We swap stories with Max Tomlinson about starting bands, writing mysteries, and why community keeps both alive. From London’s free shows to San Francisco’s 1977 streets, we map how scenes, jams, and practice shape skill and voice.

• Colleen Hayes series set in 1977 San Francisco
• London music roots and first bass gigs
• Lo‑fi aesthetics and the Trogs’ influence
• Jam structure, curation, and learning by doing
• Song‑first practice tactics and confidence
• Blue Bear network and seed bands
• Rehearsal spaces, logistics, and momentum
• Festival shout‑outs and scene building
• Gear wish list and lighthearted plugs

Max Tomlinson@WordPress.com

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We first fix a messy audio and move on to a discussion of modes of learning, how mentorship differs from lectures, and how campus culture shapes curiosity. A lost bag redemption story closes the loop with a reminder that service, done well, teaches too.

• fixing the audio and finding our rhythm
• tag‑team washer repair as hands‑on learning
• yoga flow, language quirks, and listening closely
• questions about draft age and civic logic
• teaching versus mentorship and impatience with lectures
• small groups, campus culture, and incubator classrooms
• airline misstep turned customer service win

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We stumble through an echo-filled start and end up asking what deserves to last: the files in our clouds, the paper on our shelves, and the stories we tell about ourselves and our families. Along the way we trade travel mishaps, childhood labels, and a full-throated song that cuts through the noise.

• echo chaos sparks a bigger theme about signal and noise
• guest experiments vs co-host flow and who interviews whom
• travel moments that imprint more than expected
• childhood labels, interests and how families reinforce them
• shaping passions through environment and exposure
• video vs audio and the cost of storing everything
• cloud permanence myths, backups and local archives
• journals, legacy and what you actually want found
• curation over hoarding and making keeps easy to sort
• singing with intention and finding a voice through noise

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