In February, Spotify hosted The Free Studio, a four-day residency that brought nine Black musicians and creators together under the same roof. Part of the Frequency initiative to amplify Black voices, The Free Studio not only provided access to studio spaces and production resources, but also allowed these artists to connect and collaborate with one another.
The residency included creators like artist Doechii and producer Sango, in addition to Vic Mensa, Indigo Mateo, and Richie Reseda from the podcast Abolition X. One of the many talented creators asked to participate was Mike Brown, host of the podcast The Art of Letting Go. Mike started the show on a whim to talk through his own life experiences, but the series expanded and now serves as a platform for Mike and his guests to explore the idea of Black male vulnerability and their path to personal growth.
After five years of juggling his work on the podcast with his responsibilities as a teacher, Mike is stepping away from the classroom to work on his podcast full-time. For the Record caught up with Mike to talk about his experience taking part in the Free Studio residency, the evolution of his podcast, and his personal journey along the way.
In what ways has The Art of Letting Go evolved since it first started? Was there anything new that you tried during your residency? I remember I used to do a lot of editing . . . chopping up what I wanted in the podcast and what I didn't; putting music in and taking music out. But fast-forward to now, and I like to keep the conversation in the rawest form because I want listeners to feel like they're in the conversation with me.
But recording at The Free Studio opened me up to some of the ideas that I've wanted to try out because I had the space and the time to consider them. Sometimes when I'm recording or working on something at home, I'll get distracted by all the other stuff I need to do. Just being there in that space allowed me to completely focus on the podcast, record some freestyles and some raps. I asked a friend who wasn't able to come by to send me some meditations and I created a segment for people to ask me questions. And I was like, Wow, like I could have been doing all of this.
What was it like taking part in the Free Studio residency? It still has a lingering effect on me. I'm thinking about it right now and it almost felt like a psychedelic trip. I feel like I went into my real life and came back into this fantasy world because it felt like what I was supposed to be doing. It felt very natural. Starting this podcast, I was just trying to just get my feelings out. The Free Studio showed me that I can really do this. Frequency created this space that felt safe enough to be and do whatever I wanted.
What was the spirit of collaboration like within the studio? Not to be corny, but I think we were all on the same frequency. But seriously, there was just a level of safety. I really connected with the group that works on Abolition X. Everybody was friendly, everybody just felt like they were there on some really positive vibrations. It felt natural to ask somebody like, Hey, you know we're working in this space together, would you want to work together? I'm actually supposed to be connecting with Indigo from Abolition X this weekend and possibly recording something for my show. But yeah, it was really dope.
Having spent the last five years working on The Art of Letting Go, did the Free Studio opportunity change, challenge, or help you expand your role as a podcaster? I would say going into it, that impostor syndrome kind of came up. And that was the challenge to get over. Like, Am I supposed to be here? Then actually being in the space and connecting with people, the answer was, Yes, I'm supposed to be here.
It made me comfortable asking people to collaborate. I've always been hypercritical of creating and art in general, and sometimes it didn't feel safe to tell someone I want to work with you. But being there just made me think, Let's just see what we could do, what we can make happen. The last day right before the closing party I asked Anthony Prince Leslie, the director of the Free Studio documentary, if he wanted to record an episode for my podcast. And he was like, Absolutely, let's record. And we ended up with a really beautiful episode. So that was a challenge I feel like I ultimately overcame.
You've spoken previously about how one of the core topics of The Art of Letting Go is the idea of Black male vulnerability. Can you speak a little on the ways that this podcast has helped you explore that aspect of yourself? Yeah, it's definitely made me almost, like, hyper self-aware and just more compassionate toward myself. Because I feel my growth in sharing my experience, and even on those days where I am kind of down on myself, there's always somebody to remind me of how my journey is affecting them. So you know, it's definitely taught me to be kinder to myself to really feel safe within my own body, to communicate and express my feelings and just understand. Like the result of my authenticity is beyond my control. But as long as I'm being authentic, that's all that matters.
Is there anything about Frequency's approach that caught your eye prior to starting your residency? Is there anything that you've come to appreciate after the experience? Coming into it, I really had only known Frequency for music. But being on the creator side of it and seeing how much the Frequency team poured into me, you know, like not only just giving me this opportunity to create, but really just showing me that they really were in support of what I'm doing. It just felt like people were genuine about really wanting to build up my voice. I guess that could be Black voices, but also my voice, f
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
09/10/2026
September 10 2026, 06:00 (PDT) Dolby Expands Dolby OptiView Platform with New Capabilities at IBC 2026
New Sports Intelligence helps providers better unders...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
30/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/09/2026
Mavis has launched Mavis Camera 8.2, the latest release of its professional camera app for the iPhone and iPad. This update brings support for iPhone 18 Pro and...
