Searching Through Drawers

[mrdreamjeans]

Since it's 98 degrees outside today, I've been busying myself indoors with record keeping, filing and music projects. I've found inspiration from jeffinthebox's music and reading about his sound engineering curriculum and from the song-writing ambitions of two of my "Evita" co-horts. Consequently, I've been revisiting songs that I've written in the past 20 years to decide if they hold up. I've been pleasantly surprised. I feel a recording project coming on. *grin*

Mom has been listening as I've been singing bits and pieces of original songs. I'll never have a bigger fan:) We've been going through drawers, trying to find old tape cassettes where I first sang the melodies as they popped into my head. (I've always been a "lyrics first" writer.) Obviously, this was long before the sophisticated computer programs of today that can take your melody line and create an accompianment in seconds. I used to spend hundreds of dollars getting charts made. I missed out on any talent for transcription.

We haven't found any of the initial tapes; I think they're in storage along with all of my other cassettes. (Have any of you listened to cassettes at all in the past decade? For that matter, I've still got my LPs sitting in boxes on the floor of my closet:) However, we found some interesting and unexpected items. Mom walked into the office with an autograph book in hand. She said, "Do you know what this is?" (I didn't:) It was an autograph book with the signatures of Linda Michelle and Richard White... the stars of "Desert Song", the old operetta that was one of my first shows with Theater Under the Stars in Houston. Also included were signatures for Sharon Halley, my choreographer on Holland America cruises and a couple of TUTS shows and that of Juliet Prowse from the tour of "Mame" in 1990. I didn't know Mom had requested them. To my great embarrassment (and secret pleasure), Mom had gotten my autograph too. You gotta love a parent who believes in you that much!

Also pulled from the bottom of a drawer was a stack of pictures that none of us had seen in 30 years. Wedding pictures for my sister's marriage in 1975. Her first marriage was a disaster once they mutually decided to have children...a husband cheating on his pregnant wife... a guy who walked out when his son was born handicapped...throw in an abusive alcoholic father-in-law who screwed up his kids heads.. It's understandable why we haven't looked at the pictures. But there's an upside to seeing them after so much time...There's my 20-year old sister looking innocent and beautiful in my mother's wedding dress; my younger brother, all toothy grin and floppy hair at 14; and me.... 21, skinny and clean-shaven, in a Singing Cadet uniform with my best friend CH (now our family doctor). For better or worse... there are pictures of me dancing with Sis dressed in a white dinner jacket, white ruffled shirt and bow tie and rust colored pants. What was I thinking!?!?

I've put aside a couple of the photos to have copied. Yesterday was my sister's 50th birthday. Her first wedding was 30 years ago this October. I think she can now look back in fondness, seeing herself full of hope and promise. She was beautiful 30 years ago and she still is today. Memories like this bring me joy. Maybe I ought to search through drawers more often:) Meanwhile, I'm sorting photos listening to the Lawrence Welk program on television in the background and I'm smiling.

Comments

champaign bubbles and accordions...

[bearchitect.livejournal.com]

as LW would say:"that's nice! Nice!!"

My sister is turning 50 in a bit over two weeks, married in '77, had four kids. The eldest of her girls is going to make her a gramma two weeks after her 50th b'day!!

Of course my mom is not that happy, she'll be a great gramma, and at 73 she feels waaay to young to be one!!

How fun that you get to spend time at home with your parents rummaging through the past :>

Re: champaign bubbles and accordions...

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Our Moms are the same age. My mother says that she doesn't mind Colleen turning 50, just that she is old enough to have fifty-year olds:) My niece and one of my nephews certainly fall into the range of old enough to be married and having children of their own. I kind of wish they'd hurry (but of course having found the right person) and get going. I want to be a great uncle! (Though I would suggest I already am a "great" uncle..*grin*)

It was a fun yesterday, singing my songs and having my folks being encouraging. I guess you never get too old to feel good when unsolicited approval comes your way:)

Hugs! Hope things are going well up Baltimore way!

ps... I know you told me the dates of your next Houston visit... but remind me, is it between 9/19 and 10/2?

close, but no cigar...

[bearchitect.livejournal.com]

I'm heading for Houston in less than two weeks -Sept. 1, and I'll stay there until the 8... an entire week!!!

:>

Re: close, but no cigar...

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Ah hell, what's the rush? Stay for the month! You've got plenty of relatives who want you around, plus me:) "Evita" is playing Houston for those two weeks and we could hang out:) I leave for Montreal on August 28, so I just miss being in Houston when you arrive for your visit... Dang, dang, dang... HUGS!

Re: close, but no cigar...

[bearchitect.livejournal.com]

I'll let them know, maybe for my mom's b'day they can treat her to a show (would it be at the Wortham?).
As for staying a month, well, as much as I love the family once the 8th day of my visit arrives I'm more than ready to hit the road. I did stay two weeks with them last holiday season, I may do it again this december, maybe we'll coincide there then...

[jeffinthebox.livejournal.com]

Wow. I'm not sure I've ever been an inspiration before :) .

