Kansas Acoustic Arts Association

There was a lot of music among the Pines at the Chamber Music at The Barn's 2nd Annual Acoustic Music Camp. There were basses, guitars, fiddles, banjos, mandolins, autoharps, lapharps,and dulcimers -- mountain and hammered. Princess Harris called a line dance for the group after teaching them the moves and the calls. Elana James and her band shared their stories and passion for their music and she talked about making a regular song a real 'fun' song by jazzing it up and improvising the playing. At the Music Shop barn we tried the autoharps, mt. dulcimers, banjo, mandolin, bowed psaltry, diatonic accordian and jembe drum. Some students created their own songs for the instruments and others played together in a 'band'. It went quite well and I have some more ideas for next year's camp. You can let them know now if you want to be on the mailing list for next summer's music camps. 682-1152, www.cmatb.org and cmatb@aol.com.

Look for some gala events for the 50th year anniversary celebration of the Wichita Guitar Society. That comes up in November with special classical guitar performances and perhaps other activities in the planning. All the details in the next issue of this newsletter.

In June I traveled to Boulder, Colo. for an international conference on Subtle Energies, and of course that includes music. One of the most fascinating sessions for me was presented by a researcher who is developing a technology to measure and quantify the vibrations of the different musical notes. He let us try out his original prototype --a copper plate, about 15" x 15" mounted on a stand much like a microphone stand. He scattered a fine sand across the plate and then we used a regular fiddle bow to bow once down any one edge of the plate. The result was a distinct geometric shape in good proportions. It was quite amazing. Then, with the help of computer technology, he showed the changing patterns of the sand on the membrane in his latest prototype as the notes of Pachabel's Canon were played on a harp. So different notes create different shapes with geometric dimensions. And that idea ties right in with another presentation about what some physicists are now proposing -- that the essential element of the universe is shaped more like a string and different ones vibrate at different frequencies or play a different note and that is why and how they come together to create all the matter that we perceive around us. Musicians have always known that music is basic -- perhaps the field of science is finally getting to the same idea.

COWTOWN -- If you have followed the news, we may or may not be doing the Music Shop at Cowtown in October for the County Fair Weekend. I would like to have some helpers for both the Education Day and the Sat. - Sun. weekend setup. I will propably know more by the middle of Sept. when I return from Colo. When you read this I will be taking in the Pagosa Springs, Colo. mountain air. I hope to bring back some info on the Four Corner's Folk Festival scheduled for Labor Day Weekend and find out more about their new Indie Festival.

I had another great music experience during a recent trip to Dallas. We attended a performance of the group that presents WORK O' THE WEAVERS, a tribute to the pioneering work of The Weavers. First known as The Almanac Singers, led by Pete Seeger and Lee Hays and influenced by Woody Guthrie, they wrote and presented all across the country many folk and union songs that represented the needs of the times and the changing political scenes. They ran into trouble with the FBI for their anti-war albums and 'subversive' activities and dealt with that for the rest of their careers, but they also led the way for a new style of music and singing. This group of singers tell the stories of The Weavers and sing their songs with great gusto. They are four; bass, guitar, banjo, and percussion (all acoustic) and they have a LOT of fun telling the story and singing the songs. They will be thru the Wichita area in early Oct. and it is rumored that they will be making an appearance here. Local musician Ann Trechak has in the past arranged some educational activities for schools with member James Durst www.jamesdurst.com and she is available at 652-8989 to answer questions about the group and their story.

Speaking of singing -- since Stage One has changed their name our singing group had to follow suit. Soooo, we are now the Wichita Broadway Singers. We're still doing the same thing -- mostly Broadway -- and starting the year with Broadway songs for the Christmas Season.

I hope that Winfield is a blast for all who go that way and they find many a pickin' and jammin' session to keep them grinin' and playin'. I'm looking forward to gettin' back to singin' about that time in Sept.