Award-winning actress, Voice Over artist, Singer/Songwriter Melissa Disney joined Janeane to talk about her latest project - The Quarantine Bunch. The Quarantine Bunch is created and produced by Ryan Paul James and Jeff MacIntyre (Content Media Group).

MELISSA DISNEY
ACTRESS, VOICE OVER ARTIST, SINGER/SONGWRITER

LISTEN to today's conversation with Melissa!

"Melissa Disney, regarded as the most successful female voice artist working today"
-Variety Magazine AWARDS


LA WINN Awards - Best Actress, TV "As Told By Ginger"
EMMY nominated show - "As Told By Ginger"
Best Actress - "Snare" - 168 Film Festival
International Award Winning Film - "The Butterfly Circus"
Best film - "Up in the Air" and "Stained" - 168 Film Festival
Best Original Song - "Stalking You" - LAIFFA
Golden Trailer Award - "Gone in 60 Seconds" and "Valentine"
Motif Award - Lifetime Achievement Award in Children's Advocacy

And in case you are wondering, YES, Melissa is distantly related to Walt Disney.


Melissa continues her winning ways in animation and commercial voice work while breaking ground as the leading female artist voicing film trailers today. Industry press continues hailing Melissa’s achievements as well:


“The Gone in Sixty Seconds” trailer was voiced by Melissa Disney, regarded as among the best in the biz.”
— Caroline Ryder, Variety Magazine

“Melissa Disney, starring voice of the Nickelodeon series, As Told By Ginger, is credited for shattering an unwritten ban on women voicing action trailers, (Key Art Award winner for Best Trailer – Gone in 60 Seconds with Nicholas Cage). If that were not enough, she went on to win a Golden Trailer Award (Best Voiceover) for her work on the Warner Bros. Pictures’ 2001 movie Valentine.”
— Natasha Emmons, Hollywood Reporter

A group of former child stars continue their weekly support group, via Zoom, during the Corona Virus quarantine. The former child actors use Zoom for various situations - from a funeral to a man viral show. They also have a guest come on to tell them the appropriate way to handle the Corona virus. They're also visited by their former on-set acting coach to work their acting muscles.
—Ryan Paul James

Throw in a global pandemic and quarantine and there’s not enough Paxil to help mellow out these actors. Relief from the madness is found in their Former Child Star Support Group.

They used to meet in person, but the coronavirus has forced them online to Zoom support for each other. What was once shared privately is now on full display. The insanity of being a former child star is now streaming on the web series, The Quarantine Bunch.

Bursting with 70s-80s gold, the cast of The Quarantine Bunch features some of Hollywood’s hottest former child actors.

Keith Coogan: Adventures in Babysitting, Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead, Toy Soldiers

Jeremy Miller: Growing Pains (‘Ben Seaver’)

Danny Pintauro: Who’s The Boss? (‘Jonathan Bower’), Cujo

Scotty Schwartz: The Toy (‘Eric Bates’), Christmas Story

Judy Norton: The Waltons (‘Mary Ellen’)

Dean McDermott: Due South, Married to Tori Spelling

First Class Cameos! You never know who will be popping in.

The actors navigate issues of life, love, and finding work and TP in a COVID-19 world. Life’s never been normal for this bunch, now it’s off-the-hook crazy!

Being a former child star...
is tough enough!
The Quarantine Bunch is created and produced by Ryan Paul James and Jeff MacIntyre (Content Media Group). The episodes are 5-7 minutes each and are released weekly. The series may have been ‘shot’ online to uphold safe distancing for it’s cast, but the drama is very up-close and personal!

ABOUT: Content Media Group is a Los Angeles-based production company that produces broadcast, news, documentary and new media content. They’ve earned 17 Emmy Awards.

ABOUT Melissa Disney 
3-TIME EMMY NOMINATED ACTRESS

“Melissa Disney, starring voice of the Nickelodeon series, As Told By Ginger, is credited for shattering an unwritten ban on women voicing action trailers, (Key Art Award winner for Best Trailer – Gone in 60 Seconds with Nicholas Cage). If that were not enough, she went on to win a Golden Trailer Award (Best Voiceover) for her work on the Warner Bros. Pictures’ 2001 movie Valentine.”
— Natasha Emmons, Hollywood Reporter

"Melissa Disney, widely regarded as the most successful female voice artist working today"
-Variety Magazine

You’ve no doubt already heard Melissa Disney as the voice of the Oscars, Emmys, and the Billboard Music Awards. Her animation fans know and love her as the coolest queen of the nerds, Ginger Foutley from Nickelodeon’s “As Told By Ginger” as well as the newest Marvel Superhero -American Dream, The Simpsons, Jakers! with Mel Brooks, Superman and currently top secret video games.

Theatrical Comedy Demo - https://vimeo.com/136536667

Commercial campaigns include McDonald's, Lexus, Sprint, Doritos, Ford, Hallmark, and the viral Motherhood commercial for Similac.

https://youtu.be/JUbGHeZCxe4 - The Mother "Hood" Similac Commercial

Melissa stars in the new award-winning TV series “The Comeback Kids” which will be showcased at the upcoming ITV Festival in Dover, Vermont, “The Sundance of Television.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssvZ2xvn564 - "The Comeback Kids" Pilot

She has been seen on iCarly, The Cleveland Show, Dog with a Blog, doing sketch comedy on Ellen, The Tonight Show, and Jimmy Kimmel.

Her work in film includes starring alongside Lake Bell in the award-winning Sundance favorite, “In A World” as well as other internationally acclaimed short films, “Butterfly Circus”, “Up in the Air”, also winning Best Actress for her starring role in “Snare” which she co-wrote and produced.

Melissa will forever be known as the “1st Female Voice of Movie Trailers” for her versatile body of work across multiple genres of trailers including Nicolas Cage’s “Gone in 60 Seconds”.

Her work in promo includes the NFL, HGTV, The Young and the Restless, ABC, CBS, Fox, On-Demand, as well as the voice of numerous radio stations across the U.S.

Melissa started the LAVoiceoverAcademy and has been asked to teach and speak all over the country.

Musically, she has been the singing voice of Snow White and can be heard voicing characters for numerous toys, dolls, and albums.

As an accomplished singer and songwriter, Melissa’s talents have taken her around the world, performing in Spain, Greece, Costa Rica, and Fiji as well as numerous engagements here in the states. Her newest album LOVE is available on iTunes and CDbaby.com.

http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/MelissaDisney



SAVE LIVES DURING COVID19
VO friends and colleagues: You can SAVE LIVES and LEARN VO ! What could be better!!

During this worldwide virus quarantine, The money that comes in from any classes you buy on my website will be donated to Uganda Relief Fund at https://africarenewal.org/ and https://www.clarishealth.org/ These are 2 incredible companies I know personally that are providing Life saving help right now to those in greatest need. More details to come on my Giving Back page http://www.melissadisney.com/givingback

Thank you gracious friends. May God bless you and your families and keep you safe and healthy! ️



If you’ve visited Disney theme parks, you’ve most likely heard her creative talents there too! She has created character voices for numerous rides over the years including Star Tours, Golden Zephyr ride, Bug’s Life and recently became the voice of the Carousel in Shanghai Disneyland.

CESD Talent

SAG/AFTRA

IMDB | VISIT MELISSA'S BLOG

Award-winning actor, writer, teacher and coach, Michael D. Cohen, joined host Janeane today!

LISTEN to today's conversation

Michael D. Cohen is a GEMINI (Canadian Emmy) and ACTRA-nominated actor and writer with an extensive list of credits in film and television. A native of Canada, he grew up in Winnipeg and eventually moved to Vancouver with his family where he spent his formative years. He is currently a series regular on Nickelodeon’s hit sitcom, Henry Danger playing “Schwoz,” a genius of indiscernible foreign nationality. The series won the Kids’ Choice Award for best show in 2017 and was nominated again in 2018 and 2019. Other television credits include the ABC hit series, Modern Family and The Real O’Neals, CBS’ 2 Broke Girls, FOX’s The Mindy Project, TBS’ Angie Tribeca, NBC’s Powerless, Disney Channel’s Austin & Ally and The Wizards of Waverly Place and many others.

