Not Easily Broken

Wintergrass Part II

I really did mean to write more about Wintergrass sooner than this.  Our family has been struggling with a respiratory virus that keeps going on and on.  And then there is always school.  We spent Thursday through Sunday having a blast at Wintergrass, and so when Monday morning came around, there were lots of groans and gripes as the reality of daily life came back to the Hess household. It took Herculean effort to bring everyone back to the routine and reality of academic pursuits.  Doing this while everyone was coming down with an illness was even more difficult.  But we made it, and are back on track.  We skipped the Maltby Jam and Open Mic on Saturday just so everyone could rest, do chores and take a break from being a little too busy.  We missed everyone at Maltby, but will be back for April.

As I said, we stayed long and late at Wintergrass each day.  Friday night we stayed until 3am as the boys and our friends Stephen and Seth Burwell had the delight of jamming with Kenny and Amanda Smith!!!  We had attended their concert that evening and the boys were waiting to get a chance to jam with them.  It was getting late and we were about to go home.  I was doubting that they boys heard Kenny and Amanda correctly about jamming with them.  But then, Kenny and Amanda came along and for the next couple of hours, the boys sat mesmerized and grinning ear-to-ear as they chatted and jammed with Kenny and Amanda.

I was so impressed by Kenny and Amanda's humble and kind natures.  The fact that they showed up to jam with our guys blew Chery Burwell (Stephen and Seth's mom)  and me away.  My guess is that they were probably tuckered out coming from EST and ready to call it a night.  But, instead they spent a long time engaging and enjoying our boys.  Unbelievable.  And they were so friendly and encouraging too as they joked and showed the boys some licks.

The highlight for me was getting to hear them sing "Cruel Willie."  I drove my family crazy with that song last spring and summer because I listened to it over and over in the car.  I love the gentle, haunting melody and then the terrible, twisted ending.  Amanda sings it beautifully and getting to sit 5 feet away from her as they sang it was a joy I will not soon forget. 

The highlight for the Burwell boys was to get to perform on stage with Kenny and Amanda the next day at Wintergrass!  After we left for home, the Burwell's continued to jam and Kenny and Amanda invited Stephen and Seth to join them for their performance of "Me and My Farmall."  Of course, Stephen and Seth did an amazing job and will probably never forget it.  I have the video posted here at the end of the blog.

I loved seeing these very popular performers taking time and interest in our bluegrass youth.  It was obvious that Kenny and Amanda not only value music, but people, as well.  Friends were surprised that I wold let my guys jam 'til 3 am like that, but I tell you, the time they spent with Kenny and Amanda was a great investment not only in my boys' music training, but also their character training.  Thank you, Kenny and Amanda for taking the time to engage some young bluegrassers and show them how to be excellent in music and in kindness.

Here's Stephen and Seth with Kenny and Amanda Smith performing "Me and My Farmall."

What a Weekend!!! Wintergrass Part 1

We finished up an incredible weekend of music, friends and fun today.  Wintergrass began for the Hess family on Thursday morning at 9am when Caleb checked in for the Wintergrass Youth Academy.  Caleb is the first Hess to attend the Academy and Kelli is determined to be the next! 

As it turned out, Caleb was the only Dobro player to attend the Academy, but that was not a problem for him...he loved all the attention and the one on one instruction from his former teach and forever friend Harold Christensen.  The Academy brought Harold in as an instructor for Caleb and you can imagine Caleb's delight to have time again with Harold.  Harold is a dear friend and it was so kind of him to come in and work with Caleb to make his experience at the Academy worthwhile and inspiring...Thank you, Harold!! 

There was also another man, whom I did not get a chance to thank that worked with Caleb, as well.  Caleb did not catch his name and the only thing I know about him was that he was very tall and had a red goatee and a cowboy hat.  So a big thank you to this man, as well.  We really appreciate you stepping in and helping him out!

Clayton had a chance to be involved with the Youth Academy this year too.  He was hanging around on Thursday waiting to go to his debate club when he was asked to pitch in and teach some banjo to some of the kids.  He loved working with the youngsters and is planning to volunteer at the Academy next year.

We all enjoyed the Youth Academy show Friday evening and were excited to see so many young people embracing bluegrass.  Thanks so much to all the teachers and volunteers who put the Academy together and made it so fun for all the kids!  We look forward to next year's Academy!!

ps.  We will be sharing our family's highlights from Wintergrass over the next few blogs, so stay tuned!

Wintergrass 2010!!!!!!

We are so excited--next week is Wintergrass! 

