author of Ecoholic, a bestselling guide of eco-friendly tips, products, and services in Canada

What’s on your iPod? If I could take the whole globe and shove it in there, I would. Mostly there’s a ton of old roots reggae like Toots and the Maytals, with a good dollop of Brazilian beats, Talib Kweli-style conscious hip hop, ants-in-your-pants, Fela Kuti-type Afro tunes… But the standby for Sunday mornings and mellow afternoons would be gobs of old-school jazz like Jelly Roll Morton. Pretty much everything but rock. Unplug that guitar and you’ve got a chance at getting my attention.
Cutting-edge or cacophony?  I like to think it’s splendid cacophony that’ll take you around the world in an hour. Or 20.
We should listen to your playlist because… it’s kind of like having a little time machine in your ear combined with jumping on a plane without even leaving your seat. My equivalent to clicking ruby slippers and taking me away. Groove along for a bit and you’ll never need Prozac again.
Guilty pleasure time: If we jacked into your shuffle, we’d be surprised to hear… I’m not ashamed of my pop trash playlist! It’s labelled “Pop Tarts” and it’s got lots of booty-shaking Beyoncé/Justin Timberlake-type stuff you can really only handle in limited doses. But it’ll get you on your feet.
 

Your favourite song of all time is… Man, this is like asking me to pick my favourite child (if I had children, anyway). I’m going to have to plead the Fifth!
You wouldn’t be caught dead listening to… anything that thrashes or sounds like Céline. You won’t find me at any ’80s nights, either. 

If you could hang out with any musician—living or dead—who would it be?  Can I pick a few? You know, write a song with Ani DiFranco over lunch, chill with John Lennon and Bob Marley in the afternoon, sing backup for Talib Kweli and Common with Erykah Badu, and maybe Billie Holiday in the evening. That’s in the alternative universe where I can sing, of course.
 

If there were a soundtrack to your life it would be… No question. There’d definitely be a solid mix of quirky singalong Ani DiFranco songs following me along in life. My late teens were more like her early albums: a little angrier, more militant. She seemed to figure out how to stay political and still laugh and love life.
—Erica Gehrke
Catch Adria on the EPIC mainstage April 19 at 3 pm.

MAKING A LIVING WHILE MAKING A DIFFERENCE:
The Expanded Guide to Creating Careers with a Conscience (Book) by Melissa Everett (New Society, $25)

For an increasing number of working people, personal, social, and environmental values are fast becoming the driving forces behind their career decisions. But how do you find a balance between making a living and making a (positive) difference in the world? Professional career counsellor Melissa Everett offers up a 10-step program for career development that emphasizes personal fulfillment, integrity, and contribution. This informative guide to a working life built on principled choices and an entrepreneurial attitude just might help you create a career that is satisfying, sustainable, and financially feasible. —Erica Gehrke

THE JESUS SAYINGS
The Quest for His Authentic Message (Book) by Rex Weyler (Anansi, $29.95)

Greenpeace co-founder and former SharedVISION publisher Rex Weyler now turns his formidable investigative reporter skills to the life of Jesus and the myths built around him. This book is a detailed, excruciatingly investigated, and scholarly account of Jesus’ life, right down to questions of loaves and fishes, the resurrection, and—gasp—messiah status. In the end, whether you consider it heresy or incisive research, Weyler suggests that whatever else, Jesus was a human teacher who encouraged inner self-awareness. —Rebecca Ephraim

WINDS OF DEVOTION (CD) by Nawang Khechog and R. Carlos Nakai (White Swan Music, $17.99)

Acclaimed Native American flutist R. Carlos Nakai and Tibetan flute virtuoso Nawang Khechog have joined musical forces in a cross-continental acoustic delight. These Grammy-nominated artists offer four peaceful and uplifting compositions guaranteed to drop your monkey-mind deep into a space of stillness and meditation. This is a powerful album: rich, lush, and nary a synthesizer in sight. The hypnotic blending of their flutes layered with Native American and Tibetan instruments and chants is a perfect accompaniment for yoga, bodywork, massage, tai chi, or your next power walk on the seawall. —Bruce Skipper