Enlighten: Uplift & Inspire

My guest today is Bob Lanzetti. Bob is a gifted guitarist and composer. Bob has been a member of the 3-time Grammy award winning group Snarky Puppy since the band formed in 2004. In addition to traveling the world with Snarky Puppy, Bob also performs with the West African influenced band Bokante, as well as his own band performing his original compositions.  When not on the road, Bob has a monthly residency at Rockwood Music Hall, in NYC where he invites different special guests to collaborate with his band. Bob started a meditation practice in 2014 when he had a desire to be better at music, more creative and productive, less living inside his head. His practice has grown to offer more than he first intended, tapping into a state of contentment, even a humility and gratitude for pure existence and consciousness. Speaking of consciousness, Bob talks about a video he watched on You Tube, that that moved him deeply, called “How Wolves Change Rivers”. Check the links below for the wolf story and Bob’s websit

My guest today is Sr. Jo-Ann Iannotti. Jo-Ann is a Dominican Sister of Hope, who recently retired as Art and Spirituality Coordinator at Wisdom House Retreat and Conference Center in Litchfield, CT. Fifty years ago, Sr. Jo- Ann was my 8th grade teacher and is the only educator I have remained in contact with; she saw, heard, and understood me in a deep, spiritual way that helped me trust my intuition and honor my essence. Jo-Ann shares what drew her to becoming a nun, the meaning of the vows she took, her full career including ministries as educator, associate director of vocation, director of religious education, script writer for radio and television, poet, reporter, photographer, all while embracing the rich inter-relationship between art and spirituality. Sr. Jo-Ann provides background on the Trappist Monk, Thomas Merton, whose wise, compassionate writings have touched generations of spiritual seekers. Jo-Ann has a particular passion for Julian of Norwich and lectures frequently on this 14th century mys

My guest today is Maria Luisa Whittingham. Maria Luisa is a business owner, community builder and advocate for social justice. Born in the Bronx, NY, Maria’s family moved back to Puerto Rico for Maria’s early formative years, then back to NYC when Maria when 10. Maria studied fashion design at Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.) in NYC and worked in the garment industry for a couple of designers before opening her own shop “Maria Luisa Boutique” in Nyack, NY. She has thoughtfully grown her vibrant Nyack business over the past 32 years and has expanded to 2 stores where she provides unique fair trade, Eco-friendly and handmade items (clothing, footwear, bags, wallets, books and gifts). Maria Luisa has known the wisdom behind collaborating with her fellow merchants in town. She created a scholarship fund for graduating female high school seniors, supports a variety of local non-profit organizations and has been recognized as a ‘woman of vision’ for the Rockland Women Leaders Hall of Fame, as well as “Roc

My guest today is Bob Stien. Bob has a reverence for nature, raises consciousness and support for men, and is a social justice activist. Bob’s passion for nature has been channeled through his years of leading hikes in the woods, melting children’s fear, and igniting an appreciation of the outdoors. Bob has worked tirelessly to help preserve a nearby 40 acre property. Bob’s abundant supply of wood has served numerous people and projects, giving him the nickname in my family as “Bob of the Wood”. Bob is a member of 2 monthly Men’s Groups, has run countless workshops for fathers, is involved in local and national men’s leadership organizations, and honors the transformative work of Ted Bunch & Tony Porter’s “A Call to Men”, whose tag line is “Working to create a world where men are loving and respectful and all women are valued and safe.” Check out the show notes for links to the organizations Bob has referenced, see where you might invigorate your own care for our earth, raise consciousness and take pos

My guest today is Lisa Litman. Lisa is a local business owner, music enthusiast, and innovative personal assistant. After the recent death of her husband, and the closing of her 30 year-old shop, Sign of the Times, Lisa has learned how to re-invent herself, creating a new word-of-mouth business that responds to various needs of friends and neighbors. Lisa is grateful that she and her son Harry, were intimately present to the daily care-giving for her husband’s dying process, knowing that not everyone can afford such time and flexibility. Her dear friend, who is an end-of-life doula, provided the greatest gift of all, supporting Lisa to advocate and care for her husband in his final days. Music is what held and pulled Lisa through; music is her passion! Just as Lisa’s shop brought her Nyack, NY community together, music is now providing a renewed sense of meaningful community for Lisa. Lisa has woken up to the preciousness of life, the rich experiences of music, sacred spaces, new foods, new neighborhoods, t

