Thankful, But Terribly Worried this Thanksgiving - As Some Are "Blind To The Truth"

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - Get My Handmade in my Etsy Shop -- or Privately

As this Thanksgiving was approaching - and the day finally came - I was thinking of all the things I am actually very grateful and Thankful for - But I can't help but also being Terribly Worried with some current events.

Big On Loving Nature - and Very Inspired By Nature - different things going on in Life tend to have a huge effect on me.

Going into all of them would take way too much more than one blog post - but, if you are curious you can check the "Nature" Label here on my blog for some that I have done blog posts on!

The most recent event affecting me has been the "Woolsey Fire", and the one thing I am so-o-o Thankful for today was to check that link - and find that it has finally been 100% contained.  The "Woolsey Fire" has been burning in my favorite area of the Santa Monica Mountains mostly - West of Kanan Dune Road to the Los Angeles County Line.  Boy, I have spent so many moments there since the 1980's that I cannot remember how many times - and my favorite hiking place in the Santa Monica Mountains, "Nicholas Flats" is in the "Woolsey Fire" area - and still Evacuated per today's Woolsey Fire Evacuation Map.  Also, still don't know the cause - the fire started over in Simi Valley and somehow ended up blowing all the way to the Santa Monica Mountains and some Coastal Areas.

So, Terribly Worried!!  Just Thankful that they got the "Woolsey Fire" contained - and I hope all the "hot spots" out.  With all the fires in California in forests I love - and having met Fire and Fuel Specialists and Firefighters when going to National Forest Meetings around California - I have learned much more than I ever would have thought I would about fire behavior and the forests of California.

But as a Nature Photography friend of mine said - the Santa Monica Mountains will recover - hopefully naturally regenerate where it burned - and after the Winter/Spring Rains, we may have a wildly beautiful show of wildflowers throughout the "Woolsey Fire" area!  (Got to look for something good in it all - NATURE REGENERATING!)

And speaking of Music I am Thankful for -- having been reading articles - and news about things - what really kept coming to my mind was something Singer/Songwriter Dan Fogelberg wrote a song about years ago.  Like I have mentioned in earlier blog posts - I knew him and his songwriting from our College Days at the University of Illinois - and I followed a lot of the Music he put on albums - and one of his songs on his album "The Wild Places" was something I could so, so, so identify and agree with - to the point that I borrowed his song title for this blog post:  "Blind To The Truth".

I noticed it in College -- and I found it true all throughout his albums - Dan Fogelberg had a way of reaching people with his lyrics and music.

For me, his song "Blind To The Truth" really "hit the nail on the head"!!

I am going to finish the blog post by quoting the last verse and ending Chorus of the song, "Blind To The Truth" - but you can see the full lyrics at "The Wild Places" on Dan Fogelberg's official website.

I agree with him:  

"Now there's laws that we must live by and they're not the laws of man
Can't you see the shadow that moves across this land
The future is upon us and there's so much we must do
And you know I can't ignore it and my friend neither can you"

"Unless you're...
Blind to the truth, blind to the truth
And you can't see nothin'
You're so blind to the truth, blind to the truth
But the judgment day is coming"

FOLKS!  We Really Can't Ignore It - There is So Much We Must Do! 

A One-Man Acoutsic Guitar Act at the 2017 "Malibu Guitar Festival" - Tommy Emmanuel

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber


Well, I have a huge appreciation for One-Man Acoustic Guitar Acts -- and when I saw a Poster from the 2017 "Malibu Guitar Festival" and saw Tommy Emmanuel's name on the list of Guitarists playing, I thought, "Hm-m-m - maybe this is real music!"

Who is Tommy Emmanuel and why did his name on the list of Guitarists draw my attention?

I first heard of Tommy Emmanuel from an old friend from my University of Illinois College Coffee House Days, Musician and Producer Pete Berkow, who I did a blog feature on - and Pete gave me a video of Tommy Emmanuel that he had produced some time back.  Well, Pete knows that I appreciate Acoustic Guitar playing from our College Days -- and I am glad to see that others do, too!

I immediately enjoyed Tommy Emmanuel's playing!!!

Tommy Emmanuel was one of the Musicians included the the Music Gone Public PBS series that Pete Berkow Produced with Michael Hoopingarner - and here is the video of Tommy Emmanuel from his Music Gone Public Episode:




Tommy Emmanuel is really a One-Man Act - and he can really, really play that Guitar!!!

