This talented young group was originally noticed for their fiery instrumental abilities, but they are also adept songwriters and singers, as this latest single attests.
Mandolinist Teo Quayle says that he is fond of this, his first song.
“I’ll Be Here Either Way started as a hook which I had been messing around with for a while. That hook eventually became the chorus of the song. From there, I wrote each verse and the bridge around that central idea. Although the story of the song doesn’t pertain specifically to my life, its message is one to which many people can relate.
I’ll Be Here Either Way is special to me because it is the first song with lyrics that I’ve written.”
Support comes from Teo’s older brother Miles on fiddle, Ian Ly on guitar, and Andrew Osborn on bass. They turn in a fine, radio-friendly track, sure to appeal to the younger component of bluegrass lovers.
Have a listen…
I’ll Be Here Either Way is available now from popular download and streaming services online. Radio programmers can reach out to EMG for an airplay copy.
Northern California’s Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band has made a habit this past several years of impressing music lovers all over the world with their original improvisational bluegrass and new acoustic sound.
While still in their teens and early twenties, these talented young artists have won raves everywhere they go. Teo Quale is on mandolin, his brother Miles plays fiddle, Ian Ly is on guitar, with Andrew Osborn on bass.
Back in 2018, shortly after the band was formed, they did a TEDx Talk, invited by Nashville fiddler Phoebe Hunt. Now as impressive and experienced young men, they have prepared and delivered another TEDx presentation called From Fiddles to Formulas, which includes both live music and dialogue. It was given in Palo Alto, CA last month and draws on their twin pursuits of music and academics, as you will see in the video below.
Ian Ly is the 2023 National Flatpick Guitar Champion who plays with the Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band. He grew up in Santa Cruz, CA, has studied with Steve Palazzo and Jake Workman, and is currently studying Visual Communications Design at San Francisco State University. This young artist’s story has only just begun.
Hi Ian, can you tell us when you first started playing music?
I’ve played music since the fourth grade when I took piano lessons. I didn’t take to piano very much, but I think it laid down some important foundations.
When did you first start flat-picking?
I picked up the guitar in 2016 when I was in high school. I had started listening to some bluegrass, and actually took a few banjo lessons, but I really got hooked on guitar when I started taking lessons from Steve Palazzo in Santa Cruz.
Were you involved with California Bluegrass Association (CBA) Youth programs?
I was not! There wasn’t as much bluegrass going on in Santa Cruz at that time, and I didn’t start playing bluegrass until my teens, so I kind of missed out on it. I was kind of a bedroom flat-picker for a while there.
What instruments do you play?
I play guitar, and I can fake it on mandolin. I spent a while there trying to play more mandolin, but it didn’t quite take.
Tell us about studying with Steve Palazzo. How has he motivated you?
I took lessons from Steve for four or five years, until I moved out for college. One thing I like about Steve’s approach is that he has a deep knowledge of bluegrass/American traditional music history, and shares that knowledge. Steve really pointed me in the right direction around who to listen to, and what to listen for. Steve is very honest, so you know if he compliments you he means it, and that’s a great quality in a teacher.
Talk some about the bluegrass scene in Santa Cruz.
There was a small bluegrass scene when I was growing up, and there are still regular jams that go on. I used to be a regular at the Crepe Place jam on Soquel Ave. There are some great pickers, but they tend to keep to themselves. I played a lot with Hide Kawatsure, a great mandolin player in the area.
Congrats on winning the Walnut Valley National Flatpick Contest. You said you had been going for five years before you won. What changed in those five years that helped you finally win the title?
I got better. I think that’s the main factor in those contests, just working on your fluidity, musicality, and confidence. That and the judges. There’s no special contest technique that I know of.
Ian Ly – Walnut Valley National Flatpick Guitar Championship 2023 – 1st Place Winner
It was interesting that you had a mandolin backing you during the competition. Is that unusual?
It is unusual. Most contestants have guitar backup, but I find it tends to overlap a bit too much with my leads, and I just needed a timekeeper. That mandolinist, Scott Schmidt from Tulsa, OK, is a great player with rock-solid rhythm, so I asked if he would back me up.
Are you still participating in contests?
No, I don’t feel a need to. It was mostly just for fun, and a personal goal of mine. Maybe I’d do the RockyGrass contest if I ever make it out there.
What impressed me about you playing in the finals, beyond the obvious technique and tone, was how relaxed you were while playing in what must have been a high-pressure environment. How have you been able to do that?
