1 00:00:06,345 --> 00:00:07,605 - Hey everybody, I'm Doug. 2 00:00:07,665 --> 00:00:09,805 That's Connor. And this is the Bethel 3 00:00:09,805 --> 00:00:11,005 School District Presents podcast. 4 00:00:11,525 --> 00:00:14,085 Connor Thanksgiving is right around the corner 5 00:00:14,265 --> 00:00:16,605 and nothing says Thanksgiving more than the 6 00:00:16,665 --> 00:00:18,565 Macy's Thanksgiving day parade. Well, 7 00:00:18,625 --> 00:00:20,565 - No, Doug gotta stop you there 8 00:00:20,565 --> 00:00:23,325 because Thanksgiving's all about football. 9 00:00:23,435 --> 00:00:26,285 There's nothing quite like laying on the couch pumped full 10 00:00:26,285 --> 00:00:27,565 of trytophan and gravy 11 00:00:27,565 --> 00:00:29,165 and watching the old Turkey Day Classic. 12 00:00:29,345 --> 00:00:32,925 - No, no, no, no. Connor, the parade dates back to 1924. 13 00:00:33,075 --> 00:00:34,525 Your foosball can't compete. 14 00:00:34,525 --> 00:00:35,685 You don't have that kind of tradition. 15 00:00:35,905 --> 00:00:38,805 - Oh, Montre, did you know 16 00:00:38,805 --> 00:00:41,045 that American football's been played on Thanksgiving day 17 00:00:41,295 --> 00:00:46,285 since 1876 when Yale took on Princeton in an absolute barn 18 00:00:46,305 --> 00:00:48,685 burner of a game that saw the teams combined 19 00:00:48,745 --> 00:00:50,765 for a staggering two points in total? 20 00:00:50,915 --> 00:00:52,365 - Well, I didn't know it went back that far, 21 00:00:52,385 --> 00:00:54,125 but did you know in 1924 22 00:00:54,305 --> 00:00:57,845 to 1926 the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade was actually 23 00:00:58,075 --> 00:01:00,125 animals from the Central Park Zoo being 24 00:01:00,155 --> 00:01:01,445 paraded down the street? 25 00:01:01,885 --> 00:01:03,285 - I didn't. But did you know 26 00:01:03,285 --> 00:01:06,485 that in 1952 the Dallas Texans were forced 27 00:01:06,485 --> 00:01:09,445 to move their Thanksgiving Day game to Akron, Ohio, 28 00:01:09,445 --> 00:01:11,165 where it was actually played as an undercard 29 00:01:11,165 --> 00:01:12,405 to a high school football game? 30 00:01:12,595 --> 00:01:14,485 - Well, to a non-football fan like myself, 31 00:01:14,485 --> 00:01:15,925 that's mildly interesting. 32 00:01:16,065 --> 00:01:20,925 Did you know that from 1927 to 1932 at the end 33 00:01:20,925 --> 00:01:23,325 of the parade, they just let the balloons fly away 34 00:01:23,465 --> 00:01:25,525 and each of them had a return address label? 35 00:01:25,705 --> 00:01:27,685 If you returned a balloon to Macy's, 36 00:01:27,685 --> 00:01:28,885 you get a hundred dollars reward. 37 00:01:29,145 --> 00:01:30,205 - That's truly bizarre. 38 00:01:30,465 --> 00:01:34,405 But did you know that since 1989 the MVP 39 00:01:34,405 --> 00:01:37,165 of the Thanksgiving game has been awarded the Turkey Leg 40 00:01:37,175 --> 00:01:39,005 Award, which as you've probably guessed, 41 00:01:39,005 --> 00:01:40,605 is just a giant Turkey leg 42 00:01:40,675 --> 00:01:42,725 that winners are encouraged to eat on the field? 43 00:01:43,065 --> 00:01:44,405 The award was originally handed out 44 00:01:44,405 --> 00:01:45,965 by none other than John Madden, 45 00:01:46,025 --> 00:01:48,565 who popularized the Thanksgiving Tur Duckin, 46 00:01:48,615 --> 00:01:49,805 which was a dish consisting 47 00:01:49,805 --> 00:01:53,205 of a de-bone chicken stuffed into a de-bone duck further 48 00:01:53,315 --> 00:01:55,125 stuffed into a de-bone Turkey. 