I’ve learned quite a bit over the past three months since I started releasing episodes for “That’s Not Spit, It’s Condensation!”. Some of the obvious things are how to record an episode, how far away the mics should be from your face, how to edit an episode, mixing an episode, things like that. Just the general stuff that you have to do to create an episode and then release it so people can listen to it. The more you do it, the better you get.
One of the things I’ve learned more recently came from my conversation with Carlos. I mention it in the episode, but Carlos is my boss at the Alabama Symphony Orchestra. As such, I’ve tried to maintain relative distance from getting closer to him, as I think most people would agree it aids in the work place dynamic to have separation of that nature. But I think that kind of decision can also wield an incredibly negative side effect: the ability to view someone one dimensionally and then make decisions and judgments based on that. I could ramble on about how I think this is a problem, but that’s not worth getting into right now. I can sum it up easily by saying that if I never would have asked Carlos to be on my podcast, I never would have known his full story. I had heard bits and pieces of it through the grapevine, but to hear the whole thing from his perspective was a really wonderful experience. I’m inspired by his story in so many ways. I think it’s interesting to learn how he was able to explore music so openly, to learn how he stayed strong in the midst of the injustices that he faced, and to learn about the ways that he has tried to carry on his family legacy in his own, unique way. I’m thankful I’ve had the opportunity to learn all of this about him. Our jobs and the music we make is important, but how we connect with each other is a huge part of human experience. Learning each others stories is a great place to start.
You can check out what Carlos is up to on his website. He’s active on facebook, instagram and twitter as well, so if you liked his episode or were inspired in any way, get in touch with him! I’m sure he would enjoy knowing his story meant something to you.
In leiu of a Spotify playlist for this episode, I thought it would be a neat idea to link the Alabama Symphony Orchestra youtube page, so you can see Carlos in action. We have various videos from past dress rehearsals that you have the opportunity to enjoy.
Alabama Symphony Orchestra youtube
Until next time,
Ryan