Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:01 Or we do an actual introductory I will. Yeah. Okay.
Speaker 1 00:00:07 Good morning, Fort McMurray. How are you doing today? Once again, Elliot, Pierre, your host of the Mac city morning shell from the bottom of my heart. I'm going to say it every day. Thank you for everybody who's tuning in. May it be live right now watching the recordings afterwards or watching those mini clips. Those mini clips are definitely catching on. So thank you for everybody who has definitely engaged in the content and the show that we're throwing out from the bottom of my heart. I do appreciate it. We have an awesome guest here today. I'm not going to introduce them right now because first and foremost, Tanner hit them with the intro.
Speaker 2 00:00:45 Welcome to the Mac city morning show.
Speaker 1 00:00:54 Okay. All right. We're back. So as per usual, if you've watched the show before, you know, I don't introduce my guests because they can always do a better job than myself because who knows them better than themselves. So we're going to hit the guy who's here today with the camera. And sir, thank you for being here and please introduce who you are and what you're all about to the people at home.
Speaker 0 00:01:13 Thanks for having me. Well, my name is Dan <inaudible>, uh, pretty well known in Marine. I think, uh, what I've been here for a few years now, 14 years now, and I am the principal, uh, ordinary comps, high school and the public school district, a little bit of a musician as well. They can, one person said the, uh, the soundtrack to Fort McMurray at one point. Uh, that might be a little overselling it a bit, but okay. And also a board chair for some of the solutions in Fort Murray and I'm involved as much in charities. I've involved a bunch of stuff and I try to keep myself in a lot of things in the city as it is.
Speaker 1 00:01:48 Okay. Yeah. I think, uh, the soundtrack of Fort McMurray is definitely not an over-exaggeration by any stretch.
Speaker 0 00:01:54 It's it's, it's a cool soundbite. I like it.
Speaker 1 00:01:56 I like it. Yeah. I've listened. I've seen you all. Actually, if I'm being a hundred percent honest, I knew you and I know you as a musician. Um, it wasn't until years later that I found out that like, Oh, you're an administrator in the school board. Okay.
Speaker 0 00:02:12 They just, those people off, they're not pulling people off, but they're usually people who know one side of my life. So either, Oh, you're a principal. That's cool. I'm a principal. Yeah, absolutely. Uh, and they say, where are you at safe on food's playing guitar. I'm like, well, I'm a musician too. Oh, that's cool. What was that other side where he'll meet me? They're like, aren't you the guy that was playing that show last week. I'm like, yeah. Why are you here in the school? I'm like, I'm the principal. Oh, that's cool. It's always that weird kind of reconciliations ideas together. The best story is my daughter at Dickins field was, was talking to this at school. And her classmates just assumed that she had two dads. Like, so, so you have a dad, that's a principal and a dad. That's like a musician. She's like, no, no, they're the same dad.
Speaker 1 00:02:57 Ah, that's hilarious. That is too funny. So in regards to the two, um, like you must be hands down, one of the busiest guys in Fort McMurray to hold down like that full time principal job and you are gigging all that.
Speaker 0 00:03:13 Yeah. Well the a hundred and well, until now, of course now things are changed a little bit. Correct. But usually when a hundred, 110 gigs a year. Um, but this is the tricky bit, you know, was that alleged find something you love to do and you never work a day in your life. Correct. So I I've tricked the world into paying me to do things I love. Like I love working with kids. I love seeing them learn. I love the education. It's, it's an awesome day. So you go to work and obviously as a principal, as opposed to a teacher, there's some different things in headaches, but generally man, you see kids grow, so it's not work. And then, and I always equated this. I have those friends that play the pickup league and they had the ice time twice a week, or the guys that do two or three rounds of golf a week. That's the same amount of hours. It's just that my passion is music. So my hobby, I, you know, you're able to make it something that is actually a feasible kind of side business. Right, right. It's, it's, it's a tricky, I look busier than I am. I'm actually just pretty much enjoying life man.
Speaker 1 00:04:08 Awesome. And I know, I couldn't agree with you more it's same kind of thing. Like with this podcast, for me making my videos, people like, dude, you're so busy, you're working all the time. Like yeah, this doesn't count as work.
