I was going through more of my powwow tape archives this weekend. I came across a recording that is very cloudy, lots of wind and other noise. I will be doing some aural analysis of the recording, but I highly suspect that this is a recording of some Winnebago singers singing a flag song. There is enough of the melody audible to hear that it is vastly similar to the Ioway/Baxoje flag song. Will do more research on this recording to identify specifics of the melody, how it is rendered, and if possbile any of the words included.
Very interesting at this point, but no conclusions may be reached other than the obvious – the song is similar to the Baxoje Flag song because the Ho Chunk (Winnebago) are relatives of the Baxoje.
fluteplayer Just me Baxoje, Flag song, Powwow, research
As usual, my blog is http://www.elkvoice.com/flute_blog
I’ve been spending some time in the music lab these days. I was just going through some older unmarked powwow recordings I’ve kept in my archives. I came across some really good live material recorded out at Prairie Band Pottowatomie dinner dances. Those were fun days. We would all get together to sing way out in the countryside.
At any rate, I’ve now able to pull those recordings from tape and convert these files into wav and then mp3. The real trick is categorizing these files into some sort of system I can review. The cool thing about this is being able to then pull my favorites out of this libary and import into my iTunes. Then the whole thing lands on my iPod. Talk about cruising material.
Going through some of these old songs brings to mind some older flute songs I had forgotten. In the past I had also found potential flute melodies in some of those old round dance songs…just re-adapting favorite melodies and emotions.
It’s all good. Hopefully, this will lead me back into composing some new material. All seems quiet on that front for now.
fluteplayer Just me
As always, my blog is at Flute_blog
Yes, we are finally getting near to the end of the shopping season. That part always drags out my energy. Usually because at the same time, I’m trying to provide energy for playing sacred Christmas Carols at church and at other places. As usual, I’ve been doing more research into authentic Christmas Carols, as I do every year. I’m always surprised by how much these works of art seem to be modified at will to suit the popular politically correct view. I wonder if we would ever consider re-painting a Cezzanne or Monet or even a DiVinci to more accurately suite our sensibilities.
In any rate, I’m just trying to focus back down on the holiness of the day to boost my own spirit, and share some joy with those around me.
fluteplayer Just me
As usual fluteplayer blog: http://www.elkvoice.com/flute_blog
It seriously snowed today. Well, actually since friday when the schools all closed and we had the pleasure of driving around on very slick roads for a while during work hours. But, today was a good day to be outside while the lake effect snow (light fluffy stuff just like in Who-ville) steadily came drifting down.
The kids thoughtfully made trails all over the yard so that the rabbits and deer would have places to walk. Since we’re doing a live christmas tree this year, I took the opportunity to dig a planting hole out by the tree line before the ground freezes up. Just adding another tree to the forest. The animals should like that.
I’m still writing some more music at this time. Been spending time down in the lab working on something fun. But mostly dealing with everyone’s health issues, and now my cough. So no vocal tracks for me for a while.
fluteplayer Just me
As usual, the fluteplayer blog is at
http://www.elkvoice.com/flute_blog
I think fall is a great time for a roadtrip. So, packed up family, packed the car, packed lots of good tunes and headed for Mackinaw island. Imagine a pristine island locked in time in the mid-1700’s, quiet Victorian architecture, quaint cottages along the lakeshore and the company of 1600 partially supervised boyscouts. Hoo-wee.
But, the ferry ride was great, and it was great weather for a bicycle ride all the way around the island. Skipping rocks out over the north channel of Lake Huron at a quiet spot along the ride was just perfect in the afternoon sun. But we saw the rainy weather working its way up to the Bridge. So back on the ferry ride to the hotel for some evening swimming.
Everyone had a great time and the fall colors were just starting to come out. I’m glad we had a chance to go clear out the cobwebs.
fluteplayer Just me
As always, my blog is at http://www.elkvoice.com/flute_blog
I have finally been doing some recording in the lab (my trusty barn). I put a couple of the things I’ve been working on up on the website – music downloads page. It was fun to get ‘She Talks to Me’ into a recorded format because I kept changing the song around. So now it’s locked in as they say. So far, I think my wife likes it – which is good since I wrote it for/about her.
http://www.elkvoice.com/othermusic/SheTalksToMe.mp3
The EagleNationSong is a flute song. I adapted this from a song we used to sing in Whitecalf singers. In fact, I remember Bruce Whitecalf teaching me this song a long time ago. I’ve also heard the Brotherhood community singers (Porcupine Singers) sing this at PowWows. It’s a Lakota song as far as I know, and I think it’s beautiful whether sung at the drum, or rendered on the flute. The song gets it’s name from the lyrics which say, “Wanble gleshka kiye waupelo, Wangble Oyate ke, waupelo”…or the Eagle Nation people are coming… Enjoy this very rough cut recording.
