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You and Your 'Folkbabies'
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Subject: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: wysiwyg Date: 17 Mar 01 - 10:55 AM This has been a long time coming but I have to credit Sinsull for pushing me over the edge. And little Katarina who I wrote about last night in the GREAT SPECKELD BIRD thread. And Bernard for sharing an ultrasound picture of his little Crom. (And dear, dear Wes and Bretta. Here I am starting this on St. PATRICK's day.) I dreamed all night of babies... babies on our laps, babes in arms as we sing, newborns coming into the world knowing the old songs because they've been sung to, prebirth.... babies everywhere... babies sung into being... And I think we all have had, or have now, or will have, some folkbabies. The littlest ones who may grow up not recalling how the music got into their souls, but who will know that it surely did... Like a godchild, FOLKBABIES. It might be your child, your neighbor's child, your grandchild, littlest ones in schools... but look around. Do you have some folkbabies? Will you tell me all about your folkbabies, and what memories they may carry forward as a result of your music? ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: Geoff the Duck Date: 17 Mar 01 - 01:29 PM Our little Folkbabies, Molly and Rowan are now 19 months old and happily wrecking the place. Both Molly and Rowan dance happily either to things on the television, or just for the fun of it. Molly walks around on "points" just like a barrelina without any prompting from us at all. Rowan always joins in with a song and dance which starts a UK television programme, Beachcomber Bay, waving his arms along in time with Salty Dog. They are, of course old hands at music sessions and singarounds, going to their first music session at four days old and their first Whitby Folk Week at two weeks. The only time they cried in a session was when the music stopped. I expect that Mrs. Duck will also have memories and comments to add to this thread once she has had a chance to think about it. Quack!!! Geoff the Duck. |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: Hawker Date: 17 Mar 01 - 01:42 PM My Folkbabies are now folkgirlies! but when they were tiny we took them to every gig we did, in a travel cot, and they would sleep right through the performance at the back of the stage. Amber, now 6 is learning the violin ans sings pretty well for a 6 year old, Tamsyn, now 10 is brilliant at remembering tunes and has an excellent ear to music, she can play loads of tunes on the piano and this prompted us to buy her a piano accordion, which she loves. She is a really lovely singer, with a good powerful voice. what amazes me most about them is that they can remember all the words to loads of traditional songs - must be 'co they hear them daily from conception to present day! How lucky I am! Lucy |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: SINSULL Date: 17 Mar 01 - 08:20 PM I don't know what I did but I am glad I did it. For a few months now I have been having the same dream night after night. My sisters-in-law, my nieces, and I are all pregnant and all give birth to sets of twins on the same day in the same hospital. Except for one niece who has six at once (one is sickly). Talk about babies everywhere. I have been practising lullabies and children's songs to share with my great niece and nephew. There's another due in July. Lots of babies! And maybe when all the pieces come together, I will have grandchildren too. Stranger things have been known to happen. |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: Matt_R Date: 17 Mar 01 - 08:27 PM None here! |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: John Routledge Date: 17 Mar 01 - 08:34 PM Lucy - Lovely situation. We couldn't have children and for the first time ever I am jealous of someone with kids! Take care of them. John |
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Subject: ADD: Kid Hauling Shanty From: Barbara Date: 17 Mar 01 - 09:55 PM KID HAULING SHANTY (Dorothy Attneave c 1998)
It's three in the morning and the songs are all sung
In the corner on a blanket, under coats on a chair
I hauled 'em last time, turn and turn about
They had songs in their ears as they drifted away
I can't believe we sang till a quarter to three
My back's out honey, don't know what I did --
I hope some day when by babies are grown
It's three in the morning and the songs are all sung |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: wysiwyg Date: 17 Mar 01 - 10:05 PM Aw! All of you! Aw!! ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: GUEST,Noreen Date: 17 Mar 01 - 10:09 PM Lovely, Barbara. |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: Jande Date: 17 Mar 01 - 10:19 PM My folkbaby is now 22-years old! From th eday of her conception I had a guitar on my lap and sang all my own songs to her, and songs like the HOuse of the rising sun and Oh, sinnerman, where ya gonna run toooo! I hav e the sweetest picture of her sprawled on the couch at the ripe age of eight months old, round belly exposed, mouth open wide in song as she strummed away cacaphonically (if I may use the term) on my guitar. In the the photo she has two heads, because the cat chose that moment to leap in through the window behind her, and she turned her head startled but still singing away her own song. Now she ia a fabulous musician. Singer, songwriter, composer, and can play any instrument she lays her hands on, though I love best to hear her playing the keyboard and singing. I have missed her since I moved down here to NY, but now we chat on YM, it's not so bad. And now I have the honour of showing a few things to another folkbaby. An eleven-year old (daughter of my new partner) who's taste in music previously ran to Pokemon tunes. Since I started putting my songs on MP3.com, she's become interested in folk music, and has even shown herself to be quite the drummer. And I'm a lot happier for her interest. ~ Jande (Seanna Rowe)
