This Is Your Strange and Beautiful Life Erica J. Schmidt

“If you have a body, you are a dancer.”

-Lynne Adams

Lynne Adams is a vibrant and enthusiastic actor, dancer, chocoholic and certified 5Rhythms® teacher. Lynne discovered the practice of 5Rhythms® after a total hip replacement left her depressed and grappling with chronic pain. Over a decade later, Lynne shares this powerful practice with hundreds of devoted students who come to dance each week where they experience transformation through music, connection, breath, sweat, creativity, and community. Lynne believes that “the dance floor is a mirror to our lives, reawakening our potential and purpose.” She says that coming home to our bodies in a compassionate and creative way is key to healing this world, one step at a time, one dance at a time.” It was so special to have Lynne on the show! Gosh, what an episode. Instead of the half-bad ukulele segment, Lynne convinced me to participate in a first-ever improv accapella sound bath. I hope you listen all the way to the end, and I hope you love it. And remember, “If you have a body, you are a dancer.”

Content Warning: Drugs, meditation, and naked cleaning. Also, mention of mental health challenges, self-abuse, and suicidal ideation. It remains a blast of an episode!

James Paterson has been contemplating the Universe since he was four years old when he would stay up all night listening to Jean-Michel Jarred’s new age synthesizer cassette on his Fischer Price tape deck. Growing up in the 80s and 90s, he showed great promise with computers, but as a teenager, he shifted his energy to drawing in an effort to impress the ladies. Today, James’s work dances around the intersection between drawing, animation, and code. James is fascinated in the points of resonance where these disciplines collide. Grounded in quirky and truly singular drawings, James’s art takes us on an immersive and mesmerizing journey, whether through prints, animation, virtual reality, or these peculiar and life-changing 3-D shapes. I was once the proud owner of an exquisite penis-like finger scroll and I was pleased about this, though alas, the piece did not fare well in my house fire. James is an avid meditator, and integrates meditation into his creative practice, which is as deep as they come and the realest deal I’ve ever seen. This episode was a massive treat and a must-listen for anyone with a quirky, creative, and fluctuating brain. Thank you, James, for this fun fab interview!!!

Lou Laurence is a singer, songwriter, playwright, and siren. She left her home at the bottom of the ocean to become part of that world, our world, Montréal and across Canada, where she takes to the stage with her ukulele, spectacular hair and fashion sense. There she combines her musical and lyrical genius, bringing us clever and hilarious songs in her signature soulful voice. Her performances unite music, sketch comedy, and stand-up. In 2024, she produced the live game show Montreal’s Most Delicious Date, and her 60-minute solo show, Love, Sharks & Frenching: a hot date w/ Lou Laurence won Best Solo Show, Best Music Show, and was runner up for Best Show with Improv at Victoria Fringe Festival 2023. It’s a one-of-a-kind date with Lou Laurence that will have you frenching like a Montrealer. And you can see it, imminently at the 2024 Montreal Fringe Fest at Petit Campus June 7-16. We can’t wait! Don’t miss Lou’s show and don’t miss this episode!

Keith Serry is a rockstar. Actually, he’s not a rockstar. But he’s a big fan of rockstars. He hosts the singular podcast, The Volume Knob where guests tell poignant and personal stories, each one featuring a song that saved their life. Beyond his podcast, he is an acclaimed storyteller who has graced many stages from Montréal’s Confabulation to­—maybe people have heard of the TV channel PBS? Keith was on that. A show called Stories from the Stage. Keith is a lawyer by trade, which means he gets lots of things done, even though he is also a husband and father—of two children and the laziest labradoodle in Montréal. But today, we are going to talk about Keith’s imminent show, The List:  A Traumady About Probiotic Masculinity, premiering June 8 at Montreal’s 2024 Fringe Festival.

The List takes us on a hilarious and heartbreaking road trip that answers questions like, Why are men like this? Must all the role models be terrible? What’s going on? And, are men okay? Given these volatile times, these are racy topics. It got a little awkward, but I’m glad we went there. Keith Serry, thank you for this splendid episode.

Today my guest is ME, and the topic is FUNEMPLOYMENT. How to believe deeply in yourself (and your worth and your life) when you don’t have a job or all that much to do. In my own, sort-of-short existence, I have become quite seasoned in the art (and struggle) of facing the blank slate of my day—the freedom, the possibility, and the angst. How to survive spiritually and financially without the built-in affirmation of someone giving me money for my time and my skills. How to create my own structure and wins. How to avoid melting down on the sidewalk as early as 9:07 a.m.

If you’ve fallen off the job market, this episode is for you! But it’s also for anyone looking to examine their relationship with work and time. Part-time employees, freelancers, workaholics, we all have to navigate what our day looks like and the impact of our employment, or lack thereof.

Andrew Khoury is a rising star to look out for on the Montréal comedy scene. He comes to us from the hip and groovy suburbs of Nova Scotia. Since nailing his first stand-up set five going on six years ago, Andrew has channeled his anxiety into making people laugh—very hard. In the summer of 2023, he graced the Discovery Stage at Zoofest to great acclaim. Andrew is known for his fabulous legs and fashion sense, and for tackling taboo queer Arab themes with balls and hilarity. I saw Andrew live on Abby Stonehouse’s podcast and I knew I had to have him on the show. What a treat of an episode.