DJ Hesta Prynn's Music is Therapy

If you've ever wondered why certain songs trigger emotions or memories — why Fleetwood Mac Rumors still hits in 2026, why Hallelujah makes strangers cry at weddings — Alan Light has spent his entire career finding the answer. As former editor-in-chief of Vibe and Spin, interviewer of Led Zeppelin, and author of books on the songs that outlive everything, he knows exactly why some music becomes medicine and some just becomes background noise.
This is my April theme: community — why certain songs and bands don't just last, they become a place people live. And what that tells us about why music heals the way nothing else does.
This episode is for anyone looking for their people.
TRY THIS: Think about the song or band that made you feel like you belonged somewhere for the first time. That feeling didn't go away — it just needs a room to live in. Where are you finding that room right now?
April Playlist – Songs That Make Everyone Best Friends for Three Minutes
Don't Stop: Why We Still Love Fleetwood Mac's Rumors · Sound Up! Podcast
Free workshop Apr 18: mct.hestaprynn.com/april18
Connect with DJ Hesta Prynn and the show:
Substack · Instagram · [email protected]
Send this to the person who made you a mixtape. You know exactly who.
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Emmy-winning writer and One Song co-host Diallo Riddle has been building music community for years. We were blind DJ'd together at a corporate gig six years ago — no warning, no prep — and finally sat down to talk about it.
This is my April theme: community, where it actually lives, and why finding people who love what you love feels like coming home.
TRY THIS: Think of a song you've had strong opinions about for years. Someone out there feels the exact same way. That's your people.
🎵 April Playlist – Songs That Make Everyone Best Friends for Three Minutes
🎙️ One Song podcast | Diallo on Instagram
Free workshop Apr 18: mct.hestaprynn.com/april18
Find the show: Substack · Instagram · [email protected]
Send this to your music person. You already know who I mean.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode is for anyone who thinks they’re supposed to have it figured out by now.
I sat down with Nayeema Raza — journalist, filmmaker, and host of Smart Girl Dumb Questions — and what starts as a conversation about her award-winning show turns into something much deeper: identity, curiosity, attachment — and where your identity shows up… whether you’re aware of it or not.
Also… yes. We talk about sex playlists. And it’s not random.
In This Episode
What winning a podcast award actually changes — and what it doesn't
Individualism vs collectivism — how growing up across cultures shaped how she sees success, selfhood, and belonging
What’s on your sex playlist — and why that question actually reveals way more about you than you think
Why we attach to artists — why we attach to certain artists and what we’re actually projecting onto them.
AI and attachment theory — what it means to relate to something that isn’t human
Where we get our information — and how that shapes our worldview
The difference between being stuck… and just being early
Songs of the Week
Counting Crows - Mr Jones: https://open.spotify.com/track/5DiXcVovI0FcY2s0icWWUu?si=f13d70c8b097483a
Harry Styles - Daydreaming: https://open.spotify.com/track/69w5X6uTrOaWM32IetSzvO?si=a41e9ecf16094d9c
The Monthly Playlist: "10 Songs That Made Me" This month, we aren’t looking for the "greatest hits." These are the songs that built my DNA. Now, I want yours. Email the 10 songs that made you who you are to [email protected] with Nayeema Raza
follow on Nayeema’s podcast Smart Girl Dumb Questions
and find her on IG @smartgirldumbquestions @nayeemaraza (look for Diplo pics!)
Connect With the Show
Instagram: @hestaprynnmusic @musicistherapypod
Substack: hestaprynn.substack.com
Course: mct.hestaprynn.com
Email: [email protected]
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ever wonder why the music you loved as a teenager hits different (and always will)?
It's my birthday, so instead of interviewing someone else, I'm walking you through the 10 songs that made me — and you might start to hear your own story too.
You'll hear the exact way I use songs to connect intention + identity, and I'll coach you on how to create your own list.
COME TO THE LIVE SESSION I'm teaching a live Music Connection Therapy session on Zoom. We'll actually do this work together. Saturday March 21st 1PM EST https://mct.hestaprynn.com/bday-training
LINKS + RESOURCES
Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3GNUTc0NnJVKVTsSfSbTKQ?si=b8cbc2e9534d4079
Substack: https://hestaprynn.substack.com/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/hestaprynnmusic

THE PLAYLIST: 10 SONGS THAT MADE ME
Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3GNUTc0NnJVKVTsSfSbTKQ?si=e4425cbcf3774281
Night Swimming – R.E.M.
Gratitude – Beastie Boys
Yellow Ledbetter – Pearl Jam
Sonnet – The Verve
Rain On Me – Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande
Justify My Thug – Jay-Z
In the Light – Led Zeppelin
Where You Are – John Summit
You’re A Star – Fred again.. & Amyl and the Sniffers
(yes, I said 10, no I don’t follow rules perfectly)
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Ever wonder what a $1000/hr life coach can teach you?
In this installment of Music Is Therapy, DJ Hesta Prynn sits down with Lauren Zander—founder of the Handel Group, creator of The Handel Method, and the world-renowned coach who once told Hesta to throw money out of a moving car window.
Lauren has spent thirty years helping some of the highest-performing people on the planet—including Hugh Jackman and Questlove—build what she calls their Higher Self. Not as a vague spiritual concept, but as a rigorous daily practice.
We dive deep into the "Lower Self" vs. the "Higher Self," why your dreams feel threatening to your nervous system, and the difference between manifesting and “manifucking”—a term Lauren coined that you’ll never be able to unhear.
This episode is for anyone who has ever felt like their own brain is working against them.In This Episode, We Discuss:
The Internal Dialogue: How to distinguish the voice of your Higher Self from the chatter of your Lower Self.
The Default Brain: Why 80% of our thoughts are negative and 90% are repetitive—and how to break the loop.
Manifesting vs. Manifucking: The shift from dream-based thinking to doom-based thinking.
The Uplevel Sabotage: Why your brain tries to take you down right before a breakthrough.
Promises & Consequences: Why willpower is a myth and consequences are the real key to integrity.
The 30-Dollar Intervention: The story behind Hesta’s car window moment.
The Songs that Saved Lauren
One Tool From the Episode: The Promise + Consequence Method
Lauren teaches that keeping promises to ourselves is often harder than keeping them to others because there is no external cost. Her fix? Assign a real consequence before you need it.
The consequence must "sting" enough to matter. It isn't a punishment; it’s a signal to your brain that your word is law.
Hesta’s Version: One obsessive thought = $1 thrown out the car window.
Lauren’s Version: Every time she screamed at her kids = $20 to anyone in earshot.
The Daily Rule: No coffee until 30 pushups are done.
Music Connection Therapy: Birthday Class
March 21st | 1:00 PM EST | FREE | Zoom
It’s Hesta’s birthday month! To celebrate, Music Connection Therapy is opening its doors for a one-time, free session.
The Vibe: One hour. Half writing, half dance party.
The Goal: Pick one area of your life, name a dream, and anchor it to music.
Note: Limited to the first 30 people. Register Here
The Monthly Playlist: "10 Songs That Made Me"
This month, we aren’t looking for Hesta’s "greatest hits." These are the songs that built her—the ones in the DNA. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3GNUTc0NnJVKVTsSfSbTKQ?si=16cf69742b094e26
Now, she wants yours. Make a list of the 10 songs (or any number!) that made you who you are and email them to [email protected].
Connect with Lauren Zander
Websites: handelgroup.com | inneru.com
Instagram: @laurenzander_coach
Book: Maybe It’s You
Connect With the Show
Instagram: @hestaprynnmusic
Substack: hestaprynn.substack.com
Email: [email protected]
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.