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: wysiwyg Date: 18 Mar 01 - 10:17 AM Makes me want to go find more of them to be my folkbaby. I think Hardi found one-- 20-ish, shy, pony-tailed young feller lookin' at violins, palms all itchy-- saying little, looking much. "But I can't read music, I can't afford lessons...." We grin. Hardi tells him how he's all self-taught, slips him a phone number.... hee boy! Maybe little Justice, too, he's another babybaby. Hmmm... more folkbabies.... ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: Willie-O Date: 18 Mar 01 - 11:12 AM My daughter, now 14, has been spotty in her interest in playing--started guitar for awhile, switched to flute at school, but a few months ago she decided to try guitar again. She's always liked to sing and has had remarkable tastes--her big faves are Ella Fitzgerald and Tom Waits! Last week I got an e-mail from her while at work, just reminding me that I promised to show her the chords to "Hobo's Lullabye". So I did...and it helps keep her interested, that I let her play my Martin O-18, now that she's old enough to show it proper care. Sure looks good on her...guess I'll have to keep that guitar. (Darn) Right now she's in France with her mom and grandmother, expanding their horizons for a few weeks... ...While me and the young lad are home batching it. I've always felt guilty about not getting them into more formal lessons, but being surrounded by the music makes it a natural part of their lives, I think that's the most important thing. Willie-O
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: Geoff the Duck Date: 18 Mar 01 - 04:56 PM The "KID HAULING SHANTY" is wonderful - is there a tune to go with it anywhere? Quack GtD |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: AllisonA(Animaterra) Date: 18 Mar 01 - 05:04 PM My folkbabies are 12 (Maggie) and 15 (Dylan). Dylan puts up with my music, but composes amazing stuff with Noteworthy Composer in multitextured harmony. Mags is the singer, and loves all the mushy, Celtoid pop she can find. Current fave is Capercaillie. She just asked me to teach her "Trees they grow high" and now she sings it ALL THE TIME. But I love to hear her- and at her age, it could be much, much worse. |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: CarolC Date: 18 Mar 01 - 06:23 PM Jande, you did an excellent job. And I agree with you about the playing the keyboard and singing part. Although she did a pretty smashing rendition of a lovely song while playing the mandolin at one of the song circles I attended. Carol |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: Barbara Date: 18 Mar 01 - 06:36 PM Geoff, I'll post the tune as soon as I have time. Makes me tear right up to sing it on stage with my 14 year old, pink and blue haired folkbaby. Blessings, Barbara |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: Sorcha Date: 18 Mar 01 - 07:06 PM My folk baby is now 16, and won't admit in PeerCompany that she is actually a "FolkBaby". Starting when she was about 7-8, she would go to the nursing homes with me and dance. She tried to do Irish feis dancing, but having no lessons made it more improv. They loved it anyway, of course.
She still loves the folk/trad songs, and will sing them depending on Who is listening..........! She calls them Oldies to her friends who would be merciless if they knew they were folk. (Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, etc yuckosickocrap)
This is the kid who performed the Theme from Star Wars on stage, in utero. We sat right in front of the tympani........took several rehearsals for her to get it right!! I am only allowed to cuddle her in times of Great Crisis right now, but that too will change, again someday. |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: Willie-O Date: 18 Mar 01 - 07:20 PM Ummm, since they are getting to be a certain age, we should probably find a more, uh, dignified term for them than "folkbabies". Such as "young musicians"? Works for me. If I called Em a folkbaby, she'd hit me with a book. Hardcover. She always has one handy. W-O |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: wysiwyg Date: 18 Mar 01 - 07:29 PM Naw, FOLKBABIES. She was. I want to know more about the ones that are NOT your own children too-- like godchildren? But FOLKchildren. This is about what we are passing on, the stuff we don't always remember to stop and notice. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: Sorcha Date: 18 Mar 01 - 07:46 PM This one isn't mine in any sense of the word, but she deserves mention.
