Studio

I'm headed back to the studio tonight. I'm a bit less blue but I'm still not 100%.
There's song that is stumping me and its making me very, very blue. My favorite songs I have written were not really written but dictated to me from the muse, straight into my brain. I get a line or a chorus and the song just germinates. I repeat the line over and over and over and then suddenly, the remaining words come pouring out. I grab my guitar then paper and pen and catch the song as it is born. If I'm not fast enough, words and lines just disappear back to where they came - into some sort of muse-utopia.
I have had a line/chorus in my head for days and days. I sit with my guitar. I sit with pen and paper. I sit at my computer. I think the muse is on vacation, probably some exotic place that she can't tear herself away from. I miss the muse and wish she'd come back to me.
Until then, I just keep writing words, strumming chords and singing in various keys, hoping the song will grow. This is WORK!
Nonetheless, I recently heard James Taylor talking about a song that took him two years to write. He also said that some of his best just came to him and they were written in less than an hour. At least its not just me.

Rainy Days

I usually don't get blue on rainy days. Its the kind of day to take it a bit easier and relax.
However, today I feel blue. I have too many things going on at once and I have that overwhelming feeling that I'm not doing any of them well. My songs didn't sound good at the studio, my book is not getting finished, my house is still messy and I have lots of paperwork and taxes to finish. To top it all, I can't find time to finish the newsletter and its due out FRIDAY!

So I'm blue. I feel disorganized and overwhelmed. It would be so much nicer to just enjoy the day but I can't channel my brain to work on one thing at once.

Yes, I'm pity-potting. My mother would have said "You better put that pouting lip in or the poop bird will land on it" I'm keeping my eyes open for low flying birds. Poor, poor, pitiful me.

My Own River of Song

I went back into the studio last night to begin work on a second CD. This one will feature songs about the river or at least have a river in them. Tim Kelly came by and we put down four of the tracks on our second collaboration, The River Sings to Me. Those four were three guitar and one vocal. We will add Tim's harmony and harmonica and Dan is working on a piano part. Nick, my grandson, will add bass and his friend, Max, is working on a light drum part.

I have a few more river songs and I will be including more friends on this project. We're recording again at Group Effort Studios with Dan Murphy. We feel very creative there.

Its more fun than Disney World

Music on a Sweet Spring Evening

I called a few friends and asked them to play a few songs at the Oakley Recreation Center. We had played there a few times in years past and we were invited back. Lenny Hall & Linda Callan, Papa Joe Kretschmer, Dan Walz and Fred Steffen were gracious and came out. I did two songs and Greg Pierson from the ORC also did two songs. Someone secretly snapped my photo so I'm adding it to this blog.

It was also the debut of my grandson Nick's band "Coastal Disaster". They were great and impressed us all with their cool demeanor. It took a bottle of beer and a lot of coaxing for me to perform in front of an audience the first time.

Nick, Daniel and Max did two acoustic versions of Nirvana songs and the crowd loved them. We old folkies had a great time, too. As I constantly report in my blogs, we have a generous and very talented music community here in Cincinnati!!!

Happy Earth Day!

I can only suppose that Earth Day was meant to be a birthday-type celebration for our lovely Mother Earth. She was definitely in a party mood on Saturday because we could not have asked for nicer weather.
Our family started the day with a tee-ball and a baseball game with our two youngest grandsons. It was 4 year old Brody's very first game ever. Chase has played for a few years but it was his first game of the season.

After the game I drove to Earth Day at Sawyer Point to once again volunteer in the WNKU Radio booth. Mary, Ken and I poised for Jim, who was really into Earth Day and road his bike the 8 miles to the park. (Hey, I had picnic baskets, chairs and stuff, so don't guilty me!)

Chandra and family came down after the ball games were finished and we visited the many earth friendly exhibits. Of course, mine was the exhibit about towboats!

Jim and I ended the evening playing music at Aromas Java & Gelato Cafe with our wonderful friend, Peg.

Happy Birthday, Mother Earth

My Zoo Tunes Volunteer Hat

I had the pleasure of volunteering at the WNKU booth at the Cincinnati Zoo this evening. Two wonderful bands - The Faux Frenchmen and the Pyschodots - provided the music. The Zoo provided a fabulous backdrop of tulips, crocuses and other spring blooms. The volunteers at our booth promoted the station, handed out fans and magnets and applied neat little tattoos on little arms.

