Whats With All the Drama?

In this episode of Rooted & Rising, Andrew McDonald sits down with Branden Martinez, teacher extraordinaire and director of the BCCHS drama program, following the school’s production of Fiddler on the Roof.

Together, they reflect on the collaboration it take to put on a show of that caliber to the moments of growth that happen both on and off the stage. Branden shares how theater creates space for students to build confidence, discipline, and empathy, while also discovering their voices and their gifts.

The conversation explores why the arts matter in a Catholic school setting, how storytelling helps students wrestle with big themes like tradition, community, and identity, and why experiences like Fiddler on the Roof leave a lasting impact long after the final curtain call.

It’s a joyful, behind‑the‑scenes look at creativity, teamwork, and formation—proof that sometimes the most meaningful learning happens under the stage lights.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:04

Welcome to Rooted in Rising, a short podcast where we highlight the people, programs, and moments that make Billings Catholic schools special. Each episode, we'll spend just a few minutes sharing one story from across our system, something worth noticing, worth celebrating, and worth building on. I'm Andrew McDonald, and I'm glad you're here. All right. So I'm joined today by Brandon Martinez. Um, and I'm gonna let him go ahead and introduce himself to the audience.

SPEAKER_00 0:37

Hello, I'm Brandon Martinez. I've been at Billings Catholic Schools for 13. This is my 13th year. Feels like a long time.

SPEAKER_01 0:45

I know.

SPEAKER_00 0:45

Right. It's easy though, I can remember because my daughter is the age that I've been teaching. Oh, that's fantastic. She was born the first year that I was that I had the job. So and then banned the whole time? Uh so my first five years, I actually taught middle school choir and high school choir. So I had three sections of middle school choir and two sections of high school choir. Okay. And then a few years after that, I was just at the high school because they built the St. Francis. Yep. And uh we didn't want to be traveling. So makes sense. So I added driver education and choir. I had three sections of high school choir, two sections of driver education. Yep. And then I did assistant pet band. And then this last five years of my stent here, I've done just all the music. So band, choir, orchestra, and also the play.

unknown 1:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:38

Musical. I was gonna say, don't sell yourself short. Yeah. Like the drama is really what we're here to talk about today. Right.

SPEAKER_00 1:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:44

Um Yeah. So I was I'm I'm curious about this. Like, what what role do you believe that drama plays in a in a student's life?

SPEAKER_00 1:52

So I wrote myself just one word things to get into that. Um, and the word that I wrote down was creativity. Okay. Um, and I I think in the world of AI right now, yeah, especially in the schools, um, kids get answers extremely quick. Um, they're doing homework assignments using chat GPT.

SPEAKER_01 2:13

Yeah, we used it to study last night, actually. And that was super helpful.

SPEAKER_00 2:16

It is, it's super helpful. Uh, but I think I I don't want to say it it steals creativity, sure, but it's it's definitely not their own creativity. Yeah. Um because you can ask AI to to give you, you know, something about anything, yeah, and then you have something to go off of. Whereas in drama, yes, we have a script, but there's nothing written in there of what to do. Yeah. We have the script, but everyone knows what they're supposed to say, but what are you supposed to do with that?

SPEAKER_01 2:48

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 2:49

So I think it gives students a wonderful opportunity to just be a hundred percent creative with with how they act, with how they portray the message of the characters in the play, or really just what they see when they're reading the script. Yeah. That's the cool thing about reading, and that's why I love English, is because you can see the story.

SPEAKER_01 3:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:13

And no one else knows what you're what you're thinking.

SPEAKER_01 3:15

Yeah, that's why you gotta read the book before seeing the movie.

SPEAKER_00 3:17

That's right. Right, yep. Yeah, and with play, no one knows the story until you tell the story.

