Various folks ask...
Q: would you please come out and play in:
Santa Cruz
Charlotte NC
Carrboro NC
Willamette Valley
Oklahoma
Montana
New Zealand
Vermont
Ouray, Co
Bisbee, AZ
Minneapolis, Minnesota
East TN
Bellingham WA
Vancouver BC
Burlington VT
My Wedding
A. Okay. Well I appreciate your asking about all these places. Rest
assured there's been a flight or a car ride that carried me past or
through these places in the recent past, on the way to another date.
Well maybe not New Zealand.
Roughly speaking, here's what is needed in order to do a show of the
type that I put on:
A venue, promoter, sound system and engineer, a door person, security,
accommodations, plane ticket, ground transportation, and food, and the
performer's fee. (If you are wondering what the performer's fee would
be, figger two days travel day of show and one day of prep, so four
days. Multiply by four what you get paid in a day of work and that's
prolly pretty close.)
The way my current business model operates, ofttimes fans will put
together shows in the places they live. As an example earlier in the
year word was put out on my site that I was going to be up in the
North East, and a particular fellow emailed me and said, "hey my
family owns a theater in (a particular town) and we are fans, i know a
guy at the radio station and there's a B and B here that we can work
out a deal with, won't you come and play?" So we put together a
Win/Win deal and had a great concert. More and more this is the way
quite a number of my concerts are arranged. Pretty much that whole
tour was arranged in that fashion and it was very cool.
As far as playing your wedding, again, I very much appreciate your
asking, that's a sacred event and it's really nice that you would
think of my work in that regard. However, my music is not really good
for weddings. As an example, if you hired an abstract photographer
for the event, someone is going to not be very happy. Maybe part of
the wedding party would think that is a really cool thing but someone
is going to be very upset. Someone somewhere is going to be unhappy
that there wasn't a photographer that behaved like every other
photographer in other weddings. There are so many good musicians that
are really a great hand at playing weddings. I'm not really one of
those cats.
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Ben asks:
Q: What are the lyrics to Corn Kingdom Come?
Why aren't the lyrics on your site like so many other artists?
I hear you have a banjo training tape out there where can i get one?
A: The poetry isn't up there because it's good for the listener to work
that out themselves. When I was young and learning music, lyrics had
to be deciphered off of LPs. The old folk and blues records
frequently had zero notes. Usually in learning a song, there would be
a place where the lyrics would get cryptic and it was hard to
understand what was being said. Rather than see this as an annoyance,
it struck me that this is where a gap is created so that something can
happen. If you fill up something with linear data, there is no room
for something cool to happen.
As far as the website and what other artists do, personally if I'm on
an artist's website, I would probably not look at the lyrics, so
studying my own behavior influences how I prefer things to be done.
If a person takes a transcription class from a local community
college or something, one of the concepts is to listen to the piece a
zillion times before beginning to write things down. This may help.
In regard to a method book, I don't have one. My current methodology
has me taking lessons rather than giving them really. I started
giving lessons and working on teaching when i was in my teens, and
taught until thirty eight years of age. Now I've gone back to taking
lessons and trying to learn more about music myself. There are so
many good books out there now. When I started thirty five years ago,
the literature was hard to come by, now there's more stuff than a
person could look at in a lifetime.
Again, the world is better served by my musical ideas about Art so
off I go with that. Rather than writing about it. I am flattered that
you care enough to want to know what is going on.
If you get stuck on a lyric, just ask and I'll be happy to email them to you.
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Tony asks:
Q: Hey Danny, Want to see my new Allen Hart Boucher Style Minstrel Banjer?
A: Tony, yes I would like to see that, I'll ride my motorcycle over
there and we can drink coffee and pick. Howzat?
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Mark asks:
Q: Will it be ok to record your show?
A: Record away, have fun. Don't hassle the venue or sound guy please.
Also please offer the recording on my yahoo trading group s'il vous
plais.
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Dan asks:
Q: have you ever thought of teaching at the california Bluegrass
Association's Grass Valley Music camp?
A: No sir, because I had no idea of its existence. If you know someone
there, and want me to come down, have them get in touch with me and
perhaps we can work that out. Banjo camps are fun to do.
