Santa’s Son Steps into His Father’s Boots – CNN 5 Good Things

Hey there. It’s an excellent day to have a look at the intense aspect, is not it? Hear how one firm is utilizing music to deal with dementia. Plus,

We do it to maintain my father’s identify alive as Santa.

How a son is carrying on his father’s legacy by giving a household in want, a greater Christmas. From CNN, I’m Krista Bo, and that is Five Good Things.

My identify is Danny Kean. Or you may name me the Traveling Piano Man or Piano Man.

For almost 20 years, together with his cute canine Mo at his aspect, Danny has traveled throughout North America, tickling the ivories on an upright piano mounted to the mattress of his pink pickup truck. He invitations anybody and everybody to climb aboard and play themselves. He estimates he is traveled greater than 250,000 miles, all to unfold pleasure and construct connections with whole strangers by music without spending a dime.

I all the time cherished the concept of strangers changing into much less afraid of one another. So if anyone tried to tip me, I’d refuse it.

Originally from Philadelphia, Danny has been a touring troubadour since 1987. But Hurricane Katrina modified all the pieces for him. Months after the storm, he drove his truck right down to New Orleans to uplift devastated communities with music.

So I began creating my very own music and other people began to reply with tears and I used to be simply fully blown away. And I discovered love for my music on the similar time. So I began this new lifetime of no charges, no ideas, no business affiliation as a result of individuals might belief me simpler. It was a straightforward solution to bond.

Danny stated serving to individuals in want of an uplift grew to become sort of a calling for him.

My music is all stream of consciousness, so it is all simply within the second and it is all purely my spirit. And so I can undergo these horrible tragedies and create music and other people really feel secure with it. It’s like turns into therapeutic for them.

‘He estimates that over 100,000 individuals have performed with him since he began performing with the Traveling Piano. These days, Danny is doing his personal model of a Las Vegas residency at Hola Habibi Beer Taproom 5 days per week. Where the 70-year-old continues his mission to encourage others by music.

Danny would be the first to inform you there’s one thing undeniably therapeutic about music. And whereas music is a common language, the songs on my playlist or the artists in your Spotify wrapped might not be everybody’s vibe. That’s why a startup in Toronto known as Lucid is combining facial recognition software program, with AI within the magic of music, to create a type of customized sound prescription.

So Lucid’s mission is to show music into drugs. We wish to construct therapeutic merchandise that individuals can get in scientific environments.

‘Aaron Lobet is co-founder and CTO of Lucid and a skilled musician. Its present product is named Resonance RX, which serves individuals who have Alzheimer’s or dementia. It makes use of facial mapping software program to measure how an individual’s mind reacts to acquainted songs. Using that information, they create a playlist particularly for them with A.I., to attempt to relieve agitation and stress amongst individuals coping with reminiscence loss problems.

I like the verbatims from people saying that, you realize, that is one thing that has modified their life. You know, they have been capable of keep in mind who they’re. I’ve seen individuals in our scientific trials begin crying as a result of they’re, you realize, listening to songs that they have not heard, you realize, for years.

A licensed clinician has to manage the therapy and it is free for Medicare sufferers. Based on the success of Resonance, Lucid is now exploring learn how to apply and music to enhance psychological well being look after different populations, like younger adults.

Instead of us simply saying, effectively, this is your meds, go house. Or, you realize, this is your meds, like lay in that hospital mattress. Now we have got this experiential factor that’s serving to them whereas they’re additionally getting the opposite components of their care.

I’m very glad to be right here. And I might see their assist and what it means to India, so.

‘You can hear from all of the commotion there. That 18-year-old Gukesh Dommarraju from India acquired fairly the nice and cozy welcome house this week after changing into the youngest world chess champion. Hundreds of followers swarmed the streets of Gukesh’s his hometown, to offer him the rock star therapy, full with confetti banners, crowds singing his identify and even males on stilts.

Last Thursday, Gukesh beat the defending champion Ding Liren in Singapore, after the Chinese participant blundered within the remaining sport of the International Chess Federation Championship. Gukesh burst into tears when he gained, changing into the youngest world champion by greater than 4 years. He shared how a lot this meant to him on the federation’s press convention.

Since the time I began enjoying identical to six and half, seven, I’ve been dreaming about residing this second for greater than ten years.

Yes, he acquired fairly the homecoming, nevertheless it’s not the one method he is celebrated. He’s additionally accomplished a bungee bounce in Singapore because the huge win. And The Guardian studies he is set to fulfill with India’s prime minister later this month.

Every chess participant desires to expertise this second and only a few get the possibility. And to be one among them is I feel the one solution to clarify is that I’m simply residing my dream.

This subsequent story got here from a listener shout out, Tanya. Thanks for calling. Brandon Fralick loves Christmas as a result of rising up in Leonardsville, New York, his dad, Rick, was a neighborhood legend.

