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Now, on with the show.
From the brains behind Brains On, it's Smash Boom Best.
The show for people with big opinions.
Hi, I'm Molly Bloom, and this is Smash Boom Best, the show where we take two things, smash them together and ask you to decide which one is best.
Today, it's a musical meltdown as we pit harmonious harmonicas against glorious glockenspiels.
Two amazing instruments, only one winner.
Who will it be?
Let's meet our debaters.
First, they can be soothing or rocking.
Give it up for the glockenspiel and voice actor, Merc Nguyen.
Hey!
Yay!
Woo-hoo!
Yeah!
Sorry, I just rode into my Glockmobile, so... And he's a comedian who blows a mean mouth harp.
For Team Harmonica, it's Aron Woldeslasi.
Call me the Big Bad Wolf because I'm about to blow you away.
And the conductor for this symphonic smackdown is our judge, Vishal from Calgary, Alberta.
He loves Dungeons and Dragons, Sonic the Hedgehog, his mom's curried potatoes and he wants to be a lawyer someday.
Hi, Vishal.
Hello.
So, Vishal, you are the second judge we've had this season who loves Dungeons and Dragons.
I'm wondering, what do you love about it?
Uh, it's just really fun that like, we can do whatever we want.
There's no rules.
So what is your character's name?
Uh, so at the moment i have a character named to be or an ought to be.
He is a bard and that is a pun on shakespeare excellent, you know, we love puns here at smash boom best.
Uh, what is your character?
Sort of like a main quality.
So he's really good at playing his instrument, but he has stage fright.
Oh, what instrument does he play?
He plays the fiddle.
Interesting.
Okay.
Very appropriate for today's debate.
Do you play any musical instruments?
I play the piano and I'm also percussion in my school band.
Oh, very cool.
Have you played the glockenspiel?
Yes.
Have you played the harmonica?
No.
I tried it once.
OK, OK.
So what would you like to pass on to our debaters today from all your debating experience?
Puns are pretty great for debates because well, not only can it be a good argument, but it can also make the other person laugh.
And if you're funny, you're also more convincing.
Oh, excellent, excellent advice.
Will Vishal side with Adron and the harmonica, or Merck and the glockenspiel?
We're about to find out.
But first, here are the rules.
Every debate consists of four rounds.
The declaration of greatness, the micro round, the sneak attack, and the final six.
After each round, our judge Vishal will award points to the team that impresses him the most, but he'll keep his decisions top secret until the end of the debate.
Listeners, we want you to judge too.
Mark down your points as you listen.
At the end of the show, head to our website smashboomorg, and vote for whichever team you think won.
Okay, Adron, Merck, and Vishal, are you ready?
It's time to do this.
I'm ready to rock and roll and play the blues.
Any genre, really.
Very ready.
Wonderful.
Then it's time for the... Declaration of Greatness.
In this round, our debaters will present a well-crafted, immersive argument in favor of their side.
Then they'll each have 30 seconds to rebut their opponent's statements.
We flipped a coin, and Adron, you're up first.
Tell us why harmonicas are music to your ears.
Harmonicas are cool for many reasons, but a big one is that they're small.
So you can bring one with you anywhere, as little Greg found out when he got into trouble.
Aw, jeez, I can't believe I got put in Time Out.
You and me both.
Howdy there, partner.
I'm Zach.
Welcome to Time Out.
Over there, we've got Steve, who plays the mouth organ.
Hiya.
And Tanya, who likes to play the French harp.
Hello.
And I play the tin sandwich.
Mouth organ?
Fensharp?
Tin sandwich?
What are those wild sounding instruments?
Well, they're all harmonicas, buddy boy.
Harmonicas have tons of names and come in tons of styles.
It's the perfect instrument to play while you're stuck in timeout.
Heck, I was put in timeout for farting on my friend's spaghetti.
And now I can already play this.
I was put in timeout for burping at my sister.
And now I can play this.
I was put in timeout for insider trading.
Now I can play this.
I was put in timeout for insider trading.
