Episodes

  • Nobody Tells You This S*it About Success (with Shervin Lainez)

    Nobody Tells You This S*it About Success (with Shervin Lainez)
    Apr 17 2026

    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.
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    47 mins
  • One of Us (with Alan Light)

    One of Us (with Alan Light)
    Apr 10 2026

    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.
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    54 mins
  • We Met on a Blind DJ Date (with Diallo Riddle)

    We Met on a Blind DJ Date (with Diallo Riddle)
    Apr 3 2026

    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.
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    54 mins
  • What’s On Your Sex Playlist Is Not a Dumb Question (with Nayeema Raza)

    What’s On Your Sex Playlist Is Not a Dumb Question (with Nayeema Raza)
    Mar 27 2026

    This episode is for anyone who thinks they’re supposed to have it figured out by now.

    I sat down with Nayeema Raza — journalist, filmmaker, and host of Smart Girl Dumb Questions — and what starts as a conversation about her award-winning show turns into something much deeper: identity, curiosity, attachment — and where your identity shows up… whether you’re aware of it or not.

    Also… yes. We talk about sex playlists. And it’s not random.

    In This Episode

    • What winning a podcast award actually changes — and what it doesn't
    • Individualism vs collectivism — how growing up across cultures shaped how she sees success, selfhood, and belonging
    • What’s on your sex playlist — and why that question actually reveals way more about you than you think
    • Why we attach to artists — why we attach to certain artists and what we’re actually projecting onto them.
    • AI and attachment theory — what it means to relate to something that isn’t human
    • Where we get our information — and how that shapes our worldview
    • The difference between being stuck… and just being early

    Songs of the Week

    Counting Crows - Mr Jones: https://open.spotify.com/track/5DiXcVovI0FcY2s0icWWUu?si=f13d70c8b097483a

    Harry Styles - Daydreaming: https://open.spotify.com/track/69w5X6uTrOaWM32IetSzvO?si=a41e9ecf16094d9c

    The Monthly Playlist: "10 Songs That Made Me" This month, we aren’t looking for the "greatest hits." These are the songs that built my DNA. Now, I want yours. Email the 10 songs that made you who you are to musicistherapypod@gmail.com.Connect with Nayeema Raza

    • follow on Nayeema’s podcast Smart Girl Dumb Questions
    • and find her on IG @smartgirldumbquestions @nayeemaraza (look for Diplo pics!)

    Connect With the Show

    • Instagram: @hestaprynnmusic @musicistherapypod
    • Substack: hestaprynn.substack.com
    • Course: mct.hestaprynn.com

    Email: musicistherapypod@gmail.com

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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    1 hr and 17 mins
  • 10 Songs That Made Me (Birthday Solocast)

    10 Songs That Made Me (Birthday Solocast)
    Mar 20 2026

    Ever wonder why the music you loved as a teenager hits different (and always will)?

    It's my birthday, so instead of interviewing someone else, I'm walking you through the 10 songs that made me — and you might start to hear your own story too.

    You'll hear the exact way I use songs to connect intention + identity, and I'll coach you on how to create your own list.

    COME TO THE LIVE SESSION I'm teaching a live Music Connection Therapy session on Zoom. We'll actually do this work together. Saturday March 21st 1PM EST https://mct.hestaprynn.com/bday-training

    LINKS + RESOURCES

    • Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3GNUTc0NnJVKVTsSfSbTKQ?si=b8cbc2e9534d4079
    • Substack: https://hestaprynn.substack.com/
    • Instagram: https://instagram.com/hestaprynnmusic

    THE PLAYLIST: 10 SONGS THAT MADE ME

    Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3GNUTc0NnJVKVTsSfSbTKQ?si=e4425cbcf3774281

    1. Night Swimming – R.E.M.
    2. Gratitude – Beastie Boys
    3. Yellow Ledbetter – Pearl Jam
    4. Sonnet – The Verve
    5. Rain On Me – Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande
    6. Justify My Thug – Jay-Z
    7. In the Light – Led Zeppelin
    8. Where You Are – John Summit
    9. You’re A Star – Fred again.. & Amyl and the Sniffers
      (yes, I said 10, no I don’t follow rules perfectly)

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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    42 mins
  • Manifesting vs Manif*cking (with Lauren Zander)

    Manifesting vs Manif*cking (with Lauren Zander)
    Mar 13 2026

    Ever wonder what a $1000/hr life coach can teach you?

