2016 HTMA Newsletter - Huntsville Traditional Music Association

 Volume 50 – Issue 6

www.huntsvillefolk.org
July 2016
HTMA Monthly Meeting

& Jam
Sunday – July 17th
Main Public Library Auditorium
starting 2:00 PM
................................................
Coffeehouse The coffeehouse is still on vacation
Inside this Issue:
2015 Gazebo Concert (photo by Bill Cassells) HTMA President’s Notes (or What is HTMA Doing Lately?) July 2016 “Summertime, and the living is easy.” I hope that everyone in our music community is having a great summer. Ginny and I are on vacation as this goes to press, so we are certainly having fun. 1: A Message from President Jerry LeCroy
2: Area Events/ & HTMA Board
3. Audio Reproduction Old and New
4. Are My Arms Too Short To Play Banjo?
6: Member Classified Ads
8: Remembering Joe Berry, The Berry Patch
Lately it seems to me that there are a lot more opportunities for me to get out, meet friends, and play music than there used to be. That might have something to do with being retired, but I think other forces are in action as well. More than one friend is now holding frequent (monthly or more often) jam sessions at their homes, there are jam sessions two or three mornings a week at Bill Graviett’s Harmony Sound, and Jim England keeps booking three retirement home gigs for us every month. In addition, Danny Davis is putting on shows featuring some fine talent at his Tangled Strings Studio. If you are looking for opportunities to get out and play some music, there appears to be a fine supply right here in Huntsville. Last week Jim England asked me whether I thought we might expand the retirement home gigs a bit, perhaps to four a month. I told him I thought that was a fine idea, but we need to make sure we aren’t going to wear out the volunteer artists. My impression is that running out of players is a minor risk. Last Saturday playing at Harbor Chase, Jim and I were joined by Bill Nuessle, Jim Dickerhoff, Ken Hinkle, Bob Hicks, and James Smith. Even with that crowd we were missing two or three regulars. My thinking is that we have enough depth to support expanding the retirement home performance schedule, even if that reduces the turnout for each gig. Jim England is certainly getting requests for us to do more shows. 1 James Smith and Steve McGehee playing at the Botanical Gardens Fern Festival (Photo courtesy Jerry LeCroy)
On the other side of things, I have not heard from any member who would like HTMA to continue hosting a booth at the Athens Fiddlers Convention. Not sure why, but it appears that the presence that was so popular ten years ago no longer fills a need. That might be partly because the Athens hosts pushed our assigned spot to a location where there is no longer any view of the main stage. It appears that the management in Athens gave higher priority to vendors selling food and merchandise, and more‐or‐less relegated organizations like ours to second class status. In any event, I do not expect HTMA to provide for a booth at Athens this fall. If there are activities that you would like to see the association become engaged in, please contact any of us on the board and let us know your thoughts. I’m not saying that Jim, Pat, and I are all just sitting at home waiting for anybody to find for something for us to do, but we would all genuinely like to hear your ideas for worthwhile (or just fun) projects we might take on. Stay cool, and keep your powder (and instruments) dry! Cheers, HTMA Executive Board
President JERRY LECROY
256‐880‐6234 [email protected] Vice President & Public Service
Chairman
JIM ENGLAND
256‐852‐5740 [email protected] Secretary/Treasurer
PAT LONG
256‐539‐7211 [email protected] Publicity Chairman
BOB HICKS
256‐683‐9807 [email protected] Performance Chairman
Position Open Please Volunteer!
Jerry LeCroy
HTMA - RETIREMENT HOME PLAYING DATES
Operations Chairman
GEORGE WILLIAMS
[email protected] Saturday, July 2 - 3:00 PM
Webmaster/
Jeri Ann Payne
Elmcroft Assisted Living -
[email protected]
8020 Benaroya Lane, Huntsville, Al
Saturday July 9th - 10:30 AM
Newsletter Editor
Jerry LeCroy
Harborchase Retirement Home,
4801 Whitesports Cr, Huntsville, Al
Saturday, July 23rd - 3:15 PM
Regency Retirement Village,
2004 Max Luther Dr., Huntsville, AL
*Please check with Jim England for firm dates and times for our
Retirement Home gigs.
Please check our WEBSITE/HOMEPAGE for other playing
events each month, from HTMA Member bands, jams and other
local events, updated monthly or as events become available...
