Overthought, A Podcast

030 show notes The competitive spirit is pervasive and thinly veiled - even encouraged - in the world of music. (Is it that bad in fields outside the arts? We have only thi uninformed assumption to offer: Probably.) It's possible that an attitude of oneupmanship - and the over-awareness of one's own merits and faults that goes along with it - can have positive effects on the lives and careers of people that are NOT us. But we can't help but notice how much energy it sucks away from the creative headspace to always be trying to stay ahead of the next guy. (If we weren't quite so susceptible to this grubby little impulse, would we be better equipped to employ a healthy dash of competition to our advantage?) Chris also takes the opportunity to raise a soul-plumbing question - "Who ARE the Joneses?" - and Isaiah opens and closes the episode with a recitation of classic haiku. Never a dull moment.... -=- Show notes -=- Book - The Essential Haiku: Versions of Basho, Buson, & Issa (Essential Poets) http://www

Perfectionism: necessary condition for high-quality output, or pathological and counterproductive compulsion? FIND OUT HERE! Chris and Isaiah, two accredited perfectionists, would like to set the record straight. Where does perfectionism come from? It's certainly responsible for endless general dissatisfaction - and the abandonment of many worthwhile endeavours - but is it a valuable tool, or is it more trouble than it's worth? Can it be harnessed? Amid legitimately topical tales of craft projects gone wild, we also take our first Overthought-coined acronym out for a test spin. What could OUTBREED possibly mean? Find out heeeeeeere.....-=- Show notes -=-Colt Express, Board Game | BoardGameGeekhttps://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/158899/colt-expressTutorial for Wood Prints - YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0d3P5r47oHUAidan Ferguson, mezzo-sopranohttps://www.facebook.com/AidanFergusonmezzo/According to the dictionary, “literally” now also means “figuratively”, by Dana Coleman http://www.salon.com/2013/08/

Ever the contrarians, Chris and Isaiah turn from debunking the myth of Success to looking for the bright side of Failure. Everyone knows we're supposed to see our missteps as growth opportunities, but it's hard to embrace failure when it just feels so god-damned bad. Would it be easier if we could learn to excise the idea of failure from our emotional vocabulary entirely? Or is it the worst kind of academic nonsense to even suggest that, since failure - and our reactions to it - seems to be such an essential part of the human experience? Sigh. To test their theories, the fellas dredge up memories of Real-Life Times when things did not go so well, and Isaiah repeatedly demonstrates his fear of failing in even the tiniest ways as he squanders valuable listener time searching for Exactly The Right Word (when an imperfect synonym would do just fine).-=- Show notes -=-The City of Reginahttp://www.regina.ca/visitors/'Rory McIlroy’s U.S. Open win : The art of an epic comeback', by Jena McGregor | The Washington Post

Success. Does the very word make you feel a little itchy? Certain tenors among us manage to project disdain for our rampant success-at-all-costs culture while still remaining vulnerable to its fundamental mantra: where you are is not good enough. Success means different things to each of us - and it's rarely something we can measure objectively. More often, it's an state of being, or a way of feeling, that we imagine will accompany our achievements in the future. The tantalizing effect of the success-carrot luring us on can be that we are unable to ever truly metabolize successes we've already achieved. Instead, we continuously chase the phantom destination of success, certain that some out-of-reach goal will finally quench our thirst for more. BONUS OFFER for our more success-hungry listeners: a REAL Cadbury Egg, sent through the mail, will reward the intrepid wordsmith who crafts a compelling compountmanteau (portmanteau of compound and portmanteau that I just made up) out of "Success" and "Sexsomnia", the

We understand the world through the stories we're told, and we make sense of life's random nonsense by weaving our own personal narratives. In a meandering misadventure ironically titled "The Plot", Chris and Isaiah unpack some of the ways that storytelling affects our lives: from the real world's continually shifting objectives (Chris says, "Take your current age, subtract ten. What was the thing you really needed back then to be super happy? Do you have it now? Of course you do! Are you happy? NO!") to our tendency to believe that the lives of others - or indeed of our own potential selves - are less complex than our current situations (Isaiah thinks maybe some people's whole lives really DO happen in transfer filter). Would it be easier to take our own lumps if more people's stories were lumpy? And how much does the way we assemble the narrative of our past affect the events of our future? Also included: Isaiah says "you know" a truly maddening number of times, and Chris wantonly slags Broadway's most popu

