Archive for the ‘Music’ Category

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Christmas in a Small Town

Friday, November 6th, 2009

Musician and quilter, Ricky Tims, is a man who is blessed with many talents! Well, known for his “Caveman Style Quilting” and “Rhapsody Quilts,” Ricky has just written, produced and recorded a Christmas CD, in Nashville, with other musicians. If you want to feel happy, view his YouTube video that shows beautiful and peaceful scenes of his adopted small town, La Veta, Colorado. The title of the CD is “Christmas in a Small Town.”

Some of the songs will sound familiar to you, but they have been arranged in a new way by Ricky, who also served as conductor for recording sessions. He has been playing piano since he was very young, and majored in music. According to what I read, when his home town in TX was hit by a tornado, his parent’s home was flattened and all of the songs he had written during high school were blown away by the wind.

We are happy that his musical career did not end there. We are equally cheered by Ricky’s enthusiasm for the process of quilting and for all of his teaching, not to mention his co-ownership of the online entity known as The Quilt Show. We wish him every success with this exciting new album. The song, “Christmas in a Small Town,” is a treasure! Enjoy the video, and then, please think about ordering the CD. (No affiliation).

Patricia & James Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Tags: ,
Posted in Announcements, Music | Comments Off

The Age of the Castratos Captured by New Album

Sunday, November 1st, 2009

This morning, a friend brought to my attention a new musical CD that combines both history and some of the finest arias ever written. The artist is Cecilia Bartoli. She has done extensive research about young men who were castrated so that there voices would remain “high” forever, for the sake of the art. In mid-18th century, she says in one interview, 4,000 boys, annually, underwent this procedure in Italy. She has written a “Castrato Compendium” to explain more about this trend, and that accompanies her just published CD. In Italian, the plural of castrato is castrati.

In the words of the artist:

“The age of the castratos was one of the most dazzling and remarkable in European music history. Seldom has there ever been such a complete fusion of sensuousness and splendor, form and content, poetry and music, and, above all, such a perfection of vocal virtuosity, as was achieved in the glory days of the Baroque era. The legendary art of the castratos continues to exert its fascination even today, and despite the great human sacrifice it exacted, a new assessment of this extraordinary period is surely justified.” – Cecilia Bartoli

The cover of the album presents the strong image that the artist intended: a female head and a male body. Bartoli has an exquisite and well-trained voice and seems to have been the right person to have achieved this kind of historical exploration. With her many abilities, she certainly appears to present a true depiction of the time period.

In addition, Anne Rice has written a novel that includes details about the castratos of Venice and Naples.

Patricia Cummings

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in History, Music | Comments Off

The Change of Summer to Autumn in Song

Saturday, October 24th, 2009

Some of my favorite songs speak of the profound change of the seasons at this time of year. We leave “Summer winds make me feel fine, glowing like a jasmine in my mind,” and turn to Joni Mitchell’s lyrics, “The warriors of winter give a cold, triumphant shout, All that stays is dying, all that lives is getting out.” She also speaks of the trees, standing in a naked row, an image I enjoy.

In high school, my Glee Club sang, “The autumn leaves drift past my window, the autumn leaves of red and gold.” I am sure there are many other song tributes to autumn, a time period we all anticipate eagerly, here in New England, and a time that is too soon past. After Columbus Day, when the tourists have left the state, we can begin to anticipate heavy rains and winds that knock off any remaining leaves, and signal a change to cold nights in which the heat must be turned on.

The palette of verdant green of leaves and trees, and pastels of flowers, quickly turns to browns of decaying leaves underfoot in the forest, and then to the familiar gray and white and black colors of winter. The snow is like a white-out, at times. And, when it ends, there is a lovely peacefulness that seems to descend as from heaven itself.

a view of winter - photo by James Cummings

A view of winter – photo by James Cummings

No wonder we eagerly await seed catalogs in January, a time that seems to be in the dead of winter and very far removed from outdoor blooming plants. “The farmer puts another “promise” in the ground,” are the words to another folk song.

