On Monday, June 7th, Daniel Tyler Pohnke and Mai Segev-Pohnke were the featured guests on Sam Hasson’s LA Talk Radio show, Sam in the Morning with Cherie. LA Talk Radio has been at their location in Studio City since June 4, 2008, after the young station was renamed and relaunched by Sam Hasson as a completely independent Internet radio station. With an unprecedented ranking on Google, thousands of links to the website, and continually growing traffic, the station now broadcasts over 80 shows for every taste and interest.
This morning Sam and co-host, Cherie Thibodeaux spent the hour interviewing the couple as Daniel and Mai shared their personal story and how the upcoming interactive theater experience, creating a Brave New World was actualized.
Daniel Tyler Pohnke, an International performer and TEDx speaker, and his wife Mai Segev-Pohnke, Producer, will present a unique interactive, cross-cultural theatrical experience on July 10th at the Warner Grand Theater in San Pedro. The show will utilize music, dance, multi-media, Kirtan and healing meditations as transformational tools to deeply affect people’s lives.
“This show is culmination of all the things Mai and I have been working on for the last eight years.”
“It’s a very creative and immersive way to bring Empowering Entertainment that encompasses all that we do – music, dance, different cultures, meditation, multimedia and practical techniques anyone can use to attain a better life. When you are happier, that ripples out into the world and affects others as well,” Daniel explained to Sam and Cherie in the studio.
Mai added, “We all have ability to create our own brave new world… we believe that your brave new world is different than my brave new world, and when we are living authentically there is no competition. The goal for Creating a Brave New World is to invoke the greatness in each and every one of us. It will help you ask yourself, “What would my Brave New World look like if I were to be living fully and totally engaging in my own power and special expression?”
When asked how they met, the couple took turns vocalizing their stories. Strangely, Daniel and Mai had similar ideas of how they wanted to actualize their lives as they hit their 30’s except Daniel lived in Los Angeles and Mai lived in Tel Aviv, Israel. In parallel universes, not knowing of each other’s existence, the two young people first decided that a trip to Africa would satisfy their seeking spirit. Daniel was interested in African music and had experimented with implementing the sound into his original compositions. Mai wanted to go there to work with children. Daniel shared, “I just wanted to go because the concept of it was a cool thing to do. African music was really special to me because I am a percussive player when I play the guitar.”
Mai continued, “A month before I turned 30, I looked at my life and everything was great. I had a great job, freedom, I was one of the founders of the Free Hug movement, but I wasn’t profoundly happy. So I decided to go to Arica and work with kids.” Mai paused then said, “I called my grandmother, and told her what I wanted to do. Now, my grandmother never told me not to do something…and when I was telling her I wanted to work with kids…she interrupted me and said out of nowhere, ‘Just don’t go to Africa to do that.’”
Again, in parallel universes, both of them decided not to go to Africa but to India instead. Mind you, they haven’t met at this point. Daniel headed to India because he had joined “The Art of Living” foundation which was an Indian based organization. A spiritual quest was set forth for Daniel to seek his place as a musician, to live a life free of drugs and alcohol, and to keep evolving in his own personal development.
“The journey began…the first step was getting a one-way ticket to India.”
“I headed to the ashram of The Art of Living. Then I left there and went to the south of India. I bought a motor cycle and travelled. And on the Annapurna circuit in the Himalayas the music began…a switch occurred. I asked myself how do I create this music through all the meditation and spiritual work I was doing.”
Mai’s story unfolded with a mystical flair. She recalls after hearing a sound in her mind that came out as Rishikesh, she shared this name with a friend. The friend congratulated her and said, “You are going to India then.” Mai had no idea that Rishikesh was in India but decided to journey to this city.
