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OAWB QUICK SIP: WGI Finals Proposal! | Tampa Independent’s Madison & John
113 Plays3 days ago
🎙️ QUICK SIP: A WGI Love Story — The Tampa Independent Proposal 💍
We’re kicking off our Quick Sip bonus series with a love story straight from retreat! Ricardo sits down with Tampa Independent’s very own Madison Nelson (@maddylynn22) and John Shirella (@drummerboymercy), whose surprise proposal at WGI Finals had the crowd (and their teammates) cheering and crying all at once. 💍💙
From their 32 Count Life Stories to their first days teaching at River Ridge High School, this episode spills all the tea — including how the whole thing went down, the behind-the-scenes nerves, and how press-on nails almost became the real emergency. 😂
We also chat about what it’s like being in a relationship where pageantry always comes first, why it actually works, and how they balance rehearsals, performances, and life together.
✨ Then we dive into Water We Doing?, where Maddie comes in hot about VE shoes that don’t let you point your feet (jazz shoe nation rise up), and John’s ready to cancel those booming metronome speakers in the lot. And yes, Ricardo might finally be convinced to stop complaining about percussion people in the lot… maybe.
💖 Finally, they wrap things up with a Gush and Go that celebrates the next chapter in their lives — together.
📲 Want to be on the podcast or have a Quick Sip-worthy story? Hit the form in our bio or DM us!
🎥 Watch full episodes on YouTube and follow us @OnAWaterBreak.
💧 Subscribe. Rate. Share. And we’ll see you… on a water break
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Transcript
Introduction and Guest Welcome
00:00:00
Speaker
Hey guys, it's Ricardo and we are here with On A Water Break for a quick sip. Guys, I said quick sip. Come on, let's go.
00:00:11
Speaker
Get back out there. We don't have all day here. Hey guys, it's Ricardo and we are here doing a quick sip today with two really cool people who just so happen to be from my circuit and one happens to be in a color guard that I get to spend a little bit of time with.
00:00:27
Speaker
We are here with Madison Nelson and John Shirella. Hey guys. How are you? We're so happy to have you here because you have a very special story to tell us today. But I want everyone to take a moment to get to know you. So we're going do 32 count life stories with both of you.
Guest Backgrounds
00:00:44
Speaker
We'll start with you, Maddie, and then we'll move to you, John.
00:00:47
Speaker
How this works is we're going to give you eight off the Met and then you get 32 counts to tell your life story from birth up until the today. That sound good to you guys? Yeah.
00:00:57
Speaker
Sounds All right. Maddie, you ready? Ready. Here we go. Give me the metronome. My name is Madison. 28 years old. I was born in Los Angeles, California. i went to high school in Franklinton, North Carolina before I moved to Florida for the University of California.
00:01:12
Speaker
I started my independent journey with Paradigm, but March in 2016 and 2017. then with Tampa Independent in 2019, right after I finished my degree in marine biology. i have been with Tampa Independent for the past seven seasons.
00:01:28
Speaker
um somewhere in our way to the beginning. We started dating. We met at River Ridge High School and that's kind of been it for the past eight years. Yeah.
00:01:39
Speaker
All right, John, you get the idea? i got the idea. Let's hear your side of it. Here we go. Give me the mint. My name is John Spirilla, I'm 30 years old. I was born raised here in Florida. spent a little bit of time on the East Coast of the state and then moved over here. I went to middle school and high school. I was in band all four years.
00:01:55
Speaker
I never went on and marched with any independent groups, any sort of, anything like that, but I did immediately start teaching. wanted to make sure I could provide everything to my students that i never had, so that was always my goal.
00:02:07
Speaker
um Like Maddie said, we met teaching at River Ridge High School and that's kind of where our relationship started to blossom.
Proposal Story
00:02:16
Speaker
That's everything, yeah. Nice.
00:02:20
Speaker
You guys have great timing. I love it when people get through their story and then it's like right there at the end of it the closing beat. So we have you here on a Water Break today because something very special happened during retreat at WGI Finals.
00:02:38
Speaker
And it was captured by one of your friends, Rhett Johnson, who is the one of the ah fabulous photographers for Tampa Independent and several other color guards. But um do you guys want to tell us what happened?
00:02:54
Speaker
I think I should let him start.
