It's 6am, I should be sleeping but I popped awake early (like most every day), and rather than toss and turn (like most every day), I'll take this opportunity to remember the way I felt yesterday about being a musician. It was kind of a magical day, all over the board, and I relished a lot of it.
First gig was preschool music teaching, and when I showed up, Teacher Shawna told me that they were really rowdy, and had been shrieking most of the day. I figured I'd get them working out and expending some energy, but not right away. First I wanted to introduce the song 'The Cat Came Back', about the 'big yellow cat that wouldn't leave home'. I know some of the 'real' verses, but I prefer to make up my own and then enlist the kids in trying to find a solution to get rid of the cat.
I set up the song by describing how every time Mr Jones would make some food and then prepare to eat it, he'd go to wash up before dinner and the cat would eat his food. 'The food was GONE!. This just hooks the kids in immediately as they can sense the drama. One said, 'can't he wash his hands before he cooks and that way the cat won't have a chance' Good idea. But this time, he just turned around for a second because he heard something at the window and 'the food was GONE!'
Old Mr Jones had troubles of his own he had a big yellow cat that wouldn't leave home
He tried and he tried to get that cat away. Where Mr Jones is today, no one can say
But the cat came back the very next day, oh yes the cat came back
They thought he was a goner, but the cat came back he just couldn't stay away
The kids hadn't heard the song, so I emphasized the chorus and let them know that was the part they'd be singing. And that's part of the magic for me. To hear them listen and then start to get it and then get really into it, so by the 4th or 5th time we get to the chorus, it's full-throated and filled with laughter.
I sing a few verses.... one about putting the cat on a boat, on a truck, locked up in a box, on a rocket ship, in a shark's mouth etc, and they are totally amused. They have all kinds of elaborate ideas for getting rid of the cat, but somehow I don't let them cut the cat into pieces or shoot it with a gun. It's certainly a violent song as it is, but hey, you have to draw the line somewhere :-) They had him mixed up in concrete, stuck inside a robot, slung up in a tall tree, in a volcano etc, and as they make their suggestions, I weave it into poetry and use it as a verse. And then we all crack up when the cat keeps coming back. There's something really deep about it, like it taps into a primeval chord or something. The kids could sing this song for hours if I'd let them... Once again it was a big hit for a new group of 4 and 5 year olds.
My favorite ever resolution of the song was one time when a little girl said, 'He could get a girl cat'. What a great idea! I often will use it as a way to crack myself and the other adults up. Bye bye said the cat...
In the afternoon, I had a first time gig at a fairly upscale retirement center where the activities director wanted to try some entertainment during the 4-5pm cocktail hour that precedes dinner in the 'clubhouse'. She offered me $40 to come and make some music for an hour, and I'm at the point where I'll take about any paying gig, so I drove crosstown to give it a shot. There was no piano in the space, but I brought a guitar, an accordion and a smile. I was slightly anxious when I saw the room, kind of large and spread out with many 4 seat tables, so I knew I'd have to be roaming about.
Many of my senior gigs are for folks whose memories are going, but this was a high functioning crowd, and they were lovely. It was a welcoming environment and a few couples danced to some of the songs right away which broke the ice. Joy, a sweet lady pushing 80 confided that she can never get her husband to dance any more but he dutifully swung her around for a few songs, and I could see that they used to be great swing dancers. Another 80 year old lamented that she used to dance all the time, but now can hardly move compared to back then, and it was sad for her. I offered that 'isn't it still fun to move to music, at whatever level?' and she said, 'Wait until you're 80'. But she was really sweet, a German woman who used to do a lot of folk dancing.
I definitely 'worked the room' and it was quite easy to recognize which tables were into music and which ones had the stone faced 'no need to come here, buddy' vibe. If I saw someone singing along, I'd gravitate toward that table and sing with them. And my sense is that the non-singers were enjoying it in their own way, perhaps vicariously through their more uninhibited friends. It turned out GREAT and I believe it will become a monthly item on the calendar, and not for $40 either. The person who brought me there (another Shawna) was absolutely delighted, and why not, it makes her look good when the residents are happy, and they were very happy to have me in their midst. I played about an hour and a quarter and here's most of the set list.
Ain't She Sweet, Tennessee Waltz, Oh What a Beautiful Morning, Five Foot Two Eyes of Blue, Show Me the Way to Go Home, Swing Low Sweet Chariot, When You're Smiling, For Me and My Gal, Shine on Harvest Moon, Tea for Two, Hey Good Lookin', Let's Call the Whole Thing Off, (you say potato, I say potahto), Side By Side, The Glory of Love, Dream, Sentimental Journey, Bye Bye Blackbird, Don't Fence Me In... There were a few more mixed in but I can't recall them at the moment. I thoroughly loved this gig, and it amuses me no end to know that these songs are ones that make me really happy to sing. How did I get to be this way?
From there I had to run a few errands, get a workout in and eventually go to Rob's studio for a band rehearsal. I'm the bass player, harmony singer on a few songs, and we have a gig tonight so we needed to tighten up some stuff. We rehearsed for 2 and a half hours, got a lot done, but I needed to get out of there by 10pm, because it's my blues jam night and I wanted to play a few songs with my friends down there. I arrived around 10:15 and they had called it a night, mostly because there was no bass player and Skip had to sit in on bass instead of keys. I showed up, and somehow or other we got it together to get back on the stage for just a real short set of three songs. But it was unbelievably great, one of the best musical moments of the year. I think it was because we were playing with 'house money'. The music had ended. I showed up and there was a rally and the musicians who played with me were the best. Ray on harmonica, Rick on drums, Byron on guitar, Skip on Hammond Organ, Sean on electric piano, me on bass. Everyone is a long time pro who knows how to lock in, how to play with dynamics, how to make music come alive. It was like riding a wave, and being the bass player is such a blast when you're locked in and listening with a great drummer. It's a teamwork thing that is so pleasurable, and it was the fitting and fun end to a great day of music. Feeling blessed to recall it.
And now it's 7:10, and it starts again. I'll grab a shower, a cup of coffee, a crossword, then a dance class at 8:30. From there I go back to the preschool to work with two different classes. This afternoon I have another senior gig, this time with my friend Tom on harmony, and tonight, I'll play that gig with Rob Tobias and the Northwest Express down at Cozmic Pizza. Sounds like a good day to me...
