Happy Birthday Little Kitty

Diamond the golden kitty (my daughter) had a birthday (Mrs. Buttonbox did an amazing job on the cake ->). Of course we sang the "Happy Birthday" song which got me thinking. Where did this song come from? This post is about some of the songs that we sing habitually without thinking about it (it's also a bald face way for me to post this picture).

The first thing I found, on my search was this link to a ibiblio.org fun fact, and then I decided to look a little further, and found the wiki entry for Happy birthday which has a little more information. Here are some highlights:

• First published in 1893 - I'd like to know how we celebrated birthdays before this.


• Written by Patty Hill and Mildred Hill, school teachers. Very interesting to think of how this song has blossomed from one schoolroom to be sung without thinking across the English speaking world. The Borg need some sort of song.


• A number of word variations are known. Which shows that even the most basic song is not invulnerable to the folk mill (a term used to describe the changing of a song as it is passed from one ear to another).

Then I got to thinking about some of the other songs that are part of our folk culture. Two other songs immediately came to mind.

For He's a Jolly Good Fellow
This is an interesting one, in that there are different version of it (The British have one, the States have one and there is French translation). So this is an example of folk culture, put through folk mills separately on different continents.
Here is the wiki link to For He's a Jolly Good Fellow

Finally, the beautiful song Auld Lang Syne

• A poem by Robert Burns (January 25, 1759 – July 21, 1796)


• We usually sing this song once a year on new years eve, and then forget about it. (Although the wiki alleges that it is sometimes used at other times of the year as at a parting)


• I don't know of anyone doing a cover version of this, but I think it would be great! Imagine the Pogues version!!

Well that's the show.

Thank the Folk gods for Folkways

Does anyone else want to stand up and clap heartily for Folkways the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution? I do, and I rarely stand up to clap.

The following mission statement is copied directly from the folkways mission and history page.

'Our mission is the legacy of Moses Asch, who founded Folkways Records in 1948 to document "people's music," spoken word, instruction, and sounds from around the world. The Smithsonian acquired Folkways from the Asch estate in 1987, and Smithsonian Folkways Recordings has continued the Folkways commitment to cultural diversity, education, increased understanding, and lively engagement with the world of sound.'

It is my belief that this organization has delivered, and will continue to deliver on this mission.

I have the albums listed below. I highly recommend them to anyone interested in folk music!

• Close to Home: Old Time Music from Mike Seeger's Collection, 1952-1967 - This is a must own.


• This Land is Your Land: The Asch Recordings, Vol. 1 - Woody Guthrie


• Muleskinner Blues: The Asch Recordings, Vol. 2 - Go Woody Guthrie go.

And here are some nice links for grins

• Folkways official home page


• Wiki article on the Folkways record label


• Einstein and Folkways Records - interesting blog article


• 'Folkways Records Exhibition' - a blog post by Michael Surtees

Enjoy your day! At once!

The Walkaround Dixieland Band

Dixieland music is high octane fun for everyone. That's me wrapped in the sousaphone. If you look closely you should be able to find MusicInYourEar with his trombone because this is a picture of our walk around dixieland crew.

We styled ourselves after the amazing New Orleans band The Dirty Dozen Brass Band. I only have one of their albums "Whatcha Gonna Do for the Rest of Your Life?", but my guess is that I have listened to it two hundred times.

We used to play some classics like : When the Saints Go Marching In, The Happy Birthday Polka, St. James Infirmary, Amazing Grace, and It Don't Mean a Thing If It Aint Got That Swing.

An interesting fact: If you want to get brass quintet gigs, then you have to walk around playing dixieland on the street. Perfect strangers will ask you to come play their galas, gatherings, get-togethers, childs birthday parties, food courts and even parking garages.

As far as I am concerned, playing dixieland should be a total body experience. Heh heh, what I mean is go and get yourself wrapped in a sousaphone, and definitely try this at home!

When Two Whistlers Meet

Whenever I meet another whistle walker on the street one of two things will happen. 1. The other walker wasn't whistling, and they start. or 2. The other whistler was whistling already and keeps whistling. You can assume that I was whistling for the sake of this post because I would never start whisting if someone else was already whistling.

In either case a number of options are available now that you are both whistling.

Whistle Options:
a. You can stop whisting - This doesn't seem fair, because you were walking along minding your own business, and it is your right to whistle wherever and whenever you want to - Except in the work place (Peril of Workplace Whistling).
b. Whistle along with Whistler B. - You will get all different reactions, but in my experience this is rarely a good choice. You may get attention that is unwanted since you are essentially puckering up.
c. Whistle your own tune louder - This is an act of escalation which may not be within your aggression range.
d. Consider a walking option.

Walking Options:
a. Stop walking - this can be effective if the other person is walking. A natural separation should ensue.
b. Walk slower or faster to remove yourself from the situation.
c. Walk in the opposite direction. Caution - this could take you out of your way.

I hope you find this post helpful next time you are in one of these awkward situations. Your best bet will be to think on your feet, try to keep as many options open as you can, and keep your stick on the ice.

I Love That Red Harmony Rocket

It's official, the best guitars in the world are Harmony Guitars. They have a unique sound which makes them fun to play, they have a certain alluring sexy je ne sais quoi which makes them fun to collect, and they were made with superb long lasting quality. If it were up to me, and it rarely is, I would own them all. But then, that wouldn't be much fun for anyone else out there who appreciates a drachm of style, a pinch of grace, a parcel of poise, a firkin of charm and a whole lot of just plain fun, all rolled in to one cool looking guitar.

Here are some great sites about Harmony guitars:

Harmony Guitar page - This site has some excellent photos, catalogue pictures, and images of Harmony memorabilia

Same site - specifically Harmony Rockets - Really nice Rocket close-ups

Rothguitars Picture page - Lots of pictures, good info on body styles

You can get Harmony T-shirts - which is proof that Harmony Rockets are great guitars.

Go get a Rocket and have fun with it! Now!

O Brother - What a Great Movie

Great movie, really great soundtrack!! I'm talking about O Brother, Where Art Thou? from the year 2000. OK, this review is a bit out of date. Get over it.

This movie has something for everyone: comedy, bluegrass, George Clooney, prison uniforms, a plot (not every movie can boast of a plot), a plot twist (or two), good acting, good writing, there that's it.

If you are like me, and in the privacy of my own mind most people are, then you will enjoy this movie.

Here are some links that I have marshaled for your convenience so that you can become acquainted with this wonderful piece of entertainment:

Rotten Tomatoes Reviews

Preview the soundtrack

Finally, if you enjoy the O Brother album, then you should check out the September 2002 compilation of the best women of folk, country & bluegrass album entitled O Sister Where Art Thou. Artists include Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Iris Dement, Nanci Griffith, Eva Cassidy, Maria McKee & many more.

Enjoy! Imperative!

The Peril of Workplace Whistling

Now correct me if I am wrong, but the Dwarves told us to whistle while we work. Perhaps in a simpler time, a time when you went to work with your axe or shovel, when you worked hard all day and then left work behind to enjoy cottage bachelorhood with six other messy, chore-averse men with strong personality traits - whistling while you worked was a good idea.

I'm here to tell you that in this fast paced, post industrial, every person for themselves, Office Space, slush bucket of a world we live in, whistling in the work place is frowned on.

OK, I can admit it - whistling bugs some people - a LOT. I suppose the real problem lies with me, in that, while I walk my lips are almost mechanically connected to my feet. I can't walk if I don't whistle. Anyway, a co-worker asked me to stop whistling.

It's happened to me before. When I first started my career, a co-worker threatened to tell on me. I stopped whistling, of course - no one likes to be told on. It's embarrassing to be asked to stop whistling.

It has happened again. I am trying very hard, but somehow my enjoyment of the work place is less now. I suppose I have to respect the public space.

