VOA – CONNECT
EPISODE 72
AIR DATE 05 31 2019
TRANSCRIPT
OPEN ((VO/NAT))
((Banner))
Folk Music Man
((SOT))
((Alvie Dooms, Retired Truck Driver, Musician))
When I was a kid growing up, we had no money. So, whatever we had, we made. If it was music instruments…..
((Animation Transition))
((Banner))
Books From Birth
((SOT))
((Margaret Parker, Participant, Books from Birth Program))
The exposure to words and concepts and cognitive thinking is a big part of not only literacy, but social, emotional awareness.
((Animation Transition))
((Banner))
Freedom to Play
((SOT))
((Courtesy: ASIYA))
((Fatimah Hussein, Co-Founder, ASIYA Sportswear))
Hijab is very important for a Muslim girl. The hijab is the identity of her, shows you that this is part of who you are.
((Open Animation))
BLOCK A
((PKG)) FOLK MUSIC MAN
((Banner: Sounds of the Ozarks))
((Reporter/Camera: Gabrielle Weiss))
((Map: Ava, Missouri))
((NATS))
((Alvie Dooms, Retired Truck Driver, Musician))
When I was a kid growing up, we had no money. So, whatever we had, we made. If it was music instruments, toys or whatever you had, you made it. That’s why I repair instruments, I guess. I can, I can about fix anything that needs to be, that’s fixable, you know, and most anything are, you know, if you can set your head to it.
((NATS))
((Alvie Dooms, Retired Truck Driver, Musician))
My name’s Alvie Dooms. In a few days, I’ll be 89 years old and this is my wife over here on the end, Dovie Dooms, very fine lady.
((Dovie Dooms, Wife of Alvie Dooms))
That’s enough.
((Alvie Dooms, Retired Truck Driver, Musician))
Takes good care of me. No joke, she’s a nice person and I’m doing pretty good for my age, I think so. I play rhythm guitar mainly but I can play about any kind of an instrument to a certain extent and I’ve repaired them, collected them for the last forty, fifty years. Well, I own several instruments. Now it would be approximately 250 guitars, fiddles and banjos, you know. And up until a couple years ago, I never even considered selling one, you know. I just wanted to keep them all but I found out that ain’t going to work. Got more instruments than I’ve got time, so I’m going to have to downsize.
((NATS))
((Alvie Dooms, Retired Truck Driver, Musician))
Well, you can come back and see all the plunder. This is a little more upgrade Roth, you see. This one is in the teens I’d say, older than me, and that’s old. I’m a collector. I need to be a seller. That’s what I’m needing to do now. Once in a while, I’ll sell off one or two, you know, and we can live pretty high on the hog then for a few days. Then we have to go back to bread and water again. Do you want to go see them in the basement now? Okay. Watch an old man go down the stairs.
((NATS))
((Alvie Dooms, Retired Truck Driver, Musician))
I’ll spend six, eight hours a day down here some days. A guy gave it to me and he brought it in in a trash bag, you know. It was just all pieces, just trash, actually, but I spent, gosh, I bet I got a hundred hours in that thing. Just you know, turned out pretty good. We can go out to the garage.
((NATS))
((Alvie Dooms, Retired Truck Driver, Musician))
There’s ten fiddles, at least ten fiddles in each box and there’s one, two, three, four, five boxes and there’s one, two, three, four fiddles on top. What am I going to do with them? Well, that’s what my kids ask me every day or two, you know? I’m not going to be here forever, I know that.
((NATS))
((Alvie Dooms, Retired Truck Driver, Musician))
Hey, you going to McClurg tonight? Oh, okay. Okay then. See you in a little bit. Okey-dokey. Bye.
((NATS))
((Alvie Dooms, Retired Truck Driver, Musician))
This is Monday. We’re going to have a jam session. It’s old-time music. About the only place left that you’ll hear it is in Southwest Missouri and Northwest Arkansas. You go north a hundred miles and it’s different. Go south a hundred miles and it’s different. East or west and it’s a little different music. You just don’t hear this anymore. And there’ll be, my wife, cooking for a potluck and.....
((Dovie Dooms, Wife of Alvie Dooms))
We usually have for potluck, fried chicken, two, three different kinds of meat and about ten desserts.
