Classic Music Saved Me with Antoinette Costa

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Classic Music Saved Me with Antoinette Costa"
takin' a walk
Hosted by iHeartPodcasts
Release Date: April 23, 2025

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Introduction

In this heartfelt episode of takin' a walk, host Lynne Hoffman welcomes singer and songwriter Antoinette Costa to discuss the profound impact music has had on her life, especially during challenging times. Antoinette shares her journey of emotional and physical recovery through music, offering listeners an intimate look into how melodies and lyrics can serve as powerful tools for healing.

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Early Connection to Music

Antoinette Costa begins by reminiscing about her childhood, highlighting how natural her inclination toward music was.

"[04:31] Antoinette Costa: ...as a small child, I started writing music naturally, so my dad could play guitar and sing and love doo wop. So I would harmonize with him on the guitar. It was my first introduction to it."

From harmonizing with her father to creating her own musicals by the age of five, Antoinette's early immersion in music set the foundation for her lifelong passion and career.

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Health Challenges and Music as Therapy

Antoinette bravely opens up about her struggle with a brain tumor, detailing the three-year battle that included medication and surgery. During this tumultuous period, music became her sanctuary.

"[05:41] Antoinette Costa: ...music was my therapy. It was my hope. And my mom gave me the idea... to record an album. That was enough to just get me in a good place."

Her mother’s suggestion to channel her emotions into creating an album provided Antoinette with a sense of purpose and a path to recovery. Remarkably, she recorded her album within just 11 days post-surgery, demonstrating the therapeutic power of music in her healing process.

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The Healing Power of Music

The conversation delves deep into Antoinette’s belief in music’s supernatural healing abilities. She describes music as a bridge to a spiritual realm and a tangible form of storytelling that provided her with stability and happiness during her darkest moments.

"[10:48] Antoinette Costa: ...I think of music as the bridge to the spiritual world or ethereal world, and that songwriting and music is the most palpable form of storytelling."

Antoinette emphasizes that music not only saved her but also offers a lifeline to others facing similar struggles, reinforcing the idea that artistic expression can transcend physical and emotional barriers.

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Notable Songs and Their Impact

Antoinette highlights specific songs from her album that resonate deeply with listeners.

• "Crumbles": This song reflects on the importance of internal strength and not solely relying on others for happiness.

  "[11:49] Antoinette Costa: Crumbles was very much you... you can never put all of your hope in one person and that you need to anchor in something deeper."

• "Pita Patterson": Born out of her experiences in the MRI machine, this track connects with many who have undergone similar medical procedures.

  "[09:31] Antoinette Costa: ...I had a bunch of strangers write me on Instagram that they had similar experiences in an MRI machine... it was an incredible feeling to connect with people I've never met."

These songs not only reflect Antoinette’s personal journey but also offer solace and understanding to her audience.

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Advice for Others

Drawing from her experiences, Antoinette advises individuals facing challenges to surround themselves with positive influences and to use music or creative processes as a form of meditation and mental training.

"[12:41] Antoinette Costa: ...surround yourself with positive forces and people... as I trained my mind by focusing on music writing, my form of meditation, I became calmer and I retrained my mind."

Her emphasis on internalizing happiness and self-worth through creative outlets serves as a guiding principle for those seeking resilience in tough times.

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Collaboration and Teamwork

Antoinette discusses the collaborative nature of her album, acknowledging the contributions of various talented musicians who played crucial roles in bringing her vision to life.

"[13:35] Antoinette Costa: ...it was about the team effort. So there are incredible musicians that dropped so much to be a part of it... everyone put their heart and soul into the album."

She highlights how teamwork not only enriches the creative process but also motivates her to share her work with the world, ensuring that each contributor's efforts are recognized and heard.

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Personal Reflections

Throughout the interview, Antoinette expresses gratitude and awe at her journey and the connections she’s made through her music. She shares a touching moment about meeting the host, Lynne Hoffman, and reflects on the surreal nature of her achievements.

"[15:47] Antoinette Costa: ...I remember watching VH1 and seeing you... it's just very surreal to be interviewed by you."

