#302 - Heidi Casson - LEADING LADIES PODCAST

0:01 Hello and welcome to leading Ladies with me, Sarah Burnie that really I say this all the time, but I love that chat. Just now I spoke with Heidi and this lady had contacted me after hearing a podcast with Cara Kemp and said you know how much she had enjoyed listening to the podcast. We had a few little emails back and forth. I found a little bit more about her and asked her if she would come on the podcast and two weeks later, here we are. We've just finished our chat. Incredible lady, great story.

0:45 Heidi is a seasoned production stage manager with a career spanning from theatre, live TV, film and large scale productions. From The Lion King and Celine Dion's Vegas residency to the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra Orchestra at Temple Square, she thrives in high pressure live events. Passionate about mentorship and mental health in the industry, Heidi values adaptability, strong relationships and kindness.

1:26 She's also dedicated advocate for Make a Wish Foundation and Stand Up to Cancer, inspired by her son and her mum. Which that actually nearly brought a tear to my eye just talking about, you know, cancers and all the rest of it. She's currently preparing the Tabernacle Choirs Boris Aries concert. Heidi's been involved with the Tabernacle Choir for 20 years now. So 20 years moving from, let's say the high life of Las Vegas, moved to Salt Lake City, met her husband, had two lovely children who are now 17 and 14. Her motto which I love this love and kindness, that is why we are here and it is so true.

2:23 So please enjoy this latest podcast with Heidi. Light Switch is a collective of award-winning lighting, media and visual designers committed to changing how people experience the world. For more than 30 years we have been practicing pragmatic design. At Light Switch, we believe it's our responsibility to keep our clients creative, logistical and financial objectives in balance. Light Switches range of expertise is extensive. From working one-on-one with science and artists to multidisciplinary teams collaborate on all visual aspects of temporary and permanent projects, Light Switch creates unforgettable moments and powerful experiences.

3:05 We celebrate our team, clients, and all of our industry's diverse and talented people. As a part of our commitment to inclusion in all aspects of entertainment and experience design, Light Switch is proud to sponsor leading ladies. Now here's the leading ladies by Geezers of Gear on tour. Maybe she got some stories to share. Now here's the leading ladies by the Geezers of Gear Rock star ladies with some stories to share because La La La La la ladies. Hello, Heidi, and welcome to Leading Ladies. Hello.

4:16 I am, I was just saying to you, so I'm going to let our listeners know. You actually contacted me. It was about two weeks ago now. I think it was two weeks ago. And it was so lovely because I, the podcast with Kara Kemp had just been uploaded and you sent me an e-mail saying that you've like basically stumbled across like the the podcast said how great it was and that you was actually in Peru at the time, just finished a big gig, which we're going to get to. And of course, we had a couple of emails back and forth and I was like, would you like to come on? And you was like, yes, so here we are. Glad to be here. Yeah, really. It's so, so so that for me was such a surprise, you know, because normally I've been connected with people, but for someone to reach out, you know, just through finding the podcast and enjoying it and then wanting to be on like, yeah, really, really good. So please tell me like a little bit about you. Where are you now?

5:14 I always like to. Salt Lake City, UT. Wonderful. And you said it's, it's been quite a nice day today. The sun is finally out, yes. Good, good, good. And you've just finished. Well, you've just got back from Peru, Lima, Peru working for the Tabernacle Choir and like, let's start with that event. I I watched it on like the YouTube. It looked incredible. It was our fourth stop on a kind of a tour blitz and it was at the national soccer stadium in in Lima. And we started off about two years ago in Mexico. The I've been with the Tabernacle Choir for about 20 years and they used to tour once every two years. And when this management took over, they said let's try something different.

6:08 And they really, really meant it. To take this large of a group someplace twice a year or has been a huge challenge and it and it's been exciting, but they've they haven't played outside like they did in Lima in the history that I've known them to what was 33,000 plus people. Really, it sent just goose pimples just like the, the, the vast size of it. I mean really, I mean, how many, how many? So let's let's, let's go back. So you've been working for them for 20 years? Yeah, yeah. How did how did you how did you get involved? Where, where did you start with them? How did you start with them? I was down in Las Vegas for the first two years of Céline Dion show at Caesar's Palace and we had good a great schedule, a fabulous schedule there. And during one of the breaks somebody had me come up here and stage manage just for the weekend. And the relationship kind of grew from there. And when I left working in Las Vegas, I took a full time job up here and I've been their event manager and then their production manager for 20 years.

7:15 I was about 7 years as their event event event coordinator and about 14 ish as their production manager. So before this you hadn't where was your where's home for you like? It was Las, it was Las Vegas before that and then I, I was in Los Angeles before Celine. Oh my goodness. So really like a even just like a whole cultural shock coming from like, you know, those especially Las Los Angeles and Las Vegas. I mean, going from there to Salt Lake City, like that just huge, you know. And so obviously you, you fell in love with there, the heart. You're, you know, where is now home. You've got two children.

8:00 Is that correct? I did. I met my husband here too. Oh, see. Amazing. So, so you met your husband? Does he work for the choir as well? No, he works for the post office. Oh wow. Well, literally like, like, like this, mate. Yeah, yeah, that. I mean again. So you started working there, decided was it going to be like a temporary thing? Not temporary, but you know. I was really looking for a house job. I, I got spoiled with Celine's show, you know, because I had been heavily freelancing in Los Angeles and New York before that. And it was right about the time I was 30 and I just knew one day I'd wake up and want a house job.

8:42 And Celine's was temporary, right? Despite the fact she played for multiple years. And so when this opened up and I could sit in one city for a while, I thought, let's see how I would do. And I ended up really liking it. And obviously I've stayed for 20 years. But I read yeah, the one place worked out well. And so I'm so obviously going from, you know, this busy, hectic, OK, Celine was a little bit sort of calmer, shall we say, you know, more like time, time off as such in between but before Celine, like where did your career start in, in, in this? Industry. Theater. I just loved theater. Yeah, I grew up in Florida and I just fell in love with theater. I really fell in love with the live part of it. So I I went to College in Pittsburgh and then I worked out of New York for two few years and then of course got hooked on touring.

9:36 As we do, yeah. That's what I really liked. That's what I liked. And then when I got the chance to go to Lai, thought I might like film. And there I kept up theater, but I also fell in love with live TV. There I I got into kind of the award show circuit and I loved that. But again, always, you know, back-to-back whether it's like really a hectic, hectic lifestyle. Yeah, yeah. And how did you like cope, you know, with that? I always ask this question, you know, like looking after mental health and like your well-being, like obviously you found a good balance to, to, to sustain this lifestyle at the beginning. Yeah, but it wasn't discussed back then. I'm showing my age, but you know, it really wasn't. I've had so many people like, you know, come on here now and it's this is a new thing to talk about it like this is really a new thing.

10:36 And I'm happy that it is because, you know, the IT used to be shunned upon, you know, if you, if you was not not feeling so good or something was going on and you didn't quite under even me, my, you know, my, my moods. It's only been in the recent, I don't know, five years or something that I've actually understood myself more because I was talking about stuff. And I think that just makes everybody better within the team that you're working with. And so going back to the very start and looking now, how would you see like the changes like even in yourself or with cruise?

11:20 Well, I was fortunate enough back then that I worked for nice people. And you know, when you when you find your people, you tend to want to work for them again and again. And I, I credit those friendships, some of which I actually brought with me to Peru that that were lifelong. Were they checked on you? They made sure you were OK. And I look back and I don't think I would have been OK if it wasn't for people like that. But by the time I had gotten to Los Angeles, that was where, particularly on sets, self-care was becoming very prevalent. So I, you know, I thought I was in heaven. One day on a set, I turned around and somebody had ordered a masseuse. I honestly thought back then it was an independent feature, but I'm like, I've really made it.

