Holiday Special

This is our inaugural holiday. Inaugural holiday. Happy holidays everybody.

Yeah, yes. Jumping congratulations to almost 20,000 outlets, right? Yeah. Cheers.

Cheers. Happy holidays.

Happy holidays.

Happy Holidays.

You saw this? Get it done. Welcome back to common time, everyone. Actually, it's common time. Welcome back to common time.

Yeah, I want to start over.

Yeah, we kind of biffed it already. It took one sip. All right. Welcome back to Common Time, everyone. Today is our extremely sophisticated, highly academic and definitely not chaotic holiday special. We are so happy to invite to the camera the people that actually make this thing function. Which are our producers? Our spouses? The true genius behind Common Time? Teresa and Jessica so welcome.

Thanks. We're very excited to be on our own podcast.

We're actually excited as well, so. Who are you? Tell us about yourselves. You go first.

I'm Jessica Pasquale. I am the operations manager and scheduler basically. None of our guests would ever have a scheduled time slot if it worked for Jessica. There's lots of behind the scenes, it's very tough work. You know, how to get on the podcast or how to record, all the technical aspects.

Yeah, yeah. But Teresa makes them sound good and look good.

Thanks. Yeah, my name's Teresa. I'm the, what's my title? The content director. Content director and I am the one who edits all the episodes and posts them and like sends out all the links and all that stuff. I think the most important job we have is keeping these two in line.

It's very true.

You're a disaster.

OK, let's just move on beyond that. Now that we have introduced the bosses, let's warm up with a little like holiday chaos, just with some questions. We kind of go around the group here. So with John. John, what's your earliest childhood memory of holiday music?

Holiday music. That's a good question. You know, I remember as a kid we would listen to the Johnny Mathis Christmas album, at the time it was on CD, right? But I remember that as a kid and we listened to every single Christmas and still to this day. I know because it is nostalgic and it's just that's what I associated with. We almost got it out for this podcast because you have it on vinyl, we do upstairs. We almost did, but we didn't.

Yeah. Second question is what's one holiday food people pretend is good but isn't?

Fruitcake.

Fruitcake it is. Pretty much all the fruitcakes in existence are just getting recycled, gifted year to year. Does anybody make fruitcake anymore? It's kind of like candy corn. All the candy corn was made in 1976. It's been moving around the whole world.

Wrong on that because I actually do candy corn. One time I tried fruit cake and I think I spit it back out.

All right, last question for Ice Breakers. What's the most ridiculous thing you've ever done to decorate for Christmas, Teresa? You picked that one just for me.

I did. OK, so this, yeah, these hats, these hats, no. So this year I really — I'm a decorate for Christmas on November 1st kind of person. And no, here I feel like I have a good reason though, so here's why. Because we travel for Thanksgiving and for Christmas. So for example, this year if we'd waited till after Thanksgiving, we get home on Wednesday, so that's like December 3rd, we wouldn't actually be decorating till the weekend. It's like December 6th, 7th, right? So finally decorate on December 7th and then we leave for Christmas on like the 22nd. We get 2 weeks. It's too much time to decorate my house to only enjoy it for two weeks.

So just leave it up till Valentine's Day.

Actually, actually come pretty close. Like it's getting close to Valentine's Day. Don't you think we should put all of this away now? But that's laziness, not excitement. The excitement is why I want to decorate early. So anyway, back to the story. So this year we had a Halloween party we went to and we got home quite late so I just immediately went to bed when we got home and I had all my holiday makeup on my face and David told me that we couldn't start decorating for Christmas until I had steam mopped the floors because the floors were pretty gross.

Sounds really horrible, like I have some kind of really control in this. I have none, but I just thought I'd throw it out. Like, look, we can do it, but we got to clean the floors first. And by thinking that would deter her, right?

Yes, I don't know how to work the steam mop. It's very technological. I can't.

They like to pretend they don't know how the technology works so that we'll do it for you.

I don't know how to work the steam mop. Says the man with 4 degrees and all you do is plug it into the wall and it turns on. There's lights and buttons and things. Anyways, this is true, this is derailed quite quickly, but I got up at like 9:00 AM on the 1st and the first thing I did was steam mop the floors with half of my Halloween costume still on. I steam mopped and then I finished at about 10 and I said great, now go get the tree out of the garage.

