Bluegrass Before Breakfast

Final week - Recollections and future happenings.

2010-12-16T01:29:00.000-08:00

This semester in the bluegrass program has allowed me to experience some great things. Performing with a band on stage, meeting genuine people, interacting with successful musicians and focusing my mind on musicianship. Although I'm in the program for fun, I am starting to really feel a connection to bluegrass music. My first connection was through my band, The Roan Mountaineers, and the next was through my individual instructor Lee Bidgood who was also our band instructor. I learned the roles an responsibilities each member of a band has and I also learned how tough it is to part with people you've grown so fond of. Next semester I'll be joining Foul Wheel Drive and this will open up more room for me to grow as an asset to a band. I'm ready and willing to take on those responsibilities. Another thing I'm looking forward to is working with Lee again. Although I won't have him as a band instructor, I can still get his input through our instruction sessions. I think he deserves an award for his patience with me this semester. I'm a slow learner but I'm quickly catching on. This concludes my entries for this semester. I plan to keep the blog updated throughout my bluegrass experience so be on the look out for more posts.

Thanks for reading!
See you Jan. 13 and Happy Holidays,

Kayla

VA Concert and everything between - Week Whatever

2010-11-23T07:18:00.000-08:00

Many things have decided to arise as the semester draws to a close. There was the excitement of the program's collective concert last Wednesday at the VA, where every band in the program played for eight minutes on a stage. We were being judged and evaluated while we played but it was for the members of the VA to enjoy. I wasn't nervous at all for some reason. I had a lot of fun being the band's emcee. A couple days before that I found out that I am being switched from my current band to a new one called Four Wheel Drive. I was able to watch them play at the VA concert. I think the transition will be beneficial and less painful than I initially thought. I have an evaluation for my individual instruction coming up and here are the three songs I'm trying to master.

"Midnight on the Water"
"Angeline the Baker"
"Cripple Creek"

Videos to follow of my progress on these tunes!

Angeline the Baker (Angelina Baker) - Week eight

2010-10-30T06:46:00.000-07:00

I'm at the Galt House in Louisville Kentucky this weekend for the National College Media Convention. I've had a blast and I brought my mandolin along. This song is really fun to play. Lee taught it to me on Wednesday and I have been annoying my roommate trying to remember it. I finally figured it out!! Now, I just need to try and figure it out an octave lower.

Amnesia or lack of practice, introducing my band mates- Week eight

2010-10-26T21:45:00.000-07:00

I'm having a hard time retaining all the songs that my band knows. They are on fire! I swear, I do not belong with the band I'm in, musically. I think we interact very well and I love my band mates but I have a lot of work to do to catch up to their level of musicianship.

The bassist Jeff is my go-to guy. He keeps me in the loop and I "chop" in his ear when Clint goes for his solo. Clint is my mandolin counterpart. He's like that kid in class that everyone knows is going to make a 100 on the test. So, what do you do? You look off his test, right? Well, that's sort of what I do to Clint. I watch what he's playing and try to copy him. There's Kris the guitarist and vocalist most of the time. He's got an interesting style and a great sense of humor. The only other girl is Monique and she plays fiddle, beautifully I might add. I like her because she's always smiling and she likes to make situation-suitable noises (I can't think of a better way to describe this) with her fiddle. Last but not least, the banjo king Brandon. He likes to try and take my head off when we're playing in the band room. He's slightly dangerous with his instrument in hand but he just likes to rock out while he plays. Oh! There's also our instructor Lee. He's a multi-instrumentalist and will often bust out some twin fiddle with Monique. I am so lucky to have these people around me.
I know I can learn a lot from them. I just need to start spending more time with them. We finally used our Ruby Tuesday gift card performance award last Friday after we recorded some songs in the studio. It was a lot of fun sitting there and having a social interaction with them opposed to a music-induced encounter. With my lack of experience, I found it much easier to get closer to them without my instrument in hand. Sometimes I feel a barrier in class due to my inabilities.
The studio experience was awesome! Huge thanks to Ben Bateson for accommodating us. I had never been in a studio before. Although, I didn't do very much because my nerves and, what I like to call, amnesia set in. Then there was the impromptu song choices that confused me a bit. It's getting easier to pick up on songs because I am getting conditioned to the progression of 1, 4, 5 (and variations of that) chords. However, I do not feel I am where I should be at eight weeks into the program. I know, I'm not going to miraculously play like I have been playing since I was three but my band is much more advanced than I am. It's frustrating. Of course, I'm sure it's because they have had and have more time to practice their music craft. Where as, my first and foremost craft is writing and boy do I have a lot of writing to do.
In an effort to make my life simpler, I came to the conclusion that I'm quitting my part-time job at Hollister. Money's tight, but oh well. I just hope this opens up more time for me to get all this overwhelming work done for this semester. It also opens up a lot of space for me to sit down to play my mandolin by myself, with friends (jamming) and most importantly with my band.

