Am I In The Wrong?

Joined a volunteer program and I hate the instructor... Am I out of line or is this guy just a dick?

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

What is going on, ladies and gentlemen? How y'all doing today? Or this year? It has been well over 12 months since my last uh YouTube video or podcast or anything like that. I totally kind of dismissed social media. It was just eating my goddamn brain. And I just kind of decided that I'm gonna be very selective of what I do want to put online. And lucky for you, I got something to rant about today. And now, mind you, there's been a lot of shit that's happened to me since you know I've kind of uh kept you guys up to speed. Uh, I might get into that later on down the road, but this is real fresh on the top of my fucking dome, and I just gotta talk about this. So, just a quick, quick recap here. I moved into an apartment, I've started my own small little acting studio. I've been doing acting for the most part full-time. What I mean by that is like I'm just I've made myself completely available to my agent in any kind of projects that come up. And so living in this new neighborhood, uh, I love it. I'm just outside of Vancouver, and it's just this incredibly diverse uh community. It's got so many cool little options, lots of activities. Um, the demographic is all over the place. And I was thinking to myself, you know, I love this spot so goddamn much that I really want to start giving back. Especially, you know, with some of my time off, I'd really like to use my time to, you know, contribute to this community that I've now kind of integrated into. And so I signed up to be a volunteer. Now that's what this video is gonna be about, is this volunteer shit that I was doing. And by all means, if anybody is a volunteer that's listening to this, please let me know if this is out of line or if this is kind of a strange kind of behavior or what, because this is a whole new bag for me, and I'm not sure. Like, I just I'll get to it. I'll fucking get to it. So there's so many like youth groups where whether it's like multimedia, uh, art groups, music groups, tons of cool stuff that I think that I could at least add something to uh with my experience, whether it's been with film or music, or um just kind of you know helping kids and just helping people that might, you know, need an extra hand, as well as the instructors. So I signed up for a number of these volunteer opportunities, and yesterday I was part of a music um course, I don't know what the hell you'd call it, course, I guess. And it was like young kids, you know. And this is the first time I've met the instructor, the first time I've uh met these students. So I show up, I show up early, I always do. Stupidly fucking punctual man, right here. I am stupidly punctual, so I'm always early for anything. And I meet the professor or the instructor, let's not get ahead of ourselves here. This is an instructor, no fucking professor. And so we're talking, you know, I'm trying to get to know him, trying to understand what the curriculum is and what he's got in mind for the day, and the, you know, uh what kind of activities he had planned for his students. And we're, you know, we're shooting the shit. And I told him, I said, you know, I'm, you know, a professional musician. I've I've done a lot of touring, I've released records and music videos and done a lot of shows. And I asked him, I was like, so you know, what's your experience? Fucking guy says nothing. He's I'm like, what do you mean, nothing? I'm like, do you play like piano or like trumpet or fucking, I don't know, the triangle? And he's like, no, I don't play anything. I'm thinking, okay, maybe that's why they needed uh an assistant, you know, somebody that actually knew what the fuck they were talking about. And I it just was it kind of rubbed me the wrong way that this guy's got an actual fucking job. He's getting paid for this, and he's got zero musical background. So it starts off, and I mean, these days, you know, uh sad to say that you know, musicianship is going down. A lot of people are using, you know, their either their laptops or keyboards or you know, a lot of these digital um ways of making music. And I get it, we're we're kind of evolving in that direction. Um and it's not really something I'm super familiar with, so I was like, you know, maybe this guy could teach me a thing or two. And I will say, I will say, before I, you know get to the point of this, he did know his shit, you know, and especially for the age range, I think it was like 7 to 11 or something, maybe 8 to 11 or something like that. And he had a pretty good uh plan for the day. He was talking about harmony, melody, and rhythm. And