Giving Holabird and Pikesville love to the great Calvin Statham

It took Nestor nearly 31 years to drag his Holabird Junior High music teacher and production leader of the 1982 spring presentation of “My Fair Lady” at Dundalk Middle School onto his show. A beautiful afternoon and discussion with a man who traveled the gospel world and brought joy and the magic of music to thousands of children in Baltimore. The King of Dundalk music Calvin Statham tells Nestor how their paths crossed back in 1979 on the Maryland Crab Cake Tour at The Tasting Room at Drug City.

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

play, music, teacher, piano, stadium, friends, teach, started, knapsack, called, hippodrome, sing, singers, bird, children, gave, picture, shear, life, oldest

SPEAKERS

Calvin Statham, Nestor Aparicio

Nestor Aparicio  00:00

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Welcome back, wn, st Towson, Baltimore and Baltimore. Positive half of this segment is going to be positive. It’s all brought to you by our friends at the Maryland lottery, I gotta scratch, I got scratch offs for everybody. This is the 50th anniversary. In the gold ones. I’ve waited a long time to get these and brag about these, we are at a drug city. And this man is a legend as somebody today who can’t be here today called you an extraordinary man. And I thought to myself, I hope in my life that somebody anybody would call me an extraordinary man. But you are a piece of living magic, you really are. Because when I put your picture up, I don’t know that anything in my life has been as positively electric. As this picture you and me smiling at the Hippodrome two months ago. And I called you when I said, I want to drag you out to see my fair lady I hadn’t seen I saw you 10 years ago in the eye on my mother. But we haven’t spent any time together. And within, I don’t know, five minutes on the phone. I knew I needed to get together with you. And I appreciate you call me down. And this is Mr. Calvin stadium. He was my seventh grade music teacher at hollyburn Junior High School before it was in middle school. And the reason I am the man I am today this man molded me. Is that correct?

Calvin Statham  01:20

I think I’ll take credit for that. All right, because I’ve done okay.

Nestor Aparicio  01:23

You take credit. They blame you get them.

Calvin Statham  01:27

Take the credit.

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Nestor Aparicio  01:29

How are you? You look beautiful and fantastic. I’m

Calvin Statham  01:32

fine.

Nestor Aparicio  01:33

How’s your wife? How’s your family? How’s Patrick? How’s everything?

Calvin Statham  01:36

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Everybody’s fine. Tonight, we’re gonna be going to celebrate our grandson again. He’s in concert at his college. What did you do? We say I’m a player and a player. I’m a player. Yes. And so we anxiously awaiting that time.

Nestor Aparicio  01:50

Does he play the piano better than you are now? Much better? Really? Yes. Wait, I don’t know anything about you, other than you were this man that I respected in 1979 8081 82 of my life. I saw you a few times. After that. I ran into you out in the community. I felt bad that I wasn’t at Martin’s Western night that you were defeated many 25 years ago now. You’re retired. I’m blown away by how long goes what? But I don’t know like where you’re from. I don’t know where you learn to play the piano. I know you used to come in with these electrifying things at our Christmas coral and our spring coral. I have pictures. I got yearbooks. I’m gonna embarrass you with your you had some interesting outfits back in the 80s You know, back in the day, but how did you get the holiday bird? How did I How did you come into my life and change my life? How did

Calvin Statham  02:40

I come into your life and change your life? Let’s see. I came into Hollenberg from Morgan State College. And I had not planned to come to Hollenberg to be honest. I had planned to go to solace point Junior Senior High School internal station okay. That was where my sister was teaching music. And you grew up where Sparrows Point Okay, Sparrows Point. And I was looking forward to going to Silas point, junior senior high school to teach music. When I graduate from graduated from high school. I knew that super visor music his name was Dr. John Kraft. And every time he came to Sol’s point, I would be playing for the choruses or the Greek clubs, as they call them then, and he always came up to me said you know what I say what Dr. Kraft? He says when you graduate from college, I’m gonna have a job ready for you? I said you really mean that? He says yes. I met somebody here when you were 20 Right? No, I wasn’t even 20 Okay. 120 I was about I guess, because I played for the glee club from about 12 years old till about I got

Nestor Aparicio  03:57

18 Well, you missed the most important part. How’d you learn to play the piano like me, my sister that I was a little boy once the first time you said a piano five years old.

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Calvin Statham  04:05

Five years old. My sister started me at five years old. I started my first job as a church organist at eight years old. Church, First Baptist Church in Essex.

Nestor Aparicio  04:17

JD go from Sparrows Point to Asik to play the melody organ you play the organ?

