The mission of this Music Poetry Podcast is to provide the essence of poetry in motion promoting peace, love and growth for the existence of humanity and the culture. This show will motivate, educate and inspire you with spoken word through cultural expression. It consists of musical poetry reads and storytelling from various talented poets and artists along with power messages to uplift our listeners. This is Next Man Up, Poetry In Motion.
Becoming a Mental Health Champion: Poetry, Purpose, and Honoring Avery
Spoken-word poetry and a heartfelt interview with Reggie come together to promote mental health awareness, community support, and personal resilience. Reggie shares the loss of his son Avery to suicide and how it fueled his advocacy, explaining that a mental health champion is someone who listens without judgment and acts as a supportive teammate. He discusses the Avery Burton Foundation’s education, outreach, scholarships, and Mental Health Champion Academy training built on the three Rs: recognize, respond, and refer. Reggie encourages listeners to normalize conversations about mental health, seek support early, and use culturally competent community and campus resources, and he shares his goal of having a mental health first aid-trained person in every Nevada household. He also talks about his books on depression and his political thriller, Battleborn 2050, which carries a mental health theme. Featured poets round out the hour with performances on identity, ancestry, survival, healing, love, and hope, followed by a closing message about staying poised through unexpected setbacks. Resources include 988 and AveryBurtonFoundation.org, and the episode leaves listeners with a lingering question about how the foundation will move from awareness and outreach toward broader mental health action and training.
4 Oct 2026
Writing Through the Pain: Poetry as Healing and Self-Affirmation
Poetry can be a lifeline when emotions feel too heavy to name. In this episode, Grand Slam poetry champion, author, and teacher Poetic V shares how writing began as a way to process trauma in fourth grade and grew into a lifelong tool for working through grief, including the loss of her mother and grandmother, and bringing subconscious thoughts into the open. She also discusses her book, Poetically Affirmed: A Collection of I Am Poems That Affirm You Daily, a 31-day collection of affirmations written during the pandemic. The hour features spoken-word performances from Poetic V, Donavan LeDean, Chelsea Maraee, Mei-Mei Mijares, The Unknown Odist, and others, exploring resilience, identity, self-worth, community struggles, and recovery. Donavan closes with a reminder that self-control and de-escalation protect your safety, your reputation, and your future.
13 Sept 2026
Art as Coping: Tristan Buttigieg Discusses Creativity and Resilience, Plus Spoken Word on Identity, Grief, and Discipline
This program features spoken word poetry and discussions regarding the intersection of artistic expression and mental health.
Guest Spotlight
Donavan LeDean interviews Tristan Buttigieg, a self-taught multidisciplinary artist, about his journey through music and poetry. Tristan discusses his early influences, including Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan, and how he developed a gritty writing style. He shares how managing type one diabetes and facing bullying served as catalysts for using art as a coping mechanism. Tristan highlights his current creative projects:
The published books Have Nine Lives and Perlesk.
An upcoming third poetry collection tentatively titled Va Va Voom.
A debut music album currently in progress.
Artistic Expressions
The program transitions into a series of spoken word performances focused on various themes of resilience and identity. Acamea Deadwiler presents an excerpt from her memoir, Daddy's Little Stranger, explaining the importance of distinguishing between a person's "situation" (the facts) and their "story" (the meaning) to avoid stigmatizing mental health struggles. Other featured poets include:
Joshua Gray, who performs a piece about the drive to conquer and succeed.
Mei-Mei Mijares, who shares a song regarding emotional vulnerability and healing.
Alaina Noelle, who uses the metaphor of a dishwasher to explore themes of fitting in and pressure.
Protected Poet, who discusses the complexities of grief and legal struggles within a family.
The Unknown Odist, who delivers a poem regarding the unpredictable nature of life.
Concluding Thoughts
Donavan LeDean closes the session with a message on the necessity of discipline and poise when making life decisions. He encourages listeners to analyze whether new interests are beneficial or detrimental before committing to them.
Podcast Authority Score: 8 / 100
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