Speaker 0 00:00:00 Okay,
Speaker 1 00:00:04 <inaudible>
Speaker 0 00:00:57 Welcome. And thank you for joining disability and progress, where we bring you insights into ideas about and discussions on disability topics. If you are listening to us on your smartphone app, good for you, and if you're not, and would like to please remember to go to the app store and download the KPI smartphone app, and you can hear us then if you are listening to us on the podcast, thank you. Otherwise you can go to this cafe that org slash disability and progress and find all our podcasts. Hold on a minute. Yes. Um, so thank you for joining tonight. We are speaking with several people. We are speaking with Josh Larsen. Hello, Josh. Hi. And we're speaking with Bryan tongue. Hello, Brian. Yes. And Joe Scotto. Did I last go here? Let's go to my apologies. Thank you, Josh. And also showing dollars. My research woman. Hi, Charlene.
Speaker 0 00:02:09 Going off, we will be speaking tonight with us tonight. Speaking about cheap services and also we'll be talking about their band that it was put together called dance at your own risk. Thank you so much for joining us guys. Um, can you please, I would like you to take some turns and give us a little bit of talk a little bit about you and what your disability is and how you found achieved services. Who wants to start please go. All right, Josh, go for it. Um, I am, uh, I am. What did you say again? So you're Josh Larson. Tell me about you. What's your disability? I have autism. Okay. And how did you discover achieved services? Yeah, I found out Jim wrecker. Okay. And, um, so the, let's see, how about you, Brian? Why don't you go ahead?
Speaker 1 00:03:23 Um, I do like, uh, like not Diageo only meds
Speaker 0 00:03:33 While you're Brian. And what's your disability?
Speaker 1 00:03:37 Um, I do play like a little games.
Speaker 0 00:03:48 How long have you been at, uh, chief services?
Speaker 1 00:03:58 He, yes,
Speaker 2 00:04:01 Probably about 15 years.
Speaker 1 00:04:03 Um, hi
Speaker 0 00:04:12 Joe, why don't you tell me a little bit about you and how you got to achieve services?
Speaker 2 00:04:18 Um, well, after college I started at achieve services, um, in the late eighties and I've been working there ever since, and I work as a direct care staff with persons with developmental disabilities and achieve itself as a, um, habilitation provider. That's located in Blaine, Minnesota, and we'd been there for a large number of years. So, um, yeah, I started a very long time ago, but, uh, I've had a lot of fun working with a lot of different people. And I've been working with Brian and Josh for a number of years now.
Speaker 0 00:05:03 And what does achieve all do
Speaker 2 00:05:07 Well achieve provides, uh, training and work opportunities for people with disabilities. Um, we also provide activities and meaningful, um, meaningful activities for folks. We're very person centered planning for people with disabilities, and we try and make sure that, uh, people are fulfilling or at least trying to fulfill as much of what they want out of life as we can get.
Speaker 1 00:05:41 I liked it a little bit, cause I, yeah,
Speaker 2 00:05:47 It's
Speaker 1 00:05:47 Like I like doing it for and like for, for her. Huh?
Speaker 2 00:05:58 So some of the, some of the services we provide are, um, job coaching and, uh, we provide in-house work, but we also are very focused on art and music and volunteering. Um, it's really important for people that come to achieve to give back to the community and the artistic side. It's very important for folks to express themselves artistically. And we really recognize that at achieve.
Speaker 0 00:06:31 What do you, what is your title there and what do you do?
Speaker 2 00:06:36 My title is training specialists and what I do is I have a caseload of a number of participants and we have individual program plans for each person that comes. Some people really are focused on, um, working and, uh, making money. Other people are focused on, uh, activities and giving back to the community. And some people are focused on artistic expression. So it depends on the individual as to how we can best serve them.
Speaker 0 00:07:13 And is there only one of your center or do you have more scattered around the 20th?
Speaker 2 00:07:20 We have one main building and we're located in Blaine. We serve probably a little over 190 people and we have a staff of probably around 50 or thereabouts. I don't have the numbers in front of you.