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Steve asks:
Q: Hello Danny, what are some of your favorite things about living in
Washington? Least favorite? How about sharing a favorite festival
memory or two as well. I loved your old box scores from tours past,
any plans to revive them?
A: I like the musicians in the Seattle area. A couple of heros of mine
live there and it's very important for my development to be able to
hang around them and work with them and study. I like the ocean, the
fact that you don't need air conditioning and that it doesn't get that
cold, the scenery, the outdoor stuff, my wife is happy here, you kind
of have to dig around but there's some really interesting people, the
left of the dial radio is good, i like boats (i've been watching an
old tug get refurbished and will go down and watch the launch
tomorrow), the food is good, it's a very inspiring place artistically.
The ground assault touring model is a little harder, though mostly I
fly everywhere anyway. If you route a tour from Seattle to San
Francisco, then what do you do? Jump on a plane and go somewhere else.
I miss the fact that, East of the Rockies, you have major cities
every few hours of highway driving and you can route trips that make
sense, though I guess I don't really miss living in a van.
Least fave, I miss my A Number One Soul Brothers, Southern
Hospitality, streets that are logically laid out, mexican food and
music. Sometimes folks in the Northern part of the country speak
disparagingly of the South and Texas. They tend to think that if you
have a Southern accent then you are stupid.
Festival memories are pretty much jamming with my friends and heros.
That's what makes going to those things so fun. YMSB, Larry Keel, Tony
Trishka, Bela Fleck, Pete Wernick, Bill Keith, Sam Bush, and on and
on. Sometimes I get inspired to learn more about the banjo and/or
music in general which is an added benefit.
The box scores were fun and I received lots of positive comments.
But I'm better off making records than writing. That stuff takes a
lot of work gathering the info and editing. Robbie Fulks has the best
stuff on his site of this type. Check that out. He's really good at
that.
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Russ asks:
Q: hey Brother Barnes! my question is, what is the chord you wrote on my
guitar case at winfield?
A: Heck I don't remember, probably some kind of altered dominant.
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Brandon asks:
Q: Love your music, your banjo playing is very technical and sounds
difficult play.
How many fingers do you have?
A: Well just ten. I wish my music was indeed technical and difficult to
play. I have frustration sometimes that my music isn't as good as what
is playing in my head. Some of my friends and heros play and write
music that is very technical and difficult to play. I'm just a
dreamer.
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Cecil asks:
Q: I've noticed you are endorsing the BishLine banjo. I believe you play
the Cardinal model. I'm looking at BishLine myself and was wondering
if you could offer some feedback on your experience. I'm impressed
with the level of detail Rob puts into his banjos. I'm going to get a
chance to check one out later this month.
A: Rob is a great guy, and he's a great builder. I love his banjos and
find him to be easy to work with and smart. A workable intellect. He
really wants to do good work and wants you to be happy. He has a
positive spirit (which kind of says it all right there.) He makes
great banjos and he's very good after the fact.
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Paul asked if i was selling a particular banjo:
A: No, I reckon to hang on that that one. Thank you for asking.
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JG asks:
Q: Do you have time to play any disc golf on the road?
A: Not really. Mostly there's too much moving around for that.
Sometimes under the right conditions, there is some disc golfage.
Mainly travel, music and reading, in that order.
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Stu asks:
Q: Any plans on setting up a music page on myspace?
A: No. That's a cool deal and everything and I can understand the
allure and all that. In my own case, there's plenty to do, I don't
need more stuff to do. I like being able to control the parameters of
a site. Also if everyone is doing something, I'm more likely to go
and do something else. Even if it's a smart thing to do.
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John asks:
Q: Just curious what equipment you use to make your music loops. Also
curious who (if anyone) are some of your punk/hardcore influences.
A: The main idea if you are working that technique, is to practice a
whole bunch with whatever you have.
You have to learn what your own box does, exactly what all the knobs
do. If you switch around too much, it's hard to really get the feel
for one particular box.
For influences, I'd say Richard Hell. James Chance. The Vibrators.
The Clash. Suicide.
