Stereothematica

Kids

Season 3 Episode 68

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0:00 | 28:45

They're not all creepy! And sometimes they actually make a great song greater, or a bad song better. Biases aside, in this episode we celebrate the contributions of children to music history. 

SONGS:

Joubert Singers: Stand on the Word (1982)

Human Skab: Screamin' Demon (1986)

RESOURCES AND REFERENCES:

PS 22 Chorus’s YouTube page

The Tangled History of the Joubert Singers’ “Stand on the Word” (Aaron Gonsher for Red Bull Music Academy)

Tony Humphries Remix of Stand on the Word

Industry Season 2 Has the Best Soundtrack of the Year (GQ)

David Byrne’s Desert Island Discs (BBC) - Even David Byrne refers to Larry Levan's remix

Dimitri from Paris Remix of Stand on the Word (2016)

L’Imperatrice Cover of Stand of the Word (2018)

Keedz Version of Stand on the Word (2008 - Used for the opening of Le Grand Journal) 

Larry Levan Set at Paradise Garage (1979)

Discogs - Somebody Prayed for This

Best of Tony Humphries at Zanzibar (1988)

The Divine Sounds of Gospel Disco (Bandcamp)

Stand on the Word (Official Video, Elias)

Paradise Garage, A Gay Club That Forever Changed Nightlife (NYT)

Soundtrack of My Life: Elijah Wood (NME)

The Human Skab: A Documentary Film

Tape Findings: Human Skab

Family Vineyard Records: Human Skab

The Independent Critic: Human Skab

Murderland book

Extra: Tape Findings: Kids Making Music

UNSOLICITED ADVICE:

Legs Up the Wall (Yoga With Adriene)

Impact of Yoga-based Interventions on Cognitive and Autonomic Functions in Major Depressive Disorder Population (JFMPC)

Connect with us on Instagram (to share your song picks or troll us), Spotify (for our ever-growing playlist), and Stereothematica.com (for extra fun)!

If you like what you’re hearing, please subscribe, and if you love it, a five-star rating and review would send us into the exosphere of excitement.

And email us at stereothematica@gmail.com! We will write back! 

SPEAKER_00

I'm Christine. And I'm Christina. In 2024, I moved to Texas from LA. And to keep in touch, Christine and I started a weekly game where we each pick a song that fits a chosen theme.

SPEAKER_01

This game deepened our understanding of each other and the songs that shape us, inspiring the podcast you're listening to now. Each week we share our picks, swap stories, and dig into tracks you might love. And a lot of the time have never heard of.

SPEAKER_00

Welcome to Stereothematica, your favorite atypical music podcast.

SPEAKER_01

Christina, you know what? What? Last week's pity party episode is still on my mind. I keep thinking about him. I keep thinking about Harry.

SPEAKER_00

You love him.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. I can't help it.

SPEAKER_00

He's a Nielsen hero. Just kidding.

SPEAKER_01

Maybe, but I think I do think I like that Schmilson part of him, those self-pitying ways.

SPEAKER_00

Self-pitying is such a childish way to be.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. No, it's you think? I think so. And it's funny because, you know, when we talked about him, I don't know if we said this, but he's kind of a man child, right?

SPEAKER_00

Agreed. Agreed. But I think there's a lot of people who are successful because they have like maybe it's more musicians or actors, I don't know, but just like an capability to I don't know if it's to not take yourself too seriously, but I do think it's kind of that tapping into your inner child.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

It's like Peter Pan stuff, you know, like I'm never gonna grow up.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, that's true. And I don't want to make this the hairy show again, but I do think childishness is a good segue into this week's theme. Yes. Kids. Kids. Yes, they can do a lot for a song, right? So much.

SPEAKER_00

But I also well, I want to talk about this, and I'm wondering if you're already thinking about it. Kids who start their own bands versus kids who are forced into being in bands.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, I wonder who you're talking about.

SPEAKER_00

Well, we'll get to it. Tell me about your kids' features on songs.

SPEAKER_01

I mean, I think one of them actually you featured in our put it in a letter episode, Dear God. And that kind of like made that whole song maybe heavier. I don't know. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. I think a little bit, but I think it was the thing when I heard it as a child that made me relate to it. And I'm sure I talked about that when I was when we recorded. But also did you watch the video?

SPEAKER_01

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_00

And the weird little kids singing?

