Podcast Summary: Hacking Your ADHD

Episode: “Songs That Stick: ADHD Tools with JP & Kat Rende”
Host: William Curb
Guests: Kat Rael Rende, JP Rende
Date: September 29, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode explores the power of music as a tool for managing ADHD, focusing on Project 80—a collection of songs crafted by Emmy-winning composers Kat and JP Rende to help kids (and families) with ADHD build everyday routines. Host William Curb, Kat, and JP discuss how silly, sticky songs can improve memory, facilitate routines, reduce shame, and foster empathy and connection within ADHD families. They also delve into their own strategies for managing ADHD at home and in their creative partnership.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Origins of Project 80: Songs as ADHD Tools

• Background:
  • Kat and JP began writing “jingles for toilet paper,” moved into educational music for Sesame Street, and eventually crafted songs at home to help their own ADHD kids remember everyday tasks.
  • "They were just like silly songs that ended up working because they're constantly in our kids' heads." — Kat (03:08)
• Sticky Songs Concept:
  • Songs became effective tools for memory—leading to the creation of an album built on these strategies for other families.

2. Songs, Memory, and ADHD Routines

• Why Songs Work:
  • The hosts and guests agree that many people with ADHD use spontaneous songs or chants to remember tasks.
  • “I know a lot of people with ADHD just have little songs that they're singing to themselves about things they do…” — William (04:03)
• Practical Mantras:
  • Kat shares her late-diagnosed ADHD experience and how mantras like “walla key, cell phone, glasses” (04:29) help her leave the house prepared—catchy routines as memory hacks.

3. Parenting with Empathy & Reducing Shame

• Early Intervention:
  • The goal is to introduce positive routines and self-forgiveness before shame and anxiety can take root:
    • “My, like, thing that I always do is whoops. You forgive yourself immediately, you make it right, and then you find a plan so it's not going to happen next time, right?” — Kat (11:27)
• Shame in ADHD:
  • Shame perpetuates negative cycles. Empathetic parenting reframes forgetfulness and mistakes as opportunities to learn, not as failures.
  • “The extra comorbidities… are way harder to fix than the…thing that I always do.” — Kat (10:25)

4. Energy, Time Estimation, and Self-Acceptance

• Time Misjudgment:
  • People with ADHD often misjudge how long tasks take, leading to overwhelm or procrastination.
    • “Unloading the dishwasher…actually took like seven minutes… When I'm actually doing it and focused…these are really easy.” — William (08:22)
• Spoon Theory and Energy Management:
  • Not every day has the same capacity—matching tasks to energy levels is crucial.
    • “Things may take longer when you have less spoons… It might not have been that at that time.” — Kat (13:19)

5. Managing Work, Family, and ADHD Partnerships

• Division of Labor:
  • Kat and JP manage parenting, business, and creativity by maintaining separate studios and establishing clear workflows.
  • Accountability Systems:
    • Shared calendars, gig logs, family email for school/bills (20:35).
    • “If you get the email, you are responsible for responding…” — Kat (20:55)
• Self vs. External Deadlines:
  • Business projects with external deadlines are easier than self-imposed ones on creative work (21:53–23:46).
  • Project 80 required extra research and iterative processes, often taking a backseat to paid work.

6. Song Themes as Life Tools

• Breathe:
  • Simulates anxiety: aggressive start, then a slowing tempo to cue relaxation and teach breathing techniques.
    • “When you're angry…it's all in one place…when you hook into your thinking brain…you can hear the things around you again.” — Kat (26:06; 27:00)
• Jelly Belly:
  • Teaches interoception—recognizing whether anger, hunger, or fatigue is causing dysregulation.
    • “The song's called…Mad, mad, mad…Why do I feel so bad? I might be hungry, I may be tired, I might be frustrated…” — Kat (30:44)
• Put It Away:
  • Encourages kids (and adults) to return items to their proper place.
    • “You go to put it down, you're like…don't put it down, put it way away, way away…” — Kat (33:34)
• Control:
  • Impulse control through pausing and breathing.
• Learning More Every Day:
  • Normalizes mistakes and celebrates continual improvement.

7. The Power of Play, Empathy, and Joy

• Encourages using music, play, and celebration of wins over strict discipline or shame.
  • “Creating these little mnemonics…is always helpful because it's always better to work with joy.” — Kat (47:02)
• Empathy and open family communication are highlighted as key to raising resilient, self-aware ADHD kids.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Power of Catchy Routines:
  "It's infectious. And I'm like, that's kind of the point here. It gets in your head and it goes..." — William (02:01)
• On Early Interventions:
  "The true main goal is to get them early before…the extra comorbidities happen." — Kat (10:25)
• On Shame:
  *"Shame really defines a lot of ADHD's more negative sides…" * — William (13:00)
• On Energy and Creativity:
  "It's not a typical eight hour workday…you got to know when is your best time to create." — JP (14:22)
• On Parenting Empathy:
  "If you can just stay in one space, you'd be the best version of yourself…but we all need to…be pulled in directions and have these tight, tight schedules." — Kat (15:19)
• On ADHD Tools vs. Apps:
  "It's not apps, it's strategies. That's what you need." — William (35:31)
• On Executive Dysfunction and Home Systems:
  "If you get the email, you are responsible for responding to the email…one family email address for school stuff…” — Kat (20:55)
• On Small Tweaks and PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance):
  “As soon as I suggest it, she doesn't want to do it anymore...Now I play a little, like, ‘you should not be a line of the garbage can…’” — JP (38:40)
• On Empathy & Joy:
  "Empathy is such an important part…it's always better to work with Joy." — Kat (47:02)

Important Timestamps

• 01:06: Introduction of Kat and JP, Project 80, and episode roadmap.
• 03:08: Kat and JP describe translating family routines into music.
• 04:29: Kat’s mantra for remembering essentials.
• 08:22: Discussion of time estimation struggles with ADHD.
• 10:25: Kat details using self-forgiveness and flexible routines to lower shame.
• 13:00: The impact of shame on ADHD.
• 17:17: The impact of parenting on time management and empathy.
• 20:35–21:16: Division of labor and shared tools for daily logistics.
• 26:06–28:29: Song “Breathe” and the neurobiological impact of breathing.
• 30:44: “Jelly Belly” song addresses recognizing internal states.
• 33:34: “Put it Away” as a catchy routine for tidiness.
• 35:31: Tools and strategies over apps; building the ADHD toolbox.
• 47:02–47:24: Final advice: empathy, mnemonics, and joy.

Episode Takeaways

• Music can be a powerful, joyful tool for mitigating ADHD challenges, especially for memory, routines, and emotional regulation.
• Early, empathy-driven intervention and a focus on self-forgiveness reduce the likelihood of shame and anxiety.
• Home systems, playful mnemonics, and a collaborative partnership set up adults and kids alike for success.
• ADHD management is about discovering and leveraging individualized strategies, not just external tools or apps.
• Working with (not against) your brain’s unique wiring—including celebrating “sticky” tunes—creates lasting positive change.

Where to Find the Project 80 Album

• Available on YouTube: YouTube.com/@80aideeghd
• Also on Apple Music, Spotify, and other platforms.

Recommended for:
Anyone parenting, teaching, living with, or loving someone with ADHD—and those interested in blending creativity with neurodiversity-informed strategies.

“Celebrate your wins. If my parent may not understand that…there's a song…sometimes people misunderstand me. I say to them, hey, can we talk? I'll tell you what you missed.” — Kat (44:40–45:48)