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    Music for Our Microbiology & Sing to Save Our Soils: Talking Music & Compost

    Secrets of the Soil Podcast

    with Woodie McClean

    BY Helen Disler
    /
    October 20, 2021
    Episode #14

    Watch this podcast

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    Transcript:

    Regen Ray: Hello, soil lovers, and welcome to another episode of Secrets of the Soil. I’m your host region, right? And today I’m so excited to dig deeper into our wonderful world of soils. I am joined by Woody, who’s joining us from the Central Coast. We’re both in lockdown. How are you going over there?

    Woodie: Good. It’s great to speak to you today. I’m doing well today. Too much today.

    Regen Ray: Excellent. Excellent. Well, I know that you’ve had a very interesting journey around soil and you’ve integrated it with your music journey. So I really want to, you know, let you explain to the soil lovers how you became interested in a little bit about yourself and how you fit in and even into the community project that you’re working on.

    Woodie: Of course. Yeah. Well, it’s a funny story, really. Music has always been a passion of mine. My my dad’s a musician by trade, and that’s where I got the bug from originally. And really, there’s no getting rid of it once you’ve got it. So the great thing is that he always tells me his music will always wait for you. So even though I found myself not really being too creative with music at the moment, what I am finding myself giving a voice to, as is soil. At the moment, I have just become so enthusiastic and passionate about the health and learning all about soil and representing what the life or the life that’s beneath our feet, especially in terms of food waste and composting, has become my my biggest interest, so much so that I put my hand up and leapt outside the box of my cup to comfortability and have never taken up a position which I’ve coined the role of MC Microbe. So I’m giving a voice to the creative arts and also to the soil life there in in a community garden setting.

    Regen Ray: Yeah, love that. And so and I am totally with you. The the bug of soil is definitely got me and and you’ve got these overlapping music. I can’t say I’m very musically talented, but I’m keen to hear some of your music. And can you just share that that moment, like what got you excited in soil and then your passion for music? You went, All this is a bit of an intersection that I can put two of my passions together. Do you remember that time? Like how long ago was it and what did it feel like?

    Woodie: Yeah, it’s hard to pinpoint, but I do my best. I think it was when I was there. It had a book God given a book for a birthday, how to grow food anywhere. And I was able to to build a DIY worm farm from a wheelie bin, essentially from the instructions in the book. And we just started processing all of our food waste and just the sheer fact of. Halving the the red being at the end of each week, not having to take it out to the top of our really steep driveway made me just one that made made me very excited. And it was from that moment really that my my focus shifted really towards, OK. There’s so much more going on here. I started to see all the little tiny bits of light, you know, the little things moving around. They’re just the ones that I can see with my eye, obviously. But that was enough. That was enough for me to think, Oh, this is actually magic, what’s happening here in terms of where intersected with music? I think that has probably been with the Community Garden project called Swamp here on the Central Coast, as Costa coined the term. It’s a backronym , so the name was made up before the meaning. So it means a sustainable wetlands agricultural makers project. And my role in there is really saying having the vision a shared vision with the rest of the core members specifically, for me, it’s about how I can bring the creative industries into the garden, whether that be through art, through music, sculpture, you know, all the different sorts of avenues there.

    Regen Ray: Yeah, I love that. And so what inspires your music? Like, are you writing lyrics? You share a little bit of like what that inspiration looks like?

    Woodie: Yeah, yeah. I think of always being a songwriter, whether it’s distracting lyrics down. It always happens differently. You know, sometimes you get a melody first. Tom Waits tells a great story as singer songwriter Tom Waits, American fella. He, you know, they listen. You just channeled them from some other place, and sometimes you have to. You have to look up. He tells a great story. Driving along the highway, and he actually had this great melody coming through, he said. And he looked up and he just said, Look, just they have to wait. Come back to me when I’m in the studio tomorrow. And he was able to come back to it when he was in the studio the next day. So there’s really sometimes no control over that creativeness. It’s just coming from somewhere else. And if you if you’re in the right place, then you’re lucky. Yeah. So I always try and make sure to have something that I can write with or play with around me. There’s a piano, not mine, but I’ve got access to it at the moment, so it’s great I can noodle around on that or the guitar or the singer singing in the shower or in the car. Who knows?

