The Washboard- Basics & Tips

THE COLUMBUS FOLK MUSIC SOCIETY, INC. JULY, 2013

A DIFFERENT STRUMMER Become a Folk Singing Legend at State and County Fairs ! Article by Bill Cohen

That’s right.! Twice organizer Tom Nagel.! “And at the Ohio State Fair, we were during the next month, joined by a fellow from Trinidad who plays steel drum.” we all have a chance to do !Cathy Sheets is a two-year veteran of the jam at the State our strumming, picking, Fair, and she loves and singing at 2 high- the way it attracts profile events --- the an impromptu Franklin County Fair and New Officers audience that feels the Ohio State Fair.! They comfortable CFMS! will be great opportunities interacting with the to spread the word and Election of the new officers and jammers.! “It's spread the joy about the trustees for the Columbus Folk great to see folks Columbus Folk Music Music Society took place on June hanging over the Society --- simply by doing what we already love to do: jam ! 30, 2013. Unfortunately the results fence and asking if didn’t make the deadline for the July You never know who we’ll meet and who we’ll inspire with someone can play newsletter, but you can find them on our music. “Last year, one of the Franklin County Fair Board one of their the website at: members sat down and played a few songs with us,” says jam See Local Fairs! page 2 www.columbusfolkmusicsociety. org/leadership.html w w w w w the Washboard- A big thank you to outgoing members who have served and a “welcome” to basics & tips the newly elected persons!

A Brief History of Keeping which has been making washboards WHAT’S INSIDE: Time -- the Washboard as a since 1895. Despite their name, the Musical Instrument & How Columbus Washboard Company is Columbus Folk Music to Make your own! located in Logan, Ohio, where they Society Member By Tom H. Nagel, with Credit to Wikipedia perpetrate an annual Washboard Highlight: Bill Cohen - Festival on Father’s Day Weekend. pg. 2 A washboard is a tool designed for That festival is a good place to visit hand washing clothing. With to learn about how people play July CFMS Picnic - A mechanized cleaning of clothing washboard music. welcome to all! - pg. 2 becoming more common by the end of the 20th century, the washboard People use washboards today for Folk Music that helped has become better known for its decorative purposes, crafts, furniture change the nation originally subsidiary use as a musical and musical instruments. Of course (announcement) - pg. 4 instrument. some people – including campers, historical re-enactors and members Calendar of Events - The only remaining washboard of the Amish community – continue pg. 5 manufacturer in the United States is to use washboards for laundry. the Columbus Washboard Co., Name that Photo - pg. 6 See Washboard! page 3

Local Fairs ! "om page 1 favorite old time tunes.,” she says.! The CFMS picnic on July 28, “They do seem to enjoy it. !The from 1 p.m. on . . . time ﬂies by. !And you're at the . . . will be at the home of Hal Pepinsky and Jill Fair!” Bystydzienski, 519 Evergreen Circle, Worthington. ! And you’re at both fairs with Evergreen Circle is the ﬁrst street to the right on East free passes and convenient parking, South Street after crossing Morning Street, two blocks Tom stresses, so it’s easy and cheap east of High Street. ! to participate. Please bring a dish with a little extra to share, and !Both venues have character, Tom says.! The county fair site drinks for yourselves, if convenient. ! is what he calls “a nice roomy gazebo, far from all the noisier attractions.”! And the county fair organizers liked the CFMS jam Hal and Jill will provide munchies, some wine, beer so much last year that, this time around, “they have booked acts and assorted drinks, and a few dishes of their own, there all through the fair”!to draw even bigger audiences to that and have paper/plastic plates, cups and utensils for area. those who do not bring their own dinnerware. !Bring !Meanwhile, the jam at the state fair is near a log cabin in the chairs or blankets for outdoors. ! leafy natural resources area of the fairgrounds.! Cathy recalls that, The picnic is timed to coincide with the annual since there are trees and shade there, the temperatures are usually meeting of Ohio State's university school, and 10 degrees cooler than in the often boiling heat elsewhere at the residents and guests of Rush Creek Village [where the fairgrounds. event takes place] are also invited. !There should be !Sunday, July 14 from 2:00 to 4:30 p.m. is when the county plenty of extra food and drink to go around, especially fair jam will take place.! The jam at the state fair takes place for out-of-town visitors. !There are plenty of places for Sunday, August 4 from 10 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.! [See details on page small groups of singers and players to do your thing. ! 5]. Welcome! If the prospect of having musical fun and attracting new folks to our group isn't enough of an incentive to join the jams at So come on out and enjoy the food, the music and the the fairs, then consider this extra perk that Tom stresses: "You can camaraderie with all these good folks! You need not be a always wander off and buy a deep fried Twinkie whenever you member of the Columbus Folk Music Society to attend! want." Columbus Folk Music Society Member Highlight: Bill Cohen

