Wood Stove House

ATWS #47: Andrew Zahn (with special guest post!)

Jason Mundok — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:00:46 +0000

Andrew Zahn is a creative who publishes a blog for other creatives. He has spent over a decade as a professional actor and was one who participated in the Wood Stove House production of Lancaster’s 24 Hour Plays back in November 2011. He later became a corporate sales trainer for a national multi-million dollar company. On this episode of Around the Wood Stove, I had a chance to chat with Andrew about his creative path, his new found love for blogging, and how he injects his own creativity into his corporate career. Play the episode at the bottom of this post!

To get a taste of Andrew’s blogging style, enjoy this guest post…

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The Ultimate Mistake Many Artists Make

by Andrew Zahn

There is only one mistake from which a creative cannot recover.

Her novel flopped: recoverable.
He went bankrupt: recoverable.
She ‘went up’ on her lines onstage: recoverable (pride damaged is most likely healthy).
The album tanked: recoverable.

We’ve all heard numerous quotes from inventors, entrepreneurs, presidents and inspirational giants about the value of failure.

And most of those sayings hold tremendous merit. Failing prepares us for success. Failure is a teacher and motivator. Lesson learned. Improve. Progress.

So what’s the ‘unrecoverable’ sin? The costly mistake that many artists make?

Not calling yourself an artist.

Pretention Confession

Confession: I sometimes feel pretentious calling myself an ‘artist.’ I superimpose judgement from others when I say it. Maybe I’m paranoid. I know I shouldn’t care, but at times, I do.

It may play out something like this:

Them: What do you do?

Me: I’m an artist.

Them: Cool.

What I Think They’re Thinking: Well well well. So does that mean you don’t have a job. Really, just level with us. Tell us what’s really going on here.

Or…

Them: What do you do?

Me: I’m an artist.

Them: Oh.

What I Think They’re Thinking: Fancy. Way to go champ. You’re an artist. How’s that workin’ out for ya? Collecting unemployment?

Or what about this one…

Them: So whaddya do?

Me: I’m a corporate sales trainer (secretly thinking ‘why don’t I tell them I’m an artist’).

Them: Sales huh?

What They’re Actually Thinking: Hmmm. He kinda looks like an artist of some kind.

Fear can’t keep us from admitting who we are. We are artists.

For the Hungry Artist

I hate the term ‘starving artist.’ It’s weak and filled with a poverty mindset.

The truth is, at my core, I am a hungry artist. I want to do, say, and create things that make people feel something. Because you’re reading this, you are too. You are a hungry artist.

We feel the call to the numb. To those that have been afraid to call themselves ‘artist.’ To those that are watching others create while they merely consume.

As artists, we live under the truth that our creativity matters and (at some point) must be shared.

We are the hungry artists. Our creativity comes to good. Our work brings change.

My blog has been a tool to carry me through my own silly judgements of myself and others. The writing frees me to create as I connect with other creatives working through the same journey.

I hope you’ll join in too.

Andrew Zahn is an actor, writer, corporate sales trainer and candy lover. On his blog Creatives, he’s building a community of brave creatives who desire to live, work, and play with creative zest. He’d love to connect with you on Twitter and Google+.

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Around the Wood Stove is a production of the Wood Stove House and is hosted by Jason Mundok.

You can now hear Around the Wood Stove while on the go with Stitcher SmartRadio. Stitcher is a free news and talk mobile app available for your iPad or smart phone with access to 1000s of programs without syncing or downloading. Click here and enter the promo code WOODSTOVE to have a download link for the app sent directly to your email inbox. Plus, you’ll be automatically entered to win $100. Stitcher is the smart way to listen to radio!

ATWS #46: Peter Mayer

Jason Mundok — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 11:00:38 +0000

Photo: Paul Dols

Peter Mayer is a singer-songwriter from Stillwater, MN who recently visited Central Pennsylvania to perform a concert at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Lancaster. Peter’s nine-album catalog spans two decades and features music about the interconnectedness of the human journey and the mysteries of the world. I had the privilege of chatting with Peter about the process behind writing and recording his latest album, Heaven Below, along with the influences that have inspired his music over the years.

Links:

Around the Wood Stove is a production of the Wood Stove House and is hosted by Jason Mundok.

You can hear Around the Wood Stove on Stitcher SmartRadio. Stitcher allows you to listen to your favorite shows directly from your iPhone, iPad, Android or BlackBerry on-demand and on the go! Download it for free today at Stitcher.com or from your respective app store. Stitcher SmartRadio – The Smarter Way to listen to radio.

Help Us Make “Around the Wood Stove” Better!

Jason Mundok — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:47:01 +0000

If you’ve listened to our podcast, Around the Wood Stove, please take this very short survey to help us make the show better. Enter your email address at the end of the survey to be registered to win a $15 iTunes gift card. We’ll select two random participants and notify the winners on Saturday, February 25.

If you haven’t heard the show, check out a few episodes, and then take the survey to let us know what you think:

Take the Survey Here!

You can subscribe to the show using the subscribe buttons in the right column. Thank you for your support.

Free Download from Phoebe Radcliffe and Jordan Rast

Jordan Rast — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:00:11 +0000

In an impromptu performance recorded live at Community Mennonite Church of Lancaster, Phoebe Radcliffe is joined by Jordan Rast in the playing of her original song Tetris. It’s a hauntingly beautiful homage to the highly addictive iPhone app. Both are young musicians hailing from the Lancaster, PA region. You can check out more of Phoebe and Jordan’s work at jordanrast.com.

