Soft Opening

In this episode I sit in conversation with my dear friend, Paje Honor. Paje is a makeup artist, hair stylist, photographer, Human design and tarot consultant, and entrepreneur extraordinaire. Creativity just oozes out of her, and she is one of the most generous humans I’ve had the pleasure of knowing. We talk about single motherhood, using authenticity and creativity to pay the bills, giving back to community, and the empowering practice of claiming one’s unique beauty.Settle in and get cozy for this final full length episode of season one. I hope you can carry Paje’s whimsy into your winter months. You can find Paje's work here:Honor Beauty - Hair and MakeupThe Place Between - Tarot and Human DesignEmbodied by Honor - Intimate PortraitsSeason one of Soft Opening is made possible with the support of the Niagara Falls Cultural Development Fund.Co-Produced and Engineered By: Peter HaverkampCo-Produced and Hosted By: Catherine SkinnerSoft Opening Website

moon is a multi-disciplinary artist and creator living in the Niagara Region with roots in the Caribbean. In this episode, we dive into spirituality and the sacred as sources of healing and inspiration, the notion of divinity, the power words wield, good old magic, identity, binaries, and barriers. There’s so much synergy and enthusiasm in this conversation, I’m excited for you to hear how it all unfolds.Find moon's creations here:https://www.earthandmoon.net/Season one of Soft Opening is made possible with the support of the Niagara Falls Cultural Development Fund.Co-Produced and Engineered By: Peter HaverkampCo-Produced and Hosted By: Catherine SkinnerSoft Opening Website

In the following episode, I have the pleasure of a deep dive with Maja Bannerman, a published writer, poet, songwriter and performance artist who lives here in the Niagara Region. Maja shares her passion for stepping into the lives of characters she creates to raise awareness, explore and process emotion, advocate, and tell story. We also talk about ancestors, the healing beauty of gratitude and simplicity, and the random surprises and serendipity of the universe.You can find Maja's work here:https://www.majabannerman.ca/https://majabannerman.bandcamp.com/ Season one of Soft Opening is made possible with the support of the Niagara Falls Cultural Development Fund.Co-Produced and Engineered By: Peter HaverkampCo-Produced and Hosted By: Catherine SkinnerSoft Opening Website

Steve Goldberger is a Genie award winning bandleader, producer, songwriter, and musician whose career has spanned over 50 years. In this episode, Steve shares his Musical origins within his Jewish Culture, learning by watching  his legendary bass playing uncle. We also talk about his 2025 Autobiography In a Life, a wonderful collection of stories from the span of his musical career, full of personal photographs and rock and roll ephemera. There’s an album of original music with the same name.Steve’s openness and curiosity guide his creative life where he’s formed countless Friendships, some of them decades long, and community built around music and collaboration. Steve also talks about Humility and gratitude as tools for balance and values upon which to create a lifelong artistic career, and how writing has been a tool that to create meaning and perspective through life, especially during some close brushes with mortality.Find Steve, his books, his music, and tickets to upcoming shows here:https://www.stevegoldberger.com/https://stevegoldberger.bandcamp.com/https://open.spotify.com/artist/5ts4rYMKFVCAEoVbSvCytyhttps://music.apple.com/us/artist/steve-goldberger/348745520https://www.youtube.com/user/SteveGoldbergerSeason one of Soft Opening is made possible with the support of the Niagara Falls Cultural Development Fund.Co-Produced and Engineered By: Peter HaverkampCo-Produced and Hosted By: Catherine SkinnerSoft Opening Website

Carl David Onofrio, or C.D. as he is more commonly known, is a prolific Niagara Falls, Canada based poet, performer, and songwriter in his creative life and a spiritual care provider in his professional life. I’m a long-time admirer of both his written and musical work and was so excited to sit down with him. I’m equally excited to share the result with you.  In this episode we talk about attention and intention, consumption and creation, flow experience as a tool for happiness, and C.D.’s tools for processing painful and difficult emotion. You can find the music of C.D. Onofrio here:https://cdonofrio.bandcamp.com/ A Sea of Gold and Burgundy:https://aseaofgoldandburgundy1.bandcamp.com/The Peace Projectors:https://thepeaceprojectors.bandcamp.com/album/heart-to-heartC.D.'s collections of poetry can be found here:https://greybordersbooks.jigsy.com/carl-david-onofrio Season one of Soft Opening is made possible with the support of the Niagara Falls Cultural Development Fund.Co-Produced and Engineered By: Peter HaverkampCo-Produced and Hosted By: Catherine SkinnerSoft Opening Website