00:02:57
Speaker
So um I proposed to Maddie just after after finals. Yeah. Right there, Automatism. Yeah, yeah'm I'm guessing that since we're here together right now, you said yes, Maddie, right?
00:03:12
Speaker
Of course I Yes, absolutely.
00:03:16
Speaker
So Maddie, I was literally walking with you like before the show going in from room to room and we were chatting about stuff and you did not seem like you had any clue as to something big like this going on. Did you have any idea? I had no idea.
00:03:32
Speaker
If I had, you probably would have seen me standing retreat like gluing on press on nails. Yeah. so my my bleeding hangnails weren't in the initial photos, but I guess it kind of makes it a little more special.
00:03:44
Speaker
Son, how did you how did you pull this off? like What was your plan? So can I tell you, i think my plan, the plan going into the day was I'm going to, I'm going to propose after after the whole retreat.
00:04:01
Speaker
going to go down on the floor. i'd already talked it through with the staff. We're going to have um the whole team pose for a photo and I'm going walk in right there, kind of in front of the whole team, just get down on one knee and propose.
00:04:13
Speaker
But what I'll tell you is I think I wasn't as prepared as I thought I was. and well yeah But very fortunately, Janine Ford kind of helped me a lot through the day, um keeping me calm and just like talking me through it. She was, she held the ring the entire day.
00:04:31
Speaker
rare We were there watching color guard. It was in, yeah, it was, it was in like her, her bag. I was worried that, uh, that I would walk into the arena with Maddie and the metal detector would go off and they'd like search me. I'm going to have a ring pocket.
00:04:46
Speaker
She's like, what's that for? so you two met while teaching. Both of you are involved in the pageantry arts. um One, how long have you been dating?
00:04:58
Speaker
ah Since July of 2017. So almost
Dating in Pageantry Arts
00:05:01
Speaker
eight years. Oh my goodness. Wow. Okay. So ah the old person to me is going to it's about time you pro proposed, friend.
00:05:09
Speaker
Yeah. What took you so long? It happened last time I went to Dayton. know And don't think going to be a lot sense. No. So, Maddie, it was a big night for you because you had just come off of the floor performing, you know, and then you're here in this moment and the retreat. All of the emotions are going on for the retreat.
00:05:30
Speaker
Did you have to shift emotions to to feel the realness of the proposal or was it just like the icing on top of the cake? Like, what did you feel like in that moment when he got down on one knee? just shocked, but like in the best way.
00:05:48
Speaker
we' I mean, we're sitting there, we have our group picture. There's a video of this, one of the videos, taking a picture. Brittany is standing way too close to be taking a decent picture. Obviously she was not taking a picture. And John walks into frame and one of Ryan Alexis goes, John, you're in the picture, not quite realizing what was happening.
00:06:07
Speaker
And then every picture after that, all of their mouths are just wide open. So is mine. If you seen any of the photos. And then just like, you know like i don't know, like that adrenaline in your legs when you like almost rear end a car, that's what I felt.
00:06:24
Speaker
return that not feel real for how long has it been? Still doesn't feel real. Yeah, so like four days, five days? Yeah.
00:06:36
Speaker
So you both are in the pageantry arts world. You know, I i find it so special when people can connect and they understand each other. What is it like dating and having a relationship with somebody that truly understands when you can't do something because you have rehearsal?
00:06:53
Speaker
I... Well, yeah, i know. From my side, i think it's great. I think, I mean, Maddie said it before, i think I would be more upset than she would if she stopped marching. Sometimes. Yeah, sometimes.
00:07:04
Speaker
um And then we both work at the same high school. So we plan all of our indoor rehearsals to be on the same days. And when it's marching season, we're out there on the field together. So, you know, for the most part, it's great that You don't have to explain it to someone, you know, because it's a weird thing that we do and how much time we invest and spend and behind the scenes. Like and nobody understands the world we live in unless you live in this world. So it's just great to have someone who knows what that feels like.
00:07:32
Speaker
Yeah. I don't know if there's ever been a time where he didn't know somewhere between December and April that I wasn't going to be available on a weekend. Yeah. but Yeah, it's definitely, i you know, when you do the pageantry arts, that is definitely relationship that comes first. And so any other relationship outside of that is and secondary.
