Discover the connection between art and living as seen through the eyes of the artist. Join us for conversations with creatives in various disciplines.
Steve just hits publish! In this (very first) solo episode Steve reflects on the inner-work of the past 6 months.
Keywords: #thefuture #lettinggo #thebeach #clearing #covid #quarantine #movement #struggle #slowingdown #sadness #overwhelm #innerwork #authenticity
Episode 12 - The Ocean - Justin Miyamoto of The Oceanographers Show Notes
Justin Miyamoto explores concepts like the ocean, space and time-travel to convey the human experience of love, joy and struggle through songwriting as a form of journaling. The Oceanographers’ musical style mirrors the tides of Hawaii as Justin and Steve muse about the similarities between water and the inner world of emotions.
Originally from Southern California, he moved to Hawaii to find like minded creatives and make music and to be closer to family. When he got there, he was surprised to find his own experiences in his new home woven throughout the narrative of lyrics he’d written while in LA, finalizing the album with a beautiful song inspired by his new home. “It makes me want to create art that has a purpose that really transcends our everyday existence into something better.”
Justin and Steve discuss how personality types influence creativity, balancing lofty metaphors while staying relatable to your audience, and graphic design. How do two people collaborate while 2500 miles apart? How do you know if you are on the right course with a creative project? In this episode of the podcast, you’ll hear two long term friends grapple with personal and creative growth while experiencing the expressive music of Justin and the Oceanographers.
Featured Music:
Questions - The Oceanographers LP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h39OBIfTkjU
Submarine - (From The Submarine EP)
Swept Away - The Oceanographers LP
Hawaii - (Live)/The Oceanographers LP
Tribal Song - The Oceanographers LP
Back In Time - (Live)
Guest: Justin Miyamoto
Websites: https://www.theoceanographers.com/
https://www.orchestrateddesign.co/
Submarine - The Oceanographers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSmO6B6t4ZY
Instagram: @theoceanographers, @justinmiyamoto @orchestrateddesign
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theoceanographersmusic
New Song! (Co-produced by Steven Leavitt and I Create Sound): "After Quarantine"
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/theoceanographers/after-quarantine-2
Host: Steven Leavitt
To connect with Steven about the Artist Advisement Session Justin spoke about, fill out the contact form at https://www.icreatesound.com/
Portfolio: http://stevenleavitt.com/
Tags: Creativity, Water, Emotion, Hawaii, Ocean, Space, Time-Travel, Myers-Briggs, Personality Types, ENFP, Design, Music Videos, Independent Musician, Hilo, Santa Clarita, California, Southern California, Morality, Ethics, Journaling, Personal Growth, Lyrics, Songwriting, Religion, Nature, Faith, Spirituality, Musician, Oceanography, Love, Grief, Inspiration, Astrology, Water Sign, Water, Emotional Language, Moon, Tides, Sensitivity
Toni Koch is an Independent Artist Promoter from Phoenix, Arizona. Toni found her tribe in the late 70s and early 80s movement when folk was overtaken by disco. A songwriter first, Toni began working at record stores like Zia Records and Tower Records and soon began to DJ in local clubs. Then local area promoter Danny Zelisko gave her a shot at doing something new: forming a street-team to promote national artists who were touring through Arizona in exchange for free LPs!
Very much a part of the counterculture and not very at home in a dress, Toni couldn’t believe that the executives would send cases of Barbara Streisand and only two copies of U2. 1983-84 was some of the very first signs of the Indie music ethos coming to the streets.
Her work allowed her to experience some of the earliest days of phenoms like Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Raitt and Tori Amos, and when a fiery young independent Australian artist name Gilli Moon came to America to find a break, Toni was able to get her an opening spot for Simple Minds at the Celebrity Theater.
Gilli would go on to found Warrior Girl Music and the independent songwriter association SongsAlive! and the two moved to Los Angeles where Toni stayed for 11 years until her recent return home to Phoenix.
Toni says “My whole life has been about adjusting to the need of changes.” In this episode we dive a little into the spiritual perspective, seeing through the underlying symbolism of life and her belief that ultimately “it’s not about the money.” We also talk about the dominance of Clear Channel radio and all the changes that brought, as well as delving into questions about how an artist can take-in professional feedback while still staying true to themselves.