This mutual admiration underscores the supportive community that surrounds artists and the profound impact that storytelling through music can foster meaningful relationships.

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Conclusion

The episode concludes with Lynne Hoffman commending Antoinette for her courage and resilience. Antoinette leaves listeners with a powerful message about the sufficiency of one person’s effort to inspire and help others.

"[16:43] Antoinette Costa: Yes, one is enough."

Her journey is a testament to the transformative and healing power of music, inspiring listeners to embrace their passions and utilize them as tools for personal growth and connection.

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Key Takeaways:

• Music as Therapy: Antoinette Costa’s experience underscores music’s ability to provide emotional and psychological healing.

• Creative Expression: Engaging in creative processes can offer purpose and stability during challenging times.

• Collaboration: Working with others enriches creative endeavors and fosters a sense of community.

• Inspiration and Resilience: Personal stories of overcoming adversity can inspire and uplift others facing similar struggles.

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Notable Quotes:

• Antoinette Costa (04:31): "I started writing my own musicals early age. At around five years old, I'd use the fireplace as my stage and would start making up plots."

• Antoinette Costa (05:41): "Music was my therapy. It was my hope."

• Antoinette Costa (09:31): "I had a bunch of strangers write me on Instagram that they had similar experiences in an MRI machine... it was an incredible feeling to connect with people I've never met."

• Antoinette Costa (12:41): "Surround yourself with positive forces and people... focusing on music writing, my form of meditation, I became calmer and I retrained my mind."

• Antoinette Costa (16:43): "Yes, one is enough."

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This episode of takin' a walk serves as a powerful reminder of music’s enduring ability to heal, connect, and transform lives. Antoinette Costa’s story offers both inspiration and practical advice for anyone seeking solace and strength through their artistic pursuits.

Transcript

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[Antoinette Costa]

By focusing on music writing my form of meditation. I became calmer and I retrained my mind because I feel like there is all this noise. There's insta stories, there's constant. There's constant noise in the world. And when you come back to music writing, reading, creative process, whatever that means to you, you feel a sense of purpose and stability and happiness.

[Lynne Hoffman]

I'm Lynne Hoffman and welcome to the Music Saved Me podcast. The podcast where we dig deep into the healing power of music with musicians who all have their own unique story to tell. Our guest today is the singer and songwriter who truly knows the healing forces of music. Antoinette Costa is a singer and songwriter whose style ranges from jo jazz to soul to classical and even hip hop. She has new music out called Pipa Patter and recently revealed that she's facing her own health challenges. And we are so fortunate that she actually wanted to share her story on our show today and her story of immersion. I'm sorry, emotional and physical recovery. Let me give you that line again. She has new music out called Pit a Patter and recently revealed that she's facing her own health challenges. And we're so fortunate that she wanted to share her story of emotional and physical recovery along with the healing power of music. Antoinette, welcome to Music Save Me. It's great to have you here and thanks for wanting to be here.

[Antoinette Costa]

It's great to be here. Lynn, thank you for that kind intro and to Buzz as well for having me on the podcast. I love the episodes and your guests and the topics that you. You really address on it.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Thank you so much. Well, let's dive right in and first let me ask you, what were your first experiences that connected you so deeply to music and how did you know that it would be your life's calling? That's kind of two questions.

[Antoinette Costa]

No, great questions. As a small child, I started writing music naturally, so my dad could play guitar and sing and love doo wop. So I would harmonize with him on the guitar. It was my first introduction to it. And I started writing my own musicals early age. At around five years old, I'd use the fireplace as my stage and would start making up plots. So very natural songwriter.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Wow, at five, you're writing plays at.

[Antoinette Costa]

Five, around that age. And it's funny because my brother's daughter, so my niece, she's doing the same thing a little bit earlier than me. She's three and a half. And she came to my performance at the Kimmel center this past week and she. She has it in her. So maybe it's a little bit genetics.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Oh, yes, there's a lot of that Definitely. Can you share? I kind of hinted about it a little bit up front, but would you share the recent challenges you've had health wise, and why you decided to be so open and extremely transpar about it with your music? That's not easy.

