Doc Watson Was Asked About Trying to Make a Living As a Musician, and He Said, Well, It's

Miscellaneous Musings

Doc Watson was asked about trying to make a living as a musician, and he said, “Well, it’s OK, as long as you’ve tried every other way first”.

“How does a folk singer make a million dollars??

Start out with two million!”

-Dave Van Ronk

Bob Dylan went to visit Woody Guthrie at Greystone Hospital, and to play his first real song composition to him (“Song to Woody”). Dylan didn't need Guthrie's advice, and Guthrie didn't need to tell him anything - he had already shown him how it was done. Nonetheless, he did give the pilgrim some advice. What was it?

"Kid, don't worry about writing songs- work on your singing."

"One night when we (The Byrds) were playing The Whiskey and we were in the dressing room, this really well-dressed black man wearing a feather in his hat walks in and says, "Are you Clarence White?" And Clarence says, "Yeah".

The fellow adds, "I've been listening to you for years, and you're one of my favorite players." So Clarence says, "Wow, thanks a lot- what did you say your name was?"

The fellow says, "I'm Jimi Hendrix."

-Gene Parsons

That is so pretty it will make you cry! God must have come down and said, ‘Clarence, I have a gift for you, but you won't be able to use it for very long.’

-George Gawlick

"I couldn’t play like him…..I still can’t play like him. And nobody else can either.”

-Tony Rice speaking of Clarence

"'LIVE MUSIC IS BETTER' bumper stickers should be issued!"

- Neil Young

The dinosaur species Masiakasaurus knopfleri was named after Mark Knopfler. The paleontologists were listening to Dire Straits recordings when they discovered the species.

SAWDUST PLAYLIST

Ages and Ages Ago (C)

The Ash Grove (G)

Along the Road (D)

Ancient History (C)

Act Naturally (C)

Any Time (G)

Amelia Earhart's Last Flight (G)

Any Old Time (C)

Arkansas Traveler (C 2nd F)

Arthritis Blues (G)

Banks of the Ohio (C)

Black Mountain Rag (C)

Blackberry Blossom (G)

Bury Me Beneath The Willow (C)

Big Bad Bill (C)

Bartender's Blues (G)

Beaumont Rag (C)

Brilliance (G)

Cajun Lady (Am)

Call of the Road (Am)

Caravan (G)

Cluck Old Hen (Am)

Childhood Play (C)

Clinch Mountain Backstep (G)

Cripple Creek (G)

Crawdad Song (C)

SAWDUST PLAYLIST

Country Roads (G)

Darktown Strutter's Ball (G)

Dear Old Dixie (G)

Dark Hollow (C)

Devil's Dream/Sailor's Hornpipe (G)

Do-Re-Mi (G)

Don't Think Twice (C)

Duncan (C)

Dark Hollow (G)

Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down (D)

The Darkest Hour (C)

Eighth of January (D)

Engine 143 (C)

Fair and Tender Ladies (G)

Flop-Eared Mule (G)

Freight Train (C)

Footprints in the Snow (D)

Gonna Lay Down My Old Guitar (C)

Greensleeves (Am)

Ground Speed (G)

Handsome Molly (G)

Hard Travelin' (G)

Hickory Wind (G)

Hitch-Hiker (G)

Hangman (Am 5th F)

The Hobo's Song (G)

SAWDUST PLAYLIST

Hobo's Lullaby (C)

I Am a Pilgrim (G)

I Saw Your Face in the Moon (C)

I Take a Lot of Pride in What I Am (C)

I'm a Good Old Rebel (C)

Irene Goodnight (G)

I Can't Help It (C)

John Hardy (A)

Jailbirds (G)

Jambalaya (C)

Jesse James (G)

Jimmy Brown the Newsboy (C 2nd F)

John Henry (Dtun)

Just Walk on By (C)

Land of the Navajo (G)

Long Black Veil (G)

Louise (C 2nd F)

Last Thing on my Mind (G)

Mansions for Me (D)

Me'n'Bobby McGee (C)

Midnight Moonlight (G)

No Depression in Heaven (C)

No Title Yet Blues (C/G)

Old Shep

Omie Wise (Am)

