In my last post I mentioned my love for music and that putting both music and podcasting together is a combination that just about puts me “over the moon.” Add to this an intimate look at a person’s process (in this case how a song is written) and you’ve got me “hook, line, and sinker!” Jonathan Mann hosts the podcast As It Happens: Song A Day.

This is one of the most raw podcasts in my queue. Mann really puts it all out in front of the listener. His thoughts, feelings, and emotions as it relates to his efforts, are on full display during each episode. I found this podcast from...you guessed it...another podcast. The boys from ATP talked about it a few weeks ago as one of the hosts, John Siracusa was “preparing the way” for his long awaited new Mac Pro. So I decided that my entry into Jonathan Mann’s world would be the episode titled: Turning Tweets About The New Mac Pro Into a Song. I am so glad I made this decision!

THE thing I like about this podcast is the diligence that Jonathan engages in to share his process. Being a witness to his struggle, the decisions he is making in real time, and his very honest appraisal of the outcome is absolutely fascinating to me!

I’m pretty sure this is interesting to me because of my own experiences with writing. Readers of this blog know that I’ve been writing seriously for over 12 years. Among other things I’ve written magazine articles, co-authored a book with 5 of my educator friends, and created a dissertation for my PhD in Urban Literacy. Very rarely do “we” the consumer get a behind the scenes look at how the content we seek comes together. That said, I feel that you do NOT have to be a writer to appreciate what Jonathan is doing here.

Some of the songs Mann has written have actually resonated with me while others have not. But, like I said, I’m really not listening for the music as much as I am for the gift Mann gives us...the gift of exposing himself. I’m 8 episodes into his 10 episode experiment. Mann has already started thinking about what the next iteration of the podcast will be. Whatever it is, I will be listening. Jonathan’s willingness to reveal himself and his process has brought me great joy and is helping me cultivate a bit of mental silence in that his struggle helps me get out of my own head and my own struggles. Consider adding his podcast to your queue! You won’t be sorry you did!