How we see the world is not how the the world really is. But our perceptions have a pesky way of controlling our behaviour anyway. If you're colourblind, like Chris, you may not realize how much what you can't see affects your everyday interactions. If, like Isaiah, you insist on saying "daltonien" instead of "colourblind" (because you just found out that's how they say it in French and you "just think it's cooler,") you may not be fully aware of the distancing effects of your deep-rooted pretension. Our personal defaults are never truly "neutral". But even if we try to account for pre-existing bias, can we ever know for sure if that inscrutable opera director REALLY thinks we're ne'er-do-wells? And is it worse to always suspect disdain than it would be to hear it spelled out? [See: Schrödinger's Critique] Finally, in honour of Overthought's silver jubilee (25 episodes!) - and to cut down on constant mid-show disclaiming -we've implemented a content-flexible pre-show disclaimer: an ever-expanding compendium o

Feelings: The Worst? If you're anything like a certain pair of ponderous podcasters, you likely spend a good portion of your day thinking about and managing your Feelings. Is every person's life like this? Are some people just better at placating that perpetually squalling infant inside them? Or do they truly just not Feel So Hard? Being an artist-type can *feel* like being a professional Feeler — but is there a greater purpose to all this relentless sensation? Or, if we were given the choice to do nothing and Just Be Happy, would we take it? Bonus material: that really great Martha Graham quote, and a brand new psychological condition, coined right here at Overthought!-=- Show notes-=-YouTube - Game of Thrones Season 6: Hall of Faces Tease (HBO)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmrA8nOZF2QWebsite - Definition of 'sonder' | Organizing Creativity How to generate, capture, and collect ideas to realize creative projects.http://www.organizingcreativity.com/2014/03/realizing-that-each-random-passerby-is-living-a-lif

Today's urban Facebook dweller is steeped in the culture of positive thought; there's no devil more insidious than Negative Energy. But is there no one left to defend the Lost Art of Complaint? Chris and Isaiah devote an hour to just such devil's advocacy. Could there be a dark side to looking only on the bright side? Is it healthy to leave negative feelings suppressed and unexpressed? What about the sweet relief of hearing your troubles echoed in the troubles of a pal? You may doubt our suppositions, but admit it: you do kind of want to find out how a Complaint could possibly be like a Picasso. NERD BONUS: Good Schumann vs. Bad Schumann - The Mystery Unlocked. -=- Show notes -=-Article - The Science of Happiness: Why complaining is literally killing you. | Curious Apes - The Creator's Path:http://thecreatorspath.com/the-science-of-happiness-why-complaining-is-literally-killing-you-curious-apes/Book - The Anger Traphttp://www.goodreads.com/book/show/329381.The_Anger_TrapVideo - Coughing Dude Causes Chris to W

In the second half of our deeply Uncomprehensive exploration of creativity, Chris and Isaiah try to nail down this slipperiest of concepts. What exactly Is creativity, and in what habitat does it flourish? Extreme stress? Meditation, procrastination, poverty? All of the above? And why does it only seem to come when we're not trying? Plus: who's going to volunteer to discuss the uncomfortably undeniable efficacy of certain chemical aids? If you've ever written a novel in your head, chased a poem across a field, or sung to the universe, this is the podcast for you. Bonus Feature: the introduction of our recurring silent foil, Straw Man Tom Hardy.-=- Show notes -=-Vancouver 2010 Closing Ceremony - Catherine O'Harahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDs8yUgzmYcTED - Your elusive creative geniushttps://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius?language=enThe Death Spiral Of M. Night Shyamalan’s Career, by Walt Hickey | FiveThirtyEight http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/the-death-spiral-of-m-night-shyamalans-career

Every creative type has opinions to offer about the process of making something that Is Not into something that Is. In the first installment of our first ever two-parter, Isaiah and Chris apply their unique brand of madcap misquoting to the mystical realm of creativity. Have you ever lived somewhere you absolutely Could Not create? Do you ever compulsively hack away at a project for hours on end because you just can't NOT? Is creativity really un oiseau rebelle, or should we all just buckle down and do the work? Tune in this week to hear our very own Christopher Mayell, tenor, attempt to break the world record** for most conversational instances of the word "like" within ten seconds!**Previously held by Isaiah Bell, tenor-=- Show notes -=-Diary: Let’s not get physical, by  Tabard | The Stage:https://www.thestage.co.uk/opinion/tabard/2016/diary-lets-not-get-physical/Glyndebourne opera critics spark 'sexism' row, by  - BBC Newshttp://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-27500461TinTin is Racist?http://fr.tintin.

