Summer's End
The summer has flown. Amongst all the driving of our big red semi, there were a couple noteworthy breaks from driving. Fourth of July week we spent lots of time with the grandkids. We had 5 of the 6. The youngest, Echo, stayed with Mom & Dad in Urbana. But we took the rest to Branson after 4th of July in Goreville. Those kids would not me let out of the pool for about 4 hours that first day at our time-share. It was great - except that Aspen and I got sunburned pretty bad. Zach (11) was the only one to catch a fish when everyone (except me & Treighton who was sleeping) went fishing. We shot a few fireworks off on the waterfront just below our window. I practiced violin with Zach every day to help him get ready for Fiddle Camp a couple weeks later. We were at the time-share on Table Rock Lake only 3 nights, and we took the kids home to Urbana. The new “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie came out that week. It was Jacy’s highest priority to see it. We tried to see it in Branson, but it was sold out. So we saw it in Rolla, MO on the way home. In fact that one was sold out too, but I had dropped everyone off at a restaurant and went early to buy the tickets. Peggy took Jacy (10) out with her on ‘her’ truck for a week, and then Aspen & Jadyn went with her another week. (She drove our friend Floyd’s Peterbilt for several weeks while he was getting over cancer treatments - he’s back on his own truck and back to his old self & excellent health.)
Zach has been taking violin lessons this past year in Urbana. I arranged it, and we are paying for it. His teacher has been Robin Kearton, whom I met about 20 years ago in Springfield Sym. and in the music school at U of I. Robin took some of my students when Peggy and I left for Korea in 1995. I got reacquainted with Robin through Zach’s lessons and am very impressed. She teaches in the Suzuki style, but quite a bit more eclectic than just straight Suzuki. She teaches lots of styles - Beatles, Klezmer, old time, bluegrass, blues, jazz… She runs a summer camp - the “Bow-dacious String Band World-on-a-String Camp.” I took Zach to it myself July 16-22. I was very interested to see how it was done, so I volunteered to help out in any way, and I wanted to be there to help Zach because he is at the very bottom of the heap. Truth is he has done little on fiddle in the past year but always says he wants to stay with it. It’s frustrating for me, but I do understand the ups and downs of kids learning violin. My highlights of the week were: making some new music-friends and reconnecting with old ones, jamming with good guitar players, playing in the faculty recital (East Tennessee Shuffle & Beaumont Rag with Will Hope on guitar,) and lots of good conversation with various folks in and around the camp. It was held at the Historic Lincoln Hotel (formerly Jumers.) Most of the kids were local, but there were some from St. Louis, Chicago and southern IL. One of my former students, Amber Bailey, was there on my recommendation. She was one of the most advanced students there. Some people slept at the hotel, but Zach & I stayed with a host family, which I arranged through our former church - Urbana Assembly. That was a separate, positive experience, though we didn’t get to see very much of the Breitenfeldts. We left early and got home late every day, spending about 12 hours a day at camp. There was an excellent bassist at camp, Alex McHattie, who was at U of I when I was there 20 years ago and is now back to do his DMA. Sometime during the week, Zach was drawn to the bass. He has kept up that interest ever since, so now he is switching to - cello. That’s just easier to do right now in school. In fact he has a cello provided at Liel School in Urbana. I had a wonderful time with Zach that week. It was special being able to spend so much time with him. Of our six grandkids, Zach is the oldest and an only child of Racheal, unless you count his step brothers and sister, as well his new ½ brother at his dad‘s house. But he lives with Mom. Our other five grandkids seem comfortable with hugging and saying “Luv U.” Zach doesn’t like to be touched - never has and seems nervous about the “L-word.” He is smart and comes up with very good questions. He’s a thinker. Of all the grandkids, I’m most concerned about Zach because he doesn‘t seem secure about being loved. The week we spent together did seem like a turning point for him though. He showed real interest in God, and we had some great conversations about prayer, baptism, salvation, Jesus, heaven - all that. On the last day of camp early in the morning Zach was baptized in a swimming pool in Urbana by a youth pastor of Urbana Assembly - the same day Zach’s ½ brother was born at Carle Hospital, and that‘s where I dropped him off after our final recital.