I love it!

I also found this TEDx Talks Video of  Tommy Emmanuel -- "My Life As A One-Man Band" --




I think the Music speaks for itself!

(Yes - I go out to Malibu once in a while from the Antelope Valley -- out by Pacific Coast Highway and Trancas Canyon and Zuma Beach - love the Ocean Air all year long in all weathers, LOL!!!  --  But not usually for Music Festivals, LOL!)

Fond Summer Memories -- "Let It Shine!" - Sharing "Greetings From The West" Dan Fogelberg Live

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - My Handmade Designs on: ARTFIRE and ETSY

Other than times spent in the Wild or Nature Parks or Under Trees, some of my fondest Summer Memories are of the Music Concerts I went to - and some of my favorites were of Solo Artists I liked, like DAN FOGELBERG.

Why focus on DAN FOGELBERG?  Well, if DAN FOGELBERG's music is the kind you like, then you might think I am somewhat a lucky one.  It was the night before classes started our Freshman year (yes -our - he and I were both Freshman Sept. 1969) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign that I first heard him sing at the Red Herring Coffee House with a friend of his - it was lots of fun and very funny and I never forgot it for some reason - I guess it was the vocals, his and his friend's voices - and their camaraderie between them and the folks there - little did I know that it was the very start of wonderful times to last until -- well, even now in some ways!

It was a year later - September 1970 - that the Red Herring Coffee House became the "heart" of my social life at the U of I - where I made friendships that have lasted to this day.

Part of those days at the Red Herring was listening to the live music of the variety of musicians who played and sang there - some were songwriters and sang their own songs - some sang various different songs.  I loved it - it was a time of exploration in different way for many of us - and watching some of the musicians write and figure out their songs and music was special.

And one of those musicians starting to write - and sing their own songs - was, yes, DAN FOGELBERG.  (He mentions those days in Interviews - and they are mentioned in his FULL BIOGRAPHY.)

So-o-o, I've been listening to his music since those days when he first started writing - and I have to say - it is his own music and his own singing that I enjoyed - then - and in a number of the Summer Concerts that he did over the years and I went to - and still enjoy now!

One of the Concerts I went to was the Concert that was recorded for his Live DVD, "Greetings From The West" - though I went to the one in Los Angeles, CA (The Greek Theatre - outdoors - and I still remember it!).

Maybe you have some of DAN FOGELBERG's albums?  Or you heard songs of his that you liked on the radio - or somewhere?  But if you want to really hear DAN FOGELBERG - and also hear what he himself has to say about some things in life - and how he felt - watch:

DAN FOGELBERG LIVE

"GREETINGS FROM THE WEST"

He ends this Concert on the DVD (which he himself was involved in producing) - with his song, "There's A Place In The World For a Gambler" from his second album, "Souvenirs".

Like he sings:

"There's a light in the depths of your darkness 
There's a calm at the eye of every storm 
There's a light in the depths of your darkness 
Let it shine...oh, let it shine 
Let it shine...oh, let it shine 
Let it shine...oh, let it shine 
Let it shine ...."

Quoting DAN FOGELBERG from the DVD Album Cover:

"Every song that I write comes from my own personal experience.  I believe the role of an artist is to interpret reality through a system of beliefs and a long-term seeking of truth, in your own life and in the world at large.  To be entertaining and continue to write good music over a lifetime and sustain an audience that still comes to hear not just the old but the new ... that's what keeps me going."

.... And I, for one, kept listening!!

Well --  Have a great summer!  Find some things to Enjoy .....  Maybe some Music??!!

More of My Favorite Lyrics

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - My Handmade Designs on ARTFIRE


Life goes on, but each of us have things that are more important to us -- and sometimes, just sometimes, you find a song that says it just right!


First, from GORDON LIGHTFOOT, the song "IF CHILDREN HAD WINGS" from his "ENDLESS WIRE" Album (I have the old LP from way back - copyright 1969 Moose Music)

"There's a love I hold dear
  and it shines through each year
  And it makes things seem different somehow
  It's for better or worse
  It's for people who thirst
  for a love that burns brighter right now

"And it shines on and on 'til all sadness is gone
  and if children had wings I
  would sing them their song
...... "

Second, from DAN FOGELBERG, the song "THE SAND AND THE FOAM" from his "THE INNOCENT AGE" Album copyright 1981 Hickory Grove Music

