One of our newer Notables, Ian, decided to learn more about Jackie, our Collaboration and Engagement Coordinator, by means of a formal interview. You can read it in its entirety below.
Ian: How goes?
Jackie: It goes.
Ian: <laugh>. Okay. All right, cool, so-
Jackie: You need to interview me and write a blog about it or something.
Ian: Something like that <laugh>. I don't know what questions I was supposed to ask. If I was supposed to keep it specific or vague if at all. So, I kind of just went off the cuff and went with the questions that I was curious to know the answers to. First, I wanted to start off formally with question number one: You are a full-blown vet, right?
Jackie: Yep. I am a small animal Associate Veterinarian. I did three years of emergency and critical care, so it was dogs and cats. I got super burnt out during the pandemic, so I left emergency and went to primary care. So that's what I've been doing for the past year and a half, almost two years.
Ian: Interesting. It's interesting you say that cause I know people who said the same thing about working with people in general! Like… they weren't in the medical field, and they said just COVID—it was just too much and now they're doing either something else or in an administrative position.
Jackie: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, definitely in my field, it got pretty screwed up during the pandemic as well. A few things happened: everyone adopted a bunch of pets, the shelters got cleared out, and then also people were just at home staring at their pets, so they were actually noticing when they were sick and bringing them in. Then on top of that, people couldn't go out and spend their money on, you know, extracurriculars like dining, so they had extra money to actually provide care of their pets. So, we just got inundated. It went from being you know a one, two hour wait to like an eight-hour wait. They were just really understaffed. So yeah, it was terrible. <laugh>
Ian: Sounds like a lot.
Jackie: Yeah, it was 14-hour—sometimes 17-hour days with one bathroom break. And like half the time I wouldn't eat, or I'd have to force myself to eat. But when things were like…dying, you know, (not to like go all dark in the interview) but yeah, it… it wasn't fun.
Ian: So, what most people—no, not most—all people I know who work with animals have said that they basically knew it from the start. Like since they were little, that was what they wanted to do. Was that the case with you or did that come later on?
Jackie: No, I wasn't one of those kids. Honestly, I kind of came late to the game. I went to college, obviously. I went to undergrad and I didn't know what to major in. Then one of my best friends at the time said, “Well, you love dogs; why don't you be a vet?” And I was like okay!
Ian: <laugh>, I'll just be an animal doctor, whatever. I guess that's what I'll do.
Jackie: Yes. So I entered an animal science program on a pre-vet track, not knowing if I was gonna stay with it. Then, I did a minor in wildlife conservation, like natural resource conservation. And honestly, that's my real passion. I have a background in wildlife medicine and rehab. There's just no jobs. That's actually why I became a vet. So medicine and rehab for native species, like birds of prey, raccoons, squirrels, songbirds, snapping turtles, you know, things like that. Bunnies. So I hope to get back to that one day after I pay off all my student loans. <laugh>
Ian: I can see both aspects being rewarding. I mean, on what you're doing now, you can see what's happening and see the progression of an animal get better. With things like the environment, it's a lot harder since we're doing more damage control these days. But being able to slow that damage down is definitely a noble cause. And I can see getting a lot out of that work as well.
Jackie: Yeah, I mean it's very different medicine. With primary care, I actually get to build relationships with my clients, which has been really rewarding. I didn't know how I was gonna feel about that cause you get the follow up. But then I was like, “oh wow, I'm actually doing good medicine cause they're getting better.”
Ian: Yeah. With primary care, if a dog's hurt, you see it two months later and it's better. It's right there as your physical evidence: you did the right thing! Jackie: Yeah. So that's been a positive. I also get lunch breaks, you know, so that's good too. <laugh> I get out on time most days.
Ian: Yeah. I imagine the ER is not that at all. You could be right about to get out and then a dog with a broken leg shows up and you're there for god knows how much longer.
Jackie: Yeah, it was a whole different beast.
Ian: So with musical stuff for me, in my earliest memories, I wanted to be on stage. It's always been there. If I could do any job, it would be something on stage. So I wanted to put that on you. Were you musically gifted from the start? I think you mentioned violin, right?
