Compassionate Measures Podcast

Pull up a chair to learn JUST what it takes to host a highly successful music festival! Kim Ansin (President) and Tom Donaruma (Vice President) of RallySound are here to discuss The Ramble in Ashburnham, MA and their amazing community of volunteers. We get to hear how music fans are working together to literally change the world during this day of music, fun, food, art, and information. Last year, Ramble 15 got 151 of our veteran h...

Pull up a chair for a warm remembrance of the legendary Ken Kragen with the two women who were closest to him. Ken’s wife, Cathy Worthington, shares how she met Ken and that they were married for 43 years. She describes her firsthand memories of the We Are the World recording session, attending the American Music Awards earlier that evening, and standing in Battery Park at the beginning of the line for Ken’s other charitable projec...

Pull up a chair for an inspirational and redemptive conversation with Jim Sonefeld!

Jim tells us how, even in Hootie and the Blowfish’s early days, the band has always had a heart for giving. In 2000, the Hootie and the Blowfish Foundation was established and 25 years later, the Monday After the Masters event is still going strong to raise money for charities. He spoke about the importance of giving back and being in a community of...

Pull up a chair for an honest and open conversation with Amy Speace!

Amy is committed to helping people uncover their truth – those who cross her path in songwriting programs with veterans and their families, her students, and audience members who connect with Amy’s lyrics. She speaks boldly and with great experience about the healing power of writing one’s life story. We learn about some of the amazing and deserving people with wh...

Pull up a chair for a sweet and gracious conversation with Caroline Aiken – the “godmother of Atlanta’s folk scene.”

Caroline begins by describing the early days working in Atlanta clubs and her introductions to the Indigo Girls, Shawn Mullins and other songwriters. She tells us about the amazing crowds that follow Bonnie Raitt, John Prine and the numerous other bands that she’s recorded with and for whom she has opened shows. Caro...

Pull up a chair for an amazing conversation with Benj Gershman - founding member and bassist for the multi-platinum selling rock band, O.A.R.!

Benj begins by sharing what he believes are the underlying motivations behind O.A.R.’s long-standing commitment to charitable endeavors. He explains the birth of the band’s organization, Heard The World, and describes his own life-changing history with Operation Smile.

Benj’s podcast, What C...

Pull up a chair for a lively conversation with Sean Kelly! Sean is the author of White Noise & Lightning: The Continental Drifters Story which will be published THIS week by Cool Dog Sound. Sean speaks about his days as a young member of A Fragile Tomorrow and shares what he learned about activism while touring with Indigo Girls.

Sean describes the process of writing his authorized biography of the Continental Drifters beginnin...

Pull up a chair for a captivating conversation with Adam Ezra!

Adam explains just how his activism took root and the critical role it plays in his music and career. He describes what he sees as the two most important missions of his hugely popular summer music festival, The Ramble (now in its’ 15th year). And what an AMAZING army of volunteers The Ramble has witnessed! Want to know Adam’s nickname for himself? And perhaps the caree...

Pull up a chair for a high-energy visit with singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Peter Holsapple, and Wild Honey Founder, Paul Rock. We can hear their shared passion for music and supporting autism treatment and research throughout the conversation. We get behind-the-scenes details about how the upcoming dBs shows (November 16-17, 2024) were coordinated and booked. Peter enthusiastically recounts his memories of previous W...

Pull up a chair for a visit with singer-songwriter, producer and activist, Seth Glier. I’m willing to bet that you’ll at least consider some time outdoors by the end of our conversation – and that would be just fine with Seth. We learn about Seth’s nine-year-old experiences with activism and recognize very quickly that the stage was a natural transition point for the advocacy work he was already accomplishing in his youth. Seth tel...

Pull up a chair for a rare look back at the professional and humanitarian life of Harry Chapin! His son, Jason, joins us for a fascinating examination of his father’s life and how it impacts our world today. Jason recounts his dad’s early career in making films, Harry’s career in music, his partnership with Bill Ayres, his role on the Presidential Committee on World Hunger and his history of philanthropy. Interspersed are Jason’s m...

Pull up a chair for a wisdom-filled conversation with Martyn Joseph! With a career spanning over 40 years, Martyn (sometimes referred to as The Welsh Springsteen) has 27 studio albums, over half a million record sales and has given thousands of concerts. Martyn takes us back to his earliest recollections of hearing protest songs - long before he started to craft excellent ones of his own. He chronicles a history of life-changing ph...

Pull up a chair for an enlightening conversation with Jake Thistle! Jake chronicles his musical career which indeed began with Tom Petty’s half time performance at Super Bowl 42 and continues with Jake supporting Mike Campbell’s animal rescue organization, The Tazzy Fund – Rock the Dogs (tazzyfund.org). Along the way, Mike has even gifted Jake a beautiful 1964 guitar! We hear Jake’s behind-the-scenes story about the hottest ticket ...

Pull up a chair for a dynamic conversation with Mark Erelli! Mark supports the Foundation Fighting Blindness and explains the organization’s importance in relation to his own diagnosis of Retinitis Pigmentosa. Then, Mark takes us through the creation of his incredible 2023 album, Lay Your Darkness Down. Mark received one of the best reviews we’ve read for his previous album, Blindsided (and it’s in his introduction). We’re fortunat...

Pull up a chair for a heartfelt conversation with Antje Duvekot - one of the most honest and sincere first conversations I believe I’ve ever experienced. Through her beautifully detailed descriptions, Antje transports us to Guatemala and to the Project Somos Children’s Village. She shares what it’s like to volunteer with her there and how visitors experience rewards equal to (or greater than) those provided to the residents. Antje ...

Pull up a chair for a fascinating conversation with Eileen Chapman – Director of The Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music at Monmouth University (springsteenarchives.org). This episode will leave you ready to jump in the car and head for the Jersey shore. Eileen has a rich history in arts management, volunteerism and getting the job done. Eileen tells us how she got the Bruce Springsteen collection (now 15,000 p...

Pull up a chair for a truly inspiring conversation with vocal instrumentalist and philanthropist, Chavonne Stewart. Chavonne chronicles her journey from high school student to becoming a featured background singer on stages across the world to an amplifier of young girls’ dreams and aspirations. Listen in as she details all of the ways her nonprofit organization, Exposher, supports young women in underserved communities. Chavonne e...

Pull up a chair for an insightful conversation with Antigone Rising (antigonerising.com). You will hear pauses as Nini, Cathy and Kristen determine who will respond to questions and their spot-on answers leave us so much better informed. They describe how their roles as US Cultural Ambassadors (with hints of Beatlemania) led to their own nonprofit, Girls Rising. (Girls Rising (Official Trailer) Antigone Rising Nonprofit Gender Equa...

Pull up a chair for an intimate conversation with singer-songwriter, Stephen Kellogg (www.stephenkellogg.com) as he discusses his regular support for pediatric cancer charities. Listen in as Stephen presents four ideas that encourage us to understand ourselves, to act for what is important and to maintain a hopeful outlook. Stephen mentions how he’s passing along the importance of charitable giving to his own family. Finally, we’ll...