Her best advice to young artists is “Whatever anybody else has told you to be, get over it and be who you are.”
This episode is brought to you by I Create Sound. With just a single call, we can help you sound your very best! Arizona Songwriters members get special pricing on the first 5 sessions by mentioning the offer in this show.
Featured Art:
Dark Side (written by Toni Koch and Joy Neumann, performed by Toni Koch)
Million Dollar Noise (written and performed by Toni Koch)
Guest: Toni Koch
Website: https://www.creativemusehour.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tkpromotalentgroup/
Host: Steven Leavitt
Site: https://www.icreatesound.com/
Portfolio: http://stevenleavitt.com/
Additional music: Nothing Wrong (by Lobate Scarp)
Resources and references mentioned in today’s podcast:
Danny Zelisko - https://www.dannyzeliskopresents.com/
Arizona Songwriters Association (Jon Iger) - http://www.azsongwriters.org/
John and JoAnn Braheny - http://johnbraheny.com/
Shannon Hurley - http://shannonhurley.com/
Lovers And Poets - https://loversandpoets.com/
Marcia Reynolds - https://outsmartyourbrain.com/
“Coach The Person, Not The Problem” (book, formerly titled Reflective Inquiry)
https://www.amazon.com/Coach-Person-Not-Problem-Transformation-ebook/dp/B01LZB74MD
Colon Darrel Harrison - https://majorlabelmusic.com/
Toni Koch and Carl Percival - http://creativemusehour.com
Gilli Moon - http://www.gillimoon.com/
Gill Moon, “Be” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d313R776GcY
Songs Alive - https://www.songsalive.org/
SongNET - http://www.thesongnet.org/
https://concertsinyourhome.org/
Stephen Bannon (the one you like!) - http://karmicwheelofsound.com/
Please review this podcast on Google Play, iTunes and Stitcher and help other creatives find their tribe!
Tags: music, indie music, promotion, Don't Call Us Tori, record stores, vinyl, disco, folk, Amy Clarke, Derek Horne, TRL (Total Request Live!), songwriter, performer, artists, mentor, coach, Wayne Dyer, predicting earthquakes, astrology, numerology, reflective inquiry, change, DIY, napster
What is it like playing in a real recording studio? What does it take to set yourself apart as a musician? Steven Leavitt sits down with his friend and colleague Dustin Stonebrook to talk about studio musicians and audio engineering, and how a true professional is someone who has learned how to check their ego at the door.
Dustin is a true renaissance man, originally from Texas, who left the path toward law-school and moved out to California to become a stunt-man. Then the Writer’s Strike struck the film-industry, aborting his big-break that would have been on the show Prison Break. Undaunted, Stonebrook made the shift toward music, leaning on his guitar playing, his composing skills, and his electrical engineering knowhow. Having held down “steady” jobs the audio-electronics business, he had an epiphany about his life path that led him to take the leap from working a 9-5 job to going freelance. We also talk about the tragic life event that inspired Dustin to pick up the guitar at an early age.
The two touch on the craft of songwriting, and why not everyone can make a good CD. He also shares about the projects he is in development that center around his love of the Horror genre.
We also talk about his latest composition, Shadows Requiem featuring violinist/violist Kaitlin Wolfberg.
Featured Music:
Shadows Requiem by Dustin Stonebrook
Tell The Road The Truth by Dustin Stonebrook
Haunting by Dustin Stonebrook
Sunday by High And Dry (https://soundcloud.com/user-674278890/sets/high-and-dry)
Guest: Dustin Stonebrook
https://www.dalsegnosound.com/
https://www.facebook.com/dstonebrook
Twitter @dstonebrook
Instagram @dustinstonebrook
This episode is brought to you by I Create Sound,
“It’s like having a producer in your pocket.