Recent film credits include the Coen Brothers comedy Suburbicon directed by George Clooney, the Oscar-nominated feature Whiplash, the Canadian Screen Award-nominated film It Was You Charlie, for which he was nominated for an ACTRA Award for Outstanding Lead Performance and An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn starring Emile Hirsch and Craig Robinson, among others. He also has numerous commercial and animation voiceover credits, including Disney’s Vampirina, It’s a Small World and JoJo’s Circus.

Michael has done dozens of commercial campaigns including the currently running Wendy’s “Biggie Bag” campaign and Nespresso with George Clooney. Other commercials include Mini Starburst, FedEx, Capital One, Boston Market, Honda with Patrick Warburton, and the Super Bowl Hulu Plus campaign with Will Arnett.

As a teacher and coach, Michael served as Co-Chair of the SAG-AFTRA Hollywood Conservatory at the American Film Institute and member of the SAG-AFTRA National Conservatory Committee. He is a faculty lecturer for the University of Texas at Austin in Hollywood where he helped develop an immersion program for the Department of Theatre and Dance. In addition to teaching their Business of Acting and Advanced On-Camera Acting classes, he also directed two highly successful industry showcases.



Michael is a huge Carol Burnett fan and counts her as one of the main influences in his professional life having spent much of his youth studying her show. When not working, he enjoys rock climbing, mountaineering, paddle boarding, scootering on his 125 cc Genuine Motor Scooters Buddy, and anything that involves wind.

www.michaeldcohen.com
www.mdcohenstudio.com
Insta: @michaeldcohen
FB: www.facebook.com/michaeldcohenstudio
Twitter: @michaeldsee

5-11-20 - Janeane spoke with Jason Mendelsohn about his incredible cancer story, and his mission to positively educate and support other families impacted by HPV-related oral cancer.

LISTEN

MEET JASON MENDELSOHN

My name is Jason Mendelsohn, and I am 49 years old. I have been happily married for 22 years, and we have three terrific kids; a son and daughter twins, 17, and an 11-year-old son. When I was 44, and in the best shape of my life, I put my hand on my neck to ponder a question while taking a financial exam and felt a bump. After passing the test, I spoke to my father, who is a physician, and we called my otolaryngologist (ENT) concerned about the bump. My ENT, knowing that I didn’t smoke and that I drink only socially, asked me to come see him over the next few weeks. I saw him three days later, as I am a guy that goes to the doctor. He put me on 10 days of antibiotics and steroids, while also having me schedule a needle biopsy and CT scan, in the slight chance the bump didn’t go away. Two days later I left for the Florida Keys on vacation and then flew from there to Washington, D.C. for an industry conference. I felt great and enjoyed both trips.



I returned to Orlando from Washington, D.C. on a Wednesday, had a needle biopsy on Thursday and a CT scan the following day. Three days later, I was diagnosed with stage four HPV-related tonsil cancer. I was obviously in shock and immediately after speaking with my wife and father, contacted my two life insurance agents to make certain that my life insurance policies were on automatic draft. Over the next month, I had a radical tonsillectomy, neck dissection – removing 42 lymph nodes and began seven weeks of chemotherapy, radiation and a feeding tube.



Towards the end of my treatment, I had third degree burns in my throat due to the cumulative side effects of radiation, continued to feel nauseous from chemo, and spent approximately 18 hours a day in bed. As I couldn’t swallow my own saliva, I used my feeding tube to remain hydrated and nourished, consuming approximately seven Ensures a day and two Gatorades daily. My weight dropped from 188 to 172 in a few months. Sleeping was extremely difficult, because as I went to bed fully hydrated, I would wake up within a few hours fully dehydrated as the side effects from radiation were sucking the fluid from the inside out. This was the first time in my life that I had been dehydrated, without sweating, throwing up or having diarrhea. I would take my blood pressure/pulse 20 times a day to understand if I was becoming dehydrated, as my heart would beat much more quickly. Because my saliva was so thick from radiation, I would gag and choke close to 20 times daily, if not more. Life was unpleasant.

Outside of the physical challenges, there was an emotional toll as well. It was a horrible feeling to need my wife to shield my children from me, but I didn’t want them to worry about me possibly passing away. I recorded personal messages to my kids in the event of my passing, Messages such as this one, “One day, you’re going to get married, and I won’t be there.” I tried to impart years of fatherly wisdom in a matter of minutes because I didn’t think I had much time left. I have since deleted those videos, as they were too sad to watch.



On August 11, 2014, I had my last treatment and rang the bell, demonstrating my treatment was finished. While I was elated the treatments were over and I had survived, I had no idea that the month to follow would be my most difficult. As I mentioned earlier, the side effects from radiation were cumulative, and the next 30 days were brutal, with all of the side effects I described above.



My story does however have an incredibly happy ending. Today, I am cancer free, and working diligently to serve as a positive role model to other oral cancer patients, survivors and families watching their loved one’s struggle through the journey. I feel incredibly fortunate that I have been given the gift of life, and that I can use my experience to help others.

I continue to have quarterly checkups with either my ENT, oncologist and/or radiation oncologist as well annual scans, to ensure my cancer hasn’t returned.

My life is back to my “new normal” where I can spend time with my wife and kids, work full time and do my best to help others by serving as an ambassador for education regarding oral cancer.

You can learn more about my cancer story by visiting SupermanHPV.com. This website and blog enables others diagnosed with HPV-related oral cancer, their families and fellow survivors to obtain information, ask questions, and hopefully are encouraged by my story to embrace their new normal.

I also serve on the Board of the Florida Hospital Foundation’s Cancer Institute, and I am co-chairing the patient education committee for the Head and Neck Cancer Alliance.

Ultimately, my goal is to share my cancer story to positively educate and support other families impacted by HPV-related oral cancer.



Thank you,
Jason Mendelsohn
SupermanHPV.com
Facebook.com/SupermanHPV
Twitter.com/SupermanHPV

The HEAD AND NECK CANCER ALLIANCE - Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness (OHANCA) Week, non-profit partners with spokesperson Rob Paulsen to spread awareness, prevention, and support.

HEAD AND NECK CANCER ALLIANCE 

Launching Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness (OHANCA) Week, non-profit partners with spokesperson Rob Paulsen to spread awareness, prevention, and support.

It might not be the first type of cancers that people think of when they consider that dreaded diagnosis, but oral, head and neck cancer, which appears in the mouth, throat, larynx (voice box), nasal cavity, sinuses, lips, thyroid gland, or salivary glands, has claimed the lives of some of our most beloved figures: baseball greats Babe Ruth and Tony Gwynn; legendary film critic Roger Ebert; beloved performers George Harrison and Sammy Davis, Jr; and historical figures from Ulysses S. Grant to John Gotti. With a tradition of serving patients and survivors dating back over three decades, the non-profit Head and Neck Cancer Alliance (HNCA) (headandneck.org) is launching its 22nd annual week-long awareness drive in April, OHANCA (Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness week), hoping to ensure that a diagnosis will not be fatal for future generations.

That means it’s a busy time for the staff of HNCA, as well as the hundreds of medical and dental professionals and volunteers across the US and in twenty countries worldwide who participate in the program, according to HNCA’s executive director Amanda Hollinger. “Of course we extend all of our work throughout the year, but OHANCA allows us and our medical and dental partners to come together and focus all of those efforts for a greater impact,” she explains. The week-long effort involves the participation of over 250 hospitals, clinics, and other medical networks and professionals, who work with HNCA to provide free screening, education, awareness, and other forms of support to those at risk for, or impacted by, oral, head and neck cancer.

