Video published by Daniel’s Music Foundation here on YouTube (link is external)
Smile-o-meter Friday:Episode 3 – Featuring Grace Novacheck (Friday, October 30, 2020)
[Upbeat Music – Smile-o-meter Friday Theme Song]
[Image of show’s logo in white text “Smile-o-meter Friday With Daniel & Ken” on a bright blue background with translucent white circles.]
[Image – Caricatures on a white background of Daniel in glasses wearing a white polo T-shirt waving his left hand, with the word “Daniel” above his head on the left side of the screen; and, Ken wearing a dark color suit jacket over a collared shirt and sweater, waving his right hand with the word “Ken” above his head on the right side of the screen. The picture of a bright yellow sun with a smiley face slides down from the top of the screen.]
[Voiceover:] Hosted by an unlikely duo, who are just trying to bring a little sunshine into the world.
[Image – Father and son duo, Ken and Daniel, seated in the “Studio” in front of piano against a cheery yellow wall, with a square Smile-o-meter Friday logo on the wall between them. Ken is on the right side of the screen, wearing a brown cowboy hat and blue bandanna tied around his neck, with a burgundy T-shirt under a navy blue button-down shirt. Daniel is on the left, wearing glasses, a brown cowboy hat with a Sheriff’s badge on the front above the brim, a red bandanna tied around his neck, with a black T-shirt under his blue button-down shirt.]
[Daniel:] (In Texan accent) Howdy, y’all! I reckon it’s time for another episode of…
[Daniel and Ken:] …Smile-o-meter Friday!
[Ken:] (Turning right to look at Daniel) You know D., going 7,700 miles to Zimbabwe and meeting JJ Vibez was really beautiful. But truth be told, I think I’m still having a little jet lag.
[Dreamy harp music plays in the background]
[Image – Illustration of Daniel deep in thought with his right hand over his chin, and a thought bubble above his head with the word “HMMM…” in it.]
[Daniel:] (Nodding his head at Ken, and thinking to himself) Hmmm… Jet lag? I think he may be taking these virtual trips a little too far…
[Image – Illustration of a smiling Ken waving his left hand and looking out through an airplane window.]
[Image – Daniel and Ken in the Studio]
[Ken:] In any case, you may be wondering why we’re wearing these cowboy hats.
[Daniel:] We wanted to celebrate Halloween, plus honor today’s musical guest: Grace Novacheck, from Dallas, Texas, who we’ll be meeting soon.
[Image – Photo of a smiling young girl, Grace Novacheck, standing in front of a bush with dark pink flowers outside her house. Grace has long, straight brown hair, and she is wearing a dark blue blouse adorned with turquoise-colored leaves and matching turquoise-color earrings.]
[Ken:] Speaking of Halloween, remember when we used to dress Ginger up every Halloween?
[Images – Photos of Ginger, a small brown-colored dog (a long-haired Dachshund), dressed up in 2 different Halloween costumes: first costume is a black and orange cloak with an orange pumpkin on the back, and the second is a green and red color elf outfit, with a matching hat that has a white pom-pom on the tip and yellow colored pointy elf ears.]
[Daniel:] That was awesome! I remember how excited she used to get when the doorbell rang. I really miss her. She was like a sister to me and Mike.
[Ken:] She was definitely a big part of our family, for over 17 years. Remember when she took over mom’s and my bed?
[Image – Photos of Ginger the dog snuggled underneath a pillow on the bed, with only her head visible.]
[Ken:] When she used to hang out with and Mike on the couch…
[Image – Photo of Ginger seated in between Mike and Daniel on a black couch when they were young boys. Mike is on the left wearing round glasses and a grey New York Knicks T-shirt, and Daniel is on the right wearing a white Hard Rock Cafe T-shirt.]
[Ken:] …and sit on my lap when I was working…
[Image – Photo of Ginger lounging on Ken’s lap as he is talking on the phone while seated at his desk with a computer monitor in front of him.]
[Image – Daniel and Ken in the Studio]
[Ken:] …and eat ice pops and steak with us?
[Daniel:] (Nodding)
[Dreamy harp music plays in the background]
[Image – Illustration of Daniel deep in thought with his right hand over his chin, and a thought bubble above his head with the word “HMMM…” in it.]
[Daniel:] (Thinking to himself) Hmmm… I really loved Ginger, too, but I wonder where he’s going with this. He’s starting to drift away from Smile-o-meter Friday…
[Image – Illustration of a smiling Ken with his right hand over his heart, posing with Ginger the dog, and the words “AWWWWW” in red letters above Ken’s head.]
[Daniel:] (Thinking to himself) …into a version of Animal Planet!
[Image – Camera zooms in on Ginger, and then the screen dissolves into another illustration of Ken in a maroon-colored hoodie popping his head up from a burrow in the ground somewhere in a desert, surrounded by five meerkats.]
[Image – Daniel and Ken in the Studio]
[Ken:] She was definitely special, that’s for sure. But let’s get back to the episode.
[Daniel:] Good idea, Dad! And now, on to our first segment:
[Daniel and Ken:] Did You Know?
[Image – The words “Did You Know?” large black letters on a white background slide down from the top of the screen. Illustrations of both Daniel and Ken deep in thought appear. They share the same thought bubble above their heads that includes a “thinking” emoji (a round yellow face with its right hand resting by the chin, with its thumb and pointer finger extended).]
[Ken:] Interesting, historical, and fun facts about disabilities and music.
[Image – Daniel and Ken in the Studio]
[Daniel:] And since our musical guest is from Texas, we thought we’d share some interesting facts from there.
[Ken:] Did you know that Texas is the second largest state in the United States, next to…
[Daniel:] (Shouting out the answer) Alaska!
[Ken:] (Looks at Daniel and laughs)
[Ken:] And that it is larger than any country in…
[Daniel:] (Shouting out the answer) Europe!
[Ken:] (Laughs again) And it is the second most populated state in the U.S., next to…
[Daniel:] (Shouting out the answer) California!
[Ken:] (Chuckling) I got one for you, smart guy. See if you can answer this one: What soft drink was invented in a local drug store in Waco, Texas?
[Daniel:] (Shouting out the answer) Dr. Pepper!
[Ken:] (Laughing) Nice going! Maybe you should try out for Jeopardy! Hey, D., what do you say we check out some of the interesting sites in Texas?
[Daniel:] Sure! Sounds good! First stop: The San Antonio River Walkway.
[Images – Short video of scenes from The San Antonio River Walkway, a city park and urban waterway along the banks of the San Antonio river. It is a network of stairs and paths with stone bridges crisscrossing the river, and includes many trees, shops, outdoor restaurants plus more along both sides of the river, with lots of people walking around enjoying the scenery and attractions. Located one story below street level, the walkway stays cool and protected from the hot Texas weather.]
[Ken:] The San Antonio River Walkway is the number one attraction in Texas, and is a network of walkways initially built for flood control. But now, the home to restaurants, shops, shows, museums, and boat rides. There is something to do for everyone.
[Image – Daniel and Ken in the Studio]
[Daniel:] And don't forget, the great outdoors!
[Ken:] For that, there is Big Bend National Park, which is known for its natural resources and spectacular geology.
[Image – Short video of a winding river with blue water inside Big Bend National Park in Texas.]
[Image – Daniel and Ken in the Studio]
[Ken:] It is home to over 1,700 species of plants, birds, reptiles and mammals…
[Image – Short video of mountain ranges in Big Bend National Park.]
[Ken:] …and has spectacular views. It’s a beautiful place to go if you want to get back to nature.
[Image – Daniel and Ken in the Studio]
[Daniel:] And how about their amazing music?
[Ken:] I know everyone thinks of country music when they think of Texas. Musicians like Willie Nelson, Barbara Mandrell, George Strait, and the Dixie Chicks. But there is a lot more to Texas music.
[Images – Photo slideshow of Texas musicians mentioned: Willie Nelson, Barbara Mandrell, George Strait, the Dixie Chicks.]
[Daniel:] Like Beyoncé, Selena, Buddy Holly, Kelly Clarkson, Usher, Kenny Rogers, ZZ Top, Roy Orbison, Janis Joplin, Meatloaf, to name a few.
[Images – Photo slideshow of Texas musicians mentioned: Beyoncé, Selena, Buddy Holly, Kelly Clarkson, Usher, Kenny Rogers, ZZ Top, Roy Orbison, Janis Joplin, Meatloaf.]
[Daniel:] But, how can we forget Vanilla Ice? (Singing) Ice, ice, baby…
[Images – Two photos of Vanilla Ice performing]
[Image – Daniel and Ken in the Studio]
[Ken:] What amazing musical talent they have there! And, guess what, D.? It’s time for our next segment:
[Image – The words “Adventures with Daniel & Ken” in black type on the top left corner of a white background slides up from the bottom of the screen, Illustrations of Daniel on the right, smiling and sitting with him arms outstretched in the folds of a paper airplane, flying over a green and blue globe of the world below him. Ken is sitting in another paper airplane below the globe on the left.]
