Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 Oct 98 - 01:06 PM

You're from South Philly, Murray? Gee, all this time I thought you were the quintessential Australian.
Say, Aldus, are you close enough to Halifax that you could drop by the Public Archives of Nova Scotia and post a message in the Canadiana thread about the Helen Creighton Collection?
Andreas, when you're counting Germans, don't forget Wolfgang and Susanne (and Malena, and maybe one or two others) - Germany is fairly well represented, and we are starting to get others from the European Continent in addition to our old-timer Ezio from Italy. We even have a sometime visitor from Russia, and at least one "regular" from Japan. Nobody from Africa or South America that I can think of, though.
Susan-Marie, there may come a time when Max has to clean out the Forum and delete or archive older messages, but we currently have access to every message that has been posted in the Forum since it started 1 October 1997 - just do a Forum Search, and you can come back to this thread any time you like.
Click here for a similar thread that Alice resurrected from a couple of years ago. Click here for yet another thread Alice found. Click here for a thread resurrected by Barbara Shaw, who has a memory almost as long as Alice's.
You will note that even way back in 1997, Bill D. was needling me for my interest in mere pop music. Thanks to him and others, my tastes may have improved.... Then again, maybe my taste hasn't improved, but maybe Bill D. has learned to tolerate me.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: Bill D
Date: 19 Oct 98 - 01:49 PM

I started my folk career in Wichita, Kansas in about 1961-2, and largely avoided the 'pop folk' of those days...(due to one or two people who knew about 'trad')...moved to Washington DC area in 1977 and immersed myself in the FSGW (http://www.fsgw.org/) I am now in Maryland, north of Washington DC. I started playing recorder to avoid singing, but soon took up Autoharp, and a little bit of dulcimer and decided to sing anyway.. :-)) I will never be classed as a serious musician, but I love the company and the people.

(Roger...that WAS Ferrara playing "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" on a Zither at the Getaway gospel songs..she is my wife..)

Jon Bartlett..saw you about 1977 or so at the National Folk Festival near DC ..you did a wonderful parody of "Wraggle Taggle Gypsies" called "The Hippies & the Beatniks-O"... and other great songs...plus an impropteau version of "Thais" with Jon Eberhart under the stands...stopping Helen Schneyer in her tracks!!...It's neat to see you amoung us here at the 'Cat..

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: malena
Date: 19 Oct 98 - 03:02 PM

Imagine everyone from this thread would meet with their instruments and we have a big session... proudly presenting the Mudcat-Big-Band, featuring lots of beginners fiddlers, heaps of 6- and 12-string guitars and tons of bodhrans! I´d just love it!

Susan-Marie, they say the right age for starting violin is about five or six, but it sure is never to early to let her fiddle around...

Ritchie... it´s NEVER too late!!!

Graeme, nice to meet you here, now I know a little bit who you are, let me get you a beer (but a cold one!)

PS: Every new New Englander entering this thread has to pay a donation to the Cafe!

Love you all,

Daniel

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: Alice
Date: 19 Oct 98 - 03:20 PM

Hi, everyone, I had to go to Denver last week, so I missed the start of this thread. Got back at Midnight, and I'm too exhausted to re-type a bio, and decided to copy and paste part of my old one from "Why we gravitate to Mudcat".

Since we are dropping our virtual masks, I can tell you that my full name is Alice Colleen Flynn. I was born in Great Falls, Montana on Dec. 20, 1951, raised in Helena, and have lived in Bozeman since 1970.(Photo at http://www.mcn.net/~acflynn/Alice.html ). Back in 1976 I travelled from Montana to Central America and back in a 1949 Buick, and have a love of El Salvador, where I lived for a couple of months. I like most kinds of music. Irish and American folk music was my early family influence. We wore the grooves off the Clancy Brothers/Tommy Makem records. When I worked at the college FM radio station as a student in the early 70's, I would spin alot of blues, rock, and an eclectic mix of records. Since I have been taking classical voice lessons for the last few years, I developed a taste for singing and listening to Opera. I love to sing anything... but my main repertoire is Irish and Scottish ballads and other folksongs. I studied piano through my childhood, and now have a collection of instruments... guitar, harmonium, lute harp, bodhran, as well as whistles (that I still need to learn) and my grandfather's old violin. My son plays violin, piano, and harmonium, and seems to have a talent to pick up any instrument and play it. I have dabbled in classes of Polynesian dance, flamenco, tango... you can see I like lots of cross-cultural musical/dance styles.

I am a professional illustrator and graphic artist. My website

www.mcn.net/~acflynn/

has more information about me, my folk instruments, singing and our Irish session here, and is illustrated by some of my nature paintings that were created for my clients who manufacture tee-shirts for the tourist souvenir market.

Being the sole support of myself and my 11 year old son, I don't have the time I would like to spend on practicing and performing music. My degree is in fine art, and I have been a professional artist for so long that I am burned out on it... I wish I could just make music and get away from the tedium of the drawing board!

My grandfather was born in County Leitrim, Ireland and came with his parents and brothers and sisters to Tintah, Minnesota, when he was a teenager. They left the wet, poor farm behind in Ireland and started over in the US on a homestead in 1881. They spoke both gaelic and English, but unfortunately, gaelic was not passed on to us. My dad came to Montana in 1916, when he was 14, to work on the railroad along with his older brothers and relatives. My mother was raised on a homestead in Eastern Montana, and was a photographer in the 30's and 40's. My parents, with one of my aunts, were killed in a car accident in 1979. My son and I are pretty much alone in the world, but have a few good friends. We are happy as a family of two.

Montana is a beautiful place to live, 90's in the summer, and down to -20 (f) or lower in the winter. The state is sparsely populated, and is one of the lowest in income. I make money consulting for clients in more prosperous parts of the US. The internet has made it even easier to work from my home.

