Think Things Through with Clayton Craddock

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced The Excelsior Pass. It's an app, developed with I.B.M., and funded by the state, supposedly designed to support the recovery of industries most affected by the pandemic. New Yorkers will soon be able to pull up a code on their smartphone or present a printout proving they've been either recently tested negative or vaccinated against COVID-19. Soon, it will be accepted at dozens of event, arts, and entertainment venues statewide. Will the rest of the United States follow Cuomo's lead?

Newsletter Post: What Is The Point Of Vaccine Passports?

Clayton Craddock is an independent thinker, father of two beautiful children in New York City. He is the drummer of the hit broadway musical Ain't Too Proud. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Howard University's School of Business and is a 28 year veteran of the fast-paced New York City music scene. He has played drums in several hit broadway and off-broadway musicals, including "Tick, tick…BOOM!, Altar Boyz, Memphis The Musical, and Lady Day At Emerson's Bar and Grill. Also, Clayton has worked on: Footloose, Motown, The Color Purple, Rent, Little Shop of Horrors, Spongebob Squarepants, The Musical, Evita, Cats, and Avenue Q.

You can also follow me on Instagram and Twitter.

Is this the image you think of when you hear the phrase “old white man”? It’s interesting to see how the old white man is being vilified by so many nowadays. I figured, I go directly to the source and ask one what he thought of current events - specifically the idea of ‘race.’

I’ve known Josh Blumenthal for a few years. We were both involved with National Parents Organization and eventually were co-chairs. We both left before the pandemic hit to focus on other endeavors but stayed connected. We talk on the phone regularly about all kinds of things. I thought I’d try and capture some of our thoughts on a call and share them with my listening audience.

There will be more coming. Hit that subscribe button, so you’ll know when more episodes are published.

In the podcast, I reference this debate: Word Salad – Political Correctness.

Enjoy!

Clayton Craddock is an independent thinker, father of two beautiful children in New York City. He is the drummer of the hit broadway musical Ain't Too Proud. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Howard University's School of Business and is a 28 year veteran of the fast-paced New York City music scene. He has played drums in several hit broadway and off-broadway musicals, including "Tick, tick…BOOM!, Altar Boyz, Memphis The Musical, and Lady Day At Emerson's Bar and Grill. Also, Clayton has worked on: Footloose, Motown, The Color Purple, Rent, Little Shop of Horrors, Spongebob Squarepants, The Musical, Evita, Cats, and Avenue Q.

You can also follow me on Instagram and Twitter.

Learned helplessness was first coined in the 1960s by the American psychologists Martin E.P. Seligman and Steven F. Maier. When they were graduate students, they researched animal behavior. When dogs received electrical shocks they couldn't control, they learned that they later showed signs of anxiety and depression. The dogs who learned that they couldn't escape the shock stopped trying in subsequent experiments. This occurred even when the dogs learned they could end the shocks by pressing a lever. Furthermore, the researchers learned that the dogs who received the uncontrollable shocks in the first experiment didn't even try to escape shocks in a later one—even though all they needed to do, was jump a low barrier.

I see this with humans all around me now. As I drive around New York City, I see an entire population affected by post-traumatic stress disorder. It is a sight to behold. 99.9% of people who are walking around outside alone, with no one around them, in masks. Many have even said, at least online, they will continue to do so, even after being fully vaccinated. What will it take to break people out of the fog they are under? People believe that nothing will end their suffering - or maybe they enjoy the conditions they live under. 

The idea that even after a full vaccination, people will continue to wear masks, socially distance, and not be around loved ones is perplexing. What are people waiting for? 

Don’t forget to subscribe to my podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher,  Pocket Casts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Clayton Craddock is a father, independent thinker, and the founder and publisher of the social and political commentary newsletter Think Things Through and host of the Think Things Through Podcast.

Twitter: @claytoncraddock

The COVID-19 pandemic has undermined our sense of risk. People are good at weighing risks against rewards, but now, many are confused as to how to proceed. Too many people are experiencing learned helplessness.

But the good news is that the idea of waiting until there is definitive evidence that humanity is completely safe from the coronavirus before returning to normal is becoming untenable. Such evidence may never come. Science is rarely that definitive. With more guidance being handed down from elected officials that seems to make less and less sense, people are choosing to ignore the rules.

A shift in mood is taking place. The fog is being lifted because vaccines are being distributed, and the reason is taking precedent over emotion.

Ignore the CDC, WHO, and Dr. Fauci. The pandemic ends when the public says so.

Clayton Craddock is a father, independent thinker, and the founder and publisher of the social and political commentary newsletter Think Things Through and host of the Think Things Through Podcast.

Twitter: @claytoncraddock

Part II of my conversation with Dena Tauriello and Rosa Avila. We explore more reasons why they were the only two women drummers working on Broadway and off-broadway prior to the shutdown of all shows in 2020. 

Some of the topics we discuss include:

* Should broadway have half of the drum chairs be filled by women? If so, why? 

* Is total equality the goal?

* Are they just not interested, or are there more nefarious reasons for the lack of women playing drums?

* Is the lack of women drummers working professionally primarily because of sexism and discrimination, or are there other factors?

* Finding women subs—what problems have they had with recruitment and/or finding qualified candidates?

* Are women reaching out to them for advice on how to do what they do?

* What can we do to bring more women into the collective of drummers? 

Dena Tauriello began playing drums at the age of eight. For 20 years, she worked with NYC rockers Antigone Rising who toured relentlessly, made numerous TV appearances, and served as cultural ambassadors to Israel, Palestine, and Vietnam. She’s worked with Rob Thomas (from Matchbox 20) as a member of his “RT Quartet.”

She has been featured in Modern Drummer, Drum! and Sticks ‘n’ Skins, a photography book about the drumming community. 

Just over two years ago, Dena made the switch to Broadway after landing the chair for Head Over Heels featuring the music of the Go-Gos. Since then, she has also held the chair for Kristin Chenoweth’s For the Girls, Magic Mike and Galileo (reading) and was a sub at The Cher Show. 

Before the shutdown, she held the chair for the off-Broadway revival of Little Shop of Horrors and was set to sub at Six on Broadway. 

Rosa Avila was born in Germany and spent her childhood in Mexico and Austria. She began playing drums at age 16 and completed her education at Musicians Institute in Los Angeles, California. 

When she graduated in 1991, Rosa was presented with the Outstanding Student of the Year award and received the Human Relations Award.

Rosa performed with legends like Ann Margret, Debby Boone, The Lennon Sisters,  Shari Lewis, Elkie Brooks, Glen Campbell, and Petula Clark. In 1992, she began her association with Andy Williams, with whom she performed until 2009.  

In 2018, Rosa had the pleasure of holding the drum chair at Summer-The Donna Summer Musical on Broadway, and in 2019 she played on four shows: Chick Flick, Broadway Bounty Hunter, Love in Hate Nation, and For Colored Girls at the public theater.

Don’t forget to subscribe to my podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher,  Pocket Casts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Clayton Craddock is an independent thinker, father of two beautiful children in New York City. He is the drummer of the hit broadway musical Ain't Too Proud. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Howard University's School of Business and is a 28 year veteran of the fast-paced New York City music scene. He has played drums in several hit broadway and off-broadway musicals, including "Tick, tick…BOOM!, Altar Boyz, Memphis The Musical, and Lady Day At Emerson's Bar and Grill. Also, Clayton has worked on: Footloose, Motown, The Color Purple, Rent, Little Shop of Horrors, Spongebob Squarepants, The Musical, Evita, Cats, and Avenue Q.

You can also follow me on Instagram and Twitter.

Today’s podcast takes up the underlying reasons why there are so few women drummers working on Broadway musicals. I spoke to two amazing drummers, Dena Tauriello and Rosa Avila, to find out why they were the only two women drummers working on Broadway and off-broadway prior to the shutdown of all shows last year.