SPEAKER_01 3:24

Even if you've seen it before, right? Because it changes with every um every kind of uh new director or new set of actors, right? Because they might interpret those things differently. Everyone's interpretation is different. Yeah. So Well, and one of the things that you emphasized at the recent production of Fiddler on the Roof, right, was that this is really student-driven. This isn't you being like the director. Um, it's it's really students that are visualizing this and and putting the whole thing together. Can you talk through why that's your approach with drama?

SPEAKER_00 3:54

Well, it goes to the same thing. I want I want kids to be creative, I want them to use their gifts in in whatever that may be, music or acting or even reading. Some of these kids are so introvert. Yeah. And they're like, Oh, I think I might give it a try. And then they come out and you see this whole different side of students that you've never seen ever. Yeah. And you may have had them in the system since preschool. Yep. Yep. So uh that's that's basically why I do it. I want to see what's inside of our students, yeah, not the facade that they they give every day they come to school.

SPEAKER_01 4:32

Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_00 4:33

So I think that's that's the biggest the biggest reason why I let them just do what they want. Now I give them some parameters, of course. For sure, for sure.

SPEAKER_01 4:42

You can't just turn them loose all.

SPEAKER_00 4:43

I don't, yeah, I don't just turn them loose, but I say, you know, and we'll we'll get done reading a scene and I'll say, This is what this scene means to me. What's it mean to you?

SPEAKER_01 4:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:55

And so some of them agree with what I'm thinking, some of them have a different interpretation. And then we take that, and I do the same thing in music. Okay. I do the same thing in band, I do the same thing in orchestra, do the same thing in choir. I'll give them the director's note, the person that wrote the piece. Yeah. You know, the composer says this is what this is about.

SPEAKER_01 5:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:13

When we played it, this is what I felt. Yeah. This is the vision that came to mind. Yep. What are some things that you all felt? Yeah. What came to your mind? And we just take all that feedback and we just create something new.

SPEAKER_01 5:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:26

Every time.

SPEAKER_01 5:27

Yeah. Yeah. That's incredible. So so to that point, then, like students are changing and growing kind of as they're participating, in whether that's music or drama, anything like that. So, how do you see that change um kind of appear in students over the course of a production or a year um in music class?

SPEAKER_00 5:46

That's good, that's a good question. It especially in, you know, theater, sometimes we we think that we're acting that character, but I think it's more of an acting versus being themselves. Okay. And so honestly, I don't see the kids acting that character. Honestly, see them being themselves. Yeah. Yeah. And they that is their character.

SPEAKER_01 6:14

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 6:14

Um, and I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 6:15

That's super beautiful. That's like a really unique take on it, especially in high school, right? Because it's really hard to be yourself. Oh, absolutely. And so then there's this freedom, maybe when you're playing a character, to be like who you authentically are. Right.

SPEAKER_00 6:27

Yeah. Absolutely. And that's what I I I think and I hope that's what I'm giving the kids the opportunity to do.

SPEAKER_01 6:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:33

Um and through that process, I see their facade coming in. Yeah. You know, and maybe they're academically driven, and I see that and they don't have time to do anything else. But then I see them in the theater, yeah, doing their thing. And I'm like, this is themselves. Yep. They're not acting this character. They are. That's them. Yeah. So I love to see that part. So it's just funny to, you know, I guess Hollywood would call that uh is that when they play the character. Like character acting? Yeah, like they they take that character and they act that person. Yeah. I just I don't see it that way.

SPEAKER_01 7:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:13

I see these kids being themselves.

SPEAKER_01 7:14

Yeah. That's super well, it's super interesting. And I I think that that probably view from you informs some of the reason behind giving them the control, right? Um, because it it kind of turns it over to them and says, all right, well, well, how did you visualize this this piece of music or this script? Um, and like what do you want to convey then when you're telling the story, right? Because I that that was a pretty neat part with Fiddler on the Roof, right? Like I saw kids that normally don't say two words right in class, get up there and sing in front of a full, a full, like a packed house. Um, and I like I've watched those same kids participate in like group presentations. Um and and I haven't heard them talk that much the entire time, right? Like they're super nervous, and then they get on that stage and there was none of that there. Right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:06

That's yeah, it's uh accurate.