that was the main kind of thing, is just explaining the differences, and he he had some cool examples. And and I gotta say, like, as dumb as the fucking guy was, as far as his experience was concerned, uh, it was a pretty interesting uh lesson that he had for the kids, and I thought it was pretty engaging uh for the most part, but there was one kid that Jesus Christ just couldn't fucking shut up. Fuck. Here we go again, man. This is why I got off of fucking social media, because I I mean I I'm gonna get canceled like before I don't really care. Cancel. This one kid was just a little fucking brat, little shit. Like I just and I knew, like, I didn't meet his parents, but I'm going through like the filing cabinet I call a brain, and I was like, I bet you that one fucking snobby bitch is his mom. Sure as shit it was. Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself. Um so anyway, you know, I'm sitting there, I don't know what to do. And and again, if there's anybody that has volunteered, please kind of tell me what the boundaries and rules are. Uh, because I don't know. I wasn't sure if he wanted me to stand up beside him and kind of help guide the class. I didn't I wasn't sure if he just wanted me to fucking put pencils and chairs away. I didn't know. Nothing was really, you know, explained to me what my job was or what, you know, kind of help he was looking for. So I'm just sitting there with the kids and we're going through melody, uh harmony, and then we get to rhythm. And uh he he had an example for each one of these categories. I mean, for uh melody, he had um Jimi Hendrix playing the Star Spangled Banner. Um, and the reason he did that was to show that you can use like traditional notes and you can change them while still creating like a very iconic song, which I thought was pretty valid. The next one was uh some Quebec um kind of like 80s synth band, and that was fine, you know. But then we got to the rhythm section, and it was uh Lauren Hill, who's a famous 90s rap artist. I I don't know where she's from. I'm actually not really familiar with her work, uh, but he gave this example of Lauren Hill, and he was explaining that there was harmony, melody, and rhythm, because this was the first song that we had with uh a drum uh machine or you know, a percussionist. And he's going through, and like none of the kids are asking questions, but I figured, you know, as somebody who's done this shit, and I'm not saying I'm a pro at all, please. Like trust me, like I am far from like a professional musician. Um, I've got a short amount of skills and I use them well, and that's pretty much it. But I do know some stuff, and I mean I've been there, I've lived it, and I've uh gone through the motions as a musician, and I've worked with extremely talented musicians in my past. So uh I've always been schooled by all those guys, and I've always remembered a lot of what they taught me and what they told me. So we're talking about Lauren Hill, and I asked him, I was like, hey, do you mind if I add something to uh you know what you're you're talking about? And he looked at me and he was like, sure. Rolls his eyes, and I'm thinking, fuck you. You know, like what the fuck, man? I'm just like they're kids. This isn't like a like a university course where I'm gonna fuck these kids' minds up. And I just said, and it's a valid fucking point, I just said the cool thing about this hip-hop song was she was using her voice as a rhythmic section as well. So sure, you had your 4-4 drum beat, but her vocal delivery also had a really cool rhythmic and percussion uh style to it that added to that rhythm. And that's one of the things that I've really enjoyed about hip-hop is it's very percussive. And I and I love the fucking drums. And and I love that there's so many different layers of percussion and rhythm within hip-hop. And trust me, I'm no like I'm no historian when it comes to this shit, but I when I hear it, I know what I'm listening to. And and the kids all acknowledge that. They were like, oh yeah, good point, because that's how she was using her voice. Anyway, we go through the class, and everything's fine, other than that little bastard. Um all the kids were, you know, for the most part, very well behaved and they understood the assignment, and they all had to kind of create a song out of sounds using these three different things, whether it was from their using their voice or banging on a trash can, or uh, and and it was a really cool exercise. I'll give them that. I'll give the instructor that. Anyway, so you know, the kids uh you know, the the the class wraps up and all their parents come and drag them away, and um I'm I'm helping cleaning up, putting the the chairs away and shit