vince pitelka on sat 13 apr 02
> Any musos out the in Clayart country?????
It seems that a lot of clay artists are also musicians. I grew up in
Berkeley CA and was a kid of the folk music generation in the 60s. I saw
Doc Watson at the Berkeley Folk Festival in June of 1963, the summer before
the 10th grade. That was right after Doc was discovered by Ralph Rinzler.
It changed my life. I started saving my money and the following year I
bought the Martin D-18 that I still have - one of the ultimate
fingerpicker's guitars. In college at Humboldt State I played in a "jug
band" called Kitchen Music, because we always practiced in someone's
kitchen. We had a regular gig at a bowery dive in Eureka CA called the
Oldtown Snug. That was before 2 Street got gentrified and become 2nd
street. For playing Thursday, Friday, and Saturday we got paid $25 apiece
and all the beer we could drink. The back of the bar was connected to an
empty building next door that had been an old health club. We always
unpacked our instruments and tuned up in a huge room mostly filled with an
empty swimming pool. You can imagine what kind of shape we were in at the
end of the evening, and it is a miracle no one every fell into that pool.
In grad school at UMass in the late 80s I played in a cowboy/bluegrass band
called the Hill Country Ramblers. Our moment of glory was being the
featured band at the Heath Town Fair one summer. It wasn't much of a moment
of glory, but it was a lot of fun. We had a great crowd until they started
the oxen trials. Everyone needs priorities.
Then I played in a little three-piece swing band called the Rolling River
Band. We played weddings and parties, but what I always loved most was
getting together in someone's living room to practice. I always lost
interest when some of the band members started talking about going
"professional." I had too much other stuff going on in my life. I was in
it for the fun of just getting together and playing music.
A rewarding life is filled with variety. Anyone who burns out on an
initially productive endeavor doesn't have enough variety in their life.
The variety is so critically important for the studio artist. No matter how
busy you think you are, make sure there is variety of experience in your
life on a daily basis. Otherwise, you will end up in trouble. I wrote a
section in my book titled "Maintaining Studio Equilibrium," and this is what
it is all about. My involvement in music has always been one of the things
that helped me maintain my energy and interest in the clay studio.
Best wishes -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
Home - vpitelka@dtccom.net
615/597-5376
Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
http://www.craftcenter.tntech.edu/
Roger Korn on sun 14 apr 02
Interesting observation! At most OR potter get togethers, a sizeable
contingent
will be decent musicians. I've observed the same thing among software
engineers,
mathmaticians, climbers, and racing drivers. Kinda wierd, but its one of the
main
threads of my life, running through most of my activities, and accounting
for
meeting both wives. I started playing guitar when I started at Reed College
in '59,
'cause it was a good way to meet babes, but the music quickly took on a life
of its
own. At Oregon Potter's Association get togethers, there are three of us who
all
have old D-18s. Go figger! At Irish sessions, I became very popular after I
quit
drinking, because I could get everyone else home safely.
Great memories (as far as I remember ) of the Berkeley Folk Festivals of
the
'60s. Won second place in a mandolin contest. First prize was a rutabaga,
second
prize was TWO rutabagas, etc.
Roger
vince pitelka wrote:
> > Any musos out the in Clayart country?????
>
> It seems that a lot of clay artists are also musicians. I grew up in
> Berkeley CA and was a kid of the folk music generation in the 60s. I saw
> Doc Watson at the Berkeley Folk Festival in June of 1963, the summer
before
> the 10th grade. That was right after Doc was discovered by Ralph Rinzler.
> It changed my life. I started saving my money and the following year I
> bought the Martin D-18 that I still have - one of the ultimate
> fingerpicker's guitars. In college at Humboldt State I played in a "jug
> band" called Kitchen Music, because we always practiced in someone's
> kitchen. We had a regular gig at a bowery dive in Eureka CA called the
> Oldtown Snug. That was before 2 Street got gentrified and become 2nd
> street. For playing Thursday, Friday, and Saturday we got paid $25 apiece
> and all the beer we could drink. The back of the bar was connected to an
> empty building next door that had been an old health club. We always
> unpacked our instruments and tuned up in a huge room mostly filled with an
> empty swimming pool. You can imagine what kind of shape we were in at the
> end of the evening, and it is a miracle no one every fell into that pool.
>
> In grad school at UMass in the late 80s I played in a cowboy/bluegrass
band
> called the Hill Country Ramblers. Our moment of glory was being the
> featured band at the Heath Town Fair one summer. It wasn't much of a
moment
> of glory, but it was a lot of fun. We had a great crowd until they started
> the oxen trials. Everyone needs priorities.
>
> Then I played in a little three-piece swing band called the Rolling River
> Band. We played weddings and parties, but what I always loved most was
> getting together in someone's living room to practice. I always lost
> interest when some of the band members started talking about going
> "professional." I had too much other stuff going on in my life. I was in
> it for the fun of just getting together and playing music.
>
> A rewarding life is filled with variety. Anyone who burns out on an
> initially productive endeavor doesn't have enough variety in their life.
> The variety is so critically important for the studio artist. No matter
how
> busy you think you are, make sure there is variety of experience in your
> life on a daily basis. Otherwise, you will end up in trouble. I wrote a
> section in my book titled "Maintaining Studio Equilibrium," and this is
what
> it is all about. My involvement in music has always been one of the
things
> that helped me maintain my energy and interest in the clay studio.
> Best wishes -
> - Vince
>
> Vince Pitelka
> Appalachian Center for Crafts
> Tennessee Technological University
> 1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
> Home - vpitelka@dtccom.net
> 615/597-5376
> Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
> 615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
> http://www.craftcenter.tntech.edu/
>
>
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--
Roger Korn
McKay Creek Ceramics
In AZ: PO Box 463
4215 Culpepper Ranch Rd
Rimrock, AZ 86335
928-567-5699 <-
In OR: PO Box 436
31330 NW Pacific Ave.
North Plains, OR 97133
503-647-5464
Bob Pulley on mon 15 apr 02
I like Vince's observation about variety in life. I have taught most of
my adult life as well as pursued my art/craft as proffessionally as I
had the strength to.
Sometimes I have been jealous of friends who were doing their craft
full time.
But it has worked out pretty good. I haven't had the guts to try to
make my art pay and I know I wouldn't want to churn out wholesale pots
for years and years. So many of the friends I knew in my 30's who made
pots have found other lively hoods. The ones who have stuck to it are
also the most creative and restless in the studio. One though whose
work seems to have been pretty static for the past 15 years or so
confessed, "Bob, I'm getting tired of this." As for work, it has
continued to grow and I keep finding new goals and landmarks to drive
and satisfy me.
I too have always loved music. I've tried lots of instruments and not
had the patience to get good at them. The last 5 or six years though it
has become more important to me. I joined a geezer band, took up the
mandolin and have taken it more seriously than any other intrument. I'm
pretty good at the harmonic, but I can't say I ever took it seriously, I
just blew it until I knew it.
I'm with Vince though. I just love the musical interaction of
improvisation with other players. I have no desire to play to an
audience, though I have done that too. And I like to sing despite
feeling for years in my youth that I couldn't.
Bob
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