Don’t Dream It’s Over

With special guest:

• Jeff Apter
  … in conversation with Bill Kable

Jeff Apter has written the definitive story of Neil Finn, one of the Finns, including some remarkable things about this Kiwi icon we claim as an Aussie.

Neil first appeared in our consciousness as a freaky member of the band Split Enz. He was the one up front singing I Got You which he also wrote. The band was not a one hit wonder but there were tensions among the members particularly between Neil and the leader of the band, his brother Tim, which cut short the life of the band.

Ultimately Tim gave his brother good advice, go and form your own band and this led to Crowded House arriving and taking over the world record charts.

Jeff Apter tells us that his book focusses on the music while filling in a lot of the background to the songs and the life of Neil Finn. For many of us a song Neil wrote will have a special meaning because it appeared at an important stage of our lives and the beautiful melody burns the message into our brains.

Podcast (mp3)

Click to read more ...

Ten things I wish you knew about your child’s mental health

With special guest:

• Dr Billy Garvey
  … in conversation with Bill Kable

Our guest today is Dr Billy Garvey who is an expert in a field where you do not get provided with a guide book. All parents know the feeling when following the birth of your child you are set free expecting to know how to raise this very complex small version of ourselves.

One of the first things Dr Billy tells us that it is quite normal not to immediately develop the bonding and attachment that we sometimes hear about. Using his own example with his two children we hear that it took some time for this to develop.

Ten things I wish you knew about your child’s mental health is there to help all of us who encounter difficulties with children of any age. This extends from having a baby that cries at night too much, right through to sullen teenagers. That includes most of us. Whatever the problem is it is most likely that it has been seen before in Dr Billy’s 20 years of practice and the advantage here is that you do not have to go into a long waiting line, sometimes years long, to get advice from the doctor.

Podcast (mp3)

Click to read more ...

Driftwood The Musical

With special guest:

• Tania de Jong AM
  … in conversation with Bill Kable

Something unusual for listeners today. Our guest is Tania de Jong who tells us about a new production called Driftwood The Musical. Tania happens to be the creator and producer of Driftwood The Musical as well as being one of the stars on stage. For her choice of song we have the special pleasure of bringing you a song Tania wrote and performed herself.

The story of Driftwood concerns Tania’s grandparents who survived Nazi atrocities in Vienna and eventually became artistic treasures in their adopted country Australia.

It is testament to Tania’s high standing in the artistic community that she was able to attract a truly impressive cast, a musical virtuoso and a team of experts to do something unusual in our country, namely to put on a new home-grown musical. Tania is used to facing obstacles in her career but nothing could stop this story being told on the stage.

Podcast (mp3)

Click to read more ...

Eat, Sleep, Play, Love

With special guest:

• Dr Preeya Alexander
  … in conversation with Bill Kable

Eat, Sleep, Play, Love sounds pretty good to all of us. But sometimes our very young children do not stick to the recipe and can distress both themselves and those caring for them.

Today we go on a journey with our celebrity guest Dr Preeya Alexander who distils for us in her new book what we should be doing to have an easier life. We are happy to say that Preeya’s book does not start out with rigid rules on parenting accompanied by a prescription for lots of guilt if we do not follow precisely.

Some parents get strong advice from their relatives, neighbours, influencers and even well-wishers but sometimes this amounts to what used to be called old wives’ tales. Preeya examines some of these familiar stories such as how you can expect a baby to cry when teething. Is that true?

Preeya is a wonderful communicator as she demonstrates in her television appearances and in her surgery. People feel free to ask her questions on a wide range of topics knowing there will be no judgment. For us it is like we are sitting in the surgery as she provides her professional advice.

Podcast (mp3)

Click to read more ...