At Christmas time, the holly and the ivy (also the name of a song) remind us of everlasting life, symbolically-speaking. These holly and its red berries retain their color throughout the winter months. Green represents eternity and Red can symbolize the loss of Christ’s blood on the cross. Colors can be so symbolic!

Autumn. So many changes are taking place. Animals that hibernate are searching out resting areas for the long winter. Bears will give birth in their dens, barely aware of what is happening. The “winter birds” such as the (gray) juncos and chickadees, will be heard and seen again, as will the woodpeckers who will make frequent trips to the suet hung again for them, from a lilac bush.

I have no quarrel with autumn or winter: they are seasons of introspection, a time to take stalk of one’s soul and one’s roots and to sort out again what is important in life. As a Christian, I have come to despise the commercialism and therefore, cheapening of a religious holiday, and so I dwell on my religious training as a child, and find those teachings more and more of a comfort in trying to make sense of an insane world. On Christmas, I tend to like to read Christmas stories and listen to music. With my family “gone,” taken away by death or indifference, my day is often spent in solitude, or with Jim, on holidays.

“I’ll stoke the fire with kindlin’, pull the blankets to my chin, I’ll keep the vagrant winter out and bolt my wanderings in.” – Joni Mitchell

Autumn and Winter – bring them on. I’ll be here, quilting, reading, writing, and loving my dear husband, who is as precious as a found jewel. Rejoice! The seasons are yet again changing, and life moves onward to its invisible, unforeseen, and inevitable conclusion.

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Anecdotes, Music | Comments Off

“Diamonds and Rust” and the Legacy of Joan Baez

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

Joan Baez songbook cover

The image seen here is the cover of a Joan Baez songbook with 66 songs, music, and notations. I somehow ended up with two copies and therefore, will accept “best offer” on this one, if anyone is interested. Write to: pat@quiltersmuse.com for details.

The 1960s: A Time of Turbulence/ A Time of Changing Music

When the fame of Joan Baez first hit, my oldest brother who was nine years older than me, bought her album with his own pocket money he earned by bagging groceries at a local grocery store. He was enamored of Joan’ beauty and her voice.

Shortly thereafter, he found a girlfriend who looked similar to her, with long black hair and brown eyes, slender of build. I felt it was not a coincidence.

Joan’s talents were God-given. What she did with those talents made history.

I have just been watching a summary of Joan’s life on Public Television. The documentary describes her as having a strong sense of right and wrong and acting accordingly. A sense of outrage about the “hideousness” (the murders, etc) of the Vietnam War, brought her to North Vietnam. The same sense of wanting the world’s people to “know that someone cares” sent her to Sarajevo where she sat in the middle of a street singing, “Amazing Grace.”

She felt that she might spend time in and out of prison for speaking out about such timely events of the day related to the draft and civil rights. She was thrown in jail a few times for civil disobedience. If people had a tenth of her gumption, much more social change might be happening today. Ah, but that is another story.

It is always fun to find out the end of someone’s life, or at least, the end thus far. To know that she married David Harris, but did not marry her great love, Bob Dylan, is a personal detail revealed in the film. Their marriage lasted from 1968-1973, during which Harris was mostly serving time in jail for being a draft protester. To know that she has a loving son, with whom she enjoys playing music, is another tidbit that speaks of her life as it is now. She is in her sixth decade of life.

I will always think of Joan Baez, Bob Dylan and others of their generation as forever young. With the sheer courage of youth, they told America what America needed to hear at a time America needed to listen to their messages. Baez states that she was a political activist first, a musician, second. Dylan provided some of her meaningful words, and she played the guitar, rounding out their team presence.

To me, the words of the title of one song she plays, “Diamonds and Rust” are meaningful. Diamonds are selected for their brilliance and longevity. The truth is as pure and clean and long-lasting as a diamond. Lies we tell ourselves or other people are like rust. They corrode relationships; they sully our happiness.