    Regen Ray: I love that, and I think that’s really an important point that I like a little bit of it is intuition, you know, you just kind of comes to you. There’s no real plan overthinking. It just kind of pops out in, you know, out of the sky. And I think, you know, when we’re in tune and it’s quite interesting how you say that this person looked up where you know, you’re probably looking down for inspiration into the ground and saying, like how you can find words and lyrics that kind of shed some light on this wonderful world that’s beneath our feet. So as you’ve been doing this music, what has been something that kind of like just blew your mind when you started learning about the soil and the life in it?

    Woodie: Yeah, I guess something that’s blowing my mind is the discovery of a thing called Lactobacillus, which is just a naturally occurring bacteria in that’s everywhere, you know, on the surface of the Earth and how that’s been used and utilized by a lot of people around the world, often in the poorer parts of the world where they really are able to capture it and then use it to its full potential. I think that’s that’s probably been the biggest, biggest thing for me along with, of course, worms in general. They they blow my mind every day.

    Regen Ray: Yeah, yeah. And share with us what those benefits are from that. Like, how are some of the uses?

    Woodie: Yeah. For the Lactobacillus being able to capture it out out of the atmosphere and then. You’re using like a rice, a rice mixture there with water, simply, that’s it in a jar is able to draw it in and you capture in the jar, let it begin to ferment in the jar and you know, you’re you cultivating . Basically, the start of an inoculation, which is later processed into a compost inoculum, which completely changes the traditional use of a compost or method, I should say. And yeah, that that is mindblowing. The benefits of that are pretty incredible,

    Regen Ray: something that’s freely, you know, air can be drawn down with a very simple technique and then used in our composting setups. And so like, you know, this is where it blows my mind because it’s like some of the answers is right there in front of us. We might not be saying, but we don’t need to go in by products. We don’t need a complicated we don’t need a 700 steps to success, you know, checklist. You know, that’s true.

    Woodie: I’ve always been, let’s say, a cheapskate sort of bag, a bargain hunter. So when I heard about this one, you know, it was I didn’t have to to scrape out my pockets or anything. So, you know, it was just there and I could just capture it with what I had already at hand. So you couldn’t ask for

    Regen Ray: better pure innovation. And so I know that on the Swamp Community project, you have been running some workshops and I’ve seen some amazing photos and your community involvement. Tell us a little bit about the spice compost, and I really want you to share the story about how you put everyone’s name on the side. I think that was very magical. So share about like that community element and how it’s all come together and what it feels like to be in a community space like that.

    Woodie: Yeah. Well, yeah. Elaborating on the Lactobacillus element there that is the start of this spice compost method, which has been built upon many people’s knowledge. But how I came across it was through Jerry Gillespie. He’s got a great book there, which I’ll give a free plug to because it’s a good one. It’s called the waste between our ears and Jerry. Actually listen to a podcast first and Acres podcast that interview Jerry and I just decided to email him because, you know, just go straight to the source and, you know, like you said to you, they know. So you don’t ask, right? Absolutely. And Jerry, right back within a day. Thanks, Jerry. And we just got talking there and I was able to sort of he sees all about, you know, sharing, making it common knowledge for fit for people. So it’s it’s accessible to anyone via his website. So there was no no stopping me, really. I was able to get all that knowledge and tested, of course, in the backyard first. And when I think I had a bit of an idea, I just set up some shelters, set it, put a few hay bales, seeds and put bums on bums on there. And then the weather held up for us and we just got there. So I got a whole bunch of food scraps from local cafes. When we had, we had some hay, we had wood chips, we had leftover compost from when the garden had previously been activated. And what turned out to be a first time for me was a great experience. You know, I I probably I had had, so I had to dedicate some of that to to pull me out before I was just going too fast for anything like that because the nerves were kicking in. But I think we okay. And what we ended up with was a huge, huge community pile that was built off our off, our backs and our hard yakka and shovels in hand and a big range from from little toddlers to to experienced farmers I think came from the local area. That was such a big mixing pot. And I think I really wanted to represent that, you know, I thought it’s one thing for someone to come into the garden. It’s another thing for them to see who’s actually been there before them and who’s built the things that are there. And so it just made sense to knock out the sign and stick that on there and let everyone know, you know, that it was really appreciated that they attended that workshop.