while he's oh by the fucking way, before I get to the punchline of this. Buddy had those if you're not a music like mus musically inclined, there's these like external audio microphones, they're called like a zoom, and basically it's for like interviews and things like that. This fucking moron was plugging the headphone jack in the mic jack, and he was like, Well, I guess it's broken. And I was like, dude, you're plugging it in the wrong fucking jack. I didn't swear, but I it was just this was at the top of the class, too. I was just like, this is the guy that's gonna be teaching these kids this anyway. And I might be exaggerating as how, but uh it struck a fucking chord with me what happened next. And so the kids all fuck off. The kids all fuck off, and he pulls me aside, and he's like, uh, yeah, um, good work today. Um, but I gotta tell you, um, I really didn't like when you uh butted in and said that thing about Lauren Hill. And I was like, oh, um, why? And he's like, I don't want to uh confuse the children of who the instructor is. And I was like, oh, I mean, I I I'm not stepping on your toes, dude. I'm sitting down, you're the one standing up. I'm just adding. And he was like, no, I that's not your job description. And then he gave an example. He was like, if I were to hire you to be a cashier and then you started working the fryer, you would be going beyond your job description. I'm just sitting there dumbfounded, and I'm sure that like I'm white as fucking I'm white as you know, fucking printing paper. My face must have been beat fucking red. I was trying so hard not to like fucking attack this guy. Like, and that's one thing I I cannot do even as an actor. Like, if I'm pissed off, you know it. And it's it's not a good quality. I wish I could hide it, um, but I can't. It's just one of those things that if something fucking strikes me, it just I I kind of seize up and I'm and I've tried a process how to deal with it. Um, so I don't, you know, and especially this, because I mean it was a five-week um commitment. So I mean, he's stuck with me and I'm stuck with him. And uh so he gives me this fucking cashier fryer example, and I'm like, okay, um, so do you want me to pretend that I have zero knowledge of music? And he's like, yeah, yeah. I think that would be the best. I've never been so like fucking insulted and like belittled. And like, again, my career in music and my, you know, uh, you know, the years that I put into this, I'm not putting that on the table. I'm no better than him, and I don't mean to come across as like, you know, fuck you, you don't know anything. I should be the one. I'm not saying that at all. All I'm saying is, is like, fuck you, dude. Like, I'm here to help you. And and not just that, but like the kids understood what I meant. They they understood that that was a separate element of percussion and rhythm. And and that was all I said. I didn't like continue and stand up and push them to the side and be like, all right, kids, let's get out the fucking bongos, you know, and start rapping over. No, I was just being like just adding to, you know, his his uh assignment or or what he was taught. Dude, I was uh and and for him to say, yeah, yeah, I think it would be best that you, you know, pretend that you have no experience in music, I was just like, fuck, fuck you. Fuck you, you, you, you fragile, egoed piece of shit. You know, and I don't know what his deal was. Maybe he was a little threatened by the fact that I have like a an ex like a long, extensive uh uh uh experience with music, and maybe he thought, oh, you know, who's this guy think he is? And which again, trust me, I am not exaggerating the fact that I really put myself in the back. Like I really did not intervene, interfere. That was the only fucking thing I said. And this guy had the balls, like he was sitting on this, stewing on it the entire fucking lesson. This was only about 20 minutes in the class when I said this. It's an hour and 45 minutes um lesson. So this bitch was fucking stewing on this the entire class, and I just said, fine. Fine. You know what? I'll just put the fucking chairs away and I'll put out pencils and I'll change fucking batteries. And he was like, Yeah, I think that would be best. I just like, now is this normal for like, am I out of line for being this pissed off? Like, I again, this is the very first time that I have ever done any kind of like volunteer work where um you know I'm helping someone else, and I get that. It's not my job. I'm not getting paid for this. This is however, he has to also understand that I'm taking fucking, you know, I had to get there, I had to get home, I took, you know, the hour and 45 minutes. Uh no, it was well more than that because