Speaker 0 00:04:19 Exactly. That's the answer like, Oh, you must be so stressed out. I'm like, well honestly, if, if I wasn't here, I'd be home playing guitar or reading a book anyway. So just find a way to get paid for it.
Speaker 1 00:04:30 Right. Right. So in regards to your passion for music, where did that come from? How did that start? It's a big component of your life?
Speaker 0 00:04:38 Well, it's a huge, I mean, I kind of parallel everything I do kind of runs through those two veins of existence. Music has always been central to me. I don't know how it came up since I was a kid in Newfoundland, growing up music was everywhere. It's a very musical culture. Uh, when I was honestly, when I was 12 years old, maybe 11, uh, I was listening to like green day Nirvana, Pearl jam, man. These guys just sound amazing. I learned a couple chords on a campfire with some of my dad's friends and then it just, it just, it snowballed. And, uh, music has since then, since I'm 12 years old has been that kind of center in my life. Everything kind of seems to eat. If I try to get away from music, it somehow kind of reverts back to music. Even the jobs, even like with one of the Murray I was, I was living in England at a time actually, when someone calls her, Hey, we need a guitar teacher afforded Marie.
Speaker 0 00:05:31 Yeah. Cool coloring. And I said, cool. I'll so I was a musician. I'll get away from music. I'll go to business school. I get to business school. And then a music school music store says, Hey, can we hire you to teach guitar and sell guitar? I'm like, yeah, cool. I finished my degree. So, okay. I'm going back to be a teacher now at St. John's Frank calls me, Hey, do you wanna play in a band? Yeah. Yeah, I do. So he's always been that kind of even playing here in Fort McMurray. He was that thing. I said, well, I'll do it one gig a month. My skills will atrophy. So I don't lose your chops as it is. And then one gig, we came two gigs to get you became four gigs, four gigs creeks, 12 years later, I'm playing every weekend and I'm booked a year in advance. That's all
Speaker 1 00:06:12 Awesome. That's so good. So I am somewhat musically a nap. I can play some things when I was a kid, I used to play the trumpet. Oh, okay. Yeah. Not well, but I played the trumpet now, lately I've picked up the harmonica and I'm horrible at it.
Speaker 0 00:06:33 You could fake armonica though, right. But the goal,
Speaker 1 00:06:37 And I won't say it on camera yet, but there's a certain song that I want to be able to play now as an inspiring musician. What are my options here in Fort McMurray in regards to, especially during COVID, how can I get better at this harmonica? Because the YouTube videos, I've kind of, it's not, it's not working for me
Speaker 0 00:06:57 Because you know what, that's a great question. I, I, between you and me, I have never seen an automatic a teacher on harmonica on our harmonic.
Speaker 1 00:07:05 I don't know how you pronounce it,
Speaker 0 00:07:07 But, uh, yeah. I would say YouTube practice. You keep, you know, you keep blowing until you don't blow it just as, as is the way to look at it. Yeah. Right. Okay. Yeah. That's not a great answer, but it's an interesting one, right? Yeah.
Speaker 1 00:07:21 Listen, I'm, I'm an adult and uh, I don't know. I like how their Monica sound. It's cool. It's a little, uh, you can take it anywhere. It's portable too. Super portable. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:07:30 And you can fake it if you're just someone knows the cords because harmonica, it plays in the key. That's right. So if someone knows the four, one, four, five that you're playing with it, you can get through it.
Speaker 1 00:07:38 Yeah. Okay. All right. Now for the youth out there. Cause I know like he's, you're a teacher and uh, if they want to get into music, I know for me at the time, um, and the business no longer exists here anymore. It was Campbell's music. We went, you could rent a piece of equipment. You could join the band. Um, what are the options now? Um, for somebody who's dramatically younger than me, who wants to get in and learn an instrument,
Speaker 0 00:08:03 You giving your options. That's that's a good question. Let's be honest. A loss of Campbell's is a big loss, this community, uh, one of the unfortunate things what's happening right now, but as a kid looking to learn, there's great schools. Canto has a fantastic music program run by individuals like Dan Gilly's guys in the town who are really passionate learning. Uh, Dan also works at Compton high school. So big shout out to my, my, my team. Um, and then of course the schools have a good music program, getting their, get involved the best way to start. And I say this to the parents out there as well. If you're a kid is interest in music by them, the trombone will get them a guitar. If they may just play around with it for a bit, right now they may start and tinker with it. But you, you kind of get that spark started and kids absorb so much quicker than you would think. So my little girl didn't look, you know, Dan want to play guitar like you. So I bought her guitar. She was one, my wife was living like, here's a guitar from a little she's one, but now she's eight and she's picking it up. She's playing drums, she's playing piano. And it's just that exposed them to that. Right. Then they will find it.
