Hogwarts on the Mississippi

By Martin McCormack

Magic: The power of apparently influencing the course of events by using mysterious or supernatural forces

Last fall, at the gentle urging of my wife, we headed to the theater to catch the last Harry Potter movie.  Having never read the books, I nonetheless was entertained by the whole fixation with magic during the movie:  people pointing wands at others and making huge fireballs of blue light and of course the juxtaposition of good versus evil.  Good wins out in the end and we muggles are none the wiser for it.
  
As children’s entertainment the movie was great.  But I left the theater feeling frustrated that magic is presented as something that is almost unattainable, especially if you’re an ordinary mugwump of a muggle.  Also, I think most moviegoers would believe that magic is just a special effect or a simple trick. 

Magic is here. It is not in the hands of magicians but in the minds of musicians and specifically songwriters.  Recently I was told the story of Sixto Rodriguez, a musician who had a couple of albums out during the 60’s and was basically considered a has-been.  The records he penned though resonated with people and unbeknownst to him were picked up by the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa.  Several of his songs became anthems that literally united the movement that brought down the regime.  He didn’t even know that he had platinum records until his daughter came across a website set up by ardent South African fans to find out what had happened to him. Had he never known his belated fame, it would not have mattered, for the result was the same. Sixto, an ordinary muggle, created magic.
                         
Of course, this magic has happened before.  Julia Ward Howe is a name that most people have never heard, yet she created magic that changed the face of America.  During the Civil War, Howe heard a melody that was being sung by the Union Troops.  The melody was Canaan’s Happy Shore turned into a parody called John Brown’s Body.  Ward heard a division of soldiers singing the tune as they were tramping by her home in Kentucky.  She went to bed and during the early morning, she awakened and, according to her book Reminiscences, said that she started to write a song.  She realized that she had to get up and put it on paper “lest I fall asleep again and forget them.  I sprang out of bed and found in the dimness an old stump of a pen which I remembered to have used the day before.” She wrote down one of the most influential songs of that era and the Civil Rights era, The Battle Hymn of the Republic.

The power to change life as we know it exists in each of us.  If magic is using the means of channeling mysterious or supernatural forces to create change, then the songwriter is more of a magician than any Harry Potter.
  
And it doesn’t have to be an anthem to change the world either.  “Heartbreak Hotel” was written by Tommy Durden and Mae Boren Axten.  The lyrics were based on a true story of a young man who killed himself over a lost love.  It took one Elvis Presley to sing it, true, but it was the song itself that launched a whole new era of Rock n’ Roll.  A young man listening to that song on Radio Luxembourg was so transfixed that he started penning songs to influence other people.  His name was John Lennon.

Some magicians are lighthearted Merlins.  Their magic-making is just as important for bringing joy into the world.  When a hip hop musician who goes by the name Baauer released a song called Harlem Shake, it went viral on the internet.   As far as lyrics go? Well, growling lions and samplings of lyrics from other songs, which by themselves are as nonsensical as a Bob Dylan tune.  But it is now a meme on the internet, with people doing various renditions of the song and dancing to it.  A crew of Australian miners was actually fired for doing their version several hundred feet underground.  Baauer’s magic brought people around the world just that much closer.  He magically transformed everyday adults back into children.  Powerful stuff. 

Songwriting is magic.  It is an art in which one channels the power necessary to change life as we know it.  That magic resides in each of us.  And each of us needs to get that magic working.
  
That is why each April we have, for muggles everywhere, the Songwriters Weekend at our own Hogwarts on the Mississippi, the Four Mounds Estate.  We tap into the natural beauty of the river and the surrounding highlands.  We look to each other for support as we explore what words can mingle with what melody.  People of all ages who come from all walks of life suddenly are transformed into magicians with the ability to create one of the most powerful elements on earth, a song.  Our magic wands?  Guitars, computers, pens, paper, harmonicas, zithers, and our voices.

This year we have Kevin Gordon joining us as our head songwriter.   Kevin has written songs that have been covered by people such as the Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards.  To watch Kevin perform his music is magic in itself; to have the chance to talk to him about creating songs will be an even greater opportunity for us aspiring magicians. 
 
We also make it very clear that one can attend and just enjoy the making of this magic in and of itself.  For in order for magic to succeed there have to be people willing to accept this magic.  The world is as much in need of song lovers as it is of songwriters.  Being at this weekend allows us all to participate in the joy of making music.  And making magic that even Harry Potter would envy.