"Time stills the singing
  A child holds so dear
  And I'm just beginning to hear
  Gone are the pathways
  The child followed home
  Gone, like the sand and the foam
  Gone, like the sand
  Gone, like the sand and the foam"

Third, from PHIL COLLINS, the song "SURVIVORS" from his "BOTH SIDES" Album copyright 1993 Atlantic Recording Corporation

"When all is said and done
  we'll find someday
  we can forget all this
  somehow, some way

"And as long as I'm here
  there'll be no worries any more
  and all these promises I'm making now
  I'll hold each day

"So don't ever, don't ever, don't forget
  that I never, never meant to break your heart
  all I ever wanted was to stand beside you
  survivors in the night

"We are survivors in the night"

Ya' know -- I wonder if we ever know what the singer/songwriter exactly meant in a song (unless they tell you) -- but each listener may have their own interpretation in their very own life!

For me - It is FAMILY .... and FAMILY .... and those really true FRIENDS!

Sharing Good Memories - Hebrew Israeli Songs - and the Dancing!

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - My Handmade Designs on ARTFIRE






A beautiful version of a beautiful song:
"JERUSALEM OF GOLD" - sung in Hebrew by Shuly Natan, Lyrics by Naomi Shemer

~~ See the video on You Tube for the lyrics in Hebrew transliteration - and English translation.

A-H-H - the days of singing and dancing - from my toddler years when I first did the Hora - to the many hours of singing and dancing in High School - and some International and American Folk Dancing in College!!! ~~~~ Thank You to all my friends from all those days!!

If I was still doing Israeli Folk Dancing, I would be doing the "Dance for Peace" in the video below!!  Lyrics by Aura Levin Lipski and Vera Levin as from this website (Chorus):

We'll dance for peace and we'll sing for peace

We'll add in some hope and a prayer. 

We'll dance for peace and we'll sing for peace

Because all the dancers in the world are one family. 

Life Changes - But I Still Have The MUSIC!

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - My Handmade Designs on ARTFIRE

You may wonder - well, WHAT???

It's been a while since I have been in here.  Since late July I have been working on a Life Change that has taken a lot of work and time -- overall it is very good for me, but there were problems with it along the way.

But through it all -- with my trusty computer, my ipod shuffle and my itunes -- I had the MUSIC I wanted all through it!!

I can't remember when MUSIC wasn't a major part of my life.  Of course, I had a Father who had sung since his childhood -- and he sang around me all the time.  I grew up with all kinds of MUSIC -- and I definitely have my favorites.

Here is where itunes and my ipod shuffle come in.

Oh - since I was a kid, I had albums of MUSIC.  My Uncle Saul gave me an album of the MUSIC from Peter Pan and I still remember it.  We always had a record player and a selection of albums - I grew up with Classical Music, Musicals -- and various types of Folk Music.  I collected them throughout my life - now they are CD's or just digital downloads!!

But those are whole albums -- which I still highly appreciate and buy.  After all, when an artist puts together an album -- very often, that album tells a story or is a "song cycle" or is just on some theme, but there is usually a purpose to a whole album.

But ipods -- I love my ipod shuffle!!  I can put individual pieces I want to hear -- and I can make playlists with the pieces in a certain order -- or I can just load all these songs on it -- and listen to it on Random, so I have a surprise with every song it plays!!

So, from some of the CD's I have, I have chosen some of the songs and loaded them on my ipod shuffle, so I can hear these "favorites" when I listen.  And the great thing about an ipod shuffle is that you can attach it to whatever you are wearing and listen as you go about doing things.

My "favorites" change -- why I do not know.  Mood???  Life??? Aesthetics???

Well -- what I feel like listening to changes!!!

I have figured out that the Vocals and the playing of the instruments have something to do with my favorites.

Here are few of my favorite lines from my current musical favorites -- which helped me through this recent period of change!  You have to realize that when I read the lines, I hear the music and the songs in my head!   

DAN FOGELBERG - From the song "Ever On" - on the Album "The Wild Places" copyright 1990

"May the trail rise up to greet you
 May your heart rejoice in song
 May the skies be fair above you
 As you journey ever on.
 ....
"May your love be there to guide us
 May it always keep us strong
 May we walk within your footsteps
 As you lead us ever on"
"Ever On ....