My guest today is Everest Cruz. Everest is a resident at the Fletcher Boykin transitional house for formerly incarcerated men in Spring Valley, NY, run by MADE Transitional Services. Everest has been in and out of prison since he was 13 years old, so since I met him in July, now at the age of 29 years old, Everest has experienced his longest stretch of being out of prison: over 60 days! He grew up in San Diego, CA with his older sister and single mom. His father was not in the picture; in fact, Everest has never met his father. It was unbearable for Everest to watch his mom work so hard yet consistently struggle to put food on the table. Everest provides insights into the pressure he felt to join a gang, while being lured into the false hope that the gang would provide an avenue for him to help his family. I wonder how many of us would have made the same decision given the same desperate circumstances.   Everest keeps it real, speaking openly about his past, which he acknowledges is critical to his healing

My guest today is Karen Siff Exkorn. Karen is an Executive Coach, Corporate Consultant, Author, Playwright, Autism Expert and Motivational Speaker. She also happens to be my sweet soul sister!  Karen grew up in Worcester, MA and shares her background in dance, her college experience at Brown University where she explored her love of dance, while majoring in psychology. She moved to NYC and immersed herself in the corporate world, which gave her the experience and confidence to start her own corporate consulting firm. She completed her Masters at NYU’s Gallatin School, where she created her own concentration, combining psychology, spirituality, dance and performance. Karen tells the story of how she met her beloved husband Franklin, and how their world was turned upside down when their two-year old son Jake was diagnosed with autism. Searching for support and guidance, Karen immersed herself in research, determined to understand what this meant and how best to advocate for her son. She ended up writing

My guest today is Emanuel Lewis. Emanuel is a steel pannist and drummer, with clear goals and a vision of where he wants to be in the music industry. Emanuel just graduated from high school, yet for his senior year he was accepted in a local community college’s honors program, which provided a great foundation for learning, inspiration and confidence. Emanuel is heading off to Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA this fall with two skills he wants to gain from Berklee: 1) to perform and master his instruments and 2) learn all he can about contemporary writing and production. As my youngest guest to date, Emanuel possesses impressive maturity, insights, and ease; it truly is a joy to be in the presence of such a personable young man. Emanuel describes the profound impact of his civil rights professor, the deep influence of worship music, his recent, eye-opening trip to Israel, and his unique friendship with his older brother Gabriel (a recent guest on my podcast), that captures true brotherly love. With su

Instead of a conversation with a guest, today we are offering a unique episode of guided meditations. Andrea Frade, who was my guest in January 2019, episode #54, recorded here in my studio a series of guided meditations for the 7 chakras, also known as energy centers in the body. Andrea graciously provides a short explanation of the elements, colors, locations and symbolism of each chakra, followed by a simple, yet profound experiential meditation that helps one feel tangibly connected to each chakra. So if you are driving, you may want to save this episode for when you are able to sit at home, close your eyes and be fully present. Each meditation is approximately 6-7 minutes long, so you are welcome to listen to them one at a time or as a full series. Andrea and I wanted to make this accessible to all my listeners; this is our gift to you for your personal practice, may it deepen your embodied wisdom. If this was helpful to you or you have questions to further your understanding of the chakras, feel free

My guest today is Gabriel Lewis. Gabriel is a wealth advisor associate for Morgan Stanley, a director of school partnerships with The Mentor Project, as well as a “Big” with Big Brother/Big Sister and a junior board member with the Eagle Academy Foundation. Gabe’s life purpose is “to serve and add value to others in any way he can.” Pretty impressive for a 22 year old!! Gabe is passionate about having people understand and be literate about their finances. He says it’s not about how much money you make, it’s about having a healthy mindset of abundance. Gabriel is disciplined about lining up his values, energy and desire to serve in the culture of finance. He is deeply grateful to his mother for providing such a rich, stimulating home school experience for him and his brother, which exposed them to so much, while building tremendous confidence. Gabe is fearless in reaching out to anybody he feels drawn to, forge authentic relationships and reciprocal networking.  Gabriel’s positive mindset, openness about th

