Stuck In My Head

Over the summer I found a cassette at my dad's house. It's front-to-back live music recordings of my great-uncle and three other family members (who I believe are another great-uncle, great-aunt, and first cousin). A few tracks were recorded at one of their homes (in Laramie, Wyoming), and all but one of the rest were of a performance in Woods Landing, WY. Not sure about when, though I'm guessing in the 80s or 90s. All but two of the songs are covers of classic country western songs (some going back to the 30s and 40s).

I'm not a big fan of country music but there is something cozy and familiar about the classic era of the genre. My great-uncle was a 100% genuine cowboy/farmhand and, though I may have only met him once, he and the rest of my family up there lived the image and lifestyle to the letter. I loved going up there to visit with my dad, who thoroughly loved it (he was raised there for a few years and attended Laramie University).

Recordings like this are rare, especially in my family where --despite the large number of musicians we can claim-- it's been all too common a tragedy for them to be accidentally erased or otherwise destroyed. I remember one visit when I got to experience my great-grandpa, great-grand-uncle, and great-uncle perform their favorite songs in great-grandpa's living room, just as they often did. Guitar, fiddle, accordion, and character-oozing vocals. Music just doesn't get any more real than that! I think my dad recorded that performance only to have it accidentally taped over (possibly by me) years later.

So, when I found this tape, I knew it was my duty to preserve it. It felt as though I had been handed one of, if not the last surviving copies of some sacred text. This weekend I recorded it to hard drive and will next begin trying to revitalize the music (noise-reduction, equalization, etc.). Following that, I'd like to package it up in a true CD album format, complete with a quality cover, liner notes, etc., and then make copies for the family.

I've only listened to these songs once through, and I've listened to a bunch of other music since. But for the last couple days I've awaken with them in my head, where they seem to remain on endless loop throughout the day. And I'm already noticing the signs of how it may likely affect my own music. It's reminded me of how simple, straight-forward, and genuine music can (and maybe should) be to be effective --and that it's not even about being effective at all, but just about telling a story.