Mar 06 2025 59 mins
Dr. Dan interviews award-winning composer, jazz musician, and author Hayes Greenfield about self-acceptance and authenticity. In an interview that flows and grooves like jazz improvisation, their conversation is spontaneous, rhythmic, bright, and complex.
Growing up with dyslexia in the 60s/70s when knowledge about the diagnosis was limited, Hayes struggled in formal educational settings. At 16, he found the saxophone and eventually forged his own path as a full-time musician, composer, and educator.
Hayes tells Dan that “music is the closest thing to magic” and that it teaches us about purposeful listening, passion, excellence, memory and cognitive flexibility, and
ultimately, about acceptance. Dan agrees that Hayes Greenfield’s unique approach is the foundation for a life of joy, wellbeing, and critical thinking.
Hayes Greenfield’s music has been reviewed in The New York Times and Billboard; he has scored more than 70 films, documentaries, commercials, animations, and TV specials. Hayes is the founder of Creative Sound Play (CSP) and author of Creative Sound Play for Young Learners. For more information visit creativesoundplay.com and hayesgreenfield.com; on Instagram follow @hayes.greenfield @creativesoundplay
Please listen, follow, rate, and review Make It a Great One on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @drdanpeters on social media. Visit www.drdanpeters.com and send your questions or guest pitches to [email protected].
We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one.
– Dr. Dan
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