DJ and music industry coach Milly on Air speaks with people from the world of electronic music who are recovering from addiction, mental illness and trauma as she sets out to understand how they came back from the darkest of places and the role that music, art and creativity played in their recovery as well as it's place in their lives now. These are real and raw conversations that explore how inspriring, brave and funny people have turn their past pain into unstoppable passion and purpose.
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HOW TO DANCE SOBER- with BEN LEWIS ( MAKE A DANCE / M.A.D RECORDS)
In this episode of Back 2 Life, I’m joined by Ben Lewis-DJ, producer, and one half of Make A Dance who shares an honest, unfiltered account of his nine-year journey in recovery, reflecting on the challenges, trade-offs, and unexpected rewards of staying sober while building a global career in dance music.
This conversation was recorded as part of a live session inside the online sober January community for people working in the music industry created by Back 2 Life host Milly on Air.
In this episode, we cover:
Ben’s journey into sobriety and early recovery
Navigating nearly a decade as a sober DJ
Performance anxiety and playing shows without substances
The realities of afterparties, networking, and “doing business” sober
How relationships -personal and professional -shift in recovery
The evolving relationship with music and creativity
What sobriety takes away vs. what it gives back
Fear, identity, and rebuilding confidence in nightlife spaces
Finding connection and community with other sober artists
The ripple effect of sobriety on those around him
I absolutely loved this conversation and know it will be incredibly insightful and inspiring to any sober or sober curious folks who are engaged with dance music, one of the key moments for me was Ben describing how the dancefloor has become his safe place since he found his sober feet!
Find out more about Make A Dance here: https://www.instagram.com/make.a.dance/
Ben Lewis: https://www.instagram.com/ben_realnice/
Host Milly on Air https://www.instagram.com/milly_on_air_/
Milly's music industry coaching practice here: https://www.musicindustrycoachmilly.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
15 Oct 2025TRANSCRIPT
Ceri: The Power of Self Trust in Music and Health
DJ Ceri reveals to host Milly On Air her journey of healing from chronic illness through meditation and functional medicine, highlighting self-trust as key to unlocking creativity in music and life in this interview.
29 Apr 2025TRANSCRIPT
Tristan Hunt- Managing ADHD in the music industry
ADHD coach Tristan Hunt discusses his journey to diagnosis and how he helps music industry professionals manage ADHD symptoms, including practical tips for managing anxiety and thought patterns in this interview with Milly on Air.
Inside a recent episode
BEN ( MAKE A DANCE)
Published 25 Mar 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] And actually that, like, pushing yourself to go up and speak to someone you admire in the industry or, you know, whoever it is, you know, it's generally a really positive experience I've found. And it's just, like, I actually get to parties early now. You know, I used to arrive really late. I actually get there early because I find that, like, You catch people before they get completely wasted, you know? And it's just like you can actually have those quite meaningful conversations while everyone... And also with everyone else getting looser, it makes small talk easy even for the sober person because people are way more forthcoming. […]
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