Access, ancestry and a flute made from a leg

This week, Steve shares a powerful, surprising, and often jaw-dropping conversation with musician, composer and activist Jono Enser.

Jono is a gifted multi-instrumentalist and a member of Nubiyan Twist, but he’s also a disabled artist whose recent experiences as an amputee have sparked a radical rethinking of performance, access, and the body as instrument — quite literally. Together, they explore:

• The challenges and realities of touring as a disabled musician
• How venue design (or lack of it) creates systemic barriers to inclusion
• The radical creativity of reclaiming trauma — including Jono’s current project turning his amputated leg bone into a working flute
• Musical ancestors: from Neanderthal bone flutes to Tibetan thighbone trumpets
• Why accessibility isn’t just a bolt-on feature — it’s a cultural responsibility
• And what it means to give your pain a voice, breath, and song

Plus, Steve shares a clip from his Ocean Songs sunrise performance at Benacre Broad — part of his work with the Blue Machine project, inspired by Dr. Helen Czerski’s oceanography book of the same name.

There’s a lot packed in here, and it’s one of the most wide-ranging and deeply personal episodes yet.

🎟 Jono’s band Nubiyan Twist are touring this summer – check them out.

🎶 His solo project Matters Unknown is also worth diving into.

🎤 Steve is performing live at ALSO Festival and on July 11th at the National Maritime Museum with Blue Machine – see originofthepieces.com for details.

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📍 More info at originofthepieces.com

00:00 – Welcome back + Acid Brass recap

Steve introduces the episode and reflects on his recent chat with Jeremy Deller.

02:00 – Meet Jono Enser

Jono’s musical upbringing, his shift from trumpet to tuba, and the spiritual resonance of breath.

07:00 – Life as a touring amputee

The hidden and not-so-hidden barriers for disabled musicians on the road.

10:00 – Access is everywhere (or isn’t)

From venue layouts to door weights and bar heights — access means more than ramps.

14:00 – What artists and venues can actually do

Practical steps, responsibility, and why checking access before the gig matters.

18:00 – Ocean Songs interlude

Steve shares a clip from his beachside dawn performance as part of the Blue Machine project.

23:00 – A flute made from his own amputated leg

Jono’s extraordinary project connecting trauma, ancestry, and sonic experimentation.

28:00 – Resonance, ritual, and reclaiming space

Caves, Ambisonics, somatic practice and ecological listening.

32:00 – Music as breath and transformation

Why giving pain a voice — literally — matters.

36:00 – What’s the point of music?

Jono’s heartfelt answer to Steve’s recurring question.

40:00 – Wrap-up and upcoming gigs

Tour dates, ALSO Festival, and National Maritime Museum performance previews.

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