My guest today is Mayra Casales. Mayra is gifted Cuban percussionist, respected band leader and passionate mentor to young jazz musicians.  Mayra was born in Havana, Cuba. Her family fled to Miami when she was about 6 years old. Music was an integral part of her family: her father played guitar, her mother was a singer and Mayra joined her older brothers to form a percussion section. In fact, Mayra says that music helped her family survive when they moved to Miami; serving as both their release and solidarity. Mayra has played with a variety of jazz and Latin artists, including: Celia Cruz, Machito, Joe Cuba, Miquelito Veldez, Tito Puente, Dizzy Gillespie, Wayne Shorter, Carmen Lundy, David Amram, Regina Carter, Sophie B. Hawkins, Regina Bell, Dave Stryker, and The O'Jays. In 2008 Mayra helped found the vibrant World Latin music group Cocomama, which she now leads. Mayra is the Director of the Toni and Ed Fallon Jazz Scholarship to honor the memory of Bill Evans, providing financial support to promising h

My guest today is Tony Falco. Tony is a visionary club owner, community builder, art and music promoter, and a facilitator to support living artists. Tony began hosting house concerts in 2001, in a structure behind the Falco home that was built from all recycled materials. The intimate listening room was a remarkable space with fine acoustics, a grand piano, stage lighting and seating for nearly 100. In a couple of months Tony was providing high level musicians an intimate space to perform for enthusiastic audiences. Using a donation box and potluck meals for contributions, plus Tony, his wife Julie, and their children’s gracious hospitality, musicians felt warmly welcomed, valued and respected. Bursting at the seams, four years later Tony purchased a 19th century button factory, perched over the Marlboro (NY) Falls once used to power the factory, and converted it into The Falcon, a vibrant music club. Tony’s club has become the “Village Vanguard of the Hudson Valley” with artists on a regular rotation with

My guest today is Judy McLane. Judy is a successful, charismatic singer and actor, animal activist, nature lover and seeker of the mystery in everyday life. Judy performed the role of Tanya in Broadway’s “Mamma Mia” for 7 1/2 years and then played the starring role of Donna for 4 years - hers was the longest run of a principal role in "Mamma Mia" history. Judy has also cultivated a rich symphony career, performing a wide repertoire of music with national and international symphonies. In addition, Judy has enjoyed expanding her acting skills and ventured into theater, television and film. Judy crystallizes the focus of a NY actor, and I quote: “My job is to audition: be ready to audition; be prepared for auditioning”. Actors do more auditioning than anything else and even though that means facing more no’s than yes’s, Judy has learned to stay positive, change her thoughts and trust in what comes her way. She loves the quote “What’s for you, won’t go by you.” Therefore the jobs she is offered, are the ones sh

My guest today is Lucy Miller-Suchet. I’ve known Lucy since she was in utero and have witnessed her beautiful growth into a kind-hearted, conscientious young woman, dedicated to social justice. As my youngest guest so far, Lucy’s impressive experiences exceed her 21 years. As a 9th grader, Lucy was a trusted, responsible member of my independent youth group which culminated our year together in a two-week service trip to Nicaragua to build one-room cinder block houses for materially poor families. Lucy recently graduated from Brandeis University, having doubled majored in ‘International Global Studies’ and ‘Health, Science, Society and Policy’, with a minor in ‘Economics’. During a profound summer college internship in San Francisco at a public health, non-profit start-up, Lucy learned invaluable lessons in stretching herself outside of her comfort zone, a deeper understanding of her self, and concrete, healthy self-care skills. Lucy also had an intense Junior semester in Argentina, immersed in Spanish spea

My guest today is Napoleon Murphy Brock.  Napoleon, also known as Napi, is a singer, saxophonist and flute player who was Frank Zappa’s front man in the 1970s. Please note that this episode is well over the typical one hour length of my recorded conversations, but Napi is quite the story teller and I didn’t want anyone to miss out on his fascinating experiences. Even when it takes him nearly 30 minutes to tell how he and Frank Zappa met, on August 8th, 1973, and all the tangents he shares help lead up to this fateful meeting. From his ancestral lineage that captures his full name, to being hit by 2 cars at age 7, the start of hearing music while daydreaming, to being a natural ham in musicals and opera, to working as a janitor and behavior modification counselor, to creating a sought-after R&B influenced cover band in the late 60s, to pioneering multi-tasking as the band’s lead singer, songwriter, arranger and instrumentalist, Napoleon Murphy Brock is a force to be reckoned with!! Napi is also passiona