On the Road Again (D)

SAWDUST PLAYLIST

Old Joe Clark (G)

Pal of Mine (G)

Panama Red (C)

Pike County Breakdown (G)

Polly Wolly Doodle (C 2nd fret)

Please Don't Bury Me (G)

Ramblin' Man (G)

Rainbows All Over Your Blues (C)

Rambling Boy (A)

Rawhide (C)

Rickett's Hornpipe/Wind That Shakes Barley (D)

Roll in my Sweet Baby's Arms (G)

Ridin' Down the Canyon (G)

Red River Valley (C 2nd fret)

Sally in the Garden (Am)

Salt Creek (G)

Sands of Monterey (G 5th)

San Francisco Bay Blues (C)

Satisfied Mind (D)

Singin' The Blues (C)

Sitting Alone in the Moonlight (G)

Salty Dog Blues (G)

Sittin' on Top of the World (D)

Sweet Dixie (C)

Sultans of Swing (Am)

Take Me Back and Try Me (C)

SAWDUST PLAYLIST

Tell Me Baby Why You Been Gone So Long (C)

Tennessee Waltz (D)

Texas BBQ (D)

That's What You Get (C 2nd F)

Theme Time (G)

Train 45 (G)

Turkey Knob (G)

Uncle Pen (G)

Under the Double Eagle (C)

Way Downtown (G)

My Walkin' Stick (Gm)

Workin' on the Railroad (G)

Wabash Cannonball (C)

Wayfaring Stranger (Am 5th F)

We Need a Whole Lot More of Jesus (C)

When I Paint My Masterpiece (C 2nd F)

Whiskey Before Breakfast (D)

White House Blues (D)

Will There Be Any Freight Trains in Heaven? (C)

Wild Horses (G)

Wildwood Flower/Reuben James (C/G)

Woody's Rag (D)

Will the Circle Be Unbroken? (C)

Yellow Roses (C)

"SAWDUST"

SAWDUST is a group of friends who gather every lunch hour in the wood shop at Walt Disney Imagineering to play traditional and Bluegrass music (and some of that other stuff too).

Steve Frankenberger, the 5-string banjo player, is the one this little group "formed" around. He hails from Canoga Park, makes his living as a master woodworker, and is always highly quotable, fashioning, for example, the group's motto- "Bluegrass Music to Gross Millions".

David Jones, rhythm guitarist/harmony vocals, lives in beautiful Altadena, and is a Production Designer, whatever that is. Originally from Louisiana, he adds a real Cajun flavor to some of the group's songs, and can speak for long periods of time in an almost unintelligible patois that confirms his roots.

Steve Noceti, mandolin/guitar/vocals, lives in La Crescenta, and writes stuff for a living. He loves all kinds of stringed instrument music, and, being of Italian descent, when he is not playing Bluegrass he is of course also a member of an Irish band.

Bruce Johnson, bass, is a Ride Development Engineer who lives in North Hollywood. Whenever he's not playing bass he's probably inventing something in his workshop (like the amazing "bass banjo" that he can be seen playing). He used to be a rock'n'roll kind of guy, but his friends have acousticated and folkified him a lot.

Alec Scribner, rhythm and lead guitar/harmony vocals, is also a Production Designer and also lives in beautiful Altadena, but he is not David Jones. Alec has an affinity for Stephen Stills guitar playing and Neil Young songs, but we let him in the group anyway.

Bluegrass Premium Mixed Nuts Set

Amelia Earhart (G)Verse-chorus X2/break/verse-chorus

Sally in the Garden (Am) Alec picks rhythm/mandolin X2/banjo X2/all X1

Do-Re-Mi (G)Verse-chorus/break/verse-chorus

Jimmy Brown (C 2nd fret)Verse-break X3/verse (end)(Alec pick)

Devil’s Dream/Sailor’s Hornpipe (G)Follow Steve wherever he goes

Hobo’s Song (G)Verse-chorus X2/break/verse-chorus/chorus

Louise (D)Alec harmony on last verse (Alec C 2nd fret)

Ridin’ Down the Canyon (G)Verse-bridge/break/bridge

Sands of Monterey (G 5th fret)Two guitars pick

No Title Yet Blues (C and G)CX2/GX2/CX2

Woody’s Rag (D)Mandolin X2/banjo X2/all X1(Alec pick)

Last Thing on my Mind (G)Alec harmony on choruses

Walkin’ Stick (Gm)Verse-chorus/break/chorus/break (end)

Land of the Navajo (G)Banjo instrumental ending, with fade-out

Greensleeves (Am)Mandolin X1/banjo X1/all X1

Caravan (G)Follow Steve wherever he goes

? Blackberry Blossom (G)Alec strums intro.

