Of Music and Men Kayona Ebony Brown

In this Q&A episode, Kayona answers questions about Of Music and Men, talks about her heroes Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Issa Rae, gives insight about the goal for the project, and provides details about how we got to this point.

1. What is the goal for this approach to the project?
2. Tell us how the podcast differs from the novellas, how the novellas differ from the TV scripts, but what they all have in common.
3. You start each episode with what you call a "cold open". How or why did you want to do this?
4. How would you describe your writing style?
5. The music is very important. Tell us about the journey (past, present, and future) of the music.
6. What can we expect moving forward?

If you have a question, email us at contact@ofmusicandmen.com

Of Music and Men was created to be a television series. Still working toward that, this project continues to grow. I decided to turn each of the those television episodes into its own novella. For this podcast, you're hearing those novellas broken up into sub-episodes that you get each week. The last eight podcast-episodes that you've heard make up the pilot for the TV show (and for that matter, the first novella).

Confused yet? lol

For credits on each of the episodes that make up this bonus, visit our episode archive page:
https://ofmusicandmen.com/archives/

Please support us at Patreon.com/ofmusicandmen

Of Music and Men is a scripted drama-comedy series presented to you in a weekly storytelling podcast format.

You thought it was a book, or a short film, or a TV show?

Well, all of that is true. Somewhat. Let me explain. Back in 2012, I set out to create a TV show about my life as a single young entrepreneur trying to establish an indie record company in Wash DC. I developed it, wrote the pilot, then made a short film...

The thing is, tv shows, even those no budget YouTube ones, still require lots of resources and people. I know exactly what I want the tv show to be, but I believe that timing is everything, and trying to move forward before it's time would be a disservice to what I know will be a great series someday.

So I went another route. The pilot script was recognized in a few reputable industry contests, so knowing that it's a more than solid story worth telling, I made a short film, then I turned that full season I wrote, 12 episodes of tv scripts, into novellas (little booklets).

This podcast is a production, a reading (sometimes dramatic or comedic), of those episodes, sectioned out into easily digestible weekly stories.

We follow a 20-something named Kenya Shaw as she works to build a record label while also (as a bachelorette) navigating perhaps the worst city in the country for single women (and not exactly the place you'd expect when it comes to entertainment) -- Washington, DC.

Tune in every single week for these stories of music... and men.

Music: "Keep on Going" X Khalil Ismail

Jazz Club by Kriss (Italy) - No.mad EP - copyright 2008 - Licensed by Undercut Records for official use to Of Music and Men

Trail by Nobara Hayakawa (Japan) - copyright 2009 - Licensed by Nobara and Intervall-Audio for official use to Of Music and Men

Back on one of our bonus episodes in May 2020, we explored the personality types of all the female characters. It was a really fun episode. Listen to that episode on the female characters: https://ofmusicandmen.captivate.fm/episode/bonus-personality-types-and-updates

In this BONUS episode, I have some fun revealing the male characters' personality types using http://16personalities.com as a reference.

Of Music and Men is a story, so it's best to start listening at episode one. This episode is a bonus episode during our brief hiatus.

Good news! This is the last update before we jump into book three (the collection of podcast episodes that make up book three). Thank you for being patient during this time when I'm sure we all may have had other more pressing issues to concern ourselves with.

So, I think I mentioned a couple updates ago that I was the July winner of the Roadmap Writers Diversity Initiative. This has been somewhat life changing and actually very necessary for me at this point in my career because winning this is not just a bragging right thing; it came with access to their pitch prep program.

If you are a screenwriter, I highly recommend you go to Roadmapwriters.com and check out some of their programs and courses. They are doing some wonderful work over there, and when I'm on stage collecting my Emmy's and Oscars, I'm going to remember them as being an integral part of my journey.

You know Justin Simien's work even if you can't place the name yet. He's the incredible creator and writer of the movie and Netflix show, Dear White People. If you came to my novella launch party at Bus Boys and Poets, you may remember me giving a short list of great projects and creators that took as long (if not, longer) than it's taking the Universe to get my OM&M project to the world. Justin Simien's Dear White People was one of the examples I used. It took him several years to get his project made, but when it happened, it was so perfect.

