Latest / Pop of Culture / S03 E17 - We Cross Blades

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S03 E17 - We Cross Blades · Pop of Culture

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Support for Pop of Culture comes from Stallings Wealth Management.
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Daniel Stallings, financial advisor.
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Securities and advisory services offered through Cetera advisors, LLC.
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Member, FINRA, SIPiC, a broker dealer and registered investment advisor.
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Cetera is under separate ownership from any other named entity.
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This week on Pop of Culture, we cross blades!
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The show takes a trip to a local fencing club to see what the point is.
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We'll also talk to a metal artist forging her own path.
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If I have to make three
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of the same necklaces with different colored stones for Christmas for people,
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I get bored by the second one.
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We'll go Behind the Song.
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And we'll get frozen for this week's What Are You Working On?
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Coming up.
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Support for Pop of Culture comes from Stallings
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Wealth Management and from you.
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You may have heard about large gifts to NPR.
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Those donations are important.
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But they don't bring back the funding to IPR.
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Your support pays for the programs you rely on, especially local programs
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like this one and the people like me who create them.
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Pop of Culture exists for you and because of you.
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Give today at Indiana Public radio.org.
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From IPR.
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This is Pop of Culture.
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I'm Michele Kinsey. And I'm Jen Blackmer.
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Later this hour, a metal worker who says she's never made the same thing twice.
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But first: en garde!
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Earlier this week, Jen
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and I visited the new fencing club at Cornerstone Center for the Arts.
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We were handed blades and acted responsibly the entire time.
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Here's proof.
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All right, let's get you guys some gear.
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So start off chest protectors.
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So, We've got women's chest protectors
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here. Oh.
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Basically just goes on, like, you can figure it out.
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Yep. This is imagine, what?
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A plastic bra. Yeah. What?
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The 1950s version of the, bullet bra would have been.
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Maybe it looks like something Madonna would wear.
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Oh, yeah. 100%. Yeah. Oh, my. Look at that.
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We'll get you,
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one of our life jackets or white jackets that we use for our beginner classes.
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So if you stick your arms out now, that
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that loop there, your your foot’s gonna go through.
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Yeah.
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Then you'll need.
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So just that's like that is. Hello.
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That's getting friendly right down in my nethers.
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Let's get
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Each of these
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jackets has, like, a really awesome crest.
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(Yeah.) On the arm we've got our Muncie Fencing Club and it's a cardinal with a.
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Holding a sword and a dagger.
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I was gonna say sword and a dagger. Yeah.
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Next thing we'll have you get is a pair of gloves.
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And, although this is a rapier and dagger class,
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as of right now, we're focusing on some single rapier techniques.
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So just the rapier alone.
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And that's partly because, we have a tournament in Indianapolis coming up.
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That's rapier only.
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At the Indianapolis Club.
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So define rapier.
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Rapier.
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I'll actually I'll grab one and show you.
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So this is a a single handed sword.
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Take us back to the beginning. And when you.
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Were interested first
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in fencing, how you got started, how long you've been doing it?
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Yeah. ... teaching.
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I got started, in middle school, doing Olympic saber.
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Wow. At the time, it was through a local YMCA program.
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When I went to college, I kind of set it down for a little bit.
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But then it wasn't until after Covid that I was, you know, pandemic was over.
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Looking for something to fill my time.
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And I said, let me see what my old club's up to.
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And so, of course, they're still doing the Indianapolis
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fencing Club, they're still doing Olympic stuff.
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But at the time they also had and still do because I also teach there.
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I'm one of the instructors there.
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Introductory classes to HEMA: historical European martial arts.
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So I took a beginner rapier and dagger class.
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And when I had taken the Olympic fencing, I think one of you asked,
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what do I do with this hand?
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And I'd always wondered, what do you do with this
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hand here?
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Does it go up in the air and it'll go behind me. Where?
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Where does it go?
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And so someone put a dagger in my hand.
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I was like, okay, that make sense.
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That all makes perfect sense.
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And so I fell in love with with rapier and dagger.
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That was, you know, 4 or 5 years ago.
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I have a friend, one of my sparring partners
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who's friends with the, director here of of programing.
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And so he said, hey, you know, you're looking for people to teach classes.
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I have someone who I think might might know how to do that
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because I actually live just outside of, Muncie and, in Selma.
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And, so that's how we got connected with the program here.
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And we had an initial early grant to cover some of the,
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the, the basic the white jackets, the swords and stuff like that.
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So we were able to get started, once we had a couple of, beginner classes,
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then we kind of had the momentum to say, okay, let's go for an intermediate class.
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Let's, let's not just do this eight week thing,
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but let's come back every week and have a club structure
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and all that kind of stuff, get some heavier equipment, get some,
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you know, bigger, heavier swords, all that kind of stuff.
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And so we just kind of kept going from there.
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So the interest in the club was from the jump.
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It sounds like as soon as you announced it was happening, you had people.
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Filled up pretty quickly.
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What we teach here is what we focus on is the,
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Renaissance Spanish school of fencing.
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So beginning in the mid 1500s through the early 1600s,
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the Spanish developed a school called, Destreza,
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in which the true skill, true art, the true skill, the science of defense.
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So in the Spanish school,
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well, you may have seen, at least in the Olympics, is a stand like this.
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And the sword is very relaxed.
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Okay.
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What we're going to do instead in
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the Spanish school is we're going to stand in the right angle.