? Ground Speed (G)

? Salt Creek (G)

Midnight Moonlight (G)3-part harmony on chorus

ALL-DIGITAL STRING BAND

“Old-timey Music to Gross Millions!”

The ALL-DIGITAL STRING BAND is a group of friends who met while working at Walt Disney Imagineering in Glendale, CA and discovered a mutual love for playing and singing traditional folk and Bluegrass-style music. A distinctive element of this group’s performance is the melding of acoustic styles of playing and singing with music from many different genres, including classic Rock’n’Roll and even today’s “Steam-punk” music.

Bruce Johnson- Bass/bass vocals

Bruce is originally from York, Pennsylvania and was formerly a Ride Development Engineer; he now lives in Fillmore. Whenever he's not playing bass he's probably inventing something in his workshop (like the amazing "banjo-zilla" that he can sometimes be seen playing). He now manufactures and performs with his own line of hand-made instruments based on classic Ampeg basses. He is the “go-to” guy in SoCal for designing and building anything special and unusual in the world of stringed instruments.
Stan Chin- Mandolin/high harmony vocals

Stan is a theatrical lighting specialist who lives in North Hollywood. Although he has played and sung in Bluegrass circles for many years, he was shy and "in the background" until joining this raucous group. He's a multi-instrumentalist, and has performed with the likes of the Beer Milk Shakes and Cole and the Porters. He can always be counted on for a joke that ends in a complete non sequitur, leaving the group speechless.
Marty Christensen- Harmonica/vocals

Marty is a Show Set Designer, which in his case means he designs and sculpts rockwork of all types. He lives in the "folksy" Rancho district of Burbank, where we sometimes have our practice sessions. His harmonica playing adds a distinctive dimension to this little string band, and he also plays guitar and is our Hank Williams expert.
Vince Carden- Sensitive, New Age Banjo Player/occasional vocals

Vince is an Architect and website designer. He currently lives at El Rancho Banjo in Lakeview Terrace. Vince is always highly quotable, fashioning, for example, the group's motto- "Old-timey Music to Gross Millions". He is a multi-instrumentalist, also playing guitar, bass, and Dobro, and through the years has been a member of a number of folk and Bluegrass-style groups.
Steve Noceti- Guitar/lead vocals

Steve lives in La Crescenta and was a writer for Disney Imagineering. He loves all kinds of acoustic stringed instrument music, and has also been a member of numerous folk groups, bluegrass groups, and an Irish band. He started learning lyrics and singing years ago, when he discovered that nobody at the jam sessions ever knew the words.

Arroyo Seco Digital String Band Playlist

Act Naturally (C)

Ages and Ages Ago (C)

Amelia Earhart (G)

Any Old Time (C)

Any Time (G)

Arkansas Traveler (D)- C 2nd fret

Arthritis Blues (G)

Banks of the Ohio (C)

Bartender’s Blues (G)

Big Bad Bill (C)

Black Mountain Rag (C)

Blackberry Blossom (G)

Bury Me Beneath the Willow (C)

Call of the Road (Am)

Childhood Play (C)

Country Roads (G)

Cripple Creek (G)

Do-Re-Mi (G)

Don’t Think Twice (C)

Duncan (D)- C 2nd fret

Eighth of January (D)

Engine 143 (C)

Fair and Tender Ladies (G)

Freight Train (C)

Footprints in the Snow (D)

Gonna Lay Down my Old Guitar (C)

Greensleeves (Am)

Handsome Molly (G)

Hard Travelin’ (G)

Hobo Song (G)

Hangman (Dm)- Am 5th fret

Hickory Wind (G)

Hitch-Hiker (G)

How Long (D)

Hobo’s Lullaby (C)

I Am a Pilgrim (G)

I Can’t Help It (C)

I Saw Your Face in the Moon (C)

I Take a Lot of Pride in What I Am (C)

I’ve Just Seen a Face (G)

Irene, Goodnight (G)

Jesse James (G)

Arroyo Seco Digital String Band Playlist

Jimmy Brown (D)- C 2nd fret

Just Walk on By (C)

Land of the Navajo (G)

Last Thing on my Mind (G)

Louise (D)

Me ‘n’ Bobby Mcgee (C/D)

Midnight Moonlight (G)

No Depression in Heaven (C)

No Title Yet Blues (G/C)

Old Shep (C)

Omie Wise (Am)

On the Road Again (D)

Pal of Mine (G)

Panama Red (C)

Please Don’t Bury Me (G)

Rainbows All Over Your Blues (C)

Ramblin’ Man (D)

Reason to Believe (C)

Ridin’ Down the Canyon (G)

Roll in my Sweet Baby’s Arms (G)

Sally in the Garden (Am)

San Francisco Bay Blues (C)

Sands of Monterey (C)- G 5th fret

Satisfied Mind (D)

Singin’ the Blues (C)

Someday Soon (G)

Sittin’ on top of the World (D)

Sultans of Swing (Am)

Take me Back and Try Me (C)

Teach Your Children (D)

Tell Me Baby Why You Been Gone So Long (C)

That’s What You Get (D)- C 2nd fret

Wabash Cannonball (C)

White House Blues (D)

Wild Horses (G)

Wildwood Flower/Reuben James (C)

Will There be any Freight Trains in Heaven? (C)

Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues (G)

Woody’s Rag (D)

Workin’ on the Railroad (G)

Yellow Roses (C)

Set #1

Workin’ on the Railroad (G)

Woody’s Rag (D)

Amelia Earhart (G)

Greensleeves (Am)

Jimmy Brown (D)- C 2nd fret

Last Thing on my Mind (G)

Bury Me Beneath the Willow (D)

Don’t Think Twice (D)- C 2nd fret

How Long (D)

Sands of Monterey (C)- G 5th fret

Land of the Navajo (G)

Set #2

Ridin’ Down the Canyon (G)

Bartender’s Blues (G)

Lincoln Duncan (G)

Jesse James (G)

Sally in the Garden (Am)

Ramblin’ Man (D)

That’s What You Get (D)- C 2nd fret

Handsome Molly (G)

No Title Yet Blues (G/C)

Hangman (Dm)- Am 5th fret

Hobo’s Song (G)

Set #3

Ages and Ages Ago (C)

Fair and Tender Ladies (G)

Blackberry Blossom (G)

Me ‘n’ Bobby McGee (C/D)

John Hardy (A)

Do-Re-Mi (G)

Act Naturally (C)

Arthritis Blues (G)

Louise (C)

Black Mountain Rag (C)

Footprints in the Snow (D)

Irene Goodnight (G)

ALTERNATES

Sloop John B.

Tom Dooley

Greenback Dollar

April, Come She Will

Midnight Moonlight

Clinch Mountain Backstep

Early Morning Rain

Reason to Believe

Scotch ‘n’ Soda

Teach Your Children

Rainbows All Over Your Blues

TO WORK ON

The Merry Minuet

Jailbirds

Tell Me Why

The Ash Grove

My Walkin’ Stick

California Girls

Mr. Tambourine Man

Long Black Veil

Johnny’s Garden

Wild Horses

Old Time Rock ‘n’ Roll

I’ve Just Seen a Face

Panama Red

Sultans of Swing

7/8/99 Noon Concert - Set List

Workin’ on the Railroad(G)-Rolling, a capella after banjo bk.