To me, Joan Baez is a true “American Master” who is a diamond. We will never forget her, or her spirit in the face of adversity, as she sought social justice and peace in the world and in her personal life.

Even now, she is a strong, beautiful woman, changed yes, but one whose inner beauty still shines through in a quiet, reflective way of one who has led a full life.

I loved the PBS station’s TV special and this very intimate glimpse into the hardships and challenges that helped to shape the artist, Joan Baez, whom we continue to appreciate today.

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Posted in Music, Musings | Comments Off

John Perrault Presents Musical Ballad Program at Belmont (NH) Historical Society

Friday, September 18th, 2009

John Perrault

photo of John Perrault by James Cummings, Quilter’s Muse Publications

What a treat it was to hear the many old ballads that John Perrault sang tonight, accompanied by his guitar, which he plays proficiently. His love of history and the history of ballads was apparent, as he wove historical threads into the program, “The Ballad Lives!” His words connected us to certain countries of origin for the songs he sang, and to stories behind them. He revealed how and where these songs were collected and preserved and the names of certain individual folklorists who assisted in that quest.

Perrault gave a mention of the permutations that ballads undergo as they are passed from person to person, and generation to generation. Often, ballads are based on an historical event, but later become a blend of both myth and history. He states, “Many ballads focus on love, death, and tragedy – things universal in the human heart.”

We were treated to renditions of the familiar “Barbara Allen,” or “Barbry Allen,” as some singers pronounce the name. The presenter went on to describe and sing songs about murder, “Little Sadie,” (known by three other names); “Pretty Polly,” and “Cruel Mother” … adding anecdotes, commentaries, and of course, additional songs.

The song that most impressed me is called “The Ballad of Louis Wagner,” that recalls the murder of two women on the Isles of Shoals, off the coast of New Hampshire and Maine, on March 5-6, 1873. Louis Wagner was convicted for the crimes and was the last man to be hanged in Maine in 1875. John Perrault wrote an amazing and long poem and set it to music, delivering the ballad with a passion for the history it invokes and with parts of it presented in the first person, by “Louis” himself. The song states that the murderer wore a silver chain and had a silver Judas heart. I love the imagery. Apparently, the motive for the murders was to find and steal silver.

Overall, this was an amazing performance, and yet another cultural program brought to the public, at no charge, by a New Hampshire Humanities Council grant. John Perrault has taught high school, and has worked in law. He was the poet laureate of Portsmouth, NH from 2003-2005. We were very pleased with this program and we encourage others to visit John’s website, and to attend or book any of his future presentations. He has other programs available. His latest book, Jefferson’s Dream, is currently for sale.

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications – The one ballad that I recorded for Quilter’s Muse Publications and Virtual Museum is a song called “Mary Hamilton,” a long English narrative about a woman who killed her babe, and whose fate was the gallows.

A second long Irish ballad that I sing is “Mrs. McGrath.”

Tags: , , ,
Posted in History, Music, New Hampshire | 2 Comments »

Mary Travers of “Peter, Paul and Mary” Has Reached the Golden Shore

Wednesday, September 16th, 2009

When I think of performers who epitomize my memory of folk music in the 1960s, I recall Mary Travers, a pretty girl with long, straight, blonde hair, a mere wisp of the woman she would become. She and her two fellow musicians, Peter Yarrow and Noel Paul Stookey, gave us much of the music worth recalling from that decade. They followed the lead of The Weavers, Pete Seeger, and Woody Guthrie, who sang their politics at a time when it was important for America’s young voices to be heard. They sang for peace, for racial equality, and for the sheer joy of keeping old folk songs alive and reviving other tunes.

Mary was 72. In recent years, leukemia was the ultimate reason her voice was no longer heard publicly. In a sense, the people whom we remember well, live on in our hearts, at least until we old hippies succumb to the same fate, when life ebbs. We loved the fervor and the sincerity of the way that Peter, Paul and Mary delivered their music. Their music was nothing, if not meaningful, at all times.

