It’s been quite slow but we had two RockRoots gigs this week, a private school in NJ on Tuesday and a big Catholic school north of Philly on Wednesday. I finally centered myself with the show after several months off and figured out my small glitches in the script. I was a little worried that I didn’t have total recall of the finer points, but, the good thing is that the lads have my back and go with the flow. The show continues to be very effective, great raves from the teachers and principals and the kids have a wonderful time. We have another one at a middle school in central Jersey on Monday.

I miss my friends up in Connecticut, and try to create opportunities to visit when I can. Usually I have a gig to anchor the trip, but I had a free Friday and arranged to head up to Ron Anthony’s place for a pizza pickin’ gatherin’. The folks were glad and honored that I would travel all the way up from PA to play, but, frankly, it was for my own mental health that I made the trip.

The drive up and back actually gives me some concentrated time to listen to music, catch up on podcasts and spend some time in thought. I’ve driven this route so many times over the last 16 years, time goes by painlessly.

I got there early enough to check in with Ron and Susie, catch up on our friendship, take a half hour power nap and head down to the rustic kitchen area as my friends arrived. Always great to see my old friends, and they look forward to sharing some time with me. Frank, Denny, Ron, Bill, Lou and a new couple Eric and Kim. The tunes get passed around, some familiar, some new but always treated with respect. Country tunes, blues, Ron’s originals, some of my ‘standards’, but I particularly love the fact that I get to noodle on mandolin and guitar, something I rarely get a chance to do. I usually have to lead the band, even when it’s just me.

Eric was big surprise, a wonderful fiddler and mandolinist. When I had some of my ‘jam’ tunes up, like Lessons and Giant, tunes that take some intelligence to understand, he stepped up and we created some magic together- the beauty of playing music with someone new.

The jive that goes on between tunes is precious and, after a few well-aimed barbs, Kim mentioned that she was really beginning to like us and our sense of humor. So much history between us, so much respect for each other and so much love. There ya go.

Ron and Susie put me up overnight and I got an early start back to Bethlehem in the morning, making record time with little weekend traffic. A good trip.

We can always count on getting a couple of gigs during Catholic Schools Week, when the parochial school concentrate their arts money during this time. We used to get three or four, but times are hard. Regardless, I enjoy playing for these students and they really appreciate the assembly. And we usually play for K – 8th grades.

We were in Warminster, PA on Thursday at a suburban school in a nice big gym, good stage. We did two shows – K through 4th and 5th through 8th, both fun and respectful kids and teachers.

We haven’t had a RockRoots since the fall, and I worry a little about my internal script for the show. I did pretty good today and was able to mumble my way through a couple of spots. Invariably the show works wonderfully.

As I was packing up, a female student came up and said that she remembered me from my annual gigs in town at St. Paul’s Preschool Art Show and Concert in the spring. Her mom, a teacher at the school had come up after the first show to remind me as well. She said she still plays my Peanut Butter CD for her students. It was remarkable how similar the mother and the daughter looked as well. Some pretty deep connections. Nice.

I was looking forward to tonight’s two-hour set at St. Peter’s Bakery, with an hour of rainy, Friday night traffic to get there and set up by 7 pm. (I started at 7:08.. pretty good, if I don’t say so myself). It was noisy, but friendly and I always look forward to just playing my tunes, feel out the crowd and connect as best I can. It works for me and the venue, too.

I really haven’t played much this week, so I was curious how I things would go. I noticed my voice was a little rough, especially with the long, unamplified session with the 2nd graders in the afternoon. The guitar stuff felt good and it was nice to stretch out on the guitar tonight.

I did mention my mandolin case open for tips, as the we, in the arts face this new economy and cultural backlash.

Lots of $1 tips, some fivers, a stromboli for tomorrow, a croissant for the morning, some new acoustic fans and a good evening away from the tempest.

Back to Bethlehem to reflect on the day.

I leaned on my music today, to keep me off the FB and the News, and it was the way to go. I had booked a 2nd grade assembly in Allentown at a new charter school that has no music classes. I can do that. There were about 80 kids or so, just at the limit of being able to do it with no sound system (you gotta pay me more to do that…), in a comfortable space, and away we went. The kids were hip from the beginning so we did a lot of good work together – you know – that arts-education stuff. Nice discussions, interchanges, questions, etc. And we played and sang and danced.

This was a new realm for me, at a charter school in an old industrial building (Lutron) with a large group of students and a big enrollment. But, thanks to a concerned teacher (and DF fan from her own 2nd grade days), this was an exploration into funding music and the arts for the school. I had to negotiate below what I normally price to get the gig. Private sector wages for the arts???

Perhaps I’m waxing political, but I do wonder what the ‘new’ economy and culture holds for artists like me.

It was good to play for kids, and get out after a short downtime spell.

Off to St. Peter’s Bakery tonight.

I’ve been refreshing the walls here at Godfreys, with some time on my hands. I’ve been exploring the archives here at the club, acquiring some new zithers for display, taking down some tattered and faded posters, freshening up some Tudor Brown paint on the walls. Time for a reboot after 40 years. I frankly am enjoying the artistic challenge of massaging my collage skills; I’ve been doing it for years. In the process, I get salute the folks who have played on this stage, add some vintage graphic and photographic images, and mount a nice collection of weird instruments laid upon me over the years.  It’s a wonderful process.

I’ve  been reticent to change the walls, especially since they’ve held the prime legacy of the history of the club. But, since the advent of the archives work I’ve done over the last few years, the various walls have been recorded, digitized and saved in house and at Lehigh University, it’s a time to make the old, new.

The New Year and these new and uncertain times has presented me with a less-stressful time (unemployed) and has given me some space to work on the Godfreys arena, start a new adult CD, give me some early time at the Y and meditation by the river. Each day is a project, but I wish I was playin’ more. That’s where it works.

Fortified by some strong Godfreys coffee, I geared up for my kids’ set at 7 pm to kick off the evening with Sam, Dina and Kris. I do the traditional family set early on, and there were quite a few folks in the house, but perhaps only five or six kids in attendance. They turned out to be fairly laid back, partly because they were not used to a performer being this close and interactive. Things progressed nicely, though. Many good moments and several thanks from the parents for doing this as part of the evening.

Sam Steffen did his solo set and, as expected, knocked it out of the park. He got a standing ovation which he truly deserved. I am so proud of Sam and what he has brought to the legacy of this club.

Dina, Kris and I set out for a nice long set, alternating two song segments with each other, Kris holding down the sound on bass, my mandolin filling in on Dina’s material and Dina adding some percussion and harmonica colorations on my stuff. We played particularly well, the sound was phat and the patter professional. I was quite proud of what we presented.

We finished off with Dylan’s Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall, with Sam joining us on stage on harmonica, and each of us singing a verse. It was Dina’s idea to do this and it was spot on, especially considering the times we are going through, the sheer poetry of the song and the way we could all add our own take on the piece. It was the perfect ending to a very good night. We got a standing O and begged our way off stage, saying that was all we had.

The evening exceeded my expectations and it was a wonderful way to finish off 2016, with my good friends in front of an appreciative audience on my home stage. Happy New Year!

I did two sets on New Year’s Eve day at this large, hands-on science center in Allentown in a large, sun-lit area apart from the individual rooms. It was a good space to play in, and there was moderate audiences for both shows. Familiar faces but, importantly, intelligent kids, parents and grandparents on hand, as one would expect in this place. There was some great interaction with the kids and the venue folks really enjoyed what I did. Most of the events in this space are science demos, so I was a departure for this place. The folks really appreciated the difference and hope to bring me back for a members concert in the future.

Back to Godfreys for a power nap and the Three Generations show at 7 pm. It’s good to be busy at this time of the year.

I had three sets as part of the first day of Peeps Fest at Arts Quest, trading sets with a magician. It was a long day, but having John Christie sit in certainly helped out a whole lot. There were lots of things to do on site with fun runs, mascots, movies, science demos, etc. so it was like playing in a mall. It was particularly heartening that there were many familiar faces that came by for the shows.

I had done an early morning promo on the local TV station the day before so that was a positive way to encourage folks to come out for the Friday’s events.

