In this episode Ari’s brass band comes into the studio to raise money for the WGDR FunDrive! It's a total party. Brass Balagan plays some tunes, talks about their role as an activist street band, and does some fun weird stuff made up on the spot for fundraising stretch goals.

If you want to support our community radio station for this FunDrive and beyond, go to https://www.wgdr.org/donate

We want to hear from you! What are you struggling with in this moment? What questions would be useful for us to try to answer? How can this show practically serve you as you navigate surviving under oppressive systems, finding your place in the movement ecosystem, or making your organizing more effective?

Email us at themomentgiven@gmail.com

Thanks to Central Vermont Community Radio and WGDR for being the mothership for our show. They are doing great community building media work in central Vermont. Check out all the rad programming and consider supporting at WGDR.org.

Songs covered by Brass Balagan in this episode:

Mahalageasca from Mahala Rai Banda

Negus Yaya from Les Vilains Chicots

Shmink Dabby from Lettuce

Gross from Balkan Beatbox

Wannabe from The Spice Girls

The Enemy Guns from DeVotchKa

Turkish March(a capella) from Jean Baptiste Lully

Fiesta de Negritos from Fanfare Ciocarlia and Puerto Candeleria, composed by Lucho Bermúdez

This episode originally aired on 9/27/26

In this episode: we get some professional help from a shrink! We discuss the concept of overwhelm with therapist and friend of the show Margot Kelly, dig into the ways it manifests in our own lives, and learn a couple exercises to help us self-regulate. Time to brush up on our vagals! (It's not dirty, we swear!)

We want to hear from you! What are you struggling with in this moment? What questions would be useful for us to try to answer? How can this show practically serve you as you navigate surviving under oppressive systems, finding your place in the movement ecosystem, or making your organizing more effective?

Email us at themomentgiven@gmail.com

Thanks to Central Vermont Community Radio and WGDR for being the mothership for our show. They are doing great community building media work in central Vermont. Check out all the rad programming and consider supporting at WGDR.org.

Our theme song is the classic labor tune Which Side Are You On, as performed by Rude Mechanical Orchestra, a fantastic activist street band from NYC. Plus we smushed Gandalf in there.

Music Played:

‘an angel will be with you shortly’ by Jake Chapman

‘Peaceful Place’ by Leon Bridges

‘Sadeness - Part I/ Extended Trance Mix' by Enigma

This episode originally aired on 9/9/26

In this episode: we've got a theme, we promise! We hype up our radio’s fundraising auction, react to a surprisingly deep mini-interview with Ari’s housemate Kaye, and learn how Ari turned Iris into a harmonica virtuoso in a single lesson!

This episode includes time-sensitive fundraising material that may not be relevant by the time you listen, but we gotta keep our beloved local radio station funded! If you feel so inspired you can check out WGDR.org for information on how to get involved in helping keep local radio in Vermont thriving!

We want to hear from you! What are you struggling with in this moment? What questions would be useful for us to try to answer? How can this show practically serve you as you navigate surviving under oppressive systems, finding your place in the movement ecosystem, or making your organizing more effective?

Email us at themomentgiven@gmail.com

Our theme song is the classic labor tune Which Side Are You On, as performed by Rude Mechanical Orchestra, a fantastic activist street band from NYC. Plus we smushed Gandalf in there.

Music Played:

‘Up & Down’ by Vengaboys

This episode originally aired on 8/12/26