If you've ever had a private conversation with me, you've heard me say that DWP is one of the most unrated shows on TV and the best show among those targeting the millennial Black audience (at least, it's my favorite one). Anyway, back on July 17, Justin Simien put three projects on his Culture Machine IG, giving them a shoutout, and honestly, I took it as somewhat of an endorsement. OM&M was one of them. So shout out to Justin Simien for the public acknowledgement. I'm especially grateful to people who do things that they really don't have to do. This probably relatively small act to him means the world to me, so go watch DWP on Netflix if you haven't already, and look out for Bad Hair the film coming soon on Hulu.

If you haven't yet, go back and catchup with the story starting with episode 1.1 to get the full experience. If you're pressed for time, we have recap episodes that'll get you caught up on everything. Not the full experience but at least you'll be caught up.

Don't forget episode two novella is available at ofmusicandmen.com

Music
Pillow by Mona Wonderlick
Subscribe on Soundcloud

Of Music and Men is a story, so it's best to start listening at episode one. This is a recap episode for episode two during our brief hiatus.

This is part two of the recap episode for the series of podcast episodes that make up Nothing But a Number. So, in case you forgot, episode two is called Nothing but a number--that is, the collection of seven episodes of the podcast that make up episode two. You know how this works. Here, I'll give you the recap of the story--without the cold openings--so you can get a full sense of where things will be when we pick back up.

In When do you start, which is episode 2.4, Kenya has to nurse a sick Lucas while trying to get him to actually take an active part in something important for his own career, and Tk, still thinking about the possibility of being an old rapping-teacher, tries to quit her job but is denied by the principle.

In The Great Compromise, Kenya goes out with the older guy to a Balkin Beat Box concert and later realizes that she's actually more of kid than she realized. J goes to a college party and finds herself in a compromising situation with her young friend.

In Of Age yet? The party J's at gets crashed by the police and her age save her from further embarrassment, Kenya helps Lucas get better but refuses to do anything more for this grown child, and Ty gets a surprise of her own when she finds out who her secret admirer is.

Kenya realizes that she's still in the process of becoming a grownup as she makes a decision about her retaining wall, Tk realizes that she has to go all in with music or she'll regret it, and Kenya finally meets her father's new love interest--someone much younger.

You can find links to all of the artists featured here in your show notes. I actually recommend going back and listening to the full episodes of the podcast which includes the cold open segment. They give you a timely, sometimes even philosophical viewpoint to help introduce the theme of the episode.

Lastly, don't forget to go to ofmusicandmen.com to get your copy of episode two, nothing but a number, for any amount that you want to give.

Narration
Episode narrated by Kayona Ebony Brown

Episode
Written, recorded, and produced by Kayona Ebony Brown at Siingle Studios in Washington, DC

MUSIC LISTED IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE IN THE EPISODE

All music for this episode provided by Filmstro - arranged for this episode by Kayona

KIDS by @MonaWonderlick
Mona Wonderlick on Spotify: bit.ly/spotify-mona-wonderlick
Mona Wonderlick on Apple Music: bit.ly/applemusic-monawonderlick

I'm Up In The Clouds by Le Gang
Le Gang - "Lo-Fi Beats & Chill" (Album) out on Spotify & Apple Music.
Le Gang on SoundCloud: @thisislegang
Le Gang on Spotify: spoti.fi/2Nqx1E1
Le Gang on Apple Music: apple.co/2tCxx8M
Le Gang on YouTube: bit.ly/2Th5V7E

Chillin in the 70s by Studio Monkey

Get The Balkan Party Started by @Soundroll

Things by @LiQWYD & @thisisLeGang :
Music by LiQWYD & Le Gang - Free download: bit.ly/things-free-download
INSTAGRAM: Music by @LiQWYD & @thisislegang

Balkan Partizoni By @Soundroll

Strange by Aden @musicbyaden

Quirky Latin by Pink Zebra

Escape by @Niwel

Reveal by Ikson
Stream/buy Ikson music:
- Spotify: goo.gl/GSvyMN
- Soundcloud: @ikson
- iTunes: itunes.apple.com/se/artist/ikson/id533041587