Setup a call and find out how to get Sound Advice for your Music Life™”
https://www.icreatesound.com/
Links:
http://stevenleavitt.com/
@beatnikwolfgirl (Kaitlin Wolfberg)
Musician's Institute (http://www.mi.edu)
Tags:
Working musician, renaissance man, music, lyrics, composing, songwriting, recording, session musicians, audio engineering, performing, working without ego, going freelance, disappearing into your role, Leland Sklar, Sid Jacobs, epiphany, The Red Violin, Kaitlin Wolfberg, The Ludivico, Ludovico Einaudi, horror, The Crypt Keeper, ghosts, haunted mansions, cover bands, philosophical, cymatics, electronics, vacuum tubes, vibrations, electrons, bozons, quarks
In this very special episode, Steven Leavitt is joined by his first boss, Wendy Vanguard. This becomes a touchstone for a very intriguing conversation that goes into mentorship, design, physics, energy, illustration, the emotional effect of color, the world of art in Los Angeles in the 70’s (the LA Women’s Building, AIDS, Roe v. Wade), parenting, and the dawn of computer-generated animation.
Wendy is a Los Angeles-based artist whose professional career has spanned work as an illustrator, an art director, broadcast designer and award winning corporate image designer. Although she was awarded a Masters Grant from Art Center to pursue her painting, the hard-hitting reality of life in LA without a job lead her to abandon the grant and find employment. Wendy quickly found she had constant work: from illustrating storyboards for advertising commercials and small films to exhibit design projects, and then began designing titles for television shows such as The Rockford Files, The Six Million Dollar Man, and Planet of the Apes. She was a part of the creative design and production team for the Charles and Ray Eames Office and the creation of the film Powers of Ten. Later, she worked as an Art Director for Universal Television supervising special effects projects (BattleStar Galactica) gave her a taste of working an industry job and this led to becoming a design director for renowned ground-breaking broadcast designer Harry Marks. Wanting to work independently again, Wendy formed California Film, a broadcast design firm, choosing her own team of artists and designers to collaborate with and designing one of the earliest open plan office spaces. As it’s founder and Creative Director she led them in creating award winning image campaigns and corporate design packages for CBS Entertainment, CBS News, HBO, The Walt Disney Company, the Disney-owned Flagship station California 9 (KCAL), ABC Prime Time Live, National Geographic, TBN, The Movie Channel, and more. Wendy and colleagues created (fake) computer imagery for LucasFilm’s, “Return of the Jedi.” At the same time she met and married photographer Mitch Dobrowner, who soon became part of her company, leading it in new technologies and production methods.
After experiencing a devastating social experience, Wendy struggled through what she coined “the dark decade,” and discusses how she managed to work through this time in her life and find new joy by shifting her focus to her family, personal creative projects, and giving back to her community through mentorship. Throughout a lifetime of unexpected turns, struggles, and successes, Wendy rediscovered an inner resilience as a woman and artist that carries her along her path.
Guest: Wendy Vanguard Dobrowner
Host: Steven Leavitt
FEATURED ARTWORK:
See languageofcreativity.podbean.com/e/the-colors-of-life-wendy-vanguard-conceptual-artist for featured works.
Blue Sphere Horizon
Master’s Thesis
Her Master’s Thesis would foreshadow her future work in design for what would become the future of 3D Animation, along-side filmmakers, computer scientists, and animators.
Watercolor Woman
Girl In Room (Watercolor)
FEATURED MUSIC:
“Podcast Long Chords” by Jason Dobrowner (guitar)
“The Crash” by Joshua Dobrowner (guitar)
“Mom Podcast” by Jason Dobrowner (guitar)
Additional scoring by Steven Leavitt
“Nothing Wrong” by Lobate Scarp
Spirals and Portals EP out now! http://bit.ly/lobatescarpSpirals
MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:
Mitch Dobrowner
Landscape Photographer
Andy Hann
Jason Dobrowner
Composer, physicist, software engineer
Asia Forbes
Artist branding and events
Josephine Bakery
Art Center College of Design
Lorser Feitelson
https://www.lorserfeitelson.com
Helen Lundeberg
https://www.helenlundeberg.com
Charles + Ray Eames office
Powers of Ten Film
https://www.eamesoffice.com/the-work/powers-of-ten
Jo Perry
Tom Perry
http://www.thomasperryauthor.com
Otis College of Art and Design
Keywords:
Art Center, Otis, motion graphics, hard edge painting, broadcast design, PDI, Rhythm and Hues, Blue Sphere Horizon, Charles Eames, Powers of Ten, physics, subatomic, Helen Lundeberg, Lorser Feitelson, California Film, image design, branding, Eames Office, mac, desktop publishing, easel, stylus, deadlines, emotion color, colour, energy, the future of work, creative problem solving, mentorship, empath, narcissist, The Sociopath Next Door, being used, cults, religion, working mother, Tao Te Ching, feminism, abortion, watercolor, oil painting, rediscovering your personal art, Damien Rice, PTSD, purpose
Season 2 opens with Shari Washington Rhone, who as a member of the original Los Angeles theatrical company of The Lion King where she worked as a “swing” and an understudy for the role of Sarabi. As energetic as she is talented, Shari is a dancer, choreographer, singer, and voice-over artist. In this engaging interview, she shares how she found her love for performing at a very early age.
