PIVOTAL SLICE: on writing &amp; composing

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en-gbFebruary 28, 2024

Representing Trans Stories with Miles Borrero

Jade chats to writer and yoga teacher Miles Borrero about publishing his memoir Beautiful Monster: A Becoming, and the importance of seeing positive trans stories in media and literature.

Throughout his many lives, Miles Borrero has survived fronting a Latin rock band, riding horses competitively, acting on various stages across the US, and nannying a six-year-old. He has been Catholic, Jewish, and a frequent guest at Krishna’s house, and has lived life as a boy, a girl, a woman, a man, and something in between. Now a senior yoga teacher who leads retreats and trainings all over the world, Miles is passionate about dismantling the systems within ourselves that keep us small. He lives in New York with his sweetheart and their two adorable dogs.

Find all of Mile's offerings, including yoga, here. Or order the hardcover, ebook or audio of Beautiful Monster: A Becoming here.

Music and production by David Mackenzie

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en-gbFebruary 14, 2024

Breaking the Cycle of Bullsh*t

How do we figure out the path we are meant to be on, rather than the path chosen for us by others?

David and Jade ‘do a funny one’, rambling chaotically about marriage, babies, and the miserable reality of ‘cool jobs’. Merry Christmas!

Tell us about your own indoctrination by emailing pivotalslice@gmail.com.

If this episode resonated with you, and you need some guidance around getting off ‘auto-pilot’, our hosts offer coaching services.

Book coaching with David

Book coaching with Jade

Music and production by David Mackenzie

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en-gbDecember 05, 2023

How to Value Yourself with Christina Hennemann

Christina was thrilled when she learned she had won a prize for her poetry, and the chance to publish a book. But she quickly noticed red flags as she was communicating with the editor in charge of her work – and things only got worse from there.

Jade chats to Christina about the importance of valuing yourself and listening to intuition while navigating the world of publishing, and beyond.

Christina Hennemann (she/her) is a poet and prose writer based in Ireland. She’s a recipient of the Irish Arts Council’s Agility Award ’23 and she was longlisted in the National Poetry Competition. Her work appears in Poetry Wales, The Iowa Review, oranges, The Moth, York Literary Review, Ink Sweat & Tears, Moria, and elsewhere.

Visit Christina's website / follow her on Instagram / Twitter

Read 'How to make the most of microdosing' on oranges journal

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Music and production by David Mackenzie

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en-gbNovember 14, 2023

David Lynch’s Liminal Spaces

Jade and David enjoy a damn fine cup of coffee and discuss the tonal landscapes of David Lynch’s work. Topics covered include baguettes, Tibetan monks, and car alarms.

Music and production by David Mackenzie

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en-gbOctober 23, 2023

Staying Grounded in Hollywood with Denise Santos

David catches up with film and TV composer Denise Santos about her work, creative process and development. They discuss:

The importance of representing diverse stories
Staying strong and authentic in a male-dominated industry
Getting the most out of collaboration
Cultivating a healthy working routine

Denise is an Emmy-winning Filipino musician and composer based in Los Angeles. Having previously worked as in-house composer at Hans Zimmer and Sony/ATV's Bleeding Fingers Music, her music has been heard in a multitude of movies and TV shows, most recently in Island of the Sea Wolves (Netflix), Eden: Untamed Planet (BBC America), and Primates (BBC One/PBS).

Largely influenced by classical, orchestral, rock, and pop music, Denise loves to blend these different genres to create uniquely powerful compositions that help uplift diverse stories, filmmakers, and creators.

Find out more about Denise on her website / follow her on Instagram

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Music and production by David Mackenzie

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We are raising money for new audio equipment, to get the podcast sounding even better! You can support us here.

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en-gbOctober 02, 2023

Photographing True Beauty with Zuzu Valla

Jade speaks to Zuzu Valla, a fashion and beauty photographer based in the UK who is redefining modern beauty standards. They discuss Zuzu’s process of capturing a person’s ‘soul’, the importance of representing marginalised people in fashion and art, and how Zuzu built her own creative team and studio, starting in her living room.

