Drums vs Guitars - Transcript
This is a transcript of our episode “Drums vs Guitars”
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Announcer: From the brains behind brains on its Smash Boom Best.
Kyra: The show is for people with big opinions.
Molly: I'm your host, Molly Bloom and you're listening to Smash Boom Best, the show where we take two things, smash them together and ask you to decide which one is best. Today we've got a musical matchup to get your toes tapping. It's guitars versus drums. This is going to be a tough one for all the music lovers out there. Team guitar knows how to move us with a melody, but team drums has the beat. Here to make some big decisions is our judge Kyra. Hello, Kyra.
Kyra: Hi, I'm Kara and I'm judging today's debate.
Molly: Excellent. We are so happy to have you here. Before we meet the debaters I want to check in with you and see where you stand. Do you consider yourself a musical person?
Kyra: Not so much. I used to play piano a couple of years ago, but as of right now, no.
Molly: What kind of music is your favorite music to listen to?
Kyra: I'm just like any normal person. I like a lot of rap, R&B and stuff like that.
Molly: Do you ever get into debates with your family or friends?
Kyra: Me and my sister, we both do debate but at home, it's really just silly stuff. Our judge is our parents. I'll be like, "Okay, then go ask mom." We'll argue and then we'll ask to go ask mom, and then she'll yell at both of us.
Molly: (laughs) As an experienced debater, what advice do you have for our debaters today?
Kyra: Honestly, for me, the only person that matters right now in this debate, the only opinion is mine. Just keep that in mind and just try to touch me. Try to touch my heart. Try to make sure I understand what you're saying and I get it because if I don't then who else is supposed to get it?
Molly: Excellent. Well, I'm so glad you are our judge today. I think it's time to welcome our debaters to the main stage. Let's kick it off with Tommy McNamara who's here to represent team drums. Hi, Tommy.
Tommy: Hello. I'm so excited to be here.
Molly: Tommy in just one sentence, why are drums clearly the coolest?
Tommy: Okay, drums are the coolest because they combine raw power and expert precision, like if the world's strongest person also had the best handwriting.
Molly: Ooh, very nice. Now, let's meet Tommy's fierce opponent here to rep team guitar. It's Rosie DuPont. Hi, Rosie.
Rosie: Hi, Molly.
Molly: Rosie, in a single sentence, tell us why guitars are the greatest?
Rosie: Okay, here we go. Guitars are the dogs of instruments because they're man's best friend.
Molly: Interesting. Well, strong opening sentiments all around. We're almost ready to get this debate started, but first, let's review the rules of the game. Our debaters will compete in four rounds of raucous reasoning, and our judge Kyra will grade them on the facts and logic they use to make their case. Round One is the Declaration of Greatness, when each debater has the floor to present all the coolest things about their side. Each debater has just 30 seconds to make a rebuttal. Round Two is the Micro Round, a creative challenge that both debaters have prepared for in advance. Round three is the Sneak Attack, a surprise challenge to keep our debaters on their toes. The last round is the final six when both sides have just six words to sway our judge. Kyra will award points as we go, but she won't reveal the tally and our winner until the end of the debate. All right, Kyra, you have two points to award this first round, one for the best declaration and one for the best rebuttal. Keep track of both as you're listening. Are you ready?
Kyra: Mmhmm!
Molly: Awesome. Rosie and Tommy, are you ready?
Rosie: Yes, Molly.
Tommy: I've never been more ready in my entire life.
Molly: Fantastic. That means it's time for…
Announcer: Declaration of Greatness.
Molly: Our debaters have come armed with the coolest facts, history, and arguments. We flipped a coin and Tommy, you're up first. It's time for you to beat the drum for, well, drums. Take it away.
Tommy: Drumroll please…. (drumroll sound)
Ladies and gentlemen today we are here to honor the backbone of music, the keeper of time, the ruler of the rhythm: DRUMS. (Cymbal crash)
Drums are ESSENTIAL to making music fun. Don’t believe me? Try to dance without drums...I’ll wait.
(Soft quiet instrumental song with no drums)
Some instruments, (cough) guitars (cough), have faded from modern music but not drums. Rock, Hip Hop, Jazz, R & B, ALL use drum beats.
