fiddlerjoebob

What happened? r

I had a Stagi at first. The thumb strap leather was exceedingly stiff and caused some problems. Now I have a Morse. The leather is soft and flexible where it needs to be. Much more comfortable. If I had kept the stagi, I would have inquired about new thumbstraps from Morse and Co. or I would have made some new ones myself that were not so stiff. It seemed that the stitching was poorly done too and the sewn joint was right where my thumb least wanted a rough spot. Randy

I think it should be calculated at $40.00 per hour. Perhaps much more.... We all need to buy more instruments with that money. r

This is delightfully entertaining. I love all you concertina crazed people. randy

Wedding Song by Mr. Dylan is on Planet Waves album Also here is a youtube video. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=29...5XvDg&hl=en Randy

I dig this one..."The Wedding Song" by Bob Dylan, I had it sung at my wedding 30 years ago. Still sing it myself...still dig it. I love you more than ever, more than time and more than love, I love you more than money and more than the stars above, Love you more than madness, more than waves upon the sea, Love you more than life itself, you mean that much to me. Ever since you walked right in, the circle's been complete, I've said goodbye to haunted rooms and faces in the street, To the courtyard of the jester which is hidden from the sun, I love you more than ever and I haven't yet begun. You breathed on me and made my life a richer one to live, When I was deep in poverty you taught me how to give, Dried the tears up from my dreams and pulled me from the hole, Quenched my thirst and satisfied the burning in my soul. You gave me babies one, two, three, what is more, you saved my life, Eye for eye and tooth for tooth, your love cuts like a knife, My thoughts of you don't ever rest, they'd kill me if I lie, I'd sacrifice the world for you and watch my senses die. The tune that is yours and mine to play upon this earth, We'll play it out the best we know, whatever it is worth, What's lost is lost, we can't regain what went down in the flood, But happiness to me is you and I love you more than blood. It's never been my duty to remake the world at large, Nor is it my intention to sound a battle charge, 'Cause I love you more than all of that with a love that doesn't bend, And if there is eternity I'd love you there again. Oh, can't you see that you were born to stand by my side And I was born to be with you, you were born to be my bride, You're the other half of what I am, you're the missing piece And I love you more than ever with that love that doesn't cease. You turn the tide on me each day and teach my eyes to see, Just bein' next to you is a natural thing for me And I could never let you go, no matter what goes on, 'Cause I love you more than ever now that the past is gone.

Jody mentioned watching yourself in a mirror to see how you hold your body when you play. I would add that paying attention to a sore thumb, a tight elbow, shoulder pain...or anything that might serve as an alert of some unusual, perhaps unnecessary, strain on your personal machinery. I know fiddlers who will play in a crunched up fashion for hours. I don't know how they can straighten up at the end of the night. I want to poke them and tell them to "stand up straight." Thats why I got a mirror in my practice room. I don't want anyone poking me with the same comment. Randy

Oh dear!....and it appears that they have a trade mark on the word "Squeezebox." Now what do we call ours? Randy

Woof woof

I meant him...I already got a thing... r

Might be fun to learn to play the thing... randy

We had our local church painted last summer. The church is circa 1820, simple, yet very well built. The painter went up in the bell tower and painted his name and date on the beam work right above the bell. No one else in nearly 200 years had done such a thing. If he had rebuild the carriage for the bell or shored up the belfry in some meaningful way it would be nice to see his name in pencil. For such a simple fix as painting the exterior I think his name is defacing the work of others. So the question: ...what level of repair is a signature appropriate? Randy

Yes, the problem is to get all the band members to cooperate; especially if they are all control freaks. randy

ConcertinaJoeBob...? hmmm..

One of my most important rules for our session, a rule that I do have posted on the wall, and one that I mention to the assembly on occasion is this: "Bring Food"

Please say more about why the buttons must go all the way down. Oh, and, very nice craftsmenship, indeed.... Randy

And, this from "musicalsore" posted on a separate thread. I thought I would stick it here. Randy Remember, music can bring people together, but it can take the police to separate them again.

Traditional? Perhaps the only things that count as traditional are the whistle from a pair of pursed lips, another band/tribe member humming for harmony and for rhythm: the clapping of hands and tapping of feet. All else is modern equipment. r

My first thought is that you need to play more with others. This is hard at first and only gets easier by doing. My second thought is that it depends on the session. Some sessionistas hear a new player start off tentatively and, in trying to help them, they might clean up the rhythm, pickup the tempo, and in effect, take the lead. The new player may be relived that this has happened but it leaves the new player following. In our sessions, my rule---not always followed, but mostly---is that we try to respect the new players tempo and the mood they are trying to create. Nothing wrong with helping keep the rhythm smooth, but staying slow, if thats where they started is only fair. Maybe on the third time around we will kick it up to speed. I think what you discribe is one of the primary issues that can keep new players from sticking their neck out....chop, chop. randy

Whoops, yes this is right Chris, I now realise the first few peices I used to start this thread are not infact aphorisims in the true sence of the word. But, my intention was to include any sort of collection of words that fits the bill. Poetry, limerics, free verse or iambic pentameter, song lyrics, anything that floats your boat above this sea of troubles we've gotten ourselves into. I have enjoyed the posts so far. Thanks randy

David, We never spoke, but I was the bass player at the squeeze last fall. I started playing my new Morse Albion late last summer so I was a bit out of my league on the concertina. I listened alot and played my fiddle and thumped the bass. Quite a lovely weekend. I have learned a few tunes over the winter and feel I am progressing nicely. Randy

Thats great, thanks David Looking forward to seeing you at the Concertina workshop in April.... randy

A few years ago I found a small volume in a used bookstore. It was, published in the 1890’s, and filled with musical aphorisms. Here are two of my favorites: Old violin, comrade of the hours labor spares, what music flowers, what whispers wild, what visions bright, thy friendship brings the tired night. S Mitchell. And…. Such sweet compulsion doth in music lie. Milton And, just this week I heard a radio interview on National Public Radio, with the great pianist Van Clyburn, in which he quotes Rachmaninoff thusly: “Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime isn’t enough for music." Rachmaninoff

http://jodykruskal.com/player_profiles/cornell.html

The link on that page doesn't work.... It doesn't work for me either... r