The last special event of the summer was a 50th anniversary of a friend’s parents in Springfield. on Aug. 26. Kregg asked me and another friend, Jim (guitarist extraordinaire) to play for the event. So Jim & I had to get together a couple times and make some plans by phone to prepare for the event. Jim came to my house for a weekend to practice, and we played at the local restaurant in Goreville - Delaney’s on Broadway. Our core music is my fiddle repertoire, but we added some of his stuff, including a couple songs and a strange arrangement of ’Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring.’ It wasn’t strange to him, but I had to figure out what bars to cut out and what sections to repeat to fit with him. It was worth it though. We want to keep building on this experience. I play regularly with a guitarist back home - Cathie Paull. We play at least once a month at Delaney’s on Broadway in Goreville. I can’t make a regular schedule with Jim, but we should be able to get together occasionally - when I play in Illinois Symphony or when he comes down to visit.
Those were the summer highlights 2006 of ‘The Trucking Fiddler.’ Now orchestra season is upon us. The first concert of Paducah Symphony is 9/16, and 9/23 is the first concert of the Illinois Symphony. I have stepped up my practicing lately to get in shape for the heavier repertoire. Every day I’ve been doing 3-octave major scales and arpeggios in every key. That is the least I do, and then move on to new tunes to internalize. Now Cathie and I are working on Texas Swing Style using a book & CD set by Matt Glazer. Lately I’ve been playing through a book of Telemann Solo Sonatas for violin. I’ve had them for a long time and just dug them out a couple weeks ago. Very fun! I’ve only read a couple of them just a little in the past. Now I’m really digging into them. I guess I’m a Late Bloomer.
I dream about getting back into teaching music. Along those lines I’m thinking about how music should fit into my and my students’ big picture. As important as music is to me, I don’t believe it should generally take 1st priority. There are several things that should come first, before giving time to music. The list may not be quite the same for everyone, and if someone has become hooked on music as I have, he might neglect the higher things on the list to get to the music. A couple of the obvious top priorities are - taking care of the body & health, relationships with people & God, working to support self & others (which may involve music…) The reason I’m thinking this way is based on a life-time of being around serious musicians, some of whom seem to ‘sell their souls’ for the sake of art. I’ve been there myself. As much as I think it’s so worthwhile to work hard to be the best musician possible, it’s not worth it if it means losing one’s soul. Lots could be discussed on that, but - time to say good-bye, and may God bless you and keep you.
Zach has been taking violin lessons this past year in Urbana. I arranged it, and we are paying for it. His teacher has been Robin Kearton, whom I met about 20 years ago in Springfield Sym. and in the music school at U of I. Robin took some of my students when Peggy and I left for Korea in 1995. I got reacquainted with Robin through Zach’s lessons and am very impressed. She teaches in the Suzuki style, but quite a bit more eclectic than just straight Suzuki. She teaches lots of styles - Beatles, Klezmer, old time, bluegrass, blues, jazz… She runs a summer camp - the “Bow-dacious String Band World-on-a-String Camp.” I took Zach to it myself July 16-22. I was very interested to see how it was done, so I volunteered to help out in any way, and I wanted to be there to help Zach because he is at the very bottom of the heap. Truth is he has done little on fiddle in the past year but always says he wants to stay with it. It’s frustrating for me, but I do understand the ups and downs of kids learning violin. My highlights of the week were: making some new music-friends and reconnecting with old ones, jamming with good guitar players, playing in the faculty recital (East Tennessee Shuffle & Beaumont Rag with Will Hope on guitar,) and lots of good conversation with various folks in and around the camp. It was held at the Historic Lincoln Hotel (formerly Jumers.) Most of the kids were local, but there were some from St. Louis, Chicago and southern IL. One of my former students, Amber Bailey, was there on my recommendation. She was one of the most advanced students there. Some people slept at the hotel, but Zach & I stayed with a host family, which I arranged through our former church - Urbana