The Mudcat has been a great way for me to beat the isolation of Montana and the loss of my family. I have met Anne Cooke here, who teaches Gaelic and answered my thread on sean-nos, as well as Alison, who emailed to my son when he broke his leg last spring, (and thanks all of you, who emailed to him with messages) and many others who have contacted me with lyrics and other messages about music. The Mudcat forum has been a great asset. I love you all...

Alice Flynn in Montana

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: Alice
Date: 19 Oct 98 - 04:10 PM

oh, yes... the autoharp! I forgot that one, but Bill D's message reminded me. It is the one instrument I have taken to our old-time session here to play and sing The Cuckoo and Katy Dear.

alice in montana

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: Hank
Date: 19 Oct 98 - 05:02 PM

Well, I'm from Minnesota, and concequently I refuse to discuss the weather. (for those who havn't been to MN in the last five years, the media has taken to 50% weather on all outlets. I can't belive anyone would belive them, they aren't even right when they tell me what I'd see if I looked out the window now more then half the time)

Minnesota is beatiful this time of the year. Just yesterday a flock of sky carp (canadian geese) flew right over our home at treetop level. Not to mention the trees, lakes and rivers.

As for music, people prefer it when I sing tenor (so miles away). Accually when I hit the right notes I have a great tenor voice, but I don't often hit the notes I want. I'm getting better though. I alway play a little keyboard, problem is the only keyboard I have to play is cheep enough that I out play it, and I'm a novice. So I'm thinking about taking up mandolin or something. Any suggestions?

Minnesota was mostly settled by germans, but a signficant number of swedish and norwigions settled here too. That would be fine, but the sweeds and norvigians mostly settled in the same remote village up north. If you know the sweds and norwigians, you can imangine how a norgian girl is gonna feel when she realsies that there is only one elliagble guy her age around, and he is swedish. It made for some interesting marriages, and the results have shaped our culture significantly.

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: Bob Landry
Date: 19 Oct 98 - 05:42 PM

I was born and raised in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and, after spending 12 years in Ottawa and Halifax, settled in St. Albert, Alberta in 1980. We're near to Edmonton, approximately 400 miles north of the US (Montana) border.

My father played his fiddle in the kitchen every Sunday and, as a result, down-east and Cape Breton fiddle music courses through my veins. I learned to accompany him on piano but have given that up completely since one of my pinky fingers was destroyed during a baseball game with a bunch of crazed Boy Scouts.

I now play guitar and howl along with it every chance I get. My tastes are varied ... blues, bluegrass, folk, Celtic, 50's and 60' rock and roll. I usually play rhythm guitar (note - my dictionary defines strumming as "to play the guitar badly") and I try to get together with different people at least once a week for an informal session, usually in somebody's basement. One of my priorities is to play with better musicians than I am ... that's so that this old dog can continue to learn new tricks. These days, I'm concentrating on learning to flat-pick fiddle tunes on the guitar and developing a small repertoire of blues leads. I have never played for money but have played in front of audiences on a number of occasions.

I guess I'm a typical Mudcatter ... a 51 year-old accountant with two boys (18 and 25.) The 18-year-old plays electric & accoustic guitar and sings - he prefers Christian music. The 25-year-old, who will return in a few weeks from a two-year sojourn working in pubs in England (Newcastle and Bristol), wants to play guitar ... he may become more dedicated once he hears what his younger brother accomplished during his absence.

My house is about a five-minute walk from Sheye's who is also an avid Mudcatter ... which reminds me ... it's been much too long, Sheye. I'll call you in a few days about an upcoming jam. The weather here today is sunny and in the low teens (celsius). The leaves are falling down. As opposed to eastern Canada and the US, they're mostly brown and yellow; no reds and golds. The snow we had 10 days ago has long since disappeared but we're bracing for winter.

Bob

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: Jon W.
Date: 19 Oct 98 - 06:32 PM

Not many of us from the American West - Doug in Colorado, Alice in Montana, and me, I'm Jon in Utah. I got into folk music through the blues - starting with blues/rock and working back to the originals like Blind Willie McTell. Then a friend at work introduced me to Irish music through the recordings of Planxty and others. From there I have started listening to other types of folk a little also. I used to play bass guitar, picked up six-string when I got into acoustic blues, later took up tin whistle enough to play the melodies but not the twiddly bits (as Alison calls them) and still later my current obsession, banjo. I play 5-string in a melodic finger oriented style based on a book by Ken Perlman that features mostly Irish & New England fiddle tunes. I have performed very rarely and only in local neighborhood talent show type of things, where I usually do so poorly I embarrass myself. But I keep trying.

I have a wife and seven daughters ages 15 down to 2. Most have more musical talent than I. My wife has sung with choirs and symphonies and majored in music. The weather here (Salt Lake City area) has been nice for a few days, getting cold at nights but fairly warm during the days. The leaves are turning and falling.

I've been visiting the Mudcat almost daily for over a year. Does that qualify as addiction?

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: bassen
Date: 19 Oct 98 - 06:54 PM

Sorry this has acquired epic proportions, I'll never go on at such length again, I swear. Up here on the northwest shoulder of Norway, the low pressure centers have started marching in off the North Atlantic, a sure sign of ensuing winter. The last few days have seen sou'westerly gales slowly abating with the temperature dipping down to about +4 Celsius - the norwegian word for weather report "værvarsel" directly translated means "weather warning" which pretty much sums it all up. Actually I love it, having been raised in the bland weather pablum of sunny southern california.

I'm new to the Mudcat, only been hanging out for a month or two, but music has always been a part of my life. I was born in East LA , grew up various places in So.Cal. My parents sang - old songs and hymns from Norway, my mother played piano, my father played mandolin. Riding in the car (which we seemed to do every weekend, for hours) my sister and I would sing and sing and sing - when we ran out of songs we'd sing theme songs from TV series and then commercial jingles, anything with a melody - anyone else remember the jingle for Eastside Old Tap Lager Beer...?