WayGoodMusic.com

What I have learned about Dubuque, Iowa and its great history

A note from the Fan Club President

 

Dear Switchback Fans,

 

I was honored to attend Switchback's orchestral debut of Falling Water River in Dubuque, Iowa on September 8. For this month's newsletter, I thought I would share with you my thoughts about the debut as well as what I have learned about Dubuque  and it's great history.

Day 1

As it was only our second time going to Dubuque, I wanted to make it special so my husband David took an extra day off so we could make a mini-vacation out of it for my birthday, which is September 11.  The first day we were there we asked Marie FitzGerald, the innkeeper of Four Mounds, about places to go. She always has great recommendations.  Of course we went to Potosi, Wisconsin to see the brewery and winery which are right across the way.  And of course I did recommend Switchback to both places and even got some good contacts for the guys that evening. Let me tell you, if you have never stayed at Four Mounds you really should. It is breathtaking, and it is a great place just to take in the nature and relax.

Day 2

We woke up to the sounds of the birds chirping and the wind off the Mississippi River.  It was so melancholy that I wished I could wake up to those sounds every day. So we went off to the gray house at Four Mounds for one of Marie’s fabulous breakfasts, and then we went to this place called Eagle Point Park.  It is one of the most outstanding parks in the Midwest with 164 acres overlooking the Mississippi River and Lock and Dam #11, providing a spectacular tri-state view of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin.  It reminded me a lot of Starved Rock in Utica, Illinois.  You could stay there and enjoy the many nature trails.  You could see two states from the River, Wisconsin and Illinois.  After that, we just took advantage of the beauty of Four Mounds where I took pictures of the property that day. That has rather become a hobby of mine.  When we are on trip I like to take different shots of whatever may catch my eye. My husband David is getting pretty good at it himself if I may so!  He took many great shots at The Grand Opera House that evening.  Before we went to see Switchback premier their new symphony Falling Water River, we went to dinner at the L. May in downtown Dubuque.  I do have to say it was excellent.

The main reason for going on this trip was Switchback’s debut of Falling Water River with the Grand Pops Orchestra and Chorus directed by Paul Hemmer. We went on Saturday, September 8^th.   My review of this show is it was a wonderful blend of the orchestral sound and woodwinds.  I think that really made the difference overall. The special effects were just right too so way to go, Switchback!  I cannot wait to see the next performance!

Since my husband and I have only been in Dubuque twice, we wanted to do things and learn things about the town. One thing I have noticed is the pride Dubuque takes in its history.  Just look at Main Street in downtown Dubuque and how they have restored most of the buildings. The other is the architectural significance of a lot of the buildings.  You can tell the builders in the early 1800’s took pride in what they were doing and how they did it. There are a couple buildings I have noticed in Dubuque that have clock towers.  I would love to read up on the history of clock towers because I am sure there is some meaning for having so many in Dubuque.  The next thing we do will be an architectural tour when we come back to Dubuque. We always learn something when we come here.

Day 3 

We still wanted to see a little more so at breakfast we were talking to The Duves, very nice people and great Switchback fans, and they were telling us about the Spanish Mines where we learned about Julien Dubuque, who was the first permanent settler in Iowa.  We also learned Dubuque was a town of many firsts. Then on the way home we made two stops.  We first needed to eat so we went to the Galena Brewery, and while there we got directions for the Galena Cellars, which would take us back toward home. It was worth it just to see the scenery.  If we could live out this way we would.  On one side of the River you have Galena and the other Dubuque. For a person who loves nature, there is so much to do.   We look forward to our next trip to Dubuque and staying at the Four Mounds Inn.  It is the most serene place you can stay.

Melissa A. Kotrba

Fan Club President

 

Review of the Falling Water River Orchestral Debut

By Kay Shelton

On an early September evening, an audience in Dubuque had the opportunity to experience a masterpiece in progress.  Before artists began shifting away from producing complete albums and instead creating one song at a time for MP3 downloads, the duo Switchback produced “Falling Water River” as a tribute to fallen soldiers in 2005.  Since then, conductor of the Grand Pops Orchestra, Paul Hemmer, orchestrated the complete album, performed last weekend with Switchback and the orchestra.  This orchestration involved transforming music for two lead singers and two guitars (or a mandolin) and a couple of background instruments into music for a small orchestra and chorus, totaling over two dozen performers. (Click here to listen to a sample of music from the orchestral debut).