SPEAKER_01

Yes. No, that's weird. It's kind of creepy.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

I kind of remember getting in a into a whole conversation about how creepy kids are.

SPEAKER_00

Yes, and kids are creepy.

SPEAKER_01

As a whole, not individuals.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, okay. Well, yeah, maybe individuals in some cases. Sometimes kids can be creepy, but it's just weird to have like a little human running around.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. I do love though, like a kid chorus like you got in Another Brook in the Wall part two. I don't even really like that song, but I do like the kids when they say. Oh yeah. That's a good one. Yeah. Any favorites from you?

SPEAKER_00

Well, this brings up my thought of like the Jackson 5. That's all kids.

SPEAKER_01

Yep.

SPEAKER_00

I mean, and maybe Michael was, of course, the star of the show, but it's like he had such a sweet little voice. But then, did you see the Made for TV movie about the Jackson 5? No. Should I? That's so good. I mean, I don't know if it holds up anymore. I used to watch it a bunch on VH1 when I was a kid. Huh. But I really felt for him because his dad was so mean. That's what I hear. So mean. I know. But that was like they wanted to be stars, but they were also like forced, it felt like they were forced into it. So stress. Stress thinking about that.

SPEAKER_01

And then who did you talk about the last the silver silver chair?

SPEAKER_00

Oh, yeah, Silver Chair. They were, I mean, they were under 18. So that was like a DIY kid span.

SPEAKER_01

Yep. And I'm also thinking Jay-Z's Hard Knock Life, sampling Annie, that kind of sort of lightens the mood a little bit. I don't know.

SPEAKER_00

Unless you listen to the lyrics.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I know I know. But that's why like you have these heavy lyrics and the cheerful-ish chorus of the children.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, you can kind of laugh and sing along to it, not realizing this was about kids and an orphanage.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, no, exactly. And I mean Annie, that's what it's all about. Big time. Although she does get her break. I know paper planes, the chorus in there.

SPEAKER_00

Is that kids singing?

SPEAKER_01

I think so. I'm pretty sure.

SPEAKER_00

Oh yeah. Interesting.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

I'll have to check that one out. Kind of a dark one there too, right?

SPEAKER_01

Yes, for sure. And I think I like that.

SPEAKER_00

Sensing a theme.

SPEAKER_01

No, I know. I like the contrast, of course. Like you get these heavy lyrics and the kids' voice. It serves, I think, to lighten it, but it's more just, I think, to in in a way serve as a foil. I don't know to what. And then, of course, there is your guy, the Smiths, Morrissey, and Panic.

SPEAKER_00

Hang the DJ.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. That might actually be my favorite of the Smith songs.

SPEAKER_00

I love that we've picked three songs featuring children. Wait, four even. Yeah. Five. My God, they're all sinister.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_00

Is that on purpose? Did you do that on No, I have a I have a lighthearted one. I mean, those are the ones that just stand out. What is what is yours? D-A-N-C-E by Justice. Do you know that one? There's a lot of I think it's only children singing, actually. It's a blog house song. It slaps. Oh my god. But it's just like, do you dance kids singing?

SPEAKER_01

Huh? That sounds like fun. I'll listen to that.

SPEAKER_00

It's actually the solve we might need after everybody listens to these truly depressing other songs. Can I tell you one other one? Please. Do you know about the PS22 chorus? I don't. It's so cute. I'm usually not somebody who's like, kids, oh my god, so cute. I mean, I think it's important that I will at least acknowledge child free by choice. Love that for me. Yes. But I'm not a frickin' monster. Like I do think kids are. I was a kid once. I can relate. Yeah. But this it's like a public school in, I think, New York, and there's this badass music teacher, and he teaches kids to sing a lot of pop songs, but also some, you know, rock and some other yeah. It's so cute. And they, I'm gonna link to their YouTube channel because there's some of these videos they posted that have gotten like, you know, 17 million views and whatever. But I mean, they he just every single year gets a new group of kids and they sing, and it's incredible. They've definitely gone viral. So nice introducing the youth to uh good music.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I I'm excited to listen to that. Yeah. Well, I I definitely enjoy it when kids bring a burst of energy to something, and that's really what my pick stand on the word is all about.

SPEAKER_00

You know what's funny? This is the most overtly Christian song that you shared on this podcast, and it shocked me because it seems like something I would have sang as a child. Yeah, it's the only Christian song.

