logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2021
31m 41s

Listening to the space around you, by An...

Waitwhat
About this episode

The chaotic nature and noise of life as a musician – touring from city to city – eventually erodes Andrew Bird's ability to hear the music that is really inside of him. In a courageous effort to understand the faint calling of sound playing in his head, Andrew deserts his Chicago apartment for a rural piece of land where he believes an old farmhouse might unlock his personal renewal as an experimental multi-instrumentalist musician. There inside the reverberating wooden walls of a dilapidated barn, he begins to recalibrate – seeing, sensing, and interpreting the space around him musically. Rather than imposing his vision on the world, Andrew's music becomes a reflection of what the surrounding environment is trying to tell him. He learns that sometimes a sense of connectedness is easier to achieve alone, where you're able to find out what's happening inside you in order to make it sing outwards.

If this episode resonates with you, we’d love to hear from you. Please take a moment to share your reflections by rating and reviewing Meditative Story in your podcast player. It helps other listeners find their way to the show, and we’d be so grateful.

Each episode of Meditative Story combines the emotional pull of first-person storytelling with immersive music and gentle mindfulness prompts. Read the transcript for this story: meditativestory.com

Sign up for the Meditative Story newsletter: https://meditativestory.com/subscribe

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Up next
Oct 7
Navigating life in my own skin, by Zenju Earthlyn Manuel
In precisely chosen words, the writer, artist and Zen priest Zenju Earthlyn Manuel tells a story from her girlhood, a road trip from LA to Louisiana in 1957. While five-year-old Zenju sits in the back seat dreaming of cowboys, her parents navigate an altogether different landscap ... Show More
29m 59s
Oct 1
Through friendship, a better version of myself, by Reid Hoffman
How do you find joy in your life? For entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and author Reid Hoffman, it’s through the act of genuine, honest, and intimate conversations with friends. Once a self-described misfit, in college, Reid finds his place. He connects with people who share not ... Show More
30 m
Sep 24
Calming the mind and body for sleep, by Rohan Gunatillake
Having trouble quieting your mind at night? Join Rohan for this soothing, nighttime meditation designed to ease your body and mind into a restful sleep. Drawing on the close connection between mindfulness and relaxation, Rohan takes you step by step through the process of turning ... Show More
12m 10s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2021
Andrew Bird + Jimbo Mathus
Listening to Jimbo Mathus and Andrew Bird’s new album, These 13, is like taking a trip down South … a century ago. It’s new territory for Andrew Bird, a classically trained multi-instrumentalist from the Chicago suburbs who’s been a successful indie folk singer/songwriter and als ... Show More
34m 54s
Jan 2022
Welcome to More Than A Feeling
Most of us have gotten at least a little emotional at some point recently. It’s natural. But why do we have emotions and how much should we pay attention to them on any given day? Can we learn to skillfully choose which emotions to listen to and which ones to just let move on by? ... Show More
6m 35s
May 2019
[BONUS] Citizen Cope | Music Month
Born in Memphis, spending summer months with his great aunt and uncle in a small west Texas town, while being raised in Washington, DC, Clarence Greenwood aka Citizen Cope (https://citizencope.com/welcome) grew up influenced by the production techniques of George Martin, Dr. Dre ... Show More
1h 9m
May 2023
A Personal Story from Dan
As you might already know, May is Mental Health Awareness Month – and, while mental health is important every month, it’s an important opportunity to share resources that can help one another.  So, in that spirit – we’re going to bring you a bonus episode from a podcast we love c ... Show More
28m 11s
Mar 2021
The Profound Upside of Self-Diminishment | George Saunders
There is a powerful scene in a novel called Lincoln In the Bardo, where President Abraham Lincoln has come to the cemetery where his young son, Willie, is soon to be buried. Willie had passed away at the White House where he had gotten sick. Lincoln is so distraught that he goes ... Show More
1h 8m
Sep 2022
'Shine' by Collective Soul
duh nunu nununu nununu nunu nuh YEAH it's a new ep about this 90s classic! 'Shine' by Collective Soul was a huge hit, but it was only a demo! Don't give up on your dreams kids! Andrew & Evan unearth some surprising arcana about this band's success, but not before they get in some ... Show More
1h 15m
Nov 2020
S.G. Goodman
S.G. Goodman turns traditional Southern storytelling on its head with songs that present a deeper, more complex look at life below the Mason-Dixon line. As a queer person who lives with mental illness, she often sings about the social and political change she'd like to see in her ... Show More
32m 55s
Jul 2022
Sacred Music, Cold Plunges, DMT Awakenings And The Edge of Consciousness With Gianni Neiviller
If you enjoyed listening to today's episode?Then please consider leaving us an iTunes rating and & review. Really helps spread the word and get more people listening! https://mysevenchakras.com/reviewA self-professed biohacker, Gianni embarked on a new journey of self-discove ... Show More
1h 35m
Aug 2018
Andy Grammer: Making Music from the Heart.
Born in a small town in upstate New York, pop-music phenom, Andy Grammer (http://andygrammer.com/)earned his place in music the hard way. He spent years busking on the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica, honing is voice and skills as a singer, songwriter and also learning what ... Show More
59m 36s