Morning Session #2, "Wild Berry Farm"

I've written a few songs that were inspired by people I know from their books.  This is one of those songs.

Wendell Berry is an admirable man.  He is an artist, a farmer, an active citizen of the place he lives.  One might say that the place he lives is Kentucky, and he seems very focused on Kentucky in his writing but he really lives, like all of us, on Earth.  I highly recommend any of his writing, though I really do appreciate his non fiction.  My favorite book is, "The Art of the Common Place"

I like this song for playing at the Farmer's Markets and wrote it with that intent.  I've had the great opportunity to play along with a fiddle player, and think a mandolin, upright bass, and a harmonica could all be great fun.

Like some of the songs I've written with playing them at markets in mind, I think it sounds like a song that's been around a while.  It's got a simple, common sounding structure.  Hey if it works!

 Wild Berry Farm (a song for Wendall Berry)

(R. A. Maldonado)

I know a farm, way down in Kentucky,

The farm where the wild Berry grows,

If you know it too you can count yourself lucky

The farm where the wild Berry grows,

Down on the farm, they will do no harm

the farm where the wild Berry grows

The fields are full of beauty and the house is full of charm

The people are happy and it shows

I know a farm where a man does his work

the farm where the wild Berry grows

it's a thing you gotta love, not something that you shirk

The farmer reaps what he sows

I know a farm where horses pull the plow

the farm where the wild Berry grows

You can hear a hawks cry, you can hear a cow sigh

You can hear the jays chasing crows

I know a farm, it's the fine place to live

the farm where the wild Berry grows

If you give more than take, you'll love the life you make

on the farm's where living well shows

work all day, you can rest all night

the farm where the wild Berry grows

you can read a book or think of one to write

at night by the lanterns glow

I know a farm way down in Kentucky

the farm where the wild Berry grows

That farmer wrote some books, so we're all lucky

We can read what that farmer knows

Life on the farm, you could call it common

the farm where the wild Berry grows

But the human race, needs the art of common place

That's what the farmer knows 

Now, You know a farm way down in kentucky

the farm where the wild Berry grows

get your own place, live your life with grace

Like the farm where the wild Berry grows

I know a farm way down in Kentucky

The farm where the wild Berry grows……

Morning Sessions, Vol. #1

I'm thinking that I will try and start posting some recordings of songs here, one at a time.  I will include lyrics and a few thoughts about the song.  I hope you enjoy them.
These will keep in the philosophy of BSMS, and be low fidelity, friendly and accessible recordings.



"Sleepy Head", is a song I wrote about my son, as well as my dog, and my wife.  It is a reflection of those moments when I would catch one of them, still in bed, deeply sleeping, dreaming, deeply breathing.  They seemed so comfortable and secure and I felt so glad to watch over them.  So, I guess you could say it is a love song.

"Sleepy Head"

SLEEPY HEAD

Get up in the Morning Before sunrise

I like to watch the light as it brightens up the sky

Maple syrup in my coffee but I don't take cream

like to drink it slowly as I watch the morning scene

I sit and listen for that first bird to sing

waiting on the squirrels to do their morning squirrel thing

everybody's eager to start the new day

finding food, f-i-nd-ing lo-ve finding their own way

(chorus)

