RICHMOND, Va. — “It only takes two to have a meeting,” said Matt Wild.
He and Aspen DeRosa are the co-founders of Riffs and Recovery, a discussion-based sobriety support meeting group and organization, specifically for Richmond musicians and music lovers.
“You can enjoy going to shows or work in shows or play in bands that is interested in recovery in any capacity, so that could be alcohol recovery or specific drugs of choice," Wild said. "We're really open to anybody, if you're not sober or don't think you need to be sober."
Participants call the group a calm retreat from the demanding nightlife for musicians and those who are sober-curious. The group gathers on Monday afternoons at their found home, Gallery5, to tell their stories and gain experience from their peers' lives.
“We talk about the difficulties and the wins,” DeRosa said. “It can be a really serious, sad space sometimes, but then it always kind of picks back up and ebbs and flows between laughter and people snapping and then people really holding space for each other.”
Wild, who talked about how meaningful the meetings are, said, “I come to these meetings to hear something that I may have not known that I needed to hear. And there's sometimes that I might share something that somebody else might have needed to hear."
Group member Dominic Vizidos, who spoke about the openness and acceptance he feels in the meetings, said, “To have a space where … there's never any shaming of people struggling to stay sober, like, we know it's tough, and especially in kind of the scene that we're in, it's pervasive.”
The group has aspirations, too. DeRosa told CBS 6 about their plans for the future of Riffs and Recovery, which include becoming a nonprofit and a staple within the music industry.
“I always thought, like, it would be cool if this was in other places as well, especially being in a music niche, like touring acts or just anybody that could access it from different cities," DeRosa said. "Like, I want to be a staple in a music scene."
When talking about what’s at the core of Riffs and Recovery, Wild said, “It's been about holding ourselves accountable for everything, really sharing our difficulties, celebrating all of our wins that we get, getting amped when somebody has quit something or just announces a frustration that they are going through.”
From July 3 to July 26, Riffs and Recovery is running the “In Bloom” art exhibit, showcasing art that “celebrates growth, renewal and transformation through the lens of sobriety” at Gallery5.
They are also putting on a one-year anniversary show on July 11, featuring artists such as Rikki Rakki, Johnny Ciggs, TortureTwinn, and Spaded. They encourage anyone to come, enjoy the music, and support a great local cause.
Tickets and more info can be found on Gallery5's website here.
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