[Antoinette Costa]

Of course. I had a brain tumor and was sick for about three years, and during that process, I was on medication for over a year and eventually needed surgery. During that time, music was my therapy. It was my hope. And my mom gave me the idea when I was at my worst point before surgery. She knows I love the process of writing, so to get my head in a better spot, she said, why don't you. If you can sing after this surgery, why don't you record an album? And that was enough to just get me in a good place. And I started writing down the songs that I wanted to be on the album, visualizing it. And after the surgery, after six months when I could sing again, I recorded an album in 11 days.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Wow. So visualization, you mentioned that word. That's. That's a powerful word. Almost as powerful as music and the vibration. A lot of people don't realize that, but when you. When you visualize things, you make them happen.

[Antoinette Costa]

It's so true. Even with performances. I was a bit afraid to perform this past week at Kimmel center because the last time I performed was in 2019. And my voice has changed a little bit since I had the surgery, and it's not as strong. I haven't been exercising it. So before I got on that stage, I thought about every possible thing that could go wrong with the sound system and how I would be calm and that I performed for so many years that I would handle it as it would come up and having fun with my musicians and how blessed I was to be performing with musicians who played on the album. So visualizing helped me stay in that zone.

[Lynne Hoffman]

That's amazing. And. And it really does go down exactly how you saw it, doesn't it?

[Antoinette Costa]

It's true. And we did have.

[Lynne Hoffman]

When you're in the middle of it, right, and you're looking around, you're like, I saw this. I saw all of this.

[Antoinette Costa]

It's funny you said that because there was a little bit of a sound mess up in the beginning, and I. I didn't freak out because I'd already realized it and knew how to handle it. So hilarious.

[Lynne Hoffman]

I read that Tracy Chapman was a big influence on you early on. Who are some of the other musicians or maybe particular songs that you listen to while you were going through these challenging Times in your life.

[Antoinette Costa]

Fast Car is one of my favorite songs ever before the recent resurgence of it, which I was happy that Tracy was given the spotlight. And I think why it's so powerful is you feel her story through her voice and the lyrics and that, you know, when she sings it. That song came from the songwriter. I love her. I grew up listening to a lot of Dion DiMucci. I. He's done some doo wop, but I like his. His live performances. And again, he's a songwriter. I tend to gravitate towards songwriters in terms of voices. I've always loved Anita Baker, just this soulful, rich, smooth, like an instrument. But I've gravitated to just a lot of songs, and usually ones that are sung by the songwriter.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Well, I read that you said writing a song I love this is like bottling an emotion in its most potent form. It's almost like you're bottling medicine not only for yourself, but for others. Can you describe how it feels when. When you've moved someone with your music and you've witnessed this?

[Antoinette Costa]

It's the most powerful feeling, and I experienced that when I decided to open up about what I had gone through with my health journey. I usually don't like to say what I've written a song about or the inspiration behind it, but Pitta Patterson, I started writing it in the MRI machine about the machine and the sounds I wrote. You drowned out every good sound with that big, bad mouth. And People magazine did an article about that songwriting process, and I had a bunch of strangers write me on Instagram that they had similar experiences in an MRI machine, that they turn to music and focusing on sounds and going to a fantasy land. So it was an incredible feeling to connect with people I've never met, and they were touched by that song and the story behind it.

[Lynne Hoffman]

It's. It's. It's pretty incredible that you were able to focus on that while going through that. Do you believe that music has this supernatural healing power that we can't quite figure out what exactly it is, which is what we try to do on the show every time? And there's so many different. You know, Absolutely.

[Antoinette Costa]

I. I think of music as the bridge to the spiritual world or ethereal world, and that songwriting and music is the most palpable form of storytelling? So for me, it definitely saved me because I. I was at a point in my life that I felt very hopeless. And once I dived into the songwriting process and started collaborating with musicians, it just lifted my. Hear it and I knew I'd get through it. It was music that. That made me know I was going to get out on the other side and enjoy the process of releasing the art to the world. Even if that was one person who listened, it was about finishing and completing the process.

[Lynne Hoffman]

So powerful. Can you highlight a few of the songs that might help? If there's anyone in the audience listening right now going through something similar to you, that. Let's start with Crumbles. Oh, so good Soldiers cry.

