Iowa Life Episode 304

Nebbe: Coming up on this episode of "Iowa Life," we'll meet the crew that maintains an iconic baseball field.

I remember the first day I came out to the movie site, and I got to, like, drag the field for the first time, and it was like, I just got chills.

Nebbe: An Iowa composer who traveled all the way to Abbey Road Studios.

Why not?

People think you can't do something.

You have to have the attitude of why not me?

Nebbe: And a student who is learning to drive in her native language.

[ Speaking a global language ] It's all coming up next on "Iowa Life."

Narrator: Funding for "Iowa Life" is provided by the Lainey Grimm Fund for Inclusive Programming at the Iowa PBS Foundation, and by Friends, the Iowa PBS Foundation.

I'm Charity Nebbe, and this is "Iowa Life."

The Field of Dreams in Dyersville is an iconic attraction, drawing visitors from all over the world.

It's become something of a pilgrimage for baseball fans.

They built it, and the people come.

Today we'll meet the crew responsible for keeping the magic alive.

Rahe: You know, I think everybody has their own reason for coming to the Field of Dreams.

The field has become really part of the American culture.

It really is an American institution.

Staff member: It gets played on every day, so to keep it looking pristine is a lot of fun, but it's a big challenge, as well.

Bolibaugh: I grew up in town here, just played a lot of baseball, did some bat-boying for the semi-pro team in town here.

Played a lot of high school ball.

We got runner up state tournament.

That was fun.

And after high school, I played for Farley.

I was asked to play for them after being a bat boy for all those years.

Yeah, I've always been a Field of Dreams fanatic, if you want to call it that.

Back when I was growing up, the budget around here was pretty low.

It kind of looked like a sandlot, maybe back in the days, you know, in a very friendly way of putting it.

But I just remember as a kid, like thinking, man, if I ever got a chance to take care of this place, like I would want it to be as close to the movie as possible.

So I started here in February of 2024.

I remember the first day I came out to the movie site, and I got to, like, drag the field for the first time, and it was like, I just got chills.

This is real life right now.

I take care of the field.

If anybody wants to rent out the field during the week, you can rent it by the hour.

So I kind of get the field ready for that.

On top of that, I do the tournaments that we run.

See how my new tires do.

I handle all the umpires, and then I handle a field prep crew of, like, high school guys, and they'll chalk the fields and drag the fields in town and also out here at the movie site.

We'll chalk the batter's boxes, do the foul lines.

I always like to put out the lines down the side and paint that into the grass.

You know, get string line out and make it look official.

It's a big responsibility.

It's a pride thing.

You know, all the all the kids that get to come out here and any visitor who gets to come out here, I don't -- you know if they play a game out here, It shouldn't be unrealistic to play on near like, MLB field.

Yeah, but if we just go about here, they're way easier to get on and off.

You don't have to hammer them.

Need a hammer.

[ Laughs ] Hammer!

Obviously, our budget's a little different, but as close as I can get it, that'll do it.

You know, I really take care of the mound.

I've always been a pitcher.

I still pitch to this day if my shoulder lets me.

I want somebody to step on the mound going, whoa, you know, and I get that a lot.

And I get compliments like, "Oh, you take a lot of pride in this."

Yes, I do.

This is very special.

I always say I pinch myself daily.

It's kind of unbelievable that this is actually my full time job.

And I get a, you know, year round job at the Field of Dreams.

When I was little, my Uncle Brian, he would take us out to the movie site every summer, and we'd play catch.

And he had these two old gloves that he got at an estate sale back in the 80s.

I always thought they were cool 'cause they're probably from like the '30s.

They're really old.

When he passed away about four years ago, right before I was asked to be a Ghost Player, I kind of -- I said, I call those.

I wanted those gloves because now I am a Ghost Player and I use them.

[ Cheers and applause ] Announcer: Put your hands together for the Field of Dream Ghost Players.

[ Cheers and applause ] Rahe: I started the Ghost Players back in 1989.

We have a comedy routine that's very similar to what the Harlem Globetrotters used to do with basketball, we do with baseball.

It's very kid orientated.

Announcer: Leading off here on Ghost Saturday, it's Theo!

Come on, Theo.

Oh, that's a good cut.

It's a very entertaining, very interactive, very family friendly show.

And people love that.

Announcer: Good ball hitter!

Right down the line.

Rahe: We literally have done that all over the world.

You know, we've been to 28 foreign countries doing this with the United States military and Major League Baseball and other organizations and such.

And it's just been -- it's been a thrill.

Announcer: Buddy, let's take a swing.

Oh, I knew it.

Oh, Ghost Players.

I knew it!

Yeah.

Yeah.

Person: Big hitter!

Big hitter, guys.

Big hitter.

Rahe: A lot of the guys originally, you know, were in the movie Field of Dreams.

They were selected within their area to be the ballplayers that, you know, portrayed the old time players in the movie and that.

