Sing A Simple Song

Norah shares all about her overnight high school choir trip to Fredonia and Buffalo, New York, including her performances (and why she had a couple of extra solos), Niagra Falls, prom dress shopping, and a review of Anchor Bar (home of the original buffalo wing).

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Question? Ideas for a future episode? Email us at norahanddadshow@gmail.com.

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Transcript

Dad 0:00

Hey, Norah,

Norah 0:01

Hello dad

Dad 0:02

what are we talking about this week?

Norah 0:03

today, we're going to talk about my weekend.

Dad 0:19

Welcome back to the Norah and Dad Show. I am as always dad, otherwise known as Jon, otherwise known as Norah's dad and I am here with, Norah. Hey Norah.

Norah 0:31

Hello, dad.

Dad 0:33

How was your weekend?

Norah 0:34

It's good.

Dad 0:36

What was your weekend?

Norah 0:38

I went to New York and Pennsylvania

Dad 0:41

And why pretail to your being so mysterious.

Norah 0:46

as part of the fun

Dad 0:47

so why did you go to New York and Pennsylvania?

Norah 0:52

I was on a choir tour.

Dad 0:54

Did everybody in the choir, attend to

Norah 0:58

oh, no, we had quite the COVID outbreak before. Like the day before the trip, we all kept negative tests before going,

Dad 1:06

How big is the.

Norah 1:07

probably like 30 people,

Dad 1:09

And how many didn't go.

Norah 1:10

probably like at least like three-fourths of it dozen.

Dad 1:15

Oh, now you're making me do math. Jesus three fourths of a dozen. Okay. If a train leaves, New York at 6:00 AM

Norah 1:24

It would be nine.

Dad 1:25

and leaves Boston at 2:00 AM going three fourths of a dozen.

Norah 1:31

See, I told you I was doing good math,

Dad 1:33

excellent.

Norah 1:34

getting ready for school tomorrow.

Dad 1:36

Nobody told me there would be math required for our podcast. Um, so nine kids ended up not going that stinks for them.

Norah 1:45

Yeah, we still had a lot of fun. So

Dad 1:49

it worked out okay for you though, because you got to perform a little more than you otherwise would have. Had you had everybody present on the.

Norah 1:59

yeah, I feel kind of bad about it.

Dad 2:01

Why did you feel bad?

Norah 2:03

Oh. Because like these two other people auditioned for solos and then they never got a chance to say.

Dad 2:09

How many songs did you guys do in your set? And two of those songs had solo.

Norah 2:14

Yes.

Dad 2:15

And so for each solo, he, he being Mr. Mott, the choir teacher gave what, three kids, the opportunity to perform the solos.

Norah 2:24

because there three concerts.

Dad 2:26

Right. So one at each concert and you had, what was the song that had your solo in it? What was the name of.

Norah 2:32

I'm going to butcher the Spanish

Dad 2:35

And it was a very, cause I heard it at the, at the upper school concert that you guys did a couple of weeks ago. Uh, it's like a very operatic. Is that a fair.

Norah 2:45

it is a very classical choir

Dad 2:47

Yeah. And you sang it beautifully. I mean, like brought, because I didn't, I'm so used to hearing you saying like

Norah 2:57

choir.

Dad 2:58

Yeah. Like rock and roll music. that I'm Not used to hearing you saying that style of music and it was like, beautiful. should we play a clip of you singing forever?

Norah 3:09

Why not?

Dad 3:43

the first time I heard you sing that it brought tears to my eyes. And so two other kids. Through the audition process, earned the right to sing that solo on your trip. And one is, I understand that one got COVID in one, just what the parents weren't comfortable with them going because of the COVID outbreak.

Norah 4:02

That's how I understand it as well. So

Dad 4:04

So To your benefit, uh, you got to perform that solo more times on the trip, more than two more times on that.

Norah 4:12

four times.

Dad 4:13

Four times on

Norah 4:14

was very, yeah, it was, it was a lot. Yeah.

Dad 4:17

Awesome. So

Norah 4:18

really shaking the first time I did it. Cause it was for this very, very prestigious, uh, choir for Donya university. And it was very scary.

