How Healing Appalachia Uses Music to Fight the Opioid Crisis | Dave Lavender

Have you ever wondered how a music festival can literally save lives? How do you turn grief, stigma, and addiction into community, recovery, and real-world solutions? In this episode of From Vision to Creation, Alexander sits down with a journalist-turned-community organizer and board member behind Healing Appalachia—the grassroots movement and festival supported by artists like Tyler Childers and Chris Stapleton—for a candid conversation about empathy, harm reduction, and building a solutions-first culture where there’s no “us vs. them,” only us. Our guest shares how a small-town upbringing rooted in service shaped his worldview, why storytelling matters in recovery, and the nuts and bolts of transforming a volunteer-led idea into a multi-day festival that distributes Naloxone, connects people with 90+ recovery service providers, funds music therapy, and launches workforce programs for people in recovery. We get into stigma, statistics, and what actually works—from Quick Response Teams to sober-friendly events and the power of connection (including support from the Matthew Perry Foundation). If you’re an artist, organizer, policymaker, or anyone who wants to turn compassion into action, this conversation will give you a blueprint you can use today. In this interview, you’ll learn: Why “don’t judge someone by their worst day” is more than a slogan—it’s a system design principle How storytelling + community organizing scale recovery faster than shame and silence What reduced U.S. overdoses from ~110,000 to ~80,000 in a year—and why we must double down How Healing Appalachia distributes 20,000+ doses of Naloxone and normalizes carrying it The role of music therapy, sober spaces, and “California sober” paths in real recovery How volunteers in recovery gain career pathways (stagehand certifications, touring jobs—even Metallica!) Practical steps families and friends can take to help without burning out How to start where you are (you don’t need to launch Farm Aid—start with one small show) 🎙️ Hosted by Alexander Schmieding In this interview, we discuss: 0:00 Intro 1:31 Growing up in service: pastors, steelworkers, and learning empathy 3:57 Finding a voice through books, music, and journalism 6:34 From reporter to organizer: neighborhood institutes & creative placemaking 7:48 The opioid crisis in Appalachia: scale, causes, and human stories 14:14 What’s working: QRTs, first-responder wellness, Lily’s Place, Project Hope 18:51 Why overdose deaths are falling—and how to keep momentum 21:19 Origin of Healing Appalachia: tiny start → movement 29:05 The Role of Community and Connection 32:12 Music and Art as Healing Tools 35:10 Empowering Change: Healing Appalachia’s Mission & Early Challenges 38:30 Musicians as Second Responders 39:30 Adapting During COVID-19 41:25 Expanding the Festivals Impact 43:10 Empowering People in Recovery 47:49 Mental Health and Community 54:40 Hope and Harm Reduction 59:11 Future Vision for Healing Appalachia  1:02:51 How to Get Involved and Make a Difference 1:06:02 Advice and Reflections Episode Resources: https://healingappalachia.org https://www.instagram.com/healingappalachia/ https://www.tiktok.com/@healingappalachia https://www.matthewperryfoundation.org https://www.instagram.com/fromvisiontocreation https://www.tiktok.com/@fromvisiontocreation https://www.instagram.com/alexschmieding Related artists & allies mentioned: Tyler Childers, Chris Stapleton, Molly Tuttle, Remi Wolf, Infamous Stringdusters, Trey Anastasio Subscribe for more conversations with visionaries turning ideas into reality. This podcast is brought to you by Proper Placement – a full-service marketing agency helping businesses grow through social media, paid advertising, PR, email, and more. Learn more at www.properplacement.com Produced and edited by Proper Placement – https://www.properplacement.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices