Searching for the Music

How do you find the things you enjoy doing with people when you uproot and move yourself 650 miles? That's been a situation I've been trying to address since moving 2-years ago. I'm searching for "the music"....well, actually the musicians who make folk music. (That's me at my last gig with Philip & Friends Band in SD, July 2003).

Along with all my other "hats", I am a folk singer and song writer. Playing guitar and singing has been an intermittent part of my life since age 14. This hobby came back into full bloom in 1996 when I started performing at Open Mikes in W. South Dakota. The encouragement from new made acquaintances as well as long-time friends spurred me to make connections with other folk singers, as well as hone my skills. For a few years I was blessed by a marvelous circle of musical friends and many folk venues to enjoy and/or perform at. I started writing original music, and mostly left the world of "cover music" behind. Then I moved.

The first major move took me to the opposite side of South Dakota, and I could not find a folk scene. I instead became part of a polka-jazz band, and that nourished my musical musing. I had lots of fun, made some great friends, and expanded my skills. I found the band practices to be a place where I could let down my hair, get a bit wild-n-crazy, and it served as one of the best stress relief activities I did during a time when my work was anything but easy. I longed for the folk singers, but I was surrounded by some wonderfully wild and crazy guys (Mike & Roy in the picture) and gals, excellent jazz musicians, and new ties were formed. Then I moved.

It is this move that has rather surprised me in my search for the "folkies" (even the "jazzies"!). Reviewing on-line information, I thought I'd be able to find the "scene" within weeks and certainly months of my move...more people, more places. Well, the combination of the chunks of time my work takes, my work schedule the first few years, and basically a hard to find "scene"....I'm still reaching out and seeking.

Last night was my first attendance at the Green Apple Folk Society meeting . I wrote previously about the Green Apple campout...it was a lot of fun. Last night was my first time at an "official meeting", and that was an interesting time of learning about the organization. Its amazing, the society has been alive and well in the Appleton/Green Bay area for a long long time. (I fear stating a no. of years...cuz I don't know the specifics...).

After the meeting, we had a jam session. There were about 15-20 musicians playing a variety of instruments, and there were about 15-20 people in the audience enjoying all the music making. It was a round-robin jam with everyone getting a turn to chose and sing a song, or request a song. It was a lot of great fun.

The night, however, made me a bit home sick for wide-open spaces, prairies, and mountains. Seems all the old folk songs sing of the places of my 50-years of life: Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, etc. I was glad, however, that I really do have a visual memory to tap of all those scenes when lyrics speak of hawks and mountains, prairies and distant vistas.

Driving the 40+ miles home from the event made me think of those friends I made back in South Dakota. I miss them. I miss the music making. I miss the fun times, the crazy times, the after midnight breakfasts in Deadwood; the joy, the triumphs, the chats late night after practice while we swatted at mosquitos in Delmont..., etc. I hope time will help me find some folks to fill those "empty spaces" in my music world.

For this moment while writing, however, in my mind I'm sitting at the table at Biff's in Deadwood enjoying Steve's company (that's Steve in the picture), watching the "young-uns" take a turn at the open mic, sipping an ice cold ice tea.