Mental Health in the Music Industry — When “Not Okay” Becomes Normal | Cathy Olson & Erica Ramon

From Rural Colombia to NYC’s Top Recording Studio — Caro Durán’s Unstoppable Rise

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2503753/fan_mail/new] From recording the sounds of the Colombian forest as a child to producing music inside New York’s legendary Flux Studios, Caro built her career by trusting her instincts, ignoring gatekeepers, and never waiting for permission. Sitting with us at Flux in New York City, Caro shares how a childhood filled with music, curiosity, and experimentation evolved into a career in production, education, and community building. We talk about the realities of stepping into a male-dominated industry, learning to trust your own creative voice, and why waiting until you feel “ready” can quietly keep artists stuck for years. Caro also opens up about setting emotional boundaries in the studio, balancing collaboration without losing yourself, and how mindfulness helps her stay creatively grounded in a city constantly pulling artists in different directions. We also explore: • Building a sonic identity as a producer • Knowing when a song is finished — and when to let it go • Working with Ableton Live and live looping early in her career • Teaching and mentoring the next generation through 343 Labs and On the Wave • Creating more accessible pathways into music technology through scholarships and bilingual education It’s a conversation full of honesty, creative energy, and practical insight — and Caro’s warmth, focus, and positive outlook are completely infectious. for more info on Caro: https://www.instagram.com/caroduranh/ [https://www.instagram.com/caroduranh/]  https://open.spotify.com/artist/2quGRhVrtjN0w3HRpcA8Zf?si=jqTxx_dDTp68xv0eAKsxfg [https://open.spotify.com/artist/2quGRhVrtjN0w3HRpcA8Zf?si=jqTxx_dDTp68xv0eAKsxfg] Caro on Tiktok [https://www.tiktok.com/@caroduranh?_r=1&_t=ZS-96V77sdM0v4] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2503753/support]  If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, rate and share.  Many thanks to Anne Tello for her vocals on the theme song and to our sponsor 'Heard City'.  Check out https://www.shecreatesnoisepodcast.com for more episodes featuring women who power the music industry. https://www.shecreatesnoise.com/ [https://www.shecreatesnoise.com/] https://www.sarahnagourney.com [https://www.sarahnagourney.com/] Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/shecreatesnoise [https://www.instagram.com/shecreatesnoise/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw%3D%3D]/ https://www.instagram.com/glassbeatmusic/ [https://www.instagram.com/glassbeatmusic/] Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/SheCreatesNoise [https://www.facebook.com/SheCreatesNoise] Email:  shecreatesnoise@gmail.com [shecreatesnoise@gmail.com]

Mental Health in the Music Industry — When “Not Okay” Becomes Normal | Cathy Olson & Erica Ramon

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2503753/fan_mail/new] May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and for this special episode of She Creates Noise, we bring together two powerful advocates for a conversation the music industry can’t afford to sideline. The same business that creates magic can also grind people down until “not okay” starts to feel normal.  Here, we explore that tension through two distinct perspectives: Cathy Applefeld Olson, founder of Hollywood & Mind and longtime entertainment journalist, and Erica Ramon, a veteran executive and manager who has worked closely with artists under intense pressure. Erica has represented Fergie, The Pretty Reckless and Passion pit among others. Together, they discuss what happens when creativity and vulnerability coexist—and why mental health can no longer be treated as a side conversation, but as central to the future of the industry.    We dig into the patterns that show up on the road and behind the scenes: insomnia, imposter syndrome, addiction recovery, burnout, and the loneliness of touring. We challenge the myth that great art requires suffering, and we explore how artists can stay authentic without romanticizing instability as the price of genius. We also get specific about what structural change looks like in the music business, from smarter tour routing and building in recovery time to new resources like on-tour mental health support and industry-specific crisis help.     Then we widen the lens to music and wellness: how functional music and sound can help regulate the nervous system, support focus, and ground people through daily life. We talk data, research, and why listening behavior already proves that many of us use music as a mental health tool, whether we call it that or not. We also address women in music, including the ongoing gaps in support around pregnancy, motherhood, and career continuity.  For more about Cathy Olson's work go to   https://www.hollywood-mind.com [https://www.hollywood-mind.com]  For more info on Erica Ramon www.cacmg.com [http://www.cacmg.com] www.chillpalm.com [http://www.chillpalm.com]  www.ericaramon.com [http://www.ericaramon.com] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2503753/support]  If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, rate and share.  Many thanks to Anne Tello for her vocals on the theme song and to our sponsor 'Heard City'.  Check out https://www.shecreatesnoisepodcast.com for more episodes featuring women who power the music industry. https://www.shecreatesnoise.com/ [https://www.shecreatesnoise.com/] https://www.sarahnagourney.com [https://www.sarahnagourney.com/] Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/shecreatesnoise [https://www.instagram.com/shecreatesnoise/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw%3D%3D]/ https://www.instagram.com/glassbeatmusic/ [https://www.instagram.com/glassbeatmusic/] Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/SheCreatesNoise [https://www.facebook.com/SheCreatesNoise] Email:  shecreatesnoise@gmail.com [shecreatesnoise@gmail.com]