This is a very true story because I was sitting in the chair that I sit in and I was working on my laptop and she literally got out of bed with purpose, which doesn't ever — this is not, it doesn't happen. There's never purpose. It takes a little, it takes a lot of time for coffee and purpose to be integrated into her day. And she got up with purpose, went straight to the mop and started this job. I'm looking, I'm like, I guess we're doing this today.

We're doing it. So I mean, yeah, it's excellent.

So. Now that we've been talking about our childhood memories and all of that kind of stuff, let's peek behind the scenes or behind the curtain just a little bit. So let's start with you, David. So what's something that our listeners would never guess about the podcast that occurs when we put it all together? Actually, I should probably ask the two of you, but we'll start with you, John.

I don't know. I'm the talent. I just show up. John and I, we don't — I expect the script in my inbox already fully prepared. I mean, I just sit down and deliver the brilliance. Can you send me the link? There's — can you give me permission? Can you access the link? Every single time we record. Can you send me the link again? This does happen every time.

I know the password to log in? I bet they don't, no. So then I'll ask the two of you the same question. What happens behind the scenes that people wouldn't have any idea about?

Usually they're texting each other when you two are on, like we should — oh we should start a whole separate Facebook page. It's just our screenshots of the text messages. If anyone's interested in knowing what we say to each other when they're going off the rails, that would be close to those.

Actually I control the Facebook page, so I could just post it to their page.

That's very true. Another question first, starting with you, my lovely wife. So what's something that either I do or David does that drives you nuts while filming, specifically regarding the podcast?

Yeah, specifically. Well, it's a short list. There's a really short list, yeah. There's definitely something you do that I think I've mentioned before, and I don't think you realize you do this when you're on camera — you take a drink out of your cup and then you just hold liquid in your mouth for like 30 seconds to a minute and I'm sitting there going just swallow it already. Have you ever noticed this? You hold liquid in your mouth. Then you swallow and then answer.

He's warming it up.

Cool, I didn't know. Now it's gonna be — now everybody's gonna notice it. If you watch that, but I'm definitely going to see this.

You can go back and see it happen many times.

Yeah, OK. Teresa, same question to you.

I find it quite funny at how you probably don't realize it, but I watch all of the episodes like two or three times because I watch it record live and then I watch it when I edit and I typically, you know, go back once I've edited and I will listen to the whole thing just to make sure I didn't miss anything weird. And you guys have very almost like autopilot responses, like John used to say 'indeed' all the time.

Yeah, I still do, but now it's just on purpose. Now it's intentional because I called you out. I'm agreeing. I'm trying to stay engaged. I'm processing. I want to be engaged with the listener and the person we're talking to.

Yeah, this will change the subject, but tangentially.

Tangentially. Potentially. Tangentially. I don't need that word. Tangentially. See, I don't want to pronounce it — so we were talking about this earlier — tangent. This is only a word. Word. Word. Shape sounds. Look, I stutter. If I can get any word out, it's a positive thing.

It's funny you think like the most complicated word.

Well, I am smart after all. It's got the degrees. It does work at Michigan. It's fantastic.

OK, so we're moving on to holiday favorites Lightning Round and before the producers stage a full on mutiny because I don't think there's some tension from our previous segment, let's hit this lightning round and kind of clear the air. We'll have 3 to 4 seconds per answer. No thinking about it. You just have to answer. All right, yes. So, favorite holiday song?

Winter Wonderland.

Jess.

Carol of the Bells.

Oh good. John.

Deck the Halls.

Mine's Let it Snow. Just so everybody's aware. Die Hard — Christmas movie, true or false?

Absolutely true.

True.

True.

True.

False.

What? OK, favorite holiday treat?

I love, I love a frosted sugar cookie. I'm talking about the holidays. I love those.

I think like the gingerbread spice cake. Well, spice cakes are good too, yeah. You know, like the Christmas tree cakes that you get at the store. Those are so good. The white chocolate red and green.

Although this isn't really a holiday one, but I tend to buy them around the holidays because if I allowed myself to buy them year round I would have gained 500 lbs. The HEB two bite brownies, so good.

