Jonah and I discuss what it’s like to be a musician, including touring, music listening habits, learning instruments, stage fright, collaboration, the making of records, and much more.

Epilogue Sources:

https://indyweek.com/music/features/streaming-kill-music-industry.-major-labels-did./

https://www.barrons.com/articles/record-deals-inside-the-music-royalty-boom-01662997890

https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2022/03/24/spotify-says-it-paid-7-billion-in-royalties-in-2021-amid-claims-of-low-pay-from-artists/?sh=6d2d3cf8a0db

https://www.forbes.com/sites/eamonnforde/2022/09/12/ire-supply-irish-government-gives-musicians-a-weekly-grant/?sh=469728b148d7

https://www.marketplace.org/2022/09/02/musicians-union-challenges-spotify-to-raise-royalties/

https://artists.apple.com/support/1124-apple-music-insights-royalty-rate

https://www.reddit.com/r/WeAreTheMusicMakers/comments/vzp9ee/how_much_does_a_session_musician_earn_while_on/

https://www.reddit.com/r/WeAreTheMusicMakers/comments/vew6n1/spotify_not_a_tool_for_musicians_to_make_money/

https://blog.groover.co/en/tips/intermittent-entertainer-music/

Jonah Tolchin and Ronnie Earl part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olDTe1pLc5g

Jonah Tolchin and Ronnie Earl part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUv5hBx_BAU

Doris and I discuss the experience of her emigration to the U.S. from El Salvador, her work experience as a custodian at Harvard, the American Dream, her involvement with TPS advocacy, and much more.

Donate to TPS: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ntpsa

Information on TPS: https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/temporary-protected-status-overview#:~:text=What%20is%20Temporary%20Protected%20Status,or%20extraordinary%20and%20temporary%20conditions

R. Viswanathan on the involvement of the U.S. in the creation of instability in Central America https://thewire.in/world/what-lies-behind-central-americas-gang-violence

Write-up on Doris and TPS: https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2021/2/25/doris-tps/

TPS Massachusetts https://www.facebook.com/groups/338236879940513

Email me: [email protected]

Dana and I discuss what it means to work in hospitality and how Dana got into the industry. We explore the many roles he’s had along his career path, the concepts of anti-job and work-life balance, the role of performance at work, and how to handle difficult guests. We also talk about the experiential possibilities of restaurants ranging from fast casual to fine dining, the notion of “customer as king,” and why Dana decided to make a career pivot from standing to sedentary work. We close with Dana providing a wonderful list of New York City restaurant recommendations. The article mentioned in the opening monologue is here: https://ny.eater.com/2021/4/16/22309937/nyc-restaurant-industry-covid-19-impact-one-year-later

Ashley and I discuss the origins of Skip the Small Talk and how she chose a self-invented occupation over the PhD road and adapted Skip the Small Talk for the pandemic. We talk about the paradoxical dynamic that is Generation Y and Generation Z being the most connected and loneliest generations alive. We talk about the MBTI and the fundamental attribution error. We discuss how in a context of intimate conversation, judging a book by its cover reliably produces an inaccurate picture of others. We talk about the relationship of alcohol to friendship formation. We look at the assumptions people make –- and whether they’re reasonable –- about how friend and romantic relationships are sparked and whether relationships might be better served by similar interests or similar values. We explore a recently published research paper on Skip the Small Talk that bears out its health effects. We discuss the meaning of community and the science of group feels. We talk about how community projects like STST are helping fill the community hole left by the diminishment of religion. We explore what turning a project into a business is like and how it involves both growing pains and opportunities. We close with our thoughts on social awkwardness and the rustiness people have been feeling since the start of the pandemic.

This episode's conversation focuses mainly on Ashley's experiences as a bus driver in Baltimore and as a plaiter at Pall corporation. We also discuss Ashley’s time in prison, the circumstances that led to it, and what she has learned from her life experiences thus far.

Ashley Brooks on Perseverance

Mary Ann and I explore her observations, thoughts, and feelings from her three years of experience as a grocery clerk in New Jersey.

Tom and I discuss Tom's 35 years of service as a U.S. diplomat working under such leaders as Madeleine Albright, Colin Powell, John Kerry, and Hillary Clinton.

Kim and I discuss why Kim became a teacher, what makes a good educator, growth and self-perception, household expectations, the difference between learning and getting A’s, what Kim would change in classrooms if she were the Secretary of Education, and how Kim has seen the behavior of children and parents, as well as her own behavior, change over the course of her 19 years of teaching. We also address tact and empathy, how the digital world seems to be affecting relationship building and emotional development among middle school children, the importance of learning how to make mistakes, how hope and passion tend to get tempered by realism in adulthood, the importance of school culture, and misperceptions around teaching. There are some cute and amazing stories about kids too!

Writer and podcaster Jason Gots and I discuss artistry, structure, wisdom, doing it yourself versus doing it with others, psychedelics, and much more.