The Downward Facing Spiritual Spiral

Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I am thrilled to welcome my good friend, Matt Dery, back to the show. While Matt currently works for Financial Architects Inc., Matt has worked in the sports and broadcasting industry for over twenty years and hosts weekly podcasts for the Detroit Pistons and the Detroit Lions. Matt and I begin the show by talking about this year's NBA Finals and why it may be a toug...

How much of your life is under your control? Is life just a series of random and chaotic events? Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I felt compelled to talk a little bit about the randomness of life. I go on a bike ride each weekend and I'm always surprised at how often I see people in their cars texting and staring down at their phones. Do they even care that they sometimes come close to hitting me w...

Are you feeling apprehensive to re-enter the world? Would you rather stay in the safe confines of your home? Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I wanted to talk a little about the anxiety I've been experiencing lately and share a quick story about taking my first public yoga class in over a year. The world wants you to think everything is "back to normal" but do you feel that way? Are you feeling anxi...

Sometimes the creative process can't be explained or understood but it should always be appreciated. So what happens to a culture when art isn't appreciated anymore? And what is the impact of Spotify and streaming services on the creative landscape? Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I am thrilled to welcome Seattle-based producer, film composer and multi-instrumentalist, Phillip Peterson to the show....

More followers. Subscribers. More likes. More, more, more! Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I felt inspired to briefly talk about the impact of numbers. Everywhere I turn, there seems to be a running tabulation of just about everything. The number of likes, subscribers and followers is everywhere but is that a good thing? What's the psychological impact of living in a world that is so caught up in n...

Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I am thrilled to welcome bass player, producer and my friend, Dan Lutz to the show. It's amazing to think I met Dan almost 20 years ago when he played the upright bass on a song from my very first record. Since then, Dan has gone on to become one of the most well-known and sought after bass players in the music industry. His career spans all genres of music from jazz...

Are you able to sit still with your own thoughts and be comfortable in your own skin? Are you truly thinking for yourself? When's the last time you were bored? Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I'm happy to welcome Health Advocate, Podcaster, Former Army Captain and Founder of Health Freedom for Humanity, Alec Zeck to the podcast. I discovered Alec over the last six months and I've been really struck...

Is the mystery of songwriting a phenomenon that can't always be explained? What does it take to get an artist's work recognized in this day and age of incessant distractions. Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I am thrilled to welcome my friend, producer, professor and guitarist Tim Kobza to the show. I met Tim close to ten years ago and I've been lucky to share the stage with him numerous times when...

Do you ever think about how strange the world looks right now? People walking outside with masks on. Oprah telling us she felt rejuvenated after getting the vaccine. Vaccine selfies have become the rage. And I also wonder, are we all simply animals? Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I felt drawn to talk about the strange look of the world as we're one year into Covid. I try and talk objectively about...

If you like music and film as much as I do, then I'm positive you're going to enjoy the conversation I had with film composer, musician and producer Jeff Rona on today's episode. Jeff is one of the most sought after and highly regarded film composers and musicians working in Hollywood today. He has scored the music and been a musician for films including Traffic, Black Hawk Down, White Squall as w...

When you walk by a stranger can you feel their energy? Do you trust your life is going to turn out okay or does the unknown make you feel anxious? Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I am stoked to welcome Sky Diving Coach, creator of LSD Skydiving Camps and yoga teacher, Alethia Austin to the show. I met Alethia almost 15 years ago at a music conference and I was instantly struck by her "energy" and p...

What does it take for a musician or band to acquire an audience's attention? Does anyone listen to full records anymore and how much time do artist's have to spend each day on social media? Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I'm excited to welcome publicist and bass player of the band, Fake Figures , Bob Bradley, to the show. Bob is also an author and recently published a book called Public Relations...

When's the last time you closed your eyes and listened to a record from beginning to end with no distractions? When you watch a movie on Netflix, are you truly experiencing the movie or are you texting and checking email while you watch the movie? Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I talk about how our brains may be shrinking thanks to dwindling attentions spans and less fulfilling experiences. Movies...

