Maritime music sessions in Buffalo NY

Subject: Maritime music sessions in Buffalo NY
From: Dave Ruch
Date: 27 Jul 10 - 07:27 AM

Buffalo's maritime heritage has been ignored long enough!

At one time, Buffalo (at the confluence of the Erie Canal and the Great Lakes) was known as the most roaring port in the country - - some said in the world - - with more immigrants passing through on their way west than would be handled at Ellis Island in a typical year! Lumber, grain, steel, coal, farm products, furniture, you name it - they all helped to make Buffalo the second wealthiest city in the country at the turn of the 20th century, and the fourth largest port in the world.

Thanks to Buffalo Place Inc and the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp, we will be holding two informal maritime music sessions at the newly refurbished Central Wharf area of the Erie Canal Harbor in downtown Buffalo.

The dates are Saturday, August 21 and Saturday, August 28, from roughly 6pm-7:45pm or so. Each gathering will be followed at 8pm by a short "how-to" session (learn to play spoons on 8/21, hambone on 8/28).

I have some canal songs and a few things from the Great Lakes to contribute, but we could sure use some help...come join us if you can and bring a maritime flavored song or two, a chantey, a forebitter or a fiddle tune.

Glad to give more complete directions, etc by PM or on this thread for any who might be able to make it!

Subject: RE: Maritime music sessions in Buffalo NY
From: sian, west wales
Date: 27 Jul 10 - 08:12 AM

I'd love to come, but it's a bit far.

I'm from Port Colborne originally so will be interested if you come up with any 'local' songs. I've found a couple mentioning Gravelly Bay and Port C in "Windjammers: Songs of the Great Lakes Sailors".

sian

Subject: RE: Maritime music sessions in Buffalo NY
From: Dave Ruch
Date: 27 Jul 10 - 08:55 AM

Sian,

Was Joey's pizza around when you were in Port Colborne?

I'll certainly let you know if anyone brings anything forth from the Welland Canal, etc. The "Windjammers" book has been my best resource for this stuff as well. Have you seen the follow-up book, called "Songquest" I believe? Notes from Walton's collecting trips around the lakes. Great stuff.

Subject: RE: Maritime music sessions in Buffalo NY
From: sian, west wales
Date: 27 Jul 10 - 12:24 PM

I think Joey's arrived after I went to University and ... is now departed? (And you enquire for why?)

Didn't know about the sequel but I've been quizzing my mother's cronies re: the two Port C informants in Windjammers. It might be worth getting in touch with the Port museum; they might have something, or maybe some of the informants' other papers. I have two of the museum's publications on the early settlement of the area and note that one homesteader had his home burned down by them pesky Americans in the 1812-14 War; in making a compensation claim, he listed having lost a fiddle and a flute. Before reading these books, it had never really struck me how germanic the early settler group was - Mennonites, Lutherans, etc. I suppose that would have had some bearing on the repertoire of the time.

You should get in touch with Art Thieme; he knows a lot of sailor-connected songs.

sian

Subject: RE: Maritime music sessions in Buffalo NY
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 27 Jul 10 - 02:36 PM

I know there are a lot of great canal songs and I hope in the future you can have special workshops to collect them etc. mg

Subject: RE: Maritime music sessions in Buffalo NY
From: Charley Noble
Date: 27 Jul 10 - 05:04 PM

refresh

Subject: RE: Maritime music sessions in Buffalo NY
From: Dave Ruch
Date: 28 Jul 10 - 07:31 AM

Sian,

I spent my summers as a kid at Silver Bay, between Crystal Beach and Port Colborne, and remember many trips in to "Port" for Joey's Pizza. Not sure if it's still there or not.

GUEST,mg, not sure where you are located but we do have workshops and concerts of canal songs occasionally. Let me know if you're anywhere nearby.

Subject: RE: Maritime music sessions in Buffalo NY
From: sian, west wales
Date: 28 Jul 10 - 08:14 AM

Ah, Cedar Bay was 'our' beach.

You'd probably enjoy that Port Museum book on the Sugarloaf Settlement; lots of maps of the early settlers' claims and accounts of the to'ing and fro'ing across the border (friendly and otherwise). One interesting factoid was that some of the Mennonites set up whisky stills to supply the militia and army during the 1812-1814 war.

I hear that the USA side of the border is suggesting some joint celebrations come 2012 (dunno why cuz we whupped yer collective butts) so a group doing historical song might have something to work towards ...

sian

Subject: RE: Maritime music sessions in Buffalo NY
From: sciencegeek
Date: 28 Jul 10 - 08:46 AM

sounds great.... and a whole lot closer than Mystic - LOL.