12:05 I, I can go over to, to the massage table and, and spend my lunch getting my shoulders worked on. And I thought that that was great. And that really rolled into, I mean, California really does know how to live. You know, they take their time, they they take their time with crew breaks and and they really cherish a lot of the crews, which is again, why you continue to work for people. But it really cumulate it it it peaked with me with Celine who's it was incredibly protective of her crew that took very good care of them. You were taking care of all year long. You were valued. We didn't necessarily have a counselor or anything, but there were a few people, dancers that ran into some personal problems and they left for a little bit.

12:51 And she took care of them for the variety of issues, you know? Yeah, she took care of them from A-Z. She'd made sure that they had what they needed and they returned to the workplace, you know, and, and to this day, you see how indebted they were to her and her organization for making sure they were OK. One of the things about Las Vegas, and this struck me is when I walked into Caesar's Palace in the in the crew area because we we we were paid by her, but worked at Caesar's and they were opening up the venue for the first time. And when you walk through the employee area every so many feet are pet were pamphlets and they were for alcohol is Anonymous and gamblers Anonymous.

13:34 And I never thought about that. But when you work in one of those places, it does turn into an issue for people. You're right. The alcohol's there, the gambling's there, particularly a lot of people in our crew and dancing wise, that's the best money they made. They were homeowners for the first time, so she just made sure that people were watched and taken care of and valued. And it really changed my life and my outlook on it because I think too, as crew, you just have to keep going. The schedule is such that you have to keep going that that was such an afterthought to us. Yeah. And I think, I mean, it's you're probably you're the first one that I've had on here that's really praised an artist.

14:15 And, you know, I like and that is really I like her even more now. Like, you know, like, yeah. Because even about, you know, I've said many times on here they became a part or a time where it was literally stadium back-to-back, get on a bus, load in, load out, load in, load out, load in loud. And I would turn down some jobs by looking at these schedules and go, I can't like that. That's just crazy. You know, that's just such a crazy schedule. And then you hear on the flip side, like another tour that's going out and they've got breaks in between and like, you know, that's how you care for your crew, you know, so they have that downtime.

15:05 They give their best performance coming out of it. And it's not just that you're, I don't know, making money or it's that you are being looked after. Yeah, and I, I noticed there too, when I arrived with her because I, I got the job when I was on another play in Arizona. So I called, I called back and and when her show first opened, it was very Cirque, like Cirque du Soleil, like Franco Dragon, who who directed the initial one came out of O. Yep. And I'm a very literal person. And as much as I, I like Cirque du Soleil, I went, I don't know if I can do that 52 weeks out of the year because it's very kind of out there to me right was.

15:47 It how were you on that? It was. I was there for two years, but she worked an average of about 27 or 30 weeks out of the year. Wow. But we were employed for 52. That's incredible. And so I went, I think this might be too weird for me. So I called back to LA and a couple of friends and the first one I connected with goes, I'm going to stop you. You're going to be more well taken care of by this woman than you ever have in your life. She is exactly what people say she is. Her husband is the same way. Her organization is the same way. You know, because I was kind of tired. I was probably really burned out. I probably was categorically burned out for the first time and he said if you need a break from this grind in LA, this has fallen into your lap for a reason.

16:32 And so for the flight for the whole year or the two years they were you based and you lived in in Vegas or yeah, you were. How did you fight? I mean, only because I went there with my husband for LDI last year. And we were, we were there for 10 days of the LDI wasn't that long. And my boss, Marcel, he was like, Sarah, 10 days is too long. And I said, but we've, you know, we've never been before. Wow. I mean, yeah, it's a lot of effort. It's a lot of effort. I we, we didn't actually, we had a couple, we had a couple of goes on, on the slot machines, but we got scared basically like it was all, it was too much. I can't, I can't do all that.

17:15 And just the, I mean, the expense of it, that's just one thing. I mean, we were like, OK, so we're not going to be drinking or eating or doing anything. Yeah, yeah. And it's got nothing but more expensive. Crazy prices. I mean, really, I knew it was going to be expensive, but not as expensive as, you know, just for your average Starbucks, like, yeah, $1212.00 for a double espresso. Like, really? Yeah, yeah. And I bought my first house about six or eight months there, which was lovely. I, I really bought kind of cheap, but, but I got out before the housing market bursts there and, and we got given kind of a heads up from production that it was going to get bad. So a lot of us got out of the housing thing like right in the nick of time because it got it got bad there. Yeah.

18:07 And then that's why when you said about, you know, giving out the leaflets, giving out this because, you know, it is on tap. And if you are earning good money, you know, and you do have those times off, I could quite easily see that that becomes something that you do, you know, if you haven't got anything that's going on. In fact, it was, oh, I've forgotten her name. Now. I always do this. I need to make a list of all my names. I had another lady on and she also was in Vegas for a long time. And, you know, she said the same thing. It was kind of like a bit of a struggle because you're in that environment and, you know, she didn't want to go out and drink. And yeah, I mean, look, you've got very close.

18:51 I mean, now I, I'd love to go back because you've got so many walks around, just out, out an hour's drive. You know, you've got some fantastic walking. We love walking. And if I went back again, then certainly I would like get a car and like go further out rather than stay in Vegas. But we needed also 10 days to see it all. You know I. Could actually spend another 10 days there, You know, I didn't. We didn't do everything. Yeah. But yeah, what would you say was like you're as being your most challenging or rewarding production that you've worked on, like from Celine to any, you know, any of your productions that you've actually worked on? I would say these tour stops between Mexico City and Lima, and one of the reasons being is the shows are different. You know, we call it a tour because it's going to go on through 2026, but they're they're the the content of the show is different that the headliners that sing in front of the choir are different.

19:51 So it it's very it's very challenging. And when I actually went back and watched Lima, I kind of got moved to tears because you're just doing it. And then to see one of the drone shots, I was like that. That was a lot of work that that worked. It worked first of all. So though that I think has been. The most challenging, I'm grateful for the fact they've let us bring in a lot of vendors to make it work because you know, they're, they're a funny organization because they're huge, but they are very, they're very template orientated, right? You have 360 singers, you have 80 musicians. And to, to take them out of that comfort zone has been amazing.

20:34 But we would not have been able to do it without the vendors that we've used. But even that 360 singers. Yeah, 360. Yeah, and they're two, they're two chartered planes to get them into a country and. I mean, so I want to, I want to get back. I want to get into the. So are they all from, I'm going to maybe sound stupid now, Are they all from Salt Lake City or around the world? Like, like they are, they can live 100 miles outside of Salt Lake City and they are all volunteers in service to the church. This is their music. Yeah.

21:16 So they, this is their. And when we take them out of the country, that's usually their vacation time. So they're. Yeah, they're given accommodations and they're given food money. But that's, that's what they want to do. They can't go 100 miles. So I think you can get almost to the border of like Idaho and still do it. Still come in and do it. And I mean audition. Why? I mean, surely if you're a singer, like, you want to be part of this. Yeah, You want to be part of this. And so I mean, how often do you have auditions or do you? Have like once a year and it's and it's very, it's a very kind of strenuous, it's a big audition process.