Calvin Statham  04:21

Yes, I’m a dog and then piano the medicine would come and pick me up. My parents would not let me go alone at that time we were eight Yes, I was the anybody who wanted me to play for them at that time, they’d come and get me and they had to bring me

Nestor Aparicio  04:41

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to pick you up to change, you know, come full circle.

Calvin Statham  04:46

But it you know, it was amazing. I don’t know we just my family. I come from a family of musicians my father could play. He was a musician, and he wanted his children to play Music My

Nestor Aparicio  05:00

grandfather was a trumpet player at at Pimlico for many years my grandfather played the trumpet, so I had music family as well and being in your classes. Music is my favorite thing. I love music more than I love sports. Anybody knows me know

Calvin Statham  05:14

that I don’t blame you. If you have never left me you had a teacher like me, you should have loved music better than most Well,

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Nestor Aparicio  05:21

I mean, I will say to you and Ingrid is here and we’re I’m gonna get in Ingrid Steph came out Omar friends are here from high caliber, but I love music. I think seventh grade I think of like, sticks and Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. But show tunes and a show. And you and Mr. Riggs after you would Dundalk and and I guess the community itself, lent itself to putting on a show. I mean, you put on shows, My Fair Lady. Bye, bye, birdie, whatever the show was Oklahoma, whatever you were doing at the time West Side store, I’m sure you’ve done them all. But that was something to bring to the community that I don’t know that maybe I knew the hills are alive and sound the music or like Disney movie on Sunday or something like that. But actually getting on a stage and performing. That was something that you brought the young people in Dundalk that I don’t know, we would have ever seen that.

Calvin Statham  06:17

I got that from the same sister. Her name was Clara stadium green. She was the oldest of us. And all of us kind of pattern ourselves after her. Because she was the one see back then. Your parents couldn’t afford to send everybody to a music teacher. It couldn’t do it. So they sent the oldest, okay, and she had a job teach you she had to teach all of us. She had to teach the rest of us. And I mean, she took that very seriously. And we were all very thankful to her because she really she was a master musician.

Nestor Aparicio  06:55

So you’re five years old, you’re playing the piano, eight years old. You’re in Essex all night. Now you’re you’re the church. You’re the little boy, the church that plays the piano, right? So then you get your grades where you skipped all, all your all the years I spent with you. You just skipped you know, and then you show you you get the Morgan

Calvin Statham  07:14

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where I’m trying to get to that to that. Okay, go

Nestor Aparicio  07:17

ahead. It was more than a minute gonna go backwards.

Calvin Statham  07:20

Well, what else do you want to know? Now you tell me where you want me? What

Nestor Aparicio  07:23

else were you going to be and you’re never going to do anything else in your life, but teach children how to play music. And that’s all I

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Calvin Statham  07:28

want to do. And my my main objective was to be a teacher of music. I got that from my family. Everybody before me was seven of us. And everybody before me, except for one who refused to play music. He told his mother and father Nope. No way was he going to play a piano. And of course, they let him get away with that. But he could get away with it because he was a fantastic art student. He was a fantastic art student. But he was also I called him kinda naughty. Because when I would be going out making a few dollars plan to this person or plan for this group of plan for that group. He would be waiting for me with his hand i He wanted my money. So I gave it to him. I did, I gave it to him because he was a wonderful brother. And he was the one right next to me. I was the youngest. And he was the second youngest. And and we lost him at a very early age. He was 2021 when he passed an accident car accident. And so that was very dramatic and traumatic for all of us. But nevertheless, we still continued now my father was a critic. He would sit in his in the in his dining room comfort chair. And when we would go to the piano to practice, if you hit a wrong note, he tell you. When I started my singers, I was 10 years old. The statement singers began at 1010 years old. Yes, 10 years old. And I started them and I would bring them to the house for rehearsal. And my father was the biggest critic of them all, but he would tell them, he says now you’re gonna carry my name. He would tell him you’re going to carry my name, that name stadium, it has magic with music. Now, if you’re going to carry my name, you’ve got to make sure that you’re singing correctly, that your notes are correct, and everything else and if they are not, I’m going to stop you and correct you

Nestor Aparicio  09:49

now to say this. I’m looking at former students yours. We’ve all heard this before, right? I mean, I think I remember hearing this every day in my life in 1979 8081

Calvin Statham  09:59

the way it was was

Nestor Aparicio  10:02

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shown the camera the look you make if I sang the wrong note, you know, I just you know, it’s been so long gave me that look at the Hippodrome at nine. I saw it and I’m like, ooh. Man. I mean, you know, it’s like lasers out of your eyes. And you’re such a beautiful smile. But but man when you got mad when you you were mad. I remember seeing you, man. Oh, no, I was afraid.

