Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! This episode is an ode to the auraculous, as we delve into the extraordinary world of sound with writer and journalist Caspar Henderson, author of ‘A Book of Noises: Notes on the Auraculous’.
Caspar invites us to tune the dial of our minds and truly listen to the hidden harmonies of nature, the mysteries of music, and the profound ways sound shapes our world. We explore the bizarre and beautiful: from whistling to bears and singing birds, to the first musical instruments and the resonance of ancient spaces. What is sound? Why does rhythm matter? And can a frog’s croak be as poetic as Shakespeare?
Joining the show is Canadian-American poet Nehassaiu deGannes, who shares selections from ‘Music for Exile’, weaving sound and silence into powerful verse exploring life on the border.
We’re debuting a new game this week! Maple Leaf or Make Believe, where we test your ability to spot the true Canadian headlines from the truly ridiculous. Play along and see if you can guess the real Maple Leaf!
Plug in your headphones, open your ears, and join us for a journey through the science, poetry, and sheer wonder of sound. And remember - if you sneeze, you might just deafen thousands…
Follow us on Instagram @thebigsmokevariety and leave us a 5-star review to help make some noise!
Time Stamps
Intro - (00:00)
Maple Leaf or Make Believe - (01:07)
Caspar Henderson Interview - (02:10)
Parish Notices - (51:53)
Nehassaiu deGannes Poetry - (55:05)
Maple Leaf or Make Believe Answer - (1:09:40)
Outro - (1:11:01)
Links
Answer to Maple Leaf or Make Believe
Hosted & Exec Produced by Kevin Bennett
Produced & Edited by Alex Graham
And a big thanks to Ahmad Wonly, our on-street correspondent
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.