http://www.elkvoice.com/othermusic/EagleNationSong.mp3
Lastly, I put a video version of “Believe It” out there too. We needed to use this song in church and I wanted to be sure folks could understand the lyrics. So I put this slideshow together with super-imposed lyrics. It turned out OK for our purposes. Hope you like it.
http://www.elkvoice.com/othermusic/Believe_It_web.wmv
fluteplayer Just me
I was able to do some fishing this holiday weekend. I took Zuri out fishing on the local lake: Stoney Lake. It’s not a large place, but there are serveral types of fish here. Fishing from the canoe, we’ve mostly landed Bluegill and Sunfish with worms…and a few dough balls.
So, I’ve been throwing different lures into the water just to see what might interest the fish on any random day. I’ve been able to pick up a small mouth bass on a yellow tail fly/jig. Actually, Zuri was smoking me with the fish count. But more importantly, I think he had a really good time getting out in the canoe with me and stalking fish. He’s actually able to bait his own hook, cast, set the hook and bring the fish in all by himself. I think he enjoys the thrill of the catch as much as I do.
I did figure out a way to troll from the canoe and put a small floating rattle trap crank bait in the water with a drop down sinker rig. I picked up a large mouth bass and a perch within 5 minutes out. That little lake has quite a diverse bit of cover and topology, so I’m figuring there are other approaches as well.
Maybe one more time out this fall. Maybe some fishing from the bank as well.
fluteplayer Wistful Fisherman
As always, my blog is http://www.elkvoice.com/flute_blog
Finally, summer opened up and gave us some clear and sunny weather at the beach. However, the water was a bit brisk…holding at 54 degrees. Actually, in my book that is terminal. So I contented myself with snoozing in the sun, on the beach, and taking a couple of strolls with Shilo down along the shore. The rest of the time was just watching clouds come across the lake and climbing the dunes with Zuri.
I’ve been doing some recording in the barn these days. It’s been kind of refreshing just putting a stereo mic source out and recording some songs straight acoustic. No drums or bass or keyboard on these tunes. I have some other material that I’ll be putting together that has more complicated arrangements, and that will be coming soon. But, in the mean time, I’m just working through a bunch of simpler material.
I even have some drafts of some flute music recorded now. Not that I’m ready to put that out for public hearing. Geez my fluteplaying has picked up many many many rough edges. So, I’ll need to do some refining of the raw material I guess.
fluteplayer Just me
… as always Fluteplayer Blog: http://www.elkvoice.com/flute_blog
Mid-July is a great time around our place. The wild (black) rasberries which grow all over woods on on our lot are coming into season. The kids love this. They just walk around, pick ‘em and eat ‘em at will. It’s the one kind of snacking all day we don’t mind. It’s natural and full of vitamin C. Plus with all the rain, I have to admit they are very very yummy this year. That’s if you can get past the brigade of mosquitos that seem to be guarding the rasberries.
Yesterday, Zuri grabbed a quart ziplock baggie and filled it up just walking the trails through our woods. I’m pretty sure he ate as much as he stored in the baggie as he went along. And, that’s just fine by me.
Pretty soon, the tomatoes in the garden will start ripening. Salad time, oh yeah.
Oh, and our first batch of home grown rhubarb grew just enough to make rhubarb topping for vanilla icecream dessert. Very yummy, but my wife still won’t let me classify that dish as health food, even if the topping is all natural. ….sigh….
fluteplayer Just me
Flute blog: http://www.elkvoice.com/flute_blog
Well, I finally wore my sound card out. I didn’t know that was even possible, but it seems so. I was in the barn, jamming with the mice (and boy were they rockin’ to my flute music). I kept getting an increasing hum on the input channel that ended with a loud pop. Kinda chews up the recording, not to mention scares away the creative atmosphere.
But, on the good side, I have about 8 new flute songs that are just in the “draft” mode. That means the playing is still technical. It’s sort of like building a large sculpture. You have to build a frame work, or your artwork will come toppling down into a heaping pile. Unless you are into performance art, that’s generally a bad thing.
Same with flute. You have to pay as much attention to the space in between the notes as you do the notes themselves. That’s the secret that eludes so many fluteplayers. It’s that quality that makes the instrument so extremely expressive – it’s what makes the instrument relevant source in contemporary music. Not that it needs to be the center of a five piece rock band mind you.
Even if you choose to play traditional songs – like I prefer to do – it’s the emotion you express that makes it real to the listener. People can always tell if you care about what you are playing. My flute music is never to be considered a museum piece, but a continuation of an existing story. That’s what makes it traditional as well. After all, stories are about the people we love, care about, and live in community with.
I’ll post this stuff soon.
fluteplayer Just me
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