Here is a link to an official obituary.

While we mourn this loss, we are also aware that Mary is now free of the pain and suffering that is inevitable in every life. Personally, I will not choose to remember her in any other way than as a young, vibrant woman with a strong will and voice whose music was an inspiration to me, as a teenager. God bless you, Mary. And now … you’re on your way.

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Tags: , ,
Posted in Announcements, Music | Comments Off

Chick Flicks and Macho Movies … and a flash to the past

Wednesday, September 16th, 2009

Background

Growing up during the 1950s, I remember our first television was a heavy monstrosity that no one could lift. It had a tiny screen. I believe it had rabbit ears, for reception. There was little of interest (to me) on TV. My brothers watched “Rin Tin Tin” and I liked “Lassie.” On Saturday nights, my parents always tuned in to view “Lawrence Welk.”

As I got older, I loved to watch “I Love Lucy,” because I liked “Ricky’s” strong Spanish accent and because the scenes were so outrageously funny. I don’t recall going to the movies with the entire family. My older brother took me to go see “Gone With the Wind,” although my mother worried that it might be a little too “advanced” for me. It wasn’t.

Movies in Abundance Now

Jim likes movies. He likes shoot ‘em up, blood, gore and guts movies. I guess it’s a guy thing. I like movies that involve psychological studies of the mind. His choices don’t usually hold my interest. Last night was different.

When I walked into the room, the television was portraying a pseudo-execution scene of a young woman, by lethal injection. Somehow, the protagonist’s life was spared, in exchange for learning to be a trained killer. The plot thickens as she takes a lover, but is always trying to maintain a no-questions asked persona, while she carries out orders to execute people. “Point of No Return” is a riveting movie because the viewer is kept on the edge of his seat, waiting to see what happens next. Jim tells me that the film is a take-off on “La Femme Nikita,” a French movie that won awards at Cannes Film Festival.

For me, the most intriguing moment of the whole story was when the Spanish son, “Cuando Calienta El Sol,” began to play in the background. I learned this song in Spanish class, in 1965. (I’ve written out the words below, although I can’t add accent marks to this blog program).

Cuando calienta el sol (calentar = to heat up. The 3rd person singular of the “stem-changing” verb is “calienta.”)
aqui en la playa (Notice that the first time the singer sings the word “playa,” it sounds like “ply-ja.” This is a common variation in the Spanish-speaking world).
Cuando tu cuerpo vibra
cerca de mi.

Es tu palpitar, es tu cara
es tu pelo, son tus besos
me estremezco, oh, oh, oh

Cuando calienta el sol
aqui en la playa
Siento tu cuerpo vibrar
cerca de mi.

Es tu palpitar
tu recuerdo, mi locura,
mi delirio, me estremezco, oh, oh, oh

Cuando calienta el sol.

which means —

When the sun shines on the beach
When your body is vibrating next to mine

It is your heart beating, it is your face,
It is your hair, it is your kisses …
I shudder (shiver/vibrate) – oh, oh, oh

When the sun shines, here on the beach
I feel your body vibrating next to me.

It is your breathing, your memory,
my craziness, my delirium, I shiver – oh, oh, oh
Cuando calienta el sol.

Pretty hot stuff for Freshman Spanish, eh? Luis Miguel, a young singer, has a lively video of this song on YouTube.

It’s always fun to find a movie that Jim and I can actually stand to watch together, all the way through. The last one was “Julie and Julia,” one that is already a classic, I believe.

Wishing you passion and love in your life!

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Tags: ,
Posted in Anecdotes, Music | Comments Off

“Trouble in Mind” – A Look at American “Blues” and Another Time and Place

Monday, September 14th, 2009

“Trouble in Mind” is a song that I know, but I don’t remember where I first heard it, or learned to sing it. The tune is memorable. In a sense, the words speak of a different America, one that many of us think about in a nostalgic way … one that included railroads.