Having the sets spread out made it possible to repeat some of the material, and though I don’t like to double up on the songs, I had to keep each audience engaged, dancing and playing along with the instruments – very little room for subtlety. Again, we’re playing in a cavernous space with the sound coming from the ceiling and a vast panorama of steel stacks behind us. We did well with what we had to deal with. And, I got paid.

This is the second year for my Wiggly Giggly Christmas Eve at an old country church in Old Zionsville. It’s a children’s service but there are quite a few parents, grandparents and church elders in the sanctuary. I handed out red foam noses to kids before hand, going back into the pews to make a connection. Made acquaintances with four teenage boys. They actually got into it and it was fun to see them loose during the evening.

The vicar did a simple homily, we sang a few carols and then she set me free to do a 20 minute set of kids stuff. I invited the kids up, and we did Peanut Butter, Tutti Tah, Rudolph, Here Comes Santa Claus. I then broke out the bag and we did Mary Had a Baby, with the congregation singing response and the kids groovin’ on the instruments. We followed with a few more carols, Away in a Manger and Silent Night and that’s it. A nice humble service with lots of community involvement.

A nice way to celebrate Christmas eve, with kids and families in my old rural haunts outside of Shimerville.

I’ll be performing a bunch this coming weekend – Peepsfest, DaVinci Center and back home to Godfrey Daniels. Here’s the Morning Call Family section, thanks to my friend Kathy Lauer-Williams.

http://www.mcall.com/features/family/mc-winter-break-lehigh-valley-kids-family-20161225-story.html

It was a dark and stormy night, but the morning didn’t bring the snow that was expected and only a little ice, so the gig at Arts Quest was on. I’m glad I only live a mile or so away so it was an easy commute. My friend John Christie was along for this one and he’s alway welcome for these kids gigs. We started off in front of about six folks and others drifted in. I was tickled that those who showed had kids who knew what to expect and they all picked up right away.

We did a bunch of  my holiday songs and some of the kids’ favorites and I enjoyed breaking the tunes down to hear their voices on the classics like Jingle Bells, Rudolph and Here Comes Santa Claus. As usual the bag of instruments was emptied on the floor as the kids experimented with them, reacted to each other and with John and myself. It was a small but mighty audience.

As John was packing up, he remarked how wonderful it was to see all the smiles on the kids’ faces. Yes, we have the best seats in the house.

I really like my annual visits to Brookside Country Club for the two seatings of the Santa Brunch. It’s a long day, but it’s a profitable gig, of course, but the reaction from the kids, the grandparents and parents is priceless. I’ve been doing this for years, so I get to see the kids mature over the years and still introduce myself to the new generation of toddlers to my music.

The first set at 9 am was an hour and three quarters straight through, mixing some carols early on while folk sample the ample buffet, and, as the kids finish up, they venture towards the bag of instruments and off we go. I particularly love it when the kids who recognize me light up when they come into the room. Santa came out and danced with the kids for this one.

I had an hour off before the 12 noon set. This second set was particularly full, and the kids were on it from the beginning, including my pal Dylan. He was ready and we connected throughout the afternoon. These kids really dove into the bag and entertained themselves off to my left while I played to the kids, parents and grandparents in front of me and at the surrounding tables.

Folks tell me that I’m doing a good job. That’s cool knowing that the music is creating some good moments for these extended family outings at “The Club”. Lots of red sweaters on the men this year, and always Christmas dresses on the girls. I have a great seat for it all.

I had the pleasure to travel back in time to Kutztown for a folk concert for the local folksong society. I have quite a history, though from last century in this Pennsylvania brick town. Lots of Sheiks gigs, Improper Kutztonian bar gigs, Bear’s Den coffeehouse gigs on campus and many other less-luminary ventures. Keith Brintzenhoff is keeping the flame lit with his efforts in schools, colleges and this monthly series, much like what I try to do around here.

