So I was singing a song at the first Friday song circle at the Beacon Sloop Club and this guy comes bounding over and says, "I want to put you on my TV show! You can have an hour to do whatever you want!" And I was pretty intimidated, because I've never really been on TV and the idea of a whole hour of just me scared me a lot. I asked my pal and co-producer, Vito Petroccitto Jr., if he could do it with me, but he has a lot on his plate right now, and no one else is available days. So I arranged to go yesterday at 2 p.m., since I'm off this week.
It was a small studio. There was Ed Pell, the man who invited me, an engineer named Walter, another guy named Joe, three cameras, and me. The cameras were set up to focus on different parts of me: one, from about the waist up; one, a close-up of my face; and one, a close-up of my right hand. I tried to explain to Ed that guitarists would be more interested in seeing what my left hand was doing, if we had to choose, but Ed picked the right hand.
The cameras did not move, therefore, I could not move. I was instructed to look into whatever camera had a light over it. Then Walter proceeded to turn so many lights on that I could hardly tell which light was on over which camera. There was a TV monitor set up but I was told not to look at it. This turned out to be a bad idea because every time the face close-up camera was turned on me, I turned to face it and wound up moving out of its range. I couldn't really see the monitor anyway when I was facing that camera (I think that was camera 3), because it was on the other side of the studio. So, aside from that and a few awful guitar or lyric mistakes, it went pretty well. I kept thinking about how Jon Stewart asks people to "meet me at camera 3" when he wants to say something "serious."
I got a DVD of the thing right away, and then Ed took me out for a delicious bowl of soup at a nearby pizza place. All in all, it wasn't too painful, but I can't say it was painless either. I'd practiced about an hour or more per day for a few weeks for this. That was great -- definitely improved my guitar and vocal technique. I can make as many copies of the DVD as I want, but I don't think I'll make too many. I'm chalking this up as more of learning experience than a finished product. Nonetheless, a very productive learning experience.
It turned out that every time
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
New verse to Peace Pilgrim
So I'm at the weekly peace vigil at the corner of Routes 9 and 9D, and Pete is there, and it's about 1:40. Generally our practice has been that we vigil from noon to 2 p.m., then sing a couple of songs, then break down all the signs and banners and flags and so forth and leave. But it was 1:40 and Pete said, "Pat, go get your guitar!" So I did, and the first song we sang, at my request, was "My Rainbow Race." Then I think we did a couple of others, and then I did "Peace Pilgrim," which Pete always asks for. When we finished it, Pete said, "You know, you could write another verse to that song. Something like...though Peace Pilgrim ate her last meal thirty four years ago, her spirit is standing with us on this corner...something like that."
Well, I was going to play that song that very evening, February 20, at the Hudson Valley Folk Guild, so I thought I'd better make up another verse pretty quick. By the time I got home, I had it. I tweaked it a tiny bit since then, but here's the new version:
As we stand here on this corner, in sun and rain and snow,
We remember Peace Pilgrim and her words of long ago.
Though her spirit flew to freedom in 1981,
She's standing here beside us as our prayers for peace are sung.
Pete hasn't heard it yet. I'm looking forward to singing it for him, hopefully sometime soon. He told us he won't be at the peace vigil this Saturday (I guess today, that is), but maybe next week. Or maybe at the Beacon Sloop Club this Friday.
Well, I was going to play that song that very evening, February 20, at the Hudson Valley Folk Guild, so I thought I'd better make up another verse pretty quick. By the time I got home, I had it. I tweaked it a tiny bit since then, but here's the new version:
As we stand here on this corner, in sun and rain and snow,
We remember Peace Pilgrim and her words of long ago.
Though her spirit flew to freedom in 1981,
She's standing here beside us as our prayers for peace are sung.
Pete hasn't heard it yet. I'm looking forward to singing it for him, hopefully sometime soon. He told us he won't be at the peace vigil this Saturday (I guess today, that is), but maybe next week. Or maybe at the Beacon Sloop Club this Friday.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Saturday, January 16, 2010
"It Shoulda Been Pete" and "Too Big"
I just have to share what may have been the most amazing afternoon of my life. I went to the weekly peace vigil that's held in Wappingers Falls, that Pete Seeger often attends. He was there today, and asked me again to sing my song "Peace Pilgrim" (second song on my CD). I didn't bring my guitar, so he accompanied me on the banjo and joined in on the chorus, as did the dozen or so other demonstrators. I was so awed by the thought that Pete was playing and singing my song that to this minute I'm not sure I remembered to sing all the verses.
Then Caitlin O'Heaney, bless her heart, who lives in Beacon and is a good friend of Pete's, asked him if I could sing him my song about him, "It Shoulda Been Pete." I had sung this song at the last "Water Not Weapons" hootenanny at the Yippie Museum Cafe, which is where Caitlin heard it. Joel Landy's intrepid high school students recorded the entire hootenanny, which can be accessed in four parts at Joel's web site,
sing freedom
I was the first performer in part three, which you can view by going to
this site
I had been reluctant to direct anyone to Joel's video previously because I had heard from
Paul Kaplan
Here are the words to "It Shoulda Been Pete":
It Shoulda Been Pete (c)2009 Pat Lamanna
I heard the news the other day, it took me by surprise.
They said Barack Obama had won the Nobel Prize!
But, isn't this the very same man who sent more troops to Afghanistan,
And tortured prisoners in Baghram, and threatened to invade Iran?
So all that I can say is...
Chorus: It shoulda been Pete, it shoulda been Pete,
Gettin' that call from Oslo, it shoulda been Pete. (Spoken): Re-peat!
It shoulda been Pete, it shoulda been Pete…
I was so happy on that night when he won the election.
But that was just a year ago; and what has he done since then?
Please don't think me coarse or rude, but isn't this the very same dude
Who watched as Palestine got screwed, and Bush's black sites continued?
And all that I can say is...
Chorus
I'm willing to keep an open mind, someday he might deserve this.
But why not give it to a guy with 90 years of service?
Who taught the whole wide world to sing "My Rainbow Race" & "Dr. King"
And "Sailing Down My Dirty Stream"? Each time I hear that banjo ring,
All that I can say is....
Chorus
The past is past, what's done is done, there is no turning back.
But now we know what we must do: put pressure on Barack!
With letters, phone calls, emails, tweets, and demonstrations in the streets,
We'll use the lessons learned from Pete, build victory out of defeat,
So we won't have to say...
Chorus
Now, as to the first song I sang at that hootenanny, it was called "Too Big," and here are the words:
TOO BIG
© 2009 Pat Lamanna
When you whine and you cry that you’re too big to fail
When your Board of Directors is carted to jail
When you don’t make a damn thing that anyone needs
That’s when you know you’re too big to succeed.
When you write all the bills that the Congressmen pass
When you’ve got the World Bank to cover your ass
Your profits and bonuses, all guaranteed,
That’s when you know you’re too big to succeed.
Bridge: How do you know you’re too big to succeed?
When your only value is unabashed greed
And you don’t know who suffers, and you don’t care who bleeds,
That’s when you know you’re too big to succeed.
When you don’t have to worry that the markets will crash
And you think the whole world is for dumping your trash
While plains turn to desert, and icecaps recede
That’s when you know you’re too big to succeed.
Bridge
When the people wake up and they open their eyes
And they look all around and they start to arise,
And they keep right on rising till everyone’s freed,
That’s when you’ll know you’re too big to succeed. (Repeat 3 times.)