Follow Zuzu on Instagram / Visit her website

We are raising money for new audio equipment, to get the podcast sounding even better! You can support us here.

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Music and production by David Mackenzie

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en-gbSeptember 11, 2023

Do Psychedelics Enhance Creativity?

Jade and David talk about their experiences with psychedelics, the impact of tripping and microdosing on their mental health/spiritual journeys, and the use of psychedelics to develop consciousness and creativity.

We’d love to hear your thoughts, questions and experiences. Join the conversation by emailing us or reaching out on our social media channels.

Please make sure you are looking after yourself and seeking support from people you know you can trust before making this journey (and preferably during).

We are raising money for new audio equipment, to get the podcast sounding even better! You can support us here.

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Music and production by David Mackenzie

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en-gbAugust 28, 2023

Immersive Theatre with Jess-Luisa Flynn & Neil Connolly

Come with us on an immersive journey through sound and stories!

We connect with influential people within the immersive theatre world: Actor and Director Jess-Luisa Flynn and Creative Director Neil Connolly. They discuss the role of immersive art today, removing audiences from their reality, and the re-emergence of more traditional art forms that has factored into the immersive theatre boom.

Throughout the episode you’ll also hear music and sound design from David’s immersive theatre collaborations.

Discover our guests:

Jess-Luisa Flynn
Jessie-Lu Flynn is an actor, host and immersive theatre maker from London. She is the founder of Wide Eyes Immersive. Jess is particularly drawn to comedy and enjoys making work that is heightened, absurd, punk in spirit and infused with a cinematic glamour, inspired by the movies of the 1940s and 50s. She has worked for over fifteen years at festivals, including Glastonbury, Secret Garden Party and Boomtown fair - hosting stages and making immersive installations. She has appeared in political stunts for Channel Four's 'The Ministry of Justice' and Don't Panic TV. She was just elected by Equity members as a spokesperson for ADHD actors, a subject she is very passionate about.

Wide Eyes / Instagram / LinkedIn

Neil Connolly
Having been at the vanguard of playable & immersive theatre since 2007, Neil had a career-defining opportunity in 2019 when he devised, wrote & directed an immersive experience for HRH Elizabeth II as part of Sainsbury's 150th birthday celebrations. This makes him the only immersive theatre & game maker in the world to have the Queen attend one of their experiences. In a distinguished career spanning 18 years, Neil has brought that passion to every facet of themed entertainment in the creative development and production of theatre & attractions. As Creative Director for the Everywhere Group, Neil is working on creative development of show and attraction content for projects across the UK, Europe, North America & Asia.

Immersive Everywhere / Instagram / Twitter

Music and production by David Mackenzie

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en-gbJuly 31, 2023

Predators in the Arts

TW: discussion of abuse

Jade and David discuss their experiences of exploitation in their creative fields, and offer tips for recognizing potentially dangerous people while seeking representation or collaboration.

They explore:

Power and co-dependency in creative relationships
Learning how to state your worth
Cultivating professional boundaries
Spotting ‘red flags’ and ‘green lights’

Book recommendations:

‘Not Nice’ by Dr. Aziz Gazipura
‘Burn it Down’ by Maureen Ryan
‘The Gift of Fear’ by Gavin de Becker

Music and production by David Mackenzie

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en-gbJuly 17, 2023

Film Scoring with Andrew Morgan Smith

David speaks to Andrew Morgan Smith, the veteran film composer of the Nicolas Cage Western The Old Way (2023) and over ninety other projects across all media. They discuss Andrew’s journey into the film industry, his creative process while collaborating on large and small projects, and how parenthood has impacted his work life.

Find out more about Andrew through his website, and follow him on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

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Music and production by David Mackenzie

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en-gbApril 17, 2023

Separating Art from the Artist

TW: Discussion of abuse

What happens to a piece of work once it is out in the world? Does the audience take ownership? As artists, how do we ‘let go’ of something we have poured so much energy into?

