Kansas Acoustic Arts Association

I visited Grandma's Farm on a recent music jam Saturday night. We sat outside around the fire pit, enjoying the gentle breeze and listening to the musicians in their circle nearby, and I felt as if I had been transported to Winfield! Music Jam is the second Sat. of each month, around dark or so. Grandma's Farm is found north on Tyler Road where it ends at the river. Call Gary or Cindy Siebler for more info. The phone at the Farm is 316-721-9964.

I did make it to the Orpheum for the WSU Fine Arts Presentation of Mike Marshall and Choro Famoso. The rhythms were lively, and three of the six performers were percussionists. Mandolin, guitar and clarinet/sax filled out the group. This was music of intricate and multiple rhythms and, as usual, I spent a lot of time watching the musicians make those rhythms.

We all had fun and were especially delighted when Ami Molinelli did a bit of the shimmy -- Brazilian style. She also 'dueled' with one of the other percussionists on their hand drums.

I was also lucky enough to be traveling to Branson for R & R during the spell of perfect weather in mid-October. My family reunion had been canceled due to an accident, but we had tickets to see Petula Clark perform with Andy Williams so we were off to Branson for the week. Petula was an engaging performer, even accompanying herself on the piano for a song that she had written about a friend, and of course, sang a number of the popular songs that were familiar. Yes, Andy is getting to be a little old man, but he still has a powerful delivery and there were some magical moments in the two and a half hour show.

One afternoon I visited Art Reed, a luthier located at The Engler Block Mall and came away with a bowed psaltry and a little Honeytone-brand mini-amp that you can run on battery and clip onto your belt or an instrument clip that can be attached to your string instruments. He builds many different acoustic instruments right there in his corner of the building. There are some kits available, and he also has an inexpensive hammered dulcimer in the works that would fit the bill for my Ye Old Music Shop instrument collection. More info including e-mail can be found at art@artfolk.net.

In our last even of the summer, Ye Old Music Shop participated in the County Fair Weekend at Cowtown on Oct. 9-11. Friday was Education Day, and we provided some instrument demonstrations. Thanks to local musicians Barbara Barr - autoharp, Sharon Sheffler - Mt. Dulcimer and Tom James - banjo, bones and donkey jaw, for their efforts and sharing.

Many groups were interested in hearing about those instruments. I had the mandolins, banjo and a couple of fiddles lying on the counter (we were located in the drug store) and it was amazing -- practically every kid wanted to bow that fiddle a little bit and many knew about the banjo but not the mandolin. It was a busy day with about 1800 students on the grounds during the course of the day. Sat. and Sun. was the County Fair, and we had the regular set-up -- a table full of autoharps and a table full of Mt. Dulcimers. I also had the guitars, mandolins, banjo, and fiddles laying on the counter for everyone to try if they desired. One highlight for me was the time I looked across the room from the autoharp table to see a young mother with a babe in arms holding that fiddle and with the baby's hand in hers she was making some music. I also played the autoharp with a lady whose grandmother wouldn't let her play the one under the bed when she was a little girl. It was a fun and busy day.

Thanks again to Dulcie Guinty and Charolett Knapic for their help in making the weekend happen for the Music Shop and Cowtown.

The Guitar Society and Ye Old Music Shop will once again present a short Christmas program for the Wichita Children's Home sometime in the middle of December. It is usually the older kids, and we would like to have anyone who would be interested in helping join us. Jennifer Sullivan, who had helped me make the Music Shop happen with her knowledge, training, passion for music, and experience, has moved to California for family and health reasons, and so we need to put together a new group. She was really good at entertaining young people and now we have to figure out what to do without her help.