Dad 4:27

yeah, so, so walk us through the trip. So you left Friday. I dropped you off at school at your normal 8:00 AM drop off on Friday

Norah 4:34

yes. And then everyone else has hit COVID test bar it at home. So I just dropped it off.

Dad 4:39

Yeah, our COVID Dolly pop was, was negative before we left for school on, Friday morning. what was your.

Norah 4:45

our first stop was for donating or.

Dad 4:49

SUNY Fredonia, which when I went to college in upstate New York, we called SUNY for Astonia because there was quite the reputation for the drugs on the Fredonia campus. and as I learned after you told me you were at Fredonia and I Googled. SUNY Fredonia and drugs. I learned they were just named one of the 10 druggist schools in America by, Buzzfeed. I think so daily beast thing, it was a daily beast. I'll drop it in there. I'll drop the list in the show notes. If people want to know what schools not to send their kids to, if you don't want them doing drugs, but

Norah 5:27

I really liked it there.

Dad 5:29

at SUNY Fredonia, still one of the tests, still one of the drug east schools in America. So there you go.

Norah 5:33

the campus is really.

Dad 5:35

So when you had your concert at school, a couple of weeks ago, an Oberlin community choir came and sang with you and you guys did that big group number at the end. Did you guys do that with the, for Donia choir as

Norah 5:46

yes, we did that piece. And then the beautiful city piece.

Dad 5:50

Okay. And so did you have time to rehearse with them during the.

Norah 5:54

we just ran those two songs for probably 30 minutes and then they left and then we rehearsed the rest of our rep and then we ate very delicious church lady food, and then we had the concert.

Dad 6:07

Did you get a, do I, did you get a college tours? Well, at Fredonia, Mr. R the college counselor, D did he, did He I knew he was supposed to, did he end up going on the trip with you?

Norah 6:16

He was going to, but then he is three little ones at home. So the COVID risk. You don't want to take that.

Dad 6:22

Ah, ha so the

Norah 6:24

like he had a baby, like less than a year ago, so.

Dad 6:26

right? He

Norah 6:27

Okay. Well, his family

Dad 6:29

Cause that would be really impressive.

Norah 6:32

now I was very upset that he ain't go.

Dad 6:34

Oh, so, but, but you did get that. You did get the college tort for Donia nice campus.

Norah 6:40

had an ice cream bar.

Dad 6:43

Well,

Norah 6:44

I know I was very impressed.

Dad 6:46

sign me up ice cream bar with college campus. You know, you go to college for reasons other than eating ice cream.

Norah 6:54

I mean, if it's an option,

Dad 6:56

Did they have a Starbucks?

Norah 6:57

they did. I actually went, we all went there. I had my gift card with me, so I got his drink.

Dad 7:03

Aha. Okay. So you tour the campus, you go to the church, you sing your stuff, your mom and I got to watch it, it was nice that it was streamed on Facebook. So we could, we could watch, um, back to the hotel right after the.

Norah 7:18

Yes, we played games. I did not play games. I was really tired.

Dad 7:23

Oh,

Norah 7:24

Um, it was like 10 o'clock by that point. And I was just,

Dad 7:28

an anti-social Norah,

Norah 7:29

took my medicine and then I got my, my roommate and I Ava, we went up to her room and we watched a hallmark movie and we fell asleep. So.

Dad 7:39

I guess the other benefit of the COVID outbreak was there were supposed to be what five girls in your room and it,

Norah 7:45

locked. Cause I had to switch my, my rooming

Dad 7:48

Yeah. And, uh, yeah. And so your room went from five to two, which makes for a much more comfortable sleeping situation. in the

Norah 7:55

yeah. Uh, there was not, there was not a pullout bed. Like I thought there was going to be,

Dad 8:00

so there would have been three, there would have been three girls in a room

Norah 8:03

no.

Dad 8:04

or three girls in a bed. I

Norah 8:05

Yeah. Or one sleeping on like the armchair.

Dad 8:09

Oh,

Norah 8:09

So

Dad 8:10

When I was in high school, I did this thing called presidential classroom, which was, I went down to Washington DC for a week long program, all about the U S government. It was awesome, but they stayed in a hotel in DC, but I just went by myself until I was in a hotel room with three complete strangers and had to share a bed with a total stranger

Norah 8:28

I did not like being in a hotel room. Adults.