Page | 2 The leadership of HTMA invites YOU
to be an active part of our great
organization, whether you play an
instrument, or want to share in any
other way, we welcome you and thank
you for your support! Audio Reproduction Progress, Mechanical
to Digital
by Jerry LeCroy
Back in 1877 Thomas Edison built his first mechanical sound reproducer, which he tagged the phonograph. Edison’s cylinders were a great invention, but inherently impractical. The cylinder format meant that each cylinder had to be fabricated one at a time, which pretty much ruled out any mass market application. A few years later Emile Berliner turned Edison’s design on its ear, to create something we would recognize today as a phonograph record. For commercial reasons, Berliner trademarked the name Gramophone for his invention. The real power of the disc format was that with one master, a manufacturer could stamp out thousands of copies in a day, and once mass production started, the B‐side followed in short order. A properly recorded CD can actually sound pretty good, but it does have limits associated with both the sampling rate and the bit depth used for the encoding. Before recordings available to music fans got better than CD quality, though, they first got quite a bit worse. This was a product of the popularity of digital encoding schemes invented to allow storage of audio data with reduced file sizes. There are two main flavors of audio encoding – lossy and lossless. The latter types allow the entire audio signal to be reconstructed precisely on playback. In the early digital age, though various ”lossy” algorithms prevailed. The most common codec used to compress digital audio became MP3, and the first software coder for MP3 was released by the Fraunhofer Society in 1995. Less than a year later other versions, reverse‐engineered from Fraunhofer’s original, became commonly available. The gramophone and all the iterations of the phonograph recording that followed encoded the audio signal into a little spiral squiggle carved into a plastic or metal surface. Sound was reproduced by a needle or stylus following that squiggly groove. This system had some obvious shortcomings, including sensitivity to vibration, but a major problem was that every time the needle ran over a groove it did a little damage, re‐shaping the groove contours and hence reducing the quality of the playback. The MP3 format and its Apple‐developed cousin, AAC, were popularized by small music players that could hold a number of recordings despite the relatively small capacity of recording media (hard disks, etc.) available in those times. The MP3 standard allows encoding at various bit rates. The lowest rates are only suitable for voice recordings (shades of Edison’s Dictaphone), but a lot of music was encoded at rates near 64 kilobits per second, about a 20:1 compression of CD‐quality sound. While these low bit rates provided huge reduction of file size, the resultant files all carry along distinctly audible compression artifacts. The MP3/AAC sampling and compression methods do not handle either high frequency content (like the hiss of a cymbal) or sharp transient sounds (a guitar pick on a string, or a drumstick rap on the rim) well at all. When I hear a 64 kilobit track, I think of AM radio, only worse. About thirty years ago the audio world was presented with a wonderful new recording medium, the Phillips Compact Disc, or CD. The CD stores audio data in a digital representation, in a spiral line of pits on a plastic disk that could be read by a laser device. Eager consumers were told that this was the end of the scratched record syndrome, but that was a lie. We were also told that CD quality would be the absolute end point for practical audio recording. After all, CD recordings were encoded at 44.1 kHz and 16 bits. What could possibly be better in any sense that could be detected by human ears? CD production was implemented in a fashion quite similar to phonograph records. A CD master is prepared and used to mechanically stamp out copies. Where can you hear 64 kbit (or lower) audio data streams today? Lots of places. XM/Sirius radio is a prominent offender, with most channels broadcast in starkly disappointing quality. Many online radio stations do the same. And, of course, almost any music you are listening to on your cellphone is over‐compressed. If you are listening to any of these sources, do your ears a favor. Try listening to an original recording (or live performance) with a quality sound system, and compare the high‐fidelity version to what you are used to. I think of it as the difference between a 1970 Yugo and a new German sports car. It isn’t at all subtle. MP3 audio at 192 kbits or higher can be pretty tolerable, with audio quality equivalent to FM radio, but even that isn’t really high fidelity. Edison was a smart guy, and understood the limitation of the cylinder format, but his perception was that sound recordings would be limited mainly to business use, with the market limited to wealthy businessmen who would record letters for later transcription by clerk‐typists. He saw no need to mass‐produce anything. Page | 3 The best digital audio available