I opted for a long, one-set gig that works well for the aging clientele (and performer). It’s in a nice, though spacious, church setting with pews, good sound and lights and I pushed ’em on the singing early with Don’t Call Me Early and Green, Green, Rocky Road. (It was a refreshing approach from my bar gig in CT on Wednesday.) I dwelled on kids music, Pete Seeger, what is folk music, and more. I got to stretch out the mandolin and guitar tunes, and the wide assortment of genres I do. I had room to move and that’s what makes a good gig.

Keith thanked me and it was good to absorb his compliments on my instrumental work and my professionalism on stage. You know, it’s still somewhat shocking to hear these things. I’m just trying to do my best, and every night presents a different challenge. It’s still not a show. If it was, I’d be doing it the same every night.

Back to Godfreys to connect with Pete Kennedy for his pack up and chat.

No Song Left Behind – Muhlenberg First Year Seminar – Roland Kushner, professor

Last month I did a seminar with Muhlenberg students on ‘folk’ music. Here are some abbreviated thoughts from the students. It was a lively conversation.

Besides the fact that Fry was revolutionary in our classes understanding of how songs last and what makes them high quality, he was someone we wanted to be around. He wasn’t there to lecture. He was there to get us deeply engaged in a conversation so we could better understand the art of music. He was caring, charismatic, and a wonderful musician himself who showed great passion for his craft. He literally took the time to ask each and every one of us what our favorite musical artists were and why we liked their music. Frank

Dave Fry’s presentation was just what our class needed. After a week of chaos in the aftermath of the election, it was a real treat to hear him play his guitar and sing to us all. Scratch that – it was a real treat to sing with him. Mr. Fry is more than just an educator, he’s a mentor. He didn’t want us to be a passive audience, he encouraged us to all sing along – no voice was to be unheard. His carefree demeanor gave us all the confidence to join in wherever we could, and because of that, there was a smile stretched across every one of our faces. Then Mr. Fry changed the tone of the presentation by performing Bob Dylan’s “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall.” As someone who doesn’t typically listen to a lot of Dylan’s work, I think this song was the perfect introduction. When I looked at the lyrics of “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall,” I was stunned by the profundity of the songwriting. I’m the type of person that craves a complex, intricate instrumentation in a song, but in this particular composition, the lyrics absorbed every drop of my attention. In this instance, it wasn’t just the musical content that made the song work, it was the social discourse it spoke to. I am so grateful to have heard this song at the time that I did. In the aftermath of this election, I’ve viewed our nation with complete disdain, disgusted by what we’ve done to ourselves. But when I read through the lyrics of this song, I saw myself as the “man who was wounded in hatred.” Through my arrogance, I was contributing to the growing divide. I was projecting the “us vs. them” phenomenon that always leads us to further trouble. It’s important to search for the young girl to give me the rainbow, as she did to the narrator of “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall,” to remember that there’s always hope. Lily

Dave was a phenomenal performer due to the emotion that he exuded.   It was undeniable that Dave was emotionally invested as he played the guitar as if it was a part of his body.  He often encouraged us to sing along with him creating a welcoming environment.  I felt as if I was a part of his performance.  Ryan.

The next song he played was Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles. Something I had never noticed until I heard it played right in front of me was what the guitar reminded me of. Aside from the title it reminded of sunshine. The opening melody is very light and playful and I feel does a good job of just audibly getting the listener to think and feel sunshine when they hear it. It is a creative and stylistic choice the artist can make to have the melody try to embody the message of the song. Dave Fry did a wonderful job as a performer in sparking a conversation in the room. He wasn’t afraid to put us on the spot and get us involved in what was going on. As a listener I felt very much engaged and I truly did enjoy listening to him play. He also seemed to truly enjoy being there talking with us which made the music all that more fun. And of course thanks to him, I finally know what a true folk song really is. Melissa

Dave Fry is also a very energetic entertainer. When he sings his songs, he usually closed his eyes, as if he was fully engulfed in the song and the only important thing to him at that very moment was the singing of that song. This is similar to the way Bruce Springsteen performs, as he usually never has his eyes open during a performance of one of his songs. Garrett

In Dave’s performances of his music, it was clear that he did not simply play the music. Dave became the music, as I and any other good musician does. He was able to express his emotions wonderfully through his guitar and the various vocal tones that he exemplified. Dario