Wow, you guys sound incredible.
Here, I have a spare.
Give it a go.
Getting in trouble is bad, but getting a harmonica is definitely good.
If you haven't seen or played one yourself.
The harmonica is a small reed instrument with little holes on the side.
You blow or inhale through those holes to make music.
Harmonicas kind of look like a metal candy bar, and they sound just as sweet.
Plus, they fit any type of music, like this soul song by Stevie Wonder.
Or this rock song by Bob Dylan.
Or this pop song by Pitbull.
And they do sound effects too.
Like for example, is that a train or a tin sandwich?
Sounds like a train, but fits in your pocket.
It makes sense that the harmonica is good at impersonations.
One of its early relatives was something called a vowel organ.
It was invented in the late 1700s by a Dutch physician and physicist.
He hoped one day people could use it to impersonate human speech.
Ladies and gentlemen, behold my new invention, the mechanical voice box.
This will allow people who can't talk to speak again.
Whoa, this thing sounds amazing.
We should play it at parties.
Actually, it's a medical device.
Yeah, it is, because it's freaking sick.
The original vowel organ was the size of a piano.
And like the cell phone and the computer.
But unlike the glockenspiel, this instrument got smaller and smaller as it got more popular.
Eventually, it became the harmonica.
By the 1900s, harmonicas were played all over the world, and even above it.
On Christmas Day in 1965, a US astronaut floating in a spaceship busted out a little harmonica to play Jingle Bells.
Jingle Bells It was the first instrument ever played in space.
And get this.
The astronaut snuck that harmonica on board because obviously his glockenspiel wouldn't fit.
Truly, the harmonica packs big fun in a little package.
That's why so many people play it.
From Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Little Walter, and... Me, Greg.
The Canon Time Out from before.
Check it out.
Wow, amazing.
How long did it take you to learn that?
About as long as it takes to realize harmonicas are better than glock and spiels.
Why, that's not very long at all.
So if you like a portable melodic instrument that sounds good in any genre, pick up a mouth organ, a French harp, a tin sandwich, whatever you call it.
Just grab yourself a harmonica.
Excellent, excellent work.
I didn't know there were so many different words for harmonica.
Incredible.
Vishal, what stood out to you about Aron's Declaration of Greatness?
I find it really interesting that harmonicas were first built to imitate human speech.
I didn't know that.
That's actually really cool.
And then the thing about them having a lot of names, also really awesome.
I didn't know that.
Tin sandwich.
Merc, it is time for your rebuttal.
Tell us why harmonicas are just blowing hot air.
You've got 30 seconds and your time starts now.
Now!
Okay, you said that glockenspiels were not small and portable.
Actually, they vary in size.
The one I have folds up, and you could fit it inside a backpack.
Also, you said that harmonicas, they got smaller, like, computers, unlike the glockenspiel.
There's the big glockenspiel in Germany.
It's like a whole building, and again, the mind fits in a backpack.
Also, you said the harmonica is like a metal candy bar.
How about 24 candy bars?
Because you got metal bars on the glockenspiel!
Also, why do y'all fart in each other's spaghetti?
Like, what's up with that?
I just want to say that 24 candy bars is wildly unhealthy.
That's too many candy bars, right?
One candy bar is all you need.
And also yeah, you can fold it up and put it into your backpack, which I'm sure is so jam-packed with glockenspiel stuff.
Whereas I can take my harmonica, put it in my back pocket, climb a mountain, get on a mountaintop and play some beautiful blues to the entire world.
It's true.
It's a different vibe.
But, like you know, you got this glockenspiel sticking out of your backpack, or they actually make specific cases for it.
And people go, hey, what's that?
Oh, look at those mallets.
It piques people's curiosity and it gives them the opportunity to learn something cool.
This instrument that they might have not seen before.
OK, Vishal, think all that musical mayhem over.
We'll be right back after this.
Back to the action.
Merk, it's time for your declaration.
Give us your best glockenspiel for this interesting instrument.
The German language has a lot of words that just perfectly sum up very specific feelings.