My interest in folk music came via my sister, 5 years older than me. The Kingston Trio, yeah, but for me more than anything else, the Chad Mitchell Trio and Joan Baez. I got a mandolin for Christmas when I was 14 and learned Barbara Allen from a book. My sister had a 20$ Tijuana guitar, which I quickly took over. I never got into playing rock'n'roll, only folk music, old timey music, whatever. But I love all music, the first two albums I ever bought were the Beach Boys and Leadbelly, NOBODY else in my high school thought Huddie Leadbetter was cool in 1964, I guarantee. The real turning point came after hearing Flatt and Scruggs on the radio - that was music!

I moved to Norway in 1966. Another expat there taught me the fundamentals of ragtime guitar and introduced me to jugband music which has remained a favorite. I spent part of the 70's in France - during the big Celtic revival, Allan Stivell etc. Lots of Fest Noz and pancakes in Montparnasse. Bought a bombarde and learned the fundamentals, spent a summer hitching around the west coast of Ireland and learned a little tin whistle, acquired a reverential admiration for uillean pipes which has never abated.

A certain veneer of responsible adult attitude surfaced during the 80's, I acquired a degree in ethnology and eventually a family. I'm now director of the regional museum in Kristiansund, just south of Trondheim (NOT Kristiansand, another place altogether). I respect and enjoy norwegian folk and traditional music, but my soul does not respond the same way it does to "Rocky road to Dublin" "Reuben James" or "Boodle Am Rag". After about 10 years of dustgathering, I've dragged out guitar, banjo and mandolin and have started playing for my sons and anyone else who'll listen. I never stopped singing.

"Little girls have pretty curls but I like Oreo..."

bassen

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: The Shambles
Date: 19 Oct 98 - 07:59 PM

Talking of commercial jingles I have just seen one for 'The Sisters of Murphy's'!

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: Big Mick
Date: 19 Oct 98 - 10:20 PM

Jon,

Seven daughters??????? And a wife???? I will never again whine about 3 daughters and 2 female cats!! My friend, I want to buy you copious amounts of Guinness sometime, of course I will drink with you, but only to keep you company. :-)) After we are done, you should throw yourself in front of a train to avoid the wedding bills. **grin**

All the best, Mick

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: Helen
Date: 20 Oct 98 - 12:23 AM

Ritchie,

I thought you were talking about my Newcastle, on the east coast of Australia. The description fits with some name changes only - except for references to cold weather - ours is a temperate climate and it doesn't get too hot or too cold here at all.

"The thing about the [Hunter Valley in New South Wales] is that it has so much to offer in as much as it's so near both the country and the coast and Newcastle is a 'buzzing' city... but it's cold and getting colder [no, that's not my Newcastle - just coming into summer now, anyway]...fortunately the people,[......] are generally very warm hearted with a great sense of humour."

Helen

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: Ferrit
Date: 20 Oct 98 - 03:52 AM

Ah well, suppose I'd better contribute - just to show that there are a few more Brits lurking around the cafe.

I live in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, and am yorkshire born and bred! I live in a house full of 'young professionals' - their belongings and my three ferrets - McBeth, McDuff and Shredder (Shrednivashta).

It was raining when I walked into work (Sheffield Hallam University) - but the again, it often does in Sheffield!

I can't play any instrument, and consistently make up for lack of tunefullness in my singing with shear volume, but I spend some of my free time looking for songs to compile into an ever increasing collection, for fellow tuneless Mediaeval re-enactors to murder around the campfire, once all the public have left! Folk, modern - you name it, it's in - including various parodies (Anthem of the Ancient Britons - the song about Woad, to the tune of 'Men of Harlech' - is one fine example!).

Well, better go and earn my crust - look forwards to seeing who else is out there,

TTFN

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: Bill - Scotland
Date: 20 Oct 98 - 04:42 AM

Great thread!!!! Just to let you know that there are "Jocks" out here. I live in Aberdeenshire in the North east of Scotland. I'm actually writing this from an oil rig in the middle of the North Sea and the weather today is nice and bright if a bit cold and windy.
I've been playing guitar for more than twenty years now and have almost reached the novice stage. Mostly folk and traditional music, I'm enjoying playing and singing now more than ever. I write my own songs, often in the Doric language of the area and have started performing them at our folk club and in some of the gigs.
I also play the bodhran, harmonica and have just taken up learning the fiddle.
Greetings to all the Mudcatters from the Wild North Sea.!!
Bill

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: Rincon Roy
Date: 20 Oct 98 - 08:19 AM

Mudcat's one of my favorite places. Even post now and then when the spirit moves me, though can't seem to use the same name more than twice; just too goofy!

Mornings here right now seem pretty cool & chilly to me which would amaze you cold climate folks. Shirt sleeves and hat at noon to keep clear of the sun. Big mountain to the north of me has been visual companion all my life.

So where am I? Tucson,in USA's southwest near border with Mexico. Home of both the International Mariachi Festival & the Tucson Friends of Traditional Music: which makes for a strange cross-cultural milieu...

A friend gave his homemade mountain-style banjo 10 or so years ago & so I mess around on that for pure pleasure; strickly amateur. Also, been playing Eb alto horn in old-time brass band: dress up in 1878 cavalry outfit & play pop music of the 19th century: polkas, quicksteps, schotiches, galops, and whole raft of great old tunes no one has heard in 100 years. (blue wool uniform in July on the desert is "an experience.")

Celtic & folk types pass through every so often; have heard great concerts here, believe it or not. Especially one years ago when most beautiful sounds I ever heard came popping out of the "small pipes" (Northumberland style?) Can't remember the performer, mostly played concertina; any idea who?

Too bad don't have too many spanish speakers reading the forum; a lot of fun music has been made south of the border not far from Tucson...