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So one of the simplest things that we can do
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is we can displace the sword.
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I'm I'm here, you know, step out and pick your sword up, and you don't have to.
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You don't have to give it away. Okay? So you just going to hold it?
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I carry it, so I move it out of the way first,
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and then I can attack another step to the left.
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Step towards them.
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It's not me. It's you.
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Right. Let's try. Let's try it.
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It's like it's a little bit.
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It's a it's like a really scary.
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Like 3D movie.
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So we're going to do a very simple exercise.
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Just that.
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Just that for right now.
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So we'll, grab a partner.
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The silent but deadly type, aren't you?
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I can tell you're very quiet.
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Which it.
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(Ring) I'm just.
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Like I can't be any softer.
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I wear lots of protective equipment.
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I know you do.
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(I'm not going to.) I know you do.
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But it's just like the whole idea about that.
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It is a sword.
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And I’m freaking out?
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Defend ourselves against that.
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So Nick’s going to do that to me.
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Nick, I'm not going to lie to you.
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I'm a little exhausted.
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Yeah, I it's tiring when you first start out.
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Yeah.
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So how long have you been fencing?
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A little more than a year at this point. Wow.
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Why did you decide to do this?
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What was it that drew you to the sport?
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I'm a massive nerd, so getting to go
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play with swords sounded like a lot of fun.
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And I enjoyed it a lot. Yeah.
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So when you had your try to take yourself back
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to the first time that you put all the gear on
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and you did what we just did for Pop of Culture, how did you feel?
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I was excited.
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I was a little I was a little worried
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because I'd never heard of Cornerstone doing anything like this.
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Yeah.
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So I was I was a little worried that I wasn't,
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that it wasn't going to be, like, really, like I'd get to use the swords.
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But then I was very happy.
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Even the first day we were,
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we got to do a sparring with the swords and that was a lot of fun.
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Wow. He does jump right in, doesn't he?
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Do you feel like that's the best way is just to overcome that fear of
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of doing it?
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A lot of what we do is kind of intuitive.
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Where to avoid getting hit.
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You put your sword here, and then that's what he teaches based on.
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So I like the faster approach.
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How's it going, Jen? It’s going.
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I'm feeling powerful.
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She's doing great.
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So I step over, move my.
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Blade,
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and then I back up and fake him out
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and stab him right through the chest.
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Okay.
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I'm sorry. What's your name?
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My name is Luke.
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Luke. And,
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And you, quit wandering.
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And he needs it.
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Where's the drinking fountain?
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I don't know. Okay, good. You're sweaty, too.
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Are we done?
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I was wondering. If this is, like, the.
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I feel like
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I didn't realize that this was going to be
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as much of a workout as it is, right?
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Because when you look at it like when
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when the instructor is moving around and he's like shifting
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his feet and his movements are really easy and the flow is great.
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Yes.
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And then and then just holding the sword and moving around, you're like.
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Oh my goodness. But then
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It looks effortless.
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(It does).
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And then when you begin to do it yourself, you're like, wait.
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And I was, I was.
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And that's why it's hard because we're not used to the movement.
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Right.
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So then we're working harder because we're not doing it right.
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Because we're learning. Right.
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So then it seems like a lot of like extra steps and concentration
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and our bodies are tensing up and but it's the whole night.
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It's so fun.
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I was telling
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I was, I was saying earlier
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that it's, there's this sense of empowerment
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even when you don't know what you're doing.
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You're here and you know, and everybody is so nice.
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And I'm working with a guy named Luke who is just so encouraging.
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Nick is delightful.
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And every time I look in, you know, I'm like, looking.
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Yeah. Did I do it right? He's like, yeah, absolutely.
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And a couple of times I like got him pretty good.
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So yeah.
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So we'll open up to open sparring.
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So we've been working up to this.
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Okay.
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So, I’ll officiate a quick bout between you.
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YESSS (Laughter)
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This is not personal Michelle Kinsey.
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It’s not personal.
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Listen, I love you.
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(Do you?) You’re going down.
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(what’s that?) Oh, what, you didn’t hear me?
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(what’s that?)
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So we're going to go to five points.
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For you to get a point, you have to get the touch
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without the other person hitting you at the same time.
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If you both poke each other at the same time, it's called a double
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and no one gets the point.
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So, we’re going to five. Okay?
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When I
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say fences ready, you can fence until I say halt.
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Fences ready?
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Fence!
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Up double!
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Touched each other.
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No points awarded.
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Fences ready?
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Fence!
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Oh, I saw a good touch to the side over here.
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That one kind of glanced off over here.
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And you get the point over here. Whoa.
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A touch to the side, a little bit of.
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a miss over here.
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Fences ready?
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Fence!
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So, I'm going to put you on the spot.
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Nick. As a first timer.
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Yeah. Tonight.
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I've never done this before.
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Like, let's say ranking 1 to 10, Nick,
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where do I fall in, like, my first attempt at fencing?
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So I haven't seen a full beginner class in a while, but you did.
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You were able to hold the sword the entire hour.
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And you scored on me in sparring, which was good.
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Say, at least a seven.
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A seven.
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Nick.
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You are being too kind, but I love you for it, Nick.
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I've seen I've seen a couple of other classes that were a little rough.
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Oh. You guys recognize such good.
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I think you got a point. Right? Okay.
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She got a point. Okay. Three, zero.
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Almost there.
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But she can surge back, so it's a possibility.
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That's great.