SPEAKER_01

Is that true? Well, definitely, at least that I've shared, but I think probably even in my library, it's the only Christian song. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

It really did surprise me when you shared it because it felt it truly felt like something I would have heard listening growing up in like Baton Rouge.

SPEAKER_01

Oh wow, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Well, had you heard it before? I don't think I had actually. Oh, good. Okay. And it's a it's a bop. You gotta give it to these kids and the Lord.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, for sure. It's all about the word, the word of God. The song was written by Phyllis McCoy Joubert, who was the minister of music at the First Baptist Church of Crown Heights in Brooklyn, New York. And this song was recorded in 1982 by the Jubert Singers, which was a children's choir originally known as the Celestial Choir. I don't know if I'm saying celestial, right? I never know how to say celestial. How do you say that I think you're saying it right?

SPEAKER_00

Celestial.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, you don't say celestial celestial. Some people say celestial.

SPEAKER_00

I don't like them.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, cool. So, in fact, the original song credits the celestial choir on the compilation Somebody Prayed for This, which was produced by Phyllis Jubert and the Crown Heights Church. Unbelievably, this was the first song Joubert ever wrote. And the church only released a couple hundred copies of the record to its congregates. No, I don't even think they made them pay for it. I think it was just like just for worship. Yeah, exactly. I actually tried to track down more information about the kids in the choir, but the only thing I could find was a brief mention that the soloist of the Celestial Choir version, Jamila Sakwell Gisler, is or was an opera singer in Brooklyn. Yeah. No, and I think I actually like, you know, of course I had the name. I googled around. I believe I found a YouTube channel where she posted some of her performances. But let's let's go ahead and listen to her solo magic in the song. Yes. And I'll get to that in a second. But first, I want to talk about how it made its way into the 80s disco and house scene. Is that a surprise to you?

SPEAKER_00

I mean, a little bit. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. So there's like this incredibly informative article from the Red Bull Music Academy written by Erin Gonsher. It's called The Tangled History of the Joubert Singers' Stand on the Word. Now, I won't get into all the details. It's like 2,500 words, but I will share it in the show notes in case anyone is interested in learning more about the song. And real quick, I just want to make sure everyone knows that we have a pretty extensive list of resources in our show notes, in the podcast app. Almost everything we talk about is linked there. You just gotta click more. So we don't want anyone to miss out on all the stuff that we share.

SPEAKER_00

We don't want anyone to feel personally called out by not knowing about the show.

SPEAKER_01

And no, I'm not calling out anybody, no names. But I figure if one person may have missed it, others might. So I just want to be clear. So back to the song. DJ Tony Humphreys actually discovered Stand on the Word while working in a record store in Brooklyn. And then he started playing it at Zanzibar, which was known as the epicenter of New Jersey Sound or Jersey House in the 80s and early 90s. And very long story short, he remixed it with Phyllis Jubert for Next Plateau Records. And this time it was under the name of the Jubert Singers, named, of course, after the woman who wrote the song and directed the choir. Now that seems to be when the song became an underground disco hit, but there's a lot more to the story. Another famous New York DJ, Larry Levan, is credited for the song's re-release. And Levan was one of the most well-known remixers in New York in the 80s, like truly a legend. And he was also the resident DJ at the Paradise Garage, also known as Gay Raj. And I actually have a two-hour set from Levan in the show notes, if anyone is curious about the type of music he was playing. But really, this place was iconic and it was named like a LGBTQ historical landmark at some point. Yeah. But anyway, everyone from like David Byrne in his BBC Desert Island disc segment to Elijah Wood in some TV end credits lists the so-called Larry LeVan mix as an all-time favorite. But there isn't a Larry LeVan remix. I mean, there's one that's labeled as such that came out in 2003, and it just says unreleased mix and Larry O2. And everyone started giving Levan credit for bringing this gospel song into the club scene. The story even says his grandmother was a member of the church, but people only started talking about this in 2003, and Levan died in 1992. So he never got Yeah, right? He never got to say anything about this. Also, the so-called LeVan mix sounds pretty identical to the original. So it's almost like someone was just trying to make some money off of his legacy, knowing that people would buy it. And sure enough, a bunch of people still calling it the Levan mix. But there are a bunch of remixes out there now, and I have a few of them in the show notes. And the Humphreys version, I will say, is my favorite. Well, my favorite after the original.

SPEAKER_00

Okay.

