Why We Love Nostalgia, Covers & Not Taking Life So Seriously | Skip Happens Podcast

Transcript

Cameras, Banter, And Catching Up

SPEAKER_03 0:00

Hello everybody! Welcome to Skip Happens. Skip Clark. Miss Ray right over there.

SPEAKER_00 0:08

When I lend everyone.

SPEAKER_03 0:10

Whichever way here you point.

SPEAKER_00 0:12

I'm over here.

SPEAKER_03 0:12

You are. You know weird because we look at a monitor and it's like, okay, you're right over there. But see, when I point to you.

SPEAKER_00 0:19

But the cameras are all backwards. So my camera's actually pointing where Skip is. Like we're trying this new camera thing. I don't know. I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 0:27

We are. We are. I guess if I wanted to do it right, I could like turn around and go, there's Miss Ray.

SPEAKER_00 0:32

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 0:32

You know what it is? Now did you yeah, so that worked, right? That worked. I see, but I'm not gonna do that. How are you?

SPEAKER_00 0:38

I'm well. How are you doing?

SPEAKER_03 0:40

You know, it's great to see you. I'm doing great. Uh welcome back to the pod zone.

SPEAKER_00 0:44

Yes, it's good to be back.

SPEAKER_03 0:45

It's Wednesday.

SPEAKER_00 0:46

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_03 0:47

And um, you know, during the day, we uh we we kind of what are we gonna talk about tonight? Because you and I, if if you don't know, we work in the same building. Uh she's come on board as part of the Wolf staff, and um it's like, what are we gonna talk about tonight? Oh, then you came in this afternoon and you were like, are we gonna do the podcast tonight?

SPEAKER_00 1:08

What the hell are you asking? We've mentioned this before. I've mentioned this before, and I'll say it again. Skip is a last-minute Larry. So we hadn't mentioned all week whether or not we were gonna do the podcast. So I'm like, are are we still doing it? You know, we really we usually talk about it on Monday or Tuesday, and then it got to it got to today, and I was like, Skip, are we doing the podcast?

SPEAKER_03 1:27

She comes in with her eyes blinking, you know, are we gonna do the podcast?

SPEAKER_00 1:31

Because I wanted to do it. Well, what did I say? And you were like, duh, Reagan. Like, yeah, duh, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:39

You interrupted my afternoon on air shift to ask if we were gonna do the podcast. It was silly.

SPEAKER_00 1:45

Well, I'm happy to be here.

SPEAKER_03 1:46

Well, I'm happy to be here standing, breathing, and in the pod zone as well.

SPEAKER_00 1:50

So, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:50

So uh what have you been up to? Uh, you know, just uh let's see, over the last week, uh not not really a whole lot. It's that time of the year.

SPEAKER_00 1:58

I mean not true. Not true.

SPEAKER_03 2:03

Do you know more about me?

Parmalee Night And Local Openers

SPEAKER_00 2:04

What did we do this weekend? Oh, wait a minute.

SPEAKER_03 2:06

No, well, this past weekend, what do we what did we do? We saw Parmalade. Oh, yeah, Parmalley was at Keggs. That's right. Yep, yep, yep, yep. Because uh that was last Saturday.

SPEAKER_01 2:15

Yep.

SPEAKER_03 2:16

And uh Matt Thomas and the group Parmaly was there. I I, you know, I mean, I don't mean to name drop, but I know Matt and the guys in the band, and they're all pretty much family, so that was another great show. They've been here uh quite often, actually. So which is so cool. They did great. Yeah, yeah. Well, you you're you um I'm slurring my words already, and I'll um drink some coffee. Um but uh you're like, what do they sing? What uh you don't because you're not you're not the country girl.

SPEAKER_00 2:48

No, and and she she will admit it, she's not, but but by the time I'm not, I don't want to like not completely, I mean, I'm not like a country fan, we know that, but like I'm not gonna completely rule out country because um you know I have an appreciation for songwriting. I think that there are phenomenal country songwriters, right? Um, there are some artists that I do appreciate, Ella Lingley love her voice.

SPEAKER_03 3:12

This is her time to shout.

SPEAKER_00 3:13

It is, she's she's really rocking and rolling right now. Um, I mean, Steven Wilson Jr. was pretty good. He's got a very original voice. I like that original voices, original um lyrics and stuff. But I also kind of going off of that, the other artists that were at Keg's, we had some local artists.

SPEAKER_03 3:33

Oh, yeah, Chris Taylor, the Custom Taylor band, and then we had Jamie Lynn.

SPEAKER_00 3:37

Yep.

SPEAKER_03 3:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:38

And they both did phenomenal. And they actually they sang some covers of stuff. She actually sang a cover of um an Ella Langley song. I believe it was Weren't for the Wind. Oh, I wouldn't doubt it.

SPEAKER_03 3:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:50

Um, yeah. I believe the Custom Taylor Band also sang some covers.

SPEAKER_03 3:55

Oh, they do a lot of covers. You know, Chris just, you know, and one You're right.

SPEAKER_00 3:59

He he plays um like uh 90s countries, I think.

SPEAKER_03 4:02

He does, he does, he does a lot of that, and what he does, the type of band they are, is to play, yeah, they'll do some newer stuff. They might have one or two of their own songs, but they're they are really into playing the covers and having people sing with them and dance, and you know, that's the attitude they take. And they're all great musicians and they can play just about anything, and Chris can sing just about anything, so yeah, which is cool. Yeah, it was a great night.

SPEAKER_00 4:28

It was a great night, and it was super cool to, like you said, see those covers. It was it was kind of nice to feel that nostalgia of songs that we've we've heard before, familiar favorites, and then get that refresh of Parmalee that's so.