[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: Ritchie
Date: 20 Oct 98 - 08:47 AM

Rincon Roy, Alistar Anderson is a major exponent of the concertina up here in Northumberland , he was i think a member of the 'High Level Ranters'and he is also well known for his pipe playing you should also check out Kathryn Tickell if you like the sound of the Nortumbrian pipes.

Hope I'm not messing the thread up...sorry.

love and happiness

Ritchie

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: Liam's Brother
Date: 20 Oct 98 - 10:47 AM

Greetings from the heart of New York City where the weather today is probably the best it will be until next May.

I was born in the Midlands of England. My mother is from Co. Kerry and my father was half-Irish. I was raised in England, Ireland, Toronto and New York. We always had folk songs and other Irish national music in our home. My father had a few traditional songs from his grandfather, Patrick McKay, who came from near the far-famed Spancil Hill crossroads in Co. Clare. My grand-uncle, Lot McKay, was an NCO on HMS Victory.

It was not until until 1961 when I returned to NYC from a stint in an English boarding school that I first considered what made the folk songs different from any others. My older brother, Liam, introduced me to a copy of a little 10-inch Robin Hall & Jimmy MacGregor recording of songs from Gavin Greig's "Last Leaves of the Traditional Ballads." It was a revelation.

I sang at South Street Seaport and The Irish Arts Center in the early 1970's. I met Joe Heaney among other fine singers. Later, Margaret Barry stayed with me for 4 or 5 months. I never learned any of Margaret's songs but I learned a lot about life! Some of my favorite singers: Dominic Behan, Ewan MacColl, Peter Bellamy, Frank Harte, Almeda Riddle, Len Graham and Dan McGonagle. I play guitar and the bodhran.

I formed The Flying Cloud with the Co. Longford fiddler Paddy Reynolds and Brian Brooks (later of The House Band) in 1975. We had a number of personnel changes over 3 our years and recorded an LP in 1977. Brian and I started the folk club at The Eagle Tavern and I ran it for 10 years; it continues at The Blarney Star under Don Meade. In the early '80s, I put together a folk song book, "A Bonnie Bunch of Roses," for Oak.

Music became an occupational hazard and I stopped singing altogether for 14 years. Brian Conway, the great All-Ireland champion fiddler, and some of my old buddies from South Street Seaport got me singing again in 1996. That same year, I resurrected some old master tapes which were for an LP I started in 1982 with Lou Killen, Mick Moloney, Andy O'Brien, Billy McComiskey and Brendan Mulvihill. It's been finished as "Irish Ballads & Songs of the Sea" and it will be issued as a Folk-Legacy CD sometime next month. It has some great old standards on it and some totally unknown songs too. William Main Doerflinger very kindly helped me write the notes.

In August, I retired after 30 years in the airline business. I'm trying to avoid taking another full-time job. I've been doing Irish sessions around NYC with Brian Conway and some concerts too. A very talented but totally unknown Irish-American singer, Bob Conroy, and I are working on another theme CD and have put together a touring repetoire. We'll be at the Nomad Festival in CT in a few weeks and we're going to San Francisco, Ireland and England next year.

My "Rip Van Winkle" experience causes me astonishment every day. One of the most pleasant surprises has been DT. What a real treat!

All the best, Dan

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: folk1234
Date: 20 Oct 98 - 11:51 AM

What a great thread weaving through our community to form a wonderfully colorful moasic of people, time, place, and song. My real name is Phil Norton. I came out of the closet (car & shower) in '89 to begin to publicly enjoy and share folk music with others thanks to the support and encouragement of Robt & Susan Kilheffer and Kate McDonald of the Branfrod/New Have, CT area. Barbara Shaw, I attended a couple of house hoots at Dave Green's and we hosted one in North Branford. I don't know if I ever met you, but I hope to do so in the future. I fit the "mudcat mold" pretty well. I'm twice retired (U.S. Marine Infantry Officer, and United Technologies Engineering Manager). We left CT in '91 for Oklahoma, where I now work for OK State Univ in an engineering outreach program assisting small rural manufacturers employ modern engineering and business practices. I've been to Pinewoods 2x, Swanannowa, Augusta, and Winfield 3x; Pinewoods is my favorite and I hope to go again in '99. We have a very active folk music club, the Oklahoma City Traditional Music Association, click here . Please stop by and share a song with us.

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 20 Oct 98 - 12:22 PM

DW, my musical progression was actually more like: (Rock era) Elvis, Fats Domino, Jimmie Bowen, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, Beatles, Stones, Animals, Canned Heat, Cream, Buffalo Springfield, Crosby Stills & Nash, Bonnie Raitt, Little Feat. (Never heard of Clean Living until I married the bass player). (Country & Folk period) Willie Nelson, Moe Bandy, Hank Locklin, Amazing Rhythm Aces, Emmy Lou Harris (Bluegrass & Traditional) Wynn Faye (bless his soul, the one who started many New Englanders down the bluegrass path) and the Field Pickers, Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley, Nashville Bluegrass Band, Del McCoury, Stecher & Brislin, Norman Blake, etc.

I was never a "folkie," and I'm primarily a bluegrasser now, altho I'm currently president (in what was a hotly uncontested race) of a mostly classical music group.

Phil, I don't remember ever going to a house hoot in North Branford, and I thought I'd been to almost all of them for the past hundred years. Lately, they alternate between the Greens and the Shaws. If you left CT in '91, that was before I started playing guitar or fiddle. I used to go to all the hoots and sink into a trance from lack of motion during the "dreary groaners." Nowadays, Frank and I are the ones doing bluegrass duets. The last I heard, Kate McDonnell (GREAT singer-songwriter) was in Maine, after having lived awhile in Washington state. Robert's new wife (Anne) does a folk show on WNHU on Saturdays. Come back and visit sometime!