49 00:01:55,515 --> 00:01:56,805 Tell me your parade does that? 50 00:01:56,995 --> 00:01:59,485 - Well, we typically say the calorie consumption for 51 00:01:59,615 --> 00:02:00,685 after the parade, 52 00:02:00,785 --> 00:02:04,005 but did you know that Macy's is the number two consumer 53 00:02:04,185 --> 00:02:06,525 of helium in the entire world, 54 00:02:06,525 --> 00:02:08,765 second only to the US government? That's 55 00:02:08,765 --> 00:02:10,365 - Pretty interesting and it sounds like you've done 56 00:02:10,365 --> 00:02:11,525 a little research on this. 57 00:02:11,525 --> 00:02:13,205 Doug. Riddle me this though. 58 00:02:13,315 --> 00:02:16,165 Have any of our Bethel bands ever performed in the 59 00:02:16,165 --> 00:02:17,365 Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade? 60 00:02:17,675 --> 00:02:20,405 - Well, I do wish I had a big reveal here to share 61 00:02:20,405 --> 00:02:22,405 that we had, but maybe not surprisingly, 62 00:02:22,405 --> 00:02:25,085 since it's in New York, Washington state is not very well 63 00:02:25,485 --> 00:02:26,725 represented when you look at all the bands 64 00:02:26,725 --> 00:02:28,885 that have played since 1926. 65 00:02:29,145 --> 00:02:32,885 In fact, during that nearly hundred years, only two 66 00:02:33,415 --> 00:02:36,405 bands from Washington State played in the Macy's 67 00:02:36,405 --> 00:02:37,485 Thanksgiving Day parade, and 68 00:02:37,485 --> 00:02:40,045 that includes one from Muckle Teo in 2002. 69 00:02:40,045 --> 00:02:42,365 That's Washington State's first band that played. 70 00:02:42,625 --> 00:02:45,325 And the second is actually this year Mercer Island 71 00:02:45,355 --> 00:02:46,445 High School will be playing. 72 00:02:46,505 --> 00:02:48,645 So no Bethel, no Graham Capow 73 00:02:48,645 --> 00:02:50,405 and no Spanaway Lake as of yet, 74 00:02:50,625 --> 00:02:52,445 but the next a hundred years could prove otherwise. 75 00:02:52,705 --> 00:02:55,085 In the meantime, talking football and pep bands. 76 00:02:55,165 --> 00:02:56,685 Connor, you went over to Spanaway Lake High School 77 00:02:56,745 --> 00:02:57,805 and found us a story 78 00:02:57,805 --> 00:03:00,125 that actually merges those two things together. 79 00:03:00,155 --> 00:03:01,155 Take it away. 80 00:03:07,475 --> 00:03:10,445 - Joining us today are Owen Johnson and Dave Nick Harris. 81 00:03:10,835 --> 00:03:12,005 They are unique in 82 00:03:12,005 --> 00:03:14,325 that they both play on the Spanaway Lake High School 83 00:03:14,645 --> 00:03:17,645 football team and both play in the school band. 84 00:03:17,785 --> 00:03:18,805 So I'll ask you both. 85 00:03:18,905 --> 00:03:20,565 How long have you been playing music 86 00:03:20,705 --> 00:03:21,805 and how long have you been playing 87 00:03:22,245 --> 00:03:23,325 football? Dave, Nick, I'll start with you. 88 00:03:23,835 --> 00:03:25,645 - I've been playing football since fourth grade 89 00:03:26,145 --> 00:03:29,085 and I picked up musical playing in fifth grade. 90 00:03:29,305 --> 00:03:30,445 - And Owen, what about you? I 91 00:03:30,445 --> 00:03:31,925 - Started music in fifth grade 92 00:03:32,025 --> 00:03:33,925 and I started football in sixth grade. 