Bernie High School Band                                                Bernie Junior High Band

The Bernie bands presented their spring concert Tuesday, May 28 under the direction of Ms. Judy Miller. The standing room only crowd was entertained by the High School, Junior High and 6th grade bands as well as the students from the Guitar I class.


Trumpet duet performed by 7th graders Will Barnett & Landon Woods

Bernie Junior High Band Members Make Beautiful Music


8th Grade

Karsyn Abernathy, Morgan Riley, Rachel Tilmon, Amber Oliver & Carissa Cluck




7th Grade

Landon Woods, Will Barnett, Wes Carter, Chris Barnes (back row)
Caitlyn Mayberrry, Maria Girard, Carl Voss, Steven Blakesley (front row)


The Bernie Junior High Band was well represented at the Stoddard County Music Festival held in Dexter Saturday, May 10, 2008. Receiving a 1 Superior rating were Chris Barnes-trombone solo, Will Barnett & Landon Woods- trumpet duet, Carl Voss & Steven Blakesley-saxophone duet, Carissa Cluck & Rachel Tilmon-flute duet, Morgan Riley & Karsyn Abernathy-saxophone duet. Those who were awarded a 2 Excellent rating were Wes Carter-baritone solo, Caitlyn Mayberry & Maria Girard-flute duet & Carissa Cluck, Rachel Tilmon, Amber Oliver & Morgan Riley-mixed quartet. The Bernie Band director is Ms. Judy Miller. This is a hard working group of students and a dedicated teacher-come out and hear them if you get a chance.
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Singing For A Cure
 
Alison Davis and Chantal Blake

Alison Davis and Chantal Blake, Campbell High School students, recently performed at the "Singing for a Cure" concert to benefit St. Jude Children's Hospital which was held at Campbell High School.

Alison is a guitar & piano student of mine and has been playing guitar for a little over a year. She accompanied Chantal who sang several popular country tunes. You go girls!
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Totally Tuba

Jordan McGowan
blows them away at the
Missouri State High School Music Competition

Bernie High School student Jordan McGowan recently did the near impossible. He received the highest rating, a "1" (superior) at the 57th Annual Missouri State High School Music Competion held in Columbia April 26, 2008. I say nearly impossible because Jordan is only a freshmen and while not unheard of, it's unusual for a freshmen to achieve this honor because they haven't had the extra years of experience that older students have had. Jordan has been in band for 3 years and says in the beginning he played tenor saxophone but that didn't work out so he tried the tuba and "it sounded good." He first participated at the District Level competition held in Poplar Bluff in March and his "1" rating there entitled him to travel to Columbia to play in the state competition.  He performed Blue Bells of Scotland, arranged by Ken Swanson and Edvard Grieg's In The Hall of Mountain King before judges who rated him on his performance. His piano accompanist was Teresa Curtman of Bloomfield. Jordan is the son of Tara Stewart of Corning, AR and Brian & Valerie McGowan of Bernie.

His band director for the past 3 years is Judy Miller who was especially proud of Jordan's accomplishment. According to Ms. Miller, he began practicing his two pieces in February. She added that he plans to audition for the FFA National Band which will perform later this year in Washington, D.C.

The tuba is the lowest sounding instrument in the brass family and usually has 3-5 valves. It is held upright in the player's lap. The term "tuba" is often confused with the much larger sousaphone (see photo below) which is seen in marching bands.

Congratulations to Jordan on a job well done!
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Jordan posing with a sousaphone






 

Guitar on the Brain

An Interview with SEMO's
Bruce Zimmerman




How old were you when you first started playing guitar?
I started when I was 5. My dad showed me some basic open chord positions and I began picking out single note melodies. I started my first band when I was 9 with my brother Dewayne and my cousins Mike and Darrel. We called ourselves The Four Z's. Later we added Jere Swader on drums and changed our name to the Blazers. I was in that band until I was around 14. I have never been out of a band since I was 9.

Do you play any other instruments?
Mandolin, harmonica, steel, a little piano and drums. I have several lap steels that I play in different tunings. I have a double neck Rickenbacker 8 string lap steel that originally belonged to Darrel in that first band. Its' sound is great for western swing and old style country.

