Steve Pretty On The Origin of the Pieces

• RE-UPLOAD: Sampling Firepits, Feeling Flamenco, Finding Tonás

  ⚠️ Note: This is a re-uploadThe original episode was taken down due to a copyright strike on the theme tune — even though I wrote and produced it myself. While I sort that out, you’re treated to a gloriously bad placeholder version.Also, I’ve trimmed down the Clip n Mix segment — I was clearly having too much fun with firepits last time, and it got a bit… indulgent. This one gets to the good stuff faster.🔥 Can you make music from a campsite firepit?And what is Tonás — the raw, unaccompanied flamenco style with roots in secrecy, survival, and soul?In this episode, I launch a new segment called Clip n Mix, where I turn everyday sounds into music. This time? A campsite firepit. My son and I hit it with sticks, sample it using Ableton Note, and turn it into a crunchy little beat — which you’ll hear later in the episode.Then we dive into one of flamenco’s most haunting styles: Tonás. My guest is the brilliant Josie Sinnadurai, a flamenco dancer based in Seville, who helps unpack the history, sound, and emotional depth of this unaccompanied vocal tradition.👇 Full chapters and links below!⏱️ Chapters00:00 – Intro + why the theme tune sounds different02:20 – Clip n Mix: sampling a firepit in Dorset09:45 – What is Tonás?10:20 – Interview with Josie Sinnadurai34:50 – Why I didn’t make a Tonás track35:20 – Turning firepit samples into music49:15 – Sound, play, and curiosity54:25 – Live shows + Patreon + sign-off🔗 Links🎬 Watch the Tonás video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7vpU5zLl-A👣 Follow Josie Sinnadurai:Website: https://www.josielaurelflamenco.com/Instagram: @josie_sinna📱 Try Ableton Note (free app):iOS: https://apps.apple.com/app/ableton-note/id1611814758Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ableton.note🎧 Download the firepit samples + Ableton Note session:https://www.patreon.com/StevePrettyOnTheOriginofthePieces🎟️ Live at Wilton’s Music Hall – 24th Jan 2026👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Kids show (2pm):https://wiltons.org.uk/whats-on/steve-pretty-and-friends-on-the-origin-of-the-pieces-kids/🌙 Evening show (7pm):https://wiltons.org.uk/whats-on/steve-pretty-and-friends-on-the-origin-of-the-pieces-2/💬 Got a weird sound you’d like me to turn into music?Drop it in the comments or email [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  --------  

  52:43

  --------

  52:43
• Earwax, Echoes and Entropy

  What can a lump of whale earwax tell us about human history?What does the end of the universe sound like?And how do you play the sea like a synthesiser?This episode of Steve Pretty On The Origin of the Pieces goes from marine mammal physiology to cosmological heat death, taking in hydrophones, cultural transmission in humpbacks, the physics of underwater sound, and an improvised trumpet elegy for the end of everything.My guests are:Chris Lintott – astrophysicist, broadcaster, and co‑host of The Sky at Night. We open with a live extract from our Universe of Music show, performed at Gresham College — exploring what sound and music can tell us about the ultimate fate of the cosmos.Richard Sabin – whale expert and lead curator of mammals at the Natural History Museum, who shares sonic insights from the deep — including how 150 years of whale earwax is helping scientists track stress in marine life.We also:Hear vintage 78 rpm whale recordings, played on a £60k system at Audio GoldUse filters to “play the sea” like a scaleDrop a hydrophone into a water tank and see how sound behavesDiscuss echolocation, underwater acoustic pollution, and whale “culture”Recreate underwater acoustic effects via processing and pitch shiftingReflect on what it means to really listen — to whales or the cosmosRecorded live at the brilliant First Light Festival in a sweltering tent by the sea (thanks again to them for hosting us).🧠 Bonus content🎥 The full, uncut interview with Richard Sabin — including audience Q&A and extended hydrophone demos — is available on Patreon.👯 Mentioned in this episodeSonic Collaborations – project by Colin Riley & teamAudio Gold – London hi‑fi / vinyl emporiumNatural History MuseumFirst Light FestivalChris Lintott💌 How to support the showJoin the mailing list: www.originofthepieces.comBecome a patron: patreon.com/StevePrettyOnTheOriginofthePiecesShare with a musically curious friendRate & review on Apple or Spotify — it genuinely helps 🎧 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  --------  

