The Great Deep: Recent Episodes
Ryan Calder
The Forty-Ninth episode of the Great Deep Podcast Series is an interview with the Rev Rob Calder. Rob (Ryan’s dad) has served as an ordained minster in the Presbyterian church for 44 years. He is a preacher, counsellor and teacher as well as a long-time Comrades Marathon runner. In this episode, Rob answers some questions […]
The Fourty-Eighth episode of the Great Deep Podcast Series is an interview with educational psychologist Naomi Holdt. Naomi is a sought-after speaker, educational specialist and therapist who is passionate about children and teenagers. More importantly, she’s a mom who understands what it’s like to be a parent. In this episode, Naomi answers some questions around […]
The Fourty-Seventh episode of the Great Deep Podcast Series reflects on the life of Barry Meintjies. Barry died 10 September 2022. Barry was many things to many people. In the music world he played bass in a number of bands, including the Hairy Legged Lentil Eaters and the Splayed Ferrets, and owned a recording studio […]
The Fourty-Sixth episode of the Great Deep Podcast Series reflects on the life of Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen’s death marks the end of an era. I think Sting put it succinctly for me: “I had a quiet weep for the Queen, I am sad for my country and what it has lost.” It begs […]
The Fourty-Fifth episode of the Great Deep Podcast Series features Neil Breytenbach. Neil has a vast amount of experience and has toured internationally as keyboardist in Prime Circle. He has also recently developed an additional project called Cantrel with his son. In this episode, Neil references some of his influences and experiences as he talks […]
The Fourty-Fourth episode of the Great Deep Podcast Series reflects on the album’s 2nd anniversary. Two years ago on the 1 September 2020, the album made its public appearance. My friend Billy Suter called it an “ambitious arts project” – which it has been. Ultimately I still want Doodle to make his live show debut […]
The Fourty-Second episode of the Great Deep Podcast Series features Brent Quinton. Brent is a producer, engineer and multi-instrumentalist who has worked with many artists over the years. In this episode, Brent talks about how he goes about the creative process and references stories related to Rowan Stuart, John Ellis, Sting and the Police, Norah […]
The Fourty-First episode of the Great Deep Podcast Series features Roberto Hemmero. The bass guitarist and multi-instrumentalist and Ryan go back over 20 years, where they met and started playing music together. In this episode, Roberto talks about how to master your craft and shares some ideas and experience of playing on various stages with […]
The Fourtieth episode of the Great Deep Podcast Series references the fact that more people die coming down Mount Everest than ascending it. It’s true, and the reason is that they are exhausted after the effort of getting to the top. Most of the deaths were among climbers, not Sherpas. Interesting: Sherpas are native to […]
The Thirty-Ninth episode of the Great Deep Podcast Series features Jon Calder. Jon – Ryan’s younger brother – has played keyboard for over 20 years with Ryan and is an avid podcast listener as well as a musical connoisseur. In this episode, Jon shares his three tracks he would take with him to a desert […]
The Thirty-Eighth episode of the Great Deep Podcast Series talks about endurance training as a metaphor for life. Yup, life is a marathon, not a sprint. The older I get, the more cliches I encounter. But cliches are cliches for a reason, and the marathon is in the mind. One of the key lessons I’ve […]
The Thirty-Seventh episode of the Great Deep Podcast Series talks about some of the music I grew up listening to. Have you ever thought what the soundtrack of your life would sound like? Years ago my wife and I played a house concert at good friends of ours. My mate came up to me at […]
The Thirty-Sixth episode of the Great Deep Podcast Series talks about how we are capable of influencing and being influenced. We were talking the other day about the kind of funeral we want to have. My mother made it clear that she doesn’t want to have a small funeral. I think she envisages a party. […]
The Thirty-Fourth episode of the Great Deep Podcast Series talks about life’s interruptions, how inevitable they are… and how we can cope. I wrote a blog about how last week my wife had a scheduled operation. We were all set, when that morning our youngest continued to complain of a sore stomach. Long story short, […]
The Thirty-Third episode of the Great Deep Podcast Series talks about the benefits of animation, and some of the plans going forward for the new live show. Animation to me is like being a magician. It’s the illusion of making lines move. Over and above that, when it comes to animation, the only limit is […]
The Thirty-Second episode of the Great Deep Podcast Series is all about what kind of legacy we leave… when all is said and done, what will people remember about you? I’ve come to understand that legacy is less about what we leave behind for people, and more about what we leave behind in people. It’s […]
The Thirty-First episode of the Great Deep Podcast Series reflects on a key question – what anchors you? Put another way, what are the main priorities in your life? As the world starts coming to grips with the effects of lockdown and a global pandemic, mental health is probably the biggest issue we’re faced with. […]
Amidst Valentine’s Day and the month of love, here’s a question: how do we fight in a relationship? How should we do it in a way that esteems, rather than vanquishes? I’m at a stage where I think this stuff needs more discussion. There’s a host of information out there, but herein is my experience. […]
It’s February. How are your new year resolutions holding up? I always enjoy the health and fitness surge in the population around January. For me, it all officially started while waiting in an aisle to pay for the groceries. You know those magazines… the ones with Photoshopped six packs? Well, I bought one. I dug […]
Have you heard of the term fixed mindset or growth mindset? Here’s what happened to me… It’s one thing to start studying again after you haven’t been a student for a number of years. It’s completely another thing to be a parent, and study. You only really know once you’re in it. I signed up […]
Some anecdotes on fatherhood and questions to chew on as we look in the mirror daily. The world is a pretty hectic place at the moment. I just can’t shake the idea that most of it could be fixed if there were good fathers present. I wrote a blog post on some fatherhood reflections, which […]
Looking ahead, here are some thoughts into the world of music therapy. I wrote a blog post about six ways in which music can help you, which you can read here. Many of the benefits of music have been well documented and scientifically proven over the years. “But of course!” you say. You’ve read all […]
A snapshot of thoughts at the end of 2020. The Twenty-Fifth episode of the Great Deep Podcast Series explores some reflections. I wrote a blog post about all of this, which you can read here. I remember listening to a podcast about the Sabbath. Interesting insight is that in the Bible when God created man, […]
Release an album? In 2020? The Twenty-Fourth episode of the Great Deep Podcast Series explores this. One thing I have noticed during this lockdown period is that restrictions have been a big reason for excessive caution. Many people simply aren’t as gung-ho or committed as they once were. If you know much about the music […]