A lot of them played collegiate-ly, minor league and such and that.

But they're just more so than the athletic side of it, they're tremendous individuals, just amazing ambassadors, not only for the Field of Dreams itself, but the state of Iowa in general.

There you go, Cal!

Come on, everybody!

Come on!

Get him running, get him running, get him running!

Here we go.

Let's hear some cheers for Cal.

Come on.

He's racing to the plate.

It's going to be close.

It could be.

Thanks for coming to Gold Saturday here at the Field of Dreams.

How do you catch with these?

Bolibaugh: It's really special anytime I can put on that uniform.

I think of my Uncle Brian.

I also think of my Uncle Jim.

I think they would think this is pretty cool.

Ooh, that was a good one.

See that?

Some people would go to grave sites.

I just never really connected with that.

But I've always had something, maybe just because I'm such a Field of Dreams fanatic, I've had something with the corn.

Is this heaven?

No, it's Iowa, but maybe this is heaven.

Now we're traveling from one legendary location to another.

We are crossing the pond to visit London's Abbey road, where Iowa composer and Simpson College professor Jamie Poulsen had the opportunity of a lifetime to record his orchestral work in one of the most famous studios in the world.

[ Instrumental music playing ] Jamie: I'll be recording two works in July of 2025 at the most famous recording studio in the world, Abbey Road in London.

My original intention was to record two of my orchestral works in Europe.

Pianist Robert Thies talked me into trying Abbey Road.

I thought I'd never get in there.

Why not?

People think you can't do something.

You have to have the attitude of why not me?

Two of my biggest musical heroes recorded there, Paul McCartney, of course, and John Williams was there many times recording the music for "Star Wars" and "Harry Potter."

[ Metal dinging ] I'll have to play it.

No.

[ Laughs ] Just the fact that I was there and was able to play on the same piano as Paul McCartney.

Play some Beatles.

[ Piano playing ] For the past year, I've been planning this time at Abbey Road.

I had to bid on the time, because it's very full and busy recording studio.

I'm also hiring a producer from Los Angeles to go with me to Abbey Road.

60 members of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

This will be from the top.

And a conductor.

It's taken me hundreds of hours to redo the scores and the parts for all the instruments.

A big part of that that I didn't know was coming was, of course, the different paper sizes in England, and the metric system means I had to reformat the score for English sized paper.

[ Keyboard playing ] I'm a lifetime musician.

I reached up and started playing the piano at about 3 1/2 years old and played piano essentially all my life.

In high school and in college, I was leading a double life of an extensive practice in classical piano.

But I became interested in rock 'n' roll at a very young age.

♪ When I was young, I never needed anyone ♪ I'll be receiving a lifetime achievement award at the Iowa Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame.

I definitely wanted to be a rock star at 18, but I also loved classical music so much that eventually, of course, led to things like composing these large orchestral works.

♪ I think of all the friends I've known ♪ Brubaker: I think in a way he was born to do what he's doing, and I'm so glad it's music.

[ Laughs ] I kept urging him to go ahead and set it up and I'd pay for it.

And he finally did.

Jamie: My wife and my daughter were able to travel with me and be at Abbey Road and experience the whole thing with me, and we met my son and his wife.

For the past 30 years, I've been teaching music theory and piano lessons at Simpson College.

I am going to retire soon, and I look at this as a stepping stone to the next chapter of my musical life.

Hello.

It's wonderful to be here.

Greetings from the American heartland.

I live in Des Moines, Iowa, and it's great to be here, of course, with the history of Abbey Road and the reputation of the Royal Philharmonic.

And I'm just thrilled to be here.

The piano concerto, I can tell you for today was commissioned and originally dedicated to the memory of two fine musicians, a mother and daughter, who both passed away within a few weeks of each other.

I hope to have made some beautiful music, and I look forward to you making beautiful music with it.

So thanks so much.

[ Piano music playing ] I'm very excited and pleased to have Robert Theis, Grammy nominated and international prize winning pianist, as the main part of this project.

[ Orchestral music playing ] I immediately connected to Jamie's musical language, and what I love about this concerto is that it has so many different aspects of music that I gravitate towards, dramatic classical forms and very intimate moments.

Musically, it's not a challenge.

Technically, on the other hand, it's quite challenging.

Vlasse: Conductor Geoffrey Paterson has led major orchestras all over Europe.

He conducts opera, he conducts classical masterworks, and because he's known for his particularly dynamic work with new music, I feel he's an absolute perfect fit for this recording.

Paterson: Jamie's piano concerto, it's -- it's a magnificent piece.

It has a really wonderful dramatic sweep, moments of exquisite, delicate beauty and romantic grandeur.

And it carries you, I think, in one huge romantic arch from the beginning to the end.

[ Orchestral music continues playing ] "The Heartland Poem" was written a few years after the piano concerto, and it is a piece that is meant to represent scenes in the history of the American heartland.