If you think about trains and motion pictures, and are at all familiar with silent films, you will know that trains were often seen. The damsel in distress was tied to the railroad irons and about to be run over by a train, when her hero rescues her and they both go off into the sunset together.

In the song, “Trouble in Mind,” the writer talks about letting the 2:19 train ease his troubled mind. We know what that means. They don’t call this music, the “Blues,” for no reason.

Today, we mostly see broken down, old boxcars, sitting on tracks that now are overgrown with grass and shrubs. The age of the American train is all but over, unless you count commuter trains such as the Amtrak train that whizzes by, in back of my son’s house, shaking and rattling the contents of the house at it noisily follows its appointed route to Boston.

In New Hampshire, we still have the Cog Railway that makes it way up Mt. Washington, a feat in train engineering, and a steady tourist attraction. In Maine, President’s Restaurant has a high shelf that allows a toy train to circulate through the rooms. At Christmas, some folks place toy trains around their trees. Yes, we Americans are fascinated with trains. The image of trains has shown up on the surface of fabrics, vintage and new, a number of times.

Fabric with images of old trains

When I was a kid, I remember my mother recounting a tale about one of her cousins who lived down South. He was kind of a hobo as he’d “hop a train,” riding in an empty boxcar, headed north, during the Great Depression. He knew my grandmother was a good cook and there was always plenty to eat, partly because my grandfather cultivated a large garden for his family of 13, and pear trees whose fruit Nana and the older girls “put up.” That cousin would visit until he’d worn out his welcome, and then he’d move on. However, like the swallows to Capistrano, he’d return.

The one thing I really like about “Trouble in Mind” is the glimmer of hope it offers. When the day is dark and hope seems lost, it is good to cling to an idea such as “the sun’s gonna shine in my back door someday.”

With no trouble in mind this morning, I’ll get dressed and go about my chores and errands for the day. I hope your day is all that is can be, and that you will have no “trouble in mind.”

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Tags: ,
Posted in Music, Musings | Comments Off

When Black and White are Gray

Thursday, September 10th, 2009

Anyone with any sense knows that things are not always as they appear at face value. That is the reason that good poetry can be interpreted in many different ways, not just one way. Unlike many other circumstances in our lives, the written word is subject to the interpretation of the reader. Two people can look at a piece of writing and come away with two very different impressions. Is one person right and the other wrong? No, perhaps they are both right, because they have sifted information through their brains, using previously learned constructs, and agents of language (words) to interpret what someone else has written.

Today, I had an interesting exchange over a Spanish translation. As much as we might try, it is impossible to get into the brain of the perpetrator of a piece of writing, and know, for sure, what his intent was when writing a poem. This scenario is made more difficult when dealing with a foreign language. I know how I would interpret any words in Spanish, and I can explain to you my informed reasons behind my opinions. However, ultimately, the importance of a poem or a song is what they mean, after being sieved through the brain of the consumer.

I have always wished that I could play piano, and I can, to a limited extent, by just extrapolating the notes that comprise chords that I know on the guitar. I can read some musical notes but not with proficiency. I’ve always wanted to really play piano well, something that I have not pursued as I don’t have the patience and never have had enough. I was kind of “ruined” in that regard, from the age of 5 when I was forced to take lessons from a music teacher who was my aunt and very proficient at what she did, but who had little patience for me. I guess we had little patience for each other!

However, some of the songs I sing would be better accompanied on the piano, or with a better back-up. Tonight, I recorded another Spanish song that I learned in Spain: “Solamente Una Vez.” It’s not my best shot. I have not practiced it. I just picked up my guitar and played it, as is the case most of the time. It’s a pretty song, but I prefer Andrea Boccelli’s version of the same song to my own. He has a file on YouTube with it.

Those are my random thoughts for the day. I have not picked up any quilting for two days now and would like to get back to my project. Jim was refinishing the wood floor in the bathroom, so my life is somewhat disturbed, at the moment, with furniture in other rooms. Life around here is never dull, and so … we keep on keeping on. I guess the day I quit keeping on, you won’t be reading this blog. Charming thought, eh?

