Episode 38 : My Three Songs with Jessica Chranowski

Jake: 0:09

Coming to you almost live from Berkeley, California. It's Aaron's Radio Show with your host, Aaron Gobler.

Aaron Gobler: 0:19

Thanks, Jake, and welcome everybody to Episode 38. Welcome to My Three Songs where I play three special songs chosen by my guests, and we talk about why they chose each song. today. My guest is Jessica Chranowski. Jessica is another Facebook friend of mine. She's a holistic health practitioner and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction teacher. She's also a Production Coordinator for the San Diego Theater, which includes the San Diego opera, San Diego Broadway, and the ballet. Jessica, we've known each other through Facebook, and you shared many stories of your work doing professional massage therapy for musicians and actors prior to performances. What else can you tell me about what you do?

Jessica Chranowski: 1:31

Thank you so much for having me here today, Aaron. I'm very excited to be here. So yes, I own Pure Life Therapy. I started my business in 1999. And I am a holistic health practitioner and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction teacher. So I have a massage therapy practice in San Diego, California. And one of my biggest clients is the music industry and show business. So whenever the stars or their crew need a massage therapist, I'm the one who's called. And it has been an amazing journey over the last two decades being able to work in this industry. Now when the economy crashed in, I believe 2007 or 2008, I started working on the production teams. I had been doing a lot of corporate massage, working with a lot of companies and when the economy crashed, they had to take massage therapy out of their budget. So I started looking for other work. I love working in production, it is so much fun to be able to help all the different parts of a show happen. So we basically work with the audio department, video department, lighting, props, carbs, riggers, everyone to make sure that the show happens and that the tour goes on to the next city happy and safe. So the pandemic hits, and I lost everything. I had to pause my massage therapy practice. There were no concerts for us to go to, there's no concerts to work at. So I decided to accelerate my business plan. I jumped into the program at UCSD Center for Mindfulness and started my MBSR teacher training. That's Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction. Okay. Since then, I have taught this nine week program several times and it is amazing the health benefits of mindfulness. I chose the program at UCSD because it's very neurologically based. It's scientifically tested. And that is what I love about my practice.

Aaron Gobler: 3:30

Awesome. Thank you for all that background. When we go to a concert or a show, we see the performance and we can imagine what's going on backstage in preparation and catering and all that stuff. But my mind doesn't immediately go to things like massage therapy and other things to be sure that performers are physically and mentally psychologically prepared. But it sounds like that really is a key component to to ongoing health and both mental and physical for performers.

Jessica Chranowski: 4:00

Yes. 100%. A lot of the successful performers realize that their mind and their bodies have to be in tip top shape to be able to be creative, and to not just show up on stage for an hour or an hour and a half. But to also continue that one off stage with creating new music and increasing your skills and talents.

Aaron Gobler: 4:22

Yeah. So Jessica, I'm really psyched to talk to you today about music. What inspired you to be on the show?

Jessica Chranowski: 4:27

Well, I love music. Music is my life. It's my career. I was named after a song. I don't watch TV. I watch movies maybe once or twice a month. I always have music playing always.

Aaron Gobler: 4:41

So it sounds like music is in your life pretty much daily. Do you mostly have it in the background? Or are you regularly seeking out particular songs throughout the day to kind of put it in the foreground?

Jessica Chranowski: 4:53

I have it on shuffle in the background. Okay, my music tastes ranges from jazz to rock to pop to hard rock, whatever comes up ... 80's. I like all types of music. So when it's on shuffle, it always surprises me with what is played.

Aaron Gobler: 5:12

So it sounds like you can take in all these different types of styles in like what you're calling a shuffle, as opposed to say a playlist somebody might have for like when they're in this kind of mood, or want to be put in this kind of mood for you. It sounds like it's more invigorating or interesting to just not know what kind of style is going to be next.

