Joel Styzens: Relax Your Ears: Joel Styzens on Hearing Damage & Musical Recovery
Conversations with Musicians, with Leah Roseman
06/28/25
•60m
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Joel Styzens is a composer and multi-instrumentalist whose career as a drummer was transformed due to sudden hearing damage. He talked to me about dealing with the physical and psychological effets of hyper acusis and tinnitus, the beauty of hammered dulcimer, and you’ll hear clips from his first 2 albums Relax Your Ears and Resonance. He’s a music educator who loves to help students to make discoveries on their own and we spoke about Joel’s passion for all kinds of artistic expression, and his positive recent experience at the Ragdale Artist residency. Joel’s personal story is so inspiring, and his music is so beautiful; please check out his albums .
You can also watch this on YouTube and the Transcript is also linked to my website
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Other episodes you'll like: Jack Hui Litster Kirsten Agresta Copely Margaret Maria
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Photo of Joel: Sarah Boudreau
(00:00) Intro (02:49) Joel’s sudden hearing problems (09:47) meeting his wife through his music with clip of Viv (17:51) inspired from the Botanic Gardens in Chicago (20:28) video clip from Waterfall Garden featuring hammered dulcimer (20:32) clip from Burijji (24:51) David’s Dulcimers (28:52) dealing with tinnitus and hyperacusis (34:39) support from family, clips of Lifeline and Memento M (38:34) Other episodes you’ll like and ways to support this series (39:26) cellists Sophie Webber, Katinka Kleijn, ATLYS string quartet, Rob Clearfield (41:41) teaching multi-instrumentalist approach (53:32) Ragdale residency, exploring different forms of creative expression
Previous Episode
Amanda Martinez writes and records mostly in Spanish, the language of her Mexican dad who biked all the way from Mexico to Canada, and you’ll learn how Amanda’s recent album Recuerdo helped her process her grief going through the illness and death of her father. Amanda is also an actor, and you’ll hear about some of her experiences acting, including My Little Pony, Kim’s Convenience and Rosie’s Rules for which she has composed songs. Amanda came to her acting and music career after pursuing science and business, and you’ll be inspired to hear how she navigated serious personal challenges to following her true path. She shares great wisdom about the importance of talking about mental health and also some of her personal tips for living a full and fullfilled life. You’ll be hearing clips from a few songs from the album Recuerdo, as well as Libérame from Libre featuring Kellylee Evans. You’ll also find Martinez’s music on several Putamayo world music compilation albums. Please check out the links to other episodes you'll like below. Transcript and video on my website
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Other episodes you'll like:
(00:00) Intro
(02:33) album Recuerdo, Amanda’s dad Gustavo
(10:55) the band
(12:36) clip of Sol de Ayer
(13:30) Afro-Cuban influence, long-time collaborators
(14:59) identity as a musician, mentors
(18:55) grief, song with Aviva Chernick
(21:22) clip of No te vayas
(22:42) performing in South Africa
(25:56) Amanda’s teen years
(28:17) Other episodes you’ll like and ways to support this series!
(29:11) love of dance
(31:21) writing lyrics in Spanish
(33:16) clip of Release Me
(34:00) mental health challenges and background in business
(46:01) Libérame with Kellylee Evans (link to video in show notes)
(49:40) Namibia SOS Children’s Villages
(53:38) Acting career, Rosie’s Rules, My Little Pony, Ari Posner, Carl the Collecctor
(59:33) typecasting, Kim’s Convenience, memorizing lines
(01:04:40) personal routines and mental health, family
Next Episode
Olcay Bayir on Alevi Roots, Anatolian Folk & Her Album Tu Gul î
July 3, 2025
•50m
I’m joined by the extraordinary Olcay Bayir, a British singer-songwriter of Kurdish Alevi origin, originally from Turkey. Olcay opens up about the challenges of immigrating as a teenager, her classical training in opera, and how she has forged her own unique musical path.
You’ll hear clips from her 2024 album Tu Gulî, along with selections from her earlier projects, featuring songs in several languages. Her rich voice and evocative arrangements breathe new life into Anatolian folk traditions, offering a vibrant and powerful reimagining of this timeless music.
In our conversation, Olcay shares:
- Insights into Alevi culture and spirituality
- How she honours the strength and stories of Anatolian women
- her creative process and inspiration from masterful collaborators
As always, you can watch this episode on my YouTube channel or listen on your favourite podcast platform. A full transcript is also available, all linked on my website
Support page: Ko-fi
Other episodes I suggest: Omo Bello
(00:00) Intro
(01:54) Songline Music Festival, BBC project, Babel Music Expo inspiration
(04:05) album Tu Gul î
(07:32) clip of Edlê with Olcay’s intro, from Tu Gul î
(08:15) Songwriting, performing in 4 languages, diversity of Anatolian cultures
(12:15) Alevi culture
(15:12) clip of Ötme Bülbül with Olcay’s intro, poet Pir Sultan Abdal
(17:18) choices in instrumentation and arrangements, Ignacio Monteverde
(19:46) clip of Ay Dilberê with Olcay’s intro, poet Feqiyê Teyran
(21:27) the sad story of Husna, with clip
(25:56) childhood in Turkey, how music helped her with the challenges of immigration
(29:09) clips of Daha Senden Gayrı Aşık Mı Yoktur? and Nare, Nare with Olcay’s commentary
(32:46) Other epiosdes you’ll enjoy and ways to help this series
(33:49) opera studies, early musical experiences, coaching vocal technique
(36:51) performance skills
(40:10) 2nd album Rüya, clip of Yar Dedi, creative process
(42:21) içerde EP, Help Musicians UK, clip of Lost Child
(46:15) newfound joy in baking and cooking as a creative pursuit, buying the albums on Bandcamp
If you like this episode you’ll love
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