Speaker 0 00:07:40 So don't want to ask you how you decided to put together a band. You did put this band together, right?
Speaker 2 00:07:47 If I had been working at achieve a number of years, also in my alternate life, I am also a professional musician and I played in numerous bands in the twin cities over the last, uh, very large number of years. And, um, I just wanted to be able to provide the same experience for band experience and music experience for the folks that I worked with that achieved, that I was able to enjoy as a twin cities musician. So about, uh, a number of years ago achieved and received a grant for buying a bunch of iPads. And we got to behave. We started with one iPad. And about the second day after we had the iPad, we realized that the garage band app was on it. We decided that we were just going to start writing songs and it kind of started from that. And it's, uh, progressed to eight albums here. We are. It varies in size. Um, we started with, uh, about six or seven, but I like to open up the opportunity for a lot of different folks that come to achieve. So in reality, we've had probably about 16 or 17 people actually write or record songs.
Speaker 0 00:09:22 And did you kind of stumble on talented, you know, when they had that talent or did they come to you and say, Hey, I heard you doing a band. I want to try it
Speaker 2 00:09:32 A little of both. I stumbled on some really good talent. I have to tell you that. And the folks that are in the band there, they have such a unique perspective on the world and on their lives and on everything. And it was just fun when we started recording songs, uh, that those perspectives came out and I wasn't expecting the, um, I, I didn't know what to expect, I guess. And so it was very, um, reassuring to me that these were really creative and over giving life experiences and funny anecdotes, and it was just such a pleasure to work with them.
Speaker 0 00:10:23 So I wanted to hear one of your songs. I think this one is, um, I unfortunately only have Santa versus Corona virus song. I would love to have some of the other Coronas songs, but I just don't have those ones yet. Um, so I, I have really gracious listeners and I'm sure that they would forgive me for playing this after Christmas even. Um, so I would like, can you talk a little bit about the song who wrote it and tell me about it?
Speaker 2 00:10:53 Well, I should, uh, turn the mic over to Josh. He actually wrote this song.
Speaker 0 00:10:58 Tell me about this song, Josh,
Speaker 3 00:11:01 What song
Speaker 0 00:11:03 Zanta versus Corona virus?
Speaker 3 00:11:06 Uh, I, I wrote it because, so that I could get over to help me get over my fear of Santa Claus, not coming during the coronavirus pandemic.
Speaker 0 00:11:15 Oh. So, um, but so the, the, um, the idea that you wrote it, how long did it take you?
Speaker 3 00:11:26 It took me a couple minutes. That's it? It took me a few minutes to write it.
Speaker 0 00:11:33 That's that's pretty quick. I think there's some songwriters that would pay to be able to have that, that gift of, uh, they don't want to write that quickly. So I'd like to hear this song, Santa versus Corona virus, um, consider that everyone. Yeah,
Speaker 3 00:11:51 Go ahead.
Speaker 4 00:11:56 I've been sort of worried about Santa Claus, not come in this year because of the coronavirus pandemic and the Mars stick came here. I, that he is calm, man. No matter what time, don't you worry about him, he's going to be fine. Dan is coming during the COVID-19 pandemic. He'll be there Christmas day. He'll be there no matter what he will be on his way. I know that the dynamic has been a tough time, but don't worry. And soon you will see Sam is going to come during the coronavirus epidemic when he visits you and me and is going to come no matter what, he'll have his reindeer and say, don't you worry about him. He'll be here Christmas day. He will bring us presents all for one and one for wrong. And there will be a Merry Christmas Merry Christmas for all. Dan is calm and during the COVID-19 pandemic, he'll be there Christmas day.
