Keepin' It Minor Key

 

I didn't go to the Killer Building today. My boss had made it sound like she wanted me to go every week, but then she didn't bring it up again this week, and I wasn't about to. They have removed the deadly falling concrete slabs from the third and fourth floors, but not from the nineteenth floor. As my coworker said, "Now we don't have to worry about them falling from twenty feet above, just from one hundred feet above." We can't figure out why those slabs aren't considered a problem...

The only thing about not going onto campus was that I had to drive to band practice instead of walking there, which was a lot less relaxing. The main drag I have to use to get there is under construction and down to one lane, and now there is a lot more traffic. It's practically back to regular rush hour. Last week the signs said the right lane was closed ahead, but in fact it was the left lane. At least they had the signage correct today... But once I'm at band practice, it's so wonderful to be outside, except when Hardingfele is telling me in the middle of a song that there's a bee on me. (Fortunately it just flew away without stinging me.) I had agitated last week for adding a cumbia called "Elizabeta" and some klezmer songs back into our set list, since the audience likes them. I think that, because I have the most unusual instrument (and maybe the friendliest demeanor...?), people come talk to me after gigs, and so I hear which songs they like. We do one klezmer song called "Shah, der Rebbe Tanz," or something close to that, which I understand is Yiddish for "Shut up, the rabbi's dancing," and it starts slowly and gets faster and faster. People LOVE that one! Okay, so I'll admit that the cumbia and the klezmer pieces are minor key so I prefer them. It's a weird thing I've noticed that the minor-key songs seem to creep out of our set lists until I say something, and then they get put back in for a while, until they disappear again. Am I the only one in the band who likes minor-key music?? But the audience must too, because when people say which songs they like, it's the minor-key Irish jigs, and the klezmer, and the Finnish waltz "Metsakukkia." It's never the relentlessly major-key Norwegian waltzes. And they REALLY like "Ashoken Farewell," which is modal. I like modal music too. I'll just have to keep fighting for those songs to stay in our set lists. 

By the way, our band is playing for Make Music Madison on June 21st, which is a Monday. I think it's at some awkward time like 5:00, before people are home from work, and we're just playing in the driveway of my bandmate's house, where we always practice, but if anyone is interested, I can get you more details like the exact time and the address.

Famous Hat