Having just completed his first solo album, Derek Jones joins us to talk about how life influences art, the freedom of letting the world have the performance once you deliver it, and the tempering process of preparing yourself to respond to the music and the artists around you.  

She has written and ran some of the best shows in the TV business, and she sits down with us to talk about what makes a great story, how to get the best out of those around you, and why every producer should embrace waiting tables while they get their footing.  We also talk about the tenacity it takes to realize your dreams in the entertainment business, and why it's absolutely worth every bit of the grind.

The Workshop

511 Claverie Way, Benicia, CA 94510 

Tosh Jackson is unique in the music industry.  He's a tastemaker in two different genres, and he is an award-winning African American program director for a country station in a large market. Besides that, he's a great friend of the show and a great friend of the guys, and he sits down to share with us some insights into his amazing rise in radio.

Jon and Pete recorded this bonus U2 themed show for one main reason...to get U2 on the Break It Down Show. Jon and Pete discuss the merits of Pete's case for U2 being one of the four faces of Rock and Roll's Mount Rushmore.  U2, we want you, let's dance.

Dr. Tim Furnish returns to talk about Olympic fencing, Ibtihaj Muhammad, and her impact on Muslims, women, and culture.  We also talk about some of the topics in his book, Sects, Lies, and the Caliphate: 10 Years of Observations on Islam.  He's a fascinating speaker, and gives us some uniquely informed insights and observations.

Grammy winner Carlos Reyes will play anything with strings, in any setting he finds himself.  He's played with symphonies, in jazz ensembles, as a soloist, and has graced the stage with the likes of Steve Miller, Jean Luc Ponty, and the Zac Brown Band.  He sat down with Jon and Pete to explore his unique musical origins, his instruments and their place in music, and where his unique road will lead him and us. 

In Part 2 of our visit with Dr. Bob, we talk about the things that consume the artists at the top of their game, and how we are losing the second generation of rock.  There are lessons there that are new to the medium, and some that have repeated for centuries.  Music, as always, remains a mirror of history.  Oh, and we drink more martinis.

Jon and Pete go back to the master's mountain lair, martini manor, and talk with Dr. Bob about his new course, Music as a Mirror of History.  Of course, they all crack wise, offer up some opinions about how today's music mirrors current events, and maybe get a little sloshed along the way.  But Dr. Bob delivers as always.