You're safe from them. You're safe because you don't have HEB. We don't have those here. HEB is — it's a grocery store where we live and it's more of a — it's a winter Wonderland when you go in there. All right, so. Wait, what was yours? Holiday treat. I think I like the frosted cookies as well. Frosted ones that — they have to be very fresh and homemade. I don't like them if you go get a package from the store because they get stale quickly for me, yeah. But if they're the fresh ones that just — I also like really good Italian cookies from a New York bakery. We sometimes fly some in. The holiday cookies with the raspberry in there and all the different kinds in there. Oh man. From a specific bakery. We can't talk about it because we aren't sponsored by them. But maybe we could be. Talk to us next year. All right, so most overrated holiday song?

Overrated would be Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.

Oh, I'm with you on that one.

Oh, what is the one I hate — Little Drummer Boy. I hate that song.

Wow, I don't know why. Well, I mean, it doesn't make sense, but you have this really beautiful baby sleeping and you're going to give him a snare drum solo. The logic I never understood.

A seven stroke roll. Thank you. Yeah. That's really — that's a blue. Oh yeah, that one's weird too. Now favorite Christmas song — different story. Is Dominic the Christmas Donkey? It's Italian. No one knows the song. Dominic the Donkey is a great Christmas song.

I don't even know that. We should look it up later.

Best stocking stuffer, Teresa.

Oh, like now as an adult. Best stocking stuffer you've ever gotten? A couple years ago, my mom started putting little shooters in everybody's stockings and it's a lot of fun. We kick off Christmas — now that everybody's an adult, we kick off Christmas with shots. And it's a lot of fun. It's a great Christmas tradition. You know, it's very interesting. You don't know what shot you're getting. It could be — we got Fireball one year. Fireball year was not a great year. We were just like yeah, nothing good. Yeah, nothing from that holiday.

Which character who matches your personality, John?

The Grinch.

Yeah, yes. He's very much a Grinch.

I just don't like people. Like the Grinch. People or music. Other than that, this job is really good.

Yeah, that's a good one. That's a very good one. All right, we should probably move on. We've got some time going here. Now that we've argued for 30 seconds or so, let's argue a little bit longer. How about that? Here's some questions for debate. Real tree or fake tree — anyone can take it.

You know, we've had a fake tree for all, but I think this year we're going to go real, yeah. But it's going to be a little — it's going to be a small one like a tiny Charlie Brown like a Trader Joe's one.

We have a fake tree because it's easy. It's easy. I like the smell of a real tree. I do too. I miss having — so when I was growing up we always had a real tree. I miss that. But there is a trade off. If you put your tree up as early as she cleaned those floors, well, that tree's going to be dead by the time you get to Thanksgiving.

And is there sap and stuff that comes out like sticky? You gotta water it. So see, our tree has lights on it that — it's pre-lit. You just plug it in, like the steam mop, the pre-lit fake tree. The part of putting that up that I hate though is like fluffing all the stupid branches. Yeah, picking up all the little pieces that fall. There are problems too, but it's still, I think it's a trade off. We just have to deal with this one.

And that's what I've had to do — I've had to give up the real tree. It's been part of my sacrifice.

OK, so acceptable day to start listening to holiday music?

December 24th.

See, I guess — I guess he would say December 23rd. That's funny. I'd say December 1st.

I'm the day after Thanksgiving. With Christmas music, I don't typically start till the day after Thanksgiving.

Yeah, I mean, I like the decorations. I will say, like walking into our house fully decorated, it's really kind of — it's just like a little you're home. And I really like the gnomes. I don't know why this is a weird thing. But I don't — like gnomes all over is — is that the wildest thing that you've ever heard? I love gnomes. They're gnomes are like feisty.

That's a sentence you don't hear often. Gnomes have more spice to them. I don't know. OK, here's this one. Carol of the Bells — actually good, or are we all still pretending?

I like it.

I actually do too. I like the harmony.

I think it depends on the version of it. Trans-Siberian Orchestra has a really good one. I think that's true because sometimes it gets to be a bit much, but I've heard some that are — I like — I go yes and no on that. But they have to use big old bells. You can't use the ting. That's — it's awesome.

Ting. Can you do that again?

Yes. Ting.

Tastes ridiculous. This one's probably even more important for us as a discussion — Sleigh Ride: classic or cultural hostage situation?

I think that's a strong adjective — I wouldn't say a hostage situation, but which, by the way, is very serious. We're not making light of that, but I actually kind of like it, yeah.

You like the bells?