    In this installment of Music Is Therapy, DJ Hesta Prynn sits down with Lauren Zander—founder of the Handel Group, creator of The Handel Method, and the world-renowned coach who once told Hesta to throw money out of a moving car window.

    Lauren has spent thirty years helping some of the highest-performing people on the planet—including Hugh Jackman and Questlove—build what she calls their Higher Self. Not as a vague spiritual concept, but as a rigorous daily practice.

    We dive deep into the "Lower Self" vs. the "Higher Self," why your dreams feel threatening to your nervous system, and the difference between manifesting and “manifucking”—a term Lauren coined that you’ll never be able to unhear.

    This episode is for anyone who has ever felt like their own brain is working against them.In This Episode, We Discuss:

    • The Internal Dialogue: How to distinguish the voice of your Higher Self from the chatter of your Lower Self.
    • The Default Brain: Why 80% of our thoughts are negative and 90% are repetitive—and how to break the loop.
    • Manifesting vs. Manifucking: The shift from dream-based thinking to doom-based thinking.
    • The Uplevel Sabotage: Why your brain tries to take you down right before a breakthrough.
    • Promises & Consequences: Why willpower is a myth and consequences are the real key to integrity.
    • The 30-Dollar Intervention: The story behind Hesta’s car window moment.
    • The Songs that Saved Lauren

    One Tool From the Episode: The Promise + Consequence Method

    Lauren teaches that keeping promises to ourselves is often harder than keeping them to others because there is no external cost. Her fix? Assign a real consequence before you need it.

    The consequence must "sting" enough to matter. It isn't a punishment; it’s a signal to your brain that your word is law.

    • Hesta’s Version: One obsessive thought = $1 thrown out the car window.
    • Lauren’s Version: Every time she screamed at her kids = $20 to anyone in earshot.
    • The Daily Rule: No coffee until 30 pushups are done.

    Music Connection Therapy: Birthday Class

    March 21st | 1:00 PM EST | FREE | Zoom

    It’s Hesta’s birthday month! To celebrate, Music Connection Therapy is opening its doors for a one-time, free session.

    • The Vibe: One hour. Half writing, half dance party.
    • The Goal: Pick one area of your life, name a dream, and anchor it to music.
    • Note: Limited to the first 30 people. Register Here

    The Monthly Playlist: "10 Songs That Made Me"

    This month, we aren’t looking for Hesta’s "greatest hits." These are the songs that built her—the ones in the DNA. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3GNUTc0NnJVKVTsSfSbTKQ?si=16cf69742b094e26

    Now, she wants yours. Make a list of the 10 songs (or any number!) that made you who you are and email them to musicistherapypod@gmail.com.

    Connect with Lauren Zander

    • Websites: handelgroup.com | inneru.com
    • Instagram: @laurenzander_coach
    • Book: Maybe It’s You

    Connect With the Show

    • Instagram: @hestaprynnmusic
    • Substack: hestaprynn.substack.com

    Email: musicistherapypod@gmail.com

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Meditate to Get Good at Life (with Emily Fletcher)