I hope the audience had a sense of how brilliant the orchestration was for this work. Orchestration is an art, a craft, and a science all rolled into one. Not even Beethoven got orchestration right, according to Richard Wagner who re-orchestrated significant sections of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. (In Beethoven’s defense, the technology of brass instruments changed by Wagner’s lifetime.)

Orchestration takes knowledge of all the capabilities of the instruments and what happens with the sound when they are blended together.  It takes knowledge of how to write the notes for the various instruments because they are not all the same. None of that is as easy as it may seem. What bowing should the violins use? Should there be solos for the melody and which instruments should play them? There are dozens of different percussion instruments, which ones to choose? Those seemingly simple questions are not so simple.  Then, add in a chorus; a celeste; and the lead voices, guitars, and mandolin of Brian and Marty. When should the chorus sing, and when should they not sing? Everything becomes a choice, but based upon extensive knowledge.  There are literally thousands of different choices to make in orchestration.

The Grand Pops Orchestra is smaller compared to a full-sized symphony orchestra and that is more of a challenge, too. There is only one flute, one oboe, one trumpet, one trombone, etc., etc., etc. One wrong choice could result in a very exposed sound with the size of the pops orchestra. There were no wrong choices in the orchestration. The celeste, known mostly for the iconic “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” by Tchaikovsky can easily become abused and turned into a gimmick—not so in this work.  Instead, the celeste added beauty and dignity to an otherwise tragic event, the death of a soldier.

Probably the best section of the work is “Requiem” The sound of the violins was ethereal, like it came down from Heaven itself.

Overall, however, despite the theme of the music, “Falling Water River” is not overly dramatic.  There are some bright spots in the music.  Usually performers remain motionless, stoic, and seemingly uncaring when they are sitting on stage, waiting for their turns.  The performance in Dubuque shattered that mold, too.  A couple of the women in the chorus tapped their feet and nodded their heads in time with the music in between their singing parts.  It was refreshing to see the performers not hide their enjoyment of the music.

It was difficult to absorb the sheer genius of this work in just one performance. There was a second performance of “Falling Water River” the next day but my work schedule was a major barrier.  Otherwise, I would have grabbed a hotel room in Dubuque on the spur of the moment and heard the work again the next day. 

A few years ago, one of my co-workers got sent to Iraq in the National Guard.  He returned two years later.  The first time I saw him again, I gave him a hug but he held me more closely and tightly than I ever expected, and he rested his warm cheek against mine.  It was a sense of touch that I cannot forget.  Now I understand.  It was as though that former soldier understood how lucky he was to return, unharmed, and he conveyed his luckiness in one short embrace.  When I hear the brighter places in “Falling Water River,” I can almost feel him holding me tightly.  I cannot, however, imagine what it must be like for those whose loved ones never returned, and they will never feel that kind of a touch from their soldiers again.

Falling Water River -- The Orchestral Debut

In a few days we will be performing what is probably going to be one of the most important concerts of our careers.   We will be debuting Falling Water River with the Grand Pops Orchestra and Chorus of Dubuque.  The dates are Saturday, September 8 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, September 9 at 2 p.m.

This concert is important because it marks a dramatic shift in our playing.  We have come a long way from bars and are about to present an interpretation of our original music that we want to be repeated by symphonies throughout the United States and Canada. This music is touching something that continues to be very real, and that is the ongoing war in Afghanistan and the sacrifices it takes.  That the date of the debut falls close to the anniversary of 9/11 is no coincidence.

We have received some wonderful endorsements for the project.  Rick Kogan of WGN Radio, whose program reaches some 8 million listeners, interviewed us and has told his listening audience as well as his readers that this will be "a stunning and remarkable achievement. Not only does Falling Water River tell a sweeping and moving musical tale, it touches the heart and mind and soul in ways that are real and unforgettable."

This album more than any of our others was influenced by friends and especially by those in our WayGood family who had members serving in the armed forces.  Brian's nephew was in the Special Forces early on in Iraq and was involved in the Jessica Lynch rescue. Jayn Lando's son-in-law Rodney was also in Iraq with Special Forces.  Diane Vance's son Will wrote us a beautiful letter from Iraq, telling us how much of an impact Falling Water River had on him and wondering if we were veterans.   Col. Cameron Ross of the Canadian Armed Forces had two sons deployed in Afghanistan and served there himself as well.  And there are many others, such as the elderly man who came up to us in Fort Madison after hearing Falling Water River and said that his grandson was in Iraq and thanking us for the song, tears in his eyes.  It has been a powerful album that endures beyond any release date.  We are realizing that it is a timeless album, something many artists only dream of making.