    Regen Ray: Absolutely beautiful. I slightly, you know, I got choked up just thinking about it because it’s like the energy that’s there that brings people together. And you know, a lot of people like you like just your your, you know, to get out of your comfort zone and do something and like only be like a few steps ahead of the people in that group and just put by, you know, how’s eBay down for seats and hope that the weather, you know, holds out like that is just like real resilience and you know, your mother nature has that naturally, and I feel like it’s so nice to see the human race catching up to that as well and us, as you know. Teachers and educators being able to just create that space that people can be involved and create a little bit of magic and then be appreciated, you know, and you know, like that when I saw that sign and I saw that that post go up on Instagram, I just thought, Wow, this is like change makers in the process, you know, and like all those people, go back and tell someone, and that’s the ripple effect that we need. It’s inclusive, you know? I just love that kind of all inclusiveness and I see photos. It’s all age groups that are hanging out in this community garden. So it’s like, you know, we don’t even know what some of the ideas of these people will have in five years time. That might have been because they attended that workshop. And so kudos to you for putting it together and creating that space and with the whole team at at swamp, you know?

    Woodie: Yeah, you know, Swamp is all about cultivating community and bringing people together. You know, that’s what it’s what it’s all about. Growing good, good, nutritious food like any garden is. And so to have people come from as far as Sydney, you know, and an hour and a half two hours away for the workshop, they blew my mind. It really did blow my mind. And it’s definitely something that I would like to do again when we can.

    Regen Ray: Yeah, absolutely. And I think now I know back then you when going through the lockdown that week, we went in and that’s why I took the opportunity to come to Sydney and just get away from Melbourne a little bit. But now is more the time that people need this in their life. You know, something to look forward to an event, something that can help them be a little bit more resourceful and reduce waste and and and and be a bit more humble in the process as well, you know, less consume, more produce, you know, that’s yeah.

    Woodie: Yeah, yeah, it’s amazing. You know, you probably find food and all of the Soil lovers that are watching this now, you know, the more that you do, you make an effort to know the soil to learn about the soil, the more you open up about yourself and it just brings you with like minded people. And it’s just incredible the relationships that develop, isn’t it?

    Regen Ray: It’s totally addictive and very fulfilling as well. You know, it’s definitely an addiction I want more of, and that’s why I started the podcast and have lovely conversations like this. Woody, I’d love to do. I call you Woody or do I have to call you insane microbe now.

    Woodie: Call me, call me Woodie.

    Regen Ray: That’s what I call it. Really what I like MC I can be the house. So one day we’ll run in a bed and I get introduce you Also, I want to I want to dig a little bit deeper into the word regenerative, but I get a lot of mixed opinions about what this word means, and I really love the fact that maybe it’s not a definable word, so I’m curious to know what does the word regenerative mean to you?

    Woodie: Yeah, great question. For me, I have come across the word through listening to podcasts and reading books and researching on the net of a farmers that are doing such and attending workshops too. And I think for me, regenerative specifically is just about. Nourishing something that’s been malnourished to a state where it is at its natural natural self, where it’s functioning at its best. And I think looking around it is evident that things have been malnourished and treated unfairly, and then they need a lot of TLC, you know, a lot of tender loving care. So it’s it’s implementing all those practices, which at the core are bringing them back up to their ultimate health care. I love the sense of balance too, you know?

    Regen Ray: Yeah, I love that distinction of like it once was nourished and now it’s malnourished and we can bring it back, you know, because I think sometimes people see this as like something new and we have to like, repair and rebuild and create and extend. But maybe it’s not about that as much. It’s also about like understanding that something was in a good state and based on the way that we’ve probably lived our lives and kind of taken more than what we’ve given. It’s become depleted or it’s, you know, malnourished and we can bring that back, you know, with a lot of, you know, not a lot. We just a little bit of TLC, sometimes soils and

    Woodie: it wants to get there as much as we wanted to get, you know, so it’s really I don’t think it would take too much, really

    Regen Ray: a little bit of maybe like getting out of the way.

    Woodie: Yeah, that’s it to step back sometimes.