((Alvie Dooms, Retired Truck Driver, Musician))
You might hear better music someplace, but you won’t find any better eating than you’ll find at McClurg.
((NATS))
((Dovie Dooms, Wife of Alvie Dooms))
Alvie, we’re ready for you to carry it out.
((Alvie Dooms, Retired Truck Driver, Musician))
May sample a little before we get there. Different world, this part of the Ozarks, and it’s different music because they’re different people. We’re going down 76 Highway. From my house to McClurg, it’s fifty-two, three miles roundtrip. We’re pretty much right in the heart of the Ozarks now.
((NATS))
((Alvie Dooms, Retired Truck Driver, Musician))
Dovie is jumping the gun on the eating. Oh yeah, just seeing if you added sugar, salt. I want to get some coffee.
((NATS))
We’re new people.
How are you?
Not quite.
((Woman))
I’ve been coming about twenty-five years. My son plays fiddle. So, that’s the main reason we started coming.
((Man))
I like everything about coming here. Best thing to do on Monday night.
((NATS))
((Alvie Dooms, Retired Truck Driver, Musician))
It’s noisy. They’ll calm down a little when they start eating or playing.
((David Scrivner, Fiddle Player))
I brought that Bergonzi fiddle tonight.
((Alvie Dooms, Retired Truck Driver, Musician))
Oh. Where’d you get it?
((David Scrivner, Fiddle Player))
He loaned it to me for like ten or fifteen years to make me get used to it and then he let me pay for it.
((NATS))
Musicians, fill your plates.
((Jeremy Myers, Banjo Maker))
You don’t find this blend of traditional music and traditional, you know, people, and their food, yeah. We’ve had, we’ve had groundhog one time you know, actually more than one time. So, yeah, it’s very traditional here.
((NATS))
((David Scrivner, Fiddle Player))
How’s the food?
((Alvie Dooms, Retired Truck Driver, Musician))
What you think? Good. Can’t you tell the way I’m eating it’s good?
((NATS))
((David Scrivner, Fiddle Player))
I’m going to do ‘Going Across the Sea’.
((NATS))
((Kaitlyn McConnell, Founder, OzarksAlive.com))
So, people generally look for something that’s authentic and what they feel is real. McClurg is both of those things. There’s just no way that you can find anything like this anywhere else.
((NATS))
((Kaitlyn McConnell, Founder, OzarksAlive.com))
You know, there are a lot of places that strive to keep history and tradition alive and that’s cool, I love those things. But this, it isn’t that. It’s that you’ve got people like Alvie, who is in his upper 80’s and this is what he did every Saturday when he was a kid right here in the rural Ozarks. He just does it because he’s always done it. You can’t get more authentic than that. It’s not just trying to keep something alive. It’s just trying to keep something that’s part of your life, part of life.
((NATS))
((Woman))
Last call for coffee.
((Man))
Good to the last drop, little bit of coffee here.
((Alvie Dooms, Retired Truck Driver, Musician))
I’m about wore out. My old shoulder is about to quit me.
((David Scrivner, Fiddle Player))
That’s why I thought I’d play for you.
((Alvie Dooms, Retired Truck Driver, Musician))
I appreciate it.
((Man))
My arms are hurting now. Let’s do one of my favorite tunes and let’s do ‘Granny Will Your Dog Bite’.
((NATS))
((David Scrivner, Fiddle Player))
I’ve been playing here with these same musicians for like twenty, twenty-five years and it’s really, kind of, like a family. I learned to play the fiddle sitting next to people who aren’t’ here anymore, who were the masters.
((NATS))
((David Scrivner, Fiddle Player))
Alvie and I have been playing together long enough that we can just look at each other and smile when we know things aren’t going well or if he misses a chord or I miss a note, we’ll smile at each other and I’ve learned not just a lot about music from Alvie but I think, a lot about life as well. Alvie has a great attitude about dealing with life and accepting things as they come. He’s really just a great person.
((NATS))
((Steve))
Goodnight Alvie. You take care.
((Alvie Dooms, Retired Truck Driver, Musician))
Good night Steve. You guys be careful now.