To wrap up: Nothing against Dwarves, but I think they had this one wrong - or more precisely : The wisdom of the Dwarves is maybe not as venerable as some might like to believe.

If your going to go to work, as many of us are forced to do regularly, maybe just whistle on your way.

My Love Affair . . . With Music Stores

Aside from my wife, Bloom The Dove (Daughter(Valentine from her -> )) and Little Dove (Son), there are few things I like more than a great music store. For Valentines day, I wanted to talk about a few music stores which are special to me. They are all special for different reasons. In this post, I share intimate details of my relationships with the music stores in my life.

Hobgoblin I will never forget a trip we took to London, England. Among other things, I spent three hours in this music store, and eventually purchased my Button Box. This is a Happy Happy place.

Long & McQuade When I was a kid, my dad took me to Toronto, and we bought the first musical instrument that I could call my own (a Trombone). He had a guitar, and we had a piano, but this trombone was mine. I don't remember where we bought it (I was a kid). I like to pretend we got it at Long & McQuade.

Belle Air Music When I was in the Mustang Marching Band at The University of Western Ontario , this music store became special to me. However, it wasn't until I bought my Rocket from this very store, that I fell in lust.

Well, now I have confessed. There are music stores in my dreams from time to time.

Create That Song/Fake Book

It's no secret to my friends. I have very poor short term memory. I will find myself singing "la la la hum hum pum words words words" a lot when we get together to play. That is why I started my song book(s) - collections of the songs that I play. I can trot a song book out at a music night, and be assured that the words I see will be the ones that I sing.

It's a simple thing to do. Just get the words for your favourite songs, and then put them somewhere together. I have one songbook in a binder, and another is just stapled.

I have found the following methods good for acquiring new words for my song book.
1. Ask your friends to help you. They may already have lots of songs on their computers.

2. Type them out yourself. I found the best way to do this is to listen to them on the computer (so it is easy to stop, pause or restart to get the lyrics).

3. Download them from the Internet. If you like folk and bluegrass (like I do), then the following sites will be useful for you:

• The Bluegrass Lyrics page is the source of a lot of the lyrics in my bluegrass song book. They cover Bluegrass, Gospel, and Early Country Music. This is the first place I look for a new song.


• Mudcat Cafe is a good source for general folk lyrics. It has a massive database. You can sift through a lot of stuff before you find what you are looking for, but chances are it is there if you persist.


• Song texts of the original Carter Family


• Woody Guthrie lyrics at woodyguthrie.org


• Ballad Tree This site has tonnes of great links.

Take it to the next level and make it a fake book by adding chord letters, and a simple melody line. You can create the melody lines with ABC notation.

Have Fun Playing!

Get your own Recordings! These are mine!

Did you ever wonder what you sound like "on tape?", or for the newest generation, "digitally recorded in EM PEE THREE?". How about it, who wants to make some recordings? Well, I did it one Saturday morning with nothing more than a $10.00 microphone from Radio Shack (now The Source By Circuit City ), and some freeware software from you guessed it - the internet (I hear they have it on computers these days).

You're probably not going to get CD quality recordings, but you will definitely achieve the following, which I found very useful and helpful:

1. Hear your own voice from outside of your own head. This sounds simple, but it is a fact that most people think they sound higher, or lower, than they really do. I don't know the physics of it, but I assert that this is a #1 bona fide fact (OK, Mythbusters prove me wrong).

2. Sing and work out harmonies. This can be great exercise for those vocal chords - pun intended, and is lots of fun. There are few things that I enjoy more than singing in a group (which was hard by myself - until now). I like to play the guitar while I do this, and sometimes I'll try base lines on the guitar, or put in a solo).

3. Save YOUR money. I know a couple of people who have spent a fair amount on recording equipment eight track recorders, microphones, boom stands, patch cords, equalizers, knifflin pins, roller-bobs and whosiwhatsits. I'm sure eventually, I will too, but for the moment, I am happy with my $10.00 recording studio.

