Why do I write songs?

At the Peggy Seeger workshop Saturday, she started with that question. And, since I came in right at the start time, I got stuck in the chair just to her left, so she also started with me.

You'd think, after doing this for fifteen years, i would have a better answer. I don't, especially not without time to plan.

My standard answer--which I'm not terribly proud of--is that the short form of the song is just the right size to get my head around. I don't have time to pound out the novel in my head (someday I'll tell you about it). Most of the time I even really don't have time to do much long-form blogging. (Full disclosure--I don't even really have time for songwriting, either.)

Now, that doesn't mean that I don't think songwriting is as hard or as challenging as fiction or even blogging. It is, and its demands are very precise and, in many ways, more challenging than prose.

So why do I do it? I can't say I know for sure. That's going to be my challenge this week.

No, no, no

Katryna Nields has polyps again. Why can't I get polyps instead? I mean, I already can't sing, and I need the time off from school.

Okay . . .

. . . so no Peggy Seeger Day report. I know, I know. But I still have a mound of papers to grade before tomorrow, and my helper monkey doesn't read English (only Czech), so I have to do them all myself.

Peggy Seeger Day

Did the workshop. Going to the concert soon. Report tomorrow, or Monday.

Sometimes you learn things

Just tooling through the blogger NavBar "Next Blog" links, I learned an ancient secret.

Friday Random Ten (Annotated)

You know the drill: Fire up the mp3 player, set it to random, and list the first ten songs, no matter how embarassing or uncool it makes you seem. Note: Since the death of my hard drive last month, I've had to re-build my iTunes. I'm currently up to the Ms (yes, I alphabetize), so this list will be somewhat limited by that.

1. "I Don't Feel Like a Train" John Gorka from Temporary Road: John's one of my heroes, as a songwriter. This is from one of his earlier albums, before he was quite the fixture that he is today. But this track exhibits some of his greatest strengths: clever wordplay over a deeply philosophical discussion. Take the end: "I don't feel like a train anymore, I feel like the track/ I think that I can help you if direction's what you lack/ though I'm never hard to find, I'm out and open every day/ though I cannot carry you, I can show you the way." An uplifting end to a conceit that could be kind of depressing. Also, I don't have the liner notes in front of me, so I can't be certain that it's Nancy Griffith's harmonies here, but for me, they take this song to the next level.

2. "Twilight Time" Leo Kottke from Live: A classic recording of the classic Platters' hit, done by the master of 12-string guitar. What's not to like about this record?

3. "Been There, Done That (Live)" The Loomers from Shine: When I was in college, I did a lot of talent booking for several of the music series. (In retrospect, it's really kind of scary how much money they entrusted to me and my friends to spend bringing our favorite people to campus to play for us.) One of the acts I admired most was singer-songwriter Jon Svetkey, one of a cohort of Boston songwriters that included Ellis Paul, Dar Williams, and Jim Infantino (of Jim's Big Ego). Building on what people like Bill Morissey--and, yes, John Gorka--accomplished in the 1980s, the 1990s "new folk" songwriters brought both a wide audience and whole lot of talent to what many people thought was a genre that died the day Dylan went electric. Anyway, Jon Svetkey's debut CD included "Been There, Done That," a kind of world-weary "bought the t-shirt" song from the heyday of the "whatever" early 90s. "I'm tired of all the talking, tied of all the shocking, and can anybody tell me any more good jokes?" (When you think about it, that's a pretty silly thing for someone in his 20s.) Facing his 30s without a career in music that would really support him, Jon retired from touring, but keeps playing around Boston with his band, the Loomers, and occasionally solo. This CD was recorded live, including some songs--like this one--at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

4. "Sweet Sixteen (Live)" BB King from Live at the Apollo: The King of the Blues, bending strings live. I love the horns on this record--I think my life would be so much better if I had my own horn section!--not to mention King's voice and guitar in their prime.

5. "Tell It to the Gov'nor" Bela Fleck and the Flecktones from Bela Fleck and the Flecktones: Howard Levy is a harmonica god. Period. Oh, and Victor Wooten is a bass god. Period. (This is not one of my favorite songs of theirs, but, damn, Levy can bend those notes.)

6. "Old Future" John Gorka from Old Futures Gone: Another downer, about 9/11, I think: "Fear took down the winged life, the winged life we've led." And so on. One thing about John Gorka: As sad as much of his music is, he is one of the funniest live performers, ever. He's like Steven Wright (remember him?) on stage, with deadpan ridiculous humor. If you get a chance to see him live, go out of your way if you must to see him. Really. His email updates are pretty funny, too.

7. "Barricades & Brickwalls" Kasey Chambers from Barricades & Brickwalls: Kasey Chambers is the Texas-est Aussie you will ever hear. In much the same way as the Norwegians in Minnesota are more Norwegian than the Norwegians in Norway, Chambers and her band have fully resisted the trends by which American "country" music has been Faith Hilled. This song, like much of the rest of this album, is gritty and not pseudo-pop-radio friendly. By the time she gets done explaining that "Barricades and brick walls won't keep me from you," you can tell she means it. There's no painted-on smile here.

8. "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go" Shawn Colvin from Cover Girl: Shawn Colvin's had some minor commercial success, but she's long been a fixture in the singer-songwriter world. This record was kind of her tip-o'-the-hat to all the songwriters who influenced her and whose work she regularly covered back then. This is her great version of the Dylan classic, recorded live at, I think, the erstwhile Bottom Line in New York, one of her old haunts. It's a great reading of the song, and quite the nifty guitar arrangement, too.

9. "Mannish Boy (Live)" The Band from The Last Waltz: (Speaking of when Dylan went electric . . .) Everyone should own The Last Waltz. I don't know why you wouldn't. That two hours is perhaps the most complete precis of Rock history. This track explores the roots--Muddy Waters hisself joins the Band (with Paul Butterfield on harmonica, I think--curse this liner-notelessness!). Maybe delta blues isn't your thing, but Muddy is the master, doing his signature song. This is as good as it gets.

10. "#34" Dave Matthews Band from Under the Table and Dreaming: The instrumental cut the closes the record. For a while in college, I wanted to be Dave Matthews, but then I realized that playing "frat boy music" meant playing frat houses, which, having occasionally been in one, I really had no desire to do.

Something for your Weekend

At least, if you're in or near Milwaukee:

From: Sandy, Folky1 Prodcutions
Date: Thu Mar 3, 2005 1:00:35 PM US/Central
To: folkbum
Subject: Peggy Seeger in concert March 5th at the Miramar

Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to let you know about this upcoming benefit concert and songwriting workshop. The Urban Ecology Center is one of my favorite local non-profits. Part of their mission is to help urban dwellers, especially children, to gain a connection with the earth, not by taking them out to the country, but by working with them right here within the city and they do great work! And Peggy is a wonderful performer who seldom comes to Milwaukee. Hope to see some of you there!

Thanks,
Sandy
Folky1 Productions

Peggy Seeger - Songwriting Workshop & Concert to benefit the Urban Ecology Center

Member of the musical Seeger family, Peggy Seeger is a singer of traditional Anglo-American songs and activist songmaker. She plays six instruments: piano, guitar, 5-string banjo, Appalachian dulcimer, autoharp and English concertina. She has recorded 19 solo albums and participated directly in more than a hundred others. The workshop is co-hosted by the Portage Road Songwriters Guild. Learn more about this amazing artist at www.pegseeger.com. Special guest, Milwaukee's own Larry Penn, will also be performing at the concert.

Saturday, March 5

Songwriting Workshop:
Urban Ecology Center (www.UrbanEcologyCenter.org)
Riverside Park, 1500 E. Park Place
1:30 p.m.
For adults
$12 in advance and $15 at the door (UEC Members - $12) Call 967-0302 to register.

Concert:
Miramar Theater (www.themiramartheatre.com)
2844 N. Oakland Ave.
8 p.m.
For everyone
$12 in advance and $15 at the door (UEC Members - $12) Tickets are available through Ticketmaster, the Miramar Box Office (414) 967-0302 and the UEC (414) 964-8505.

Wisconsin Wednesday: Snacilbuper

Republicans here in Wisconsin do everything backwards. Really. Recent examples:

Problem: Wisconsin's largest school district, with more students in poverty, in special education, and speaking a language other than English as their first, is failing too many of the students it serves.
Republican-enacted solution: Take resources away from the district, and invest tax money in fly-by-night schools that can be established and staffed by anyone with a pulse and which are held to exactly zero academic standards.
Problem: Wisconsin's taxes are high and the tax structure is particularly punitive to middle-class homeowners.
Republican-proposed solution: Pass a law freezing taxes at the high level and propose a constitutional amendment making the tax structure permanent.
Problem: Wisconsin's health care costs are increasing faster than any other state's in the region.
Republican-proposed solution: Cap liability payouts in lawsuits--oh, wait, we did this years ago and our rates are climbing faster than ever.
Problem: Wisconsin's electoral votes go to Democrats.
Republican-proposed solution: Erect barriers to voting, including the elimination of same-day registration.

This is the most recent:
Problem: Wisconsin families and workers are being squeezed by high property taxes and high health care costs.
Republican solution: Prevent Wisconsin cities with the highest costs of living from raising the minimum wage for their residents--which might have made the squeeze a little less painful.

Monday this week, Milwaukee mayor Tom Barrett signed a bill that would phase in a new minimum wage of $6.50 an hour, the same increase recommended by a non-partisan state panel last year for the whole of Wisconsin. When Republican legislators (perhaps goosed by the business lobby's hands in their back pockets) balked at that plan, Madison enacted its own raise last year, phasing in an eventual rate of $7.75 by 2008. Milwaukee is the second city to raise its rate. (And it looks like Lacrosse may be the third.)

Remember, a worker earning the current minimum wage ($5.15) full-time would still only earn $11,000 a year pre-tax, pre-health care, pre-food and shelter. That is, literally, poverty wages if that person has a child. (A raise to $6.50 would only barely lift that person above poverty level.) As my guy in the Assembly Josh Zepnick put it (pdf), "Right now, a minimum wage earner can afford a monthly rent of no more than $268. Maybe some people in the Republican leadership would like to go apartment shopping with me on Milwaukee's South Side [. . .] I sure haven't been able to find any $268 apartments." (And it's true--search here.)

The business lobby, though, is crying foul. (As much as conservatives dislike trial lawyers, they sure do go to court a lot, don't they?) I say so what if the duly elected officials of certain cities want to ensure that the people who live there are able to stay there? But those Snacilbupers are even refusing to compromise.

Anyway, perfect opportunity for Republicans controlling the legislature to deny any actual solutions for the problems that they are only happy to exploit.

"Entirely Appropriate" My Fat White Blasphemous Ass!

(Cross-posted from Liberal Street Fighter, where the hits just won't quit!)

So I was driving home listening to "All Things Considered" when they ran Nina Totenberg's story on the Ten Commandments SCOTUS case. As is her wont, she read excerpts of the transcript, so that we little people can get a feel for the back and forth of the oral arguments. One particular exchange set me off pretty good:

Totenberg read Antonin "Fat Tony" Scalia questioning the anti-Commandmenters. "[The Ten Commandments] are a symbol that the government derives its authority from God, and that seems to me entirely appropriate." WTF?

Has that man read a history book? How in the hell can he be fit to serve as an arbiter of what the Constitution says when he doesn't have the first clue where that document draws its moral and legal authority from?

The Constitution is a wholly secular document, based on natural and civil rights of humankind. It owes far more to humanist philosophy than scripture; Madison and Hamilton and Jay and the others who formed the framework of our government and penned the Bill of Rights spent their time at the Constitutional Convention discussing the ancient Greeks and the contemporary French, not the Biblical Hebrews.

Hell, if the Ten Commandments truly were the basis of our system of laws, every teenager in America would be in jail for not honoring their fathers and mothers. I myself would be in the stocks because damned if I remember the last time I honored the Sabbath and kept it holy. How many Republican Congressmen are known adulterers?

Seriously, how in the hell can we allow Constitutional questions to be decided by someone who doesn't know the first thing about the Constitution?

Teaching Tuesday

Just some random notes today:
Ex-teacher and ex-candidate's wife Stacie is now officially an ex-candidate's ex-wife. I think congratulations are in order. Maybe a muffin basket. I don't know; I've never really done this before.

TeacherKen is going great gonzo with some nice educational posts, both at his own blog and at dKos. For example, there's this one about what makes a good teacher; this other one about good teaching; and a seriously scary post about how the right wants to destroy public education. (I mean, we've always known that's what they're up to, but now they're not even trying to hide it.)

Ms. Frizzle is going to Finland on a Fullbright. That definitelty deserves a muffin basket.

On a more solicitous note, we could really use your help to protect public education here in Wisconsin. Libby Burmaster is up for re-election as state superintendent. She's up against a Republican state lawmaker--a big voucher supporter. I've met Libby several times, and she's Good People: a lifelong educator, a non-partisan, and a big believer in the power of communities to change kids' lives. Any support you can give in this (mostly) non-election year will be greatly appreciated, especially since her opponent is likely to be rolling in national voucher money soon.

Next week, maybe we'll talk about what we did in class today: The Quote Sandwich. Yum.

Links, etc.

The sidebar is 90% done. I want some pictures, and there are a couple of blogs I want to link yet.

Plus, imageshack seems to be mucking with the pictures I already have. They show up sometimes, not others. Grr.

Mostly, I wanted to say that your blog's disappearance from my blogroll is not necessarily personal. I use my sidebar as a reading guide, so the blogs I link are the blogs I read. It's that simple. (If your feelings are really hurt, lemme know and I'll put you back.)

Let's start with Herb Kohl

Kohl is up for re-election in 2006, and while I like him okay, he could do much better for us. Here's what I wrote him today:

Please Vote Against Bankruptcy Bill
I know you voted the current bankruptcy "reform" bill out of committtee last week, but I urge you now to vote against it.

