As the holiday season collides with GRAMMY® buzz, Cheryl B. Engelhardt is closing out the year from a place of reflection, alignment, and momentum. When Celeb Secrets first caught up with the composer and artist, she was celebrating her first-ever GRAMMY nomination — a career-defining moment that marked a powerful shift in her creative journey.
Now, Engelhardt returns to Grammy season as a two-time nominee, this year recognized in Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album for According to the Moon, her collaborative record with Australian artist Gem Auset. The album — which blends cinematic soundscapes, electronic textures, and wellness-driven composition — has already hit major milestones, including multiple weeks as Amazon’s best-selling ambient album.
From composing across film, choirs, and meditation platforms to stepping into leadership roles within The Recording Academy and MusiCares, Engelhardt’s evolution over the past year has been nothing short of expansive. In this exclusive update with Celeb Secrets, she opens up about collaboration, nervous system regulation, redefining success, and why this chapter feels less about arrival — and more about seeing things through.
You can connect with Cheryl by visiting her website here.
Celeb Secrets: Celeb Secrets first caught up with you after your first GRAMMY nomination, and now here we are celebrating your second during the holidays, no less. Does this moment feel different, and how are you personally taking it all in this time around?
Cheryl B. Engelhardt: “This time feels very different, and that makes sense. The first album was entirely mine. I composed, performed, produced, and mixed it myself. I was the only new artist on the ballot and the only solo female artist in the category. That album came out of a season of grief, so there was a real bittersweetness to the nomination. It also felt like unlocking a new level in my career.
This time, almost everything is the opposite. It was a true collaboration with a co-writer and co-producer, and someone else mixed it. The process was about letting go of how I would normally do things and trusting a shared vision. I had already crossed the threshold of being a nominee, so now it feels less about arriving and more about seeing it through to the very end. I am not mad about that at all.”
CS: What does this second GRAMMY nod represent for you as an artist and human?
CBE: “I love when a result can be replicated. I teach independent musicians how to build systems that support big outcomes, and I actively use those tools myself. This nomination affirmed that I have cracked a code around calling in what matters to me. It represents focus, consistency, and laying intentional groundwork that can actually support expansion.”
CS: According to the Moon has become a standout in the Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album category. Can you take us inside the creation of the record? What emotional or spiritual “season” of life were you in when it came together?
CBE: “I was traveling constantly during that period. Much of the album was created from a makeshift home studio in the French Alps, which is also where the album cover photo was taken. At the same time, I was navigating family challenges, illness, and relationship issues. Having something collaborative to work on during that season was incredibly grounding and helped keep me moving forward. Coordinating with Gem who was mostly in Australia, kept me on my Wold Clock toes!
Now, on the other side of that chapter, I can really see the work I did to regulate my nervous system and expand my capacity. I am proud of being able to identify what actually worked and to articulate that clearly.”
CS: The album blends cinematic soundscapes, electronic textures, and wellness-driven composition so seamlessly. How did your collaboration with Gem Auset shape the final sonic world of the project?
CBE: “We established what we jokingly called our ‘goal posts.’ Gem leaned deeply into ambient textures, while I come from a contemporary New Age and classical compositional background. We had to find the center point and then gently stretch toward each other’s worlds.
We still laugh about Gem telling me, ‘Okay, you can have ONE big key change and ONE song with sixteenth notes,’ which ended up being Mountain Meditation and Dawnlight. Lonnie Park, as co-producer, was essential in pulling out both of our artistic voices and helping the project feel cohesive.”
CS: You’ve beautifully transitioned from pop singer-songwriter to a multi-discipline composer working in choirs, theater, meditation apps, and film. What gave you the courage to pivot and trust that this new path would lead you where you were meant to go?
CBE: “I have always been very project-based. If something spoke to me, I would figure out the skills I needed to do it well. Over time, that built a really solid creative toolbelt, and now I trust it.
I do not think it was courage as much as fate. During a two-week composer residency, I happened to create an experimental album called Luminary, which went to number one on several New Age charts. That moment made me pause and think, maybe I should explore this more fully instead of trying to squeeze myself into a very rigid pop format.”
