Work Life 24 Podcast

In February 2024, I launched a podcast called Work Life 24. In this podcast, I talk with friends, former students, project partners, and former colleagues – about work.

I ask each guest to reflect on the evolution of their work skills and career and what is it in the early 21st century to be a worker, to be in the workplace.

Earth School

Earth School is an epic fantasy about humans, plants, animals, and others working together to save the earth.

I created the story outline, characters, video, audio and AI image prompts for this eight-part series.

Watch series on TikTok.

Earth Connect

Earth:Connect is documentary series concerning the welfare of our planet.

Each video revolves around a single question put to participants living in different environments. Questions have included “Do you feel connected to the earth?” “Do you believe in magic?” and “What is your relationship to the present moment?”

Instrument Making

I like making musical instruments based off the diddley bow, a one-stringed musical instrument played in the American south during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

I like figuring out how common materials like cardboard, plastic, tin and wire can create and amplify sound. I like the idea that tuning systems do not have to be fixed and that the instruments I make may change over time.

I grew up listening to my mother tell stories about her childhood in Philadelphia in the 30’s and 40’s. As we sat around the dinner table, she talked about her family, her neighborhood and the day-to-day events that shaped her life.

She liked repeating stories, amplifying a detail here or adding new information there. She didn’t know that she was teaching me, but she was. Timing, tone, character development, a solid ending – these are all things I learned from her first.

My stories are less about specific events and more a product of my curiosity about how to live a fulfilled life. I am deeply curious about the ways earth-based consciousness (paying attention to nature) might help me become a more loving person.

My stories take the form of projects that span writing, audio narration, music composition, video making and podcasting, often with many of these elements combined in one piece.

My creative skills inform my professional work. More information about my professional work is at marilynmcneal.com.

Work Life 24 Podcast

In February 2024, I launched a podcast called Work Life 24. In this podcast, I talk with friends, former students, project partners, and former colleagues about work.

I ask each guest to reflect on the evolution of their career and work skills and what it is to be a worker in the early 21st century.

Time Travel Series

If you could go back in time 350 million years to interview the Tiktaalik fish, would you? For me, it’s a definite “yes.”

The Tiktaalik moved from water to land and became a likely common ancestor to all vertabrates that followed.

In this latest video series, I discover a way to travel back in time and seek out the Tiktaalik for an interview.

Earth School Series

Earth School is an epic fantasy about humans, plants, animals, and others working together to save the earth.

I created the story outline, characters, video, audio and AI image prompts for this eight-part series.

Alice in Wonderland

In this interpretation of Alice in Wonderland, I combine reading and singing from Lewis Carroll’s text with my original soundtrack.

Earth Connect

Each video in the Earth:Connect documentary series revolves around a single question put to a wide range of respondents. Questions included “Do you feel connected to the earth?” “Do you believe in magic?” and “What is your relationship to the present moment?”

Notes To Self

Notes to Self is a video essay series where I share music, dance, narration in nature and urban spaces.

Instrument Making

Most of the musical instruments I make are inspired by the diddley bow, a one-stringed musical instrument played in the American south during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

I’m interested in how common materials like cardboard, plastic, tin and wire can create and amplify sound. I like the idea that tuning systems do not have to be fixed and that the instruments I make may change over time.

Music & Soundtrack Making

I’ve been recording my own songs for well over a decade. Below are some albums, EPs and singles from my YouTube, SoundCloud, Bandcamp and Spotify accounts.