Jessica Chranowski: 5:31

Yes, I really like to just leave it up to whatever happens. So I prefer to have the music on shuffle because I like to just go with the flow and see what gets played randomly. But I do have certain stations that I listen to to help me get into certain moods. Like I like to listen to Neil Young radio before going to bed. I find it very relaxing, but also like Ray LaMontagne before bed, very relaxing. And if I have to get myself invigorated, I'll put on maybe the Ramones or Violent Femmes, or I want to feel nostalgic, I'll put on 90s alternative um just be creative with knowing how music affects my moods and emotions.

Aaron Gobler: 6:16

Mm, do you find that you enjoy more songs that you're already familiar with? Or does it more interesting to you to hear new stuff that you haven't heard? Or is it a combination?

Jessica Chranowski: 6:29

Combination? Because I love singing? So I sing along to a lot of songs that I know.

Aaron Gobler: 6:33

Yeah. Fascinating. Every guest has their own way of listening. And they can use music as for kind of a medicinal or psychologically, mind altering kind of thing. It really is fascinating how, how we all use it differently in our lives.

Jessica Chranowski: 6:49

Yes, I mean, we have a heartbeat and music has beats and it affects how we feel neurologically as well.

Aaron Gobler: 6:57

Yes, Jessica, let's jump into the songs that you chose. They are "I Won't Back Down" by Tom Petty from 1989, "Going to California" by Led Zeppelin from 1971 and"Harvest Moon" by Neil Young from 1992. Now I know all these songs, and this is a great selection. I'm eager for us both to listen to these songs, and I'm interested in knowing why each of them is meaningful to you. So let's jump into the first song Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down."

Jessica Chranowski: 7:33

Oh, I love that song.

Aaron Gobler: 7:37

It's a really wonderful song. And Jessica I'm a big fan of Tom Petty's, too. The album this song is off of"Full Moon Fever" was coproduced by one of my idols Jeff Lynn of ELO. And Jeff Lynn and Petty were already recording as part of the Traveling Wilburys when Petty released this album. And you can hear all that same kind of similar, you can hear that similar Wilbury sound in there. What inspired you to include this on your list?

Jessica Chranowski: 8:02

Oh, this is one of my motivation songs when I'm feeling low or troubled or ruminating with emotions or mental things, the song comes on. And because I always have my music on shuffle up, so the song will come on. And suddenly I know that I can do what I want to do, and I'm going to achieve my goals.

Aaron Gobler: 8:22

Okay.

Jessica Chranowski: 8:22

Because I started my business as a teenager, and I didn't know what I was getting into. But I love a challenge and I won't back down.

Aaron Gobler: 8:30

So you're not necessarily seeking this song out, you're saying it's on your playlist or on the shuffle and then it comes on and all of a sudden, you're kind of like transported to this when you were younger. And and maybe when you heard that song when you were younger, how it gave you inspiration then?

Jessica Chranowski: 8:45

Yeah, it fills me with a sense of confidence and ease and trust in myself that whatever problems I'm dealing with, or whatever, I'm trying to navigate being a business owner, or just navigate being a human, that I know I can achieve it, I know that I can do what I want to do, because I won't back down. I'll keep trying. Try again. And I'll keep trying.

Aaron Gobler: 9:08

Do you ever find yourself seeking the song out? If you're in a mood, mood or mode where you feel like, you feel a little beaten down?

Jessica Chranowski: 9:16

No, I haven't. That might be a good idea. Thank you.

Aaron Gobler: 9:21

I've had guests who say like they have a certain song they play when they want to have a good cry. So it's like that songs can be that way. You know, can put you, maybe reset you into some mood or mode. But it sounds like just from personal experience and I'm sure you experienced this too, is that any one particular song on your playlist could all of a sudden just like... you could maybe stop what you're doing and just kind of take it in and then move on. Or you can find that you've shifted all of a sudden in your thing in your mindset or whatever without even seeking that song out. But that song came on kinda like you're describing this song, then I'm sure other songs have a similar kind of reaction.