I am very fortunate to have gotten the unique opportunity to listen to and discuss music with Dave Fry. At first, I had no idea what to expect; I came into class and saw a man with a pony tail and bare feet. I knew it would be a different experience than many of the other guests and activities we had done in class. Dave Fry shared his love for music with the class through singing and discussing what makes a song durable and high quality. I enjoyed his visit because he wasn’t simply in the classroom to talk at us, but rather to get the entire class involved in the discussion. We focused on certain songs that he was very knowledgeable about, in addition to sharing songs that are special to each person in the group. His approach to analyzing songs was different than what we have done in the past, in that he insisted on looking at very specific elements and lines of the songs as his basis for figuring out why that particular portion made it successful. Prior to meeting Dave Fry, I never actually analyzed songs in any intricate way; I had always thought of songs in a holistic manner. In contrast, Fry taught us to “unpack” the song and evaluate how its specific elements affect its quality and durability. Dave Fry’s visit, while only about an hour long, packed a huge punch and truly inspired me to not only widen my range of music to listen to, but to also uncover the true meaning of each song and why it attracts me as a listener. Mimi

I am pleased that our class had the opportunity to listen and discuss music with Dave Fry.  As soon as he came into our class, he sat down, kicked off his shoes and started playing for the class. He made the whole class feel at ease with his comfortable vibe. This is the first time I’ve seen the class let loose and have fun and Dave Fry was responsible for this. Next, Mr. Fry passed out papers to the class with the lyrics from “A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall” by Bob Dylan. He asked us to underline our favorite line from the song as he was playing it. This song touched on the fear that America had about a nuclear war in the 1960s, so the song was clearly not as bright and happy as the other two he addressed. My favorite line was “I met a young girl, she gave me a rainbow.” This was my favorite since every other line in the song was somber. This resonated with me especially since it showed a glimpse of hope and innocence in a time when the country needed it the most. A significant quality that this song had was that it told a meaningful story. It’s lyrics are critical and harder to understand so it makes the listener think. Also, the lyrics don’t rhyme so instead of the listener anticipating the rhyming words (like in “My Girl”), the listener must stay in the present and think about each lyric as it comes. Shoshanna.

Overall, I really enjoyed everything Dave Fry had to say. I liked the Pete Seeger song he played for us. It was interesting to hear a song spoken instead of sung. It was different, but the song was still a song that had a point and a message to it, which is all that matters. I think it’s really interesting that he can bring a group of people together, whether it be preschoolers or senior citizens. I honestly don’t know how he does it, but it’s amazing. He definitely enjoyed talking to us, that’s for sure. I wish I had his kind of spark when performing. What was also really cool was that he was interested in what me and my classmates like to listen to, so it was really cool to educate him as well. I love getting to tell anyone my love for Pentatonix. It’s as if I’m friends with the artists themselves and we can connect on a level through music. Their music has always been there for me, and they always know how to lift me up when I’m down, or just change the bad mood that I’m in into a good one. I hope that Dave Fry can take what he learned from us and spread that information on to other students he gets to talk to. Maybe he’ll learn even more information than we offered him, who knows. Danielle.

Folk music is not something I listen to a lot, and he definitely is influenced by that genre. A unique characteristic to his song was that he spoke the lyrics, and that they told a story. Personally I found this to make the lyrics more meaningful because as we talked about with him, the lyrics do hold a great deal of significance in most songs. With the absence of a melody, I found that I was paying more attention to what they lyrics were saying, and I was able to clearly follow along to the story he was setting. The guitar behind him set a foundation that kept the groove of the song going and gave it that drive that made it intriguing throughout. Zach

Dave Fry came to our class dressed simply and comfortably. His shoes, or rather lack of shoes, caught me off guard but gave me the immediate feeling that he is a person comfortable in his own skin, which is a character trait necessary for his line of work. Personally, I get stage fright when strumming my ukulele in front of two friends, so his ability to play his guitar for a room full of teenaged strangers impressed me. Overall, Dave Frye’s visit to our class was a great experience. They never told us in high school that college classes would occasionally take the form of  a campfire kumbaya. The class’ conclusion to the question of why songs remain popular showed that the answer is just as various as the reasons for why people like different genres altogether.  Moshe

