Why Make Music… Episode 039 - "When The Music Stops"

Why Make Music… Episode 039: “When The Music Stops”

In this heartfelt and revealing episode, ThinkTimm and DJ Warm Cookies (aka Willa May) sit down to explore grief, tradition, and the deeply personal choices that come with honoring a loved one’s passing. Following the recent loss of ThinkTimm’s grandmother, the duo reflects on nontraditional grieving in African-American families and what happens when a homegoing ceremony is replaced by quiet remembrance.

Timm shares his experience caring for his grandmother through her final days, the family decision to follow her wishes for cremation and no funeral, and the emotional and cultural complexities that arose with extended relatives. Through their signature balance of vulnerability and insight, Timm and Willa dive into:

• What grief looks like when rituals are replaced by reality
• The evolving nature of mourning in Black communities
• Scientific vs. spiritual responses to death
• How families—especially multicultural ones—navigate collective loss
• Music as memory, therapy, and celebration

This episode also includes a soulful tribute to recently departed music legends, including Roy Ayers, Angie Stone, Brian Wilson, and D’Wayne Wiggins of Tony! Toni! Toné!, with reflections on how their musical legacies continue to echo through generations.

Shoutouts:

WDMN Nation, Damnation Family, and the entire ThinkTimm universe. Catch us on @thinktimm">https://www.instagram.com/thinktimm">@thinktimm, Facebook">https://www.facebook.com/thinktimm">Facebook, SoundCloud">https://soundcloud.com/thinktimm">SoundCloud, and BlueSky">https://thinktimm.bsky.social">BlueSky. Stream our full catalog on all major platforms. Don’t miss our weekly drop of “Why Make Music: The Producers”, our companion series honoring the sonic architects behind the sound.

When the music stops… we keep humming. The beat goes on.