I didn’t over-practice or over-prepare. I worked on those tunes for a week or two before that, and ran them once or twice the night before the contest. A lot of it was improvised. Having confidence in your improvisation and not being tied to an arrangement is a good way to clear those nerves.
That’s a nice-looking Collings Guitar that you won.
That is a great guitar. My main axe right now is a Bourgeois that I play with Crying Uncle, and I have a 1980 Santa Cruz Tony Rice that I mostly play at home, in duets, or at local gigs.
I enjoyed that song you sang, Ode to a D-18. How long have you been singing that?
I heard that song from the Norman Blake and Tony Rice album, and I’ve been singing it for a while. I figured it’d be fitting since I learned a lot on that D-18 that my parents gave to me as a high school graduation gift.
You seem like a natural fit for the Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band (CUBG). Have you known those guys for a long time?
Sort of, I met them in passing at the Father’s Day Festival in 2019, but I’d been following them on social media. They asked me to fill in on a few gigs for the 2023 Festival, and I joined a while after that.
Jumping in to an established group is not always easy. Has it been fun and/or a challenge learning their material and making it work?
Yeah, fun and definitely a challenge. Miles, Teo, and Andrew are such inspiring musicians, and playing with them has pushed me to keep improving, and keep pushing my musical boundaries. And it’s just a blast playing with them, which is the most important part.
Has the band’s traveling schedule impacted your studies?
I have to be more on top of my time management. During festival season we could be flying out and playing every weekend, so I have to make sure I have time to get work done in the hotel room or on the plane. I’ve been able to make it work so far, though.
Can you talk about the upcoming album and where folks can hear it? Did you have compositions on it?
Yeah, we have two singles out right now with more on the way. The album’s still in the mixing and mastering process, but it’ll be out next year for sure. I didn’t write any songs on it, but I do sing a cover.
We recorded it in five days with Adam Engelhardt at Sony Music Studios in Nashville. It was a totally new experience for me, and I really enjoyed it. We wanted to put our best foot forward and get some really good tracks out there. I think we accomplished that.
Roland by the Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band
You’ve done some travels with the band. Are there any highlights or fun stories you can share?
Recently we played in Livingston, Montana, and our hosts were kind enough to take us to Yellowstone. We saw hot springs, bison, and luckily no bears. Another time we missed a connecting flight and spent a night in the Minneapolis airport.
What is your process for working through any challenges you encounter musically?
I usually bang my head against the wall until I get it right. Everyone hits plateaus, but the best thing to do is not lose hope, and make an effort to set time aside for practice. Listen, learn things by ear, play with musicians who are better than you, and you are guaranteed to improve.
Do you see music as a full-time endeavor professionally?
I could definitely see it, and want to try being a full-time musician, but I’d be happy to do it on the side as well. I also want to start teaching more.
What other bands have you played with, or are playing in?
I currently play with The High Water Line, which is a semi-traditional, semi-mashy band based in San Francisco with Tyler Stegall, TJ Carskadon, Amy Kassir, and Jim Toggweiler. It’s a good chance for me to play straight-ahead bluegrass, which I love. We play every fourth Monday (schedule permitting) at Blondie’s Bar on Valencia Street. I also do occasional pickup gigs in the city where I assemble a four or five-piece band.
What other shows do you have coming up?
Crying Uncle is playing at the Hop Monk in Novato on December 20. I’m also playing in Evan Ward’s band at Blondie’s on December 9. He’s a great Bay Area banjo player that more people need to know about.
Is there anything else you would like to say or plug?
If anyone is interested in lessons, DM me on Instagram at @i.a.n.l.y. I can do Zoom or in person!
Thanks much Ian!
Crying Uncle Bluegrass at the IBMA Awards Night 2023, for David Dawg Grisman’s induction into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame
Nashville’s Engelhardt Music Group has announced the signing of fast-rising California band Crying Uncle, fronted by young bluegrass picking sensations Teo and Miles Quayle.
Officially known as the Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band, this quartet is composed of four young men, one still in his teens, and they play a vigorous and exciting blend of bluegrass and acoustic string jazz, a la the David Grisman Quintet. Folks out west have seen them for years as a part of the California Bluegrass Association’s Kids on Bluegrass program, which has helped guide and promote young grassers up and down the state.
Teo Quayle plays mandolin, with older brother Miles on fiddle, along with Ian Ly on guitar, and Andrew Osborn on bass. All four share vocal duties in the band.
EMG label head Adam Engelhardt says that he has been following their development for some time.
