musical lives, remembered in story & sound

anna's blog

Lost Gander Crankie!

Posted April 11, 2011 - 12:06pm by anna

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNf5oVrYn5I

A video of one of the crankies that Elizabeth LaPrelle and I made.

An old banjo tune, the Lost Gander, inspired visions of birds flying, leaves falling and snowflakes in the sky. This is what we came up with! I'm hoping to make a more high-quality video of it at some point, but for now, this will do. A video our friend Toby Garlitz made at a house concert in Monroe County, West Virginia.

interactive theater & performance

Posted March 30, 2011 - 10:57pm by anna

march 30, 2011

i am very much interested in the concept of interactive performance. engaging the audience, sometimes in a very direct way, letting them be PART of the event, not simply a passive spectator.

don't get me wrong, i have had moments, inspired, simply sitting in my chair, music or words washing over me. those are the exceptional concerts, the most thought provoking of plays. i grew up playing classical music. passive listening is expected. or the version of active, engaged listening while sitting silent and still.

day 2. you don't tell me that you love me anymore

Posted December 25, 2009 - 5:28pm by anna

this, from a cd i got my mom for christmas.

the incomparable singing of ginny hawker, such an inspiring woman and musician. when she sings, in front of us all, it is her whole heart and down to the tips of her hands, clenched in pain or spread in glory depending on the story of the song, that sings.

this one, an ola belle reed song, from her cd "letters to my father." lots of good ones, so many.  this, you don't tell me that you love me anymore. not something i may be able to understand right now. it is a song of married life, of the woman as she stops being young and the security of her love's eyes has gone somewhere else:

songs to learn.

Posted December 24, 2009 - 11:52pm by anna
podcast: 

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so, the year draws to a close, and i am determined to be inspired.

tonight's song, little maggie. i was picking my banjo, two finger style, and it sort of came out.

so, a listen to a great version, here's frank proffit, with his guitar. a man from laurel bloomery, says wikipedia. i remember tim eriksen talking a bit about him, and being inspired by him, but i admit i've never really sat down to listen to him. now, though, i will. (i think this project will prove a great reason to explore some musicians, the long list of them, that i've been too overwhelmed to start.)

his lyrics: