Last week, mid-show in Milwaukee, my mic stand took a nosedive. (Fine, maybe I kicked it during André’s filthy solo. The man shreds—what do you want from me?)

But here’s the thing—I didn’t stop. Michael Caine once gave acting advice: “Use the difficulty.” So that's what I did. I didn’t fix it. I used it. Because that’s the difference between a recital and a show. One chases perfection. The other turns chaos into gold. Live performance is alchemy.

In this episode, I share one of my most embarrassing live music stories, I dig into Michael Caine’s advice, a little philosophy on stage-craft, and some thoughts from my buddy Dan Rodriguez on what it means to actually perform.

📍Milwaukee, WI 

www.thecuriouspod.com/questions/usethedifficulty

📷 Photo By: Ty Helbach

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Michael Caine, use the difficulty, live performance, stage presence, musician mindset, creative improvisation, recital vs show, performance tips, embracing imperfection, live music, performance mindset, artist advice, stage mishaps, turning mistakes into magic, creative process, being present on stage, musician podcast, Rob Morgan Is A Curious Person, show vs recital, live show energy

There’s this quote from Donald Glover that’s been rattling around in my head. It sounds simple, but it cuts deep, especially for anyone trying to make art in a world obsessed with control and validation.

In this episode, I talk about what it means to stop chasing approval and start creating from a place that’s actually honest. Not engineered for the algorithm. Not pre-digested for the audience. Just real. Because the truth is: the minute you start shaping your work around what you think people want, you lose the thing that made it worth doing in the first place.

📍 Minneapolis, MN

www.thecuriouspod.com/questions/makewhatyoulike

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Search Tags: Donald Glover, creativity, artistic freedom, music industry, make what you like, creative process, musician mindset, art and approval, authenticity, creative confidence, stop people pleasing, creative independence, art without validation, podcast for artists, musician advice, making honest work, Donald Glover quote, creative boundaries, self-expression, Rob Morgan Is A Curious Person

Every musician wants to be heard. But what if you’re the reason no one’s listening?

In today’s podcast episode, “Cooking for Ghosts” I talk about a tour-van convo with my buddy Matt Patrick, who dropped a line that punched me in the gut: Making music but avoiding self-promotion is like cooking all day at home, then whining about why you don’t have a restaurant yet.”

We talk about the myth of “getting discovered,” the real war between art and exposure, and why it’s not about selling out - it’s about putting the damn food on the table.

📍Minneapolis, MN

www.thecuriouspod.com/questions/cookingforghosts

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Jackie Chan says “Ding Ding” on set to remind his crew: stay sharp, keep moving, no dead time. I’ve been thinking… maybe life needs more of that energy too. Less waiting, more intention. Urgency, not the panic kind, but the alive kind. The kind that reminds you you’re here to do something. Ding ding, let’s go.

📍Minneapolis, MN

www.thecuriouspod.com/questions/dingding

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Listen to Dan Rodriguez' new album Wander on iTunes or Spotify

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My buddy recently dropped this phrase on me: “cosplaying confidence.” It’s been rattling around in my head ever since. Sometimes you’ve got to show up like you’ve already arrived. Not in some fake-it-till-you-make-it hustle bro bullshit way… But in that quiet, stubborn refusal to let your current circumstances define your future trajectory.

📍Minneapolis, MN

👉🏻 www.thecuriouspod.com/questions/cosplayingconfidence

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Craig is a writer, a photographer, and a thinker who’s been living in Japan for nearly two decades. His work explores how we move through physical spaces, how technology shapes our lives, and how the small rituals of daily living can add up to something beautiful. He's written for The New York Times, The Atlantic, and Eater. He's published books like Koya Bound and his new book he’s just written, Things Become Other Things.

Craig's New Book: amzn.to/3RIys2s

Craig's Website: craigmod.com

👉🏻 https://www.thecuriouspod.com/questions/craigmod

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Giving someone a bottle of whisky isn’t just a drink, it’s gifting the gift of gifting. Strangely, whisky also changed the paradigm of my art. In this episode, we talk about generosity, craft, and why the best things—whether a bottle, a poem, a photograph or a song—are never really ours to keep.

https://www.thecuriouspod.com/questions/whiskygift

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In this episode, we dive into the wisdom of Alan Watts and why young creatives need to master the art of letting go. We talk about my illusion of control, my fear of failure, and how gripping too tightly to an outcome can kill the very thing you're trying to create.

📍 Frasier, Colorado

https://www.thecuriouspod.com/questions/alanwattsletgo

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They’ve got one in Honolulu, they’ve got one in Moscow too. They’ve got four of them in Sydney, and a couple in Katmandu… 

Tokyo, Munich, Indonesia, Taipei, Shanghai, Beijing… Why is it, Wherever I go around the world, I find an Irish pub?

What is it that makes them so special? Where do all these Pubs source their bar counters and authentic Irish brick-a-brack?

Pull up a barstool and join me in Mexico as I hunt down a pint of proper and tap into these questions and more.

📍 Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

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Search Tags: Irish Pubs

Touring with everyone from the Martha Graham Ballet and the New York City Opera, to Cher, Barry Manilow, Aerosmith, Miley Cyrus, Foreigner, Steve Miller, Jennifer Lopez, and more… Garland Purdy has “been involved in the entertainment industry since before there was an entertainment industry.” Join us as we sit down, over coffee… pretty much just as an excuse for me to get to know him more.

📍 Fargo, North Dakota (In the lobby of Garland’s Hotel)

https://www.thecuriouspod.com/questions/garlandpurdy

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