Tourganic: Healthy Living on the Road of Life

Avery Sharpe has had an amazing career performing with many of the greats in the history of jazz and most notably was a key member of McCoy Tyners band for over 20 years. McCoy was a member of the John Coltrane’s legendary and seminal quartet that is one of the most important musical groups of the 20th century and Avery is a direct part of that lineage. He tells his story how he klinked up with McCoy and his early days of playing in the bands of both Archie Sheep and Art Blakey, playing with a very young Wynton Marsalis and shares some incredible stories about how that all that fell into place. Health and diet have been a central focus for Avery going completely plant based in 1977.  He was blazing the trail and a pioneer showing that musicians can tour the world while being healthy through diet and exercise.

My fellow Team VPA athlete Seam Michael offers insight on training, coaching and his mainly fruit diet which can consist of up to 30 bananas a day for example! Check this episode out for some great info and inspiration from a 2:43 marathoner and overall badass athlete.

The inspirational songwriter, actor, herbalist and reiki master Johanna Warren on talking with plants, staying in line with her values while on the road as a musician, connecting with herbalists throughout the US on her Plant Medicine Tour,  pushing through struggles with chronic illness and much more

Henri Morales is a competitive triathlete based in Southern California and has competed in multiple Ironman World Championships. He is a force in all three disciplines and especially crushes the swim. Henri is vegan athlete and is a wealth of information on training, nutrition and how to optimize your abilities on race day.

In this episode, Henri drops all kinds of knowledge about training and recounts some crazy stories from races, including his wild experience at Ironman Cozumel.

Corey Wallace is a certified run coach, holistic nutritionist, sub 3 marathoner and overall huge positive force and leader in the running community. 

In this episode we go over ways to get into Boston + NYC marathons that you may not have known about, Corey's history and evolution into an endurance athlete, nutrition tips, how he trained for sub 3, his upcoming goals and why his voice is an important one in the craziness of the social media atmosphere.

My conversation in this episode is with bassist Noga Shefi. Noga is now the bass player for a band I love, Rubblebucket and also helms her own project. I dug having the opportunity to catch up with Noga and hear her story of moving from Israel to the states as a young musician, taking on a diagnosis of Crohns with a intense focus on diet and eventually reversing the effects of the disease altogether without the use if pharmaceuticals, steroids or immunosuppressants.

Intro music: 'Do you?' from DB3 album 'Firebrand'

Episode interludes are taken from: Noga Shefi "MHA" + "Catch", Yafo "Fire is Over" 

In this conversation:

• Coming up in Israel through the Army

• Diagnosis Crohns Disease

• Minimal diet- Eliminate foods that cause inflammation

• Cure through food- Trying different diets

• Healing through Meditation/Yoga

• Transitioning to Veganism

• Kelly Brogan- A Mind of Your Own

• Gut Biome/Gut Brain Connection

• Daily diet- Mushroom elixers- Food Bag- Preparation

• Healthy Food on the Go

• Intermittent Fasting on the Road

• Healthy Hospitality rider

• Yoga on the road

• Importance of Morning fitness

• Meditation helping with stage fright- more present

My conversation this week is with drummer, multi instrumentalist, activist and all around inspirational guy Chris St Hillaire. After more than a decade with his band the London Souls, Chris is now touring with Sinkane. Chris is also a founding member of the Sound Mind Collective who's "aim is to to connect independent musicians and artists with our local communities to encourage meaningful positive growth through education, social justice advocacy and creativity." Chris insight into the connecting the worlds of activism and music is inspiring and so important

Intro music: 'Do you?' from DB3 album 'Firebrand'

Episode interludes are taken from: Chris St. Hillaire "Strangers" and "Road March", London Souls "Steady Are You Ready" and Sinkane "Everybody"

In this conversation:

• Sound Mind Collective

• Operating in a conscious way

• SMC and community based issues beyond music ie policing- mentorship to incarcerated kids

• Musician business workshops

• Lack of organizing in younger musicians

• Activism on tour and linking with local communities

• Eating healthy on a budget while on tour

• Journey to plant-based diet

• Ethical treatment of animals

• Growing up in Trinidad

• Standard American Diet= SAD

• Food=Culture

• Life on the road forcing the issue with regards to health- That being the catalyst for change

