Detoxicity: By Men, About Men, For Everyone

DetoxPod23: Dr. Daniel Block

Hey! Remember Episode 18, in which I interviewed musician and label co-owner Matt Block?  We talked a little bit about his parents; specifically his father, who is a psychiatrist. That conversation led to Episode 23, in which I interview Daniel Block, dad to three kids, including Matt and his brother Jacob (who designed the Detoxpod logo).
Dr. Block has been in private practice since 1993, and has won awards for his compassionate and patient-friendly approach.
Our chat covers the things that spurred him to practice psychiatry, and we go pretty deep into reasons why many men are resistant to getting treatment for mental health issues. We discuss the reasons mental and emotional issues are not often thought of in a similar light as physical health issues, and barriers to entry for people of color. We also go into detail about the value he sees in being an attentive and nurturing parent. And, we talk about what goes into self care for people who provide an outlet for others as a career.

DetoxPod22: Neil Taffe

Neil Taffe is an actor, singer, voice over artist and massage therapist based in Los Angeles. He starred for years in the touring production of Smokey Joe’s Cafe alongside Grammy winner Gladys Knight. Neil is also someone I’ve known since I was a pre-teen; we grew up together in Brooklyn. In this episode, Neil goes in deep on his journey, from his early days in the UK to struggling as one of four boys raised in a Seventh Day Adventist household by a single mother. Along the way, he stumbled into the arts, suffered the sudden loss of his youngest brother, discovered therapy and has kept his faith.

DetoxPod21: Ryan Bentham

As I was reviewing my inventory of episodes, I knew that last week’s episode, with author and educator Kevin Patterson, had to run back to back with this episode, if only for the fact that I met this show’s guest, Ryan Bentham, and Kevin through the same channels. Much like Kevin, Ryan is a sex and relationship educator. As ‘The Prof”, Ryan along with his wife Ginger, is a co-host of two podcasts; the Life on the Swingset podcast along with Dylan Thomas; and their own podcast called Intellectual Foreplay.
 
As with my previous guests who work in the sex and alternative relationship space, there’s much more to Ryan than those two podcasts. Ryan and Ginger are the parents of two young adult men, and we talk a lot about raising those children to be aware and empathetic people, especially in light of current events. Ryan also discusses how to be present as a male partner, intentional communication, and his own personal evolution as a man, an evolution that weathered a major storm a few years ago when Ryan suffered a traumatic brain injury.

DetoxPod20: Kevin Patterson

My guest for this episode is Kevin Patterson. Kevin is an educator based in Philadelphia. He runs the blog Poly Role Models and has authored the book Love’s Not Color Blind: Race & Representation in Polyamorous and Other Alternative Communities. Additionally, Kevin has co-authored two volumes so far in the superhero series For Hire. with Alana Phelan.
 
In this interview; Kevin and I talk about polyamory, sure. We also talk about the discipline of writing, his experience as a student at an HBCU, the issues that come up with being so open about taboo topics when you come from a more conservative background, how to celebrate wins during a difficult time for humanity, and so much more.

DetoxPod19: Rickardo Shuzzr

Rickardo Shuzzr came to my attention via an article in Billboard magazine listing 40 LGBTQ power players in music. What drew me was the fact that Shuzzr (who tends to go by his last name professionally) works primarily within the confines of reggae music, a genre that has not always been kind to queer people. By existing openly in the highly visible space of public relations,, he is a pioneer and a disruptor. Our chat covers the Billboard accolades and what it means to be a queer Jamaican working in reggae music, but Shuzzr also talks about his relationship with a higher power, the cultural pressures placed on him as a young person, and why sometimes stubbornness is the path to figuring out the real you.

DetoxPod18: Matt Block

Matt Block is a co-owner of the entertainment  and management company la reserve (whose roster includes Bryan Carter, Alexander Claffy, Benny Benack III and more) and also is the senior manager of in-house labels for the music collaboration platform Splice.
 
In this episode, Matt discusses being a workaholic and attempting to find a proper work/life balance. We also discuss having a strong bond with your family, growing up immersed in music, standing out in school as a jazz nerd, dealing with anti-Semitism, being the son of a psychologist and much more.

DetoxPod17: Chris Bullard (Founder of Mental Health Charity Soundmindlive)

Chris Bullard is the founder of Sound Mind Live, a non-profit organization that aims to amplify the conversation around mental health via music. In this episode, Chris and Mike Joseph discuss the timeline of events that led to his founding this organization. He talks about his time as a touring musician, his history of manic episodes and eventual bipolar diagnosis, being an emo kid, and the stigma that even the medical community places on mental health. You'll also pick up a couple of tips for healthy living!

DetoxPod16: Brian "BSKi" Collazo (Musician, New Dad)

Brian Collazo (known professionally as BSKi) is a singer and songwriter based in New York City. In this episode of #detoxpod, Brian talks to Mike Joseph about life as a professional musician. He explores his "Nuyorican" heritage and explains why he wants his brand new daughter to grow up knowing her heritage. You'll also hear great stories about career near-misses, some inside baseball about the music industry, and Brian reminisces about the time he appeared on "It's Showtime At The Apollo!"