Former Pikesville and Holarbird music legend Calvin Statham tickles the ivories with Nestor and childhood friend Stephanie Pallo at The Tasting Room at Drug City in Dundalk on the Maryland Crab Cake Tour presented by The Maryland Lottery and Window Nation.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
children, stephanie, taught, piper, friends, middle school, day, people, laurie, lived, play, sentimental journey, absolutely, teacher, years, middle, call, sit, piano, love
SPEAKERS
Stephanie Pallo, Calvin Statham, Nestor Aparicio
Nestor Aparicio 00:00
Welcome back wn s CI TAs in Baltimore and Baltimore positive Talk brought to you by our friends at the Maryland lottery through the Maryland crab cake tour. We’re out at drugs city. We’re in Dundalk. We’re upstairs. We’re at the tasting room above the fountain. It’s all brought to you by our friends at Windsor nations. Well, I got these instant lottery scratch offs a throwback, it’s 50 years and our friends window nation are also offering a specialty with 866 90 nation. You buy two you get two free and 24 months. 0% financing. We’re real happy with our witness to make sure you’re doing that. I thought we put this thing together. That six weeks ago. Mr. Stadium is here Mr. Calvin stadium if you’re from Pikesville from Dundalk, you may know him. Stadium singers and still young and chipper we got a keyboard here my son brought along it Yes, my son shows me the keyboard over to says he kept saying I said to him I need to get piano for Mr. Stadium. He said you’re gonna keyboard at him like, it better not be some damn Tonka toy Oregon thing that’s gonna embarrass me. So I went over to pick this up about an hour before the show. And he took the day off and it didn’t have like a cord in it. And I said to him, I said, we’ll send it they run on batteries. He’s like, Yeah, it’s got 60 batteries in me. And he’s like, you’re a drug city. If the batteries go bad. They got batteries there. So we just no way this thing’s going to die because Trump City’s got everything. So that’s my love for truck city. If they don’t have it, you don’t need it. That’s the truth. So Stephanie Paulo is here, as state of says, oh, Paulo I’m gonna get after her. So Stephanie. i You’ve waited 31 years of my radio 31 and a half years my radio career to insult me on the air. So I’m going to allow you to do whatever you want to do with me. But you were the first girl I met if anchor was the first guy to crush. You. Were the first girl I met first day first class sitting next to me. She wanted nothing to do with me at all. Well, you would take some mess. Yes, you
8
Calvin Statham 01:50
were a mess. All right. I knew I loved you. total mess. That’s why listen, I’m listening to many girls. You looking at too many. There’s 1979 They should have they should have get ganged up on you and told you
Nestor Aparicio 02:07
that was Janine cook. Yeah. Janine sends her love to Stephanie was in Mr. Cobos. This is this is a trick for baseball perspective, because it was September 1979. So the Orioles are about to go to the World Series. I didn’t I knew nothing about middle school. My parents were older and just, you know, they lost a child. They didn’t really like they frightened me about middle school, like about all the draw dogs and girl. Like they gave me a little fright show, you know, a little bit, but I got there. And I didn’t know we had to change class. I didn’t know literally, nobody told me I didn’t have an older brother. Like nobody told me. And I got the first period and Stephanie sitting next to me. And the bell rang and like everybody got off. Like we’re like, oh, now what do I do? I was really, really lost in middle school. I know. I pretended I knew what I was doing and trying to be smooth around you stuff but but I was not.
Stephanie Pallo 03:03
You always say I hated you. I think I was just as scared as you were. I mean, we didn’t have orientation back in that time. I didn’t go to Colgate. Right. Exactly. Right. We are all those kids coming from different elementary schools into one school. And we’re like, Who is this person? I know. Yeah. Pretty
Nestor Aparicio 03:20
8toward the only people I knew, right? I mean, like you felt some safety in this giant school where everybody’s bigger than you. I mean, middle school. I mean, I’ll be really on and I’ve said this my whole life. I hated middle. I hated everything about hollow. I didn’t like the experience. Like I’m not you, not you. But like that part of my life was real. You almost got there. It was difficult. The kids fighting up on the hill every day in our head, calm that behind you flicking in the back of their head and I
Calvin Statham 03:52
had to I had to climb that hill to get that he’ll break kids up you did for kids up fight? No. I told him if you don’t get down off this hill, you’re gonna meet this. I remember that. Because I said you got to meet this. And they ran to
Nestor Aparicio 04:07
a bet they did. Yeah, they did.