This year, the HNCA is also focusing on the preventative measures represented by the HPV vaccine. “There’s a strong link between HPV and throat cancer, and we’re fortunate enough to now have a vaccine,” Hollinger explains. “HPV head and neck cancer now exceeds cervical cancer as the most common HPV-related cancer in the United States, so we’ve really made a coordinated effort to tie in our message with HPV awareness.”

The origins of the HNCA date back to the mid-1980s and Oscar-winning actor Yul Brynner, who famously, after being diagnosed with the throat cancer that would eventually claim his life, went on a crusade to spread a message about the danger of smoking and cancer awareness. Eventually, a television commercial released after he died served as a crucial moment in our cultural awareness about the dangers of tobacco addiction.

But his legacy has extended far beyond that chilling ad: he also established the Yul Brynner Foundation, dedicated to awareness of throat and oral cancer. A decade later, Dr. Terry Day founded the Association for Head and Neck Cancer in Memphis, and shortly thereafter, the two organizations merged to form the HNCA.

The HNCA has long served as a “one-stop shop” resource where those impacted by these cancers can find treatment news, therapeutic support, access to information and educational resources, and connection to peers and fellow patients. But Hollinger also says that the mission has evolved, as more and more patients find successful treatments and survive longer than patients of a generation or two ago. “We’re not only about prevention and awareness, but also survivorship, which means counseling people who might have lingering side effects from treatment.”

Hollinger is also grateful to the many volunteers who are members of the HNCA’s Ambassador program, along with the annual celebrity spokespeople who help connect the organization’s message to the general public. “Our ambassadors are both survivors and caregivers who we engage to speak in the community about their experiences,” Hollinger explains. “They might speak at events, and certainly during OHANCA week they are key people that help promote and drive our efforts around the country.”

This year’s celebrity spokesperson is voice actor Rob Paulsen – one of the most successful voice actors of all time, and known to generations of animation viewers from his work on “Animaniacs,” “Pinky and the Brain,” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” Diagnosed with throat cancer a few years ago, Paulsen was looking at not only a difficult medical ordeal, but perhaps the end of his livelihood. Fortunately, Paulsen’s treatment was successful and he’s been able to return to work, and has thrown himself behind the work of the HNCA and other organizations that speak to cancer survivors.

“We’ve had amazing spokespeople over the years,” says Hollinger, citing actor Michael Douglas, NFL star Jim Kelly, and football coaching legend Lou Holtz, all of whom survived bouts with cancer. “But Rob is so special because he connects across so many generations – his voice is his career, his passion, and he can impact adults as well as children. He’s the perfect person because he is so familiar, engaging, and wants to give back to the world.”

OHANCA week also gives people the opportunity to be screened for cancer at one of the host facilities or events, though Hollinger concedes that any diagnosis of cancer will require more than a simple exam. “It’s more about the education and awareness we can generate,” she says, “but and the screenings absolutely do identify things that are suspicious or should receive follow-up care. About 10% of those who are screened through the program are referred for more examination or other treatment, so it’s a good first step.”

With most of the work being done by volunteers, Hollinger is impressed daily with the amount of dedication and determination everyone brings to their work on behalf of the HNCA. “Every day there’s someone that’s newly diagnosed, and it’s amazing to know that they can turn to us through our phone lines, or join our online support community with over 9000 members, or engage across social media – they feel so much less alone. That’s the heart of our job, and why it’s so important.”


https://www.headandneck.org/

https://headandneck.org/events/month/

https://headandneck.org/events/map/

5/4/20 at 9:45am pst - Writer/Director, Chris Elena, spoke to Janeane about his film, "Audio Guide." The highly acclaimed, award-winning short film will have its international premiere at Cinequest's 2020 Film & Creativity Festival in Silicon Valley on March 6.

Chris Elena's 'AUDIO GUIDE' to Make International Premiere at Cinequest's Film & Creativity Festival


LISTEN to today's show!


LOS ANGELES, January 31, 2020 (Newswire.com) - Cinequest announced this week that the highly acclaimed Australian short film Audio Guide will make its International Premiere as part of their Film & Creativity Festival program on March 6, 2020. The thought-provoking film will screen at the Silicon Valley festival before each screening of Quinn Armstrong’s feature film, Survival Skills. Audio Guide director Chris Elena will be an international guest of the festival and will be in attendance at each screening.

Directed by Elena and written by Lee Zachariah, Audio Guide takes place in an art gallery on a day that turns out like no other. A young woman is told the secrets of the world through an art gallery issued audio guide. Starring Emma Wright (Mako Mermaids) and Nyx Calder (Can You Dig It?), Audio Guide made its World Premiere late last year at the Sydney Sci-Fi Film Festival, where Wright won Best Actress.

“There is so much to appreciate and admire about Audio Guide ... a powerful short film that will no doubt act as a calling card ... What makes Audio Guide work so well is how assured and knowing the direction by Chris Elena and the writing by Lee Zachariah.“

Andrew Pierce - The Curb

Based in Sydney, Australia, Elena shot Audio Guide entirely on Super 16mm film to give it a timelessness that makes the film as visually beautiful as the paintings in the gallery which it is set. “The script, written by Lee Zachariah, originated from the idea that technology has given us access to almost every piece of information available, yet we either don’t know what to do with it or refuse to believe differently from what we’ve been told”, he says. “It’s also an exploration of how we use information in a personal way to better our experiences of the world; for example, social media. We use technology and provide information to engage with people whilst simultaneously becoming estranged from them in the process.”

“Above all, it’s a love letter to high-concept storytelling like The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits,” Elena continues. “Short-form stories that challenged our understanding of human behavior and the world whilst giving us characters we could empathize and share this exploration with. To me, they ultimately defied genre tropes and conventional storytelling.

“I wanted Audio Guide to feel personal and timeless and hopefully mean something to somebody like those stories did to me.”

Audio Guide will screen prior to Survival Skills on March 6 at Century 20 Redwood City, March 8 at Hammer Theatre San Jose and March 12 and 13 at Century 20 Redwood City.

Follow Audio Guide:

http://facebook.com/AudioGuideFilm

#AudioGuide

Coming up on KUCI 88.9fm - Monday 4/27/20 at 9:00am pst - Cherie Currie is back with a new solo album produced by Matt Sorum (Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver). Blvds of Splendor via Blackheart Records will be released April 28

LISTEN to today's show with special guest Cherie Currie!

Cherie Currie is back with a new solo album produced by Matt Sorum (Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver). Blvds of Splendor via Blackheart Records will be released 

April 28 - Pre-Order Link

Click here to watch "Behind The Scenes" footage of Cherie & Matt during the making of the album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ljnky6xbnTg

Blvds of Splendor features guest collaborations with Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins, Slash and Duff from Guns N’ Roses, as well as Juliette Lewis, Brody Dalle, The Veronicas and drummer Matt Sorum,

Consequence of Sound

Rolling Stone

The special digital only release features three bonus tracks (including a remake of The Runaways classic “Queens of Noise” featuring Brody Dalle, The Veronicas, Juliette Lewis and Matt Sorum paying homage to late Runaways drummer Sandy West). "Queens of Noise" is offered as an instant grat track when you pre-order the album: https://presave.io/t/cheriecurrie.