SPEAKER_01

And if you go to YouTube for Stand on the Word, in the comments section, you'll see people referencing a bunch of shows that brought them there. Some people cite Snowfall, others Righteous Gemstones. Of course, it was a TV show that gave me this like deja vu, deja entendue experience. Dear White People 2017, end of the first episode. And it was kind of a mic drop moment for the main character, Samantha. Total chills song comes on. Wonderful. And then at this point, I'm like, oh, this song is so familiar. Like, where did I hear it from? And now with this research with the DJ scene, especially in New York, I'm assuming maybe I heard it at like some dance party in New York, maybe shelter. There was a place in LA that also used to play this kind of like housey, like deep house, fun, like gospel music, 1650 Schrader. I'm pretty sure you never got to experience that play. Yeah. Anyway, so a couple years later, 2020, it's in I May Destroy You. It's during a flashback scene to Arabella's childhood. She goes from ecstatic because her dad brought her McDonald's to barfing because she ate too much. It's so cute. And the song's playing this whole time, and it's like totally highlighting like how she feels about her dad. Like her dad is, in a way, is like the lord to her. Oh. It's very cute. And then season two of the industry final, like the the finale's closing song when Harper gets fired for forging her college diploma. Do any of these people mean anything to you?

SPEAKER_00

You know, I don't consume very much.

SPEAKER_01

I know media. I'm sorry. And and I'm just like just a shill for HBO.

SPEAKER_00

Someone out there, Mike.

SPEAKER_01

No. Um, and then last year it came on an episode of Hacks. And I'm like, oh God, the song is so good. It really just like makes a scene. So I'm like, how do I work this into an episode? And sure enough, I'm like, let's see how kids can serve a purpose. And they did with this.

SPEAKER_00

So oh Lord. Yeah. No. Kids serve a purpose. I have an eye. I have an idea for a factory. Oh no, music is better.

SPEAKER_01

Now, the funny thing is, I just spent this whole episode on kids and and didn't really talk too much about that. That's fair. But maybe you will. And I really wonder where you're going to go with your pick. I am truly scared.

SPEAKER_00

Yes, and you should be scared because this is not kids' stuff that we're talking about. It's not child's play.

SPEAKER_03

Oh no.

SPEAKER_00

And if I recall, like what a sweet, you know, theme that you picked. And then what did I do? I went and fucked it up on purpose.

SPEAKER_01

It was it was mean.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Because you know I'm gonna listen to the entire song. Oh, for sure.

SPEAKER_00

And I actually feel like I upset you with my song picked. Did I? Yes. Then then I'm gonna take that as a personal victory. You should. Thank you. It is kind of hard to do, but I've restrained myself so much for the sake of this game because, as you know, I'm a literal troll. I live under a bridge. I demand that people solve riddles. But like to be able to do this with a kid's song, it's not an ordinary kids' band. I do want to jump in so I can give our listeners a little fright too. So here's Screamin' Demon from the very unique band, Human Scab.

SPEAKER_04

In 10 years, I'm gonna be cruising the coast, drinking my pop, I'm gonna be kissing all the girls.

SPEAKER_00

I'm gonna be I'm gonna be singing all the rock. Okay, those opening seconds of the song do not give you the full sense of how netso this song is. It does get more insane from there, but I would remiss I would be remiss if I didn't include that opening because it's kind of very iconic for I think who Human Scab is. And what you're listening to is 10-year-old Travis Roberts, who started the band Human Scab at eight years old in Elma, Washington. I have to assume you didn't know about this fan before I shared it with you.

SPEAKER_01

I knew nothing, and those opening like 10-15 seconds are very misleading. So, listeners, please like hold on.

SPEAKER_00

Wait for wait for part two.

unknown

Yes.

SPEAKER_00

I didn't even get you with the accordion.

SPEAKER_01

I know, I know. It's like one of those toy accordions, I feel like it is chaos too.

SPEAKER_00

It like adds, it raises your blood pressure even more. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Very uncomfortable.

SPEAKER_00

So there is a documentary about human scab that was made by two of the original members, Brett Woods and Frank Gunderson, about Travis, the lead singer or the singer, but it must be so punk that it's only available if you're willing to give your computer a virus to watch it because I searched many places to try and find it, even the human scab website, but it constantly redirected me to what seemed like malware. So I'm sad to say I couldn't view it. I will share a trailer of sorts so folks can get a glimpse. But I really do want to know if any listeners have been able to see it. Were you able to see any clips or anything?