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Tags:
Posted in Anecdotes, Music, Poetry | Comments Off

Cuba’s Most Famous Freedom Fighter – José Martí

Wednesday, September 9th, 2009

Tonight, I recorded the song, “Guantanamera,” in honor of José Martí, Cuban’s most well-known freedom fighter. The song file links to another file that I set up last year that provides more information and a glimpse of a Crazy Quilt tribute block that I made.

http://www.quiltersmuse.com/Guantanamera.htm

My 40th high school reunion is this year. I studied four years of high school Spanish, and then studied advanced literature courses during four years of Spanish at the collegiate level, both in the U.S. and Spain. I also took a graduate level course in Spanish History, and a summer history course in Latin American History, both fascinating subjects. Within my course of study, I learned about the art and architecture of Spain, which I experienced first hand.

From time to time, I pick up the guitar, and tonight was one of those nights.

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Tags:
Posted in Announcements, Music, Spanish Language | Comments Off

Jeff Warner, Musician, Charms Enthralled Audience

Monday, July 27th, 2009

Jeff Warner, a seasoned musician, entertained a very interested audience at the Hampstead Public Library in New Hampshire, on July 27, 2009. He is proficient on guitar, banjo, mountain dulcimer, and concertina and credits his parents with encouraging his interest in music, from an early age, due to their own love of folk music. This particular program, titled, “Music in Our Pockets,” is a look at the way people entertained themselves in the nineteenth century (1800s) by voice, instrumental music, and additional instruments like spoons, bones (of cows), and the “Jew’s harp” (that has nothing to do with Jewish people, by the way). Part of his focus was music from Appalachia; and North Carolina, where he grew up.

Jeff Warner

Jeff Warner on July 27, 2009 at Hampstead Public Library (NH)

For more than an hour, Warner discussed and played folk music and revealed the nature of the folklore tradition, saying that two components, “continuity and variation,” are integral to the understanding of folk music. Lyrics change over time. So, instead of being static, or fixed, the music is like a flowing river that can change course at any time (my words, not his). Jeff provides programs for school children, and is well-versed in providing appealing lyrics that children enjoy. Sometimes, he lets kids make up their own lyrics.

We loved his wooden toy in the shape of a human figure that he knew how to make dance.

Jeff Warner with his dancing toy

Jeff Warner with his dancing toy

I also liked his answer to a story told by someone in the audience who stated, in conclusion, that her garnet ring had been stolen and all she has is the memory of it. Without missing a beat, Warner retorted something to this effect: “Isn’t that the most important thing that any of us has … our memories?” That is so true. We cannot keep material goods forever, or even loved ones, but we can hold people and things close, in memory.

One could readily see how much this musician connects with his art and enjoys it. He travels throughout the country, performing and sharing his musical talent and scholarship. We were very lucky to hear this presentation that was sponsored by the New Hampshire Humanities Council. We can always count on that organization to provide quality programs. Many thanks to Jeff Warner for a very fun evening of American music. You can find out more about Jeff on his website where he has music CDs available for sale.

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Tags: ,
Posted in Music | Comments Off

More Irish Music

Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

I am in the mood for Irish music this week so have just posted two more songs: “The Rising of the Moon,” and “Mrs. McGrath.”

You will see that a lot of traditional Irish ballads have “war and turmoil” at their center. It is heartening to know that I come from a sturdy race who were not afraid to stand up for themselves.

When I posted the term “Fighting Irish,” yesterday, Jim had to look that up. He found a number of references including current sports teams, especially the football team at Notre Dame. Other references include the Irish regiments who held back General Robert E. Lee’s forces at one of the major Civil War battles. It is speculated that Lee himself gave them the name, based on their ferocious and brave fighting, no holds barred.

The etymology of words and terms is most interesting and I provide that knowledge, whenever I come across it, as you will see in another of these Irish music files.