Best of all, many friends stopped by to say hello. Carol, Jan, Julie and many others. It was great to see and hear Rob Fetters, one of my favorite local musicians. His band, the Pyschodots, played songs that I had originally only heard in acoustic, stripped down versions when Rob came to the Leo Coffeehouse.

I was as silly as a schoolgirl when he said he really liked my CD. Positive feedback from a musician who I admire makes the thrill of the project even sweeter.

Happy Easter

What a busy weekend. We listened to music on Friday, played music on Saturday and enjoyed a wonderful Easter on Sunday. Chandra, Justin and the kids came over and Jim and I cooked up a delicious brunch. After we ate, Megan, Chase and Brody stayed to color eggs while Chandra and Justin took the baby home and played Easter Bunny. After the eggs were colored and dry, we walked back to their house for a hunt. Chandra had a great idea of each of the grandkids having a color of their own to search for. That way age gave no advantage to the number of eggs someone could find. Nick got in from his mom's in time to color eggs and then walked with us to Chandra's for the egg hunt. Being the oldest, his eggs were the hardest to locate, especially since Justin did most of the hiding.

Jim and I went back home to bake a ham and potatoes and then we made the long commute (one block) back to Chandra's for a wonderful Easter dinner. We finished the meal with heaping platefuls of strawberry shortcake and then relaxed and watched the movie "Twilight".

Kalee kept herself amused with the wheels on the bus and yes, we sang the song to her as she played. Wait until she learns that her last name begins with "bus".

It was a clear, cool day and the trees and flowers were blooming. We spent it with people we love. What a day to be thankful for!

The Ribbon - Revisited

Driving home a few nights ago, I spotted a towboat with familiar colors. It was the Clyde Butcher of Inland Marine Service. My stepbrother David owns Inland Marine and as you may know from past blogs, our family all worked on his boats. We had been raised on the river and although I didn't continue my life there as my parents and David did, I still feel myself drawn to water. Whether a tiny river in Vermont or the familiar Ohio, I love a drive along the banks flowing water.

When I first spotted the Clyde Butcher I was at Schmidt's Land and she was headed downstream towards Cincinnati. I back tracked to my favorite viewing spot at St. Rose Church on Eastern Avenue. Coming upstream was another boat and they met just in front of me. I watched for awhile, hoping a crew member would come out on deck so I could wave hello. I stayed until she started around the bend to the bridges.

Kentucky Music

We had a pleasant Good Friday, listening to three groups who hail from Kentucky. Tim & Doreen were headed for the Dilly Deli to catch an early fish dinner so we tagged along. We were able to stay long enough to talk to our friends, the Troubadours of Divine Bliss as they started their set. Although they now live in Indiana, they are Kentucky girls.

We drove to Wilder, Kentucky next for a house concert hosted by Roberta & Gary featuring Carla Gover. The concert was opened by Raison D'Etre, one of our most beloved groups singing one of my favorite songs written by Vicky Ellis - "Beautiful River" Carla was up next, joined from time to time by her daughters, Zoe and Maisey. She sang appalachian songs and accompanied herself quite well on guitar, piano and banjo. She's a great claw hammer banjo player and to prove it, she ended her concert with "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" as a banjo tune. It was priceless.

We drove to Covington to catch the last bit of Roger Drawdy and the Firestarters at Molly Malone's. A month or so ago Roger & Katie's house burned down and all they had were the clothes on their back. Thank goodness they escaped unharmed with their lovely baby, Sky. Musicians are good to each other, at least the one's I have met. When there is a need, they rally. Theresa put together a fundraiser and the night was a success. Talking to Katie, it sounds like they are set with all the things they need to replace what was lost.

We are blessed with good friends and 90% of them are musicians. I can't think of a weekend when we can't find somewhere to go and hear a musician we love. Sure beats the days of"there's nothing to do!". Now its a matter of what should be choose! What a lovely problem to have.

My Grandmother Hat

This past weekend I got to be a "normal" grandmother and babysat seven of my eight grandchildren. Two of the boys, Cody and Justin had spent the previous week with us because their spring break was the week before Nick's. They went home on Saturday morning leaving me with five for the next three days. My daughter Chandra and son-in-law Justin had gone to New York for a well-deserved Get Outta Here. Jim and I were with the kids from Saturday morning (early) until Monday evening.