4. Record a voice message for a loved one, and leave it on their desktop, or e-mail it to them. A great use of this technique is to record Amazing Grace and then send it to someone who doesn't like Amazing Grace - best results include bag pipes (as usual). Before anyone gets up in arms, I happen to really like Amazing Grace, and love bag pipes. I would be very happy to receive your recordings.

OK, enough of the pep talk, here is how it is done:
1a. Check too make sure your computer doesn't already have a microphone. A lot of computers have them built in, just waiting for the amateur skylark to discover them.
1b. Check to make sure you have a sound card. I'm pretty sure you need a sound card so you can plug this little baby in somewhere.

2. No mike, purchase one. I am no expert, so I will not give you advice on what kind. I have only purchased one computer microphone in my life. The one I have was the cheapest one I could buy.

3. Download the free software. I am using Rosoft Engineering's Audio Recorder which I downloaded from their Website http://www.rosoft.nu/index.php. It was easy to install and very easy to set up. Even the under five set can record themselves nowadays. I showed my daughter the buttons to press to start and stop the recorder, and she happily recorded and played herself back for half an hour after I had left her to it.

4. Record away. I'm hoping you were not expecting anything more complicated than that. I am also hoping that you were not expecting more detail than that.

Finally, I'm sure that simple "record to a file', and "playback' are not the limit of what you can do. I'm trying to work out how to record multiple tracks, and all that - I'm sure it can be done, after all it's just software and I've known software to do some pretty surprising things.

I hope I have inspired you to go out and get that microphone,
Good luck with that!

Proud New Guitar String Owner

I can't believe it. I have finally purchased new strings for the Rocket (my guitar). My friend MusicInYourEar and I went to a store today at lunch. He was looking for a folder to hold an extra large quantity of music for his new stage band (post to follow).

As soon as I entered the store I had a "stop you in your tracks realization" : I haven't bought new strings for my guitar in at least five years. With this realization in my mind, I got busy checking out the staggering array of strings. I soon found out that there are a lot of different strings, and I knew basically nothing about any of them.

I asked MusicInYourEar what he uses for his Harmony Rocket ( yes he has one too ), and he handed me a set of the D'Addario EXL115 Electric Guitar Strings - Nickel Wound * Blues / Jazz Rock package.

Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy

P.S. When I got home, we ( Baby Golden Kitty (My daughter) and I) , put the new strings on. Man, am I ever happy. They sounds great, they are a lot easier on my fingers, and I'm please to have that high E string again.

The Musical Duckling

I was going to try out for the football team in high school, but I really wasn't a jock sort of animal - don't get me wrong, I kinda liked the idea of attention from cheerleaders, but well, you should have seen me in high school. Enough said!

I also thought being an intellectual could be grand. I enjoyed the science club, and participated in the annual "Science Olympics" at York University, but chemistry had too much memorizing for me. It made me feel like I was covered in black feathers.

I tried my hand at acting, but my one line part gave me grey hair and webbed feet before my time, and I am sure I grew this funny tail while acting.

Lucky for me I found out I was a Musical Duckling. I was much happier playing in the pit band, than prancing about on stage. Put me squarely behind a large brass instrument or give me something with strings, and I felt safe and secure. I could perform anywhere.

That was a long time ago, and I have never looked back. Singing, listening to and playing music has been an important part of my life at every stage since then.

Everyone has gone blog crazy, so I thought it might be fun to be a sheep and follow the herd, I mean a duckling and follow the flock. I hope you enjoy this blog, I intend to talk about the things I am doing musically and the music I am listening to.

My musical philosophy is, I'll listen to anything once. That being said, I like American folk, bluegrass, blues, British folk, soft rock, music of the 80s, Irish drinking songs, Canadian east coast music, folk rock, country, fugues, gospel, and a whole lot more.

Skill and musicianship count in my books. I love harmony, and I love a good button box solo,
Anyway,
Enjoy.