I like — oh yeah, it's — I like it. You like it because it has Let's Go Blue in it. Does have Let's Go Blue in it? Kind of that part, yeah, that's not me. Yeah, absolutely. I think I was going to bump it up because you guys do it later on at Michigan. I love Sleigh Ride. I like it because I enjoy doing the whinny. The whinny. But at the same time, I prefer — I know what you're doing.

Oh boy, here we go.

I prefer A Christmas Festival by Leroy Anderson. The typewriter too. I like the typewriter. It's really good.

Here's our last one for the debate, and then we'll switch it back to John. Pentatonix holiday albums — Blessing or Curse?

I think they're fantastic.

I don't know that I've ever heard their Christmas album, but their music I think it's grief — full. Well, that's fantastic. They are blessed.

All right, so this is producer Hot Seat. Good producer hot seat. So I'm gonna ask you some questions. And since we survived this long, we're finishing our fourth season right — no, they're starting fourth. Starting fourth, yeah, so we're finishing our third season and it's time to reward yourself publicly, just however you want to respond. All right, so I'm going to start with some questions and you can just answer these however you like. If your spouse had their own sound effects, what sound effect would that be, Teresa? Like a sound effect that he would like or that I would like to use when he's speaking, maybe both.

I pull an — the taboo buzzer. Wait, like where you just stop his speaking? Is that what the purpose of it is? Well, yes, that would be the ultimate goal, but I would get enjoyment. But does that represent me or is that just you turning me? I want to know if the sound you think would represent. Like a sound effect that you would enjoy having like the mic drop sounds. It's the sound that you if you if you hear me as a sound effect, what would that?

Be a mic drop. It's not a weird. Explosion One that's like. It's kind of more of a of a thud, like a. This is the sound that describes. A bass drive. OK, a meaty thud just.

See, I would say like that Winnie sound from the sleigh ride. This is a. This is a really dumb question. So, Jessica, what about you? What would my sound effect be?

I think one that would make you laugh is the sad trombone price tag. That's a good one.

That's a. Good. One, yeah. Sound of you. Like one that I would use when. When you're holding water in your mouth. And not falling.

That's an interesting one. Yeah. Probably a really old car. Or like one of those. I love those. Kind of sure, just like those things. He makes that noise. That one. Sound. I used that one yesterday at the end of the football game and I was talking about some Boogie in there and all the students.

What else is wrong with you?

That's a lot of things. OK, Now my final question for you is then what is something that the two of us obsess about that makes absolutely no sense? What are we obsessed about?

Covering up how much Gray is in your hair.

Ouch. Well, I don't dye it. No, I know. It's just the product that I put in there just makes it a little bit darker. I'm great. Like, I mean, great, it happens, but I look good.

Oh. Not just he's not just a pretty face.

I'm far from it. What about you, Theresa? What was the question again?

One thing that David obsesses of that makes no sense.

Perfection. Yeah, there's no such thing makes.

Sense I don't obsess about perfection, I used to more than I do now. I'll give you that. I was I was a perfectionist growing up. Where are we in this story?

Story time. Oh boy. OK, we should probably wrap up with something wholesome. Something wholesome, you know, before we get kicked out of our own podcast here, let's start with what is a performance moment that you'll never forget. Let's. Start with the with the two of you. What's a performance moment that you'll never forget? Me sure can. You go first.

Oh. As a performed. Well mine was when I so I taught high school band for four years and my very first concert was the holiday concert at like as a actual full time band director and my band was playing Christmas festival. Leroy Anderson. And we got to the trumpet solo the. Jingle Bells, it's. Yeah, the term it's a yeah. Jingle Bells. Is the Jingle Bells something? Yeah. I don't know that part. So there's this like little vamp beforehand and so like the woodwinds and the percussion are doing a little vamp section and then like the trumpets just thank you. No sound. First concert ever as a teacher and first one, the panic that filled my body in that moment. I can still feel it. Like I can still feel the panic, but I will say I recovered quite well. I did this and had the vamp keep going and then I looked at the trumpets and gave them like a huge cue and they played the second time. Just good news good. And then back on target. You know, most of the kids aren't counting and they're just listening anyways, so it all worked out.

You were in the audience for that one it.

