Even more belated than Jordan's!

Yep. I'm posting three fieldwork observations from two different dates.

SP Celtic Ens.

While waiting outside the classroom I noticed that a lecture class was watching and discussing a video about Elvis. I also overheard a couple of female students being interviewed by what seemed to be a reporter from the student newspaper. Interestingly, the girls were stumped by the question “Where do you see yourselves in the future?” . It didn’t seem as though they had ever really thought about that. This brings up an interesting point about the range of student goals at the institution. All the former students I spoke with at their gigs entered the school with a very clear objective in mind.

Today there was no playing as it was the class meeting immediately after a performance. Instead they watched a video of their performance. I didn’t write as much as I would have liked to since the lights were off. Unfortunately some of the stuff I “wrote” (more like scribbled) looks more like Arabic than English so those few comments are lost.

Interestingly, but upon reflection not surprisingly, most of the instrumentation is interchangeable with a country or bluegrass group: vocals, guitar, 2 fiddles, upright bass. The instructor played box and bouzouki and another older student played bodhran, guitar, and bouzouki. For one tune they even added in a mandolin. One of the reels they played was done with variations in sort of a bluegrass style. One tune was just solo male vocal. The style he used was very different from the standard American vernacular. It wasn’t quite bel canto, but it definitely had a more “European” sound. The instructor pointed out that the singer transferred there from another university where he studied classical voice.

Although one of the goals of the group was clearly to learn the Celtic style, it also seemed to be geared toward increasing the students’ faculties on their bluegrass/country instruments. This also fits in with one of my other observations about our target community: that they seek out ways to enrich their country playing by trying to implement non-country techniques (like the country guitarist who was able to assimilate Ynvie Malmsteen into his picking solos!)

Another interesting facet of the performance was the fact that the instructor was also a member of the group. This fits in with our apprenticeship model. There is something to be said for sharing the stage with accomplished performers. This way, the students experienced professional levels of performance firsthand. One way this concept manifested itself in the performance was through stage presence modeling. The group had a sizeable problem starting off one tune. The instructor defused the problem with wit, charisma, and a comfortable stage presence. This is the sort of thing one does not learn in private lessons.

I talked shop with the bodhran player for a while. He (like pretty much every one else I spoke with) seems to be really excited about his attendance at South Plains.

SP Western Swing Ensemble

After I attended the Celtic rehearsal and spoke with some individuals, I sat in on the Western Swing class. I didn’t write so much because the students’ eyes were on me more (now that I was out of the cover of darkness). There was a prospective student from Chicago observing too, so I felt I would try to impact the environment as little as possible (for now).

The instrumentation was as follows: 2 fiddles (one absent), drums, male and female vocalists, pedal steel, two older guys on bass and piano (not sure if they were students or instructor or sit-ins or what – I’ll have to ask), and the instructor on a telecaster (he took no solos in this class or the Celtic class). It had been pointed out to me by several people that this is sort of a rebuilding semester for this ensemble. The students did seem a bit less confident than most others I had seen from here.

The players seemed to have notebooks with Nashville number charts for their tunes. I didn’t want to shove my face in them for a closer look, though.

When they started, they just jumped right into full tunes – sort of like every rock or jazz rehearsal I’ve ever been in. Then the instructor would make a few comments and they would hit a spot or two and move on to the next one. He would ask them which one they wanted to do next.

The sound of the group is what I’d call “old school country.” The form is verse-chorus with solos. The rep struck me as the country version of jazz standards. The instructor told me that there are only a couple of tunes added to the canon (my word, not his) every ten years.

Since they are preparing for a concert and the set list is set, I will get some more in-depth information on the tunes next time.

SP Western Swing Ensemble -- second visit

While I was waiting for the class to begin, I ran into the Scottish guitarist from the Doug Moreland Show. He was in town and visiting so he borrowed a guitar and found a practice room. After greeting each other, he proceeded to show me (unprompted) what he was working on. His technical faculty really is amazing. He showed me an acrobatic string bending lick that he uses when going from 1 to major 3 where he bends a string toward the ground a whole step and then, when it meets the adjacent string, he adds it to his bend and bends both back the other way so the new one goes up a whole step while playing both. There are other strings involved in the chords, but I wasn’t able to determine their relative pitches. I tried it on my guitar when I got home and only wound up feeling like a fumbling buffoon. Apparently, every year the faculty designates two students as best vocalist and best instrumentalist of the year. I was told by one source that this guy was best instrumentalist last year. If this guy’s work ethic is even remotely indicative of the level of commitment of the student body, it is no wonder that they are so successful after they leave.

Anyway, I tend to lose track of time when paired with another extrovert, so when I looked at the incorrectly set clock in the hall, I thought I was already 35 minutes late for the class. I was, of course, still 25 minutes early. When I got to the room, the older guy who was playing piano last time was there. He was very friendly and we filled the 25 minutes with conversation. He is a retired school teacher. By this time I have discovered that he and the bassist are students and their involvement seems to be at least somewhat recreational. In fact, I continued to speak with them after the rehearsal and they invited me out for drinks. I’m not usually one to decline an offer for social interaction (not to mention additional insight for this project), but I had to pick up a muffler for my ailing vehicle, so I reluctantly declined. For some reason, it is still bugging me but that’s a personal problem.

Anyway, the class began the same way as the last – a short speech from the instructor and right on to the tunes.

The fiddler from last time is gone and the other fiddler is here.

The rehearsal is very relaxed. In fact, random students not in the ensemble periodically come in and leave.

I sat next to the pianist and looked onto his charts.

The tunes, most with their numbers:

Texas Playboy Rag

Deep Water

Verse

1 17 4 1

1 1 5 5

1 17 4 1

1 5 1 1

Chorus

5 27 5 27

5 27 5 57

1 17 4 1

1 5 1 1

Baby, it sure would go good

A little walk with you sure would be good 1 1

A little talk with you sure would be good 1 1

A little table where the candle glows 4 4

Down at that little place we used to go 1 1

And hold your hand in mine, just like old times 5 4

Baby, it sure would go good 1 1

(the male vocal harmonizes the 6^th scale degree on the last 1 effectively turning it into a 67 in first inversion)

Baby, baby – Baby, baby 1 1

Why don’t you come back where you belong? 1 1

I miss you in the morning, miss you when the day is gone 4 4 5

And all night long 5

Take me back to Tulsa

1115

5551

Bob Wills is Still the King

(see sheet scan)

Right or Wrong

6 6 2 2

5 5 1 1

1 1 5 5

2 2 5 5

--------

6 6 2 2

5 5

6 6 2 2

1 5 1 1

Heart To Heart Talk

(see scan of my chicken-scratch)

The amps used on everything but drums (she used hot-rods the whole time) seemed to take care of the balance except during the fiddle solos when the pianist would really thin out his texture.

At the end of the rehearsal, the instructor announced that there is an increased interest in the class for the Spring semester so they will all have to reaudition instead of simply keeping their spots for the year. In addition, a rotating sectional time will be added to the normal demands of the course. Competition within the school seems o be a big part of the educational process. This, I am told, is a reflection of the “real world of country music.”

It’s too bad this project is almost over. I like this environment and especially the people. I may wind up going to a concert every once in a while to say hi.