June 2022

New Logo, New Offering, Member Spotlight feat Marni - CMO of music app sona

Jun 01, 2022

Lots of exciting things to share in this month’s newsletter so let’s dive right in!

New Logo

MC member & artist Bruna created these amazing logos that I am obsessed with that capture the essence of the club…and myself. I loved them both so why not have 2?

New Newsletter

In case you missed my Announcement, I am launching a new weekly newsletter called The Human Algorithm! Everyone will get a preview this month before officially launching in July. Monday mornings you will receive…

2 new mixes each week that will be curated for a specific moment, feeling + vibe
The special opportunity to submit requests for mixes so you can have your own personal “HA” moment
1 mix from my archive

Upgrade your membership before July to receive a coffee mug with the new logo :)

LA Folks

My step-mom wrote and is performing her one-woman show Tragic Magic - A Story of Recovery this month. There are 5 performances + I will be attending on June 24th for those that want to join. It is a riveting saga of tragedy, trauma, transformation and recovery with bits of song, poems and humor woven throughout.

Buy A Ticket

LAST MONTH TODAY *updated monthly*

Featuring my favorite tracks (all genres) from May ~ 8hrs

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT *Marni Wandner - CMO @ sona*

About sona: Award-winning restorative music app sona uses research-based music to empower listeners to relieve anxiety symptoms, naturally and efficiently. The app's original music is created by carefully curated artists and Grammy-winning producers using a compositional process backed by leading neuroscientists at UC Berkeley and Nielsen. The research has shown that the music reduces anxiety by increasing alpha brain waves, and lowering stress hormones, and the app's AI recommendation engine curates songs for each listener based on time of day, listening habits and the prevalence of their symptoms. sona's mission is to validate music as medicine and is in the process of achieving FDA approval to become an adjunctive treatment for Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

How did your passion for music develop? What role does music play in your life?

Growing up, there was always music in my house. Both of my parents had been in bands when they were younger (and my mom actually went on to teach music) so it was just ever-present. How I managed to leave the house without the ability to play an instrument is beyond me, but my mom and I would sing together a lot and when my uncle would come to visit, we’d have the most fun jam sessions.

My parents played a lot of music in the house: Lou Reed, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, The Cars, Tina Turner, Bruce Springsteen, Joni Mitchell, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty…Our shelves were filled with vinyl (and then CDs) both of which I would later steal to make into an endless stream of mixtapes.

Music is everything to me. I love the thrill of discovering a new favorite song, and even better, being able to share it with people.

What is your role at sona and how did you become involved?

I’m sona’s Chief Marketing Officer. Prior to joining the company, I spent about 15 years doing third party marketing for bands, labels and non-music entities like brands, books, apps etc. I ran my own agency Sneak Attack Media for 12 years until it was acquired by entertainment marketing agency The Syndicate where I was the VP of Marketing and Business Development.

In addition to music, I’ve had an interest in health and wellness for as long as I can remember and 7 years ago I got certified as a holistic health coach. I was always thinking it would be amazing to mix my love of music and wellness together, and as life would have it, I reconnected with music producer Neal Sarin who told me about this app called sona he had created, which used music based on a compositional process he created to relieve anxiety. My own struggle with anxiety is what prompted me to become a health coach so I tried the app and I was in love. I was drawn in by the research and science behind the music and then I experienced it first hand.

How has the app helped you?

I’ve noticed a palpable difference in my anxiety levels since using the app, and an overall reduction in my irritability (which is a really nice thing to see decrease haha.) I have also noticed that, though I love meditation and do practice it, listening to sona has felt more accessible to me on some days - because of time or state of mind. It’s hard to procrastinate listening to music, especially when I know that it will help.

You are also a co-founder of Equilibrium which provides holistic health coaching for the music industry. Can you share a little bit about the company and how it came to be?

Equilibrium is an initiative I started in 2019 with Nicole Blonder, a fellow holistic health coach working in the music industry. We both wanted to help the music industry become a healthier space so we started holding workshops and discussions (which moved online in 2020) and now provide coaching and also create content and workshops for other organizations.

For others that are now exploring side projects, hobbies & passions, any words of advice on how to dive in and make it into something bigger?

Focus on community. If you build a community of like-minded people who believe in the same things that you do, there is no limit to your growth. And also, make sure to take time for self-care. That can be hard when you have a career AND a side project but it's essential for both things, and you, to thrive.

What was your last concert pre-pandemic and post-pandemic?

Pre-pandemic was I think Dan Luke and the Raid at Baby’s All Right on March 2. They were a client and I remember being there with my fellow Syndicate folks and we were all like, is it ok to be here? SXSW hadn’t yet been canceled but it was a big question mark so I recall having a really great time but not fully knowing how long it would be before I saw another live show.

First two shows back were also clients, at two different ends: amazing NY-based artist called Poise at Mercury Lounge (awesome venue to make my first one back), and then Guns N’ Roses at MetLife Stadium a couple weeks later.

What are you currently listening to/recommend?

Been listening to a lot of Japanese Breakfast, Sudan Archives, Wet Leg, Valley Maker, SAULT, Empress Of, and Afriquoi. Recently discovered Pom Pom Squad, who I’m loving, and I still cannot get enough of “You Could Be” by Anz, I could listen to that track 47 times in a row.

Where do you get your music from?

A lot is from stations I create off of tracks I love on both Apple and Spotify. Also, Hype Machine and recommendations from friends, my husband, and my 5 year old niece who loves a good dance track.

Download Sona

After the initial commitment-free 7-day trial of sona premium, choose "extend trial" to enter code MUSICCLUB for 30 additional days of premium for free. No subscription needed for the trial or extended trial.