Then Caitlin O'Heaney, bless her heart, who lives in Beacon and is a good friend of Pete's, asked him if I could sing him my song about him, "It Shoulda Been Pete." I had sung this song at the last "Water Not Weapons" hootenanny at the Yippie Museum Cafe, which is where Caitlin heard it. Joel Landy's intrepid high school students recorded the entire hootenanny, which can be accessed in four parts at Joel's web site,
sing freedom
I was the first performer in part three, which you can view by going to
this site
I had been reluctant to direct anyone to Joel's video previously because I had heard from
Paul Kaplan
Here are the words to "It Shoulda Been Pete":
It Shoulda Been Pete (c)2009 Pat Lamanna
I heard the news the other day, it took me by surprise.
They said Barack Obama had won the Nobel Prize!
But, isn't this the very same man who sent more troops to Afghanistan,
And tortured prisoners in Baghram, and threatened to invade Iran?
So all that I can say is...
Chorus: It shoulda been Pete, it shoulda been Pete,
Gettin' that call from Oslo, it shoulda been Pete. (Spoken): Re-peat!
It shoulda been Pete, it shoulda been Pete…
I was so happy on that night when he won the election.
But that was just a year ago; and what has he done since then?
Please don't think me coarse or rude, but isn't this the very same dude
Who watched as Palestine got screwed, and Bush's black sites continued?
And all that I can say is...
Chorus
I'm willing to keep an open mind, someday he might deserve this.
But why not give it to a guy with 90 years of service?
Who taught the whole wide world to sing "My Rainbow Race" & "Dr. King"
And "Sailing Down My Dirty Stream"? Each time I hear that banjo ring,
All that I can say is....
Chorus
The past is past, what's done is done, there is no turning back.
But now we know what we must do: put pressure on Barack!
With letters, phone calls, emails, tweets, and demonstrations in the streets,
We'll use the lessons learned from Pete, build victory out of defeat,
So we won't have to say...
Chorus
Now, as to the first song I sang at that hootenanny, it was called "Too Big," and here are the words:
TOO BIG
© 2009 Pat Lamanna
When you whine and you cry that you’re too big to fail
When your Board of Directors is carted to jail
When you don’t make a damn thing that anyone needs
That’s when you know you’re too big to succeed.
When you write all the bills that the Congressmen pass
When you’ve got the World Bank to cover your ass
Your profits and bonuses, all guaranteed,
That’s when you know you’re too big to succeed.
Bridge: How do you know you’re too big to succeed?
When your only value is unabashed greed
And you don’t know who suffers, and you don’t care who bleeds,
That’s when you know you’re too big to succeed.
When you don’t have to worry that the markets will crash
And you think the whole world is for dumping your trash
While plains turn to desert, and icecaps recede
That’s when you know you’re too big to succeed.
Bridge
When the people wake up and they open their eyes
And they look all around and they start to arise,
And they keep right on rising till everyone’s freed,
That’s when you’ll know you’re too big to succeed. (Repeat 3 times.)
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Radio Head
Happy New Year!
On Monday, January 4, 2010 I drove out to the Pine Hill Community Center for an interview with Terry Doyle of Imprint, an Internet radio show. My show will be aired the week of January 24th. For the exact schedule, visit www.imprintradio.com.
I’d met Terry at NERFA, the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (http://nerfa.org) conference in November. I was sitting at the Peoples Music Network table; he was tabling nearby. I gave him one of my CDs. A few days after NERFA, I got an email from Terry: Pat, I like the sound and feel of your CD…I’d like to line you up for an interview for the ‘imprint’ program in the near future.” (I should mention here, I print out all the positive feedback I’ve gotten about the CD and file it in a folder marked “CD Project Feedback.” When I’m feeling down it’s great to read through it all.) It took awhile to work out a day that was good for both of us, but finally here was the day.
Driving out to Pine Hill was a joy. Pine Hill is a tiny town off of Route 28 just 10 miles past Phoenicia, the town where Camp Woodland was located. I always love to drive to the Catskills. On this day, there had been a rather serious snowfall the day before, so it lay still white and enchanting on both sides of the road. The roads themselves had been plowed and sanded with red dirt that stuck to my tires and the bottoms of my boots, when I walked through the parking lot. Along the way I stopped at Bread Alone, my favorite bakery, for a loaf of organic mixed grain.
