I’ve always been a musician, been singing and playing since I was a kid. When I was a teen the big thing was rock ‘n roll, and all the electric stuff, wailing Telecasters, huge amplified drum sets, electric Rickenbacker bass, synth, and every electronic effect that could be contrived.
But now I play green music. Acoustic music. Organic music.
My fiddle is about a pound of wood and wire, and puts out more sound than I have any right to expect. This fantastically crafted 150 year old instrument is the most efficient sound amplifier ever invented, and takes only muscle energy and a stick constructed of wood and horsetail hair to create sound. No electricity, no coal burned, and no wires needed. Only muscle, brain, skill and heart.
The beauty of this is that it can go anywhere with me, even to the top of Mt. Minsi in the Delaware Water Gap, so I can sit on an ancient stone seat, near where Leni Lenape used to camp, hundreds of feet above the river, and throw my tunes out into space with the wind. The people who hike the Appalachian Trail stop to listen, and sometimes dance if they’re not too winded. Another favorite place is in Jacobsburg Park, near the Henry Forge. My oldtime jam group will sometimes meet there in the summertime.
The tunes I play are ancient Oldtime mountain tunes, some brought over from Ireland and Scotland, others learned from escaped slaves travelling the Underground Railroad and passed down through families.
There’s a certain grounding with the earth that happens when the Muses are served well.
Tune names evoke a different time too– Maggots in the Sheephide, Snouts and Ears of America, Bonaparte’s Retreat, Cluck Ol’ Hen, Indian on a Stump, Yew Piney Mountain, Coleman’s March, Shaking Down The Acorns.
You don’t need to play fiddle to enjoy making mountain music. Learn how to play wooden spoons or a washboard. Guitar, mando and clawhammer banjo work fine too, or a button box accordion. Or just two feet with some good sturdy boots on and a piece of wood to clog or flatfoot on, the best percussion in the world.
Sometimes in the summertime I play on the streets of Lambertville with my friend, artist Jane Gilday. We have a blast entertaining anyone who walks by.
I threw out the TV years ago. This is the best alternative I could ever wish for, and so much more soul satisfying. And since I’ve been away from the constant Bernays Brainwashing, I’m not a “consumer” anymore.
If you’re in the Easton area and want to find out more, leave a comment with your email address and I’ll let you know where we’re playing next. Come see what Organic Music is all about.