Stephanie Pallo 04:09
That’s it. It was right. Side door. It was right. Door right
8Calvin Statham 04:12
at my door. Absolutely. So
Nestor Aparicio 04:15
I mean, I would just say that experience of that. I mean, you know, I’ll talk about the racial tension and Dundalk and you know, the, the there were not people who look like you who are your students. They look like her more than even me at that time. And
Calvin Statham 04:28
but it didn’t matter.
Stephanie Pallo 04:30
8That’s what we were talking about earlier during your
Nestor Aparicio 04:32
budget now. Yeah,
Calvin Statham 04:33
we’ve talked about it. But I mean, it didn’t matter. They loved me. And I love them. It didn’t matter. We didn’t use that word to them. L O V. E, because I’m in it. They made me that’s the best way I know to put it. They made me and that’s what I mean and how I’ve always said they made me a teacher. They made me a teacher. And I had to teach because they wanted to earn. They were fantastic. I don’t care who knows it. I love them. I still do. Every time I see one of my children and I keep saying children. My wife still says, will you please stop calling those grown people children? I said, Well, they’re my children. And I’m gonna say it until I leave the world. I’m sure how many years
Nestor Aparicio 05:30
is your teach? Because I, when he asked this number, you’re gonna be because he’s
8Calvin Statham 05:35
33 years officially, before I retired, but after that, they called me back to teach. And I went on and went on until I ended up with 59 years. Wow.
Nestor Aparicio 05:49
59 years, nine years.
Calvin Statham 05:53
And but it’s amazing. Even at Elmwood, my last school. There were my there were the children’s grandparents, Mr. State of Utah. It’s amazing, isn’t it? And I had taught them you see, but I mean, it’s wonderful. Everywhere I went, I went to Pine Grove. I went to Dundalk Elementary. I went to Dundalk middle when I went to Vinson farm. And the principal Dan had Vinson from elementary when I was teaching that on the first program I was given for them. He says, Now I’m going to introduce this man now if anybody knows this, man, when he comes out, I want you to stand on your feet. The whole auditorium stood up. Now, how does that make you feel? Good, but old. But it was wonderful. It was absolutely wonderful, wonderful. And they I mean, they remembered me and I remembered them. Sometimes they have to call the name summit because my God I’ve talked about what 1000s of children 1000s
Nestor Aparicio 07:05
8You remember a lot of names though my wife but I do. Remember.
Calvin Statham 07:08
I remember some Haley when I was with
Nestor Aparicio 07:11
him, he mentioned you and that’s why I text you. He said hello Stephanie Paulo doing Oh, Paulo is what he says hello.
Stephanie Pallo 07:20
And they still call me that.
8Calvin Statham 07:25
Kim Wrigley
Nestor Aparicio 07:27
Yes. Remember some all so I got the yearbook. And who was that walking in? He had now Jerry Piper’s just arrived. Yeah.
Calvin Statham 07:34
Does anybody know him? I know Jerry Piper. I know his brothers on all the Pipers. Does anybody know? What’s your name young man.
Nestor Aparicio 07:41
8I want to find a picture of you in one of your zoot suits from your your day you know like so
Calvin Statham 07:47
the one was lucky enough to get that pretty girl there.
Nestor Aparicio 07:51
So you know, I find Mr. stain them in his 1980s outfits here, by the way, Mr. Contour honestly, his daughter wrote to me and she was going to stop by today. Mr. Kay’s daughter. Yeah, you are such a gift because you’re doing this 59 years both sides of the city all these years that when I put that picture up for you, I’m telling you, I could have put a picture up with the Pope with the President with brocco bomb would anybody got a one? i Lee pick anybody Ray Lewis, but like you have touched people and my world and I have 100,000 people to follow what I do and 10,000 people here on Facebook and this and that. And I put the pictures up. It was just electrifying. That people were like, stay alive. And you don’t want to live Yeah, absolutely. And so bringing the piano down here Do you have a favorite song? You used to play a song for me in in seventh grade? And it would steam me up I would come in and you try to embarrass me you played the same song over and over and over again now I’m supposed to remember that I don’t know if you remember I remembered as well and I’m
Calvin Statham 08:57
antique almost
8Nestor Aparicio 09:00
Yeah, you know Yeah, you played the same song for me 1000 times
Calvin Statham 09:04
it was I wonder what it was?