Speaker 4 00:13:09 He'll be there no matter what, he will be gone his way and know that the dynamic has done a tough time, but don't worry into a new, we'll see, during the coronavirus pandemic, when he visits you and me, SANAS come me during the COVID-19 pandemic. He'll be there Christmas day. You don't get you there no matter what he will be on his way. And all of that, the dynamic has been a tough time, but don't worry soon. New. We'll see, Sam has gone to come during the coronavirus pandemic, many visits, you and me, Sam has done to come during the coronavirus pandemic. Woo, woo, woo. Woo. When he visits you and me
Speaker 3 00:14:04 Sante versus Corona virus. Excellent. Josh, was that you singing? Excellent. Did anybody actually play instruments on this or was this all done via iPad? I probably played a number of the instruments. I played all the instruments on that song. I've done quite a bit of recording over the past number of years, and I'm really happy to be able to bring that experience, to achieve where I work and be able to help these folks write songs and present them in a way that's, um, very commercially viable. Cool. Well, good for you. So did that help your, your head? Did that help take care of the fear, Josh? Yeah. Excellent. Excellent.
Speaker 0 00:14:52 I don't know, but you've, it sounded visited me this year, so it's all good. Um, so can you tell us the name of the band is, um, dance at your own risk? Tell me about how you came up with that.
Speaker 2 00:15:11 I can't, what did you say?
Speaker 0 00:15:13 The, the band named dance at your own risk who came up with it
Speaker 2 00:15:20 Really? Wow, I'm good, man.
Speaker 0 00:15:25 How did you come up with that?
Speaker 2 00:15:31 I think, um, I, I actually suggested the name after we were recording our first album. There was a song, um, called overkill and it is a song about professional wrestling. The person who wrote that song had an accompany, accompanying dance, uh, that was kinda wild. And I said, Oh, dance at your own risk. And kind of just stuck as a band name. I thought it was kind of fitting for who we were as a band.
Speaker 0 00:16:08 And you have, uh, another, um, band mate that often apparently performs, but didn't join you tonight.
Speaker 2 00:16:18 Uh, correct. Matt is, uh, unfortunately now here tonight, but he was one of the, her continues to be a member of the band and was one of the founding members. In fact, he wrote the first time that we ever recorded.
Speaker 0 00:16:34 So he writes the, he writes songs too. And do you guys each, when you write songs, do you, um, decide what the melodies are or Joe, do you help them with that?
Speaker 2 00:16:48 Well, um, most of the time, uh, the writers decide the melody and how they're going to sing it and kind of how they want the song to feel. And depending on what tools we're using at the time, uh, kind of determines how the sign turns out, Josh sings and writes all of his melodies and lyrics.
Speaker 0 00:17:18 Um, yeah. Um, and so you were kind of like the producer then?
Speaker 2 00:17:24 Yeah, I get, uh, I get to her
Speaker 0 00:17:28 The stuff and you kind of put it together,
Speaker 2 00:17:30 Correct. That's that's my, uh, that's my role in the band is assembling and kind of being the producer and, uh, I guess also the executive producer, I make some, some decisions that, uh, affect the how song sound and things like that. So I am the yes.
Speaker 0 00:17:52 And apparently the instrument player,
Speaker 3 00:17:56 We do actually play our own instruments, uh, for a number of the songs
Speaker 0 00:18:06 What's that it's own risk.
Speaker 3 00:18:15 Yep. Can set your own risk.
Speaker 0 00:18:18 And now, like, is that an actual song or that is a while ago. We just made it up. Excellent. Yeah,
Speaker 3 00:18:45 Our bam. And it's kind of who we are right here at the dance at your own risk land. Talk
Speaker 0 00:18:53 To me about the achieved clean song. How did that come about?
Speaker 3 00:19:01 Can we better let Josh handle that question?
Speaker 0 00:19:04 Go for it. Josh, what via achieve clean song? How did that come about?
Speaker 3 00:19:14 Because of the slogan washed with a cause
Speaker 0 00:19:17 I show the cars. So how did you, did they ask you to do it? How did this happen?
Speaker 3 00:19:25 I got suggested to write a, I suggested to write a jingle about it
Speaker 0 00:19:33 And did the jingle who used the jingle your company? Yeah, go ahead.
