Dan Didier: The Promise Ring, Maritime and coping with anxiety through music

What Safe In Sound is all about. 

Rachael Dietkus is a social worker, designer, and founder of Social Workers Who Design, an organization that helps and teaches designers to create from a trauma-informed lens. Rachael was also a part of the late 90's and early 2000's Midwest emo scene, as part of the skate scene and playing violin in the band Very Secretary with Braid's first drummer, Roy Ewing. Listen as we talk about Rachael's time in the band and her career as a social worker, designer and how she melded the two into something special. 

In this episode, I'm joined by Dan Didier, drummer for the legendary Midwest emo band The Promise Ring. Dan sits down with us for a conversation that’s equal parts funny and refreshingly honest as we dive into drumming, recording, and the creative process behind the kit. We also get into something deeper — how playing drums became an outlet for managing anxiety and stress, and the role music can play in mental health. Dan opens up about his experiences with vulnerability, creativity, and finding balance both on and off stage, including his work with Maritime. It’s a conversation full of laughs, real talk, and plenty of insight for musicians, fans, and anyone who’s ever used music to cope.

Ben Jorgensen is the lead singer and guitar player for Armor For Sleep. Ben and I chronicle his journey through his younger years as he was awakened to the NJ punk scene, his journey in vulnerability in songwriting and overcoming failure. 

In this episode of Safe In Sound, I’m joined by Andy Squyres for a real, honest conversation about faith, identity, and what happens when the Christian story you were handed starts to fall apart. We talk about disrupting the Christian narrative, stepping outside of the “safe” version of belief, and what it means to enter the uncomfortable space—the darkness—without rushing to fix it, explain it away, or slap hope on top of it too soon. This is an episode for anyone who’s felt trapped inside religion, confused by deconstruction, or exhausted by toxic positivity. If you’ve ever wondered “What if I don’t believe the way I used to?” or “Who am I without this framework?”—you’re not alone. Andy brings insight, humor, and depth as we explore what it looks like to rebuild meaning from the ground up, and how stepping into the unknown can sometimes be the most honest form of faith there is. 🎧 Press play for a conversation that’s raw, thoughtful, and deeply human.

Knox Burnett is a friend and colleague practicing trauma therapy out of Seattle, Washington. In this episode, Knox and I talk about how music and therapy correlate to provide healing in one's own life. 

Greg Swinehart, the former drummer of the band the Pale Pacific, has performed with Fair and Rose Blossom Punch. In this episode, we explore Greg's life and music career as well as his journey into finding out what helping people really means.    If you like the Podcast, Subscribe! You can find us on all major Podcasting platforms at Welcome to the Scene Podcast. Instagram TikTok Youtube

Bob Nanna is the lead singer and guitarist behind Braid, Hey Mercedes and the City on Film. In this episode, Bob discusses his childhood in Chicago, his adoption, the search for his birth parents, and how music served as an outlet for his emotions and his journey to therapy. 

It is hard to sum up the work of Chad Johnson in a snippet. Chad had an enormous impact on the post-hardcore and emo scene in the early 2000's and therefore the scene even to this day. Band like Underoath, Hopesfall, Further Seems Forever all got their start on either Chad Johnson's Takehold Records or put out songs on splits or compilations under Chad. Chad also did A&R for Tooth and Nail in the early 2000's, helping bands on the label excele. Chad is also the man behind the inception and continuance of Furnace Fest in Birmingham ,Alabama which has created both one of the scenes most iconic festivals and communities. Chad is known by most musicians and people as one of the most positive people you will ever meet, but this year was a year that almost broke Chad. Listen as we talk about Chad's story and his struggle with his own mental health in this episode.

Send us a text Stacy Hilt is a founding member and bass player for the bands Coalesce and The Casket Lottery, both of which have had a remarkable impact on the music scene.  In this episode, we go over a myriad of topics about his life. We explore his introduction to music and his ventures into Krishna Core, how growing up in a lower socio-economic status affected his life and mental health, his time with the Casket Lottery for over 2 decades, and how it felt to decide to leave the band.  Most importantly, we talk about Stacy's own struggles with his mental health and being diagnosed with Bipolar II disorder later on in life. Stacy provides a candid look at how music has both been therapy and, at times, a hindrance to his own mental health.  If you like the Podcast Subscribe! You can find us on all major Podcasting platforms at Welcome to the Scene Podcast. Instagram TikTok Youtube