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Nashville Old-Time String Band Association: NOTSBA

September News 2009 Post Office Box 160038 Nashville, Tennessee 37216 www.nashvilleoldtime.org

NOTSBA Receives Tennessee Arts Commission Grant for Breakin’ Up Winter Artists NOTSBA is pleased to announce the receipt of a grant from the Folklife Program of

the Tennessee Arts Commission for support for master artists and program presenters at Breakin’ Up Winter, our annual old-time music festival. The grant is our third from the Tennessee Arts Commission, and comes in support of artists at Breakin’ Up Winter XV in March of 2010, says Andy Shivas, Chairman of NOTSBA’s Grants Committee. Since its inception Breakin’ Up Winter has sought master artists and presenters with the goal of exposing those who follow in their steps to their bodies of work. These artists and presenters bring not only their own lives’ work and accomplishments, but frequently that of their ancestors as well. This grant allows for support and compensa-tion of these masters as befits their status and importance in old-time music. NOTSBA is grateful to TAC for recog-nizing their extraordinary value. Thanks, too, to Andy Shivas for his good work in grant acquisition. ~MLD Clifftop, 2009

Mike Baugh Mary Lou has been after me to write about Clifftop, 2009, so here goes… At Mt. Airy in June, I noticed that attendance seemed way up, probably because the high 2008 gas prices kept many folks (like me) at home. This year I decided that no way would I miss seeing my festival friends. I also con-cluded that getting there early would mean I’d find a better campsite, so I left on Sunday, July 26th, rather than wait until Wednesday as I always had in the past. This turned out to be a pretty good plan. I got to Camp Washington Carver early Sunday evening and soon found a fairly level campsite near that of my At-lanta friends. Although I was in the woods and prey to a variety of bugs, I was close to the rest rooms and the main trail through the camp. I like to wash my hands frequently at festivals. So, with my tent set up and my car parked on the basketball court, my time was my own for the next six days. I was involved in many jams, with anywhere from two to twenty people at a time, and played old-time, blues, jug band, Cajun, swing and flatpick guitar. I also participated in several vocal jams. I played country and western music back in Ohio in the 1970’s, and many songs I heard in beer joints in south Akron are now considered classics. I was once again part of the honkytonk jam at the Cajun tent on Saturday afternoon. This well-attended get together is now referred to as ‘The Hank-Off.’ I saw only parts of the music contests, and like many others was disappointed that the Roan Mountain Hilltoppers didn’t make the finals, because they sounded great. I really enjoyed rambling through the merchant’s area, though I found the food prices, especially in the dining hall, were at least a third too high. I think the festival staff at Camp Carver did a great job in all respects. The restrooms and roads were well main-tained, the trash picked up, and the folks I talked to were courteous and helpful. Which brings me to the weather. It rained bucketfuls Wednesday and Friday night and Sunday morning. Some folks got flooded out, but my tent did alright. I learned it is important to keep and umbrella and flashlight handy. Use the flashlight to find your umbrella. Do not try to open an umbrella in a Port-a John. It is bad luck. I could go on, but suffice it to say that for me it was the best Clifftop ever. I was back in Nashville by 4:30, Sunday afternoon.

