Photo of the Week 1/9/11

Council Mountain at Sunset from our Porch

Indian Valley, Idaho

Thursday 1/6/11

This week's photo by Eberle Umbach!

Music Theory For Poets #1

Happy Saturday!  The schedule here at Robert Frost's Banjo has gone a bit haywire, but I'm jumping into the breach with a series that started on The Spring Ghazals blog & that I've planned on continuing here.  Hope you enjoy it.

There are a lot of musical terms in The Spring Ghazals—makes sense: in addition to being a poet, I’m also a musician & music teacher.  When writing lyric poetry I believe the poet’s senses should be engaged, & music is certainly one of the things I hear the most.

However, with a few exceptions, the musical references that come up in The Spring Ghazals have less to do with “songs” than with musical moments or musical figures.  In particular, it has to do with chords & scales—after all, these are the building blocks from which music is made.

When talking about chords & scales, one can toss a lot of numbers & letters around.  This is true because a scale, in addition to being do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do can also be expressed in the numbers 1 thru 8; it can also be expressed alphebtically in letters between A & G, with & without sharps & flats.  & since chords are based on various scales, they also are expressed in letters & numbers.

But this is music theory for poets (& if you’re not a self-professed poet, that’s ok—we’re glad to have you along).  Let’s not worry so much about the theories involving various intervals, & instead let’s concentrate on what things sound like.

For instance, one chord that gets mentioned a few times is a chord called a “major 7.”  Here are the examples:

Grace #2

—& here comes another star & it’s just as you say the stars are shattered glass like a C major 7 chord that won’t stop ringing

Helix #5

A flock of guinea hens cackling in the cottonwood
A C major seven a D minor seven transposed a major third
A divided highway at 3:00 a.m.

Cloudland

A daydream sweetly dissonant as a major seven chord swelling in a room—

& here’s what the chord C major 7 sounds like:

  C Major 7 by rfrostbanjo

Isn’t that a pretty sound?  There are several ways to play this chord on a guitar, & they all sound nice, but when I was writing the poem I was thinking of the first way of playing it: low on the neck with lots of deep open strings.  I can tell you that there are four unique tones in a major 7 chord: do, mi, sol & ti.  If you’re good at singing do-re-mi you can probably sing this chord.  The fact that it’s a “C major 7” simply means that in this case, “do” is C.  When do becomes a different note, some ways of sounding the chord will seem a bit different—for instance, you can listen to a D major 7, an F major 7 & an A major 7 & hear that there’s something a bit different about each, tho the overall sound quality is the same.  That’s because the notes are sounded in different order in relationship to each other depending on which guitar strings are fretted & which (if any) are left open. 

  Major 7 in different keys by rfrostbanjo

Now this is a “major chord.” We can put aside for a moment the different intervals that distinguish between a major & a minor chord; but if you have any musical background to speak of, you probably know that a major chord sounds—well—more “happy,” more “bright,” more “positive,” while a minor chord sounds more “sad,” more “dark,” more “negative.”  Yet the major 7 chord has a kind of melancholy ring to it, doesn’t it? 

I do think most folks hear this.  It’s a bittersweet chord.  If you listen to bossa nova music, you hear this chord a lot in various keys—just as one example, a major 7 chord is the first chord played in the song “The Girl from Impanema.”

OK, so if this is a major chord, why does it have that bittersweet edge?  I’ll tell you.  Because if you broke the four tones of the chord down into parts & rearranged them, you could make both a full major chord & a full minor chord.  Wild, isn’t it?  In the case of the C maj 7, you have all the constiuents of both a regular old C major chord & a regular old Em chord.  You can hear these—then hear how the C major 7 combines them! 

  C major E minor by rfrostbanjo

That’s enough for today—almost; you can check out yours truly playing the song “Rubato Kangaroo in the final mp3.  I wrote this guitar part several years ago, & guess what?  It starts off with a C major 7 chord!  

  Rubato Kangaroo-guitar by rfrostbanjo 

Next time around: what makes a major chord “major” & a minor chord “minor?”  Hope to see you then.

All sounds recorded using my well-loved ’58 Harmony archtop as seen in the pic!  Except "Rubato Kangaroo" was recorded with an electric guitar.

The Spring Ghazals can be purchased at any of the following online outlets:

Lulu
Amazon
Barnes & Noble (new—& a bargain at $11.04 US!)
Amazon UK (£7.94)

Both Amazon & Lulu have the book for $12 US.  

Writers Talk with Laura Eno

Happy Thursday, one & all.  We're back with the first Writers Talk interview of the New Year, & it's my pleasure to introduce Laura Eno, a fiction writer with numerous publications—her Goodreads author page lists five novels & eight fiction anthologies.

