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.

Switchback's Debut in Fort Smith and Second Street Live

So down to Fort Smith, Arkansas we drove. We arrived 12 hours later in a town known as the last stop on the Trail of Tears where the tribes were given a final meal before they were banished to the plains. Fending for ourselves, we scoped Main Street for a place to eat. We heard the unmistakable sound of live music coming from one of the local watering holes.

As we approached the club, we saw this long-haired guy perched behind a drum kit, partially blocking the entrance, and thumping along to Guy Clark's "Desperados Waiting for a Train." This person represented the intimidating doorman and his presence meant a potential cover charge, which is enough to strike fear in the hearts of traveling Irish musicians. And when the guy collecting the potential cover charge is wielding not one but two wooden sticks, intimidation goes to fear and then to panic. From the outside, the joint gave no indication of serving hot meals for hungry, itinerate musicians. So we walked a half a block to a sports bar where we had dinner, then returned to the hotel for a good night's sleep.

The next morning after breakfast, John Pearce, the artistic director for Second Street Live, picked us up and brought us to our first gig, an assembly for music students at the University of Arkansas. Imagine our surprise when we were introduced to our sound technician, Tom Ware, our phantom doorman from the night before. Not only was he not a doorman, but there was no cover charge. He was just drumming along with a band playing covers. Tom turned out to be a gentle soul who also played a tender, thoughtful, moving violin. How do we know this? Because he put Marty in a headlock and forced us to let him sit in on our set that night!

Yes, the technically gifted Tom was also an accomplished musician. Over lunch we learned that a long time ago, he attended beer school in Milwaukee. Along with other notable Texas musicians, the noble Lloyd Maines and the Maines Brothers were among his fellow classmates. Back then, the beer companies took time to instruct musical entities. They would sponsor you, but you had to play by their rules (drinking only their product on stage being an obvious one).

The evening's concert at Second Street Live was on Veterans Day and "Falling Water River" received a standing ovation. The sold-out concert was a great success. After saying farewell and signing DVDs and CDs, we joined John and a small group of friends and headed over to the same watering hole that struck so much terror in our hearts the night before. A singer-songwriter solo act played to a handful of people nursing their drinks. It looked like a pretty laid back night until a trio of lovely young ladies herded in a confusion of revelers from a nearby Irish pub. The young ladies, having seen our concert, spread the word and we found ourselves cloaked in warm hospitality, Fort Smith style. We have already made tentative plans to return to Fort Smith, Arkansas, and we recommend this as a must-do Switchback road trip.   ~ Brian FitzGerald

http://www.waygoodmusic.com/