Speaker 3 00:19:47 Use it as a Gino for a laundry detergent that we sell from achieve.
Speaker 0 00:19:53 Oh, cool. That's cool. All right. So I would like to hear that let's hear the achieved clean tingle.
Speaker 1 00:20:05 You like to do the laundry, but it gets also spoiled from dirt and makeup, blood and toothpaste to food and also oil. Her chief green laundry detergent is here to save the day. It gets the laundry out, so clean, so you can go and play, achieve, achieve, achieve wash with <inaudible>.
Speaker 0 00:20:33 Cool. So did that get to go on radio or anywhere like public? Yeah, it takes a lot.
Speaker 3 00:20:44 It is on our website and then the companies,
Speaker 2 00:20:48 Uh, well, it's, uh, it's a great sales pitch. Josh is a good writer and I don't even know how long it took him to write that.
Speaker 0 00:20:59 How long it took me a couple seconds. A couple seconds. Well, the next time I want something written for me, Josh, I might be looking you up. You guys, you have eight albums that are out now. I presume not all of you are in all eight,
Speaker 2 00:21:25 Eight.
Speaker 0 00:21:27 Are you in all eight, Brian?
Speaker 2 00:21:31 Yeah, I think so. I think Brian has gone. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:21:35 Yep. Cool. And, um, is there, I mean, tell me about the different ones, one of you. I don't care. Which one wants to do it? Um,
Speaker 2 00:21:49 Own. Okay.
Speaker 0 00:21:51 Yeah. Dance at your own risk is your band name, so are the albums different styles or are they all kind of one?
Speaker 2 00:22:00 Yes. They're all, all of the signs are all of those. Say it kind of depends on the song and the mood of the song and how the song was made. Some songs, uh, were made by a single writer, but we also have written songs as a band. And we also have played a live as a band and, uh, using iPads. We can actually play four people together as a band. So some songs have been written that way. Um, her first album was self-titled dance at your own risk. And then, uh, since that time we've had, uh, like I said, eight different albums. We wrote, uh, we have an album called rock star that was next and that kind of encapsulated how he felt about ourselves. We were rock stars. And our third album, we, uh, worked on collaborating with bridges, which is a high school in Andover.
Speaker 2 00:23:06 And we had some students that have disabilities, uh, also write songs and we performed a concert at the Nokia theater, um, and released an album, which was really fun. And then we put out, uh, one of our first holiday albums called the holiday collection. And that has, uh, some of the first covers that we did, which were Christmas songs, but also some original Christmas songs in that. And then the fifth album that we did was titled, um, changing attitudes. And that was really important for me to put that one out because, uh, I really feel like through music and through artistic expression, we've really, really changed a lot of attitudes as to how people feel about their fellow people and how folks feel about people with disabilities. And we really are trying to foster a positive change or Habitudes of how people with disabilities are perceived if they are the signs that we've written are so, um, indicative of how people feel. And they're so universal to the human experience that I really felt strongly about, uh, titling the album, changing attitudes. And in fact, the changing attitudes album, we, that was our most commercially successful album. And we had, uh, I don't know if you're going to get to it later, but Josh wrote a very important song on that album. And then our sixth album would be, uh, released, uh, album called Merry Christmas from achieve services. And that was a title suggested by Josh. And that has a lot of original,
Speaker 3 00:24:51 I coined the title, you did kind of title. Excellent. And that has probably,
Speaker 2 00:25:00 Uh, I'd have to estimate, but probably 11 or 12 original Christmas songs on it. And they are so good. If you ever have a chance to visit, uh, dance at your own risk on Spotify or YouTube, to check out some of these great songs by these great songwriters, because they have such an interesting perspective and take on things that you might think are, um, kind of ordinary, but, uh, they take out a whole new meaning when there's a really cool song written about it. And then the second, the last album was called, uh, I know cook County. And that also was coined by Josh, who was
Speaker 3 00:25:44 Suggested by me
Speaker 2 00:25:46 And suggested by you. And it features a number of songs about a number of different places in an OCA County. Uh, very much suggested by Josh, Josh, uh, wrote a lot of songs on that album. And then our last album, which we heard the Santa versus coronavirus song from, which is called happy holidays from achieves. Sarah says and 20, 20, 20, 20, sorry, Jen, I forgot that part. So we've, we've written, Oh my gosh, probably 80 90 songs. And in fact, um, my inbox and my email had, uh, achieved, has 30 songs that Josh has recorded in the last two weeks that he sent me. And unfortunately Josh and I have to apologize. I haven't heard them all yet, but I'm getting through them. Um, but that's how prolific Josh is. And so when he says he wrote it in a couple of minutes, my guess is he's probably, um, pretty accurate on his timeframe there he's very, very prolific.