“I have watched and admired these boys from afar for several years, which made it an easy decision to approach them about making an album.
Working with them in the studio has been a pure joy. Their musical knowledge and skill is far beyond their years. They’re professional, creative, and they strive to pull the best sound from their instruments and voices.
The upcoming album will truly be a demonstration of Young Masters of Bluegrass.”
With this announcement, EMG has also released a first single from Crying Uncle, an instrumental Teo wrote called Roland. It’s a real showcase for these young men’s stellar ability as instrumentalists.
Teo shared a few words about the tune.
“When I started writing tunes, I got into the habit of naming them after my family members. This one is special to me because it’s a tune I wrote for my grandpa, Rolando, whose name I inherited as my middle name. When writing Roland, the goal was to write a guitar centered tune. I started by writing a catchy, simple A part, and surrounded it with guitar riffs switching between 4/4 and 7/4.”
Miles Quale, backed by an extremely nurturing family and California bluegrass community, continues to amaze those who have followed his short career, while joining his mandolin-playing brother Teo in the Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band and the acoustic groove band Jubilee. The Alameda-based fiddler, violinist, teacher, winner of multiple California and National fiddle contests, and recent Whippoorwill Fellowship Fellow took time from his busy schedule to talk about his past and future. You can read a more extensive bio on his California Bluegrass Association(CBA) instructor page.
Hi Miles. Thanks for your time. What have you been up to since you graduated high school?
I became a Whipporwill Fellow, and with the use of their grant, I have spent the last six months or so traveling around the world. During my travels I learned from musicians, wrote new music, played shows, and using a portable studio that fit into my backpack, I recorded my collaborations with a plethora of musicians.
Wow, what will you be studying at UCLA?
I will be entering UCLA’s Global Jazz Studies Program, and plan to double major in either Economics or Physics.
How has this impacted the Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band and Jubilee?
Both Crying Uncle and Jubilee took somewhat of a hiatus during my travels but we have many upcoming shows for both bands – even into the oncoming school year. I have spent most of my life balancing school and music so I don’t think college will be too much of a hindrance.
Do you have any shows coming up that you are looking forward to?
Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band will be playing with AJ Lee and Blue Summit on August 19 at the Hopmonk Novato, and I think it’s going to be an amazing show. Also, some of our friends the Remi Goode Duo from Arizona are coming down on July 30 for a show at the Monkey House, and Crying Uncle Duo will be sharing a bill with them. Lastly, The Jubilee Uncles (an amalgamation of Jubilee and Crying Uncle) will be playing a show at the Backroom on August 13.
Yes, I’ll be playing for the musical Bright Star (Sunday, August 27, 2023 at 2:00 p.m.) along with a bunch of amazing musicians and a wonderful cast including my cousin Arri. What’s crazy is that this will be our first time ever performing together in the 19 years we’ve known each other – My Grandma can’t wait to watch. There will be performances in Castro Valley throughout August and I really hope some of y’all will be able to come!
CUBG has played great venues, you must have some favorite memories.
Some of my favorite shows include playing the Ryman, Grand Ole Opry, the main stage at La Roche Bluegrass Festival, the Kaustinen Festival, the Rocky Top in Tokyo, and Honky Tonk in Kyoto.
Miles and Crying Uncle at La Roche Bluegrass Festival
Miles and Crying Uncle with Marty Stuart in San Luis Obispo
Who does the arrangements for your songs?
When arranging a song for the band, typically whoever wrote or brought said song will lead the process and come up with the main structure. From there, the other band members will suggest changes or write new sections/ideas to add to the song.
Can you talk about Jubilee and how it differs from Crying Uncle?
Jubilee is a band Teo and I started with twins Aerie (cello) and Tuki (fiddle/guitar/vocals). We play less traditional bluegrass as well as a lot of jazz, contemporary (Paul Simon, Amy Winehouse, etc), and eclectic musics. I’ve known Aerie and Tuki since I was three, but didn’t really play much music until I was around 12, but since then we’ve all been the best of friends. The band plays less than Crying Uncle just due to the whereabouts of our band members, but whenever we all find ourselves in the same place at the same time, we always try to put together a show.
Miles with Jubilee on Coal Burnin’ Grease Fire by Darol Anger
Your violin playing is striking. Who have you studied with?
I have studied with Chad and Catherine Manning, Tristan Clarridge, Mads Tolling, Darol Anger, and Billy Contreras.
What players and styles are you interested in?
