A Modern Family Vaudeville Show

We are still basking in the glow of yesterday’s big event – an evening spent with talented friends, making music together in celebration of my two-year anniversary of blogging.  Yes, My Musical Family is two years old, and what better way to acknowledge the milestone than with a recital, right in our very own living room!

G. Oliver Riggs makes his appearance, aided by his great-great grandson Elias.

The Boxrud/Bratland and Mibus families were kind enough to take me up on the invitation and participate in the event, which included solos, some group pieces, poetry recitations and a demonstration speech on how to make a clothespin catapult that flings pennies (thanks Ryan!).

Here’s a video of my introduction to the event, followed by the first performer, Elias, on piano.

This Norwegian schottische by Amy, Doug, Synneva and Halvor added some international flair to the evening:

As did the Steve and Sebastian duet, “Back in the USSR.”

 

When we weren’t performing or listening, we were eating – the menu included two kinds of chili (beef and vegetarian), salad with roasted pears, and soda bread.  For dessert, we had ice cream sundaes and French macarons.

My friend Myrna made the macarons; she’s become quite the macaron maven over the last several months (she also plays the mandolin, which makes me think there’s a children’s book amid all the alliteration).  Here’s a link to one of her recent blog posts, Macarons – A Visual Treat!.  She made a special flavor just for the occasion, black licorice, which she cleverly arranged to look like music notes on a staff.

Myrna’s macarons – mmmmmmm!

We all had such a good time, I hope we can do it again soon.  But not too soon – I need a little time to work up a new piece, and my courage. 

Recital Preparations and Palpitations

Instead of blogging, I should be practicing an instrument right now, to prepare for this weekend’s My Musical Family recital. 

We are having two families over on Sunday and have invited everyone – adults and kids alike – to perform a piece on an instrument, to sing a song, or to read a poem, essay or speech.  I concocted the plan several months ago when I was trying to think of ways to keep Elias interested in playing the piano (his teacher no longer organizes recitals, like he did when Louisa took lessons from him). 

I also was inspired by reading newspaper accounts of my great-grandfather’s experiences playing the violin at house parties at the turn of the last century, like this one that took place before my great-grandparents were married:

Miss Islea Graham gave a party and musical entertainment at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. W.N. Graham, last evening.  It was one of the finest affairs of the kind ever in the city.  The musical program was of exceptional merit and was a real treat to lovers of fine music.  Miss Florence B. Wright of Burlington and Prof. G. O. Riggs of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, the eminent violinist, contributed to the enjoyment of the evening.  There was a large attendance of Aledo’s most fashionable people.

Our event will be much more low-key, with an emphasis on fun and good food, and not fashion.  But I have no doubt that it will be a real treat for all in attendance.

I am planning to play a piece on the piano.  If I chicken out, I may instead read this poem (author not known) that was in my grandfather Ronald’s files.  It must have been important to someone, because at the bottom it includes the instruction: Please keep.

(You don’t have to tell that twice to anyone in this family of pack rats).

The Young Bandman

It was a cold and dreary day,
The bandmen in the park did play
The people listened with their ears
And when ’twas done they gave three cheers.

One boy, a strong and manly youth,
His clarinet did play,
A boy who always spoke the truth
And made them clap their hands, hurray!

He stood up slim, and strait (sic) and tall,
And blew his clarinet to all,
Till people, wondering, would hear
The sounds that came with murmuring fear.

Time for a Pocket Watch Mystery

One of the resolutions my dad and I set for 2012 was to spend more time researching and writing about Percy Riggs, my great-uncle and the younger son of G. Oliver.  I wasn’t expecting to write a blog post about Percy this soon – five days into the new year – but one of Percy’s grandchildren posed this question to my dad and me today, and it’s too good to resist sharing:

Did G. Oliver have a pocket watch, and if so, did he give it to Percy, known by his family as Pete? 

Grandpa Pete’s pocket watch

My second cousin Chris, who lives in Texas, asked the question because he has a pocket watch that was given to him by his maternal grandmother.  Grandma Pat Riggs (who died in 1990) used to keep the watch in a display case above her television, and she’d told Chris that it had belonged to Grandpa Pete.

A close-up view of the watch face.

The watch was manufactured in 1892 by the Elgin (Illinois) Watch Company.  This was 12 years before Pete was born – so, Chris wondered, could it have originally belonged to G. Oliver?  Could it have been a gift to G. Oliver the year he started his first professional job teaching at the Iowa Wesleyan Conservatory of Music?

I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch of the imagination to think that Chris is right.  G. Oliver graduated from Oberlin College in December 1891, and he started his job at Iowa Wesleyan in September 1892.  His parents, Jasper and Rebecca, were living in Joy, Illinois, at this time.  It’s quite possible that they would have given him a such a gift.  They weren’t wealthy, but an Elgin watch would have been affordable for someone who owned a hardware business, as Jasper did; the Elgin National Watch Company was known for making millions of popular, mid-grade watches – the "working man's watch."

Grandpa Pete’s watch is not engraved, and its case was made by Keystone.