Commentary by Joe Bill Cohen, a true man of the Public Radio during a 42-year Hallett, senior editor people, will be gone (but not radio career. forgotten) for the ﬁrst time in 37 at The Dispatch, The "They sent me my Medicare years. The curly-haired and Columbus Dispatch, card in early March and that twinkle-eyed Ohio Public Radio Sunday, May 5, 2013 conﬁrmed for me that my decision Article reprinted with permission of to retire is a good one," said The Columbus Dispatch; "It is almost impossible to Cohen, who turned 65 on March www.dispatch.com. Photos by Randi imagine the Statehouse Cohen and are additions of CFMS’s “A without Bill. He has been 24 but looks nary a day older than Different Strummer.” incredibly professional, the green but eager Northwestern incredibly fair and very University journalism grad who in thorough for a very long 1970 jumped at WOSU's offer of Among the denizens who time.” - Curt Steiner dwell by day within the limestone a part-time job to edit wire copy. walls of the Statehouse, the Statehouse bureau chief has Five years later, WOSU absence of one in particular will retired, silencing a trusted voice assigned Cohen to the Capitol, be noticed and lamented that brought the news to and in 1980 he stared the still- tomorrow. thousands of Ohioans and thriving Statehouse bureau to countless more over National See Cohen! page 4

PAGE 2 WWW.COLUMBUSFOLKMUSICSOCIETY.ORG A DIFFERENT STRUMMER" JULY, 2013 the “washboard” - basics & tips

