Walter Martin spent decades making and playing music, most famously with the indie rock bands Jonathan Fire*Eater and The Walkmen. Recently, he's started a new crazy good turn, helping people like you and me rediscover the joy of music through his Walter Martin Radio Hour show and Substack.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How a single instrument (like the organ) can change how you hear a song.

• Why Walter chooses positivity over rock criticism.

• Moving past the "judgmental" years to love bands you once dismissed.

• The "Crazy Good Turn" of human-to-human music discovery.

Chapters & Timed Links:

[05:07] The Austin Kleon Connection: How two creators found each other through "the magic of the internet."

[07:29] From NYC to Upstate: The origin of The Walter Martin Radio Hour.

[10:16] The Classical Club: Why Walter is diving deep into Strauss and Stravinsky.

[12:07] The Organ Episode: Learning to hear the difference between a Hammond and a Farfisa.

[21:43] Breaking the "Teenage Rules": How Walter learned to love the Grateful Dead and Neil Young.

[23:52] Walter's Favorite new musician right now.

[28:57] Walter's Songs: Discussing "The Rat" and the autobiographical beauty of "The Soldier."

[31:33] Who's done a Crazy Good Turn for Walter?

Frank Blake sits down with Goodwill Industries CEO Steve Preston and truck driver Michael West to discuss the organization's "second chance" mission. From running adult high schools in prisons to providing career paths for those overcoming addiction and incarceration, this is the story of how a 125-year-old mission is still changing lives today.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The surprising scale of Goodwill: 650 job centers and 50 adult high schools.

• Michael West's personal journey from addiction and incarceration to homeownership.

• Why Steve Preston left the C-suite and the Cabinet to lead a "difficult-to-hire" mission.

• The "Edgar Helms" philosophy: Turning charity into a chance.

• How employers can unlock a massive, untapped labor pool.

Chapters:

• [01:38] The Personal Mission: Steve Preston on transitioning from HUD Secretary to Goodwill CEO.

• [06:02] A Missionary in Boston: The 125-year history of Edgar Helms and the birth of Goodwill.

• [12:22] From Processor to Driver: Michael West shares his path from community service to a career in trucking.

• [16:55] A Goodwill Wedding: The community and family culture within the organization.

• [21:33] The Untapped Labor Pool: Why employers should look "beyond the label" of past incarceration.

• [26:52] The Future of Work: How AI and tech-skills training are reaching low-wage workers.

• [31:33] The "Internet Trash" Problem: Steve addresses the common false narratives about the organization.

We invite you to share your feedback about this show with us on social media. We're @crazygoodturns on all of the platforms.

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We appreciate your listening and sharing our episodes. Thank you!

Crazy Good Turns received more than 500 nominations from listeners like you seeking to recognize organizations that are helping others. In this show, we reveal five winners selected to receive a $10,000 grant.

They are:

The Jeffrey Deskovic Foundation: Founded by a man who was wrongly imprisoned for sixteen years. Since being exonerated, he's used his own money to free others who've been falsely accused.

Locker #505: A student clothing bank serving disadvantaged kids in Albuquerque in a special way.

Gotta Have Sole: The amazing story of a 5-year-old boy who visited a homeless shelter, wanted to help, and went on to launch a nonprofit that gives children brand new shoes.

Bridge of Hearts: A group of retired North Carolina teachers came up with a creative way to serve the needs of schoolchildren.

Golden String: An Ohio organization that provides residential care, life skills, and other support to hundreds of people with disabilities.

Don't forget to subscribe or follow us on the podcast service of your choice. If you already subscribe, we'd really appreciate a 5-star review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crazy-good-turns/id1137217687

We appreciate your listening and sharing our episodes. Thank you!