This episode of Voice Seeker features prominent musician, curator, and thinker Calvin Arsenia from Kansas City. We discuss at length a host of topics that spans musical origins, community, critiques of AI, the development of Greenwood Social Hall, creativity, intersectionality, religion, sympathetic magic, and beyond.You can find more from Calvin and listen to or purchase the entirety of his masterful album, "Paradise", at his website (https://calvinarsenia.com/).~DandyChapters00:00 Intro03:55 Wedding music05:55 Calvin's musical origin story10:01 Community singing, primal resonance, and sympathetic magic12:10 The importance of time and space for artistic development13:58 Multi-instrumentalism15:48 The value of humility and authenticity16:15 Cultural heritage, folk magic, and the preservation of tradition18:00 Folk traditions as ancient power and magic21:49 Deconstructing religion26:01 LGBTQ+ perspectives and Religious Conflict27:55 The Intersection of Politics, Religion, and Society28:06 Greenwood Social Hall30:10 The role of music in community and healing32:24 The intersection of faith, culture, and personal identity34:04 AI, Authenticity, and Creativity36:03 The future of independent music and community support37:58 Embracing personal power40:29 Closing thoughts and advice for creative seekers

The Summer Solstice 2026 episode of Voice Seeker features my friend and former house mate from Portugal, Alice Mantas. Alice is a multi-disciplinary artist focusing on playing modal music with the cello, and conducting materials research with ceramics. She is also a face painter and sometimes clown. ~Dandy 00:00:00 - Introducing Alice Mantas via Portugal 00:01:52 - Our first meeting at a squat in Lisbon 00:11:16 - How freedom zones can ruin freedom 00:15:17 - Rhythms of Resistance, organized anarchy with percussion 00:20:34 - ETHNO, a global cohort of folk artists sharing their craft 00:25:10 - Our second meeting in a squat in Chania, Crete 00:32:04 - The power of the clown 00:38:08 - A dumpster diving band 00:40:57 - Poverty of time vs poverty of money 00:47:11 - Being a multi-disciplinary artist 00:48:41 - Ceramics 00:56:51 - Using Pure Data (Pd) an open source graphical media software toolkit 01:00:23 - A chat about practice 01:03:58 - Modal (makam) music 01:09:13 - Grant writing and cello travel 01:11:55 - Cultural evolution: Asian via North African influence on Portuguese music 01:17:03 - Culture as a mutable identity marker 01:20:49 - Travel 01:26:11 - Soclal media vs IRL 01:33:42 - Final thoughts

I first met Zaid at a Rainbow Gathering in Morocco, playing guitar songs around a campfire. A few years later our paths crossed again at another gathering in Turkiye. We ended up having some adventures after that and I am proud to call him my friend.

00:00:00 - Intruducing Zaid

00:03:15 - Meeting in a Morocco Rainbow Gathering

00:05:30 - Musical confidence

00:09:19 - After Moroccan Rainbow

00:11:26 - What was it like growing up in Morocco?

00:16:54 - Meeting a Polish wife

00:20:02 - Paradise for the rich, hell for the poor

00:25:58 - Colonization from Europe

00:29:58 - Things missed about Morocco

00:32:34 - Experiences in Poland

00:38:22 - Our second meeting in Turkish Rainbow and on to the Mad House

00:47:41 - Musical history

00:53:54 - Learning music from friends

01:01:32 - Making frame drums

01:06:55 - Connecting artists across the world

01:11:53 - Musical collaborations

01:18:25 - Big dreams

01:21:07 - Final thoughts and philosophies