    Meditate to Get Good at Life (with Emily Fletcher)
    Mar 6 2026
    This episode is for anyone who has ever said “I can’t meditate.” Maybe you tried it once. Maybe you felt like you were doing it wrong. You’re not. In this episode of Music Is Therapy, DJ Hesta Prynn sits down with meditation teacher Emily Fletcher, founder of Ziva, to talk about what meditation actually is, what it does to your nervous system, and why 60,000 people have learned it from her, including some of the world's highest performers and people who were convinced they couldn’t. The conversation goes much deeper than meditation. We talk about coherence in the nervous system, music as emotional technology, why many manifestation teachings skip the rage and grief step, and what it actually takes to change your internal state. There’s also a moment where Emily turns the mic around and reflects something back to Hesta that lands hard. Hesta cries.She left it in. If you’ve ever felt like you’re failing at stillness or at life, this episode is for you. In This Episode, We Discuss• Why meditation can give the body rest deeper than sleep• The difference between ritual and ceremony• What coherence vs. dissonance means in the nervous system• The “stress prison” and why humans default to fight-or-flight• Why authenticity vibrates higher than “love and light”• Why many manifestation teachings skip the rage and grief step• The role of pleasure and life force energy in manifestation• What Taylor Swift concerts might teach us about ceremony at scale• Why AI may function as amplified intelligence depending on human consciousness• The vulnerable moment where Emily reflects something powerful back to HestaOne Tool From the EpisodeThe Three-Song Dance Party(from Emily Fletcher’s Ziva Magic manifestation formula)Emily teaches a practice for moving emotional energy through the body using music. A rage or grief song — feel the blockA release song — move the energyA pleasure or hype song — embody the dreamMusic moves emotions through the body much faster than thinking about them.Featured Song: Where You Are - John Summit Pretty Good Year - Tori Amos Music Connection Therapy: Birthday Class - March 21st 1pm est FREE | Zoom It's Hesta's birthday month, to celebrate, Music Connection Therapy is open to everyone. One time. Free. Saturday, March 21st. About an hour. Half writing, half dance party. Let's identify a dream for one area of your life and put it to music. It's free. It's on Zoom. It's limited to the first 30 people. https://hestaprynn.mykajabi.com/bday-training Monthly Playlist 10 Songs That Made Me These aren't Hesta's favorite songs or the songs she DJs. These are songs that built her. Now she wants yours. Make your list — ten (or so) songs that made you you. Email it to musicistherapypod@gmail.com. Tell her if she can share it. She wants to know who's out there. Connect with Emily Fletcher Website: zivameditation.com use code BLISS15 for 15% off all Ziva offeringsInstagram: @zivameditation Podcast: Why Isn't Everyone Doing This? — available everywhereBook: Stress Less, Accomplish More Connect With the Show Instagram: @hestaprynnmusicSubstack: hestaprynn.substack.comCourse: Music Connection TherapyEmail: musicistherapypod@gmail.com - questions, thoughts, someone you want on the show, or your 10 songs playlistSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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    1 hr and 8 mins
  • Round the F*ck Up (with Dan Savage)

    Round the F*ck Up (with Dan Savage)
    Feb 27 2026

    In this episode of Music Is Therapy, DJ Hesta Prynn sits down with Dan Savage — sex and relationship advice columnist, creator of the Savage Lovecast, and one of the most honest voices in love and relationships alive today — to talk about why "the one" is a myth, and what to do instead.

    Hesta opens with the story of losing her entire CD collection on a plane. Every album. Gone. And instead of trying to rebuild what she had, she bought discount CDs, explored genres she'd never considered, and accidentally became a DJ.

    The lesson? You don't find your taste. You build it. And relationships work exactly the same way.

    But first, love.

    In this episode, we dive into:

    • There Is No "The One": Why the search for a perfect partner is the thing that's actually keeping you from a great relationship — and what Dan means by "rounding up" instead
    • How to Revise Your Relationship Story Without Blowing It Up: The difference between editing a narrative and burning the whole thing down
    • What Dan Got Wrong: About straight guys. About bisexuality. About asexuality. About the location of the clitoris. (He's honest. It's a lot.)
    • A Good Long-Term Relationship Is a Myth Two People Create Together: Not something you stumble into — something you write, revise, and recommit to, daily
    • Practical Advice for Online Dating: What actually works, what's a waste of time, and why most people are doing it wrong
    • From Monogamous to Open to Poly: Dan's own relationship evolution — and what it taught him about what people actually need versus what they think they want
    • How to Keep Monogamy Interesting: The honest conversation about long-term desire, and why "staying together" is not the same as thriving together
    • The It Gets Better Project: What it's like to be Dan Savage — the weight of it, the reach of it, and what he's learned from two decades of being a lifeline
    • His Love of Musicals: Yes, the man who hates the electric guitar is deeply, unironically obsessed with musical theater. Hesta has thoughts.
    • The Electric Guitar Controversy: Dan hates it. Hesta will never forgive him. This is not resolved by the end of the episode.

    This Episode Is For You If:

    You've ever lain awake wondering if you're with the right person

    You've felt that nagging fear that someone better is out there

    You keep leaving relationships right before they could become something real

    You've been waiting to feel certain before you fully commit

    Monthly Playlist The Love and Happiness Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/07iyBQcQJtSw3PXw7i6S7t?si=a40a5a28e15c42ff

    Featured Song:

    I Want Your Sex Pts 1 & 2 - George Michael

    https://open.spotify.com/track/6QnFHieoch6U9J8zfv6hml?si=f3ad4f44d2f04630

    Connect with Dan Savage

    • Instagram: @dansavage
    • Podcast: Savage Lovecast

    Connect with Hesta

    • Instagram: @HestaPrynnMusic
    • Substack: hestaprynn.substack.com
    • Music Connection Therapy Course: mct.hestaprynn.com

    Have a question you want DJ Hesta Prynn to answer? musicistherapypod@gmail.com

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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    39 mins