CS: How has letting go of one artistic “box” opened doors you never expected, including this GRAMMY-nominated chapter?
CBE: “I feel very at home in New Age music. It lets me bring in classical piano, string arrangements, and layered vocals without forcing a strict form or lyrical theme. I can be cinematic, esoteric, intense, and also slow things down and let emotions unfold naturally.
It feels freeing. In hindsight, I was trying to fit into an industry that was rejecting me, instead of realizing I was being redirected somewhere that actually felt like home.”
CS: Do you feel more creatively fulfilled now that your work spans so many mediums, or is it the challenge of balancing them all that keeps you inspired?
CBE: “One skill I am genuinely proud of is mastering my calendar. No matter what is happening, I can usually sleep well, keep overwhelm manageable, and move projects forward thoughtfully.
Having a choral publisher is also a huge gift. When I feel inspired to write choral work, there is a clear place for it to live. That kind of structure supports fulfillment in a big way.”
CS: This year alone, your music has reached millions through wellness apps, TV placements, and global platforms — not to mention sharing stages with icons like Sting and Pentatonix. Is there a pinch-me moment that still stands out?
CBE: “The most recent one was singing for 19,000 people in a choir onstage with Pentatonix just a few weeks ago. Videos are still popping up online, and I keep thinking, wait, I was actually there, singing one of my favorite songs with my friends. It still does not feel real.”
CS: What does “success” look like to you now compared to earlier in your career, especially after seeing your music travel so far beyond traditional stages?
CBE: “That is a great question. Success is deeply personal. Right now, I am in the Grammy season, so success looks like winning. Ask me again on February 2, and I will probably have a brand-new definition.”
CS: You’re not only a composer, but also a certified trauma-informed coach. How has this training changed the way you approach sound, silence, and emotional storytelling in your music?
CBE: “It has changed how I work more than how I create. I am trained to recognize when someone’s nervous system is overwhelmed, which allows me to lead with compassion and empathy. I have also done a lot of my own healing, so when I sit down to create, I am coming from a much cleaner emotional slate.
Overall, more than a decade of coaching has taught me how to slow down and stay present, even when things feel chaotic.”
CS: Do you personally turn to music as a grounding tool during busy or overwhelming seasons, and if so, what does that look like for you?
CBE: “Honestly, I do not listen to a lot of music. Occasionally, I will play Dave Brubeck on my record player in the morning, or have ambient music on while working, but I do not use music as my primary grounding tool.
My grounding comes from meditation and somatic practices. The regulation comes from within me, rather than from an external source.”
CS: What’s one misconception artists have about burnout or productivity that you’re constantly helping them reframe?
CBE: “That they are not doing enough. I help clients distinguish between being busy, being productive, and being effective. Effectiveness means taking actions that actually produce the desired result. Productivity means creating output, but not necessarily impact. Busyness is often just about optics or ego.”
Sometimes the most effective thing you can do is take a nap. Burnout often eases almost immediately when someone takes one small aligned action or asks for help.
CS: You’ve stepped into powerful leadership roles as a Governor for the Recording Academy’s New York Chapter and now as a MusiCares Ambassador. What does advocacy look like behind the scenes that fans might not see?
CBE: “A lot of Zoom calls and thoughtful coordination. My goal is to make participation easier and more inspiring. When logistics are handled well, people can focus on making real impact.
I am especially excited to show musicians how much the Recording Academy offers beyond awards season, and to connect the dots between nervous system regulation, momentum, and long-term career sustainability.”
CS: As MusiCares prepares for The Day That Music Cares (April 24, 2026), what excites you most about helping guide this initiative within the New York Chapter?
CBE: “I am excited to see what the team creates and which organizations we collaborate with. The New York Chapter is geographically huge, and I am especially energized about bringing this work to areas that do not always get as much attention.”
CS: Since we’re Celeb Secrets, do you have any secrets (fun facts) about making According to the Moon that we wouldn’t know just by listening to it?
CBE: “If you look closely at the track titles, they spell out GEM AND CBE, our initials. A little Easter egg hidden in plain sight.”