93 00:03:34,385 --> 00:03:36,165 - You guys had a unique experience recently in 94 00:03:36,325 --> 00:03:39,605 that you performed in your full, uh, football uniform 95 00:03:39,625 --> 00:03:41,965 before one of the games you're actually playing in. 96 00:03:41,965 --> 00:03:43,525 What was that experience like? Dave, Nick? 97 00:03:43,825 --> 00:03:44,845 - It felt kind of odd, 98 00:03:44,905 --> 00:03:47,965 but it was kind of fun to do it in the moment and then right 99 00:03:47,965 --> 00:03:49,565 after get back on the field 100 00:03:49,585 --> 00:03:51,165 and just kind of fill out two 101 00:03:51,165 --> 00:03:52,485 of my biggest passions in one day. 102 00:03:52,905 --> 00:03:54,205 - Oh, and what about you? It 103 00:03:54,205 --> 00:03:57,805 - Was pretty cool 'cause I got to, um, use both 104 00:03:57,805 --> 00:03:59,445 of my strength and music 105 00:03:59,625 --> 00:04:03,405 and football on one night, so that was pretty neat. 106 00:04:03,825 --> 00:04:05,925 - Is there anything that you do in music that helps you 107 00:04:05,925 --> 00:04:07,365 with your athletics or vice versa? 108 00:04:07,545 --> 00:04:09,165 - Uh, yeah, sometimes, you know, you have 109 00:04:09,165 --> 00:04:11,045 to work on your air in both. 110 00:04:11,625 --> 00:04:13,605 You really gotta have good stamina 111 00:04:13,605 --> 00:04:15,445 and good lungs for to do both efficiently. 112 00:04:15,945 --> 00:04:18,965 - The way I think of it in music, you have your own part, 113 00:04:19,385 --> 00:04:22,165 so you gotta only just only focus on your own part. 114 00:04:22,625 --> 00:04:24,125 You can't do everyone else's part. 115 00:04:24,125 --> 00:04:26,885 You just focus on perfecting your own part, making yourself 116 00:04:26,885 --> 00:04:28,125 as good as you can possibly be. 117 00:04:28,895 --> 00:04:30,645 - Being a musician and being an athlete, 118 00:04:30,645 --> 00:04:33,085 there's probably some nerves before a big game 119 00:04:33,105 --> 00:04:34,125 or a big performance. 120 00:04:34,345 --> 00:04:36,605 What's more nerve wracking playing in the game 121 00:04:36,705 --> 00:04:38,245 or performing in front of a big crowd? 122 00:04:38,425 --> 00:04:41,045 - In my honest opinion, band rehearsals 123 00:04:41,425 --> 00:04:44,205 or band, like big band concerts can be more nerve wracking 124 00:04:44,205 --> 00:04:46,845 than football sometimes, but it really just depends on 125 00:04:47,265 --> 00:04:48,685 how you've prepared for the moment. 126 00:04:48,945 --> 00:04:50,205 - Oh, and you get nervous, neither of those? 127 00:04:50,505 --> 00:04:53,645 - Um, music not so much because I've done it quite a few, 128 00:04:53,745 --> 00:04:57,085 but football, I'm still kind of getting newer 129 00:04:57,555 --> 00:04:58,885 with playing on varsity. 130 00:04:59,205 --> 00:05:01,205 I didn't play a ton on varsity last year, 131 00:05:01,545 --> 00:05:02,885 so I'm still getting used to that. 132 00:05:02,945 --> 00:05:05,125 But music, I've been doing that forever. So. 133 00:05:05,505 --> 00:05:06,645 - And these are both, you know, you're, 134 00:05:06,645 --> 00:05:07,965 you're both pretty eclectic guys. 135 00:05:07,985 --> 00:05:09,845 You're interested in a lot of variety of things. 136 00:05:10,075 --> 00:05:12,485 What do you enjoy most about football 137 00:05:12,505 --> 00:05:15,365 and what do you enjoy most about playing music? 