ATWS #45: Jonathan Burns

Jason Mundok — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:00:59 +0000

Jonathan Burns is a touring comedian, magician, and contortionist based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Jonathan puts on a wild show filled with everything from knife juggling, to magic tricks, to taking off his underwear without taking off his pants…all sprinkled with lighthearted interactive humor for people of all ages and all walks of life. I had a chance to chat with Jonathan about how he first got into performing and where his unique talents have taken him so far. Check out some of Jonathan’s remarkable performances at his website.

Links:

JLS from Jonathan Burns on Vimeo.

Around the Wood Stove is a production of the Wood Stove House and is hosted by Jason Mundok.

New Song and Video – Indian Summer Jars

Jordan Rast — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:55:34 +0000

Wood Stove House had the pleasure of recording Indian Summer Jars in a day-long session at Community Mennonite Church of Lancaster. The result of that session was this amazing track called Over the Garden Walls. The song is available for download on bandcamp:

Check out some video of the recording session on YouTube:

ATWS #44: Darry Miller and The Veil

Jason Mundok — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:00:25 +0000

Darry Miller is a pop/rock songwriter from Central Pennsylvania. In only two years, Darry has transformed himself from an acoustic solo artist to the front man of the five-piece rock band, Darry Miller and the Veil. The band recently released Grip Your Seat, a three-song EP, produced by Nashville producer, Dustin Burnett, most known in the regional music scene for his work with Kingsfoil and Dana Alexandra.

I enjoyed an opportunity on a snowy Saturday afternoon to sit down with Darry at the Wood Stove House to chat about the songs on Grip Your Seat and to hear about his experiences working in Nashville with Dustin Burnett.
Links:

Around the Wood Stove is a production of the Wood Stove House and is hosted by Jason Mundok.

ATWS #43: Dr. Amanda Kemp

Jason Mundok — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:00:17 +0000

Dr. Amanda Kemp is the founder and Artistic Director of Theatre for Transformation a touring theatre company from Lancaster, PA that focuses on Black History and provides opportunities for both the company and the audience to open their hearts and minds and experience new perspectives.

Amanda joined me for a delightful conversation about her own transformation back in 2006 when she began her shift from the world of academia to the world of theatre. Her story is one of inspiration to honestly seek to discover our inner drive, passion, and calling, and ultimately to set out on a journey to live that calling.

Theatre for Transformation will be performing two one-act plays at Millersville University’s Ware Center in downtown Lancaster on Thursday, January 26 (pay what you can – donations at the door) and Saturday, January 28 ($15). Both shows start at 7:30 pm.

Read more about Dr. Kemp and Theatre for Transformation here.

Links:

Around the Wood Stove is a production of the Wood Stove House and is hosted by Jason Mundok.

ATWS #42: Dana Alexandra

Jason Mundok — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 11:00:08 +0000

Dana Alexandra is a pop singer and songwriter who is making quite a splash in Central Pennsylvania and beyond. Her latest album, Wash Your Mouth Out, was recently listed in the top five local albums of 2011 by Helen Leicht at WXPN in Philadelphia. Dana was also featured at an WXPN Free at Noon concert at the World Cafe Live back in September.

While taking some time off from her busy performing schedule, I had a chance to chat with Dana about her transition from a solo acoustic singer-songwriter to a pop singer with a big sound courtesy of Nashville producer, Dustin Burnett.

Links:

Around the Wood Stove is a production of the Wood Stove House and is hosted by Jason Mundok.

ATWS #41: 2011 Recap

Jason Mundok — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:00:48 +0000

2011 has been a year of change and experimentation for the Wood Stove House. We produced our first experimental theater event called Lancaster’s 24 Hour Plays. We promoted a series of house concerts outside of the Wood Stove House in homes around Lancaster County. We began to expand woodstovehouse.com beyond a podcast site, offering a forum for blog posts and guest writers from around the country to chime in on their creative inspiration and experiences. We also expanded the format of Around the Wood Stove. We experimented with three threads for the show. There’s the standard music interview where we focus on the creative process behind an artist’s recent album. There’s also an open conversation format talking with people from all performing arts disciplines about their projects and inspiration. And we introduced the brand new Artist Spotlight, a quick snapshot of a recent album that we’d love to share with the world.

2012 will continue to be a year of change, but will also be a year of FOCUS as we move toward what works and abandon what doesn’t. One thing is for certain, we will continue to support and promote independent performing artists and their creative projects. We’re planning to produce and promote more theater events in the Lancaster area, house concerts and public listening room concerts, and plenty of podcasts so you can get to know the amazing artists that are from Central Pennsylvania or those who travel through on their adventures. We’re also teaming up with other performing arts organizations in the area, like Creative Works of Lancaster, Series 42, and Mosaic Presents to help make our performing arts community even stronger. If you’re not from Central Pennsylvania, we hope you’ll find inspiration in what we’re doing around here, and we hope you’ll share ideas about things happening in your area.

We thank each and everyone one of you who have checked out the Wood Stove House over the past couple years and we welcome your opinions as we move forward. Please leave feedback in the comments, or contact us here. We’d love to hear from you about what you want to see the Wood Stove House become. In the meantime, enjoy this tiny slice of the incredible independent music that crossed paths with the Wood Stove House in 2011.

Links:

Around the Wood Stove is a production of the Wood Stove House and is hosted by Jason Mundok.

You can hear Around the Wood Stove on Stitcher SmartRadio, Stitcher allows you to listen to your favorite shows directly from your iPhone, iPad, Android or BlackBerry on-demand and on the go! Download it for free today at Stitcher.com or from your app stores. Stitcher SmartRadio- The Smarter Way to listen to radio.