Everyone loves auditions. If you don’t, you’re probably the only one, and you should feel ashaaaamed. Regular living humans often enjoy being scrutinized in airless, fluorescent-lit rooms by overworked figures of authority who hold one’s career (along with scratchy notepads) in their hands. Isaiah devours the lion’s share of this week’s Overthought with the spine-chilling A Tale of Two Auditions. One day. Two auditions. A world apart. Hear all the grisly details, and shudder at those dreaded words: Would You Mind Going In Early.-=- Show notes -=-Book:  The Little Stranger, by Sarah Waters http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6065182-the-little-strangerTintinologist.org - The Tintin fan's resourcehttp://www.tintinologist.org/guides/books/YouTube - What Does “Netflix And Chill” Actually Mean? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1MXlS_sjtsYouTube- DO ELDERS KNOW MODERN SLANG? (REACT: Do They Know It?)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_P-RGz-s6AYouTube - G. Rossini: Petite Messe Solennelle - Alberto Zedda - OSG - COSGh

This week, on a suggestion from a listener, Isaiah and Chris walk the tightrope of season planning and career strategy. Conflicting gig offers? Work-life balance? Try our handy formula! How to pronounce Anaïs Nin? We googled it so you don't have to! In the most digression-filled episode to date, the fellas unmask the Plague of Isaiah's Nesting Tangents (PINT), and Chris points out a blooper from last week that might make you question everything you thought you knew... (About the editing of Overthought Podcast, specifically.)-=- Show notes -=-Index of Articles on Work/Life Balancehttp://www.huffingtonpost.ca/news/work-life-balance/'The Good, The Bad, The Ugly of a Man’s Ability to Compartmentalize', by The Mighty Mosthttp://www.singleblackmale.org/2011/12/05/the-good-the-bad-the-ugly-of-a-mans-ability-to-compartmentalize/Stop patronising young people, and start listening, by John Green | World Economic Forumhttp://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/stop-patronising-young-people-and-start-listeningYouTube - Why the

Geologically, a plateau is nothing to whine about - especially when it's silhouetted against a nice sunset. But what about when that setting sun is a metaphorical one that represents the diminishing of your worth and vitality? Not so pretty any more. Sometimes, what might seem like a relief - a break in the climb, a lull, the establishment of a routine - only serves to highlight pesky existential angst. Should we just be grateful for the constancy? Or is struggle what gives lives meaning? Chris discusses strategies for jolting out of those stultifying ruts, while Isaiah, ever the amateur scientist, tests whether oolong leaves taste as good as the tea they make. SPOILER: they don't. And it's a waste of good oolong.-=-Show notes-=-Article - 'Busy? Stressed? Do stop boasting about it. You're not the only one', by Nicole Mowbray - Telegraph:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/11252918/Busy-Stressed-Do-stop-boasting-about-it.-Youre-not-the-only-one.htmlA Life of Productivity – How to ‘Flow’: Here’s the mo

In Episode 17 we discuss how the pressures and foibles of the singing life work to instill certain ubiquitous traits in many unsuspecting singers. Plus: Is the anti-diva the new diva? And where's the line between bitter and practical?Opera singers get a bad rap (this is distinct from being bad at rap [http://youtu.be/uIjauW5xSOg]) in the world library of stereotypes; "diva" is almost synonymous with "singer", for one thing, and there's also this pesky rumour that we are impossibly fragile.While the truth about any group of people is more slippery than can be conveyed with a single outdated pejorative, Chris and Isaiah believe** that, in general, the reputation is unwarranted. Neverthess, FEAR NOT! We've got a whole new set of stereotypes to erect in its place. **All findings anecdotal-=-Show notes-=-Britten - A Midsummer Night's Dream, Wikipediahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Midsummer_Night's_Dream_%28opera%29Leah Alfred on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/leahsoprano'The Really Big One', by Kathryn Schulzhttp://w

Chris and Isaiah don't have all the answers. In Episode 16, they don't have any. It's all about Fear, capital F, and it may have been created just to make our listeners feel better about their own capacities to cope with minor seismic events. As singers we might feel we've got some kind of handle on fear - thanks to overexposure to the nervous pressures of performing - but what about when real-life trauma threatens? Do the two kinds of fear have anything in common? What's the difference between an impending natural disaster and the unremunerated cancellation of a concert gig? IT'S NOT A JOKE PEOPLE GOOGLE CASCADIA SUBDUCTION ZONE.   The Earthquake That Will Devastate the Pacific Northwest, by Kathryn Schulz - The New Yorkerhttp://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/07/20/the-really-big-oneIMDb - 'The Big One: The Great Los Angeles Earthquake (1990)'http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099137/Wikipedia - Psychological traumahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychological_traumaTrauma can be caused by a wide variety of events,

