Rhythm Bones Player A Newsletter of the Rhythm Bones Society Volume 20, No. 3 2018 In This Issue: How I Got To Play Executive Director’s Column Bones In An Opera My good friend and fellow Bone player, Yirdy ebony rhythm bones, but what I learned later Profile of Adam Machar, has passed! He was a true spirit, please see was rosewood, in a glass case mounted on the Klein our tribute to him starting on page 3. wall. Each one of the rhythm bones had silver More than 10 years ago I visited the Museum of caps on each end, and were decorated by musi- Yirdy Machar Obituary Our National Heritage in Lexington,Ma. to view an cians and other fi gures. On one was the inscrip- exposition of Banjo’s including a number of Banjo’s tion,” To Charles H. Atkinson from the Niagra Remembering from a friends collection, Jim Bollman. Walking Firemans Association.” I soon learned that the Yirdy Machar around the exhibit, it was clear there was a real rhythm bones were on loan from the Yale Uni- Johnny Bones - The connection to rhythm bones, as many of the original versity Musical Instrument Collection. Thinking Life Of A Busker photographs featured rhythm bones players along that I might try to reproduce them, I wrote the side Banjo players and other musicians. But I was Curator of the Collection asking among other A Set Of Presen- unprepared for what I saw when I turned a corner. things, the dimensions, and any idea of who tation Minstrel Bones There in a glass case were four what appeared to be Charles H. Atkinson (Continued on Page 7) NEFFA Report How I Got To Play Bones In An Opera Thaddeus ‘Tad’ Most of you folks know me as the Bones Playing I decided to do something more appearances. Goodson Opera singer, or the Opera Singing Bones Player. At one I sang the famous aria from Wagner’s More On Sweet The only opera I know of that offi cially includes Die Walküre, “Winterstürme wichen dem Georgia Brown, rhythm bones at all is my own piece, LEITHIAN, Wonnemond,” with the regular piano accom- Brother Bones where one of the orchestra percussionists must play paniment plus my rhythm bones, since that’s Arrangement rhythm bones. However, in 1997 I got to work my one of the few opera arias with a steady beat. Minutes Of The bones playing into another opera, SUSANNAH by (Wagner was many things, but he understood Board Meeting Carlisle Floyd, at the Central City Opera House in the power of repetitive rhythm and persistent Colorado. This is the tale of how that came to be. percussion.) Minutes Of The In 1996 I was hired to sing the Duke of Mantua My successful performances as the Duke, General Member- ship Meeting in RIGOLETTO -- this is the opera that features coupled with the full beard I showed up with -- the aria I sang while playing rhythm bones at the I had hiked the Grand (Continued on Page 4) Columns: Shepherdstown Bones Fest (see photograph in right column). While hiking in the mountains above Executive Director town with my best friend and fellow tenor Richard Editorial Troxell, we chanced upon a cow skeleton. I took the ribs back to town, and in the toolshop of the opera Letters to the company’s maintenance guy, used a vice, saw, fi les Editor and sandpaper to fashion several pair of very nice Bones Calendar rhythm bones. I then played two pair of them at one of the traditional after-opera gatherings in the bar adjacent to the opera house, called by the opera company “Après Opéra” -- but by one of the locals, a very literate fan of baseball and beer named Lew Cady (whose wife was the opera fan), “Post Op”. I did this because one of the veteran accompanists had complained that this gathering used to be a fun time for the stars to let their hair down and sing something NOT operatic, but that in recent years it had become a sing-off for the apprentices, all eager Adam Klein sings and plays rhythm bones to a song from to try out some ballbuster aria or other on the public. opera RIGOLETTO at Bones Fest XIX. Photo by Art Sands The Board sitting as the Nominating Editorial Committee nominated the existing mem- Rhythm Bones Player bers to run for the coming year. Rhythm Bones Society I join with others in this issue in Skeff Flynn had more RBS Brochures Volume 20, No 3 remembering Yirdy Machar. I met him printed and the motion was made and Third Quarter 2018 at the bones competition in Iowa and approved to reimburse him for that ISSN: 1545-1380 he came to Bones Fest IX staying at my expenditure. Editor house including a few days after the Fest. There was extensive discussion Steve Wixson I