Special Guests

  • Zack Braunstein & Sam Wrigglesworth — Soul Researcher & Photographer
    According to a recent article in the Huffington Post by Antonia Blumberg:Zack Braunstein was reading the Bhagavad Gita, an ancient Hindu scripture, several months back when he stumbled upon a compelling term: Shraddha, a Sanskrit word that translates loosely as "faith" or "devotion" but can more broadly reflect the driving force within a person's being. The word seemed to capture something Braunstein had searched for in his own life -- and he imagined it might resonate with others, as well. Shortly after Braunstein, a writer and meditator, and his girlfriend, photographer Sam Wrigglesworth, decided to quit their jobs and explore what shraddha means to different people around the country. They embarked on a cross-country journey in September to ask people: "What is the thing at the center of your being that if you woke up without you would be a totally different person living a different life?" The pair has conducted 62 interviews around the country, Braunstein said, for a project they're calling "Searching for Shraddha." They've met with teachers, writers, Hindu yogis, orthodox Jews, Buddhist monks, interfaith priests, activists, lawyers, as well as people they've randomly encountered on the street. Hindu chaplain Gadadhara Pandit Das said faith is key to what shraddha represents. "It is upon this faith that we can move forward in our lives," Das told HuffPost. "For example, we can't know for sure whether God exists. However, if we choose to have faith then we can move forward to investigate whether or not there is a God." It's that inner spark that Braunstein hoped to uncover in each of his interview subjects.

    So - what makes “you” you? Zack Braunstein and Sam Wrigglesworth are traveling across the country asking the question, “What lies at the core of who you are?” In Sanskrit, Shraddha means, “That which is placed in the heart.” It consists of the things we trust in without reservation, the convictions that color our perception, the structural beliefs out of which our own self-identities are formed. Unquestionable and unassailable, these are the rocks upon which the rest of our lives are built. As they make their way across the US, they want to know, “What is the cornerstone that holds your Self together?”
    www.searchingforshraddha.com
    Listen ← 30m:38s – 14.03 MB → Download

LIVE! on TDMS - Devoted Souly to the Art of Music

  • This Weeks Recording Artist: GRACIE
    CHECK THIS VIDEO OUT!
    Playing her guitar and grabbing the attention of the music industry with her powerful voice. 'GRACIE' is a 22 year old upcoming Canadian recording artist. Her vocals have been compared to Etta James, Amy Winehouse, and Jill Scott. Her style ranges from RnB soul funk, to jazz, to folk and even alternative acoustic. GRACIE hasn't been performing long but ever since the Tom Barlow open jam night in 2014, she has been communicating and collaborating with a variety of artists like Thomas Barlow, Tyler Yarema, Chuck Jackson, and Derek Lathrop. She is now performing three Monday nights each month at Spice on Lakeshore in Port Credit with blues guitarist Gary White accompanying her on electric guitar. As well as her duo with Gary, GRACIE performs with piano player, Tyler Yarema, guitar player John Bride and has just recently started her own RnB band. This young songwriting talent continues to surprise her audience with new material and always puts her own twist on the covers that she performs.
    www.gracie4.bandcamp.com

    Become a NEW TDMS Facebook LIKER and win a CD
    LIKE us during the show and send us a FB message that you want a CD! Then we'll pick a random winner! (To win you must be from Canada eh!)
    Listen ← 52m:25s – 30.00 MB → Download

soulSURVIVOR

Journey

  • Alanna — (Alanna first shared her journey on our show back in 2011)
    In the summer of 2007, Alanna had just finished her third year of University studying International Development. She was hoping to go oversees and work for an NGO after completing her degree. However, life took a drastic detour. Alanna’s mother, who had been sick with breast cancer for nine years, was now dying. Within months of the family realizing just how bad the Cancer had really gotten, she was gone. Then, within months of her mother’s death, her father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and passed away. Unexpectedly, in a six month period, seven children had become orphaned. Suddenly, Alanna was left with many questions and concerns: "How are they going to live? Will they be able to stay together? Who will come along side them and make sure they get through this? Where was God in this?" Alanna, who was 22 and being the oldest of seven kids, went right into the role of guardian/parent. She started working at the school her siblings were attending. Over the last decade, her siblings got their degrees and went on to do great things. Some travelled. Some taught. Some got into ministry. Some took work abroad. But even after the youngest turned 18, Alanna remained at the same job she took when she became an instant parent of six. “Now I am almost 32 and a perfect storm of life has engulfed me. I'm left with the disappointment of the season asking, 'What about me?' Realizing that it's finally time for her to pick up where she left off when she was 22, Alanna just recently left her job and finds herself on a terrifying new road after almost 10 years of deferred dreams. Sure, she did the “right thing”. She put her life on hold for her family. But now she's ready to step into her life again. But Alanna has no clue what road to take and wonders how to choose her path. (Alanna is open to advice, prayer, suggestions and even job offers, especially with an NGO!)
    Listen ← 28m:40s – 16.40 MB → Download

Talkback, etc.

  • Random Phone Calls — And Other Useless Stuff
    How about a little useless banter? Then, how about we open the phone book and call random people and ask them questions like, “Which is more important, Peace or Happiness?” & "What is the one thing you would ask God?" & "Which religion makes the most sense to you and which one scares you?" & "Do you believe in Angels/Demons and have you ever experienced evil?" & "Do you believe in Angles?" Let's see how this goes...
    Listen ← 30m:56s – 10.62 MB → Download