Bio

A few weeks ago at daybreak, our neighbor across the lake photographed some sun-splashed cumulonimbus clouds that towered over the BRC domicile.As seen below, a reciprocal sunrise photo of our neighbor`s shoreline taken previously from our back deck is softly colorful and suggests a rosy and inviting day is in store. In the foreground, our dock serenely rests in still waters.

Assured by the above photo taken from our home that a lovely autumn day in the Heartland was likely unfolding, the BRC couple embarked on a long walk down a nature trail to the nearby lowland lakes in order to view the migratory birds. Halfway on our journey, however, the overhead skies darkened and began to reverberate with menacing claps of thunder. Stinging wind-driven rain soon began to pelt us. We cell phoned our nearby daughter to please come and rescue her parents from this tempest, and her car soon appeared nearby to spirit us back to the shelter of our BRC home.

From the BRC: Have a restful  and sunny Thanksgiving.

Every Sunday afternoon, the G&F Band performs for our university Children`s Hospital at a nearby family-friendly brewpub. During the lunch hour, curious youngsters come to the foot of the bandstand to dance while their parents happily take photographs. Some of the more adventurous kids will wander up onto the stage to examine our musical instruments and sometimes sing along with us.

Last Sunday, a young listener about age 5 years old spent her lunch hour industriously sketching the band. Periodically, after completing a few drawings, she would step-up onto the bandstand and distribute her works to the musicians.  Over the time frame of her family meal, each band member was gifted two sketches. These playful images surprisingly reflected our music and fellowship.

Our banjoist was among the first to receive such an artwork as seen above.

Soon thereafter, one of our guitarists was gifted an impressionistic rendering (ala  Picasso…?) of his instrument pouring-out music.

Our bass player happily accepted an artful representation of her oversized instrument sprinkled with musical notations.

Lastly, and most importantly, we were presented with the young artist`s perception of our happy faces, while we were pickin` & grinnin` & singin`. She anonymously autographed this final work with “Love,  Friend (sic)” In all, we were gifted with about a dozen of her sketches, and the Mom took a photograph of her talented daughter on stage with us grateful musicians. It was a joyful afternoon for all.

The previous weekend, the BRC founder and spouse visited their daughter`s family in Chicago for the local high school Homecoming festivities. Our talented grandson (seen above center) plays horn in the brass section of the school marching band, and he sings and dances regularly in school theatre productions. This young fellow and his friends decided to dress-up as the “Blues Brothers” for the post game evening dance party.

His grandfather instructed the young musician how to play blues harmonica in preparation for the evening of fun. All ready proficient on a wind instrument in the marching band, the kid proved to be a  “natural” on the blues harp.

From the BRC: Our family tree is blessed with musicians.

A college chum recently mailed some archival photos to the BRC owner. In those days decades ago, photography was an active hobby for the BRC banjoist, and these forgotten B&W pictures had been developed in his dark room. The vintage images depicted the modest Florida bungalow and flourishing backyard vegetable garden of the young BRC husband and wife. As seen below, a B&W snapshot portrayed the youthful BRC musician playing his long neck Ode banjo that he had procured circa 1972. This open back 5-stringer still resides in his music room, and it offers a mellow and wife-friendly tone especially suited to clawhammer tunes.

The engraved leather shoulder strap seen above was fashioned by the BRC craftsman in the mid 1960’s when he was in a folk music duo with a pal who also enjoyed hand crafting. Nowadays, this strap resides on the mandolin featured in the previous website posting last month entitled “The Mandolin Option.”

Another engraved shoulder strap from that era is on his vintage Gibson Mastertone banjo. These leather straps have been preserved and remained supple over the intervening decades via annual applications of mink oil. In more recent years, however, the BRC spouse has fashioned many splendidly decorated shoulder straps at her sewing machine for her husband’s collection of acoustic instruments as depicted below.

These wide and well-padded straps are valued and comfortable accessories.

From the BRC: Welcome to Autumn.