Like treppenditz.
That's when someone says something witty or maybe insulting to you and you can't think of a good response.
But then after you leave, the perfect comeback hits you.
Ach, that's what I should have said.
Classic Treppenwitz.
Or Sturmfrei.
That's the feeling of fun and freedom you get when you're a kid who's old enough to be left at home alone.
I have the whole place to myself.
Sturmfrei.
And then there's the best German word of all.
Are you ready for this?
I'm not sure you're ready for this.
It's Glockenspiel.
Glockenspiel.
That's right.
Literally translating to playing bells.
It really means the feeling you get when you play the world's most perfect musical instrument.
Well, that's the feeling I get when I say the word.
Glockenspiel.
The glockenspiel is a percussion instrument.
It's a series of metal bars in a row that go from biggest to smallest.
They can be the size of a table or as small as a shoebox, depending on the type of sound you need.
When you strike the metal bars with a mallet, it makes the most beautiful, clear ringing tone.
Is that the sound of magic?
The sound of delight?
Of a wish coming true?
Yes, and yes, and yes.
Much better than some instruments that sound like four rusty doors struggling to open all at once.
Lots of schools have glockenspiels in their music classrooms because they are easy to play.
In fact, it was the first instrument I ever learned.
Now, picture this.
Little Merc walks into the music room.
Music class.
My favorite time of the day.
She glances around.
There's a ukulele.
Nice, but looks tricky.
A box of egg shakers.
Ch-ch-ch-ch.
Colorful, but kind of limited.
And then, Little Merc sees it.
A flat wooden box, kind of like a big pencil case, and on top... Shiny flat metal bars?
Let's see what happens when I tap them.
Whoa.
That's glorious.
I didn't really know what I was doing, but it still sounded good, because the glockenspiel is a very forgiving instrument that gives kids confidence to keep exploring and experimenting.
I didn't play many other instruments growing up, but had lots of friends who did.
And seeing how they tapped into their interests and musical stank faces.
You know the one when someone's like really jamming out was inspiring.
I never considered myself much of a musician, but the glockenspiel helped me to connect musically.
By the time I was an adult, I moved on to other experiments.
But one day, I was walking down the street and it hit me.
Oh yes, glockenspiel is also the sound of a good idea hitting you.
I thought, hey, I'm a grown-up, I have money, I can buy my own glockenspiel.
It felt so good being reunited with my first musical love.
Ah, I forgot to mention, it's also the sound of falling in love.
Lots of other people love it, too.
Feist.
Canadian indie pop royalty used the glockenspiel to add whimsy and excitement to the end of her song Mushaboom.
Bruce Springsteen, a rock and roll icon known to his fans as The Boss, used a glockenspiel on one of his biggest hits.
And then, of course, there's the OG star of classical music, boy wonder Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
The Glockenspiel is featured prominently in one of his greatest operatic hits, the Magic Flute.
So the Glockenspiel sounds beautiful, works in all kinds of songs, is great for kids and maestros alike and super fun to say.
Oh yeah, and the glockenspiel is also the sound of a winning argument.
Wow.
That declaration was music to my ears.
Vishal, what did you think about Merck's declaration?
What stood out to you?
I do like that you mentioned how glockenspiels are really easy to learn.
But that's also a little bit untrue, because actually doing pieces correct is pretty difficult.
It was pretty funny, though, so I'll give you that.
Nice.
I'll take it.
You know, sometimes it's not about being correct with music.
It's about just jamming and getting that stank face on.
But I hear you.
I hear you.
I think being correct.
Oh, save it for the rebuttal.
Okay.
Otterona, it's time for your rebuttal.
Why do you think glockenspiels always hit a sour note?
You've got 30 seconds and your time starts now.
You know, you mentioned a lot of things about glockenspiel, but just glockenspiel, because that's the thing about glockenspiel.
It's only got the one name, which makes it.
I feel like it's a pretty good sign that it's not universally appreciated.
You know if something's really like, it's got a lot of different names, a lot of key factors that go into naming it.
