Today I’m joined by Jamila, Madison, and Zimra: some of my close friends who each come from very different backgrounds. Listen as we laugh, roast ourselves, discuss curse words, and reflect on what made us who we are today.

Show these ladies some love! (is this the start of a segment??)

Jamila: https://www.instagram.com/jamila.spears/

Madison: https://www.instagram.com/heymadisonlee/

Zimra: https://www.instagram.com/zimras_photos/

Who can guess what Jamila said??? (lol) Message me and if anyone gets it right I’ll shout you out on the podcast!! :)

Send me your guesses here: https://anchor.fm/jane-chakraborty/message

P.S. With the sponsor, I am investing in new equipment to be able to make better quality episodes with multiple people. All the money I make from sponsorships is going back into the podcast. Just wanted to let y’all know. Love you guys.

Music Credit: "Shades of Spring" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This is the end of my little mini-series for Black History Month. I hope you enjoyed. But I will definitely be talking about more issues affecting black people/POC in future episodes.

Here is the primary article I talk about, in case you are interested (it is long but totally worth the read):

“The Possessive Investment In Classical Music”: https://www.atlanticbrassquintet.com/s/Crenshaw-Seeing-Race-Again_07_CH07.pdf

Overall I’m not ecstatic with my speaking skills (when am I ever…) but I am really happy with how I expressed my points overall and spoke about this topic. Thank you so so so much for listening! Love you guys.

P.S. I am so sorry for the white noise. It was from my computer. I didn’t even realize it was that bad until editing! ugh

I realized listening back that it could sound like I am trying to villainize classical musicians or institutions, please know that this is NOT the case. I myself am classically trained, still play classical music daily and am a patron; this is an exploration on how white supremacy is reflected in so many institutions that we hold dear: music being no exception. I fully believe that the only way for us to progress is to begin the conversation, or just consider it for a little bit. Maybe it can help you reconsider the musical experiences you’ve had and how they indirectly uphold some of these beliefs. Thank you for listening!

Music Credits: Music Credit: "Shades of Spring" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 

This episode was inspired by a fantastic presentation put on by my university about the words of Martin Luther King Jr. Although the exact webinar I watched isn’t available, if you are interested in watching another great one to get a more in-depth analysis on the scope of Dr. King (I highly recommend), you can do so here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bx0Dip3xhkc

Oh boy. This one could be a bit controversial. I just want to stress that these are my opinions and I am NOT an expert. If I am wrong on any of this, please feel free to fact check me and let me know. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this! I also realize that I am not the most succinct in this episode and I make a few word mistakes. Please forgive me. Also, this is not meant to generalize and I am not trying to paint wealthy people as thieves/undeserving of their wealth. I just wanted to reflect on some ideas that were presented to me at a webinar. Thank you listening!

Music Credit: "Shades of Spring" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Epiphanies regarding the admiration of one’s self. VERY important,  rarely well executed. Let’s face it, it’s not cute or fun to genuinely, passionately, completely hate yourself. You don’t deserve that. This one’s shorter but (maybe) sweet? Thank you for listening!! 

Disclaimer: This was recorded when I was living at home; I had not gone to college yet. 

P.S. LOTS of crackhead energy in this one. Shockingly enough, I’m NOT on any drugs.

Music Credit: "Shades of Spring" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Here it is. THE story. A grand total of zero people have asked for it, so here it is. Enjoy. 

Music Credit: "Shades of Spring" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

I reflect on the people who have made me who I am today. This one’s super mellow, I recorded it at like 12 AM which is past my bedtime… Still, I feel like there are some good thoughts. What do you think? Who are some people who have shaped you? (I know you can’t respond but just think about it. I’ll know.) Thanks for listening, even if it’s just for one second! You’re the bestest!

Note: Some names might have been changed to avoid starting sh*t.

ALSO IT HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT I PRONOUNCE “PECAN” WEIRDLY!!! there are people who pronounce it like this and when I GOOGLED IT they pronounced it they way I do. I apologize if this harmed anyone mentally or emotionally.

Music Credit for the SUPER LIT jazz intro: "Shades of Spring" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/