Most bands in America today use a standard drum kit. You know what I’ll let them introduce themselves!
Bass Drum (Low Voice): I’m the bass drum. I’m the biggest and lowest drum in the kit. I’m operated with a foot pedal, but that doesn’t mean you should kick me!
Snare Drum (High Voice, Staccato): I’m the snare! I hang out in the middle of the drum kit, with my two buddies.
Tom 1: Hi I’m Tom
Tom 2: And I’m Tom
Tom 1 and 2: We’re the Tom Toms. We’re twins!
Tom 1: We’re deep.
Tom 2: And maybe a little melodic?
Tom 1: Hey Tom, why did the bad drummer lose his watch?
Tom 2: He couldn’t keep time!
Hi Hat: Enough you two! Let’s talk cymbals. Hi - I’m the hi hat. I’m not actually a hat. I’m made up of two cymbals on top of each other. I can be open or shut using a foot pedal - like this! (hi hat sound)
Ride (Smooth voice): I’m Ride. I’m named after the ride pattern that goes like this. (tss ts ts tss)
Crash (Shouting): I’M CRASH. I’M THE LOUDEST CYMBAL! WE COMPLIMENT EACH OTHER. RIDE, YOU SOUND SO SMOOTH.
Thanks, drum kit. Drums have been around a looong time. One clay drum dates back to 6000 BCE. And cultures around the world have used drums for centuries in many different ways. In some African cultures, they were used for religious ceremonies, announcing births, sounding alarms, and even long distance communication!
Picture this: you come home and you’re hungry, but your family is nowhere to be found. You have no telephone, no computer, no Grubhub. In Bulu country in Africa, you could send a message for a meal with the language of percussion! Using only a specific coded rhythm you could basically say, “Come quickly. I’m starving!” These drum messages were received from MILES away, with no amplification. If you tried sending a message with an acoustic guitar -- you’d still be hungry.
Plus, there are countless kinds of drums. There’s the djembe from West Africa, the Bodhran from Ireland, the Pandeiro from Brazil, and many, many more. My favorite drums are hand drums like the bongos. They sound great and they’re portable. I even brought some into the studio today. Don’t believe me? (Bongos play)
There have been a LOT of great drummers throughout history. Take for example, Rick Allen from Def Leppard -- one of the biggest rock bands of the 1980s.
In 1985, their drummer Rick Allen tragically lost his arm in a car crash. He was told he would never be able to drum again, but he didn’t quit. He locked himself in his room in his parents house and played and played, putting in countless hours of practice while playing with one arm. Through perseverance and a custom drum set, he was able to play with the band again the next year. The band had kept it a secret, then one the night in front of tens of thousands of people, Rick took the stage and surprised everyone!
There’s one other reason drums rule: Science!
Annett: There is something special about the beat.
Tommy: That’s psychologist Annett Schirmer. She points out that pretty much all humans around the world like to stomp their feet to the rhythm of a beat. Scientists like her have a theory-- it’s not just about dancing, it’s about survival.
Annett: You know, as humans, we're actually kind of an awkward species. We're not particularly fast, we're not strong, we're not poisonous. And really the only way we can survive on this planet and thrive the way we've done is by working in groups and by coordinating our behavior with that of other people.
Tommy: Scientists like Annett think our love of rhythm might be part of the same instinct that’s helped our little species work in teams to survive and thrive.
If after all that you STILL think guitars are better? You must be out of tune. And just one more thing before I go: BONGO SOLO!
(Bongos play)
Molly: Oh, excellent bongo solo, Tommy. Team drums laying down a very strong beat. Kyra, what did you think of that Declaration of Greatness? What stood out to you as Tommy's strongest argument?
Kyra: I actually took some notes for Tommy. I like how he was saying how they haven't faded unlike guitars kind of like a little sneak diss. Then he included example such as R&B. I also liked how he talked about the fact that drums have multiple purposes like long-distance using a coded rhythm to make drum messages and that. Also again about how there's junk from many different places included other countries such as like Ireland, et cetera.
