Roger Joseph Manning Jr.

Stories in Harmony with Laura Ferreiro

The renowned musician on finding balance, personal responsibility, letting go of the ego and surrendering to love.

How do we stay balanced and grounded in a world where there are so many challenges and distractions?

In this episode I talk to Roger Joseph Manning, Jr, an incredible musician who was one of the founding members of ‘90s alternative rock band Jellyfish. Since then, he's gone on to be an integral part of Beck's band as well as the Lickerish Quartet. He's performed on records for the likes of Morrissey and Johnny Cash, and has even written songs for Ringo Starr. Roger also happens to be the husband of one of my good friends. While we could talk about music for days, our conversation delves into different realms where we talk about how we approach life, spirituality, health challenges we've encountered and overcome, the lessons we’ve learned from them, and a whole lot more.

Roger is one of those rare souls who proves the old adage, “Still waters run deep.” Soft-spoken and humble, he gets deep on spiritual teachings, the human experience and how music can be a transcendent and cathartic experience. I hope you enjoy our conversation! 

The topics we discuss:

- The role music plays in our culture and how it has evolved over the years

- How life’s challenges (health challenges and otherwise) are an invitation to go deeper and explore a deeper part of yourself

- The role of spirituality and how Roger falls out of balance if he doesn’t nourish the spiritual side of himself 

- How being a successful musician is not only about being talented but also having a good business sense and marketing yourself

- Working with Beck, Morrissey and other renowned musicians 

- Roger’s role in the Lickerish Quartet and his solo projects

- The role of the ego, the teachings of Eckhart Tolle and how the unchecked ego can tell us stories that are untrue, preventing us from being present and genuinely connecting with others.

Resources:

Roger Joseph Manning Jr.’s website: https://rogerjosephmanningjrofficial.com/  

The Lickerish Quartet website: https://thelickerishquartet.com/home 

Roger on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rogerjosephmanning/?hl=en