Jackie: Yeah, yeah, music has definitely always been a big thing in my family. We all played instruments. I took private lessons for violin when I was seven. I did orchestra. I did choir. I auditioned and participated in county and regional choirs for a few years. So that was fun. Those were like big, big choirs.
Ian: Do you remember your first performance?
Jackie: I mean it was sometime in elementary school. I definitely don't remember.
Ian: How about this, what's the first performance you do remember where you walked away with that, you know, that onstage adrenaline rush? Can you remember the first time where you felt that rush of being on stage or getting off stage and knowing you killed it?
Jackie: I don't know. It wasn't really ever like that for me. I feel like music is what we did and I just, you know, grew up in this household where there were expectations, and you had to be good at things and juggle a lot. Honestly most of it was comparing myself to my older sister who was better at me at dance and better than me at singing. Now I'm a way better singer than her <laugh>. I always enjoyed singing, you know, more so for me, not like for show. And this group has been the first time I've performed as an adult. I didn't do anything musical in college. High school, I was in orchestra for one year and then I stopped. I was in sports, and I had too much going on. I also did dance while growing up.
Ian: So it sounds like, if you were doing choirs and stuff even at that young age, single digits and stuff, it kind of makes sense that it feels much more natural to you if you're not getting that rush. For me, I didn't start doing shows until I was in my late teens and they weren't choir, it was solo. It was just me and a guitar. And it was so nerve wracking because going on, I hear every note that I missed and I couldn't sing. I did it anyways. The crowd just had to deal with it <laugh>. And even if I know I didn't sound that good, if I finished my songs and didn't mess up what I was intending to do, I felt like I just shut down a 10,000 seat arena. But it sounds like it's second nature to you, which is really cool in its own right. <laugh>
Jackie: Well, I think it's just different. I think growing up, I was kind of forced into it and I did enjoy it. But I feel like now it's definitely for me. I feel like I can relate to what you were saying with dance. I competed in tap and I did team, but I also did solo and that was so nerve-wracking. My sister of course tap danced too, and she was better than me and whatnot.
Ian: You said you did tap and you also said solo. Was that separate from tap dancing? Did you do something else?
Jackie: I did tap, jazz, and ballet growing up. I did like a year of pointe, and then the only thing I competed with was tap. So I was on a tap team that competed as a team, and then as a soloist. I don't know if I would still be as good as I was. I remember a few riffs and stuff. The other stuff, like the other disciplines, I was not as good at, that wasn't really natural for me. And honestly, the culture of dance. I quit cause I just like tapping, but I didn't like the culture of dance.
Ian: I get that. Unfortunately, hobbies can have cultures built around them that can be good or bad. And I feel like I've heard that about dance before. It's similar to the beauty pageant vibe, right? You gotta be this thin and look this way.
Jackie: Yeah.
Ian: Smile-when-you're-on-stage type of vibe when you really just want to be out there and dance.
Jackie: Yeah, I was definitely that kid who would get kicked out of class if I didn't wanna like <laugh> strip down and take off my warm-up and, you know, whatever. So they could see my lines and stuff, I don't know. But yeah.
Ian: Yikes.
Jackie: That was a big part of my life. I like what I'm doing now a lot better I think. But I would take a tap class again.
Ian: So be it dancing, singing, or something else, are there solo musical interests that you want to pursue?
Jackie: Hmm, I don't think so, at least not at this time. I’m definitely a pretty nervous performer. Like, I definitely still get stage fright. Honestly, this group has been really big for getting me over that. Like even the solos that I've had in this group, even the fact I can sing in front of you guys, that's huge for me. I feel like I just grew up with this mentality that I'm not good at this, you know? I would just say no, I just do this for fun. But now I definitely have more of that confidence. But no, I think not right now. This is my first a cappella group. I think for right now this is a solid home for me.