GORDON LIGHTFOOT - From the song "Canadian Railroad Trilogy" - on the Album "Gord's Gold" copyright 1975

"We have opened up the soil with our teardrops and our toil
  Oh, there was a time in this fair land when the railroad did not run
  When the wild majestic mountains stood alone against the sun
  Long before the white man and long before the wheel
  When the green dark forest was too silent to be real
  When the green dark forest was too silent to be real
  And many are the dead men .... too silent to be real"

LEO KOTKE - his arrangement of "Cripple Creek" on the Album, "The Best of Leo Lotke" -- his fine pickin' says it all!!

WOODY GUTHRIE - From the song "Talking Dust Bowl Blues (Alternate Version) on the Album, "Dust Bowl Ballads" - re-publication of the original 1940 Album in 2000 by Buddha Records.

"That stew was so thin you could read a magazine right through it
  Always have thought and always have figured that if it had been just a little bit thinner
     there here politicians could have seen through it"

Note about WOODY GUTHRIE:  My Father introduced me to him when I was a kid and I just loved Woody's singing, harmonica playing and guitar playing -- and his stories and his sense of humor.  Here are a few notes from the Album, "Dust Bowl Ballads".  First from Dave Marsh in May 2000:  "So these songs are not only historical, they are history itself, history being that which links present to future.  That is why, sixty years after they were recorded, Woody Guthrie's Dust Bowl Ballads still deserve their place among the greatest American stories and songs."  Second, from Woody Guthrie's Original Liner Notes:  "This bunch of songs ain't about me, and I ain't a going to write about me, 'cause every time I start to do that, I find that I run out of material. .... Sing as loud and as long as you like, but don't mention my name.  Take it easy, but take it.  True as the Average - Woody Guthrie"

WHATEVER IS GOING ON IN YOUR LIFE -- DON'T FORGET THE MUSIC -- WHATEVER MUSIC YOU CHOOSE!!  TAKE THE TIME TO LISTEN!!!

Buffy Says It All: It's My Way

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - My Handmade Designs on ARTFIRE --
 -- and in the SHOPPING MALL by PAYVMENT on FACEBOOK

Every so often one of my favorite songs comes to mind - and today it is:

 "It's My Way"

by

Buffy Sainte Marie

-- who says it all - listen all the way through!!

THANKS - And A Voice For Peace

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - My Handmade Designs on BONANZA and ETSY

Bird of Peace Hoop Pendant Necklace by RSS Designs In Fiber

As I was out doing some things this week - before Thanksgiving Day -- and hearing and seeing the news about some happenings in the world, I was thinking.

I have a lot to be thankful for -- throughout my life -- so many things and quite a variety -- that I won't be listing them all.

The one thing that was on my mind a lot was:  PEACE.

Yes, for me -- but much more than that, for all the world.

I feel the need for it -- and I am sorry for the lack of it in some places.

So, the above piece of Fiber Art - with the Bird of Peace - A Bird Flying With An Olive Branch - a long-time traditional Symbol of Peace and Well-Being In the World -- is a way I find to express my feelings.

But sometimes in your life, you find others - A Personal Friend, A Writer, An Artist who expresses how you feel deeply - most likely better than you ever would in the same way.

Well, I "stumbled upon" one -- a long time ago -- he was another College student at the University of Illinois in 1969 through 1971 -- but while I listened in the audience or at friendly gatherings, he sang and played.  Time showed that somehow his writing - both the music and the songs - would continue over the years to sometimes so exactly express my own feelings on things, that it was a little uncanny at times.  We had each gone on with our own lives, but I knew how he felt about Peace back then, so when I heard this song off his album, "River of Souls" - I was not surprised and, again, felt like he expressed with words, music and emotion - how I felt.

"A Voice For Peace" by Dan Fogelberg, copyright 1993 Sacred Circle Music 

You know that everybody has a voice

And how they use it is their own free choice

But in your glory I will not rejoice

If you choose the way of war

If you choose the way of war

Ashes to ashes and dust to dust

My country 'tis of thee; in God we trust

But how much longer will he shelter us

While we choose the ways of war

While the winds of war range on

Let mine (oh let my small voice) be a voice for peace

Oh let mime (oh let my small voice) be a voice for peace

Let mine (oh let my small voice) be a voice for peace

Let it start here with me

Oh let mine be a voice for peace

The good book tells us thou shalt not kill

The truth came shining and it's shining still

But how much blood upon this earth must spill

Before we lay our weapons down

Let us lay our weapons down

Let mine (oh let my small voice) be a voice for peace

Oh let mime (oh let my small voice) be a voice for peace

Let mine (oh let my small voice) be a voice for peace

Let it start here with me

Oh let mine be a voice for peace

Let mine (oh let my small voice) be a voice for peace

Oh let mime (oh let my small voice) be a voice for peace

Let mine (oh let my small voice) be a voice for peace

Let it start here with me

Oh let mine be a voice

And in the face of the beast

Oh let mine be a voice

Until the breaths in me cease

Oh let mine be a voice for peace

Raise your voice up

Raise your voice up

Raise your voice up and sing for the promise of peace...