Calvin Statham  10:33

I could, you know, you I could get angry with the children sometimes. But they wouldn’t make me laugh. You know, I was a teacher. I had students who would tell me, Mr. State, um, you know, you can’t you can’t be angry with me. And this and this and that. And this and that this and

Nestor Aparicio  10:50

we all knew you were a big song.

Calvin Statham  10:53

I was really a pushover for my children. Oh, there’s no doubt about I was a pushover. But my children were wonderful too, though. I have to I give them all the credit. I give them the credit. I always said, when I went to holla Bert, that first day there. I was told that I was going to teach that afternoon. Now, anybody who knows that they’re going to become a teacher knows that they have to watch a teacher first. But not at this school, not at Holabird, because I really was not comfortable at first. I wasn’t comfortable being at Albert. Metalia that that’s true, too.

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Nestor Aparicio  11:32

But when did you get there? 71 that Bert? No,

Calvin Statham  11:34

no, no, no, no, no, no. 6063 63 Yes. 63

Nestor Aparicio  11:44

How old were you? 20 and out of college?

Calvin Statham  11:49

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Yes. I was smart.

Nestor Aparicio  11:52

was past tense. Just want to get that. That’s fine. I agree. You’re here. You’re here with me today. You may. Gavin stadium is here. He’s my middle school music teacher and putting on shows and things. But so So you started in 63. In Hollywood, I walked in and 79 so I had no I mean, I didn’t know I still I’m learning about you and literally in this conversation. But when I put a picture of you up on the internet that night. It was a lot of Dundalk friends before and after people

Calvin Statham  12:25

older than me. Did they throw darts at it? No, no. What

Nestor Aparicio  12:28

happened was, I’ve been on radio 31 years I got I got friends outside of Dundalk. I know you find it hard to believe. But all of my Pikesville friends started writing. And they’re like, that’s Mr. State. And that’s Mr. Bruce shear who was a partner in WNS, teams father, Nathan shear had a Lomas ruler won the Preakness. Bruce shear, called me right away. And I’ve known Bruce 25 years. He’s like, Mr. State of looks great, man. And I’m like, you know, Mr. State, Mr. State, and he’s like, Oh, he taught me 1974. whatever year it was, in what years? Were you in? Pikesville?

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Calvin Statham  13:02

I was at Pikesville. from 70 until seven, eight. Okay,

Nestor Aparicio  13:06

I’m not wrong. Okay. So there you go until seven, eight. And they dragged you back to Doha to get you back to Don

Calvin Statham  13:11

Doha. I’m going to tell you that story.

Nestor Aparicio  13:13

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I know. You don’t mind if I drink on the job today?

Calvin Statham  13:21

think somebody’s trying to get your attention.

Nestor Aparicio  13:24

What do you want me to fix your headset? Oh, she wants me to fix your headset because go mess your hair up. There

Calvin Statham  13:28

you go. Oh, that’s all right. Don’t worry about the hair. You look beautiful. All right. But anyhow, as I was saying, when I got the holla bird on that first day, I was told that I was going to teach that afternoon. And I sort of panicked a little bit. I said, Teach. And my cooperating teacher. Her name is Donna Jean Brown. She’s still living, I think. And she said, Yes. I want you to teach this afternoon. I really didn’t know why. But I had an inkling that maybe they needed somebody right away. And they did. So I said, Okay, I’ll try it. But I always say this. Children made me the teacher. I did not make the children they made me. And I’m going to say that. As long as I live, I have to say that when those children came into the classroom, in room 11 And over they had hollyburn they came in they looked at me and I looked at them. I think I might have done something like

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Nestor Aparicio  14:37

see you’re 20 Did you look? Did you look 12 Or did you look 30 When you were 20 what I was wanting you were 20 year old guy. I was 20 years old and these kids are 12 and they come in and look at you Okay, look at

Calvin Statham  14:49

me, but they were scared to death that thing. But anyhow, like I said, I poked my tongue at him. I did all kinds of crazy faces that um, and then all of a sudden not struck up the keyboard as a bird. Or their eyes lit up, their faces lit up. They couldn’t get over it. And they sat up in their seats. I said, Did you like that? They wouldn’t say a word that just did that. I think are you able to speak? I say but you’re not speaking. I said I missed the stadium. Say hello, Mr. Stadium. Hello, Mr. Stadium. I said now we’re friends. We’re friends. Right now we have friends. We’re gonna be friends until you leave holla bird.

Nestor Aparicio  15:42

We’re still friends later.