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Fence! It’s so exciting.
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So how long do you think - is this something that you think you're
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going to do for years to come?
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Yeah.
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As long as I'm able to do something and continue to do it.
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Yeah, yeah.
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For three fences.
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Ready?
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Fence. Oh.
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I just put that.
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And fence.
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Oh, good.
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There's our point.
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Five, three.
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And you salute.
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With the sword. Salute.
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Salute with the swords, up and down.
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Oh very good, very good.
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Yay! Okay.
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That was awesome.
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I mean, we learned a lot in a very short period of time.
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And then actually, for the most part, follow the rules.
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And I knew what I was kind of doing, maybe.
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I mean, it was I noticed because we were, we were doing those like those invasive
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like, I'm going to bring you this way, but oh no, come.
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Back this way (and kind of fake) Yes, yes. The fake thing. Yeah.
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All right. Well, she said that’s what it’s all about.
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You know, there's a lot of fun to learning fencing,
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but it is very much a sport rather than a historical practice.
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Yeah. It's a welcoming space too.
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You've done a great job of that.
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Just bringing us in and, and making us feel very welcome.
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And you.
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And sweaty, sweaty. Sweating. Yeah, yeah.
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Good form, good form.
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I'd love to have you back.
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And you're always welcome back. So thank you.
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Thank you so much. This has been great.
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Yeah, yeah, I get it.
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I mean, who would have known in downtown Muncie.
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Cornerstone Center for the Arts...
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on the third floor there
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is fencing. That just awesome.
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I just love it.
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Registration for summer classes at Cornerstone in
14:41
Muncie is open now at Cornerstone arts.org.
14:48
(horn music)
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This is Pop of Culture, I'm Michelle Kinsey.
14:55
I'm Kara DuQuette. And I'm Jen Blackmer.
14:58
Most art can be scaled up or down.
15:01
Think murals that cover the side of a building or a tiny doodle in a notebook.
15:06
Our next artist has made sculptures the size of trees
15:09
and pieces so small they can fit around your finger.
15:13
We are speaking with Tracy Davidson, an Indiana artist who works with metals.
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Tracy, thank you so much for being here today.
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Thanks for inviting me. Of course.
15:24
Curious, how did you get started in metalwork?
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Oh, well, I'm the first.
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First child that was wished a boy by my father, and I helped him
15:39
with working on cars growing up, the race and go karts and all that.
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So I like the mechanical part of it.
15:45
And then in the 80s,
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I went to Pendleton and I took a couple jewelry classes there.
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Fell in love with that.
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But back then with and younger
15:53
folks are hard to explain this to, but there was no internet,
15:58
or, you know, cell phones, websites, stuff like that to order things.
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And you couldn't just go pick up jewelry, tools and all off the shelf.
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So in 2008, I had a motorcycle accident away on my way home from work,
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and a very old, mostly blind lady ran into the side of my motorcycle.
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So I had to do a quick sidestep and pick another occupation.
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And that's what I picked.
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Oh, it's been a long journey since then. Oh.
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Wow. Well, I am so sorry to hear about your accident,
16:30
but it has birthed quite a career for you.
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Yes, yes it has.
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You know, I'm pretty pretty happy doing what I'm doing.
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And has started the jewelry aspect of it, for pain management.
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And, In what way?
16:46
Well, when you fiddle around with stuff
16:49
that's got to, you got to keep your your attention to little tiny things,
16:53
whether you're going to blow yourself up or cut your finger with a file, you know.
16:57
And it takes your brain somewhere else for a while.
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And the pain and pains and whatever from limb loss,
17:06
they kind of go back to the back of your brain a little bit.
17:08
And I found out with some veterans, they found out the same thing.
17:13
So I started doing that, and it just kind of took off from there.
17:18
And then I never thought I'd teach anybody anything.
17:21
And everybody kept going, Where did you get your?
17:23
Where'd you learn how to do that?
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And I ended up started teaching to about 15 years ago, so That’s amazing.
17:30
So what what do you like to make?
17:31
You make jewelry and sculptures as well?
17:35
Yeah.
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I've me and two of my older friends during Covid made an 18ft,
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steel tree sculpture with, like, 400 copper oak leaves on it,
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what we called a blacksmith sample fence across the front.
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And it's right betwen two buildings in downtown Pendleton, next to the gallery.
17:53
And I've donated,
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five by five foot gigantic rosebush.
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that's all rusty.
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And it's next to the historical museum in Falls Park in Pendleton.
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And I've got six, seven foot
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sunflowers around the county that people have in and out in their yard.
18:11
It's kind of fun to drive by and see my stuff, so That’s amazing.
18:16
Yeah, I, you know, you say you started off with, working on cars with your dad,
18:22
and I'm wondering what what's your favorite kind of metal to work with?
18:28
The only thing I don't like working with is stainless.
18:31
People that don't work with metal don't understand it, but it's, like, crunchy.
18:35
And it's hard to anneal.
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And, you know, it's got some things I'll work with, but, primarily
18:40
I work with mild steel, copper, sterling silver, fine silver and, some brass.
18:46
This. I like them all.
18:48
You can mix and match them or whatever you want.
18:50
I love your answer to that question.
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Was the one metal that you don't like.
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It's where you started.
18:56
That says a lot.
18:59
So what inspires your art?
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You talked a little bit about, some natural, the rosebush that you created.
19:05
What other kinds of things do you make?