Joe Lapinski is a songwriter, producer, performer, and soundscape designer based in St. Catharine’s, Ontario. His fourth full length album ‘New Day’ was released earlier in 2025 and we sit down to talk about music and mental health. This open-hearted conversation covers finding deep, lasting love, building a family, and confronting trauma to show up better for yourself and the people you love the most. Joe is integral to the arts scene here in the Region, and it was a real joy getting to know him and hear about his self care practice and his creative process. He also shares an amazing resource for mental health support for musicians at the end of the episode.You can find Joe at https://joelapinski.ca/And on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7znLCQibxksjYZ9rxT9fLEApple Music: https://music.apple.com/ca/artist/joe-lapinski/722296436Bandcamp: https://joelapinski.bandcamp.com/The Musician's Clinic of Canada: https://www.musiciansclinicsofcanada.com/Season one of Soft Opening is made possible with the support of the Niagara Falls Cultural Development Fund.Co-Produced and Engineered By: Peter HaverkampCo-Produced and Hosted By: Catherine SkinnerSoft Opening Website

Eve Atoms is a Niagara Region poet, songwriter, spoken word, and experiential artist. In this soul-connected conversation, we visit so many topics that resonate deeply; motherhood and the necessity of self-care, balancing a demanding career and creative life, spiritual agency, integrating Jedi wisdom, and the healing power of the forest. Eve asks tough questions about disability, spiritual and healing charlatans, and how to engage community in creativity and uses open-hearted curiosity to explore the answers. Find Eve on Instagram @eveatomsSeason one of Soft Opening is made possible with the support of the Niagara Falls Cultural Development Fund.Co-Produced and Engineered By: Peter HaverkampCo-Produced and Hosted By: Catherine SkinnerSoft Opening Website

Rick McLean is singer/songwriter who lives in the Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada. He is Anishinaabe, Odawa Wolf Clan, with roots in Wikwemikong Manitoulin Island. Rick is also a professor of Indigenous Studies at Mohawk College, a traditional knowledge keeper, sweat lodge conductor and pipe carrier who graduated from Brock University.  His facilitation and counselling work has been ongoing for 35 years and through McLean Consulting Group, Rick leads a team who bring diversity, equality, and cultural safety training to businesses and organizations across Turtle Island. In this episode, Rick and I talk about our theatrical roots, how fatherhood has shaped his healing and creative paths, the responsibility of sharing Indigenous wisdom, and the power of music to educate, unify and heal.Find Rick at https://mcleanconsultinggroup.com/ Season one of Soft Opening is made possible with the support of the Niagara Falls Cultural Development Fund.Co-Produced and Engineered By: Peter HaverkampCo-Produced and Hosted By: Catherine SkinnerSoft Opening Website

In this episode, I sit down with Niagara Falls poet Courtney Tudman, who I discovered amidst the pandemic and whose work I quickly came to love as a source of incredible grounding and hope. Courtney and I have the most beautiful conversation in what feel to me like a reflection of souls. We chat about big childhood emotions, finding our writerly voice at an early age, the poetry of single motherhood, healing ancestral wounds through writing, and how the pen gives us a direct line to the divine.You can find Courtney's writing @courtney_tudman_ on InstagramAnd find her first collection of poetry, The Sacred Dance: A Poetic Dance Between Holding on And Letting Go here: https://www.amazon.ca/Sacred-Dance-between-Holding-Letting/dp/8195915167Season one of Soft Opening is made possible with the support of the Niagara Falls Cultural Development Fund.Co-Produced and Engineered By: Peter HaverkampCo-Produced and Hosted By: Catherine SkinnerSoft Opening Website