Calvin Statham  15:43

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Oh, yeah. I said, and even when you leave, you’re gonna be we’re gonna be friends. Because you’re my children. Were your children. I say yes. You my children. You’re my children. When you add Hala bird your mind. tell mommy and daddy. I said so that’s true. That’s all true. Tell him I said so. Tell him I said so. And of course, I struck up again. And I played I think it was a song called a happy wonder. I love to go wandering along the mountain track. And as I go, I love to sing my knapsack on my back. That would relieve that rock. That era that Raha baudry Bad rock, my knapsack on my back. Oh, they just loved it. Then they started clapping with me. They just started clapping. Do one that. I said just sing it on. I love whatever you want to sing it on. And we all started that, that, that, that? That that that that stopped playing and clap with them. That That That? That? That that that that? I said Now you wait. I’m gonna say boundary and you’re gonna say travela bowed Rashtra boundary. Then we’re gonna go together. Now era ha ha ha boundary Dre bowed ra Dre Hola. My knapsack on my back. And we went on that. That period. I said now, you know. Aside from singing, you got to learn how to do all kinds of things, because I’m gonna make you work. Don’t you love to work? Yes, sir. We love to work. I send you gone to work. Trust me when I tell you. And of course we did. We worked. But that afternoon. When I finished because the principal was in there. The assistant principal was in the room. The supervisor music was in the room. And when when Mr. Wheeler his name was big, so Well, he was the principal. When he came out getting ready to leave the classroom. He came over to the piano to me and said, meet me in my office this afternoon. I said okay, sure. And I told Donna Jean, I said he said to meet him in his office. She said we’re meeting him in his office. I said, Okay, I meet him in his office. And I went to his office. He says, We need a music teacher. I said you need a music teacher. Yes, sir. We need a music teacher. I said, Well, I had some obligations at that time. But Mr. Wheeler was so afraid. He spoke about it on my retirement. He said, I told him I said I was going to play for a famous group of singers. And I was way before my wife ever became one. And I was supposed to travel with them. So I said I might have to do at least a week until they can find someone to do this for them. But anyhow, I did. I did. I went wait for them. But I came back. I said, you know, this is what I want to do. I want to teach school I want to teach children. And I told him this is what he would call the Claire Ward singers. And if you look on YouTube, you can see them right now. They’re filled up on YouTube, as well as the stadium sing as you can see, I’m all on there. But anyhow, I said she said, Kevin, I know you want to be a teacher but we want you to go with us. I said well miss Ward once I get started and get myself to go and like I really want to do as a teacher. Then of course, sometimes I’ll travel with you when I have Christmas holiday or Easter holiday or whatever holiday summer Yeah. So Summertime, I would go I will go with you and I did. So I had the best of both worlds the best I had what I wanted to do, and I had what I love to do, and that was playing I always love to play and I love to train singers to sing always love that thing I brought a piano with me today for you while you sit up out of play something boy Why didn’t you bring it?

Nestor Aparicio  20:23

Oh well maybe I just did maybe I have to have one right here. Oh my son gave me one here so we have a piano that we’re gonna bring and we brought out today you’re gonna play I’m gonna

Calvin Statham  20:35

ask Mike my you sold me a great you are playing just one moment. I’m going to ask my friends here. Now would you bring in a teacher like Mr. Stadium and hand him something that look like this? Absolutely.

Nestor Aparicio  20:48

This is my son’s Don’t make fun of this. Sounds good. Mr. Stadium is here. It’s all brought to you by the Maryland lottery in our friends when donation a six 690 nation we are a drug city. I’m gonna take a break. Well have some fun with this. All right. I’m gonna let you tinker around. Okay, you can teach me how to play something. My first lesson What do you want me to be like? jaegers music and Highlandtown I’m gonna get my first lesson. Oh, let’s play see that. Now. I know how to do Camptown races

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Calvin Statham  21:19

now see the first thing just a minute. Just a minute. Just a minute.

Nestor Aparicio  21:26

Let’s try to take a break.

Calvin Statham  21:28

The first thing that wants to troll. First thing I would have done to you is to take a ruler and gave you a little tap. That’s right. Give me Don’t don’t hit that fan. Play it again. Like less like that’s better. That’s better.

Nestor Aparicio  21:51

I gotta take a break and he’s gonna yell at me how many bathroom? Calvin stadium has been my teacher, my friend my mentor. We have anchor cold shots gonna come up in a little bit. Stephanie’s gonna be here. We’re gonna tell some old stories play some music and I want to talk about shows and show tunes and putting on shows all right and your love of shows we’ll do all of that real Dundalk guy here we’re truck City Talk brought to you by Maryland lottery in conjunction with a friend of winter nation. And we have soda jerks and we have sandwiches and fountains and we’re gonna have some crab soup as well. Back from our wn St. It’s Baltimore positive by one of my favorites today. Stay with us.