Was nice and I knew when it happened and I saw the van before. That's like it's like you hear it's like 123 here comes the trumpets. Oh no trumpets. And then you're just is this band just going on like how is she going to get out of this? How are you going to get out of this one? Because the best where's the band's not going to really know how many? Like everybody has to agree that if the terms do play, are we starting to measure 5 of The Who knows? But they did it. They pulled it. We told it.

It's amazing how like how malleable people are in a stressful performance situation, right? Because you have to figure it out flexible, right? It's.

That happened to me. You can bend them. Are you bending I mean?

Flexible then, I think. Flexible, works out, Adaptable.

I think you mean adaptable. Adaptable and flexible. This is why I'm here. I'm the word major. This doesn't like. I just supply. Maybe we try this? So then what's the performance element for you? Because I mean, you were in band in middle school and high school and in college and you played in a local ensemble here in town and some other things. What do you think?

I mean, the one that comes to mind right now is playing in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade when we were in Oklahoma. That was 2007 or 8 beginning of 2008 year 2007. Fall 2007 that was just a whirlwind of a trip and reversing it like 2:30 in the morning or three in the morning to stage that was a pain in the ass. But doing ash performance was fun. Pretty cool, yeah. Staring at the backside of a balloon the entire time. Interesting, but it was warm.

We've. Not done the bases, I've just heard how cold it is.

We had fabulous weather. I didn't even wear a coat. Yeah, really. Well, in the morning, In the morning it was freezing and then we had to go back and settle the buses for hours. It was amazing. We. Had to go back and they couldn't. They couldn't run heat on the buses because we were parked in some residential, so we're freezing in the morning but. Just crazy because it's so early.

We did the Rose Bowl parade as well as some similar. Obviously the better weather it.

Was very cold in the. Morning. Bring me to it. So it was glorious during the day all right.

So what's it about the I'm trying to think about this because we've, we've had a lot of performance experiences over our last one that I will never forget in a long list of things is when I was teaching middle school at Griffin and we were doing a contest at AUNT and I had a, a stomach virus that day. And we go to the stage and I was pretty miserable. Like I was, I was sick and there was there was nothing staying in right. So you know, you go take care of it because you so that your empty beef before you, you, you get on stage right. And we were we all know you were playing Frank to Kelly's portrait of a clan. And if anyone knows that piece at around letter DI think it is it starts to shift and you know, it starts to change style and all of a sudden I'm like, I'm not going to make it. And on stage, I still have the comment tapes quarter note in that Oh, because I just I am throwing up on stage while we're conducting. I am mostly empty, you know, but it was just you know, and I'm just I'm just puking on stage.

What? Do the kids do?

They keep going. Wow, they just keep going. But they're looking at me, my flip, they're trying to back up a little bit, right? And they're playing beautifully. I mean, it was a gorgeous performance and you could hear the tapes and like, oh, I remember Eugene Corporon going are you OK? Like, and then I forget who else was back there. It was it was like Frank Elixir. I forget who it was. It's not that bad. Anyway, that was a very, very.

I have to tell you, I've not had anything like that happen. Wow. I mean, I've, I've had moments where like performance where like I didn't have the right clothes or something. Like I showed up. I had, I had a time at OU where we wore coat and tie for his graduate assistants and my coat was in the cleaners. Whoops. And I thought I was going to make it by the time they close and I didn't. So I went to the store and bought a new one and just kept the tag for the game to get back on Sunday.

That's hilarious.

That's horrible. I should have done that, sorry. Are there any on the positive side?

Positive side. I was just thinking, we all gave. With all. Of that. Now I feel like we need, you know, artistic. Experience. 2 little ones because I want to.

I had a feeling this one that Teresa had with like something happening where like how are you going to get this back?

My first concert at the University of Houston, we did the Mackie Symphony. And there's a part it's, it's in the third movement where the piano has this sound, but you have these glass rods that are on top of the keys or on top of the strings. And it creates the sound. And it's a moment that's important. And it was kind of a defining moment for us. Like structurally, like it just was how we're hearing things and who's coming up and so forth. And the, the bars had rolled underneath the hammers and just got stuck. And then like nothing was working. And I look over and it didn't happen. And then it actually threw me off. I'm like, like I'm looking around and I can't say what I thought, but it was a lot of expletives all at once. And look, we were coming up on letter M, which is where the next Yum bump, which is low reads. And I literally just I held up my left hand, one finger, just wait. And I'm just connecting it to jump M. But it went on for a little while, just I don't know how long 3 and hip bump. And then everybody was like, we were on track again. John Mack is an audience nation. I didn't notice it. I was like, what? How is that possible? I guess we just timed it out enough. It felt like it was the right amount of time, but man, I was like sweating bullets. Like we're about the composers in the audience. It was my first concert in Houston and I'm about to stop. That was a moment. So anyway, that's that's what maybe, but no one of the. Best like, not sad ones.