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Not Necessarily Strictly Old-time Adams Music Contests September 18-19 Old-Time Music Friends, The 31st consecutive Adams Old-Time and Bluegrass Instrument Contests have been newly rescheduled for September 2009. Contest organizer Marlin Rood would like to especially invite NOTSBA members and OT friends and pickers to attend and participate. Events include Beginner, Junior, Adult, and Senior Fiddle categories and Old-Time banjo on Saturday, September 19th, in addition to flatpick and thumbpick guitar, mandolin, dobro, harmonica, and band con-tests. All finals are to be Saturday evening. Please check your calendars and consider making plans to attend (2009 contest announcement and details at http://www.adamstennessee.com/bluegrass.htm). Marlin Rood owns and operates the Springfield Guitar Company in Springfield, and is a long-time advocate and teacher of old-time and traditional music in middle Tennessee. I was introduced to Marlin in 2002, having recently moved to Nashville, and after driving here and there for several months searching for jams and informal music gatherings. Marlin’s store and music teaching program in Springfield have supported and developed countless young and adult stu-dents in many musical veins, but particularly in acoustic instruments and traditional music. Many of his former stu-dents have continued on to teach and share their musical skills with new students and budding old-time music enthu-siasts. Last month, Marlin hosted a booth at Dave Macon Days and supplied Deering banjos for the NOTSBA-sponsored banjo workshops. The Adams contest takes place on the grounds surrounding the historic Bell Witch Schoolhouse on Hwy 41. Adams was one of the first such musical events I experienced in Tennessee as a Western explant and relative old-time ‘newbie’. I recall young fiddler and NOTSBA member Bill Jones winning the overall Fiddle championship, and other past instru-ment winners include Nic and Tyler Andal. In 2007, Marlin assumed organization and promotion of the contests, in-tentionally renaming the event the Adams Old-Time & Bluegrass Contest, to convey his commitment that these con-tests, through the participation of more old-time musicians, might maintain and increase an old-time music emphasis. The inevitable question asked about area events like Adams is: “Aren’t the music/jams there mostly ‘Bluegrass’”? The answer is, as you already guess: Yes - just like you will hear mostly ‘Bluegrass’ (whatever that is) at Dave Macon Days (on the Cannonsburgh village side), at Clarksville, at Athens, at Holladay, at Smithville. Regardless of whether we play/like one or the other (or both), what I think is more important is that old-time music is represented and heard wherever old-time pickers gather and play. If we would like to add or continue an old-time music presence, then why not show up with some friends and pick it? Particularly at Adams, which certainly retains an old-time and small town atmosphere, we hope that NOTSBA, as individuals and as an organization, will continue to lend their pres-ence, take part in the instrument contests, and play and promote old-time music. Jeff Rohrbough Community Sing-along in Shelbyville Inge Wood invites you to the community sing-along event at the Fly Cultural Arts Center in Shelbyville, TN (located two blocks south of the town square at 204 South Main Street). The first sing-along in July was a great suc-cess with over fifty people in attendance. This is an activity designed for the family and people of all ages with the simple goal of bringing our community together through the universal language of music. We will be singing folk, country, and gospel music. Written lyrics and chord charts will be provided. Acoustic instruments are welcome. This is a free event (although there will be a donation jar for the utilities at the Fly). Please join us the third Tuesday of every month at 7:00 pm for this community-building event. Bring your family and friends and sing as loud or as soft as you want. Jim and Inge Wood, 276 Joe Hart Road, Shelbyville, Tennessee 37160, (931)695-5613 www.jimwoodmusic.net, jim@jimwoodmusic.net, inge@jimwoodmusic.net Memphis Dulcimer Gathering & Fall Festival The Memphis Dulcimer Gathering & Fall Festival will be held on September 25 & 26, 2009, featuring Bob Bence, Lee Cagle, Betty Dawson, Jeff Hames, Stephen Seifert, Rick Thum and Kendra Ward. We will be at Second Baptist Church, 4860 Walnut Grove Road, Memphis, TN 38117. We are working on the schedule of classes and descriptions and will have them posted soon at www.LeeCagleDulcimers.com. Follow your dulcimer dreams! Lee Cagle, 901-877-7763

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Scheduled Open Jams:

FIRST THURSDAY SLOW JAM — September 3rd, 6:30-8:30 pm, Ft. Negley Visitor Center. There’s a Sounds home game this evening, so parking inside the area for Visitor Center guests will probably be what’s avail-able. Mary Alice Bernal teaches her second of three slow jams. She says: For September's slow jam -- I thought I'd introduce some great fiddle tunes in the key of C. I will be teaching the following tunes: • 40 Miles from Georgetown without any Whisky (got this from Lynn "Chirps" Smith) • Billy in the Lowground (I will basically be playing the John Salyer version from Jeff Todd Titon's book) • Black River (from Missouri fiddler Gene Goforth) • Old Melinda (another great Missouri tune from the great Bob Walters) • If there's time -- I may also add Farewell Trion (James Bryan) We will also review the tunes from last month: Star of Bethlehem, Country Waltz and The Cigarette Reel. See you there on Thursday, Sept. 3rd. Keep these tunes in mind taught at previous recent slow jams to request or offer to lead.