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: Mo
Date: 20 Oct 98 - 01:58 PM

Another Scot here, Glaswegian born and now living, though in my childhood I lived south of the border (that's England not Mexico-way - sorry Roy!). Though if I wasn't Scottish, I would want to be Nova-Scotian as I have a real fondness for the place.

I play the tin whistle appallingly, but don't let the protests of my neighbours stop me, and occasionally, when in the mood, sing. Like so many others, Mudcat has been a revelation to me! Long may it continue! Cheers, Mo

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: FIDDLER MIKE
Date: 20 Oct 98 - 02:23 PM

Hi from Appalacia My name is Mike Thieken. Don't try to pronounce it unless you know German; Else I will think you're a salesperson. Which is OK if you'r on the Cat.(The hi is silent)

I'm new to the Mudcat (around April) but it's at the top of my bookmarks. I live in southeast Ohio, just inside the boundries of Appalacia. Spent my childhood on a small farm near the Ohio River. One of ten children of a great fiddle player who would let me use his fiddle when I was 6 years old. I doubt I'll ever be as good as him and will probably never make grocery money with my talent, but it's still my first love. Also play Guitar and Mando.

We don't wory about the weather in Ohio cause it will change by tomorrow. Twas sunny and 78 Sunday, the forcast is for high of 40 and snow Thursday. "The leaves are turning and falling in showers of gold."

After spending most of my growing years playing rythem guitar for my Dad. I now play and sing with a wonderfull group "Home Remedy", which as we put it, "are dedicated to the music that celebrates the Joys and Trials of living in Appalacia".

Thanks for being there! Mike T.

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: Martin Ryan
Date: 20 Oct 98 - 03:38 PM

Me? I'm just another ageing Paddy cursed with a good memory. When I was very young, I learned songs from my grandfather and, apparently, drove people demented by singing myself to sleep!In a family with six kids,that wasn't a great idea - even if I was the first born.

As a teenager, growing up in Dublin, I lost all interest in traditional song and became addicted to modern jazz and then Baroque music. Eventually I moved to Athlone in the Irish midlands, where I've been living ever since. Jazz being fairly scarce here at the time (and since!), I started hanging around the local folk club and suddenly got interested in singing again. Been singing and collecting songs ever since.

Athlone is a small town smack in the middle of Ireland with a large (by Irish standards!) lake just to the north. Since I love sailing, its nice I know live within five minutes of the yacht club, in a quiet, beautiful area. We don't sail for the winter - had our last race at the weekend, so its hibernation time again. Actually, much of my leisure time in winter is spent birdwatching by day and singing by night.

Perversely enough, I have lately been listening to jazz again - mainly because, being separated from my wife and with my children grown up, I got rid of the TV and play music instead. Partly as a result of this reawakening, I've ended up presenting a music programme on a local radio station (in Dublin) - in Gaelic.

I don't play an instrument - although my partner (a fiddler and singer) is dropping hints about taking up the concertina! Meanwhile there's still lots of songs out there to be learnt. There's a local Singer Circle (bit like Frank McGraths Nenagh group) and we're about to bring out a CD, on which I sing a track. Its all go, as we say.

Weather? Don't ask!

Regards

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: Alice
Date: 20 Oct 98 - 03:46 PM

Dan (Liam's Brother) I would send you a message through the personal page, but my computer freezes whenever I try to do that. Please start a new thread and tell us more about Joe Heaney and the others. I have one tape of Joe Heaney, and I wish I had only known while he was alive that he was in Seattle, so I could have gone there for a workshop with him. Thanks.

alice in montana

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: Rex Rideout
Date: 20 Oct 98 - 06:55 PM

To help fill out the western U.S. I'm sort of on the southern slope of Mt. Evans west of Denver in Colorado. I play music for fur trade, CW (US) and turn of the century (1900) historic doins. Fiddle and mandolin mostly. My two boys like to play the fiddle too somewhat. I wonder if Doug from Colorado Springs is the one I know. I also play bluegrass and even some folksongs if someone holds me to it. Rex

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Oct 98 - 07:45 PM

Hey, Seed, did you notice how Jon W. doesn't include us Californians in the "American West"? He may be right - Californians sure don't fit the "Western" image most people have.
-Joe Offer, transplanted Midwesterner-

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: Joe Theriault
Date: 20 Oct 98 - 09:05 PM

I have been reading the cat for 9 months ,not because I am into folk music,but because you are all such interesting people I am learning so much by reading your comments .I am even learning how to run this computor. I do play the diatonic accordian .The band is called The Raaticoons..We play Scandinavian dance music. My introduction to music was via a crystal set with head phones back in the 30s. I paid the stagering sum of 50cents for a Honner hormonica and leared how to play it within a week. Shipped out of Portland Me .,where I wa raised ,In 1942 .I was dragging a 120 bass acordion. Music was always a big part of my life,but marriage children and the job put it all on the back burner.But then I retired. I was 60.Played the Bass in a bluegras band .Started to learn the button box at 65 and I have been squeezing ever since.And making money .I call it ." my new carrer" The weather here in the state of Maine Has been unusualy warm .Weather this warm this late in the season makes us Maniacs ,nervous. Peace to you all Joe.

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: Craig
Date: 20 Oct 98 - 09:17 PM

Hay Dudes! It appears to me that I may be the lone Southern Californian. What a bummer. I would sure like to be able to meet all of you. As far as I can tell there aren't to many folk music gatherings in this area. Which is about fourty miles north of San Diego. The Padres and Yankees have just started game three of the World Series. GO PADS. We are having a mild santa ana right now so the weather is quite nice. I attend church here and sing in the choir. In the past few months a group of us at the church have been gathering in the parish hall to sing and listen to folk songs. It'd be nice if we could get something going here. I also sing bass in a group we have here called The San Luis Rey Chorale. We sing in the Mission San Luis Rey a lot, hence the name. We're an ecumenical group and we don't care what you believe in. This season we're performing (along with other music) Malcolm Dalglish's "Star in the East" and it would be great if we could fine someone who plays the Hammer Dulcimer in this area.