After listening to Dave Fry’s presentation, I came to the realization that he did not simply enjoy performing folk music, but that it is merely a bonus to his overall goal. It dawned on me that he receives a far greater fulfillment by positively impacting his audience through the messages that encompass folk music. The main objective of Dave Fry is to take old songs and make them new again. He feels obligated to disseminate the positive ideology that many folk songs have echoed for many years. Fry utilized the power of three influential songs and an original piece to identify many factors that makes a song durable and quality. “My Girl” by Smokey Robinson, “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beetles, and “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” by Bob Dylan are three songs in Dave Fry’s opinion that can be used as a tool to confront the question of what makes a song great and memorable.

As stated before, I knew Dave Fry would be an enlightened musical resource due to his influence throughout the Lehigh Valley. However, his reputation as an entertainer, children’s performer, musician, and philosopher do not even come close to his ability to connect with people. Dave Fry was able use folk music as a means to relate to me as college student of Muhlenberg without really spending a substantial amount of time. Dave Fry’s ability to emphasize and trigger a human connect between his audience is what I admire the most. Dave Fry is able to break down age, social, racial, and gender differences through the media of folk music. It is important to note that a quality and durable song can bring a large spectrum of contrasting beliefs and ideas together. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Dave Fry’s presentation and hope that I will have the chance to visit Godfrey Daniels on one of my free weekends up here at Muhlenberg.  Mickey.

Today was the big day to unveil our new song “Hey, Ho, Calypso” as part of the school’s 100th Anniversary and it was fairly chaotic. I got there early to set up my sound and rehearse with the kids before the show and, as the time approached, the middle school chorus cruises in, as well as a step team to do their part in the show. The custodian wondered where we would put the kids, middle-schoolers, dignitaries and parents in the all-purpose room. I was feeling a little anxiety.

The presentation was quite nice, with several former students, now teachers and policemen themselves gave short snippets, a slide show of the school’s history narrated by the kids, the choir and the step team all did their thing. It was time for the song.

The kids were ready and we took off. The chorus really resonated and the audience picked up on all the right things, to the point where I backed off the microphone and let the group lead the song. At the end, the kids went out into the crowd with the hand claps, finished the song and rushed back to the stage for our final ‘super star!’. It went over great.

As I packed up, I had several people, including the videographer, the school secretary and the principal, all comment that the song was stuck in their heads. I suppose that’s a compliment. I was feeling a little exhausted and a little depressed after the show, to my surprise. But it was the culmination of a lot of effort on my part and of the kids, and I’m sure it made a difference for them and the school.

I will gather some art work, video’s, etc. to put into a final Powerpoint, record the song myself and present it to the school for their use. Good work if you can get it.

I enjoy playing small gigs like this one on Saturday afternoon, a family gathering for Adeline’s 3rd Birthday outside of Phillipsburg, NJ. The family had seen me at GarlicFest in Easton this fall and invited me for this family event. There were families, grandparents, kids, food and more, and I settled in early with some eats. I chatted with folks and especially the older sister, Genevieve, about her art work on the walls in the dining room, and when I came in, Adeline gave me a big ole knee hug. The kids remembered me from the Easton gig.

I started out with Peanut Butter and the sister said, “I know that one!” The kids picked up on the hand movements and we were off and running. There was one boy who really got into it and was a great foil for the adults watching. There was also a younger lad who’s focus wandered, but I had channelled his energy early on. He eventually wandered off among the toys in the house. The parents Anthony and Tracy were involved, as were the grandmoms, and helped guide the energy forward. Lots of phone pix of the kids, and when the shakers came out, we had some wonderful moments. I even picked on one of the granddads who stepped up when I asked him to do some gobble-gobbles during the Bear Hunt.

I particularly enjoy involving the adult family members, and it really adds to the occasion when they join in. It’s not just about the kids’ show at all. It’s about the family and its community. I’m am glad I do what I do, and I got some very nice compliments from folks as I headed back to Bethlehem.

I left them with two of my CDs so the experience will last for many more years. That’s cool, too.