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5Track asks:
Q: Will you be playing any shows with Lightfoot and Stone in the Seattle
area in the formidable future?
Well, we'd like to play, we all stay pretty busy with other stuff,
but we'd like to.
No plans as of yet, but keep an eye on the site, because we prolly will.
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A person named Chris offered me a free hour of studio time in a state
two time zones away:
A: That's nice but ...........I don't think there's any way for me to
take advantage of this. Thank you though.
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Peigi asks:
Q: I'm thinking about packing up the Airline-Stompable Guitar and coming
to the Old Settlers Music Festival next month. Do you think you and
the Shorter Section of 13 Linear Feet will be giving any workshops
there? That would make it a definite "oh yeah!" for me. Or do you
kind of decide that once you get there, see what the weather's like
and how good the barbecue is?
A: Robbie and I haven't done any workshops too much. Also we are both
vegetarians so the BBQ thing wouldn't be in the realm of concern. I
do like your idea of an airline stompable guitar! We had fun at the
festival you mentioned and picked and sang and laffed.
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Julie asks:
Q:
Do you ever teach workshops or master classes in the banjo?
A:
At banjo camps and at festivals. So I guess you gotta be there to do
that. It's a fun thing to do. It's great to jam and play with old
friends. That's a great way to learn. Myself definitely included.
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Eric asks:
Q: What kind of picks do you use, when you three pick?
A:
I try to not get locked into using an esoteric set up, because you
never know when you are going to be in some place that doesn't have
very many music stores and you need picks. I use common stuff. Pro
Picks for the fangers and Golden Gate for the thumb but I can "almost"
use anything.
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Kristeen asks:
Q: Whom do I speak with about a possible booking?
A: You just speak to me. (This gig turned out great by the way.)
- - - - - - - - -
Jeff asks about Barnyard Electronics:
1) What are the bass sounds I'm hearing? I recognize the tuba on Moe
Hawk and another one, but what about the other tunes?
2)What type of looper/other electronics are you using?
3)Are all/most of the parts recorded/looped "live" or did you do a lot
of overdubs?
4)when recording your banjo through a looper are you using a pickup or a mic?
5) On Harbor of Nade, what is the instrument doubling the banjo in
the second part? It sounds like a harmonica or melodica?
A: 1. the bass sounds tend to be pitch shifted banjo, or samples of
banjo altered in some way.
2. I use different boxes, but the main thing is to practice for hours
on what you have.
3. most of Barnyard Electronics is live loops in my home studio.
4. pickup or mike depending on what the music calls for.
5. good ear, melodica.
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Alex asks:
Q: "The Things I Done Wrong" is fantastic tune that I'd love to learn
how to play. I was wondering what tuning you use to play it in F.
A: On the CD the banjo was tuned down a whole tone, but live that's a
hassle so it's played out of standard G tuning in F position.
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David asks:
Q: a). Any plans to offer your T shirt in Medium size?
b). Who are some of your favorite mandolin players?
A: No, they just come in XL. I suggest you have a milkshake and cheeseburger!
As far as mando Hershel Sizemore, Yank Rachell, Tim O'Brien, and John
Paul Jones. Who was that Monroe guy? he was pretty good too!
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Bryant asks:
Q: Barnes, often you are compared to John Hartford. I know you enjoy the
loud rock, you know Slayer, Queens of the Stone Age etc. Do you know
if Mr. Hartford enjoyed the loud rock?
A: One time when we went for a ride in his van, he had a cassette of the
Butthole Surfers, and knew the lyrics and seemed very familiar with
them.
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Tony asks:
Q: Are you still teaching?
A: Well just at camps and at workshops, I'm taking lessons more these days.
- - - - - - - - -
Phil asks:
Q: If I was to plan a unicycle, frisbee golf, fixed gear bike triathlon
in Kelowna B.C. would you come up for said event? (and maybe play a
gig?)
A: I don't see how that could be resisted!
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Isaac asks:
Q: is it true that hot water freezes faster than cold water?
A: Well I'm not sure about that, the semantics of the sentence are
tricky. Once the hot water cools off it's not hot water anymore. I
don't think hot water would ever freeze. It's more likely to boil.