Nestor Aparicio 09:07
Go Go Nestor go Do you remember that? Remember don’t go yeah used to play
Calvin Statham 09:14
8with it go go go go go some like that
Nestor Aparicio 09:18
little bit used to give me a really hard time Yeah, that’s it yeah, that’s the one Yeah, that’s the one yeah that’s it it’s making me turn red already see? I feel short and fat all over again and yeah,
Calvin Statham 09:31
I’m gonna thing go today to one of them who came in late go I’m gonna get him though. I promise you.
Nestor Aparicio 09:40
I was on a boat two summers ago with cherry and Laurie Piper. Laurie was a godmother to my child when I was syndicated it’s for people to ask me I was in Chicago was turned a century I got syndicated and I would fly out there for days at a time you see where’s your boy you know, and sometimes my mom but he was going to school out there. Laurie would watch Barry So Laurie son and Barry were friends Jerry’s younger brother and I were friends because Jerry’s little older knee we lived out in Perry Hall and we were on a boat two years ago by chance through this and that and your name came up and I i everywhere I go people know you
8Calvin Statham 10:15
Yeah, but I don’t get worried about my name coming up so much
Nestor Aparicio 10:25
you don’t have a piano in your house that you still don’t use you honestly don’t at the end. I
Calvin Statham 10:29
have one downstairs for Aaron, my grandson, but not for me.
Nestor Aparicio 10:33
8How often do you go and sit play piano ever? No,
Calvin Statham 10:36
I play every Sunday. That’s once a week. Well, that’s enough.
Nestor Aparicio 10:40
All right. All right, did that if that’s where you are in your life, that’s fine. That’s enough. But if I use for training one day Well, enough for me,
Calvin Statham 10:47
believe me. But I mean, you you don’t understand. There’s all almost every day of my life. There’s something going on with with Madeline and I with music. Almost every day of our lives. I’m doing five things right now this today. I got something tomorrow I got something Sunday, I got something Monday, got some Tuesday. And we have be there. My father and mother told us all from the oldest to the to the the little baby me. I was the little baby. And but they always said if people want you to do something for them always say yes. Don’t ever let me hear you say no. That’s the way they were. You do if people need you, you go to them. I can remember when I started teaching. I would see children sitting in the cafeteria without a lunch in front of them. Now you think I was going to let those children sit there without a lunch? No way. I went, took them to the line. Or I would go up to the line and get a lunch and bring it and put it in front of them. I would tell the cafeteria ladies, I don’t care if it’s 100 children that need lunches, give it to them. I will pay you when I get paid. Because I didn’t get paid but once a month, once a month, but a lot of my pay went to children. They didn’t know it. They didn’t know it at the time, I don’t guess. But I meant that I was not going to see a child without a lunch. And I never have. I never have. I couldn’t afford it. I could not afford it. But I did it. But I couldn’t afford it. But thank God, I still lived at home with mom and dad. You see, so
8Nestor Aparicio 12:38
get your Panini from downstairs at the
Calvin Statham 12:43
mom and dad took care of me too. And I was well grown. And Ray Davis was driving me to school when I first started and it was just nice. But I mean, I just have always had that if I see anybody’s child hungry. If I have a penny, if I have a nickel, if I have $1 I’m gonna give it to them. I will do that. Because I wouldn’t have wanted anybody to let me go hungry.
Nestor Aparicio 13:12
You see what I’m saying? Somebody called you exceptional
Calvin Statham 13:14
8know how much I’m just ordinary. I’m just just like everybody else. There are other people just like me, there are plenty of them in the world today. There are plenty of them. You just don’t get to see them all the time. You don’t get the publicity. That’s what it is. Exactly. But I mean, it’s fantastic. But I mean, I really mean that I never would have had a child. I couldn’t do that I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t sit down and eat. And I knew that there’s a child out there and that kept her you’re not not eating. I couldn’t do that. And I’ve had principals to tell me, Mr. State, I’m gonna you know, you can ask it. I’m gonna do it. Leave me alone. I’ll be alright. He
Nestor Aparicio 13:54
came over to me. I might say cafeteria food is not that good. I know. Yes. Tim wants a pizza.
Calvin Statham 14:01
It wasn’t that. I understood that Halliburton was good pizza there because I knew I knew the lady who did the cooking at Hollenberg. She lived on Sparrows Point, and she could absolutely cook. Why do you think I got chunky in middle school? You didn’t like Halliburton? Was something wrong with you here.
