The Downward Facing Spiritual Spiral

This past week, Netflix suffered it's first subscriber loss in more than a decade. Elon Musk blames "woke programming" but I think Netflix's demise is because services like Hulu and Apple TV are simply offering better content. To my eyes, shows on Netflix often feel watered down and predictable so maybe people are tired of the drivel and craving more impactful and unique storylines found in shows like Severance or Life & Beth. Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I begin by talking about Severance and Life & Beth, two of the most interesting, well developed and unique shows I've seen in years. They not only inspired me, but also reignited my hope and belief that people still yearn for high quality and meaningful content. I talk about the disappearance of in-person, three-dimensional communities thanks to social media and I talk about how valuable and enriching it is to hold on to face to face conversations. I play a clip from a recent Bari Weiss podcast where she speaks with author Jonathan Haidt about the impact social media has made on people's values and priorities and how it's given rise to more trolls. I also talk about some of the inspiration behind my new book SSAFY and I end the show by playing a new remix I just released on Spotify. I'm very excited to say my new book SSAFY can be purchased by visiting SSAFYoga.com or on Amazon by clicking HERE and remember, if you enjoy today's episode and you want to support the show, please subscribe to the podcast on iTUNES or Spotify. It's always helpful if you share the show with your friends or head over to iTunes and write a quick review. You can also support the show by becoming a subscriber at www.patreon.com/eddiecohn and you can also purchase my new record at eddieconn.bandcamp.com or visit my website www.iameddiecohn.com and sign up for my email list and newsletter. As always, thanks so much for listening and supporting the show. Please reach out on IG @eddiecohn with any questions. Thanks for listening. 

Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I'm excited to welcome the uber talented musician, DJ and producer, Ireesh Lal, to the podcast. Ireesh is a multi-instrumentalist and programmer where he combines original electronic music with east Indian elements. He also just released a new record called Journey Through the Chakras and he is the founding member of the LA based musical trio, Lal Meri. Ireesh and I begin by talking about Ireesh's love for the arts, what led him to start playing the trumpet and go on to major in music at USC. Ireesh shares the story about getting his first record deal before even graduating from college. He talks about going on the road and how he's organically become a part of the truly eclectic music scene in Los Angeles. Ireesh and I talk about managing the ups and downs of tech and social media and he also talks about the inspiration behind his new record and how its led him to perform and DJ at yoga dance parties in Los Angeles. You can find out more about Ireesh and all the cool projects he is producing by visiting him on IG at @ireeshlal or visit his website which is ireeshlal.com.   Remember, if you enjoy today's episode and you want to support the show, please subscribe to the podcast on iTUNES or Spotify. It's always helpful if you share the show with your friends or head over to iTunes and write a quick review. You can also support the show by becoming a subscriber at www.patreon.com/eddiecohn and you can also purchase my new record at eddieconn.bandcamp.com or visit my website www.iameddiecohn.com and sign up for my email list and newsletter. As always, thanks so much for listening and supporting the show. Please reach out on IG @eddiecohn with any questions. Thanks for listening. 

Today on the Spiritual Spiral podcast, I found myself thinking about the apparent evaporation of boundaries in our culture. Thanks to tech and social media, it feels like we live in a world where people share or crave 24-7 access to every minute detail of people's lives. It also appears like we live in an ever growing me-first society where people do whatever they want, with no regard to other people's feelings or the potentially negative consequences. Truth to be told, I stopped watching the Oscars at least a few years ago but with that said, I'm perplexed at how many varying opinions are being voiced after what seemed, to my eyes, like such an egregious act at this year's awards. The reaction also makes me nervous thinking we may now live in a society where violence and hitting people is no longer condemned but excused and brushed aside as "normal behavior." I read an excerpt from a wonderful new essay entitled Lucky-Go-Happy by one of my favorite writers, David Sedaris, that just published this week in the New Yorker. I also play a powerful clip from a recent Bari Weiss podcast where she questions America's toughness and I end the show by playing a clip from MSNBC where a teacher seems to be overstepping his "boundaries." Lastly, I am thrilled to say my new book SSAFY is NOW available online. Please visit SSAFYoga.com where you can order an advanced autographed paperback copy. Remember, if you enjoy today's episode and you want to support the show, please subscribe to the podcast on iTUNES or Spotify. It's always helpful if you share the show with your friends or head over to iTunes and write a quick review. You can also support the show by becoming a subscriber at www.patreon.com/eddiecohn and you can also purchase my new record at eddieconn.bandcamp.com or visit my website www.iameddiecohn.com and sign up for my email list and newsletter. As always, thanks so much for listening and supporting the show. Please reach out on IG @eddiecohn with any questions. Thanks for listening. 

