Addiction: The Next Step

Music as a Lifeline: Road Recovery's Journey to Healing

• NYS OASAS

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Imagine a world where the rhythm of music serves as a lifeline for those battling addiction. Join us as we sit down with Jack Bookbinder and Gene Bowen, the minds behind Road Recovery, a transformative program using the power of music to guide young people toward recovery. Through candid conversations, we uncover their journey from music industry veterans to nonprofit champions, illustrating how their connections with legends like Tony Bennett and Eric Clapton helped craft an environment where creativity flourishes without the need for prior musical prowess. Together with partners like OASAS, Road Recovery stands as a beacon of hope, offering a supportive space for youth to express themselves and find healing in shared stories.

In an era where community support is crucial, Road Recovery carves out a niche where young people can rewrite their narratives through artistic expression, teaching them vital life skills along the way. With endorsements from industry icons and a network built on shared experiences, this initiative emphasizes the profound impact of mutual aid in the recovery process. Listen in for a special musical piece from Road Recovery, a testament to the power of hope and love in overcoming adversity. Whether you're drawn to music, recovery journeys, or simply the spirit of transformation, this episode promises to inspire and engage, encouraging everyone to take that first step toward change.

Isabel Byon:

The New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports, or OASAS, provides this podcast as a public service. Thoughts and opinions expressed do not necessarily represent or reflect those of the agency or state. This is Addiction: The Next Step.

Jerry Gretzinger:

Hello there. Once again,. I'm Jerry Gretzinger, your host for Addiction: The Next Step brought to you by the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports, and you know, hey, I'm going to bring it up again there. That's our theme song, right, there's always music that people have because it's so meaningful and so powerful and adds so much, not just to things like a podcast, but to our lives, right. Well, I say that because today's episode is going to be something that I'm sure is going to speak to you. I think people will definitely enjoy hearing about this, and it's about a program that has used music as a means to helping people through addiction and working through other adversities as well, something that's been happening for several years now, and we are so excited to have a couple of the folks sitting down to talk with us today who have helped make this program happen. It's called Road Recovery, and before I introduce them, I want to give you a chance to listen to some of the music they've been helping to produce. So let's give it a listen.

Jack Bookbinder:

We are one. We're not afraid to be heard. We are self-made. Where there is hope, there is love. There's a fire from up above.

Jerry Gretzinger:

Right, that's a tune right there from Road Recovery, and here to tell us about what it is, what it does and to explain how it all works are two of the people who are behind it, and those folks are Jack Bookbinder and Gene Bowen. They're with us now. Gentlemen, thanks so much for joining us for this podcast.

Jack Bookbinder:

Thanks Jerry, Thanks Jerry.

Jerry Gretzinger:

So, yeah, so I think you know, as I said when we first got started, music is so powerful. It can mean so many things to so many people. I love seeing it used for things like this. I want to ask first who can talk to us about what the idea behind Road Recovery is. What is its purpose today?

Gene Bowen:

Do I flip a coin Jack?

Jack Bookbinder:

Gene, our founder.

Jack Bookbinder:

I'm just co-founder.

Jack Bookbinder:

Flip a coin, Jack Gene, our founder.

Gene Bowen:

So, Jerry, yeah, our mission is to help young people develop healthy coping skills, communication skills and life skills, all through the efforts of people from the entertainment industry who have dealt with their own personal adversity. I'm in recovery since 1992, 32 years sober.

Gene Bowen:

Jack is a recovering

Jack Bookbinder:

and diabetic.

Gene Bowen:

There he is, and so what we've been able to do is allow the voice of our industry people who make their living in the industry share about what they've been through, their personal adversities and the solutions they live coupled with what they do for a living in the areas of live performance and recording. So we're not an arts program where our mission is to amplify the voices of young people, but to give them a safe space to deal, to share with what's going on in their life, get solutions from people who have walked similar paths and be able to give them a place where they can talk about what's happening in their life and then transform that into a medium that speaks to the masses, which is art, whether that's dance or whatever, that language that speaks to all of us through our hearts and through our minds.

Jerry Gretzinger:

That's tremendous. And, by the way, 32 years you mentioned. Congratulations on that. That's great.

Gene Bowen:

True miracle, thanks to the power of many people who have been there with me.

Jerry Gretzinger:

Well, and you say that and it makes me think that this program kind of speaks to that. Right that so many people, right, so you have a lot of people who come together to make this program happen. So let me ask you, if somebody is out there today and says well, you know, I love music, I've always been interested in music and certainly I might have something that this could help me through, how does that path start for someone? Okay, so we're making music, right, how do people get involved with it? Sort of what's the process to get involved and then to kind of have it help them through, like, let's say, this case, you know, treatment and recovery.

Jack Bookbinder:

Because of our partnership with OASAS, we're able to present our TRAC program after school at all these youth clubhouses from Buffalo to the Hamptons across the entire state. So if a young person affiliates with the youth clubhouse and we're presenting a TRAC program, they can come in for free and explore their creativity. Gene, I didn't know if you wanted to stand.