Assembly. That was a separate, positive experience, though we didn’t get to see very much of the Breitenfeldts. We left early and got home late every day, spending about 12 hours a day at camp. There was an excellent bassist at camp, Alex McHattie, who was at U of I when I was there 20 years ago and is now back to do his DMA. Sometime during the week, Zach was drawn to the bass. He has kept up that interest ever since, so now he is switching to - cello. That’s just easier to do right now in school. In fact he has a cello provided at Liel School in Urbana. I had a wonderful time with Zach that week. It was special being able to spend so much time with him. Of our six grandkids, Zach is the oldest and an only child of Racheal, unless you count his step brothers and sister, as well his new ½ brother at his dad‘s house. But he lives with Mom. Our other five grandkids seem comfortable with hugging and saying “Luv U.” Zach doesn’t like to be touched - never has and seems nervous about the “L-word.” He is smart and comes up with very good questions. He’s a thinker. Of all the grandkids, I’m most concerned about Zach because he doesn‘t seem secure about being loved. The week we spent together did seem like a turning point for him though. He showed real interest in God, and we had some great conversations about prayer, baptism, salvation, Jesus, heaven - all that. On the last day of camp early in the morning Zach was baptized in a swimming pool in Urbana by a youth pastor of Urbana Assembly - the same day Zach’s ½ brother was born at Carle Hospital, and that‘s where I dropped him off after our final recital.
The last special event of the summer was a 50th anniversary of a friend’s parents in Springfield. on Aug. 26. Kregg asked me and another friend, Jim (guitarist extraordinaire) to play for the event. So Jim & I had to get together a couple times and make some plans by phone to prepare for the event. Jim came to my house for a weekend to practice, and we played at the local restaurant in Goreville - Delaney’s on Broadway. Our core music is my fiddle repertoire, but we added some of his stuff, including a couple songs and a strange arrangement of ’Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring.’ It wasn’t strange to him, but I had to figure out what bars to cut out and what sections to repeat to fit with him. It was worth it though. We want to keep building on this experience. I play regularly with a guitarist back home - Cathie Paull. We play at least once a month at Delaney’s on Broadway in Goreville. I can’t make a regular schedule with Jim, but we should be able to get together occasionally - when I play in Illinois Symphony or when he comes down to visit.
Those were the summer highlights 2006 of ‘The Trucking Fiddler.’ Now orchestra season is upon us. The first concert of Paducah Symphony is 9/16, and 9/23 is the first concert of the Illinois Symphony. I have stepped up my practicing lately to get in shape for the heavier repertoire. Every day I’ve been doing 3-octave major scales and arpeggios in every key. That is the least I do, and then move on to new tunes to internalize. Now Cathie and I are working on Texas Swing Style using a book & CD set by Matt Glazer. Lately I’ve been playing through a book of Telemann Solo Sonatas for violin. I’ve had them for a long time and just dug them out a couple weeks ago. Very fun! I’ve only read a couple of them just a little in the past. Now I’m really digging into them. I guess I’m a Late Bloomer.
I dream about getting back into teaching music. Along those lines I’m thinking about how music should fit into my and my students’ big picture. As important as music is to me, I don’t believe it should generally take 1st priority. There are several things that should come first, before giving time to music. The list may not be quite the same for everyone, and if someone has become hooked on music as I have, he might neglect the higher things on the list to get to the music. A couple of the obvious top priorities are - taking care of the body & health, relationships with people & God, working to support self & others (which may involve music…) The reason I’m thinking this way is based on a life-time of being around serious musicians, some of whom seem to ‘sell their souls’ for the sake of art. I’ve been there myself. As much as I think it’s so worthwhile to work hard to be the best musician possible, it’s not worth it if it means losing one’s soul. Lots could be discussed on that, but - time to say good-bye, and may God bless you and keep you.
posted by Trucking Fiddler at 6:56 AM
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