I got there early and I stayed late. So it's like two and a half hours of my fucking time to help you, who you're getting paid, so you can look good and so you can, you know, potentially get more kids signing up for your fucking shitty ass course. Am I out of line? What do you guys think? Like, again, like if somebody has worked, because again, if if I was out of line for, you know, adding to his uh lesson, well then I won't do that for any of the other uh things that I'd signed up for. I've signed up for a stop motion animation uh class. Uh there's 3D printing, there's tons of cool opportunities that I just want to be a part of, not just for my own knowledge, but I do know that like there is a big lack of people that want to help out. And that's what I want to do is I want to help these um instructors and kids. You know, it's it's it's a handful, especially when you got little bastards running around like that fucking Anthony kid. Like, so I don't know, and and it stuck with me. I was fucking furious. But I cut I I you know I kept my cool. And that's one thing that I am proud of myself about because sometimes, depending on my mood, I could have been like, well, go fuck yourself and do it yourself, you know. Um, but I just said, you know what? Fine. I said to myself, you're the instructor, I'll do what you want, I'll stick to the cashier position that you like what a you know, demeaning, belittling way of putting it, too. You know, nothing against people that cashier and and uh work the fryer at all. It's nothing to do with that. It has everything to do that, you know, you're just dismissing my knowledge that I could potentially add to your call the to your course. And maybe I shouldn't have said anything, but I don't know, it was my first fucking day there. I'd been there for 25 minutes, 30 minutes tops. So, and I mean this is yesterday and I'm still stewing. So I'm gonna go get some whiskey and uh try and like uh luckily I don't see this guy all the time, it's only once a week, and I really hope that he you know uh drops that fucking ego and uh and and his this fractured little boy syndrome because you know if he keeps on doing this, yeah, I will I will like just say you're on your own, brother. Like do it yourself. Because who wants to work with somebody who's like and their kids again, they don't fucking know anything. I mean, they're learning this shit. It's not like we're we're you know teaching this high advanced course, you know, of the elite. This is an after-school fucking tiny thing that kid the parents are just shuffling their kids off so they can have some peace and quiet before they start screaming in the house and in the back of the van. So, anyway, let me know if you think I'm out of line. I very well could be. And if I'm not, well, then you know, maybe I will look into or at least talk to the uh volunteer coordinator and just say, you know, fuck this guy. You know, fire his ass and I'll teach these kids. Wouldn't your kids prefer to fucking hang out with somebody like me? Probably not. But uh anyway, I mean, I'm smiling about it now, and that's the main thing. You gotta get over these things. And, you know, my my ego was it it just stung, you know, and that was about it. Again, I I'm not I'm not a little bitch like this guy um who's gonna stew on it too too much, but I get I just wasn't sure what my role was, and maybe it is to just stack fucking chairs and tell Anthony to shut the fuck up and you know go in the corner and uh which I will be doing because that kid's a nightmare. Nightmare. And I have a feeling I was like that when I was a kid, so if my mom's listening to this, I'm really sorry. Um, anyway, uh I hope you guys enjoyed this little video. Um, you know, I haven't done this in a long, long time. I will upload it to Spotify as well. Um, I know I'm still being charged. Just so you guys know, if you guys are listening to the podcast over uh on those streaming platforms, just know that I've been actually paying monthly to keep that up for people to continue listening to it. Uh, the moment I do take it down is the moment that it actually disappears forever. So, I mean, I could download them all and re-upload them to YouTube on under my channel. Um, but I do know that some people listen to Apple Music and Spotify and uh other uh podcast uh platforms, which Buzz Sprout does distribute to. So that being said, I hope you enjoyed the little video. Hope you enjoy this cool little setup. I can I might I might uh show my my little studio, um my acting studio, which is over here. Got a couple cool backdrops, lots of cool lights, and a new camera. So uh anyway, hope you guys are all well and let me know what you think. All the best. I'm out of here. Bye bye.