View the Queens of Noise Recording Session

Cherie Currie Returns with New Star-Studded Solo Album
“Blvds of Splendor”Set For Release Via Blackheart Records April 28, 2020


Photo credit: Robert Sebree
Click image for high res download

Billy Corgan, Slash, Matt Sorum, Duff, Juliette Lewis and more make guest appearances
Digital-Only Release Features Remake of The Runaways Classic “Queens of Noise”
Instant Grat Track of “Queens of Noise” With Album Pre-Order - https://presave.io/t/cheriecurrie

Click here https://youtu.be/ZrJxqCrfBWk to view In-Studio footage of “Queens of Noise”
Recording Session

Click here to watch "Behind The Scenes" footage of Cherie & Matt during the making of the album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ljnky6xbnTg

Los Angeles, CA – April 8, 2020 - 70’s Icon and Ex-Runaways singer Cherie Currie has confirmed a release date for her latest solo project which features a bevy of rocks finest on the new album, Blvds of Splendor. The album is set to be released digitally on April 28, 2018 via Blackheart Records Pre-Order Link and features guest collaborations with Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins, Slash and Duff from Guns N’ Roses, as well as Juliette Lewis, Brody Dalle, The Veronicas and ex-Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver drummer Matt Sorum, who also produced the set. “Cherie’s voice tells it all, she is the real deal. And now more than ever that voice tells the story of where’s she’s been in her life. This record is about who Cherie Currie is now. We’ve waited a long time to hear this icon of Rock N’ Roll do what she does best. I’m very proud to be a part of this album by one of the best female singers of all time.” said Matt.

Photo credit: Robert Sebree
Click image for high res download


Blvds of Splendor has been a labor of love as Cherie & Matt originally began work on it back in 2010 when Cherie was promoting The Runaways movie (currently streaming on Netflix) which stars Dakota Fanning as Cherie and Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett. The tracks languished in the vaults for years while Cherie went back to work on her chainsaw carvings (see here: CNN) and did other studio work for 2015’s Reverie release, which features some of the last works of legendary Runaways manager/producer Kim Fowley.

In 2016, Cherie was set to release Blvds of Splendor when she had a near death accident while chainsaw carving falling over 12 feet to the ground off of a hilltop scaffolding. The accident left Cherie with partial facial paralysis and severe head trauma for over 10 months. After her recovery, she met and went in the studio with Fanny drummer & vocalist Brie Darling and in 2019 they released their critically acclaimed The Motivator album via Blue Elan Records. Cherie is back to chainsaw carving again and is ready to finally release Blvds of Splendor. “I’ve never had so much fun making a record before. We all looked at each other and went, ‘Oh my God, there’s magic happening here” Cherie said.

Blvds of Splendor was released on 180 Gram Translucent Red Vinyl for Record Store Day in 2019 with a limited run of 3000 copies. This will be the first time the album is available worldwide digitally for the fans. The digital release features three bonus tracks (including a remake of The Runaways classic “Queens of Noise” featuring Brody Dalle, The Veronicas, Juliette Lewis and Matt Sorum paying homage to late Runaways drummer Sandy West) that were not included on the Record Store Day vinyl release. "Queens of Noise" will be offered as an instant grat track when you pre-order the album: https://presave.io/t/cheriecurrie. View the Queens of Noise Recording Session


Blvds of Splendor full album track listing


1. Mr. X
2. Roxy Roller
3. You Wreck Me
4. Black Magic
5. Blvds of Splendor
6. Force To Be Reckoned With
7. Bad and Broken
8. Rock & Roll Oblivion
9. Shades
10. Draggin' the Line
11. Breakout
12. The Air That I Breathe
13. What Do All the People Know? – Bonus Track
14. Gimme – Bonus Track

15. Queens of Noise – Bonus Track


Follow Cherie Currie:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cherie.currie.58

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

Cherie Currie Official Website: cheriecurrie.com

Learn more about Cherie and her chainsaw carving here: http://www.chainsawchick.com/about.html

Album cover photo credit: Robert Sebree

For interview opportunities with Cherie Currie and Matt Sorum

please contact: KpPublicityGroup@gmail.com and http://kenphillipsgroup.com/currie.htm

Coming in May 4th at 9:15am pst! Talia Pollock joins Janeane to talk about her book, Party in Your Plants: 100+ Plant-Based Recipes and Problem-Solving Strategies to Help You Eat Healthier (Without Hating Your Life) Paperback – April 21, 2020

LISTEN to the show!


From the hilarious writer and plant-based chef behind Party in My Plants, learn to take the hell out of healthy eating.

You’ve bookmarked more recipes than you could make in a lifetime. Your shelves are overflowing with cookbooks. Your pantry has some superfoods, but they’ve become super stale and super dusty. In short, you still can't get yourself to eat right on a regular basis. And you’re wondering, “What am I doing wrong?”

Health and empowerment coach Talia Pollock is here to share some good news: nothing is wrong with you. You don't have a willpower deficiency. You won't benefit from another minute on Pinterest. And you don’t really need a new blender. Healthy eating doesn’t require suffering. Or a meal plan. Or ashwaganda (unless you’re into that).

Talia just wants you to eat well most of the time, so you can feel and look your best most of the time. Because isn’t that the point? Aren’t we promised that, at the end of the apple-to-zucchini rainbow, there will be greater health, smaller pants, clearer skin, and boundless energy? With her accessible and amusing approach, Pollock will show you how—and it all comes down to eating more plants. Her 100-plus recipes, strategically designed for everyday situations from having zero time for breakfast to not wanting to be the health-nut weirdo at the potluck, include:

• Sweet-Ass Sriracha Tofu
• The Besto Pesto Pasta Bake
• Cheeseisn’ts
• Pad Thai in No Thai’m
• Pile in the Plants! Sangria

With the witty words of wisdom that Talia gives her coaching clients and fans, learn how to party in your plants every day, without it taking over your kitchen, maxing out your credit card, or skyrocketing your stress.

TODAY April 27, 2020 - Evelyne Tollman Werzowa joins Janeane to talk about her film The Stand Up Doll - now available on-line!

LISTEN to today's show!

How do you get up when life knocks you down?
Let a 100-year-old woman share the secrets to life! A meditation on life, aging, love, and loss. Attitude is everything.


The Stand Up Doll. A meditation on love, life, sex, and death. And finding joy and humor along the way!

Trailer:
The Stand Up Doll

https://youtu.be/Mg1j9ZqIyqg

https://www.amazon.com/Stand-Up-Doll-Risa-Ingelfeld/dp/B084CVC64N


ON AMAZON PRIME NOW: THE STANDUP DOLL
Some nice reviews.

https://take2indiereview.com/2020/03/12/the-stand-up-doll/?fbclid=IwAR3eVDZWYkLmr6nqC2vDjMDg6HzcQL6vv0cDQ0WYOIDyAt0h59tXDfdEMLo


https://filmthreat.com/reviews/the-stand-up-doll/

Evelyne Tollman (Writer/Producer/Actress/Director)

Evelyne Tollman Werzowa is from South Africa where she began acting and writing plays when she could talk.Evelyne attended LACC theatre academy and went on to study with screenwriting completing the Writers Boot-camp 2 year program. Evelyne has produced and performed in some of her plays, LA, LA, No! No! Directed by Maggie Soboil, Into The Still Point and The Pig And I, which were highly recommended by the LA Weekly, who called Tollman’s work outstanding comparing her unique humor to Monty Python. Evelyne's scripts Old Time Girl, Cricket Song and My Wedding At Auschwitz made Finalist ScreenCraft contest and Zoetrope screenwriting contest. They also played seem-finalist in in Table Read My Screenplay, Los Angeles Indepent Screenplay Awards, Fresh Voices and Scriptpalooza. Somebody’s Mother her first film is also on Amazon Prime which she co-wrote and acted in with her sister Gabriela Tollman. The Stand Up Doll is her directing debut and has been 15 years in the making, documenting Risa Igelfeld from 85-100.

Cherie Currie Returns with New Star-Studded Solo Album “Blvds of Splendor”Set For Release Via Blackheart Records April 28, 2020

Billy Corgan, Slash, Matt Sorum, Duff, Juliette Lewis and more make guest appearances

Digital-Only Release Features Remake of The Runaways Classic “Queens of Noise”

Instant Grat Track of “Queens of Noise” With Album Pre-Order - https://presave.io/t/cheriecurrie

Click here https://youtu.be/ZrJxqCrfBWk to view In-Studio footage of “Queens of Noise” Recording Session



Los Angeles, CA – April 8, 2020 - 70’s Icon and Ex-Runaways singer Cherie Currie has confirmed a release date for her latest solo project which features a bevy of rocks finest on the new album, Blvds of Splendor. The album is set to be released digitally on April 28, 2018 via Blackheart Records Pre-Order Link and features guest collaborations with Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins, Slash and Duff from Guns N’ Roses, as well as Juliette Lewis, Brody Dalle, The Veronicas and ex-Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver drummer Matt Sorum, who also produced the set. “Cherie’s voice tells it all, she is the real deal. And now more than ever that voice tells the story of where’s she’s been in her life. This record is about who Cherie Currie is now. We’ve waited a long time to hear this icon of Rock N’ Roll do what she does best. I’m very proud to be a part of this album by one of the best female singers of all time.” said Matt.

Blvds of Splendor has been a labor of love as Cherie & Matt originally began work on it back in 2010 when Cherie was promoting The Runaways movie (currently streaming on Netflix) which stars Dakota Fanning as Cherie and Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett. The tracks languished in the vaults for years while Cherie went back to work on her chainsaw carvings (see here: CNN) and did other studio work for 2015’s Reverie release, which features some of the last works of legendary Runaways manager/producer Kim Fowley.

In 2016, Cherie was set to release Blvds of Splendor when she had a near death accident while chainsaw carving falling over 12 feet to the ground off of a hilltop scaffolding. The accident left Cherie with partial facial paralysis and severe head trauma for over 10 months. After her recovery, she met and went in the studio with Fanny drummer & vocalist Brie Darling and in 2019 they released their critically acclaimed The Motivator album via Blue Elan Records. Cherie is back to chainsaw carving again and is ready to finally release Blvds of Splendor. “I’ve never had so much fun making a record before. We all looked at each other and went, ‘Oh my God, there’s magic happening here” Cherie said.

Blvds of Splendor was released on 180 Gram Translucent Red Vinyl for Record Store Day in 2019 with a limited run of 3000 copies. This will be the first time the album is available worldwide digitally for the fans. The digital release features three bonus tracks (including a remake of The Runaways classic “Queens of Noise” featuring Brody Dalle, The Veronicas, Juliette Lewis and Matt Sorum paying homage to late Runaways drummer Sandy West) that were not included on the Record Store Day vinyl release. "Queens of Noise" will be offered as an instant grat track when you pre-order the album: https://presave.io/t/cheriecurrie. View the Queens of Noise Recording Session



Blvds of Splendor full album track listing



1. Mr. X
2. Roxy Roller
3. You Wreck Me
4. Black Magic
5. Blvds of Splendor
6. Force To Be Reckoned With
7. Bad and Broken
8. Rock & Roll Oblivion
9. Shades
10. Draggin' the Line
11. Breakout
12. The Air That I Breathe
13. What Do All the People Know? – Bonus Track
14. Gimme – Bonus Track

15. Queens of Noise – Bonus Track



Follow Cherie Currie:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cherie.currie.58

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

Cherie Currie Official Website: cheriecurrie.com

Learn more about Cherie and her chainsaw carving here: http://www.chainsawchick.com/about.html



Album cover photo credit: Robert Sebree

TODAY 4/27/20 at 9:30am pst - Matt Sorum, an accomplished drummer, and percussionist, best known as both a former member of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he recorded three studio albums, and as a member of the supergroup Velvet Revolver.

Matt Sorum

LISTEN to Matt Sorum on today's show!

Matt Sorum speaks through the drums.

Each hit or kick that Sorum has committed to tape or knocked out on stage can be felt by anyone within earshot. Whether it’s the epic percussive backdrop behind Guns N’ Roses’ “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” or the propulsive punked-out beat fueling Velvet Revolver’s “Dirty Little Thing,” Sorum’s playing remains unique, undeniable and unforgettable. Sorum’s presence extends far beyond the kit though. Currently, he’s producing Ace is High’s forthcoming debut and spearheading his unique Kings of Chaos project. He never lets up…

Sorum was born in Long Beach, California in the rock ‘n’ roll heyday of the ’60s. There couldn’t be a more appropriate place for a future rocker to hail from. About 20 miles away from the cultural and musical explosion taking place in Los Angeles, he had no choice but to blaze a rock ‘n’ roll trail. After watching Ringo Starr of The Beatles on Ed Sullivan, Sorum became entranced by the drums and had to pick them up. The Beatles opened the door to Jimi Hendrix, Cream and The Doors and inspiration had completely taken hold of him.

At 14-years-old, Sorum was wailing with his band The Prophecy alongside the likes of Van Halen and Devo at The Whisky-A-Go-Go and Crazy Horse West. Rock ‘n’ roll had always called to him, but he embraced it with an unshakable grip. Over the next few years, Sorum honed his chops in numerous session gigs with artists such as Shaun Cassidy, Belinda Carlisle and King Solomon Burke, solidifying his reputation as a go-to studio drummer. In the midst of balancing 40 gigs at a time, Sorum crossed paths with Tori Amos while she was playing in a hotel piano bar. Immediately, they connected, forming Y Kant Tori Read. After rocking clubs for two years, Atlantic signed the band. Amos went solo shortly after, but opportunity came to Sorum. He joined The Jeff Paris band, recording for Polygram in 1987.

The next step skyrocketed him into the consciousness of music fans worldwide though. Hearing about auditions for The Cult, he tried out. Bashing out each track with unshakable conviction, he got the job. For two years, Sorum rocked all over the world in The Cult on tours with Metallica and Aerosmith. The jaunt brought Sorum back home in the summer of 1990. Duff McKagan and Slash of Guns N’ Roses caught that particular tour-ending gig and were blown away by Sorum, quickly asking him to join GN’R.

With a mere month of rehearsals, the band recorded the landmark—Use Your Illusion 1 & 2. A marathon of touring followed for three years, playing stadiums with sit-in guests such as Brian May, Jeff Beck, Ronnie Rood, Steven Tyler and Elton John. GN’R hit The Freddie Mercury Tribute at Wembley Stadium as well as four sold-out nights in Los Angeles at The Forum and Madison Square Garden. In the meantime, Matt’s inimitable playing continued to infiltrate the pop culture consciousness as GN’R songs popped up on soundtracks ranging from Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Days of Thunder to Interview with a Vampire and Gross Pointe Blank.

GN’R dropped The Spaghetti Incident? in 1993 and received two Grammy award nominations and two MTV Awards. Selling thirty-million records with Guns N’ Roses, Sorum joined forces with Steve Jones [The Sex Pistols], John Taylor [Duran Duran] and Duff for Neurotic Outsiders, recording an album for Maverick rocking star-studded weekly gigs at The Viper Room in 1996. While Guns went through various evolutions, Sorum crushed on solo tracks for Duff, Slash and Gilby Clarke.

Officially moving on from GN’R in 1997, Sorum brought his talents behind the board. He produced a Top 40 single for Poe entitled “Angry Johnny” as well as tracks “Hello” and “A Rose is a Rose” for Hollywood Records. Realizing he had a natural knack for bringing the best out of artists, he formed Orange Curtain productions. He completed six film scores and produced platinum-selling artists including Candlebox, Sen Dog of Cypress Hill, Little Milton and Ronnie Spector.