Jade and David explore this process of separation from art. They also discuss how we decide what to do with the work of artists who have caused great harm to other people, and to the industries in which they work.

Music and production by David Mackenzie

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en-gbApril 03, 2023

The Writer’s Journey with KB Brookins

Jade speaks to KB Brookins, a writer, cultural worker, and artist from Texas. They talk about using writing to deal with anxiety, what it takes to call yourself a ‘real’ writer, and how KB is utilizing their creative power to inspire positive change.

KB Brookins is the author of How To Identify Yourself with a Wound (Kallisto Gaia Press, 2022) and Freedom House (Deep Vellum, 2023). KB is a 2023 National Endowment of the Arts fellow. Follow them online at @earthtokb.

Read Jade's latest fiction, The Therapist, over on The Temz Review.

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Music and production by David Mackenzie

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en-gbMarch 21, 2023

Can Art Change the World?

On this episode we discuss the purpose of art in society, and how change starts from within. We explore:

Using art to raise consciousness

The effect of the ‘ego’ mind on creativity

How identifying with your work can lead to crisis

Cultivating healthy detachment from your art

The roles of the right and left brain in the creative process

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Music and production by David Mackenzie

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en-gbMarch 07, 2023

Wearable Art with Kristina K

David and Jade chat to Kristina K, a fashion designer and artist based in New York City who was a finalist on season 19 of Project Runway. They discuss how Kristina found her way to designing, the benefits of having time restraints, and tips for surviving the cutthroat world of fashion.

Visit Kristina's website and follow her on Instagram

Music and production by David Mackenzie

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en-gbFebruary 21, 2023

Sculpture and Self Love with Eri Maeda

Jade talks to Eri Maeda, a Japanese 'Self-Love Artist' based in Paris. Eri creates sculpture, ceramics and homeware based on inclusive representations of human bodies and sexuality. Jade and Eri discuss the message of her work - "Everyone is different and everyone is beautiful" and talk about how she started to create art to fight against the beauty standards and social pressure with which she grew up.

Find out more about Eri and purchase her products:

Website
Instagram
TikTok

Music and production by David Mackenzie

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en-gbFebruary 07, 2023

Should Art be Free?

It may be harder to make a living as an artist than ever before. On this episode, David and Jade explore the exploitation of artists in modern society, discussing:

self-worth and the energy of receptivity
the role of technology in the undervaluing of art
working for ‘likes’
defining your purpose as an artist
processing shame around selling your work

Music and production by David Mackenzie

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en-gbJanuary 24, 2023

Writing Fiction Pt. 2 with Jade Green

We continue our conversation on fiction writing with Jade Green. David talks to Jade about the ups and downs of writing novels and short stories, how her definition of feminism has changed through running a literary journal, and turning challenges into gifts.

Music and production by David Mackenzie

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en-gbJanuary 10, 2023

Composing Pt. 2 with David Mackenzie

We continue our conversation on writing music with composer David Mackenzie. Jade talks to David about what he has learned over the last year of running a new music brand, how he approached collaboration while working as a sound designer/composer for Wake the Tiger, and developing his sound through use of vocals.

We play a selection of David’s new music throughout the episode.

05:59 The Underside

24:42 Wallflower

49:20 Atmosphere, Satellites and Dreams

1:08:31 Circles, Squares and Stripes

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en-gbDecember 19, 2022

The Language of Music with Cyrus Shahrad (Hiatus)

David chats to Cyrus Shahrad (Hiatus) about finding his way to writing and making music, differentiating language and musical form, and the role of the ‘self’ in artistic output.

Cyrus is an electronic music producer and writer based in London. His musical work combines Iranian instrumentation, poetry, nostalgia and modern ambient sounds. He has worked as a journalist and written for various acclaimed magazines and newspapers on a range of subjects, including music and movie reviews.

Read Cyrus’s work

Find him on Twitter and Instagram

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Music and production by David Mackenzie

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Join our Patreon for uncut interviews, bonus episodes and exclusive music

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Email us at pivotalslice@gmail.com

Follow your hosts, Jade Green and David Mackenzie