    Regen Ray: Yeah, absolutely. You know, the old rule of less is more, you know, the less we try and intervene with the natural system, the more it kind of heals itself. And the David Edinburgh witness statement on Netflix is a true testament of that when he goes and visits the the Chernobyl site and you can just see life thriving there, even though humans can’t go there because humans can’t go there. It’s kind of green and trees are growing and mother nature is absorbing the buildings and the concrete jungle that was there. And, you know, Mother Nature is resilient and knows how to win, you know, and can repair . You know, so I do. I do love that as a as an example. I’m I want to I want to shift gears a little bit. I want to talk about your music a bit more. That’s good. Yeah. Like, what are some of the lyrics or the words or like, what’s something that are like? What are some of the titles of your songs and talk a little bit about the music and the band and how many members and where you play gigs?

    Woodie: Yes, music started for me with my dad, and I guess the first instrument that I picked out was the ukulele. After I used to work as a a dishwasher in a live music venue. And they had amazing acts come through. And one of those acts was Jake Shimabukuro, who’s a Hawaiian ukulele player. Incredible. Incredible. What he plays and what he does on that. It’s it’s insane. It’s mind-blowing as much as the soil is sometimes, you know? And I that was the first instrument I picked up purely because the neck could fit in my my tiny hand at the time, and it was easy to play. And so I just learned from watching videos move to a guitar teacher and on on the side, you know, once I was able to get a few chords together, that’s when the melody started to happen for me. And it didn’t really matter what the lyrics were at the time. At that early stage, if I thought it sounded good, I’ll write it down and I I tended to visualize playing to an audience, you know, and if they could sing it back to me, then I knew it was going to be a good line, you know? So that’s that’s the sort of method that I that I used. And nowadays, you know, it’s I realized that writing music is it’s such a muscle, you know, you really do need to do it every day. Try and write a line, at least a paragraph, which is a hobby that I’m trying to build up at the moment. It’s helpful, you know, for whenever you feel like you’re suffering from writer’s block or something like that, you know, you just do something, get something down the page to express create in any way. So that’s that’s what I’m trying to do at the moment, especially in lockdown when we can’t play too many live shows, but when we can do solo shows. I play with a band in Newcastle called Lover’s Lane. That’s, you know, originals act there. So we all write songs and then we bring them together collectively and and work something out, workshopping them together. And occasionally, my dad and I do a father son duo called the McClean’s, which is great. That’s lots of fun. It’s pretty cool to be able to look across the side and say it’s him, and I’m sure it’s the same for him, too. And we have loads of fun. We go to Tamworth. We’ve been on a tour down to Tasmania and we didn’t know anyone there. We just went with a van and the two of us and had a ball. Wholesome so much, yeah. And, yeah, music for me is definitely about personal experience. I really enjoy also developing a character and putting myself in someone else’s shoes, writing from that perspective. But the songs which I I have on an AP that’s not yet released, but it will come out soon. Been saying that for 10 years, I know, but we all could say, I guess I can recall one of the lines from there, from a song called Colossal Failure, which is to speak in tongues. It’s about I wanted to write a love song without saying the word love pretty much and reflected on what was around me and I was looking at around at the trees, you know, and I said, the leaves bend in the trees and many mimic words that you speak to me. You know what I meant by that is that communication happens not just steadily. You know, it happens through all senses and all experiences from for us, but also, you know, it’s just to make people aware that there’s life around us, you know, even that we can’t experience with the senses that where we’ve been given, you know, and we still need to respect that. And I guess that can be drawn to us having a respect for things that we can’t see underneath the ground, too. You know, there’s more life under there than there is on the surface anyway,

    Regen Ray: or how crazy that is so good. And and you know, soil lovers who are listening to this right now just want everyone to just stop and think to say, like, you don’t need access to land, you don’t need to be, you know, in a space where you have to physically be in, you know, on soil like this. Is this the reason why I wanted to speak to you so much is because I love the fact that you’re educating people through music through a different medium and the, you know, it doesn’t matter what your talent is, you can dig deeper into our soils and give it, you know, life and voice and and highlight that to to everyone. Has everyone in your inner circle got as excited about soil as what you have?

