That’s not exactly true, because the couple at the core of Naragonia, Toon and Pascale, are arriving to a party that had already gotten started by the folk dance bands that came before in Flanders… But with the way people talk about Naragonia in the traditional music circles around Belgium, you’d think it was the capital city or something. They write their own tunes, they show up at every festival, they play very well with others, and they arrange their tunes with such exciting finesse that even just to sit and listen really means you’re dancing in your seat. Speaking of seats, this is what I saw yesterday when I looked over at the passenger seat of my car– my brand new Naragonia sitting on top of Eddie Vedder’s “Ukulele Songs” cd, and I noticed how they both sport the underwater theme. Nice color coordination there fellas! (Naragonia still gets my vote, though, sorry Eddie!)
I’m thrilled to be invited back to teach hammered dulcimer at MuziekMozaiek’s music camp in Gooik this August. It’ll be my fourth time in Belgium, and every time I go back, I do a little bit more, connect with more musicians, see more of the country, (try a few more beers) etc. Last summer, there were several young musicians walking around in Gooik with this funny glow all around them, and these were people who had recently participated in “Flanders Ethno”– a music week for people ages 16-30 where musicians from all over the world bring one traditional tune to teach to the whole group, and they all form this international folk orchestra, performing the music from the countries represented by all the participants. Apparently last year’s Flanders Ethno was a transcendent experience for these musicians, and so this year I’m heading over to Belgium early in August to check it out. And I’m bringing two of the best musicians I know, John Boulware and Lon Eldridge. These two fellas are also instructors at the Folk School of Chattanooga, so I’m pleased to consider this trip something of a “Folk School Teacher Training” excursion. There’s no telling how our musical worlds are going to be opened up by this experience, and what tremendous value this will have as we continue to teach our students here in Tennessee. We’ve set up this Kickstarter page to try to raise some funds that will help us as we travel. We already have our plane tickets sorted out, so now we’re just looking to raise some cash so we can afford to see and do a few cool things while we’re in Belgium, such as the Musical Instrument Museum in Brussels.
If this is something you think you could get behind, please let me assure you that no amount of support is too small.
Well here’s the latest on one of my all-time favorites. This is me and Kara Miscio practicing a whole new set of chords, harmonies, and rhythms for Sail Away Ladies. We’ll take these ideas to the studio this week and see if we can get a good take! My new CD is coming, slowly but surely! I think this one will be a sweet addition.
This is my last day at this wonderful week at the Augusta Heritage Center in Elkins, WV. I’ve been teaching the intermediate hammered dulcimer class, and really enjoying my hardworking students, and getting to know all the other instructors here. The music has been wonderful!! Definitely a highlight has been playing fiddle next to Gerry Milnes (who knows more notes per tune than anyone else I know!) and getting to jam some with John Rossbach. The Thursday night concert was held in the chapel, which is something like a cereal bowl with stained glass sides. Molly McCormack and I had performed “Cool of the Day” earlier in the week at one of the afternoon concerts, but decided an encore was necessary, and it was critical that we include Maddie MacNeil this time (a serious omission on our parts the first go-around!). Thanks to Rob Brereton for holding the camera and capturing this video. It was a great night of music, and I’ll say it again, a really fun week! I feel SO fortunate to have these opportunities!
Actually, it’s hardly a lazy afternoon… In fact, I’m enjoying what feels like a miracle that I can take a moment to play a dulcimer and have fun improvising a bit with a tune, in the midst of all the folk school work. I’m pretty much obsessed with the Folk School of Chattanooga and all its potential (mixed with actual momentum, which makes it exciting). But still, like a meditation, it’s sweet to come back to the dulcimer once a day, and remind myself that if it weren’t for this trapezoidal magic plinko box, there’d be no folk school, no Chattanooga (for me, anyway), none of the friends I know and love… I know CDs are a bit passe at this point, but I’m forging ahead anyway. It’s time for a new shiny little CD to have my name on it, and with that in mind, I’m starting to consider all my favorite–really most favorite–tunes.
Chattanooga is a great bicycle town. Now that my office at the folk school is pretty much put together (I’ll be having to haul less stuff back and forth), and now that the weather’s getting better, I’m looking forward to daily bicycle commutes– And counting on my bike to be the official vehicle of my spring and summer nighttime ramblings around town. In a daydream about riding around town, this song bubbled to mind. It’s exactly the kind of happy little melody I like to sing when I’m on my bike. I hope it helps summon the warmer weather and a cheerful spring in Chattanooga!
I just recorded this here at my desk, using Lisa’s handy Zoom H4n. Nothing fancy… Just a simple little song about the city I love, with a nonsense chorus, “Chicky Run”! Chicky Run
What a wonderful surprise in my mailbox a few days ago, right in the dead of winter, a cd reminder of a summer week spent in Gooik, Belgium. I’ve written on this blog before about working with Maarten Decombel, and what a pleasure it was to get to know his music. This recording is from the concert we gave inside Gooik’s giant church. My favorite track is still this one: “Dodecamedita”, a piece composed by Maarten himself. I love the main melody, the harmony that goes with, the interesting rhythm, the improvisation sections.
Maarten Decombel, bouzouki, and Christie Burns, hammered dulcimer, August 2009:
