Shop Talk is a series in response to immediate educational wants and needs of the regional music community. Inclusive of all musical genres... and music businesses.

SHOP TALK : Dealing with Pressure : Stress-relief for Musicians with Allison Kacmar Richards, MSW, LSW and Sondra E. Woodruff, II.

Allison is a social worker in the field of crisis and trauma. She's also a bassist in The Long Hunt (instrumental psych/drone/doom) and Emily Rodgers Band (ethereal folk rock). Inspired to explore the relationship between wellness and creativity, she started Of Music and Mind - a blog which seeks to understand how music & the mind connect.

Sondra E. Woodruff II is an international recording artist and is currently the Producer of Engagement & Social Impact for the Kelly Strayhorn Theater. Before returning home to Pittsburgh in June of 2019, Sondra spent ten years in Manhattan, New York. During her last three years in Manhattan, Sondra studied at Columbia University, earning her bachelor's with honors in Music '19. While at Columbia, Sondra expanded her studies to include cognitive neuroscience to investigate the biological processes that occur when sound and music affect one's behavior. With this insight, Sondra is working to create music and sound moments that elicit empathy and alleviate stress. Following graduation, Sondra was selected by HLAB Japan to teach her course titled "Musical Feelings: Examining the Junction between Music and Cognitive Neuroscience" in Tokyo and Miyagi-Onagawa during their 2019 summer session.

Join us as Allison and Sondra discuss:

* Why musicians and other creatives are prone to stress, anxiety, and depression.

* How musicians can effectively manage music-related stress on a day-to-day basis and during social distancing through the pandemic.

* Simple and effective techniques for relieving stress that you can start right now

All attendees will receive a PDF guide of classes and holistic offerings from regional music-related businesses and community members.

FREE with registration

Donations not necessary, but much appreciated.

PayPal : info@fairplaypittsburgh.org

You must have a Zoom account (free) and download the program to your computer or phone. Register through Eventbrite to receive the Zoom conference link, going live May 13th 10AM.