Your still sleeping warm inside your bed

your still dreaming pillow on your head

hiding from the light hiding from the day

you'd never leave your bed if you could have your way

My little sleepy head,  My little sleepy head

I stand by your bed long after sunrise

just to watch you breathing before you open up your eyes

I wonder if your dreams they take you far away

maybe in your dreams it's the middle of your day

What will you remember after you rise

if I told you what I'm thinking, whispered that I loved you

would you open up your eyes

Your still sleeping warm inside your bed

your still dreaming pillow on your head

hiding from the light hiding from the day

you'd never leave your bed if you could have your way

My little sleepy head,  My little sleepy head

Cover performers vs Traditional performers

I have to admit it, I'm a bit of a snob about cover artists, those who specialize in covering the work that was made popular by others.
But what is that about?
I don't seem to be hung up about people who play classical music, or traditional works, but aren't they playing music that has already been made popular by somebody else.  Well, as I see it, yes and no.
I realized what the difference is for me.  It's about the recording industry.
Music that was made popular during the era of the recording industry, thru it's radio play and the likes of that distribution, is currently still very available to us, in it's original form, via modern technology.
Tradition, classical, quite a bit of jazz did not become popular thru recordings as much as the handing down of these pieces, person to person, or thru sheet music, and thusly have to keep a certain human, or organic method in their transference and our exposure to them.
Recorded music, or music from the recording industry era, just seems a bit like refined sugar, to me, where as, the traditional, classical, jazz and old times stuff, is a bit more the sweetness of a good old apple.  I prefer the apple to processed sugar.
So hearing another cover of a _____________ ( you can fill in the blank) that can be heard with the touch of my iPhone, in the original version, as done by somebody not the original artist, and no where like the original artists, just leaves me feeling a little bit unsatisfied.
Now the exception is when a performer truly makes the piece his own with an interpretation that is identifiable as ___________(you can fill in the blank) version of ___________ that takes it to a knew place.  Something like what Ryan Adams did with Taylor Swifts "Bad Blood", or with Oasis's "Wonderwall", or Michael Hedges doin his versions of Jimmy Hendrix or Neil Young or the Beatles.

I realize that not everybody can write new music, fair enough, but the bulk of what is going on in any bar, any given night and at most celebrations, including "tribute bands" is, forgive me if you can, just setting the bar kind of low.

Keep in mind that if you read this and play out, gig out, and are getting paid, getting applause, and getting your guitar/voice/rockstar on, and your happy, then "Good On Ya"!  Live your dream dudes and dudettes and realize that your life is the dream that most of us wish we could experience, even just once.

Peace,

Steve Kelman, Down River, the album

Steve presented me with the finished CD of the album I was privileged to work on with him.  The finished product is just lovely, both musically, and visually.  I'm really happy for him and happy to have been able to be of some use to him on the project.

Great cover art.  Good job Chris.

Look it's me, and us!  How awesome is that?!!

Songwriting for the younger listener

A few weeks ago, at the Sunday market, a father and son, regulars at the market came by and sat and listen to me play a few songs.  I've know the father for a while now and the son, well since before he was a person.  I decided to try writing a song for the little guy and it ended up coming to be fairly easily.
"Mika's Hot Air Balloon", was inspired by a paper cut out piece of artwork that Mika had just made.  It is a story about a boy who loves to imagine floating up in the air in his hot air balloon and what he sees as he travels around the world, all the while never leaving his bed, cause it's all in his head.
This past week I played the song for a bunch of little girls who came by the market and they seemed to like the song and dancing to it.
It's a very satisfying thing to have written a song that kids respond to.  They are honest, and if it doesn't work for them, you'll know it pretty fast.

From a post by the market manager.  That's Mika and his dad.
It's not the size of the audience, but the caliber!

Fiddling about

Had my first fiddle lesson today.  I've never been one for appreciating one on one lessons in music, but I have learned to admit how helpful they are.  My reluctance in the past has been over embarrassment about my lack of knowledge, and ability with some basic parts of music.  Growing older has allowed me to accept how bad I am at something with out getting bent out of shape about it.  This in turn allows me to really see a path to improvement.
A particular challenge about trying to learn new instruments at my age is that my body is not really cooperative, and my artistic judgement is high after a lifetime of listening.  So I end up knowing what I want to hear, but also knowing that I am not creating the sounds I want.
Still, it is great fun to think that someday, I will be better than I am now, maybe even be able to play at a level that makes me happy.  This was what happened with playing piano, guitar, singing, and then  even with writing songs, and producing recordings.
I just got to remember that we say "playing" music.  The play part is important, the hard work should be fun, should be play.