Speaker 1 00:09:03 Right. Kids are great. Yeah. Yeah. They love it. But uh, yeah, the, the school band, that was the way for me. Do they still, cause I'm old, there's still
Speaker 0 00:09:12 The middle school bands. It's different now. I mean, I find like kids want to learn. There's a lot more interest in not more interest, but there's a lot more people looking to do beats and electronic music and, and those kinds of things. There's the traditional band still exists and still thriving. There's also that new interest in that being a music doesn't necessarily mean trombone or saxophone, which was my first instrument now. You're like, Oh cool. I'm learning to mix. Yeah. I'm learning to create beats. I'm learning to do loops and those things are all fantastic.
Speaker 1 00:09:39 Well, yeah, that's cool. Yeah. Yeah. I know music is a big thing. I think it brings people together. And then from a young age, like you said, uh, my parents, uh, actually threw me on a steel drums. Oh, that's cool, man. When I was a little kid. Yeah. My dad plays the bongos and plays drums and he was in a, uh, a reggae band here in Fort Mac back in the day. Yeah. Oh my God. That's awesome. And so they threw me on the steel drums now I've lost all knowledge on how to play them, but yeah, from like six to eight every weekend I used to play,
Speaker 0 00:10:11 I was actually looking at the things called a tongue drum. Yes. Oh man. Those are awesome. I want to buy one. I was, I was looking for one, but again, Kevin's not here. So Hey, someone opened music store. Yeah. There you go. Um, but yeah, this is expanding. That's great, man. I'm going to call you on something though. It's 10:00 AM. This what's this what's going on. I've been to breakfast shows before and usually it's a coffee.
Speaker 1 00:10:35 Yeah. Oatmeal. Right? You have an interesting setup for your morning show. Yeah. So, uh, it is an interesting setup and I'm glad you asked. I think, uh, my parents are going to be happy that somebody finally called me out and pointed it out. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:10:47 Um, we have some drinking straight water from
Speaker 1 00:10:50 Currently. I'm waiting for the guests to come and say like, Hey, can I have a drink? So when guests come, we do have tea and coffee and water and the traditional drinks. Um, my thought process behind that is basically, this is my living room all. And so although it's the morning, you know, people come and visit, you change your living rooms depending on the day. That's exactly it. So, and it might not be everybody's cup of tea. However, like this is Fort McMurray. We have people who work night shift, day shift change over my sister loved that changeover. Um, so you know, 10
Speaker 0 00:11:25 O'clock that's short changes on the short chain.
Speaker 1 00:11:27 That's exactly it. Yeah. So, uh, there's somebody out there having a drink.
Speaker 0 00:11:33 1950s madman vibe.
Speaker 1 00:11:36 Yeah. Listen, me and Tanner have kind of a wager side bet to see who the first guest is going to be to take a part of that wager right there. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. You're not going to win. And I know you got to go back to work after this, so that's where the blues come.
Speaker 0 00:11:49 Yeah. This is just my living room, man. I got you. You don't change your living room just it's the morning. No, I guess no, no. I, you know, eight year olds, my child home, I very rarely have Colby spots of booze, just sitting around lots more like Barbies and toys right now I live in has changed dramatically.
Speaker 1 00:12:05 Yeah. We have a kid. I think so. Yeah. This is not my real living room. So yeah. My living room at home with my little guy looks dramatically different as well. So now you brought up, uh, some bands that influenced you when you were younger. Um, and I listened to you play around town. Um, you obviously listened to all forms of music. Yeah. So I'm going to ask you number one, song, what is your favorite number one song?
