Funk the Funk – Journey Into Depression
Funkatopia Founder Mr. Christopher asked his musical friends if they would join him for a non-musical discussion on depression and grief for an episode of Funkatopia Live entitled Funk the Funk. The reply was swift and immediate.
“To start, the concept and topic was a last-minute idea as we were closing out the show with Danny Bedrosian from Parliament Funkadelic. I kept seeing a thread of sadness and stories of hardship in the chat room and thought, ‘Hey, why don’t we do a show next week on what’s going on nowadays and the effect that it’s having on us.“
The next step was to reach out to individuals that he knew in the music world and ask if they would like to join in on the discussion. “I was surprised at how many people agreed to come on so quickly.” Mr. Christopher thought. “I’m glad that they were so willing to come on the show and help people in these difficult times.“
The guest list began to grow quickly. Morris Hayes and Tony Mosley from Prince‘s New Power Generation, Garrett Shider from Parliament Funkadelic, DuJuan Elliott from The Blackshires and NPG, Jellybean Johnson from Morris Day and The Time, Michael Dean from Podcast Juice, and to top off the list not one, but two licensed counselors to bring levity to the event.
“I had to make sure that we had someone to bounce the feelings off of that actually knew what they were talking about. My co-host Jeff Paige and I both had friends who happened to be professionals and thought that would be the best plan.“, Mr. Christopher noted.
He continued, “Then we had to make sure that the show would be designed to motivate and inspire people and not drag them further into their depression. I feel we accomplished that which made this episode groundbreaking for us.“
“Once the show began, it became quickly obvious that all of the guests that appeared were not just there to assist people in their difficult times, but they were very much battling their own depression. All of them were going through very difficult times and had experienced death and loss recently.“
Funk the Funk was such a success that Funkatopia is considering making it a regular broadcast due to the immediate positive reviews from viewers and listeners.
“Everyone was so receptive and the feedback was immediate. Nobody was doing this from this angle. They were watching musicians that they loved and admired share their feelings. Even though I had a great feeling about it in the beginning, and I was surprised that it went so well and that everyone was so open and vulnerable. Our only hope is that this helps people heal.“, Mr. Christopher closed.
Here’s to more amazing episodes like this! Watch the video on Youtube or listen on iHeartRadio, Spotify, Soundcloud, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Just search for Funkatopia Live.
