I only worked at the Maryland Science Center for two or three years while I was in college at Maryland Institute College of Art. I think I left that job more because I get tired of patterns than because I was dissatisfied with the job. The stories that crop up from my time there are funny anecdotes, but I rarely if ever really think back on the greater significance of my time there.
The job was absolutely picked up on a whim. At the end of my freshman year of college I had decided I did NOT want to come home, and I don’t remember if I went job hunting specifically to cover the rent or simply because I was going to need something to do (I doubt the latter, I’m relatively self-amusing) and so I went down to the Career Centre and hunted through binders of possibilities. I think I had the idea of “something with the museums” in mind but I’d probably initially gone in thinking I wanted to work with the Walters or the BMA – but the Maryland Science Center seemed to be something that would match up with my education resume (teacher’s assistant for kindergarten and preschool programs, that sort of thing) and so I went for an interview.
I remember the strangeness of walking down the Harbor, a hot day, the cool cave like back entrance to the Museum. School groups departing, waiting at the desk for Bob From Education to come retrieve me.
The job wasn’t anything like what I was expecting. I think I’d envisioned MAYBE helping to … I don’t know… pass out papers in a class room? But very rapidly I got pulled into wearing a red labcoat and pushing a little cart full of science paraphernalia around the floor. Setting up Explainers and getting into the habit of making some noise to gather people around… nabbing people who looked interested but hesitant about getting involved, sizing up an audience. A couple of months in and I was working the stage with liquid nitrogen and firing up tesla coils and Van de Graaff generators. I still remember much of the schtick and though I’d probably endanger myself and those around me to some extent I could probably jump up on the stage, mix up a hydrogen balloon with iron sprinkles and still stumble my way through the Combustion Show sans too much trouble.
My old friend Phil (who had been brought onto the education team shortly after I was) had worked elsewhere in the museum – and he just posted a quick message just remembering Bob From Education – aka Bob Finton… I worked at the Science Center probably only to 1995 or 1996 (? Seems longer – that can’t be right!!!) and it wasn’t till 10 years later that Bob passed away. I remember a gathering somewhere in Baltimore… he would’ve been about five years older than I am today. I don’t remember the circumstances.
It got me thinking about teachers, teaching, mentoring… the people who’ve affected our Lives SO DEEPLY… I’ll usually think back to high school teachers as being formative, early mentors in the music scene – but I think I don’t give enough credit to the Science Center for putting me on stage in my first summer after college. I was nervous as Hell and knew I was supposed to be remembering a sort of script – which is something I really, really suck at (yes, lyrics = script) but I learned quickly that I could also just learn an outline and banter and that that was frankly more interesting. I learned about vamping when things weren’t going right. I learned about dealing with hecklers and about which ones you engage and which ones you ignore and which ones you happily invite onto the stage and then shunt electricity through (the most obnoxious kid’s the one you put by the doorknob…).
Well – here’s to Bob *clink* and Liam and Melissa and Paul and Amy and Phil and Missy and Erika and everyone that I’m forgetting right now – because I’m realizing that what we all learned together on the overly-crowded floors and the poorly-organized backstages of the Maryland Science Center has served me well. Made it possible for me to run my mouth while frantically thinking “what comes next” and to never let one rough show get me down TOO much – because there’s another one at 3pm and that one’s gonna go better.
