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

 

2012 Songwriters Weekend Recap

Last month, my husband David and I were lucky enough to attend the Switchback Songwriters Weekend.  Not only did we get the benefit of being part of such a rewarding weekend, but we got to spend it at the Four Mounds Inn in a secluded area off in its own little world near the Mississippi River.  Switchback fans, if you have not been there, I would strongly suggest you attend next year! It gets your juices going, and for those people that think they cannot write a song, you will find that you can do it! I have firsthand experience with that. I actually participated this year and came away with my own song called Butterflies and Flowers. 

The assignment was to 1) pick a movie you have seen quite recently that just stuck with you for some reason or another.  Well, I happen to love the movie My Cousin Vinnie.  2) Pick something that represents you. I picked butterflies and flowers:  butterflies because I like everything, and flowers because gardening is something I love to do! J  The ironic part of this whole story that no one from the weekend knows is that one other idea I had written down is the leather jacket that has just been calling my name at Starved Rock. I feel it represented me and would have fit into my song, but I ended up not including it.  I guess if I wanted to, I could try to rewrite it somehow.

Day 1

Being first time travelers to Dubuque, Iowa, David and I decided to take the scenic route to Apple River Canyon, and it was so beautiful! We may go camping there sometime in the fall. On Highway 20 to Galena we found a neat little restaurant in the business district called Dirty Gurt’s. I would give it four stars.  We would definitely go back there again.

Once we arrived in Dubuque, David and I decided to go off on our own and seek out the best dinner spot in the area. It was the Dubuque Star Brewery right on the Mississippi River.  Again, another great place to tell our friends about!  After dinner, we arrived at Four Mounds Inn where we enjoyed a wine and cheese reception with a “passing of the guitar” with the other guests.  This was intended as a way to get to know one another.  Each person played some type of song or was asked to sing whatever they wanted. 

Day 2

David woke up before I did and had already written three songs. I decided to go for a walk before breakfast, and it was so beautiful that morning. What a gorgeous sunrise it was! It is so beautiful around the Mississippi River this time of year. I ran into Kay Shelton, another musician attending the seminar.  We were talking about bird watching, and that got me thinking about writing another song and how to go about it. I have the idea but for now it is just a work in progress.  After breakfast, we all sat around the breakfast tables as we were given our assignments.  Then we were able to go off until noon and if we needed any help, we could ask any of the four songwriters who would be available for consultation.  I took full advantage of that once I wrote my first draft.  I showed Marty and he told me to talk to Scott who gave me a different perspective on how to write a song.  You have to end it somewhere and then write at least three pages of ideas because those are your foundation even if you do not use them.  You then have them for a song composition later. They will always be your ideas!  I felt as if everyone had a different idea for my song as I was going through this process.  I wanted my song to be about a gangster who had a soft side and asked for forgiveness because she liked butterflies and flowers, and in the end her friends had to make amends. 

Later that day we scheduled consultations with the songwriters. My time was with Marty and he had me take all my papers and put them in my room, and then he asked me what I wanted my song to be about in my own words. He asked me if I had written the top part of the song which would become my refrain about butterflies and flowers. Then the first verse had to be about me, the gangster in Riverside.  Then the second verse had to be about my peeps (refrain), and the third and final verse had to be about going to St. Mary’s to ask for forgiveness.  I even asked James for help and he put some words in there that really did not reflect my concept. I asked Brian if he would play it with me, and he said this did not sound right and not to come back to him until it was more my song. I had to work on that until it made sense in my own words so that I could sing it and feel comfortable. That is what writing a song is about. One thing I have learned is never to work with someone that is too close to you because that person may have a different way of thinking. This is not a bad thing -- it just sometimes does not work if you do not have the same thought process.

Day 3

I showed Marty my song and I told him I know that is not how to write a song. Marty asked how do you think you write a song?  I responded it is by writing with spaces in between as my husband does.  He said that everyone is different and that sometimes you have to take a step back from your partner, meaning David, because no one writes a song the same way as anyone else.  Then we were able to perfect our songs if we were not already done and we each performed in front of the group at 9 am. It was a round robin concert with no set order so everyone just volunteered to go and it was nice that way. It is really a rewarding and relaxing weekend as a whole, and I am glad I attended as a participant because it was a completely new experience for me. Thanks to everyone that made this weekend happen, especially Jan Hoag, our Booking Agent, who was on site to help with anything that came up. 

Being first timers in Dubuque, my husband David and I decided to go sightseeing at the Museum and Aquarium of Dubuque. We went into an actual steamboat that is a historical landmark. There is so much fascinating history in this area that we both decided we would have much more to see when we go back.

Well, it just makes me look forward to more traveling to Iowa, which brings me to my next subject, The Mayfly Dance “Dance” on June 22, 2012.  We want to fill the dance floor at TJ Hunters in Lansing, Iowa so let’s get those dancing shoes on and I hope to see you out there!  Then the day after the dance is the Mayfly Dance Cruise on the evening of June 23.  If you are interested, go to www.waygoodmusic.com for all the details. What a great way to travel down the river, listening to Switchback while looking at the beauty of nature!

You will also want to mark your calendar for September 8-9, 2012 when Switchback will debut the orchestral arrangement of “Falling Water River” at The Grand Opera House of Dubuque. Arranged and directed by Paul Hemmer, the music will be performed by the 30-piece Grand Pops Orchestra!

Best Regards,

Fan Club President of Switchback

Melissa A. Kotrba