In this heartfelt and powerful episode of SoundBits, host Kim Groshek sits down with Melissa Gregory Simon—a musician, innovator, and fierce advocate for accessible music education. Melissa shares her current challenge: securing funding for her music education app, while navigating a world of venture capitalists who often overlook the real-world impact of creative, inclusive tools. Kim and Melissa explore the tension between purpose-driven projects and ROI-driven investors, the dream of performing a solo viola concerto, and Melissa’s incredible resilience as the “Bionic Violist”—a title earned through multiple surgeries and the life-altering experience of raising two autistic children. This candid conversation dives into what drives us, what we long for, and how we persist in making art, meaning, and impact.