Last Thing on my Mind(G)

VC Banjo(G)

Ages and Ages Ago(D)-C 2nd fret

Early Morning Rain(C)-Steve intro./come in on Em

Bartender’s Blues(G)-Alec guitar break

Matthew(C)-G 5th fret

Reason to Believe(C)

Jesse James(G)-1/2 verse a capella @ end

Hangman(Dm)-Am 5th fret

Do-Re-Mi(G)

Tomorrow is a Long Time(C)

Lincoln Duncan(G)-Starts on Em

Greenback Dollar(Em)

Irene, Goodnight(G)-A capella chorus near end

Alternates:

The Hobo Song(G)

Sands of Monterey(C)-G 5th fret –Slow, ringing bass

Jailbirds(G)

Jimmy Brown the Newsboy(C)

Fair and Tender Ladies(G)

Woody’s Rag(D)

Amelia Earhart(G)

BANJO PLAYER (AND OTHER MUSICIAN) JOKES

Little Johnny: “When I grow up I want to be a banjo player.”

Mother: “I’m sorry dear, you’ll have to make up your mind….you can either grow up or be a banjo player.”

Definition of an optimist: A banjo player with a pager.

Did you know that the banjo player can be used by the techs to level the stage? They just watch to see which side of his mouth the most drool comes out of, and make adjustments accordingly.

One phrase you will never hear: “Is that the banjo player’s Porsche?”

Q- What’s the difference between a banjo player and a savings bond?

A- The savings bond eventually matures and earns some money.

Q- If you were lost, who would you ask for directions….an out-of-tune banjo player, an in-tune banjo player, or Santa Claus?

A- The out-of-tune banjo player. The other two indicate that you’re hallucinating.

Q- What is the banjo player muttering to himself in between tunes?

A- “Thumb…index…middle…”

Q- How do you get a banjo player to play softer?

A- Give him music to read.

Q- What kind of calendar does a banjo player use to keep track of his gigs?

A- “Year-at-a-Glance”

They say that banjo playing is a lot like throwing a javelin blindfolded. You don’t have to be very good to get people’s attention!

Q- What do you say to a banjo player in a three-piece suit?

A- “Will the defendant please rise?”

Q- Why did the banjo player leave his instrument on the car dashboard?

A- So that he could park in the Handicap zone.

When I had surgery on my hand, I asked the doctor if, after surgery, I would be able to play the banjo. He said, “I’m doing surgery on your hand, not giving you a lobotomy!”

Banjos are to music what Spam is to food…

A while ago, a lost group of banjo players were discovered on a remote island in the Pacific. When asked how they survived for so long, one answered, “with the supplies they kept dropping from the helicopters.”

Q- How is a banjo player different from a harmonica player?
A- A harmonica player only sucks on half the notes.

At a convention of biological scientists one researcher remarks to another, “You know, in our lab we have switched from mice to banjo players for our experiments.” “Really?” the other replied, “Why did you switch?” “Well, for several reasons- we found that banjo players are far more plentiful, the lab assistants don’t get so attached to them, the Animal Rights activists leave us alone, and there are SOME things that even a rat won’t do! However, it is sometimes difficult to extrapolate our results to human beings.”

Q- How many banjo jokes are there?

A- Only three….all the rest are true stories.

Upon hearing from his doctor that he only had six months to live, a man exclaimed, “But Doctor, isn’t there anything I can do??” “I’m afraid not,” said the doctor, “But there is one thing you could try- just find yourself a real ugly girl who plays the banjo and move to Pittsburgh”. “That’ll help me live longer??” “No, but it’ll make time go by really slowly!”

There once was a picker named Bruno

Who said, “There’s one thing I do know,

Guitars are fine

And mandolins divine,

But banjos are numero uno!!”

The capo has revolutionized banjo playing…it allows the player to quickly be out of tune in any key.

Q- How do you get a banjo player off your porch?

A- Just pay him for the pizza!

Three men die and ascend to Heaven. As they approach the front entrance, Saint Peter is there to greet them. To their surprise he asks only one question, "What was your occupation on Earth?"
"I was a doctor," the first man answers. "OK," says Saint Peter. "Go right through those Pearly Gates straight ahead. Next! What did you do on Earth?"
"I was a school teacher," the second man says. "OK, go right through those Pearly Gates straight ahead. Next! And what did you do?"
"I was a musician."
"OK, go around on the alley side, up the freight elevator, and through the kitchen."

In an orchestra, what’s the difference between a violin player and a viola player? Nothing- the violin player’s head is just bigger.