today comes to you in several formats that all use lossless compression. Lossless compression is not nearly as efficient at reducing file size as MP3, but it does maintain all of the sonic content of the original material. There are a handful of popular codes, but progress on improving lossless file compression efficiency hit practical limits in the mid‐1990s. The output audio quality is the same for the available software, and the files sizes are similar, all hovering around 50% of the equivalent CD file size. Some programs I have used include WaveZip, Pegasus, and LPAC, but today the most common lossless format appears to be FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Compression). I like the FREE part., and I also like the fact that FLACs developers left it as open‐source software, so any software developer on the planet can experiment with making improvements. If you can download music or convert CDs (if you still have any) to the FLAC format, you can capture pretty much 100% of the audio quality of the original recording on playback. If sound quality matters to you (and it should, if you are a musician), FLAC is a good way to go. Today many portable music players and even better car CD players will play CDs with FLAC files. Want to try FLAC for yourself – go to flac.sourceforge.net. Today there are many online sources of FLAC audio recordings. Here are a few: 




Juno records http://www.linnrecords.com/
Blue Coast Records http://bluecoastrecords.com/
Society of Sound http://www.bowers‐
wilkins.com/Society_of_Sound/Society_of_Sound/
Music
NAIM http://www.naimlabel.com/
Linn Records http://www.linnrecords.com/
I’ve found that several record labels will let you download a FLAC once you buy the CD, or you can bypass the physical CD and just buy the data. I suggest you give high‐quality music listening a try. And by that I don’t mean listening to the $30 Logitech speakers on your computer. We only have so much time to listen to music in this life. Shouldn’t you be listening to the best? Are My Arms Too Short to Play the Banjo? by Wayne Erbsen If you're old like me, you may remember the TV show, “Kids Say the Darndest Things,” which aired on Art Linkletter's House Party from 1945 to 1969. Of course, kids aren't the only ones to say the darndest things. Adults sometimes do too. One of my banjo students recently asked me “Are my arms too short to play the banjo?” If you're a person with short arms, you may be pondering the same question. If so, you may be thinking that the autoharp may be more up your alley. First, let me tell you that banjos are practically defined by their long necks. They are the giraffe of stringed instruments. But if you think the average banjo has a long neck, you should see one of the banjos that are copied from Pete Seeger's1942 invention that had three extra frets and was mega‐long. In fact, according to Alan Lomax, Pete Seeger's long and lanky frame made him “look like a banjo.” The truth is that people with long, short, skinny and fat arms have always played the banjos. Starting in the 1880s, banjos became fashionable instruments for ladies of high society. Even though I wasn't there to measure their arms, I guarantee many of them had short arms, and I'm guessing that a great number of them became quite adept at playing the banjo. Even the most seasoned and grizzled banjo players can remember back to their early days of playing the banjo. Even though many of them appeared rough and tough, their left arms often hurt, because they simply were not used to holding their arm out so far to the left while holding up the neck of the banjo. Here are a number of solutions to the “short arm problem” if you're so afflicted. 1. Use a banjo strap. Be sure to wear the strap so it is
placed over your head, not just resting on your
right shoulder. If you use a strap you won't have
to hold up the banjo with your left hand. I realize
that Earl Scruggs rested the strap on his right
2 Pat Long with Steve McGehee, Dan Charles, and Jerry
(Photo courtesy Bill Cassells)
Page | 4 2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
shoulder. However, the only reason he did that was because he often changed from the banjo to the guitar during a typical set, and he didn't want to have to take off his cowboy hat to do it. When you're playing the banjo sitting down, the
normal place to set the banjo is on your lap
between your two legs. When your left arm gets
tired, simply move the banjo over to your right leg.
Suddenly the neck just got shorter.
The neck of the banjo doesn't necessarily need to
be pointed up at a steep angle, which makes you
have to hold your arm up higher. Lower the neck of
the banjo down so it's more parallel to the floor,
and your short arm troubles will practically be over.
Use a capo on the 2nd or 4th fret. This will make your
banjo neck ridiculously shorter. Remember that
when you capo up, you'll need to raise the 5th string
up too. Music stores and outlets typically sell what
are called 5th string capos. However, I much prefer
having a miniature model railroad spike
professionally installed on the fingerboard of the
banjo under the 5th string at the 7th and 9th fret.