Laura Eno lives in Florida with a very tolerant husband, three skulking cats and an absurdly happy dog. She has a pet from the Underworld named Jezebel and a skull called Mr. Fluffy who help her write novels late at night. Please visit her strange imagination at A Shift in Dimensions.  Links to all of Laura Eno's published work can be found on her blog.  In addition, you can read an excerpt from Ms Eno's novel Don't Fall Asleep: A Dream Assassin Novel over on the companion Writers Talk blog.  Please do check that out!

I have to thank Karen Schindler, whose Writers Talk interview appeared here last month for connecting Laura with Robert Frost's Banjo.  The result was the following delightful interview:

When did you first realize your identity as a writer?

I think it was when the voices in my head tied me to a chair and demanded a venue of their own. Since then, we've enjoyed an uneasy truce; they speak and I write down what they say. If I ignore them, my sleep is severely disrupted and the arguments become verbal. It's not a pretty sight.

Describe the creative process involved in any one piece you’ve written—this could be book, a story, a poem, an essay, etc.

I will jot down story ideas, creating a simple outline, but the characters grow rather organically from there. They have much to say when I shut up and listen to them, weaving intricate stories of wonder.

Could you describe your relationship to the publishing process? (this can be publishing in any form, from traditional book publishing to blogging, etc)

Ah, relationships… First, and foremost, I have a relationship to my story. For that reason, I am an indie author. That means I have complete control and responsibility over content. My readers are the only ones judging my story's worth.

How has being a writer affected your relationships?

Being a writer has strengthened my relationships. I'm happier for having the outlet and my family can now put a label on my strangeness. "Well, she's a writer" as explanation smoothes over many a faux pas—especially if I'm staring off into space or examining a knife with a maniacal look on my face.

How would you describe the community of writers you belong to—if any?  This may be a “real” or “virtual” (in more than one sense) community.

Blogging, Twitter and Facebook have opened a wonderful world of like-minded friendships for me. Many writers are introverts and I am no exception. The online community feeds my soul and understands me in a way that I've never encountered before. I'm no longer sitting in the dark, afraid to reach out.

What are your future goals in terms of writing?

I plan to keep writing, both short stories and novels, always looking to connect with my readers. Bringing laughter and tears to those who would immerse themselves in my work is the ultimate thrill for me. It is what keeps me breathing.

Bonus Question: If your writing were a musical instrument, what would it be?

Definitely drums. The beat of a heart, the pounding of fear, the light tap of laughter—all pulsating in the rhythm of life.

January Morning

[This poem, written almost exactly one year ago, is from my collection The Spring Ghazals—more info after the poem itself]

January Morning

the cow pond exhaling smoke at 6 degrees the blue gray fog an aquarium miasma filled with sagebrush & emptiness

a face staring backwards & forwards in the blue gray frozen fog thru the willow thru the cloud of juncos & sparrows & the sagebrush breaking thru the snow on the round hill eastward

the rocks white the willow’s long hair black the poplars skeletal

a face staring backwards & forwards in a cloudy mirror & the mule deer outside the window leaping the barbed wire without any effort the dazzling flight of a magpie subdued in the freezing mist & white air

the chill is a teardrop mandolin tremoloed in its icy throat on a high octave E & the crow’s bitter snow is a chill in the heart muscle a contraction

tho the air is blue & gray & opaque & the ridge to the east has sunk below this sea of fog with its frosty water droplets distributing chill to the lungs

the cowpond exhaling smoke at 6 degrees the owl on the wing over the skeletal grape vines the owl appearing to me each night its face a white fog of feathers its wings knifing silently thru the white air soaring south

& the road is white with ice a frozen current swerving south without moving

a face staring in every cardinal direction seeing the white air the willow’s long black hair streaked white with hoarfrost

a rheumatic shoulder the lungs an aquarium miasma filled with sagebrush & emptiness the heart contracting its owl's wings in the white white air

a face staring into a blue gray frozen ocean stitched with barbed wire without a horizon

is it a new day

John Hayes
© 2010

My collection of recent poems is called The Spring Ghazals & it can be purchased at any of the following online outlets:

Lulu
Amazon
Barnes & Noble (new—& a bargain at $11.04 US!)
Amazon UK (£7.94)

Both Amazon & Lulu have the book for $12 US.   

In addition, you can read an excellent review of The Spring Ghazals by Sheila Graham-Smith on the Tangerine Tree Press blog right here.  In the course of the review, Ms Graham-Smith offers a beautiful reading of "January Morning."

“T.B. Blues”

Monday is upon us once again, & after the holiday weekend, there may indeed be a few of you with the Monday Morning Blues—so I’m hear to put a musical spin on things.

I was really pleased with how the Dylan songs went last month, & was gratified by the response.  As a result, I thought I’d continue along these lines with cover versions of a new feature artist this month.  After a fair amount of deliberation, I decided to turn my attention to Jimmie Rodgers, “the Singing Brakeman,” also called “the Father of Country Music.”