Nestor Aparicio 14:18
I couldn’t believe that they had like a soda machine. When I got there. I’m like, Man, all we had was like milk and juice. And you know, middle school. That’s what I didn’t hate everybody. But it was not my favorite period of my life just as it’s not. I was small, short, chunky picked upon though everybody was picked upon.
8Calvin Statham 14:35
If they had some I didn’t like I said I thought I’ve asked the Vice Principal go out that go up to Geno’s or go to this place in and buy me a sandwich please, and bring it back to me. He says I’m your boss. I said no, you’re not your boss. Don’t get me a sandwich. He went gotten me a sandwich but he did that he did
Stephanie Pallo 14:56
so absolutely. So can ask a question. What When you taught us what you taught us, was there a curriculum? Or were you allowed to like create, you know, pick the
Calvin Statham 15:05
curriculum, but I made sure everything in that curriculum was taught, but I taught a lot of things out of here. Okay. Right. Yeah.
Nestor Aparicio 15:12
8Well, you were course you were in the course. Yeah, I
Stephanie Pallo 15:14
couldn’t play I couldn’t play instruments.
Nestor Aparicio 15:18
So I want to I want you to tell the story, because I think listeners around the county remember this, if you were on a course, you were a taskmaster, but a couple things. And aside from My Fair Lady, because I was in one show with you, and we talked and I still have to glue back here. He told Madeline, she never got the glue out from behind my left ear. But we would get on a bus twice a year. And whatever we did a Christmas we had to do with it, like Parkville, middle, right, there was a chinos ran and we get it. But you would put us on a bus and we would go out there and we’d have to get all dressed up. And you were serious, like serious, like we’re being evaluated and, and we would go out and we would pile into lists, I think was Parkville.
Calvin Statham 16:01
Yeah, it was Parkville Middle School. And but guess what Halbert always brought me back the top top number top level.
8Nestor Aparicio 16:08
When you say curriculum and things that were mandatory, this felt like a mandatory thing for you as a teacher, let me think you had to drag us out there to be value when
Stephanie Pallo 16:15
we had to sight read, and that was part of your
Nestor Aparicio 16:17
take the keeping you like, right,
Calvin Statham 16:20
8no one keeping me.
Nestor Aparicio 16:22
But I mean, like you were being evaluated on being evaluated, but
Calvin Statham 16:25
I didn’t say about being evaluated, because I knew what I was doing. Right. I know you did. Okay, right. Yeah, a lot of teachers. That’s what messes them up. They worry too much about how they’re going to be evaluated and this and that. I could care less. I taught school and I taught children. I taught children and my children were gonna see to my valuation, even the Piper children that I know. Yeah, they’re gonna see to it. But I got news for you by Parkville. We were all getting ready to go to Parkville for an evaluation. I had about three busloads of children. Unfortunately, I left a Piper in charge. The three buses pulled off without me. I said leave it there wasn’t that one. It was the other one. Another one. I taught two of them out of the three. But anyhow, he took off with the three busloads and then they thought about it who
Nestor Aparicio 17:28
played the piano? I played it. Well, you would not we’re not there. The
8Calvin Statham 17:32
principal had to take me out there. He said your children who have you I said they left? Mr. Sanders do that. But I had no I had a student teacher at the time. His name was goodness. Guadiana. And this pipe a kid really was was very hard on Mr. Kwok liana. He said, You can’t teach us like Mr. sanem. I said, Don’t you ever say that again? Don’t you ever say it again, he’s learning. And he’s got to learn just like I had to learn, and so forth and so on. Anyhow, he took him he took them on out there three muscles, he said, said you had to learn so I’m letting you learn. So he let him learn. But my principal Charlie Benson at that time took me out there. And I mean, they sign up a storm. I was so proud of my children. I’m gonna tell you right now, every time I took a group out there, they made me proud.
Nestor Aparicio 18:25
I have a feeling and I’m 59 years old these valuations every
Calvin Statham 18:30
didn’t go to evaluations. 59 Okay, maybe
Nestor Aparicio 18:32
83333 years evaluation, that that on that particular day, we were sharp. I mean, we I like I just remember it was really important to you, you made it really important to us. And you talked about it for three weeks ahead. It was just a big deal. And we all felt that
Calvin Statham 18:50
because I wanted you to be wonderful, great. I say the word wonderful. To be that’s more important to me than great. Wonderful. That’s how I wanted you. That’s what I mean.
