Wind Gap, PA - August 2, 2013

Wow! We had a great time playing at the beautiful Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Great River, NY, this afternoon. What a great venue and super audience. Although the on and off rain forced us into the carriage house barn, it didn't dampen anyone's spirits .

The Homegrown String Band featuring the Amazing Annalee. -  Photo by Mark Shanholtz

On Friday, August 2nd, we will be appearing at the Appalachian Fiddle and Bluegrass Association festival in Wind Gap PA. Friday looks to be a very oldtimey friendly day at this, mostly bluegrass, festival. We (The Homegrown String Band) will be performing along with PA oldtimers The Lost Ramblers, cowgirl yodeler Texas Rose, and legendary old time string band The Freight Hoppers. For bluegrassers, over the course of the four day festival, you will hear James Reams, Dan Paisley, Special Consensus, and Nothin' Fancy among others. This festival takes place at beautiful Mountainview Park in Wind Gap, PA, Thursday through Sunday, August 1-4. Come for a day or the whole weekend of banjos, fiddles, string bands, bluegrass, and good times! We will be doing two sets on Friday at 11:30 AM and 9:25 PM. We will also be facilitating fiddle and dance workshops on Saturday, August 3rd.

Glocester, Rhode Island

On Wednesday July, 24, 2011 The Homegrown String Band will be crossing the pond they call a sound to do a show on the peninsula they call an island. The show is part of the Town of Glocester summer concert series held on the beautiful grounds of Chepachet Union Church across from the Glocester Town Hall. The concert begins at 6:30 PM and lasts for 90 minutes. Bring a blanket or a lawn chair and come relax for a while! 

Glocester Town Hall

1145 Putnam Pike

Chepachet, RI  02814-0702

401.568.6206

HGSB @ Franklin Township Library

On Wednesday July 17, 2013 The Homegrown String Band will be performing at the Franklin Township Library in Somerset, NJ. The show starts at 7:00 pm. Take advantage of this great opportunity, provided by the good folks at the Franklin Township Public Library, for friends and family to enjoy a FREE midweek concert featuring some high energy acoustic American music and dance performed by a traditional family band.

Franklin Township Library

485 DeMott Lane

Somerset, NJ

Niobe, Leto, Tantalus, Columbium, Tantalum, & Niobium

I've been doing a lot of work in my metal shop lately. I got curious about an interesting metal called niobium. It's a silky smooth, ductile, hypoallergenic, super conductor available in a variety of colors. So here's a brief history of niobium, it's unique characteristics, and the myth of Niobe.

Copper Earrings with Niobium Earwires

In 1801 English chemist Charles Hatchett discovered a new element, which he named columbium. Then in 1846, a German chemist identified what he thought was a new element and called it niobium. In the 1860s, it was determined that columbium and niobium were actually the same element; the names were used interchangeably until 1949 when niobium (Nb) was declared the official name for element #41. The name, niobium, was chosen due to the element's chemical similarity to tantalum (Ta). More about that later. Current world supplies of niobium come from two mines located in Canada and Brazil. Niobium is a physiologically inert element, its hypoallergenic properties make it ideal for jewelry, as well as for use in implanted medical devices. Niobium is naturally gray but can be colored by an anodization process. No dyes or coloring are used in this electrical process. Different colors are attained by varying the voltage, which effects the thicknesses of the oxidized coating, which in turn affects the wave length of the light reflected off the surface of the metal.

This unique material gets its name from Niobe, daughter of Tantalus. Dad was the mythical Greek king of the city of Sipylus and source of the scientific name for the element tantalum. Niobe suffered the wrath of the Titans for the crime of hubris. Apparently she made the mistake of boasting to Leto, the mistress of Zeus, that she had given birth to seven times as many children as the Titan had. Leto sent her two children, the twins Artemis and Apollo, to punish Niobe by killing her fourteen children. Niobe's husband, Amphion, was also murdered by Apollo when he swore to avenge the deaths of his children. Niobe herself was turned to stone, but that didn't stop her petrified eyes from continuing to weep tears of grief. Today, water seeps from the porous stone that forms "The Weeping Rock" in Turkey. This rock formation is said to be the petrified form of Niobe. Niobe's father, Tantalus, also evoked ire from the gods. He had been invited to share the food of the gods, but broke the rules when he shared ambrosia, the nectar of the gods, with other mortals. Tanatlus' perceived disrespect was punished with unending hunger and thirst. The king was placed in a body of water that drained away when he tried to drink and the fruit that hung from the trees above him was blown just out of reach when he tried to grasp it. Tantalus' name is the source of the verb to tantalize. Moral of the story . . . don't mess with the Titans!

Edwards Farm Day 2013

On June 2, 2013 the annual “Afternoon on the Edwards Farm” will once again be taking place complete with baby animals, ice cream making, quilting, weaving, and. . . 

The Homegrown String Band!

Photo by Charlie Bevington

1- 4pm at The Sayville Historical Society's Edwards Farm

39 Edwards Street, Sayville, NY

Call 631-563-0186 or E-mail sayvillehistorical@gmail.com for information.

The Homegrown String Band Friday Night at St Paul's

This Friday night, May 17, 2013, at 7:30 pm, The Homegrown String Band will be featured as part of the Friday Night at St. Paul's Concert Series in Exton, PA. We played there last spring and a good time was had by all. We are surely looking forward to returning to see old friends and hopefully make some new ones too. Exton is about 30 miles outside of Philadelphia, if you're in the area stop in and lend us your ears.

Bob Brozman 1954 - 2013

Photo by Franz Pisa

Last week I was saddened by the news that Bob Brozman had passed away at the, relatively, young age of 59. The sadness was deepened when I learned that he had taken his own life. What a terrible loss for the traditional acoustic music community. Bob was an author, teacher, musicologist, and instrument designer, as well as a virtuoso musician. Beginning his career as a busker, performing on the streets of Santa Cruz, California, Bob would eventually record about thirty albums, several instructional videos, and travel around the world entertaining audiences with his unique interpretations of jazz, blues, and Hawaiian music.

A couple months ago I purchased Bob's Ukulele Toolbox DVD for Georgianne. I posted the following review on Amazon.com and on a forum for ukulele enthusiasts.

"The other night I sat down and watched Bob Brozman's Ukulele Toolbox Volume one. Bob is a great player and a great teacher. On this video he teaches you how to play the ukulele; not how to play songs on the ukulele. There is a lot of information presented here, some for the complete beginner, but mostly the lessons seem to be aimed more towards people who have some musical background but may be new to the uke. He starts out with some right hand techniques that are applicable to players of any level. He then moves on to chord positions, progressions, and turn arounds in several keys. Bob does a good job explaining but, given the limited time, he goes over things pretty quickly. I think a person with some basic knowledge of chord structure and chord progressions (things like, I - IV - V, or I -VI - II - V- I,  etc.) could get a lot out of this video. Basically you get couple lessons with a master musician for only 20 bucks, too bad you can't stop him to ask questions or pick his brain, but I think if you watch it and take what you can, you'll get your money's worth and more."

The talents, wit, and wisdom of Mr. Brozman will be missed.