The Real Me

Hello, and welcome! On this episode of The Real Me podcast, I am so excited to introduce you to the truly incredible Elissa Waller. Imagine this: you’ve just graduated college, moved across the country to start your dream job, and your entire world is suddenly turned upside down by a life-altering brain tumor diagnosis. Instead of letting it define her, Elissa channeled her experience into one of...

On this episode of The Real Me, I am so excited for you to meet the incredible Stephen Lee, one of our original Play It Back Artists. What happens when a talented musical theater kid's world is turned upside down not once, but twice by a cancer diagnosis and its after-effects? Stephen shares his powerful story of resilience and how he went from the stage to the songwriting studio with Teen Cancer...

On this episode of The Real Me, I am so excited for you to meet the incredible Brandon Woehrle. Brandon is another one of our OGs here at TCA, and we had a great conversation. Wait until you hear his song called, “It’s Time.” His music is described as “quirky alternative” on our website, and when you hear this song you’re gonna know. This just fits him perfectly. He gets very candid about his canc...

On this episode of The Real Me, I am so excited for you to meet the incredible Savannah Mason. Savannah truly is a product of Southern charm; her voice is so soothing, and she gets quite candid about her cancer journey, finding the Play It Back Music Program and how songwriting really helped her find her voice. We get to listen to her beautiful song, "I Say Free," which is so good you won't forget...

On this episode of The Real Me Podcast, I am so excited for you to meet the truly remarkable Alexa Jett. She is eloquent, philosophical, and has a wisdom that will honestly take your breath away. Alexa shares her incredible journey through a difficult cancer diagnosis, a path complicated by everything from misdiagnosis to being treated during Hurricane Harvey. Through it all, she found her powerfu...

On this episode of The Real Me Podcast, you're going to meet one of our original OGs, the amazing Nathan Newman. What happens when you're just 12 years old, navigating middle school, and a cancer diagnosis suddenly isolates you from everything you know? You channel it all into an absolute banger of a song, that's what! Join me as Nathan shares his powerful journey and the story behind his triumpha...

On this episode of The Real Me Podcast, I want you to meet someone truly special, Samantha Diaz. I call her one of the rare golden birds, and you'll understand why the moment you hear her sing. Her voice is absolutely effortless, filled with so much soul and power... but what happens when that incredible gift is silenced by a life-changing cancer diagnosis? Samantha takes us on her journey, from t...

On this episode of The Real Me Podcast, I'm honored to introduce you to a true superhero, Amara Strande. Imagine being a passionate musician with dreams of a professional career, only to be diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer at the age of 15. Amara shares her profound journey of battling a cancer believed to be linked to "forever chemicals" in her community's water supply. This is a story...

On this episode of The Real Me Podcast, I'm honored to introduce you to a true superhero, McKenzy Hupke. Imagine being a passionate singer and then, on top of a cancer diagnosis, losing the very sense you rely on to create music. McKenzy shares her incredible journey of profound hearing loss and how, through Teen Cancer America's Play It Back Artist Program, she is literally relearning how to hear...

Welcome, everyone, to a truly epic episode! You know how sometimes the craziest ideas turn into the most incredible realities? Well, get ready for a story that starts with, "Hey, I want to produce a Spinal Tap tribute album for charity..." and ends with something so much bigger. Join me, Erin Alden, as we pull back the curtain on this amazing collaboration benefitting Teen Cancer America. You'll h...

This is Episode 10, and Season Finale. Join us as we experience Music Monday together with some of our incredible AYA Artists, and our very own Wonder Woman Program Director Hilary Gan. We share stories, make some music, and laugh a lot. The Real Me follows the stories of young songwriters and performers with cancer who found hope, healing and connection through music. Presented by Teen Cancer Ame...

The Real Me follows the stories of young songwriters and performers with cancer who found hope, healing and connection through music. Presented by Teen Cancer America, the national non-profit founded by rock icons Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who, “The Real Me” highlights the moving experiences of cancer patients in TCA’s Play It Back program, which matches them with music professionals...

The Real Me follows the stories of young songwriters and performers with cancer who found hope, healing and connection through music. Presented by Teen Cancer America, the national non-profit founded by rock icons Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who, “The Real Me” highlights the moving experiences of cancer patients in TCA’s Play It Back program, which matches them with music professionals...

The Real Me follows the stories of young songwriters and performers with cancer who found hope, healing and connection through music. Presented by Teen Cancer America, the national non-profit founded by rock icons Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who, “The Real Me” highlights the moving experiences of cancer patients in TCA’s Play It Back program, which matches them with music professionals...

The Real Me follows the stories of young songwriters and performers with cancer who found hope, healing and connection through music. Presented by Teen Cancer America, the national non-profit founded by rock icons Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who, “The Real Me” highlights the moving experiences of cancer patients in TCA’s Play It Back program, which matches them with music professionals...

The Real Me follows the stories of young songwriters and performers with cancer who found hope, healing and connection through music. Presented by Teen Cancer America, the national non-profit founded by rock icons Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who, “The Real Me” highlights the moving experiences of cancer patients in TCA’s Play It Back program, which matches them with music professionals...

The Real Me follows the stories of young songwriters and performers with cancer who found hope, healing and connection through music. Presented by Teen Cancer America, the national non-profit founded by rock icons Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who, “The Real Me” highlights the moving experiences of cancer patients in TCA’s Play It Back program, which matches them with music professionals...

The Real Me follows the stories of young songwriters and performers with cancer who found hope, healing and connection through music. Presented by Teen Cancer America, the national non-profit founded by rock icons Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who, “The Real Me” highlights the moving experiences of cancer patients in TCA’s Play It Back program, which matches them with music professionals...

The Real Me follows the stories of young songwriters and performers with cancer who found hope, healing and connection through music. Presented by Teen Cancer America, the national non-profit founded by rock icons Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who, “The Real Me” highlights the moving experiences of cancer patients in TCA’s Play It Back program, which matches them with music professionals...

The Real Me follows the stories of young songwriters and performers with cancer who found hope, healing and connection through music. Presented by Teen Cancer America, the national non-profit founded by rock icons Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who, “The Real Me” highlights the moving experiences of cancer patients in TCA’s Play It Back program, which matches them with music professionals...

“The Real Me,” a new production from Pantheon Podcasts premiering Tuesday, Oct. 5, follows the emotionally powerful stories of young songwriters and performers with cancer who found hope, healing and connection through music. Presented by Teen Cancer America (TCA), the national non-profit founded by rock icons Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who, “The Real Me” highlights the moving experie...