29/09/2026
Oak View Group (OVG) has announced Cisco as an Official Technology Partner, with plans to standardize infrastructure across its venue network on Cisco solutions...
29/09/2026
SportsNet Pittsburgh (SNP) won three honors at the 2026 Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards.
Program awards went to Bucs BP in the Sports Program Live category (produced ...
29/09/2026
The Professional Women's Hockey League has announced home openers for all 12 teams for the 2026-27 season, along with a broadcast partnership with CBC under...
29/09/2026
Manifold technologies has been recognized as a contributor to the Media eXchange...
29/09/2026
FuboTV has announced My Local Sports, allowing subscribers in select markets to add their local regional sports network (RSN) as an add-on to a Fubo Sports subs...
29/09/2026
Asian News International (ANI), a wire agency and video news provider based in India, has deployed Grass Valley's AMPP Media Operating System and Framelight...
29/09/2026
South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has deployed Ikegami UHK-X600 cameras as part of an upgrade to IP-based production infrastructure. The deployment ...
29/09/2026
REMI, REMCO models will drive the bulk of the broadcaster's NHL productions ...
29/09/2026
Three years in, the facility is supporting more centralized race production, com...
29/09/2026
NBC, Peacock, and NBSN are carrying all four Wild Card series with a production ...
29/09/2026
19 Nonfiction Projects Across All Stages of Production to Receive More Than $1 million in Support as Documentary Film Program Approaches 25th Anniversary
LOS ...
29/09/2026
Two new plug-ins launch alongside updated bundles
Zynaptiq have just announced the launch of two new plug-ins, alongside new and improved versions of two of...
29/09/2026
All-in-one bus processor revealed
Wes Audio's ng product range has come a long way since it was first introduced, and now includes a tasty selection of ...
29/09/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Ikegami announces that the South African Broadcasting Corporation, SABC, has chosen Ikegami UHK-X600 camera systems as part of an advance to IP-based operation ...
29/09/2026
Blendkit Offers 20% Discount to Celebrate Crossing 150K Asset Milestone
Brie Clayton September 29, 2026
0 Comments
Blendkit, the largest 3D asset libr...
29/09/2026
Interactive streaming specialist Ease Live supported more than 76.5 million fan sessions across three major European media operators during this summers FIFA Wo...
29/09/2026
Ease Live has added support for VAST (Video Ad Serving Template) to its graphical overlay technology, opening up new ways for broadcasters, streamers and rights...
29/09/2026
Rise AV has announced the launch of the inaugural Rise AV Awards, a new global awards programme celebrating the women, advocates and organisations across the AV...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Clear-Com announced that First Baptist Nashville has upgraded its production communications with a Clear-Com intercom solution as part of a comprehensive sanct...
29/09/2026
Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K Captured Action Shots for Sketch
Brie Clayton September 28, 2026
0 Comments
Camera's portable design and dynamic range...
29/09/2026
Kean Production Services Deploys AJA ColorBox to Deliver Consistent, Accurate Co...
29/09/2026
Berklee Alumni and Faculty Nominated for the 2026 Latin Grammy Awards A total of 28 Berklee alumni and faculty earned nominations across 20 categories this ye...
29/09/2026
Berklee's K-Pop & Beyond Explores Connections Between K-Pop and Hip-Hop Now in its fifth year, the series brings together artists, industry leaders, and s...
29/09/2026
We tend to think we live in a digital world, with hopes and fears around artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, data centres and the next big technolo...
29/09/2026
Today, in partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Apple relea...
29/09/2026
Final Cut Camera, the professional filming app for iPhone, receives a major upda...
29/09/2026
RT lyric fm is proud to announce the annual Choirs for Christmas competition callout. Warm up those vocal chords and join us on RT lyric fm for a celebration ...
28/09/2026
The NHL has announced Adobe as an Official Creative, Marketing and AI Partner beginning with the 2026-27 season. The partnership will provide the league and its...
28/09/2026
MultiDyne will exhibit at CABSAT 2026 (October 5-7, Dubai Exhibition Centre), showcasing an expanded technology portfolio following its June 2026 acquisition of...
28/09/2026
ARRI and HONOR have announced the HONOR Magic9 Pro Max, a flagship smartphone carrying ARRI branding on the device and packaging as the first product-level expr...
In February, Spotify hosted The Free Studio, a four-day residency that brought nine Black musicians and creators together under the same roof. Part of the Frequency initiative to amplify Black voices, The Free Studio not only provided access to studio spaces and production resources, but also allowed these artists to connect and collaborate with one another.