Are you self taught or did you have music lessons?
Self taught. My Dad showed me enough to get me started and I picked it up from there. I never had band in school or any formal training. I have always played by ear. 

I recall that your father was associated with the Bootheel Jamboree-tell me what that was like. 
My Dad played bass in the house band for the Jamboree from the very beginning. The original Bootheel Jamboree was started by Jerry Foster and Bill Rice. They were DJ's at radio station KTCB in Malden at the time. They didn't have a building for the show and they had it in a big circus tent in Malden. I first played drums on the show when I was 12 and I used to play acoustic guitar and sing some on the shows also. They used to have stars come in from the Grand Ole Opry and do special guest appearances so I got to play with several when I was just a kid. There were some great musicians in the band. Billy Springer played pedal steel and Dale Hawkum played guitar. You had to back every singer that walked out on stage. I learned a lot just from being exposed to great players. Foster and Rice later sold the rights to the Jamboree and moved to Nashville and teamed up as song writers and wrote a string of hits. The Palmer family bought the Jamboree and built the building in Bernie and the show ran for many years after that. My Dad was in the band until the very last show.

What brand of guitar do you play the most?
When I play blues I mostly stay with the Gibsons. My main guitar is a Gibson Firebird. I also have a Gibson ES335. I carry several guitars on stage when I am playing with the Waterstreet Band.
I have some other guitars on stage for slide in a couple of different tunings and a couple of Fenders. I also have a telecaster and a strat that I use when I need a brighter or twangier sound.

Your CD "Guitar on the Brain" was great; how can fans buy a copy?
I will have a way to buy my CD on line soon through my MySpace website. You can also buy it at Hastings or P-Mac in Cape Girardeau. 
 
Your niece Christy Griffin who I work with at Bernie High School said that your daughter in law designed the  very cool cover for the CD.  Are other family members involved in your music in any way?
My daughter in law Lisa is a graphic designer and she did the cover for me. All of my kids play instruments and sing. My son Eric plays guitar and saxophone. Brandi plays saxophone, piano and sings. I recently did a show where my band backed Kimberly Dahme. Kimberly is the bassist for the rock group Boston and has out several solo CDs. Almost all of her songs have a male and female back up vocalist so I brought Brandi in for that show to sing the female back up parts. She did a great job on that show. My youngest daughter Victoria plays clarinet and sings.

Have you put out other recordings?
Guitar on the Brain was my first solo CD although I have played guitar on a lot of sessions for other people over the years. I am in the process of recording another CD now but I don't know when it will be finished yet.

What are some of your earliest musical memories?
One of my first memories was when my dad had some musicians over and they were rehearsing in the living room. I was probably about 5 and I had a small bodied Gibson that my aunt's boyfriend had given me. It was cracked all the way across the back of it and it rattled when you played. He gave it to me just as a toy to play with but I wanted to know how to really play it. My dad had showed me how to make an A chord by barring my finger across the second fret. They were playing a Hank Williams song in A with a simple 1-4-5 progression. I would play along with them when they were on the A chord and I would stop when they went to the 4 and the 5 because I didn't know how to make those chords but I knew it wouldn't sound right to play the wrong cord. I could hear the chord changes. After everyone left I asked my Dad to show me the other two chords. So he showed me the D and E. I think that is when it all really started for me. I don't really remember this part but when the family got together this past Christmas at my Mom and Dads, we were talking about this. I had told them that I wanted a guitar that didn't rattle and my Dad told me that when I could play a song all the way through he would buy me a better guitar. My Mom told him that he might as well get his wallet out. In a couple of days I was playing that 3 chord progression and he bought me a guitar that played a lot easier and was easier to learn on.

What is your personal favorite kind of music? Who are some of the artists you listen to?
I like everything. I still love all the old country songs and western swing. The Beatles of course and lot of music from the 60s and 70s such as The Stones,The Band and CCR. I loved all of the old Motown and the stuff coming out of Memphis from Stax and Hi records. Most of the stuff I listen to now is from strong singer songwriters like John Hiatt and some of the really hot guitar players like Albert Lee and Tommy Emmanuel. I also like the good slide players that work in different tunings like Sonny Landreth and Bonnie Raitt.