Although I have not come across any written information about G. Oliver receiving a pocket watch as a gift, or about him giving a watch to Percy, it makes sense to me, especially considering that G. Oliver gave his older son, Ronald, a different family memento – the violin that had belonged to his father, Jasper.

Plus, I did find a photo of G. Oliver in which you can see that he’s wearing a pocket watch of some kind – the watch itself is not visible, but you can see the chain connected to his vest.

G. Oliver and wife Islea with children Percy, left, Rosalie and Ronald.

It would be great if the watch contained a message from Pete or G. Oliver, so we knew its full story.  But even if we never determine its origins, it’s managed to do something that neither man would have anticpated – it’s forged a connection between branches of the family that have grown apart in the years since my great-uncle Pete and my grandfather Ronald died. 

I have never met Chris or his siblings in person, and I had never known anything about them until I started the G. Oliver project.  Now in addition to sharing great-grandparents, we share a family mystery.

Percy (Pete) with daughter Mary Jane, father G. Oliver, and daughter Islea

Reflections on Another Musical Year

New Year’s Eve is always a time for reflection and for making plans, so it seems appropriate to consider what I’ve accomplished with this blog in 2011, and what’s ahead for the G. Oliver Riggs project in 2012.

I don’t know what 2012 will bring, but I’m pretty sure it won’t involve me wearing a tutu.

There are different ways of measuring success; I could pull some statistics from Google to tell you what 2011 posts are among the most read (Jump: A Composer Discusses Her Craft is tops with 343 views), or how many people from South Korea have found my site (820), but the truth is, I don’t know how to make sense of all that information.  What’s gratifying for me is to know that people are reading the blog and occasionally commenting on posts they have enjoyed.  

It’s difficult for me to pick favorites from the past year, partly because I’ve written so many, I sometimes forget them (that’s the problem with having a 44-year-old brain).  There are a few that stand out as being particularly gratifying to write, such as My Musical Manifesto, which articulated my feelings about the importance of music education in the public schools.  I also am proud of ones in which I’ve used my research to connect the dots between G. Oliver and other historical figures (like Doc Putnam’s Gold Star Band).

It was fun to discover this year that G. Oliver taught music to a group of nuns in St. Cloud (Sister Act: the G. Oliver Version); I definitely plan to follow up on that story.  I was pleased to finally write a couple of posts about my grandfather, Ronald (including A Young Man in the Jazz Age), and I still plan to write a few more about his career. 

I loved writing the most recent blog post about my dad – goodness knows, there’s plenty more material there, like his winning a spot in the National Band in high school and being directed by Henry Fillmore – so you might read more about him in 2012.

I have not yet had the chance to address the career of G. Oliver’s other son, Percy; my dad has been uncovering more details about Percy’s career as a band director in South Dakota, and I look forward to delving into that material for some good stories.

Brothers Ronald, left, and Percy in 1957

You can also look forward to some posts about G. Oliver’s early career as a teacher at the Iowa Wesleyan Conservatory of Music in Mt. Pleasant.  My dad and I have been invited to give a presentation at Iowa Wesleyan College in March as part of the Friends of the Harlan-Lincoln House’s 2012 historical lecture series.

I started this blog in January 2010 out of frustration; I had compiled mounds of research about my great-grandfather’s life and career with the hope of writing a book about him, and I thought writing a blog would help me figure out a structure for the book and give me direction for my writing.  One hundred and 31 posts later (or 132, if you count this one), I am not much closer to writing a book proposal, but I have gained more from the experience than I ever expected.  The blog has become an invaluable way of sharing information with family members and friends, it has helped me make connections between the past and the present, and it has taught me how important music is in my life.

I look forward to another year of exploration and discovery in 2012! 

Play the Birthday Trumpet Fanfare!

Today is a special day; it’s the birthday of an exceptional musician, teacher and human being – my dad, William Johnson Riggs.

My dad was born in Thief River Falls, where his dad Ronald was working as a band director and teacher.  The family soon moved to St. Cloud, and that’s where Dad grew up. 

It’s not surprising that music has always been an important part of Dad’s life; his dad was a band director for several years before he became a college professor; his mom, Eleanor, and his paternal grandmother, Islea, both played and taught piano; and his paternal grandfather, G. Oliver Riggs, was a well known bandmaster who died when Dad was 7.

Ronald with baby William and G. Oliver

My dad was a little boy when G. Oliver gave him a cornet lesson outside the woodshed at the Riggs family cabin on Grace Lake – a moment captured in the photo at the top of this blog.  Something about the instrument must have resonated with my dad because he followed in G. Oliver’s footsteps and played the cornet for several years before switching to trumpet.

Dad with his sister, Dana, and brother, Bob

Dad grew up near Barden Park, where G. Oliver’s bands played summer concerts, and where the St. Cloud Municipal Band still plays.  He graduated from St. Cloud Technical High School and got a teaching degree from St. Cloud State University.

Dad's first teaching job was in Alexandria, Minn.  He only planned to stay a year or two.  He met my mom during his second year of teaching (which was her first year there), and the rest is history, as they say. 

I love this photo of my dad, my brother Pete, and baby me, sleeping on my dad’s chest.

