Is music truly the universal language? And what in the world is the Voyager Golden Record doing floating around in space right now?
In this episode of Wild Interest, sibling hosts Nichole and Evan continue their sonic exploration by taking a trip to Belize to sit in with drummers carrying on the African Garifuna tradition as they gear up for the epic "Battle of the Drums!" Then, they chat with bluegrass pioneer Ron Thomason of the Dry Branch Fire Squad about mandolins, guitars, horses, and how to turn your own body into a drum kit.
But wait, there's more! Ever wonder what aliens might think of human music? Nichole and Evan dive into the incredible story of the Voyager Golden Record—a musical time capsule about life on Earth that's currently 15 billion miles away in interstellar space! Plus, in Cryptid Corner, Evan investigates the Fossegrim, a harmless but damp Norwegian creature who's suspiciously amazing at playing the fiddle.
This episode features all your favorite segments: Animal Call, Grandparent Story, Favorite Sound, jokes and a riddle.
Parents: visit our website to help your kids contribute jokes or favorite sounds, or to send us a message.
Listen now and discover the wild rhythms that connect us all!
Timestamps for this episode are available below.
00:00 - Episode 14 Intro
01:43 - Ron Thomason
08:59 - Animal Call Clue
09:28 - Word of Mouth
09:44 - Garifuna Drummers Kirwin Ramirez and Kayton Martinez
17:48 - Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters
22:10 - Riddle Clue
22:28 - Favorite Sound
23:21 - Grandparent Stories: Eileen
29:59 - Animal Call Reprise
30:11 - Cryptid Corner: The Fossegrim
33:16 - Joke Time
34:03 - Call for Submissions
34:28 - Animal Call Reveal
35:42 - Voyager Golden Record
46:51 - Riddle Answer
47:16 - Preview of Episode 15
48:10 - Credits
48:34 - Bloopers
Click here for tickets to Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters in Nashville