You can buy this song and listen to it HERE.

On his 4-CD Set, PORTRAIT, in the notes for this song, Dan Fogelberg is quoted:  "A very authentic song written after the Gulf War broke out.  As I stated on the 'River of Souls' album, there will always be better ways than destruction to settle our differences."

This is really not political for me -- this is about LIFE -- and how I feel about it for all of us!!

So, this Thanksgiving - I Give Thanks - and - I Raise My Voice For The Promise of PEACE !!

Updated Oct. 22, 2015 With a New Bird of Peace Hanging online - my sentiments remain the same now as they were when I wrote this!!  Ruth Sandra Sperling

Artisan Feature: Pete Berkow of "Songbird and Scallywag" - A Musician and Producer

Ruth Sandra Sperling

I am not sure of the day or even the exact event when I first knew who Pete Berkow was sometime in the Fall of 1970, but it was at the Red Herring Coffee House in Urbana, IL on the University of Illinois campus.   ~~~~~~~   Probably some night when I was there to hear the live Acoustic Folk Music of whoever was playing on stage -- or maybe it was one of those times I was volunteering in the kitchen of the Coffee House - either selling Tea, Coffee and Pretzels - or making a vegetarian Sunday evening dinner.   ~~~~~~  
But he was there - part of the "whole Coffee House" - sometimes playing music, or laughing or discussing the world -- or trying to figure out what they were going to do for whatever .... oh, well, that was the Red Herring Coffee House, at least to me.   ~~~~~  Well - we all went our own ways -- lead our own lives -- played out our parts in the Web of Life -- so I got caught up with Pete recently -- and here is some of what he's been doing, as told by him!!

PETER BERKOW

MUSICIAN -- PRODUCER

of SONGBIRD & SCALLYWAG

What is(are) your Craft(s)/Art(s)?
Musician and Producer

Places you sell your Craft(s)/Art(s) on the Internet 
 - http://berkow.squarespace.com/
 - http://www.songbirdandscallywag.com/


Places you sell your Craft(s)/Art(s) off the Internet
I sell CDs at concerts, when I perform. That is a rare event, because I spend more time producing other artists than performing my own music.


What/Who has been the inspiration behind doing your Craft(s)/Art(s)?
The many great musicians I have had the honor to produce have all influenced me as a player too. I guess that starts with Dan Fogelberg, who showed me many of my first guitar licks in Urbana, around 1969. He was a good friend, and I produced his first recordings. More recently, I have produced artists such as Tommy Emmanuel, Sam Bush, and Joe Craven. Joe is especially inspiring, because he joins me on stage when possible. Mr. Craven is a force of nature!

Video he Produced of Tommy Emmanuel:  https://www.box.net/shared/static/zl20qp7mam.mov (See video below)

Can you briefly explain to our readers how you do your Craft(s)/Art(s) (methods, skills, materials)?
I have been a song writer since I was a teenager. I’m 61 now, and still writing songs. I get bored playing cover songs, so I write my own. I tried to read classical music, but that seemed too routine for me. For example, I started to learn the piece Malagueña but it morphed into my song Ruby’s Ranchito.


How did you learn or develop your Craft(s)/Art(s)?
I learned through the oral tradition. I sat down next to great players and they either showed me their licks or I done stole ‘em!


Are you continuing to study your Craft(s)/Art(s) - and, if so, how?
I play my instruments every day. My wife, Tricia Berkow, inspires me to keep playing and writing. She’s a gifted musician – much more talented than I am.


Your personal history in your Craft(s)/Art(s).
I produced my first records in Urbana, at the Red Herring coffeehouse, right next to the University of Illinois campus. I worked with great players such as Dan Fogelberg, Peter Swinnerton, Elliott Delman, and all guys in “The Ship.” I moved to Chico, California in 1975, and have been a performer/producer ever since. Most recently, I produced a PBS television series that included concerts with Richard Thompson, Dave Brubeck, Rodney Crowell, Roy Rogers, Marcia Ball, and many others. Again: Each was an inspiration for my own music.