"10 Global #1 Hits — Including Katy Perry's Biggest — songwriter Bonnie McKee".

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2503753/fan_mail/new] You’ve sung these songs in your car, at weddings, and at the top of your lungs—now you can hear from the songwriter who wrote them. In this episode of She Creates Noise, Sarah sits down with Grammy-nominated songwriter and pop artist Bonnie McKee, the songwriter behind many of Katy Perry’s biggest hits, as well as Taio Cruz, for a candid conversation about what pop success really looks like behind the scenes. Bonnie takes us from a teenage major-label deal and an early crash course in the business to being dropped, rebuilding through demo work, and eventually writing era-defining songs that reached number one around the world. She shares what it actually feels like when a song explodes, why she still writes lyrics by hand in notebooks, and the craft lessons she learned the hard way about simplicity, collaboration, and not getting too precious about what a pop song “should” be. We also go deeper than chart stories. Bonnie speaks openly about safety in studio spaces, the shift after Me Too, and why women still have to guard their boundaries in intimate writing rooms. She makes a powerful case for creator economics too: production credit, master points, and why every songwriter should learn engineering and production tools like Pro Tools, Logic, or Ableton to become more self-sufficient. The conversation closes with her expansion into filmmaking, the victory of re-recording shelved music to independently release Hot City, and a mindset shift earned through experience: don’t make success your higher power. If you want to know more about: *  writing 10 #1 major pop hits  *  working with Katy Perry  *  how hit songs are really made  *  songwriting craft and collaboration  *  women’s safety in studio rooms  *  producer credit and songwriter income *  the value of learning Pro Tools, Logic, and Ableton  *  reinventing your career independently  A smart, funny, and revealing conversation with one of pop music’s most important modern hitmakers. https://www.instagram.com/bonniemckee/ [https://www.instagram.com/bonniemckee/] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2503753/support]  If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, rate and share.  Many thanks to Anne Tello for her vocals on the theme song and to our sponsor 'Heard City'.  Check out https://www.shecreatesnoisepodcast.com for more episodes featuring women who power the music industry. https://www.shecreatesnoise.com/ [https://www.shecreatesnoise.com/] https://www.sarahnagourney.com [https://www.sarahnagourney.com/] Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/shecreatesnoise [https://www.instagram.com/shecreatesnoise/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw%3D%3D]/ https://www.instagram.com/glassbeatmusic/ [https://www.instagram.com/glassbeatmusic/] Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/SheCreatesNoise [https://www.facebook.com/SheCreatesNoise] Email:  shecreatesnoise@gmail.com [shecreatesnoise@gmail.com]