((Man))
We will.
((NATS))
((David Scrivner, Fiddle Player))
It also gives me, sort of, a sense of who I am as somebody who is from the Ozarks and whose family is from the Ozarks for generations, and it just feels like it’s supposed to be.
((NATS))
TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up…..
((Banner))
Film with Purpose
((SOT))
((Demor’ee Crawfod, Filmmaking Class Participant))
I could dream of being the biggest producer and the biggest actor. When I'll be famous, become famous, I would love to help children in need.
BREAK ONE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK B
((Banner: Cultivating Youth))
((PKG)) BOOKS FROM BIRTH
((Banner: Books from Birth))
((Reporter: Julie Taboh))
((Camera: Adam Greenbaum))
((Adapted by: Zdenko Novacki))
((Map: Washington, D.C.))
((Pop-Up Banner: Books from Birth is a program that provides free books to youngest D.C. residents))
((NATS))
What about this one?
((Margaret Parker, Participant, Books from Birth Program))
The program is definitely awesome. The exposure to words and concepts and cognitive thinking is a big part of not only literacy, but social, emotional awareness.
((NATS))
And one more.
((Joshua Clark, Participant, Books from Birth Program))
I knew I could use this tool to not only bond with my son, but also give him skills that he would need in everyday daily life.
((NATS))
((Joshua Clark, Participant, Books from Birth Program))
What’s that?
A Car.
A car? What color is that car?
Yellow.
((NATS))
((Charles Allen, DC Council Member))
I heard a story from a woman who did a lot of volunteering in D.C., and she talked about how she had this group of students, and she would have folks come in, and once a week she’d go over and she'd read. So, after doing this for a couple of weeks, she then reached out and said, “Alright, how about everybody bring their favorite book from home?” And so the next week rolls around, and half the kids brought their favorite book from home. A few other kids had forgotten their book, and some she thought maybe they actually forgot, maybe they didn't have a book to bring at home. But, she remembers so powerfully, one kid, who came in and brought in a book, and very proudly pulled it out, and it was a phone book and it was the only book they had in their house. That story is so powerful to me.
((NATS))
((Muriel Bowser, Mayor, Washington, D.C.))
We know from all of the research that children who are read to, sung to as well, at home, have a vocabulary that is vastly larger than children, unfortunately, who come to school without that type of preparation.
((NATS))
((Joshua Clark, Participant, Books from Birth Program))
He will repeat a word and understand it, and later on repeat it, and use it in a way that it was used with him. And I realized that his exposure to these books has really expanded his vocabulary.
((NATS))
And what’s this? What’s this? What do you see? What’s that?
A truck.
A truck with what?
((Margaret Parker, Participant, Books from Birth Program))
Teaching him another language is something I've always had an interest in and getting those English-Spanish books have been a great follow-up to songs that we sing, or words that I teach him, or things that he picks up at school. So, the dual language books are definitely a great asset.
((NATS))
Abuela? Who’s Abuela?
((Richard Reyes-Gavilan, Executive Director, DC Public Library))
We want to see kids in third grade showing that they're reading at level, and if so, studies over and over have shown that they will be much more likely to graduate and launch careers.
((Pop-Up Banner: The program is in partnership with singer Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library))
((NATS))
((PKG)) MORE KIDS ON TWO WHEELS
((Banner: Confidence on Wheels))
((Reporter: Faiza Elmasry))
((Camera: Adam Greenbaum))
((Adapted by: Zdenko Novacki))
((Map: Millersville, Maryland))
((Pop-Up Banner: Pedal Power Kids teaches young ones bicycle education))
((NATS))
((Rachel Van, Cycling Instructor, Pedal Power Kids))
The way that we turn on a bike is actually by leaning. Sometimes people think that, you know, you turn on a bike using the handlebars and you see little kids going like this to steer and then they fall over. But, we really turn by leaning.
((NATS))
((Rachel Van, Cycling Instructor, Pedal Power Kids))
It is probably the biggest confidence booster. It gives kids such a sense of independence and agency in a world that is increasingly, gives them less independence. So, all of a sudden, they can decide where they're going and they can make small choices through the day, at bike camp or in their neighborhood that maybe they aren't otherwise, they weren't able to do before.