Second thing, you said people play Glockenspiel over.
People like to play it.
You know where they haven't played it?
Space.
So there's that.
Also, you said Bruce Springsteen played the Glockenspiel.
You know what he also played?
The harmonica in Thunder Road.
Hey, you know, the glockenspiel just has the one name because it's that recognizable.
That's all i gotta say.
Less is more, unless you know you're talking about metal bars, the more the merrier than glockenspiel i mean.
Yeah, i like metal bars.
I think you know we should put the glockenspiel behind some metal bars because it's criminal.
How bad it is that's yeah.
Yeah, you like that?
Tell that to all the songs that have used the glockenspiel in their music.
Yeah, i'd rather tell the harmonica and his good friend the tin sandwich and his better friend the mouth organ.
OK Vishal, it is time to award some points.
Please give one point to the declaration of greatness that you liked best and one point to the rebuttal that won you over.
You get to decide what makes a winning argument.
Did one team's jokes make you giggle?
Was another team's logic impeccable?
Was it ponderful?
Award your points, but don't tell us who they're going to.
OK.
Have you made your decision?
Yes, I have.
Excellent.
Merc and Adron, how are you two feeling so far?
Pretty good.
I'm just thinking about some of the things said earlier.
And you know like the glockenspiel is pretty forgiving because even if you mess up like it still sounds pretty.
But like the harmonica, I mean, like you could blow too loud and someone would be like, ow, my ears.
And then you have to pay for liability because you know they have to go to the hospital for ear damage.
Wait.
Also, I want listeners to know, you can absolutely get injured on the glockenspiel.
You could just as easily throw that mallet under your hand, break a finger.
Throw it?
What?
They're really light mallets, though.
Speaking from experience, they are, in fact, very light.
Hmm.
I mean, what if you drop them and they hit?
What if you drop it and it lands on your foot?
Then you got a broken toe.
Then you can't like.
I'm hearing some logical fallacies being bandied about.
If you drop the glockenspiel or the mallet.
Because if you drop the glockenspiel, it would hurt.
But why are you picking up a glockenspiel?
Apparently you got to move it around, right?
Aaron is just super strong.
That's what he's trying to say.
And I'll give that to you.
Thank you.
Well, it's time for a quick break.
Practice your scales and brush up on your musical notation.
And we'll be right back with some more Smash Boom Best.
You're listening to State of Debate, home to rage and rhetoric and awe-inspiring argumentation.
What's up, my debate buddies?
This is Todd Douglas, and I'm here with my friend till the end, Taylor Lincoln.
My neighbors are feuding.
They've been arguing all week.
I can't even handle all the logical fallacies they've been throwing at each other.
Oof.
Those are debate mistakes that make your argument easy to defeat.
Correctamundo.
Let's listen in.
I'm telling you Belinda, your lawn.
Flamingos are driving down property values for the entire neighborhood.
You really should put up lawn gnomes instead.
Much classier.
I should know.
I had one of the best ones on the block.
And the gorgeous gnome he was.
I know you've been sniffing after him to add to your collection.
I have so many gnomes of my own.
This one came with its own little shovel, and I loved him.
He sounds like a real sweetie.
Belinda...
Did you take my garden gnome?
You love tacos.
What?
No, I don't.
I'm pretty sure you do.
And why wouldn't you?
They're delicious.
Tacos?
I thought we were discussing garden gnomes.
Whoa, Belinda really threw a curveball in that combo.
She sure did.
Belinda was using a red herring fallacy.
That's where she'd change the subject mid-debate because she was skirting the real issue.
Tacos really are the best.
They really are, even though they had nothing to do with whether she stole Barry's garden gnome.
So did she steal it?
We'll never know.
See you next time on State of Debate.
Smash.
Boom.
You're listening to Smash Boom Best.
I'm your host, Molly Bloom.
And I'm your judge, Vishal.
And we love getting debate suggestions from our listeners, like this one from listener Rosie.
She pitched us Lions versus Grizzly Bears.