Ian: That's dope. I didn't think I would relate that much on a lot of that stuff. One of my first shows ever was at a coffee house. And I remember after the show, someone said in passing “With how you sound and the way you sing. It's like Lou Reed, like the kind of half and half talkie-singy thing.” I know like one Lou Reed song, so I'm like, “okay, cool, thank you.” Later, I told that to my dad. I'm like, “some guy says I sound like Lou Reed.” My dad just looked at me and said, “that's not a compliment.” <laugh>.
Jackie: I feel that. I feel that. And I feel like when you're hearing that stuff from the people that are close to you, it just becomes your identity, and it's really hard to get out of that. But during the pandemic, I had been wanting to get back into a hobby because everything had just become vet medicine. Honestly, I got burnt out. I was depressed. And it took me a while to get the confidence to audition for a group. Actually, before Noteworthy, I auditioned for this other a cappella group, literally the day before and I absolutely bombed. I just bombed <laugh>. And they got back to me like the next morning, right, like hours before my Noteworthy audition. They were like, “yeah, like it's a no for us, but you can reaudition next year if you want.” And I was just like,” oh my God. I'm gonna audition for this other group. I've already put myself out there; I'm committed.” So, you know, that sucks. And then, the Noteworthy audition was much better, much better vibes. And then, Amber got back to me like an hour later and I was like, “What? Like people think I can sing?” <laugh>.
Ian: With my voice, I was comically bad, and people say, “you probably weren't that bad.” I was. I really truly was. Now, I still don't think I'm a good singer. I think I've worked my way up to carrying a tune. But there's that imposter syndrome in the back of the head when I got offered to join the group so quickly. There's almost a part of me that's like, “well if they want me in the group, then how good are they?” Like, I can't be good. Other people around me have to be bad to think I'm good. That's where the mentality was at. So just getting the offer to join alone was a recognition that I never thought I'd get in my life. I thought that, at best, I'd be playing dive bars and feeling like I just forced them to listen to that for 20 minutes and hop off the stage. Jackie: Yeah. It's like you said. I totally get that. And then you hear the other people in the group sing and you're like, wow, everyone else is so good.
Ian: I mean, that's how I feel about you.
Jackie: Come on <laugh>. No, I feel like it's hard because we sing with the group so often, but if somebody, you know, does have a solo, I'm like, oh my God! I haven't heard you sing since your audition. Like, you can sing, you know.
Ian: If you're singing loud, like doo’s and dah’s, you don't really realize how good they are. They're in key, but that doesn't tell you how good they are.
Jackie: You're totally right. Especially with Sopranos, there's a lot of that. There's the bass doing a lot of the same thing that Sopranos do, but in that just a lot ooh’s and ah’s. A lot of times when there's the really high signals and the really low signals, they don't really know what they have until they get that opportunity.
Ian: Yeah. Yeah, exactly.
Jackie: Yeah. Yeah, it's been fun. It's a good group. Good people.
Ian: Everyone seems to be on the same page. That is a very important thing, especially for a larger group to have: the idea that everyone seems to want the same things and move in the same direction. And it seems like most of the people here have been here for a while, which is good cause it means it's stable. The core values of the group and what they're trying to do seems to be pretty much in line.
Jackie: Yeah. I think there's a feeling of contributing to something bigger than yourself. Cause even if you are just doing some oos and ahs, when you hear the song as a whole and everyone put together, that's what it comes from!
Ian: Yeah. And then it's like, oh, like that's music <laugh> we're doing music <laugh>. I know. So, if you could pick a song, (doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, you get to pick a song and you're singing it, we're doing the backup, whatever you want us to do) what song is on your bucket list? No one has to vote on it. You pick.
Jackie: Well, I feel like we're already doing it. Like, I wanted to do Toxic <laugh>.
Ian: Oh yeah?
Jackie: That was my vote, and that was kind of fun because Shelly and Amber let me contribute to the arrangement, like the making of it.
Ian: That's gotta be fun. I haven't gotten to be a part of something like that. I can't, I'm music illiterate. I can't read it. So I don't know if I'd be able to. When I'm reading music with the group, I'm literally just watching the direction the notes go in and I try to do my runs based on that. It's like, all right, this one's higher, so I'll just go up some. But, that's cool. So you said you got to help with the arrangement. Are there any twists that you got to incorporate that you're particularly proud of?