Our family has been so busy this week with Clayton and Clark's debate tournament preparations that we have hardly had time to even daydream about all the fun we will have at Wintergrass next week. This school year Clayton and Clark joined a debate club called Verve.  Clayton has been competing in Team Policy Debate and Extemporaneous Speech and Clark has been competing in Extemporaneous Speech.  There is a huge tournament this weekend in nearby Bothell.  We are playing for their banquet Saturday night.  Getting ready for this tournament has kept us very busy as I am helping with the Judges' Hospitality room.

But after we are finished with the tournament, we will be all ready for Wintergrass.  Wintergrass is a huge indoor bluegrass festival here in the Northwest.  In the past it was held in Tacoma, but this year it is being held in Bellevue, which is a lot closer to our home.  That means it will be a lot easier for us to spend lots of time at the festival! 

Something new for us this year is that Clayton, Clark and Camden are all volunteering in the Hospitality Room.  They are looking forward to putting all their energy to good use in helping the volunteers and performers take a break from their rigorous schedules.

Also this year we have a kiddo attending the Youth Academy.  We have not been involved with the Youth Academy before, but we thought this year we would give it a try.  Caleb, our Dobro player, will be enjoying instruction during Thursday and Friday at the Youth Academy. 

That leaves the girls and I to enjoy concerts and workshops at our leisure.  Ben will join us on Saturday.

As we get closer to Wintergrass, stay tuned to hear what we are looking forward to at Wintergrass...

Let the daydreaming begin...well, after Saturday (debate tournament, remember?)

ps.  I removed my cross-eyed picture...it was compromising my professional image.

Cross-eyed?

I was talking to my mom on the phone the other day and she mentioned that she liked our new pictures for the website.  Like the faithful and supportive grandma/fan that she is, she has been showing the pictures to all her friends.  Unfortunately, she has been horrified again and again by questions about my cross-eyed condition, and whether there is any surgery that can help me?

I thought I better clear up any confusion on the matter and let everyone know that my eyes are not crossed like that normally.  I was making a funny face.  I do not need surgery and I normally see straight.  That is, unless I have had a difficult day homeschooling...then I do get cross-eyed.  But, I find that some prayer and a good night's sleep usually takes care of that.  

But guess what...I can spin my eyes and have enjoyed amazing people with my talent ever since I was a child and discovered that I could do it.  As a child, I would sit in church and get a little restless.  My mom often came up with different ways to keep me quiet.  One time my mom suggested that I write my name with my eyes.  Because I could not see anyone while I was performing this feat over and over (I used cursive), I assumed no one else could see me either.  And my mom wasn't really watching me do it either...she was just glad I was finally sitting still.  But the preacher did notice.  I know because when I finished the "Y" of Sally, I looked up at him for a small break from my activity only to notice a very strange look on his face as he stared at me.  He never mentioned it to me though.

But that day a new talent was born.  Since then, I have been a strong contender in many stupid human tricks contests.  Thanks, Mom!  Here's the video...

Photo Shoot

A couple of weeks ago, we had the pleasure of working with photographer, Roberto Bojorquez.  We met Roberto at some friends' 50th birthday party last summer.  He was photographing the event.  We were able to view the photos he took at the event from an online album.  We were amazed at his ability to capture the event so vividly and creatively on camera.  Roberto's work made an impression on us.  So, recently when we decided to make plans to take our band on the road for the summer, we decided we needed some promo photos for our band.  Of course, we thought of Roberto.

So, we made an appointment and met with Roberto at Kirkland's Waterfront Park.  We prayed for some dry weather as it had been rainy for over a week.  Fortunately, the rain stopped for the morning and the time that we were shooting.  Roberto was able to get quite a few pics of our family and we are so pleased with the results!  Once again, Roberto did an amazing job.  We love the pictures and want to share them with you. 

Please click here to see the pictures.  Click here to see more of Roberto's work.

Midwest Tour Summer 2010

Okay, remember back a couple of months ago I said that we had a secret that we were working on?  One that I couldn't tell you about yet because it was a surprise?  Well, surprises and secrets don't last long in our fam and so it is time we let you in on it...no, I am not pregnant.  Why does everyone always guess that? 

Read the title of this blog and you will know.  We are making plans to travel to the Midwest this summer and visit family and friends.  Ben and I grew up in Illinois and so most of our family is back there.  We haven't been back to Illinois for almost 7 years with the kids.  I know that seems like a long time, but if you consider spending 33 hours on the road in a space that measures less than 12X8 feet squared with 6 kids, you might think (like us) that 7 years is not long enough. 