138 00:05:15,675 --> 00:05:18,445 - Most about playing music is that it's just something 139 00:05:18,445 --> 00:05:20,085 that lets me, it's a, 140 00:05:20,085 --> 00:05:22,045 it's a very big outlet as well as football. 141 00:05:22,045 --> 00:05:23,525 They're both big outlets. Football, I've just, 142 00:05:23,985 --> 00:05:25,285 I'm just a really competitive person. 143 00:05:25,515 --> 00:05:29,325 It's my nature to just compete band and playing instruments. 144 00:05:29,325 --> 00:05:31,445 It's just something that's really fun, like a kind of a, 145 00:05:31,925 --> 00:05:34,365 a more relaxed, fun outlet. What 146 00:05:34,365 --> 00:05:35,365 - About you Owen? 147 00:05:35,365 --> 00:05:36,245 What do you like about both of these things? In 148 00:05:36,245 --> 00:05:38,205 - Music, I just like playing an instrument 149 00:05:38,345 --> 00:05:40,485 and I just like making music in football. 150 00:05:40,605 --> 00:05:42,685 I just like, I just like being able to play football. 151 00:05:42,825 --> 00:05:47,405 Um, I also like, I have no natural athleticism, so I like 152 00:05:47,405 --> 00:05:49,845 that I have to push myself in a lot in order 153 00:05:49,905 --> 00:05:51,845 to be the best I can possibly be. 154 00:05:52,115 --> 00:05:53,365 - Nice. That's a good pursuit. 155 00:05:53,545 --> 00:05:55,605 Do you feel like you want to pursue either music 156 00:05:55,745 --> 00:05:58,045 or athletics? Uh, beyond high school? 157 00:05:58,315 --> 00:06:01,885 - Yeah. Um, there are some scholarship opportunities I have 158 00:06:01,905 --> 00:06:03,365 for music, um, 159 00:06:03,585 --> 00:06:06,845 and in college I think I'm gonna pursue wrestling as well. 160 00:06:07,315 --> 00:06:08,485 - Nice. What about you, Dave, Nick? 161 00:06:08,515 --> 00:06:10,965 - There's definitely a lot more opportunities doing both. 162 00:06:11,425 --> 00:06:14,405 You can get music scholarships, hopefully you work hard 163 00:06:14,405 --> 00:06:15,485 to get a football scholarship. 164 00:06:15,525 --> 00:06:17,285 I think it's really cool that if you're doing both, 165 00:06:17,285 --> 00:06:19,205 you have an opportunity to get both. 166 00:06:21,645 --> 00:06:23,765 - I love this story. Two real renaissance 167 00:06:23,865 --> 00:06:24,925 men here in the district. 168 00:06:24,945 --> 00:06:26,525 Did you get a chance to talk to their music teacher? 169 00:06:26,865 --> 00:06:29,005 - As it happens? I did get a chance to sit down 170 00:06:29,005 --> 00:06:31,645 with Spanaway Lake High School Band director Bruce Leonardy. 171 00:06:31,805 --> 00:06:34,445 I started off by asking how rare is it 172 00:06:34,445 --> 00:06:36,085 to have two students like this in this class? 173 00:06:36,465 --> 00:06:39,165 - We usually have a couple kids from the football 174 00:06:39,165 --> 00:06:40,205 team in our band program. 175 00:06:40,275 --> 00:06:42,165 They come to band class every day. 176 00:06:42,545 --> 00:06:45,685 We have cheerleaders, we have kids in all kinds of sports. 177 00:06:45,685 --> 00:06:49,085 Right now I have swimmers and volleyball 178 00:06:49,185 --> 00:06:50,645 and all the other cross country. 