    Woodie: I bet you there over me talking about composting and soil on the Zoom chats. At the moment,

    Regen Ray: you should see all my friends inside and

    Woodie: I think I’ve just got new friends. Good, good plan. I still keep them around. Of course, I’ll try and get them, you know, enthusiastic about managing things differently in their household. I know a lot of my friends now have a little compost caddy on the on the bin, and it’s become a bit of a a gift where I make up a wheelie bin, a worm farm for them, you know? Yeah, I’ve given that to a few people.

    Regen Ray: Say he’s a bin. Happy birthday.

    Woodie: Yeah, I try my best to wrap it up.

    Regen Ray: I love that, you know? And that’s, you know, that’s the importance is that it doesn’t matter what skill or talent or hobby you have. There is a way that we can bring that conversation of soil to the front of the conversation. You know, whether it be art, music, you know, education, learning, making videos, being an influence, how we can all help this narrative of understanding how amazing our wonderful world of soul is and and give it give it a voice. And that’s one of the reasons why this podcast exists is to, you know, just show people that and so people can hear that there are a lot of different creative ways that we can make the world a better place for us and for the future generations. Yeah. Have you always been connected to nature like this?

    Woodie: I think so. You know, I think I think I was, you know, was born in 1995, and I grew up without a phone in my hand.

    Regen Ray: What did you survive?

    Woodie: I broke many bones, climbing trees or riding bikes and things like that. You know, I lived, lived on a bush block and was always chasing bush turkeys or something like that. And I just loved exploring. It wasn’t for any purpose other than that, you know, I was just to see what was around. I saw snakes or spiders. So everything like that, and it was really rewarding, too. And lots of lessons hidden in there, too. You know that you don’t realize that’s what you were learning until you if you research about it later on or say it from a different angle, I guess. But to me, yeah, I was always surrounded by Bush, enthusiastic about getting to the top of a tree and playing with a stick. Our leaf. You know what? Didn’t matter what it was

    Regen Ray: the good old days I saw in my HD, but this is what I love. You know, it wasn’t very long ago that the internet didn’t exist, always kind of emerging and was like a new new thing. And it’s funny how quickly things can change and can be forgotten. And that’s why, you know, keeping those conversations and those stories about, you know, the grass roots and how. The world operates is really important because, you know, all these tech and all these solutions and all these innovations, things to get faster and bigger and stronger and you know, there’s no delayed gratification anymore, and especially when it comes to growing and soil, you know, it’s everyone wants the instant biggest, brightest tomato and one little bruise on it, and it’s rejected. You know, it’s no good. And I grew up in an Italian culture and we lived off the garden. And, you know, it was very much like everything was used, everything was recycled. And, you know, in the shed, everything was in jars of jam and things, and you’d open up tins of biscuits to find that it was actually now a sewing kit. And you know, it has everything, you know, multi life purpose and now everything’s just throwaway.

    Woodie: So that’s it. You’d be a patient man for it, too, I bet.

    Regen Ray: You know, I guess because I got a feeling that tech start up world, you know, I got on the internet early. I built websites and I fell into that hustle culture, you know, and I kind of, you know, yeah, it’s been really interesting to see the transparency of like how I’ve acted in the past. You know, I get angry sometimes thinking I was one of those people that was like, Sleep, you need sleep. I’ll sleep when I’m dead, you know, I’ve got to hustle and go to business. And now I’m like, No, that’s definitely not the new way. It’s like slow, steady wins the race. And that’s not even a race to win, but it’s like just realizing that rest is important. Rejuvenation is important and our landscape needs that as well. You know, in holistic management and understanding how nature works, resting a pasture is really important. You know, letting the microbes, letting the grasses, letting the biodiversity come back naturally. But the system has pushed people about output more cattle, more corn, more soy, more everything. And you know, it’s not. And then, you know, the yields drop and you put more chemicals on it because that’s meant to help the problem. And it’s not solving the problem. It’s just managing it, you know, and delaying the inevitable which we’re now starting to see, you know? So, yeah, interesting. So what keeps you hopeful? Like what, what what world do you want to visualize in the next five to 10, 15, 20 years?

    Woodie: Goodness. Definitely not. The latest report that came out of the headlines I’ve been reading

    Regen Ray: Code Red for Humanity is the headline.