However, drums always beckoned him back. Upon finishing a two-year stint rocking with The Cult, Sorum found himself in the studio with McKagan and Slash. The three shared a chemistry that could never be matched, and they founded Velvet Revolver. With Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots singing, Sorum released two explosive albums with Velvet Revolver—Contraband in 2004 and Libertad in 2007. World tours saw the band etch a legacy of their own buttressed by the hits “Fall to Pieces” as well as “Set Me Free”—propelled by a riff Matt wrote. In addition, “Slither” garnered the band a Grammy for a “Best Hard Rock Performance” and the band received another three Grammy nominations. Contraband also debuted at number one on the Billboard Top 200, selling three-million copies. Matt was inducted into The Rock N Roll Hall of Fame with fellow Guns N Roses members in 2013.
Between the madness of touring with Velvet Revolver, Sorum recorded his first solo record, Hollywood Zen—a pensive, poignant and poetic offering that saw Matt singing as well as playing guitar and drums. As if that weren’t enough to keep him busy, he also joined Los Angeles’s coolest cover band Camp Freddy with Jane’s Addiction’s Dave Navarro. Camp Freddy’s Los Angeles shows have become legendary with guest appearances ranging from Ozzy Osbourne and Corey Taylor of Slipknot to Juliette Lewis and Chester Bennington of Linkin Park. Camp Freddy disbanded in January 2014 now Matt is pursuing his new super-group Kings of Chaos with 2 tours completed of South Africa and South America with guests Slash , Myles Kennedy , Joe Elliott and more , and with an upcoming tour with guests Steven Tyler and Billy Gibbons ,it sure looks like he’s not ready to stop rocking .
Matt also joined up with Alice Cooper, Joe Perry and Johnny Depp to tour Europe and the US with Hollywood Vampires starting with warm up gigs at the world famous Roxy on the Sunset Strip followed by a headlining slot at Rock N Rio in Rio, Brazil.

The Vampires also appeared on the 2016 Grammy awards performing an original track entitled “Bad as I am” followed by a tribute to the late Lemmy Kilmister with a rowdy version of “Ace of Spades”

Sorum has also released his second solo album entitled Matt Sorum’s Fierce Joy which is quite a departure musically, hints of Americana folk , lush strings where Matt is singing as well as the writer and guitarist on his album entitled Stratosphere.

The future is most important to Sorum though. Right now, he’s producing Ace is High’s highly anticipated debut and working on his non-profit Adopt the Arts , Matt’s charity to keep music alive in schools as well as a host of non-profit and charity gigs on the horizon.

Drums still speak louder than words for Sorum and he’s using them to spearhead one rock ‘n’ \roll revolution at a time in the studio and live. —Rick Florino

Www.mattsorum.com
Www.adoptthearts.org -Founder
Www.rallyag.com
Www.Sthorm.io -founder


Www.kingsofchaosband.com
Www.dolphinproject.net -Board member
Www.animalsasia.org -US Ambassador

Coming up Monday May 4th! Sarah Urist Green talks about her new book, YOU ARE AN ARTIST - ASSIGNMENTS TO SPARK CREATION

LISTEN

Sarah Urist Green is the creator, curator, and host of The Art Assignment, an educational video series produced in partnership with PBS Digital Studios that focuses on the creative process and the act of making. She is also the former curator of contemporary art at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. She holds a master of arts in modern art history from Columbia University and a bachelor of arts from Northwestern University. She lives in Indianapolis with her husband, the author John Green, and their two children.



ABOUT YOU ARE AN ARTIST

“There are more than 50 creative prompts for the artist (or artist at heart) to explore. Take the title of this book as affirmation, and get started.” —Fast Company

More than 50 assignments, ideas, and prompts to expand your world and help you make outstanding new things to put into it

Curator Sarah Urist Green left her office in the basement of an art museum to travel and visit a diverse range of artists, asking them to share prompts that relate to their own ways of working. The result is You Are an Artist, a journey of creation through which you’ll invent imaginary friends, sort books, declare a cause, construct a landscape, find your band, and become someone else (or at least try). Your challenge is to filter these assignments through the lens of your own experience and make art that reflects the world as you see it.

You don’t have to know how to draw well, stretch a canvas, or mix a paint color that perfectly matches that of a mountain stream. This book is for anyone who wants to make art, regardless of experience level. The only materials you’ll need are what you already have on hand or can source for free. Full of insights, techniques, and inspiration from art history, this book opens up the processes and practices of artists and proves that you, too, have what it takes to call yourself one.

You Are an Artist brings together more than 50 assignments gathered from some of the most innovative creators working today, including Sonya Clark, Michelle Grabner, The Guerrilla Girls, Fritz Haeg, Pablo Helguera, Nina Katchadourian, Toyin Ojih Odutola, J. Morgan Puett, Dread Scott, Alec Soth, Gillian Wearing, and many others.

Coming up April 20, 2020 - Janeane chats with internationally famous fashion designer and style icon, BETSEY JOHNSON! Betsey shares her first memoir, a lively re-telling of her life and career

BETSEY JOHNSON

The internationally famous
fashion designer and style icon shares her first memoir


LISTEN

Mention the name Betsey Johnson and almost every woman from the age of 15 to 75 can rapturously recall a favorite dress or outfit of hers, whether worn for a prom, a wedding, or just to stand out from the crowd in a colorful style unlike anyone else’s. Some may remember Betsey best as a renegade single mother who palled around with Edie Sedgwick, Twiggy, and The Velvet Underground. They may also know her as a woman who built an empire from scratch, or even as a celebrity contestant on Dancing with the Stars. Others are familiar with her as the designer who brought stretch clothing to the masses in the 80s and 90s. She is also famous for her iconic pink stores (in 2011 she had 65 shops across the U.S.) and for her habit of closing out her runway shows with a signature split or cartwheel. Throughout her decades-long career, she’s taken pride in producing exciting but rule-breaking clothing at an accessible price—all while running her own company.


Betsey Johnson will talk about:

· What it took to go from a white picket fence childhood in Connecticut to an internationally known force in the fashion world.

· Candid memories of the fashion and downtown scene in the 1960s and how she started her own business from the ground up after designing successfully for multiple other houses.

· The ups and downs and reinventions of her business (including bankruptcy)

· Her thoughts on love, divorce, men, and motherhood…as well as her bout with breast cancer.



Betsey’s enduringly witty and exuberant voice charms and delight readers—just as Betsey’s unique, effervescent style has done for decades.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Betsey Johnson has been rocking the fashion industry with her unique and original designs since the 1960s. Known for her celebration of the exuberant, the embellished, and the over-the-top, her commitment to remain true to her one-of-a-kind vision has kept her at the forefront of fashion for over 40 years. She is the recipient of the Council of Fashion Designers of America Timeless Talent Award (created just for her by the CFDA), The National Arts Club Johnson Medal of Honor of Lifetime Achievement in Fashion, and was honored with a plaque on the Fashion Walk of Fame.

April 20.2020 at 9:45am pst - Myra Goodman joins Janeane to talk about her book Quest for Eternal Sunshine: A Holocaust Survivor’s Journey from Darkness to Light

QUEST FOR ETERNAL SUNSHINE: A Holocaust Survivor’s Journey from Darkness to Light (on sale 4/14, She Writes Press) by Mendek Rubin and Myra Goodman. After her father’s passing in 2012, Goodman rediscovered and completed Rubin’s unpublished manuscript, an honest and intimate expression of his spiritual awakening following unimaginable loss. Would love for you to consider an interview with Myra Goodman this Spring.

LISTEN now!


· “A moving and inspiring story of courageous change from enormous suffering to a wisdom that transforms heart and mind! We can all learn from this.” ―Jack Kornfield, author of A Path With Heart

· “Mendek’s story is one of the grand, improbable, tragic, heroic, and triumphant memoir stories of our times―more unlikely than fiction. It demands to be shared.” ―Gordon Wheeler, president of Esalen Institute, clinical psychologist, author, and teacher


Liberated from Auschwitz (2020 is the 75th anniversary of liberation) to discover that nearly his entire family and community had been wiped out, Rubin began again in the U.S., eventually marrying and revolutionizing both the jewelry and packaged-salad industries with his inventions and patents. But for a substantial part of his life, he struggled to find relief from his mental and emotional suffering brought on by decades of repressed trauma, realizing he needed to find liberation from the psychological prison he’d lived in since he was a child in Poland.

Rubin’s quest shared within these pages reveal his philosophy of embracing all that is beautiful in the world, refusing to let the enormous trauma of his early life during the Holocaust define or limit his peace and joy. While there are countless memoirs of the Holocaust, this is ultimately a book that shares the transformative healing journey through an authentic search for spiritual enlightenment, an inspiring roadmap for self-awareness and inner growth that can help us all transform the way we live our lives. He shares profound wisdom on topics such as:

· Finding forgiveness: how to live in the present, the importance of self-acceptance and self-soothing, choosing understanding, compassion, and generosity.