We play once a month at an Assisted Living Center (not a Care Center, we do that too). The all night manager's daughter had a baby. The daughter always came to visit her mom and the residents on the nights we played.
After Baby was born, she came too. We got to watch her grow and change. The first time she ever crawled was towards the Band........same for her first steps. Towards the music. Her mom would get frantic trying to keep her away from us, or at least back a reasonable space!
(Trying to be a good, polite Mom, ya know?) Did we care? Not only no, but H**l NO! We stopped being quite so wild with our feet, squatted down on our heels to play so she could see and touch, one of us would stop playing to hand her off to another.........EVERYONE loved her. Unfortunately, she moved away about a year ago. We miss her. Would love to know how she turns out.......... |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: Willie-O Date: 18 Mar 01 - 07:56 PM Well I'd love to argue the point further WYSIWYG but i have to go tuck in a ten-year-old. W-O |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: wysiwyg Date: 18 Mar 01 - 10:35 PM Sorcha! YES!! That WAS your folkbaby! That's ezzackly what I tawkin' about! ~S~ |
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Subject: You and Your 'Folkbabies' (PY) From: wysiwyg Date: 18 Mar 01 - 10:42 PM W-O, this is what I was talkin' about. Not arguing... just, this is what I was thinking of. It's from the GSB thread I mentioned in my opening post: Well, it took a recording of Bluegrass Gospel Hits for me to finally find this tune all the rest of you knew all along, which I have had words to for YEARS [Great Speckled Bird].... and we sang it tonight with our jam group for what seemed like hours of delightful pickin' and authoharpin'. I'm sure it was delightful but I am not sure it was hours, though after a bit I had to quit strummin' an' rock a babygirl off to sleep on my shoulder as I sang it over her sleepy little warm fuzzy head. That pertickler babygirl has been part of our jam group since afore she was borned, when she was still inside her mama. Mama was here too... daddie plays geetar in our group, and with me sometimes for our Saturday night service, but tonight was mama's birthday and they came over after dinner to jam anyway. I was proud they came, and glad they brought Katarina... mama fell out all sleep in Hardi's recliner. The rest played so pretty, and I got the baby and the melody. I know I'll never forget all that, when I sing it the rest of my life, and I know Katarina won't either. ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: Matt_R Date: 18 Mar 01 - 10:55 PM When I was two, I used to demand that people read me the Sears catalog (the really thick one) so I could absorb everything in it. One time, my grandfather was reading it to me, and fell asleep. So little 2-year-old me hefts the catalog and I smacked him over the head with it, demanding "WAKE UP!" |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: Bert Date: 19 Mar 01 - 12:19 AM WYSILUV, Don't even THINK about babies. Don't you know they're contagious? |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: wysiwyg Date: 19 Mar 01 - 12:32 AM Bert! I am definitely not the father of your unborn child! ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: Bert Date: 19 Mar 01 - 12:36 AM OH! I guess that was just wishful thinking then. |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: wysiwyg Date: 19 Mar 01 - 12:41 AM Ow! Ooo it hurts when I laugh that hard! You would of course have plenty of room in your heart, bert, to grow such a creature, but I cannot QUITE picture the process of putting the wee dear in there! Do let me know if you (A) figure it out and (B) get clearance from all necessary individuals and entities. ~Susan |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: Sorcha Date: 19 Mar 01 - 01:02 AM OK, you two, Modern technology has both ASI (artificial insemination) and Cloning procedures........Let's get it on! (Shanty time, here?) |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: wysiwyg Date: 19 Mar 01 - 01:05 AM No wait, bes/bud, bert has to get the necessary licenses first. And you have to get that fiddle. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: Sorcha Date: 19 Mar 01 - 01:20 AM licenses? for ASI? for DNA cloning? You sure? cause of Foot and Mouth disease? awwwww...........
