Hot Times at Old Town

Appearing below are selections from the hard copy Hot Times. The objective is to highlight activities at the School and in the larger community, especially those featuring or of special interest to teachers and staff. Your suggestions are welcome. Enter a comment (under any item); it will come to me rather than automatically appearing.

Playing by Ear: More Fun Than You Thought Possible

The idea is subversive: eliminating the middleman, playing music without the notes or chords! But think about it. This is the way most of your teachers play. Yet they weren’t born with this skill; they learned it. If you can “carry a tune,” you can learn to play by ear. For guitar/banjo/mandolin/uke etc. an easy way to begin is with songs that have three chords; songs you already sing, with chords you already know. Bill Brickey’s tip: start by remembering the beginning chord, then try singing and playing without tab. When the chord sounds wrong, try one of the other two.

For playing melody, Here’s a site primarily focused on playing melodies on other instruments: www.treelight.com/music/playByEar.html.

Need song suggestions? For a searchable index of the Old Town School Songbook – for example, songs that use only D and A7 – sign up free for oldtownfolks.org (a wonderful student/teacher resource!)

Filed under: Practice tips by Skip | September 6, 2008 | Comments (0)

Develop your storytelling

Passing along on our stories to future generations involves practicing an age-old, sustainable skill. If you’re a story-teller or interested in story-telling, think about getting involved in the North Park Nature Center North Shore Storytelling Guild. They meet the third Wednesday of the month at the Nature Center of North Park Village, 5801 N. Pulaski.

The evening begins by getting-acquainted at 7:30, with stories from 8 to 10 pm. Meetings are open to all, with no experience necessary, i.e., you can come to tell a story of just to listen. (It’s a down home gathering , not a performance). Stories include adult-themed material). Info: Mark Kater, 847-673-5786.

The Nature Center is in the midst of a wonderful, natural area of Peterson Park — a place to enjoy the passing seasons, far away from the invisible city surrounding it. Any opportunity for a visit is worth the time, and what better excuse for a visit than to enjoy this ancient art?

Filed under: Interesting elsewhere by Skip | September 5, 2008 | Comments (0)