    Woodie: What keeps me hopeful? I think you know what keeps me hopeful is that how far something can recover, including us, you know? Yeah, our immune systems to that nature’s immune system. You know, that’s unbelievable how quickly that can recover, when it’s when it’s treated properly or given time to do it, you know, just given time to rest. And I think. That hopefully we might not be given a choice, but to have to slow up a bid. And I mean, we already saw it, you know, last year we were forced to stay home and stop, literally stop it, stay inside. And we saw that, you know, the sky is clear, literally in the skies clear. And for I did not show what impact that had on the whole scene of things, but hopefully that was enough for the people is to look outside and say, Well, you know that I haven’t seen that they had that view before. I’ve lived here for 20 years, but I haven’t had that view before. That has to be related. Surely it has to be related. And that definitely keeps me hopeful, I think, and just the I really believe in killing them with kindness, you know? I think meeting could be kind and and and and show, you know, treat others how you like to be treated to, you know, including one sit on that on a human.

    Regen Ray: Yes, that’s right. And that’s 100 percent right. And it’s so interesting how, you know, slowing down and observing. And like you said, like people saw views of mountains that they’d never seen before because it was always smog or fog or, you know, it wasn’t a clear view. And now when you’ve seen that you go, Wow, look, what’s possible, you know, and people working from home and realizing, Oh, maybe my job can be done from home, 80 percent of the time doesn’t have to be all the time. But what does that do in the grand scheme of things when you’ve got less people driving parking cars, you know, taking transport? It does. Definitely, you know, is definitely a nice way to think of the, you know, the hopefulness that can come from an event like this, as bad as it has has been and affected economies and and shaking things up. But maybe it’s the shake that we need it, you know?

    Woodie: Yeah, it’s definitely shaking us back to how important the community is to, I think, especially here on the Central Coast, you know, more than half of the population originally traveled for work, and now not so much. So having a bigger audience to to sort of speak out to and say, Look, this is what we’re doing here, come and be a part of it. We’re right on your doorstep. You know, there’s different ways to access what you need, especially when it comes to food.

    Regen Ray: Yeah, absolutely. Community, a massive part, you know, bringing communities back closer together. And it’s nice to see that happening and especially with the projects that you have with your community garden. And it’s inspired me to get involved in a community garden here in South Yarra. You know, being in a bit of a concrete jungle, it’s very hard to find land where people who can cooperate, you know, so those challenges have been interesting and council is, you know, finally found a side and we’re kind of workshopping on that. So all that came because of lockdown. You know, the whole working group of this community garden in South Yarra came because of lockdown. You know, people jumped on a group and asked, Is anyone interested start a community garden? And they got together and built this working group? And so it’s really nice to see that unfold. People had more time to think about these things and put proposals together and plans and and hold on to that hope that one day a magical community garden could exist in a city like South Yarra. So it’s really exciting that these projects have come to light. Incredible. So I want I’m credible. I want to ask our signature question. So are you ready to become the voice of our soils?

    Woodie: Of course, of course.

    Regen Ray: Excellent. So if you were the soil and if you can embody being the soil, what would you say to us on the planet?

    Woodie: Goodness, I feel like I already am. And part of the soil. I already am an embodiment of the soil. I really, you know, I wish that we had a light switch we could turn on that showed us exactly what we are made up of and all the different microbes that live on us because it’s it would freak a lot of us out too. But what would I say? I would say, you know, just treat me. You treat me nicely, really. I think I think I’m pausing so much because whatever the soil we would say it would be, so was it would be, you know, have so much meaning collected in in two or three words or a sentence, you know, I would. It will matter what I would say, but I would hope that you would listen.

    Regen Ray: Yes, that’s interesting. That’s been a common answer for this question. Is that whole listening component, you know, because even though it doesn’t have a voice, it’s got so many telltale signs. You can see it. You can smell it, you can touch it. It’s got texture. There is a lot of observation that can happen from soil, even though it doesn’t have a voice. And I think that’s a really important distinction is that we need to listen to the soil, whether that be its color, its texture, its smell. Some people are game enough to taste soil and understand the taste profile, you know, and this thing that’s been dirty and wrong in Germy and don’t touch it, you know, has been mistreated for so long because it is actually full of life and microbes and really good for our gut health and the links that are coming between the biome in our body and on our in on us. And then the links between soil is so similar. But no one’s ever researched this because out of sight, out of mind, who cares? Let’s name all the stars and look up, but let’s not name anything that’s below the ground, you know?