I will say. My first most memorable musical. Most. Memorable musical moments teaching high school. I mean, I've had a lot of really good ones at the university level as well, but the one that just sticks with me, and I think it's because of the kids that I was working with were younger. It was the second band and he was with high school and a new school had opened up and it kind of split our band in half. And they were wonderful students, but the talent level was significantly different than it was the previous couple of years. Like it changed dramatically. They went from having 4 bands, having 2 bands, and my band was with four clarinets. Sweet kids, but I convinced the director of bands to allow me to take that band to the Myerson because he always took the top on something. Yeah, but I really wanted them to have that experience that gets such a cool place and you feel like you worked hard it.

Was by the way, Myerson is symphonies. I said they were the Dallas. Symphony plays there and they have they hosted festival in the spring.

But he said yes, he agreed. And so we prepared a couple of little pieces. I think we did what? Year was. This would have been 2002, spring of 2002. Say we might have played in that festival because I remember playing at the Meyerson. Really, we might have, and it was we. And the Meyerson is set up in tears, so the band is up on tears, which we'd always been playing. Just how you? Change, change that you see, I knew the music that I was, you know, conducting, so I didn't even use the score. So I had to move the podium out of the way completely and it's just me and this looking up at this ensemble. It's pretty cool, which is just cool. Just so freeing. And I gave the first we played a concert, just one concert there before we started in the sound and the Meyerson just it's like the building pulls the sound away from the end of the hall and you hear it kind of like the kids eyes were really big looking at me like, wow, this is so cool. And we played, I can't remember the March we played, but we played a walk with walk with Mccarley by Van Ragsdale. And then the pier La Plante over has a tube of soul. American River songs. Yeah, and they played. Which goes to 6-8 they.

Played really, really well. But he does get 6-8 very well. You know this piece. So they don't weed if there's a time story.

But those kids played such a great concert and at the end I could invalidated all of the hard work because they had to work really hard. And that's not the hardest literature. It's not good for them. It's like I've given them like mall or two. Oh yeah, for. Sure. Like this was we had to really do, we had to have a tuba player that could go like they couldn't, like they couldn't at the start of the semester. So for me, it was so cool because the IT wasn't just the concert. It was the journey from starting with nothing to performing where the top ensemble got to perform, where the Dallas Symphony performs and then have the judges really validate that as well because they were so complimentary of the ensemble. And I got to enjoy that moment with them without the music in front of me at all. And that connection between me and them and eyes and it was, it was remarkable. I haven't had really a connection like that very many times.

You know, it's a tough question to answer. Yeah, I mean, I, we've. When you've done as many. Conducted all over the world, all kinds of ensembles and had really, really outstanding things. But I've, I've often said even on, on our podcast, I prefer the rehearsals to the performances just because the interaction with students and making music and kind of shaping their in interpretation and thoughts. We had, this was, oh, about 7 years ago or so we did. I mean, 'cause I, I think my concert band experiences have all been fabulous. My students are excellent. But we did one. We did a halftime show with the University of Michigan Marching Band. And afterwards I got an e-mail from Bob Reynolds. And Professor Reynolds is, in my opinion, the quintessential artistic genius, how he thinks about music and how hit his like standards and all that. Anyway, he sends me an e-mail. I framed it. I even sent it to you right away. I said you'll never. This means more to me than anything in my professional career. And in it he was says the Michigan Marching Band has never sounded or looked better. Thank you for what you do. The program is in excellent hands, Bob, And I'm like. Boom, I don't know. That's so wonderful. So anyway, that was a pretty special moment for me.

The opposite that I threw up on stage. That's awesome. OK. So have a question for everybody. Do you have a memorable moment from your ensemble teaching experience or ensemble performance experience that could resonate with our listeners?

