Well, it is that time of year again, when on the last Saturday of August people internationally are encouraged to get outside on their porch and play music; not the radio, not a record player or streaming…but to pick up an instrument, any instrument, even just your voice. It was the vision of Brian Mallman (https://bmallman.com/%23playmusicontheporchday-2) to get people to enjoy self-expression through music…and I frankly can’t think of a better way to unplug from our devices for a little while.
We joined together on my brother’s porch again this year, he has all the gear and gadgets to make it a really enjoyable time.
He connected his laptop to a flat-screen TV, this enabled all of us to view the music in a large and easy to see format. He could then scroll the music as we sang with a foot control…very cool!
This year hubby brought a drum kit that he put together himself for easy of travel. He plays at a local nursing home, and this electronic drum set-up is easier than lugging traditional drums around.
He also played bass guitar and a melodica, depending on the song. I play left-handed guitar and my brother plays a myriad of acoustics from a 12-string to carbon fiber and various sized 6-strings.
A few years ago, my brother discovered a carbon fiber guitar maker in Ireland called Emerald Guitars. They make beautiful custom guitars that are nearly indestructible, stay in tune and withstand any type of weather; which makes them great for travel and outdoor gigs…and they sound amazing! You can check them out here… Emerald Guitars – Custom Carbon Fiber Instruments
My brother has bought two, he has an X30 and X7…both he was able to design himself on their website, it was made in Ireland and shipped to him here in the States. I love the X7…it is the smallest size in their line up and would be great for traveling…alas, they don’t make that model for lefties…maybe one day…I’ll keep wishing on those stars!
We played for a few hours, stopped for lunch then played for another hour. We are far from being a bar band…or even a garage band…but we had a lot of fun playing all types of songs. We look forward to next year!
Many musicians on the Play Music on the Porch Facebook page were doing songs to honor Dolly; we were no different…if you would like to hear our humble rendition of a Dolly Parton song, click here (forgive us for the unnecessary banter in the beginning)… https://youtu.be/kacg3dBmXpk
Praise God with the trumpet, harp, lyre, tambourine, strings, pipe, and clashing cymbals. ~Psalm 150:3-5
The Wallace Adventure! 