Speaker 0 00:26:55 Cool. Um, Josh, do you have a favorite album that you guys have put out? What would you say is your favorite? I don't have a favorite. I like all the albums. That's called not playing favorites. What an excellent musician you are, but Brian, do you have a favorite? Um, yes. Since you've been on all of them, that's here. You like the first one? Is that the first one? Yes. Ah, cause that, did that kind of make you feel like that was successful, that you were able to do that? Yeah. Yeah. It's part of what is made, it's made up. Excellent. And Jill, as a producer, what would be your favorite?
Speaker 2 00:28:01 Oh my gosh. Well, I think that all of the items and I liked the progression that the band has taken me, you know, started very small and we've incorporated a lot of different things over the years and over the eight albums. And I feel like as a body of work, it's really, um, I can't say that I have a favorite. I think it's all
Speaker 0 00:28:30 Spoiling my fun here. I
Speaker 2 00:28:34 Do enjoy the Santa versus coronavirus IMO. And that is currently my favorite song that we've done.
Speaker 0 00:28:41 Josh, do you at least have a favorite song? What is the favorite song? I don't know. You don't know? You've written a lot of them. You must have one that you're like super proud of. Well, I know what, uh, give him a hint. Give him a hint. The Danja own risk. Ah, that's your right? You think that's your favorite? Apparently? No, I haven't written it yet. Oh, you haven't written it yet. Okay. All right. Well, we will stay tuned. We'll be, we'll look forward to hearing that. Then
Speaker 2 00:29:31 I have a feeling I'm going to have that song in my inbox by tomorrow.
Speaker 0 00:29:37 So want to talk about the, um, North star song? Um, tell me about how that one came about
Speaker 3 00:29:51 Because I've been wanting mom to take me on the North star train for one time with me, Jordan, Lexi, and Gigi, but she kind of refuse to do so.
Speaker 0 00:30:07 Oh pressure. Okay. And so you wrote a song about it? Yeah. Yeah. And, um, I'm almost afraid to ask you how long it took you to write this.
Speaker 3 00:30:22 It took me a half an hour.
Speaker 0 00:30:25 All right. All right. Now we're talking. Okay. Half hour. Um, Joe, you guys got some recognition with this song, right? Do you want to talk about that?
Speaker 2 00:30:34 Yes. Um, we wrote the North star saw her Josh wrote the North star song and um, I thought it would be kind of fun to have it in since it's about a Minnesota rail line, that it should kind of have a Minnesota field. So we went with the, uh, polka feel for it. And, um, we sent it actually, we had it out on the internet and we were contacted by Metro transit and apparently it had made it through, into their email system and they were passing it around between employees. They thought it was really a good song, which it is. And, um, we, when we had our album and CD release party for, um, changing attitudes, uh, because North star song is the title or the first track on that album, the director of Metro transit's North star line came to our CD release party and he made all the band members, honorary engineers, even all hats and hung around for the party. And it was really fun. And, uh, uh, the song got some recognition in the newspaper and uh, by Metro transit and on their, um, newsletter and things like that. So we really had a fun time with that. And Josh, uh, got to ride the North star from an OCA to Fridley. I think that day or one of the,
Speaker 0 00:32:11 Then we got to ride it. Josh was it as grand as you'd hoped. Yeah. Good, good. I'd like to hear your work. I want to hear about the North star.
