Cathy & Marcy's Blog

Cathy & Marcy’s HEARTSTRINGS program is a way for us to help you find the musical instrument of your dreams within your budget and to inspire you to give the gift of music to a child who doesn’t otherwise have the opportunity.GUITARS NOT GUNS of the National Capital Area Area is a local nonprofit whose mission is to inspire at-risk and underprivileged youth to succeed by providing them music education opportunities through the use of volunteers and partnerships in our community. They help instill in these youth the confidence and character necessary for them to grow into productive members of society and responsible adults. The program provides free guitar lessons with the belief that the art of music connects the child to higher life goals and ambition. Students are loaned a guitar to use for the beginner’s class; once they complete the class they are awarded that guitar; it is theirs to keep. Read HERE.

Our goal is to raise at least $2500 for GUITARS NOT GUNS this holiday season. By setting the example of us giving our time to you, we hope you will donate some of your $ to this wonderful program. The process is quick and simple.

First: Make a tax deductible contribution of $25 or more to Guitars Not Guns by going to their web site www.gngnca.org – and clicking on the “Donate Now” button in the upper right corner of any page. Specify the amount you want to give and in the “Dedication” section, write:“HEARTSTRINGS”.
Second: You will receive a Thank You from Guitars Not Guns that includes a request form for you to fill out.
Third: Complete the request form and e-mail it to us at info@cathymarcy.com
Fourth: You’ll hear back from us within a few days. We will suggest up to 3 instruments within your budget as well as recommendations of convenient, friendly and reasonably priced places to buy online or near you, depending on where you live.

Then: as you make more music in your life, you’ll enjoy it more knowing that you helped provide that same opportunity to a deserving kid in the metropolitan Washington D.C. area.

We will be helping people find electric & acoustic guitars, banjos of all kinds, ukuleles, mandolins, whistles and folk flutes, dulcimers and more.

We teach Marcy’s song, “SHARING” in sign language. The sign for “sharing” shows that you give some away and you take some for yourself. Click on song to LISTEN.
The song is from the CD, “CHANGING CHANNELS“.
SHARING

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD. The program will run from November 1- December 20, 2009

KIDS/TEACHERS/FAMILIES

Sept. 1- Sept. 30 with COOL PRIZES

We’ve gotten so much fun response to the song and video “JUBILATION” from the BANJO TO BEATBOX CD. The first time we performed it, for a 5th grade class, the teacher said, “Wow, we could use that song as a lesson plan on rhyming and vocabulary.” A week later, we got 3 pages of new verses to the song from that class.

That gave us the idea to invite everyone in on the fun. We’ll read every submission and choose some of the best for publication in the blog. We will even record some of the best for folks to hear in the blog and on the website.

We encourage kids, families and even teachers to have as much fun with this as possible!

Read the original lyrics here

Watch the JUBILATION MUSIC VIDEO below

PRIZES: Top 5 will receive FREE CD of their choice from www.cathymarcy.com AND Cathy & Marcy SongShop Washboard.

Here’s how to join the JUBILATION LYRICS CONTEST:

1)Write a new verse to JUBILATION and email it to: info@cathymarcy.com

PLEASE INCLUDE

Name of entrant

Age of entrant

Your new verse

2) YOU MUST INCLUDE AND AGREE TO THIS IN YOUR SUBMISSION:

I understand that by submitting my verse to the song JUBILATION, Community Music, Inc. has the right to print, record or otherwise use and distribute my verse. It becomes the property of Community Music, Inc. Though Community Music, Inc. will attempt to credit  and thank each entrant if their material is used, there are times that this may not be possible. Community Music, Inc. has permission to use my submission regardless of credit.

____ AGREED    Name___________________________________

_____Parent/Guardian Agrees for entrants under 21

Name of Parent/Guardian__________________________________

Email:_______________________________________________

That’s it-let the word fun begin.

And, you can also have fun with the JUBILATION WORD SEARCH HERE

It is hard to say goodbye to a friend. In our lives Mike began as a musical icon and hero, a master musician whose recordings we listened to over and over. We studied, emulated, learned songs and instrumental techniques. We followed the path of the traditional musicians he recorded and toured with. We listened to and learned from them. That was Mike’s mission, to keep the old music alive and to enjoy it’s continued breadth and breath.

In the past ten or so years, our casual friendship through folk festivals and jam sessions became a deeper one. Longer visits, longer talks, more music. Mike introduced Marcy to the cello banjo of the 1910′s and it was a life-changer. He enjoyed hearing her take the old instrument to new places that honor tradition and stretch it as far as it will go. He gave credibility to our Old Time Banjo Festival with brilliant performances, all the while, listening to and appreciating every note and song played by the other musicians.

Mike passed peacefully on August 7 after living with lymphoma for 8 years. He had time to say beautiful goodbyes to family and friends and he used it well. His influence in traditional and popular music is immeasurable from artists such as Bob Dylan to Ry Cooder to the Grateful Dead. We can’t even name the thousands of old time musicians and stringbands that are in his debt, crediting much of  their musical passion to him.  Mike was humble-a regular guy, and an incredible tree with branches of “True Vine” as he titled one of his recordings.

Mike wants us all to carry on-keep real music alive, let it grow and let it enrich our lives. And so we will. To Mike we say thank you and goodbye. To you, we recommend some wonderful listening.

Especially For Kids and Families:
AMERICAN FOLKSONGS FOR CHILDREN- Mike & Peggy Seeger, 3 CD set of delightful songs compiled in book of same name by their mother, Ruth Crawford Seeger
ANIMAL FOLKSONGS FOR CHILDREN- All 4 siblings- Mike, Peggy, Penny & Barbara

For Old Time Music Lovers
SOUTHERN BANJO SOUNDS – an amazing solo CD of diverse old time banjo music
EARLY SOUTHERN GUITAR SOUNDS – an amazing CD of diverse old time guitar music
And, if you have a good sense of humor, have a listen to RETROGRASS with Mike, David Grisman and John Hartford.

A full discography is available at www.mikeseeger.info
A wonderful tribute can be heard by Mike’s friend, Paul Brown, on NPR at: http://ow.ly/jrA0

Mike performs DARLIN COREY ON YOUTUBE: http://ow.ly/jtHu

There’s tons more reading and listening you can do with a simple google search.