I remember some of the Bernie musicians from way back when- Junior Curtis, Butch Smith, Ray Doan, Stan Hathcoat, Bob Ash & others. Did you play music with any of them?
Those guys are some of my best friends in the world. I sold Junior Curtis his first set of real drums. I was around 17 or 18 and Junior was probably 12 or 13 I guess. I had pretty much gone to guitar all the time and wasn't really playing drums anymore. I wanted to sell them to buy a new guitar. Like most of us then we didn't have much money and Junior had a homemade set of drums. I remember his hi-hat was made out of paint can lids. Shannon Howe worked at the pool hall and Junior used to hang out there. Shannon saw Juniors potential and bought my drums for Junior. When I was in my 20s Junior and I put together a progressive rock band called Dirtywork. It was a great band and I still have people ask me about to this day.

Ray Doan was my neighbor and his was the only family that lived on our road that wasn't a relative. He used to hang out at our house all the time when we were playing guitars. He talked his folks into buying him a set of drums and they ordered them from Montgomery Ward. I showed him how to set them up the day they came in and showed him some basics about drumming. We didn't have air conditioning at the house so we slept with the windows open. During summer vacation he used to practice until 2 or 3 in the morning and we could hear it plain as day at our house. He almost drove my mom and dad crazy but I liked hearing it. I think the first song he learned to play was a Lovin' Spoonful song called Six O'clock. When I was high school, Ray and I put a band together with Stan Hathcoat on bass. We played together for a few years and Ray and I went on the road together when we were in our early 20s with a band called the Next of Kin. That was my first experience with the world outside of Bernie.

Butch Smith was a great talent. We first met when we were 15 and his family moved to Malden. He had been living in California and playing with guys like Clarence White who later played with The Byrds and was the co-inventor of the B-bender that is used on half the country songs you hear today. He was so far ahead of the rest of us when he moved to town. He was the one who introduced me to slide guitar and different tunings. I have no doubt that if he had stayed in California he would have ended up in a major band. I still have Butch's old 63 Fender Tremolux amp that he use to play harp through. I miss him a lot.

Bob Ash moved to Bernie when we were in the 7th grade. His dad was with Brown Shoe Company and got transferred to Bernie to be the superintendent of the factory. The first time they came to Bernie to see the town I was playing on a flatbed trailer with The Blazers for the grand opening of a cafe there where the bus stop was. When school started he ended up being in my class and sitting beside me. He wanted to meet me because I played guitar but he was kind of shy at didn't know how to approach me. He had just gotten his first guitar for Christmas and he caught my attention by sitting at his desk drawing out guitar chord diagrams on a piece of paper. I saw it and asked him if he played guitar. We ate lunch together in the school cafeteria that day and that was the beginning of a lifelong friendship. He knew 3 chords when I first met him and could play Twist and Shout by the Beatles. We started going to each others houses and playing guitars together. He learned faster than anyone I ever saw and in 6 months time it was pretty much an even exchange because he was figuring out stuff and showing it to me as much as I was showing him. We played in bands together off and on a lot throughout the years. In my late 20s and early 30s we had a band called Stampede with Earl Perkins and Scott Barnett that was together for about 6 years. The first year that band was together we played 320 nights. To this day there is no guitarist I play with that our styles mesh together so well. We got together and played some gigs this past summer and it was like we had never stopped playing together.

All of us as well as Gene Hanners, another great Bernie musician used to rent the Malden JC hut and have these jam sessions that would last all night. We had great fun and learned a lot from each other.

I saw you warm up Buddy Guy at the Show Me Center last November-just you and a bass player-and you two were absolutely astounding. I don't often hear so much music coming out of just two people. Is this what you like to do best or do you prefer playing with a larger crew?
The bass player is Ken Keller and he is my bass player in the Water Street band and a tremendous talent. He is also a great engineer and owns IBS studios where I recorded my CD.
When we opened for Buddy Guy it was the first time that just the two of us played together. My CD had been sent to Buddy Guy's people when they were looking for someone to open up for him. They liked the CD but did not want to have a large band open because of the logistics of the equipment change over between acts. They asked if I would do a solo or duo. I wasn't going at first but the guys in the band wanted me to so I asked Ken to play with me. I do some solo and duo gigs and I really enjoy them. When I play those it is usually in a small room like a house concert or some winery gigs. This is where I get to try out a lot of my originals. I will always like the energy of a full band though.