[Daniel and Ken:] Adventures with Daniel and Ken
[Image – Globe of the world showing a map of the United States, with a round red circle identifying the location of New York City. The globe spins to the left, and a red line travels from New York City and lands in Dallas, Texas.]
[Daniel:] And now that we’re in Dallas, let’s check out today’s amazing musical guest:
[Image – Daniel and Ken in the Studio]
[Daniel:] Grace Novacheck
[Ken:] Grace is a 14-year old dynamo. A super talented piano player who has overcome…
[Images – Two photos of Grace. In the first photo, she is outdoors standing in the middle of a green field, smiling and wearing a pink tie-dye T-shirt. In the second photo, she is wearing a black & white dress playing a grand piano on stage at the Danny Awards, with red curtains at the back of the stage.]
[Image – Daniel and Ken in the Studio]
[Ken:] …a great deal of adversity in her life, including 33 surgeries. She was born in Manhattan before moving to Texas at the age of 7, and considers herself a New Yorker (Daniel chuckles when Ken tries to imitate a strong New York accent) at heart.
[Image – Photo of Grace wearing a pink NYC T-shirt, posing with a replica of the Statue of Liberty and a mural of city buildings behind her.]
[Image – Daniel and Ken in the Studio]
[Ken:] She was one of the 2020 Danny Award honorees and has recently launched her own YouTube channel.
[Images – Photo of Grace holding a microphone and speaking on stage, and a screen shot of Grace’s YouTube Channel page: “grace nova”.]
[Image – Daniel and Ken sitting on a black leather couch in the “Interview Studio” (the small office in their apt) with 3 separate panels of artwork on the wall behind them.]
[Daniel:] And now, let’s welcome Grace to the show!
[Daniel:] Hi, Grace. (Ken tips his hat with his left hand in greeting) Please introduce yourself and tell us what you are going to be performing for us today.
[Image – Grace is dressed in a light blue dress, and she is seated on a piano stool in front of a black grand piano]
[Grace:] (Looking at the camera) OK. My name is Grace Novacheck. I am 14 years old. The piece that I will be playing is called “Waltz for Grace.” It was written for me by one of our friends. I hope you like it. (Turns to her left to face the piano)
[Video of Grace performing the song by heart on the piano] (Grace turns to her right to face the camera and smiles after she is finished with the piece.)
[Image – Daniel and Ken in the “Interview Studio”]
[Daniel:] Wow! That was really beautiful!
[Ken:] (Nodding and turning to look at Daniel) It certainly was! Thank you, Grace, for joining us today, and taking the time to answer a few questions. You saw earlier in our episode that we highlighted some facts and interesting places in Texas. But what are some of your favorite local places to visit?
[Image – Grace sitting on the piano bench]
[Grace:] Well, hey guys! Thank you for coming to virtually visit Dallas. This is where I live so I could tell you about some of my favorite things to do here.
[Grace:] (Speaking with enthusiasm) I love to go to the Arboretum. Now if you don't know what that is, that means that there are plants and flowers, and I know that sounds kind of lame, but it's not, I promise. It is so much fun. They have pumpkin patches in the Fall, and they have beautiful flowers and they have (pause) it's very kid friendly. They have restaurants and it's so beautiful and it smells so good.
[Grace:] (Continues enthusiastically) So, my other favorite place to go in Texas is the Texas State Fair. This takes place every October, except for this one, and they have roller coasters and all kinds of rides. They have like good ones that go all over the place. (Making circlular motions with her hands) They have spinning rides, and they have great food. They have deep-fried Oreos, deep-fried peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, deep-fried mac and cheese. And literally, if you can think of it, they’ve probably deep fried it. They have really good corn dogs as well. And those are my favorite places to go in Dallas.
[Image – Daniel and Ken in the “Interview Studio”]
[Daniel:] Sounds like a lot of fun! Especially that deep-fried food. Yummm…
[Ken:] (Chuckles)
[Daniel:] Grace, can you tell us why music is so important to you?
[Image – Grace sitting on the piano bench]
[Grace:] Music is important to me because...this, this might sound a little bit cheesy, but music says what words can’t. ‘Cause it’s very expressive and very moving, and it can be used to express something good, something bad, and it's very powerful.
[Image – Daniel and Ken in the “Interview Studio”]
[Ken:] Do you have a favorite performance experience? (Teasing) Be mindful how you answer this one, Grace.