Some of the topics we discuss include:

* Their thoughts as to why there weren’t many female drummers during their formative years.

* Did they have women drum teachers, and if not, why was that the case?

* Should broadway have half of the drum chairs be filled by women? If so, why? 

* Is total equality the goal? What about other groups of people? Should there be a proportional representation of other groups? (black, Asian, Latino, gay/lesbian, etc.) 

* Is the lack of women drummers working professionally primarily because of sexism and discrimination, or are there other factors?

* What are some of the blatant sexist encounters they’ve experienced over the years and how were they affected?

Dena Tauriello began playing drums at the age of eight. For 20 years, she worked with NYC rockers Antigone Rising who toured relentlessly, made numerous TV appearances, and served as cultural ambassadors to Israel, Palestine, and Vietnam. She’s worked with Rob Thomas (from Matchbox 20) as a member of his “RT Quartet.”

She has been featured in Modern Drummer, Drum! and Sticks ‘n’ Skins, a photography book about the drumming community. 

Just over two years ago, Dena made the switch to Broadway after landing the chair for Head Over Heels featuring the music of the Go-Gos. Since then, she has also held the chair for Kristin Chenoweth’s For the Girls, Magic Mike and Galileo (reading) and was a sub at The Cher Show. 

Before the shutdown, she held the chair for the off-Broadway revival of Little Shop of Horrors and was set to sub at Six on Broadway. 

Rosa Avila was born in Germany and spent her childhood in Mexico and Austria. She began playing drums at age 16 and completed her education at Musicians Institute in Los Angeles, California. 

When she graduated in 1991, Rosa was presented with the Outstanding Student of the Year award and received the Human Relations Award.

Rosa performed with legends like Ann Margret, Debby Boone, The Lennon Sisters,  Shari Lewis, Elkie Brooks, Glen Campbell, and Petula Clark. In 1992, she began her association with Andy Williams, with whom she performed until 2009.  

In 2018, Rosa had the pleasure of holding the drum chair at Summer-The Donna Summer Musical on Broadway, and in 2019 she played on four shows: Chick Flick, Broadway Bounty Hunter, Love in Hate Nation, and For Colored Girls at the public theater.

Don’t forget to subscribe to my podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Pocket Casts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Today is the first episode of the Think Things Through Podcast. I’ve been looking forward to this for quite some time. I finally had the opportunity to publish my inaugural episode today.

I was able to interview Kenya N. Rahmaan. She is the author of The Child Support Hustle (N.K. Clark) and the Founder of The Reform Child Support NOW! Movement.

Kenya began her writing career in 2007 and specializes in child support guidelines and regulations.  She earned an Associate’s Degree in Small Business Management from Columbus State Community College, a Bachelor’s Degree, and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Franklin University in her hometown, Columbus, Ohio. Kenya is a member of The Board of Advisors for the documentary “Erasing Family’, directed by Ginger Gentile. She is the co-host on The Child Support Hustle radio show with Marcus J. Echols. 

Kenya has written a bill to re-abolish debtor prisons and is continuing the fight for child support reform.

Make sure you subscribe to my podcast on Apple Music! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/test/id1549480774?i=1000505941808

Show Notes:

Do You Have To Pay Child Support? No, You Don't! - You can opt-out. of paying child support

The Child Support Hustle E-Book, N. K Clark (Kenya N. Rahmaan) Available at Amazon -  https://www.amazon.com/Child-Support-Hustle-N-K-Clark-ebook/dp/B00GOJ9W4G

Petitioning the Government to Erase State-Owed Child Support Debt - A campaign has been launched to recruit 100,000 plus supporters who are willing to add their name and voices to a petition demanding that the Biden-Harris Administration issue an Executive Order to erase all state-owed child support arrears.  

The Child Support Hustle Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/TheChildSupportHustle/The Child

The Child Support Hustle - https://thechildsupporthustle.com

Clayton Craddock is a father, independent thinker, and the founder and publisher of the social and political commentary newsletter Think Things Through and host of the Think Things Through Podcast.

Twitter: @claytoncraddock