Dad 8:33

really.

Norah 8:34

I just, I know that hotel rooms are really easy to break into. So even if you did bolt it, there's still ways people can get in. So

Dad 8:44

We walked in on our, roommate who did not deadbolt the door, having, um, relations with another guy. Not really, not, not, I mean, it's not fun at all, but certainly not. When you're 16, it's not fun.

Norah 8:59

Oh, I didn't know. You're 16. Okay.

Dad 9:01

I Was in high school. Yeah, it was my junior year. It was my junior year in high school. I was 16

Norah 9:06

Was

Dad 9:06

and we walked it

Norah 9:07

or is he like an adult?

Dad 9:08

no, no, he was, no, we were all high school

Norah 9:11

Okay.

Dad 9:12

No. So he was 16 or 17 and he

Norah 9:14

Um,

Dad 9:15

doing, doing his thing with some other dude from the trip. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, you did give, do what you gotta do, but you should also deadbolt the door. So when I put my key in it, I can't open it and walk in and. Having relations with the dude or lady for that matter. I don't walk, I don't want to walk in on anyone doing, doing that with anybody.

Norah 9:35

fair enough.

Dad 9:36

fair

Norah 9:36

Yeah, we do not have that issue on the trip.

Dad 9:39

X that makes, that makes your dad very happy. Very, very happy. All right. So that was Friday. Tell me about, tell me about Saturday.

Norah 9:49

We had hotel breakfast. It was, um, left a lot to be desired, but that's okay.

Dad 9:55

Was the hotel in Fredonia. I should know these things, but I don't was the hotel in Fredonia.

Norah 9:59

It was like 15 minute drive away.

Dad 10:03

Okay. All right. So hotel breakfast, and then, you, what you were supposed to perform at a hospital and that I know got canceled for some reason.

Norah 10:11

it was because of, yeah. At the, like the administration changed and then they were like, oh, sorry, we cannot have you anymore. So we

Dad 10:25

you ended up at

Norah 10:25

homicide

Dad 10:26

C you ended up at a last minute change of plans to the nursing home and you texted me the most like, lovely story. Saturday morning, after you finished at the nursing home,

Norah 10:38

I loved the nursing home. There are people who are, well, it was just, you could tell that they really enjoyed it. this one person he had said. It was like the best day of his life. a lot of our songs were like gospels and spirituals. And obviously if you're in a nursing home, you don't really get to go to church or anything through those people praying in the middle of the songs. so as you can tell, it made the people in a nursing home, very happy

Dad 11:04

that's. Completely fantastic. anything else about the nursing home that stuck out in your mind?

Norah 11:11

there feels like grandma and grandpa. So that was cool.

Dad 11:13

Well, that's, that's, that's lovely. And I think your grandparents show up in mysterious places in mysterious ways to kind of keep an eye on you.

Norah 11:21

they do like that one time at the old wind solar where that couple, just like grandpa and grandpa and had the same mannerism says

Dad 11:28

Oh, when you were performing, performing.

Norah 11:30

yeah.

Dad 11:31

Anything else about the nursing home? That's.

Norah 11:34

No, I feel like there should be something that you're asking me

Dad 11:37

No, I'm not. I'm just asking because I don't know. We didn't really talk much about your trip. I mean, you got home late last night. late Saturday you got up. Yes, Ryan, was kind enough to pick you up at school and you guys came back here. you got home after 11. Your mom was already in bed. I was, I was headed there shortly thereafter. That was late Saturday night. we woke up early this morning for early Easter. We went over to, your and Kathleen and uncle Mike's for early Easter.

Norah 12:08

It was so fun.

Dad 12:09

your out of town cousins, came in town for the weekend. And so we had, early Easter brunch this morning. at your aunt and uncles, and then you came home and you went back to bed cause you were tired. So we haven't really gotten to talk. I mean, I know you were kind of texting me on and off during your trip, but we didn't really get to talk much about it.

Norah 12:27

Yeah, I just, I wanted to keep you updated on where I was.