If anyone has any photos of Ireland that they can legally share with me, please send them to pat@quiltersmuse.com and I will add them to these music files. I would especially appreciate landscapes, seascapes, and photos of architecture.

Enjoy!

Happy to be Irish,

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Tags:
Posted in Announcements, Civil War, Happy to Be Irish, Music | Comments Off

Irish Songs

Monday, July 20th, 2009

They call the Irish “the Fighting Irish.” There is a reason for that, and if you look at Irish History, you will find that Irish Music is very much linked to oppression by the English, religious disputes, and the rich v. the poor subsistence farmers. The great discrepancy comes between the industrialized North and the agricultural Republic of Ireland.

I grew up viewing the videos on television of school children throwing rocks at other kids of a different religious persuasion. It is clear to understand that hatred in ingrained by parents and passed from generation to generation.

Well, between yesterday and today, I have recorded two Irish songs, “The Ould Orange Flute,” and “The Wearing of the Green.” In both, I do not use an instrument other than my own voice because I want you to hear the words clearly.

I have much more to learn about Ireland but my studies of it so far have been enlightening and grand. Let me remind you of an exhibit of Irish quilts that we saw and photographed for The Quilter magazine a few years ago, when they were shown at the Craftadventures Show in Springfield, Massachusetts, along with many Irish-themed crafts. It was a delight to be able to see what Irish women are making today.

“… and still I’m on my way,”

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Tags: , ,
Posted in Happy to Be Irish, Music | Comments Off

Michael Jackson’s Legacy

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

First of all, let me say that I have never been a fan of Michael Jackson, simply because I was not familiar with his music. The inescapable fact is that he was omnipresent in the media. Unfortunately, stories did not focus on his apparent talent, but rather who his friends were, and the growing number of surgical operations he underwent to change his appearance.

Last night, I watched the “first” of the television coverage (for me). I turned on “Dateline,” in the evening, and saw the review of his memorial service that had happened earlier in the day in Los Angeles. The service featured impressive accolades and tears, big-name stars, and music, as the gold casket covered with red flowers sat at the front of the hall. The whole event was “Michael.” His image was projected, time and again, and I could see why he had so many adoring fans. In his earlier photos, he has an almost effeminate, vulnerable demeanor. One image, an illuminated view of Jackson, strongly resembled Christ on the Cross.

As a youth, he was very cute and very talented. As an adult, he was his own person, with a unique look, a super dance style, and he was a composer as well as a singer.

In spite of his success, he appeared to be a very troubled individual who did not quite like himself. The doctors who operated on him so many times, for no reason at all except his vanity, if the media is to be believed, should be ashamed of themselves. I suppose anyone will do anything, if the price is right, no matter how outrageous. Before our very eyes, he was disfigured in an irreparable manner, and in recent news footage, he looked gaunt and worried, at a trial in which he was acquitted of child molestation charges. Seeing him going to and from the courthouse was like viewing a specter of his former self.

When someone dies, it is true that we often want to forget their problems on earth, in the hope that they have achieved peace in a higher state of existence, namely, heaven. I don’t know if “MJ” believed in heaven. With all of his money, he could not create heaven on earth. Apparently, he could not even create tranquility in his own life, and that is truly sad. For many superstars, the face they show to the world is not a true reflection of their private struggles.

A barrier to being happy is having an addiction to fame and/or money. Once the addiction is in place, there is not enough fame and there is not enough money … ever! Neither of those (gifts?) can save a person from himself. It seemed as though MJ may have been his own worst enemy. If he had realized just how much he was loved, would he be dead, now? There are many questions to be answered. More than anyone else, I am sure his close friends and family hope for some answers, so that they can better accept this loss.

Like Elvis, Michael Jackson died young. That can be a blessing. No one has to see him getting creaky, walking with a cane, or sitting in a wheelchair. The autopsy results are still not in. I would take a wild guess that he was not a victim of anyone else, only himself, and perhaps inadvertently. If fans are mourning, I believe that they are sad to lose the “image” that Michael Jackson presented to the world. His unique talent has been removed from us. In the end, to the casual observer, he seemed to be a tragic figure. If he were 92, would thousands be sad at losing him? Somehow, we always mourn the most those whose young lives are cut short, unexpectedly.