Thanks to all of you for being here.Craig

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: Big Mick
Date: 20 Oct 98 - 10:31 PM

Martin, thanks for the lovely thread. While most of the emmigrants in my family came from Galway, my grandmother lived in Athlone. I loved your comments.

Joe T., I absolutely loved your story. What a great part of our community you are.

Keep 'em coming folks. I can't tell you when I have enjoyed a thread more.

Slan go foill,

Mick

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: Jerry Friedman
Date: 20 Oct 98 - 11:21 PM

Orale from El Norte--northern New Mexico, that is, which for our overseas friends is south of most of the U.S. I live in Española, a town of about 8000 people on the Rio Grande between Santa Fe and Taos. The altitude is about 5600 ft (1710 m), and I thought I'd have to fight out the Mudcat altitude title with Jon, but I'll bet Rex has us all beat.

Española celebrated its 400th anniversary this year (quibblers point out that the first Spanish settlement was actually not in the town limits, and that the modern town was founded by the DRG&W (I think) railroad in the 1800s), so this area was the second settled in North America. The local Hispanic folk and pop tradition is different from, but influenced by, the traditions of Mexico and the Anglo U.S. ('Fraid "Anglo" here includes the Irish as well as Jewish Americans like me.) A colleague and one of his students were just speaking in Spanish outside my office. Both are musicians, and a recent highlight of my community-college teaching job was listening to them jam when they should have been doing an electronics lab.

Of course the Native American traditions here are still going too.

I'm 37. I "grew up" in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio, went to college in Princeton (where I overlapped with Susan but didn't know her) and grad school in Urbana, Illinois in physics, and then came out here. I enjoy the mountains, wildlife, and low pollution--BUT DON'T MOVE HERE!

A rare overcast and rainy day. We have four seasons--spring is warm, windy, and dry; summer is hot, starts dry and ends wet; fall is dry and beautiful; and winter sometimes cold and sub-zero (Fahrenheit). But cool rainy days can occur in any season, and so can warm sunny days--in every month of the year, there's been a day when I didn't need a shirt to work in the garden.

No wife, no kids, no pets, no musical performances (except that when I'm visiting my mother in Cleveland I pick out folk and classical tunes on her piano and her guitar). I learn a lot from you folks, and occasionally I get to share what I fondly believe is not useless knowledge.

I'd list my non-Net hobbies, but lately I seem to spend most of my time supervising the construction of our college's solar car.

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: STEPHEN MALONE
Date: 21 Oct 98 - 01:41 AM

Hi All, I've been reading your comments and I really envy those of you that are living in a warm sunny climate. I live in the south of Ireland a place called Blarney and its been raining nonstop all day, its coming down by the bucket full. The one great advantage with bad weather is its a great excuse to go to the local pub in Blarney village for the Trad session tonight.

Regards, Stephen.

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: Ritchie
Date: 21 Oct 98 - 09:39 AM

Ritchie thanks; it was Alistar Anderson!

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: Andrea
Date: 21 Oct 98 - 09:54 AM

My name is Andrea and I write from Torino an industrial city in the NW part of Italy.

Some news about my city, usually unknown by international people.

Torino was the capital of Italy when the country got united (1861). Than the capital mooved in Florence (just for a cupple of years) and then definetly in Rome.

It is a beautiful city of about one million inhabitants, well known to be the HQ of FIAT. The historical center of Torino is very nice and indeed it echoes the grace of an ancient capital.

I discovered this forum 'cos someone suggested me to try to find out here someone to help me in my search of a Lyric of a song by John Renbourn (please have a look on my thread).

Well nicce to meet you and excuse me for my terrible english. Ciao to everyone. Andrea

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: Jon W.
Date: 21 Oct 98 - 11:50 AM

Back again for clarification -

To Joe and Seed, I lived in Sunnyvale, California from age 12 to 23, so I know where CA is. Don't mean to leave you out of the west, but often we here in the isolated hinterland feel, well, isolated from the populous coasts both east and west.

To Jerry - I lived in Vanadium, NM for a year or so before California. It's near Silver City. As far as altitude goes, I'm currently about 4500 feet. But before we moved to Vanadium, we lived in Rico, Colorado, altitude above 8600 feet. My guess is that might even beat Rex.

To Andrea - I spent about 10 months in Torino (1975 & '76). Say "Ciao" to the Mole Antonelliana and the Basilica di Superga for me.

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: Rex Rideout
Date: 21 Oct 98 - 01:23 PM

I guess you asked for it. We live at 9600 ft. Higher than most folks think sensible. Summers are glorious but the thunderstorms get a bit intense. Winters can be tough but the crosscountry skiing is great. I left out the weather report too. It was cold and foggy when I sent the first note. Today it is much warmer and sunny. Haven't had much snow yet. Last year at this time we got four feet at once. My canoe was behind the house and I didn't see it again until I saw one end peeking out in May. I had a closer look and discovered that it was crushed flat to the ground but that's another story.

Rex

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: Alice
Date: 21 Oct 98 - 02:17 PM

Yes, Rex, you probably have all of us beat in elevation. Bozeman is at about 5,000 feet. Since the Rocky Mountain range decreases in elevation as it goes north, the peaks in Colorado are actually higher than Glacier National Park on the Montana/Canada border. It leads to some confusion when people say up or down, depending on whether they mean down South, or downhill. Some people here say they are going 'up to the Park' meaning up the mountain canyon (upstream of the river) to Yellowstone, and others say 'down to the Park' meaning down south of town.