Speaker 3 00:32:26 I like the North star train.
Speaker 0 00:32:28 Okay. Well, I'd like to hear the song. So Annie, we'll put it on.
Speaker 3 00:32:36 I love to ride the North star. I like it a lot.
Speaker 1 00:32:40 I love it every day. And what I got, I wrote it eight years ago with grandma and you and I spent that too. We could take it anywhere. We really to go weaker bride to town and back, you know, we became immersed in that in 2009. And you know that the North star, I love it anytime, you know, North star and we live here, me and the kids and you, you know, the train is off. Um, but you refused to come in. No, I love the train so much. We should ride it. You know, why cannot put one or why I can up a thing like it. I like it one little bit. The North star can we ride it? And he, and he know me and the kids then you, I love that train a lot. I love it. I love everything and everything. I take it,
Speaker 5 00:35:38 Me and the kids and me and the kids, me and the kids. Me, I'm the kid that you,
Speaker 0 00:35:56 What a great song. Who's seeing the harmonies on that.
Speaker 2 00:36:01 That was me. Ah,
Speaker 0 00:36:04 Ah, you do get on once in a while. Huh?
Speaker 2 00:36:07 I get on a little bit. Yes.
Speaker 0 00:36:09 I've read to tell everyone this is disability and progress and this is caffeine, the harmony to ah, excellent. And we're tuned to, um, cafe i.org. And we're speaking with Josh, Brian and Joe, and they're talking about dance at your own risk, the band. And we just heard, I liked the North star or North star. What do you call it? Exactly. I love the North star. I love the North star. I'm sorry, Brian, why don't we don't dance it. I don't have that one.
Speaker 2 00:36:51 I think Brian might be talking about, uh, assignment. He has worked on, um, he has a couple songs off the first album and I'm not, I'm hoping that maybe I sent you one of those. Um, there's a song called you rock, which is a sign that Brian wrote and he also, uh, has written some songs. Uh, let's see, he's on a lot of the other albums. I'd probably didn't send you enough signs of the wide variety of songs that we have done in the number of folks that we've had record. So I apologize for that, but Brian is an active member of the band and he is, um, probably the greatest band mate. You could have, he is such a cheerleader and he is the first guy to arrive cheer on his bandmates. And um, when we play live as a band and we use four iPads together, Brian is the drummer.
Speaker 0 00:37:58 Oh, really cool. So you liked drumming, Brian? Good. Yeah. Excellent. I want to talk a little bit about the changing attitudes and that you mentioned that that was kind of a general theme. You're you seem like that was, uh, a title that you were really proud of. And I remember, um, you telling me in an email that that was kind of the theme of your live shows. So tell me a little bit about what that means to you really feel
Speaker 2 00:38:36 As though changing attitudes, um, has really the central theme of the band and artistic expression for everybody. I think that folks with disabilities should be able to have their voices heard and I feel really strongly and really proud of the fact that we're producing music that people are listening to and people actually listen to songs, um, and view our work differently than like if they're maybe in a normal conversation with somebody like a song really can hit you in a certain spot and you can say, Oh my gosh, that sign, that guy is, I totally get where that guy is coming from, where as, without maybe getting the song, um, it really can be, um, I think super important for folks to listen to these songs and I do feel like it changes attitudes. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:39:42 Um, so I know you guys haven't really been able to perform during the pandemic, but before that, how often did you perform?
