The Story behind my "Harmony Necklace"
post 31 - lessons learned singing with Pete Seeger and other folk singers
Over the years, on four separate occasions, I have been gifted necklaces that I wear every time I perform, write or work on my theatrical concert. People ask, “Is there a story behind those necklaces?” There is. Actually, there are four stories. The story of my “Harmony Necklace” is fitting to interject between parts of my interview with Jon Stotian.
The moment I was gifted the Necklace, I adopted it as an “as-if-amulet.” It’s not really an amulet. It has no magical power. But I act as if it does, and I treat it and what it represents as if they were sacred.
The Back Story
In 2004, the second time I played the Beacon Sloop Club Pumpkin Festival, I was invited to participate in the “finale” – when all the festival performers gather to sing the closing set of songs. {Pete Seeger was notably absent, but I soon found out why.}
When we took the stage, the sky was raining, most of the audience had already left for dryer climes and I felt like a fish out of water. I knew only a handful of lines to the entire list of songs. What was I to do?
My friend Danny told me, “Stand in the back, watch, and listen. If you catch on, sing along, but sing quietly until you are confident you know the words. Let the folks who have been doing this for years lead the way. You’ll eventually be up there with them.”
Sure enough, within a few years I was leading some of the perennial songs, and even some of my own. I once led folks to sing the “lost verses” to Turn, Turn, Turn – written by Pete’s wife Toshi. Eventually, I was tapped to lead entire finales. And, gee whiz, did I learned a lot doing so!
The Power of Group Singing
I learned that when a group of people all sing the same words, when we’re all on the “same page,” so to speak, we create a powerful unity that grows exponentially with each voice that joins us. I imagine a thousand Civil Rights marchers singing “We Shall Overcome” as they march to the courthouse to register to vote. I see us, like them, creating a group effort to achieve a common goal.
I learned that WITHIN the group effort, each singer can make a unique contribution. Some will add more by singing lower. Others, by singing higher.
Adding and Subtracting
I learned that different notes react with each other in different ways. Some notes when paired together create a rich harmony evoking peace, strength, or wonder. Others create dissonance or tension. Sometimes tension can be refreshing, causing anticipation. But some notes are so dissonant they cause disharmony and unease.
I witnessed experienced singers lean into the mic to sing compelling harmonies and then melt back into the mix when the line ended. I saw other singers hog the mic, crowding out others and singing too loudly. Whether they knew it not, people on stage, backstage, and in the audience took notice of both groups.
Field Hollering
When I started singing with large groups, I sang quietly until I was confident I added to the mix. At home, I listened to various recordings of the songs we sang and found a role nobody else was filling. It’s call “field hollering.”
Imagine you’re working in a field. People are spread out. There may be a breeze or a stiff wind. There may be birds humming, bees buzzing, frogs croaking, or geese quacking. To be heard far away, you need to sing pretty loud, kind of plaintively, and in a high pitch that carries above the din.
If you do this properly on stage with a group, you can really add a lot to the song. But beware! You need to stand far enough from the mic that you blend in and not drawn anybody out. So, I stood way in back of the group and field hollered.
Called Up
One day, while I was field hollering way in the back, Pete turned from the front of the stage, walked back to where I stood, and told me to move forward and sing into the mic. So, I quickly found a way to field holler at a lower volume. After this, Pete started asking me more and more often to sing with him. By 2006, we were playing as a duo several times a year.
The learning accelerated playing with Pete. I learned firsthand – from ten feet away – how to invite audiences to sing with us. Pete wrote me postcards listing some of the techniques he used to encourage people to participate and he coached me in using them at our performances.
The power - the magic – the thrill of standing beside Pete as he conducted 500 or 1000 people - singing along in a way that added – built – created harmony – is truly beyond any description I can offer.
It makes me wonder what small groups, whole societies, or the entire human race can achieve if we learn to get on the same page with each other and contribute our unique talents to a common cause. If we can’t agree of politics, perhaps we could agree on civility.
Imagine Harmony
I find people in America, if not throughout the world, have way more in common than we have differences. Somehow we are bamboozled into believing it is noble to be emotionally attached to our viewpoints and to refuse to compromise even when it hurts others.
But imagine we gave ourselves to a higher cause. Imagine we valued harmony above vanity and greed. Imagine we listened more to those around us and found better ways our voices can add to the group effort – to build things up instead of tear them down – to fix systems that need fixing instead of cursing them, creating dissatisfaction, disharmony and dissonance.
When I hang my “Harmony Necklace” around my neck, I take a deep breath and silently affirm these aspirations. I’ve told the story behind my “Kentucky Coffee Bean Necklace.” Now you know the story behing my “Harmony Necklace.” There’s more to come. Until then, …
Keep the Flame Alive!
I resonate with your Harmony Necklace - a talisman for your intention. Thank you. Thank you. I found you through your Far-West post. You add value to our collective story.
Love this💗