Terry was waiting when I arrived. We spent about an hour chatting before getting down to the 18-minute interview. Terry had chosen three good songs to play and had come up with some great questions. It went smoothly, I thought, and I said most of what I had wanted to. (I did forget to plug Peoples Music Network, but that’s the only regret I have.)
I’ve been doing whatever radio I can, but I guess I’m not doing the shameless self-promotion bit as I should be. Oh well, I have a day job; this is a hobby and I can do (or not do) what I want.
On Monday, January 4, 2010 I drove out to the Pine Hill Community Center for an interview with Terry Doyle of Imprint, an Internet radio show. My show will be aired the week of January 24th. For the exact schedule, visit www.imprintradio.com.
I’d met Terry at NERFA, the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (http://nerfa.org) conference in November. I was sitting at the Peoples Music Network table; he was tabling nearby. I gave him one of my CDs. A few days after NERFA, I got an email from Terry: Pat, I like the sound and feel of your CD…I’d like to line you up for an interview for the ‘imprint’ program in the near future.” (I should mention here, I print out all the positive feedback I’ve gotten about the CD and file it in a folder marked “CD Project Feedback.” When I’m feeling down it’s great to read through it all.) It took awhile to work out a day that was good for both of us, but finally here was the day.
Driving out to Pine Hill was a joy. Pine Hill is a tiny town off of Route 28 just 10 miles past Phoenicia, the town where Camp Woodland was located. I always love to drive to the Catskills. On this day, there had been a rather serious snowfall the day before, so it lay still white and enchanting on both sides of the road. The roads themselves had been plowed and sanded with red dirt that stuck to my tires and the bottoms of my boots, when I walked through the parking lot. Along the way I stopped at Bread Alone, my favorite bakery, for a loaf of organic mixed grain.
Terry was waiting when I arrived. We spent about an hour chatting before getting down to the 18-minute interview. Terry had chosen three good songs to play and had come up with some great questions. It went smoothly, I thought, and I said most of what I had wanted to. (I did forget to plug Peoples Music Network, but that’s the only regret I have.)
I’ve been doing whatever radio I can, but I guess I’m not doing the shameless self-promotion bit as I should be. Oh well, I have a day job; this is a hobby and I can do (or not do) what I want.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Good news
Two good things happened this weekend. One, I went to the peace vigil that takes place at a major shopping intersection every Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. Sometimes Pete Seeger is there, sometimes he isn't. I go when I can, whether he's going to be there or not (I almost never know anyway). Well, this time he was there, and there was an entourage of about 10 folks with him (one wag refers to them as "Pete-ophiles -- they only show up if he's going to be there). One of my friends had recorded "Peace Pilgrim" and "Stories" just for Pete to listen to. She played "Peace Pilgrim," and by the second chorus, Pete was singing along!
At 2 p.m. our custom is to gather around a tree and sing a few peace songs before parting ways for the week. This same friend asked me to sing "Peace Pilgrim." Pete played along on the banjo, and once again sang on the chorus, and praised the song as "beautiful." I gave him the CD; he was amused that there was a quote from him on the back. At someone's request, he played "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy," which, alas, is still relevant.
Oh, and three people bought my CD, on the strength of the one song I played!
Then I got an email today. A friend had been at the Unitarian Universalist congregation in Bennington, VT and had heard Cindy Mangsen cover "Stories"! This is quite an honor to me because I think very highly of Cindy Mangsen and her husband, Steve Gillette (www.compassrosemusic.com).
So it's been a great weekend. I know there are ups and downs in this business; I'm just glad for every up.