Mike & I will give it a try... how's parking?

Mike's mom grew up in Buffalo... near Cheektowaga.

Subject: RE: Maritime music sessions in Buffalo NY
From: sciencegeek
Date: 28 Jul 10 - 08:54 AM

techno klutz found the site for the wharf

http://www.buffalowaterfront.com/2010_Erie_Canal_Harbor_Summer_Events.php

but clicky thingum not working - at least it won't add to the post

Subject: RE: Maritime music sessions in Buffalo NY
From: maeve
Date: 28 Jul 10 - 09:09 AM

http://www.buffalowaterfront.com/2010_Erie_Canal_Harbor_Summer_Events.php

Subject: RE: Maritime music sessions in Buffalo NY
From: olddude
Date: 28 Jul 10 - 10:36 AM

Dave
Pretty close to me, want me to do some songs? 21st would work but not the 28th as I have family coming
DAn

Subject: RE: Maritime music sessions in Buffalo NY
From: sciencegeek
Date: 28 Jul 10 - 10:49 AM

thanks, maeve....   tried twice & failed to get it right... sigh

Mike & I can lend our voices to the cause.... like we need an excuse to belt out a shanty or two. LOL

Subject: RE: Maritime music sessions in Buffalo NY
From: Dave Ruch
Date: 28 Jul 10 - 12:34 PM

sciencegeek, olddude, maeve(?),

All are welcome! It would be great to have you on either date. These will be very informal sessions, akin to an Irish music session in a pub (except there's no beer down there). ;(

These will be held (weather permitting) outdoors at the Erie Canal Harbor. Just a bunch of chairs, no PA, no formal performing. We'll just go around in a circle with everyone in turn playing and/or singing something, and the others joining in where appropriate (or not).

Subject: RE: Maritime music sessions in Buffalo NY
From: sciencegeek
Date: 28 Jul 10 - 01:02 PM

sounds great - like an after hours shanty sing at Mystic... sans the beer.

And at a far more reasonable time of day (night).... what do you call it when the last one out greets the rising sun???????? LOL

Subject: RE: Maritime music sessions in Buffalo NY
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 28 Jul 10 - 02:54 PM

You won't believe what I just got in the mail from a second cousin...a book almost about members of my illustrious famiy...we would not have known about it because it was actually under the name of another family.. was in the library of the Fayette County Iowa Hisorical Society..

And it goes in some detail about building the Erie Canal. And the Ohio Canal...

I can make some PDF exerpts but it probably should not be posted on internet etc. without permission..I don't know the people who wrote it but some of it is by another second cousin and probably a third cousin.

I had no idea until a couple of years ago about any of this...mg

Subject: RE: Maritime music sessions in Buffalo NY
From: DonMeixner
Date: 28 Jul 10 - 03:05 PM

Hi Dave,

I think I'm doing a canal event one of those days myself. I'll be by if I can get there in time for either one of them.

Don

Subject: RE: Maritime music sessions in Buffalo NY
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 28 Jul 10 - 03:06 PM

I would be very interested but I live on the opposite side of the country. I do have an interest in canal songs...

When you have an assembly of them, could you record for you-tube..? A number are already on you tube.

Incredibly hard work of course. And some of the greatest tragedies are digging the canals in the south, where they dropped like flies from disease. mg

Subject: RE: Maritime music sessions in Buffalo NY
From: maeve
Date: 28 Jul 10 - 03:08 PM

It sounds like good fun, Dave. I regret it's not possible for me to take part.

maeve

Subject: RE: Maritime music sessions in Buffalo NY
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 28 Jul 10 - 03:19 PM

http://www.lib.niu.edu/2009/iht09160202.html

Here is about the Illinois canal

Subject: RE: Maritime music sessions in Buffalo NY
From: Beer
Date: 28 Jul 10 - 10:01 PM

Dave,
Can't make it but I sure hope you have the weather and a great crowd.
I have a great song that I found on You Tube that I wish to share as I feel it well represents all the Great Lakes.
My dad was a Maritime fisherman and at a very young age I went out to sea with him. Of course not realizing the dangers. But the Great Lakes have all the dangers of our great oceans and seas. In fact an instant change in the weather can create situations which are just as dangerous. I believe that this particular song sums up the perils of the Great Lake Fishermen.
Adrien
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZ35-qoBOTk

Subject: RE: Maritime music sessions in Buffalo NY
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 29 Jul 10 - 12:23 AM

That is very beautiful. mg

Subject: RE: Maritime music sessions in Buffalo NY
From: sciencegeek
Date: 29 Jul 10 - 06:32 AM

techno klutz returns :D

there are a lot of resources here in western NY for canal info

info site about the Erie canal

and some folks who have a wealth of songs include George Ward, Lee Murdock and Dick Swain. The Dady Brothers, Joe & John, of Rochester have put out a cd entirely of canal songs that's well worth the listen.

