Aspen DeRosa is out to make it easier to stay sober while staying active in the music scene.
“It definitely feels like my purpose,” the Richmond-based photographer says of Riffs and Recovery, the support group they co-founded in 2024 alongside local musician Matt Wild.
DeRosa grew up in Reston, Virginia and shot their first concert at Jammin’ Java at the age of 16. “When I’m at shows, I’m the most vibrant version of myself. I’m dancing with my camera, I’m hyping [the band] up from the barricade. It just feeds me and the artist that I’m working with.”
DeRosa moved to Richmond to study at VCUarts and graduated in 2019 before attending graduate school in Iowa. When deciding on a next move afterward — between Chicago and Richmond — the charm of the latter won out. “I always tell people it feels like if Brooklyn was in the Midwest,” DeRosa says.
The idea for Riffs and Recovery arose at Ben’s Friends, a national support group network for people in the service industry. Upon first meeting, Wild and DeRosa struck up a conversation, and DeRosa remembers asking: “Wouldn’t it be so sick if this existed for musicians?”
DeRosa, who has five years of sobriety, was drawn to Ben’s Friends because of its inclusive atmosphere, a welcome contrast to the all-or-nothing philosophy of Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, which emphasize self-defining as an addict and avoiding all substances. “I really loved Ben’s friends, because it was more of a harm reduction approach,” DeRosa says.
Riffs and Recovery leans into that openness in its weekly meetings, which take place at Gallery5 each Monday afternoon. Yet the founders of Riffs and Recovery have taken some cues from AA, tweaking their own format over time to adopt some of that 12-step program’s structure and guidelines to ensure conversational flow and psychological safety.
Building a strong foundation is a priority for DeRosa and Wild; they’re in the process of gaining 501(c)(3) status and would like to expand beyond Richmond. “We have dreams of growing it into other cities, so that touring artists can access it,” DeRosa says. The Riffs co-founder also aspires to finding a dedicated space, which would host both shows and late-night meetings.
For now, DeRosa is grateful for Gallery5. In July 2025, Riffs and Recovery marked its first anniversary with three shows throughout the month and an art exhibit celebrating growth, renewal and transformation. “They’re just really supportive in anything that we propose to them,” DeRosa says of the venue.
DeRosa is also grateful for Riffs’ other co-founder, who handles logistics and communications — “all the back-end stuff that doesn’t stay top of mind to me, because I’m focused on trying to provide a really safe environment for everybody,” DeRosa says. “Matt is a gem. We’re a dynamic duo.”