SPEAKER_01 8:08

So every way you said it. Um how about drama supporting students that maybe struggle in other settings? Um because I know especially like when I was in high school, um uh drama was a really welcoming community, right? And it didn't really matter what else you were involved in. It could be sports, it could be theater. Um, and it it was just kind of like accepts all comers. Um, but then there are definitely those students who really thrive in drama, and that's like their release, right? Um so so what do you see there? Like uh how does it create that home?

SPEAKER_00 8:42

Well, I see a couple of different things. Um it it's a it's kind of a funny joke that we sometimes, you know, you'll hear the kids saying that we're the the island of misfit toys. Sure, sure. We don't really have a maybe some of us do sports and some of us are academic, but we don't really have a group per se. That's what they tell me. Yep. Uh but then when they come to rehearsals, it's like we are the group. Yeah. And this is this is our little family, yeah. Inside of the bigger family. Yeah, you know. Um but how does it struggle or how does it help students that are struggling a little bit? Is that kind of what the first special part of the question was? Yep. Um I mean academically in in general, I think the arts kind of get the back burner in education. Sure. Um and it's just how we were taught growing up. It was what I learned in in school, in college. Yeah. Uh they would always talk about the right brain versus the left brain. Okay. You know? Yep. And well, my recent research is showing that uh the arts isn't right brain or left brain, it's the whole brain.

SPEAKER_01 9:55

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:56

Um, so I think that that's cool because I was always taught, oh, the right brain, you're right brain. Yeah, you're artistic and you're musical, or you're left brain, you're analytical, and yeah, you know, you're smart and driven in that way. Yeah. But with the arts, it's it's an entire brain activity. Yeah. So I think the more that we can get our kids in the arts in general, yeah, the the better their brain will be ready for everything else. Yeah. For learning math and English. Yep. So I think that's important to keep art in a part of their day. Yeah. Because a lot of the time, maybe a lot of the time, our left brain is the only one that's firing. Yeah. You know, and those synopsis are going. When we get to art, you get the whole brain lit up in those, you know, those brain scans.

SPEAKER_01 10:46

Yeah. And well it's like cursive language, too, right? Like the energy demonstrated that cursive language like connects both hemispheres of the brain. Right. Same thing with like jazz music, right? Like jazz moot music has everything firing, especially when you're playing that because of the improv improvisational nature of it. Right.

SPEAKER_00 11:02

Um you've got the dexterity, you've got the analytical, you've got the creativity, you've got everything. Yeah. Yeah. Everything's firing at once. Yep. So.

SPEAKER_01 11:10

Um, so you mentioned like the the drama kind of forming this family within a family, right? How how important is that for students, especially at that high school level, to have that like level of connectedness to other people, to their peers? I think it's super important.

SPEAKER_00 11:26

Because I don't know if it's normal at a lot of schools, but at our school, these kids are so busy. Yeah. They're just going from one thing to the next. And a lot of the time, uh, it's it's kind of in isolation where they're going from school to homework and they're just doing three or four hours of homework on their own.

SPEAKER_01 11:48

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:48

Or, you know, they do get those times in practice and in class, but they're so doing it by themselves. Yeah. You know, um, I just see that. Yeah. You know, the kids will tell me, why are you so tired? I was up till 3 a.m. doing, you know, studying for my history exam or whatever.

SPEAKER_01 12:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:04

So I think having that group of connection, relationship, that's that's important. Yeah. I mean, if you think about it, what's one of our what's one of the core things that God gave us? It's connection. Yep. Right? Yeah. It's relationship. Yep. There was only one time God in the in the Genesis story was like, oh, this isn't so good. And that's when Adam was by himself and he had to create Eve. Like and then he said, Not only this is good, but he said, This is really good. Yep. So I think the relation aspect, just being having those relationship skills is the most important human core value.

