the_icebath
the_icebath is a multimedia podcast with performance artist, Christina Ward, that explores the body in pain, the mind in healing, and the desire to not be alone. Each episode features a guest host who provides a soundtrack as she submerges her body in ice water followed by an interview, conversation, performance or a pour of whiskey. David was the sound engineer and mixing engineer for several of episodes of aLma.Maddr's podcast the_icebath. Below are two episodes and the introductory statement for the_icebath.
My rheumatic pain condition escalated such that I was feeling uninterrupted pain every day, pervading even my sleep. After months without respite, the need to experience global body relief, even if for only a moment, became overwhelming. I found bags of ice at the corner store, poured them into my bathtub full of water, and placed my foot in the water. It’s horrifically cold… and during this first bath, I did not have the resolution to dive in and get it over with. I stood there with my feet in the water until they were numb, forcing me to kneel on hands and knees. When my benumbed wrists could not support my body weight, I dropped into the water - only as much as I had to to relieve the pressure. From there, I sank - not allowing a body part to submerge until it buckled. I learned what it is to truly give up. The piercing plunge into the water wiped my mind into a landscape of beautiful, peaceful calm.