Postshow reflection and inspirations - Week six

2010-10-11T11:14:00.000-07:00

The Roan Mountaineers' show for the kids at Gray Elementary went exceptionally well. I practiced very hard on getting chord shapes and positions perfected. I am very proud of myself. I had so much fun being on stage and interacting with the crowd but I think my MC skills need some improvement. I'm taking steps toward working on that in hopes that my band will continue to allow me to MC. The steps include going to see Adam Steffy and the Boxcars at the Carter Fold on Saturday. I went to get some ideas for an article I'm writing about the Carter Fold, but I studied the way they presented themselves and interacted with the crowd. Also, the Fold inspired me to dig into the Carter Family history. I started by looking at old videos of June Carter at the Grand Ole Opry and I struck gold. She was so good at entertaining on the stage. She was hilarious and adorable. I love her voice, mannerisms and skit ideas. I've watched every video that I could find of her on stage singing and being June. These are my two favorites:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnvo8U7R9zc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Arde9psKcYY

I want to be just like her.
After all, I am a Carter and I was born in June!
:)

Preperformance nerves and update - Week Five

2010-10-07T18:19:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the big day. My band, The Roan Mountaineers, is playing a show for Gray Elementary at 1 p.m. They are having a free day; I know you all remember those. So, the good kids get to sit and listen to us play some songs. I don't know how much sitting will be involved because we've got quite an interactive presentation set up. And yes, with yours truly as the M.C. I was really excited when the entire group looked at me when Lee, our adviser said, "Who is going to talk between songs/introduce songs and band members?" It gave me a sense of purpose in the band. I may not know the C chord from the D chord, but I know I can speak in front of people, kids. This must be the reason I haphazardly switched my major to Speech Communications at Northeast State. So, what to expect from us? We're going to have the kids sectioned off and dance along to individual instrument solos and have them imitate wind for one of our songs called In the Pines. Lee is to thank for those ideas. I'm excited, but my finger tips hurt from trying to get these chord transitions perfected. They are far from perfect. So, sorry band mates if I don't execute the songs properly. Just know I'm trying.

I'd like to switch to a completely different topic. In my individual instruction class we started learning how to play the melody for Midnight on the Water. Here's what I can remember and have been working on:

It's faint and slow, but I can feel the articulation building up in my brain! I want to learn more songs like this! I guess I need to start focusing on chords again if I want to even appear to look like I know what I'm doing on stage tomorrow.

I'd rather be playing my ukulele: Week four

2010-09-28T00:32:00.000-07:00

Also, I wish that the ukulele was bluegrass friendly.

My current thoughts on playing mandolin:

Finding confidence and pursuing passion.

So far, my experience with learning how to play mandolin has been frustrating. Tonight I took out my list of songs and tried to look up some chords for them. It was impossible to decipher because my band has changed the key of certain songs. I don't understand how to change keys. My neighbor tried to explain it and changed a few, but the chords started going out of my range of ability. So, my mind started to drift and I found myself looking across the room at my ukulele case. The ukulele is my comfort instrument. When I get aggravated with mandolin, I take out my ukulele and play songs I have memorized. I sat there tinkering with some chord progressions and picked out some melodies. It boosts my confidence. I yearn for my ability with each to be equal. I am passionate about that little hunk of Hawaiian wood and I have two years of experience without proper instruction. In other words, I taught myself at my own pace.