Jimmie Rodgers was a phenomenon, a hit maker in his day & someone with an enduring legacy—a member of both the Country Music & Rock & Roll halls of fame—a musician who was comfortable in diverse settings & with diverse material.  Rodgers recorded with jazz greats like Louis Armstrong & Lil Hardin, yet he also laid a lot of the musical foundation for the “country sound.”  His admirers have included Merle Haggard, Gene Autry, Bob Dylan & both Howlin’ Wolf & Muddy Waters.  It may seem odd to think of hardcore bluesmen admiring Rodgers, but one thing I’d like to underline in my versions—Rodgers' blues roots ran deep.  While he ventured into sentimental material & pop stylings, Rodgers wrote a lot of songs based on good old-fashioned 12-bar blues, complete with “floating lyrics” taken from the blues tradition.

“T.B. Blues” was an autobiographical song for Jimmie Rodgers—he contracted tuberculosis at age 27 in 1924.  For a few years, he went back & forth between railroad work & entertaining—he really was a brakeman—but in 1927 his illness had progressed to a point that he could no longer work on the railroad & he became a full-time musician.  From then until his death in 1933, he made 110 recordings in the course of a brief but successful career.

Hope you enjoy my take on “T.B. Blues.”  It’s recorded slide style on my Gold Tone dobro—tuned as always to open D.   

Photo of the Week 1/2/11

Two Juncos & a Sparrow Eating Seed on our Porch

Indian Valley, Idaho

Wednesday 12/29/10

The photo was taken during the big winter storm that hit on Tuesday & lasted thru Wednesday, dropping well over a foot of snow & knocking out power for much of the two days, including 18-1/2 hours straight on Wednesday.   We couldn't get to the feeders, so Eberle strewed seed on the porch.

In other news: I'd like to acknowledge that our very own SoCal Correspondent & dear friend Audrey Bilger received a well-deserved commendation on the Ms Magazine Blog: her interview with Twitter phenom Feminist Hulk was named #2 on the list of Top 10 Ms Blog Posts for 2010—that's out of 1,000 posts that appeared on the Ms. Blog last year.  Way to go, Audrey! 

"A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes"

Happy 2011 everyone.  Today’s post is here, bringing the conclusion to our yearlong series of Alice in Wonder Band songs.

“A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes” is a fitting way to close the series, as I think it sums up what the band meant to a lot of its members.  Our singer, Deadre Chase, suggested the song, & Eberle came up with the arrangement.  This particular recording was made at a 2003 performance at the Alpine Playhouse in McCall, Idaho. 

To refresh your memory—or for those who haven’t been following the whole series—the Alice in Wonder Band was formed in 2001, with its original members being Art Troutner, Barb Dixon, Eberle Umbach, Kati Sheldon, Lois Fry & yours truly, John Hayes.  The band was formed originally to provide background music for a high school drama troupe’s production of “Antigone”(!), which was performed in December 01.  A sort of proto-Alice in Wonder Band consisted of Eberle, Lois & myself, when we provided background music for the same drama troupe’s productions of “Alice in Wonderland” in 98 (hence the band name) & “Under Milkwood” in 99.  The band began performing on its own in 2002, with our first show being at the Roseberry Folk Festival in July of that year.  By this point, Deadre Chase had joined the band as a second vocalist, & when Kati Sheldon left the band in the fall of 02 in order to focus on school, Deadre became the main singer.  Deb Cahill & Bob George joined the band in 03.  The band’s final show was December 17th 2004 (not the 18th, as I said in an earlier post). 

The line-up for any given show varied from four to eight, not counting assorted dancers, performers & guest stars.  Here are the members of the band & the instruments they played:

• Deb Cahill: Doumbek, Djembe, Conga, Percussion, Kazoo, Boomwhackers
• Deadre Chase:    Vocals
• Barb Dixon: Djembe, Conga, Percussion, Police Whistle, Washboard
• Lois Fry: Violin, Viola, Vocals, Slide Whistle
• Bob George: Clarinet, Mandolin, Guitar
• John Hayes: Bass, Plectrum & 5-String Banjos, Guitar, Assorted Ukuleles
• Kati Sheldon: Vocals, Percussion
• Art Troutner: Oboe, Soprano & Tenor Recorder, Mandolin
• Eberle Umbach: Marimba, Piano, Djembe, Melodica, Glockenspiel, Flute, Bass, Concert Ukulele

The band laid down tracks for a studio album in June 2004.  The album was called Elephant Cloudland.  While the final mixing was never completed on the tracks, they are available for free as a download from BandCamp here.

Hope you enjoy the song, & best wishes for 2011.



Photos used in the video are by: Earl Brockman, Tim Hohs, Michael Richardson, Dani Leone, Chris Leone, Wayne Brandon