If you put hot water in the ice box, it cools off on it's way to
freezing and isn't hot anymore.
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Bob asks:
Q: I have some criticisms of your show and would like to give them to you.
A: I don't really work that way. There's no way for you to judge how
I'm doing because I'm playing music that is in my head. You don't
have access to that so you don't have any way of knowing how well I'm
doing. You just have to take my word for it. If you listen, that's
what I'm hearing, I'm pretty much nailing it, and when I don't, I'm
the first to know. It would probably be best, if you have an idea of
some sort after watching my show, that you should throw your own gig
in celebration of or in protest of what you saw me do. I think that's
how things work. The talking and the haggling after the fact...it
doesn't really go anywhere for either one of us.
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Kurt asks:
Q: I heard your set at Pickathon today and you played a song w/ lyrics
about "titties in root beer". Loved it. What's the name of the song
and what album is it on?
A: That's called Good As I Been to You. It's from Things I Done Wrong.
It's available on my site and on iTunes. You can download the song for
one buck there. Or you can find oodles of free downloads of it on the
various sites that offer my live shows.
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Bill asks:
Q: why isn't there more guitar on Barnyard Electronics?
A: The music as written, called for what it called for, and that's that.
The blueprint didn't call for more than it called for.
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Mike asks:
Q: have you ever heard of pandora?
A: I have played around on there, but it didn't really speak to me as a
way of generating new ideas. Traditional research has proven more
fruitful in my experience. Software has a hard time "thinking." The
analytical parameters don't take into consideration the
inter-textuality of the human Spirit. Ergo the result is in the
ballpark but not correct.
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Pamela asks:
Q: my husband plays music and gets depressed that it's hard for him to
make any money at it. what do you think of this?
A: Well, I think if someone is into music, they should pursue it and get
into it. If a person gets freaked out (in a good way) about Art and
wants to do that, they should work on it as much as possible. The
idea of bringing good Art into the world is a noble endeavor. The
Noblest of Endeavors. Also, it would be good to get your work out in
front of as many people as you can, if you really feel like you are
bringing some Artistic Light into the material plane. It's not
productive to sweat the cash. Reading biographies of those that have
come before can be of tremendous help. Never feel bad about something
that doesn't happen or a gig you don't get. Stay on your side of the
street. Work on Art to bring something really good, beautiful,
interesting, or necessary into existence. If you get too screwed up
about the economic recompense, it will mess up your creative impulse.
Live within your means. Money and Art are two different subjects.
Moving somewhere else isn't necessarily going to help. It just
changes the factors around. Probably the best thing to do is create a
body of work that is really great. That's a good goal. Do that and
worry about what happens after that when the time comes. If you have a
great portfolio, you've already won.
It would be a good idea to get beyond the duality, philosophically,
of Art/ job. There's lot's of things people all over the place
geographically and chronologically have done to keep beans on the
table while they work on their Art. Maybe a person needs a side job
maybe not. Either way be happy with what you have. More than likely
a person will go in and out of needing a side job. So get used to it.
It's not that big a deal. Best to do something fun, or interesting
or somesuch.
The whole Day Job/Art duality by it's very nature is un-solvable. If
you keep your expenses down you have lots of flexibility.
It might also be a good idea to figger out what your ultimate purpose
is in life. It seems like once you solve that, you can just get to
work and quit grumbling. Human beings can get very confused and
frustrated until that issue is solved, I believe. Once you learn that
about yourself, even if you aren't doing that, you can say to
yourself, "I am now not doing my Ultimate Purpose, so that I can take
a break, make some space, and then get back to it."
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Madge asks:
Q: what is your favorite type of venue to play?
A: Good question. My personal favorite place to work is an 80-120 seat
room with an educated clientele. That's what I enjoy the most. That
way you can just get busy making Art and you don't have to explain the
references. You can control the parameters and make something happen.
I'm assuming you meant when working with my own music. As a side
person, the venue doesn't make much difference really. If the band is
good, the leader is good, the music is good, and the crew is good and
everybody is nice, whatever is okay with me. I'm there to make
someone else sound good and if they are happy, I'm happy. But for my
own groove, I like a small club that typically has interesting music
in it.
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