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Today, we are honored to be speaking with musician and professor Dong-Won Kim. Our discussion begins with his formative days, forged from the turmoil of 20th century Korea, onward to his realization of the depth of meaning found at the heart of traditional commoner's music; and entryways to his creative space. We also discuss the chemistry of creation, intention, emptiness, the act of re-booting oneself, and the serendipity found in the flow of time and events. The twists and turns of this uncommon path blazed by Dong-Won Kim leave us with no other way to sum up this inspiring personage than alchemical. Join us on this adventure of transmutation.
If you like what we do, please support your Usual Pets on Patreon: https://patreon.com/usualpets.You can also find us at https://usualpets.com and visit us on Instagram, Facebook, or at Podbean. Please let us know what you think of our independent production.
Dong-Won Kim—Links
FILMIntangible Asset Number 82 ( Emma Franz, Dir., 2009). Trailer; Film on-demand ($8.00 USD): 
SILKROAD ENSEMBLE (with Yo-Yo Ma) https://www.silkroad.org/about
Bio: "Since 1984, Dong-Won Kim has studied various forms of traditional music, such as farmer’s drumming and dance, and shamanic music. His main instrument is Janggu (aka Jang-go, janggo, changgo, seyogo (slim waist drum), the most representative drum in traditional Korean music), Vocals, Composer. He is a practitioner of Pansori accompaniment, and expositor of music theory inspired by great Korean music masters. By participating in many intercultural projects, he is committed to sharing the profound beauty of traditional Korean culture and music with the world. Kim currently teaches music online as a professor at Wonkwang Digital University. He has also written several fairytales for children and was featured in the documentary film, Intangible Asset Number 82 (2009)." https://www.silkroad.org/artists-dong-won-kim
MUSIC
Performance: Chuncheon Arts Festival (2021) https://youtu.be/NVhu_yqHJhU
Live Performance CD: "Over the Mountain," Dong-Won Kim and James McGowen (2018)https://amzn.to/3BUfFXsLive Performance CD: Trio CaBiKi "Wild Silence" (2016) https://bit.ly/304Kig8 (Jeff Cairns, Jeff Bird, Dong-Won Kim. Mixed by: Jeff Cairns / Richard Gilbert, BigFish Studio, Kumamoto, Japan, mastered by Richard Gilbert)
SOCIAL
Facebook: Dong-Won Kim

Today, we are honored to be speaking with Grandmaster Don Baird (American School of Martial Arts; Chang Moo Kwan Kung Fu). Though martial arts are rarely thought of as being imbued with artistic process, our discussion sheds light on the more refined realm of the practice, as developed though several decades in Don's advanced levels of Black Belt training. "Rounding off the angular" refers to an expansion of being through engagement with the arts. This process is traditionally known as "The Five Excellences": fighting, healing, musicianship, painting, and writing.  In contemporary life, the five excellencies may refer to any number of art forms, though with the personal challenge to develop one's craft, in at least five different arts, to a high degree of skill. This interdependence with creative practices in everyday life facilitates a "rounding off," which deepens one's life experience, and is reflected in all things attempted in life, including the martial arts. The focus of our discussion is centered on the feeling of freedom as an entryway into creative space. Along the way, we also discuss desire, limitation, privacy, and secrecy, as aspects of an holistic approach to achievement not only in fighting but in human potential. Don himself is an exemplar of the approach he teaches, as you will hear in the conversation. How round are you?
If you like what we do, please support your Usual Pets on Patreon: https://patreon.com/usualpets.You can also find us at https://usualpets.com and visit us on Instagram, Facebook, or at Podbean. Please let us know what you think of our independent production.
Don Baird—Links
MARTIAL ARTSAmerican School of Martial Arts/Kung Fu: kungfukarate.comSuh Do Kwan / Chang Moo Kwan (history & lineage): https://www.kungfukarate.com/school-history/ (Note: Suh Do Kwan is the more recent term. Chang Moo Kwan is the original name, and can be easily researched. And, of course, it is Kung fu.) “Grandmaster Don Baird (Masters Hall of Fame, 2009) represents the 4th generation, in a colorful lineage of great masters. His own master is Suh, Young-ik.”
BOOKS"Ink Zero" (haiku & sumi-e), Don Baird & Richard Gilbert: https://amzn.to/2Wbejcd  "Faces and Places" (view online; haiku anthology/photography): https://bit.ly/3z1RwOkAmazon: https://amzn.to/3AWfGKB
HAIKUHaiku at The Living Haiku Anthology (LHA): livinghaikuanthology.comDon's LHA Haiku Page: https://bit.ly/2WdOiZEUnder the Basho, Haiku Journal: underthebasho.comThe Haiku Foundation: https://thehaikufoundation.org/poet-details/?IDclient=175
Music and Haiku: https://bit.ly/3z3RQfq  (“Haiku -- The Interior and Exterior of Being”)
MUSICThe Wandering Clarinet: https://bit.ly/3z3RiWU Thoughtscape: https://music.apple.com/us/album/thoughtscape/378345758Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/donbairdSite: clarinetpro.com
PHOTOGRAPHYFlikr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/donbaird/ Getty: https://bit.ly/3sJZp8R
PASTORDon Baird: https://bit.ly/3svv5OS