Jessica Chranowski: 9:59

Yes, exactly. I like to sort of leave it up to fate.

Aaron Gobler: 10:01

That's, that's an interesting approach. And again, like going back to the whole shuffle ideas, you don't know what the next song is gonna be. And you could be in a whole different place in your mind when that when that song comes on. I mean, the song conceptually is very straightforward. And I think that's part of its attraction. It's not really heavy duty.

Jessica Chranowski: 10:23

Uhuh, exactly.

Aaron Gobler: 10:24

It's great. Yeah.

Jessica Chranowski: 10:25

And it's easy. It's an easy song to remember the words to, so.

Aaron Gobler: 10:30

Well, thank you for including that on your list. The next on your list is "Going to California" by Led Zeppelin from 1971. So let's give that listen, and we'll talk about it on the other side.

Aaron Gobler.: 10:54

Jessica, Led Zeppelin is really known for their early hard rock and heavy metal type sounds. But this song is really folksy. Much different than the last Led Zeppelin song I played on this show, which was"Fool in the Rain." What inspired you to include this song on your list?

Jessica Chranowski: 11:10

I absolutely adore the song. It is so beautiful. It's so poetic. It's, it's another one of my inspiring songs that I like to play what I end up hearing when I'm feeling low or feeling like I can't achieve the things that I want. There's one key line in the song for me. And it is, "...standing on the hill of my mountain of dreams, telling myself it's not as hard as it seems."

Aaron Gobler: 11:37

Yeah.

Jessica Chranowski: 11:38

And when I first heard that line, it hit me straight to the heart of just, you can do these things that you want to do. You can achieve things that you want to achieve and change the world in a way that you have the ability to.

Aaron Gobler: 11:54

And do you interpret that line as meaning like standing on the hill of my mountain of dreams, meaning I've reached my dreams, or where do you see that ... is that like you've accomplished your dreams, and you're realizing it wasn't as hard as it seems?

Jessica Chranowski: 12:07

I have a visualization of like I have what I want to happen in my future. And I'm not there yet. And that future keeps shifting and changing. So I kind of see myself like on a hike and I see the mountain top that I want to get to and I'm just on a hill looking at the mountain top.

Aaron Gobler: 12:25

Specifically those lyrics make you realize or make you feel compelled that you can keep going up that mountain that you're ... that it's a journey. And obviously a lot of different ways you can go up the mountain, but you're gonna keep going up and keep trying to achieve.

Jessica Chranowski: 12:43

Exactly, yeah, yeah. It's a journey. It's not a destination.

Aaron Gobler: 12:48

Yes, yes, I think so much of life, we we just keep focusing on getting from A to B, and not realizing that most of the growth and learning comes from, from the path we take from A to B. Not just reaching that ridge and just reaching the end, per se.

Jessica Chranowski: 13:05

Yeah, we're, we're on the hills. And the mountain, you know, is way off in the distance.

Aaron Gobler: 13:12

Song is very beautiful. It's very simple compared to some other other songs which have so many layers of sound. Just very interesting sounds. I don't know a lot of Led Zeppelin songs. But this is different than most of the ones that I've heard.

Jessica Chranowski: 13:26

Yeah, the sound is very dreamy, isn't it?

Aaron Gobler: 13:29

Yes. Mm hmm. That's a very interesting point that that whole echoey sound is kind of evocative of a dream state and kind of eerie in a sense, too.

Jessica Chranowski: 13:39

Mm hmm.

Aaron Gobler: 13:40

Yeah. Yeah.

Jessica Chranowski: 13:42

Robert Plant is a huge Tolkien fan. So a lot of music sort of has that flavor, the Tolkien flavor, the fantasy, the mystery, the the adventure?

Aaron Gobler: 13:52

Mm hmm. Yeah, I can't think of it now. But there is a one very popular song by Led Zeppelin where there's a lot of references to Tolkien characters. And I remember it dawning on me when I heard that song and think and thinking wait, is he really talking about this? I had to go look the lyrics up. And yeah, it was references to Tolkien characters.