00:07:53
Speaker
So I just would imagine being with somebody that understands it, that gets it, would just make it so much easier, so much more fun. And you get to share in all of those moments together
Pageantry Arts Observations
00:08:05
Speaker
constantly. And now you're going to get to share the rest of your lives together, guys. Yeah.
00:08:10
Speaker
We're so excited for you here on a water break and we just wanted to pull you on and have a little chat with you. But I wanna do one thing before we go. This is a little segment that we call, What Are We Doing?
00:08:23
Speaker
What are we doing?
00:08:33
Speaker
What are we doing? So in our what are we doing sections, we like to ask a question, something that's happening in the pageantry arts world that you are questioning and wondering, what are we doing? So do either one of you have a what are we doing for our audience today?
00:08:49
Speaker
I do. Maddie, let's hear it. Percussion. What are we doing having our VE in shoes where they can't point their feet?
00:09:04
Speaker
I just felt that on a spiritual level. If your VE is just going to be a dance line, put them in a jazz shoe. Preach. I watched Drumline two weeks ago at FFCC Championships. And let me tell you, ah these Drumline VEs, they are serious.
00:09:20
Speaker
Like these people are moving and dancing. But every time I looked down, it was like a dead fish flopping on the bottom of somebody's leg. Because you cannot point your toe in those sneakers. I'm writing a letter.
00:09:31
Speaker
I'm going to write a letter. i've been hoping I've been holding on to that for a long time.
00:09:37
Speaker
Sean, do you have a what are we doing? I don't think it can top that. I think mine is going to be very underwhelming. But what are we doing? Bringing in our metronome loudspeakers to championships, to Dayton with us, to wherever, and blasting them in the lot. It's the end of the season. If you need it now, don't need it.
00:10:02
Speaker
If you need it now, what have you done the entire season? It's a little cool to me. It is. It's obnoxious. I mean, like my question is is this. I don't understand this. And it's not necessarily what are we doing, but it is and what are we doing. I don't understand percussion people, how you guys spend more time hanging out in the lot watching groups than actually watching the show.
00:10:27
Speaker
I don't understand that. I think it's up close and personal. You could see everybody's hands. You could see what they're playing, how they're playing it. Just be right up in front of somebody and really analyze what they're doing.
00:10:38
Speaker
Whereas in a show, you just get a quick snippet of what it looks like and it just goes by so fast. Okay. When you say it that way, it makes sense to me. You get to see like the technicalities of it. All right. I guess I'll stop bitching about that one.
00:10:54
Speaker
Great job, everyone. six your equipment down. Touch and go.
00:10:59
Speaker
All right, the last segment that I want to do with you guys is a gush and go. What are you gushing and going about right now? I think the only reasonable thing we can be gushing and going about is the fact that we're getting married.
Excitement and Future Plans
00:11:15
Speaker
You are getting married. Guys, listen, it has been so great chatting with you and i love you both so much and I wish nothing but the best for you and just happiness and, you know, one day maybe having some pageantry art babies. That would be great.
00:11:32
Speaker
All right. So Maddie and John, where can we find you on social media? My Instagram is at Maddie, M-A-D-D-Y, Lynn, L-Y-N-N, 22.
00:11:47
Speaker
My Instagram is drummerboymercy. little outdated. It's an old band I was in. Don't judge it. No judgment here.
Engagement and Credits
00:11:56
Speaker
No judgment at all.
00:11:58
Speaker
Anyway, everyone, thanks for a great rehearsal this week. Can't believe we did this. Got a live question or a good topic to talk about. Email us at onawaterbreakpodcast at gmail.com or find us on social media and DM us if you want to be on the show.
00:12:14
Speaker
We even have a form now to fill out if you want to be a guest. We love having people on the podcast. So check that out at our link in the bio on our social media, or you can just take out your phone and make a video and send it to us. And maybe you'll see yourself on the podcast soon.
00:12:28
Speaker
One more thing. Don't forget, we have a YouTube channel now, so go and subscribe so you can see us all there. Also, before you close out of your podcast listening app, go subscribe, write us a review, and share this with a friend.
00:12:40
Speaker
Follow us on social media at On A Water Break, and we'll see you at the next rehearsal on A Water Break.
00:12:51
Speaker
The On a Water Break podcast was produced by Jeremy Williams and Christine Rehm. The intro and outro music was produced by Josh Lida. To learn more, visit LidaMusic.com.
00:13:03
Speaker
And until next time, thanks for tuning