· Making peace with fear: how to let go, embrace fears through acknowledgment, looking fear in the eye and breathing into it.

· Choosing to believe in the power of love: the importance of making a conscious decision to stop focusing on the negative, to choose happiness and see goodness.

· Visualizing new possibilities: one of Rubin’s primary techniques for retraining his mind to focus on happy thoughts, warm memories, joyful experiences, and beautiful places, a habit which “enabled me to plant flowers in my psyche where formerly only weeds had grown.”

Coming up April 20, 2020 at 9:00am pst! LAUGHTER YOGA: Daily Practices for Health and Happiness by Madan Kataria, M.D

We’ve all heard that laughter is the best medicine. Well, it’s true! Studies across the world have shown that laughter has a powerful and profound effect on the human body and mind. Not only does laughter help to prevent illnesses, but it also contributes to healing chronic diseases—both physical and mental. LAUGHTER YOGA: Daily Practices for Health and Happiness by Madan Kataria, M.D. is the definitive guide by the founder of the worldwide laughter yoga movement, and Dr. Kataria will show you how to bring laughter into your life at any time of day–no special equipment needed, no new wardrobe, no expensive classes, not even a sense of humor!

LISTEN now!

In LAUGHTER YOGA, Dr. Kataria shows readers how to combine laughter exercises with yogic breathing to achieve complete wellness. It’s all about voluntary laughter—learning to laugh at will in order to reap scientifically proven benefits, including stress reduction, pain relief, weight loss, heightened immunity, and, especially, enhanced mood. Dr. Kataria emphasizes that we can and should laugh even in the absence of humor; voluntary laughter yields benefits just as meaningful as does spontaneous laughter. If you act happy, you’ll become happy—your body can’t tell the difference.

Yoga studios, gyms, offices, senior centers, schools, prisons, and hospitals all over America now offer laughter yoga classes as a way to relieve stress and promote overall wellbeing. There are 16,000+ laughter clubs, 500,000+ laughter yogis in 108 countries, and five to ten new laughter yoga clubs every week.


April is National Stress Awareness Month


“Laughter yoga is a perfect way to laugh and get exercise at the same time. It approaches laughter as a body exercise so it’s easy to laugh even if you're depressed or in a bad mood. . . . I’ve tried it, and it works.” —Oprah Winfrey


“Laughter yoga exemplifies a form of ‘right brain thinking’ that managers should promote.”

—Daniel H. Pink, New York Times bestselling author of A Whole New Mind



Facts and Stats from LAUGHTER YOGA:


· The benefits of laughter are numerous and are backed by countless studies showing it is practiced not only as a fitness exercise, but also as a therapeutic treatment to control chronic diseases, such as depression, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, migraines, and cancer.



· Laughter is a powerful antidote for depression as it releases endorphins and increases the levels of dopamine and serotonin which are important for maintaining good mood. By practicing laughter yoga on a regular basis, one is less likely to get depressed.



· Children can laugh up to 300-400 times in a day, but as adults this frequency drops to barely 15 times a day. This is because adults use their cognitive abilities to process humor and then laugh. Children just laugh spontaneously.



· Laughter should be sustained: In order to get scientifically proven health benefits from laughter, one needs to laugh at least for 10 to 15 minutes. Natural laughter lasts about 3-4 seconds and is not sufficient to bring about physiological and psychological changes in our body. Ten minutes of hearty laughter is equal to thirty minutes on the rowing machine. So laugh long and deep!



· Scientific research shows that the body will create a positive response even when you only have the intention of doing something good. Therefore, a willingness to laugh creates a positive mindset that is necessary in order to be fully open to the benefits of laughing alone.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Madan Kataria, M.D., is the founder of the laughter yoga club movement that he started in 1995 in Mumbai, India. A sought-after keynote and motivational speaker for corporations and organizations around the world, Dr. Kataria has conducted seminars and workshops for UBS, Emirates Bank, IBM, Hewlett-Packard, and Volvo, among many other corporations. He has been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, and ABC, and is associated with an increasing number of medical research projects analyzing the benefits of laughter.

April 20, 2020 at 9:15am pst - Brad Montague, founder of Kid President, shares how we can all become “better grownups”

LISTEN now!

When you were eight, what did you think being a “grown up” was? Ice cream for breakfast (obviously). Freedom, choice, bean bags for couches. Brad Montague, founder of Kid President and author of Becoming Better Grownups: Rediscovering What Matters and Remembering to Fly, once said, if we all became the grown-ups we wanted to be, the world would be full of astronauts and ballerinas. Instead, it is full of overworked, unhappy grownups. Somehow we lost that thrill of possibility. By becoming grownups, we lost everything we thought becoming a grownup meant.

Brad is the genius director and producer behind the Kid President series. He is an artist, speaker, creator, man of wonder (check out his IG page). In his new book, he explores what it means to be an adult: not the tired, distracted, cynical adult who is worrying about the food pyramid or getting the inbox cleaned out before the close of the business day…but the adult we wanted to be when we were kids. He thinks we’ve lost our child-like wonder. We no longer see mistakes as opportunities to improve; we get discouraged when we fail rather than laugh and try again. We have let anxiety get in the way of possibility. We look at our phones rather than the people and the world around us. We aren’t playful enough or kind enough.

Brad Montague reminds us that just because we are “grown-up” does not mean we have to lose the joy of childhood. He shares how we can:

· still be playful in the face of adversity (not defensive or aggressive)

· see failure as an opportunity for new ideas

· find joy in the little things (like an unopened box or flowers on the side of the road)

· be kind for the sake of being kind (or for the gracious smile you get in return)

· help those in need (because sharing is caring).

Brad has conversations with an (actual) astronaut, a chance meeting with a Supreme Court Justice, advice from Fred Rogers, and a ninja pop-up art exhibit at the Guggenheim ---all in the hope of sparking the joy and wonder that get lost in the budgeting, commuting, meal prepping, and other tedious tasks that take up our headspace as grownups. Becoming Better Grownups is a look at what it means (and what it will take) to be the grownups we always wanted to be. Brad asks us to be more “childlike” not childish. To be joyous because it is more fun than being sad. To be kind because a smile can go a long way in someone’s day. Everyone has a different moment that makes them stop and think and realize that we are tired, and busy, and distracted. But, by laughing just a little bit more, we are becoming better grownups.

About the Author

Brad Montague is the creator of the web series Kid President and the author of the New York Times bestseller Kid President’s Guide to Being Awesome. As an illustrator, Montague has had his work spread across the Internet daily and can regularly be seen in Joanna Gaines’ The Magnolia Journal.

4/13/20 @9:30am pst - voice actor Rob Paulsen – a legend in his field, and the talent behind such classic animated characters as Yakko in “Animaniacs,” Pinky in “Pinky and the Brain,” and Donatello in “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

LISTEN to today's show featuring Rob Paulsen!

You might not realize it, but some of our culture’s most beloved figures have died from oral, head, or neck cancer – from Babe Ruth to Sammy Davis, Jr. to George Harrison. But there are also those who survived, like Michael Douglas and Jim Kelly. And working with patients and survivors for over two decades is The Head and Neck Cancer Alliance, who launch their 22nd Annual Oral, Head, and Neck Cancer Awareness Week (OHANCA) in April. From April 13th-19th, over 250 hospitals, clinics, and medical offices around the world were scheduled to provide free screening and education.

The HNCA can trace its roots to another famous figure to ultimately succumb to throat cancer – those of a certain age will remember Oscar winner Yul Brynner, who made an anti-smoking commercial that aired after his death. Brynner also established the Yul Brynner Foundation, which in 1997 merged with the Association for Head and Neck Cancer Awareness, founded by Dr. Terry Day.