I have to admit I felt my age in the middle of the night when seven month old Kalee would wake up for a bottle. By Sunday night I had the hang of these feedings and we both got sleep.

During the day on Sunday when it was 72 degrees, Jim and I loaded them in the van, we drove through the evil McDonalds and we had a picnic on a park near the river. After we ate we drove to Saywer Point in Cincinnati and spent the afternoon at the playground and walking. We walked a portion of the park and then went on the Purple People Bridge and walked across the river to Newport.

On Monday the weather changed dramatically but we still drove into town to see the Red's Opening Day Parade. We stood in the rain for a few minutes near the parade route but decided the view from my office would be okay. Next there was lunch at the local Skyline then home to warm up and wait for Mom & Dad to get home. The kids were great the entire time I had them.

Jim and I love being "Mimi and Poppi" to our grandsons and granddaughters.

Hair

Watching "Sunday Morning" is one of my favorite things to do on the weekend. I started watching it with my stepdad many years ago when my hero, Charles Kuralt, was the host. I wanted his job my whole life. Traveling, talking, reporting....those have always been some of my favorite activities.

On Today's show they reported that Hair is back on Broadway. Wow! When I was a teenager, I knew every word from every song of that musical and like many other young people, had NO idea of what half the lyrics meant. I auditioned for the spring concert at high school with "Black Boys" but the teacher found it to be too controversial and only did the songs that would be approved by our parents. Good thing they didn't have the record! My heart was broken when someone else got the lead - I was the one who knew the musical, knew the words, knew the story. The girl who sang "Aquarius" had no clue. Boy was I unhappy.

For many years, especially because I couldn't figure out the chords, I sang "Frank Mills" accapella. When Hair came back for a revival, my wonderful husband purchased a box at Music Hall. He and I invited four other friends and the six of us had seats right up near the stage. The cast came out to talk to the audience just before the show and I was able to say hello to the girl who sang Frank Mills in the show. It was a magical night. During the finale my daughter Chandra and our friend, Mary Ann, were up on stage with other brave souls. Believe it or not, in 1991 I was too shy to get up on the stage.

The song Frank Mills also has a lot to do with me performing now. When I joined the Queen City Balladeers and offered to write articles for the newsletters, I met John Giver. He did quirky songs and I asked if he knew Frank Mills. He did...we started performing together...formed a duo called Postage Due...and I fulfilled a crazy dream of being a singer/songwriter. Its these little things in life that built into big things.

I hope I can get to New York to see Hair on Broadways. What a Get Outta Here that would be!

The Beatle Suite

The local news reported that the historic Vernon Manor Hotel would be closing at the end of March. I had never stayed at the grand building but it still held memories for me.
From time to time one of the attorneys in our office would have a celebration luncheon there. He had had his office in the Vernon Manor for many years and he enjoyed stopping back.
However for me the memory involves a weekend in September of 2003. The Queen City Balladeers, a local acoustic organization, was celebrating their 40th anniversary and we brought Jean Ritchie and John McCutcheon to town to perform. We contacted the Vernon Manor to ask about lodging for the artists and met with them to explain our celebration. They wanted to be a part of our event and offered rooms for the artists in exchange for an article in the event brochure. Jean and her husband George stayed at the Vernon Manor and when I picked them up to take them out to dinner George remarked that they had been given the Beatle Suite. Yes, those Beatles. In the early 60’s the Beatles came to Cincinnati and stayed at the Vernon Manor, one of the most prestigious hotels back in the day. The Vernon Manor realized the significance of their stay and kept the corner suite as true to the 1963 room as possible. When I picked up Jean and George the next day they insisted I come inside to check out the rooms. The suite was a step back in time, filled with Beatle photos and memorabilia. George took a photo of Jean and I standing outside the door which was emblazoned with a large star and the words “Beatle Suite”.
Sadly, John McCutcheon’s “people” insisted that he had to be within 20 minutes of the airport and other such nonsense so he spent the night at the Days Inn just outside the airport grounds. He had to endure fast food and a noisy location. I was able to make all the arrangements with directly Jean and thanks to the Vernon Manor she had a lovely visit. We had hoped to put other visiting artists in the Beatle Suite but sadly it is gone.