Above: Beau Summers in his home office / podcast studio.
Experiencing life Story by Esther Thorn.
I’m doing the dishes as I start listening to the first episode of the Fleurieu Peninsula produced podcast ‘Experiencing Life’. But a few seconds in, and the heart wrenching words of former police officer Matt Newlands demand my full attention. The story strikes a chord; my own husband is a police officer, and I am well aware of the mental toll years in the job can take. It’s more than the subject matter though that prompts me to put down the dish cloth – it’s the eloquent and mindful narration of the podcast’s producer Beau Summer, the seamless editing and the sleek production. ‘The hours I put into editing each one aren’t something I could even really keep track of,’ Beau tells me in a phone conversation a few weeks later. ‘It’s a bit embarrassing really, it’s certainly been a labour of love.’ I first met Beau at a circus class in Melbourne’s Docklands precinct in 2008. I was working for a commercial television network, and Beau was brave enough to tell me of his disdain for mainstream media. I was impressed (and a bit shocked) by his honesty and his refusal to back away from hard conversations. More than a decade on, these two qualities pervade Beau’s own foray into media. In his opening words on the podcast, Beau describes ‘Experiencing Life’ as a ‘platform to share stories, to learn, connect and grow.’ The podcast aims to encourage discussion of topics that are often avoided, such as death and dying, depression and suicide, homelessness and voluntary assisted dying. ‘Sounds fun right?’ Beau tells the audience in his first episode. ‘I’m not sure I was aware of it when I started the podcast, but I’ve come to realise there is this common theme of death and dying,’ he explains to me. Beau delves more deeply into this theme in his soon to be released sixth episode. ‘I’ve had a bit of a break and it’s given me time to reflect on why I’m drawn to that theme,’ he explains. ‘So I’ll be bringing a bit more of myself into the podcast.’ 52
In his daily life Beau is a paramedic, a husband and a father, among many other things. He came face to face with death seven years ago, when he battled – and beat – bowel cancer. He’s an avid reader and a deep thinker. When something sparks Beau’s interest, he dives in headfirst. He and his wife Jodie lovingly built their home in the Aldinga Arts Eco Village long before the development gained popularity. I reconnected with Beau when we moved to Willunga and, since then, I’ve watched him embrace new ideas with unbridled enthusiasm. He’s thrown this trademark energy and creativity into his latest project. ‘I was very passionate about podcasts, actually it was becoming a bit of an obsession,’ laughs Beau. ‘We had this ongoing joke that I start every sentence with the words: “I was listening to this podcast and ...”.’ Beau took his passion a step further, and decided to not just listen to podcasts but to produce them. ‘I got myself a recorder and a microphone and did the first interview with Matt Newlands in April last year,’ he says. ‘I started out with just the one idea ... and then the others came pretty quickly after that.’ Guests on ‘Experiencing Life’ so far include a woman whose husband died of Motor Neurone Disease and a homeless man dealing with addiction. Beau shares each of their stories with sensitivity and care. ‘I just want the guest to tell their story and I’m finding my job as the editor is the creative process for me,’ he says. ‘I feel like I’m writing a book but using other people’s words.’ From the beginning, Beau had a clear idea that he wanted to create a highly edited, ‘polished’ podcast, and he finds great joy in the production process. ‘It’s lovely to finally have an outlet for creativity that contributes positively to the world,’ says Beau. ‘Everything else I’ve done creatively has just been a hobby, whereas this is something I’m able to share with other people. It’s something people can experience and enjoy, and hopefully learn from.’ ‘Experiencing Life’ can be found on Facebook, Spotify and all good podcast platforms.