We have considered driving or flying to Illinois many times for our summer vacations, but the cost of time, energy, and money has caused to become weak in our stomachs.  Then we just, well,... chicken out.  But, this year, we have decided that the time is now. It is Clayton's last summer before he graduates.  He has not had the wonderful experience of driving across our beautiful nation in hot weather with his family and we just don't feel like we can let him leave home without such memories.

As far as the cost of energy, well, Katie is three now and almost able to sit in her car seat for long periods of time...notice I said "almost."  The cost of energy actually has not been reconciled in my mind....

But we have figured out a way to handle the financial cost of the trip.  We have begun to look for gigs along our travel route  so that we can perform and use our earnings to help finance the trip.  Here is the part some of you may be able to help us with....

We are looking for gigs from Seattle to Illinois along I-90 to Minnesota and then down through Wisconsin to Illinois for the dates around June 25-after 4th of July.  We are planning to make it all the way to Cincinnati by mid-July then head back on I-70 to Colorado near Denver by July 25th. 

The 25th is when Rockygrass begins in Lyons, Colorado, and we are planning to be in the band contest there.  Rockygrass is a great bluegrass festival near Denver.  So, we need to be in Colorado by the 25th.  After that weekend, we will head straight back to Seattle, just in time for our gigs in August. 

It is a long trip, and Ben plans to be in an out of it depending on his work schedule, and probably his level of sanity.  I will have two other drivers (Clayton and Clark), and so, it is very do-able (did I just write that?).

We are excited to start planning.  And we are excited about getting a chance to see our friends and family back in the Midwest.  It is a huge task to get it all together, but what a way to make some fun memories!

So, that was our big secret.  We have been reluctant to share our secret because we wanted to be sure we could pull it off.  A lot can happen by next summer, but that is what we are hoping and working for right now.

Waterslide with "Sleigh Ride"

It has been a very, very busy last few months for me, and unfortunately my posting in this blog has suffered.  I know you all missed me….

I thought I would share some of the things I have learned about how to arrange strange songs for the banjo in the last month.  During the Christmas break, we had the wonderful opportunity to play three performances at a hotel and indoor waterpark, called The Great Wolf Lodge.  It was a fantastically fun gig. 

We spent hours going on waterslides, and figuring out how to corrupt the water cannons on the big water fort thing so that they would shoot MUCH farther than they were designed to.  What fun it was to watch people cluelessly walking along, thinking that they were out of range of the water cannons.  And then, BLAST!  Their shocked and indignant expressions sent us into hysterics.  Something about annoying random people is very attractive to us boys.  Actually, annoying any people, in general, is our favorite pastime.

Anyway, the way this all relates to music and banjo, in particular, is that for this gig, we had to learn Christmas songs bluegrass-style.  It sounds very simple doesn’t it?  Most Christmas songs have really simple melodies, right?

No.

We had a rather difficult time bluegrasserizing several songs.  Most were somewhat easy, but some were downright difficult.  One of these was “Sleigh Ride.”  I had learned the first part of it from a Bela Fleck recording, but the second part was a bit more elusive.  It moves into a C#M7 chord, and just gets a bit weird.  This is the reason the rest of the band decided that I should do it as a solo.  My initial thought was that I wouldn’t be able to do it.  Solo banjo is very easy: you are just playing by yourself.  Good solo banjo is very hard.  For some reason, the banjo just doesn’t sound quite as cool by itself (in other people’s opinion, not mine).  You have to make it interesting.  I had already learned the first part, and I had about three weeks to learn the rest, so I decided to give it a try.

The first thing I realized was that I had to stick very close to the melody.  In the first part that was easy--Bela Fleck had done all of my work for me and did it much better than I would have.  The second part, I just couldn’t  get to sound very good.  I tried and tried to figure it out by ear, but it just wasn’t happening.  So, I pulled out the Christmas Carol book we had and transcribed “Sleigh Ride” note for note into banjo tab.  I then went through and made the fingerings work.  After that, I learned it, and tried to make it as banjoistic, as possible.  Then I worked on trying to make it sound good all by itself.  From watching other great players do solo pieces, I had decided to accent the melody so that people would first hear that, and then all of the other stuff.

I don’t really know how it turned out, but nobody booed.  So, it must not have been horrible!  Arranging something like that taught me more about my banjo neck, and being familiar with ways to overcome technical difficulties in fingering and picking.  If you are bored with your playing, arranging unusual songs like that can give you some new ideas for your music.  I know it gave me some.    
    

Quote for the Day...

It has been a long time since I last wrote.  We had a busy Christmas break and I was off enjoying family, friends, and time off from regular activities, like blogging (but not laundry, darn). 

