Early Musical Christmas Card
Here’s an early musical Christmas card. It’s about trains and Christmas and nostalgia and winter and regret and stars and stuff. Enjoy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Plgd9qEui-I
Author Archives: Paul
Ramblin’ Song: “Long and Open Highway”
A friend just asked if I had any “Rambling Songs.” I wrote most of this one about 1970, back when every Folk and Country singer had a song about rambling. Then I added the third verse and made a demo for a project about 2003. But when my friend asked…
Why Do String-Band Pickers Grin?
You’ve heard the cliche “pickin’ and grinnin’” since you were knee-high to a grasshopper. To non-musicians it’s more-or-less a hint that you’re in for a night of good old-timey music fun. But what does it really mean? And why do certain musicians, especially Bluegrass banjo pickers grin while they pick?…
New Old Song on Soundcloud
Just posted a new old song on SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/paul-race-933212658/ “Heart of the Heartland” was written for my Folk-based play “If the Creek Don’t Rise.” I posted it on Soundcloud because I had submitted it for review to a Nashville songwriter with a number of hits and they preferred having the…
The “Gotchas” Of Writing About Living People
This is a blog in the traditional sense – reflecting on recent events. In this case, reflecting on an article I wrote for which I could have reached out to a number of living people for input, verification, or corrections. But I didn’t, or at least I haven’t yet, and…
What was the Folk Revival?
Most people who talk about “Folk music” today are really thinking of a mid-century movement in which people who did not grow up with Folk songs per se went out of their way to learn something about Folk songs and their heritage. And they also began singing the songs and…
Evolution of the Banjo Article is Right Here
The first full draft of my “Banjo Evolution” article is finished. I’m a singer/songwriter who “cut my teeth” on banjo and guitar during the Folk Revival. When the banjo went out of style, I stopped bringing it to gigs so much because people would make assumptions about me just because…
There Aren’t Any “Fine” White Supremacists
Yes, I know this page is supposed to be about music. But as a fundamental Christian who actually reads his Bible, and who stood for racial equality in the 1960s, I believe that keeping silent about the revival of ideologies that murdered and enslaved millions of people would be a…
Evolution of the Banjo
I don’t have an article about this yet, but I have two handouts I made for a clinic at the Madden Road Music Fest in Cable, Ohio, 8/12/2017. Update 8/15/2017: I updated both the table and the graphic as a result of reader response and further research in certain areas.…
Are You Shure You Need a Better Microphone?
“Audio human” (sound guy) Danny Maland has posted several articles about microphones for live music. In one, he compared a bunch of underrated microphones to see how their “specs” lined up. http://smallvenuesurvivalist.com/mic-shootout/micshootout.html In another, he has a checklist for things to look for in a stage mic: http://smallvenuesurvivalist.com/buying-a-vocal-mic/ In another…