Group Session featuring FRIKO! Chicago indie-pop trio Friko takes the couch at Cafe Mustache for a live taping of Music Therapy. Features an in-depth interview with the band, comedy, and a special live performance by Friko. Friko shares what it's like to live together, how they approach songwriting, answer audience questions and lots more on this special Group Session episode of Music Therapy! Visit musictherapypodcast.com for show notes, past episodes, and upcoming events! Songs featured: Music...
Jun 08, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 91
In this episode of Music Therapy I talk with Jason Balla of Dehd and Accessory. We talk about Dehd's new album "Blue Skies" out now on Fat Possum, embracing mistakes in songwriting and recording, how to work past your inner critic, giving up control in collaborating, advice for touring and recording, and lots more! Songs featured: Chop Shop High School by Jessica Risker Eyes for Berlin by Accessory Bad Love by Dehd Visit musictherapypodcast.com for show notes, past episodes, and upcoming events!...
Jun 01, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 90
Charles Joseph Smith is an absolute fixture of the Chicago DIY scene. He is also a musical genius, a prolific pianist with over 600 compositions and arrangements under his belt. In this episode of Music Therapy, Charles shares his story of growing up with autism, how he discovered and nurtured his talent for music, the differences between the classical and DIY music scenes, his top 5 favorite DIY spaces ever, and lots more. Visit musictherapypodcast.com for show notes, past episodes, and upcomin...
May 25, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 89
Angela James is a Chicago singer-songwriter who just released a beautiful new album, co-produced with David Vandervelde ( Father John Misty ) called "Now That I Have You". "I'm making what I feel like is the best work in my career. I had a lot of opportunities early in my career, and that was great, but I was so new and I had just started writing songs and just started playing music, and I didn't have the confidence, and now it's like, I'm making better work. I have more confidence." - Angela ...
May 18, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 88
In this episode of Music Therapy I talk with musician, friend, and bandmate @joshua_w_wentz !! Josh and I discuss his rich and varied music career (not financially lol), how he stays so active in music, his perspective on success/failure in music, growth as a musician and how that changes output, authenticity in music, his annual 12 Days of Mike Oldfield album, his newest album Live at Tone Deaf Records out this Friday on 1473 Records, and so much more! Visit musictherapypodcast.com for show not...
May 04, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 87
We see the phrase "toxic" all the time - toxic person, toxic workplace, toxic relationship - but what exactly does it mean? And, how do you deal with a toxic person/coworker/family member/bandmate? Chicago therapist Lynn Zakeri, LCSW and I dive into the meaning of the word "toxic" and share how to deal with a toxic person! We explore: What exactly is a “toxic person”? How do you know if you’re dealing with a toxic person? How does a toxic person make you feel? How does a toxic person behave? Why...
Apr 26, 2022•46 min•Ep. 86
Ryan Hall of Whited Sepulchre Records discusses using music as an emotional processing tool, running through the graveyard, how he manages to work two jobs and run a busy record label, squaring business with creativity, what exactly EMDR is, plus lots more on this week's episode of Music Therapy! Visit musictherapypodcast.com for show notes, past episodes, and upcoming events! Credits: Music Therapy is hosted by Jessica Risker, produced by Sullivan Davis of Local Universe, and engineered by Josh...
Apr 19, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 85
As a musician, how do you deal with the necessary evil of social media? What does 2 years of quarantine do to your ability to perform? If you had professional musicians for parents, would you want to follow their path? We get into all these questions and more with Chicago musician Devin Shaffer - including her most debut album "In My Dreams I’m There”, the breakdown she experienced after its release, making a living off music, and what it's like going back to college as an adult. Tracks featured...
Apr 05, 2022•57 min•Ep. 84
Kirk Rawlings is one-half of Chicago band Courtesy, and we go deep in this very candid, personal, and surprisingly uplifting episode of Music Therapy. Kirk shares Courtesy's creative process, his relationship with psychiatric and street drugs, dealing with anxiety and depression, his evolving definition of artistic success and how his two suicide attempts changed him. We also talk about Courtesy's new album "Check the Milk" out now on Seasick Records, and listen to a couple tracks from the band....
Mar 29, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 83
Does performing make you nervous? In this week's episode of Music Therapy, I talk with psychologist Dr. Claire Kubiesa on overcoming performance anxiety! Whether you're just starting out or have been performing for years, this episode has tons of information on overcoming performance anxiety. In this episode we cover: What is performance anxiety? What does your identity have to do with performance anxiety? How do our thoughts affect anxiety? Why some anxiety is actually good for performing! H...
