Music Therapy with Jessica Risker

We are a culture obsessed with the pursuit of fame - but what happens when fame fades away?  Nick Duerden, author of "Exit Stage Left: The Curious Afterlife of Pop Stars" explores this question through candid interviews with pop stars who were once on top of the world.  Nick joins us on this episode of Music Therapy to discuss the book, his insights and takeaways about the ups and downs of fame an...

Hilarity and shenanigans ensue when Chicago 4-piece Boo Baby takes the couch at Cafe Mustache! The band shares their performance philosophy and tells us who are better humans: musicians or comedians? Special guest Leslie Tanner takes us on yet another spirit-expanding Exploration, Julia Louis-Dreyfus may or may not have been in the audience, and Boo Baby gives a special live performance in this we...

Have you ever felt like people are going to find out you're a fraud, or that you don't really deserve the success you've had? Dr Lincoln Hill is a Chicago therapist who specializes in Imposter Syndrome.  In this episode of Music Therapy, Dr. Hill and Jessica discuss Imposter Syndrome.  We give you an understanding of Imposter Syndrome,  how it can impact you, and helpful ways to overcome it.    So...

In this episode of Music Therapy, I talk with Dustin Currier of Lightleak!  Dustin talks about quitting his job to work on music, how his studio space setup helps him be more creative, the limits and strengths of binary thinking, making an album remotely, and his most recent album "Tender Fits"  Songs featured on the podcast: "No Icon" and "Sympathetic Vibration" by Dustin Currier Visit musicthera...

On this episode of Music Therapy I talk with Daniel Wyche of American Dreams Records!   Daniel talks about: His newest album “Earthwork” via American Dreams Records! Curating the wildly successful Quarantine Concerts via Experimental Sound Studio balancing teaching and making music mental health the Chicago music scene getting older and lots more! Songs featured: "Earthwork" (excerpt) and "The Ele...

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!...

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 Accessor...

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 DI...

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'...

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 R...

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 de...

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 Ther...

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 rel...

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 Courte...

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 perfo...

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...

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...

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...

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

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 thoug...

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!!   Vis...

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 an...

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...

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! Cre...

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 ta...