SPEAKER_01

It's funny because I was also very curious like, who the hell are these people? Like I thought maybe it was like one of those things where uh it's a regular band, but then they have this like creepy, weird kid just coming in.

SPEAKER_00

Like one of their children.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Sure.

SPEAKER_01

And no, this is this is the band. So I looked around and I do think there was a couple times I stumbled on something that looked dangerous and I decided not to call it.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, smart. I mean, I'm like, I'm not prepared to fuck up my computer for human scab. Sorry, Travis. But this is the name. I love it. And it's S-K-A-B, which also sends me.

SPEAKER_01

It's more abrasive.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. But what I was able to learn about Human Scab is the fact that Travis did not indeed end up cruising down the coast drinking his pop. He went to war in Afghanistan. And he came back with PTSD and tried to recreate the music he made in his youth, which actually sounds like a really interesting path. He did create more music after he came back from war, and that's where they kind of dive into with the documentary. But I just gotta find a way to. I mean, is this gonna be on what's that one where you can stream the documentaries from the library or whatever? It's like called umbrella or some shit, whatever. Doesn't matter. As I'm sure you can guess, I found out about human scab in college at the radio station. Of course. Where else would one find such obscure music? But I was enchanted because, as you know, I love free-spirited children performers, but also it is punk as fuck. You just have to acknowledge that part. This is a feral child who is recording.

SPEAKER_03

Yes.

SPEAKER_00

But so the record label Family Vineyard re-released the 1986 album that this song appears on, Thunder Hips and Saddlebags in 2010, which opened up Travis's world to a new audience of listeners and revelers.

unknown

Find the screaming demon! Fuck the screaming demon!

SPEAKER_00

There, our listener gets a little taste of the depravity, perhaps. Yes, that is this child's mind. I'm stunned. Yeah. Yeah. You should be. I think we need to take a moment to acknowledge children are insane. Yeah. Full stop.

SPEAKER_01

Especially human scap.

SPEAKER_00

But I did find out a little bit of tidbits here and there. I found a recording from the blog tape findings of Travis talking about what he would do with all the money he'd get from selling his tapes.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Very sweetly. He said he would give a zillion dollars to his parents and give a whole bunch of money to his aunt and grandma so she wouldn't have to get up at 6 a.m. and milk cows.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, so he's not No, he's not. It's that's just a character then.

SPEAKER_00

Maybe at like eight, ten, he's maybe. I mean, it's 1986. Yeah. There, like I said, it's Elma, Washington, and I looked it up. Elma is outside of Tacoma. Remember how our friend Patrick Haggerty from Labrador Country. Tree was from Port Angeles, Washington. Yes. And his dad was a dairy farmer too. Yeah. So there must be something in the air up there in Washington to make these punk musicians. Because I I think Patrick was punk too. But if you think I'm joking about something in the air, read Murderland. Oh, it's wild. I'm gonna link to it. Yeah. Oh. Spoiler alert. It's sad. Anyway, so like I said, it was hard to find much about the band because their website was Crump and Rise. Much has been lost to the test of time. But I did love this quote from the Family Vineyard website from a 1986 Spin magazine article. If Captain Beefheart were 10 years old, this is probably what he'd sound like. Oh my god.

SPEAKER_01

I don't know. I feel like his craziest song, Captain Beefheart's craziest song, Ice Cream for Crow. Like this makes that sound like the Beatles.

SPEAKER_00

Sorry. So good. Put that, put that in this fin article. Come on. No. Oh my God. Well, the whole album is as unhinged as you can imagine a 10-year-old boy's wild rantings sound like with tracks like Drunk and Staggering Around and We Need to Destroy the Soviet Union. You can get an idea of what the rest of the album sounds like. And I know for a fact you did not listen to the rest of the album.

SPEAKER_01

You got me.

SPEAKER_00

I got you. That's fine.

SPEAKER_01

But I kind of want to now, like hearing that title, We Need to Destroy the Soviet Union. I just want to see what he does with it.

SPEAKER_00

Unhinged. I mean, which I appreciate because like 86, I'm just trying to think like again, the time, the place. This was before I was born. So I'm I'm fascinated by this. Like you have the radio and the TV, and like you're in the rural country recording all this shit on like a I think it was like a field recording thing. But yeah, I deeply appreciate whoever this kid's parents were for letting him have access to like a recording device.