21:57 And then if they get into it, they go to what they call a choir school for three months, which is one night of kind of what I call music theory. And for instance, the other night, it's going on now. They they were taught pieces that they'll perform in a few months. They were kind of taught what it's like to sing in each of the venues. And then on the other night they're taught performance mode. And since we do ATV show on top of everything else, 52 weeks out of the year on Sunday mornings, they're taught how to sing on camera without being a soloist. You know, they want to keep them as sort of one unit.

22:38 So they're taught to sing as a choir, which is almost the antithesis of a lot of people who sing, right, because you'll learn to be expressive. And so they're, they're taught how to be camera ready for three months. And at the end of that, they have to take a test, a written test. Yeah, it's hard. So now I don't understand like to get, I mean, that that seems like a lot of ours. So you don't want to be any, I mean, you don't want to be driving however many hours to do this. Like you, you really want to be close. Like that's the first and foremost. And if it is, you know, voluntary, you've also got your, they've got their other job to come and do this as well, unless they're secret and you know that, you know, that's it. But like, that's just like the, the dedication to come into this is, is is absolutely phenomenal.

23:32 Yeah, and you have a fair amount of them that are music teachers like my, my kids high school music teacher and I found out after they started high school is in the choir and and, and some of them move here to audition for the choir. She was one of those that felt like she could spend raising her kids and teaching and then being in the choir at the same time. But this is what this is what I was going to say Like you've, you know, you probably have got people from around different states, but they've moved closer. To people on. This, you know, and found that they fell in love with it and fell in love with, you know, the whole organization. Do you have a lot of people that like the singers, like come and go?

24:15 Like, you know, maybe they do one? A little bit, a little bit. They can sing for up to 20 years or when they're 60. They do ask them to retire at 60 because I guess biologically that's when your voice might not be as strong. Yeah. Yep and the age like 18 to join or is it? I believe it's 25. I think it's 22 or 25. Yeah, yeah. So again, by that stage, you've either been in a choir in your state, wherever you really, you know, you this is like a dream. You move, you come, and you're part of this incredible. Yeah.

24:55 Incredible quiet. So this tour now, you started in Mexico. Did you say New Mexico? You started Mexico City. I love Mexico City. Yeah. Absolutely love. It Started there. And that was when? Last year. Yes, last June. Last June, OK, So all the preparations for all of that, getting everybody there logistically, all the accommodation like, and how long were you? So there's the the gig. Do you have rehearsal days like you wouldn't do a normal tour or are you there longer?

25:37 Before, yeah, we rehearse hopefully two days in the venue before time. Again, it depends on their their headliners in Peru. One of the challenging part was there was a lot more singers than we've ever had. We had a family musical group called Seca, a gentleman named Mauricio. I mean, we had a lot of singers in that one. Most of the time it's probably one or two that we have, so the rehearsal time is a little bit shorter. And they always sing in each of these cities. One VIP concert that's not at your main venue in Mexico City. We drove out to Toluca, Mexico and sang at a Catholic Church, which was a fabulous, you know, we were invited by that church to sing and it was amazing to do. Unfortunately, these guys are so big, you know, going into a smaller venue like that, you're in somebody else's, you know, sanctuary.

26:38 It went much better than I thought it would. I I worry about piling in 300 people to that, but it ended up turning out very well. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, the as I've seen the stadium in Lima, it just like you said, the drone shots going over and to be for you to be there to feel it and they're your friends and your family on that stage. Yeah, you. Know and for 20 years for you to to be doing it this long of course you fell in love with your husband you got 2 beautiful kid children now and yeah fantastic and you're next to the next project. Where are you going next year or this year actually? August is Buenos Aires.

27:24 Yeah. So I mean, that's a real quick turn around. I know it's not in poor land, but like, that is for what you're doing. And we leave in AI leave in about two weeks to go down to look at it with kind of all parties marketing the venue. And we've gotten a Music Hall. We hope for VIP reception, which is actually much easier than going to a church, right? That's almost That's heaven sent in the sense that it's production ready. Yep. And so with that crew, you'll do like a site, a site test, you know, go around, do you have all the hotels and everything ready like that's already. Yeah, I'm so thrilled I don't have to book the Choirs hotel. I just booked the crew because the choir really takes over a hotel.

28:11 It kind of invades it, you know, in the sense that I do move the crew out of the hotel with them when I can. Because a lot of times when we're going to work they're they're going to breakfast and you can literally be on floor 15 and not get an elevator for 35 minutes. There's a lot of them I've. Been in that that kind of situation as well where all the escalate, you're like, come on, I've got to get down, I've got to leave time. Yeah, yeah. And I can get some really interesting phone calls from the crew. I'm stuck at floor 15. I can't get to breakfast. You know, it's hard. It's hard. And what? Would you say, I mean, so after this one, where where'd you go after that next year?

28:52 Where's next year's tours? The next February, it's Brazil. So they hope to. Yeah, in San Paulo, which is, I've been there before with a couple of shows and I don't know, I, I think between those three countries, I think Brazil may be the hardest. Argentina has a lot of logistics, government logistics. Yes, Yep. I've only ever sort of travelled that way because I used to work for Formula One. So spending time in, yeah, So spending time, you know, like, yeah, Sao Paulo and that it was always difficult. Like really, it was always difficult from the vending side, from from everything there.

29:37 I mean, it was just everybody would be like, yeah, incredible place. And then I was fortunate to travel around. But yeah, I from my memory, you know, just having, like I said, the, the merchandise outside, there was the rules, the regulations, the backhanders. You can't do that. Then also people did steal loads of stuff as well. Like that was, you know, that was a, a huge thing. I mean, we had carjackings. Like really. Yeah, it was, it was for sure it was, I'm not sure, but he literally came out of the the racetrack and yeah, it was like the the carjacking and I was like, Oh my God. Like just.

30:21 And anyway, so yeah, there's lots of things to take in, especially when you've got a crew that's visiting countries as well. I suppose it's with any tour, you know, where you've got to be respectful to different cultures, different everything as well. But how does like the volunteers, you say that like they normally take their holiday time to do it. Do you give them like a couple of extra days to visit, like around after the gig? Or is it literally like fly in and leave? It's about five to seven days for them and we take 320 singers and there's 360 in the choir.

31:05 So you usually have people who you know, are restricted on vacation, but a lot of them know that this is kind of a rarity, this kind of blitz between now and 2027. So I did have one of them. I, I believe it was when we went to Manila, said that he took some paid time off without pay because he really wanted to go sing there. I would, yeah. Yeah. Like, really, if, if, if I had this incredible voice, I'd be moving over to you now to do this audition. But I don't. Yeah, But if that's your passion, you know, at the end of the day, I always say this life is for living. It's not just about working. Life is for living. And if this is your passion, you're good at singing. You have joined this incredible choir and you get given the opportunity to go to Manila, to go to all these incredible countries around the world once a year, twice a year, then you've got to do it.

32:00 Yeah. Like, you've just you've you've you've got to do it. And what about your, your kids? Like do you, do you think that's a question? I don't. I don't. And my kids, oddly enough, still want to go to their school choirs after dragging them to rehearsals for such a large part of their life. I remember my son, when he was five, made a drawing of a of a choir loft and labeled it tenors, basses, Sopranos like at 5. And I was like, so maybe you shouldn't come to work with me as much as you, you do You're, you're, you seem to be very versed on it. But they, they really, they still go, they're still belong. And again, their choir teacher who happens to be in the choir is a big magnet.