Molly: Drums are all over the world. Well, Rosie, I'm sure you have some thoughts you want to share. We're going to let you riff in your 30-second rebuttal and your time starts now.
Rosie: Okay, Tommy, you started out by saying drums are fun because they add rhythm to music. Well, guitars add rhythm too. You can play a guitar like a drum, flamenco music? The whole way you play is by drumming the guitar. Number two, you can also play rhythm guitar. People keep rhythm — they don't need drums — by just the way they strum the guitar. Number two, you claimed that guitars are old hat. Not true. All the biggest musicians alive today play.
Molly: Time! (Laughter) 30 seconds goes fast when you have a lot to say.
Rosie: I have much to say. I have more to say but I'll say it later.
Molly: You're going to say it in about two seconds because it's time for you to strum your way into Kyra's heart with your Declaration of Greatness. Rosie, tell us why team guitar is truly the best.
Rosie: It's a hot summer morning in Woodstock, New York -- 1969. You’ve been dancing in the mud and sleeping under the stars for three days at the most famous music festival of all time -- when Jimi Hendrix steps out on stage to play the closing act.
(Jimi Hendrix plays guitar)
With a red bandana in his afro and a white Fender Stratocaster guitar slung across his chest, he wows the audience with a killer 15 song set.
(guitar music)
And then, he launches into a rendition of the national anthem. It’s gritty and anguished, filled with the energy of protest fueled by the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights movement.
(Jimi Hendrix plays the National Anthem)
And as you stand there in the massive crowd, listening to his guitar wail, you hear the Star Spangled Banner in a completely new way. It changes your understanding of what it means to be an American.
The guitar. It gives voice to revolution. And I’m here to show you why it’s the coolest instrument on earth.
(guitar music)
Ok. So, we all know there are a ton of reasons the guitar ROCKS. It’s lightweight, portable, it can make a gazillion types of music, it’s easy to take care of and you can learn to play pretty easily! Master a couple of chords, and you’ll have your crush swooning.
(guitar music)
Crush: You’re soooo dreamy when you play the guitaaaar!
Rosie: I know. But you know what makes the guitar so drum-crushingly cool? It’s like a miniature orchestra!
Don’t believe me? Beethoven, one of the most genius composers of all time famously said:
Beethoven: The guitar is an orchestra in itself.
Rosie: Orchestras typically include anywhere between 25 and 125 instruments!
You might be wondering… How does the guitar do it? Well, first off, it’s polyphonic
Crush: Poly-what now?
Rosie: Polyphonic means you can play a whole bunch of notes together all at the same time. I asked my old guitar teacher David Chidsey to demonstrate.
David: Here’s a little bit of an example where the guitar plays multiple notes at the same time. So you can hear one melody and the bass playing at the exact same time.
Rosie: Thanks David! And you can play a really wide range of notes from all the way down here -- to all the way up here! That’s four octaves. AND it you can generate a ton of different timbres!
Crush: Timbre?
Rosie: Timbre means different qualities of sound. Like this: (guitar)
Or this: (guitar)
Check this out: (guitar)
The sound can be tinny, smooth, twangy, buttery … I mean, really. Who needs an orchestra when you have a guitar?
So. You ready to start plucking? Great. Before you do -- you need to know the story behind the guitar’s rise to popularity. So. Quick history:
Instruments like the guitar have been around for centuries. But the first instrument actually called a guitar appeared in Spain 600 years ago. When it hit American soil in the 1800s, its popularity took off! But the guitar was still overpowered by instruments like the trumpet, and it couldn’t cut through the noise, until...
(electric guitar plays)
The electric guitar was born! Now that the guitar was LOUD, its popularity exploded. But if I had to name an exact moment the guitar was crowned the king of cool?
Ian: It was the night that the Beatles appeared on Ed Sullivan in 1964.
(Beatles music)
Rosie: That’s Ian Port, the author of The Birth of Loud. He knows EVERYTHING about the electric guitar.
Ian: It was an electric moment in American culture because all these kids had come to see the Beatles get off their airplane at the airport. They had packed the streets around the Beatles’ hotel room. And they were in the audience at the Ed Sullivan Show, just screaming. And then of course some huge percentage of the American population was watching the Beatles on Ed Sullivan.