Fame and money are false friends. Like life itself, they will leave you. People only live on through the memories of those left behind, and even that is a fleeting state when those people are no more. Oh yes, buildings and highways are sometimes named for famous people.

No doubt, Michael Jackson was a super star! He has left behind videos, recorded music, and children! I appreciate the fact that he helped to open the door of opportunity for others, by paving the way with his own actions. All of these things comprise his legacy.

Having achieved all that he did, we have to give thanks for his life, but not more so than for any life, even that of a sparrow, for all that live on God’s green earth are special in their own right. Always, when we acknowledge death, we think about what “could have been.”

“Do not stand at my grave and mourn – I am not here …”

Michael Jackson, “Rest in Peace.”

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Tags:
Posted in Music, Musings, News | Comments Off

NH Humanities Council Series Features Eric Bye, Musician

Thursday, June 25th, 2009

Tonight, I learned more about banjos than I would have ever considered possible. Eric Bye of Vermont presented a program about 19th century music, with a focus on banjos. An amazing fact is that later in that century, banjos were made in such a way as to simulate other instruments, and there was the phenomena of “banjo orchestras,” with one banjo sounding like a piccolo; another (called a banjatar) had six strings, like a guitar, etc.; and all banjos were made in different sizes. The banjo went from having four strings to having five strings, over time.

Eric played a minstrel tune called “Circus Jig” to start off the program. With only one song, did he accompany himself with voice, although he has a very pleasant voice! He gave a wonderful overview of banjo music throughout the nineteenth century, and used two banjos, including one that he made himself, throughout the concert. The humidity was affecting his banjos a great deal and causing them to be out of tune, so he would stop and re-tune them.

Eric Bye

Eric Bye, playing the banjo in Bristol, New Hampshire on June 25, 2009

One cannot fully appreciate American music without knowing what was happening at the time. Eric Bye filled in a lot of historical details. He remarked about the number of songs that came out of the Civil War period. He played a song from that era called, “Tenting on the Old Camp Ground,” on a boombox that he’d brought with him. The song, for which the New Hampshire Historical Society possesses an original copy of the sheet music, as seen in a recent exhibit, was written by Walter Kittredge, a New Hampshire resident. The sentimental tune was made famous by the Hutchinson Family Singers of Milford, NH. A live rendition of the song was shared by Steve Blunt, a presenter in this lecture series, whom we had the pleasure to hear a few weeks ago, and about whom we also wrote a blog entry.

The banjo and the fiddle once were considered “the devil’s instruments.” The banjo was mainly used by African-Americans on the plantation before being taken over as a preferred instrument of minstrel shows. The presenter explained that by the end of the century, and beyond, mainly people with money were playing the banjo, quite a transition.

This combination history lesson and concert was fascinating. I will say no more so as not to “give away” the whole program. Suffice it to say that it is understandable why Eric Bye has been invited back to give his presentations since 1990 in Vermont for their Humanities Council programs, and for the last five years in New Hampshire. In his real life work, he is a linguist/translator who is fluent in French, Spanish, and German. He has translated more than 100 books, primarily non-fiction and scientific titles. It appears that he brings a passion to his work and to his “play.”

We certainly enjoyed every part of tonight, except the heat and humidity over which no one had any control. This has been a fun week. We have gone to three of these programs on consecutive nights, and in diverse parts of the state of New Hampshire. We are blessed to live in the Granite State (“where the women are strong, the men are good-looking, and the children are above-average!”). Even though we are pretty selective, we do let Vermonters visit us, now and again!

Thanks to the organizations in Bristol, and the NH Humanities Council, for sponsoring this event. Most of all, thanks to Eric Bye for a wonderful program!

Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Civil War, History, Music | Comments Off

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »