Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:00 Good morning, Fort McMurray, wood, Buffalo, and the rest of the world. You've tuned into the Mac city morning show. I'm your host Telia Pierre. And we're going to start the show off the same way we start every episode off with a moment of gratitude. I know you can be doing a million other things with your time. So the fact that you're spending with us truly does mean the world to me. So thank you on that note, Tanner hidden with the intro.
Speaker 0 00:00:28 All right. And we are back. Okay. As you can see, we are not on the set of the maximum morning show. We are at holy Trinity high school and junior high. So thank you. Holy Trinity, for inviting us and letting us talk to your staff and some of your students. The one thing that hasn't changed is how I introduce my guests because I don't. So, uh, cause they can do a better job than myself. So on that note, can you please tell everybody at home who you are and what you are?
Speaker 2 00:00:52 Um, my name is Nancy Lawson. I teach drama and choir at holy Trinity high school. And that's about all I'm at.
Speaker 0 00:01:01 So you have been a member of this community for quite some time? Yes. So what brought you to Fort McMurray? Because nowadays people know what Fort McMurray is when you came.
Speaker 2 00:01:12 Yeah, they used to, they used to have a drive to, um, they they'd go to different cities and universities and meet with the fourth year students and try to get them to consider coming up. And uh, that's what happened. Um, they interviewed my husband, Brent and I just kind of followed suit.
Speaker 0 00:01:34 Yeah. That's somebody's phone. I like that ringtone is that the people at home didn't hear it because like we're miked up. So there's no way, but lacuna, Rocha's your ringtone. That's hilarious. That's awesome. I love that. That happened.
Speaker 2 00:01:51 I always get tech. Nobody contacts me at all until I'm not working or something's important happened.
Speaker 0 00:01:58 That's right. This is important. This is just you and me chatting. I wouldn't take it too seriously.
Speaker 2 00:02:03 Yeah. So Brent got interviewed and so we decided to come up and um, I was, uh, I started out teaching elementary music and I was at west view for a number of years and then we had kids and I started working for the Catholic school board and I used to be itinerant and go to all the different schools to teach band. And uh, then I slowed down and just said to be at one school. So now I'm a totally trendy.
Speaker 0 00:02:31 The performing arts is like, are you, is this something you and Brent both studied and kind of got to like when you were younger or like, cause both of you are very much musically inclined to say the least.
Speaker 2 00:02:42 Yeah. We both went through the music program at university. And um, then when he's been working at father mercury for years and years and years, and he'd used to get me to come over and play the piano for their musicals. And then I decided I wanted to do that too. And so they a drama cut added to my oh
Speaker 0 00:03:05 Yeah. That's awesome. Yeah, but you're a great piano teacher. Oh well thank you. Yeah. I have a little boy who I listen to play and I'm just like, wow, how'd you learn that? He's like, you know
Speaker 2 00:03:14 Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:03:15 Is awesome. Yeah. He's a cute little guy. Oh he is? Yeah. He's uh, oh, he gets that from his father. I can assure you that he gets it honestly. Yeah, no, it's amazing. I'm myself. I would love to say I could play instrument instruments. Well, I can play a few things horribly, but yeah, I think it's a good thing for young children to like learn an instrument, use that component to their brain, even if they don't want to take it further, getting that experience from young ages.
Speaker 2 00:03:42 Well, it's a little bit different nowadays because um, the, the push nowadays is, oh, everybody's got to enjoy it all the time, but like there's a work component to it. Like you're not going to always enjoy practicing. And um, with, with the drama class, that's like, I'm sure they're sick and tired of me pushing them to practice and practice and practice and practice. And with the choir, it's the same thing and acquire, like we've been selected to go to provincials a number of times. Right. And it's all about the practice and it gets boring and it gets hard. But the end result is usually really
Speaker 0 00:04:21 Good. That's right. No, you got to put the practice in as Allen Iverson would say, but uh, it's the exact same thing with interviews. When I coach youth on an interview, I'm like, you got to practice like, well, what do you mean? I'm like, you gotta write down, like, these are the questions they're gonna ask, write down your script and then actually like look in the mirror and do it. Yeah. And they were like, what does embarrassing? I'm like, yeah, but this is a job. Like, do you want the job? Yes or no? And they said, well, yeah. I'm like, well then practice, you need to put the work in and get there. Right.
Speaker 2 00:04:53 There's a lot of practices to go into looking natural in front of cameras or, or in front of an audience.
Speaker 0 00:04:59 It doesn't come easy. And I feel, uh, we've had a few young adults on the show and after like, I've spoken to them and they're like, oh, this is cool. Like w what you do, what not I'm like, yeah. But it takes work. Like all those YouTubers that you like to watch. Like, they don't just turn on a camera. I'm like, there's editing that takes involved. There's story. Writing may be on paper in their heads. Like, yeah, natural doesn't come.
Speaker 2 00:05:22 Not natural. It was same thing. A few years ago when glee was popular, kids would join choir. And then they wanted to be like glee and just break out into song. And like, you don't see the hours of practice. Those people do the choreo and everything. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:05:36 Um, that's yeah. Practices is a huge thing. So when it comes to this, uh, school, like you saying, you were moving around for awhile, what about Trinity? Suddenly? You know what? I'm going to make this home. Oh, wow.
Speaker 2 00:05:50 I'm getting older. No, I'm like, I spent a good number of years at father Beau just doing the music there. And then I went over St. Martha and I decided to try your, um, doing high school at father Merck and, um, drama. Uh, well, I was teaching a homeroom of social studies and math so that I could teach high school choir. Okay. And then we did our own, um, little shop of horrors there. And, um, then I was, um, talked to about like this being the fine arts school and wanting to do fine arts. I should come here. And I thought that was probably a pretty good idea. And, um, yeah. And so I've had a ball. Um, I was, I've been teaching now here 10 years. And, uh, every class, you know, I've got everything where I want it. I've got two student directors, so I can concentrate on props and stuff like that. And they take a lot of the, the edge of being kind of a Jack of all trades, because, you know, you have to do the music or you have to do the directing and you have to do the props and you have to do the costumes and you have to do.
Speaker 0 00:07:04 Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So they can take away some of that heavy workload.
Speaker 2 00:07:07 Yeah. Yeah. And it's actually been really awesome. I'm going to miss these two because they're so well-organized, and they're both in grade 12, so next year is going to be a very sad. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:07:21 Yeah. So if I, and I do have a young child who is potentially thinking about coming to holy Trinity or getting involved in like your program, what is something that I should kind of give him as a heads up?
Speaker 2 00:07:35 Well, this year, um, we're with, uh, Taylor, Sampson's directing, she's just, she's doing Annie Jr. The musical. And it's perfect for kids just coming in, um, to the school that haven't had a lot of drama experience because, um, it's about half the size, half the length of a full length musical. And so you get an idea of the choreography and all that sort of stuff that you have to learn. And, and, uh, and I find that the kids usually connect a little bit more to the, the other kids, as opposed to listening to a teacher, tell them sort of things. Right. And, um, if they wanted to come, there's a whole lot of different things that they could try out. And, um, I think as they grow and experience, they get better and better. And like I said, I've got these, these kids in there in grade 12, and they're just everything to me. And it makes the saying goodbye at the end of grade 12. Really tough. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:08:35 No doubt. Cause, uh, you probably have been with them since they came in grade seven and seen them go right through like the whole spectrum. Right?
Speaker 2 00:08:42 Yeah. It's always sad to say goodbye, but like, especially kids that I've seen while these kids I've, uh, I've seen every other day in middle school and then every day in high school for the last three years, that
Speaker 0 00:08:55 Leads into my next question for you in regards to, if you are in the performing arts or in drama, like when I went a big shout out to Ms. Gavaghan, AKA, miss bud now, um, who is my, a drama teacher when I was in school, it was a class that you took. And so you only went to it whatever, twice a week in your semester. And I guess in theory, and on theory and all actuality, you could've joined a production after school. If you want to make it be like a improv or a player will whatnot. What are the options for kids now who are going to holy Trinity?
Speaker 2 00:09:28 Um, so we, uh, opened up a musical to anybody that wanted to join. That was Annie junior, which is a we're performing in December. And then, but for the high school, they have a class that they come see me every single day for the semester. And we're working on a play and that's taking place the week before and kind of a little bit crazy this year, deciding that I could pull off two in one semester. I might be,
Speaker 0 00:09:57 Brent's not going to be seeing it very often. No,
Speaker 2 00:09:59 No, he's not too happy about that. And, um, but it's, it's an exciting experience and, you know, it's, it's tough to pick amongst the arts because a lot of times kids that are artistically inclined, like they'd like their art, they like their singing, they like their band, like they're dancing. And so then how do you choose,
Speaker 0 00:10:20 Right?
Speaker 2 00:10:21 Yeah. So it's, uh, um, the afterschool is, is one way that kids can be involved. And the other way is like when they get to middle school, I have done like one acts with them. Um, over the past couple of years, a lot of kids haven't really gotten into, you know, practicing. Yeah. So we haven't had a well plus COVID and we haven't had a one act for a while, but uh, our high school class, we always have a play going on. Nice. Yeah. Last year we were tales of pole. Oh yeah. It was kind of spooky. We had candles all over the place. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:11:00 So for the general public, who wants to support you guys though, how can they do that? I know you guys have shows from time to time, like how do they find out about what you guys are actually doing?
Speaker 2 00:11:10 I guess, listen to your podcast. You can always phone subcu and they can tell you what shows are coming up. Um, the school usually has, um, something on our website. Usually if something's coming up, the, the school board will also do a promotion. Okay,
Speaker 0 00:11:31 Good. The arts.
Speaker 2 00:11:33 Yeah. Yeah. It's fun. And the kids enjoy having an audience. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:11:37 Well, they put in all that time and effort to do it in front of some people. All right. Well, listen, that's the end of the show. Short and sweet. So before you leave, though, we have a segment where you get to do a shameless shout-out or plug. So the camera's on you, the lights are on, you can shout
Speaker 2 00:11:51 Out or plug well, come to our, she kills monsters on November 27th, 28th, but to be sure, call subcu, um, and Annie Jr. On the second and 3rd of December.
Speaker 0 00:12:07 Okay. There we go. Awesome. Well, thank you very much for taking the time to sit down and chat with me today. And if you ever want to, you can come on the Mac Sydney morning show set. So thank you. Open invitation for having me here. You're welcome. All right. Well Fort McMurray, wood, Buffalo, and the rest of the world. That's been another episode of the Mac city morning show. Thank you very much for tuning in. I really do appreciate it. Hopefully you're having a great day and we'll see you tomorrow. Peace
Speaker 3 00:12:30 Y Dalio Wade, and another morning show later on
Speaker 1 00:12:39 You
Speaker 4 00:12:48 Talk about quenching your ugly thirsty.
