aka explaining the vagus nerve to kids
Yesterday, I was lucky enough to spend half an hour in a roomful of 8 year olds, explaining the nervous system and how sound can influence it.
Having just spent a whole weekend teaching adults a similar thing, I spent a lot of time workshopping how I would need to dumb it down for them.
I didn’t need to worry. These kids got it. And I mean, “got it”.
When I asked them my fav, opening workshop question – “what is sound?”, hands shot up. The first kid said “these invisible waves that travel into our ears and bodies”.
Correct, my dude.
Then, when I was explaining the parasympathetic nervous system, which I dubbed “chill mode” (along with appropriate memage from Kpop Demon Hunters)…
…when I got to “fight or flight” multiple kids jumped in and said “or freeze!”
I was floored by the level of knowledge these kids have. It’s astounding. And humbling. Here I was, trying to dumb down the content of a workshop aimed at adults, and these kids were smashing it out of the park.
I left with a big smile on my face (and a little bit of jealousy that my generation never had these same tools). And a desire to share this lil presentation again.
Join me on Friday 21 November at 5pm AEST for a free, 45min online workshop for kids. Anyone who can’t make that time, I’ll post it afterwards.
In other news, the “win a sound bath at your place” competition has been drawn and the winner notified. Alas they haven’t replied. Matt, in case you’re reading this? Check your Spam folder. And if you don’t get back to me by the end of the week, I’ll need to redraw it.
For everyone else? I’m planning on restarting regular online sound baths early in the new year. People still tell me how much my Pandemic-era Insta lives meant to them, so I’d love to start it all up again. Albeit less lockdown-y. Stay tuned.
Last bits:
- expansion a (south) is out in full next week. I had a brief chat with Charlie Mills at ABC Radio Pilbara yesterday about the song karijini (iron. spinifex) HERE (jump to 19:45)
- Bandcamp Listening Party on Wednesday at 12pm (Naarm/Melbourne time). RSVP
aaaaaaand, a MASSIVE thanks to my friend Grant Carroll from Studio Umbra for my beautiful new logo.
xx Phoebe
