Sunday, December 21, 2008

Jake & Bonnie / Music, Art & Creativity


CREaTIViTY. Rhan Wilson told me that when he created his "Altared Christmas Show" that he intentionally under-rehearsed certain parts of the show. He just gave a guideline to certain participants and welcomed the unrehearsed moments as opportunities to be open and trust in the creativity of the art. He says in his Rhan's World blog that... "I wanted us all to rely on our professionalism and skill to be "in the moment" and to react accordingly. To make a few mistaken notes here and there was worth it to me to be able to create magic that no one could have predicted..."

I like to take the long way sometimes. To explore and to enjoy. This is an unusual post for me in that there are musical, artistic, nostalgic, aspects to this little journey. I'm not sure where I'm going but I continually find something new, and something old but new to me.

Those that have read chunks of my blog will know that Alistair Wood’s Ukulele Hunt site is a great inspiration to me. http://www.ukulelehunt.com/. Alistair makes great use of search tools to provide us readers with many avenues to search. Recently, he posted some favorite YouTube videos and I looked into a multi-instrumentalist and vintage instrument repairer named, Jake Wildwood and found out about a family living in Vermont

Jake's music and handiwork are very interesting to explore. His wife, Bonnie. also has a blog where she has some of her skilled craft work is displayed. If you have a nostalgia for handicrafts, old furniture, Hoosier cabinets, and vintage instruments then pull up a chair and sit a spell in beautiful Rochester, Vermont:

http://www.youtube.com/user/jakewildwood
http://www.jakewildwood.com/work.html
http://www.thewildwoodflower.blogspot.com/
http://littlewhitepaw.blogspot.com/

[Jake has many songs posted as mp3’s on his “music” section of this “work” page. ]


At the end of May 2008, my wife, Wendy, and I were in Ketchikan or Juneau, Alaska and we came across an unusual 2-story indoor shopping mall that had a music store in the very center. I think is was about 8 feet wide and 15 feet long. Full of different instruments, comfy chairs, and a welcoming vibration. I saw an inexpensive Gold Tone banjo there and thought that one day I want to try a banjo or a banjolele. I’m going to keep an eye on Jake Wildwood’s work in the future. I'm also curious about those old pot bellied mandolins.

http://www.jakewildwood.com/instruments/uke_1920s_maybell_banjo.html

I was also intrigued with Bonnie’s work. I noticed some Scandinavian aspects to her craft work. For those that are interested in things rustic and handmade the Wildwood Country Store may be worth an e-visit or more.

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