Ed Sullivan hosted a TV show. And yeah, people were nuts for the Beatles. They were the apex of cool. And they played electric guitars!
Now you might be thinking, I don’t get it -- that music isn’t that cool. Well, back then, people hadn’t heard music like this. The Beatles’ lyrics were sweet and gentle, but underneath the guitars had a driving almost dangerous energy, an intensity that so many kids and teenagers could relate to.
Ian: After that, every kid wanted an electric guitar.
Rosie: That all happened a long time ago, but the guitar still reigns supreme. So many of the biggest names in music play -- Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Lady Gaga, Harry Styles… the list goes on. Guitarists play country, bluegrass, metal and flamenco. Blues and classical. Jazz and funk. Keep at it. Keep at it, and the next great guitarist might just be you.
The guitar. It sings songs of revolution. It can outdo an orchestra. The coolest musicians play it. So YOU wanna be cool? Set those drumsticks aside and get strumming.
TEAM GUITAR FOREVER, BABY!!! Let’s SHRED!
(Electric guitar)
Molly: An electrifying argument for team guitar. Kyra, what did you think? What was your favorite part of Rosie's argument?
Kyra: For Rosie, I really liked how she brought up the Vietnam War and the civil rights movement. I also like how she brought up Beethoven and how he specifically talked about how the guitar is a really good instrument and stuff like that. I like how she talked about the origin, how it came up from Spain, but it was unable to cut through the noise until the electric guitar was born and stuff like that. I like how she talked about how she introduced a new word to me about polyphonic and it was a bunch of chords and notes at the same time and basically like both sides really taught me a lot of stuff. That's what I really like.
Molly: Well, that's excellent. Well, we're not quite done with our first round yet because Tommy, you have a turn to make a rebuttal. You have just 30 seconds to do it. Your time starts now.
Tommy: Okay, first things first, the drum sounded really cool in that Jimi Hendrix national anthem, and I think we should talk about that. You said that guitars are easy to care for. It's really hard to change the strings on the guitar. Well, it's hard for me at least. You pointed out they've been around for 600 years, drums have been around for thousands of years. You did name some modern references but your two main examples were from the 1960s. I don't know if the modern thing holds up as well. You did a great job. I keep thinking you're going to say time and you don't.
Molly: And time.
Rosie: Time, time, time!
Molly: Kyra, it's time to deliberate and mark down the first two points of this debate. One point goes to the debater who you think had the strongest declaration of greatness and the second point goes to the debater who wowed you with their rebuttal. Both points could go to the same person or each debater could leave this round with a single point. It's up to you to decide. Listeners at home, grab a sheet of paper, and award your own two points. Kyra, have you made your decision?
Kyra: Yes, I have made my decision. (bell)
Molly: Excellent. We're going to take a quick break and then we'll be back with three more rounds of rip-roaring debate.
Kyra: Don't go anywhere.
(music)
ANNOUNCER: This is STATE OF DEBATE, home to ragin’ rhetoric and awe-inspiring argumentation!
TODD: (singing softly) Duh duh duh duh, splish splash, I was takin’ a bath, all about a Saturday night!
TAYLOR: (whisper) Todd! We’re rolling.
TODD: Oh uh -- TODD DOUGLAS HERE, with 118-time debate champ, Taylor Lincoln!
TAYLOR: Hey there, debate-heads! That little song you just heard Todd singing--
TODD: Was me getting EXCITED for today’s debate: SHOWERS versus BATHS! Team Bath, all the way!
TAYLOR: We caught a brother and a sister based in Brooklyn, NY arguing about it just last night.
TODD: Let’s hear what kind of tactics those kiddos brought to their bathroom battle.
TAYLOR: Roll tape!
ALICE: Stuart! How many times do I have to tell you! Showers are better than baths. They conserve water and it feels like you’re standing in the rain!
STUART: No! Baths are better! You don’t get water in your eyes! And it feels like swimming! Plus, it’s easier to play with bath toys, or just relax! And it doesn’t use that much more water than showers -- not really.