SPEAKER_01

Yes.

SPEAKER_00

Because you know they had to help him out of this for sure. And like this is one of those situations where you know this was like the child's idea and not them being forced. Like, like I I don't know how I got out of it, but in order I wanted to tell you this about the Joubert singers. Yeah. I did a mission trip with my church when I was 18, kind of against my will. But in order to raise money, they recorded an album of like praise songs. Oh, and I did not sing on it.

SPEAKER_01

Wait, why not?

SPEAKER_00

I don't know how I got out of it. I really don't. I remember the one girl who did, and it was that stuff like a god is not. You know that one? No, but why did you not get to perform? I wonder.

SPEAKER_01

Were you not good enough?

SPEAKER_00

Maybe I was sick that day. I was you've heard me sing.

SPEAKER_01

I know.

SPEAKER_00

I'm a good singer.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Just kidding. That's me being uh sarcastic for the listener because they can't see my face. But did I ever tell you about my tape recorder, my little carry around one with the microphone?

SPEAKER_01

I think tell me more. I like to hear these stories.

SPEAKER_00

I think I have maybe even mentioned it on the podcast. But this is why I chose my roller ring background today, because I would people would give me mixed tapes and then I would record over with my commentary, like the vogue. And I'm like, oh, I hear this all the time at the roller ring because I was country. Yes. But like I would narrate and like do my little shit. So I think that kind of made me it reminded me of, yeah, maybe who I am, made me want to just constantly talk to and at people.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

But it reminded me a little bit of crazy Travis, yeah. But way less violent, like almost no violence.

SPEAKER_01

But you know what? After hearing more about human scab and and Travis's like wishes for his money, he sounds like a pretty nice kid. He's a sweetie. Yeah, he's he's a good kid. He's just like had a crazy imagination and is I'm guessing a sense of humor.

SPEAKER_00

Had to have been a sense of humor. Yeah, right. I love that for him. But I'm glad that I kind of brought you around.

SPEAKER_01

I mean scab. I feel like hearing about what he would want to do with that money makes him just I I have a special place for him in my heart. And I really want to get a hold of your recordings. Oh, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

I've got to find it. I found a tape the other day. I just who's got a tape recorder or a tape player anymore.

SPEAKER_01

I don't know. You could probably get something like that.

SPEAKER_00

I'll go to the library.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, please.

SPEAKER_00

Keep funding them.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Anyway, thank you for indulging me, Christine. Even though I bet this wasn't what you had in mind.

SPEAKER_01

It wasn't, but you delivered in trolling me as you do sometimes. So thank you. Yeah. Well, I think it's time to give you and our listeners some unsolicited advice if you wouldn't mind.

SPEAKER_00

Okay, let's hear it.

SPEAKER_01

Put your legs up a wall like every day for the rest of your life, when and if possible, of course. I'm not saying all your worries will disappear, but you will at least feel like you contributed to your well-being. Please say more. So this is my favorite way to decompress physically and mentally. Incidentally, it's also the easiest. Even just five minutes does the trick.

SPEAKER_00

Is this the pose they tell you to do in yoga instead of a headstand, handstand, or shoulder stance if you're on your period? Exactly.

SPEAKER_01

Viparita karani is a Sanskrit name for it, roughly meaning inverted practice. And it's as simple as lying on the floor with your legs up a wall or a door. And there's tons of modifications. And yes, I'll be sharing a video in the show notes.

SPEAKER_00

So, what exactly are the benefits of doing this?

SPEAKER_01

Aside from releasing tension in the lower back, reducing swelling in the ankles, increasing blood flow to the head and upper body, it activates the parasympathetic nervous system and you will feel calmer. I often do this before I go to bed, pairing it with my red light mask. Sometimes I'll just have my leg up a wall and purposely think of stressful thoughts and they don't seem as stressful.

SPEAKER_00

Classic Christine.

SPEAKER_01

And Christina, this is specifically for you. It might even help you fall and stay asleep. Advice over. Okay, what's going on next week?

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Next week, we'll be doing something unexpected.

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Thanks for listening to Stereothematica. If you like what you're hearing, please consider a review, a rating, or sharing with a friend.

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And follow us on Instagram at Stereothematica, where you can share your favorite kids' songs. We've also got our Infinite Spotify playlist linked in our show notes.

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And visit stereothematica.com for more fun.