Zdarmania by @Niwel

Wasted Years by @Inossi

Relax, man by Le Gang
Le Gang on SoundCloud: @thisislegang
Le Gang on Spotify: spoti.fi/2Nqx1E1
Le Gang on Apple Music: apple.co/2tCxx8M
Le Gang on YouTube: bit.ly/2Th5V7E

Sunflower by @Soybmusic
Track: Sunflower - Soyb [Audio Library Release]
Music provided by Audio Library Plus
Watch: youtu.be/dG1U3NuR9Pk
Free Download / Stream: alplus.io/sunflower

Bisiesto by Hiracutch

Hidden Trails by Broke in Summer

Undone by Mona Wonderlick
- YouTube: bit.ly/youtube-monawonderlick
- Soundcloud: bit.ly/soundcloud-monawonderlick
- Instagram: bit.ly/instagram-monawonderlick
-...

Of Music and Men is a story, so it's best to start listening at episode one. This is a recap episode for episode two during our brief hiatus.

So, I'm going to give you a two-part recap of episode two before we get into episode three since it's been a while. So, in case you forgot, episode two is called, Nothing but a number--that is, the collection of seven episodes of the podcast that make up episode two. You know how this works. Here, I'll give you the recap of the story--without the cold openings--so you can get a full sense of where things will be when we pick back up.

So this first part is called, No Time for Biding, where Kenya tries to get Tk a performance at the Kennedy Center. She does, although it's not as easy as she might think it should be, but the high from that performance is diluted when Tk meets a Boomer who also has aspirations of being a rapper.

Where to draw the timeline?
Kenya later meets up with J and Ty, and the get on the topic of age because J is seeing this dude who's like 20, and although that's only 8 years younger than her, Ty feels like it's inappropriate. This conversation makes Kenya reveal her true feelings about her father's new love interest who is closer to her age than his. She's uncomfortable but she can't explain why.

Men of a certain age
Later on that day, Kenya agrees (although somewhat reluctantly) to go out with an older guy, and when she chats with Stax about it, a male friend and fellow millennial, she realizes that maybe she should be more open to older men because, considering the ones her age, this might be the reason why she's still single.

Ty has a secret admirer who she thinks is the father of one of her patients.

Since it'd be too long to put it all here, next week, I'll give you part two of the recap next week. You can find links to all of the artists featured here in your show notes. I actually recommend going back and listening to the full episodes of the podcast which includes the cold open segment. They give you a timely, sometimes even philosophical viewpoint to help introduce the theme of the episode.

Lastly, don't forget to go to ofmusicandmen.com to get you copy of episode two, nothing but a number, for any amount that you want to give.


For full credits and sources on this episode, go to:
https://ofmusicandmen.com/episode2-1-no-time-for-biding
http://ofmusicandmen.com/episode2-2-where-timeline
https://ofmusicandmen.com/episode2-3-men-certain-age


CREDITS

Narration
Episode narrated by Kayona Ebony Brown

Episode
Written, recorded, and produced by Kayona Ebony Brown at Siingle Studios in Washington, DC

MUSIC LISTED IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE IN THE EPISODE

All music for this episode provided by Filmstro - arranged for this episode by Kayona

Come On, Let's Go by Le Gang
Le Gang on SoundCloud: @thisislegang
Le Gang on Spotify: spoti.fi/2Nqx1E1
Le Gang on Apple Music: apple.co/2tCxx8M
Le Gang on YouTube: bit.ly/2Th5V7E

Pillow by Mona Wonderlick
Free download: bit.ly/pillow-download
- YouTube: bit.ly/youtube-monawonderlick
- Soundcloud: bit.ly/soundcloud-mona-wonderlick
- Instagram: bit.ly/instagram-monawonderlick

A Magical Journey Through Space by Leonell Cassio

Sad Circus x Unminus (Free download)

Music for the Word of the episode:
Soar by Scott Buckley