have a ball cap that he calligraphed with about Bones Fest XXIII. We received wixson@epbfi .com my name, and I save it for special occa- a proposal from Randy Seppala to hold sions. There was a Video of the Month in Executive Director a ‘Blues’ Bones Fest in Clarksdale, MS Stephen Brown September remembering Yirdy, and you and a proposal for a Bones Fest held at [email protected] can view it at http://rhythmbones.org/ the same time as the Abbeyfeale Fleadh video/YirdyMacharTributeVideo.mp4. and Bones Competition in Ireland. We Web Site Coordinator Bones Fest V was the fi rst Fest Adam Steve Wixson noted that we really would like a Fest in [email protected] Klein attended, and we were wowed Ireland, but unfortunately, the dates for by his operatic voice and rhythm bones both proposals are on the same weekend. Board of Directors playing accompanied by Constance We will contact Randy about changing Steve Brown, Executive Director Cook. Over the years he attended several Skeffi ngton Flynn the date and poll the members at the Sharon Mescher Fests and this year with his wife, Tami General Membership Meeting to see how Dennis Riedesel Swartz, an opera singer herself. His story many might attend each Fest. Bill Vits, Assistant Director of playing rhythm bones in an opera Steve Wixson, Secretary/Treasurer The meeting was adjourned at about Kenny Wolin begins on Page 1. 4:30 PM. Respectfully submitted, Steve I fi rst contacted the Harlem Globe- The Rhythm Bones Player is published trotters about the Sweet Georgia Brown quarterly by the Rhythm Bones Society. record in 2000. A man by the name of Minutes Of The Nonmember subscriptions are $10 for one year; RBS members receive the Player as part Governor Vaughn sent me Page 1 of a Board Meeting of their dues. history of the recording. I forgot about it The Rhythm Bones Players welcomes until lately, and when I contacted them The meeting was called to order by letters to the Editor and article on any aspect again they sent me a full copy. The story Executive Director, Steve Brown, on of bones playing. All material submitted for consideration is subject to editing and of how it became their theme song is on June 9, 2018, about 4:30 PM, in the condensation. Page 6. Governor’s Pavilion in Lincoln, NH. The The minutes from the Board and minutes of the last meeting were read Rhythm Bones Central web site: rhythmbones.org General Membership Meetings are a and approved as printed in the newsletter. reconstruction from the memories of the Steve Wixson presented the Treasurer’s Board. After BFXXII, I transcribed my Report noting we have a bank balance of Yirdy Machar notes of these meetings and emailed them just over $7,000. Steve Wixson presented to the Board for review. When I went to the slate of offi cers from the Nominating Obituary insert them into this newsletter, I could Committee, and Steve Brown opened Member Yirdy ‘MacBones’ Machar, not fi nd that email and the Board had to the fl oor for nominations. Being none aged 71, passed away Monday, July 9, reconstruct. This fact will be noted at the the motion was made and approved to 2018. He was born in Glasgow, Scotland, meetings at BFXXIII. elect the following by acclamation, Steve and lived in many diff erent countries Brown, Executive Director, Bill Vits, As- before settling down in Denmark some sistant Director, Steve Wixson, Secretary/ Minutes Of The 35 years ago. He was divorced and the Treasurer, and Members At Large, Skeff - father of two children and was a grandfa- ington Flynn, Sharon Mescher, Dennis General Member- ther and a great grandfather too. Riedesel and Kenny Wolin. Since 1991 he lived in a wooden ship Meeting Steve Brown led a discussion about cottage under a large oak tree at the edge BFXXIII and a straw vote was taken to The meeting was called to order by Ex- of a forest near Kattegat on the island of see how many might attend in Clarksdale ecutive Director, Steve Brown, on June Zealand together with his soulmate Mette and Ireland. There was strong support 9, 2018, about 3 PM, outside the Gov- whom he met back in 1985. for both Fests. ernor’s Pavilion in Lincoln, NH with all As Yirdy’s father was a Naval Offi cer The meeting was adjourned at about members present except Dennis Riedesel and travelled a lot his schooling took 4:25 PM. Respectfully submitted, Steve and Kenny Wolin. The Minutes of the place in many diff erent countries. He Wixson, Secretary. previous Board meeting were approved was however fortunate enough to spend as printed in the newsletter.