I’d have to say that I’ve been listening to a lot of Billy Contreras, as he’s my favorite fiddler of all time. Aside from that, I’ve been ‘shedding ‘my jazz and bluegrass, while listening to anything and everything that’s good.
Congratulations on winning the Whippoorwill Fellowship. Talk about what doors that have opened.
Whippoorwill has been one of the most amazing opportunities of my life so far. Through their grant I was able to travel and world and learn many different styles of folk music. I’ve also been introduced to many amazing musicians through their fellowship program, and the organization has been extremely helpful to me even outside the bounds of the fellowship project.
Aren’t you going to be in the studio soon? Talk about the players and material that is on tap for the project?.
With my travels at an end, I’m now left with a ton of field recordings that I’ve been trying to sort through in order to pick the batch that will go on the first volume of my project. After selecting them, I spent a long time mixing them as I am not in any way what one would consider an experienced audio engineer, and now with just a few tracks left, the plan is to get them mastered and then released in my first album not done with either of my bands.
Do you do any teaching?
I teach mostly at Manning Music Studio on Gilman in Berkeley, but I also teach at the Oaktown Jazz workshops, as well as private lessons in person and over Zoom. If you’re interested in lessons please email milesquale@gmail.com.
Tell us about your approach to composition.
My approach to composing is inconsistent at best. My mind works in a way that doesn’t allow me to come up with meaningful melodies unless I have been very specifically inspired by something I hear or experience. Once that occurs, I’ll hole up in my room and usually write the bulk of the tune within a day. After that, I’ll get some opinions on changes behind the tune, as well as slight tweaks to the melody, from my brother or any other close-by musician.
What inspires you?
A lot of different things inspire me. It could be an amazing concert or jam, a cool tune, a cool person, or even a cool place. Just being in the correct environment can make me want to play or write music.
What advice do you have for young, talented musicians starting a band?
Choose your band members based on who you get along with, more so than who’s the best player. It’ll be a lot smoother for the band, and you’ll have more fun. It also helps to have similar goals and interests for the group.
It must be pretty special to share some amazing music with your family members, What is the key for that to work even when there will be some understandable differences of opinion?
Musical differences with my family are settled with bloody fist fights to the death.
Ha, good one. Do you have any long-term goals or are you just taking it as it comes?
Life has been ever-changing for me, and so for now I plan to just take things as they come. I hope to be a musician but we’ll see how I feel after 4-6 years of college. However, music will always be a part of my life regardless of my job title.
Tell us about your gear.
I am a Fishman Artist! I use their gear as it tends to pull the cleanest tone out of my violin when plugging in compared to other amps and pre-amps.
What do you enjoy when not playing or listening to music?
I am big on Judo, rock climbing, gaming, reading, driving, and cooking when I’m not playing music.
Do you have any books, podcasts, etc that you enjoy?
The Dark Tower series by Stephen King is my favorite book series of all time, and I highly recommend it. The Star Talk podcast hosted by Neil DeGrasse Tyson is incredibly interesting and very entertaining.
Thanks so much Miles for your time and best of luck going forward.
Miles Quale with Teo Quale and Jason Howard, SuperFolk Festival 2022
The young members of Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band, or CUBG, like many musicians, have had to be creative in finding ways to stay connected to music this past year. As a follow-up to their 2020 album, Monroe Bridge, the band has dug more into composing and the result is the live recorded EP, Till I Dance Again with You. The band has also released a video of bassist Andrew Osborn’s The Man Next Door from the EP.
“The Man Next Door was my first original song for the band,” says Andrew. “The melody came to me first, and words for the chorus followed soon after. I was inspired by a song that Miles sings, I’ll Remember You Love in my Prayers.”
The videoand EP were edited and mixed by Jeremy Allen of Musiquito Media, and mastered by Mike Bemesderfer of Digital Audio Solutions in Oakland. The EP is available on all major streaming platforms and for purchase on Bandcamp.
Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band is Andrew Osborn on bass, John Gooding on guitar, Miles Quale on fiddle, and Teo Quale on mandolin. This group of young bluegrass veterans comes from California, having grown up together in and around the California Bluegrass Association, and have been a visible part of the national bluegrass and fiddle contest scene for several years.
Here is a must-see video where Marty Stuart invites the band to play with him at the Strawberry Music Festival in 2019.
