b'From Run-D.M.C.to Mayim BialikDr. Mike finds inspiration in his hardcore band lifeBY DONNY LEVITAnd with that, Dr. Mike the practicing psy-chologist also became Mike Friedman, singer forametal/punk/hardcorebandcalledOdd Zero. The band became part of the New York hardcore music scene, did its fair share of tour-ing and even opened for the Smithereens, one of New Jerseys beloved homegrown bands.As Dr. Mike tells it, getting to know the musiciansandaudienceofthismusicgenre was an illuminating experience. I started to ask people around me if they were doing things that they loved to do. He recalls speaking with Mina Caputo, a founding member of the New York City heavy metal band called Life of Ag-ony. Mina is metals first prominent transgen-der person, says Dr. Mike. What would it be Photo by Yasmeen Anderson likeinstead of writing another article when Im just sharing my own opinions, why dont I ask her about her experience? Id never really I t all started about two decades ago when a Craigslist ad caught the eye of Mike Friedman. A group of Newinterviewed anyone before like that. earlierin Althoughhehadconcentrated his career and research on cognitive behavioral York City musicians were in search of a lead singer for their new band. After answering the ad, the clinicaltherapy,Dr.Mikefoundhimselfgravitat-psychologist stepped into a New York City rehearsal room as the rest of the band started to play. Just singing towards the concepts behind humanistic whatever you want, one of the musicians told him. psychology. Yet he was exploring something Dr. Mikeas he prefers being calledattended the University of Pennsylvania as an undergraduate,deeper that would reap even more rewards for Yale University for his graduate studies, and completed his clinical internship and post-doctoral fellowshipthose who challenge themselves to find hap-at Brown University. But besides playing extremely loud music behind closed doors and jumping aroundpiness and satisfaction by working to achieve pretending I was in a band, the psychologist had no experience with what was happening at that audition. goals that may, at first, seem out of their com-I started to envision having to tell everyone that I completely bombed it, he recalls. I actually just aboutfort zone. And for Dr. Mike, his life in mu-started to cry. And then I started screaming into the microphone because I was so upset. That lasted about twosic was just that. One of the things that Ive minutes, and then some other guy came into audition and I just left. And that, he thought, was that: And like aalways struggled with a lot of approaches to proper nerd, I wrote them a thank you note. psychology is that theres often an emphasis on But then something surprising took place. He received a phone call from the bands bassist, Tay Malloy. Wewhats wrong with you and not an emphasis like your voice. I was thinking we could do a thrash or hardcore band, said the musician. on whats right with you, he says. With hu-Im so sorry, but I dont know what those words mean, Dr. Mike responded. Are you sure youre even callingmanistic psychology, its more about finding the right person? whats right with you.42/ matters magazine / holiday 2021'