Speaker 0 00:12:32 So th th th th like, I'm gonna give you the answer. That's what I'm looking for answer is the song that you're enjoying, not you directly, but the song. And I get this because what's your favorite song like honestly, is that reciprocal agreement with the audience? My favorite song is legitimately the song I'm playing while you're dancing. Now, if I'm home listening, I'm a big fan. Like Bob Seger and Bruce Springsteen, a guy at the club. I like classic rock, but there'll be something to say, like, I mean, as, as musicians, as this ad, he's like, you know, the summer of 69, the song was played endlessly, the wagon wheels of the world that I wish a musician say, Oh, I hate that song. But then the minute you started playing that song and that dance would feel as less people having fun to sing along. Honestly, that is my favorite song in the world for that minute, three and a half minutes, I'm playing that song. There is no better Opus written than Whedon wheel. Right. And there is that agreement, uh, with you and the audience like, Hey, what do you like? I like what you like, that's my job to make you happy. That's awesome. That's, that's a true answer. That's a, that's a genuine answer. I love it. Okay.
Speaker 1 00:13:33 I love it now because of COVID obviously you're not playing gigging as much what don't, but I've seen you out there still, not out there physically, but virtually. So what have you been doing to keep your chops up and still? Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:13:46 Yeah. So that's the thing we, we, the idea is to pivot, right? COVID and the restrictions are here and regardless we liked them or not, they are reality. And we have to move forward with that. So initially right off the bat, much like your living room here, I created a living room in my basement. That was a place that I could perform virtually out of, which got some traction. Um, and that started well, nine months ago now. Uh, but now I've pivoted into partnership with different organizations. So we're doing, uh, some charity events coming up that we're doing live streams from, we're doing virtual open mics where it's literally just me and a camera in the room and the person comes in and sings. And I add them all to get her, to get her to appear like a show. Of course, this Saturday night, 57 North, uh, doing live stream from their, from their platform. So now I'm doing live streams. It seems I was before, but the, uh, publish platform. Okay. Very cool. Yeah. It's cool. It's navigating, it's different. I want to go back to live music, but we'll get there.
Speaker 1 00:14:43 Awesome. We're not going to get into that, but yes, I can't wait to hear you live again and like get back out there now. Um, before we get to the maxi minute, there's something that you mentioned that I had no idea about you sit on the, some other solutions for the board. Okay. So let's talk about them a little bit.
Speaker 0 00:14:59 Well, you know what, as a teacher, I saw the great things. I mean, I think we've all seen, and we probably don't even know. We see it, that some of the solutions poster that's in bathrooms and where this is all the crisis numbers. And a few years ago, I was looking to get involved in something. And they're just such a fantastic organization. They take care of you guys don't know they do like the suicide helpline, the emergency crisis line. They help youth in need. And, uh, so I reached out to the executive director at the time, um, Mr. Jason King, I said, Hey, are you looking for board members? And he's like, yeah, cool. Let's to meet, let's have a chat. We talked. And I was what, three years ago. And then, uh, I met with the, uh, current board chair at that point and we had a chat and I said, you know, let's be a great fit if you're ever looking for somebody, let me know my skill sets.
Speaker 0 00:15:38 And they're like, yeah, come and sit at the board meetings and join the board. So I was a member at large for about 11 months. I met full board member and then, uh, the opportunity came up to take over the chair role. I jumped into it and it's great because of this, this community has been so good to me. This community has given me so much. I'm so blessed. I think we're all blessed to have what we have here. Um, but with that, I think there's that opportunity that need to give back. So with some of the solutions, there's such a great organization and I feel so privileged to be part of them. And like I give back with school. I think kids grow. I get back to my music. I add to try to get back to this, this organization with some of the solutions. And it's just been such a great experience. I'm hoping I got along long time with this group.
Speaker 1 00:16:18 Awesome. That was awesome. All right. Well, my man, we are a part of the show where we're going to put you on the spot a little bit. Tanner, the man behind the cameras has, uh, some questions it's called the Mac city minute. So Tanner hit him with your questions.
