12:00: End-of-life doula Jennifer Sanfilippo
1:00: How music can help people in recovery thrive
"Death cafes" are surprisingly popular, and end-of-life doulas are in demand. Americans, it turns out, are not very good at talking about dying -- or planning for it. And we all do it. Jennifer Sanfilippo shifted her work to become an end-of-life doula after her husband died from an aggressive form of cancer. He was in his 50s, and it all happened quickly. Now, Sanfilippo helps people of all ages talk about loss, grief, and death. She's written a book about her experience and she helps lead the community in various ways. She's our guest for the hour. In studio:
- Jennifer Sanfilippo, end-of-life doula and author of “"Our Last Walk Home: Love, Cancer, and the Agony of Letting Go”
Then in our second hour, fatal overdoses have soared in recent years, and while opioids are a big factor, they are not the only reason for the increase. An organization in Rochester called Sobriety Sounds aims to give people suffering from addiction a chance to thrive. The origin story is a tragic one: founder Matthew Hoye remembers kneeling at a coffin and wondering if music could have prevented a friend's death; now, he’s working to create musical spaces that are safe and accessible to others – both now and in the future. We discuss it all with guests from Sobriety Sounds. In studio:
- Matthew Hoye, founder and president of the board for Sobriety Sounds, Inc.
- Eli Flynn, multi-instrumentalist, music therapist, and songwriter
- Scott Fitzgerald, board member for Sobriety Sounds, and owner of ROC Vox Recording & Production, LLC
