In this episode of Living on the B Side, I sit down with musician, scholar, and multidisciplinary artist Naila Keleta-Mae to talk about her latest album I’m Grateful, which has gained international recognition.

We explore the vulnerability and joy of sharing music with the world, the creative process behind songwriting, and how reggae, spoken word, and other musical traditions shape her art.

Naila reflects on music’s unique ability to cross boundaries, inspire, and connect people in ways that go beyond words. This conversation is a deep dive into artistic expression, black expressive culture, and the courage it takes to create and share your work with honesty and heart.

Episode Highlights

In this episode, we explore:

• How music can reach spaces and hearts that other art forms cannot
• Choosing songs and creating playlists as a tool for emotional alignment and wellbeing
• Songwriting as a practice of expressing complex truths in short, powerful moments
• Naila’s personal reflections on artistic calling, vulnerability, and her “Don’t give up” message for creators and communities

Connect with Naila Keleta-Mae

www.nailakeletamae.com

https://www.instagram.com/nailakeletamae/

https://www.facebook.com/nailakeletamae.

https://www.tiktok.com/@nailakeletamae.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/naila-keleta-mae-3b88943b/

Reflection Question

When have you felt called to create or express something, even if it felt vulnerable or uncertain, and how did you respond?

About the Podcast

Living on the B Side is a podcast about the power of music — exploring how sound shapes our emotions, stories, and sense of self. Host B shares conversations and reflections for those who listen deeply and live thoughtfully.

In this episode of Living on the B Side, host Birgit speaks with Ian and Danielle from Orphan Prodigy about their conceptual album “Medication for Modern World” and the story behind their song “Trader.” Together, they explore how music can transform feelings of chaos, rejection, and being an outsider into connection, healing, and community.

This episode invites slower listening and honest reflection. We talk about Ian’s and Danielle’s backstory (adoption, anxiety, agoraphobia, feeling “different”), how music can hold our big emotions, create safe spaces, and support mental health, and how Orphan Prodigy is building a welcoming community for anyone who’s ever felt like they don’t quite fit in. It’s for sensitive souls, fellow “B siders,” music-lovers, and anyone navigating emotional wellbeing or feeling like an outsider.

In this episode, we explore:

• How “Medication for Modern World” grew out of years of personal and global chaos and became a conceptual journey from overwhelm to acceptance.
• The link between music and mental health, including Ian’s daily “three songs a day” practice and Danielle’s perspective as a licensed psychologist.
• How simple, honest songs like “Trader” can carry deep feelings of rejection, self-acceptance, and being “too much” – and why that resonates with so many listeners.
• Ian’s experience of adoption and growing up “different,” and how both he and Danielle turned outsider stories into creative fuel and a supportive, mental-health-focused community

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Connect with the Orphan Prodigy

• Website: http://www.orphanprodigy.com/
• Instagram: @orphanprodigy
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@orphanprodigy
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3AGoU5E90UD2kjYxwAmZvV?si=ktYzP-WqTICKhphz-A-COw

About this podcast

Living on the B Side is a podcast about the power of music — exploring how sound shapes our emotions, stories, and sense of self. Host B shares conversations and reflections for those who listen deeply and live thoughtfully.

In this episode of Living on the B Side, host B speaks with Robbie Gennet – Los Angeles-based musician, educator, author and lifelong creative – about turning loss into art, self-permission in creativity and staying authentic as an artist. Together, they explore how music can become a language for processing grief, rebuilding identity and giving ourselves permission to fully show up as who we are.

This episode invites slower listening, reflection and courage. We talk about Robbie losing his home and studio in the Woolsey fire, how acceptance and stoicism helped him move forward, and how music can hold our emotions, ask us better questions and quietly nudge us back to life.

It’s for anyone who’s been through change or loss, creatives who feel blocked, “non creative” people who secretly want to try, and music lovers who use songs as mirrors for their inner world

In this episode, we explore:

• From fire to creative rebirth – how losing his home and studio in the Woolsey fire led Robbie to his most prolific creative period.
• Music as emotional processing – how songs become mirrors, companions and “Trojan horses” for big ideas and feelings.
• Self-permission & authenticity – what we can learn from artists like David Bowie about reinventing ourselves and creating for us first.
• Creativity for “non-creatives” – simple, pressure-free ways to tap into creativity (from finger-painting energy to nature, hobbies and play).
• Teaching music as a language – why improvisation, curiosity and story matter more than “perfect” sheet reading.
• Letting go of perfection – Robbie’s decision to finally release 10 albums and hundreds of songs instead of keeping them on a hard drive.

Connect with the Robbie Gennet

• Website: www.robbiegennet.com

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robbiegennet

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robbiemusic/

• Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/au/artist/robbie-gennet/3707324

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/vil76trsywcp2uq95udynee3x

About the Podcast:

Living on the B Side is a podcast about the power of music — exploring how sound shapes our emotions, stories, and sense of self. Host B shares conversations and reflections for those who listen deeply and live thoughtfully.