19:09
I, I'm not into the characters out of scrap and stuff like that.
19:12
And all animals, I mean, I do make them, but,
19:15
there's certain things, I don't know, sometimes I just go through my scrap
19:20
pile and lay stuff out on my shop floor, which is my dad's garage,
19:24
and, is everything kind of gets born from there.
19:28
And with the jewelries, I start with stones and,
19:32
occasionally I have custom projects,
19:34
the scrap metal sculptures and all that are kind of hard, though,
19:39
because the, the junkyards where I get
19:41
all these awesome parts and they're just lousy people.
19:45
They don't keep all the same stuff there
19:47
all the time for me to go back and buy more. So.
19:50
So you can't fall in love with one particular thing?
19:53
No, no, I had a I had a place in Anderson that wanted one of my dragons,
19:57
a specific one. I'd made.
19:59
And, the body itself, it's one that are on undulating
20:03
kind of Chinese style dragons and was made out of Mitsubishi
20:07
alternator parts, and that factory closed up, which is the reason
20:11
I found them at the junkyard, so I couldn't make them one.
20:14
Unfortunately.
20:16
I guess that pushes you to,
20:18
new territory every time you make something.
20:23
Oh, absolutely.
20:24
You. I call it art ADD.
20:26
You're constantly wanting to try new things and learn new,
20:29
you know, techniques and tools and
20:32
and of course, the art world is constantly,
20:35
especially jewelry coming up with new types of tools
20:38
and chemicals and all kinds of different stuff.
20:41
So you're never, ever get bored unless you start doing, like, production.
20:45
Which I don't like doing.
20:47
If I have to make three
20:48
of the same necklaces with different colored stones for Christmas for people,
20:51
I get bored by the second one, but I get them done.
20:54
And, I'm just trying to add on, you know, new steps to my skills.
20:59
And the more you know, the easier it is to design crazy stuff.
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Because if you don't know many different procedures
21:07
and techniques, you can't do that crazy stuff on top of it.
21:11
And like, I don't know, I'm babbling.
21:13
No, you're not the thing in your head or the thing you're drawing, right?
21:16
Right.
21:17
It's totally easier to do once you have another tool in your tool belt.
21:21
Yeah.
21:21
Because when I first started, you know, after my accident,
21:24
when I got home, I couldn't make a whole lot.
21:27
I designed some really neat looking stuff, I thought.
21:30
But I'd get ready to go to make them and sit down and cut out parts,
21:33
and I'm like, oh, crap, that's just going to melt.
21:37
Okay, probably something different, though. So,
21:41
I can understand it.
21:42
I think, you're not alone when you talk about not enjoying, like, production
21:47
and making the same thing over and over, you know, you kind of express it.
21:51
And then there it's it's in the world.
21:52
And then you want to make something else.
21:54
Yeah.
21:55
And and I really I love the idea of being able
21:59
to go out and getting something bespoke that no one else has.
22:03
I, when I do classes, most of the stones I buy are all hand-cut.
22:08
They're not calibrated and they're all different kinds.
22:10
So I've got a table full of different gemstones and everybody, it's
22:16
the subject of our class for that Sunday or whatever
22:19
will be a picture of was a ring or whatever I've made.
22:22
But I don't want them to make that ring.
22:24
I just want them to do the same procedures and come up with their own designs.
22:28
So a lot of my classes, it doesn't even look like
22:30
they're all the same class, which is what I love, because then
22:33
they've got their one of a kind made by them, you know, ring.
22:37
They can show off.
22:37
So yeah, you've given them like an inspiration point and tools
22:42
and then what comes from them comes from them.
22:45
Exactly I love that.
22:47
Well okay. So metal lasts a long time.
22:50
Have you thought about it in terms of like your legacy in making?
22:54
Yeah, I. In a way, kind of.
22:57
Yeah.
22:57
Because my husband, I never had kids and he's the youngest of 11.
23:01
Why would we want any anymore?
23:02
So, it is kind of theme you every.
23:06
I think every human being wants to leave something of themselves behind.
23:10
And mine's not going to be offspring that way.
23:13
But I've got sculptures now that will last for decades, you know, out in the open.
23:19
And, it's kind of fun.
23:21
We put little plaques on them to say who they were for
23:24
and who made them, and all, but, I don't know.
23:28
I just that's fun.
23:30
That's very cool.
23:32
Well, now.
23:32
Is there some place that - you named a couple of things we can see, but
23:36
are there other places we can see your art
23:39
in Pendleton, in the surrounding area?
23:41
Well, inside the gallery, if I have a piece in a show,
23:44
we have a new show every first Friday starts at 630.
23:48
Our Pendleton Artist Society,
23:51
we founded ourselves in ‘13.
23:54
And we've been going ever since and we own our own building.
23:57
We paid it off outright from doing volunteer work and sales and classes,
24:01
and I'm really proud of our little thing, because it doesn't happen
24:04
very often like that.
24:05
And, but we'll have stuff there.
24:08
And I'm trying to get ready the farmers market that I'm in every year
24:12
starts the first Saturday in May, and I'm not I'm not ready, but I'm here.
24:18
Will you be ready by then?
24:21
Know it.
24:21
I'll be getting ready all day long while I'm selling stuff, so.
24:25
Hey, that totally works.
24:27
Yeah.
24:28
Oh, but most of the time it's on the internet.