I don't have her yet, but her name is Lorelei...........she told me that this afternoon..........(what am I gonna do?!!!) If she ends up living here, I'll play the Conception Ceremony for the Ultimate FolkBaby............ |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: Giac@Brian's Date: 19 Mar 01 - 11:20 AM I had resisted this thread as I don't have any younguns of my own, but fate has intervened. (No, I'm not having a baby at 60.) For several days I've been staying with some young friends who have a 3-year-old son and a 2 1/2-month old daughter. The baby is suffering terribly from colic and reflux and screams more than she doesn't, poor thing. I've been either bouncing the baby and singing to her, or playing with and singing to the little boy, while the harried mom tries to get things done around the house. The little fella was shuffling through lyrics I had printed out and turned up a drawing he gave me last summer. He said, "here's that song I drew for you, Mayo." "Right," I said, "do you happen to remember the words?" "Sure," he said, "It's about Emmy (my little dog) and me," and began: I didn't know what happened I didn't know what happened I didn't know what happened What happened on the mountain. Emmy didn't know what happened On top of the mountain On top of the mountain When peoples wuz frowed off. It was me! It was me! It was me! I am Super Stephen! At first I couldn't place the tune, then realized it is an unknown melody I have used for years when making up nonsense songs that I sing to sleepy or fussy babies and tots. He had heard it so many times in three years that he has adapted it for his own use. Guess that does make him a "folkbaby", huh? As for his little sister, out of all the "sweet" little children's songs and numerous trad songs, the infant's favorite (for which she will usually stop screaming) continues to be Mary Hamilton. Nothing like a little tale of infanticide to calm a baby tummy.
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: mousethief Date: 19 Mar 01 - 11:35 AM My "folkbaby" is now about 3 months old and I can't wait to get her a portable tape recorder and start sending tapes of myself, as well as other and more famous singers, singing folk and old-timey stuff. Yeee-haw. Alex |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: wysiwyg Date: 19 Mar 01 - 11:56 AM Alex, there are some great Wee Sing tapes for babies too, now-- not as special as YOU, but hey. Immersion, right? Plus the Wee Sing stuff has the songbook with easy chords that are in the same key as the tape-- for infecting parents with autoharper's syndrome. Yeah, Giac, you are for sure a Folkmother. I suspected as much all along. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: CamiSu Date: 19 Mar 01 - 10:10 PM You know one of my folkbabies. She dragged me here. And she obviously picked up more than I knew she was...My own My Jessica Wavestar. And lots of kids around. Who knows but maybe Axel will go back to Austria with a little bit of folk in him... CamiSu |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: mmm Date: 19 Mar 01 - 10:20 PM what a lovely term .. folkbabies.. my folkbabies range from 25 ,24 ,18 , 11, and 7 and now i have started with a new generation, my grandbabies all 6 of them .. 7 , 3 ,3, and my 3 born within the last year mmm |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: GUEST,Fibula Mattock Date: 20 Mar 01 - 10:19 AM I was a folkbaby, thanks to my parents, my relatives and my parents' friends. I was dragged round fleadhs and sessions, brought to fantastic parties and taken to great concerts. I thank them all for every minute of it. I have so many memories of falling asleep upstairs, either at home or upstairs with a pile of other folkbabies at parties, and through the floorboards you could hear the pipes and the fiddles and the hum of chatter and laughter floating up and lulling you to sleep (along with the scent of beer, whiskey and tobacco - very comforting smells to me). It was also, I gather, a very lucrative business. At one fleadh someone found my novelty money box and got everyone playing with it, thereby filling it for me - I'm not sure what happened to the cash though. There'd also be a constant supply of orange juice and crisps and plenty of other folkbabies with whom to play. When I think of the people I've seen and met as a child, I've been very lucky indeed. I hope my kids, when I have 'em, will be folkbabies too. |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: wysiwyg Date: 20 Mar 01 - 10:32 AM Aw Fib... lucky you, and so well said. It's enough like being there to arouse complete envy. And respect for the importance of keeping what we do child-friendly on every level. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: GUEST,Fibula Mattock Date: 20 Mar 01 - 10:57 AM I'm hoping that when folkbabies grow up they become folkbabes! |