Coming to LA from what was the Indianapolis Dance Company (now the Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre) Shari jumped right into classes with the revered Lula Washington before being invited to join her company. Shari now enjoys a story-telling style of dance with the JazzAntiqua Dance & Music Ensemble, where she has been for the last 10 years. She also enjoys getting to share her gifts with children through teaching with Dance & Dialogue as well as Jaxx Theatricals, showing them how important it is to use dance to express themselves and share their story.
On top of dance and teaching, this amazing woman also performs with two bands, works as a voice-over artist, and just earned her second degree black belt in Hapkido. Steve talks with Shari about how, with the support of her husband, she is able to manage doing all of what she loves while also being a mother to two beautiful, creative children.
FEATURED ART
Featured Music: “Elevation” by Brian Swartz and the Gnu Sextet (www.brianswartz.com)
Narrated Performance: Shari Washington Rhone
Visual: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouEfIEO0uec)
SPONSORED LINK (Please support our show!)
Nothing Wrong by Lobate Scarp (http://bit.ly/LSNothingWrong)
Guest: Shari Washington Rhone
Insta: @FestiveShari
FB: Shari Washington Rhone
Email: swr@sharirhone.com
Voiceover Reel: https://voice123.com/sharirhone
Mentioned in the show...
Jazz Antiqua: www.jazzantiqua.org
Soulicious: www.soulicious4u.com
Dance and Dialogue: www.danceanddialogue.org
Lula Washington Dance Theatre: www.lulawashington.org
Bella Donna - A Tribute to Stevie Nicks: www.belladonna-music.com
Jaxx Theatricals: www.jaxxtheatricals.org
Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre: www.gregoryhancockdancetheatre.org
Songs Hapkido: www.songsdohyunhapkido.com
Special thanks to Garden of Sound for hosting this conversation at their Melrose studio. (www.gardenofsound.com)
Keywords:
The Lion King, Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre, JazzAntiqua Dance & Music Ensemble, Lula Washington Dance Theatre, Julie Taymor, Lion King, Jaxx Theatricals, Dance & Dialogue, DisneyLand, Rufus Bonds, Sarabi, dance, dancing, singing, theater, performing, voiceover, costumes, puppets, Julie Taylor, Michael Curry, Disneyland, Disney, Parnell Damone Marcano, Stephanie Andersen, Gerald White, stage
Concert clarinetist and soprano saxophone player, Chris Elchico joins Steven Leavitt to talk about his experience being a classical musician, music teacher, and local coffee shop barista. Chris discusses the role of the classical musician, and what it’s like playing with a quartet with members that live across the US.
After getting his bachelors from UCLA and his masters from Indiana University in saxophone and clarinet, and studying under renowned LA Philharmonic player Burt Hara, Chris began the process of auditioning for orchestras across the US. He talks about the harrowing process of auditioning behind a screen where the judges base their critique on his sound alone.
In 2012, Chris and his quartet won a trip around the world, performing at Notre Dame and ending up in Italy. “It was like living the dream, for 12 days.” He and Steve discuss what it’s like to come back to “real life” and the daily grind, but it’s apparent that Chris’ kindness and positive attitude about life is one of the reasons he makes his successes look so unimposing.
Chris is a soft spoken, compassionate person who uses his innate skills of empathy and listening to excel in his jobs as a barista, music teacher, and classical musician.
