Meet Owen McIntosh

We recently connected with Owen McIntosh and have shared our conversation below.

Owen, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

I feel that my resilience comes from my Homesteader upbringing. From as early as I can remember, working on the Homestead was life- and at the center of our homestead was our horses. My four brothers and I had to clear brush and rocks to create pastures- cut, and split trees to make fence posts- dig fence, post holes- dig ditches to lay irrigation piping- all to plant grass to pasture our horses. There was also our garden and Orchard: Apple, pear, plum, peach, walnut trees, all planted before I was born – all fed by the manure we collected every weekend. Needless to say, we had delicious harvest and a beautiful homestead. And while my child self found a little joy in the intense labor, homesteading gave me the work ethic, resilience, and determination for all of my future pursuits.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I grew up in rural Northern California on a homestead, which instilled in me a strong work ethic and deep connection to the land. After attending community college at Shasta College and then Cal State Stanislaus, I pursued my passion for music at the New England Conservatory of Music, where I earned a master’s degree in vocal performance. I went on to have a career as a professional freelance classical and opera singer for about 15 years.

Alongside my singing career, my wife—Lindsay, a Juilliard-trained oboist—founded a nonprofit called New Vintage Baroque in New York City, commissioning new chamber music for Baroque instruments by contemporary composers. When we moved back to California, that nonprofit evolved into Musica Sierra, shifting focus from commissioning music for classical audiences to creating educational programming for kids.

When we started our family in Loyalton, California, the local schools lacked a full-fledged music program. That inspired Lindsay and me to launch Musica Sierra’s initiative to restore music education in Sierra County. Over four years, we successfully re-established the program, and after I cleared my teaching credentials, I was hired as the full-time music teacher. Now I lead a vertically aligned music program from transitional kindergarten through 12th grade, including elementary, middle, and high school orchestras and choir.

As parents, our perspective shifted, and so did Musica Sierra’s mission. Instead of commissioning Baroque music, we began focusing on composing and commissioning music for children that deepens their social-emotional connection to the Earth and fosters environmental stewardship. This became our Musical Headwaters initiative—a series of commissioned works for kids, each album designed to explore ecological concepts alongside social-emotional learning.

To date, we’ve released five albums: The Rivers Are Our Brothers by Majel Connery, Trout by Fire & Grace and Jonathan Woody, Mammals by the Grammy-winning group Time for Three, Bird by the Washoe group Red Hoop Singers, and most recently, Garden. I had the privilege of writing the five songs on Garden, which were then arranged and brought together by Fire & Grace and The Nightbirds into a full concept album. Garden explores the seasons and functions of a garden—not just as nature’s cycles, but as lessons on how we can become stronger, more resilient, and compassionate human beings.

As we released these albums, we encountered a significant challenge: how to get this music into the hands of the kids who needed it most. Traditional CDs felt outdated, and streaming platforms like Spotify, while widely used, posed an equity issue—not all children had access to the internet, streaming services, or even devices to play music. We needed a way to make the music truly accessible and engaging for every child.

Drawing from my experience as a professional singer, I revisited the historical tradition of songbooks—collections of lyrics designed to help people sing along, often without full musical notation. Inspired by this, we developed the concept of the Musical Field Journal, which combines a songbook with an interactive journaling experience. This innovative tool allows children not only to read and sing the lyrics but also to deepen their social-emotional development through self-reflection and journaling prompts.

The journals feature beautifully illustrated pages created by young artists from our local school district, making them visually inviting and child-friendly. At the front of each journal, there’s a QR code that children can scan to access the album music for free via our website and SoundCloud, ensuring the music is available on any device, anytime.

When we introduced the Musical Field Journals to the kids, it was profoundly rewarding to watch them engage slowly and thoughtfully—holding the books, reading the lyrics, listening to the music, and reflecting on the words. This tangible, immersive experience encouraged them to slow down and connect deeply with the music and language. Seeing this kind of engagement reassured us that the Musical Field Journal was a powerful step toward making music accessible and meaningful for children everywhere.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Looking back, beyond determination, resilience, and perseverance, the most impactful skill in my journey has been networking and collaborating. Throughout our work, we’ve actively sought out opportunities to collaborate with a wide range of artists. This exchange of perspectives and experiences has helped us clarify our own vision and values.

It’s been essential to develop strong self-awareness—understanding your own skills, interests, and goals—while also being deeply curious about others’ passions and strengths. From there, we strive to create projects that bridge the gaps between everyone’s desires and needs, resulting in truly meaningful and innovative work.

This approach was particularly evident in how we commissioned the five albums in our Musical Headwaters series. We invited composers to select ecological or social-emotional topics that resonated with them, giving them creative freedom within our framework focused on social-emotional learning and environmental stewardship. By trusting in this collaborative process and allowing space for artistic expression, the results exceeded all our expectations and have been incredibly rewarding.

So, my advice for those early in their journey is to cultivate your network thoughtfully, embrace collaboration openly, and above all, trust the process and the people you work with. These three qualities—networking, collaborating, and trust—have shaped everything we’ve accomplished.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

We are absolutely always looking for more collaborators who share our passion for the future of our planet and the well-being of children through the arts. Recently, we’ve received many inquiries from creative individuals inspired by our work and eager to join this movement.

However, sustaining and growing this work requires funding, and we primarily rely on grants to support our projects. One of our greatest needs is connecting with philanthropists who are committed to advancing our mission.

Our goal is to expand the reach of our Musical Field Journals and artistic initiatives by partnering with organizations like summer camps, national parks, and schools. More importantly, we seek deep philanthropic partnerships to help bring this vision to a global scale.

The more momentum and collaboration we build, the greater the positive impact we can have on environmental stewardship and social-emotional learning for kids everywhere. We welcome anyone who wants to share in this vision and help us push these creative tools further.

Contact Info:

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Leadership Development
Where does your self-discipline come from?

One of the most essential skills for unlocking our potential is self-discipline. We asked some

Productivity
Tactics & Strategies for Keeping Your Creativity Strong

With the rapid improvements in AI, it’s more important than ever to keep your creativity

Productivity
Working hard in 2025: Keeping Work Ethic Alive

While the media might often make it seem like hard work is dead and that