    Woodie: So, yeah, yeah.

    Regen Ray: So yeah, I definitely

    Woodie: think that would definitely come back to. So just listening to whatever it was, just be open minded and consider it and and really listen.

    Regen Ray: Love that. So it’s been absolutely lovely chatting to you. And I think, you know, there’s going to be a lot more collaboration that I think I’d love to be, you know, an advocate of your music and playing a lot more. And we will give the listeners a little bit of a sneak peak at the end of these episodes. So stick around to the end for the little bonus snippet. Woody has been kind enough to send me a sample and will attach it at the end of the podcast as a little bonus for everyone. But how can people hang out with you more Woody? Like, I know you’ve got a couple of different spices you hang out with online. So sure, physically, how can people hang around with your amazing, beautiful energy?

    Woodie: Yeah. All the solo lovers can find me in person at Swamp anytime on the Central Coast. If you’re around that area and if not, then I’m always open for a chat or you can follow what I’m doing on Woody McClain is my my music handle there with an eye and a double say, and my daddy page is Make My Cry. That’s where you find all things about composting and agriculture and what I’m doing at the community garden again to excellent.

    Regen Ray: That’s where we get our hands dirty.

    Woodie: That’s it. That’s it. Also, the party is soul lovers.

    Regen Ray: All those links will be around the video or on the show notes. So if you’re following along on our podcast, then definitely go and check out everything that Woody is doing. And I would. Yeah, yeah, just really. And do you have like a bit of a gig sheet or like a list of where you’re performing? Is that a big thing for you in the band at the moment or not yet?

    Woodie: No, not at the moment. Not too much is on there, but we have this books and gigs for the Tamworth Country Music Festival next year. Fingers crossed that all goes ahead. That’ll be in July.

    Regen Ray: Ankles and toes crossed for you

    Woodie: just before Australia Day. Yeah, so get the Tamworth Country Music Festival too. It’s really a lot of fun. Yeah, it

    Regen Ray: sounds like it sounds really good. Well, Woody, it’s been absolutely pleasure hanging out with you. I’ve learned so much and I can’t wait to hear more of your music. And you know, we we always play music at the start of our webinars and that to get people in a good mood because music has energy, it’s got vibration, you know, and so much can be told by that. That about, by those vibrations that we then hear is sound and music and and transfer of energy. So it’s super exciting and keep up the great work coz I love where where you’re in, and I wish more people can kind of get this bug of their passion and get to soil like I have with my marketing bug and soil. Yeah, so

    Woodie: it’s the real SuperValue out there, isn’t it?

    Regen Ray: Is, it is. It’s it’s and it’s a good one.

    Woodie: Yeah, it’s yeah. Thank you so much. It’s been such a pleasure to chat with you to and connect with all the soil lovers too Hope. They’ve enjoyed the chat.

    Regen Ray: I’m sure they have excellent. Well, that’s it. soil lovers, you know, get outside, listen to some of the music, get your hands dirty, be in the sun and keep digging deeper into our soils. I’m Regen Ray and enjoy the rest of your day. Alright, so love is there you go. That was an amazing chat with Woody McLean, also known as M.C. Microbe, and as I promised, here is a little sneak preview of some of his music. And if you wanted to listen to it more, check out the links in the description or around the video.

    Woodie: It takes just one thought to brighten my soul.

    Music: I only know happiness I only Know happiness I only Know happiness is with them within.

    Bringing an open mind and collaborative nature to represent the creative industries and the microbial macrocosm of life beneath our feet, Woodie McClean (aka MC Microbe) is a locally grown industrious musician and soil enthusiast.

    Living and practising on Guringai/Darkinjung land on Australia’s East Coast, MC Microbe supports and re-connects artists in all fields through a developed network of practicing professionals whilst following a passionate motivation for composting and healthy soil to regeneration this land coherently using biodynamic philosophies.

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    Woodie McClean (aka MC Microbe) is a locally grown industrious musician and soil enthusiast.
    Website: https://swampcentralcoast.com.au/

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