Featured Music: “Quartets Per a Saxos, Volum 1: Lúltim Sospir” written by David Salleras Quintana, performed by The Barkada Quartet
Guest: Chris Elchico
Website: http://www.barkadaquartet.com/
Host: Steven Leavitt (icreatesound.com)
Other music:
“Recitation Piece” written by David Maslanka, performed by The Barkada Quartet
“The Flower Duet” from Lakme composed by Leo Delibes, performed by Steven Banks, Chris Elchico and Michael Sikich
Additional music: Nothing Wrong (by Lobate Scarp)
Please review this podcast on Google Play, iTunes and Stitcher and help other creatives find their tribe!
Tags: music, clarinet, soprano saxophone, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Burt Hara, UCLA, Indiana University, compassion, Phillipino, concert, auditions, travel, Italy, Notre Dame, barista, coffee shop, day jobs, music teaching, mentorship, hire your mentors
Featured Art: “Ring of Fire”
Featured Music: Improvisation on Acoustic Guitar performed by Mathias Manser
In this thought-provoking interview, digital media artist Mathias Manser opens up about his creative process and journey as an artist. This discussion explores how life experiences are reflected in our art and leads the conversation to some interesting places.
Growing up in Switzerland, Mathias’ parents and educators tried to dissuade his artistic ambitions in favor of something more practical, so he went into drafting. However, after a trip to NY with his father (an aspiring musician) inspired Mathias, he came to the US in 1998 to attend the Musician’s Institute in Hollywood. Although a gifted singer, songwriter, and guitarist, Manser did not find the success or satisfaction he was seeking from a music career.
A spiritual awakening in 2012 led Manser back to his earliest-loved form of self-expression, visual art. He picked up a Wacom tablet and began drawing. Image after image, Manser created a stunning collection of work. The depth of emotion behind each piece comes through with such power and clarity. It wasn’t until the collection was complete that realization came to Manser; all of these images were connected on a bigger scale and what he had been creating all this time was The Primordial Sound Oracle Deck.
Steve and Mathias touch on Carl Jung, archetypes, and the collective unconscious, examining how art serves as a reflection of the soul. The conversation explores his new passion of drumming as meditation, tattoos, and blissful heavy metal music. A recurring theme in the podcast: the pair discuss the challenges that surround choosing to live a life of creativity and the drive that fuels that choice.
Mathias opens up, sharing a few very personal moments from his life with listeners and explains how he used his artwork as a form of therapy to cope with everything from heartbreak to addiction to the sudden loss of his parents.
The spiritual journey has shaped him as an artist but more importantly as a human being. Choosing compassion and empathy, renouncing judgment, and allowing himself to feel and process the negative with the positive, has given Mathias an admirable resilience and infectious harmonious spirit.
Guest: Mathias Manser
Website: mathiasmanser.com
Get the Deck: The Primordial Sound Oracle Deck
Buy Art: Mathias at Red Bubble
Host: Steven Leavitt
Site: icreatesound.com
Additional music: Nothing Wrong (by Lobate Scarp)
Resources and references mentioned in today’s podcast:
Help support the podcast by using our Amazon links below.
Wacom Cintiq 22HD 21-Inch Pen Display Tablet (affiliate link)
The Red Book - Carl Jung (affiliate link)
The Contortionist - Language
Please review this podcast on Google Play, iTunes and Stitcher and help other creatives find their tribe!
Tags: graphic artist, tarot cards, artist, Carl Jung, the collective unconscious, spirituality, gestalt therapy, music, drumming, art, archetypes, tattoos, relationships, sensitive male, creativity, transpersonal psychology
How do you define success?
In our second interview with landscape photographer Nat Magnuson, we dig into the story behind his life-long love of photography. An avid backpacker, Nat has been taking photos of the outdoors since he was a child. His photos, which focus on capturing the feeling of a moment are often tied to the story behind them.
We dive deep, exploring the idea that it’s the journey, wrong-turns and all, that help to define your RoadMap (a book he leant me written by the folks at Roadtrip Nation). If you believe in your creativity, your art will come.
We touch on why digital was a limited medium when it first came out and how it’s learning the tech well enough to forget about the tech that makes you an expert.