Speaker 2 00:39:52 We would perform, um, maybe a couple times a year, two to three times a year. We would have a yearly concert at North Tom wall over the holiday season. And then, um, my good friend, Tim Martin is the band director at Washburn high school, invited us down a number of times in December to, um, give a concert there. And that has really, really been important, uh, when we've had so much fun going to Washburn high school. And I feel like that is where the central theme of changing attitudes is incredibly important because here we're a bunch of guys that come in and nobody knows who we are and we play our music. And all of a sudden people are like, Oh my gosh, you know, this is really fun stuff. And you guys are really talented musicians and you really have a lot to say, and it's been so much fun. And in fact, the last concert that we played at Washburn, which was unfortunately December, 2019, I think that's the last concert that we actually gave. Um, the students at Washburn actually jammed along with, uh, the members of dance at your own risk when we were playing songs. And it was such an inclusive experience. Everybody was enjoying themselves and everybody was participating and making music together. And it was like, um, I can't even describe it. It was just magical. I really felt like we had achieved our, her, you know, part of that goal of changing attitudes.
Speaker 0 00:41:30 So Josh, he's still with me. I want to know something when you perform, what is the, what is, if you could pick one thing, what, how do you want people to see you? Like what do you want them to believe about you when you perform?
Speaker 2 00:41:50 I like them to believe me as a, as a musician. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:41:56 That you are a good musician. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:42:00 But I've been wanting to be in, well, I've been wanting to be, uh, uh, I've been wanting, I I've been wanting to be instrumental on a solo career for quite some time
Speaker 0 00:42:13 While you might be able to do it. If you keep this up, you've got to, I like doing it at the same time. You like doing things at the same time, you like performing with the whole band. Yeah. Does that make you feel really proud? I like doing it. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:42:37 Yeah. I know Ben. So, like I said, he's the biggest cheerleader in the band that when somebody sings a song or a performance assign prayin is always the first person to say that they did a great job and give them encouragement. It's like gang member. I mean, we have a guy like that in the band
Speaker 0 00:43:03 Is really important. It's like, how can people get your music?
Speaker 2 00:43:15 Well, we're available on all the streaming services are on Spotify, YouTube, half on music, uh, Amazon music. Um, and, uh, we also have physical copies of our music on CD and that's available through achieve services and blame. Um, that's maybe a little more difficult to get at this time. So we're, we're easily accessible on the internet and, uh, we really appreciate everybody's support, but I would really like to encourage folks who are listening to your show to just check out these great, create songwriters. Uh, you can do it on YouTube for free. You can check out. Uh, I think all of our albums are on our YouTube channel, which is titled dance at your own risk. And, um, you can peruse a wide variety of songs about various topics from heart-wrenching to heartfelt, to funny, to serious the, the mood of the band just depends on whatever assignment we're performing or that you're listening to at the time. Um, the experiences and the, uh, subject matter that, uh, the folks in the band have written about. It's just incredible. I, I really encourage people to give the band to listen to, um, simply because it's something unique and you're not gonna maybe get the same perspective on, uh, your world as you would get when you would listen to songs by dance at your own risk.
Speaker 0 00:45:03 Um, the, so the poker sound on the, I love the North star did not go unnoticed. I wondering how do you decide what types of instruments you're going to use on each song as a producer?
Speaker 2 00:45:20 Um, well it depends on the song sometimes. Uh, well, a lot of times the songwriter has a suggestion as to what they kind of want it to sound like. And I go with that and sometimes I get a feeling as to what the song should sound like. And sometimes we actually play live as a band with four iPads together and create the song together. So it kind of depends on the mood of the song and how the songwriter feels about the song. And, uh, I know that Josh has been very specific about how he wants his songs to sound. And Brian, you like your songs, the songs that you, most of the time, we like the icons together that is very important. And it's very important iPads together as a team, it's really been an incredible teams for it. You know, like, like I was saying earlier in the show, it was really important for me to provide the full musician experience to her, to foster that for the folks in this band, because working as part of a team and something as a part of something that's bigger than yourself is really an incredible experience and to be able to help folks, um, get that same feeling for music that I get was really important to me.
Speaker 2 00:46:49 And I feel like that I've been somewhat successful at that. I think the folks in the band have really enjoyed being in the band.
