GLEN PHILLIPS: A LESSON IN THE PRESENT TENSE Since founding chart-topping band Toad the Wet Sprocket and rising to prominence in the ‘90s, Glen Phillips has been creating an alchemy of carefree indie pop weighted with themes of vulnerability and personal introspection.  Now the accomplished singer-songwriter finds himself balancing the quest to stay healthy in mind and body while doing what he does best: touring and performing, taking on new challenges like climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, and leading communal singing groups, all while coming to terms with his place in the world. TOPICS DISCUSSED ON THIS EPISODE: · Staying healthy and balanced on tour, and the importance of relaxation and meditation · Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, the challenges Phillips faced and how it changed his outlook on life · The power of music to bring people together · Why communal singing is a human birth-right and can be as effective as therapy · How to stay true to your artistry while making a living · Star Trek tattoos · The shifting face of the music industry and how to find a place within it · Does material wealth bring happiness? · Philanthropy and the important link between wealth and responsibility · The 2020 U.S. presidential race · The conflict between limiting the use of social media and staying connected in a demanding digital world. RESOURCES: Glen Phillips’ website African Women Rising Sierra Club The Hoping Machine The Wholehearted Chorus Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer The Biggest Little Farm documentary film Courage to Lead Poet David Whyte’s website