Washboard ! "om page 1 remained in its wooden frame and is played with percussion brushes was The traditional washboard is played primarily by tapping, but born. usually constructed with a also scraping the washboard with Alleged rectangular wooden frame in which thimbles. Often the washboard has friends began are mounted a series of ridges or additional traps, such as a wood to donate corrugations for the clothing to be block, a cowbell, and even small items to be rubbed upon. For 19th century cymbals. added to the washboards, the ridges were often of Conversely, the frottoir dispenses Washboard wood; by the 20th century, ridges of with the frame and consists simply Trap Set. metal were more common. A of the metal ribbing hung around These "fluted" metal washboard was the neck. The frottoir or vest frottoir included a big patented in the United States in is played as a stroked percussion plastic 1833. Zinc washboards were instrument, often in a band with a tambourine, a manufactured in the United States drummer, while the washboard small carnival from the middle of the 19th generally is a replacement for toy tambourine, a bicycle horn and century. In the late 20th century drums. In Zydeco bands, the frottoir a siren whistle which some kid has and early 21st century, ridges of is usually played with bottle since walked off with. The drink galvanized steel are most common, openers, to make a louder sound. It holder was Jackie LaMuth’s idea. but some modern boards are made tends to play counter-rhythms to the Forty-percent of an old leather of glass. Washboards with brass drummer. In a jug band, the ridges are still made, and some who glove was tacked onto the frame as washboard can also be stroked with a convenient way to hold the use washboards as musical a single whisk broom and functions instruments prefer the sound of the percussion brushes. (They kept as the drums for the band, playing rolling off the music stand.) somewhat more expensive brass only on the back-beat for most boards. One of the few musical songs, a substitute for a snare drum. The Washboard Trap Set Mark II instruments invented entirely in the In a four-beat measure, the was built by myself and misguided United States is the Zydeco Frottoir washboard will stroke on the 2-beat neighbor David Browning. We used (Zydeco Rubboard), a distillation of and the 4-beat. Its best sound is brass hinges to link two (2!!) the washboard into essential achieved using a single steel-wire washboards together in an A- snare-brush or whisk broom. Frame, with locking braces left over from an old discarded desk. It is Making your own much more stable than Mark I, and doesn’t need any extra legs. washboard is not as hard as you might Assembling your own think washboard trap set Your faithful author learned soon Go out and find a washboard. elements (percussive surface with after joining the jam session known Junk shops, antique stores, flea shoulder straps) designed by Clifton as the Original Long Duration Free markets, old-time hardware stores Chenier and built by Willie Landry Association Recreational Therapy and your grandma’s basement are in 1946. Society (OLDFARTS) that some likely places to look. I bought mine The washboard & frottoir (from music just is not suitable for banjo. new at Roush Hardware at 609 S. Cajun French "frotter", to rub) are He decided to do some percussion. State Street in Westerville, OH. used as a percussion instrument, He also got tired of scrambling They still stock them, if you can employing the ribbed metal surface around on the floor for lost thimbles believe their website. (How about of the cleaning device as a rhythm as he switched back and forth that for a concept? Buying 19th instrument. As traditionally used in between banjo and washboard. Century appliances online.) You can jazz, zydeco, skiffle, jug band, & old Thus the three-legged washboard also buy new washboards from the time music, the washboard See Washboard! page 7

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Folk Music that Helped Change the Nation: The Songs of the Early Civil Rights Movement

Put Friday August 23 on footage of key triumphs and your calendar.! tragedies the movement faced That’s when the Columbus between 1960 and 1965, when Folk Music Society will co- whites and blacks joined hands sponsor a unique concert that to work for human rights for all. shows the link between history and folk music. WHERE:! The Unitarian Church at 93 W. Weisheimer Rd. Paisha Thomas and Bill Cohen will sing songs that WHEN:! August 23 from 7:30 to emboldened and energized civil 9 p.m. rights demonstrators, as they Proceeds from suggested $10 faced beatings, bites from police per person donations at the door dogs, jail, and even death. will go to the Clintonville Plus, we’ll watch vintage ﬁlm Community Resource Center.

Cohen ! "om page 2 very thorough for a very long & Garfunkel, Bob Dylan and time. People around the state have Peter, Paul and Mary. serve all of Ohio's public radio relied on his news coverage for stations. Cohen has become a Over the years, Cohen decades and in some cases, it's the legend in the realm of Ohio developed a must-see solo show only coverage they get from the journalism, as evident by the that pays tribute to the 1960s civil Statehouse." video tributes to him by Ohio's rights and anti-war era, last ﬁve governors -- all of whom performing it at schools, he covered -- at a retirement party synagogues and churches, while on Wednesday in the Statehouse always on the prowl to sing and Atrium, where the press corps strum at festivals. dean was honored by dozens of Given that background, one admirers. might assume Cohen is a liberal, "He is, in all the good ways, a but if that is true, it was never ﬁxture at the Statehouse," said evident in his reporting. Curt Steiner, who got to know "He's a folk singer and Cohen while working at WOUB probably a grown-up hippy, but in Athens, only later to be covered Raised with a brother and sister in Bexley by a dad who was none of us really knows what his by Cohen during stints as chief of politics are," said Steiner. staff to former Gov. George V. a radiologist and mom who was a Voinovich and to Speaker Jo Ann homemaker, Cohen had little That's because Cohen was Davidson. interest in government and unfailingly fair and objective in politics, but began down a path of his reporting. And he was hands- "It is almost impossible to social awareness when he picked down the best questioner at press imagine the Statehouse without up a guitar at age 14 and soon conferences, always cutting to the Bill. He has been incredibly was crooning the music of Simon chase in a respectful manner. professional, incredibly fair and See Cohen ! page 7