Today on the Spiritual Spiral podcast, I'm excited to welcome musician, producer and composer, Kurt Goebel, to the show. Kurt has studied piano since the age of 6, he majored in piano in college and after being on the road for several years, he moved to Nashville where he's now a full time composer and producer. We begin by talking about Kurt's work flow in the studio, how he prepares for each artist he works with and what it's like writing music in so many various genres. We talk about the shift in the music industry and the impact streaming services have made on the way artist's release music as well as the way consumers listen to music. Kurt shares great stories about what drew him to the piano at a young age and what it felt like playing his first gig at the age of 14. We talk about music production, craft, songwriting and the potential downgrade in the sonic quality of today's pop music. I also end the show by playing a fabulous new song Kurt produced entitled "Be Alright" by singer/songwriter, Anna Graceman. Remember, if you enjoy today's episode and you want to support the show, please subscribe to the podcast on iTUNES or Spotify. It's always helpful if you share the show with your friends or head over to iTunes and write a quick review. You can also support the show by becoming a subscriber at www.patreon.com/eddiecohn and you can also purchase my new record at eddieconn.bandcamp.com or visit my website www.iameddiecohn.com and sign up for my email list and newsletter. As always, thanks so much for listening and supporting the show. Please reach out on IG @eddiecohn with any questions. Thanks for listening. 

Can you tell when someone isn't listening? I was on a Zoom call this last week, and right away it became clear that the person I was speaking to wasn't listening. Instead of trying to listen and engage in a meaningful conversation, they opted to check email and look at another device. Is that what happens in a me-first, tech obsessed society with non-stop distractions?  Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I reflect on a culture where a substantial amount of people have forgotten how to listen. Social media apps are breeding a world of self-absorbed narcissists and yet, is there anything that can be done to stop this immutable trend? And as more people opt to send a text or DM over making a phone call, what is the effect on human being's innate need for real human to human interaction? I also play a clip from the Russel Brand Podcast and I end the show by playing a clip from the Bari Weiss podcast where she asks an existential question. In a world where the news moves at such a frenetic pace while our attention spans are  drawn to ephemeral distractions, can anything be done to reverse this trend and get people to care about anyone but themselves? Remember, if you enjoy today's episode and you want to support the show, please subscribe to the podcast on iTUNES or Spotify. It's always helpful if you share the show with your friends or head over to iTunes and write a quick review. You can also support the show by becoming a subscriber at www.patreon.com/eddiecohn and you can also purchase my new record at eddieconn.bandcamp.com or visit my website www.iameddiecohn.com and sign up for my email list and newsletter. As always, thanks so much for listening and supporting the show. Please reach out on IG @eddiecohn with any questions. Thanks for listening. 

Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I'm thrilled to welcome the uber-talented singer/songwriter and producer, Michelle Featherstone, to the show. It's crazy to think I met Michelle close to twenty years ago while we were busy making records and playing gigs around the LA club circuit. She and I begin by talking about the craft of songwriting and why, thanks to tech and social media, we may be seeing a lack of depth in the current state of songwriting. We discuss the therapeutic and healing effects of music and Michelle shares a story about when she began playing the piano for the first time as a young girl. She also talks about the first time she got up and sang her own songs in front of an audience in Los Angeles. We talk about the arduous and solitary process of songwriting and why it can feel overwhelming when artists are asked to navigate the world of marketing and technology.  Michelle shares some great stories about the moment she saw an "in" into the music business and how it led to her pitching her own music to music supervisors. We also discuss SONA, an advocacy organization formed by professional songwriters, that fights for songwriter's rights and why she is such an advocate for artists' rights and fair pay for songwriters. All the music on today's show is from Michelle and you can find her on IG @michellefeatherstone and you can listen to her music on all streaming platforms under her name or under her electronic side project called PPLRS. Remember, if you enjoy today's episode and you want to support the show, please subscribe to the podcast on iTUNES or Spotify. It's always helpful if you share the show with your friends or head over to iTunes and write a quick review. You can also support the show by becoming a subscriber at www.patreon.com/eddiecohn and you can also purchase my new record at eddieconn.bandcamp.com or visit my website www.iameddiecohn.com and sign up for my email list and newsletter. As always, thanks so much for listening and supporting the show. Please reach out on IG @eddiecohn with any questions. Thanks for listening. 

What impact do streaming services have on the way we culturally "value" art and music? And if musicians have to spend more time doing self-promotion and less time on the craft of songwriting, what is the impact on the quality of art? Questions to consider as I welcome my next guest, singer/songwriter and record-producer, Gilli Moon, to this week's show. Gilli has released eight studio albums, she has written three books and she is the co-founder and president of Songsalive. Gilli is a powerhouse of creativity and we begin by talking about music, inspiration and what happens to the purity of creativity once we release our passion projects into the world. Gilli shares personal stories about what led her to pursue music as a full-time career and we talk about the devaluation of music and art thanks to Spotify and streaming services. Gilli and I also talk about the importance of pursuing different mediums as an artist and she shares important lessons she's learned about the business side of the music industry.  I also end the show by playing a song from Gilli's latest record, a Beautiful Mess, which is available now on her website or on all streaming platforms. You can find Gilli online at www.gillimoon.com or on IG @gillimoon. Remember, if you enjoy today's episode and you want to support the show, please subscribe to the podcast on iTUNES or Spotify. It's always helpful if you share the show with your friends or head over to iTunes and write a quick review. You can also support the show by becoming a subscriber at www.patreon.com/eddiecohn and you can also purchase my new record at eddieconn.bandcamp.com or visit my website www.iameddiecohn.com and sign up for my email list and newsletter. As always, thanks so much for listening and supporting the show. Please reach out on IG @eddiecohn with any questions. Thanks for listening. 

I'm certainly not a physician but based on my own health history, I've grown wary of our culture's over reliance on "quick fixes" and pharmaceutical options to treat disease. Today on the Spiritual Spiral, I felt it was valuable to tell a few stories about some of my own health struggles and what led me to rely more heavily on homeopathic and natural remedies. I talk about the bizarre response to some of Joe Rogan's recent podcast episodes and why I'm even more disheartened by the calls to take him off of Spotify. Granted, Spotify has been an evil perpetrator in "devaluing" the work of musicians and songwriters, and yet, something dangerous seems to be at play with the demand to cancel and de-platform Joe. I play a powerful clip where Dana White talks about the absurdity and hypocrisy surrounding Joe and I also read a wonderful poem from Mary Oliver entitled, Mysteries, Yes. I share some thoughts about our know-it-all culture, I play a clip from a recent Sam Harris podcast and I read an excerpt from Winston Marshall's thoughtful piece on Substack called, When Artists Become the Censors.  I end the show by reading a new poem I wrote called A Soup Bowl of Joe and Fear which I recently published on Medium. Remember, if you enjoy today's episode and you want to support the show, please subscribe to the podcast on iTUNES or Spotify. It's always helpful if you share the show with your friends or head over to iTunes and write a quick review. You can also support the show by becoming a subscriber at www.patreon.com/eddiecohn and you can also purchase my new record at eddieconn.bandcamp.com or visit my website www.iameddiecohn.com and sign up for my email list and newsletter. As always, thanks so much for listening and supporting the show. Please reach out on IG @eddiecohn with any questions. Thanks for listening.