I feel like everything with mandolin instruction/band is going too fast. I will admit that I haven't taken proper notes in band class, so I can't practice those twelve songs yet on my own. I plan to change this on Wednesday. I'm struggling to find confidence in myself as a musician. I've never been in a band or played music with other people before. It was enough to sit back and watch the first few weeks. I'm so mentally ready to join in, but my ability prevents that. Even if I don't seem prepared now, I'm confident that by Oct. 8 I will be ready to deliver. I'm hoping frustration will soon fade to confidence. All I need to do is maintain focus and be passionate about mandolin like I am with the ukulele.

Chord shapes and scales - Week three

2010-09-23T22:00:00.000-07:00

During individual instruction my teacher, Lee Bidgood showed me all of the chord shapes. My homework was to learn how to play the G scale and here's my progress over an hour:

I took it slow at first:

This is the fastest speed I can do without messing up too terribly:

I'm working on finger placement and the tension in my wrist while holding the difficult G shape. It looks like this:

Lee informed me that moving this shape up two frets turns it into an A chord which looks like this:

If you move it two more frets then it becomes a B chord:

This is where he introduced me to some music theory. The pattern ends with B because there is only a half step in between B and C. So, you would only move it up one fret for the C chord.

I was in and out of the program's office a lot this week. I was writing another article about the Bluegrass Half Marathon that is going on this weekend. Read my article here.
So, I finally figured out that my band is called The Roan Mountaineers. The program names new bands, so we had no options. Also, our adviser informed us that we are set to play in two weeks at an elementary school in Gray. October 8 from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. I'm nervous because I am having a hard time keeping up with them during band class. I've got to crunch in twelve songs and keep up with my classes, work etc. The people in my band have made arrangements to get together and 'pick' each week outside of class time. This just means working on solos for our twelve-song set list. I wasn't able to meet with them on the days/times they announced. Of course I won't have any solo parts but I wanted to be there. I want to be included. It's not intentional. I know it's merely a matter of conflicting schedules but I don't feel like I'm a part of the band right now.

Getting to know the faculty - Week two

2010-09-16T11:14:00.000-07:00

Class Assignment - See note below!

In response to the recent expansion of the ETSU Bluegrass, Old-Time and Country Music Program new faces have emerged and the chain of command has shifted.

Director Dan Boner says the growth of the program is in the amount of people showing interest. “We’ve had an increase of students by 10 percent from last semester and 220 people enrolled in individual instruction,” said Boner.

Dan Boner was selected in July as director after a year and a half search. He held the interim director position since the fall of 2007 and worked closely with the former Director Raymond McLain. Boner has reorganized the program for students by condensing syllabi and bringing in new faculty members, says Jane Bond, the program’s executive aid. “We have two assistant professor positions that replaced the assistant director position,” said Bond.

Roy Andrade and Lee Bidgood were hired to fill the assistant professor positions in early August. Andrade has been on staff for four years, was the former lecturer and notices change this semester. “It [the program] feels different, but in a good way,” said Andrade. “The staff is bigger and younger. It’s exciting that there are lots of new students and we are retooled for that.”

Bidgood, one of two new members of the program’s staff, moved to Johnson City, TN from Chapel Hill, NC in July to secure his position. He is a multi-instrumentalist, founding member of the Steep Canyon Rangers and he teaches: Survey of Contemporary Bluegrass, Bluegrass Seminar I, individual instruction and is advising two bands. “Lee is personable and extremely knowledgeable,” said Jeff Elkins, a junior at ETSU and member of the Roan Mountaineers, a band Bidgood advises. “He shattered my preconceptions about the band class. He challenges us all to be prepared and focused, and expects us to work to be the best we can be.”

Bidgood’s qualifications lie within his academic endeavors. “What is different about Lee is that he will be getting his Ph.D. in ethnomusicology,” said Boner. Bidgood says that ethnomusicology is the study of music’s relationship with people and their culture and he is currently working on a dissertation through the University of Virginia about bluegrass music in the Czech Republic.

Brandon Green was hired, alongside of Bidgood, to fill the role as lecturer. “He is a great example of excellence in musicianship,” said Boner. Green studied classical music with focus on banjo at the Concord University in West Virginia and was also a student at ETSU in 2002.

He has performed on banjo with Canada’s Abrams Brothers and is an endorser for Prucha Banjos, says John Lawless of thebluegrassblog.com. Green’s title as lecturer means he is full time and is teaching Intro to Bluegrass and Country Music Theory I and II and Bluegrass Harmony Singing. Boner feels that Green is an asset to the team because of his hands-on ventures. “Brandon has real world experience with being on the road, owning his own business and making ends meet with that income alone,” said Boner.