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JULY HAPPENINGS, SO SAVE THE DATE . . . ! The Saturday Music Jam at the Nagel at: [email protected] for Contact Diane at: Worthington Farmers! Market 9:30 car pooling and pass information. [email protected] for car - 11:30 a.m. The southeast quad on pooling or pass information. Thursday, July 18th from 8 - Worthington Square. All are 11 a.m. CFMS members are invited Sunday, July 28 1:00 p.m., welcome to come play. Every to play at the White Castle Healthy Summer CFMS picnic. Held at the Saturday through Fall Festival in Slider Event at White Castle home of Hal Pepinsky and Jill October. It"s good to bring a chair. Headquarters: 555 W. Goodale Street Bystydzienski, 519 Evergreen Circle, Sunday, July 14th from 2 - Columbus. Coordinator: Tom Nagel Worthington. !Evergreen Circle is the 4:30 p.m. CFMS members play at: [email protected] ﬁrst street to the right on East South music on the Gazebo stage at the Street after crossing Morning Street, Sunday, August 4 from: Franklin County Fair in Hilliard. two blocks east of High Street. 10 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. CFMS members This is the same location as last Please bring a dish with a little extra play music at the log cabin in the year. Will be electric this year. Come to share. Bring chairs or blankets for Natural Resources Park area at the on out and join the fun! Contact Tom outdoors. All are welcome! Ohio State Fair. Come on out!

If you are a member of the Columbus Folk Music Society and

would like your gigs included in our Following Our Own ! ! calendar, please email: [email protected]

Remember to check out our new website address Bulletins at: www.columbusfolkmusicsociety.org

FOLLOWING OUR OWN. . . Tuesday, July 2, 2013: The NOTE: Trek Theatre presents live love singing & dancing & building Hardtackers -- Pub Polaris, blue grass and Shawnee storytelling community come out & join us. 2nd Evening informal sing: around 6:30 every Sat. evening thru August 31. Sun. of every month. 4 - 5 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. (East side of Mall) A family entertainment venue Friday, July 19, 2013: Grassahol -- located in a rustic, natural Friday, July 5, 2013: Grassahol -- India Oak Bar & Grill -- 590 Oakland amphitheater; a very unique outdoor Byrne!s Pub -- 1248 West 3rd Ave., Park, Cols. 8:00 p.m. - Mid. Free performance experience.! Bring Columbus, OH. 7 to 9 P.M. Free. folding chairs, blankets or just lean Sunday, July 21, 2013: Loosely Strung -- Gosnell Old Fashion Gas Saturday, July 6, 2013: Loosely against a tree. Tickets:!Adults $12, Station Gathering -- 11 - Noon & 1 - Strung -- North Market, Vine St., kids 17 & under $7. 10% discount 3:30 p.m.; 10383 Taylor Road, Cols. 10:00 am - Noon. for advance reservations. Check Reynoldsburg website for times & other Saturday, July 6, 2013: Halfway performers: Trek Theatre Saturday, July 27, 2013: Loosely Home -- Somerset Community Strung -- Ohio State Fair -- 11:30 Celebration 2 - 3:30 P.M. Somerset Saturday, July 13, 2013: Avalon a.m. & 4 p.m. Natural Resources Memorial Park, Somerset, OH. Nine -- Westerville Music & Arts Area; 1:30-3 p.m. Cox Bldg. Art Festival -- 5:00 - 6:00 p.m.. Heritage Gallery Sat., July 6, 2013: Grassahol -- Park and Everal Barn, 60 N.