[ Orchestral music continues playing ] For me, as a -- as a Brit coming to American music, it takes me to somewhere very different and somewhere really evocative.

Jamie: I think all my composition comes from sitting at the piano and improvising.

I do play a lot of jazz now in my old age, so I am, I believe, very experienced improviser, but I've always improvised at the piano.

Christopher: I've heard his pieces that he's been working on my whole life.

It's like seeing the music that's been imprinted on your DNA is being immortalized.

Elise: We've seen him come home from playing gigs and teaching school and then continue to work on all of this stuff into the late night and not get any time to rest.

So I hope that he gets to absorb what he's accomplished and the stage that he's on now.

Lori: It's very, very personal to him.

I think a lot of people don't understand the vulnerability of writing music and putting it out there for other people to hear.

Jamie: I definitely have a lot more to do, just even related to these pieces, but I certainly hope to produce some new things, especially a new opera and maybe a second piano concerto.

I hope it inspires people to try things that they don't think they possibly could do, because, you know, the cliches are true.

Hard work will get you there if you just don't give up.

[ Orchestral music playing ] In a city like Des Moines, driving isn't just a convenience.

It's a necessity for accessing things like jobs, education, healthcare.

For adult immigrants and refugees, learning to drive in a new country can be daunting.

To make things a little bit easier, the Oak Ridge neighborhood pairs students with instructors who teach in their native languages, empowering new drivers to navigate the roads with confidence.

For newcomers to the United States, daily life can feel unfamiliar.

The language, the systems, even the way we get around, everything works differently here.

Adjusting to a new home means learning how to navigate not just the streets, but an entirely new way of life.

At Oak Ridge, learning to drive can be a step toward independence in a new place.

Oak Ridge is Iowa's largest affordable housing organization.

We've been around for nearly 60 years.

We provide affordable housing to Iowans.

The unique thing about Oak Ridge is that we offer multi-generational wraparound services, really creating a pathway for our individuals who are just trying to achieve their version of the American Dream.

Nebbe: One of those services is driver's education, offered in the many languages spoken across the Oak Ridge community.

Access to reliable transportation has always been a barrier to employment.

Transportation is essential for someone to get a job.

In Des Moines, in general, we don't have a 24/7 transit system, because we're a small town, and also most of our clients, actually, they work, like, odd shifts, so some like overnight.

A bus line does not get to every area in town, as well.

And most of the jobs that are available are kind of away from the bus lines.

So being able to drive then gives you that freedom to find the job that is suitable for you.

I'm Abubaker Mohammed.

I'm a case manager at Oak Ridge Neighborhood Service.

I'm also a behind the wheel instructor.

The first thing she has to check and go around the car, make sure that no flat tires.

Also, she has to check under the car.

There's not any oil leak.

Also behind the car.

Make sure there is no animal, there's no small kids.

And also there's not any damage in the car.

One student, she's like new, I think just one year here in the United States, and she never drive or have any idea about driving before.

So, and she started just like -- this is the second week, but now she's doing good.

[ Speaking a global language ] 90% of our students here, they don't have even any background of driving.

We start from the scratch.

[ Engine starts ] [ Conversing in a global language ] When like the first time, the student will be like so scary.

And they tell me "How -- I don't have any idea about driving, so how I can do that?

Maybe I make an accident."

But I told them no, it's okay.

It's easy.

Even our car is like designed for training.

So we have even the second brake.

So I just thought to talk to them.

Everything will be good.

If you fail to control the car, I can control it.

They don't know about the signs, about the rules.

That's the main thing that we teach them, how to know about signs on the road.

Adam: This is new for me.

That is important for me because I take my kids to school.

I go to the class for learning English, go to job and go to shopping.

Everything, I can do that alone.

Maybe good, for everything, not just for car, for your life, I think.

We don't often think about getting a license as being a barrier in our country, but it can be when you're an adult, and you've never driven before, and you're unfamiliar with the practices.

You know, there's folks that are coming from countries that don't have stoplights, that don't have active electricity, where they can't access fuel.

In those cases, driving is a true luxury.

And so they interpret it in that way when they come here.

But realizing that, "Oh, I too can drive."

It's not for the king.

It's not just for the queen.

It's for a regular individual who just has basic needs, basic responsibilities, and goals that they're trying to accomplish.

We're seeing people purchase vehicles.

We're seeing people take pride in independence.

They're able to maneuver their families around.

This is really creating a pathway to strengthen our workforce and strengthen families, something so simple as driving, what some of us take for granted.

And we're meeting that need because it exists.

That's it for this week.

Thank you for joining me as we meet the people who turn dreams into reality on the baseball field, in the recording studio, and even behind the wheel.

I'm Charity Nebbe.

See you next time for more "Iowa Life."

Narrator: Funding for "Iowa Life" is provided by the Lainie Grimm Fund for Inclusive Programming at the Iowa PBS Foundation, and by Friends, the Iowa PBS Foundation.