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Subject: I Used to Work in Chicago ^^^ From: GUEST,Midchuck upstairs Date: 20 Mar 01 - 11:07 AM Brings to mind, many years ago, at a picnic, friends had a quite new baby that was really fretful, couldn't get it to stop crying. I took it, rocked it carefully but vigourously, and sang:
"I used to work in Chicago
A lady came in for a house dress, Kid calmed down and went right to sleep. Peter. |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: Jande Date: 20 Mar 01 - 11:26 AM Carol C, Yeah, when I said she can play any instrument that falls into her music-greedy little hands I *meant* it! I see from you lovely Orillia photos, that she even got her hands on one of your accordians. ::conspiritual smile:: Fibula, I was thinking about this thread and had the same kind of thought. I thought: Hey, now she's no longer a fold baby, she's a folkbabe ! ~ Jande |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: JulieF Date: 20 Mar 01 - 11:39 AM My folk baby slept through concerts and loved festivals. We don't drag her places now ( as befits an almost 16 year old). She is currently listening to Black Sabbath and late seventies punk. But she loves all sorts of live music,still plays traditional music and dances, is going to have celtic designs painted on her Doc Martins, and is talking about going to University somewhere there are thriving sessions. I think I can live with this , even though we are threatening to strip search her when she does fly the nest and relieve her of our CDs Julie |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: Mrrzy Date: 20 Mar 01 - 12:30 PM Timothy, the younger of my nearly-6-year-old twins, is a definite folkbaby. He has for months now, which is a LONG time in little kid land, claimed he would be a songwriter when he grows up. (William changes what he wants to be daily, but Timothy has really been sticking with this songwriting idea...) Anyway, he'll make up songs based on all the songs he knows any words to, makes up his own tunes that don't seem based on anything I know or know that he knows, even includes some hunh!'s and Whackfols and suchlike. I'm holding out the hope he won't turn into a rapper... and both have my ability (dysability?) to memorize songs based upon very few hearings. William does what I do, which is sing the songs as heard. Timothy will create his own version almost instantly - like the line from a song about Orion which goes "Bold Orion, mighty hunter, rising in a clear cold sky" which he has rendered as "rising in a blood-warm sky" or "rising in an ice-cold sky" - both of which I really really like... somehow especially the former! |
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Subject: RE: Tune, Kid Hauling Shanty From: Barbara Date: 20 Mar 01 - 02:24 PM Hi crew, here's the tune for the Kid Hauling Shanty above. The author, Dorothy, doesn't have kids of her own, but has "folk babied" many of ours at Singtime Frolics in Portland, Oregon. She gives her permission to post this, incidentally. She said one night as we were finishing up a late song circle, she watched all the people locating and scooping up their sleeping kids and suddenly flashed on the idea that we needed a shanty for the job. Blessings, Barbara MIDI file: kidhaul1.mid Timebase: 240 TimeSig: 4/4 24 8 This program is worth the effort of learning it. To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here ABC format: X:1
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: wysiwyg Date: 20 Mar 01 - 02:28 PM More folkbabies.... I must meet those twins. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: kytrad (Jean Ritchie) Date: 20 Mar 01 - 03:37 PM A few years ago, a young lady came up after my performance and asked, seriously,blushing, "Can you tell me- is there a college class, or something...what I mean is, do they teach...Where can I go to learn how to sing lullabyes?" My answer, "Have a baby!" |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: wysiwyg Date: 20 Mar 01 - 03:39 PM Or buy Wee Sing for Babies and then fake it so well some young feller thinks you're the bees' knees and then.... wait, you're right! ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: Amergin Date: 20 Mar 01 - 05:00 PM ah...hope for the old traditions and the new traditions.... |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: Matt_R Date: 20 Mar 01 - 06:07 PM Lol Sooz...the twins are a riot alright! I can just hear them singing in my mind right now! |
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Subject: RE: You and Your 'Folkbabies' From: wysiwyg Date: 20 Mar 01 - 06:26 PM Ya know Matt I bet they sound a lot like a certain tape cut I am thinking of, which really, if there is any justice in this world, oughtta go in the gospel library. Yes, Nathan, hope. Who are YOUR folkbabies? You don't have to make your own ya know. ~S~ |
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