Gene Bowen:

Yeah. So a lot of believe it or not, Jerry a lot of the young people that come to us today don't even think they have any creativity in them. We have to remind them that they're human, you're a human being and it's there. And it's really about tapping into and exploring and, again, what it is is expressing themselves. What do you want to talk about? So, um, and that can be of anything, it could be, you know, it could be drawing, it could be writing words, it could be anything. It's just getting stuff out what, what's on your mind and what do you want to speak about as an individual, but also working as a collective, because, to your point, we work. We work as the power of we. So that's the power of we, from our staff, our mentors, but also with the group of youth that come together, how they can express themselves. So, literally, the way it is is walk in the door and we ask the question what's going on in your life, what's happening? Let's talk about it.

Gene Bowen:

And from that discussion, that group discussion generally, themes or ideas surface and those ideas then are discussed and formulated. Well, how can we express that to a larger audience, both through a live performance, but because of social media and the other avenues in which we can get a message out. How should we express that? How should we deliver that as an individual and as a collective, so that might manifest itself into a painting, or someone creates beats from which spoken word or poetry, whatever it is. We literally meet them where they're at, and that's the beautiful thing about the staff that come to this.

Gene Bowen:

You know these are people who have that creative brain, so they're not looking at things in any logical way linear, longitudinal, it's just kind of like what is it. And molding that, those ideas and those voices, into something that impacts the individual and then can also have an impact on their community, which then validates in the end, we're showing the young people that what you've been through and what you're expressing is has tremendous value and we're behind that. We want to elevate that to the highest quality from the way in which we do it in our industry. Whether it's a well-known artist on stage, it doesn't matter, or a recording project, we want to elevate that and validate your voice so that it can get out and reach a large your peers and hopefully affect people.

Jerry Gretzinger:

Yeah, how many years has the program been around now?

Gene Bowen:

Now we're in year 26.

Jerry Gretzinger:

26. So, either over time or now, I mean how many people have, how many young people or people of any age has been involved with this, have benefited from it, have gotten up there, created music and just you know been able to see the benefit that it provides.

Jack Bookbinder:

Yeah, over the years we've estimated over 50,000 young people have been touched by Road Recovery Program. That's direct programming. Outreach events we do many live concert events for the communities and over the last three-year period, concert events for the communities and over the last three-year period we've reached directly served almost 1,000 young people at the youth clubhouses. We've had to hire 50 staff members to cover all these after-school programs. So it's pretty intensive. You're coming in every week, you know, and then at the end of a three-month cycle, we're bringing professional sound and light to put on the big celebration show.

Jerry Gretzinger:

Well, we love to hear that. We need extra people to help out because it's so successful, right.

Gene Bowen:

And the generations. What Jack and I are so fortunate is we have young people that are now families. They have families, they have their careers, their lives, uh, and these were young people that were considered garbage and thrown away. And now are doctors are running construction sites, or you know, you name it. Um, they're doing it and um, they've overcome and they've, they've excelled and they're leading beautiful, happy lives and we get to see we've stuck around and stayed healthy, stayed alive ourselves that we get to see the power of this and the power of everyone, of what they're living now.

Jerry Gretzinger:

And you know I said before about how does this help people through treatment and recovery, but as we're talking about it too, and with the youth audience, that that it really targets so well, I imagine it also does quite a bit for prevention of, you know, of substance use, because you know they're able to get involved and have this, you know, something to be passionate about, excited about right.

Gene Bowen:

Yeah, it's a, it's a place where they can do something. You know, action is everything right. The devil finds work for idle hands. So you know, and unfortunately, dude, the downside of technology is isolation and is cut off from that social connection. And so we're bringing that together, of community coming together.

Gene Bowen:

And what's beautiful is, I think, the access that people from the entertainment industry who are not quote unquote in authority they're not, you know, in their lives, allows for the age, race and all of that to kind of go away. It's really the human condition and the human connection. So, you know, the span of a 15-year-old working with a 50-year-old person seems to, and that creative excitement that, like you know, we can do anything, let's create something. Just, you know, eliminates a lot of what normally would be barriers. And mentoring, you know it's, it's walk the walk.

Gene Bowen:

So, um, modeling, you know where they are, where, with the young people, it's. You know I'm, I'm able to do this work with you and I'm able to have this career in the industry because I took care of, I stay sober, or I'm addressing my diabetes or I have, you know, whatever that adversity like, because I'm living in a solution. This is the solution. So you know that gets handed down to the young people and they're seeing it in real time from the adults that are, that are there to help them and ultimately, at the end of the day, we what. What brings us to all of this is we all see ourselves in the eyes of these young people. We remember what it was like. We're trying to change that trajectory.

Jerry Gretzinger:

And you know, I know clearly I mean they're learning so much about music certainly, and I know there's some history that you guys have in the music industry and how that kind of played a role in some substance use at the time and then being able to go through treatment and recovery I would imagine that experience as well.

Jerry Gretzinger:

You know we talk about peers, right, and the importance that peers can play. You know you're working, as you know, sort of guides through this musical journey that these young people can take. But at the same time there is sort of a level of peer support you're able to give because you know some of these young people who may want to get into music and see the allure of, you know, rock and roll and whatever kind of music that might be into. But you can speak to them from an area of saying, hey, you know what I lived that life and I'm lucky to still be here at times to be able to talk about that life because of what I went through. Are there times when you were able to draw on that part of your experience as well and try to advise and support and guide these young people when they come in?