D—West Fork Gals, Lady of the Lake, Over the Waterfall, Needle Case, New Five Cent Piece, Shoo! Fly, Martha Campbell, Year of Jubilo, Cherokee Shuffle, Country Waltz, The Cigarette Reel and Star of Bethlehem

A—Booth Shot Lincoln, Hunting the Buffalo, Little Dutch Girl, Red Rocking Chair, June Apple G—Nail That Catfish to a Tree, Seneca Square Dance (Waiting for the Federals), Shove that Pig’s Foot a Little

Further in the Fire, Garfield’s March, Georgia Railroad, Old Yeller Dog, Cora Dye, Sweet Jenny C —Tennessee Wagoner, The Darker the Night (& G), Texas Gales Am—Cold Frosty Morning GDGD—cross-tunes Jim Hornsby taught in May, June and July; Old Gray Cat, Hunting the Buffalo, Georgia Rail-

road, and Huldy in the Sinkhole, and Sally Coming Through the Rye

SECOND THURSDAY REGULAR JAM – September 10th, 6:30-8:30 pm, Buchanan Log House, 2910 Elm Hill Pike. Tunes are played from moderate to up-to-speed. All skill levels are welcome and everyone’s encouraged to play along. A list of tunes frequently played by the group is available on our website and a copy will be at the jam. New tunes may be brought in.

THIRD THURSDAY REGULAR JAM – September 17th, 6:30-8:30 pm, Ft. Negley Visitors Center. This is a regular jam, so bring us a new tune; we’ll play it at whatever speed we can. Of course, we’ll play standards, too, some with a relaxed pace and some could be peppy!

FOURTH SUNDAY JAM - September 27th,

2-6 pm at the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere Mansion in the historic farm area. There will be many activities depicting period craftsmanship, homemaking, entertainments. We'll probably play in front of a log outbuilding behind the mansion. This area provides enough room for us and for people gathering to listen and dance. The event lasts five hours and many of us play for the entire time. We usually have a splendid turnout and a big time. If you’re a costume aficionado and can get yourself to the 19th century or even before, please, enjoy. Anything else? Chairs? Generally furnished, but there could be a shortage. Water and a snacks are typically fur-nished to musicians playing for the afternoon, and we are welcome to add ours to those. From Nashville Take Nolensville Road south to 3777, the address for the Zoo. Enter and drive back to the furthest parking lot. It is a short walk or shuttle ride, helpful to those carrying large or heavy instruments, from there.

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Old-Time Jams in the Area Mansker's Station has a Second Monday Jam from 6:30PM to 8:30PM. All stringed acoustic instru-ments are welcome. Located in Goodlettsville, they meet at the Mansker's Station Frontier Life Center, also known as the visitor's center. Directions from Nashville: Exit I-65 North at Long Hollow Pike. Turn right. Drive .7 mile on Long Hollow Pike. Turn right at Walgreens onto Caldwell Lane. The Visitors Center is .7 mile on the right at 705 Caldwell Lane. From the north: Exit I-65 South at Long Hollow Pike. Turn left. Drive .7 mile on Long Hollow Pike. Turn right at Wal-greens onto Caldwell Lane. The Visitors Center is .7 mile on the right at 705 Caldwell Lane. If you have questions feel free to call Joy or John at 615-851-1192. The Fiddle and Pick's old-time jams are held on the first and third Tuesdays of each month from 7 to 9:30. They say: Please join us! Directions from Nashville: Go west on I-40, and take Exit 196, "70S/Bellevue/Newsome Station." At the bottom of the exit ramp, turn right onto 70 South. After you go about 1.8 miles, you will come to a wide fork or "T" in the road. (The landmark there is a small, newly built one-room white church with a steeple). At the "T," take a left onto 70 West. Go about 4.5 miles to the first traffic light you will see (where Hannah Ford Drive crosses Hwy 70), and you are there! The Fiddle and Pick is on the far right corner. The street number is above the front door. The full address is 456 Hwy 70, Pegram, TN The 5 Spot in east Nashville has a regular Wednesday Night Old-Time Jam. All are welcome. It is a bar, has a good selection of brews and is known for jams that go on into the night as well as people playing outside in good weather. Located just off Main Street in East Nashville, it is at 1006 Forrest Avenue.

Notsba Business

WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS! We’d like to welcome three new members this month: Judy Sipes Lake Junaluska, North Carolina Josh Smith Murfreesboro, Tennessee James Galloway Nashville, Tennessee Thanks for joining us. We look forward to seeing you and hopefully jamming with you soon. ~RW Ed. Note: Many thanks to Ron Whitlow who tirelessly and imaginatively brings interested people into NOTSBA member-ship. The organization is enriched on many levels by his work! ~mld NOTSBA Board of Directors and Breakin’ Up Winter Committee to Meet on Consecutive days in October Sunday, October 18th late afternoon for a Breakin’ Up Winter Committee meeting, followed by the Board of Directors’ meeting, Monday, October 19th at 6:30 PM at the Buchanan Log House The time and location for the BUW committee meeting will be announced next month. All members are welcome and encouraged to attend the Board meeting, and, as always, if you have business for the board and cannot attend, you are welcome to request that a board member bring it to the meeting for you.