ALICE: I KNEW you were going to say that -- so THIS time I did RESEARCH.
STUART: Aw, MAN!
(papers rustle)
ALICE: (clears her throat) According to industry estimates, the average person uses 30 gallons of water per bath. If you take a 10 minute shower with a standard shower head, you only use 25 gallons of water. So, on average, showers use approximately 5 gallons LESS water than baths!
(ALARM!)
TAYLOR/TODD: Fact attack! Fact attack!
TAYLOR: Alice just made an ACE debate move. She used research to support her argument!
TODD: It’s super important to research your topic before you get into a debate about it.
TAYLOR: Because it'll be really hard for your opponent to rebut your facts. Let’s see how Stuart handles Alice’s move!
STUART: Wait, but you only save 5 gallons of water if you take a 10 minute shower! You always stay in the shower for a really long time, so you’re probably using a TON of water!
ALICE: How long is really long? We can study my shower habits if you want, and collect some data, but I am almost certain I shower for less than 10 minutes on most occasions.
MOM: (yelling) Kids! Enough already! We’re doing showers tonight, and that’s it!
(transition)
TAYLOR: WOOF. Things were getting heated over there! Good thing Mom stepped in!
TODD: Yeah! But just want to say… I’m with Stuart. Baths are the BEST!
TAYLOR: Alright, okay... But the moral of today’s episode is -- facts are KEY to making great arguments.
TODD: They are indeed. We’ll catch you next time on…
TAYLOR/TODD: (in unison) STATE OF DEBATE!
(music)
Molly: You're listening to Smash Boom Best. I'm your host, Molly bloom.
Kyra: I'm Kyra and I'm judging today's debate.
Molly: We love getting debate ideas from our listeners.
Kyra: Like this one.
Ellie: My debate idea is sandals versus sneakers.
Molly: That's Eli from Minneapolis.
Kyra: I would love to hear that debate.
Molly: We'll hear from Eli again at the end of the show to hear who he thinks should win.
Kyra: That goes back to our masterfully musical showdown between team guitar.
Rosie: Woo hoo!
Molly: And team drums.
Tommy: That's me.
Molly: Now, it's time for our debaters to take the stage in our second round.
Announcer: Micro Round.
Molly: Today's Micro Round challenge is called Here's to You. We asked both of our debaters to compose a toast to their side. It's up to them to decide what the special occasion is and then raise a glass for guitars or drums. Rosie, you're up first.
Rosie: I’d like to make a toast to GUITARS. Why? Because we ROCK!!!
Ha Ha Ha! I know. You’ve all heard that one before! But seriously. Drums? What a pain in the badum-chink!
Ha ha ha… See what I’m doin’ here? Gosh this is fun. And you’re a great audience! You wanna know why? Cuz you’re all guitars! We are the epitome of musical genius and creativity! Everybody loves us!
We got our acoustic flat-top over there puttin’ the folk back in ROCK! Sound so clear she’s gonna make my heart stop!
And our Dobro resonators put the metal back in country!! Makes me wanna do-si-do all funky!
And of course, our nylon string classical cats, strummin’ around the clock. Playin’ Antonio de Torres and Johann Sebastian Bach!
But where was I -- oh yes… US. The electrics. I know, I know, I know, I saved myself for LAST. But just LOOK at me! I mean us! We come in every conceivable shape and color. Electric guitars… we cut through it all like a hot knife through butter.
So. A toast. To the instrument that STRIKES A CHORD with every customer.
Don’t be DRUM. STRUM!!!
GUITARS, I LOVE YOU!!! MY HEART STRINGS FOR YOU!
Molly: Oh my, that toast really took us on a journey. Team guitar knows how to work a room. Kyra, what did you think?
Kyra: That toast was something-- (laughter)
Rosie: Oh, man.
Kyra: It was definitely something.
Molly: Well Rosie's toast left Kyra speechless but Tommy is not speechless. In fact, it's time for you to deliver your toast right now.
Tommy: Today is a very special day. Guitar and bass, are getting married.
You all probably recognize me but just in case you don’t, my name is Drums. The best man, or should I say best instrument. (rimshot)
Since I’m the one who brought these two together, I’d like to make a toast.