Today, we started up with our school lessons again.  My kiddos thought maybe we would start tomorrow, or even maybe next week.  But not so.  Today was the day and amidst all the groaning and whining, I heard a little voice say something that caught my attention and made me laugh hard after I thought about it.  Kelli was comforting her big brother, Clayton, with some thought-provoking words that explain a lot of things around my homeschool.

Here's the quote, "Don't worry, Clayton.  If you act like there is no school, then there is no school." 

Hmmmm.  And some people were worried about them setting off dry ice bombs.... 

Schedule Change

We had some sad news this past weekend.  My stepfather, Leonard Carmichael, passed away.  Leonard was a dear man who was everything a man ought to be--hardworking, adventurous, faithful, strong, kind, smart, sacrificial, funny, and the list goes on and on. He lived in Rochelle, IL, where he headed up a business called Maplehurst.  He was a very successful farmer/businessman who was very involved in helping his community and his church.  I couldn't have asked for a better stepfather.  He showed me nothing but kindness for the 11-12 years that I knew him.  We are all going to miss him terribly.

He found out during Thanksgiving that he had a lot of cancer all throughout him, and it did not take long before it took him completely.  I am glad he did not have to suffer long.  But like I wrote, we are going to miss him.  Everyone who knew him came away a better person after spending time with him.

So, I am heading back to Illinois to be with my mom and to attend the funeral.  The funeral is Friday.  Ben and the kiddos are staying here.  It takes a lot to haul our crew across the country.  We decided to have Grandma out here instead for Christmas.  We will still be able to play at the Great Wolf Lodge, but will have to reschedule for the juvenile center called Echo Glen. I will miss the first performance on Saturday night at Great Wolf, but will join up with everyone for the Sunday and Monday performances.  Ben and the boys are still going to perform at Great Wolf on Saturday night--just without the bass.

We have been working on Christmas songs like crazy.  The thing is that all those songs about Santa are all the same, "Here Comes Santa," "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," "Up On the Housetop," etc.  They all sing about Santa coming to the point that we can't tell when we have already practiced one or the other!  Anyway, we'll figure it out.  We are looking forward to playing at Great Wolf Lodge and kids make the best audiences!

See you there!

These Rolls Rock!

It has been a long time since I have shared a recipe.  Pardon my slang in the title and my reference to a lesser genre of music...I couldn't help myself.

This recipe comes from a new friend I met at the Graham Emmanuel Baptist Church gig back in October.  The kind folks at Graham Baptist provided us with a fabulous meal of one of our favorite things to eat...BBQ!!  And with the BBQ came these awesome rolls.  After finding out that the rolls were homemade, I knew I had to meet the baker who made the rolls and, hopefully, get the recipe.  The gig went on and finished and I still did not have the chance to find the baker or the recipe.  But then just before we left, I met Darlene!  She was the one who not only made the rolls, but also decorated the chapel for the event.  The decorations were great and so was her enthusiasm for autumn.

Darlene happily agreed to share her recipe with me. I finally had the chance to make them over the Thanksgiving holiday.  The funny thing is that I did not need to wait until I had time to make them because they hardly take any time to prepare.  We had them with some more BBQ when we had the Burwell family over.

I have written about the Burwells before when last spring we performed with them at Maltby. Stephen and Seth Burwell are two VERY talented young men who can play some serious bluegrass.  Stephen plays fiddle and mandolin, while Seth plays guitar.  If you want to catch these musical young men performing, I believe they are going by the name of Beauty and the Beasts (their older sister is playing cello with them too).  Check out the Molbak's schedule for December.  Or I am sure they will be playing at the Maltby Jam and Open Mic in January.  And if you can't make it to Maltby, well, then I will just put a video of their jam right here on the blog.  Scroll down for the recipe...

All those hungry, young men seemed to like the rolls as much as I did, and so I thought I would share the recipe with you just in time for Christmas.  Enjoy!

Darlene's  Awesome Rolls

1 1/2 cups  warm water

1 egg

1/3 cup  oil

4 1/2 cups of bread flour

1/2 cup of sugar

2 tsp. powdered milk

1 1/2 tsp. salt

5 tsp. yeast

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.  Proof the yeast in the warm water and sugar for a few minutes.  Add rest of ingredients and mix.  Roll into balls and put on pan on parchment.  Shut off oven and put pan of rolls in to rise for 16 minutes.  Take out and cover with towel.  Let rise a bit more while oven reheats to 430 degrees.  Then put back in oven and bake for 8 minutes.