Does the media tell you the truth? Can you tell when the media is manipulating you and have journalists stopped asking the difficult questions? Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I welcome Los Angeles tech & media lawyer, Matt Bilinsky , to the show. While Matt is a successful attorney in LA, I discovered Matt on Twitter and IG where he has grown a following breaking down news stories and bringing his...

Imagine Kurt Cobain asking Gibson Guitar if it's okay if he breaks his guitar on SNL? Think back to when Pete Townsend infamously smashed his guitar on stage, do you think he had to tell someone ahead of time what he was planning to do? An artist should be unpredictable or caught up in the transfixing power of spontaneity. Has that spontaneity vanished thanks to our numb culture and dwindling atte...

Today on the Spiritual Spiral Podcast, I'm thrilled to welcome drummer/musician and my friend, Adam Gust to the show. I actually met Adam almost 20 years ago after he responded to an ad I placed in Music Connection where I was looking for a drummer. Adam has played the drums on my first three records and all the music on today's episode features my own songs with Adam on drums. I realized after sp...

After a month long hiatus from the podcast, I'm thrilled to be back as I welcome you to 2021. I broke my ankle on Xmas Day so much of my life has been put on hold as I recover from the injury. I've read four books from Augusten Burroughs and David Sedaris, I finally watched Silicon Valley and I've also had a copious amount of time contemplating the meaning of life. Does everything happen for a rea...

The NFL, the NBA, men and women's sports, Lebron James, sports journalism, depression, concussions and the effect of technology in the classroom. When you have a guest as talented as my next guest, then you have to be prepared to go on a conversational journey that can go in a myriad of directions. Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I am thrilled to welcome Joanne Gerstner to the show.  Joanne is an a...

Strip clubs are open in San Diego, The NFL season is in its 13th week, Hollywood productions are back in swing and yet the vast majority of working class Americans must stay home as restaurants and schools remain closed. Politicians telling us to stay home and yet they're out traveling and going to dinner parties. Big tech keeps growing while small businesses continue to shut down. Do you smell a...

"We are all souls transcendentally connected beyond our social, national, racial, political, and occupational circumstances." - Tamal Dodge. Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I am thrilled to welcome yoga teacher, studio owner, Jiu Jitsu instructor, movement coach and my friend Tamal Dodge to the podcast. This is Tamal's second visit to the show and with everything happening within our society, from...

I always believe in getting a second expert opinion especially when it comes to my health. Whether it was a meniscus tear or when I struggled with an auto-immune disease, I have always been a firm believer in homeopathic medicine, acupuncture and getting a second opinion. However, with Covid-19, expert opinions are often silenced or considered heresy or anecdotal if they go against the narrative b...

We live in a world filled with apathy so what does it take to get someone to care? Social media is creating more self-indulgence and myopic behavior and is there anything that can be done to stop it? Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I felt compelled to talk about the struggles I face as an artist when I'm about to release new music. Thanks to social media, artists have to spend an inordinate amount...

In a world where so many of us are living in a state of reaction, how often do we take a moment for ourselves to pause, breathe and reflect before reacting? Will we ever fully grasp the cultural impact of living through a global pandemic? Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I'm excited to welcome Sarah Willen to the podcast. Sarah is Associate Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Research Prog...

Does craft matter anymore? Does a musician have to spend more time on marketing, videos and PR than the craft of musicianship? Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I'm excited to welcome producer, guitarist and my friend, Cameron Morgan to the show. I met Cameron almost ten years ago when I was on tour up in Portland and he also played guitar on my third record. With the passing of Eddie Van Halen, I fe...

What are the ramifications of living in a society where masks are everywhere? How are children going to respond to staring at screens all day while wearing masks? Is it a good thing if we have more germaphobes and hypochondriacs? Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I felt inspired to talk about my trip back home to Ohio and I wonder how we can possibly recover from the onslaught of fear, social distanc...