179 00:06:51,045 --> 00:06:52,445 I got kids in, in all 180 00:06:52,565 --> 00:06:54,125 of those sports as well as a lot of club. 181 00:06:54,145 --> 00:06:56,725 We have the ASB president sitting in our room too, 182 00:06:57,065 --> 00:06:59,565 so it's not as unusual as, as you might think, 183 00:06:59,995 --> 00:07:03,285 what I want fifth graders out there to be thinking about is, 184 00:07:03,585 --> 00:07:05,125 yes, you can be in band 185 00:07:05,665 --> 00:07:07,005 and also do all the other things 186 00:07:07,195 --> 00:07:09,565 that a high school experience should be about. 187 00:07:09,785 --> 00:07:11,085 And that's exactly what it is. 188 00:07:11,155 --> 00:07:13,565 It's an experience where you're discovering 189 00:07:13,625 --> 00:07:16,445 and getting involved with everything you, you might be able 190 00:07:16,445 --> 00:07:17,845 to get involved in, in a high school. 191 00:07:18,065 --> 00:07:19,525 - And, and why do you think that that's important? 192 00:07:19,585 --> 00:07:20,845 Why for kids to kind 193 00:07:20,845 --> 00:07:22,405 of find their passion when they're in school 194 00:07:22,465 --> 00:07:24,045 and ex explore different 195 00:07:24,045 --> 00:07:25,605 opportunities and different avenues? 196 00:07:25,605 --> 00:07:27,165 What, what are they getting out of it? Well, I think 197 00:07:27,235 --> 00:07:30,165 - Education is about discovering oneself. 198 00:07:30,565 --> 00:07:34,245 I think that education is, is about them doing exactly 199 00:07:34,245 --> 00:07:37,245 what you just said, figuring out what am I passionate about? 200 00:07:37,835 --> 00:07:40,605 What, what gets me going in the morning when I get up? 201 00:07:40,605 --> 00:07:42,005 What, what am I excited about? 202 00:07:42,305 --> 00:07:43,845 And if we have kids that come to school 203 00:07:43,845 --> 00:07:46,405 that are excited about some aspect of their day, 204 00:07:46,475 --> 00:07:47,565 they come every day. 205 00:07:48,075 --> 00:07:49,565 They do well in school. 206 00:07:50,185 --> 00:07:52,085 And so I think that the kids that are here, 207 00:07:52,085 --> 00:07:53,365 they love being in the band room 208 00:07:53,365 --> 00:07:55,045 because this is, this is their family. 209 00:07:55,195 --> 00:07:57,245 This is their, their safe place. 210 00:07:57,625 --> 00:08:00,325 And we work hard, we work hard, we strive for excellence. 211 00:08:00,385 --> 00:08:02,485 And, and I think that it's like any 212 00:08:02,485 --> 00:08:04,565 of those other teams, uh, I'm like a coach. 213 00:08:04,845 --> 00:08:08,565 I I push 'em real hard and, but I also love them and, 214 00:08:08,665 --> 00:08:10,925 and we we're doing some good things. What 215 00:08:10,925 --> 00:08:12,485 - Are these students learning in your class? 216 00:08:12,595 --> 00:08:14,005 What are they learning in the football field? 217 00:08:14,005 --> 00:08:15,485 What are they learning in the ASB room 218 00:08:15,485 --> 00:08:17,125 that's gonna transfer into their adulthood 219 00:08:17,265 --> 00:08:18,845 to help them become successful adults? 220 00:08:18,955 --> 00:08:20,245 - I've been doing this for a long time. 221 00:08:20,245 --> 00:08:21,325 This is year 29, 222 00:08:21,705 --> 00:08:24,285 and I think in my 29 years I've watched a lot 223 00:08:24,285 --> 00:08:25,565 of high school football games 224 00:08:25,565 --> 00:08:27,725 because I'm out there for every home football game. 225 00:08:27,865 --> 00:08:30,045 And in all those years I'm thinking back 226 00:08:30,045 --> 00:08:32,725 that maybe I've seen one 227 00:08:32,725 --> 00:08:35,245 or two, maybe more maybe an