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On June 12, 2010, I was asked to provide some music for
the cocktail hour at the SCGS Jamboree in Burbank. My husband Butch came to join me, adding a little saw to the singalong
I led. A number of folks came around to sing a few choruses and the link below gives you a small (very small) sample of what
we presented. (Note: this video is courtesy of Alice Volkert, who holds the copyright - this is shared with her permission;
check out her website: Volkert Services.)
Click here to view the Jamboree "gig"
| Singing old gospel songs with Thomas MacEntee |
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| Mesa Family History Expo, January 2010; photo by Joan Miller |
EXCITING NEWS: I HAVE DONE INTERVIEWS AND THEY ARE ON THE WEB
FOR YOUR "LISTENING/VIEWING/READING PLEASURE" (OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT):
I did music and storytelling with the kids (ages
8-16) at Kids Camp at the NGS conference in Salt Lake City on 1 May 2010 and it was reviewed in Deseret News. Click the logo
below to read about my part in the 3-hour program:
IN MARCH 2010 I DID 2 INTERVIEWS FOR NEWSNET,
AN INLAND EMPIRE (CA) BASED ON-LINE AND CABLE TELEVISION NEWS AND INFORMATION PROGRAM. ONE IS DEALING WITH THE RIVERSIDE FOLK
SONG SOCIETY (AIRED MARCH 15 - 031510 - about 10 minutes into the program, complete with a short song) AND THE OTHER ABOUT
THE CORONA GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY (AIRED MARCH 22 - 032210 - about 14 minutes into the program). TO VIEW THESE, GO TO NEWSNET AND CLICK ON "Watch us" and "Southern California Life," THEN CLICK ON THE ARCHIVED DATE NOTED ABOVE.
ON
10 NOVEMBEER 2009 I DID A PODCAST VIA TELEPHONE WITH SUSAN E. KING OF "WHERE GENEALOGY
AND SPIRIT CONNECT." IT IS POSTED ON LINE (FREE FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO LISTEN); CLICK THE LOGO LINK BELOW:
I ALSO DID A PODCAST WITH LISA LOUISE COOKE BUT IT IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE
ON LINE (I DO HAVE A COPY OF IT, IF YOU ARE REALLY INTERESTED IN HEARING IT . . . EMAIL ME: jean@circlemending.org).
MY FIRST PODCAST WAS WITH "DEAR MYRTLE" (PAT RICHLEY-ERICKSON,
WHO ALSO HAPPENS TO BE MY 8th COUSIN) IN NOVEMBER 2008 FOR FAMILYHISTORY EXPOS. TO HEAR IT, CLICK THE LOGO LINK BELOW:
| San Fernando Valley Gen. Soc. |
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| photo by Susan Brundage, March 2007 |
A thought to ponder: in doing family history
research, we try to piece together the various elements of our ancestors' lives in an effort to create a complete (or
as complete as possible) picture of who they were in their homes, families, occupations, religions, and activities.
Their musical interests/involvement should be considered part of this whole picture, or circle, of their lives. I attempt
to assist genealogists in providing this missing element of the family history, helping to complete, or mend, that circle.
Check my listing of CDs that allow you to bring that element into your home (or car) and make your ancestors' music part of your life, too.
And to add to our understanding of this aspect of our ancestors'
lives, I have made this my focus on my blog. Check it out (or subscribe to the blog) to read about how ancestral
songs describe their lives and cultures as well as the history of their times.
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| Virginia Marie Johnson, ca1935 |
Suggestion: Check your ancestors' wills to find
out if musical instruments were listed in the inventory (this may give you a hint about what was played in their homes). Instruments
were also often included on tax lists as taxable property. Other ways to learn what instrument(s) your ancestors played:
letters, journals/diaries, and the instruments themselves, passed down in the family.
| Las Animas (Colorado) Band, 1910 |
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| photo from Bobby Dobbins Title, used with permission |
This part of
the Circlemending site is subject to frequent revisions as we are able to add material, some of which will be/was recorded
live, resulting in less than stellar quality. However, you should still get a good idea of the types of music presented in
these unique programs and hope that, should you have any questions about the songs, programs, or other material on any of
these pages, you will not hesitate to get in touch with me at jean@circlemending.org.
Thank you for your interest.
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| San Fernando Valley Gen. Soc., May 2006 |
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"Last Winter was a Hard One"
This piece was written by Jim O'Neil and Jack Conroy in about 1880
and tells of the problems immigrant groups had in their quests for employment. The employers would actually pit one
group against another to lessen the chance of strikes and to keep the wages low. Also known as "When McGuiness Gets
a Job," it is a good example of how a man's employment (or lack thereof) affected the entire family. A slightly edited version
of this song is also performed in the "Erin go Bragh" program (for information on that, click Details on Songs & Stories of Historical Events).
To hear the entire song, click below:
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| Hollander & Trapschuh family gathering, Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
audio: "Last Winter was a Hard One"
Music was part of the lives of our ancestors,
just as it is part of our lives today.
One major difference: our ancestors made their
own music. Engaging in homemade entertainment was often the way they passed the time during courtship, on holidays,
or whenever family and friends gathered.
These presentations allow audience members
to get a sense of what life was life for their forefathers and foremothers.
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