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D A A7

D A A7

Guitar Chords

Mandolin Chords (First Position)

Tune of the Month This tune appears to be of French and Irish origin (See the Fiddler’s Companion at www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers). In an 1853 inter-view, 93 year old Benjamin Smith of Needham Massachusetts identified this as one of the most popular American army tunes of the Revolutionary War; until their musicians learned “Yankee Doodle” and “The White Cockade” from hearing the British playing them in the distance. Also known as Boston March, On The Road To Boston, Kentish Guard’s March, London March, Nathanael Greene’s March and Road To London. Nathanael Green was one of Washington’s Generals in the American War for Independence, and was also one of the founding members of the Kentish Guards Rhode Island Militia in 1774. This was a tune which General Green himself apparently favored, and encouraged his field musicians to play to urge his troops along. Previously known as The Road To London or The London March, legend has it that this is the march that was played as the Kent-ish Guards left East Greenwich, RI. to support their brethren in Massachusetts immediately following the Lexington and Concord incident, hence the new name. “The Road to Boston” was made the official Ceremonial March of Massachusetts in 1985. This tune plays very well on the fife or pennywhistle and a very good version can be found in “Complete Music for the Fife and Drum” by Walter Sweet.

Alternate Chords: DDDD AADD DDDD AADD (2X) DDB7B7 EmEmAA DDEmEm AADD (2X)

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The Prez’s Column The board meetings take place on the third Monday of the month, normally every three months. This schedule has worked well and the predictability helps the board to anticipate when the meetings will occur. We are putting off the scheduled September board of directors meeting for a month to the third Monday of October, the 19th. We’ll have a Breakin’ Up Winter committee meeting the day before. Even though the full board won’t meet in September, it doesn’t mean that the business of the organization is not happen-ing. Some requirements are timely in their demands for action. To that end the Executive Committee met in August to conduct business not necessarily needing board action and came away satisfied that the board meeting could wait. Much of the agenda for the EC meeting was concerned with items that have to be accomplished as part of the ongoing busi-ness of the org as a non-profit agency. The executive committee is formulating methods for keeping track of and meeting those expectations with a minimum of fuss. The mission of NOTSBA calls for us to promote and educate people to old-time music as a thread of our past, our tradition and our culture. This year NOTSBA’s performance group completed a series of performances at Carnton Plantation in Frank-lin on Saturdays providing music for people touring the mansion and the grounds. These performances clearly entertained attentive and vocal audiences pausing to sit and listen on the porch and many people said that the music helped create a sense of the period in which the home was active and occupied. Now, fall will see us with a full and interesting performance group schedule that Vice President, Don Kent has gathered in for the org. There are performances like those at Carnton, and some that will bring the music of a particular period in our history to an appropriate setting and event. Though not all of us love to dress up and adopt another persona for a musical outing, folks who have done those have said they’ve been rewarding, lots of fun, have enabled them to play with people they’d not had the pleasure of enjoying before in small groups and gave them a real sense of how much people just being introduced to this music are surprised and delighted by it. Some of these events coming up are designed to educate school children and these have special interest for us. The performance group will be at Travelers’ Rest and the Bicentennial Mall in October, Buchanan Log House’s Folk Festival (Saturday, September 19th) and Nashville Parks and Recreation’s Celebration of Cultures (Saturday, October 3rd). NOTSBA will be at the Nashville Zoo’s Fall Harvest Days as the Fourth Sunday Jam, Sunday, September 27th. The performance group is increasingly able to send subsets of its members to perform specific dates and that ability makes the busy schedule possible. We encourage folks interested in being part of the performance group to talk with anyone in its workgroup, Don Kent, Jim Hornsby, Andy Shivas and Mary Lou Durham. Beyond the active jam and performance schedules, some other initiatives are developing, too, that I hope to be bringing here as they mature. ~Mary Lou Durham The Newsletter Please send any newsworthy information by the 20th of the month for next month’s edition to Mary Lou - mldurham1@juno.com. The opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the Nashville Old-Time String Band Association. NOTSBA is a volunteer organization and as its seen voice, the News publishes material from members and others who wish to con-tribute to the body of knowledge about old-time music. While we strive for accuracy, we do not label “official” any content found here. We appreciate the generousness of our contribu-tors! ~MLD