When you want to capo up two frets, you'll also
need to raise up the 5th string two frets. In that
case, simply slip the 5th string under the lip of the
spike at the 7th fret. If you capo up four frets, you'll
slip the 5th string under the 9th fret. Having the
spikes installed will be painless (to you) and is
normally very inexpensive.
If you play in G tuning on the banjo, many of the
notes you'll play will be “open” strings, meaning
you won't have to fret the string with your left
hand. When that happens, you can lower your left
hand and give it a quick rest.
If you love the sound of the banjo, but are
thoroughly convinced that your arms are too short,
there are a number of other banjo‐like instruments
that feature a banjo pot with a much shorter neck.
Common among these kind of instruments are
banjo‐mandolins and banjo ukes. Around the turn
of the last century tiny piccolo banjos as well as
banjeaurines were popular, but they are harder to
find these days than hen's teeth or frog's hair.
Wayne Erbsen has specialized in teaching total beginners to play the banjo for over fifty years. Whether you have long or short arms, check out his many instruction books: Bluegrass Banjo for the Complete Ignoramus, Bluegrass Jamming on Banjo, Clawhammer Banjo for the Complete Ignoramus, Southern Mountain Banjo and Starting Bluegrass Banjo From Scratch. His newest banjo book is Clawhammer Banjo – Tunes, Tips & Jamming. Visit www.nativeground.com 4 Pete Seeger with banjo (photo courtesy Wayne Erbsen) 5 Sugarfoot in a 2001 HTMA coffeehouse (photo Jerry LeCroy) 3 Vickie Ramsey at the 2001 Gazebo concert Page | 5 Do you have an item for sale? Are you looking for an instrument? Are you wanting to acquire, trade or sell musical gear, recordings, books, get something repaired.... Do you need music lessons? Are you wanting to join or find a new group or band member? This section of our newsletter is for members to place ads for services or instruments or anything related to music. It will be updated for each newsletter. If you have an item or advertisement you would like to be published, please send an EMAIL (preferably before the fifteenth of the month) to [email protected] (Jerry) to have your listing included in the upcoming newsletter. In your email, fully describe what your offering or looking for, and how you want users to contact YOU, via email, phone or both, etc. Once your listing or item is no longer active, please also email [email protected] for removal of your listing. Please note that HTMA makes this service available to aid our users in finding, trading or selling music items and services only ‐ and we are not responsible for the completion or non‐compliance of any transactions between members. 6 Bob Dozier playing a 2001 HTMA coffeehouse (photo by Jerry LeCroy)
Page | 6 The Jimmie Rodgers Collection Guitar Recorded Versions Tab Book, Hal Leonard by Fred Sokolow Excellent paperback $10 Stephen Foster – America’s Troubadour by John Tasker Howard, 1953, used paperback $7 Susanna, Jeanie, and the Old Folks at Home: The Songs of Stephen C. Foster from His Time to Ours November, 1975 by William W. Austin Used hardback $5 Set of 3 Music Together Books (Fiddle, Triangle & Bongos) produced by the Center for Music and Young Children (CMYC) by Kenneth K. Guilmartin and Lili M. Levinowitz Excellent condition, paperback, $5 for set. contact: [email protected]
Looking for a band member, hosting a jam session, wanting to be part of a group? Place a listing here.. 7 Shelley Heard Playing at the Botanical Society Fern Festival, circa 2001 Page | 7 
The Berry Patch
It's with great sadness to announce that Joe Berry has passed away.
Joe has been a dear friend to many of us and was a key part of the HTMA. He served as
president, wrote a regular column in our newsletter for many years and hosted many
HTMA picnics and gatherings at his home. Joe was a world class storyteller, entertaining
adults and children alike with stories of his rural upbringing in the Great Depression.
You can sample these in our archived newsletters at www.huntsvillefolk.org and read
"Up Fool's Hill and Almost Down" - available on Amazon. - Bob Hicks
Obituary Excerpt:
Joseph Morgan Berry, 85, passed away on Friday, June 24.
Berry lifted himself up from Great Depression poverty to help construct
U.S. defense bases in Africa, become an Army veteran of the Korean War,
earn two college degrees, and practice law in Huntsville for nearly 40 years.
He later retired comfortably to enjoy a wide range of hobbies, friendships, and family.
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