Show Notes (for part 1 of 2)
In this two part episode, I’m so honored to be hosting Atmospheric Instrumental Music Creator Composer, Mike Barden!
He’s the perfect guest to show us the bridge to an expanded awareness within the realms of creativity, because he’s experiencing it first hand.
Our conversation was so full and rich that we’ve chosen to deliver it to your ears, minds and hearts in two parts!
Mike is super gifted musically, his technical musicianship is off the charts (he studied music theory and jazz piano and went on to get his masters degree in composition, he records and produces his own & other musicians music, he’s played with many well known bands and has worked with some legendary greats. (For Mike’s full professional bio, scroll below)
If you’re landing on this page, you’re here for Part 1, where we dive deep with Mike to explore beyond the surface realm of creativity as many relate with it, to the magical realms of creativity as energy that lies within us all.
In Part 1, we start at the beginning, with Mike’s early years of discovering his natural ear and curiosity for music, certain charmed experiences that offered confirmation to his path, and how that grew into a lifelong passion and study. Throughout the conversation, Mike returns to his knowing that he’s always felt a leaning toward using his creative force toward something meaningful, that could really make a positive difference to life.
We talk about some pivotal times when Mike started consciously recognizing creativity in flow in his life through his formative and young adult years, building and leading up to the bigger life shifts during 2020 and pandemic times that really amplified Mike’s growing and evolving understanding of creativity as a natural force that’s accessible and available to all of us.
In this segment of Part 1, our conversation reveals what led to Mike’s new creative artist name, i minus i, which for Mike describes his newest musical creation process … but also upholds a way of perceiving and living life for him.
With all of the newness in Mike’s musical creation, we talk about the reality of re-birthing, recreating himself as an artist … allowing vulnerability, calling upon courage, and putting himself out there in all the social streams in a whole new, authentic way.
We talk about BEing the conduit, the channel, and being aware that this is what is happening for him when he creates from this state of Presence.
This conversation is SO powerful. I’m grateful x infinity for Mike’s willingness to explore and expand Inside Creativity with me!
In Part 2 (click here to listen to Part 2), we talk more about what Mike refers to as Stream of Consciousness Creativity. We’ll get to hear all about Mike’s latest improvisational composition, Emergence (an apt title!), and how it came to be, purely by way of allowing, trusting, and being receptive beyond the context of technical rules and thought/mind constructs. (Emergence is the beautiful track you hear at the beginning and end of both Part 1 & 2.)
I ask Mike what happens during the creative process when his ‘i’ self enters and attempts to distract, judge, doubt or impart feelings of inadequacy or fear of failure when he’s in creation mode … how to accept, embrace and send it all higher.
We talk about being in the moment … trusting … listening … and responding … from the space of Presence.
The difference between thinking and feeling perception and processing gets some attention …
We discuss ego … what it really means … how it can get a bad rap, but can really become our ally with aligned awareness.
It’s not about negating, or bypassing … it’s about merging and integrating!
It’s somewhere around this space where Mike turns the interview table and asks me what ‘i minus i’ means, to me!
We also talk about how the language of music transcends and unites and is exempt to no one.
There’s an extra special listening treat in Part 2! I’ll guide everyone into a calm space of Presence, opening the space for Mike to offer us an in the moment, completely improvised, in the moment, stream of consciousness musical experience.
This is followed by some reflection conversation on the improvisation, leading into a deeper exploration of Presence/Infinite Nature and person/finite nature, relative to Mike’s concept name i minus i and beyond.
This has been a treasured experience for me as the host of Inside Creativity. May Mike’s path ahead be filled with charmed success as he continues to expand into his creative limitless expression!
Where to find i minus i, Mike Barden … All the links!
If you’ve enjoyed the show (of course you have!), and you want to support Mike and his i minus i creations, please be sure to follow, LIKE, and Subscribe … and comment and share! 🙂
Follow i minus i on INSTAGRAM
Subscribe to i minus i on youtube
Follow i minus i on Spotify
Just want all the links in one tidy, easy to find space?
Click here!
Mike Barden, i minus i : Professional Bio
About Inside Creativity’s Guest, Mike Barden, creating music as ‘i MINUS i’
‘i minus i’ is the latest musical project of instrumental composer and producer Mike Barden. Using “Stream-of-Consciousness Composition”, i minus i produces atmospheric, groove-based music.
“i minus i” is a philosophy of life and creativity. It simply means that the best results happen when life is lived from our Timeless self (i) rather than our Transient self (i).
Central Wisconsin keyboardist Mike Barden is always active in a variety of musical projects. As a composer, his style is best described as “cinematic”, relying heavily on free-form improvisation, channeling his musical influences of rock, jazz, gospel, and classical.
Beginning with piano lessons at age 7 and his first paid gig at age 13, Mike followed his fascination with all things music to include guitar, audio recording, music theory, and composition. While working on his Bachelor’s degree at UW-Stevens Point, he studied music theory and jazz piano, and was fortunate to meet and perform with his then-classmate (now internationally acclaimed guitarist) Greg Koch, which had the effect of inspiring Mike to strive for new heights of musicianship. Mike went on to earn his Master’s degree in Composition at the University of IL, Champaign-Urbana.
Moving from there to work as a church music director, Mike was involved in the leadership of contemporary worship programs, being heavily influenced by black gospel and 90’s rock styles. During this time he filled the roles of band leader, arranger, choir director, and technical director. At that time he began playing with the River Cities Jazz big band, and accompanying for the Waupaca school music programs. Since then Mike has at times taught music lessons, played solo gigs, played with a variety of bands including Uptown, Unity, Ask Your Mother, Salsa Manzana, Jazz Orgy, etc., run live sound, produced his own recordings as a solo artist, and recorded other local artists in his home studio.
Over the course of his musical career, Mike has had the opportunity to work with performers such as Maynard Ferguson, Saturday Night Live alumni Joe Piscopo, Father Guido Sarducci, and Victoria Jackson, Joan Rivers, Wally Palmar of the Romantics, “Skip” Martin of Kool & the Gang, and Alex Ligertwood of Santana.
Currently, Mike is playing keyboard for Wisconsin cover band Boogie and the Yoyoz, and continuing to compose and produce original music. His new project, i minus i, specializes in atmospheric instrumental music.
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ABOUT INSIDE CREATIVITY
Inside Creativity — with Savi Ma is a deep dive podcast exploring the realms of the creative force that literally lives, breathes and animates through each of us every single day. Through inspired conversation and curious questioning, we’ll embark on a journey of discovery with our visionary, ingenious guests who know what it is to tap into the creative flow that stretches and expresses through limitlessness.