Jessica Chranowski: 14:16

Yeah, I'm drawing a blank to that song too. I can't think of it but yes, 100%.

Aaron Gobler: 14:21

Like, wait, it's one of those double takes, you know, like, Wait, did they just say that? Now the last song on your list is stylistically similar to the Led Zeppelin song in that it's simple, it's got very simple instrumentation, focuses on on a guitar sound primarily. And it is just a lovely song. And I'm so glad you included this on your list. So let's give a listen to "Harvest Moon" by Neil Young.

Aaron Gobler.: 14:59

Jessica, this song is so simple and so beautiful. Again, I'm really glad you included it on your list. I enjoy it so much each time I hear it. Why did you choose the song?

Jessica Chranowski: 15:10

I just love that song. I'm such a romantic and just the words of the song just make my heart flutter in delight. And also I my dad is Canadian. So I was raised listening to Neil Young, so it just brings all sorts of feelings of love. Yeah, yes. It's also a lovely song to slow dance to.

Aaron Gobler: 15:31

Yes, I would imagine. Especially if you're outside under a moon.

Jessica Chranowski: 15:36

Oh my goodness.

Aaron Gobler: 15:37

Yeah, I'm getting romantic about that.

Jessica Chranowski: 15:39

See, it brings up romantic feelings.

Aaron Gobler: 15:44

Yeah. Jessica, is there anything else you'd like to share about your selections, like things you may have thought of while we were listening to them or questions I hadn't asked you or things you want to say?

Jessica Chranowski: 15:54

Well, all three of these songs that I picked, were very impactful for me. So when you first asked me to be a guest, I really reflected upon what songs mean so much to me in my life. So sharing my thoughts and the songs with your listeners, it was really a huge leap of courage for me in vulnerability and sharing my experiences and thoughts and feelings with them. And I hope that having this courage to speak from my heart can help other people to connect to music in new ways, and to have the courage for them to claim what is right for their heart as well.

Aaron Gobler: 16:36

Yeah, that's beautiful, the way you put it. I've had guests say that it's very easy for them to come up with their list, or it was they knew right away, and others like, you know, who've taken some time to curate the list. And I have found it to be a learning experience or a cathartic experience. But they're, they're glad that they did it. And then on a personal note, myself, when I first thought of using this concept, my family asked me what my songs will be. And I just very frankly, I don't know, I have not put my list together. And I've spent months now in my mind thinking like, what would I use? So maybe it's maybe at some point, I'll take the other side. And I'll pick my three songs. But it's, it's really fun getting to know people better, or people I've known for a while, learn more about them through their songs and through their descriptions of how those songs have have impacted them or what they mean to them.

Jessica Chranowski: 17:35

Yeah, this concept for your show is incredible. And yeah, I highly recommend you to do some soul searching and see what songs. It was fun because you asked me several months ago to be a guest and I had to take my time and listen to a lot of music to be like this one. This one. And I changed my song last night to"Harvest Moon" and I was like, Oh, yes, of course.

Aaron Gobler: 17:58

Yeah, yeah. That was a great choice.

Jessica Chranowski: 18:00

Thank you.

Aaron Gobler: 18:01

Yeah, I had a very nice time. And and I'm glad this was a good experience for you. And I want to thank you again for for taking the time to be on the show today. And I know we talked about doing this a quite a while ago and I'm glad that I got you on and thank you again for your for your list. To my listeners if you want to be part of the show. Start by going to our website, Aaron's Radio dot show and clicking on the My Three Songs button on the homepage. You can also sign up for our mailing list so you'll know immediately when a new episode is available. You can also find Aaron's radio show on your favorite podcast service, but the podcast episodes only include interviews and no licensed music.

Aaron Gobler.: 18:41

So until next time, keep your ears and mind open and let more music into your world

Female voice: 18:45

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