Musician Will Calhoun, the drummer from Living Colour, is now an author with his upcoming memoir, THE SECRET LIFE OF BEATS, due out this fall.

From Harry Belafonte to Living Colour, Will’s music career is one of diversity, curiosity, and exploration. His artistry spans more than three decades as one of the world’s best drummers — and he credits his mom’s heartbeat (his earliest memory) for introducing him to life’s cadence.

WILL CALHOUN

Website: https://willcalhoun.com/

Instagram: willcalhoundrum

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

Visit Kara’s website to receive updates and pre-order her new memoir, TELL ME ABOUT JOY.

Record Scratch with Kara is sponsored by Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by Adam W. Gibson

TIMESTAMPS

[01:09] Introduction: Will Calhoun

[02:47] Why write a book now?

[04:31] Pulling the pieces together

[05:36] The New York experience

[07:25] Discovering music

[09:03] Will's brother and musical neighbors

[10:58] Joining Living Colour

[12:06] Getting fired by Harry Belafonte

[14:59] Belafonte's influence and lessons

[18:22] Jazz great, Wayne Shorter

[20:37] The power of curiosity and discovery

[23:00] Geeking out

[24:44] Thinking about legacy

Nearly one in four American adults experiences family estrangement, and countless others carry invisible wounds from childhood trauma. Stephanie Weaver's story offers something rare: an honest look at pain without sensationalism, paired with a hopeful reminder that healing is possible even when reconciliation isn't.

Stephanie’s memoir, BITTER, SWEET: HOW TO HEAL YOURSELF WHEN YOUR FAMILY IS BROKEN, intertwines family recipes with a deeply personal story of trauma, resilience, estrangement, and forgiveness.

Stephanie was a guest for the RECORD SCRATCH Mother’s Day exploration of mother loss.

STEPHANIE WEAVER, MPH

Website: https://stephanieweaver.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephanieweavermph/

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

Visit Kara’s website to receive updates and pre-order her new memoir, TELL ME ABOUT JOY.

Record Scratch with Kara is sponsored by Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by Adam W. Gibson

TIMESTAMPS

[01:10] **Content warning**

[02:10] Becoming a writer

[04:02] BITTER, SWEET

[05:10] Resurfacing memories

[06:25] Mom's recipe box

[07:44] Healing therapies

[10:42] Making a trauma memoir approachable

[13:34] Estrangement and writing for others

[15:20] Response to book

[16:38] Forgiveness is for *us*

Kara and Cynthia Occelli, author of RESURRECTING VENUS, discuss growth and transformation.

Cynthia is part of the 2026 Mother’s Day weekend special series.

Topics:

• The origin of Cynthia's famous "seed" quote
• Cynthia’s journey from ninth-grade dropout and welfare mom to law school graduate and successful entrepreneur
• Her coaching philosophy: bespoke, intuition-led, and focused on connecting clients to their own inner wisdom
• Navigating today's political climate while protecting your mental and emotional health
• The foundational role of physical habits in personal transformation

CYNTHIA OCCELLI

Website: CynthiaOccelli.com

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

Visit Kara’s website to receive updates and pre-order her new memoir, TELL ME ABOUT JOY.

Record Scratch with Kara is sponsored by Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by Adam W. Gibson

TIMESTAMPS

[01:10] Introduction: Cynthia Occelli

[02:03] The "seed" quote

[06:18] The impetus for change

[07:36] Saying "I choose me"

[08:59] Role models

[11:18] Unexpected Google search results

[12:29] Helping clients focus their energy

[16:23] Resurrecting Venus and what's next?

[18:03] Cynthia’s coaching process

[20:46] Biggest challenges

[24:03] How to optimize a coach

[28:24] Moja Tu - Kenyan children