At 2 p.m. our custom is to gather around a tree and sing a few peace songs before parting ways for the week. This same friend asked me to sing "Peace Pilgrim." Pete played along on the banjo, and once again sang on the chorus, and praised the song as "beautiful." I gave him the CD; he was amused that there was a quote from him on the back. At someone's request, he played "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy," which, alas, is still relevant.
Oh, and three people bought my CD, on the strength of the one song I played!
Then I got an email today. A friend had been at the Unitarian Universalist congregation in Bennington, VT and had heard Cindy Mangsen cover "Stories"! This is quite an honor to me because I think very highly of Cindy Mangsen and her husband, Steve Gillette (www.compassrosemusic.com).
So it's been a great weekend. I know there are ups and downs in this business; I'm just glad for every up.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
CD Release Party, and NERFA
My CD Release Party was on the afternoon of Sunday, November 1, 2009. I was extremely fortunate that many of the people who'd performed on the album were able to attend and back me up. Only the violinist and harmonica player were unable to make it. About 30 people came, some from a distance -- and gave me a standing ovation! My first one ever!
I had each of my backup performers do a song of their own. That took some of the pressure off of me and I think made it a more varied, and therefore enjoyable, concert. The other performers seemed to feel I was doing them a favor, but really it was a favor to me as well. I'm really glad I did it.
I sold about 17 CDs that day. I'm not keeping track as well as I should, I suppose. I have 1,000 of the things. I doubt I'm going to be running out. But I should keep some sort of track so I'll get an idea of when I break even. I figured out that I'd have to sell about 366 of them at $15 each to break even. But I did give someone a discount -- she wanted ten, for Pete's sake! How cool is that? Another person bought 6, and another 3. That's when I really feel like my music must be making a difference. I expected my friends to buy it for themselves, but I didn't expect them to be buying copies to give away to people who don't know me. A good feeling.
Speaking of Pete, I gave Pete Seeger one at a rally we were at together but he left it behind when he left the rally. I hope that was a mistake. I'm going to try again, though he may really not want it. I know he gets a lot of unsolicited music, but we stand together at the peace rallies many Saturdays so I thought maybe I was different. But maybe not.
I went to NERFA this year for the first time. It was daunting. I'm not ready for the level of shameless self-promotion in evidence there. I just feel blessed to have a day job that can support this habit. There's no way I could make a living off of this if I had to hustle like that. I give folks a lot of credit who do music for a living, and I do what I can to support them. There sure are a lot of great singer-songwriters out there.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. I hope you all have as much to be thankful for as I have.
I had each of my backup performers do a song of their own. That took some of the pressure off of me and I think made it a more varied, and therefore enjoyable, concert. The other performers seemed to feel I was doing them a favor, but really it was a favor to me as well. I'm really glad I did it.
I sold about 17 CDs that day. I'm not keeping track as well as I should, I suppose. I have 1,000 of the things. I doubt I'm going to be running out. But I should keep some sort of track so I'll get an idea of when I break even. I figured out that I'd have to sell about 366 of them at $15 each to break even. But I did give someone a discount -- she wanted ten, for Pete's sake! How cool is that? Another person bought 6, and another 3. That's when I really feel like my music must be making a difference. I expected my friends to buy it for themselves, but I didn't expect them to be buying copies to give away to people who don't know me. A good feeling.
Speaking of Pete, I gave Pete Seeger one at a rally we were at together but he left it behind when he left the rally. I hope that was a mistake. I'm going to try again, though he may really not want it. I know he gets a lot of unsolicited music, but we stand together at the peace rallies many Saturdays so I thought maybe I was different. But maybe not.
I went to NERFA this year for the first time. It was daunting. I'm not ready for the level of shameless self-promotion in evidence there. I just feel blessed to have a day job that can support this habit. There's no way I could make a living off of this if I had to hustle like that. I give folks a lot of credit who do music for a living, and I do what I can to support them. There sure are a lot of great singer-songwriters out there.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. I hope you all have as much to be thankful for as I have.
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