It has been a while since I sent out a blog. We have been doing Bluegrass music about every day. There are five festivals in January and February here in Southeast California and Southwest Arizona. We have just finished up the fourth festival, it is in Quartzsite. The highlight of the weekend for us was the band scramble. This is my fourth band scramble, and I know I have written about the others, but it is just so much fun that I have to tell you the story of this one too.
To refresh your memory; there are many people who attend Bluegrass Festivals that play an instrument. When a scramble band is hosted by the festival these folks are encouraged to place their names in boxes labeled with the instrument they play. That is guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, dobro or bass. The committee pulls names from the boxes randomly to make up several bands. Each of these new bands gets together and they choose a name for themselves and find two or three songs they can all play. They get maybe as much as an hour to practice and then they go on-stage and perform for the full audience.
Our band today was made up of three guitars, myself, George and Ralph; two mandolins, Carrol and Jay; a banjo, Vera; a fiddle, Kay and a bass, Tom. First we spent fifteen minutes thrashing around looking for three songs we could all play and sing. Our first song was to be an instrumental, “Soldiers Joy,” a lively fiddle tune. Our second song was a slow sad song called “Who Will Sing for Me.” Finally we wanted to end on an upbeat song. I volunteered to do “Orphan Train,” which is about getting WW I orphans adopted out to farmers families in the Midwest. Then we made up a name. We called ourselves the “‘Q’ Mountain Orphans.” Well “Q” Mountain is a little pimple of a hill out south of town. It has a great big white quartz “Q” for Quartzsite on its side and a flag on top. It is visible from the stage area and is just a short walk from camp.
We were the second band to perform on stage, so we had to wait behind the stage and fight the jitters until our turn came. Now, it’s our turn, and we march on stage. The sound engineer sets each us up with a mic. Finally we are announced and we charge into “Soldiers Joy.” I am just playing along and looking out at the audience, trying to remember how to smile and play a “D” chord all at the same time when I spot a gal in the second row doing tatting. I had this brief but almost irresistible urge to point and call out, “Judy, she’s tatting.” About then I had to grab a “G” chord and then remember to smile again, so the moment passed and the butterflies all got back in formation again. George and Ralph teamed up and produced good harmonies for “Who Will Sing For Me.” Then it was time for “Orphan Train.” I had George and Vera on either side of me singing good harmony on the choruses. I was so busy making sure I remembered the next verse to sing that the song was over and I couldn’t remember if I had remembered to smile.
It was a good band, we all had fun and afterwards we had many nice complements on our performance. If there is some wisdom to gain from this perhaps it is to have fun and smile a lot. Then it will be easier to remember the G chord and not have to worry if you are smiling.
By now we are in La Paz County Park, near Parker Arizona camped in the middle of a bunch of new Bluegrass friends. I am looking for a hot spot so I can send this out. If you don’t get it you will know I haven’t found one yet.
Love to all from sunny Arizona.
Gary and Judy