It snowed alot here last week, but I was in Denver, where it was sunny. My son reported that the ground was covered, yet it all melted before he had to shovel the sidewalk. The branches of the rose bushes were all broken when I returned, from the weight of the snow.

alice flynn in montana

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: Bob Schwarer
Date: 21 Oct 98 - 04:23 PM

I guess I had better put in my input before the thread gets too large to load. I was born in Chicago, but grew up in So. Wisconsin (Janesville, where they shut down the GM plant because the night shift decided to stay home and watch the Packers). After doing my thing during the Korean action I used the GI Bill to get my Chem Engineering degree at Univ of Wisconsin in Madison. A semesters tuition was $70 then, but got bumped to $90, I think my Junior year. Kicked around from Illinois to Florida to Louisiana and back to Florida where I am now (Lakeland). Probably will stay here. I see a lot of you live in the High Country. I spent 14 years about 2 feet above sea level in the Louisiana swamps. Great food. The only one with much musical talent in this family is my wife's African Grey parrot. Does a great job with the Colonel Bogey march (Bridge on the River Kwai). Weather here finally dropped out of the 90's a week or so ago Supposed to have a cold front thru tonight to drop temperatures into the 50's; not unusual for the time of year. Kids are all gone from the nest now. Florida, Texas, and we left one in Louisia My wife & I try to do our island a year thing. The gal who was tending bar on Litle Cayman had some John Hurt tapes we played 'til all hours, so you can find your kind of music most anywhere you go.

Bob S.

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: RayBanks
Date: 21 Oct 98 - 07:04 PM

What a wonderful thread this is - some superb clear images of nice people in their natural habitats, and what they get up to for enjoyment. I'm a welshman living in Doncaster in Yorkshire in the north of England. I've always been a folkie, and play banjo, guitar, a little mandoline and blues harp, but I got a bit out of touch over the last twenty-five years because I've been doing a lot of mountaineering, skiing, rock climbing and occasional kayaking with my wife all over the UK, the alps, and bits in the Andes and the Rockies. Very few climbers are the least bit musical. However in Easter '97 I skied over a small cliff in Austria and knackered my left knee, which has slowed me up somewhat. To ease the boredom I got my banjo out and dusted it, and am learning lots of American old time clawhammer tunes. I've found (via the net) a superb old time session every sunday night in a pub in York, with a lot of very good musicians. I've also joined the Friends of American Old-Time Music And Dance, a superb old-time club. Its really reminded me of the fun I used to have back in the sixties, in the folk clubs and sessions we used to have all the time. I am now looking for a really nice open back banjo, so if anyone out there wants to sell one, I could be interested. Cheers Ray

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: The Shambles
Date: 21 Oct 98 - 08:00 PM

Hey Ray you are so right about the images this thead turns up. I got one now of poor old you, stuck on a mountain with your busted knee, sitting in the snow, playing your banjo.

Nice to hear from you all.

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: The Shambles
Date: 21 Oct 98 - 08:03 PM

Ray That didn't read how I wanted it too. I am sorry about your knee.

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: Pete M
Date: 21 Oct 98 - 09:12 PM

Hi Ray,
funny you comment about climbers not being musical, I (mis)spent a lot of my youth climbing and singing with my mates, and I always thought of them going together. Could depend on your idea of "musical" of course! Mind you, that was in the "good old days" when you had to shove bits of rotting sheep of holds and we "trained" in the pub. And tended to get re-arranged if you fell off! I read some time ago where "top" climber visiting the UK had refused to do a fairly easy (by their standards) route because it was too dangerous! How times change. I re-arranged my leg fairly thoroughly, winter climbing in the Lakes, and what with one thing and another haven't done much for years. My youngest (20) son is showing some interest now though, so perhaps he can be persuaded to drag me up a few routes.

Pete M

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: Shanna Baldwin-Moore
Date: 21 Oct 98 - 09:47 PM

Hi I live in Kona Hawaii So happy I found you; I appreciate getting the words to all those old good songs, so we can sit on the front porch and play and sing all night all day, ALOHA I am on Icq as the "winemaker"

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: Art Thieme
Date: 21 Oct 98 - 11:39 PM

Was born and raised in Chicago, but then I moved to Illinois! (Peru, Illinois---100 miles S.W.)

Have always been a part of the Chicago folk scene--even when we lived in Oregon (Depoe Bay) back in 67-68. Opened a shop there---THE FOLK ART SHOP. Went broke there---but had a ball doing it. Traveled the first 3 years Carol and I were married. Camped out & sang wherever I could--just about every state in the U.S. As my dad died young, I always thought of it as "retiring first". Glad I dit it; climbed those mountains when I had the energy to do it. Can't do it any more.

Went back to Chicago. Played gigs--37 years at the NO EXIT COFFEEHOUSE. 10 singin' on the Misssissippi River.Got a degree; am a graduate of the University Of The Open Road. Now I stay in touch via this new-fangled computer thing and I meet new folks via Mudcat. As Robert Earl said one grand day on my old Flea Market (NPR) radio show, "The road goes on forever, and the party never ends!!"

Love to all,

Art
Lou K., It's great to see ya signin' in here !!! Good to have your e-mail. I'm at [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: Sheye
Date: 21 Oct 98 - 11:59 PM

Hi Y'all!

Born, bred, and raised (wrong order??) in Northern Alberta and am now calling St. Albert home. 33 with two tag-a-longs (6 & 9) and a goal to travel the world.

Bob - yes, it's been way too long. How ya doin, mate? BTW, I've moved...living in the "L"s now, same phone tho'.

Somebody looking for the weather? I just got back from San Antonio about six hours ago. Spent most of last week in the flood. Much of the city was declared a national disaster. If you've got kin/friends calling that part of Texas home, ring 'em up and let them know you're thoughts are with them. It's WET!!

Sheye

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: The Shambles
Date: 22 Oct 98 - 04:05 AM

Sometimes the weather's not such a funny subject is it? My thoughts go out to anybody having serious problems with it.