My dad continued to play his trumpet in a number of bands, including the Alexandria Big Band, as I was growing up.  His love of performing inspired me to take up the French horn in sixth grade and continue playing through two years of college.

Dad and me playing a duet on Christmas Eve, 2008.

Dad retired from teaching high school several years ago, but he seems to keep busier than ever with his music gigs.  He used to play often for weddings; now, funerals are more common.  He plays regularly for church services and at nursing homes, and he plays with so many different groups I have a hard time keeping them all straight.

Dad playing a September 2011 gig with the Salty Dogs at Sixth Avenue Wine & Ale in Alex.

When he’s not performing in a concert of his own, he’s often in the audience cheering on his grandchildren.  Much to his delight, the latest family members to take up the trumpet are my brother’s 11-year-old twins, Sam and Lauren.

Mom and Dad with all seven grandchildren.

Dad is the heart of the ongoing G. Oliver Riggs research project, and I’m thrilled to be his duet partner.  We already have accomplished more than we’d ever expected, and I look forward to another year of adventures in 2012.

Because I can’t deliver his present over the blog, I will close with an Ole and Lena joke:

Ole bought Lena a piano for her birthday. A few weeks later, Lars inquired how she was doing with it.
“Oh,” said Ole, “I persuaded her to switch to a clarinet.”
“How come?” asked Lars.
“Well,” Ole answered, “because with a clarinet, she can’t sing.”

Happy birthday, Dad!

The 21 Days of Pre-Christmas

It’s been a wonderful, hectic, music-filled month, and it’s not over yet!  Here’s a summary of the concerts and activities that have enriched our lives during the past three weeks:

• Five horns harmonizing (Dec. 8: Louisa’s French horn section played during Winter Walk)

• Two Lucias processing (Dec. 9: Louisa was a Lucia attendant at the Northfield Swedish Club’s 36th annual Lucia fest)

• Ten fingers dancing (Dec. 9: Steve, Louisa and I attended a piano recital given by Ina Selvelieva, a visiting professor of music at St. Olaf and the pianist for Little Women, the Musical)

• One hundred forty-five youth choir members rejoicing (Dec. 10: Louisa and Sebastian performed in the Northfield Youth Choirs winter concert at Carleton’s Skinner Chapel; Steve joined in on two of the large group pieces)

• Four drummers drumming (Dec. 13: Elias sang at the Greenvale Park choir and band concert, which included an enthusiastic percussion piece)

• Seven orchestras bowing (Dec. 15: Sebastian played in the middle school and high school orchestra concert)

• Twenty-eight students singing (Dec. 16: Elias performed a music program with his fifth grade class)

• And a standing ovation at the Orpheum (Dec. 16: Steve and I took our kids and his parents to see Les Miserables at the Orpheum)

Because we will be in Iowa for Christmas, spending time with Steve’s parents and his sisters and their families, we are having our own little family celebration tomorrow evening.  We will continue our tradition (borrowed from my childhood) of having each person either perform a song or read a Christmas-related story or poem before we open gifts.  I haven’t decided yet what I’m doing; the last-minute preparation is part of the excitement.

It’s hard to believe that 2011 is drawing to a close.  I am eager to see what musical pleasures await us in 2012!

Fine Arts Programs Need Boosters, Too

I should be cutting back on activities and additional responsibilities during this busy time of year, but instead I have plunged into another commitment: last week I joined the board of the Northfield Fine Arts Booster Club.

I couldn’t really say no (although I did postpone the decision for months, due to a number of other commitments this fall) because one of the group’s projects is to collect new and used musical instruments and get them into the hands of kids who want to play.  This is a cause close to my heart.  If I’ve learned one thing from researching my great-grandfather’s career as a band director, it’s the importance of making instruments accessible to all, if you’re hoping to build and maintain a quality program.  That’s step one, before you can begin to teach kids to play, and before they can begin experiencing all the amazing benefits of music education. 

G. Oliver worked hard to procure enough instruments for his students in every town in which he directed a band; when he died in January 1946, he was in the middle of an effort to convince the school board to purchase more instruments for the band he had organized at Red Lake High School.

The Northfield Fine Arts Booster Club formed in 2010 and is just now launching the instrument donation program, “Instruments for All,” which is modeled after a similar program in Apple Valley (see this September 2010 Star Tribune article).  The Northfield Area Foundation is providing a $5,000 matching grant for the program, which is great news.  The big push for donations won’t begin until after the holidays, but we already are accepting instruments as well as lesson books and other supplies.

You can drop off band instruments at the Bridgewater Elementary School office, and orchestra instruments at the Northfield Middle School office.  For more information, you can visit the group’s website or new Faeebook page.

If you’d like to make a financial contribution, you can mail a check to the Northfield Fine Arts Boosters, 1400 Division Street, Northfield MN 55057 (Please make checks out to “NFAB” and write “Instruments For All” in the memo line). Or, you can visit the NFAB site at GiveMN and donate online.

The Northfield Fine Arts Boosters Club isn’t just about supporting music; it aims to provide resources and promote community support for all the fine arts programs at Northfield High School, including speech, theater and visual arts.  I’m thrilled to be part of an organization with such an important mission.