Jack Bookbinder:

Yeah, absolutely. Gene and I. We met in the music business. We were both at NYU and I was a music manager. Gene was one of the best four managers. We came together, worked with the Allman Brothers, Jeff Buckley and after that, The Strokes and both all those experiences of working in the music business. There's so many adversities with that structure and personality. And what the amazing thing is, Gene traveled around the world on all these tours and he met so many people in the music industry who told him you, you know I'm sober too, or you know, I'm willing to help if you guys get this nonprofit going. So all those experiences and that network of connections really feed through to support road recovery 26 years and on.

Jerry Gretzinger:

And I see the list of people who have lent their support and spoke highly of it and we you know, we have the late Tony Bennett, obviously, but Dennis Leary, Eric Clapton, Kiss I see on the list Slash, Joe Walsh, Ozzy Osbourne, all people who have said you're doing good work. You know, if someone is out there listening and says, yeah, you know, I like music, I'm into it, I could use a place to go, but they have reservations, they're not sure what would you say to them to welcome them into this organization, this group, to try to start benefiting from it?

Gene Bowen:

Just show up. The hardest thing is just showing up, and it's a very open, free-flowing environment. And the fact that we, the adults, the mentors involved, are very open about our lives creates a safe space for the young people. And it's it's we say to them you don't have to, you don't have to show up with anything, just show up yourself and the rest will happen. And there's no prerequisite, there's no skill set y ou need. Just come, come and check it out.

Jerry Gretzinger:

That's all I was going to ask you. Talk about any skill set you need. Some people may say I don't sing, I don't play an instrument. What could I contribute?

Gene Bowen:

We've had young people who, like I said, a lot of them show up that never touched an instrument. What is that? That's a drum kit. And then all of a sudden they find themselves as a drummer. Or we've had young people who are like I really don't want to be on stage, it just doesn't work for me. Well, they'll work behind the scenes or maybe they'll write something. But someone else within the group will say well, I'll step up and present your piece, I'll present your words. So there's a place for everyone in what we're doing, and the openness and the creativity that we come to the table or our staff come to the table is exciting. And that's where it's like we're not looking for to reproduce, to do the same thing.

Gene Bowen:

We've had programs where the end result was a puppet show. There was no music involved. The youth came together and they decided no, we want to speak through creating a puppet. They built a whole puppet set. They did all, and then they leaned into the Road Recovery staff to create a soundtrack that went along with the puppet show and that's what they presented. So we're all like, wow, we never thought of that. And that's the great thing about young people is they're they're fearless, they're not contaminated with ideas, they haven't been taught any specific whatever. They're just reactive to how they're feeling and that's the exciting part of that fearlessness that they have and that's what we can build on and that's the great thing. So, whatever they come to the table with or idea, we always say as long as it doesn't hurt you or hurt someone else, game on, we'll make this work.

Jerry Gretzinger:

That's great and I like the one thing you said there. You said there's a place for everyone and that's certainly a message we want to drive home.

Gene Bowen:

Absolutely, and as we all know, especially in the context of recovery, the best way to help yourself is to help someone else, and that's the power of this, and you know as much as people say. Oh well, the organization gives back to the young people. Those young people are saving our ass, the young people are the ones who help us get through each day. And it's you know, it's, you know the miracle, the mystery. If you want to say that that happens when people come together to try to help each other, you can go anywhere

Jerry Gretzinger:

I'm sorry, did you want to say something there?

Jack Bookbinder:

No, I would just say agreed each and every day. Imagine having diabetes and those challenges, and I've learned so much from Gene and the staff and the kids. Take it one day at a time. You know. Do all seven things in order to keep my fingers and toes. So I'm extremely grateful for Road Recovery, saving my life as well.

Jerry Gretzinger:

And so I know you guys mentioned a couple times the youth clubhouses, so I want to give out some information here. If anybody wants information real easy, go to our website, oasas. ny. gov, o-a-s-a-s. Dot N-Y, dot. G-o-v, and you can navigate on there right to the clubhouses, or just do a search online OASAS, Youth Clubhouses. It'll take you right to it and that'll be your start down the road of making some beautiful music, as we like to say.

Jerry Gretzinger:

Guys, thanks so much for sitting down and talking to us this afternoon. I'm sure yeah, I'm pretty sure we have more music that we want to wrap up this episode with that has been created through the program. So, guys, thank you again. I really appreciate the time you've taken to share the story with us today.

Jack Bookbinder:

Thanks, Jerry.

Gene Bowen:

Thanks Jerry.

Jerry Gretzinger:

All right, all the best and continue to good luck with it. Listen, thanks so much everybody for checking out our podcast today, and instead of our usual theme music, what you're hearing right now is more music from Road Recovery. Hope you'll check it out, and if you're a young person that wants to get involved, we'll support that idea. Be well.

Jack Bookbinder:

Where there is hope, there is love. There's a mile from up above. We come together to be as one. We stand strong.

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