[Antoinette Costa]

Thank you. Crumbles was very much you. You keyed on the right song. Because I felt. I felt that when I wrote that song that you can never put all of your hope in one person and that you need to anchor in something deeper. And for me, even taking music that. That created a hope and gave me a sense of purpose. And that comes from within. You can't ever have a sense of happiness or worth outside of yourself or looking to other people. It needs to come from within. And music helped me come back to that.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Well, if there was anyone going through a similar challenge right now, musically or otherwise, what. What advice could you give someone going.

[Antoinette Costa]

Through that, to surround yourself with positive forces and people? My world got very small and I. I would be lying to say I didn't feel a sense of FOMO for a bit. But then as I trained my mind by focusing on music writing, my form of meditation, I became calmer and I retrained my mind because I feel like there is all this noise. There's insta stories, there's constant. There's constant noise in the world. And when you come back to music writing, reading, creative process, whatever that means to you, you feel a sense of purpose and stability and happiness.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Tell me about collaborating with other artists. I know you've collaborated with quite a few that we know and maybe we haven't heard of before, but is there a magic there that helps?

[Antoinette Costa]

There is definitely a magic. And on this album, pitted patter more so than about me. It was about the team effort. So there are incredible musicians that dropped so much to be a part of it during the holidays. It was in December that we recorded this. Ray Angry of the Roots, James Poiser of the roots, Spank E McCurdy, Kari Mateen, Steve McKee, TK Wonder Dice Ra. I'm mentioning these names because everyone put their heart and soul into the album. And it's not just about the vocalist, it's about the team. And that also motivated me to release it and finish it because I wanted everyone's work to be heard.

[Lynne Hoffman]

And the musicians on call. You also worked with them as well.

[Antoinette Costa]

I'm trying to right now, Lynn.

[Lynne Hoffman]

It's.

[Antoinette Costa]

It's hilarious, the timing of this, because Sam Hollander, who you interviewed.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Yes.

[Antoinette Costa]

I'm an incredible songwriter, producer. He's done it all in the industry. I. I heard that he was going to be on the board, and I wanted to be involved after my health journey and realizing how therapeutic music is. And I reached out to him and we're in talks and how I could be involved. And he's on this podcast. So it's just this timing of everything falling into place when you surrender to the music and that energy.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Yeah. When you just kind of let yourself be guided. It's amazing the places that you can go. And here you are.

[Antoinette Costa]

And I remember watching VH1 and seeing you. It's. It's crazy to me because I would never think one day I'd be. I'd be in front of you. Oh, my God.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Funny you should say that. I was reading. You were. You worked at mtv.

[Antoinette Costa]

I did. I did. I would walk. I would walk. That was my first internship through the Halls of 1515 Broadway. But I wish that I could speak like you, because you have this calm, assertive voice. And I. I remember, actually I had heard your voice before. I saw your. Your image, and I had been. I. I like YouTube, looking up old clips, and it's just very surreal to be interviewed by you.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Well, I'll tell you, it's just equally as surreal for you to say that to me, because I don't. I don't place a lot of stock in myself in that aspect. It's always like you're talking to somebody else next to me, because when I guess maybe people are people, and I guess it gets me a little, as you can see. I don't even know what to say.

[Antoinette Costa]

Well, you need to be on TV again because it's like Benjamin Button in front of me because you look younger than. Than back then and your. Your presence on screen and of course, your voice. I'm just very excited to be on here and that you're still. You're still doing what you love and you're so great at.

[Lynne Hoffman]

Oh, thanks, Antoinette. Well, just a beautiful woman, a beautiful heart, beautiful music, and I. I can't thank you enough for. For coming on the show today and sharing some of your story. Hopefully it's helped lift some up. Like you say, just one is enough.

[Antoinette Costa]

Yes, one is enough.

[Lynne Hoffman]

One's enough. Antoinette Costa, thank you for sharing your remarkable journey with us and your story on music saved me and keep fighting the good fight. And please keep in touch and thanks for for coming on the show.

[Antoinette Costa]

Lynn thank you so much for having me. It was an honor. Hula.

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