Do you have a "day" job or just play music? (every musician's dream)
I do have a day job. I work at the RapcoHorizon company in Fruitland, MO. They make cabling systems for the audio industry. I work with sound contractors and touring sound companies helping them put together the cabling for their tours so I am working with musicians on my day job too.

What do you see yourself doing in 5 years?
I hope to be semi retired and just playing music again. I would like to do some road work again. To date I have played 38 states and 6 countries. I plan on doing some overseas tours again.

Looking back, what, if anything would you do differently in regards to your music if you could?
I would get more formal training. I don't think there is any substitute for a good ear but there have been some missed opportunities because I was not a good sight reader. If you have the ability to do both it can make a big difference.

What would you tell young musicians just starting out?
The main thing is to make sure it is always fun. The wonderful thing about playing an instrument is you don't have to be great to get enjoyment out of it. It can be enjoyed at many different levels. As far as young musicians who want to be in a band this is the advice I give them. Please yourself. You have to have a thick skin because you no matter how good you get there will always be someone that doesn't like your music. I don't know how many times I have heard someone say they hate the Beatles or they hate Elvis Presley. You are never going to please everyone. I know there are people that will hear me play and not like it or be indifferent to it. On the other hand I have had many people tell me that my music has brought great joy to them or touched there lives in someway.
The other thing I would tell them is the first rule of bands is all bands break up (except for the Rolling Stones). When you are in a band you can get to be like family and if the band breaks up its like getting a divorce. Don't let it stop you from playing. Find some more musicians and keep going. I would also urge them to play with as many different musicians as possible and to keep your mind open to playing all styles. Your musical taste changes as you change. It's just a fact of life.


 
Thanks to Bernie native Bruce Zimmerman for taking time out of his very busy schedule to do this interview with me. I have posted his upcoming performance schedule below. Bruce said he will keep me updated as to his other goings on so check back frequently.
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Narvel Felts at Casino Aztar, Caruthersville, Oct. 13, 2007

Juice Newton wows the crowd in Caruthersville

Juice Newton & The Regenr8tors
September 15, 2007

On a near perfect late summer night, Juice Newton & her band, The Regenr8tors, performed along side the Mississippi River on the outdoor stage at Casino Aztar in Caruthersville, MO. Accompanied by her 4 piece back up band which included world renowned drummer, Ricky Latham, the hour long show featured her old songs to cuts from her latest CD and lots in between.  Her opening song,  an enthusiastic version of Every Road Leads Back To You  was followed by several of  her hit singles,  including Angel of the Morning and Love's Been a Little Bit Hard on Me but her closing number Queens of Hearts was the overall crowd pleaser.  Her newest CD The Gift of Christmas had just arrived the day of the concert & was available for the first time in Caruthersville.   In the photo above, Juice is playing a vintage 1959 Danelectro Convertible guitar-see my article on Danelectro guitars elsewhere on this website.

I've been listening to Juice Newton since 1979 but never had a chance to see her perform live.  Aside from a few problems with the sound system this was a very enjoyable concert.  She kept the crowd entertained from start to finish.

For more Juice Newton info click below:
www.juicenewton.com
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AND ALL THAT JAZZ

Poplar Bluff's 
Chelsea Edmundson
Sizzles in The Stage Company presentation of

Chicago
A Musical Vaudeville

     (Photo courtesy of Chelsea Edmundson)  

Hopefully, some of you got to catch one or more of the June 2007 performances of Chicago by The Stage Company at the Rogers Theatre in Poplar Bluff. For those who didn't, you missed a first class, professionally staged amateur production, the likes of which aren't seen around these parts too often. From the provocative costumes to a full sounding ten piece college orchestra (ASU-Jonesboro) that accompanied an ensemble cast of talented singers, actors and dancers, this production was as good or better than any amateur musical theatre performances I've seen, and I've seen & been involved with plenty along the way.  This was definitely "Broadway comes to Poplar Bluff, Missouri" and I was thoroughly entertained.

Eighteen year old Chelsea Edmundson recently visited me at my home in Malden to talk about her experience portraying one of Chicago's female leads, singer-murderess Velma Kelly.  In addition to acting and singing as Velma, Chelsea was the dance choreographer and also performed as a dancer in other numbers.  This required several extra costume changes which meant that at times she was running onto the stage while still putting on the finishing touches.  She is also quite a singer in addition to her dancing abilities and she belted out Velma's songs like it was so easy that everyone should be able to do it in their sleep.

Chelsea, who began taking dance lessons at age five, graduated with the Poplar Bluff High School Class of 2007.  She made her musical theatre debut while a student at Poplar Bluff Junior High as the Witch in Into The Woods.  Chelsea was a member of the PB high school choir for three years and was chosen for All-State Choir her senior year.  She attended the Missouri Fine Arts Academy in Springfield, MO during the summer of 2006 where she spent three weeks fine tuning her dancing and singing abilities and meeting other artistically talented high school students, several of which attended her Chicago performance. (Two other Chicago performers, classmates Jessica Cochran and Sheldon Price, were also chosen to attend the MFAA) Chelsea also had six years of Suzuki method violin, a few piano lessons and taught herself to play the guitar.  She has performed with friends in various bands around Poplar Bluff singing and playing her very cool purple Daisy Rock guitar. She also writes some of her own songs. When I asked if she's ever had a bad time performing, she remembered being about twelve years old and so sick that she would run off stage after her numbers were finished where her mother was waiting in the wings with a trash bag for her to throw up in-the show must go on!

Speaking about her role in Chicago, Chelsea said it was a wonderful experience and was quick to point out that she was surrounded by a very talented cast.  She had first been contacted about doing the choreography and ended up not only as the choreographer, but auditioning for the part of Velma Kelly.  She won the part and began researching her role by studying different actresses' portrayals of Velma.  After deciding that her favorite Velma was Catherine Zeta-Jones' Oscar winning role in the 2002 movie version, she began studying the movie literally frame by frame.  When deciding about the choreography, Chelsea said that some of the dance steps are taken from the movie while others were her own creation. She tried to keep a balance between 1920's era dance (the time setting for Chicago) and more modern dance forms. The cast rehearsed almost daily for three months and at times cast members practiced at her house in smaller groups. Her favorite Velma song from Chicago was the show opener "And All That Jazz" but added that the song "Mister Cellophane" sung by Steven Brookreson was her favorite tune from the production. She also said that Chicago director Ron Gilliand allowed her lots of room to portray Velma the way she saw her. The Stage Company of Poplar Bluff is the only amateur group in the state of Missouri to be granted the rights to perform Chicago.  Chelsea said that during the play's run, Playbill Magazine online listed the places Chicago was being performed and Poplar Bluff was mentioned right along with the major cities where it was also running.

Chelsea will leave Poplar Bluff to attend William Jewell College in Liberty, MO beginning in the fall of 2007 where she will major in Music Theatre and Music Business.  After college, she sees herself moving to Los Angeles to pursue her musical dreams by either performing or helping others through music management. Chelsea will have an artist page at www.myspace.com later this summer with a song she plans to record.  This is one extremely talented young performer that Poplar Bluff should be very proud of!
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Chelsea as Velma during dress rehearsals, below, left
Chelsea in full stage make up looking amazingly like Catherine Zeta-Jones in the movie version of Chicago, below, middle
Velma Kelly (Chelsea Edmundson) & Roxie Hart (Jessica Parris) in "Hot Honey Rag" below, right

            
  (Photos by David Carroll)
          
            

Coming Soon

Violinist  Diana Lanpher of Dexter

  


I Love Lucy!