One of you has six strings, the other has four
Me I don’t need strings to make people roar
You play the right notes, I keep time like a clock
When we all come together, we make music ROCK
But where would you be, if I wasn’t around
Bass/Guitar instrumentals? Who wants that sound?
But I love you guys, you make quite a pair
Even though you both rely on my snare
(Boos)
Uh oh, I can tell you guys are a little upset…Uh, ok one more line.
I love you bass and guitar, you’re both wedding ringers
And we can all agree: we’re cooler than lead singers
(Applause and music)
Molly: A rhyming wedding toast. Very nice Tommy. What did you think Kyra?
Kyra: I actually really liked it. It was more friendly. Yeah, I liked it. It definitely put me in the wedding scene. This is the most of a wedding I'm going to get. I've never been to one.
Molly: Exactly. That's the wedding we’re going to get in 2020. Well mazel tov to bass and guitar. All right, Kyra, it's time to reflect on all you've heard in this round because it's time to award just one point for this Micro Round. All you Smash Bloom Besties listening at home give your point too. Kyra, have you made your decision?
Kyra: Yes.
Molly: Fantastic. Now it's time for the sneakiest, the slipperiest, the most unexpected of rounds.
Announcer: Sneak Attack.
Molly: Are you ready to hear your surprise challenge, Rosie and Tommy?
Tommy: Yes.
Rosie: Never been more ready.
Molly: Your challenge is By Any Other Name. Pretend the side you're arguing for doesn't have a name. We'd like you to come up with three alternative names for that thing. For example, if your team was arguing in favor of mountains, you might rename them dirt muscles, raised forests, or mega mounds. Does that make sense?
Rosie: It does.
Tommy: Yes.
Molly: Excellent. We're going to give you two a minute to think while we listen to some soothing hold music.
Hold Music: Kick, crush, snare, boo, so much fun. Who's got rhythm, no duh, the drum. Oops too loud, mother's getting mad. Come on everybody grab a guitar, strum outdoors, or shred in the car. Rock on y'all, hey. You're super cool.
Molly: Rosie and Tommy, are you ready?
Tommy: Yes.
Rosie: Indeedy-doodie.
Molly: Okay, Tommy is up first. This time around. We're going to go back and forth taking turns with your three alternative names. Tommy, let's hear your first alternative name for drums.
Tommy: The first name is boom booms.
Molly: Very nice. All right, Rosie, let's hear your first alternative for guitar.
Rosie: Swan necked string gourd.
Molly: (laughs) Excellent. All right Tommy, let's hear number two for drums.
Tommy: Number two is smash pops.
Molly: Excellent. Rosie, number two for guitar.
Rosie: Multifaceted melodious music box with a neck
Kyra: Huh?
(laughter)
Molly: All right Tommy, let's hear your last alternative name for drums.
Tommy: Rock Mountains.
Rosie: Oh man. Okay.
Molly: Excellent. Rosie, what is your last alternative for guitar?
Rosie: Well, here we go. Portable chord pluck strum machine.
(laughter)
Molly: Magnificent, a short and sweet sneak attack round. Now all that's left to do is for Kyra to mark down one point. How you judge this round is totally up to you Kyra. Maybe you want to award the point to the debater that made you laugh or the one that came up with the cleverest names or the longest names. It's totally up to you. Same for all of you at home. OK Kyra, have you decided?
Kyra: Yes.
Molly: Was this a tough decision?
Kyra: No, not really.
(laughter)
Molly: There's four points down and just one more to go. It's time for,
Announcer: The Final Six.
Molly: In our last round Rosie and Tommy have just six words to sway Kyra in an effort to win the final point. It's short and swift, but the stakes are high. Rosie, you're up first.
Rosie: All righty. Here we go. String king, an orchestra in itself.
Molly: Very lovely. Tommy, what is your six-word statement in support of drums?
Tommy: Stomachs need tums, ears need drums.
Molly: Tommy coming in with another rhyme. Kyra, the moment has come. Take a minute to mull it over and then mark down your final point.
