Chantmagick
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 shared stories about her family, her neighborhood and the day-to-day events that shaped her early life.
She liked repeating the stories, often amplifying a detail or adding new information as she saw fit. She did not know that she was teaching me, but she was.
That dinner table became my first classroom where I learned how word choice, timing, emphasis, pausing and laughter can make a story come alive. Through every word and every sentence, my mother invited me into the craft of storytelling and when I was old enough, I accepted.
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 know and become a more loving and collaborative person.
My stories take the form of projects that span writing, audio narration, music composition, video making and podcasting with many of these elements combined in one piece.
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.
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.
Watch series on TikTok.
Earth School
In this series, the main charcater, Jaide, finds a mysterious note that sets her off on an adenture with shapeshifter and dj, Mother Earth.
This eight-part series marks the beginning of my exploration of generative AI to create images of characters and locations.
Watch series on TikTok.
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
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?”
Here is the soundtrack for Earth:Connect for sale.
Notes To Self
Notes to Self is a video essay series where I share music, dance, nature, urban spaces, and narration.
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.
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.
Like A Candle (2022)
I Can Reach The Key (2022)
Ezekiel Saw The Wheel (2020)
Railroad (2020)
A Dance for Trees (2018)
Six More (2018)
Spacetime (2018)
Chantmagick (2017)
Moan of the Village (2011)
Anthem of Here (2014)
(c) 2024 Marilyn McNeal / Chantmagick
marilyn at chantmagick dot com
Chantmagick
My first experience of storytelling was hearing my mother tell stories about growing up in Philadelphia in the 1930’s and 40’s as we sat around the dinner table.
Her vignettes about her family, her neighborhood and day-to-day events that shaped her life were a regular staple throughout my childhood and into adulthood.
Over the years, as her stories expanded to encompass new details and new memories, the seeds of my own storytelling were sown.
My stories are less about specific events and more about finding and deepening present moment consciousness through time spent in nature, conversations with friends and wild imaginings of other times and places.
My stories take the form of projects that span writing, audio narration, music composition, video and podcasting — often combining many of these elements in one piece.
These projects are organized under the name Chantmagick.
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
In this series, the main charcater, Jaide, finds a mysterious note that sets her off on an adenture with shapeshifter and dj, Mother Earth.
This eight-part series marks the beginning of my exploration of generative AI to create images of characters and locations.
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, nature, urban spaces, and narration.
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.
(c) 2024 Marilyn McNeal / Chantmagick
marilyn at chantmagick dot com