Music doesn’t just reflect culture—it shapes how we understand love, identity, and power.

Music doesn’t just reflect culture—it shapes how we understand love, identity, and power.

In this episode of The Dream Room with Amytra, Dr. Lee E. Ross, author of Musical Lyrics and Domestic Violence: The Soundtracks of Our Lives, explores how popular music lyrics can normalize control, silence, and harm within intimate relationships. We examine how repeated narratives influence beliefs about romance, gender roles, and self-worth—and what it means to recognize these patterns.

Through research, lived insight, and cultural analysis, this conversation centers survivor awareness, reclamation of identity, and the role music plays in both harm and healing.

If you or someone you know is experiencing intimate partner violence, support is available. In the U.S., the National Domestic Violence Hotline is available at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).

Dr. Lee E. Ross is a researcher and author whose work focuses on the intersection of music, culture, and intimate partner violence. Her book, Musical Lyrics and Domestic Violence: The Soundtracks of Our Lives, examines how popular music influences social norms and relationship expectations.

Mentioned Song: Fly Like a Bird by Mariah Carey

https://youtu.be/b_pmdX9wHLo?si=MFMBuK0T-8W2xF7c

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Podcast / Society & Culture, Personal Journeys, Education

© 2026 Amytra

English

#D4VD #DomesticViolence #MusicAndIdentity

The first episode told the label’s story.

This one gives the microphone to the artist.

In Part 2 of The Music Industry Is Broken, Amytra sits down with Dave "Ouzo" Land, country rock indie artist whose journey intersects with Blue Tree Records and Harvest Moon Studios. Following CEO Michael Peterson’s perspective in Part 1, Dave shares what it’s actually like to live on the other side of the industry — where ambition, power, and reality collide.

This episode exposes the emotional and professional cost of chasing music in a system many artists say is broken, and why so many voices never get heard.

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What if I told you one of the most radical moves in music today isn’t signing with a major label — but walking away from streaming altogether? On this episode, I sit down with Michael Peterson, founder of Harvest Moon Studios and Blue Tree Records, who’s building a creative sanctuary for indie artists — a subscription-based model where musicians pay for weekly access to recording, live-stream rooms, and show hosting. No gatekeepers. No corporate roadmap. Just artistic freedom, community, and real infrastructure.

Michael argues this is how true musical careers flourish — not by chasing a record deal, but by investing in yourself. As we dig into his vision, we also confront the dark side of the current system — through the shocking story of Karra, an independent artist who poured $100,000 of her own money into her debut album, only to have Spotify take it all down, without warning. Her emotional YouTube documentary sparked outrage and opened a raw conversation about power, control, and creators getting left behind.

This is more than a music-business talk. It’s a challenge: Can we re-imagine how artists build and sustain their careers — on their own terms?

Tune in if you want to hear:

• Why Michael believes subscription-based creation is the future
• The emotional and financial fallout when a platform like Spotify pulls the rug out
• How indie artists are pushing back — building real ecosystems for their art

Links you need:

• Harvest Moon Studios / Michael Peterson: Harvest Moon Studios
• KARRA / https://share.google/bRxDUaxk6Gl4iWpts

#IndieArtist

#MusicIndustry

#Spotify

#IndependentMusic

#MusicCreator

#ArtistRights

#MusicBusiness

#IndieMusicCommunity

#PodcasterLife

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