My dad was was Santa for a few years, the native fireplace corporations earlier than I used to be even born, so it is over 50 years. People would say they would not name him Rick. They would name him Santa. Lots of people would.

Rick had white hair, an extended beard and rosy cheeks, identical to Santa. So Brandon stated he performed the half 12 months spherical.

Little child being banned within the retailer together with his dad and mom. He would go over and kneel down with them, be like, you realize, Santa Claus is watching you. And then the child could be like vibrant eyed, like, ‘Oh my God, Santa Claus,’ you realize? He would do something across the holidays for for a for a kid. I feel that was like his spotlight of his life was was seeing the grins on a child’s face.

Rick handed away in 2019, which was actually exhausting on Brandon and his household, particularly throughout the holidays.

I get lots of people sending me photos of their kids with my dad on vacation as a result of you realize, it was tough.

In 2021, Brandon and his spouse opened up a wholesale retail retailer that sells discounted toys and different merchandise. And for the vacations, he determined to hold on his dad’s legacy as Santa in his personal method. With so many households struggling this time of 12 months, the Fralick household donates new toys and Christmas items to a neighborhood household in want.

My spouse takes all of the items the weekend we wrap all of them and put: to, regardless of the kid’s identify is, from Santa. We do it to maintain my father’s identify alive, as Santa.

What began as a small tribute to his dad has changed into an annual custom. And whereas Brandon likes to pay it ahead, he additionally likes to focus extra on what the vacations are actually about.

So many individuals neglect what this time of 12 months is about. It’s about household. It’s not about items and all these things. Just love your loved ones and revel in it when you can.

‘So do you have got any excellent news to share? What’s one thing that you simply completed this 12 months that you simply’re enthusiastic about, or what’s introduced you pleasure lately? Call us and tell us. The quantity is (404) 981-2293. Don’t neglect to inform us your identify and the way we are able to attain you. Your voicemail may very well be featured in an upcoming episode of the podcast. Up subsequent, might mouse sperm orbiting Earth be the way forward for humanity? We’ll be proper again.

What would it not take to dwell on one other planet? How would our our bodies react? And might we even reproduce in house if we needed to? These are a few of the questions being requested by researchers in Japan. And my fellow producer, Eryn Mathewson, is right here to share what they know up to now. Hey, Eryn!

So inform me extra about this analysis. How do you even examine if we would survive on one other planet?

So there’s this professor on the University of Yamanashi, and his identify is Teruhiko Wakayama. And the entire plan is to review freeze dried mouse sperm, which is at present being saved on the International Space Station in a particular field that protects the sperm from radiation. And his findings would possibly assist us decide if people and different mammals can survive and reproduce someplace apart from Earth.

‘Wow. That sounds truthfully just like the plot of a sci-fi movie. Why mice sperm particularly?

Well, Wakayama truly has expertise with this, imagine it or not. In the previous, he saved freeze dried mouse sperm on the ISS for six years. When it got here again to Earth, the sperm produce wholesome child mice and his workforce discovered that freeze dried sperm might keep viable in house for 200 years.

So that is fairly cool. Has anybody ever regarded on the method like every other creatures reply to house, or is it simply mice?

Actually, sure! Scientists have examined tadpoles, cockroaches, and even fertilized rooster eggs in house. And all of them survived the journey. And enjoyable truth, that rooster egg experiment, it was known as “Chix in Space,” and it was sponsored by KFC.

‘That sounds prefer it may very well be a sci-fi movie nevertheless it for teenagers or one thing.

When will we all know if this may work on people?

So we cannot have concrete solutions for many years. But the extra time we spend in house, the extra we be taught in regards to the affect of house journey on DNA in sperm and eggs. So far, we all know that cosmic radiation could cause genetic mutations. And Wakayama’s subsequent undertaking is testing IVF on mice in house.

Gotcha. Okay, so we’re a methods away, however higher we glance into this now. At least somebody’s doing it, in case we want a plan B.

All proper. That’s all for now. Join us tomorrow for the following version of One Thing. It’s been almost three months since Hurricane Helene drowned massive components of western North Carolina. While the neighborhood picks up the items, host David Rind checks in with a resident who nonetheless hasn’t been capable of attain her house.

Five Good Things is a manufacturing of CNN Audio. This episode was produced by Eryn Mathewson and me, Krista Bo. Our senior producers are Felicia Patinkin and Faiz Jamil. Matt Dempsey is our manufacturing supervisor. Dan Dzula is our technical director. And Steve Lickteig is the chief producer of CNN Audio. We get assist from Joey Salvia, Haley Thomas, Alex Manasseri, Robert Mathers, Jon Dianora, Leni Steinhardt, Jamus Andrest, Nichole Pesaru and Lisa Namerow. Special due to Dimitrius Pipkin and Katie Hinman. And thanks for listening. Take care. Till subsequent time.