Hey Art! How come someone from 'The Windy City' don't tell us nothing about the weather? (I'm beginning to sound more American by the day!)

Not too concerned about that really but, I and I'm sure a lot of us would be interested to hear more about your days/nights spent being able to see "Muddy on Monday, Wolf on Tuesday" etc. You did briefly mention it in an earlier thread, would you please tell us more?

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: Ritchie
Date: 22 Oct 98 - 07:37 AM

Ah don't mention it , you're welcome.

love and happiness

from the real Ritchie

But now that I'm on.... tell me Barbara, married to the Bass player ????? Did that mean ...(Mrs Estrada) or have I mis understood it ? Little Feat were the best band I ever saw and if you did marry Roy ,I know why...what a mover.

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: Wolfgang Hell
Date: 22 Oct 98 - 08:15 AM

I'm Wolfgang Hell from Münster, Germany, researcher and teacher at Münster University, but since a couple of months and for several more I'm the main caretaker for our 1 year old daughter (don't jump to the wrong conclusion that having such a young daughter makes me younger than the average mudcatter).
I was hooked to folk music when coming to Ireland and returning there for vacation more often than to any other country. (Perhaps it only started since the first girl that ever kissed me came from sweet Strabane). I played for some time in a not known German-Irish folk group. Now I'm collecting lyrics, background information on songs and recordings. My personal collection of lyrics is still larger than Mudcat's but I hope that changes in a couple of years. It took me some years to find out that (in the order of encountering not of today's preference) Scottish, Australian, American, Canadian and English folk music can sometimes even be as good as the Irish, when it comes to songs. But as for a Ceilidh, I see no rival for the Irish yet.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 22 Oct 98 - 08:55 AM

Ritchie, the bass player in the band Clean Living. (He can move, too!)

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: Rincon Roy
Date: 22 Oct 98 - 09:04 AM

Ritchie, not trying to impersonate you, just got confused pasting in name; didn't notice error till signed on this morning. If I had half a brain, I'd be dangerous...

Alasdair Fraser & Skydance are playing here in Tucson tonight & we have to "lead" some gathering & can't go hear 'em. Bummer!

Also, the whole world seems represented in this thread. Surely I'm not the only Arizona denizen to haunt these hallowed halls! Step up and say Howdy. If you're from Phoenix, my condolences...

One of my favorite songs has the chorus, "see how the land, yields up her treasures, to man's patient hands." (lyric somewhat hard on the emotions, but fun to hear litany of place names from Fresno on up since have had relatives (raisin ranchers) who spoke of all those places.)

Best spontaneous folk experience I ever had happened years ago when I was camped with my folks overlooking broad beach and calm ocean near "Rocky Point" in 'Ol Mexico. It was dusk. we were all sitting around a campfire. Two local musicos were making the rounds of the camps and finally dropped by our spot. One was blind,(any one out there remember these guys?) both sang & played very nice guitar. Well, we asked them if they'd be willing to play the quintessential Mexican love song, "Malaguena Salerosa." Maybe they were just tired of the typical tourist "Spanish Eyes" requests, or maybe they just really loved the song like most of us do, but they swelled up and burst out with the most emotional, heart-felt rendition I have ever heard. We just sat there stunned. What a moment!

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: sbook
Date: 22 Oct 98 - 03:55 PM

Hi all I'm from Denmark, and to tell you the true. The weather has been so bad for so long that I can hardly remember what sunshine looks like. Rain rain rain. I'm a school teacher (not on English, don't worry) main subject is music. I play guitar (not great but.....) but quit at good singer. I'm 42 and my husband and I run a pub and a booking agency. During the years we've met several musicians from all places and made some very good friends. Mostly Scottish musicians. Love to se so many of you out there. Anyway, this is a great site. I've already got one of the texts that I've been looking for for years. Thank you.

Annette

Subject: RE: Mudcat (THE WORLD)Let us know where you are.
From: Barbara
Date: 22 Oct 98 - 07:31 PM

Here's my stone to tie on the end of this string.
Songs stick to me like I was the hooked half of a piece of velcro. Twice in the grocery store and I'm absentmindedly singing what they've got on their Muzak. (Two years of that same tape and I'm looking for the manager with my chainsaw.)
I can't remember a time without music. I went to sleep hearing the grownups in the next room singing; Mom singing the alto and playing the pump organ, Grandpa on his home made one string fiddle, Grandma's voice high and quavery, aunts, uncles, everyone singing. "Home on The Range" "Tenting Tonight" "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms" "Whispering Hope" with Dad doing the bass counterpoint.
We sang when we hiked (Happy Wanderer). When we drove (I've got Tuppence)(Out the Second Story Window) (Seventy Eight Bottles of... Would you kids like an ice cream? There's a DQ just ahead on the right.)
I'm fifty, I live on a 60 acre farm in NW Oregon, rolling hills, white oak and douglas fir woods, creek, pond, and meadows, and where the weather is just gorgeous today, crisp, sunny leaf- raking weather, Indian summer, temp in the 60s.(F)
Domestic stock includes me, my SO Mark, daughter Linnet, Arabian mare, border collie, three cats,(eww, a woodrat. Get that out of here) five goldfish, two gerbils and a rat. Wild stock includes great horned owls, deer, fox, canada geese, great blue herons, quail, ducks, coyotes, and lots of songbirds. We have orchards (mostly heirloom apples), gardens and raise grass seed commercially, like a lot of western Oregon farmers (achoo!).
Recently I've found some folks in Portland who let me sing pub songs with them in the Widmer Brewery and Pub, and I am ecstatic. My life is now complete.
As some already may know, I post from my studio, separate from the house, where I also sew (costumes mostly), play guitar and whistle, make clay gargoyles, and spend far too much time at Mudcat.
Blessings,
Barbara