Life in Seven Songs

Damian Woetzel got addicted to dance when he was 11 years old. While his “dirty secret” is that ballet was never that hard for him, his experience as a young boy in the world of dance wasn’t always easy.

In this episode, Damian takes us backstage on his remarkable journey from being called “twinkle toes” in high school, to becoming a principal dancer and choreographer for the New York City Ballet, to his influential second act as the president of The Juilliard School and an advocate for arts education. Here are his songs.

Knee Play 5 - Philip Glass

We are the World 1985 - USA for Africa

More Than This - Roxy Music

Fast Car - Tracy Chapman

Tom Traubert’s Blues - Tom Waits

Other Song - Caroline Shaw

Freedom - Jon Batiste

Listen to Damian Woetzel’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at [email protected].

At the age of 16, David Archuleta captured hearts as the runner-up on American Idol. But behind the charismatic performer on stage was a young man struggling to reconcile his Mormon upbringing with his queer identity. In this episode, David shares how he nearly got married to women several times, contemplated suicide, and ultimately let go of everything he’d been taught it meant to be “good.” Here are his songs:

Fast Car - Tracy Chapman

Amor Prohibido - Selena

It’s Okay To Cry - SOPHIE

Jireh - Elevation Worship & Maverick City Music (feat. Chandler Moore, Naomi Raine)

If It’s Not God - Maddie Zahm

Hell Together - David Archuleta

Freedom! - George Michael



Listen to David Archuleta's full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at [email protected].

 David Sheff’s memoir Beautiful Boy became a #1 New York Times bestseller and a major film, chronicling his son Nic’s harrowing battle with meth addiction. But before that, David was a music journalist who interviewed legends like John Lennon and Yoko Ono—an encounter that unexpectedly shaped his future as a father. In this episode, David traces how music once brought him joy, then grief—and, ultimately, a way back to his beautiful boy. Here are his songs.

Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) - John Lennon 

Why - Yoko Ono

Strawberry Fields Forever - The Beatles 

Astral Weeks - Van Morrison

Smells Like Teen Spirit - Patti Smith

This Must Be the Place (Naïve Melody) - Talking Heads

Listen to David Sheff’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at [email protected].

Richard Misrach is one of the most influential photographers of his generation, known for his haunting, large-scale images of the American West. His work captures both the region’s breathtaking beauty and the profound ways humans have altered the landscape. His photographs are housed in the collections of MoMA, the Whitney, and the Getty—but for Misrach, they serve a deeper purpose: creating a historical record. Here are his songs.

Angel from Montgomery - Bonnie Raitt 

Misirlou - Dick Dale & The Del Tones

Effendi - McCoy Tyner Trio

The Times They Are a-Changin’ - Bob Dylan 

Music for 18 Musicians -  Steve Reich  

La Vie en Rose - Grace Jones

The Garden - Jacob Bloomfield-Misrach

Listen to Richard Misrach’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com.

See some of the art mentioned in this episode here: https://sfstandard.com/2025/03/18/richard-misrach-photographer-life-in-seven-songs/

Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at [email protected].

Journalist, author, and playwright Sarah Shourd shares the songs that helped her though a childhood steeped in violence and poverty, and the 410 days she spent in solitary confinement as a political hostage in Iran. From screaming along to Rage Against the Machine as a teenager to belting out ‘Crazy’ by Seal in her prison cell, Sarah’s always used her voice. Now, she speaks out against the use of solitary confinement in U.S. prisons and mass incarceration. Here are her songs.

She’s Got her Ticket - Tracy Chapman 

Killing in the Name -  Rage Against the Machine

Crazy - Seal

At Last - Etta James

ELEMENT. - Kendrick Lamar 

Suit of Armour - Danika Smith 

This Joy - Resistance Revival Chorus

Listen to Sarah Shourd’s full playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at lifeinsevensongs.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at [email protected].