That debate has some real bite.
Truly.
We'll check back in at the end of this episode to see which side Rosie thinks should win.
And now it's back to the debate.
Glockenspiel versus Harmonica.
That's right.
And it's time for round two, the... Microround.
It's time for a fact-off.
Merc and Aron will each get three chances to make a micro-argument backed by a cool fact or idea.
Aron went first last time, so Merc, you start us off. okay so the glockenspiel you said that it's just one no you know glockenspiel doesn't have a tin sandwich name however it is technically a percussion instrument so it's like a drum and it's uh one of the rare ones that can also make a really mean melody so the whole oh it's just got one thing it's actually it belongs to a big family of instruments Hmm.
You know, the harmonica, it's got some pretty incredible stories behind it.
Like, legend has it that the Old West icons like Billy the Kid and Wyatt Earp played the harmonica.
Probably like well, looking super cool, leaning against the old saloon like tipping their hat, watching old tumbleweeds fly by, roll by.
Okay, sure.
Harmonicas are cool.
My grandpa played one.
Really cool.
But I can't think of a single harmonica that's a tourist attraction.
But Glockenspiels, there's a super famous one in Germany.
And it's the old kind that uses bells because, you know, Glockenspiels evolved.
And the bells are a part of the clock tower that's got a bunch of mechanical figures.
Huge tourist attraction.
It plays several times a day.
And crowds gather every day to just listen to that music.
So Glockenspiels they you know they're pretty cool.
They got stories on their own.
That's really interesting, mark.
You know people coming in to listen to the glockenspiel a couple times a day.
You know what's a.
You know it's even better than a couple times a day, 24 hours in a day, because that's the longest anyone has ever played the harmonica without taking a break.
According to the guinness book of world records, bonnie b played a full day of gnarly notes in 2009, all on the harmonica.
So like going to the bathroom during those 24 hours, just like playing the.
That's a question I have.
Oh, okay.
Another fact.
You know, the first Glockenspiels were made with little bells.
I know I just mentioned in Germany they're, like, you know, part of the building.
It's huge.
But they are known for their magical whimsy and charm, even though...
Sure.
The harmonica is associated with specific genres and multiple genres of music.
There's something so specific about a glockenspiel that, even if you're playing a song of a different genre, you know very specifically oh, that's a glockenspiel.
And even if you don't know the name, you're like it's that one instrument and it just puts a smile on your face.
You know, lots of people have been saying oh, that one instrument, about the harmonica, for kind of a really long time.
In fact, the harmonica's roots go back to 1100 BCE, to a Chinese instrument called the Shang.
Proving awesome, sounds are timeless.
Oh, my goodness.
What a fact off.
Which one of these is that instrument?
Vishal, what's it out to you about this micro-round?
So the thing about how old harmonicas are, that was cool.
But also my one question about 24-7 harmonica was that actually music or were they just like playing it while doing their everyday activities?
Great question.
That's a really great question.
I think I respect the people of Guinness, the Guinness Book of World Records.
To make sure that Bonnie wasn't just playing any sounds.
She was probably playing beautiful music.
And honestly, that's one of the magical things about the harmonica.
Even when you're not trying to play beautiful music, you're playing beautiful music.
I could say the same thing for the glockenspiel though, because I mean, like you know wow, that's so beautiful.
And even if I'm, like, kind of sad, that's still really beautiful.
Vishal, it is time to award a point for this micro round.
The criteria are totally subjective and totally up to you.
Please award that point, but don't tell us who it's going to.
Music Have you made your decision?
I have.
Perfect.
Keep it a secret and we'll be right back.
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Thanks.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
Smash.
This debate is red hot, so let's keep cooking with our third round, the super stealthy sneak attack.
This is our improvised round where debaters have to respond to a challenge on the spot.
Today's sneak attack is called sloganeering.
Your job is to come up with a few slogans for your side, like Skittles, Taste the Rainbow or Nike's Just Do It.
But since we're talking music, I want you to use your instruments to make a jingle that goes along with your slogan.
