MPS MIXTAPE PRESERVATION SOCIETY HOUR 13

A few months ago I did a podcast from The Mousetrap in Broad Ripple that focused on the Family Jam (aka Fam Jam aka From Another Mother Jam) that happens every Wednesday evening. It's an open mic for musicians: a backline of gear and instruments provided on a stage where jammers can meet an collaborate on musical explorations. One of the many people I have met through this network of musicians and artists is a guitarist named Evan Shine, and he is my guest on the podcast this week.

I know Evan and have jammed with him several times but this was the first time he and I had a chance to hang out one-on-one outside of any musical premise. He was gracious enough to meet me at a hotel restaurant/bar during a severe rainstorm, and our conversation went on for almost an hour. During the interview I learned a lot about Evan, his personal history, and his tastes in music. 

I think this is the best aspect of the podcast experience: learning about other people and what motivates them. I have a lot to learn as an interviewer-- the main thing being that I should let my subjects talk more and limit my own comments accordingly -- but I am beginning to see how my talkative nature (while sometimes getting in the way of conversation) also facilitates the frankness, honesty, and intelligence that I want to elicit from my guests. By volunteering my own personal information readily and casually, the subjects loosen up and feel more comfortable speaking to me. I think this is generally how I operate in life, which enables people to put their trust in me and to open up to me. I try my best not to violate that trust because it is such a precious thing.

Of course, there is more to this hour than just the guest and the interview: I open (and close) the hour with Dave Chappelle's infamous R. Kelly spoof from his short-lived TV show, and I also pay tribute to the late Chris Wongwon aka Fresh Kid Ice from 2 Live Crew. Along the way I play some songs that run the gamut from The String Cheese Incident to Chance The Rapper to Slayer. But even with all of that, the focus and center of each podcast is the guest (except for the shows when I don't have a guest, obviously) and it's in those conversations where I find the best content to share with listeners.

Evan and I talk about his upbringing and his goals as a musician, and we comment on Indiana's music scene and why rappers are so late to their own shows. His thoughtful replies to my queries set a standard for me to follow with all of my subsequent guests: I want every interview from here on out to be as informal and yet inclusive as this one.