I would like to direct you to this story:

In it, the New Republic notes, "Under the current system, bankruptcy courts have broad discretion to decide who can file for Chapter 7, which allows debtors to erase their obligations after forfeiting a state-determined percentage of their remaining assets, and Chapter 13, which requires strict repayment according to court-ordered schedules. Judges base their decisions as much on why the debt was accrued as on income; this way people who come into debt through no fault of their own can get a fresh start, while a judge can decide that a careless gambler must pay what he owes. But the new bill would replace judicial discretion with a means test on household income--those above a certain level would be forced to file for Chapter 13 bankruptcy--dismantling the system's ability to discriminate among worthy and unworthy debtors.

Credit card companies insist that most filers are merely credit addicts who have spent beyond their means and want to stiff the industry with the bill. [. . .] But a recent Harvard study shows that roughly half of all filers for Chapter 7 do so in the wake of major medical expenses. Moreover, Chapter 7 bankruptcy is hardly a get-out-of-jail-free card--it leaves a prolonged stain on one's credit rating and imposes tough financial sanctions. The credit card companies, by contrast, don't seem to be hurt by the filings much at all. According to Harvard Law School bankruptcy expert Elizabeth Warren, since 1997, 'Bankruptcy filings have increased 17 percent, while credit card profits have increased 163 percent.' "

This bill is symptomatic of what Republicans everywhere are doing (we see a lot of it at the state level here in Wisconsin, too): They want to treat a symptom, not a cause. And in doing so, they are serving their investment-class masters rather than the best interests of everyday Americans.

Thank you.

Write your own letter to Herb Kohl here.

Fingers Crossed

Another quick repair from Apple and, Jobs willing, I will have my iBook warming my lap tonight.

UPDATE: I'm at the Apple Store. It's looking good. We just may have real bloggage again starting Monday.

What's Missing?

If you guessed "Jay's iBook," you'd be right!

I got a call from Scott over to the Apple Store this morning telling me that apparently, the Depot people replaced the logic board and not the hard drive, so that when they booted it up last night it failed miserably.

But since this is a family blog, I won't tell you how I really feel.

An Update, A Preview

So my iBook will be back in my hot little hands Saturday afternoon. Actually, it got to the Apple Store sometime Thursday morning--and considering that I dropped it off Monday night and it didn't ship to the Depot until Tuesday morning, that's fast.

So today I want to give you a a preview of what the remade f's r&r will be all about. Mostly, it has to do with trying to keep a regular schedule:

Monday: My Music Moday--I will take the time to talk about something related to my music. I will try to get you all mp3s if you want them, as well as talk about process, lyrics, and such. (By the way, if anyone knows someone willing to host downloadable mp3s, you should let me know.)
Tuesday: Teaching Tuesday--I glimpse into what I'm beating into those young minds: literature, grammar, writing.
Wednesday: Wisconsin Wednesday--I will try to focus on local stuff at least once a week. That's not to say I will never write about Wisconsin other times; it's just that Wednesday is alliterative.
Thursday: Thursday Three--Three posts from around the net that you maybe haven't read, but should have.
Friday: Friday Random Ten (Annotated)--You know the drill: Set your iPod/ mp3 player/ iTunes/ whatever to random and list the first ten songs. I will annotate my list, with commentary, reminiscence, and recommendations. Obviously, I can't do this today without my iBook.
Weekend: Random stuff, greatest hits from the past or my other writing outlets, whatever.

So, come on back. I will try to have something this weekend (and I'm still re-arranging the sidebar links so there are fewer and they are easier to navigate). At any rate, there will be real postage here Monday. Promise.

Yellow plus Blue makes Green!

Or, go start reading Blue and Red, which is not really about color at all.

Bad News

While my hard drive is off being replaced (I am fully backed up this time!) I'm pushing back my re-launch. I will aim now for Saturday the 19th. Sorry.

Update update

The new template is basically done. I think I need to do a little tweaking of the sidebar's width. The content of the sidebar is still in flux; I hope to trim it to about half its current length. I'm still not officially "back" yet, though. Just working through the process.

UPDATE on the Update update: I fixed the sidebars. I have seen the site in Mac and Windows, Mozilla and IE and Safari. Anyone see anything that looks bad?

Oh

And for those of you in driving distance of Ft. Atkinson, I'm at the Cafe Carpe Friday, Feb. 11. Come on out and see the show. I'll buy you cake.

I'll be back

Hiatus is almost over. I will be back--I promise--on Feb. 17, one year to the day after Howard Dean's loss here in the Wisconsin primary and the official death of what little political optimism I'd started to have.

In the meantime, keep reading me at LSF every Monday. I'm up for a Koufax, too, if you care to head over and vote. I will be rearranging and trimming my sidebar links, so click through while they're still there.

Your patience will be rewarded!