Calm it Down with Chad Lawson

On this episode of the Life in the Carolinas podcast, Carl sits down with Charlotte-based pianist and composer Chad Lawson. Ironically, Chad did not grow up in a family that listened to music, much less played instruments. What actually sparked his interest in taking piano lessons was a TV show he grew up on, Sha Na Na, and the rest is history. Chad recalls having his music used a few years back, without his permission, as a background track for the podcast Lore. He reached out to host Aaron Mahnke for a potential collaboration, and the two quickly became friends. Eventually, Lore got picked up by Amazon for a television series written by Glen Morgan of The X-Files fame. As fate would have it, Chad was their one and only choice to be the composer for the series. “All of that stemmed,” Chad reflects, “from my being okay with someone using my music.” He goes on to suggest that other artists be more open to giving other parties an opportunity to use their music. “Within limitations, I want to encourage others to do a little bit of homework, check it out, and be okay with it. [...] You never know what doors open.” Chad’s music, much like his personality, can be characterized as quiet, calm, and soothing. Ever since lockdowns were implemented in the first quarter of 2020, Chad fondly notes the explosion of emails he received from others who told him that his music had been helping them cope with the challenges. “I get those emails almost daily now,” says Chad. “I can’t travel, but I want to be able to engage. I want to get deeper into the grit of life with my listeners. I want to find a way that if I can’t speak to them from stage, how do I speak to them? [...] Why don’t I create something where I’m helping them, emotionally, walk through this?” Chad’s solution? His very own podcast, Calm It Down, a passion piece he created to help ease anxieties, COVID-induced or otherwise. He wanted the podcast to be a space for honesty and transparency, and to dissolve shame around vulnerability. As Chad openly shares from the heart on such topics as depression and suicide, he gives his audience permission to be real in a society whose knee-jerk reaction to tragedy and hardship has 3been, overwhelmingly, repression. “The very first thing we have to do is make people comfortable with awareness. We just have to make the conversation comfortable.” Chad implores us to catch ourselves whenever our self-preservation instincts kick in, when confronted with uncomfortable topics. After all, the hardest step to healing is always the first. “You have to bring the conversation to your audience. That’s how it starts.” Connect with Chad: Chad Lawson - Official Store Calm It Down | Calming & Meditation Podcast (calmitdownpodcast.com) MORE FROM LIFE IN THE CAROLINAS: Award Winning Segments — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas Brown Mountain Lights — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas Car Culture in the Carolinas — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas Carolina Theater Trail — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas Christmas in the Carolinas — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas Taste of the Carolinas — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas Honoring Veterans — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas On Route 74 — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas The Outdoors — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas The Outer Banks — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas Video Podcasts — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas Carl's Syndicated Columns — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas  

Om Podcasten

Welcome to the Life in the Carolinas Podcast. Our show features a blending of stories that are primarily based on the syndicated TV show, Carl White's Life in the Carolinas and newspaper columns written by Carl White. Like Carl often says, "It's never a bad time for a good story!" The podcast is hosted by Carl and features specials guests as they share the stories behind the stories. All too often we simply do not have enough time to share everything we would like during broadcast. This podcast will allow us the opportunity to share more information and allow our viewers and readers a chance to get to know our guests more intimately. The Carolinas offer some of the finest people, landscapes, and opportunities to explore. We have traveled to the high elevations for the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games which are considered to be among the best in the nation. We discovered the beauty of the brackish Waccamaw River and learned about the massive live oaks that predate the founding of America. In Gold Hill, NC we made a connection with the past and learned about the early days of gold mining in America. We were more than intrigued with a visit to the historic Wilcox Hotel in Aiken, SC and the stories of the Roosevelt Suite. Are the stories true? It's fun to think about the possibilities. Did you know Edgefield, SC was the home of ten South Carolina Governors and that the world-renowned Jazz musician Dizzy Gillespie was from Cheraw, SC? What about those mysterious Brown Mountain Lights in the North Carolina Mountains? They have kept people guessing for hundreds of years. Do you know what they are? The stories are abundant and only limited by how many tomorrows we have for their telling. Join us as we share our stories, traditions, charm, and southern hospitality.