Speaker 0 00:46:57 What do you want for the future of dance at your own risk?
Speaker 2 00:47:03 Well, for me, I would certainly like to continue to write great songs. I would like to expand. I would like to get more people involved right now during the pandemic. Um, attitude services were a few were, um, limited to the amount of people that we can service. We're not serving all the people that we were pre before the pandemic. I would really like to encourage other folks to get involved with the music that we're doing. I host a zoom meeting three times a week where we have kind of an online croaky party. And I just want people to experience music as the fun and, uh, I dunno, expressive thing that it really is. And, um, I've really had fun hosting these online for rookie sessions. I know that both Josh and Brian have been joining those every week and it's been a ton of fun, but I've also been getting some other folks that haven't, uh, contacted me before that they would like to be interested in the dance at your own risk project. And I'm really happy to, um, try and help those folks too, with their musical endeavors. So I would like to expand the program is basically the short answer there.
Speaker 0 00:48:26 Josh, do you have favorite artists that if you, that isn't in this band, who's your favorite artist outside of this band that you would sing with? If you could know exactly Brian, it's what,
Speaker 2 00:48:45 Yes. I think that's who Josh wants to perform with the most is Brian
Speaker 0 00:48:50 An excellent answer, Ryan? Um, there's one last song I'd like to have people here, and this is a very different song than when I was listening to your stuff that I was expecting. I think it's called dare jam band. Is that right? Yes. And, um, tell me about this song.
Speaker 2 00:49:08 Well, this is a song that we created live and we're playing for iPads together. So, um, I mentioned earlier that we are trying to use different tools. I try and incorporate different tools to help folks be as expressive and independent in their music creation as they can. So the jam band song is four iPads sync together, and we're playing as a band live.
Speaker 0 00:49:40 That sounds pretty cool. Let's take a listen.
Speaker 1 00:52:49 Cool.
Speaker 3 00:52:52 That was a quick, uh, interesting end there. Thank you so much. And dare jam band. That's cool. What, what is that off of what album it is? Um, I think it's called the album of that. That stuff is called music soda. And it's a collaborative album that we put out with the bridges high school in Andover. Um, I think Brian plays the drums on that or on the iPad. He plays the drums. And,
Speaker 2 00:53:26 Uh, a little bit about that song is that, uh, before I pads are set up so that it's like a band, one person plays the drums, one person plays the bass. One person plays the rhythm instrument and one person plays the, uh, lead instrument. And, um, we try and vary that up at times, but Brian is very rock solid as the tremor, and he really enjoys being the drummer in the band when we play live with the iPad.
Speaker 0 00:53:58 Nice job, Brian. Well, I want to thank you guys for coming on. This has been fun and I really enjoyed learning about you guys, and I wish you the best of luck and don't worry this pandemic too shall end, and you'll be out performing again.
Speaker 2 00:54:17 Well, thank you so much for having us some, letting us tell our story. Uh, it's really important to, to get the word out as to who we are as a band and what we're trying to do, and we really appreciate your show and the ability to be on your show,
Speaker 0 00:54:36 Dance at your own risk. You can find them on Spotify and YouTube. Right? Excellent. And do you have contact info if people want to contact you?
Speaker 2 00:54:47 Yes. You can look us
[email protected] and we have a dedicated page on our website, this dance at your own risk.
Speaker 0 00:54:59 Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you so much, Sam. This has been disability and progress. The views expressed on the show are not necessarily those of cafe or its board of directors. My name is Sam. I'm the host of the show, Annie Harvey, who is my engineer. Thank you, Annie. Charlene doll is my research. Once we've been speaking with Brian Chang, Josh Larson and Joe <inaudible>, and they were talking about, um, their work at achieved services and about their band dance at your own risk. This is KPI 90.3 FM Minneapolis and kvi.org. Please catch us on our podcast and you can find that on our page. Fresh bird is up next. Thanks for listening. Good night.
Speaker 1 00:55:47 <inaudible>.