Being "in the zone" - that perfect balance of focus and relaxation that allows us to perform at our best - is not just a vague feeling. It's a powerful, concrete state of mind that many creative types recognize instantly. That said, it can still be incredibly elusive. Accessing this sweet spot means shifting focus to the active present, and being unfettered by impediments like judgement, anxiety, and analysis. This is particularly burdensome to the Overthinker, for whom banishing unwanted thoughts is already Sisyphean. For the singer, the challenges of the craft mutate daily along with our changing bodies. How to make The Zone one's home base? Is imagining the volume of one's big toe the answer? Or is it terror-driven tunnel vision the only reliable approach to achieving optimum creativity? FIND OUT HERE!*-=- Show notes-=-YouTube: Carcassonne: TableTop, with Wil Wheatonhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6VpW4Vljr8with Jesse Cox, Nika Harper, Kimail NanjianiBook: The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Picku

This week we're talking about a sort of reverse Golden Rule: "Would you ever treat other people the way you treat yourself?" To many of us self-critical, people-pleasing types, cutting ourselves some slack feels like a sign of weakness; if we learn to treat ourselves gently, won't we sacrifice productivity? Or could love and understanding make us better at what we do? Sounds like commie talk, but at this point we'll try anything. Brought to you by the Palomino Blackwing, ideal for those who prefer a soft, dark line.In keeping with the Overthought collaborative spirit, we've designated this space for your best "self-love" joke: [                                                         ].Thank you for your contribution!

We all know that colleague who has to turn every conversation into a promo for their upcoming show, or their side business, even though you're a friend and not a casting director.Where is the sweet spot between being "savvy self promotor" and an annoying blow-hard? As contractors and sole proprietors, we need to let people know that we are good, and that we are busy, and sought-after. And we have to be responsible for getting our own work (agents or no agents). But how do we do this in a genuine way? Perhaps the answer lies in effective networking. But what does that actually mean?How do you sing an audition, or have a conversation with a general director, in such a way that you seem "eager & energetic", but don't seem "desperate & irritating"?-=- Show notes -=- Book - The Introvert Advantage: How To Thrive in an Extrovert Worldhttp://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49322.The_Introvert_AdvantageMailChimp - Mail Chimp; Send Better Emailhttp://mailchimp.com/Canada's Law on Spam and Other Electronic Threats

And now, for your amusement: Chris and Isaiah stare into the abyss of human mortality. We fill our days with music and with the business of being alive, but it's the human condition to wonder, "What's it all about?"How much of the creative life is fuelled by the idea of legacy? Will some piece of us live on when we've ceased to exist? When does a longing to be older turn into nostalgia for lost youth? Is the knowledge of death's inevitability present in our every action? Our desire for meaning in life may go eternally unfulfilled, but your desire to hear a man yelling like a goat that yells like a man will not, if you listen through to the end. #YOLO" -=-Show Notes-=-Hooded nordic onesie | Simons:http://bit.ly/1NtwcB8These Are Not The Best Years of Your Life | A Silver Twig:http://www.asilvertwig.com/these-are-not-the-best-years-of-your-life/The Collaborative Piano Blog - Martin Katz Interviewhttp://collaborativepiano.blogspot.ca/2010/11/interview-with-martin-katz.html#.VmEDhsqSROAUrban Dictionary - Yolohttp:

Are other people's opinions of us more important than literally any other thing? We were pretty sure the answer was "No, for sure no!" but, upon further discussion, we've arrived at "...maybe?" Why do put so much stock in what other people think? Caring too much can undoubtedly harm the integrity of our work (and our mental health) - but how can we learn to move past it? Featuring an unprecedented number of references to therapy. -=- Show Notes -=- Book - 'The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Insdustry', by Jon Ronsonhttp://www.amazon.com/The-Psychopath-Test-Journey-Industry/dp/1594485755YouTube - 'What's On Your Mind?'https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxVZYiJKl1YWebsite - Filling the sequence gaps - Jurassic Park Wiki - Jurassic Park, Dinosaurs, Stephen Spielberghttp://jurassicpark.wikia.com/wiki/Filling_the_sequence_gapsWebsite - Urban Dictionary - Urban Dictionary: yp/mphttp://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=yp%2FmpWikipedia - Nancy Argenta, sopranohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Ar