2021 Obit: Lani Herrmann, RIP

Subject: Obit: Lani Hermann, RIP
From: GUEST,babypix
Date: 06 Dec 21 - 06:25 PM

Gentle Colleagues,

In this awful week of folk music deaths, we mustn't overlook our fine friend and elder, Lani Hermann, who died in her home state of Hawaii. She was deeply imbedded into several folk communities, including Chicago, where she and husband, Cal Hermann helped start the Universtiy of Chicago Folk Festival; on the East Coast, and, later, in the San Francisco Bay area. Many of us learned songs and tunes from her. She was a no-nonsense person who openly shared her knowledge.

Subject: RE: 2021 Obit: Lani Herrmann, RIP
From: Joe Offer
Date: 06 Dec 21 - 08:22 PM

It was a delight to know Lani. She was known all over, but especially in the San Francisco Folk Music Club and the Folklore Society of Greater Washington. I understand she did at least some of the music notation for Professor Bronson on The Traditional Tunes of the Child Ballads when she was a graduate student under Bronson (I may be wrong - I see no acknowledgement in Bronson. She also did a lot of work with Gale Huntington on Sam Henry's Songs of the People. She did the musical transcription with an unusual practice - she put the key signature an octave lower on the staff. I asked her why she did this and the got a little defensive, and I never did get a full answer on that. It certainly was interesting, and I still wonder why she did it that way. She certainly was an interesting person, and I feel privileged to have known her.
Here's som4 interesting information about Cal: https://marquistopscientists.com/2019/08/20/cal-herrmann/
Lani and Cal both have Facebook pages, and both have interesting photos from their younger days. I've only known Lani for 25 years. It was interesting to see photos from long before that.
-Joe-

Lani singing "Clementine": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnzFoDEPO1U

Subject: RE: 2021 Obit: Lani Herrmann, RIP
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 07 Dec 21 - 10:37 AM

Lani sounds like my sort of person. Embedded in folk music to the benefit of others. I have added her name to the "In Memoriam" thread and send my condolences to all those who know and love her. Thanks for the youtube clip Joe!
RIP

Subject: RE: 2021 Obit: Lani Herrmann, RIP
From: GUEST,John Moulden
Date: 07 Dec 21 - 02:27 PM

As the third name on the title page of Sam Henry's Songs of the People, may I add my tribute to Lani. She knew what she was doing and she knew why. Most of what she did was out of love of music or of people. She was easy to collaborate with and I think she gave me more credit than was strictly due; a very important and, evidently, well-loved lady.

Subject: RE: 2021 Obit: Lani Herrmann, RIP
From: GUEST,David Engle
Date: 07 Dec 21 - 05:43 PM

I am very sorry to see my friend Lani go. I know she held Bronson in high esteem and worked hard for him. She was also a demon copy-editor, having worked for the U of Chicago Press for a while. Multifaceted? Well, just let me add that she resided in France for a while, and certainly knew about - and played - a good amount of French folk music. I remember spending hours outside some Calif. Folklore Society meeting strolling up and down and comparing notes (not the musical kind) on hurdy gurdies (makers, players, mechanics, French trad, etc. etc.). She had one she always wanted to have fixed, but I suppose she never got around to it: too many other things going on (at least while not also leading the never-ending Monday night Irish jam at the Starry Plough pub in Berkeley). We'll miss her.

Subject: RE: 2021 Obit: Lani Herrmann, RIP
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 08 Dec 21 - 03:40 PM

I "met" Lani back in the late 1990s, thanks to Ballad-L. I always looked forward to her comments on whatever we were discussing at the time.

I don't think she was active on Ballad-L for some time — but so many of our sage folkie elders on the list are no longer with us.

She's decidedly missed.

Linn

Subject: RE: 2021 Obit: Lani Herrmann, RIP
From: GUEST,Duane D.
Date: 09 Dec 21 - 06:11 PM

I had a conversation With Bob Zentz this morning and he told me of Lani's passing. He told me she was a support musician on his Folk Legacy Records LP, "Beaucatcher Farewell," FSI-67(and later reissued as CD-67). I remember Sandy and Caroline Paton telling me Lani had written most of the printed booklets that were included in the album jackets of the Folk Legacy Records LPs. I had the opportunity to meet Lani only once and it was at the first Project-21 Spring Folk Music Festival, 1971, held at Camp Kiamesha in northern New Jersey. (FYI, Project-21 became The Folk Project in 1975, and is still active.)