FORMER MALDEN COUPLE MAKE MUSIC THEIR BUSINESS AS DIRECTORS OF THE LUCY OPRY

Laura Beth Thompson Mays & Will Mays have come a long way since leaving Malden.  Not so much in actual miles, but light years on the musical spectrum.
Beth, MHS CLass of 1972 & Will, MHS Class of 1970, have been married since 1972 & making music together longer than that.  From their first band, "Spike Leroy" to their present position as musical directors of The Lucy Opry in Bartlett, TN, Beth & Will have probably seen it all.  Along the way they've managed to be in a few other bands including "Wolf River" " Lost Highway" "Trail Fever" "Hickory Withe" and their current bluegrass band "Goin' Home."  Beth describes them as mostly self taught musicians, although she started out reading music in the MHS choir & band.  Over the years, they have also had lessons from some Nashville musicians.
They began with "Spike Leroy" which was a progressive country band that was quite popular around these parts in the mid '70's;  Arnac's Log & Stone Restaurant, outside Poplar Bluff, was one of their regular gigs, but they also toured around the midwest, making a name for themselves.  After moving to Memphis in 1978, their music became more than just a hobby as they continued to improve their musical skills & learn new instruments.  Beth plays acoustic guitar & upright bass guitar which compliment her beautiful alto voice which is featured predominantly in their sound.  The multi-talented Will plays almost anything with strings-acoustic & electric guitar, mandolin, dobro, pedal steel guitar & can also more than carry a tune.  In the early 1980's they opened for several nationally touring bands at the Lucy Opry, located at that time in North Memphis.  The Opry was run then by their good friend Doug Cole, & when he became ill, he asked them to take over leadership of the Opry which they did in 2000.  Shortly after this, the Opry moved to its present home at the Bartlett Performing Arts & Conference Center and celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2007.  Beth books the Opry's acts while Will handles the sound & works with the bands to get them set up & ready.  They both are responsible for advertising & public relations.  For more on the Opry and its upcoming events check out their website by clicking below:
www.lucyopry.com
I have known this dynamic, talented couple for more years than I care to admit to & have had many opportunities to see them perform.  They only get better.  If you are in the Memphis area, do yourself a favor & try to see them perform-you'll be glad you did!
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 Marauder Electric Still Rocks

Al playing his Gibson Marauder electric guitar


   
 Al Mewhirter of Malden has been involved with music practically his entire life.  He began taking piano lessons in Malden when he was about 6 years old, then later played trumpet in the Malden 6th grade band when it was under the direction of Mr. Homer Book.  By the time he started high school in Florida he dropped band in favor of a spot on the football team.  However, when he was in his early teens, he picked up a guitar and taught himself to play by looking at chords on sheet music he'd found.  And, as they say, the rest is history.  He continued teaching himself guitar, and with the exception of a couple of group lessons, he has taught himself to play.
Al has a small but very cool guitar collection.   His newest guitar, a Martin DMX acoustic, was a Christmas present from his wife a couple of years ago.  He also owns an acoustic Epiphone FT 150 which he obtained around 1973 as well as a Gibson Kalamazoo electric bass from the 1960's which is in need of a repair.  Perhaps his most unusual instrument is a Gibson Marauder electric guitar which he bought in the mid-80's on a Malden radio station auction.  The Marauder series was made by Gibson Guitars from the mid-70's through the early 80's and while it wasn't Gibson's most popular electric, they are considered somewhat of a collector's item today.  The Marauder was Gibson's attempt to break into the single coil electric pickup market, which had been dominated by Fender guitars.  Many Gibson enthusiasts thought the Marauder was too "Fender-like" with its bolt on neck while Fender fans felt it wasn't up to their standards.  So after a few years, the Marauder was discontinued, joining the ranks of many other types of electrics guitars.   Like all Marauders, Al's was made in the USA with a tune-o-matic bridge, a stop tail piece, humbucker pickup in the neck & a single coil pickup angled at the bridge, giving it somewhat of a Fender Telecaster appearance.  Its' most innovative feature is that the pickups were sealed in clear epoxy, which was considered ahead of its time.  The Marauder also has a great sound.  Thanks to Al for giving me the opportunity to see, hear & play some of his collection!
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