24:31
I had a website and everything for a long time,
24:33
but I was paying a lot of money and spending a lot of time posting stuff
24:38
and having it hosted and then selling something at Farmer's Market on Friday
24:42
and forgetting to take out of the website before it gets sold on the website.
24:46
So I quit that.
24:47
So that's why they call me to come over and look.
24:51
Or they can come to the farmer's market all the way till October.
24:54
And then there's a heritage fair in Pendleton,
24:57
which is Friday and Saturday after Labor Day every year.
25:00
And it's huge.
25:02
Tracy Davidson is a metal artist, and you can see her work
25:06
around east central Indiana and at Gallery 119 in Pendleton.
25:11
I, really have appreciated speaking with you.
25:15
And thank you.
25:28
You're listening to Pop of Culture, which is good
25:31
because we have an intentional listening opportunity for you right now.
25:36
Every month during first Thursday in downtown Muncie,
25:39
visitors can catch the Songwriter Sessions.
25:42
It's a showcase of local talent
25:44
where songwriters get to share the meaning behind their words.
25:48
We're going to bring you two artists now in a segment we call
25:51
Story Behind the Song.
25:53
This was recorded live exclusively for Pop of Culture earlier this year.
25:59
Okay,
26:00
so I'm Laura Switzer, I'm from Terre Haute, Indiana.
26:03
I've been writing since I was little, but I'm just now starting
26:07
to get my name out there, share my music.
26:10
So thank you guys for listening.
26:11
This next song
26:12
I'm about to play is actually the first song I released on everything,
26:16
because I was able to record it at school before I graduated,
26:19
so I wrote this song over the course of a couple years.
26:25
After a pretty big breakup with somebody
26:27
I thought I was going to be with for a very long time.
26:30
And it's just about coming to terms with who
26:33
you are after that relationship and rediscovering who you are.
26:37
And I found out that when I was alone,
26:40
I actually really kind of dig who I am is kind of cool.
26:44
So that's what this song is about.
26:49
Thank you.
27:04
I forgot who I was.
27:08
Looking through your lens,
27:10
lying in a pile of dust.
27:14
Woke up in a kingdom
27:18
I rule all on my own.
27:21
Built upon dreams and hope.
27:24
Glittering rays of constant sun.
27:31
Maybe I don't need the one.
27:35
I can do it all on my own.
27:41
Rekindling the girl I know.
27:45
Despite the journey and the mess.
27:50
All I
27:51
did was my best.
27:55
It's never entirely.
27:58
Perfect.
28:01
But it's entirely worth it.
28:05
(hm) (hm).
28:16
I'm a jewel toned kind of girl.
28:20
Heart of gold and head full of curls.
28:26
Phoebe boo-face muse, a sitcom.
28:32
Very clean.
28:33
I have a friend crush on you.
28:37
A wilting flower that somehow grows (hmm)
28:43
even through dark I glow manifestations
28:50
in my sleep.
28:53
All I ever really needed was me.
28:58
Despite the journey and the mess,
29:03
all I did was my best.
29:08
It's never entirely perfect,
29:13
but it's entirely worth it.
29:18
Despite the pain and all the guilt,
29:23
I'm still that girl under my quilt.
29:29
I think that she would be proud
29:34
of the life that I pave
29:37
now forget it all.
29:41
Hold me I'll be my own trophy
29:45
I don't need anyone to tell me how I shine.
29:50
I've brushed it all off.
29:52
Then no nails in my coffin.
29:56
And if I ever slip up, I'll be fine.
30:04
Despite the
30:05
journey and the mess.
30:09
All I did was my best.
30:15
It's never entirely perfect,
30:20
but it's entirely worth it.
30:25
Despite the pain and all the guilt,
30:30
I'm still that girl under my quilt.
30:35
I think that she would be proud
30:41
of the path that I pave now you
30:48
entirely perfect.
30:57
If I ever slip up,
31:00
I'll be fine.
31:06
(Yeah.)
31:08
Thank you so much.
31:11
I can't
31:12
thank you.
31:15
Oh. You're all are sweet.
31:19
That was Laura Switzer with her original song,
31:22
“Entirely Perfect.” Okay, so my name is Cari Cambridge.
31:27
I'm from Alexandria,
31:30
and, this is my newest song.
31:33
I, it's, inspired
31:39
by going through the same thing many times and just saying what lesson?
31:45
What lesson am I not learning?
31:46
Why do I have to keep facing this?
31:49
And for me personally, that was cancer.
31:53
My mom passed away when she was 47 from cancer, and then my daughter was born
31:58
with cancer and then my father just died, Father's Day this year of cancer.
32:05
So when he was diagnosed, I said, what's the lesson?
32:07
I'm not learning.
32:09
But it's also more
32:10
of that because being a cancer mom,
32:13
a term I never wanted to say, let alone be
32:18
everyone's like, you're my hero, you're so strong.
32:22
And it just got to me some days where I'm like, I'm, I'm not.
32:28
I want to be weak.
32:29
And so I tie entitled there's Nobody's Hero.
32:32
So it just touches on both of those.
32:43
It's just a day on the calendar.
32:50
It's just a.
32:50
Day I'd like to forget.
32:56
It's just a day.
32:58
On the calendar.
33:01
Oh, why.
33:03
Does it bring so much.
33:05
Pain with it?
33:10
I never thought I'd be here again.
33:17
I never thought I'd be here at all.
33:24
How much can one heart take?
33:31
How much can one heart break?
33:36
What's the lesson?
