness is an experience. We can talk about it, but it doesn’t mean much until you engage in it. Bringing music to mindfulness practice is something we do in my classes. Listen deeply, feel your breath, relax your body, and if your mind starts thinking of other things, redirect it. Keep bringing attention to what you hear, to your breath and to what you feel. Don’t analyze. Be deeply present with one whole song, without doing anything else. Now, practice that each day.

I bring mindfulness into performing or writing by practicing being present when I perform or write—notice without judgment, feel the breath, listen deeply, and if the mind wanders, bring the attention back to the music. It’s a practice. For this song, I tried to write about my experiences rather than what I think, or philosophy.

Question 09

Pittsburgh doesn’t always get named as a music city the way Nashville or Austin does, but it has its own deep musical identity. How has the city shaped you, and what does it mean to build this career from there?

When I lived in LA, it could be overwhelming. So big, and so many musicians and bands—it was easy to get lost in the mix. I like Pittsburgh’s smaller size and community feel. I like nature, and nature is a part of and surrounds the city. Pittsburghers take pride in their city.

After I released my album Bringing Me Back, I did a lot of Patti Spadaro Band gigs around town. I played at WYEP, Hartwood Acres Hometown Music Festival, blues festivals and Light Up Night. Bars like Moondogs, Club Café and The Thunderbird support and take pride in our local music scene. We have a lot of benefit shows too. I’ve played Blues Go Pink, funding mammograms for Pittsburgh women; Bill Toms’ Thanksgiving Benefit Shows at City Winery, raising money for PAAR and supporting Pittsburgh survivors of sexual assault; and D-Jam, raising money for Just Harvest. The music community comes together to support our neighbors. I’m also playing some shows with Guild of Gaia, a collaboration of Pittsburgh-area women musicians and singers. There is a community feel here that I did not find in LA. I’ve met lifelong music friends at these events, some of whom I continue to perform with.

Question 10

By the end of 2026, where do you want Patti Spadaro to be—not in terms of chart positions or streaming numbers, but in terms of what you’ve said and who’s heard it?

I want to share my songs, other good music and things I’ve learned with people who enjoy and resonate with these things. I’d like to improvise and collaborate with awesome musicians, and play shows that promote unity and bring about good vibes and community. And have fun doing it.