As a Christian, I believe that celebrating Christmas is a valid way to express my faith. I’ve actually run into people who disagreed with that, even people who have attacked my family because of it. But that tends to encourage me to put up more lights, to write more articles…
I wrote this song with a children’s chorus in mind, at a time I was helping with a stage production of Dickens’ Christmas Carol, and my sister Tess Hoffman was writing a children’s opera based on the story. So the themes are largely the themes of Christmas Carol – Christmas…
I just received an Oscar Schmidt 6-string banjo I don’t really need in trade for another banjo I no longer needed,but which a friend really wanted. So I thought I’d review it for Amazon. While there, I noticed the following lone negative review: ——————————— Oscar Schmidt did a HORRIBLE job…
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
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…
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?…
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…
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…
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…
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…