Thanks for mentioning it bud. *hug*

PS: You're welcome to record with me anytime...I'm reasonable and I give real hugs before and after takes, *grin*.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

You're quite welcome! Although I'm sure you've been an inspiration on several levels...in several ways... in addition to musically:) I just may take you up on the recording. I'm sorting through material and deciding on what type of writing I want to push...my CW songs or my show tunes. "Reasonable rates" and recording with a friend would be a real plus and hugs would definitely be a big bonus! !

I started to tell you about my Cincy dates for "Evita", but I remembered you're Chicago-based now, not Columbus. Oh well.... We're in Cincy for the two middle weeks of September. Tell your buds!

[bearfuz.livejournal.com]

"What was I thinking?" What should you have been thinking? It was 1975, for God's sake! What was anybody thinking?! I wore something just as wretched for a dance I went to in college that year. There's probably a photo of it somewhere, but I'm not going out of my way to find it. ;-)

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Trust me! I didn't go out of my way to find it. Mom came into the room and handed me a stack of photos that she found when she came across the autograph book. Everyone made clothing mistakes in the 70s; that's what the 70s were all about:) I just couldn't figure out how and why I was wearing rust colored pants, unless it was my sister's Autumn colors wedding scheme. All of her bridesmaids were in different colors...rust, gold, dark green, dark red... I guess it sounded good at the time. (The flower girl was in a patchwork dress with all of these colors made by my mother:) What surprised me most was how much hair I had on top of my head and how wavy it was! Now, I have to go to my chest and back to find that kind of luxuriant hair growth! LOL!

[bearhedded.livejournal.com]

the signatures of Linda Michelle and Richard White...

Is that the same Richard White who did the voice for Gaston (I think) in Bee-yooty and the Beast for Dizzknee? If it is, I have a semi-amusing anecdote prepared....

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Yes, indeed! I've done five or six shows with Richard over the years. I eagerly await your tale:)

[bearhedded.livejournal.com]

Well...........
I was on a leave of absence from grad school in 1980 or 81, doing a season at the HORRIBLE (and fortunately defunct) Pennsylvania Stage Co.; a small converted church in Allentown.
Really dysfunctional, filthy working conditions, too few nice people, you know the drill.....and we were doing this musical adaptation of fucking "Great Expectations"! Richard was playing adult Pip. The dressing-rooms were over-crowded to say the least, not to mention the mens and ladies pressed into service.....tight. (Also one of the few instances in which I have quite literally been blinded by the stench of a dressing-room!)
Anyway, I was putting away laundry or something one day, while the cast was getting ready to go on. I opened the door. Apparently, I got Richard right in the ass with the doorknob, 'cause he whirled around, looking like I'd goosed him, clutching his hiney, and snarled," A knock would be appreciated.", to which I replied, "Don't point your arse at the door.", or something...... I did pound on the doors after that, though!

Allentown and Ping-Pong

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Sounds like Richard. I have a couple of other stories about him to share with you some day. I worked in Allentown back in the late 80s. I was in a new musical called "Columbus", being workshopped at Muehlenburg College, playing yet another priest. We were prepping it and presenting it in NYC at the first Alliance of Musical Theater Producers Conference. Great music. (Won an award) Lousy book. Should have been called "Isabella".

What I remember most about that summer was going out to a bar in Allentown and it had ping-pong tables. I LOVE to play table tennis! It's the only time I've ever seen ping-pong in a Gay bar:)I also recall winning some kind of Gay-themed trivia game. It was a competitive summer. *grin*

Re: Allentown and Ping-Pong

[bearhedded.livejournal.com]

Was the bar in an old Moose Lodge, on Harrison? I hear they got rid of that hideous arch over the main street, too. Fantastic art museum there, too.....right next to the prison!!!

[shadowbearmn.livejournal.com]

If you need as recording/mix engineer, talk to my new Husbear, beefybear. He just moved up her from Nashville and has been working in the industry (http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE5781CDF4CAE7020C1962D45C2B120D201D157F78F172C0456D3B82D7F8F0762C67AC38081B9E577B466ADFF2EA1160ED3C0EB52F6DE642D4CF0&searchlink=EARL|DRAKE&uid=MIW010508201054&samples=1&sql=11:j1jyeau54xa7~T4) for several years.


He knows his shit and if not doing the actual mix, could offer pointers and advise.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

I appreciate the information! Since beefybear was in Nashville for so long, he would certainly be able to give me good advice on the country songs I've written.

The ones I like best of my own, if written decades ago, would have been suitable for the likes of Eddy Arnold. I sure do wish I had a conduit to getting songs to George Strait. I think he'd like em:) Hugs!

Congrats on your new relationship. I wish you great success and happiness!

[shadowbearmn.livejournal.com]

To Bad Earl Did mostly Rock, Soul, and Blues music. He did however do a few Country projects. I am going to suggest that he adds you as a friend.

Feel free to contact him and talk if you want.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I appreciate that!

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Thanks Brett! It was fun and a productive use of time considering the heat and humidity outside. I head to Austin this afternoon... three days of feeding horses, seeing a dermatologist on Monday (I'm one of those "I was a teen-aged lifeguard- and- now- have- to- pay- the- consequences" people). I'm picking my sister, niece and twin nephews up at the airport Tuesday night as they return from their 12-day trip to the West Coast and then return home to Brenham. The three-week layoff is flying by. I head to Montreal on the 28th for more "Evita". Hugs!