“You have to understand I was a woman who wore stilettos and fancy clothes plus makeup. When I arrived in Rishikesh I had a backpack, flat shoes, and had no idea what I was getting into. I tiptoed over the bridge that connected to where I was standing to the other side where the village was, but it was completely foggy and I couldn’t see anything. All I could see when I got to there were monkeys, cows, and some sadhus sleeping in a loincloth. Needless to say I freaked out. But when the sun rose, I felt my heart open wide and I was home and never wanted to leave.”
Five months later, Daniel had arrived in Rishikesh. He was on the spiritual quest to create music. “I went up to the Himalayas and did a twenty-two-day walking trek…when I was up there I started to receive these songs. I arrived back in Rishikesh and I started to construct these songs. Every day I ran into Mai and she would come over and would listen, then give me feedback. It was literally an everyday experience. I had a structure…I would sit down near the Genghis River, do these rituals of mediation and yoga, then spend time song writing and educating myself. Finally, on the last full moon of 2008, the song Brave New World came. That was the last song of the series which became the last song on the album as well.”
Not only did the couple keep running into each other “randomly” (not really…it looked like the Universe had big plans for these two) they both received the same vision regarding the song, Brave New World.
Daniel told his part of the story, “It was one of those songs where I just had to get out the way…it was one of those songs that just wrote itself …my hand felt all these chills. I stood up and closed my eyes and I saw this vision of a sea of people in front of me…it wasn’t like this rock star dream. Each and every one of these people were living their life to the fullest. They were gesturing their own power, their own expression, their ow unique character. Mai came over that night and I played her the song.”
Mai –” I had the same vision. After he finished playing, I said, ‘I got to tell you I saw this vision …and it was exactly what Daniel had just seen.”
Here’s the end of the story. Daniel Tyler Pohnke and his Israeli born wife, Mai Segev- Pohnke then spent seven years in Southeast Asia (India, Thailand, Nepal, Cambodia, and Hong Kong) and the Middle East (Israel and Egypt) performing and recording Brave New World. The album, Brave New World – Time Is Now! took four and half years to complete as each song was recorded with an extraordinary set of international musicians and arranged by different record producers. The styles of music are multi-dimensional and distinct…A-Capella, Electronica, Classical Indian, Rock, Reggae, Indian Folk and Orchestral.
Within this last year, Daniel and Mai Pohnke decided to return to the United States. Through the production of the album, Brave New World – Time Is Now! they thought about how music could act as a trigger and an anchor to create change in people’s lives. So along with using healing frequencies (528th and 432h), they developed the Brave New World ToolBox, a self -development program of daily actions that uses the songs as anchors for empowerment. From there the concept for Creating a Brave New World was born. “It’s a very creative and immersive way to bring Empowering Entertainment that encompasses all that we do – music, dance, different cultures, meditation, multimedia and practical techniques anyone can use to attain a better life. When you are happier, that ripples out into the world and affects others as well,” Daniel explained.
Concluding the interview, Sam Hasson remarked how Daniel and Mai still look at each other adoringly after eight years of being together. Sam said, “You both look like you’re content with your life.”
The couple smiled and revealed their secrets.
Daniel, “It took a while to get here.”
Mai, “We don’t take each other for granted.”
Daniel… “It’s a decision that we make. We work on our relationship by having a weekly date night and a trantra session We get together and share intimacy and connection.”
Mai…” We don’t like the same things necessarily. Daniel is very active and I like to snuggle on a chair reading a book but we make each other and our connection a priority.”
Again, the couple looks at each other with love and happiness. Two star crossed lovers from opposite sides of the world connecting to not only carry out a union as husband and wife, but to help the world.
On July 10th, 5 pm., join the Creating a Brave New World performers at the Grand Warner Theater in San Pedro, California. The cast includes: Daniel Tyler Pohnke, vocals/guitar, Christo Pellani, drums, Jesse Stein, bass, Steve Postell, guitar, Heather Meglasson, backup vocals, and much more.
Tickets can be bought at: http://www.bnwshow.com/
To listen to this interview the link is:
http://latalkradio.com/…/def…/files/audio/Sam-060616.mp3