Interview: The Cage & How To Escape — With a Focus on Music's Cultural Influence

During the early Noodlehead Marketing era, I originally connected with Ivan Alfaro. We became friends and stay in touch over the years. He was one of the first few that participated in my Inspirational People interview when it was a written version (2019). 

Now in 2022, Ivan has launched a new podcast — From Pain to Gain — and Youtube Channel — Leaving the Rat Cage and I've joined him to discuss the music industry. We explore how culture (particularly music) influences us. We walk through Ivan's C.A.G.E. framework which stands for Complacency, Atrophy, Guilt, and Escape as the guiding structure for the conversation.

Discussion Topics

Here's a list of the topics we hit on throughout our conversation.

• How music affects our brain and the impact of repetition
• Ivan shares his concept, CAGE (complacency, atrophy, guilt, and escape)
• How our seasons of "wandering in the desert" can be redeemed in later seasons of life
• The impact of words
• Letting go of music we like because it has problematic content or messages
• Choosing (or not) what we consume
• Autonomy versus duty. My way or God's way?
• Simplicity and complexity
• Atrophy as compared to strength
• Being vulnerable and broken
• Guilt and shame. Is the guilt we're feeling something we are actually guilty for? And if we are guilty, has that guilt been absolved?
• Intergenerational cycles of brokenness
• Facing and fleeing suffering: Walking through tragedy towards the light for a greater purpose
• Designing our life versus living within a design of life
• Our dependency, as humans
• Facing our fears, directly

Listen to the Conversation

If you prefer to listen to the conversation, you can do so below or use this link.

Watch This Discussion

Click here to watch this conversation directly on Youtube here or using the embed below.

P.S. I also guest-hosted another one of Ivan's From Pain to Gain Podcast Episodes about handling a probate where 4 siblings are at each other's throats. Click here to listen.