SPEAKER_03 4:41

Yeah, that was pretty cool. Parmaley, I mean they they did, yeah. Um, Usher. They did all, I mean, it was just it was who would have thought?

SPEAKER_00 4:49

Also dabbled into well, that's actually very interesting. I um I left shortly after they started to kind of beat the traffic. Um, but I think that's really traffic. I know that's funny. Beat the traffic. Yes, I just wanted to get out of there before things got wild.

SPEAKER_03 5:08

10 o'clock on Route 48. There's a lot of traffic. Yeah, I get it.

SPEAKER_00 5:11

No, no, no, near near Keggs. I wanted to beat the smart parking lot. Smart move.

SPEAKER_04 5:15

Yeah, yeah.

unknown 5:16

Yeah.

Why Covers Work And Cross Genres

SPEAKER_00 5:17

So um, I think it's really cool though that they Yaza, yeah, yeah, yeah. Like that's not country, so that's really cool that they took a second to to dabble into my territory.

SPEAKER_03 5:30

Right, exactly. And that's uh, we were gonna talk about that a little bit tonight. How you know, with the collaborations and uh doing covers and and things along those lines, and that would that would be a good example of that. And it doesn't you could be a country fan, but you know that song. I mean, I DJ'd weddings for God knows how many years, and if I put it, yeah, on, it doesn't matter.

Wedding DJ Secrets And Floor Fillers

SPEAKER_00 5:52

In your opinion, based off of all of your years as a DJ, what is the top three universal songs? What are three songs that you're like, these have to be on your on your rotation? You're gonna get the crowd crazy every time. Just trust me. What are those three serious ones? No, no, yeah. Genre. That was gonna be my follow-up question.

SPEAKER_03 6:16

No, I mean you can guarantee to pack the dance floor when you play Usher. Yeah. All right. Timber is a good one.

SPEAKER_00 6:22

It's going thing. I'm yelling Timber.

SPEAKER_03 6:25

Yep, exactly. That's a good one. Um, and then if you throw it back, like uh I know a lot of DJs, and I did it for a lot of years too, and everybody says, you know, it's all cookie cutter, but you know what? It's the stuff that packs the dance floor. Uh September by Earth, Wind and Fire.

SPEAKER_00 6:40

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 6:40

You're going, okay. I don't know if I know that one.

SPEAKER_00 6:42

Yes, that's exactly you read my mind. I know I can see it. I can see the uh You read my mind. I know earlier.

SPEAKER_03 6:48

You wouldn't know it if you heard it.

SPEAKER_00 6:50

Okay. I feel like I do that.

SPEAKER_03 6:52

You've gone to enough weddings in your life, and I'm sure there's gonna be a lot more because you're at that age and a lot of your friends are gonna be getting married and you're gonna be hearing, you know, absolutely those are those are the songs that'll pack the dance floor, but a little bit later on at night you bring the music uh a little more up to date. It could be a little bit of rap, could be a little bit of this, a little bit of that, you know, depending on what they want. So but I'm glad I don't do that anymore.

SPEAKER_00 7:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 7:14

I'm so glad.

SPEAKER_00 7:15

That's a that's a chaotic lifestyle.

SPEAKER_03 7:17

It was um 40, um, God, well over 40 years of DJing weddings. And um, you know, and I think, and I see a lot of these people out now, and they'll come up and say hello, and I have to go, okay, what is that? And they're going, oh, you did my wedding back in back in '84. Yeah, we're at the castaways. I don't know what the place only thing is there anymore, but uh it's like, oh yeah, great, great, yeah, good stuff. But uh, you know, it played a big role in a lot of people's lives. When you think about a wedding, it's the biggest day in your life, and yeah, you you gotta make it work. And you don't want you don't want to mess up, you don't want to F up because if you do, it's not good. It's not good. And I'll be honest with you, I did mess up once. I mispronounced a name one.

SPEAKER_00 8:00

Now I thought that is going off of messing up. One thing I want to say really quick. With I have been I I get messing up. I feel like the past week we've had a couple of mess ups, like on my hand, and it's all what I've learned is like sometimes you have to make mistakes to learn so that you know like not to do that again. And I know you're quick to say that too.

SPEAKER_03 8:24

That's why I wanted to say that is because you know how many mistakes I make in a week? Yeah, you know, it's like, oh my god, I did that. And I know better. Yeah, but still, it happens. So you know, it's a learning experience. It definitely happens again, it happens again. But uh as you were saying, yeah, I mispronounced um a name in a wedding party, and after the wedding, I got this nasty gram from the bride, and they wanted their money back because I mispronounced a name. Now, granted, I mean, I did mispronounce it, but still so I sent them 50 bucks back. But I'm just saying it's just to make everybody happy. But it happens in names, doing what I do and what you're learning to do.

SPEAKER_00 9:08

Names are really difficult.

SPEAKER_03 9:10

How many times do we, you know, with a radio station, we get a name and I'll give you the prize slip or whatever, and it's got uh, you know, it's like all right. How do you say this?

SPEAKER_00 9:22

I mean, sometimes it's the the organization that you struggle to know, or the person that that won, you're like, I've never heard this name before.

SPEAKER_03 9:30

No, it's so true. Yeah. So yeah, yeah, exactly.

Owning Mistakes And Name Flubs

SPEAKER_00 9:33

Um, yeah, so this past weekend was really great with covers, with original music. Um, and one thing that I also thought was really interesting about covers and the the idea of nostalgia was the other day, uh, I um I was driving home, right? Stick with me. I was driving home and I was just going through my my rotation of music, and um, this song came up. It's pills by Key Glock and another artist. It's a rap song. You're like, what, Reagan? But anyways, exactly. I read your minds.

SPEAKER_02 10:08

You did, and you did that very well.

Sampling, Nostalgia, And Nina Simone

SPEAKER_00 10:10

I was really um kind of caught off guard in the beginning because the beginning of the song was Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood by Nina Simone, which is a much older song. And I was like, is this Nina Simone? What's going on? And then all of a sudden Key Glock came in and I was like, Oh, never mind. And then I went home, I ate dinner, and I didn't have much going on that night. So it was on your mind. I watched a sh, I was like, I'm gonna watch a show, right? So then I go and I'm like, I don't really know what to watch. I'm just gonna put on this random show. And there's a show on Netflix, I think it's called Love and Death. It doesn't, it doesn't matter, but long story short, I press play, and then it goes to like the intro. And what song do you think is the intro of that show? Don't let me be misunderstood by Nina Simone. And I was like, this is really cool because in the same day, two completely unrelated mediums, you know what I mean? Somebody did a remake of the song, um, Key Glock, and then we had the show that used it to their advantage to talk about context in like their show, you know what I mean? Um, and the song, don't let me be be misunderstood, is good in and of itself. So I just think that it's it's really cool that we can find ways to kind of go back to our roots and like originals, you know, because I think it'd be it'd be silly to say that artists today were they're running so that like are running because artists like came before them in order to make them walk, you know?

SPEAKER_03 11:47

So I think it's in I think it's really cool and it's really important to I'm curious because there was a song out a long, long time ago, don't let me be misunderstood, and I want to say the animals did it. Long ask your dad. Um, and then um there was uh uh a newer artist, I believe, in the 70s or early 80s that did it, and then now you're talking about Nina Simone. So uh yeah, I'm just curious. I'm just curious.

SPEAKER_00 12:14

And I know that that happens. Sometimes you find older songs that get made into uh like remakes of another song or even like current songs, you know. Sometimes you'll you'll get a very popular song. I'm trying to think, I think there's a current Joy's instrumental okay that band, and um, some artists will take that that track and put it because they know that that song itself inflicts this emotion. So when you and that might be why these, you know, don't let me be misunderstood by Nina Simone, why why people are choosing to choose this very older, very classical song is because they know that it it makes you feel these certain emotions and kind of goes back to that nostalgia, and there's a guarantee that you're gonna feel that way because you've felt it before, maybe, or it's something that's relatable. Okay, okay.

SPEAKER_03 13:11

I'm just like I'm processing all this, but you gotta understand because my mind's working a little bit slower, and you're just like you're on fire.

SPEAKER_00 13:18

I know. I'm like, what do you think of this? Yeah, but yes, and I'm like, um, let me think about that.

SPEAKER_02 13:24

On the top, exactly, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 13:27

But yeah, it was just a crazy coincidence to have that happen in the same day, and also happened when we had those events. Um, well, that event with Burmolee where there was covers, and then I I had another event for one of our sister stations, which those bands were all doing covers, and I was like, this is great! Like she's playing Valerie by Amy Winehouse, and I'm but it was on an organ.

SPEAKER_03 13:53

Yes, because it was the ham and jamming that which is part of what we call here in Syracuse part of Winterfest.

SPEAKER_00 13:59

Yes, and I I'm gonna talk directly to people my age. Y'all need to get out and see this stuff because he my job one of our coworkers was like, she'll come and pick you up and take you to the show.

SPEAKER_02 14:12

Okay.

Local Talent And Live Jazz Pride

SPEAKER_00 14:13

He looks at me, he goes, There's no synthesizers or nothing on this. Like, this is like literally like a classical, like, this is what, like, this is the real deal, Raven. And when you hear it's the real deal, you're all you're kind of like, oh my gosh, this is like this is a big deal, you know? And then the the talent that these people have and the fact that it's local talent makes me just so proud of us.

SPEAKER_04 14:34

Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 14:35

Um, on a whole nother level. These so talented, so talented, amazing artists. Um, and they're they're local or small town, um, you know, from wherever they are.

SPEAKER_03 14:49

And uh more than likely they work here. Obviously, they live here, they got family. They're from all here. They could be so talented. Maybe had the they had the opportunity, but they chose to, you know. But there is a lot of talent. We've said that right along with talent, whether it's doing that or you know, in a band, doesn't matter what the genre is, there's a lot of great talent.

SPEAKER_00 15:09

For sure. And there's a lot of great events that will expose you to things that you you really didn't didn't know existed. Like CNY Jazz Fest, you know, that was in January. That was also for um the dinosaur, but it was really cool to be able to, I don't know, like you're you're exploring this whole new genre, you know what I mean? Like jazz is like This is all new to you. It's it's very new to me because we kind of don't really step into that that realm. So when I was there, I was like, this is amazing. This is so cool. Like the it's just I I highly recommend people to go age to go check that out. And go check things like that out where you you should see local bands like playing instruments and singing because there is a lot more local talent than you would think.

The Great Office Ice Cream Heist

SPEAKER_03 15:59

I didn't put the hat on. You're saying local and live music. I did not put the hat on. We're and we're looking right at I know, I know. Yeah, we'll talk about that later. Don't mean to get off. We'll get critiqued about that. Um, but uh, you're right, with the local talent and all everything that we have, and and wherever you're watching this from, we're in the northeast. I mean, we'll come right out and tell you we're in Syracuse. Um we just missed that storm, by the way. But uh, and I'll get yelled at for that.

SPEAKER_00 16:27

Um you want to know what we're gonna say it because we've we've also been hit this year, so we deserve to have you guys deserve to have.

SPEAKER_03 16:36

But it doesn't matter where you are, go and check out your local talent and take in some of these shows and uh you know, all different genres, all different ages, go and really explore the music. You know, there's something for everybody. And you would be uh really surprised, and I've seen this like if you want to go back to me doing the weddings, uh, when I get a playlist and you look at that playlist from the bride and groom and you see uh songs from the 50s, the 60s, the 70s, the 80s, then you're looking at 2025 and some of the artists that you've been talking about. It's like, wow, you know, so they're they enjoy all the different, all the different genres, and that's what they want. It's just amazing. It's always amazed me. Always.

SPEAKER_00 17:17

Yeah. Because one genre doesn't just express one emotion, you know what I mean? It's very versatile and and universal within jazz, country, rap, hip hop, all of those, you're gonna find a variety of emotions, a variety of messages, and some of them can relate. Like you like, like we said, like we're we're kind of the same person in a way, but like different fonts. You know what I mean? Like it's similar that way.

SPEAKER_03 17:48

I like that. So we're a different font.

SPEAKER_00 17:50

We're a different font. So you're like Times New Roman.

SPEAKER_02 17:54

I'm like, oh my gosh, that's freaking hilarious.

SPEAKER_00 18:02

Yeah. And I'm like the the pretty cursive one.

Haunted Studio And Belief Lines

SPEAKER_03 18:10

I had no idea. You know, you click on font and you see it, but that's that's great. So you're probably right. I'm like the new Times Roman. And uh, I don't know. There's so many different fonts. Yeah, so many different fonts. Do you use a certain font all the time? Is that uh like your go-to?

SPEAKER_00 18:28

Is Times New Roman? Yeah, is that what I think um like in school that was something that we had to use. So I think it's I'm definitely a creature of habit, so I I do sometimes use Times New Roman, but I I like other fonts. I like how about Georgia?

SPEAKER_03 18:45

Georgia's I brought up Elizabeth. Uh we got Ariel, uh Open Sands, uh, Roboto. How about script? Uh lobster. I've never heard of lobster.

SPEAKER_00 18:59

I've never heard lobster.

SPEAKER_03 19:00

Brush script, I've heard of, dancing script I've heard of, uh, impact, Oswald. Who who makes up the names of Fod? Think about it. Why would you come up with an Oswald?

SPEAKER_00 19:13

The author of the dictionary.

SPEAKER_03 19:16

Well, that what Webster?

SPEAKER_00 19:18

Is it Miriam Webster?

SPEAKER_03 19:19

Uh I don't know who would really. I don't know. That's you come on, you're the one with the degree. Come on, that's kind of like I've been out of school for a while. Oh my god. Uh Monaco uh source code pro, which I can only imagine has to be something fancy. Well, in the way of computer font. Um elegant. Oh, yeah, you can get the professional, modern, elegant, bold tech casual. I'd be the casual.

SPEAKER_00 19:45

So needless to say, there's a variety of fonts. There's a variety. You can really be any font.

SPEAKER_03 19:53

Yeah, I know. I've got, man, this list is like it just goes on and on. So yeah, it depends what you want to be. But no, interesting. Uh interesting. You know what else is interesting is um let's talk about work a little bit. Let's just let's change it up here. So there's this big dilemma of who ate the ice cream.

SPEAKER_00 20:12

Okay. Well, give give some context.

SPEAKER_03 20:16

So our HR person, and you know, she's awesome. She brings in the milk. She does this. She, you know, she uses the refrigerator for her personal stuff. I totally get that. Her lunch, you know, her milk, her cereal, her everything. Uh, she brought a box of uh apparently their cookie, uh, what do they call cookie witches? Cookie.

SPEAKER_00 20:36

Yeah, like some cookie witches or something like that. Like a cookie, yeah. With the ice cream sandwich with a cookie.

SPEAKER_03 20:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:44

With cookies.

Childhood Dreams: Pilot Or Radio

SPEAKER_03 20:44

Well, apparently they've been disappearing. Now, so and I and I know, I know. So they're disappearing, but nobody knows where they're going.

SPEAKER_00 20:52

People are are very upset about this. Not not just our HR person, like people like they're yelling at me thinking I ate the ice cream. Well, because you eat ice cream. You have a record, you have eaten some ice cream before. You know, you did eat the ice cream and then but the thing is is you replaced it. So if you replace it, I feel like it's fair game.

SPEAKER_03 21:12

All right. So I replaced it. I had um what do they call those? Oh my god, they're like Eskimo bars, but they're all right. So I re they come in a package of six. I put them in the freezer.

SPEAKER_01 21:23

I put them on top of.

SPEAKER_03 21:25

Clonde, thank you. So um I put them in the freezer. I come back one day, one's gone. And mind you, I'm in the station until seven o'clock at night for the most part.

SPEAKER_00 21:38

And there isn't much activity after that.

SPEAKER_03 21:40

Except for the boss. I mean, I'm talking about the big boss. I'm not talking about the mid level. I'm talking about the major boss, the biggie. So, anyways, which you know, but so what there's one's m one is missing.

SPEAKER_00 21:56

Yeah, no biggie, just one biggie.

SPEAKER_03 21:58

All right, so it's cool, but at least, you know. Next night, another one's missing. So, you know, then I have one. I think out of the six, I ate three. All right. So somebody took three of mine. But now, today, somebody, no names to be mentioned. I don't know if this happens where you work or or what, but it's crazy when you go into the kitchen and you open up the freezer while somebody obviously went in there and said, Hey, they come on and go, hey, you know, uh or someone got hungry, and that's why you had one.

SPEAKER_00 22:29

Well, if somebody's coming at night, maybe they're regular to coming at night, and that's why you're not crossing paths with them.

SPEAKER_03 22:36

And well, you we have a problem.

SPEAKER_00 22:39

Yeah, we have a big mess.

SPEAKER_03 22:42

Well, it's I mean, maybe you do it work as well.

SPEAKER_00 22:45

That a big problem.

SPEAKER_03 22:46

It could be a big problem, but here's the deal. So this person comes out today and says, Hey, do you know there's only one sandwich left? Like the cookie witch. There's only one left. How would he know that if he didn't open the freezer and open up the box to see that there was one cookie witch left? So he was exploring the cookies, the cookie, the witches, the ice cream. So, which leads me to believe that he knows a little too much. That's what I'm thinking. Because why? Think about that. Why would that be?

SPEAKER_00 23:20

There's definitely a little bit too much comfort going on. Somebody's a little too comfortable taking ice cream.

SPEAKER_03 23:26

Now we did have a young lady on the weekend that said, Oh, there's ice cream in there, it was good. And then I somebody spoke up and said, Well, you know, they belong to, and oh my god, and she was gonna replace them, but they have not been replaced as of yet. They have not. And when we ask about it, we get crickets. So I'm just saying, that's what happens.

SPEAKER_00 23:50

Yeah. So I I'm I'm sure this is relatable though to other people where where sometimes you have coworkers that take other co-workers' food that they put in the fridge. Or maybe this is just specific to us. Maybe we we do have a problem in Well, you do know the place is haunted. You have mentioned that.

SPEAKER_03 24:09

You have mentioned that so there could be something going on that we don't know, and maybe I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 24:14

I mean, skip company. Do you believe in that?

Old-School Radio And Career Beginnings

SPEAKER_03 24:15

I believe paranormal. I mean, uh, places being haunted and do life, uh, you know, this um yes and no.

SPEAKER_00 24:26

I I don't think it's the way I don't know. I'm I'm a very one of a kind person, you know what I mean? So my um my idea might sound a little crazy, but I don't think it's probably yeah, I don't think it's that we see something in the way that like we how we've been shown, if that makes sense. Okay so like we've been shown that like ghosts are the way that they they they look like us or something, you know what I mean, or they're gonna be white and they're gonna be, but I I don't necessarily believe that I think that you can feel presences sometimes or get like I don't know, this might sound creepy and you might be like Reagan, you girl, you got problems, but maybe you like hear or like think of things that you are like that just came out of what the heck that came out of a field. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_03 25:13

You know, they um because in the building that we work in, it's it's part of history here in Syracuse, uh, when it comes to radio and the people they've come up through, and a lot of people are no longer with us. And you know, so back uh quite a few years ago, I've been I've been in the building since 2007, but um they uh got a hold of these, what do they call the uh they go out and they the paranormal, uh the people that set up the ghost whispers, yeah, whatever you want to call them. So they had them come in the station one they had them come in the station one night and they set up all their stuff. They set something up, and they actually we were told that somebody was coming out of my office. Yeah, that's right next to my desk. Me, yeah, but it's like, and then talking with somebody that would know about that building back in the day, and they said, Yeah, that used to be so-and-so's office, but he's gone. I'm like, who? Yeah, that's notice I have moved my office.

SPEAKER_00 26:14

So is it because of the paranormal activity or is it because okay?

SPEAKER_03 26:19

It was just kind of weird, but uh whether or not you believe in that is you know, is interesting. So and I yeah, I mean, yeah, I guess. I guess.

SPEAKER_00 26:29

Yeah. I'm just thinking about how we were talking about ice cream and now we're talking about paranormal activity, and I'm just thinking about you know ice cream line, I'm telling you. That that's right. You're yep, that might be correlated, but I think I I'm just thinking about you guys arguing over ice cream is kind of funny. Did I get yelled at today, or did I not? You fingers may have been pointed in your direction.

SPEAKER_03 26:55

Oh, they were and the voices. So but I had nothing, swear I had nothing.

SPEAKER_00 27:00

He had nothing, he only had the three that he ate.

SPEAKER_03 27:03

Zero, nothing, and that was it.

SPEAKER_00 27:06

Um but yeah, it just makes me think like sometimes we're serious about silly things, you know what I mean, like ice cream, but then we sit and we're we sit here and we're like, do you believe in ghosts? And it's like that's kind of silly and playful. And I think that's life becomes that's true. I think that life I think life becomes serious, and it's good to like have fun, be playful, and think about just different things.

SPEAKER_04 27:37

Interesting, very interesting. What else you got there, girl? Um I know, I know. Let's see here. What should we talk about now?

SPEAKER_03 27:46

We gotta make a transition.

SPEAKER_00 27:47

Yeah, we gotta make a little transition. What did you want to be when you were a kid?

SPEAKER_03 27:51

Oh, here we go.

SPEAKER_00 27:53

You know, let's talk about the good stuff.

Loving The Work, Not The Drama

SPEAKER_03 27:55

Yeah, you know, um, I wanted to be, well, of course, every boy wants to be an astronaut. And that, but then I wanted to be a pilot. I always I have a thing.

SPEAKER_00 28:08

When did that interest begin?

SPEAKER_03 28:10

Oh my god. I used to take the boxes between used to like get the big boxes in the house, and I'd make my own little airplane and I'd be in the you know, doing my thing and pretend I was flying. But uh then I, you know, I just I just always loved airplanes. I was fascinated with airplanes, always wanted to fly a plane. I got friends that went on to become pilots and they've done really well for themselves. Um but I just I don't I got talking, you know. I'm gonna be honest with you. It was either I was gonna be a pilot or I wanted to work radio.

unknown 28:43

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 28:43

Interesting, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 28:44

I don't kind of like really far apart. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:48

But uh But that's kind of like me though. My other, I either was gonna be in communications or I wanted to be a teacher. I wanted to be like a an English teacher or boy. Yeah, something like a high school teacher.

SPEAKER_02 29:01

Miss Ray. Miss Ray.

SPEAKER_00 29:03

Well, not Miss Ray, it would have been Miss LePage. Miss LePage, Miss Le Page, and I really because I just, I don't know, part of me loved kids, and then another part of me loved this whole communications thing. And yeah. I just I am uh what made you decide to do radio and not become a pilot?

SPEAKER_03 29:22

Well, it goes back to my guidance counselor because I sucked in school. Um not really, but I was not very good at math. And they said if you want to be a pilot, you gotta be really good at math. And it just, you know, it just kind of slowly, I was always interested, but okay, whatever. But then when it became radio, I um see, but here's where the gen, you know, you're gonna see this gap in age here because a long time ago, I mean, it was AM radio, then it went to FM radio, and uh I used to just look, for example, the building we're in now, I could where I used to live, I could see that tower. And I used to stare at that tower and go, there's somebody there. There's somebody that's in that building. There's somebody talking and somebody playing music. I want to be that is so freaking cool. That is so cool.

SPEAKER_00 30:18

I want to be that person.

SPEAKER_03 30:19

I want to be that person. So I went to um, I joined what they call junior achievement back in the day. I don't even know if they have it anymore. Um, and it was here at some local stations, and uh one of the personalities would run the class and it'd be once or twice a week. You'd go up right after school and uh you produce shows, you did stuff like that. They put you to work and you learn about the business.

SPEAKER_00 30:42

And uh so it was through school years?

SPEAKER_03 30:44

Yeah, yeah. Junior achievement was. But I used to, even in school, I was like always listening to the radio. They never knew I was because I'd have back then we had transistor radios, and I'd run the little ear wire up my sleeve, put in my hand, and I'd be in class like this, listening to the radio.

SPEAKER_00 31:03

Like with your sleeve over your yeah, so you can't see.

Balancing Real Emotion On Air

SPEAKER_03 31:06

I'm just like, okay, yeah. And it'd be like, Oh my god, uh Clark, do you know the answer to number four? What?

SPEAKER_00 31:13

Yeah, you're like, what are we talking about?

SPEAKER_03 31:15

What? Oh, what? But no, I used to even at night, I would put the radio under my pillow. And back in the day, something you I'm sure you know nothing about was the way with AM radio, you at certain nights, if it was clear out, you could pick up stations from like Chicago, New York City. Um, yeah, on certain nights. I used to listen to um WNBC in New York, WABC in New York, and Wolfman Jack, you may see know him from movies, but he's long gone. It just he was at WNBC. And it I used to listen to him, and it'd be like, oh my, my, my, bam, bam, you know, it's one bad jack. I mean, stuff like that. It was just crazy. And if you ever watch the movie American Graffiti, he's in that. So, but that's going way back. Ask your mouth.

SPEAKER_01 32:05

That's so cool.

SPEAKER_03 32:05

Dad. Yeah. Whichever one's older. Never mind.

unknown 32:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:12

That's very cool.

SPEAKER_03 32:13

But no, that's why. So I I just always loved radio, went to school for it, and uh just kind of I got a job working overnights, which was just awesome. Which that shift is no longer available, as you know. Um, just with the automation and computers and the way we've all advanced with technology, it's you know, we have to embrace it and not fight it because there's no stopping it. And uh so pretty much that overnight shift is has gone bye-bye, unless you, you know, and we've done certain things that have you go on the air during the night, but uh for the most part it's not there. Um you know, the computers are running the stations. Uh, I don't care what station you're listening to, unless it's uh a news talk station, and then they might be uh 24-7, but music, no. No. What else do you want to know? Now we've drifted away.

SPEAKER_00 33:02

I want to know if throughout since the beginning of your career and kind of coming back to now, if you know, you've you've taken life serious. You know, would you say that you're happy and you've you've handled your handled your shit, you know what I mean? Like yeah, like you're happy.

SPEAKER_03 33:22

I'm very happy. Very happy. I'm not happy with the and it happens everywhere. I mean, we have our office drama, we you know, it gets kind of you know it. I mean, but what I actually, you know, when I go on the air, when I hit that button, when I'm playing the music, I am so very happy. It's just something I always wanted to do, and I continue to do it. And as you can see, you know, I'm embracing the technology as everybody can see what we're doing right here. I mean, you can't see it, but if you look on the other side of the room, uh, you'll see that, you know, I I can do commercials and I have a booth and you know, all that stuff. So I yeah, I take it. This is what I love.

SPEAKER_01 34:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 34:02

This is my life. I love, I love this part. I just, it's the office politics and the drama that we all, it doesn't matter. I mean, it happens everywhere. It's just you gotta I have a tough time walking away from the street.

SPEAKER_00 34:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 34:16

Yeah, it's very hard sometimes.

Choosing Joy, Roles, And Generosity

SPEAKER_00 34:18

Prioritize what's important and and what really matters. And the reason I I ask that is because don't do radio, Reagan. I'm just kidding.

SPEAKER_03 34:29

We love it.

SPEAKER_00 34:30

Sometimes I think about how like life's like we're all like just playing pretend in a way, like we're all just actors and like we take life very seriously, and you know, and I think it's just it's refreshing to kind of step out of that headspace. And that's why I actually, you know, you've you've handled what you've needed to handle, you know what I mean? Like you have the studio, you have it.

SPEAKER_03 34:53

Um but it didn't happen overnight overnight, right? You know what I mean? It's been a lot of a lot of years coming, and obviously me being a lot older and going through a lot of life experiences and things that have been given to me, and I was able to put it into the studio, you know what I mean, stuff like that. Um but it you saying, you know, is it pretend? Is it real? What you know what? And is it both?

SPEAKER_00 35:16

Which is terrifying.

SPEAKER_03 35:17

And no, because you know what? I'll tell you why. Because you could be, you know, maybe you had you're having the worst day of your life. All right, you got some shit going on in your life. You've got, you know, I don't know, boyfriend, whatever, something happens, you're depressed, you're crying, you're you're pissed off at the world. But you know what? When you go into that studio, you click that mic, you've got to leave it all aside. You do. Because I mean, you're there, you you need to have a smile in your voice, and you need to, you don't want to But aren't you also supposed to be relatable? 100%.

SPEAKER_00 35:55

So how like how and I think that kind of segues into my my next question is in our role, even though we're on a local level, we're still playing a part. You know what I mean? Like we're all kind of we take life very seriously in all of our roles. I know me personally, I'm I work, I'm a daughter, I'm a sister, I have there's a I'm a friend, I'm a best friend. You know, there's lots of things, and everybody has those roles. And sometimes I get very serious about them, but sometimes I look at that and I'm like, I I kind of want to be, I just want to have more fun. Like I want to not take things seriously. Like it's quick to worry about money, but you want to know what's like fun and spontaneous is saying, like, I'm gonna fill your gas tank and I'm gonna buy your dinner tonight.

SPEAKER_03 36:39

There's nothing wrong with that.

SPEAKER_00 36:40

And yeah, there's nothing wrong with that.

SPEAKER_04 36:43

I'm just saying, like take the truck, go fill it. Yeah, like it's in the driveway.

SPEAKER_00 36:48

Yeah. That's all right. All right. After this, we I'm gonna fill it. But like, say you you do that for a friend where you're like, you know, I might not have everything in the world, and I might this might not be like impulsive, and I might be$50 out, but at least my friend, you know what I mean?

Proving Yourself And Mindset

SPEAKER_03 37:06

Like you don't have to have everything in the world, you know. Yeah, that's the side. You just want to be happy. And if that makes you happy, and we know a lot of people, you know, we work with somebody that wants to make somebody happy all the time and we'll tell them whatever they want to hear to make them happy. I think I'm guilty of that as well, of trying to make everybody happy. I, you know, so maybe that, you know, I I relate to that. Yeah. So you but going back to the pretending part, it's pretending to a certain extent, because like I said, you could be having the you know a really crappy day, and then you've got to put it to the side. So, in a sense, you are pretending. But then again, you need to part of being on the air, and anybody uh I'm sure uh there's people watching this that work in the business because they know who I am and now they know who you are, that uh you also have to show some emotion. And you know, like like today, I I talked a little bit about the one million dollar um reward for Nancy Guthrie, for Savannah Guthrie's mom, and stuff like that. So that's where you kind of change your tone a little bit and you you you show that you're real and you're showing some emotion. I've talked about my son on the air before, and uh I've actually cried on the air before talking about certain things. It's not pretending though. It's not, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 38:24

It's real, it's real, it's real, yeah. And sometimes you have to let those real moments shine through.

SPEAKER_03 38:30

100%.

SPEAKER_00 38:31

Right.

SPEAKER_03 38:31

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 38:32

So you kind of have to play into both sides. You have to be serious, but also be play pretend.

SPEAKER_03 38:37

You kind of love what you do. It's hard. Sometimes it's hard.

SPEAKER_00 38:40

I mean, it definitely is, and like I see that battle between like among my my friends sometimes is like we're because we're young, sometimes people feel like they just need to make ends meet and get a job to fulfill the duties of what it means instead of really being happy. And I I don't know. Sometimes I look at it and I look at my friends that that are just getting the job to get the paycheck and just and I understand that they just have to make ends meet. And I I realize like I'm privileged, you know what I mean? Like I'm really lucky to be able to be in a position where I can I can kind of be lenient with my work and be a little more creative and have fun with that.

SPEAKER_01 39:22

And yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 39:24

And I mean, I definitely deal with those pressures and those um anxieties of of making ends meet and being like, you know what I mean, like being perfect, but it's yeah, it's also kind of like I'm in a career that like is beyond my wildest dreams.

SPEAKER_03 39:43

Um, so I don't know, it's just gonna have ups and downs, and but you still, you know, you just you know, if you don't love what you do, don't do it.

SPEAKER_00 39:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 39:52

Because you're gonna find a way to get to get by. You're gonna find a way to survive.

SPEAKER_00 39:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 39:58

You know?

SPEAKER_00 39:58

So make sure you love what you do, take life serious, but also not serious. That's what we've gathered.

SPEAKER_04 40:05

Yeah, it's too short. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 40:09

Oh my gosh. Skip.

SPEAKER_03 40:13

Oh man, you know, I mean, this is me though. This is me. You're you know, this is too much sometimes. I just I enjoy life. You do, and why not? I mean, I'm but you haven't always enjoyed life. No, I've been through a lot. I've been through a lot, yeah, and I made a lot of mistakes, so many mistakes in my life, and that that could be a whole nother subject on a on another podcast. But um, yeah, I mean, but I will say this I have learned a lot from my mistakes. I have learned that I don't have to justify everything. And we talked about this before. I don't have to validate myself, I don't have to do that. No, no, forget that. Why? I don't need to do that anymore. Yeah, I'm not going to. I just I do what I love, and that's the way it is.

SPEAKER_00 41:01

Yeah.

One-Line AI Roasts And Wrap

SPEAKER_03 41:02

Yeah. Oh, y'all in the same room. Yes, John, we are. But we got our cameras on a different angle tonight, which is kind of cool because she's right over there.

SPEAKER_00 41:16

The other way.

SPEAKER_03 41:17

No, it's this way.

SPEAKER_00 41:19

Oh, it is that way, sorry.

SPEAKER_03 41:21

See, look at my face.

SPEAKER_00 41:22

Yes, no, I see it. Yes. Sorry.

SPEAKER_03 41:23

Yeah, exactly. So we just we just kind of moved the cameras around a little bit, but uh, yeah, it's been a good uh we had a lot of fun talking tonight. You know, it's just great conversation.

SPEAKER_00 41:32

Yeah, is what it's all about. So yeah, we went over a lot. We talked about the comfort of nostalgia and how we we all love originals, but we also really, really enjoy covers. We love stepping back into those familiar favorites.

SPEAKER_03 41:48

Like I said, because what we went through over the weekend, which is really good in a good way with the music, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 41:53

Yeah, and then kind of taking a second to be like, guys, stop taking life so seriously.

SPEAKER_03 41:59

Like exactly leave my ice cream alone.

SPEAKER_00 42:01

You stop taking stop taking Skip's ice cream. Well, it wasn't like a few. Well, I think the lesson we've all learned too is that you gotta stop taking people's ice creams because I think that you you started the trend. Skip grabbed the first ice cream, wait, it was a domino effect, and now that's why I'm gonna do it. Who told you that? You did.

SPEAKER_04 42:26

I did. Oh, I did take a cookie witch, but that was a while ago.

SPEAKER_00 42:29

Only one. But you didn't ask. But I told her afterwards, afterwards, after the cookie was eaten.

SPEAKER_03 42:38

So what did I do? So I felt so guilty. I know we're gonna we shouldn't be doing this, but um why are the most important people you have to prove yourself? I can't read it correctly.

SPEAKER_00 42:50

Who are the most important people you have to prove yourself to? That's a really, really, really phenomenal question, John. Yeah. Um yourself. I was just thinking that.

SPEAKER_03 43:02

Yourself, John. You've done that. Look at look at he's the star. He's the man, he's the voice. He's you know what? And just he he knew that when he stepped away from radio to do this. I would assume that he goes, you know what? I'm the most important person. I'm the only one that needs to prove something. Am I right or wrong? I don't know. I think I'm right.

SPEAKER_00 43:22

Yeah, I think I think that's important. I think that that's how you're gonna be successful in life is if you prove to yourself that like you've got it's a confidence thing. If you're sitting there, I was having this conversation with one of my friends the other day who's who's kind of struggling relationships, and they're quick to be like, you know, I'm I'm just not deserving of a relationship. And I I'm just you know, all this other stuff. And I'm like, all right, I'm gonna say something really quick. Okay. I I told them I was like, I'm gonna be honest with you when you say that and you talk about how you don't deserve it, you're speaking that into existence. You know what I mean? Like you're literally saying. I don't deserve this. And then in return, you're not gonna receive that because you're living with this like brain fog because you're it's like you know, the like con like the concept of rose colored lenses or like kind of seeing things through a different perspective. Exactly. Yep. So I was like, you're gonna see it through a different lens because you're not you're living with that brain fog. You're thinking like I don't deserve it, so you're not, you're not gonna get it. You know what I mean? So if you sit there and you're like, I'm worthy and I I deserve it, and prove to yourself like I'm worthy of of love, I'm worthy of respect, I'm worthy of all these other things, then you're in return gonna receive that. Um but the flip side of that is if you say you don't, I I unfortunately believe that that you don't.

SPEAKER_03 44:48

True.

SPEAKER_00 44:49

You know?

SPEAKER_03 44:49

Yep, no, very smart, very smart. Well, it's been a it's been a good night. We we brought up a lot of good stuff tonight. And uh just before we go, I just I wanted I wanted to do something because uh with AI, I know you're gonna go, oh, yeah, I don't know if AI again. Um but uh you know if you put this in AI, roast me in one line in one line. Roast me in one line. So I put in for me. It said, you've got the confidence of a program director, the workload of three interns, and the sleep schedule of a morning show host who is in our mornings. It's pretty close. Now I did it for Miss Ray.

SPEAKER_00 45:29

Oh, goodness.

SPEAKER_03 45:30

No, no, Miss Ray has so much main character energy that even the mirror rolls its eyes before she finishes talking. Really? Hey everybody, it's Skip Happens. Thank you so much for watching.

SPEAKER_00 45:44

Yes, thanks guys for watching.

SPEAKER_03 45:46

Next Wednesday, John, good to see you on there. And uh next Wednesday we'll be back and uh just a lot of great conversation. Uh, if you know something that we should be talking about, just drop me a line. Go to skiphappens.com, skiphappenspodcast.com.

SPEAKER_00 45:59

And people can actually come on the podcast, they can talk to us if they wanted, right?

SPEAKER_03 46:02

They could. Yes, they could. Oh my god. Just let us know. That's all. Just want to say goodnight, everybody. Thanks for watching. It's been another edition of Skip Happens.

SPEAKER_00 46:10

Yes, we love you guys. Miss Ray's right there.

SPEAKER_03 46:13

I'm pointing the right way. Good night. Look at this. I'm pointing the right way.

SPEAKER_00 46:16

Which way?

SPEAKER_03 46:17

I know we're done.