- As a song writer: Most recently, I have had songs performed by younger artists. For example, my close friends Scott Dugdale and Becca Neunabel released their version of my song “Liquid Smog” on the video game “Rock Band.”


Are there other interests in your life that you would like to discuss here (hobbies, charities, other careers, etc.)
I have had parallel careers to my music career as a writer and television producer. I have written four books about writing. (They are textbooks.) And: I was a newspaper journalist for nearly a dozen years. The television production was a natural, sideways move from the newspaper work. In addition to producing concerts for PBS, I have produced documentaries and instructional television. It has taken me some interesting directions. For example: I produced a 20 program series about astronomy that won two Emmy awards and has been used by hundreds of teachers and thousands of students. To me, it’s all a variation on a theme: Songwriting, journalism, writing, teaching … they’re all based on human- to-human communication. If you have a positive message, people will listen.

Newspaper Article on Pete!  "Shasta College teacher to perform with Joe Craven"


To anyone aspiring to do the Craft(s)/Art(s) you do, do have any suggestions or recommendations?
Write from the heart … whether it’s an essay, a song, a newspaper article, or a script for a television program. Don’t compromise. It’s a long distance race, not a sprint. Learn to enjoy the process of creating … it’s even more important than the end result.

.....Update from 2015 ... Pete is one of the Producers of the PBS Series, Music Gone Public - and here is a video from that series Produced by Pete and others from Music Gone Public .... Pete's friend and guitarist, Tommy Emmanuel .....

And .... Thanks, Pete!

Please Note: My Features are based on the artisan's answers to questions I give them and the photos, videos, articles they send me or choose or approve -- I give all artisans I Feature full editing rights.

Buffy Sainte-Maire Singing One of My All-Time Favorite Folk Songs!

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - My Handmade Designs on ARTFIRE and ETSY







One of my favorite Folk songs of all times -- heard it originally back in the early 1970's.

Thank You, Buffy Sainte-Marie for writing and singing such a poignant, to the point - and beautiful - song: "Universal Soldier"!!

It was very important and significant and personal to me back then -- I had friends in the Vietnam War draft, threatened with having to go fight - something they did not believe in! Some friends of mine, when they finished college, put in time as conscientious objectors rather than bear arms.

My own Father, when he served in the Armed Services, served in the Army Red Cross rather than bear arms. He still served our great country and its goals of its many freedoms, but did not fight.

Still important now.

Thank You, Eco-Interactive Voices, for having it on your website!!

MUSIC - part of my Life!!

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - My Handmade Designs on ARTFIRE and ETSY


Since I was a little, little girl - Music has played a major part in my life.

I actually don't remember when it all started, because my Father was musician - he had a beautiful voice - and he would sing all kinds of songs, some of them just to me -- and I loved it!!

I remember when I was really little getting an album of the music to "Peter Pan" -- and loving it!!

When I was a little older, I was introduced to Musicals!  I remember "West Side Story", "The Music Man", "Fiddler on the Roof" and "Funny Girl" !! 

Then there was the Classical music - quite a bit of it.

Music is just part of my life!!

Going to College at a University of Illinois campus - Urbana-Champaign in Central Illinois - was my first taste of living away from home -- and finding my own ways to do things.

And when I was in College, I found some Music all right - live, acoustic - and some of it original, sung and played by the songwriters themselves!!  It was a stimulating environment -- I wrote about it some here !

It was a Campus Coffeehouse:  the Red Herring of the Channing-Murray Foundation -- and there were some great times!

Some of the things that came out of that time were a Book of Folk Music -- and several Albums of recorded music - I posted photos in a Facebook Album with some descriptions !

Here are a few photos with my favorites in each listed:

Book - Folk Music From The Red Herring copyright 1970 Channing-Murray Foundation

My Favorites in this Book:
1. "The National Guard Waits" - Bill Taylor
2. "Time For You To Go" - Les Urban



Album - Folk Music From The Red Herring - Fall 1970 Music Festival

My Favorites in this Album:
1. "If To You Adieu" - Steve Cowan, Judy Spratlin, Nancy Spratlin
2. "Oh, About 3 or 4" - Pete Swinnerton
3. "Anubis" - Louie Kotva
4. "The National Guard Waits" - Bill Taylor
5. "Don't Be Angered By the Dawn" - Steve Reinwand and Mark Hamby
6. "Hickory Grove" - Dan Fogelberg