opposing team 228 00:08:35,245 --> 00:08:37,525 that I didn't know the player, but I've seen one 229 00:08:37,525 --> 00:08:40,805 or two guys that went on and played serious college ball 230 00:08:40,945 --> 00:08:42,365 or maybe even made it to the pros. 231 00:08:42,365 --> 00:08:45,005 They can dream and I think it's great to dream, 232 00:08:45,465 --> 00:08:48,365 but the, the reality of the situation is 233 00:08:48,365 --> 00:08:50,685 that they're not playing football in the high school level 234 00:08:50,705 --> 00:08:52,125 to become professional football players. 235 00:08:52,305 --> 00:08:54,725 And it's exactly the same here in our music classroom. 236 00:08:55,325 --> 00:08:57,405 I have a few kids in my career 237 00:08:57,475 --> 00:08:59,845 that I know are out there making money, 238 00:09:00,225 --> 00:09:03,725 but the vast majority of them, almost a hundred percent 239 00:09:03,725 --> 00:09:07,765 of them, maybe 95% or more are not going on and, 240 00:09:07,865 --> 00:09:09,325 and making a living playing music. 241 00:09:09,465 --> 00:09:11,725 But they've discovered a love of music 242 00:09:11,745 --> 00:09:13,685 and a lot of 'em are lifelong players. 243 00:09:13,795 --> 00:09:15,885 They keep playing, whether it's in community bands 244 00:09:15,905 --> 00:09:17,645 or whether it's at their church 245 00:09:17,705 --> 00:09:19,605 or whether it's, you know, whatever. 246 00:09:20,145 --> 00:09:21,685 And they have an appreciation for it 247 00:09:21,685 --> 00:09:24,165 and they want their kids someday to be a part of it as well, 248 00:09:24,215 --> 00:09:27,045 which is obviously what we want to see happen 249 00:09:27,045 --> 00:09:29,965 because, you know, music is a great thing for, for our soul. 250 00:09:30,675 --> 00:09:32,645 - Well Bruce, thank you so much for joining us. Appreciate 251 00:09:32,645 --> 00:09:33,645 - It. 252 00:09:33,645 --> 00:09:33,845 Thank you. Anytime. 253 00:09:37,225 --> 00:09:38,445 - Really great story, Connor. 254 00:09:38,565 --> 00:09:41,365 I love the opportunities that students have here in Bethel 255 00:09:41,365 --> 00:09:43,565 and to circle us back to the beginning of the show, 256 00:09:43,565 --> 00:09:46,925 while we may not agree on football versus the parade on 257 00:09:46,925 --> 00:09:48,525 Thanksgiving, we can both agree I'm 258 00:09:48,525 --> 00:09:49,645 the Bobby Fla of the kitchen. 259 00:09:50,115 --> 00:09:52,365 What does your kitchen look like on Thanksgiving? 260 00:09:52,545 --> 00:09:55,445 Any truly horrific blunders you wanna tell us about? 261 00:09:55,795 --> 00:09:57,245 - Well, funny you should ask Doug 262 00:09:57,245 --> 00:10:00,845 because yes, just last year I did have a bit of a blunder. 263 00:10:00,885 --> 00:10:02,205 I got a little confused. 264 00:10:02,725 --> 00:10:04,125 I haven't been cooking turkeys long 265 00:10:04,125 --> 00:10:06,445 and I cooked the bird breast down 266 00:10:07,225 --> 00:10:09,845 was very confused when I tried to cut into it at the end 267 00:10:09,845 --> 00:10:11,205 and it hit right on the bone. 268 00:10:11,505 --> 00:10:13,845 But I've learned my lesson and this year I am 269 00:10:13,955 --> 00:10:15,085 deep frying that baby 270 00:10:15,685 --> 00:10:19,005 - Connor, on behalf of all our listeners, be careful. 271 00:10:19,155 --> 00:10:21,085 - Will do. Thanks everybody. See you next week.