Mar 22, 2022•55 min•Ep. 82
Group Session! In this episode I talk with Chicago's jazz-fusion sextet Cordoba. Learn how 6 busy band members find time to practice, how they come up with their musical ideas, and how all their personalities work together. Featuring an amazing live performance from the band! Visit musictherapypodcast.com for show notes , past episodes, and upcoming events! Credits: Music Therapy is hosted by Jessica Risker, produced by Sullivan Davis of Local Universe, and engineered by Joshua Wentz in Chicago....
Mar 15, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 81
As a therapist, I often work with couples. Couples generally come to therapy when they need some help, and as you might imagine, it can be tense. That's why it was so nice to talk with Maya Bon and Ryan Albert of Babehoven. They have a very sweet dynamic! I've always wondered what it would be like to work on music while dating a bandmate, and it was really interesting to hear how they come up with ideas, give each other feedback, who's the boss, and work through disagreements while working on mu...
Mar 08, 2022•59 min•Ep. 80
Music Therapy is back with our first episode of 2022! In this episode of Music Therapy I talk with songwriter, composer, and producer Quinn Tsan!! Quinn and I talk about how she got into composing for films, her struggle with the vanity of music self-promotion, her mysterious upcoming project, the risks involved in pursuing an indie music career, new music she’s working on, and plenty more! Quinn was so easy to talk to and although we still haven't grabbed that drink I'm totally down whenever, Q...
Mar 01, 2022•58 min•Ep. 79
Hello everyone! I'm taking a break from releasing episodes until 2022. Here's a short episode with info about upcoming events. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season, and thanks for listening to the podcast this year! We have a lot of big plans for 2022, so stay tuned and visit musictherapypodcast.com
Dec 07, 2021•3 min•Ep. 78
In this episode of Music Therapy I talk with Camilo Medina of Divino Niño! Camilo shares his sacred bath routine, moving from an ad agency to freelance work, how the band creates together, how they’re evolving their recording process as they work on their new album, spirituality, the spirit of collaboration, and much more!! We also hear two new tracks from Divino Niño: Bleach and Drive. My thoughts: Camilo is a super talented artist, both with his music and graphic design, and it would be easy t...
Nov 09, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 77
In this episode of Music Therapy I talk with Darien Williams of Unmanned Ship , M!NES , Cat Mullins & themboys and faug !! We discuss balancing work and creativity, being in four different bands, running a kombucha business, putting out 4 albums next year, utilizing space and dynamics in music, how the pandemic changed creativity, running the Cafe Mustache streaming channel, and tons more!! Visit musictherapypodcast.com for show notes , past episodes, and events! Credits: Music Therapy is ho...
Nov 02, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 76
On this episode of Music Therapy I talk with comedian and musician Steve Malden (formerly Steve Gerard). Steve is one of my very favorite comedians and he moved to NYC one week ago from Chicago. This is a snapshot of an artist the moment they move into the next level of their career. We discuss a variety of things: Why did he move to New York? What’s the difference between the comedy scenes and music scenes? What is Kratom? What's the good parts about getting older as an artist? We also talk soc...
Oct 26, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 75
What happens when a band comes to an end? In this episode of Music Therapy , I talk with all four members of Chicago DIY darlings Richard Album as they play their very last show. In a touching and surprisingly emotional episode, I talk with the band as they reflect on their time together, share some of their best and worst band memories, and play a killer live set. This episode is a monthly installment of Music Therapy called "Group Session", in which I talk with a full band about how they write...
Oct 19, 2021•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 74
This episode of Music Therapy features Savanna Dickhut of Burr Oak ! Savanna talks about intense anxiety before performing, dealing with writer’s block, drinking as a coping mechanism before shows, her songwriting process, how the pandemic changed her music career goals, her new album "Late Bloomer" out now, and more!! Visit musictherapypodcast.com for show notes , past episodes, and events! Credits: Music Therapy is hosted by Jessica Risker, produced by Sullivan Davis of Local Universe, and eng...
Oct 12, 2021•55 min•Ep. 73
Pandemic stress impacts every aspect of our lives - our bodies, mental health, relationships, work, and our creativity. You may be feeling burned out, depleted, irritable, malaise, or just generally not the best version of yourself. In this episode of Music Therapy , we focus on understanding prolonged stress, and the tolls it takes on our lives and well-being. You also learn actions you can take today to cope and feel more like yourself. Dr. Caroline Adelman joins this episode for an in-depth d...
Oct 05, 2021•59 min•Ep. 72
In this episode of Music Therapy I talk with Chicago musician Macie Stewart ! Macie talks about the surprising thing she learned about herself during the pandemic, the challenges of maintain mental health and relationships on the road, her new album “Mouth Full of Glass” coming out Sept 24 via Orindal Records, her biggest fears for her music as well as her biggest hopes - and more! Visit musictherapypodcast.com for show notes , past episodes, and events! Credits: Music Therapy is hosted by Jessi...