Kyra: I've finished.
Molly: You've made your decision?
Kyra: Yes. (bell)
Molly: All right, drumroll, please. Or is that unfair? Let's add some guitar too. Drumroll with a guitar. That's better. Okay, who won today's debate?
Kyra: Tommy.
Rosie: No!
Molly: Wow, drums.
Tommy: Yes!
Rosie: Oh, man.
Molly: Kyra, can you walk us through your decision and tell us who won which rounds?
Kyra: There are obviously some rounds that were more clear to me than others. Specifically the word round.
Molly: The alternative names?
Kyra: Yes.
Molly: Was that one really clear?
Kyra: Yes. Rosie's words, I didn't know how to spell half of them.
Rosie: (laughter) Oh, man.
Molly: Rosie went for volume, like more, and Tommy went for a tighter alternative.
Rosie: Tommy is branding. I feel like those are great names for a brand of drum or something. I was more literal.
Kyra: I like Tommy's because they actually made more sense. There were like a lot of rounds where it looked really hard like the first round with Rosie. I think I gave it to Rosie in the first round because of how she talked about the Vietnam War, the civil rights movement, Beethoven, et cetera. I feel like hers was giving a little bit more than Tommy's. Tommy's was like a little bit more bland in consideration to Rosie's.
Rosie: Oh, sorry, Tommy.
Tommy: Hey, I'll take the win. It's all right.
(laughter)
Tommy: Rosie, I thought you did such a great job. Your Declaration of Greatness was so well written. You painted such a clear picture and it was really logical in the way you structured it and I was very envious of how smart you were and how smart you came across. I was very jealous of how good that was. You did a really great job.
Rosie: Well, thank you, Tommy. I just want to say you are an amazing rhymer. Your rhymes came out in practically every section and every time it was deeply impressive. You also are a chill dude and I love the drums. I really, really do and I think that the drums and the guitar are meant to be friends. In both the Def Leppard clip and the Jimi Hendrix clip that I played, so yours and mine, it was guitars and drums together and I think that's the way things should be. I don't want to be your opponent anymore.
Molly: A beautiful message of unity to end our debate. That is it for today's debate. Kyra crowned drums the Smash Boom Best but what about you?
Kyra: Head over to smashboom.org and tell us who you think won.
Molly: Do you remember Eli from Minneapolis and his idea for a sandals versus sneakers matchup? Here's who he thinks should win.
Eli: I think sneakers should win because sneakers let you do more activities and you won't get bug bites on your feet.
Kyra: Do you have a one of a kind matchup? Head to smashboom.org and tell us about it.
Molly: Smash Boom Best is brought to you by Brains On and American Public Media.
Tommy: It's produced by Rosie DuPont, Marc Sanchez, Sanden Totten, Molly Bloom, and Elyssa Dudley.
Rosie: We had engineering help from Veronica Rodriguez.
Tommy: We had production help from Menaka Wilhelm, Kristina Lopez, and Lauren Dee
Molly: Anna Weggel is the voice of our hold music and our announcer is Marley for your worker Otto. We want to give a special thanks to Austin Cross and Taylor Coffman, Sam and Olivia Petty, and Vikki Krekkler. Rosie, is there anyone you want to thank today?
Rosie: I would like to thank my former guitar teacher David Chidsey for being in my declaration of greatness and the lovely Ian Port for doing an interview with me about the electric guitar.
Molly: How about you Tommy, anyone you want to thank?
Tommy: I would like to thank my grandfather. He's no longer with us, but he was a drummer. We always had a drum set in the house so he gave me a love of drums. I'd like to thank him and Annett Schirmer who very kindly contributed to my Declaration of Greatness.
Molly: That's so nice. Do you want to give any special thanks, Kyra?
Kyra: I'd like to give a special thanks to you guys for allowing me to be here and allowing me to experience a lot about drums and guitars and basically helping me learn overall.
Molly: Well, you did an excellent job, Kyra. Thank you so much for being here today. We'll be back with a brand new debate battle next week. Be there or be square.
Kyra: Goodbye.
Molly: See ya!
Rosie: Ciao for now!
Tommy: Later skater!