32:45 Kids really like to sing with her. They, they, they choose the school to sing with her because of her passion for choir music. So they've kind of lucked out that way that they still really like it. And I, I, I accredit a lot of the teachers, they also see the the current conductor and the associate conductor of the Tabernacle Choir are a large part of my longevity with them because I do love their music. I love their arranging of what they do. And they happen to also, you know, in this world they are rock stars, right? You know, you Google Mac Wilberg and he goes off the charts on your Google in the land of choir music, But they, they are also what, what, what has been so good to both me and my family is their kindness. They're very kind to work for and, and, and going from Celine to them.

33:34 I, I, I really call myself very lucky and to be able to, to show my kids that that that's what keeps you places. That's what matters. And and that's, that's what they should be, you know, if it, it scares me now, but my 17 year old daughter is very interested in doing this for a living. So I go, oh, OK. So she has started with her school and she did her first 2 stadium concerts as a crew last year. Yeah. So to be able to show her you know you want to find a place where kindness is is is your motivating factor. That's then a good because you can give the example of, you know, being, let's say a lady in the industry for one, you know, but not just about being a lady, about having the kindness.

34:20 And obviously your daughter for the last 17 years has seen that you've worked and heard that you've worked for kind people. But of course, it's not always like that. So going out into this, what advice, what advice would you give your daughter? I normally say, what advice would you give, you know, the, the younger Heidi, but you know, what advice now would you give your daughter going into this industry and deciding, you know, where she whether it's production, like, yeah, what, what, what does she, what is she interested in? I would say keep trying everything. You know, I and I think when we get started and we know that's our ticket and not losing that ability to be able to help in any way and, and, and to gravitate to find your people, find your people you're willing to sit with for 52 weeks out of the year doing a live TV show and and anything else they want that that those are the those are really that matters. It's the personal relationships.

35:18 She and I are and I, I could see a lot of myself and her. I was very shy and and I think I probably would have ended up, not that there's anything wrong with it in a cubicle, but now it's the people's interaction that's meant the most to me. Yep, yeah. And I suppose obviously on that side of it, looking at it like, you know, work for people that are kind, but what would you tell her if she had a negative experience? How would you explain to deal with that? I always tell her and any other kids I've been able to talk to throughout the years, you have to rise above that and to have longevity in the business, you have to be the person in the room that people want to hang out with, that they want to be with, that they want to produce a product with. So if you have a jerk in the room, you got to still keep being yourself.

36:12 It, it isn't necessarily always about being right or wrong. It's about being the positive contributor to it. If you are not who people want to be in a room with for 18 hours a day, it's it's not going to give you longevity. It's not going to be happy for you. Yep, I think that's brilliant advice because I also say the same thing like, you know, I've like over the years experienced, you know, different scenarios, situations that you know, I've I've gone hmm, OK, But I like the younger me probably would be feisty. And you know, what are you on about now? I'm like, OK, I'll just send you peace. I'll go back to my room and, you know, cry, scream, whatever. But I will, I will keep how I want to be and how I want to be is quite calm.

37:01 I want to make sure that everybody's happy and what they're doing. Although I hate the word happy, but you understand, like I want everyone to like, you know, I think happy. The word happy for me is, is there's more than happy. It's not just happy. It's. Exactly. But you know, especially when, when we do have big challenges and you know, we do, you know, we in everything we do, we have big challenges. And it's about sticking together as a group, as humans as well. You know, it doesn't. It's not whether you're a lady, whether you're a man. It's being human and being kind to everybody in my eyes. Yeah, yeah. And I also find that the people who really find that in life and are the most successful, I've never been treated badly by somebody who's been able to figure that out, right? Actors, directors, anybody who has that always does value the people around them.

37:53 Yeah, in fact, it was when you were saying about Celine, like looking after like one of the dancers. I like it brought back a memory of I, I fell very ill when I was working in Formula One and I basically I lost my balance and I, I flew out and I was like, oh, I really don't feel so good. I don't feel so good. Then anyway, I got into work and I literally was walking down the paddock, everyone's setting everything up. It's this is the crazy time. This is like, you know, the pre rigging and all the rest of it and I just kept on like just falling just just another. So they sent me straight to the medical centre. I'm petrified of needles everything anyway. So of course that was traumatic enough for me.

38:34 Anyway, Long story short, I got taken to hospital and I had I kind of what was it called now anyway, I lost base of my balance in my head and my body was here and but it thought I was over there. I needed sick like serious medical treatment. Ron Dennis, at the time, that was McLaren. He found out that I was in hospital and he was like, well, what's she still doing here? And they're like, well, she's in some remote place in Germany. Like we can't get her. There's no airplane. She can't travel on her own. This, that, and the other. Even my jet's there. Get it back. And I remember I was like, what? And he literally flew his private jet back from Germany to England just for me to send me to hospital in England where I got treatment.

39:23 I was, I was probably sick for two months. Everything taken care of, still got paid. Still he was making sure that I was OK. And for me, I was like, wow, like, you know, no, no, none of this like I'll claim on your insurance or I've, you know, the worry of not having any money to pay my rent. He was like, you tell her not to worry and tell her that her job's here when she comes back. Yeah. Like yeah, that makes all the difference. Really, you know, and, and in a way, I mean, of course I had interaction with him, but you know, I still, you know, I wasn't his best buddy, you know, I wasn't like somebody. I was, you know, a worker for him.

40:04 But that is how I think, how I like to be. Obviously love to be treated that way but from anybody you know if I work in a corner shop here? You know, if you're treated with kindness and respect, I'll do anything. Like really. I if you call me at any time at night, morning, whatever, I'll do anything for you. If you're a douchebag, yeah, I'm less inclined. I I won't, I won't be nasty, but. I I started to. Be like, oh I'm so sorry but. Yeah, totally, totally. You know, and I hope that other people will would do the same for me. Yeah, you know.

40:45 Because I'm, you know, like, I like to think I'm nice and, and, and, and, you know, that way, but I think now talking about, you know, people caring. I was looking at tours today, long story, but I was looking at different tours today and I was like, that's a really nice schedule. Like, OK, it's not, not as nice as a saline one or some other ones, but I was like, wow, I remember looking at a year ago or something or two years and it was like back-to-back to back. Like I, I said. And I was like, oh, how can you do that? And I was looking at these ones. I was like, oh, that's nice. You've got a travel day, you've got a day off, You've OK, you've got 2 back to backs there.

41:32 But keep strong. You can do it. There's a break in between this and I really hope that more artists and all, like everyone involved in putting the tours together, really are listening to everybody now and making it not so much about money. I mean, I might be using that. What do you, what do you think? Do you think are you seeing change in that? I do. I'd see as time goes by a much better change. I remember listening back in the day. I had an assistant and this was when I first got my union card in theatre. We're still friends today. And it was a fluke thing. We were in Pittsburgh. Her father was in DC, and he had what they thought was a stroke.

42:15 And I told her at the time, you need to get in your car and go. And, you know, it's summer sock, You're a new show every week. And she said, you know, because this is how you were trained back then, but what are you going to do? And I said, I'm going to figure it out, but your dad may not live through the night. And she really stuck by her guns. And he passed the next morning. And I know through the years that that's been incredibly hard on her. And I have never been able to say I told you so. But I promised myself then that I would, if that ever happened, I would really, really push somebody to go and assure them that their job would be OK. I was probably still too young to do that at the time, you know, saying this is really valuable.

42:57 And she did not get there to say a really proper goodbye to him by the time he'd pass. And that still to me to this day, I mean, every time I talk to her, even write the Christmas card once a year, I know that was such a life changing experience for her. So to see it evolve and even to go to the choir, one of the things that they take with them is as an actual medical committee. And there are doctors with us on each side of the stage, which is very valuable. They got, a lot of them got sick in Mexico City and, and it was incredibly hot in Peru. And now to be able to have somebody say, Hey, I don't feel good. And these people are also volunteers. And, and these were a lot of the people that brought them back from the pandemic because they had a medical committee because we went out like right away because like, as you remember, all, there was a choir in Seattle that had a lot of deaths.

43:49 So they pulled the plug on, on these guys. And this, this committee has it's, it's evolved. And oddly enough, there was an epidemiologist in the choir at the time. So they've been able to create such an infrastructure of knowing that they're OK and and a lot of them are older, right? So they're, they're, they're above 15, they're out of the country. And it's, it's also settling for their families. You know, I'm going to, I'm going to leave my wife or my husband and they're going to go on tour. And I know they're really well taken care of. And I got into an accident in Munich, Germany in 2015 on an advance and I got a concussion in a car. And yeah, and we didn't have, we got rear-ended and we didn't have the doctor with us. And I could still to this day remember the tone in my husband's voice as as I was calling him from the ambulance. And luckily I had a friend who lived in Munich and I stayed with her for the for the few days. But it's much different than when he knows if I were to get sick now in the middle of prove that I just turned left and there's a nurse or a doctor.

44:50 And it just offers a lot of peace for not only the performer, but for the people when it's when it's staffed that way or you have breaks. You know, a lot of people on the road now that I talked to they, they have, they do, they do keep a therapist, but you can do it on the phone. Yeah, right. And that's what they do spend their days off doing. And I can remember there's a lot of years I probably would have benefited from, from, from a travel day and an hour with somebody on the phone. I would have benefited immensely from that. Yeah, really. I mean, there's, there's a lot now. Who is it? Marty Hong. He actually has a like a, a therapist on tour with him as well, which I think is like incredible. In fact, that was Cara Cara Kemp said that she she told me. So it might not be.

45:36 I don't know if that's completely true for all the tours or whatever. But like I've been saying this on this podcast, like I think it is a brilliant idea to have a therapist on tour who can have that tiny space to, for people to come in to go, to let out all your feelings, you know, because it, it's really, it can be so intense. Something might be happening at home, something might be, you know, happening on I just, I just setting everything up, you know, something might have happened and you're, you're short tempered, you're tired, you know, sadly as well.

46:23 I mean, I, for me, it's a big thing is, you know, obviously drinking's not so much, I don't think as, as it was back in the day, but you know, you'll go out and drink and, you know, for me, alcohol is a terrible thing to, to, to work on. I know it's a lot more stricter now, but you know, you make your sure wired, you know, it does, you know, and I mean, the last tour I did, which was before Cove, yeah, it was before COVID. I was like, OK, I'm doing this alcohol free, alcohol free job free, everything free. The best I'd ever felt. Really. The best, the best I'd ever felt. And in fact, even I've done it again now I've, you know, stopped drinking again for this year. Not that I used to drink loads, but it just makes me a better person.

47:12 Yeah, Yeah. It's hard. It's hard to wake up sometimes the following morning, particularly if you've got to go to work. Like, you know, I did, I mean more so in my career with Formula One. I mean, you know, it was like, make sure you get one hour's sleep. Yeah, that's fine. You know, go, go to work and, and, and do it all and smile and, and, and I did it. I did it all. I, I, I, you know, kept strong and, you know, had that lifestyle of travelling on a plane, different countries here, there that I was younger, you know, I, I have even when, when I talked to my boss Marcel, like we both say, like you have a couple of glasses of wine and I'm like in the morning, my head, I'm like, like, I just don't like it anymore. But having someone on tour that can be, yeah, you're confident in staff, I think is a wonderful idea. Well, and I even remember when you started to hit cities, they give you a list of doctors because that's the other thing that we put off.

48:17 Why do I have to go to the dentist? I'll get my eyes checked when I get home, that kind of stuff. And I remember showing up in Tucson with like a bad tooth, like I needed a root canal. And I remember like calling the show with, with an ice pack on my face. But that was the time period where the following morning I woke up and I had all the dentists within walking distance. And I, I went down and had it dealt with immediately. And by the next side, I was fine because, you know, your tooth goes bad like that. And I remember just being so grateful I didn't even have to use the Yellow Pages. It was right there for me. People knew things like that happened when you were on the road and it was an easy thing to fix. And actually, it's something that's very simple, you know, to find, you know where it is. I know, you know, a lot of my production day sheets, you know, it has, you know, it had all the doctors, it had this because like you said, you know, maybe it happens overnight. It could be literally at midnight. And you're like, I need an emergency doctor. I need an emergency this.

49:15 And then OK, you're generally you're in hotels that should know this, but Peace of Mind. And again, it shows that the tour is caring for you, you know, And so that's that, you know, for me, I suppose, what would be what would you say is your like has been your biggest challenge managing the choir, especially of this size and going to, you know, these incredible global cities around the world. I would probably say because I'm horrible with languages is that I had to remind myself because I was probably in my 30s when I took some stuff to Brazil. You really almost have to build in the time to speak through an interpreter.

49:56 And there's a lot of people who know English, but when you're, when you're doing an in like I'm even thinking about Buenos Aires. And yes, you can get interpreters. Yes, they give us a budget for interpreters, but it's the time, it's actually the time to do a production meeting. And I'm horrible with Portuguese. I'm much better with Spanish. But I literally also bought an earpiece that if I have my phone on my hand, it'll, it'll translate in my ear what they're saying. So I don't have to wait for that leg. They speak to me in Spanish. I understand it. I only have to do half of it back to them. And that's yeah, it's been like a game changer because it's just the time and some of the people we travel with, we have a fabulous crew and a lot of them do international projects and some of them don't.

50:40 And you can see them spend the 1st 2 days ago. This takes so long. It takes so long. So it's, it's been that and I think it's humbling in a good way. You know, it just reminds me that that the, that the world is a huge place and to be able to deal with these crews and of course, they're all different skill level. And at the same time in Lima, there was a few of them that lived at the stadium. They had hammocks underneath the stage because I'm assuming it was probably too long of a commute and the stadium had showers and they were just in hammocks under the stage. So it really just, it brings you down to the reality that you need to, to get it right and to be patient, you know, But again, going back to my own children, they have not paid attention in Spanish class. And I said, you'll pay for this one way or the other because I was, my husband speaks Spanish.

51:31 He's the only one in the house that does. So it's it was one of those things where I've had to always reteach myself and it's a good thing. Yeah, that is a good thing. I mean, look, I'm terrible. I've been living here in Greece and I, my language with, with, with the Greek language, I'm really, I struggle, like I really struggle. But my work is still English. You know, most of my friends, even though they're Greek, my husband speaks English. So I'm lazy to that, you know, to that side of things. But when you go travelling and not even travelling, when you go working and you need that communication. I completely understand what you're saying with regards to you're busy. Your brain is and your mind is already 10 steps ahead of what you're you're doing next. But you've got to explain this scenario here. So you say it and then you got to wait and then you're like, what's the, what's the, what app do you use for the translator in your ear?

52:32 I got it off Amazon. There was a couple different, different things. Let me see if it's on. Oh no, my phone's off. If you search it on Amazon, they come up with two really big ones and it's just a Bluetooth piece in your ear. And they make one where you can give it to somebody who speaks Spanish and it'll do it both ways for you. So again, it cuts down the time. But that is, I mean, now with the AI, with everything like you, there are so many apps and incredible like yeah, functions to actually get by. Which sadly makes me is going to make me even more lazier because I'm now going to go out and get this rather than, you know, think I'm actually going to be in Greek now. Oh no, I'll tell you the second I got that earpiece during pre production I bailed on Duolingo like I cancelled my subscription.

53:22 I was doing so well on my dual lingo, like really every day I was getting. I was really proud. And then I went to Vegas, which was last year December, and I haven't done a single silly lesson. Since yeah, me too. Me too. And. I'm like what is wrong with me Like I'm all or nothing I. Put everything. Into something and then as soon as I get out of that routine, that's it. Yeah. It's like it's crazy. In fact, even you know, I was saying I love walking. That for me is a really it, it clears my mind. I feel fresh. I start the day with a walk. And then even when I was on tour, the last tour, I started doing that, I'd, I'd look, OK, we've got the day off or when we arrive, you know, for like the travel day into the work the next day, I'd look and I'd be like, I can walk there. So I went out And then slowly, slowly a few more people started joining me because they kind of knew that, oh, Sarah's going to go for a walk.

54:19 So we went for a walk. The best way to clear my mind to think just crystal clear. Well, I've had some issues like here with cats and dogs and all the rest of it. I haven't walked really for the last two weeks in my morning. That's it. And I'm like I said to my husband this morning, I said, I'm going out for a walk this morning. He said I need to and I went out and I was like I love it. I love it. Why? Why did I? Because it, it didn't fit into my I was like an hour later. So then it was like the beach was busier. And this has been like, Oh no, I can't walk down, can't walk down. Yeah. And I love to walk and I miss it because you forget how it keeps you going on a job, right, Or on a site and then you come back and it's the same way. Like I last night, I just had to walk around the block because I hadn't been walking for days.

55:09 Yeah. Yeah, it's and what would you say? So like going back to the choir, like how would they prepare? Like like, like I'm saying now I need to go out to walk. I need to go out and you know, how did they prepare themselves in every country? Apart from that, you said you've got the two rehearsal days. Normally if you can before, but with that amount of people, you know, do they do you, do you meet up in the rooms? Do you start singing? Like how? How are you keeping the? They do that a lot and the instrument, the orchestra does it a fair amount. And they are they, they are required to do a medical form before they leave and they are required still to test COVID before they get on a chartered plane.

55:51 So they, they have kind of their checklist to, to, to be able to do. And a lot of them, believe it or not, we do have a fair amount of Spanish speakers and a lot of them are always willing to help because they go out during the day. If we rehearse them, a lot of times it's at night. So they'll go like they went to the market in Lima, they went to, you know, another area for shopping or like to look at the catacombs. So they really do band together and make sure that they can also do that as groups. Which is again, you've got nice little groups to do things, but I could just imagine 300, well nearly 400 of you like going around the cities it. Must be like when we did Europe, we we use rocket cargo for all of our events, you know, which is just they still are having sent the logistic lady. We were there in 2016 and there'd been a fair amount of terrorist attacks.

56:44 So by the time we got to Brussels, the the logistics lady said I'd like to come out and watch the choir arrive. She said, I, you hear it's, it's 12 to 14 buses. She said I haven't seen this in any of our stops. So her and I went out to the loading dock and they come rolling in. She got about to the third or fourth bus with them unloading and she goes, this, this is too stressful. I have to go back inside. She goes, this is too overwhelming. And I went, you're the logistics lady. And she laughs. She's like, I this is too many people. So they're an event and a half. And I joke that when you move them in a town that you can see them from the space station. I mean, they're just a massive movement of people. But that's what I mean, even I wasn't even thinking of, you know, even getting from the air from the airport to the to the hotel, you 12 buses.

57:36 Yeah, yeah. You you've got that just every and the queue to get your room. Well, yeah, there must be AVIP service for. They have they have it down to an art, but when it goes, when it goes wrong, they had. We arrived in Atlanta during an Atlanta Falcons game. And I'm sure for that logistics team, it didn't dawn on them to cross reference, But I had arrived earlier, their charters came in and the game was letting out and Atlanta had lost to the Steelers. And it was the streets were covered and the buses were, there was a few that got stuck on a rounding of the block before anybody would let them in. So when it goes right, it goes right. If there's any small curve in there, they, they, it gets to be.

58:25 But you know, again, going back to the fact that they are volunteers, they do want to be there. They're pretty good about it. Pretty good about it. Being, yeah, being the volunteer. I mean, what's the average age of your choir? I would say probably between 30 and 40, like more, yeah. Yeah, so, so it's so it's young. So, you know, they, they can and the average like how long would say, yeah, someone that comes in at the age of 30, how like how long would they stay with the choir until they're 60 or not? Because just their 20 years, most of them do hit their 20 years and you can, you can actually hit 10 and, and say I'm going to resign or I'm going to retire from the choir. And if you want to come back to finish your 10, say in your 50s, you can come back and re audition and then finish off that time block if you want to.

59:16 That's really cool. What a what a great way to do it. So you. Yeah, that's really good. And I mean, obviously with like, like the faith side of things, I mean, what role does faith in the choir, the mission and the performances like, you know, does that. Yeah. What, what, what, what? I think it's a. It's the main, it really is the main focus because for, for them, I always describe them as as kind of a really good billboard, right? Because because there's they're just giving you the gift of music because and, and these concerts that we're doing, they are free. They're free too. Members of the church, non members of the church. We don't charge for the tickets.

1:00:00 So it's, it's a, it's a musical gift which they take, they take a lot of, I don't know if I want to say pride. And they value that. That's that's a purpose for them to be able to sing to people who, you know, we have people coming into Lima who'd spent 24 hours riding on a bus to see this choir, you know? And that was, but that was free. Yeah, yeah. I didn't, I didn't know that. So how? OK, so this is another question then how do you, oh, how do, how do I put this? How do you get a ticket? That's how do you get a ticket, But then how do you stop other people from selling the ticket because everyone wants. A ticket most of the time, like Salt Lake City, because we also do a Christmas concert every year that we distribute on PBS and Salt Lake City, it's legal to scalp tickets. So for my first few years here, you'd occasionally see somebody come in and I want to say it was about $200 a ticket. Was the worst couple that I had seen come in that had paid for it.

1:01:07 And of course they're welcome in, right? They find another seat for him. But they were devastated. And there is no, I mean, I wouldn't assume there was a legal recourse. They bought it off somebody on the street. And however, that has died down with people knowing that all of the activities on Temple Square are for free. But there's an art to giving free tickets. You have to over give them, right? Because because people don't have a commitment. If I pay $200, I'm going to show up at that concert. If you hand me a ticket for free and I don't feel like going that night, I know that there's no financial loss in it. So you kind of have to over ticket to an extent. And they've, they've really discovered the art of that in different places of the world and how dedicated people are to come.

1:01:48 If a lot of the people who are remotely, if there's a bus offered to them, they'll come in. But we have 21,000 seats in Salt Lake, so there'll be a certain percentage more for the Christmas concert. No matter who the guest is, you know, get the headliner has a lot to do with that. They'll overtake it at a certain amount to make sure it's full. And what happens? Have you, has it ever been that you you've been full for? And they've been, Yeah. Like how And if people have travelled a long way to get to it, Yeah. It was, it was one time and I was so happy I was not front of house because we have some overflow areas and we do the standby line in each city. So and I don't always get the full numbers, but I think they got most of the people in in Lima. But the time it backfired in Salt Lake City, which has to have been over 15 years ago, they had given away too much. And so that for the 15 years after really created a ceiling percentage wise of of what you wouldn't want to do. You may see 500 empty seats on like a Thursday night of the Christmas concert rather than go down that road again, You know, of people that got pushed out or told they, you know, overflows are nice.

1:03:01 But I think if the pandemic taught us anything, people are there for the live experience. So I can send you to another building with the TV. But a lot of times people go go watch a few numbers, you know, they they don't stay the whole time. But I never, I honestly, I knew the I knew obviously the singers, the orchestra, everything was volunteers. And now you said like the medics and like everybody that you know. But I didn't realize the actual tickets were given away as well. Yeah, yeah. And it's a it is that it's a gift of music to the community that we're in. Yeah, yeah. Really. So that brings together, that does bring together, you know, as far as faith, but it's, it's the gift of music and, and really give it, like really give it.

1:03:43 Which I think the pandemic really heightened for a lot of people, right? Whether it's a faith driven thing or not, that ability to sit with people and listen to music was gone quickly. And now I think people people cherish it a little differently. Yeah, I mean, I, I always, I think you get very spoilt in the sense that when you start working for tours and, you know, you can stand at the side of the stage and watch everything. I, you know, I didn't want to go out into the crowd ever again. And then, of course, when COVID happened, it was like, really like, yeah, I really don't want to. I don't want to go out there. And but knowing at that particular, you know, those, those years where he was at home and when's touring going to come back, that was scary. Yeah, and it was heartbreaking to watch. It was, which is actually how I found this podcast, which is how I found Geezers of Gear, because I'm like, what's going to happen to all of us?

1:04:40 And so that's how I started to listen to IT. People were thinking of ideas, and that's when a lot of the streaming came. What, you know, I think like the Indigo Girls streamed from their living room one time and it started to roll back to being positive. And no, we haven't gone anywhere. We'll be back. Yeah, I mean, Marcel, during that time, I mean, he started the Happy Hour podcast and you know, he'd see like over 100 people coming on here all chatting and, you know, bringing up ideas how how can we, how can we, how can we make this better? You know, how can we all come together? He connected so many people during that time. I mean, I would love to say to myself, you should bring it back, you know, out for like a like a mental health side of thing, you know, like, you know, wherever you are in the world, come on, let's tune, tune back in like every be be once a month, do a happy hour, come back. But sadly I think now people are too busy. Yeah, yeah, it is all back in full swing. But yeah, I agree, you know, and. I and I would like to say, I mean, I think I'm probably an exception to the rule.

1:05:49 That said, I haven't gone back into touring, but I during that time it really, it really hit home that I wanted to be home. Like. You know, I, I, it was, it was a real, like you said, you know, at one point you, you're burnt out before you got onto Céline Dion and then, you know, so it was the same kind of thing there and that and the worry of or am I going to get a tour? But my friends out on a tour. Why didn't I get that cool, like I can do that and I can do this and that whole stress of everything. And I was like, I don't want that up and down roller coaster anymore. And and that was probably one of the biggest, you know, sort of decisions for me, you know, not going back into into like into that.

1:06:43 And I was very fortunate and I'm now here talking to you. Yeah. Well, and before that, when we ended up being in Europe in 2016, that really panicked because then by then I had a family. And that is when Paris had been attacked with a Vatican and Brussels. And you know, it's it's it's funny as the story can be. But I turned to my husband and said, we have to go update our will, right? Yeah. And and my employer's like, do you want to go? Should we hire somebody? And I'm like, no, I, I think I'm going to be OK. But I had updated my will and I went. I never thought that would happen, you know, And then to go into the pandemic after that and then to be hit with this touring blitz, it's it's kind of full circle, you know?

1:07:27 And I mean, yes, you have to be prepared now, but when you say that word, you know, to, to sort your will out it, it, you know, it, it, it's scary because, you know, at the end of the day, you know, we're just going to work and you don't think of, you know, bad things happening. I will be honest, when I was in Vegas, it was quite a busy sonar like busy scene in somewhere. And I was like, oh, what if and I and first time ever, because here in Crete, I mean, there's nothing, you know, there's you know, we, I've got no, never say never touch wood. But really. And it was the first time I was like, oh, what about if someone crazy comes in and shoots here?

1:08:11 Yeah. I thought that. Well, and that's the first time I think work wise, it had come up for me where they said, hey, look, we're going to spend tomorrow with scenarios. And I'm like for what, you know, And we were tucked in right next to what was Mandalay Bay at that time that had Siegfried and Roy. You had to have a whole policy. You know, you don't really call ambulances. A lot of times on some of these gigs, you call private numbers to dispatch the ambulance so you're not on a public airway. That was the first time I started to think about that. And it's not uncommon to have bag scares in Las Vegas and what you're supposed to do. And then, you know, I was a little, I was fine in Europe in 2016, but when I had to explain to the. Crew.

1:08:53 So if this happens, you have to go here. And if not, this is where you go. And and our security team will find us at, at at Lot C. So please tell your wives that. And I saw a couple of their faces go, you know, you know, again, knowing our organization won't force them, but they knew that was really a way of life now. Yeah. And, and like, well, I, I learned well, it wasn't, it wasn't anything like an attack or anything, but I was sadly involved in a hotel fire many years ago. And really, like, it was a quite a small one in Austria, a little small hotel asleep 2:00 in the morning and we had a busy it was, it was like P1 the next day, practice 1 the next day.

1:09:35 So we're all up at 5:00 anyway, but 2:00 in the morning we've got hey, banging, banging everywhere. I was like, what are you doing? I got out of there, opened the door, smoke everywhere couldn't get down. Of course, at this point I'd never thought of being nobody thinks they're going to be in a fire. So we literally got go out. The fire escape we managed to get out, there was still people on different levels and from that point on everyone was fine. By the way, before I continued, everyone was fine. The hotel sadly wasn't, but everybody was. Everyone was fine. But now I always have with me on. I always check where the the fire escapes are, always check different ways to I never used to do this before.

1:10:19 Ever go in? Yep, fine. Always check different ways to get out. I have my passport, which is the biggest thing. That was the biggest thing for me because everyone was like, we all come out basically in our pajamas and then everyone was like, well, what about passports? Money. Like we've got no identity, you've got nothing. So now I always keep everything by the door, even here I've got my passport there. If anything happens in the house, boom, I'm out passport. That's all I care about. And there's, you know, there's there's we've all been in some scary situations and I hope that you know, not to be any. And I hope for obviously other people not to be in it as well. But that is the world.

1:11:08 It is the world. Yeah. I mean, I've been watching. I mean, I, I really try. Like I don't have ATV to watch the news. So I'm one of those. Yeah. I don't, I don't, I, I'm not interested, sorry. But things, do you hear things? You know, I, my mom calls me, she tells what's going on. The amount of plane crashes you guys have had over there recently is insane. Oh, yeah. And when we were coming, when we were in Lima, people kept walking around with their phone going, you know, one flipped over 1. And I was like, stop showing me. Stop, stop showing me, you know, and that's the only good thing about coming home exhausted is you're not as wound up. But we were going into Atlanta that had also had another issue. And it just seems to be this like influx of them happening like within a short amount of time. Yeah, yeah.

1:11:57 And crazy weather right now. I mean, we've, I mean, it's not one, not the islands here, but we've got one of the famous islands, Santorini. Well, they, they basically evacuated the island with most of the, most of the locals. It was probably about a month ago now because of like really bad earthquakes. And that was really scary. There's been flash floodings in different places even here. I think it was last year we literally had earthquakes every day. The house would shake in the morning and and I was like what is going on? Like, yeah, what's going? On in this world like. Yeah. Yeah, I know. Yeah. Really.