Yeah. So I think it was like my third, 3rd or 4th year teaching, I don't remember. And I had a pretty good relationship with my students. I just, I really enjoyed them as people. And so I really enjoyed rehearsals. We're getting ready to start rehearsal finished announcements and AP walks in to do like an unannounced observation time and right as she walked in the door, one of the clarinet players raised her hand and said, I have a sorry. I said any other questions before we start hand up. AP walks in the door and I said I think it was her name was Sarah. I'm pretty sure Miss Martin does a straw have one hole or two?

It's like. A straw. That's a valid question, by the way.

The whole room explodes in conversation immediately, right as the AP had just walked in through the door. And so we had a really genuinely engaging discussion about whether a straw has one holder 1 hole or two. I cannot remember what the consensus was. We ended up voting as a class teaching and then thank you. And then we started, we started a rehearsal. But it was very the look on her, her face, the APS name was Ashley. She was just looking at me like this poor woman, like this was. Like is this rails? Is this an everyday thing?

So then have like you ever had a surprising moment when you're playing your instrument like that was didn't expect that or.

I'm still OK. Yeah, well, I have stress dreams occasionally still about. I had so my piccolo in college. My parents bought it for me in high school because we had our fleet. Second was very small and there were 4 piccolos and it was the our school didn't provide them. So my parents bought me in piccolo. I'm very privileged in my sophomore year of high school and I played it through high school get into college and it again at Oklahoma. It was only you only played piccolo if you provide your own at the time giving them I forgot piccolos or not No, So most of the section was like, I think it was half, half like half loose, half piccolos in college. And by that point, this piccolo is 456 years old and one of the best key would the spring would stick believe constantly. And so I'm like, I get to the point where I'm playing this thing and I feel it start to happen and I'm using my finger to lift the key whenever I need to because I'm in the middle of a performance. Like I'm in the middle of it. I want to just stop playing. I still have stress strings playing something and the keys are sticking. I'm like, I'm going to play that thing. Interesting over 1015 years. I mean, that's not. Really a good story. I'm still in there. Like I still have panic comments sometimes.

I, I, I, I pride myself on going to rehearsals very prepared. I mean, it's rare that I'll ever step foot in front of an ensemble, specifically students that aren't, that I'm not ready to go in pretty much every possible way. One story that comes to mind was when I was doing an honor band for my dear friend Doctor Klemmer at Eastern Kentucky University. And I mean, and I am painstaking. I spend so much time on the program. I want to make sure that everybody has exciting stuff to play, as are all the instruments engaged, you know, so on and so forth. I send my sample program to Professor Klemmer and I'm like, hey, too hard, too easy. I'm totally open. Is that.

Yeah, it's. It's going to be great. No, fine, OK,

So here we go. Go in to rehearsal. And I, we were, we were playing. What piece was it? American River Suns. And so we're just going along and there are lots of directors in the back of the room because they, of all the states that I've ever conducted in the Kentucky band directors were, they're almost always in the room.

And I find that very impressive. Anybody listening, by the way, you should go listen and watch rehearsals of other people. Not because we are great at it, but it's always good just to see some other perspectives. Anyway, I digress. Lots of people in the room and Doctor Clamber is in the back with his arms like this, just watching me. So we start American River songs and we're going along. And it was, it was actually going better than I thought. And I'm like, oh, man, this is going to be great. Then we get to wherever it's there's a big break in the music and it changes time signatures and we're going along and everybody stops the band of 100. And how many people were in there? 120, It just stopped. And I'm like, oh, I guess they just are accustomed to stopping at certain points. OK, everybody, let's begin at let's say that it was H letter H, Everybody ready? And I give the downbeat with like, I gave a downbeat and nothing occurred. Like your trumpets, nothing occurred. I'm like. It's. Terrifying feeling. Then at that point, I'm like, are you pranking me? And so I do it again. I'm like, it's like, it's all good letter age ready and nothing. And now I'm like, what is my flight When I turn around and David's in the back with his Eaton grin on his face and I'm just like, OK, what's going on? And then I realized. Who here has never played in 6-8 time before? Every hand shoots up OK. Sorry, John. Roll up the sleeves, roll up the sleeves. We taught 6-8 really fast and it turned out to be. It was a really great experience, but I was a little stressed.

So you didn't know that or you didn't?

Wasn't it. Fully aware. Aware.

Wow.