According to HNCA’s executive director Amanda Hollinger, OHANCA will highlight the non-profit organization’s ongoing efforts in providing treatment, support, educational resources, and information about prevention. “There’s a strong link between HPV and oral and throat cancer,” Hollinger explains, “so we’re actively focusing on informing people about the HPV vaccine, tying in prevention as well as helping spread awareness of HPV.” Though no simple test can offer a definitive diagnosis, the OHANCA clinics and screening events do have an impact, as Hollinger estimates about 10% of people who are screened get referrals for further examination or treatment. “It’s a good first step,” she says.

This year’s celebrity spokesperson is voice actor Rob Paulsen – a legend in his field, and the talent behind such classic animated characters as Yakko in “Animaniacs,” Pinky in “Pinky and the Brain,” and Donatello in “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” “Rob is so special because his voice is his livelihood, and it connects him to so many generations of people,” says Hollinger.


ABOUT ROB PAULSEN

Maybe you don’t know Rob Paulsen, but you know Pinky and the Brain, Animaniacs, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius, and most of the other animated projects that Paulsen has been part of as a voice actor for nearly three decades. With over 2,000 (yes, that’s right) half-hour programs and dozens of films, video games, and other animated media to his credit, Paulsen has been one of the hardest working, most in-demand, and most beloved voice artists in the industry, earning (so far) a Daytime Emmy and Peabody, three times winning the Annie Award (for voice actors).

But he’s also just won the biggest fight of his life – defeating cancer of the throat after a grueling year of aggressive treatment – and with a renewed passion for his craft, he’s finding some new challenges and some old familiar faces there to guide him into the next phase of his career. In addition to continuing his immensely popular podcast and video series Talkin’ Toons on Nerdist, and having just set a slew of new dates for Animaniacs In Concert! which is performed with live music and voices in symphony halls and theatres. The other franchise with which Paulsen has been associated for two generations – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – will also return, with Paulsen for the first time assuming the role of director, getting to work on the other side of the glass.

News of Paulsen’s lengthy illness and forced hiatus might come as a surprise to some, as upon the news of his diagnosis, Paulsen chose to keep his cancer private except for family and those closest to him in his professional career. “Everybody’s got their own stuff to deal with, and this was my turn,” he recalls today, now still recovering but officially cancer free. “I’ve had a damn good ride up to now, and if the worst had happened, it was okay, I had a 35 year run, so I didn’t feel the need to say anything.” That’s not to mitigate the particularly ironic horror of one of the industry’s top voice actors getting a disease that attacked his very livelihood: but the same success that was now in jeopardy is the same thing that afforded him a healthy perspective.

“It was the people who I met throughout my career who were affected by cancer that were my inspiration,” he explains. Because of his beloved characters, he’s frequently met or spoken with hundreds of infirm children who had their wishes come true via a conversation with Pinky or Donatello. “Their parents keep in touch with me when those kids pass away,” Paulsen says, “saying ‘we can’t tell you how much your shows mean to our kids.’ That opportunity, to bring that into their lives, that gave me the example to deal with my own pretty intense circumstances. I had these great teachers.”

Born in Detroit and attending high school in Grand Blanc, the proud Michigander soon realized that he “didn’t quite have the talent, temperament, nor dental insurance to become a professional hockey player.” Paulsen quickly turned to his second love, music, as a way of making a career for himself. More than just a would-be rock band frontman (although he did discover that “chicks dig rock singers”), Paulsen listened to a wide variety of music and learned how to read music. That time and dedication to the craft, he believes, started to train his ear, eye, and voice to work together in a wide array of styles.

He didn’t realize it at the time, but those are exactly the kind of skills that makes for a great voice actor. Arriving in Los Angeles in the late 1970s, he intended to pursue live action work, working a bit on series television. He also studied at the Groundlings, Los Angeles’ legendary comedy/improvisation troupe, where he befriended and had the opportunity to work with some of the group’s notable members like Phil Hartman, Paul Reubens, Lynne Marie Stewart, John Paragon, Cassandra Peterson, and Laraine Newman. The training added to Paulsen’s comedy skills, and allowed him to pursue a passion he had harbored since childhood. “I had a pretty good ear as a kid, and was always interested in comedians like Pat Paulsen, Foster Brooks, Red Skelton, Carol Burnett, and Jonathan Winters, people who weren’t only funny, but great at doing characters,” he says of his influences. “Then I discovered the Goon Show, with Peter Sellers, and eventually Monty Python – that’s when I started working on dialects.” That British influence would provide the inspiration for the unlikely voice of the lab rat, Pinky, whose foolish, good-natured British twang is the perfect counterpoint to the Brain’s sinister, dead-on reimagining of Orson Welles as voiced by Maurice LaMarche.

Early voice work on series such as the animated G.I. Joe brought Paulsen in contact with the world of professional voice actors at a time when the profession and the industry was just about to explode. Along with industry vets like Frank Welker, Tress MacNeille, Billy West, John DiMaggio, and LaMarche, Paulsen became a part of the “next generation” of great voice artists following in the tradition of Mel Blanc, June Foray, Arthur Q. Bryan, Hans Conried, Don Messick, and Bea Benadaret. G.I. Joe lead to an audition at Hanna-Barbara for a revival of the classic series Jonny Quest. Paulsen landed the role of Hadji, Jonny’s Indian-born adopted brother, and he knew he had found a career. “I’m an average-looking white guy from Michigan,” he says incredulously. “In real life I would never get to play that character, or a teenage turtle, or whatever. This was a gig where I was really only limited by my own imagination, not by my type I was or the way I looked.” Paulsen credits veteran television director Gordon Hunt for casting him and mentoring him at a key point in his career. “I quickly learned about how to be creative and think on your feet, and not be encumbered by how you see yourself. That is absolutely integral to my success.”

That early success came right at the advent of the cable revolution and the millennial baby boom, and there was suddenly a demand for family-oriented programming that would enchant young viewers as well as their parents – parents who had their own connections and memories to animation from years of growing up watching cartoons on Saturday morning. Disney, Warner Brothers, and Hanna-Barbara all started reviving old series and creating new ones, while networks like Nickelodeon and syndication outlets began demanding more original daytime programming. Paulsen and his colleagues have worked for all of them, using their incredible talents to literally bring to life some of the most beloved original characters of a generation while simultaneously bringing back to life the classic characters of yesteryear.

“I was almost a victim of my own ageism,” he says. You see, Paulsen was the original voice of Raphael on the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle series – an early project that unexpectedly became a pop culture sensation. A quarter of a century after that original series, Paulsen was approached about doing the reboot of TMNT – but to audition for Donatello. “I wondered – did they know that I did the original Raphael? Are they sure they wanted me to do the job? I’m a white guy in his late fifties.” It turned out that the new producers had been raised on the original series and were thrilled that Paulsen might be available to work with them. That generation of millennials who grew up in the world of Paulsen’s characters are now his colleagues. “And it reminded me again – nobody cares what you look like, and how much that makes me more passionate for my job and having fun with it.”

He’s also moved his successful Nerdist podcast Talkin’ Toons to video format (http://nerdist.com/videos/talkin-toons/), and has recently announced seven dates for Animaniacs in Concert!, beginning in New York City in October, and extending across the nation into 2018 (with more dates to be announced shortly). And he’s begun working on a memoir about his life and career.

That career even has more meaning now that Paulsen is on the mend – he’s still gaining back some of the 50 pounds he has lost, and there’s at least another year of recovery work ahead as his throat and voice regain strength after months of brutal radiation. But he sees now that as modest and genuine as his need to downplay his illness may have been, he’s not just another one of a legion of cancer survivors. “There are millions of people who have beaten cancer, but because of what I do for a living, it has a little more weight. It all circles back to the deep attachment people have to these characters I’ve been lucky enough to play. I can not only continue to make a living, but make a difference, and I can’t wait to use that on the biggest scale that I can.