What if the most radical thing you could offer a friend was a plane ticket out of danger? That one gesture - sent during California’s wildfires - anchors a wider story about music, belonging, and building a life across an ocean. We sit down with Scott MacLeod, a Boston‑raised musician who moved to Spain three decades ago and carved out a career as an oboist and English horn player, and we trace the unlikely path from classrooms with no music program to a symphony seat and a city that knows his name.

We talk about the choices that shape a life: why a second master’s in music made sense, how an orchestra can become a second family, and what it means to feel seen by a neighborhood that says buenos días to everyone who passes. Scott opens up about the realities of living abroad - universal healthcare that shows up when you fall, walkable streets that invite conversation, and the subtle weight of carrying an American accent wherever you go. The cultural contrast is real: manners as a social glue, small businesses as community hubs, and a slower cadence that values people over performance.

The conversation widens to immigration and identity. We look at why people move: safety, work, dignity - and how systems often punish workers while protecting the structures that rely on them. Through it all, joy isn’t a slogan; it’s a practice. It’s the daily repetition of small kindnesses, the discipline of learning a language, and the courage to plant roots where you once felt foreign. If you’ve ever wondered what keeps someone abroad for 30 years - or how friendship can bridge a continent - this story offers a grounded, human answer.

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Music By Geovane Bruno, Moments, 3481
Editing by Team A-J
Host, Carmen Lezeth


DISCLAIMER: As always, please do your own research and understand that the opinions in this podcast and livestream are meant for entertainment purposes only. States and other areas may have different rules and regulations governing certain aspects discussed in this podcast. Nothing in our podcast or livestream is meant to be medical or legal advice. Please use common sense, and when in doubt, ask a professional for advice, assistance, help and guidance.