33:37
I'm not learning.
33:39
Why am I hurting? Facing this burden.
33:43
Again?
33:46
Again?
33:49
What's the. Lesson? I'm not learning.
33:52
Why am I hurting, facing this burden again?
33:59
Again?
34:02
No, no.
34:11
I'm nobody's hero.
34:14
I never claim to be.
34:17
I'm nobody's hero.
34:21
Take that off of me.
34:23
I’m nobody’s hero.
34:27
Are you listening?
34:34
Are you listening?
34:43
Your words.
34:45
And phrases.
34:50
Started out soft.
34:52
Became abrasive. Yes.
34:57
I was given more than I can
35:00
handle. Yes.
35:04
The door slams shut and the window never opened.
35:09
Yes. You say I”m strong.
35:14
You couldn't be more wrong.
35:17
I didn't have a choice.
35:25
What's the lesson?
35:27
I'm not learning.
35:28
Why am I hurting?
35:30
Facing this burden?
35:35
Again.
35:36
Again. What's the lesson?
35:39
I'm not learning.
35:41
Why am I her.
35:43
Facing this burden.
35:45
Again?
35:48
Again?
35:51
No. Oh!
36:00
I'm nobody's hero.
36:03
I never claim to be.
36:06
I'm nobody's hero.
36:09
Take that off of me.
36:12
I'm. Nobody's hero.
36:16
Are you listening?
36:23
Are you listening?
36:31
What can.
36:32
I do? What do you need?
36:35
What do you need?
36:36
What can I do? What can I do?
36:40
What do you need?
36:46
Let me be weak.
36:50
Let me be weak.
36:53
Let me fall at your feet.
36:56
That's what I need.
37:00
Let me be weak.
37:09
It's just a day on the calendar.
37:16
It's just a day I'd like to forget.
37:23
(hm) Thank you.
37:31
You are now hearing another local artist,
37:33
Foxxy, accompanied by Cari Cambridge.
37:53
Love travels the road.
37:56
You could think of.
37:59
But my mind.
38:01
Still not sure.
38:02
Where to go.
38:06
And I've tried
38:08
every brand of make up .
38:13
To Hide the.
38:14
Bruises before the Show
38:18
how I'm gonna be
38:25
okay.
38:30
I gonna
38:34
see the light of day.
38:43
I know,
38:44
I know, I know I get quiet,
38:48
can’t speak, get scared.
38:50
So I hide behind my hoodie. And,
38:56
I know you can't see
39:00
what's going on with me.
39:10
I'm gonna be okay.
39:22
I'm gonna see the light of day.
39:31
ooo, some people they don't recognize.
39:34
I'm broken.
39:36
Smile.
39:38
You keep picking.
39:40
Up and go on the road for a while.
39:45
Don't be scared, darling.
39:48
don't you know.
39:49
It’s all part of the show.. So.
40:02
I’m gonna be okay.
40:13
I'm gonna see the light of day. And.
40:32
And I don't need
40:33
no make up to cover up these scars.
40:36
I keep picking up, picking up.
40:40
Back to where you are.
40:42
I don't need.
40:45
I don't need no make up for these scars,
40:50
I just keep picking up back
40:53
to where you are.
41:00
Gonna be okay.
41:05
I'll be,
41:11
Who? I'm gonna see the light of day..
41:20
The light of day..
41:29
And I,
41:32
I I'm gonna be.
41:39
Okay.
41:40
Yeah.
41:42
No, I. I
41:48
I I'm.
41:50
Gonna see the.
41:50
Light of day if I have it
41:54
my way.
41:59
Have it my way.
42:05
And I'd (jazz
42:08
notes), (jazz notes).
42:15
(jazz notes),
42:19
(jazz notes) (jazz
42:25
notes), (jazz
42:29
notes).
42:34
(When
42:35
did you write that?) I just made that up right now.
42:38
Okay, okay.
42:40
Did you catch that?
42:41
That she wrote that right now.
42:44
Like it was just off the cuff. Yeah.
42:47
And, you know, before she started, she was like, I said, what are you doing?
42:52
She's like, I just wrote it.
42:53
And I'm like.
42:54
Okay, I will follow you.
42:57
Foxxy and Cari recorded live for Pop of Culture.
43:01
Story Behind the Song comes from the Songwriter Sessions
43:04
created by the Fierce and produced by Josh Eisenhardt.
43:08
Full disclosure I'm a member of The Fierce and the host of the sessions.
43:16
This week for What Are You Working On?
43:19
Our co-host Maya Doss sits down with an actor
43:22
you might recognize from the stage.
43:25
My name is Maya Doss, and today on WAYWO, I am having Zeus Curry in the hot seat.
43:31
Zeus is a musical theater enthusiast, actor, performer,
43:35
singer, you name it, and he's a security guard.
43:39
How are you. Doing?
43:40
Howdy. Howdy, everybody. How's it going?
43:43
I'm good, I'm good.
43:44
How are you?
43:45
I'm great.
43:45
And I'm happy to have you here.
43:47
So, Zeus, what are you working on?
43:50
I'm currently working on Frozen auditions.
43:52
Just finished working on Groundhog Day with a wonderful, cast and crew.
43:57
Fantastic production.
43:59
But, yeah, I'm currently working on Frozen.
44:02
At Muncie Civic.
44:03
What part are you hoping for? Kristoff.
44:06
And then I'm also auditioning for Olaf and, Oaken as well.