1:12:39 But how do you? How do you? So you've got two teenagers, 17, and you've got your son as well. 15, yeah. He's 15, yeah. How do you manage that with doing your job? I think they're kind of over mom. They've reached that teenager like over mom phase and I got them. What's that? But like, but you've been, you know, 20 years working for the choir and having babies at the same time. And like, wow, like. I, I think a lot of it. A lot. I I'd not think I know a lot of it was my husband who knew because the job also offers a lot of flexibility. And I think I mentioned to you our son is a brain cancer survivor by three times.

1:13:29 Yeah. And so we really, yeah, we really stayed put for the health insurance. But then it's also, again, you know, going back to the conductors of the Tabernacle Choir, They knew that. And I have the ability to staff the weekly TV show for a tour for that matter, which I've been around long enough to know that's not an easy thing to do for somebody to grant you permission to be able to to go to a doctor's appointment if you want or be on site if you want. And you know, our hours are beneficial for kids at different ages, right? When you're working a rehearsal at night time and you can take them to school the following morning. It's all worked out. And a lot of it has to do with the architect of my husband who was willing to work around it or work at a different time. And so just really grateful for the health insurance. But they are not wowed by the touring. I, I thought getting them passports and saying come with me, but they're too far into teenagehood now. They're like, And so I told them the last one really is Brazil. If if you want to go because my daughter will be 18. And I said, you can't call me at 20 and asked me to go down to Mexico City.

1:14:39 I might not have the money, right? So you're missing this opportunity. And she's kind of starting to believe me. All of three of them love to travel. But as you know, when you travel for work, you could kind of take it or leave it. You know, they but they love to travel. They have a huge, they want to travel everywhere, but they kind of take this whole schedule a little bit for granted. And I'm going to try to at least get them out the door once to an international spot. They followed me when we played Boston and Carnegie Hall. They went as little kids to that because I have family and friends there. So they ended up, that was the one stop and they did Northern California, they followed me to that. So they're they're great.

1:15:20 They're flexible, but I think they're kind of over mom. They're in the over mom phase. But I suppose a good thing is, you know, yes, we've caught, you've caught it, a tour. But it isn't like a tour where you're gone for three months, four months, you know, you know, you are home. Yes. I I take it you go into an office or do you work remotely? Both. I'm a hybrid. OK, Yeah, which is great as well, which is fantastic. And I if you, if you don't mind talking about it, your son a brain tumor 3 times. Yeah, at 14 months when we had had him, he woke up and his neck was crooked, which happens right when they're younger and their their muscles are developing. So we took him in and had this amazing pediatrician who still are pediatrician to this day, took a week and, and sent him through every test imaginable because most doctors would have sent him to physical therapy, but she was instinctual enough to get blood drawn to get ACT scan to eventually get an MRI. And that's how they found it.

1:16:27 And so it's come back twice to the same spot and then once to a different spot. And now he's six years of not having brain cancer. But believe it or not, he's had skin cancer, which they attribute some to the radiation coming into the skin. Yeah. Yeah. So he's a he's like living. He is. He is living with a miracle. Seriously, he's he's, he's, he's a walking miracle. And but that brings me to like see the charity Make a Wish, because I love Make a Wish Foundation. Yeah. And, and when I was with Lion King in Los Angeles years ago, it was still new enough that a lot of kids wishes were coming to see that show.

1:17:14 And maybe I was probably old enough to realize the severity of it, but we loved it, right? A kid would come to the door and you showed him Pumbaa and and Timon. And I'm like, this is kind of fun. But it was one girl. She was 16 and dying of breast cancer. She was terminal. And I remember going to open up the door with the rest of the stage managers and we all just needed a minute because you're there to make this kids 30 minutes of joy. And we're like, just give us a minute. So when it came up for my own son and he wished to go to Disney, I was like, well, OK, you know, and you're just so worried about your kid and you're so in survival mode.

1:17:57 But the second that organization brings you in, comes to your house, does the stuff of granting the kid the wish and he's dancing around Disney. He's young enough to know that he's this is a good time to him. But for his sister and my husband and I, it meant the world to us to be taken out of the world of doctors and transported to nothing but joy. And so since then, you know, I, I see what they do for people on the social media and it, it is almost like it's a, it's almost a necessity for the soul to pause on what you're doing for your child, whether they want a swing set or they want to go to Paris, it's, it all means the same.

1:18:39 Yeah. And I think, but I mean, from from that age, I mean, my my family also have there's a history of different illnesses like that. And it's not just obviously your, your son or like it was my uncle and it was other people that it's the family that are really affected as well. Yeah, yeah. You know, it's the, you know, so to have you like your husband, your daughter, you know, and being able to work where you can take the time to go to the hospitals to, to do all this, you know, and you just got to thank goodness. He's, he's, he's OK now. And he's been six years now.

1:19:22 Since he's had it it all in the brain, yeah, so. And we and I really right of the skin. Yeah. But I think too, if you look at cancer and pediatric cancer is particularly heartbreaking for all of us. But there are a lot of miracles walking along. I mean, they've made a lot of advancements. Is it cured? You know, can you go in and turn in your card for cancer A and they cure it? No, but the but the people living with it, the people beating it completely. The numbers are from my childhood, astronomical. Yeah. My mother passed of lung cancer in the middle of my son being sick. And then we had a cousin's mother who got sick before, different types of lung cancer, different treatment.

1:20:05 And she lived almost 15 years past my mother, which is a miracle in itself. And that was just a different choice in treatment. But the other one I mentioned was stand up to cancer. That was created not that many years ago. And that's a that's a finding a different path. It was, it was created by a few people. And when I went back and worked the the telethon, it was during Laura Ziskin's time, who was a very well known Hollywood producer. That was one of the founders of it. And it's there. They look for different paths, right? If you call up your doctor and your doctor says, well, this won't work. You can call them up and they could say, well, this is what we know is sort of working, this is what's in trial. And they have a very aggressive approach and open up doors that aren't necessarily open for people, which is why I I still give to them and would do anything for them.

1:20:54 And that's one thing I like to do with Giza of gear now, especially is, you know, make OK, it's a post. It's something on on Facebook. It's something this, but actually mentioning these charities, because the more people that do something like this, social media is such an incredible tool. Yeah. And it's, it's free, you know, You know, it takes me, takes me a little 2nd and I'll do a post about, you know, make a wish foundation, you know, or I'll do a post about another charity. That's why I always ask any of the ladies or even on Giza gear, do you support a charity? Because for me, it takes, it takes nothing to open up people's eyes and know that there's people out there that are caring and doing good things for other people. Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

1:21:43 Yeah, but Heidi, I can't believe I just looked as an hour and 20 minutes like, OK, honestly, I, I, I could talk to you for like, this has been so, so great. I've loved hearing about way how you started, about the Céline Dion, about your kids, about the choir. And yeah, thank you so much for just being part of this with me. Thank you. Thank you very much. Yeah, so and I, maybe one day our pause will cross somewhere. And I said, if I get my better singing voice, maybe I'll move over. You let me know. You let me know.

1:22:23 I'm joking, I'm really joking, but thank you so much. Have a great rest of your day. Thank you. La La La La ladies, the ladies. Now here's the leading ladies. But Geezers of Gear on tour, maybe she got some stories to share. Now here's the leading ladies by the Geezers of Gear. Rockstar ladies with some stories to share because La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La ladies.

1:23:22 Yes, she's a heart. Now here's the leading ladies by Kizers of gear. Rock Star ladies, there's some stories to share. Now here's the leading ladies by the Kizers of Gear on Tour Ladies. She's got some stories to share.