Sep 28, 2021•58 min•Ep. 71
In this episode of Music Therapy , I talk with Chicago country crooner "Lonesome Andrew" aka Andrew Sa! Andrew talks about creating his latest film project "Andrew In Anotherland", learning to love collaboration, dishes on the snobbish culture of cover artists, why country music is so important for men, his number one piece of advice for artists trying to find their voice, and much more! Show Notes Credits: Music Therapy is hosted by Jessica Risker, produced by Sullivan Davis of Local Universe, ...
Sep 21, 2021•52 min•Ep. 70
In this episode of Music Therapy , Jessica Risker braves the twisted minds of two of the most outrageous characters in Chicago, Maxwell Allison and Doug Kaplan of the label Hausu Mountain , and their duo project Pepper Mill Rondo . The two have been collaborating as business partners and musicians for nearly a decade turning out tape after tape of experimental and straight up demented electronic and electronics + artists. This interview features an extended interview as well as a live performanc...
Sep 14, 2021•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 69
In this episode of Music Therapy , I talk with Chicago musician Nathan Graham! We talk about his role working in mediation and inclusiveness/diversity at reverb.com , growing up surrounded by music, his particular fusion sound of blues and Americana, becoming more selective about gigs, working towards a full time music career, Chicago’s music communities and industry, his current musical projects and upcoming gigs, and more! Show Notes This episode was recorded live on Instagram on July 21, 2021...
Sep 07, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 68
On this episode of Music Therapy I talk withJess Viscius of Chicago band BNNY ! We talk about her new album "Everything" out now via Fire Talk Records, making an album while grieving the sudden loss of her partner Trey Gruber, figuring out the album's sound, and plenty more. Show Notes + Transcript Credits: Music Therapy is hosted by Jessica Risker, produced by Sullivan Davis of Local Universe, and engineered by Joshua Wentz. Opening and closing music composed by Joshua Wentz....
Aug 31, 2021•48 min•Ep. 67
In this episode of Music Therapy I talk with legendary recording engineer Chris Koltay of High Bias Recordings !! We talk about lockdown, re-opening his studio in August, how he views his role in the studio, his secret to making your album stand out, his biggest fears, and more!! Show Notes + Transcript Credits: Music Therapy is hosted by Jessica Risker, produced by Sullivan Davis of Local Universe, and engineered by Joshua Wentz. Opening and closing music composed by Joshua Wentz....
Aug 24, 2021•55 min•Ep. 66
In this episode of Music Therapy I talk with Jean Cochrane of Hard Femme !! We dive deep into songwriting - making melodies, song structures, lyrics, collaborating, chord progressions, music theory, and more. And Jean shares info about their new album “ A Layer of Topsoil” and upcoming release show on 8/1 at Ping Tom Park! Listen to Hard Femme: https://hardfemme.bandcamp.com/ Transcript + Show Notes Credits: Hosted by Jessica Risker Produced by Sullivan Davis Episode engineered by Joshua Wentz O...
Aug 17, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 65
GROUP SESSION!! On this episode of Music Therapy I talk with Chicago 4-piece Girl K! Taped live at Cafe Mustache, I chat with all four band members about how they met, sorting out creative control, their biggest fear for the band, music and romance, that time Kathy cried in the Sleeping Village green room on her birthday, and the surprise that made up for it. Featuring a live musical performance by Girl K!! Listen to Girl K: https://girlk.bandcamp.com/ Show Notes: https://www.musictherapypodcast...
Aug 10, 2021•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 64
In this episode of Music Therapy I talk with fellow therapist Dr. Lauren Neaman about social anxiety in a post-lockdown world. Dr. Neaman talks about the difference between social anxiety and social anxiety disorder, what behaviors can actually make social anxiety worse, treatment for social anxiety, her stance on using medication for social anxiety, and more! TRANSCRIPT: https://www.musictherapypodcast.com/ep-63-dr-lauren-neaman BIO: Dr. Lauren Neaman is a Clinical Psychologist and Chief Clinic...
Aug 03, 2021•53 min•Ep. 63
In this episode of Music Therapy , I talk with Chicago musician Adam Schubert of Ulna and Cafe Racer. Adam talks openly and candidly in detail about his journey of alcohol and cocaine abuse, starting at age 13, to hitting rock bottom, to coming to terms with his addiction, and to his present-day ongoing journey of recovery. We discuss AA, not counting days sober, and taking it one day at a time. He shares what it's like to remain sober while being an active musician, and his latest album OEA. Fi...
Jul 27, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 62
