Back in 2020 we looked at the history of pandemics & racism via something called the BUSeum with Michael Luick-Thrams and Traces.com.
Sheng Elizabeth Lor founded The Social X Change Project a few years ago, when she set out to help vulnerable groups reduce loneliness and improve mental health and well-being through creativity and connection workshops. Since then Sheng has increased the scope of her work, including helping folks produce & share media to reach out to the community. As the first USA-born child in her Hmong family, she has learned to act as a bridge between cultures, and to understand the challenges and promises of the situations.
Our guest is Johnsmith, a talented, engaging, profound, & easy-going guy. He's got an affinity for the parts of small-town thinking that invite us to be present, to know and care for our neighbor, and which invite us to see all of the world around us. Johnsmith is much in demand as a performer, as a teacher of songwriting, and as a guide to those wanting a musicly-rooted and culturally-enhanced tour of Ireland. He's a past Kerrville New Folk winner, and he just released his 9th album, Backroads. Johnsmith wanders the roads near Trempeleau, WI.
Tackling a few topics today via guest-host Peterson Toscano of Citizen's Climate Radio. CCR explores the complications of air conditioning & global warming with Eric Dean Wilson, Lila Powell, & Ruth Abraham. Dana Nuccitelli is in the Nerd Corner to look at the environmental impacts of renewable energy.
Cheryl Prashker is a talented musician with wide and deep skills, particularly on the drums, but she especially has a heart of gold and bestows endless blessings on all around her. Besides performing decades ago with a back called CC RailRoad, she performs currently with a Celtic-based band called Runa. She organizes the Goderich Celtic Roots Festival, and she does a folk music interview podcast called Folkpod, Cheryl Prashker is originally from Montreal, Canada, but she currently makes her home in Ontario.
Brenda Asterino guest-hosts today, sharing an interview with Sara Yamasaki, founder and head instructor of the Moving Words Writing Clinics, a summer writing program for elementary, middle school, and high school students grounded in the belief that everyone has an authentic voice, everyone has genius, and everyone can write. She is a writer, multi-sensory learning specialist, and certified teacher with over 30 years experience teaching children, graduates, teachers, and professionals.
Ethan Eckert is a player of music in a wild variety of genres, including folk, jazz, hip-hop, hard rock and just about whatever you can imagine. He's a drummer, keyboardist, guitarist, vocalist, and he writes songs on the creative edge. He will help raise you up, just as he does with his sourdough bread and his songs will answer your thirst, as does his mushroom tea. Ethan does all of this and more in Kansas City, Kansas.
Past/present religious/spiritual influences: Methodist, Agnostic, Yoga, Meditation, Transcendental Meditation, Buddhism
All featured music is written & performed by Ethan Eckert, unless otherwise noted:
Seven portions of seven Song of the Soul shows with seven great musicians back in the summer/fall of 2020, with songs linked by themes around old-timey music, old times, old folks, and new songs. Music & interview with Joe Newberry, Sparky Rucker, Mary Lou Fulton, Peter Alsop, Carsie Blanton, Johnsmith, & Ash Devine.