My Musical Family: July 2010

The Answer is Blowin' in the Wind Band

As the Vintage Band Festival 2010 approaches, it occurs to me that the Aug. 5-8 event is in some ways like a mash-up of Woodstock and "The Music Man." Thousands of concertgoers are expected to flock to the historic river town of Northfield to peacefully celebrate a love of music in an outdoor setting. Instead of rocking to Creedence Clearwater Revival, though, they will be enjoying a revival of band music from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Some bands will play music from the late 1800s and early 1900s, when my great-grandfather, G. Oliver Riggs was a soloist and bandleader.

The festivals aren’t so different, when you think about it.

Jul

A Perfect Evening in "Riggs" Park

Every so often in our lives, we experience a moment that we know will stay with us forever. Last night I had one of those moments.

It was after I'd given my presentation on my great-grandfather, G. Oliver Riggs (insert huge sigh of relief here), and had handed the microphone to my dad, William.

Dad talked about what it had meant to him to play in the St. Cloud Municipal Band for four years, after only intending to play one concert in Barden Park.

Jul

Marching Band Memories

I've been busy preparing for the presentation I'm giving tomorrow evening on my great-grandfather, G. Oliver Riggs – 6:45 p.m. at Barden Park in St. Cloud – so I've had to neglect the blog for a few days. But I felt compelled to write an entry today to call attention to a recent Star Tribune article about a reunion of Litchfield High School marching band alumni. Marching band memories have been in my head ever since I read it.

Jul

A Vintage Ad for a Modern Blog

The Vintage Band Festival is approaching quickly, and the printed program for the four-day festival will be available early next week. I got a chance today to peek at the pdf version and see how my ad turned out.

Yes, I have ventured into the world of advertising my blog. It seemed like a smart move, given the audience that will be coming for the festival, set for Aug. 5-8 here in Northfield.

Jul

The Entwining of Architecture and Music

I haven't had much time to blog lately, or at least haven't made it a priority. It's easy to get distracted by all the non-musical summer activity at our house – like yesterday's nearby tornado – and it's fun to spend time with family and friends – like yesterday's visitors from Iowa, Randy and Anne.

My friend Randy is a freelance editor who writes about residential and commercial architectural design, among other topics.

Jul

Lessons of Summer

All three of my kids have been taking weekly music lessons this summer. They've been practicing regularly, if not always daily, and they seem to be enjoying practicing more than they do during the school year. I suppose it's because our summer schedule is more relaxed and open. During the school year, it's often a challenge to find an extra 20 or 30 minutes in the day that's not devoted to homework or after-school activities and events.

Jul

A Joyful Celebration

I found this 1894 Fourth of July celebration advertisement a few years ago in the Aledo (Ill.) Democrat and had to copy it because it amused me – partly because of the headline, and partly because of the description of the event's "amusements."

The ad is for a celebration in Joy, Ill., a small town where my great-grandfather, G. Oliver Riggs, lived during the summers in the early to mid-1890s (during the school year, he taught at the Iowa Wesleyan University's Conservatory of Music in Mt.

My Musical Family