  57:22

  --------

  57:22
• Music therapy, Swedish standards and clinical improvisation

  This week I speak to Kassandra e’Silva, a saxophonist, improviser and NHS music therapist. We caught up just before a gig at the Edinburgh Jazz Festival to talk about the power of music in care settings — from dementia wards and mental health clinics to the BBQ playlist at home.We cover:Baby‑wearing during soundcheck 👶Pre‑verbal communication in musicClinical improvisation and jazzWhether all music is a kind of therapyAnd why rhythm might be the most important bit—⏱️ Highlights00:00 – Intro – ALSO Festival, Nosferatu live score, and a conch bath update03:00 – Edinburgh Jazz Festival – A tribute to The Jazz Bar and Bill Kyle08:30 – Interview with Kassandra e’Silva – Backstage at the Spiegeltent10:00 – What music therapy is – Presence, trauma, and non-verbal expression13:30 – Lighting up the brain – Music as reconnection16:00 – Music at both ends of life – Parenting and dementia20:00 – Letting go of ‘good’ music – From jazz standards to egg shakers23:10 – Rhythm as anchor – Repetition, stability, and mental health25:40 – Creative expression – Instruments, blocks, and tambo-responsiveness29:40 – Teaching vs therapy – When learning becomes part of healing31:40 – Improvisation as diagnostic mirror – Sound as resistance34:40 – Participation matters – Why passive listening isn’t enough36:10 – What’s the point of music? – A beautiful closing answer—🎶 Check out Resounding, co-written with Nicole Cassandra Smit, on Hackney Colliery Band – Collaborations: Volume Two👉 Listen on Bandcamp—💬 Resource: Music in Dementia (NHS Lothian)Kassandra helped develop this practical guide for carers, families and practitioners.Includes activity ideas, playlists, and real examples from NHS care.🎵 Explore the guideNote: Kassandra’s views are her own, not those of NHS Lothian.—🎧 Support the show:💌 originofthepieces.com☕ patreon.com/StevePrettyOnTheOriginofthePieces#musictherapy #jazz #musicanddementia #improvisation #originofthepieces #kassandraesilva #stevepretty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  --------  

