S18 E1: Miki Berenyi

I started writing a book during Covid which in a spur of the moment I called A Re-Design for Life. I bet you can’t guess what album I’d been listening to…... The reason for starting, apart from being able to satisfy some boredom and ego, was to try convey my belief that the most important asset we all possess is our self, especially as more and more of us are living multi stage lives and in a world that is so fucking complex and volatile, that the old rules are redundant. Much of society is so conditioned towards materiality - to think that the most important assets we should aspire to are material and have a monetary value – cash in the bank, house, blah blah blah - but I think that that thinking overlooks the fact that our own intangibles – like curiosity, imagination, adaptability, resilience, instinct, critical ignoring and one of my favourites, emotional intelligence – are some of the most needed things.. I realise that this would some of the medieval politicians rolling their eyes, but fuck them. Not that they’d be listening to something as classy as this podcast. Back to emotional intelligence, I’ve often banged on that emotional intelligence should be an integral part of our learning from when we are first born. Empathy, social skills, self regulation and self awareness are so, so important for existing and thriving where we have such emotionally unintelligent “leaders” that seek to divide and conquer with a delinquent lack of empathy and self-awareness. Now, here’s the typically amateurish segue into Miki Berenyi. If you haven’t read her autobiography - called Fingers Crossed – How Music Saved Me From Success which came out in 2022 - then you really should, because that self-awareness and empathy that I just mentioned is all over this book. It really is a rollercoaster of a read and reinforces even more my belief of the importance of these weird intangibles. It’s one of only a few recent books that has captivated me and left me with a lot to think about. And, of course, her music. In each stage of her musical life, she’s written songs that can one minute haunt me, the next uplift me. I just find her songwriting breathtaking. https://www.iwannajumplikedeedee.com I Wanna Jump Like Dee Dee is the music podcast that does music interviews differently. Giles Sibbald talks to musicians, DJ’s and producers about how they use an experimental mindset in every part of their lives. - brought to you from the mothership of the experimental mindset™ - cover art by Giles Sibbald - doodle logo and art by Tide Adesanya, Coppie and Paste