44:11
What do you like about certain characters when you aspire to play them?
44:15
I like the depth that certain characters
44:18
go to such as Judas, such as Shrek.
44:22
I can identify with certain aspects of the roles,
44:26
certain character traits that they share, you know,
44:32
of aspects of my life, like certain tragedies they may have gone through
44:37
certain thoughts that we might have had, you know.
44:41
Like when I was Shrek, maybe, maybe when he was confused,
44:46
when Fiona was talking about herself
44:49
and he thought it was directed towards him,
44:51
he was dealing with self-doubt, something that we're all dealing with.
44:55
You know, in certain times of our lives,
44:58
certain connection points, with in all characters.
45:02
So when you were working on Groundhog Day, tell us a little bit about that.
45:06
Well, I was Ralph, which was a very fun character.
45:10
Ralph was one of the the town drunks. Oh.
45:16
And he was one of the characters
45:18
that helped the lead realize that this is a repeating cycle
45:22
and nobody really cares what you do, really, except for you.
45:26
And I took that kind of role a little bit more literal than everybody else,
45:31
because I was one of the only
45:33
one of the town drunks that kind of stayed throughout all of the scenes.
45:36
And so in my repeating role, there was another character,
45:40
old man Jensen, who I made a personal connection with.
45:45
And so I would make this connection with old man Jensen constantly.
45:49
And there's a scene when he dies,
45:53
and in that death,
45:56
I would make it known that I was the only one who recognized it,
46:00
because nobody else seemed to really notice them besides me and Phil.
46:04
But I would make that constant change because my flask,
46:09
something that I would use all the time as a constant prop in that
46:11
scene, was empty, you know, and so I make these, like, little small
46:15
connections, you know, through, through life, like missing people and what's,
46:18
what's what's this daily change, what's this daily difference.
46:22
And of the only difference, you can make sometimes in life is in yourself,
46:26
you know.
46:26
And we said backstage that every time old man Jensen would talk to,
46:30
Phil, he's say, “change, mister?”.
46:32
And he was really telling and he was really telling him to change.
46:36
I see,
46:38
so Ralph had a story of getting sober through grief and
46:42
that's a very impactful role that I think like you were saying, you you enjoy
46:46
empathizing with the character and the way you relate it to yourself.
46:50
Other people do that as well.
46:52
So what was your favorite role to play?
46:55
Judas, Judas and Shrek.
46:57
They share a very loving space in my heart.
47:01
Judas was a dream role.
47:03
First time I ever saw Jesus Christ Superstar, Carl Anderson was I was like,
47:09
man, I, I could only ever dream to be half as good as that man.
47:14
Like, I aspire to do everything
47:18
and anything, as a quarter as good as he did.
47:21
And, Shrek was just like being.
47:23
I'm six foot seven for people who don't know me.
47:26
And if you see me, he's like, wow, he's huge.
47:29
Hence the security guard.
47:32
And so I, I really connected
47:35
with like his instant, like, whoa, he's off putting.
47:39
And I don't mean most people don't understand.
47:41
Like, I'm really a nice guy.
47:43
I do have layers, you know, and they don't understand.
47:47
I'm really a gentle giant, you know?
47:48
And, I can attest to this.
47:53
It was, it was a role I could really understand
47:56
and and felt a true connection in.
48:00
And vibed with, if you will.
48:01
What do you feel like you, as an actor and a performer,
48:04
bring to this community theater that really gives a,
48:09
you know, how the way you empathize with these other performers,
48:11
how do you feel like you are that in the community?
48:15
When I was a kid,
48:17
I grew up seeing actors and performers that didn't look like me, you know?
48:22
And, it made me feel like I could do those things, too, you know?
48:27
And so
48:29
representation is
48:31
a very, very important thing for all people.
48:34
Seeing that
48:36
something as attainable
48:38
in all aspects and cultures,
48:41
I feel that it connects us all,
48:44
especially in a world that's feels so divided.
48:47
We need to come together, especially in the arts, you know?
48:50
Absolutely.
48:51
One of my favorite shows, One Piece, it
48:54
it truly teaches that in, in very real ways.
48:58
And that's my, my favorite part about that show,
49:03
the cultural diversity and even the inclusiveness as well.
49:08
Because when a kid or even a teenager or even adults sees
49:13
someone that looks like them on TV
49:17
or, or even on the internet and says and sees that they're like, man,
49:21
I can do that one day, you know, I can be like that person.
49:25
And and it's a huge impact on them, and it truly shows
49:30
them more rather than tells them that I can be anything that I want to be.
49:34
You know.
49:35
You are such a positive role model at Civic.
49:37
I know that you work with really everyone.
49:40
You're super involved.
49:41
And I try, I try my best, you know, I, I've been through a lot in my life, and,
49:46
you know, it's it's very important to be very forward in making sure
49:53
that people have a place where they can feel safe and they can be who they are.
49:58
I've always admired that about you, that you make everyone around you feel so safe.
50:02
It's beautiful to see.
50:04
I wanted to bring you on the show because I've witnessed your talent.
50:08
When I saw you in High Fidelity.
50:10
That was a super fun role.
50:12
How long have you been involved in musical theater?
50:15
So musical theater?
50:17
I my first show was actually Oklahoma in sixth grade.
50:22
I started in sixth. Grade, too.
50:24
I haven't done it since my senior year, but that's amazing.
50:27
So my I hadn't done a show since my senior year either,
50:31
and my first show was Shrek and I was Shrek.
