There was a tropical downpour on the day of the event that lasted from morning until early afternoon, but the skies had cleared by the time that everyone made their way to Buckhead Art & Co. All Things Audio was only three hours from start to finish, but so much happened in that 180 minutes. And amazingly enough, nothing felt rushed. From the silent disco and podcast village to the music and podcast licensing panel to the live performance from Cheri Denis, not a single moment felt forced. In some ways, it reminded me of a miniature version of the audio festivals hosted on the rooftop of Bondfire Radio, back when my sonic alma mater was still in existence and had a studio space of its own. Being invited to speak on the panel meant everything to me, and to be reunited with a number of my Bondfire family members made it an easy decision. In addition, some of the sponsors added another level of familiarity. Afros & Audio founder Talib Jasir was in the place. Black Podcasters Association founder Corey Gumbs was in the place. A number of wonderfully creative and supportive souls that I have met through both organizations were there, including my sonic siblings Jay Ray & DJ Sir Daniel of Queue Points. It felt like immediate and extended artistic family dominated the space that day. The atmosphere was inviting and electric and I haven't felt anything like that in a really long time. The power and importance of community and my place within it was a major takeaway for me.
When I got back to my hotel, I placed a printout of a PowerPoint presentation on the desk and I lined up a pair of mini-flyers from the event next to it. I took a photo and was reminded of part of my creative journey. Back in May of 2021, I released a podcast episode entitled "Does Music Belong In Podcasting?" It was the only episode that Radio BSOTS released that year, but it led to me speaking at Afros & Audio in Philadelphia the following year on that same topic. I brought the printout with me to Atlanta to brush up on a few talking points and compare them with questions that I was expecting for the panel. Four years later its initial creation, BSOTS show number 175 has relevance. It essentially brought me to Atlanta, but I didn't see that possibility when I created it. I was just providing some history on the early days of incorporating music into podcasts and how much easier that was to do when there was a greater accessibility to online resources featuring pre-cleared MP3s for bloggers, podcasters, and internet radio programmers to choose and champion via their own creative outlets. The photo is a reminder that the work I share with the world has value far beyond its immediate release date, that I shouldn't judge its importance based solely on its initial impact. There's a long tail effect that can't be ignored and it only reveals itself with the passing of time.
In my 51 years of living on this planet so far, I have rarely taken a chance on myself. There's still four months of 2025 left, but I can tell you what one of the best moments of this year has been for me: the feeling I got the moment after I booked the round trip plane ticket to Atlanta. I felt amazing. The first weekend of August was a whirlwind for me, but there was no better place that I could have been on the 3rd of the month. Banjee Boombox ATL was phenomenal. And while the day job hustle is a necessary part of my existence, I'm thankful that I still have moments (no matter how brief) where I can put the act of existing to the side and truly LIVE, to show up in the world as my full self, my creative self.
A statement that I once saw on Instagram still messes with me: "The creative adult is the child who survived." It feels like I have to fight to keep that child alive some days, but every podcast episode released into the world, every new mix that's shared on Mixcloud, every public appearance as a sonic curator and Creative Commons advocate is another chance for the creative child to make it into adulthood.
