These past three months have been a bit of a roller coaster when it comes to my world of fiddle, banjo and blogging. Work and family duties, as well as a general sense of ennui, led me to get way behind my goal progress. However, I managed to catch up at the last possible moment. As for blogging, this is only my fourth post since my First Quarter 2019 report.
As has become customary, here is a review of my old-time music activities for the Second Quarter 2019, warts and all. My blogger version of a corporate earnings report shows I logged 52.5 hours on fiddle, 11.5 hours on banjo and attended two old-times sessions. I did not attend any festivals this quarter. However, I did turn 40.
One of my main goals for the year was to try to get out and play more with others. In that respect, I did OK by attending two local jams, one in May and the other in June.
At the most recent session, I attempted to lead "Leather Britches" on fiddle, which I learned from the playing of Ward Jarvis. It ... didn't go well. I had the other attendees playing with me through the A part, but everyone ... and I mean EVERYONE ... stopped when I switched to the B part. And I didn't even attempt the third part. I don't know if it was a matter of this being a different version than what others know or my playing was just that bad, but it was a tough experience, though not one with which I am completely unfamiliar.
On the upside, I managed to catch on to a new tune for me, "Possum on a Rail," which seems to have become popular in this area. I caught a little of it at the jam in May and then a little more in June. I have since started working on my own from a couple source recordings.
My fiddle tune of the quarter was "Turkey in the Straw," which was a useful tune to learn in terms of improving my string crossings and rhythm. However, the tune doesn't get played much around here and has a racially problematic history, so it doesn't do much to expand my G tune repertoire. I'm most proud of the fact that I reached my benchmark of 100 hours on fiddle, which I managed to achieve at 11:30 last night. I got pretty far behind in April and May, but I turned up the intensity in June to catch up. My next tune, after I nail down "Possum on a Rail," is the good old chestnut, "Mississippi Sawyer."
As for the banjo, I mentioned during the last quarterly report that I was scrapping my original plan to focus on learning more songs. I decided on "Been All Around This World" (aka "Hang Me, Oh Hang Me"), which could use a little more work. My next song, which may get me into trouble with the Old-Time Police is going to be "Sloop John B." This was a Cheesy Folk Group®️ mainstay in the 1950s and '60s, with The Weavers and The Kingston Trio recording the Jamaican folk song, as well as Johnny Cash, Barry McGuire and Dick Dale, among others. But of course, you know I'm a big Beach Boys geek, and that's the version I know best, considering I sing it almost every night to my son before bed. I figured since I know the lyrics already, I might as well figure out the melody on banjo.
As you well know, my blogging has been inconsistent at best. Work has been a bit of a challenge, and I'm not sure when that will change. I'm hoping to provide you with more content than I have in the recent past. Thank you for hanging in there with me.
Coming up these next three months are four local festivals in the span of five weeks (ahem), and hopefully we'll have a firm release date for the upcoming Mike Seeger set from Folkways.
In closing, I'd like to leave you with this quote attributed to Tony Trischka that I recently read on the Fiddle Hangout: “Play with people just a little bit better than ourselves to improve our playing; but similarly try to welcome folks who were just a bit behind us.”
One of my main goals for the year was to try to get out and play more with others. In that respect, I did OK by attending two local jams, one in May and the other in June.
At the most recent session, I attempted to lead "Leather Britches" on fiddle, which I learned from the playing of Ward Jarvis. It ... didn't go well. I had the other attendees playing with me through the A part, but everyone ... and I mean EVERYONE ... stopped when I switched to the B part. And I didn't even attempt the third part. I don't know if it was a matter of this being a different version than what others know or my playing was just that bad, but it was a tough experience, though not one with which I am completely unfamiliar.
On the upside, I managed to catch on to a new tune for me, "Possum on a Rail," which seems to have become popular in this area. I caught a little of it at the jam in May and then a little more in June. I have since started working on my own from a couple source recordings.
My fiddle tune of the quarter was "Turkey in the Straw," which was a useful tune to learn in terms of improving my string crossings and rhythm. However, the tune doesn't get played much around here and has a racially problematic history, so it doesn't do much to expand my G tune repertoire. I'm most proud of the fact that I reached my benchmark of 100 hours on fiddle, which I managed to achieve at 11:30 last night. I got pretty far behind in April and May, but I turned up the intensity in June to catch up. My next tune, after I nail down "Possum on a Rail," is the good old chestnut, "Mississippi Sawyer."
As for the banjo, I mentioned during the last quarterly report that I was scrapping my original plan to focus on learning more songs. I decided on "Been All Around This World" (aka "Hang Me, Oh Hang Me"), which could use a little more work. My next song, which may get me into trouble with the Old-Time Police is going to be "Sloop John B." This was a Cheesy Folk Group®️ mainstay in the 1950s and '60s, with The Weavers and The Kingston Trio recording the Jamaican folk song, as well as Johnny Cash, Barry McGuire and Dick Dale, among others. But of course, you know I'm a big Beach Boys geek, and that's the version I know best, considering I sing it almost every night to my son before bed. I figured since I know the lyrics already, I might as well figure out the melody on banjo.
As you well know, my blogging has been inconsistent at best. Work has been a bit of a challenge, and I'm not sure when that will change. I'm hoping to provide you with more content than I have in the recent past. Thank you for hanging in there with me.
Coming up these next three months are four local festivals in the span of five weeks (ahem), and hopefully we'll have a firm release date for the upcoming Mike Seeger set from Folkways.
In closing, I'd like to leave you with this quote attributed to Tony Trischka that I recently read on the Fiddle Hangout: “Play with people just a little bit better than ourselves to improve our playing; but similarly try to welcome folks who were just a bit behind us.”
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