California Bluegrass Association Lifetime member, Keith Little, is a native of the northern California Sierra Nevada foothills. He is a multi-instrumental performing and recording artist, vocalist, composer, and producer with a lit of credits (Vern Williams, Rose Maddox, Peter Rowan, David Grisman, Dolly Parton …) far too large to itemize here. He performs as a solo artist, with his group, The LittleBand , and with several other national touring bands. He operates Slate Mountain Music, which includes a recording studio, production services, and a publishing company affiliated with Broadcast Music Inc.
Hi Keith. What have you have been up to during COVID?
Thanks for asking.., this past year has been an interesting one for sure. It took us all a bit of time to realize that a return to live performing was going to take a while. At the start of 2020, my summer season looked really promising, and within a very short period of time the corporate sponsors and foundational support for festivals and concerts we had on the books simply pulled out, and the shows were canceled. Thank goodness the CARES act (and now the American Rescue Act) became law, as it has allowed countless professional players like myself to hang on through last summer without hocking our axes. My band had only one show last year that didn’t get canceled, and that was the Whippoorwill Arts Festival of Americana in late August. It happily morphed into a virtual event, and we filmed our portion live in Sacramento at the Side Door. It was SO much fun to perform together, and I’ll include a link to a song from that show featuring the band in its current lineup.
Longtime fans will recognize the amazing Josh Tharp on banjo, along with the equally amazing Tristan Clarridge on fiddle (also playing tenor guitar and cello on the show). Fans of southern Oregon Bluegrass will recognize the lovely and amazingly talented Miatke sisters – Rainy on mandolin, Lela on fiddle – along with their beautiful mother, Jennifer, singing harmony. We were also honored and lucky to have our favorite bassist, Andrew Conklin, joining the show.
Keith Little Band at the Side Door in Sacramento
That’s great about CARES and ARA helping you. There hasn’t really been much music press on the impact. Can you comment more on the process and such?
I mentioned earlier about our 2020 summer season being canceled due to corporate sponsors and foundations pulling out. What I failed to mention is that they were forced to do so by way of State regulations. In order to protect the health of the general population, the States decided that concert halls, musical venues, recording studios and similar gathering spots were deemed unsafe and nonessential and were shut down. My younger sister alerted me to the federal funds made available to self-employed “gig workers” like myself, so I took advantage of the opportunity and simply applied online. It was a bit daunting at first with so many people applying. The musicians’ union stepped into the info breach and was a big help with the application process. This support has been a god-send for myself and my family. I encourage every professional musician to apply, and to join the musicians’ union if you haven’t done so. I first joined AFM Local 12 in Sacramento 35 years ago, and continued on with Local 257 when I moved to Nashville in 1989. This year I became an AFM life member, which I’m very proud of.
You had a release in the works, what is the status of that?
Some folks may know that I have a small recording studio which I was able to move and relocate in mid-September of last year. This past winter I’ve managed to finish a few projects that have been in the works for a while, one being a Gospel project I produced for a fabulous artist from the Lodi area named Pamela Butler. I’m really proud of how it turned out, and we sent it to the replicator’s this month. My release you asked about is now on the slate for completion, and I plan to have a half dozen or so cuts mastered by the time IBMA rolls around in late September of this year.
It was actually our second project together, so I already had a good working relationship with these amazing fellows. We decided to approach the recording process in what I consider to be an “old-school” way, capturing nearly everything “live from the floor,” and then using editing as a precision enhancing tool. These guys came to our first pre-production meeting with all of their songs in hand, and well-rehearsed too. We fleshed out and changed the arrangements a small bit, and then made live demos which they whole-heartedly studied in the week or so before the sessions began. It was amazing how much fun and satisfying it was to record this band; the resulting joy can easily be heard on the CD.
There are a lot of young bands in bluegrass these days. What makes CU special to your ears?
Well, they’re breathtakingly virtuosic for one thing, but in addition to that I hear a deep love of music coupled with an abiding appreciation for those who have paved the way and influenced them. Their list is quite long, but it’s not necessary to even know the names. You can hear it when they play together. Call it “soul” if you like, since it’s magical and quite unique in any day and age.
How is it different producing a younger band like that?
Well, there’s no shortage of energy with these guys, and they were more confident and studio-wise than the first go-round. My job was to provide encouragement and direction with the goal of playing together as a band, to harness that amazing individual energy and virtuosity and channel it into music that will still stand up when they’re a bit older, say ten years from now. There was a fun moment that happened on the last studio day, late into the evening when their energy really began to wane. They were so close to getting a good take but were basically running out of gas, and asked if we might postpone or reschedule the song until a later date. We broke for a moment, and I went out on the floor to tell them they were so very close, and it was the eleventh hour. They were simply going to have to reach down deep and grab a handful since we couldn’t afford to reschedule. The very next take was the magical keeper, but they didn’t believe it at first and wanted to have another take. I told them they could, but they’d first have to beat me at push-ups. While Opus engineer Dave Luke and I were putting the song together (so they could hear it), all of them were crazily doing pushups all over the studio floor wearing themselves out. It was such a hoot.
Who made you do pushups?
No one really, except that in being a late bloomer I have a very modest strength and flexibility routine which I maintain in order to keep up with teenage musical phenoms like the Crying Uncle lads. What I failed to mention about the pushup story was that the band liked the final take, but decided to ask for another one (after wearing themselves thin doing pushups all over the place) thus precipitating the showdown. Mind you, every last one of those guys could easily wax me in the pushup department, but with their exhaustion handicap and some elder mutual aid from their very funny parents, I prevailed at just over 20 honest ones and we wrapped for the evening.
Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band: Hartfords Real feat. Keith Little, Sharon Gilchrist & Chad Manning
You started in music pretty young. Does working with them bring back memories of your youth?
It certainly does. These guys are so full of music, and with modern access to recorded works from every genre, they’ve developed quickly. They also have incredible support from their parents and mentors, becoming much more well-adjusted as individuals than I was at their age. Still, I remember the excitement of sharing the Stanley Brothers Mountain Song Favorites album with Del Williams when we were teens, which we listened to day and night for weeks. During a break at the studio, the band was listening and studying with that same excitement to everything from Web Pierce to Sister Rosetta Tharp records. So very cool.
What was your first instrument, and how did you come to it?
My parents were both musicians, and appreciators of music. I would often sit on my father’s knee while he played guitar (reaching around me, of course). The tone of the guitar hooked me for good and has never really let go. I was too small to play one at the time, so to be truthful my first instrument was a tenor ukulele. Mother taught me the chords to Ain’t She Sweet, and that was it. I eventually did grow into the guitar, and then the banjo and fiddle after that. I also play a bit of mandolin, and am a string bass and piano wannabe.
What made you decide to come back to California from Nashville where you had a lot of success?
I never really intended to settle in Tennessee, although I’m really grateful for the time I spent there and the many dear friends and opportunities that have continued to bless me ever since. At the time I moved, both of my parents were up in years. Mother was fading rather quickly and I had promised her I would return. It wasn’t as difficult to uproot and replant as I first thought, and I spent the most valuable year or so close by her before she passed on. Dad followed her three years later, and by then I was working all over the country as if nothing really happened.
Do you have any more production projects?
Besides the Pamela Butler album, I’ve been working on a harmony vocal instructional video, which is evolving rather slowly as I love singing with people in person. I’m determined to make it work though, and hope to have something to show at IBMA, along with a few cuts from the pre-COVID solo project.
Your vocal classes at the CBA Music Camp are legendary. What is the one thing people can do to improve their vocals?
I’m a firm believer that anyone can sing. As such, I encourage all vocalists to cultivate the notion that singing takes “energy,” but not “effort.” This is really important, as it’s easier to sing than one thinks. Little red flags should go up when you sense the pleasurable feeling of singing tone in your body becoming difficult to sustain. All manner of things happen when the effort creeps in: basically your tone drops out, intonation takes a hike, and you run out of air (although not necessarily in that order). Once the singer becomes aware of when their “energy” becomes “effort,” they can do something about it. Tone dropout is largely influenced by the lyrics and the note one is trying to sing. Try relaxing when the “effort” spot is approaching, and then sing just the lyric vowel (or another lyric altogether), and see if you can sustain the effortless tone through that section. Then simply build the tone out from there. Listen to Paul Williams sing, and you’ll get the idea. His tone simply floats above the music, and draws the listener in like magic.
What artists and genres do you listen to that may surprise the audience?
It’s difficult to say what would surprise anyone these days, but I’m a huge Motown fan, love Andy Irvine-Paul Brady and The Band equally, along with Aretha Franklin, Connie Smith and Rose Maddox. I love live cuts and board mixes from all the great bands, and have a soft spot for most everything recorded during the “Nashville Sound” era, especially records with the great string bass players: Bob Moore, Joe Zinken and Junior Huskey. Remember King of the Road?
Do you have any engagements you think might happen this year?
California and Oregon are talking of opening back up in mid-June, and I’ve been in touch with festival promoters about hosting us. Susanville is on for late June, and other festivals are hurriedly putting their schedules together. Keep your fingers crossed.
