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Connections

How music can help people in recovery thrive

Four men wearing headphones sit at a table in a radio talk studio: a man front left is wearing a black t-shirt, beige pants, and black sneakers; a man back left has dark hair and a dark beard and is wearing a short-sleeved black paisley patterned button-down shirt; a man back right is wearing glasses, a black baseball cap, a blue quilted vest, and a black t-shirt; a man at right has short dark hair and is wearing a white long-sleeved button-down shirt and jeans.
Julie Williams
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WXXI News
(foreground) Scott Fitzgerald, (background) Eli Flynn, and Matthew Hoye on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Monday, November 25, 2024
A smiling man with short dark hair wearing a blue button-down shirt and a grey blazer. He is holding a pair of eyeglasses. The word "Connections" appears on the left side of the photo in vertical letters.
WXXI News

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:

Evan Dawson is the host of "Connections with Evan Dawson." He joined WXXI in January 2014 after working at 13WHAM-TV, where he served as morning news anchor. He was hired as a reporter for 13WHAM-TV in 2003 before being promoted to anchor in 2007.
Megan Mack is the executive producer of "Connections with Evan Dawson" and live/televised engagement programming.
Julie Williams is an associate producer for "Connections with Evan Dawson." She started at WXXI in 2019 and has been working on Connections since 2022.