Fully aware for Champagne I wasn't fully aware that 6-8 wasn't in their room. It's like the difficulty of the literature I felt was on. It was on Parcher. I so I wasn't specifically throwing her to the bus, but in the moment it was sort of funny.

He's gonna get himself out of this one.

Throw you under the bus it did, but it just wasn't specific. We got ourselves out of it and it was a, it was a pretty good experience. But ma'am.

Good afternoon. There was one time we, we do a Bandorama concert here at, at Michigan and there's a lot of music on it. And I've in my mind had the peace order because with the marching band, we, we do, we do 25, you know, pieces and I had one switched. I gave a downbeat to the wrong piece in the wrong time and in the wrong style it was.

No, they did perfection. Did they play the piece they were supposed to or?

Yes, no, they played the piece they were supposed to and completely disregarded everything that I did. It was, I was like, I've never been so proud.

So it's just to watch. Yeah, good to know they don't watch. Yeah, I was like, OK. And the whole staff behind me is gone, like.

Told you. Tony, all these times, all the time. I'm not smart.

That's good. So do you miss? Do you miss playing your instrument?

Not when I have stress streams about it sometimes. Yeah. I miss teaching more than I miss playing my instrument.

I miss playing my instrument. I miss the relationships that you build with your students. Actually, yeah, I miss playing in an ensemble more than I miss. Like, just like I could get my food out in practice whenever I want. Do I? No. But if I'm playing in an ensemble for a reason to yeah. It's the people, yeah.

I used to play a lot and making music to you, and I played in a cover band, but in a rock band.

It was very good too. I remember listening to it.

Yeah, I love doing that stuff. We were, I think we're looking at New Year's Eve's plans for this year. And like I used to play every New Year's, those big parties, not sure so much fun to do this stuff. So I do miss that a bit.

It's really interesting. Like I it really wasn't something that was talked about. Or maybe isn't is or isn't now, I don't know. But like the idea of you finish your degree in music somewhat same way is like our kids finished high school sometimes and then they just don't play anymore. Yeah. And even if they, even if they're supporting the arts in different ways, like they stop playing, stop being a part of it in a physical manner. And I, I do wish we did more of that and even encourage music Ed majors after you graduate, find an outlet for your own musicianship because sometimes I feel like there's a disconnect that happens there. You're not actually physically doing it anymore. You're just teaching someone else how to do it, which is great and fantastic and obviously a worthy profession. You know, I love that. But like, it is different when you're on the other side of the podium and you're playing music and sitting in an ensemble or even playing in a chamber group, playing in a brass quintet.

We should make our own trio like. We could do it. We have tuba. That would be a good ensemble.

We could Commission John Mackie to write us a nice like a mini Symphony. If you're listening for common times from the tuba. The Common Time Mini Symphony. Yeah, by John Mackie. I'm putting it out there. Manifesting.

Hey, it's Scott, if Scott's listening, he could do it. Oh, Scott Borma, shout out to Borma.

I could do it, yeah. Borma, any of our composer friends. You know, so I have a colleague. It has to be in common time though, sorry.

It has to be written in common time. That's a good call, yeah.

So I have a colleague here at Michigan, Michael Doherty, who was on Season 3 of the podcast and he is wanting to write a show for the MMB next fall because he and I think that would be is. That supposed to be a surprise. No, he just wants to do it. And I think that I think that'd be really great.

That would be pretty great.

I think that'd be really great.

Does he have an idea for me? I don't, but I want he's very specific about his music. Yeah, because it's, you know, how he is inspired by movies and film and pop culture, pop culture and stuff.

I want it to just be like a combination of, of Niagara Falls and Las Vegas and the brand new Cadillac Symphony that is currently being premiered. And all of a sudden, I think it'd be really cool.

That would be great. So Michael, Michael, I look forward to it you have six months. It's fantastic.

Well, this has been fun. Not really. Well, if you're a music educator that's out there listening, we do hope that this is added at least a little bit of joy to your to your December.

If you're a student that's listening, you should probably go practice. Go practice. That's it. Why are you not practicing anymore?

We tried to make the guys wear the Santa hats, but my head's too big. In many ways.

Sitting right here when we hang up, we're going to have a family cheating. That's so funny.

All right, so I guess everyone, happy holidays from the Common Time family.

Happy holidays everybody.

Cheers.

Cheers.

Thanks for listening.