Their Own Drum

Steve Dolinsky has won more James Beard broadcast journalism awards than any other local TV reporter in the country. He's the founder of Pizza City Fest, the author of Pizza City USA, and the culinary director at Levy.  Before all of that, he was a kid who grew up in a kosher home in St. Cloud, Minnesota with almost no access to interesting food, and he thinks that might be where it all started. W...

Over 20 years ago, I was 13 years old at the Skokie Public Library watching my favorite author do a reading and signing. That author was Darren Shan, and the book was Lord Loss. I still have that signed copy. Darren is the author of over 70 books, including the beloved Cirque du Freak and Demonata series, and has sold over 30 million copies worldwide. He is widely regarded as the Master of Childre...

In this episode, Alyx Effron, Founder of Collectors MD, shares his own lived experience with the collecting world, breaks down why these environments can be so uniquely difficult to recognize as harmful, and explains how Collectors MD is working to fill a gap in the recovery space that has existed for far too long. They cover the psychology behind box breaks and why they sit somewhere between coll...

I had the honor of sitting down with music producer Sean O'Keefe. The first place I ever saw Sean's name was written next to the words "produced by" on my favorite album of all time, Fall Out Boy's 2003 debut record, Take This to Your Grave. Sean played a vital role in not only that record, but an incredible amount of music that changed people's lives, including my own. It was surreal getting to h...

I had the honor and privilege of sitting down with the beautiful and brilliant David Koechner. We talked about growing up in the small town of Tipton, Missouri, the years he spent getting his comedy and acting reps right here in Chicago, how a combination of his upbringing and early political aspirations shaped a lifelong, deeply socially conscious worldview,  and so much more. I am so excited for...

Dr. Robin Gurwitch was a young psychologist in Oklahoma City on April 19th, 1995. Less than a mile from the Murrah Federal Building, she felt the blast, and within hours was on the ground helping families navigate something nobody had a playbook for. That day set the course for the next thirty years of her career. A Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at Duke University, Dr. Gurwitch has spent three...

On Episode 9 of Their Own Drum, I sat down with Kyle Cubr, the Senior Operations Director at The Music Box Theatre.  Kyle Cubr has worked at Chicago's beloved Music Box Theatre for over a decade, climbing from front of house to Senior Operations Manager. But before any of that, he was a kid from Brighton, Michigan who saw Jurassic Park at age three and never forgot it.  In this episode, Kyle talks...

Pat Healy is one of my guys. If you've been listening to this show, you probably already know what I mean by that.  Pat grew up in the Chicago suburbs, ended up at Illinois State University, stumbled into a Steppenwolf internship, and just never stopped working. Over the course of three decades he's shared the screen with DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, and Meryl Streep, and worked with Scorsese, Spielberg,...

What do indie record stores, early Netflix, and a century’s worth of sandwiches have in common? On Episode 7 of Their Own Drum, Sam sits down with Barry Enderwick, former Netflix marketing leader and the creator of Sandwiches of History, for a conversation about curiosity and craft. Barry takes us back to the San Diego record store where he learned by hanging around, saying yes, and designing post...

This episode is a special one for me. I’m joined by my friend Jimmy Morris, someone I’ve known for years, and we sit down for an honest conversation about his journey through gambling addiction and recovery. Jimmy shares what it was like growing up in a tight-knit Chicago neighborhood, how gambling slowly became part of his life, and how it eventually spiraled into consequences that impacted his f...

On episode 5 of Their Own Drum, Sam sits down with professor, writer, and American Football drummer Steve Lamos to explore his concept of resonant literacy, tracing the intersections of music, writing, identity, and habit, and unpacking how rhythms of creative and everyday life shape who we become over time. Steve on IG: https://www.instagram.com/stevelamos/

On Episode 4 of Their Own Drum, Sam sits down with filmmaker and photographer Harvey Pullings II to trace his path from film appreciation and set photography to his acclaimed short Thank You for the Ride, Aileen, exploring influences, on‑set stories, casting choices, and how Chicago becomes a character in his work. Harvey on IG: https://www.instagram.com/the79thstreetkid/ https://www.the79thstreet...

This is Episode Three of Their Own Drum. On the third episode of Their Own Drum, Sam speaks to Keith Frazier, one of the founding members of The Rebirth Brass Band, the legendary, Grammy award winning brass band from New Orleans.  Keith talks about New Orleans’ musical culture, adapting traditions with hip-hop and R&B influences, the impact of Hurricane Katrina on musicians and venues, and the...

This is Episode Two of Their Own Drum. Dr. Adam Lankford is a leading criminologist who studies mass and targeted violence. He discusses what the research actually shows about the roles of firearms, mental health, motives, warning signs, and the media’s impact on copycat attacks. Dr. Lankford explains why access to guns matters more than mere ownership, how ideological and personal motives can ove...

This is Episode One of Their Own Drum. Scott Lewis is the founder of The Barber's Chair Network, a digital media company covering sports, entertainment & culture.  We talk about Scott's continued rise and navigation through the media landscape, how he copes with Chicago sports fandom ,what goes into running a media company, and so much more.  Check out Scott and The Barber's Chair Network's wo...