Dad 12:31

I appreciate that. Yeah. It saves me the hassle of tracking you on find my phone. So yeah. So after the nursing home, you guys went where.

Norah 12:42

Oh, the anchor bar.

Dad 12:43

Anchor bar. And you, of course, because you were at the anchor bar. in Buffalo, New York, the home of, and the inventor of the actual Buffalo wing. Of course you got a basket of Buffalo wings for lunch.

Norah 12:58

I didn't.

Dad 13:00

I'm so disappointed.

Norah 13:02

Okay. Well, first off. Very expensive to get a basket of wings unless you wanted a kid's meal. And that was with me three wings. So the least amount you could get was like 10 wings. And it was, I think, like 15 bucks. So

Dad 13:17

L I love one of my favorite things about you is, is how frugal you are.

Norah 13:21

I came back with more than half of the money left for

Dad 13:24

You did, so you. could have splurged on a basket of chicken wings at the anchor far.

Norah 13:31

I don't know. I also just wanted to meet both sides.

Dad 13:34

Okay.

Norah 13:34

And my friend, Ava, she let me have a wing.

Dad 13:38

And was it like it was it like the best wing you've ever eaten in your life? The one lone wing you got at the anchor

Norah 13:44

tasted like a chicken wing.

Dad 13:45

it tasted like a chicken wing.

Norah 13:48

The Buffalo sauce was really good.

Dad 13:50

is not much you can do to a wing. You kind of fry

Norah 13:53

different types of

Dad 13:54

dip it in sauce. Yeah.

Norah 13:55

also could have dessert there. I was going to get key lime pie, but then they were out of it. So I got a little piece of cheese.

Dad 14:03

Yum. And then after the anchor bar, you guys, you guys go to Niagara falls next.

Norah 14:09

well, we gotta make a little pit stop at the hotel first because

Dad 14:13

why did you have to make a little pit stop at the hotel?

Norah 14:16

I forgot my headphones.

Dad 14:19

Because you left your headphones at the hotel. I got the panicked text message Saturday morning saying that we're on the bus. And I think I left my headphones. at the hotel. What am I supposed to do? And I, what was my answer?

Norah 14:33

oh, he said, I called them and I said that Mr. Rodriguez, Mr. Martin, I was like, could I have the name of the hotel so I could call them. And they were like, well, when we get to Niagara falls, you can open your suitcase and check. But I didn't want to wait that long because it was like, what if somebody takes them? So that's why I texted you because then I would have adult.

Dad 14:50

Hotel hotel maids CA hotel maids can have sticky fingers from time to

Norah 14:55

Yeah. So I was very nervous about that. So I just, I was like, Mr. Mark, can you please call? I'm really sorry, but I'm very nervous. And like, it wasn't that it was like three minutes out of the way, I think, because we look, we took like the same highway, like everywhere. It was like this little like curve, the very top of like New York to like all the way through Pennsylvania and then to Cleveland. It wasn't out of the way we tried to get off an exit and then get back on the exit.

Dad 15:23

Yeah. So retrieved your headphones from the hotel. Um, often Agra falls, which you've seen before from the Canadian side, you guys stayed obviously on the American side this time. impressive. Still

Norah 15:34

I mean, it was water.

Dad 15:36

it was water

Norah 15:37

I saw this really cute goal. I got a picture of him.

Dad 15:39

a picture of acute C. Okay. and then back to, and then back home,

Norah 15:45

When you went to an arcade mall.

Dad 15:47

oh, you went to, Yeah, You stopped at, for, for dinner, at an arcade, right? Like bowling alley arcade kind of

Norah 15:52

I didn't do that.

Dad 15:54

Yeah. You went prom dress shopping instead.

Norah 15:56

Yeah. Well, because I want to, I knew, like I knew they had the store there and the, the winds winter, I think I don't how to say it, but that store in Strongsville, the line always like loops around the entire store to try stuff on. And I was like, no, one's going to be at this mall, like a seven. And I was right. There was like nobody there. So even I got to try on ramen.

Dad 16:16

nobody, no girls in Erie, Pennsylvania shop for prom dresses.

Norah 16:19

well, there is like a couple, but I mean, the dressing rooms were open. It was not aligned wrapping around the entire store and out the store.