Katey Gatta is a singer/songwriter born and raised in Welland, Ontario here in Canada. These days, she’s performing under the moniker Sleepy Jean, turning out tunes that are best described as spaghetti western infused Americana that reimagine the sounds of yesteryear in a blend all their own. In this conversation, Katey and I chat about growing up as the musical kid in a family of athletes, and the responsibility of addressing immigration and  intergenerational trauma through creativity. Katey also shares her journey of growing into the sacred role of ‘songwriter’, the inherent creativity that lives in discomfort, and the perils of self-sabatoge.I’m a huge fan of Katey’s dreamy sound and her powerful storytelling, and we share a belief that creativity is always a haven to return to after we recover from tough times.You can find Katey @sleepyjeansingsSeason one of Soft Opening is made possible with the support of the Niagara Falls Cultural Development Fund.Co-Produced and Engineered By: Peter HaverkampCo-Produced and Hosted By: Catherine SkinnerSoft Opening Website

The following episode deals with the subject of suicide. Please take any necessary care of yourself before listening.Aaron Berger is a singer/songwriter who was born in raised in Niagara Falls Canada. He's also one of the most generous and encouraging artists I know, and I credit him with nudging me towards my own artistic pursuits over the last several years. Our conversation covers a lot of terrain. We talk about family, the ever present need to slow down, the dangers of overwhelm, and the need for humility, grace, and brotherhood in fostering sacred space for healing and creativity. Aaron doesn't shy away from discussing the divine, his own mental health journey, and the universal ability of music to connect people to each other and to something greater than all of us.You can find Aaron here:Bandcamp:https://aaronberger.bandcamp.com/album/colour-lighthttps://aseaofgoldandburgundy1.bandcamp.com/Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/artist/6wAgG7BdiN1DhCebNCVRAH?si=J3VEwzp-Rh-nr3nn_zRsUwSeason one of Soft Opening is made possible with the support of the Niagara Falls Cultural Development Fund.Co-Produced and Engineered By: Peter HaverkampCo-Produced and Hosted By: Catherine SkinnerSoft Opening Website

James Owen Brown is a poet, spoken word artist, and songwriter who performs under the alias The Poetically Organized Entity, or the P.O.E. Our conversation looks at the roots of his lifelong love affair with words and rhythm, the harrowing experiences of his childhood, and his adult commitment to cultivating joy, a sense of playfulness, and embracing tech as a new tool for the muse. The P.O.E shares his resilience, his insight about expressing trauma through art, and three of his poems in this episode of Soft Opening. Find The P.O.E on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@poez Season one of Soft Opening is made possible with the support of the Niagara Falls Cultural Development Fund.Co-Produced and Engineered By: Peter HaverkampCo-Produced and Hosted By: Catherine SkinnerSoft Opening Website

Laurel Minnes is an award-winning singer/songwriter who lives in the Niagara Region of Ontario Canada. She’s also the front woman for the post-modern harmonic choral collective Minuscule, an experience of music that is equal parts joyful and soul-wrenching. Full disclosure, I’m a total fan girl, so just having her agree to be a guest on the show was a big deal. Our conversation spans everything from honouring the muse whenever she comes knocking to bravely voicing our darkness so others realize they aren’t alone. Laurel is figuring out how to solve the puzzle of life, one genius stroke of songwriting at a time. She talks about how to embrace the next tier of bravery, how to ask for help, how to learn the oh-so awkward steps of a new life choreography, and finally, she gives much deserved praise to the vulnerability and power of nice guys and their role in facilitating healing for, well, all of us. Laurel is a beautiful example of what happens when you chose to put your magic out into the world, despite the fear and the uncertainty. Her stories resonate in their fragility and I feel so lucky to have the chance to share some of them with you.Here's where to find Laurel and Miniscule:BandcampInstagramTwo of the songs we chat about in the podcast:JordanNice GuySeason one of Soft Opening is made possible with the support of the Niagara Falls Cultural Development Fund.Co-Produced and Engineered By: Peter HaverkampCo-Produced and Hosted By: Catherine SkinnerSoft Opening Website