50:33
So like, don't ever be discouraged to come back out and do anything.
50:37
You know, where.
50:38
No matter where it is when, no matter where life takes you, it's always for me.
50:42
Very therapeutic to do, to do a show.
50:46
It and I
50:48
truly started on a stage when I was even younger.
50:52
My grandmother has, like a little fireplace.
50:55
It's like my grandmother.
50:56
My grandfather built this house from my grandmother.
50:59
And, it has this, like, little platform that we all used to perform on.
51:03
And so whether it be me playing guitar, whether it be like coming up with jokes
51:08
or like little stuff or like little skits with me and my cousins, I, I,
51:13
I really like fell into it, you know.
51:17
One of my friends, Stephen, that was really one who pushed me to be in Shrek.
51:20
And I'm very grateful for that.
51:22
And, because I found my home at Muncie Civic.
51:25
Well, I've really appreciated having you on the show today, Zeus.
51:28
Thank you for having me.
51:30
And I can't wait to see you in a future production at Muncie Civic.
51:34
Absolutely. Thank you so much.
51:37
It's time for the arts calendar, Jen.
51:39
(Yay! )We're off.
51:41
Opening this weekend at the new Contemporary Art Museum
51:44
of Indianapolis, or CAMI, is the Speedway's Attic by Wil Higgins,
51:49
which explores the lesser known stories surrounding the Indianapolis
51:53
Motor Speedway.
51:54
Drawing from newspaper archives, oral histories and overlooked accounts,
51:58
Higgins brings these stories to life through
52:00
objects, photographs, illustration and text.
52:04
More info at Cam indy.org.
52:08
Great timing for that one, huh?
52:10
Gee, I wonder if it was planned that way?
52:14
The Youth Symphony Orchestra will have its spring concert at 3 p.m.
52:18
Sunday, May 3rd at Sursa Performance Hall.
52:22
This concert will feature the Suzuki class for five and six year olds.
52:26
It's a it's adorable.
52:28
It really is The Prelude Orchestra. Overture.
52:31
Strings.
52:31
The Intermezzo Orchestra and the Youth Symphony Orchestra.
52:35
My kids used to participate in that, and I loved this concert every time.
52:39
It’s so cute.
52:40
It was great.
52:41
Friday, May 1st is first Friday in Anderson.
52:44
Check out all the new art downtown and meet
52:47
A Town guest artist, Ray Parker.
52:51
The new Artist Alley artwork will be unveiled at 5 p.m..
52:55
Pendleton will also have a First Friday event on May 1st.
52:59
The Pendleton Artist Society will host exhibits at Gallery 119
53:03
and Gallery on Fall Creek from 6 to 8 p.m..
53:07
Lots of art.
53:09
Night Fever, described as the most authentic tribute to the Bee
53:13
Gees in the world,
53:14
will perform at Richmond's Civic Hall Performing Arts Center at 7 p.m.
53:19
Saturday, May 2nd.
53:21
And Rumors, the ultimate Fleetwood Mac tribute show will perform at 7:30 p.m.
53:26
Saturday, May 2nd at the Honeywell Center in Wabash.
53:30
Two complete ends of the spectrum there.
53:33
Kinda loving that.
53:35
I know, right? Yeah, yeah.
53:37
Orchestra Indiana and Marion Philharmonic Orchestra
53:41
will perform together on May 9th at Taylor University in Upland.
53:45
The concert, titled In Search of Destiny, will take the audience on a soul stirring
53:50
journey with music that weaves together visions of fate, hope and human striving.
53:55
The concert will feature guest artist Doctor Laura Lee Songer,
53:59
an accomplished mezzo soprano, conductor and celebrated recital host.
54:04
Orchestra.
54:04
Indiana.com is a place to go. For more info.
54:07
And you can go to Indiana Public Radio .org slash contact, then click
54:12
Pop of Culture, to tell us about your upcoming arts and culture events.
54:32
Support for Pop of
54:33
Culture comes from Stallings Wealth Management and from you.
54:38
You may have heard about large gifts to NPR.
54:40
Those donations are important, but they don't bring back the funding to IPR.
54:45
Your support pays for the programs you rely on, especially local programs
54:50
like this one and the people like me who create them.
54:54
Pop of Culture exists for you and because of you.
54:59
Give today at Indiana Public Radio.org.
55:03
And that's our show.
55:04
Our fact checker and ethics curator is Stephanie Wiechmann.
55:09
This week was produced by Luke Jones,
55:11
who thought we were doing a completely different type of fencing.
55:15
So his backyard is still wide open.
55:18
This week was produced by Luke Jones, who thought it was a different kind of
55:22
fencing, and now the other wall is covered with some really expensive art.
55:28
We had production assistance from Andrew Montavon.
55:31
Our audio fellow is Maya Doss.
55:34
Our show is hosted by me, Jen Blackmer.
55:36
And me, Michelle Kinsey.
55:38
Pop of Culture is a production from IPR on
55:41
the campus of Ball State University.
55:46
Sorry, I must say that again.
55:48
We are speaking with Tracy Davidson, an Indiana artist
55:51
who works with metals.
55:56
Was that you?
55:56
That was me. I'm so sorry.
55:59
I turned it all the way off, but clearly it's not.
56:01
Hold on. Sorry.
56:05
Well, I don't have to ask if this is live or not.
56:09
I guess we've proven that over and over again.