Shervin Lainez has photographed the biggest musicians alive (Adele, St. Vincent, David Byrne) and he did it by walking up to artists in New York alleys with no portfolio and a lot of nerve. I met him when he was 22 and shooting indie bands for free, he took life-changing photos of me at the Chelsea Hotel, and watching him become the guy everyone wants to shoot them has been one of my favorite things to witness.

Community is my April theme: who passed you around when you were nobody, and why that network of people who believed in you before you had proof is the thing you keep trying to find your way back to.

TRY THIS: Think about the first time someone paid you to do the thing you love. Remember how insane that felt. That feeling isn't gone, it's your baseline. Everything you're building now is trying to honor it, not recreate it.

April Playlist – Songs That Make Everyone Best Friends for Three Minutes

Shervin Lainez on Instagram

Free workshop Apr 18: mct.hestaprynn.com/april18

Find the show: Substack · Instagram · musicistherapypod@gmail.com

Send this to whoever's in the grind with you right now.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you've ever wondered why certain songs trigger emotions or memories — why Fleetwood Mac Rumors still hits in 2026, why Hallelujah makes strangers cry at weddings — Alan Light has spent his entire career finding the answer. As former editor-in-chief of Vibe and Spin, interviewer of Led Zeppelin, and author of books on the songs that outlive everything, he knows exactly why some music becomes medicine and some just becomes background noise.

This is my April theme: community — why certain songs and bands don't just last, they become a place people live. And what that tells us about why music heals the way nothing else does.

This episode is for anyone looking for their people.

TRY THIS: Think about the song or band that made you feel like you belonged somewhere for the first time. That feeling didn't go away — it just needs a room to live in. Where are you finding that room right now?

April Playlist – Songs That Make Everyone Best Friends for Three Minutes

Don't Stop: Why We Still Love Fleetwood Mac's Rumors · Sound Up! Podcast

Free workshop Apr 18: mct.hestaprynn.com/april18

Connect with DJ Hesta Prynn and the show:

Substack · Instagram · musicistherapypod@gmail.com

Send this to the person who made you a mixtape. You know exactly who.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Diallo Riddle is an Emmy-winning writer, TV creator, and co-host of one of the best music podcasts out there.

He’s also, it turns out, exactly my kind of person.

I got a call in a taxi on the way to a gig: how do you feel about a co-DJ tonight?
A corporate client had paired us up — no warning, no prep.
He walked in, looked at my setup, and immediately had opinions.

Six years later, we finally sat down to talk.

This episode is part of my April theme: community — where it actually lives, and why finding people who love what you love can feel like coming home.

Diallo is someone who’s actually building it.

He’s the co-host of One Song — a podcast that turns music nerd conversations into something bigger: a place where people who love music feel like they belong.

If you're looking for your people, this episode is for you.

(I had a lot of fun with this one.)

WHAT YOU’LL HEAR

• how Diallo’s father’s jazz collection + Saturday morning cartoons shaped his musical identity
• why the sub-community is where it really gets interesting
• how One Song creates community around shared musical obsession
• the night Coachella (for $50) changed everything
• why some songs always work — even when you don’t want them to
• how we’ve gone from shared listening to algorithm silos
• what Atlanta strip club charts have to do with discovering music

TRY THIS

Think about a song you’ve had strong opinions about for years.
Now think about how many people out there feel the exact same way.

That’s your people.

April Playlist:
Songs That Make Everyone Best Friends for Three Minutes
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2TJjg0SAEaOWMo9kOUYBc4?si=9e34b650d40f4a9b

Connect with Diallo:
One Song podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/one-song/id1696154359

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/diallo/

Connect with the show:
Substack: https://hestaprynn.substack.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/hestaprynnmusic

Free workshop (April 18):
https://mct.hestaprynn.com/april18

Send this to your music person.
You already know who I mean.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.