Jackie: I think little things like, oh this would sound better if we did this. And they're like, “yeah, or why don't we have less voice parts on this? Or more voice parts on that, or why don't we be louder here?” I think just like little things. Having somebody ask my opinion, well half the time I'm like, I have no idea. You guys are way better at this than me.
Ian: <laugh>. I know, I just shut up and do what I'm told. Unless it's beatboxing, then that's my court.
Jackie: I mean, it was crazy. Shelly did all the computer stuff (and we were drinking beers) and she was still so fast at putting in all these notes and transcribing from the sheet music, like to make the arrangement from the actual song. It was very impressive to watch. And Amber and I were there just like, yeah, I can't even, that would take me so long.
Ian: I'm a little slow with things like that too. I'm sure it would be impressive to watch.
Jackie: Yeah. So yeah, it was, it's cool being a part of the decision making and giving some input.
Ian: Yeah. I hope to be a part of that one day. The last question I had, if you were doing something solo, or with a band behind you, or the group, what is a show you want to play? Is there a specific venue or a festival or something that's like, you know, I've made it, I performed on this stage, therefore I can accept that I'm really good at this? Is there a goal you have as far as what you want to do with performance?
Jackie: Yeah, interesting question. That’s not something I've really thought about. And I don't know if this is like a realistic thing. So like, I obviously like doing Noteworthy. I didn't do it in college, but I would love to go to a competition.
Ian: <laugh>. Yeah?
Jackie: I would love for the group to go to a competition and be around other a cappella groups and compete. I think that would be cool, and obviously if we win, I think that would be awesome. Like Pitch Perfect! <laugh>
Ian: For sure. I love competing. That's <laugh>. This is like one of the first musical endeavors I've had that wasn't competitive in nature. I've done Battles of the Bands and competed in all sorts of stuff. So just doing it for fun is different, right? <laugh> It's like, wait, you guys are just enjoying yourselves? But right on. <laugh> That's an interesting one. I hadn't thought of that, but I would also like to do something like that. Cause I've never gotten more validation about being good at something than beating someone at it. It just tells you okay, even if you're not the best, you're not the worst. Cuz that person— <laugh> that's my defeatist mentality. But, you know, same answer, different formula <laugh>.
Jackie: Yeah. So who knows? I have literally never brought that up. I don't know if that even interests Vimbly, or if there's even some type of competition for not college kids, if that makes sense.
Ian: I mean. You could pass. Like if you just said you're 22, I don't think anyone would question <laugh>.
Jackie: <laugh>. Yeah. We could just make up a name of a college we're representing.
Ian: I would like that. For all of us to show up, almost 30 or over 30, and we're like, nah, we're freshmen.
Jackie: Right. <laugh>, I think we could. Yeah, I think we got some young faces for sure. I think we could do it.
Ian: We got some, I'm not one of 'em (I look years older than I am) s, we'll put the young people up front and I'll hang in the back.
Jackie: But you have the demeanor of, like, a 17 year old! <laugh>,
Ian: Gee, thanks <laugh> Jackie: It's a compliment, you have a young spirit. That's what I meant. Ian: I'll take it cuz I don't know how to be a good adult yet. It works with being a parent, being young at heart. Like I'll be sitting around with my seven year old and he's just like, I wanna go to the park and swing. And I'm like, you know what, so do I and then we go.
Jackie: Yeah, no, seriously,
Ian: Yeah, it's great. Well, that's all the questions I had. Jackie: Okay. Ian: Are there, is there anything I didn't touch on or that I danced around? Are there any questions you were hoping I would ask that I didn't get to or something else you wanted to talk about? An agenda you want to spread?
Jackie: No, I feel like you touched on a lot of the big things.
Ian: Well I appreciate your time. Thanks for saving animals!
Jackie: All right. Sounds good. Have a good rest of your night. You too! Toodles.
