One Song, One Story | Where Music Meets Memory

About One Song, One Story | Where Music Meets Memory

One Song, One Story is where music meets memory. Each guest brings one song that changed their life, and with host Shubeeh Imam, unpacks the story it holds — the love, loss, hope, and healing behind every note. It’s a celebration of how songs shape our lives and connect us to something deeper. If you love soulful stories, honest emotion, and the beauty of music that truly moves you, you’ll love this show.

Publisher

North of Normal | Storytelling Through Music

Category

music

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

9 Oct 2025

Latest episode

2 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

30 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   2 Oct 2026

   S3:E6 - They Said I’d Never Read… This Song Kept Me Going - Don't Stop Believin' by Journey

   What happens when the song that keeps you going becomes the soundtrack to solving what everyone else says is impossible? In this episode of One Song One Story, I’m joined by Russell Van Brocklin, a dyslexia researcher whose journey began with being told he had a first grade reading level and eventually led him to redesign how dyslexia can be taught. Russell brings “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey, a song that has stayed with him from childhood through decades of setbacks, breakthroughs, research, and relentless persistence. What started as a song he loved in elementary school became something much bigger when he was forced to confront failure, teach himself to read and write at a higher level, and keep going when the odds said he shouldn’t. This conversation moves through dyslexia, education, resilience, obsession, and the kind of stubborn determination it takes to stay with a problem for 25 years. Russell shares how this song became a tool not just for his own perseverance, but for helping children and parents push through moments when they felt like giving up. We talk about: dyslexia and how differently the brain can work why “Don’t Stop Believin’” became Russell’s anchor music as motivation and momentum the long road from failure to innovation teaching kids to push through frustration and what belief looks like when it’s tested over and over again If you’ve ever had a song that helped you keep moving when everything felt stacked against you, this episode will resonate. ⏱️ Chapters / Timestamps 00:00 Intro 00:11 What this episode is about 00:58 Welcome Russell Van Brocklin 02:11 If today were a song 03:01 The work Russell does in dyslexia research 07:50 Early memories of music 10:54 Music, movies, and the freedom of the 80s 14:11 Song reveal: Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey 15:07 Why this song has stayed with Russell 19:12 Why this was the only song choice 20:50 First hearing the song in elementary school 21:43 Lyrics, tempo, and what first hit 23:29 What the song makes him feel now 26:27 How the meaning has evolved over time 27:40 Using the song to keep going through impossible problems 28:45 Russell’s dyslexia method explained 35:06 Why kids still connect with the song 36:39 If the song were a film scene 40:13 Who Russell would want to cover it 43:14 What the song symbolizes most today 45:57 Where to find Russell and his work 46:19 Closing

2. 

   4 Sept 2026

   S3:E5 - "The Song That Helped Me Survive" | Embrace the Light by Crowbar

   Some songs don’t make you feel better. They help you survive. In this episode of One Song One Story, I sit down with Andrew Davey, a writer, musician, and filmmaker whose life was reshaped by a ruptured brain aneurysm, and later by becoming a caregiver to his mother following her ALS diagnosis. Andrew brings a song that became more than music. 🎶 “Embrace the Light” by Crowbar A heavy metal track that carried him through recovery, fear, emotional disconnection, and the quiet responsibility of caring for someone you love. We explore: Music as a mantra when words fail Emotional recovery after brain injury Finding meaning inside suffering Heavy music as a source of calm and grounding Why endurance is sometimes the bravest form of hope How songs arrive at exactly the right moment This is not a conversation about music theory. It’s about what songs do for us when life demands everything. 👇 If a song has helped you through something hard, share it in the comments. 00:00 Intro: endurance, recovery, and finding light 01:01 Welcome Andrew Davey 02:47 If today were a song: endurance and silver linings 03:23 Finding joy in hidden moments 03:56 Connector song: Man in Me by Bob Dylan 05:38 Andrew’s creative background and filmmaking 07:58 Writing as the most autonomous creative outlet 10:37 Letting go of publishing as the goal 13:01 Early music memories: Run DMC and Guns N’ Roses 14:07 Discovering rock, grunge, and Nirvana 15:38 Falling in love with heavy metal 18:15 Creating a heavy metal podcast in Hong Kong 19:15 Music as background, rhythm, and daily companion 20:09 Heavy metal vs jazz and classical 21:10 Music as situational and state shifting 22:40 Andrew’s mother as a podcast guest 25:20 Genre labels and why they exist 26:52 Music as energy release 28:58 Music as a tool for shifting state 29:31 Introducing today’s song 30:02 Song reveal: Embrace the Light by Crowbar 31:26 Light and heavy living together 32:41 Why this song matters now 33:10 Aneurysm recovery and caring for his mother 34:43 The moment the song truly clicked 35:40 “I will carry on” as a mantra 36:31 How the song found him 37:42 Nothing is accidental 38:43 The antenna metaphor and openness 39:33 Emotional recovery after brain injury 40:34 Finding something worth carrying on for 41:34 Caring for his mother as purpose 42:09 COVID as an unexpected silver lining 43:32 Spiritual realism and acceptance 44:15 The farmer parable and withholding judgment 45:38 Emotional disconnection and unexpected strength 48:16 Choosing optimism as practice 49:27 Trauma, humour, and perspective 52:15 Choosing how to respond to pain 52:30 The song as soundtrack for endurance 53:10 Who should cover the song 55:13 Final reflections 56:39 Where to find Andrew 57:13 Closing ⏱️ Chapters / Timestamps

3. 

   7 Aug 2026

   S3:E4 - I Heard This Song… and Realised I Didn’t Like the Man I’d Become | Man In The Mirror by Michael Jackson

   What happens when a song you’ve known your whole life suddenly becomes the thing that saves you? In this episode of One Song One Story, I’m joined by Willie Thornton, also known as Wild Willie. DJ, podcaster, father, and someone who grew up in chaos and found healing through music. Willie brings “Man in the Mirror” by Michael Jackson, a song that hit him in a completely new way during one of the lowest moments of his life. After his divorce, carrying the weight of a difficult childhood, a toxic marriage, addiction, anger, and self hatred, Willie heard the song in the car and had to pull over. In that moment, he knew something had to change. This conversation is about survival, self reflection, fatherhood, healing, and the courage it takes to look at yourself honestly and choose a different path. We talk about how music can help us move through grief, anger, and pain, and why some songs become more than songs. They become lifelines. We explore: childhood trauma and resilience divorce, addiction, and rebuilding music as emotional healing why “Man in the Mirror” became a turning point fatherhood and learning to love yourself again how one song can help you become who you’re meant to be If you’ve ever had a song meet you in the middle of your darkest moment and somehow point you toward the light, this episode will resonate. 00:00 Intro 00:11 What this episode is about 01:04 Welcome Willie Thornton 01:52 If today were a song 02:34 A song that connects host and guest 04:18 Willie’s podcast: Soul Impact, How Music Saved Us 06:16 Early memories of music and survival 08:25 Using music to move through the five stages of grief 12:15 Song reveal: Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson 12:57 Why this was the obvious choice 13:26 Divorce, childhood wounds, and not liking who he’d become 14:38 The moment the song broke him open 18:27 Early memories of hearing Michael Jackson 21:42 What hit hardest in the song 24:47 Rebuilding life after divorce 28:41 What the song means now 30:28 Survivor mindset vs victim mindset 32:17 Music, fatherhood, and healing 33:24 Accomplishment, reflection, and growth 44:57 Thoughts on covering such an iconic song 46:37 What stands out to Willie now 48:55 Where to find Willie and his work 50:09 Final message and goodbye

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.