One of the topics that keeps coming up in Season One of Soft Opening is the importance of community. The opposite of community is social isolation which can lead to loneliness. Both have been found to have a significant impact on mental health, particularly on feelings of depression and anxiety. We’ve seen a slow return to social engagement in this post-pandemic landscape, and a rise in reported cases of depression and anxiety, and I think there might be a link between these statistics.  Human beings have existed in packs throughout history, yet we find ourselves more disconnected from real-life interaction than ever before. It’s not always easy to make plans and then keep them. After a long week, it can feel impossible to find the energy to leave the house. Yet, when we spend too much time alone, and in our own heads, or feeling a false sense of connection while scrolling through social media, we start to feel it in ways that are often unpleasant, and often hard to articulate. So, what are some ways that we can feel less isolated and more like part of a community? Start by understanding your own specific needs for social connection. These can change over time. Make a list of the social environments that uplift you and give you energy, and those that feel draining and overwhelming Start small – you can take a book to a cafe or a public park and just enjoy the energy of people Share your struggles with social isolation with your trusted friends – there's strength in numbers, ask for their help in being accountable to staying connected Or not – consider activities you can do solo; in case your friend(s) need a rain check or are suddenly unavailable Couple it with fitness/wellness/or skill building Organize a low-key event for friends like a potluck or a picnic Some Free Community-Building Ideas: Free concerts in outdoor venues Readings or other library events Farmer’s markets Vendor or craft markets Volunteer Reach out to at least one friend daily with a voice memo, a phone call, or an in-person visit. This makes for a more personal connection than a text or an email Compliment a stranger and stay open to how this might lead to a conversation Remember to pace yourself so that you’re not doing too much all at once to fill up your social battery, as this can lead to overwhelm. It’s a good idea to take note of how an increased attention to connection and community impacts your overall sense of well-being so consider making notes in your journal to remind yourself of which efforts felt the best or led to surprisingly good results. If, after having tried some of these options, you still feel stuck and lonely, it’s a good idea to talk to a mental health practitioner about some other tools and options for connecting and finding community. Remember, all of us feel different from time-to-time. All of us have struggled with fitting in. Your people are out there, looking to connect with someone just like you, and it’s up to you to take the first steps towards finding them. There are folks everywhere wishing they had someone who understands what they’re going through, and that someone might just be you.  Season one of Soft Opening is made possible with the support of the Niagara Falls Cultural Development Fund.Co-Produced and Engineered By: Peter HaverkampCo-Produced and Hosted By: Catherine SkinnerSoft Opening Website

Brandon Agnew is a Niagara based singer songwriter who has a deep appreciation for the value of life. A shocking experience of grief in his youth led to his first moment of using creativity as a tool to bring community together, and this valuable lesson in healing through sharing stories has continued to inform his creative collaborations. Brandon is currently involved in multiple musical projects and he explores the genres of blues, folk, and Canadiana, writing stories about living life and falling in love with this great country. He’s surrounded himself with talented folks who are willing to say ‘yes’ and bring his vision to life, which is easy to do when he comes to the table with thoughtful, intentional, open-hearted songwriting. Brandon lives by the principles of community wellness, simple, connected living, and leading with kindness and humility. In this conversation he shares how we can all have unlimited access to the creative muse, and how getting up close and personal with death can be a powerful teacher for living deeply with love and with an eye for light and joy. Here's how to find Brandon's music:BandcampInstagramAnd here are the three songs from this episode:Meet You on Down the RoadIn the Hot Louisiana SunThey Don't Make 'Em Like You AnymorePhoto by Lauren GarbuttSeason one of Soft Opening is made possible with the support of the Niagara Falls Cultural Development Fund.Co-Produced and Engineered By: Peter HaverkampCo-Produced and Hosted By: Catherine SkinnerSoft Opening Website

In a time when the media is drowning in images of war, greed, and oppression and an opioid and mental health crisis is unfolding in our city, how do we keep reaching for light? Soft Opening is a podcast recorded in Niagara Falls, Canada that explores the connections between art and healing, and between vulnerability and creativity. Created and hosted by Niagara Falls-based life celebrant, counsellor, and poet, Catherine (Cat) Skinner, Soft Opening features intimate interviews with songwriters, poets, comedians, performers and visual artists who speak candidly about their personal experiences with creativity and resilience. Themes of recovery, grief, spirituality, wellness, sensuality, darkness, and the erotic unfold in each episode and safe space is created for artists to share their stories and discuss the creative process.  Season one of Soft Opening is made possible with the support of the Niagara Falls Cultural Development Fund.Co-Produced and Engineered By: Peter HaverkampCo-Produced and Hosted By: Catherine SkinnerSoft Opening Website