My guest today is Tyler Mix. Tyler is a fitness trainer, DJ, and a formerly incarcerated man, dedicated to turning his life around. For the first time in his life, Tyler has chosen to be clean and sober and is grateful for the support from his substance abuse program at Lexington Center in Airmont, NY. Tyler has taken his recovery program seriously which has been both intense and life-changing. Tyler is a resident in a transitional house run by M.A.D.E. Transitional Services, a Rockland County, NY non-profit organization dedicated to helping formerly incarcerated people with housing, re-entry, life skills training and job readiness. Check out my conversations with the two M.A.D.E. founders, Tarik Greene and Toney Earl, Jr. Tyler shares what his life had been like before prison, during prison and, now that he is out. He speaks of facing his past, not being proud of who he was or how he lived; about taking responsibility for his behavior and feeling genuine remorse. Tyler was a victim of correctional offi

My guest today is David M. Sinclair. David was a Marine Surveyor for 60 years, an avid sailor, and still, at the ripe old age of 91, is a nature enthusiast! David is my oldest guest and my beloved uncle, the eldest member of my extended family! I admired the playful, prankster loving relationship he and my mother closely shared. Raised as a Quaker in Germantown, PA, Dave remembers a teacher at Germantown Friends School igniting his love of bird watching. From that he has cultivated a life-long love for nature and within the past year the Darien Nature Center in Connecticut created a volunteer award in Dave’s name. Dave describes what the work of a marine surveyor entails, stories that highlight his detective skills, along with the changes he endured to keep his business running into he was in his early 80s. His sailing stories include racing the Ticonderoga in the 1940s, the various boats he and his wife Susan sailed, her Adam’s Cup award in 1962, his role as judge for YRA that earned his Ned Anderson Achie

My guest today is Essence Cohen Fields. Living and working just outside of Philadelphia, PA, Essence is a therapist, specializing in trauma release and boundary setting. Essence is dedicated to helping others heal from traumas, shore up resiliency, and boost confidence to face all that life presents. She skillfully guides her clients through experiences of abuse, anger management issues, work-life balance, self esteem concerns, parent-child relational issues, anxiety, grief and depression. Essence combines cognitive behavioral and solution focused counseling techniques, with EMDR, (eye movement desensitization reprocessing) and her motivational coaching approach. Essence’s logo is “FLY Counseling” the F-L-Y, stands for First Love Yourself and she cleverly uses fly as in helping people fly and soar into their potential as well as “to be fly”, in all that you do! She believes that to heal and have a positive impact in the world, we fist need to love ourselves. Essence cares deeply about bringing out the best

My guest today is Justin Stanton. Justin is an amazing trumpeter, keyboard player, composer, and producer. Justin primarily performs, records and tours with Snarky Puppy, Huntertones, and Banda Magda. Although you can find him collaborating with his "puppies", Mike “Maz” Maher, Chris Bullock or Robert ‘Sput’ Searight on their original projects. Justin humbly shares his growth as he built inner confidence and deep gratitude for the challenges inherent in the music business. He has traveled the world, been to every continent, except Antarctica and shares how blown away he was by a recent trip to Morocco. During this festival, Justin experienced a different kind of music collaboration, which meant letting go of preconceived notions and staying open, curious and engaged. Justin’s long awaited solo debut album “Secret Place” was released on May 3rd, 2019 and the next night Justin had a celebratory live performance of his album at Rockwood Music Hall in NYC. I invite you to purchase this creative, soulful record

My guest today is Brent Frederick. Brent is a music director, pianist, arranger, and conductor. Brent appreciates and invests in all of his freelance music projects, valuing the need to be versatile, live by the golden rule, while continually evolving. From Busch Gardens, to cruise ships, Broadway national tours, to Broadway shows, cabarets, churches, to concert halls, Brent has brought integrity and humility to his work. He did a beautiful job with the arrangements for his wife, Jacqueline Petroccia’s recent album “Champagne and Moonshine” - Jackie was a recent podcast guest of mine, you can hear her story on episode #61. In between playing piano and/or conducting Broadway shows, Brent enjoys conducting a NYC chorus called Art Mob, that performs in various art galleries. Their next performances are May 17, 18, and 19, 2019. As a father of a newborn, Brent admits the challenge and responsibility of raising a white son in an environment where we need to destroy patriarchy, misogyny and white supremacy. Brent