Last summer, at the small township of West Sparta - as close to the middle of nowhere as any- they had a one day celebration that included a very nice presentation about the canal system and the smaller feeder canals of the area.

Subject: RE: Maritime music sessions in Buffalo NY
From: sciencegeek
Date: 12 Aug 10 - 09:18 AM

the first session is coming up soon -

and there was an interesting article in the Buffalo paper about young students learning to build small boats at the maritime center -reminds me of the activites at Mystic Seaport, keeping as many traditions alive as possible.

I'm going to pester the hubby to practice his song he wrote about the "turtlebacks" that have fished on Lake Erie for generations. He used to see them at Barcelona harbor when he was a kid.

Subject: RE: Maritime music sessions in Buffalo NY
From: Dave Ruch
Date: 13 Aug 10 - 08:04 AM

I'm looking forward to it.

Nice article here: http://www.buffalorising.com/2010/08/maritime-music-sessions-the-central-wharf.html#SlideFrame_0

Subject: RE: Maritime music sessions in Buffalo NY
From: Charley Noble
Date: 13 Aug 10 - 12:08 PM

Best of luck for a great turnout!

"I scarcely think we'll get another drink till we get to Buffalo-o-oh!"

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Maritime music sessions in Buffalo NY
From: sciencegeek
Date: 19 Aug 10 - 10:33 AM

well... there is some singing tonight and then tomorrow & Sunday.

Dave, can you offer some advise on the best route to take to get a good parking spot...?

Subject: RE: Maritime music sessions in Buffalo NY
From: Dave Ruch
Date: 19 Aug 10 - 12:38 PM

Hmmm....we'll, it sounds like you know roughly where you're going to get to the site?

Once you get there, there's on-street parking, and if all else fails, it's ok (per Buffalo Place, the sponsor of the event) to pull your car onto the cobblestone walkway just before the bridge that takes you across the canal slip. You'll see my silver Prius there after 5:30, and if anyone questions you, tell them you are one of the "performers" (we know it's not a performance, but those subtleties are mostly lost on the folks that work down there).

Subject: RE: Maritime music sessions in Buffalo NY
From: sciencegeek
Date: 19 Aug 10 - 02:04 PM

actually, we haven't been to the Sullivan in 30 years - so expect the area to have changed a bit.

Also, I get 111 Erie St as the address of the Central Wharf - which I thought was nearby to the naval museum, but not if it's on Erie St.

Subject: RE: Maritime music sessions in Buffalo NY
From: Dave Ruch
Date: 20 Aug 10 - 09:48 AM

Nice "splash" here
from today's Buffalo News.

Sciencegeek, there are maps and directions here

Looking forward to seeing everyone!

Subject: RE: Maritime music sessions in Buffalo NY
From: sciencegeek
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 09:15 AM

So... how did it go this past Saturday.... no torrential rains like we got the previous weekend.

Good luck getting a regularly scheduled session started.

Subject: RE: Maritime music sessions in Buffalo NY
From: Dave Ruch
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 09:37 AM

It went, sciencegeek. We had a similarly sized group but completely different cast of characters from the week before. Nobody with any real maritime music experience, but that's kind of the point in starting this.

I'm wondering now if more of a "study group" concept might be nice for the fall and winter, i.e., let's come together once a month, or once every couple of weeks, with the Walton book (Windjammers: Songs of the Great Lakes Sailors) and learn some of the chanteys and other things in there as a group. Open to ideas....

Subject: RE: Maritime music sessions in Buffalo NY
From: sciencegeek
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 10:30 AM

That might well work...

we're doing a shanty workshop at the Golden Link festival the weekend after labor Day, so I've tried to make copies of some easy & better known shanties to get folks to participate. over the years, I've found that shanty workshops are always popular... if folks know about them in time.

If you can schedule them in the afternoon for a 2-3 hour stretch, that should give enough time to go over a few songs and folks can be encouraged to bring something to record themselves with... if you go "Arrrrgh", you can sing a shanty... LOL.

PM me with any updates, thanks    Chris