I remember reading a George Jones bio that had an illustration at the front. The illustration showed a "lead sheet" of a significant song in the music icon's career. This is country music of course. The illustration sticks in my mind because it showed the power of a simple melody with some words.
I guess "lead sheet" is songwriter lingo. The illustration in the book was of the song "Ragged But Right." It's a classic song that paints a picture of basic American life. "Electric fan to keep me cool while I sleep." Such common imagery that could be pulled from anyone's average day.
And it's moving, how? Because the music makes it come alive. A song can do that so overwhelmingly even though the "lead sheet" requires just one simple piece of paper! I can hardly relate the power of this compared to a book or chapter of a book, not even a classic book.
The song probably takes only three minutes to perform. That was the standard length for a long time when AM Radio set the standards. Middle-age and older people grew up consuming such fare or at least listening to it from the background. Older people became familiar with so much music from the background. A Paul McCartney melody like "Silly Love Songs" would get stuck in your head. And isn't it amazing with the timelessness of songs like that?
Years later you can hear it again and it fully registers. You can anticipate upcoming passages of the melody. Not hard to believe, when the song is just three minutes long. Not hard to believe, when you realize the song can be appreciated on a "lead sheet" of just one page.
So the main point I'm trying to get across as I recall the old George Jones book, is about the power of a simple song. I mean especially the power of a simple song compared to other written works like full-blown books.
So much work to research and then write a book. Congrats to book authors who get commercially published. It is truly hard work. What are the odds of really getting your book in front of the public? This isn't to say that musical composers don't struggle too. Heaven knows they do. What strikes me as fascinating is that when a musician succeeds, it happens with a work that can be represented with such brevity, such compactness.
Of course the great ones can make it look easy. The saying applies to any field. So you scan "Ragged But Right" and note the very simple, day-to-day kind of wording, and you wonder how this could reflect genius. Well, it absolutely does.
Yes I have tried to do this myself. I couldn't help but think about this as I was growing up. You see, my father was a master, a professional. My own efforts to do it are just a testament to him. His accomplishments made me want to try, to capture just some of the "gold dust off the saddlebags."
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Ralph E. Williams |
The whole concert was outstanding but surely that's no surprise. I attended both this concert and the grades 5-8 concert that preceded it on the spring calendar.
Word is, Wanda wants to keep directing for as long as she's physically capable.
Some public school teachers are known to be aware of how long they have 'til retirement. I have been told that sometimes they'll know the exact number of days, which they adjust in their mind every day! There may be some exaggeration at work here. But you can get the point.
Wanda is immersed in her work and totally invested in the young people. She drives them too - totally in a good way. Call it "tough love?" Like, when a student screws up and fails to show up for a lesson? You wouldn't want to do that!
All the discipline shows its fruit like in the concerts of the past few weeks. And then, a performance I missed which was for graduation. I didn't have to be there to know it was great or "boffo." Wanda just keeps crafting the best, most inspiring results. Her associate Andrea DeNardo is likewise committed.
Wanda Dagen |
Following the May 12 spring concert, I decided to do one of my periodic checks to see if anything new by my father might be on YouTube. Well yes, there is something! It's a very fine presentation from Polk Street Methodist Church way down in Amarillo TX. Looks like a big church.
This composition by Ralph E. Williams has a very serious and reverent tone. It's called "Hear My Prayer." I invite you to listen and watch with this YouTube link. Thanks.
Addendum: Sometimes the song "Ragged But Right" is presented as "I'm Ragged But I'm Right."
Addendum #2: I should have attended MAHS graduation but maybe it would have been bittersweet. Bitter because a voice in the back of my head would have been saying "Brian, you should be here with your spiral notebook, pen and camera, set to cover the event for the Morris newspaper." This I did for years and years. Plus at Hancock. Plus at UMM. It's the only sense of identity that has meant anything to me. My last year in such a role was 2006. In my mind, doesn't seem that long ago.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com