I decided to take a research break and reach out to my friends and fans to see if they had any questions for me! It's a mailbag episode where I answer questions you all had about music therapy, my podcast process, or my life in general! I hope you enjoy! 

"Smile" by Katy Perry came out last week, and it's the album that I didn't know I needed. I start this episode by giving a little context into who Katy Perry is and how we got to who she is now. Then, I talk about the "hits" and "misses" from the album "Smile", and do a deep dive into my favorite track, "Daisies"!

This episode I'm talking about the Schoolhouse Rock songs from the 70's! Why do we remember these songs all of these years later? What makes these songs effective teaching tools? I try to answer these questions, and then my sister Sarah, who is a math teacher and is getting a graduate degree in education from Harvard right now, gives us more insight on how these songs can be used as teaching tools! We also end by discussing which songs no longer hold up from the franchise. 

It's time to play the music, it's time to light the lights, it's time to... talk about music from all of the muppet movies! I am a lifelong muppet fan, and now that they have a new show, I thought it was time to take a deep dive into the music of the muppets. I talk about what characteristics I think make up the "muppet sound," and dissect their only oscar-winning song! Don't be like Statler or Waldorf and enjoy the listen! 

Find the playlist to go along with this episode here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7DBJVQCjWzw6UO2cXYNsNr?si=NDAq2yl-RSqjfrnuHINPQA

I had so much fun a few weeks ago looking at all of my friends playlists of what songs they are listening to during these lonely summer months, that I decided to dissect my own summertime of sadness playlist! Go behind the curtain and hear about what I listen to on my own time! 

You can find the accompanying playlist on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5pRI6C9NwwtKEAVlNoTfqz?si=Ee2XuC-JR2ij9n7CsS6i3w

One of the few expectations I had for quarantine was that we might, as a society, become more united in music and the arts because those are what give us hope. I haven't seen that happen, and I wanted to understand why. In this exploratory episode, I talk about moments of intense music fandom - lisztomania, beatlemania, and Bieber fever, and wonder why we aren't seeing a moment like that now. I also poke fun at that "Imagine" video and the Together at Home concert, which both tried and failed to bring us together. Enjoy! 

I don't know about you, but I've been listening to folklore for a week straight and don't think I'm going to stop anytime soon. What is it about this album that is comforting all of us during this strange time? I dive into the music and lyrics to find out in a track-by-track breakdown. Then, I talk to my good friend Lori, who is also a Taylor Swift expert and has been following her career since the beginning, to see where she thinks folklore fits into Swift's career. 

I hope I'm not the only one that's been feeling a little hopeless lately. But, that feeling inspired this latest episode! Music can be used as a stress reliever during times of uncertainty, but what music do we pick to relieve our stress, and why? I talk about resource-oriented music therapy, ecologic music therapy, and my friends and family told me what music they listen to in times of stress! 

I love music from the 1960's, but Grateful Dead was never my cup of tea, until I did my research for this episode! Am I a Dead Head now that I have explored their live music and how it makes us feel from a music therapy perspective? Listen to find out! I also interview my friend Justin, who is a huge fan, to help me understand the collective magic of a live Grateful Dead show. 

Things that I love: movies with music in them, Eurovision, Will Ferrell comedies, and Demi Lovato. The movie Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, combined all of those things while also giving us great "Eurovision style" music. In this episode, I talk about what the Eurovision Song Contest is, why I love it so much, and how the songs from the movie compare to real songs that have appeared in the competition! 

Playlist of songs mentioned: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6VFwm9cRSkNkguxgUaQH1x?si=3Ay9gteJRHeuoeBIyQd7Hg