Let's Talk "Working" Vacation

Merry Mariposa Everybody!  Did you attend?

On the long drive to the festival, I remembered that I haven't written a song for about 4 years.  Frustrated with my musical limits, I'd backed off creating new tunes to focus instead on developing my skills with instruments and maybe trying to add some musical theory to my repertoire... but I was shocked to suddenly realize it had been so long - 4 years?! As I paid for patron parking, I vowed to myself that I would take some quiet moments while assisting at Todd's Musical Zoo to work up a new song on autoharp or dulcimer...

But, despite the fact I took 2 vacation days from work to be at the zoo 4-8 on Friday and 9-6 on Saturday (with even more hours contributed on the Sunday), it turns out I only had time to take photos of instruments I didn’t have time to try!  There was simply an unexpected-to-me ZOO factor of the instrument exhibit because of the volume of visitors -- and I mean that in terms of both how loud  they were and how many folks came through experimenting with so many toys.

I was very, very pleased that Todd got me a backstage meal pass for Sat/Sun as member of the band.  As well as accommodation.

“What do you do?” I remember Eric Andersen asking me, as I babbled in the performer shuttle about the amazing musical zoo. With lots of free artist management/survival suggestions thrown in too… When fellow passenger Steve Addabbo showed up to check out the exhibit? I was really impressed.

It was fun to help people try the stand up bass, which was only 1/4 size and did not have a bow.  I also loved getting more comfortable demo-ing a cello and the 3/4 and 4/4 size violins.  How much rosin did I use up?  The baritone uke was very popular, and was easy for me to keep tuned, like the merlin, dulcimers, acoustic bass guitar and many other guitars and the banjitar.  I had no problem keeping the mandolin family table tuned, and went to the ukulele family table often for comfort ha.

I am much more comfortable tuning a tres and venzuelan cuatro now, although I did not replace any of the broken strings myself... and I also learned the open G tuning of the fretless tin can instrument!

By the next festival I would like to be able to tune the guitalele, charango, bluegrass/tenor/celtic/mini banjos by memory, without looking at my notes.   I also want to research more about the history of Bowed psaltery, and to hear it played properly, so I have a long list of homework!

Maybe I will let you know when and where Todd posts all the pictures he took? Maybe he should be keeping a mailing list, and handing out biz cards of a web address offering them for sale? ha.  I wish he could get more fairly compensated for all the damaged instruments he deals with, in providing this valuable hands-on experience to so, so many!

more homework? Hawaiian lap steel

What I love about this festival is how audience members who grew up attending, attend now not just with their children, but grandchildren, forging strong friendships and a continuing love of all kinds of music - new, traditional and modern, including sub genres of folk music: blues, bluegrass, traditional, singer-songwriter, Celtic, francophone and world.  I also love that it is a plastic bottle free event. 

Despite the audience buzz about a phenomenal group the Jerry Cans, I never did catch them in action.  Because of a bit of a set I did watch, I can't wait to check out Gordie MacKeeman & His Rhythm Boys again at Hillside.  Other favourite acts I was able to check out were the Railsplitters.  And I was pleased to be at the Gordon Lightfoot songs workshop enjoying Tim Chaisson, Turbo Street Funk, Ash & Bloom, Rick Fines and Doug Paisley - when Gordon Lightfoot himself showed up to check out all the covers.  So much great music!

p.s. I was only sorry to miss a show in Toronto for Gordon Shawcross's CD release, and to miss hanging out with him in Guelph!