((NATS))
I'm riding down this way.
Does anybody remember what the A-B-C quick check is?
A is for air.
A is for air. We have to check out tires before we ride!
All the way up and all the way down!
Nice.
((NATS))
((Rachel Van, Cycling Instructor, Pedal Power Kids))
We want to make sure that our brakes work before we find ourselves at the top of the hill about to go down.
((NATS))
((Rachel Van, Cycling Instructor, Pedal Power Kids)) We want to make sure that our chain doesn't have any junk in it, like leaves or stuff from last winter.
((NATS))
((Rachel Van, Cycling Instructor, Pedal Power Kids))
From balance to pedaling to all of those skills like turning, starting, stopping etc. And then really get them, you know, enamored with riding and make it something that was part of their daily lives.
((NATS))
Big power start. There you go buddy.
((Rachel Van, Cycling Instructor, Pedal Power Kids))
Big one is really eyes up and forward. A lot of kids struggle with eyes on the ground. They're looking for their pedals but obviously that doesn't allow them to see what's going on around them.
((Fiona, Bike Rider))
I feel like I want to go as fast as I can.
((Rachel Van, Cycling Instructor, Pedal Power Kids))
We have programs for kids as young as 18 months old. So, if you can walk, you can be on a balance bike, you can get your feet on the ground and start learning that motion.
((NATS))
((Rachel Van, Cycling Instructor, Pedal Power Kids))
We probably won't be playing lacrosse when we're 75 or 80, but we certainly can be riding a bike.
((NATS))
Well, we're looking both ways. No car traffic is coming.
No.
All right. Lead us out Avery.
((NATS))
((PKG)) FROM WATCHING TV TO MAKING TV
((Banner: Young Filmmakers))
((Reporter: Faiza Elmasry))
((Camera: Mike Burke))
((Adapted by: Zdenko Novacki))
((Map: Baltimore, Maryland))
((Pop-Up Banner: Root Branch Film Academy teaches elementary school students how to make a documentary))
((NATS))
You see that?
((Vonnya Pettigrew, Founder, Root Branch Productions and Film Academy))
We really find the value in teaching documentary style because, as I simply put it, documentaries are real people talking about real issues. So, this is an opportunity for them to have voice as a young person, to exercise youth voice, to be able to advocate for themselves and for their peers and their families and their communities, about things that are really important to them.
((NATS))
You want to always make sure listen for the click.
((Kimberly Hill Miller, Principal, Lockerman Bundy Elementary School))
Their first topic was the things that they disliked in their neighborhood. It was called Youth Truth.
((Courtesy: Root Branch Productions and Film Academy))
((NATS))
My name is Audrey and I go to Lockerman Bundy Elementary School.
I am in the fourth grade and today my topic will be about how people are killing other people.
You want to know what I'm tired of?
((NATS))
((Vonnya Pettigrew, Founder, Root Branch Productions and Film Academy))
They talked about all the different things that they were tired of. They were tired of, like I said, people being mistreated by the police. They were tired of violence in their neighborhood.
((NATS))
I'm tired of, like, the unstable ground and stuff.
Go ahead!
((Vonnya Pettigrew, Founder, Root Branch Productions and Film Academy))
They’re learning framing and composition and rule of thirds and all these other kind of technical things. They are learning how to set up the camera, how to use the camera, how to use the audio equipment. Our lessons is to really teach them how to organize their thoughts. We use a number of graphic organizers to help them, kind of, get their thoughts down on paper so that they're able to communicate it clearly.
((NATS))
((Daion Crews Harrls, Filmmaking Class Participant))
The most I like about the program is that it prepares you for other jobs that you may have, like the camera for example. Like you may have another job where you have to work the camera. This program already teaches us how to use it.
((NATS))
((Demor’ee Crawfod, Filmmaking Class Participant))
I could dream of being the biggest producer and the biggest actor. When I'll be famous, become famous, I would love to help children in need.
((NATS))
((Daion Crews Harrls, Filmmaking Class Participant))
It might really help us explore what we want to do. You could do a lot of other things if you try them. It mostly gives me confidence.
((NATS))
((Vonnya Pettigrew, Founder, Root Branch Productions and Film Academy))
It boosts their confidence overall, and so they become better students. They love coming to school. They don't want to miss media class. So, they know that it's a privilege to be in this class. So, it just makes them become a better student all the way around.
((NATS))
TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up…..
((Banner))
Sports for All
((SOT))
((Fatimah Hussein, Co-Founder, ASIYA Sportswear))
I believe when girls play in their PE class, that's the moment where either they fall in love with sports or they don't.
BREAK TWO
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK C
((PKG)) PIA -- FATIMAH HUSSEIN
((Banner: Freedom to Play))
((Executive Producer: Marsha James))
((Camera: Kaveh Rezaei))
((Map: Washington, D.C.))
((NATS))
((Courtesy: ASIYA))
((Fatimah Hussein, Co-Founder, ASIYA Sportswear))
Hijab is very important for a Muslim girl. The hijab is the identity of her, shows you that this is part of who you are. You know some family will start their girls wear hijab as young as when they start school. When young Muslim girls start playing sports, they didn't had any accessibility of a sport a hijab that they felt very comfortable with. I felt like there should be some kind of a solution for this.
I came to America when I was six. Home was Somalia. Me, my sister came to America with my mom and dad. We did lost my brother while running away from the war, and then my two other brothers were born in America. Respect for me was the biggest thing in our family.
((NATS))
((Courtesy: ASIYA))
((Fatimah Hussein, Co-Founder, ASIYA Sportswear))
They say the most important thing is you start with yourself and then you can be able to understand why it's important for you to get respected and giving back. Charity was very important for us too.
((NATS))
((Fatimah Hussein, Co-Founder, ASIYA Sportswear))
I played softball. I played basketball. It was like, yeah, we play kickball outside. We played in our school teams. I didn't see no difference between me and a boy. I know I always used to look forward coming home, so I can play outside with the boys and everyone else.
((NATS))
((Fatimah Hussein, Co-Founder, ASIYA Sportswear))
When I start volunteering that I saw that what I thought was normal, was not normal to the community. So, when I start volunteering at the community center, I saw girls were not using the gym. Any girl who went into the gym somehow was notified by her parents. Boys and girls did not used to mix too much. Once I start coaching is when I saw that any girl who became really good at playing the sports, when I went to see her at the school playing, she was not wearing her hijab.
((NATS))
((Fatimah Hussein, Co-Founder, ASIYA Sportswear))
My solution was to solve this to provide the girls with not for me to take this culture away. We designed a whole gear of clothes, the jersey, the underpants, and the hijab. We had a big fashion show. When we had that big fashion show actually, one of the state senators said, “Fatimah, I could see this idea really move to another level.”
((NATS))
((Fatimah Hussein, Co-Founder, ASIYA Sportswear))
The company is called ASIYA. ASIYA is a well-known woman in the Islamic history. The girls picked that name because they believe it was something that represent them. Fighting injustice, fighting their peers. They picked the name. They picked the fabric. They did every step with us. That's why we're very unique when it comes to like this grass root of like owning ship. It's a Muslim girl who’s designing this hijab. So, a lot of times people say, “ASIYA, is that you?” and I'm like, no, it's not me.
((NATS))
((Fatimah Hussein, Co-Founder, ASIYA Sportswear))
The challenge we saw is that it was not easy to pick a fabric. It took us eighty different fabric to really find the first sport hijab. Another challenge is, being made in the USA. I really wanted our sport hijab to be made with love, to make sure that the people who are making are getting paid. And for me it was more about the social impact that we were going to create.
((NATS))
((Courtesy: ASIYA))
((Fatimah Hussein, Co-Founder, ASIYA Sportswear))
You know, it's really nice to see that right now we are in over five different continents. Girls around the world are having access to this hijab. That means we are really going in a good direction. What I really want for myself and my life right now is really to get this hijabs out to more girls, especially at school levels. I believe when girls play in their PE class, that's the moment where either they fall in love with sports or they don't. It makes me really excited that this movement of limiting barriers for girls to play in sports is gonna get much smaller.
((NATS))
CLOSING ((ANIM))
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BREAK
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
SHOW ENDS