[Image – Grace sitting on the piano bench]
[Grace:] I think my favorite performance experience was definitely playing at Daniel's Music Foundation. That was the biggest concert I've ever done, and it was so much fun. I felt so, like…cool I guess, 'cause I got to go into like the dressing room, and like, I got to dress up all nice. And I got to get that trophy, and that was really, really cool.
[Image – Daniel and Ken in the “Interview Studio”]
[Daniel:] Thank you, Grace. Good answer. We were so happy to have you! What is one thing that people say or do that you would like for them to stop doing?
[Image – Grace sitting on the piano bench]
[Grace:] Hmm. Well, I don't appreciate it when kids I see, probably 10 and up, or people 10 and up stare, 'cause that's when they know, like, they should be able to comprehend what they're doing. And it bothers me the most when adults do it, though. And when adults say something ignorant to me, or rude. And that, I think that's really not right because they're adults, they should be the mature one and they should know how their words will affect people.
[Image – Daniel and Ken in the “Interview Studio”]
[Ken:] So true, Grace. Thank you. Tell us something about you that only a select group of people know.
[Image – Grace sitting on the piano bench]
[Grace:] So, one thing that only select group of people know about me is that I am Native American, or Indian. So, my, most of my mom's family is Native American. She is seven-eighths, which makes me seven-sixteenths, so almost half. I am Kiowa, Sioux, Wichita and Kickapoo. And I’m legit. I even have my, um, card that says that I’m a Native American.
[Image – Daniel and Ken in the “Interview Studio”]
[Daniel:] Wow, that is really interesting. I know you are still young, but what are your future dreams?
[Image – Grace sitting on the piano bench]
[Grace:] So, some of my future dreams are, I'd say, like, one of these: I would either like to become a doctor at NYU – um, they have helped me so much! Um, or, I would like to become a fashion designer. As I've gotten older I've appreciated fashion more. And I think that that would be a lot of fun. I also want to maybe move to New York again. Um, and then, (looking at her father) ahem, Dad, I want to get a dog. (Smiling)
[Image – Daniel and Ken in the “Interview Studio”]
[Ken:] Well, we hope Ginger has inspired your parents to finally get you that dog! Thank you again, Grace, for joining us, and we look forward to seeing you and your family again.
[Daniel and Ken:] Real soon!
[Image – Grace sitting on the piano bench]
[Grace:] Thank you for having me. I appreciated this so much, and I’ve had so much fun. And come visit in Dallas. Also, if you haven't, make sure you subscribe to my YouTube channel “Grace Nova” where I actually went to the Texas State Fair and I take you with me. See ya! (Smiling and waving her right hand)
[Image – Daniel and Ken in the Studio]
[Daniel:] And now, for our final segment:
[Daniel and Ken:] Food For Thought
[Image – The words “Food For Thought” on a white background slide up from the bottom of the screen. Illustrations of Daniel winking, with his face peering through the middle of a bright yellow pineapple, and Ken holding up a big slice of watermelon with a smiley face on it.)
[Ken:] A thought-provoking quote or sentiment for you to reflect on.
[Image – Daniel and Ken in the studio]
[Daniel:] You may be wondering why we're wearing these T shirts, or what they actually say on them.
[Daniel and Ken:] (Holding the fronts of their button-down shirts open to show the words on their T-shirts) Just call me by my name
[Image – The white design on their dark-colored T-shirts includes 12 piano keys and the words “JUST CALL ME BY MY NAME”]
[Ken:] You know, D., there's a lot of labeling going on these days, and sometimes people like to put individuals in a box around their diagnosis. Like he's on the autistic spectrum. Or, she has Down syndrome, for example. I've even heard people speak about you (turning to looking at Daniel) as a brain aneurysm survivor, a stroke victim, whether you have traumatic brain injury or TBI. While this might be true from a medical standpoint, how would you like to be called, D.?
[Daniel:] Just call me Dan, Daniel, Danny. Or, Dan the Man…from Man-hat-tan. Just don't call me late for dinner!
[Ken:] Remember to listen, learn, and understand differences. Thanks for spending some time with us today. And…
[Daniel and Ken:] (Pointing their fingers towards the camera with big smiles on their faces) See you next time!
[Music – Smile-o-meter Friday theme song]
[Image of show’s title “Smile-o-meter Friday With Daniel & Ken” on a bright blue background.]
[A final slide includes white words on a black background:
THANKS FOR WATCHING!
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