Today, we at Usual Pets will be horsing around! We'll jam on the never-ending fullness of zeros, entryways to artful process through tension and release, how to write a first word, creative spaces in virtual worlds--and, does capitalism foster creativity? To kick it off, Richard offers the four-minute "Test Pattern," a poem set to music, our WTF (wonderous-transmogrified-filament) for this episode. We also offer the music to "Pollinators," an accompaniment to this episode's video, available to our Patreon listeners. If you like what we do, please support your Usual Pets on Patreon: https://patreon.com/usualpets.You can also find us at https://usualpets.com and visit us on Instagram, Facebook, or at Podbean. Please let us know what you think of our independent production.

We at Usual Pets are very pleased to talk with Okinawan singer, sanshin player and creative being, Aragaki Mutsumi. Following the paths of Okinawan music maestros Fukuhara Chōki and Fukuhara Kyōko, she is noted for transferring the soul of Okinawan music into a modern milieu, incorporating eletronica and environmental music into her unique compositions, she was recently invited to perform at the prestigious World Music Festival WOMEX, in Portugal. At minute 45, we introduce "Layers," an  original piece from her latest CD, "Another World of Okinawan Music. we hope you enjoy our talk with her. Find us at https://usualpets.com and if you like what we do,  please join us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/usualpets, your support will keep us going. You can also visit us on Instagram, on Facebook, or at Podbean. Please let us know what you think of our independent production.
Aragaki Mutsumi—Links
Wiki: https://en.aragakimutsumi.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aragakimutsumi
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aragaki_mutsumi/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKHfduNrLeWGu9dsj3h7pVg
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/2ZRTGawp6Bsn7gzI4y8FDg
Apple: https://music.apple.com/jp/album/another-world-of-okinawan-music/1510630716
 
 

In Episode 3: “Hey MA!” at Usual Pets, we at Usual Pets first present a WTF (Wondrous Transmogrified Filaments), a sonic cognition featuring Jeff’s shakuhachi playing. Following this, we discuss the fractal arrangement of worlds, the Japanese concept of MA with respect to space and silence, darkness and the intrigue of dreams, finding the musician within, pragmatic impracticality, tunnels to love, fearlessness and peace in improvisation, and, nonsense. Our conversation is also sprinkled with quotes from Jung. Find us at https://usualpets.com and if you like what we do,  please join us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/usualpets, your support will keep us going. You can also visit us on Instagram, on Facebook, or at Podbean. Please let us know what you think of our independent production.
 

In Episode 2, "Music for Cows—Viral Superficiality," your hosts Richard Gilbert and Jeff Cairns at Usual Pets continue their exploration of art process in everyday life. Today we have a special guest with us, from across the big pond; John March, an audio and video engineer, producer, artist, composer, musician, who offers a fascinating hour, speaking on his career in contemporary music, the zeitgeist of its ins and outs, and the challenge of maintaining a spiritually creative vision—from the early 80s, to this present moment. As well, he has written The Dharmic Gap, a poem we have scored for our WTF, the Wondrous Transmogrified Filaments for this episode. Check it out! And please enjoy. Find us at https://usualpets.com and if you like what we do,  please join us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/usualpets, your support will keep us going. You can also visit us on Instagram, on Facebook, or at Podbean. Please let us know what you think of our independent production.
If you want to support John's work as a musician you can buy/download his CD's here:
https://zenguitarguy.bandcamp.com
For more information about John's Guitar work including a sampler page, client testimonials, etc.: https://zenguitarguy.com
Sampler Page
Testimonials
For Information about John's work as a Filmmaker and Mixer: https://zenavguy.com
John's YouTube channel to subscribe:
And some Live performance videos.
John's Films about various artists and musicians that he wrote, produced, scored and mixed, are available on YouTube.