“External rumen!”

On this episode: Dr. Liz Ashforth, aquaponicist, improv actor and event manager joins me to talk about how she ended up in China as a microbiologist and switched gears to become a member of Beijing’s improv scene, and what it actually means for a sea worm to “lyse.”  

Check out more at her blog.

Daniel Richardson joins me on this episode of the China Arts Podcast, in which I cackle overly much. Nearly a decade of experience in China has led him through Traditional Chinese Medicine, a career in lighting design, and much more. 

You can visit Daniel’s official at https://www.danielrichardson.design/

“Sharing it in a good way with the world.”

For this episode of the China Arts Podcast, I met up with musician, former UN relief worker, Paul Meredith in his beautiful old home in Shanghai. He’s been a songster since he “started trying to get over all [his] broken hearts, and tried to write good songs.” It’s good he did, because he now has a ton of great songs, some of which you can hear live in his living room on this episode (he even let me use his tenor guitar!).

You can check out more of Paul’s music here, and his wife Caroline Cheng’s amazing pottery here.

On CAP episode #4, my guest is Ming dynasty literature expert and doctoral candidate, Ewan MacDonald. We met up at the end of the first warm day of Spring in Ditan Park.

Ewan has since left Beijing for the warmth and sun of London, to finish his doctorate, but we look forward to seeing him again real soon!

Canadienne songstress and community organizer, Risa dickens, takes a breather from her China travels and joins us in this episode of the China Arts Podcast. Also joining me is actor, teacher and square dance caller, Nathan Paul.

Featuring my live bootleg recordings from her show at Jianghu Bar—part of JUE’s music offerings. Risa talks to us about working for Yelp Montreal, dances in church basements, and teaches me her original song, “ Dangerous Game.”

Be sure to check out her music at thesugarhousewelcome.bandcamp.com.

Other Links from this podcast:

Yelp Montreal

Pop Montreal

Splitworks, JUE

In the public square of the beautiful Bai town of Xizhou, Yunnan, we caught up with China historian, ethnomusicologist, and upright bass player, John Flower. Also joining us is my bandmate, and jack-of-all-trades, Chris Hawke.

Live music excerpts are from a post-performance jam, in the back dining room at the Linden Center. Many thanks to John for taking the time out of his busy schedule to meet with us. We’re also very grateful to the Linden Centre for receiving and taking care of us wayward musician folk.

Be sure to check out John’s website, where you can learn about the village where he and his wife lived in Sichuan.

This is the China Arts Podcast, conversations documenting China’s creative and cultural industries, above and underground, from people on the ground.

As Beijing old and bluegrass jam group Beijing Pickers, moved into its fourth year, I started this Podcast. I made ten and a half episodes, then stopped to focus on my band, The Hutong Yellow Weasels (later The Mountain High). That was five years ago.

Now we return in 2020, re-releasing the first “season,” and additional episodes with new guests to move the podcast forward. Originally planned as a music podcast, the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to hear directly from venue owners, painters, designers, tour managers, commercial video producers, lighting technicians, musicians, voiceover actors and studio owners, and anyone who would sit down for an hour or so and share their thoughts and stories.

Episodes are in English or Chinese, depending on the guest. In this inaugural episode of the China Arts Podcast, I sit down with Parker Trevathan, one the first Beijing Pickers, and chat about his role in the Beijing music scene, gigging in China, and the origins of the Ring Road Ramblers, Randy Abel Stable, Sourpuss and the Beijing Dead.

*Features clips of tunes from our jam with Parker Trevathan and Travis Klingborg