Nestor Aparicio 19:03
All I remember is the sentimental journey. Gonna take a sentimental journey.
Calvin Statham 19:09
And sometimes I would accept for some of my students. I would accent the word mental.
8Nestor Aparicio 19:16
It was I want to go here. I want to go Oh, I was
Calvin Statham 19:24
gonna take I sent it and look at some of the mental you know? I couldn’t be a clown. I was I was a real a real clown. I’ll be waiting for Evan. Counting every mile of railroad tracks. Back when I go home now but thought my heart could be so young. I want to go home. Why was I afraid to roll? Well, no, no. God a day Because the mental journey the man, Journey Home take a sentimental journey or take a sentimental journey. Thing Paulo take a mental journey. Oh all right you go there you go
Nestor Aparicio 20:30
Steph has Virginia Tech doing all right know
Calvin Statham 20:34
8that Mr. Piper, I’m a Maryland fan.
Nestor Aparicio 20:38
I was just trying to come up with the songs we had to sing that
Calvin Statham 20:42
song rain drops on my window. Joe is gonna rain bit by bit. River flows till all at once it overflows job is done Doray paddles on one of them. And that little boy right there in the red. He’s saying of birth permissive state of me made Mr. State of so proud.
Nestor Aparicio 21:27
We there was something about making Mr. State and proud that like,
8Calvin Statham 21:30
Oh, that was good. They were wonderful. They were wonderful. Just wonderful.
Nestor Aparicio 21:34
Well, I had a highlight with you go into My Fair Lady, that they allowed me to sit with you. And we sat together the third row really close. And he got his first thing he said when the show of the thing he says it’s good to be on this side of the curtain. And then Freddie came out and Freddie sang. And I gave you a hard time. Right? The minute he came out there talked about how he had done or in an old deal, right?
Calvin Statham 21:59
But that’s all right. That’s all right. I can take hot times I can take him Yeah, we consider
Nestor Aparicio 22:05
8right. Freddie did you get what you didn’t even consider making me Freddie in the show? to 43 years stay admit what they’re not not a mistake.
Calvin Statham 22:21
Oh I did not overlook your talent. I tried. Where they weren’t to be where they weren’t to be. I tried to do that. So that’s that have often walk down the street. So So maybe next in your next life, you can sing that part.
Nestor Aparicio 22:49
You always crush it if I’m
Calvin Statham 22:50
there. I’ll play it for you. So to make it to please let me play the song for Nestor on the street where you live on the street,
8Nestor Aparicio 22:59
Nobel Avenue man. Stephanie’s been my friend since first day seventh grade, Mr. Stadium is still my friend, but I want his children. And I’ll always be one of your children forever. So give give love to your family. Thanks. You didn’t want to do this. And I’m glad you came.
Calvin Statham 23:16
I’m glad I came to and I’m saying to all your listeners. My grandson is 24 years old. He’s in college. And he’s given a concert this evening. And I tell you, I’m thrilled about it. He gave one a few weeks back. And they he taught all the parts for the orchestra that played his composition. And we were so proud of him. I couldn’t really enjoy him because I was crying. I was booed. And I did that. Anyhow, don’t do that. Tonight, children would be singing on on those bleachers and I’d be just booing while they’re singing. That’s the way I am and I don’t care. I don’t apologize for it. I did it. I loved it. And I love my babies. And I mean it. And I mean it and I mean, so that’s that. Drop the mic, drop the mic, just drop everything. Javon
Nestor Aparicio 24:10
stayed on my dear friend, you know, play play some piano to lead us out here you know, whatever you want to do. You want to play some music on the way out there we’re done. We’re done. All right, we’re done. It’s all brought to you by the Maryland lottery and our friends and when they’re trying to get to where my window nation funny hat I got a funny floppy hat for my sponsor and I put it in the bag and I didn’t even get chance to wear it. 866 When did you start I got so good shirt downstairs. We did 866 90 nation my friend Stephanie for Ingrid for my wife for coming out today my son for giving us the keyboard and sharing Laurie big appreciation. We’re truck city come on down here. Hit the fountain, get some food. Get some booze. I got a good wife. Well, I mean I could teach you my anger was best to leave me alone is what you’re telling me? Yeah, you’re absolutely right. We’re back for Laurel wn st the minute I get control of this thing. I swear
