LSSDS: LSSDF

Lots of letters. Standing for the Lone Star State Dulcimer Society’s Lone Star State Dulcimer Festival. This was the 29th annual. Crazy.

The people out there are like family. Only, I got to choose these people. And, am I ever glad that I did choose them. They care about me, what’s going on in my life, and are really just dang talented. It was a weekend of little sleep but much shared laughs and tunes. I worked in the raffle booth/club booth selling raffle tickets, t-shirts, performer cds and the like and then played fiddle for the dance band both Friday and Saturday. Such good times.

My family has been going out there for some 15 years now. It’s a family tradition that I hope we keep up as long as they have the festival.

~The Countess~

Thoughts of a Music Major

I know this feeling. I get it everytime I’m at a party with friends.

~The Countess~

Music Mondays: Cloud’s Cry

Cloud’s Cry offers passionate music that truly is a plea straight from the heart. The music features soaring lyricism, complex instrumentation, and exquisite harmonies. The band was started by singer-songwriter/classical composer/mom-extrordinaire Mandy Campbell. She leads the band with her vocals and adds her touch on the viola, harp, and penny whistle as well. Her husband Chris adds driving rhythms with a powerful and forceful guitar. Mandy’s twin sister Maggie provides back-up vocals and anchors the band from providing a solid bass to solo lines with her deft touch on the cello. Maggie’s husband Jon is the bands everyman throwing himself into rhythms on a cajon, harmonies as a back-up singer, and playing the violin and viola by turn. Mandy’s older sister Morgan also plays violin with the band. And I have been asked to play the piano for the group starting in late April of this year.

Cloud’s Cry is releasing their first cd, thirst for rain,  later this Spring from FeverDream Records.

~The Countess~

Music Monday: JJ Worthen

In keeping with the theme of random desparation or boredom driving my posts. I’ve decided to try and return to Music Mondays. You just never know if it’s actually going to show up on Monday or on some other day. For today, go check out this artist. JJ Worthen won Houston’s Take the Mike competition and has a couple of cds out. I really like his sound.

~The Countess~

Good night and joy be with you all

The Parting Glass

O, all the money e’er I had,
I spent it in good company.
And all the harm that ever I’ve done,
alas it was to none but me.
And all I’ve done for want of wit
to mem’ry now I can’t recall;
So fill to me the parting glass,
Good night and joy be with you all.

If I had money enough to spend,
And leisure time to sit awhile.
There is a fair maid in this town,
That sorely has my heart beguiled.
Her rosy cheeks and ruby lips,
I own, she has my heart in thrall;
Then fill to me the parting glass,
Good night and joy be with you all.

O, all the comrades e’er I had,
They’re sorry for my going away.
And all the sweethearts e’er I had,
They’d wished me one more day to stay.
But since it falls unto my lot,
That I should rise and you should not,
I gently rise and softly call,
Goodnight and joy be with you all.

~The Countess~

Ransom the Captives

O come, O come, Emanuel and ransom captive Israel

Ransoming the captives. Movies and television shows are filled with story lines focusing on kidnappings and failed ransom payments. They demonstrate the demands, the negotiations, and the payouts. Over and over again the families are told not to contact the police, but the smart ones do. You see, when paying a ransom, you want the experts there with you to make sure that you get back your family and so that the bad guys get caught.

God ransomed us back. He created us. And then he bought us back with his own blood. We weren’t even innocent parties in our captivity. Instead we were active participants in driving ourselves away from God. And the penalty was death. So God paid the price. And he ransomed us back from exile away from him. What a gift he gave us. He gave up everything for us. That makes for a merry Christmas indeed.

~The Countess~

The Soul Felt its Worth

Christmas can be a difficult season. The “joy” of the season is often obliterated by the pressures and stressors. Consumerism often fills every thought. The meaning of the season is bandied about, and yet, how often do we really stop to ponder why we’re celebrating what we’re celebrating? I’ve had a hard time getting into the spirit of Christmas this year. My emotional reserves were depleted several months ago and I’ve been running on empty for quite awhile. I sometimes feel like I don’t even have the energy to worry about Christmas. I don’t want to deal with the added stress of unmet expectations.

My only comfort this Christmas is in Christ. All too often family and friends let us down, but God is always there. Here we are waiting, in need of a Savior.

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
O’er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
Now come the wisemen from out of the Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friends.
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!

Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
His power and glory ever more proclaim!

~The Countess~

The song is my lover

A waltz when she walks in the room
She pulls back the hair from her face
She turns to the window to sway in the moonlight
Even her shadow has grace
A waltz for the girl out of reach
She lifts her hands up to the sky
She moves with the music
The song is her lover
The melody’s making her cry
So she dances
In and out of the crowd like a glance
This romance is
From afar calling me silently

A waltz for the chance I should take
But how will I know where to start?
She’s spinning between constellations and dreams
Her rhythm is my beating heart

So she dances
In and out of the crowd like a glance
This romance is
From afar calling me silently

I can’t keep on watching forever
I give up this view just to tell her

When I close my eyes I can see
The spotlights are bright on you and me
We’ve got the floor
And you’re in my arms
How could I ask for more?

So she dances
In and out of the crowd like a glance
This romance is
From afar calling me silently

I can’t keep on watching forever
And I’m givin’ up this view just to tell her

-Josh Groban-

~The Countess~

AMS-SMT National Convention: A Review

This past weekend I was in Nashville for the American Musicoglogical Society and the Society for Music Theory’s joint convention. They meet together every other year. I like having the two conventions together because it gives a broader view of music. There is a wider berth of topics that are covered. And you get to see how the different approaches bring out different aspects of the music.

