#24 Cosmically or gastrically
Issue #24 Cosmically or gastrically
24th August 2022
Greetings, beings made of stardust.
And a big welcome to everyone who joined the newsletter via The Improv Boost this week. I'm incredibly grateful for your time and attention. I hope you find something that intrigues you in these pages.
It's been quite the week since finally testing COVID-negative last Friday. Unfortunately, Loyal Improv Hound™ Radio H. Mead has decided to stop eating. It's been several days now and despite multiple trips to the vets and even an X-Ray, we're still not sure quite what's going on with him. It's very worrying. All I can do is sit beside him, watch his little chest rising and falling and hope something will shift soon either cosmically or gastrically.
Meanwhile, here are some of the things that are keeping me sane.
Rule of three
[Music] Daði Freyr
This amazing Icelandic musician burst onto the world stage with his genius entry into the 2020/21 Eurovision Song Contest - Think about Things. But this week I also found out he does brilliant stripped back covers of bubblegum pop classics (whilst sitting crossed legged on a bed). Check out Party in the USA.
[AI] Recast
Artificial Intelligence is having another moment, mostly with easily accessible image generation programmes like Craiyon and Midjourney. But I was personally blown away by Recast, an AI-augmented audio recorder that allows you to completely change the tone of your voice so you sound like an entirely different person. The results sound eerily natural (if you'll forgive the oxymoron). Click here, record a few sentences and then sit back and consider the implications of this nascent technology.
[Health] Barefoot running
I'm a pretty new runner (having been determinedly non-sporty from a very young age). But these days I head out onto the heathland surrounding my house most mornings to run with Radio. I've become very interested in the idea of barefoot running - zero drop shoes, foot-shaped toe boxes, minimal padding and a new running technique where you strike the ground with your forefoot rather than your heel. This video by Andrew Folts does a good job of introducing the relevant concepts with clarity and not a little whimsy. For the record, I currently use Altras to run in and Vivobarefoot for pretty much everything else (although I'm seriously considering Vibram Five Fingers for trail running).
Spotlight
This week I'm off to the Trondheim International Impro Festival in Norway. It's a stunningly organised festival, absolutely packed with improv talent. I'll be offering a range of workshops which you can read about here. But the thing I'm most looking forward to is performing a Duologues show with Charlotte Gittins. Charlotte is one of the best improvisers I've ever seen perform on any stage, worldwide. The level of craft she brings to the table is sensational. I think it's going to be a very special show indeed.
Longform thoughts
"When we talk about the foundational principles of improv, Yes and gets all the glory. It’s like the Elon Musk of improvisational theory - in that it’s seemingly ubiquitous, apparently indispensable but is actually a lot less important than it seems."
My series on The seven habits of highly effective improvisers continues with Listen.
Radio days
Get well soon, Radio!