  45:42

  --------

  45:42
• Access, ancestry and a flute made from a leg

  This week, Steve shares a powerful, surprising, and often jaw-dropping conversation with musician, composer and activist Jono Enser.Jono is a gifted multi-instrumentalist and a member of Nubiyan Twist, but he’s also a disabled artist whose recent experiences as an amputee have sparked a radical rethinking of performance, access, and the body as instrument — quite literally. Together, they explore:The challenges and realities of touring as a disabled musicianHow venue design (or lack of it) creates systemic barriers to inclusionThe radical creativity of reclaiming trauma — including Jono’s current project turning his amputated leg bone into a working fluteMusical ancestors: from Neanderthal bone flutes to Tibetan thighbone trumpetsWhy accessibility isn’t just a bolt-on feature — it’s a cultural responsibilityAnd what it means to give your pain a voice, breath, and songPlus, Steve shares a clip from his Ocean Songs sunrise performance at Benacre Broad — part of his work with the Blue Machine project, inspired by Dr. Helen Czerski’s oceanography book of the same name.There’s a lot packed in here, and it’s one of the most wide-ranging and deeply personal episodes yet.🎟 Jono’s band Nubiyan Twist are touring this summer – check them out.🎶 His solo project Matters Unknown is also worth diving into.🎤 Steve is performing live at ALSO Festival and on July 11th at the National Maritime Museum with Blue Machine – see originofthepieces.com for details.—🧡 Support the podcast and get exclusive content at:patreon.com/StevePrettyOnTheOriginofthePieces🎧 Listen, watch, share and review: it all helps the podcast grow.📍 More info at originofthepieces.com00:00 – Welcome back + Acid Brass recapSteve introduces the episode and reflects on his recent chat with Jeremy Deller.02:00 – Meet Jono EnserJono’s musical upbringing, his shift from trumpet to tuba, and the spiritual resonance of breath.07:00 – Life as a touring amputeeThe hidden and not-so-hidden barriers for disabled musicians on the road.10:00 – Access is everywhere (or isn’t)From venue layouts to door weights and bar heights — access means more than ramps.14:00 – What artists and venues can actually doPractical steps, responsibility, and why checking access before the gig matters.18:00 – Ocean Songs interludeSteve shares a clip from his beachside dawn performance as part of the Blue Machine project.23:00 – A flute made from his own amputated legJono’s extraordinary project connecting trauma, ancestry, and sonic experimentation.28:00 – Resonance, ritual, and reclaiming spaceCaves, Ambisonics, somatic practice and ecological listening.32:00 – Music as breath and transformationWhy giving pain a voice — literally — matters.36:00 – What’s the point of music?Jono’s heartfelt answer to Steve’s recurring question.40:00 – Wrap-up and upcoming gigsTour dates, ALSO Festival, and National Maritime Museum performance previews. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  --------  

  43:58

  --------

  43:58
• Jeremy Deller, 303s and knitting

  ❤️ Support the show on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/StevePrettyOnTheOriginofthePieces📬 Join the mailing list + explore the archive: https://www.originofthepieces.comWelcome back to your favourite podcast for musically curious ears! This week, I’m talking to the brilliant Jeremy Deller, Turner Prize-winning artist and creator of the now-legendary Acid Brass project — a bold collision of working-class brass band tradition and squelchy late-80s acid house.Join us as we trace the unexpected cultural connections between miners’ strikes, 303s, and knitting in the front row…⏱️ Chapters and Highlights:00:00 – Welcome and new format introSteve explains the new single-topic format and introduces today’s guest, Jeremy Deller.02:00 – The story of Acid BrassFrom a Turner Prize idea to a 30-year legacy: how Jeremy connected acid house and brass bands.05:00 – Why it inspired Hackney Colliery BandSteve reflects on how Acid Brass shaped his own journey.07:00 – Interview Pt. 1: Backstage at rehearsalJeremy and Steve discuss working-class music, the politics of sound, and whether acid house is “folk.”14:00 – What’s a 303, anyway?Steve demos the iconic Roland TB-303 and compares it to traditional brass.17:00 – Interview Pt. 2: Deeper diveJeremy reflects on his artistic intentions, early audience reactions, and the cultural fallout.29:00 – The knitting incidentYes, really. Knitting, brass bands and acid house. Who'd have thought?32:00 – Musical roles and expectationsSteve discusses how Acid Brass plays with what music is for.33:00 – The Big Question: What’s the point of music?Jeremy shares his thoughts on connection, spirit, and why most artists are just frustrated musicians.36:00 – Outro and rehearsal teaserSteve wraps up and previews an exclusive clip from the Acid Brass rehearsal at EartH Hackney.🎟️ Event Promo (if catching in time!)Catch Acid Brass live at EartH Hackney on 13th June 2025, followed by a late-night party with acid house pioneer A Guy Called Gerald. Limited tickets available!🎟️ Check ticket availability🎥 Video extras & behind-the-scenes at: Patreon.com/StevePrettyOnTheOriginofthePieces Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  --------  

  38:10

  --------

  38:10

More Education podcasts

Trending Education podcasts

About Steve Pretty On The Origin of the Pieces

Steve Pretty On The Origin of the Pieces: Podcasts in Family