I worked as a volunteer at this year’s convention and really enjoyed that too. I got to work registration on Thursday morning. This served as an opportunity to meet everyone as they came in. It also served as a chance to put names to faces. Which I spent the whole weekend doing. I also was a room monitor for two sessions. One was an SMT session and the other was an AMS one. Room monitoring is really easy. You’re only there to distribute handouts and in case something goes wrong. I evjoyed every aspect of volunteering. You feel like you’re in the middle of everything going on. And, on top of that, they wave your registration fee and pay you for the hours you work.

This year’s convention was huge. We had around 2,000 people registered to attend. In accordance a lot of the papers were really good. Some of the presenters were incredibly dynamic and made you want to research in their field, just because they were so amazing. Others clearly struggled with presenting. It can be sad to see a brilliant idea/thesis ruined by poor presentation. I ached for some of the presentors. I wanted to throttle some of the others.

Another fun part of the convention was meeting people from all over the world who share my interests in the study of music. Now, we might not all be interested in the same kind/style/type of research, but we do all love music. It was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed getting to talk to all sorts of fun people, hearing some amazing papers, and renewing my interest in my field of study. All while reinforcing the fact that I don’t ever want to become such an academic that I’m unwilling to skip a day of a conference in order to go watch football.

~The Countess~

An Explanation

I’ve noticed that a lot of people have come to my blog through the tag Teada Tots. Which only leads to the post about my friend Amy B. coming down. And since I have no idea if you know what it’s about, I’ve decided to explain.

First off, the band: Teada is a traditional Irish band. Absolutely amazing. They are incredibly talented, energetic, and fun.

And now, the “Tots,” the fans: we started out on livejournal as the Fans of Teada. We moved from there to Myspace. And shortly thereafter to Facebook. Yes, the groups have elements of a fan girl nature. Although most of us are not rabid fans. The name came from a friend of one of the girls. We’re a fairly tight group for so many people that have never met each other. We have fun and we enjoy good music that is played by a fun and personable group.

So, now you know. Just in case you were wondering. If you are a “tot” from one of the previous sites, then this explanation was nothing you didn’t already know. Ah well, now it’s saved for posterity.

~The Countess~

PhD

I’ve decided to go for it. So far I’m going to apply to three programs here in the states.

New York University – PhD Ethnomusicology

~ The cool thing about this degree is that NYU has an Irish-American studies degree as well. So, I’ll be focusing on Irish-American folk music for this degree. This is the place that I want to go the most. I’m just really excited about the program, the opportunities. It’s one of the few places in the country where I could get a degree focusing on Irish-American folk music.

University of Memphis – PhD Musicology – Southern Regional Studies

~ I applied here for my masters and got in but they didn’t offer to pay for anything. That will have to change if they want me to come for a PhD. I’m not planning on paying for any more degrees. The Southern Regional Studies part would allow me to focus on American folk music. (Can you see the trend?)

Duke University – PhD Musicology

~Duke is somewhere I have wanted to go for a long time. Theyr program fits what I want to do the least, but, it’s an amazing program. They do have faculty there who have focused on American vertacular music from the Civil War period and I would love to study that with them.

So, my overall theme is to study American folk music in some form or another. I’m still looking for more schools, but, this is a start.

~The Countess~

Music Monday: Brahms Op. 25 Piano Quartet in G minor

I’m doing this at the suggestion of my friend Jenn. It’s only fitting that I talk about music since I’m a musicology grad student. I’m starting off with a new favorite composition of mine.

Brahms’ Op. 25 Piano Quartet was started in 1855 and worked on through 1859. It was completed in 1861, with the first private performance coming in November of 1861 and the public premiere coming a year later. The reception was mixed, with everyone from critics to his closest friends struggling with parts of it. Schoenberg orchestrated this piece in 1937 because he liked it, it was seldom played, and was often badly played.

The movement I want to highlight is the fourth, Rondo alla Zingarese. This movement is a Gypsy Finale that traces back to the finales of Haydn. It’s a flamboyant example of Brahms’ love affair with exotic Hungarian idioms that he picked up from Remenyi and Joachim. It features extremes of pulse, virtuosity, and emotional affliction. It is an absolute joy to listen to. Hope you enjoy it!

~The Countess~

Musicianal Ramblings: An Introduction

I’ve had quite a few conversations recently with friends regarding a wide variety of topics relating to musicians and have decided to blog about it. However, these topics are just varied enough that I’ve decided to make it a mini-series. So far the topics I’m going to cover are: Band Member Privacy, How to Hire Musicians, Musician’s Rights, and Musicians and Favors. These will be switching between addressing musicians and non-musicians. So for Band Member Privacy, I’m going to talk to fans about respecting band member’s/musician’s privacy and I’m going to talk to musicians about what they can do to maintain their privacy without alienating their fan base or their family/friends.

It seems to me that people often need help in understanding how to relate to musicians that are their friends and musicians that they are fans of. In the same way beginning musicians need to know what’s what about keeping their personal lives separate, about how to handle settings fees, etc. I’m not at all claiming to know everything about all of this. But, I handle quite a few gigs on the paraprofessional level, both for myself and for my band. Megabands and the like already know this stuff and most of their fans do too. That said, this is going to be my opinion, plain and simple. If you don’t like it, feel free to chime in and disagree or offer other alternatives.

~The Countess~