Speaker 3 00:16:35 The first question we have for you today is how have you seen music change locally in town, since you've gotten here,
Speaker 0 00:16:42 16 has changed locally in that the town has contract a little bit. The economic situation has caused some of our great talents to leave town with the loss of the cannon music program. Uh, we we've seen, we lost some, some amazing talent, but that being said, Fort Murray has one of the strongest scenes. And I'm not saying per capita, former has one of the strong community things I've seen where people come out, they get involved, they support each other. So it has changed in that we had to have the same influx of people coming in, but we have, we have, we attract a lot of really strong musicians, so a little smaller, but probably more tightly knit right now.
Speaker 3 00:17:14 All right. Question. Number two. If you could learn one instrument, what would you choose?
Speaker 0 00:17:19 I always want to be a killer piano player. Like I usually I can sing. I can play piano enough. I can play the drums bit. I can play bass, but that guy that can play piano. I got in and sit down and like fully bublé it up. Like, you know, man, that is, that is a skill I want to have. Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:17:33 Alrighty. And what is one song you'll always sing along to
Speaker 0 00:17:38 Three Caroline, you have no choice. You have absolutely no choice in the matter it's going to happen. You're like, I am not doing this. See, you did it. There's absolutely literally no control psychologically in eight in all humans.
Speaker 4 00:17:56 All right. And what is being your kindest memory in Fort McMurray?
Speaker 0 00:18:01 Oh, there's so many. Let's be honest. Okay. So during what seems like five events ago during the fire, they brought me in to play at the line for the people that were getting their cards. They said, you know, they want to touch at home. And they're so used to seeing you at save on foods at the palms. Um, that was a, that was a great one. The day the airport opened, they had me at the end of the gate and they said, we want you to play for people. Come off that first plane ride, what I'm ready. But here's the best memory I was at Avenue coffee, which is not open yet. Right. I was doing Sandana matinee and it was a little kid dancing. And he just had like a five-year old. He, I was having a great time. And uh, I went to talk to his parents after I said, man, your kid's having such a great day here.
Speaker 0 00:18:44 And having your CapEx has been awesome. And I'm just enjoying his company. He said, do you know why that kid's here? I said, no. He goes, we met at Patti Mick's Megan's at your show. Our first dance was to you. And then we met that night, whatever they hooked up, whatever you want to say. Now they're married. I have a five-year-old and we bought them out to see you. And this is kind of like a date. We're having a coffee and like our first dance. And our first time we met was the you playing. And now our son's here and it's kind of come full circle. I was like, that's cool. It's like kind of part of your life, man. So format is where I say format has become intrinsic to me. I find I'm passionate about this city. I love this place.
Speaker 1 00:19:25 That is an awesome story. There we go. That's how you end the Mac city minute, right?
Speaker 4 00:19:31 Calls five questions. The last question for you is how has, uh, how has being a teacher in town affected how you see forming?
Speaker 0 00:19:39 Well, you know everybody, but you and you know, everybody, my wife was like, you're like a celebrity. Cause you go to a restaurant. It was like, Hey, that's your talk? Do you want some bread? Like, yeah, I have some bread. That's cool. I think it's free. Or the character or, uh, you went to the theaters when I was a new teacher. I remember I got the ticket landmark don't listen. And they gave me seniors discount. I was like 26 years old. Like yes, score. The university's finally paid off. Yeah. It's just that you get to know everybody. You get really part of the town.
Speaker 4 00:20:06 Well, those have been your questions.
Speaker 1 00:20:08 You go, all right, dude, you crushed it. You're just a natural on the mic. You don't need that guitar to talk. I might even have experienced. There you go. Awesome. Well, you know what? I know you gotta get back to work. We try to keep the shows within 20 minutes. So we're at the end format. Thank you for tuning in globally. Actually I was checking some of the stats. This goes outside of format. So if you're watching outside of the community as well, thank you very much. Uh, Dan, thank you for coming today. Totally appreciate it, man. You murdered it. So thank you very much. Hopefully we'll have you back again. Sounds good. And hopefully we'll be at some establishments listening to you live in the very, very near future. Right? Awesome. All right, everybody home once again. Thank you very much for tuning in today. Really do appreciate it. We'll see you tomorrow and hope you're having a great day. Peace.
Speaker 2 00:20:54 <inaudible> talk about quenching.