So let's start with you, Otto, and let's hear a slogan for Harmonica's.
Harmonicas.
Don't forget to pack a tin sandwich.
Mmm, yummy.
Okay.
Oh, my teeth.
All right, Merc, it's your turn.
Please give us a slogan for Glockenspiels.
Lock in to the glockenspiel, no matter how you feel.
Very nice.
All right.
So I'm going to do a little spin for this next one.
Since we're talking instruments, what about a little jingle for your slogan, this time maybe with a little music accompaniment from your instrument?
You want to play a little harmonica and tell us a slogan?
The harmonica is a mouth organ.
Be a donor.
Very nice.
Okay, Merc, let's hear your final pitch for the glory of glockenspiels.
Okay okay glockenspiel, mallet the pallet.
No wait, hold on, hold on, you can pallet with your mallets with the glockenspiel, Oh man.
Very nice.
We really put you to the test this time with this sneak attack.
Vishal, please think about which side's slogans and tunes impressed you the most.
Was one super catchy?
Was one inspiring?
Award your fourth point, but don't tell us who it's going to.
Have you made your decision?
I have.
Perfect.
Then it's time for our final round.
The final six.
In this round, each team will have just six words to sum up the glory of their side.
Feel free to use your instrument or not.
Totally up to you.
Music will not count against your six words.
Okay, Merc, let's hear your six-word symphony for glockenspiels.
Multiplicitous, metallic, musical, mm-mm glockenspiel.
Okay.
Wonderful.
Okay, Aaron, it's your last chance to let us hear it for harmonicas.
Guys, harmonicas will blow you away.
Very nice.
Okay, Vishal, it is time to award a final point for this final six.
Have you made your decision?
Yes, I have.
Are you ready to crown one instrument the smash boom best?
Yes, I am.
All right.
Drum roll, please.
And the winner is... Glockenspiels.
Oh, my goodness.
Vishal, was there a moment that decided things for you?
What was your favorite part?
It was tied until the final six.
No.
It was back and forth until final six.
As close as close can be.
Aaron, you brought so many facts.
It's been around for a long time.
It's harmonious.
You know, it's it's like it's it's a really cool instrument.
And again, my grandpa played that and he's not here anymore.
So it just makes me happy thinking of people bringing life to this instrument.
Merc, you are so talented, quippy, witty, and delightful.
I didn't know hardly anything about the glockenspiel until I had to debate you.
You made this instrument not just sound incredible, but feel incredible.
Just to learn everything about it.
Awww!
And that is it for today's debate battle.
Michelle crowned Glockenspiel the Smash Boom best, but what about you?
Go to smashboom.org and vote to tell us who you think won.
This episode was produced by me, Molly Bloom, Mark Sanchez, and Shannon Totten.
It was sound designed by Mark Sanchez, and he also wrote our theme song.
We had engineering help from Donovan Kelly.
Our announcer is Marley Feuerwerker-Otto, and we want to give a special thanks to Austin Cross and Taylor Kaufman.
Adron, is there anyone you'd like to give a shout out to today?
I want to give a special shout out to my mom who bought me my very first harmonica.
Thanks, mom.
I love you.
And how about you, Merk?
Any special shout outs?
My elementary school music teachers who introduced me to this wonderful instrument.
Oh, that's wonderful.
And how about you, Vishal?
Any special thanks for shout outs?
I'd like to thank my parents for bringing me here.
I'd like to thank you guys for having me on the show.
And I'd like to thank my band teacher for teaching me how to play both of these instruments.
Oh, I love this.
All right, before we go, let's check in and see who Rosie thinks should win the debate between lions and grizzly bears.
I think lions would win because lions can run 50 miles per hour, and grizzlies can only run 35.
Lions have a big fuzzy mane that protects them from bites.
Lions have a powerful bite, and that's why I think lions are the smash boom best.
Bye.
Goodbye.
The spiel is over.
Have a nice day.
Okay.
Harmonicas.
I got it.
All right.
Harmonica.
I thought that was it.
That's it.