The Red Herring Bootleg Album - Fall 1970

My Favorites in this Album:
1. "Subtunnel Blues" - Pete Swinnerton
2. "Time For You To Go" - Les Urban
3. "Rhythum of Winter & Fall" - Pete Berkow
4. "Morning Grey" - Steve Cowan
5. "Carry the Light" - Mark Hamby (and Steve Reinwand)
6. "Beneath A Hoosier Moon" - Pete Swinnerton, Elliott Delman, Red Herring Friday the 13th Crowd









Folk & Music From The Red Herring - Fall 1971 Music Festival

My Favorites on this Album:
1. "Raggamuffin Child" - Linn Brown
2. "White Wine" - Steve Cowan
3. "Lying Trying" - Mark Hamby
4. "The Celebrated Robitussin Blues" - Goddard Graves

Yes!  I remember the songs -- and I still like them!  Some of them are just fun!  And a part of my life!

Do you have some Music that is just a part of your life????

Like I said on Facebook -- I still listen to acoustic music, such as:

 -- Leo Kotke

 -- Woody Guthrie

 -- Judy Collins

 -- Dan Fogelberg

 --  Joni Mitchell

 --  Gordon Lightfoot

 --  Pete Seeger

 -- Buffy Sainte-Marie

 - and almost some every day!!

Fun!!

ART (All Kinds) and What It Communicates

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items In Fibers


ART - well, when you get into the subject of ART, you get into an area that is actually very personal and very subjective.

I have been exposed to various forms and types of ART all my life - I believe since I was a baby.

I had relatives -- and friends of relatives -- who did various types of Arts and Crafts -- and, yes, some of it was "in capital letters", though some of it was just for fun.

• Music
• Drawing
• Painting
• Sewing
• Needlecrafts (Crochet, Knitting, Needlepoint)
• Mosaics
• Writing

Also, when I was very young, I was exposed to some of those who are considered "Great Artists" -- mostly Musicians and Painters -- through musical recordings and classical music radio stations -- and I don't remember the first time I was taken to the Art Institute of Chicago, but I believe I was very young.

I was quite young - still a child, not yet in my teens - when I "fell in love" with the paintings of the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists I saw at the Art Institute of Chicago, such as Monet, Van Gogh, Seurat, Renoir -- these works so full of light and color, which I just adored!! To be seen there, for example: Monet's various landscapes; Van Gogh's vibrant - and what I would call dramatic - colors and images; Seurat's grand landscape by the water with dots of colors which together form almost an enchanting composition (to me) - I would stand entranced for a while; Renoir's delightful compositions - both of people and landscapes!

-- And then the works of later painters that I grew to love, such as Marc Chagall and Georgia O'Keeffe!

-- And the various sculptures and pottery and glass works!

-- And the music, as a child and in my early teens -- from Beethoven, Bach, Handel -- to the folk artists, such as Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, The Weavers, Buffy Sainte-Marie -- to the Musicals, such as "The Music Man", "Fiddler on the Roof" - I loved the singing of Theodore Bikel!

As I ventured out on my own -- my love of the Impressionistic painters and a few other painters (especially Georgia O'Keeffe) only grew. My love of music also grew and expanded -- and the musicians that I met -- and some I got to know -- added so much to my life!

As I got into studying Photography (I got my first camera at the age of 6, but never really studied it until my 30's), my admiration for (Alfred Stieglitz, Ansel Adams, Robert Glenn Ketchum, Freeman Patterson, David Muench) and interaction with various Photographers (Craig Fucile, Jan Pietrzak, Steve Cohen - and other environmental photographers) in various genres added so much to my life.

What it all comes down to -- there is something in what the works of these Artists commuicate that reaches me and adds such a feeling of joy to one's life!!

I think all Artists have some kind of message -- though that message may be interpreted differently by each person experiencing the art -- for me, it is that experience which adds so much to my life - and I can truthfully only speak of my own experience.

So, now I am involved online with some Artisans who do Handmade on Etsy -- from the Thread Artists to Painters, Photographers, people who work in Wood, Clay, Glass, Needlecrafts, Fibers .... as usual, there are always different viewpoints and different things that different people like, but I have found so many that I personally admire on Etsy!!

There is something in what these Artists communicate in their Art that brings joy into my life -- and I thank all of them for it!!