Nat shares how he found his tribe in photo school, then went to LA to pursue a photography career, and although he thought he had found an exciting nitch following Hollywood stunt-performers economic constraints found him gaining membership into the set-dresser’s union and unable to join the Photographer’s union even though he’d earned the required 100 days working for various productions (and signing many of his rights away to less than scrupulous companies). Nat found himself working 85 hours a week he was beginning to feel years of his life slipping away. He had fallen into a Hollywood career that many would find enviable but longed for the open spaces.
Nat shares the pivotal moment when he realized that he had amassed a body of work worthy of opening his first gallery, and why for him it’s the moments that matter, even if it’s never truly captured on film.
It is Nat’s belief that you can bring your eclectic talents to the table and create your own calling.
When is the moment that you become a photographer?
...or a painter, or a craftsman, or a writer or……….
Featured Art:
Nat's Artist Statement (by Nat Magnuson)
Improvisation on Melodica (by Nat Magnuson)
Nature Sounds (recorded by Nat Magnuson on Zoom H5)
Guest: Nat Magnuson
Instagram: @SilverGrainArt
Online Store: Silvergrainart.com
Host: Steven Leavitt
Site: icreatesound.com
Additional music: Nothing Wrong (by Lobate Scarp)
Resources and references mentioned in today’s podcast:
Roadtrip Nation
Roadmap: The Get-it-Together Guide for Figuring Out What to Do with Your Life (affiliate link)
The Seven Stages of Film Production
Please review this podcast on Google Play, iTunes and Stitcher and help other creatives find their tribe!
Tags: Photography, Landscape Photographer, Nature, Roadtrip Nation, Hollywood, Stunts, Film, Movie Sets, Mesa Verde, Backpacking, Snow, 35mm, The Disaster Artist
Steve hosts an engaging conversation with his long-time friend, Nat Magnuson. Nat is a photographer, songwriter, pianist, perpetual student, and a natural teacher.
As a Hollywood set dresser, Nat found an outlet for his exceptional attention to detail. Then, following his own Roadmap (they discuss Roadtrip Nation more in Part 2), he decided to leave Hollywood behind to be closer to his true passions, art, photography, and nature.
Steve catches up with him after his recent trip to the Northwest, where he set up an art gallery in a sawmill – an homage to his other passion, old growth wood – at the world-famous Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in Washington State.
In this episode, Nat shares his deep knowledge regarding the effects of space and design on the human psyche, as well as making the world a beautiful space by sharing his creative gifts. They dive deep, discussing the importance of bringing intention to a space and how it can make a huge difference in one's life. Nat also shares a far-out exercise that can help anyone learn how to improve any space.
Articulating creative impulses using language is a shared experience of struggle that all artists can relate to, no matter what their discipline.
Nat has much more to share, from his journey as a photographer to what it was like working in the Motion Picture business. Make sure to SUBSCRIBE to be the first to know about part 2.
Sign up for the mailing list for a bonus episode with Michael Zimmerlich (ep.3) 80/20 records on strategies to start making connections in your career!
thelanguageofcreativity.com/newlistener
Featured Music:
Rhythme-Atonal (by Nat Magnuson)
Nothing Wrong (by Lobate Scarp)
Improvisation on Melodica (by Nat Magnuson)
Guest: Nat Magnuson
Instagram: @SilverGrainArt
Host: Steven Leavitt
icreatesound.com
Sponsored link:
icreatesound.com/thelanguageofcreativity
Other resources and references mentioned in today’s podcast:
NPR article on “Nudging”
Red Umbrella Design
Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
Think Creative Collective
Roadtrip Nation
Piano Adoption
Guest Note:
“Artists can use their connections with different emotional states to bring out depth and breadth in their work. Having a tool bag to help with dark emotions is sometimes necessary. If you find yourself in a bad place, reach out: to friends, family, and those around you. Know that you are special and that what you may be going through does not define you. If you have nowhere to turn, follow the resource links below.”
If you are struggling with depression, in crisis, or feel you have no one to talk to; there is help:
http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
If are uninsured or underinsured, find a qualified therapist at a reduced rate through:
The Open Path Collective
Tags: Creative Process, Space, Interior Design, Music, Creativity, Brain Science, OCD, depression, Art, Artist, Music, Musician, Melodica
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