Episode Recap: TJ McGowan, Nicholas Tamagna
In case you missed it, here’s a brief recap of our recent episodes with Bronx poet TJ McGowan, and international opera singer Nicholas Tamagna.
T.J. McGowan is a poet and artist from the Bronx, New York. He started by reading his poetry at open mic nights, which helped him get more comfortable performing and expressing himself authentically through his art. The main focuses were McGowan's philosophy on art, his creative process blending poetry/spoken word with music, and his perspective that emotional truth and human connection are what make life meaningful.
Poetry allows him to articulate deep emotions and connect with others in a way regular language cannot. He sees poetry's role as giving words to feelings that others may not be able to fully express themselves.
The feminine spirit and feminine power are central themes in his work, inspired by the strong women in his life like his mother and sister. His book "God is a Woman" explores this notion.
On the philosophical question of why there is something rather than nothing, he suggests the emotional experiences and compassionate connections we can create for ourselves and share with others may be the "something" that gives life meaning, even if it's all technically "nothing" in a cosmic sense.
Guest host Kinneret Ely interviews opera singer Nicholas Tamagna in one of our longest episodes ever. The agreed having creative constraints or boundaries can actually foster more creativity by defining the parameters within which to work. Here the big ideas from the episode:
Tamagna previewed his upcoming opera/musical projects in places like Israel, San Francisco, Europe over the next couple years, as well as new recordings being released.
When asked about the meaning of art, he described it as a way of codifying and expressing human experiences and inner realities through sensory media.
On the existential "why something rather than nothing" question, he reflected that creating "something" through art may be humanity's response to the nothingness, and that continual malleability/adaptability is key to perpetually creating anew.