SPEAKER_01 12:46

Yeah. Well, and I I see you creating those things all the time. Like whether it's at the um like athletic events with Pep Band, like the way that you guys are always like you've got a theme every time that you guys show up. I mean, the play and like the the connectedness of that group, everybody that's involved, even getting audience members, like my son got to go up on stage, and now he's a kid that I never thought would be like want to do drama, and he came home and was like, that was super fun. Like I would love to do something like that. Um, you just do a great job of bringing people together. Um what why do you think that that is so important to you, or or how do you think that you do that well?

SPEAKER_00 13:23

How do I do it well? Um, I just really try to build relationships. Yeah. And I'm gonna be open and honest and transparent with how I live my life.

SPEAKER_01 13:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:35

And I think that's infectious. When there's nothing to hide or to mask or to be behind, yeah. People see your true self.

SPEAKER_01 13:45

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 13:46

And I think that's what makes it's just infectious. Yeah. It makes other people want to be themselves, it makes other people want to be open and honest and have those transparent conversations. I that's the core of it.

SPEAKER_01 14:01

Yeah, it's all coming together now, too, right? Like that's the whole piece with drama that you you kind of started this out with was like it allows people to be who they really are.

SPEAKER_00 14:08

Yeah, gotta be your authentic self. Yep.

SPEAKER_01 14:11

Yeah. Um all right. Final question for you is is why do the arts belong in a Catholic school.

SPEAKER_00 14:20

I think they should belong in every school. It's a great answer. Not just a Catholic school, but I think the importance that we in administration from the top down understand is that not every not every student is an athletic student. Yeah. Not every student is an academically driven student or self-motivated. Um, so I think it offers a non-competitive, stressful free area to share your gifts. It's a healthy outlet for those select students that don't have or aren't maybe dedicated fully to one of those other areas. Yeah. I so I don't know what it's like at other Catholic schools, but I know at our Catholic school we are very athletically driven and academically driven. Yep. Um, and so that's the majority. Yeah. So I guess my area is to support the minority too. Sure. And to really give them uh a place to shine and to be a star.

SPEAKER_01 15:25

Well, you do a phenomenal job of it. Um thank you for everything that you do for our schools. We are incredibly blessed to have you. Um I feel really fortunate that I've gotten to know you better over the last uh couple years, especially with kids in gymnastics together. So um, I know you're busy. Uh, don't want to take too much time. Really appreciate you coming in. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 15:45

Well, thank you for the conversation, and and I'm very humbled to hear all those nice compliments. So thank you.

SPEAKER_01 15:50

Absolutely. Thanks for listening to Rooted in Rising. We'll be back next week with another story worth celebrating. I got a bonus question for you, though. All right, bonus question. Um how do you feel about the basement? As far as like arts, the the home of the arts at at Central is in the basement. Yeah. Is that a good thing? What do you think?

SPEAKER_00 16:31

I don't know. I've never been asked that question. Yeah. I haven't really thought about it. Um, I know that I definitely like it in the hot months. For sure. For sure. It does stay about 72 degrees down there. So it is cool. Yep. And that's my joke to start off the year every year when kids are just dead tired from dehydration and heat. I say, hey, welcome to the coolest part of the building. Physically and you know, emotionally. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So um I think it's I think it's a community that kids can come to. If you ever cruise down at lunch too, you'll see, you know, 50 or so kids. Yeah. We're doing a Marvel marathon right now. Nice. Uh in the basement. And uh we're on Iron Man 3 right now. We're watching them uh release date order. That's awesome. You gotta do it in the right order. Oh, you have to. Yeah. Yeah. But it's just I I don't know. I think it's good. Yeah. I don't think there's any negative behind it. Yeah. I mean, maybe if you're hurt, but we have an elevator now. So yeah, I know. That's a big win for us. Big bonus. Yep. Um but yeah, I think it's I think it's cool.

SPEAKER_01 17:40

Awesome.

SPEAKER_00 17:40

Yeah. Thank you again, sir. Of course. Awesome.