WAIM Podcast #022 - Jennifer Toms

What Am I Making Podcast

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WAIM Podcast #022 - Jennifer Toms

It’s rare to find someone so ravenous for cultural thinking

Matty C

Jun 21, 2023

I’ve introduced Jennifer Toms as my sister on more than one occasion. It’s not true, except that it is. Jenny is technically an only child in her birth family. I have one sister in my birth family. Jenny is, nonetheless, my sister. Our bond has been forged over a two decade long friendship built on a shared love for music, cinema, and the beauty of words. Culture is our shared love language.

In each other we found kindred spirits willing to dive equally headlong into heady concepts and boilerplate b-movies alike. It’s rare for me to find someone so ravenous for cultural thinking, and in Jenny I have found a veritable soulmate.

**Jenny and yours truly in front of the sheddio.**

Throughout a career in academia, and as an independent musician, singer, and songwriter, Jenny has pursued her passions and curiosities with relentless discipline. She holds a PhD in English Literature but she’s also held her head aloft in the punk band trenches. Her varied viewpoint and unique life experience make Jenny a fascinating professor, and a terribly well educated bass player.

In our chat, we discuss pulling Shakespeare down from his pedestal and deflating the idea of literature with a Capital L. From classism to colonialism, we look at how our art and culture help to propagate the idea of othering and the catastrophic consequences that can have on our society for centuries.

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We also look at how the openness of art and community is much like the openness we have in our youth. Through the eyes of Jenny’s students, we glimpse the beauty of naivete and the thoughtfulness of youth. There is even a fairly plausible argument made in here that the local music scene is a bit like the mafia.

So, come on inside and meet my dear friend and sister, Dr. Jennifer Toms, though I am fairly certain that she would prefer it if you called her Jenny.

Enjoy.

Cheers,
Matty C

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What Am I Making Podcast

Hey there. I’m Matty C. For the formally inclined folks in the crowd, the official designation is Matt Carlson.

I am a 50 year old musician, songwriter, and graphic designer that's spent the Covid era pondering deep and meaningful questions about music, film, literature and art in the 21st century.

It seems as though we’re living in age where musicians have to give their music away, content is around every corner and we don’t seem to really value much of any of it the way we used to.

What is it really like to make a living pursuing a life in the arts these days? Why are we seeing a lower percentage of artists in the workforce than at anytime in 100 years?

Now, I’ve reached a point of massive change in my life and I am preparing to spend more of my time, and hopefully, generating a portion of my income from my creative endeavors. That’s a terrifying endeavor, but it’s also incredibly exciting.

I’ll be discussing these ideas and a whole lot more of my own curiosity and creative endeavors on this platform using the written word, videos, podcasts, music and probably some other assets I learn along the way. I’ll be seeking out smart, and fascinating creatives as they build their own lives while fighting an ever-growing series of new challenges and opportunities.

All of these journeys and detours are an effort to share my exploration of culture in the modern world, and to help shine a brighter light on the work I have been doing for years as a musician, designer and podcaster.

This discussion is at the very center of our civilization, what it means to be human andhow to find a meaningful way to connect through that shared humanity in the form of artistic expression. Art is at the core of the relationship. Let’s explore it with that context, and that incalculable value, in mind.

If you enjoy what you hear on the show, please subscribe to my Substack where I also I post this podcast as well as a variety of essays, video and recordings regularly in my search to find out what art really matters to people right here and right now, and they are willing to do to invest in our culture.

Thank you so much for being here. It’s wonderful to have your support.

https://whatamimaking.substack.com

Hey there. I’m Matty C. For the formally inclined folks in the crowd, the official designation is Matt Carlson. I am a 50 year old musician, songwriter, and graphic designer that's spent the Covid era pondering deep and meaningful questions about music, film, literature and art in the 21st century. It seems as though we’re living in age where musicians have to give their music away, content is around every corner and we don’t seem to really value much of any of it the way we used to. What is it really like to make a living pursuing a life in the arts these days? Why are we seeing a lower percentage of artists in the workforce than at anytime in 100 years? Now, I’ve reached a point of massive change in my life and I am preparing to spend more of my time, and hopefully, generating a portion of my income from my creative endeavors. That’s a terrifying endeavor, but it’s also incredibly exciting. I’ll be discussing these ideas and a whole lot more of my own curiosity and creative endeavors on this platform using the written word, videos, podcasts, music and probably some other assets I learn along the way. I’ll be seeking out smart, and fascinating creatives as they build their own lives while fighting an ever-growing series of new challenges and opportunities. All of these journeys and detours are an effort to share my exploration of culture in the modern world, and to help shine a brighter light on the work I have been doing for years as a musician, designer and podcaster. This discussion is at the very center of our civilization, what it means to be human andhow to find a meaningful way to connect through that shared humanity in the form of artistic expression. Art is at the core of the relationship. Let’s explore it with that context, and that incalculable value, in mind. If you enjoy what you hear on the show, please subscribe to my Substack where I also I post this podcast as well as a variety of essays, video and recordings regularly in my search to find out what art really matters to people right here and right now, and they are willing to do to invest in our culture. Thank you so much for being here. It’s wonderful to have your support. https://whatamimaking.substack.com

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