Bidgood and Green are the newest members of what Jane Bond describes as “a family.” The list of accomplishments of every person involved in the Bluegrass, Old-time and Country Music Program is extensive. Much like a standard family dynamic, each person within the program offers a different kind of expertise, but they all have a common goal, says Boner. “We all have a common love for music and our biggest goal is to pass on the music as it was traditionally learned by our ancestors.”

Edit- I wrote this for the writing assignment Lise gave us and it's unedited. I didn't mean to leave this sitting here without commentary. I must have gotten distracted while I was posting. I wanted to request feedback and opinions from the class. It would still be great to get some feedback on this story and how it can be improved. Lise is finished editing, but there's always room for more improvement.

Recap of week two: That week in particular was interesting because I was researching for that story, but also getting to meet the amazing folks involved in the program. I had an opportunity to sit down with Jane Bond, Dan Boner, Lee Bidgood and Roy Andrade. We had some great conversations about the program that really boosted my desire to graduate with a Bluegrass minor!

Realization of my obstacles - Week one

2010-09-09T22:25:00.001-07:00

Week one of my bluegrass experience at East Tennessee State University was strenuous. My work load consists of a band class once a week, individual instruction once a week, Survey of Contemporary Bluegrass at 8:15 a.m. twice a week and Bluegrass Seminar once a week. It doesn't sound like much of a class load and it didn't to me either when it was merely illuminating from my computer screen. Now that I am immersed in the program - I feel overwhelmed.

My first realization of how far I had to go in this field of study was when I went to my first session of Survey of Contemporary Bluegrass. We sat down to converse about bluegrass and what we thought the definition would/should be. I sat quietly and listened to others speak, which is completely opposite of my personality when I am excited about something. I am more than excited to learn about bluegrass and I didn't know why my mind and tongue were paralyzed. When the professor instructed me to speak I admitted my ignorance on the topic. I explained that I had no idea what bluegrass is and that I have a narrow view about its characteristics musically. I went even further to explain that I was there to learn about what it was and to learn how to play it, unlike my fellow classmates who are there to simply improve upon their already seemingly immaculate talent.

My second dose of reality was in my bluegrass seminar class. This class is dedicated solely to keeping up with everyone's progress and instilling the importance of knowing the culture. We are learning about different aspects of appearance on stage, listening skills, finance, practice habits and music as a lifelong endeavor. The instructor started by having all of us introduce ourselves. I went first and basically explained I was a beginner right from the start. After I stopped talking I could feel the eagerness building in the classroom. One by one the other people explained their lifelong endeavors with bluegrass. They expressed their experiences in everything from family bands at the age of two to having a natural affinity for the style since they were a tot. I wanted to throw up.

My final moment of realizing my inadequacy was in bluegrass band. I entered a room with six other students who were now my new bandmates. As soon as I sat down someone said, "Who knows Whiskey before Breakfast?" Everyone awed at this selection and on they went with their performance. I sat there dormant to the point of rigamortis. I had only taken two months of lessons on my mandolin and I wasn't about to crank out something magical. I noticed people staring at me with my lack of ambition and what they saw as laziness. When the tune ended I explained myself and I could see an array of facial expressions that ranged from oh-no-this-is-going-to-be-awful to aw-poor-thing-she's-new-and-has-no-idea. I wanted to crawl inside the huge bass standing triumphantly behind me and die. These people made me feel like I was in the middle of a bluegrass hurricane and never had a survival drill in my entire life.

After class I scurried off to tend to things that I am already comfortable with like: writing and working on the campus newspaper. I waited for my next Survey of Contemporary Bluegrass class to circulate around for the week and that morning I unloaded my feelings of fear and sorrow onto my instructor. He reassured me that with ample practice and insurmountable ambition that I will be able to fall in line with the others.

In summation, the week ended with me on the verge of tears. I realized that my visualization of what the program was like was far off from the actuality. I learned that the students involved in this program eat, breathe, walk and talk bluegrass. I have to learn the history, the culture and style in a matter of weeks and my only fear now is that they will reject me for trying to conform.

Click here for a video of what 'Whiskey Before Breakfast' sounds like:
Whiskey Before Breakfast