Dad 16:29

Did anybody buy address?

Norah 16:31

No.

Dad 16:32

No. You just tried.

Norah 16:33

Yeah. I wanted to buy the dress, but I did not think you'd be very happy with me. Yeah. I don't think I had enough money.

Dad 16:39

you wouldn't have had enough money to buy the

Norah 16:41

Well, I was under a hundred bucks.

Dad 16:43

Oak. Uh,

Norah 16:43

And yeah, and there's no tax on clothing and

Dad 16:46

no tax on clothing and Pennsylvania, You should've bought the dress.

Norah 16:50

oh, you didn't like the dress

Dad 16:52

I didn't mind the

Norah 16:53

mom. Didn't like the color. I liked the color.

Dad 16:55

Oh, well, um, I from the picture I saw it looked fine.

Norah 16:58

I like brown.

Dad 17:01

I, yeah, I, I didn't have an issue with the dress, but you guys are going, you and mom are going prom, prom, dress shopping one night this week. Cause at lake Ridge, promise for nine through 12. So you get to go to prom four times.

Norah 17:15

yes,

Dad 17:17

Very

Norah 17:17

not going to sugar and fall. It was a problem though.

Dad 17:21

That's Ryan's house.

Norah 17:22

Yeah.

Dad 17:23

So the, the, the downside of you having, getting to go to prom four times is that we need to buy you four different prom dresses

Norah 17:29

I was going to go look at the thrift store for a prom dress.

Dad 17:33

No, we're not getting thrift store prom dress. And then with the book, we'll get you a, like a prom dress that hasn't been worn before,

Norah 17:42

They've all been worn before we tried them on

Dad 17:45

but get, but not, but not to a prom. The only way I will allow you to get a thrift store prom dress is if it's from like 1978 with giant poofy shoulders and like powder blue

Norah 17:58

I was looking at one of those on Depop vintage truck.

Dad 18:03

I'd be okay with that otherwise. we'll get you like a, never been more and outside the store probably. So all in all a good experience, the acquire

Norah 18:14

yes. We're going to do it next year to

Dad 18:15

Yeah. This was a, this was a first right for Lakeridge.

Norah 18:20

it was the first one I'm like for six years, I think. I don't remember. It was one of those two,

Dad 18:25

okay. Uh, first

Norah 18:27

a really long time.

Dad 18:29

Yeah, the first one you've been on. Um, hopefully you get to do it again next

Norah 18:31

With everybody,

Dad 18:33

hopefully get, hopefully COVID, won't ravage the choir the day before the trip next year. All be able to go.

Norah 18:40

because it was the last door is the week after spring break.

Dad 18:43

yeah, we had, I had a feeling that was, I had a feeling that was going to happen, so, We're not done with COVID yet. We'd like to be, it feels like we should be, but we're not. So

Norah 18:52

at least week, like, have it somewhat under control now.

Dad 18:56

we do,

Norah 18:57

I mean, there's always, there's always going to be outbreaks cause we have outbreaks of the flu and colds and stuff like that.

Dad 19:03

Yeah, it's just how we manage it. And let's, we get to the point where we have our bodies know how to respond to it enough. So when you get it, you don't end up in the hospital from it. That's exactly right. All right. Well then we will be back with everybody next week with another new episode of the Norah and nacho, Norah, where can people find you besides on a bus back and forth to Buffalo, New York,

Norah 19:31

um, you can find me at Norah Marie Music.

Dad 19:35

and that is everywhere. Twitter, Instagram.

Norah 19:39

I don't really use it. So no promises that you'll see anything, but it.

Dad 19:43

Facebook YouTube, Spotify. Apple music, wherever you have music related things, Norah Murray music, uh, for all of, for all, for all of your listening pleasure. and you can find me, um, all over at Jon Highman, J O N H Y M a N. If. You have topics you would like to hear us discuss on a future episode or just general comments for us, norahanddadshow@gmail.com. And if you feel compelled to share your Love of our show, we always. Five-star reviews and we love people sharing our show on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, wherever. We certainly won't be mad at you. We'll be back next week. Love you, Norah.

Norah 20:33

Love you too.