• Plant-based diet+ change in playing, life on tour, approach and mental clarity/focus

• Daily schedule- Juice bar in the morning

• Show preparation- Positive mindstate above all

• Developing an activist mentality in musicians

• Interconnectedness of issues

• London Souls

• Sinkane

• Importance of valuing relationships in building a music career

• Goals: long term vs short term

• Leave room for your goals to evolve

It is such an honor to kick off the 2nd season of the Tourganic Podcast with the legendary Sonny Rollins. Sonny is one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, whose career spanned nearly 70 years. The saxophone master has released over 60 albums as a leader as well as collaborating/recording with the preeminient lumineers of jazz such as Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey just to name a few. His daily Williamsburg bridge practice sessions during his 1959 sabbatical have become iconic piece of New York history. Sonny has been on a lifetime spiritual quest to expand his consciousness and a path of discovery that he has worked to achieve through a committed Yoga practice since the late 50’s. His journey continued when he moved to India to live in an ashram and commit fully to his spiritual practice. Sonny's words are inspiring, thought provoking and deeply meaningful. This episode covers a lot of ground.

Intro music: 'Do you?' from DB3 album 'Firebrand'

Episode interludes are taken from: Sonny Rollins 'Road Shows, Vol.3' 

In this conversation:

• What led him on the path of spiritual and enlightening quest 

• Losing the ability to play Sax because of illness and acceptance

• Role Yoga plays in his life

• Connection between spiritual pursuit and musical output

• Traveling to the Ashram and living in India

• Autobiography of a Yogi

• Self Realization fellowship

• When you play your horn, that is meditation

• Being truly present and in the now when playing+Creating is next level

• Connection between practice and achieving flow state mentality

• Performance vs practice mindstate

• Performance – Make your mind blank and let the music play you- passive 
• Never feeling like he can get to ‘that’ place every night
• Consciousness of health and spirituality in the 50’s leading to the 60’s
• Daily Yoga practice on the road
• Different types of yoga to develop
• Using practice to achieve Self realization- self betterment

• The importance of long tones- Slowing down- positivity

This episode's guest is bassist Pete Shand from the New Mastersounds. Pete is a road warrior and has been through the hard partying cycle of touring and now is striving to create a more sustainable way of life on the road through a plant-based diet and daily stretching routines. Physical issues with his back also forced Pete to take a hard look at touring lifestyle and search for answers on how to continue to keep bringing his talents to the world.

In this conversation:

• His daughters influence on going vegetarian and finding a healthy way to maintain on the road

• Making the most of your time offstage while on tour to improve your show performance 

• The importance of stretching for his back problems and physical issues

• Daily plantbased protein shake w flax/chia seeds coconut water and garden of life greens

• Avoiding burnout over years on the road

• Getting back to show ready before tours

• Discipline of being in the military and transferring those skills after discharge

• Perspective gained from traveling

• Link of simplicity and vegetarian diet

• Preparation for gigs and constantly feeling like you have to work harder than the next guy 

• The role of the bass player

This episode's guest is bassist Pete Shand from the New Mastersounds. Pete is a road warrior and has been through the hard partying cycle of touring and now is striving to create a more sustainable way of life on the road through a plant-based diet and daily stretching routines. Physical issues with his back also forced Pete to take a hard look at touring lifestyle and search for answers on how to continue to keep bringing his talents to the world.

In this conversation:

• His daughters influence on going vegetarian and finding a healthy way to maintain on the road

• Making the most of your time offstage while on tour to improve your show performance 

• The importance of stretching for his back problems and physical issues

• Daily plantbased protein shake w flax/chia seeds coconut water and garden of life greens

• Avoiding burnout over years on the road

• Getting back to show ready before tours

• Discipline of being in the military and transferring those skills after discharge

• Perspective gained from traveling

• Link of simplicity and vegetarian diet

• Preparation for gigs and constantly feeling like you have to work harder than the next guy 

• The role of the bass player