From Touring with Rob Thomas to Creative Reinvention — Toby Lightman

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2503753/fan_mail/new] What happens when success comes fast—and you have to figure out who you are in real time? In this episode of She Creates Noise, singer-songwriter Toby Lightman reflects on the early breakthrough that launched her career—from a record deal just one year out of college to touring with Rob Thomas—and the long, deliberate path to creative reinvention. One year out of college, Toby Lightman had a record deal, a breakout moment, and an impressive touring schedule with multiple TV appearance. That kind of fast success sounds glamorous, but it can also be disorienting, especially when you’re still learning who you are as a songwriter, vocalist, and performer. We talk through what it felt like to be launched so young and how Toby learned to turn that pressure into skill, confidence, and a sustainable creative life.   From major-label releases and intimidating studio rooms to the slow, determined work of teaching herself music production, Toby shares the real mechanics of reinvention. We get into building a home studio, why she sticks with Pro Tools, and what changes when an artist can shape their own sound without waiting on anyone else. She also reflects on advice she once got from Prince that stayed with her for years: you can do more than you think, and you don’t have to outsource your power.    The conversation goes deeper into songwriting as a survival tool. Toby opens up about fertility struggles, miscarriage, and the loneliness that can come with those experiences, then connects that honesty to making empowering music about resilience and motherhood. We also dig into advocacy and leadership, including her work with the Recording Academy, SONA, and She Is The Music, plus practical realities like sync licensing, composing for kids programming, and diversifying income in today’s music business.    If you care about women in music, independent artists, music production, and building a sustainable creative career, this one is for you. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review on your favorite so more listeners can find the show.  Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/tobylightman/?hl=en]  Toby Lightman on spotify [https://open.spotify.com/artist/3BDyPnpEAyd6kFM1Wgpdgz?si=e-CjTzUWQqCQ8BiDqr6Hfw] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2503753/support]  If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, rate and share.  Many thanks to Anne Tello for her vocals on the theme song and to our sponsor 'Heard City'.  Check out https://www.shecreatesnoisepodcast.com for more episodes featuring women who power the music industry. https://www.shecreatesnoise.com/ [https://www.shecreatesnoise.com/] https://www.sarahnagourney.com [https://www.sarahnagourney.com/] Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/shecreatesnoise [https://www.instagram.com/shecreatesnoise/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw%3D%3D]/ https://www.instagram.com/glassbeatmusic/ [https://www.instagram.com/glassbeatmusic/] Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/SheCreatesNoise [https://www.facebook.com/SheCreatesNoise] Email:  shecreatesnoise@gmail.com [shecreatesnoise@gmail.com]

Writing “Genie in a Bottle” for Christina Aguilera — Pam Sheyne

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2503753/fan_mail/new] How do you write a song the whole world ends up singing?   We’re joined by Pam Sheyne, the multi-platinum songwriter behind Christina Aguilera’s breakout hit “Genie in a Bottle,” to talk about what actually happens in the room when a career-defining track comes together, why you can feel you wrote “a good song” and still never predict a smash, and how preparation separates pros from wishful thinking.    We also zoom out to the modern music industry: writing as a chameleon for different artists, doing the homework on vocal range and style, and navigating the subtle politics of helping an artist feel true ownership. Pam shares what she’s seeing through her songwriting camps, including sync licensing sessions built around real briefs and the practical business details that matter, like one-stop clearance and keeping song ownership intact.    Then we get into songwriter rights and advocacy. Pam reflects on her work with SONA and the fight that led to the Music Modernization Act, what streaming royalties exposed, and why conversations about master rights, fair pay, and even healthcare aren’t optional if we want sustainable songwriting careers. We close with a return to artistry through her duo Eva and the healing power of singing, plus grounded advice for anyone trying to build a life in music.    Subscribe, share this with a songwriter friend, and leave a review so more people can find these conversations.  https://www.instagram.com/pamsheyne/ [https://www.instagram.com/pamsheyne/] https://www.songwritercamps.com/ [https://www.songwritercamps.com/] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2503753/support]  If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, rate and share.  Many thanks to Anne Tello for her vocals on the theme song and to our sponsor 'Heard City'.  Check out https://www.shecreatesnoisepodcast.com for more episodes featuring women who power the music industry. https://www.shecreatesnoise.com/ [https://www.shecreatesnoise.com/] https://www.sarahnagourney.com [https://www.sarahnagourney.com/] Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/shecreatesnoise [https://www.instagram.com/shecreatesnoise/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw%3D%3D]/ https://www.instagram.com/glassbeatmusic/ [https://www.instagram.com/glassbeatmusic/] Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/SheCreatesNoise [https://www.facebook.com/SheCreatesNoise] Email:  shecreatesnoise@gmail.com [shecreatesnoise@gmail.com]