Folk Music - Old College Days Memories of a Coffee House - SHIFT to the PRESENT: THE SHIP (of 1970's Folk Opera Legend) is on WFMT's Folkstage!!

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items In Fibers


Folk Music - Ah-h-h-h! I love it!! That Acousitc Sound!! The sound of plucking strings, honest, real voices, keyboards, drums - harmonies - a cappelas!!

Grew up with it (and other music), but it was in college that it became really part of my social life.

MEMORIES....
It was the night before my first day of classes at college -- I was out for the evening with a new friend from the dorm room across the hall, a high school friend of hers and his dorm roommate. We ended up in this basement on campus - there was a small stage surrounded by tables and chairs - at one end of the room was a small room with a counter where you could get coffee and tea and pretzel sticks -- folks, behold: The Red Herring Coffehouse of Urbana, Illinois circa September 1969.

I am not going to name names -- some people might be a little in hysterics at who was on that little coffehouse stage singing that night. Then they were college kids - we were college kids (well, there may have been some "townies" there) - we were all having fun -- and those who know, well they know!!

That was the start of, what for me, developed into a wonderful relationship, a refuge, a place of friendship and fun and music and true camaraderie -- it was real life -- for me, for other friends -- and yes, for the musicians, who were real people for all of us -- whoever they were destined to become.

Over the next year that basement coffeehouse was a place to casually drop in on some evenings.

I heard whatever musicians were there, saw whatever movies were being shown -- drank coffee and tea and ate pretzels -- all very casual.

It was during the following summer when some of my dorm friends and me met for a few days -- one of the places we spent some time at was the Red Herring Coffeehouse - and between then and the fall, when we returned for our 2nd year of classes, that we decided that the Red Herring was where we were going to go that fall to meet people. Our group of friends was just not that much into the bar scene -- and we were pretty sure that the Red Herring Coffeehouse was a place to really meet -- and get to know people.

Well - it turned out that way for me and some of the others.

I jumped "head-first" into the folk music scene on campus -- meeting and listening to musicians, meeting college boys and girls -- and townies -- and poets -- and radio people -- and other people's boyfriends and girlfriends -- and packed standing-room-only weekend nights listening to whoever was playing. It was real living - real relationships - real communication -- and I loved it and it became my home-away-from-home.

It was some time during that Fall of 1970 that I met and became friends with one of the folk musicians who became one of the writers of the Folk Opera, The Ship. He was a singer, a songwriter, a writer period (if you get what I mean) -- and through various times of just talking we became friends -- and some time during that time period writings in a notebook developed into a song that became the title-song, "The Ship" (written with someone else, too). That was Steve Cowan.

Over the months that followed amidst all the other happenings in all our lives, a Folk Opera emerged -- a Folk Opera that became known as "The Ship", which you can read about yourself at this link.

Oh - I remember some of the early peformances of individual songs around the Coffeehouse and the chapel upstairs. But by the Fall of 1971, it was a real put-together thing with the group or band performing it together from beginning to end.

It was a real experience to watch -- a real creation.

And I loved it!!

Read their website, which is truly their website, and see for yourself what it became!!


NOW -- FAST FORWARD TO JUNE 2009 -- THE SHIP had been what it was at various times over the years.

Looking forward to tomorrow, Saturday, June 6th, 2009, when I will listen on my laptop using the Live Stream on the Internet of 98.7 WFMT in Chicago (Listen Live Free) to hear my old college friend, Steve Cowan -- and his friends in THE SHIP -- perform Live on Folkstage on WFMT at 8 PM Chicago time -- it will be 6 PM here in California.

Oh - I'm all set up and ready for it - got my Windows Media Player currently installed on my laptop - already checked it out and listened to a bit of Hayden from WFMT tonight (I grew up with his music, too)!!

Memories, yes , but now, in present time today, I am looking forward to it because, yes, I still like the Folk sound -- and I will enjoy listening to it because I love the actual music.

(And, no, it was not Steve Cowan or anyone from THE SHIP on that small Red Herring Coffeehouse stage that first night in September 1969. Right now, here, I just don't want to say. Those who were there, know. It was a time -- it was the beginning of solo careers for some talented musicians in their college years -- what they became, well those who know, know -- and I believe, so very strongly, that everyone deserves to live their own life -- and achieve their own accomplishments -- and, believe me folks, all I can say - is those singers who sang on that stage that night before classes started in September 1969 - they accomplished a lot!!)

Now -- let's get ready to hear THE SHIP now, as they are now....


Ruth