! ! Trek Theatre, Hocking Hills (beside Cleveland Ave., Westerville, 43081 Sunday, July 28, 2013: Loosely Hocking Hills Visitor Center): SR Strung -- Harmony in the Park Sunday, July 14, 2013: Joanie Music Series -- 7 - 8 p.m. 664, just west of SR 33 near Logan, Calem -- Intergenerational Sing Bicentennial Park at corner of OH. 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Along at the Senior Residence, 120 Liberty St. and Park Ave. Delaware, Morse Rd., behind church. If you OH

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NOT A MEMBER?! WANT TO BE?! There is a handy July - membership form right here in this newsletter. “Name that BENEFITS INCLUDE: Camaraderie with the Photo” folkies in town, discounts on certain admissions, this monthly newsletter and the Hint: The CFMS comfort of knowing that all events are family member is the one on friendly! the left. Answer and history in August newsletter.

“That’s the great thing about community. Everybody gets to serve according to who they really are…When you think about it that way, folk music’s neediness is one of its chief virtues, isn’t it? Whatever you have to offer is welcome and helpful. And that’s how community is supposed to work.” From “Revival: A Folk Music Novel” by Scott Alarik Answer to June’s - “Name that Photo”: You’ve probably guessed it by now but the mystery photo is of Carl Yaffey. He was playing a concert with the Roadside Singers at the Colley Theatre in Norfolk, VA. They were playing on stage before the showing of the movie !"Hootenanny Hoot" and yes, there was an audience. Carl relays, “looking back, the whole thing was funny. The movie was extremely corny.” The songs that Carl was playing at this point in his life? . . .typical folk songs of the folk revival of the 60s. Tunes that were being played by the Kingston Trio, Peter, Paul and Mary, etc. And “yep” he was in a band!

WELCOME TO OUR NEW AND RETURNING MEMBERS: Jackie LaMuth Mariaa Clover Carl Yaffey family

THE COLUMBUS FOLK MUSIC SOCIETY OFFICERS AND TRUSTEES OFFICERS Jim Luckhaupt – [email protected] 614-268-8296 President: Art Mittenbergs – Linda McDonald – [email protected] 614-267-8614 [email protected] 614-491-0437 Sharon Mittenbergs – [email protected] 614-491-0437 Vice-President: Cathy Sheets – [email protected] 740-369-7828 Treasurer: Tom Nagel—[email protected] Wendy Jorgensen – [email protected] 614-294-6722 614-316-6571 Secretary: Cindy Ramsey—[email protected] Diane Boston – [email protected] 614-262-4025 614-438-0047 Central Ohio Folk Festival directors: Art and Sharon TRUSTEES Mittenbergs [email protected] Linda Bolles – [email protected] 614-766-2382 Membership Chair: Larry Drake Stan and Beth Bradley – [email protected]; [email protected] [email protected] 614-833-6498 Newsletter Editor: Diane Boston Joseph Baringhaus – [email protected] [email protected]" 614-278-2710 Webmaster: Carl Yaffey Bill Cohen – [email protected] 614-263-3851 [email protected]

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Washboard ! "om page 3 Finally, I drilled three or four Cohen ! "om page 4 old company, Columbus holes in the cymbal, about # of the Washboard Co., at 14 Gallagher distance out from the center hole to "I think the job of a reporter is to Ave, Logan, OH 43138, phone the edge. In my hardware junk box ask tough questions of officials, let number 740-380-3828. Or check I found short bolts that fit loosely news consumers hear all sides of the out their website: http:// through those holes and I used arguments and to stay clear of www.columbuswashboard.com. Crazy Glue to lock nuts on those becoming an advocate for any party, Finally, if you drive through Amish bolts. The loose bolts buzz when cause or bill," Cohen said. Country, stop in one of their stores. you hit the cymbal – a home made “sizzle cymbal.” I added a light “Cohen was unfailingly fair Percussion Brushes: Again and objective in his “third leg” to reporting. And he was make my rig stand check out the Columbus Percussion hands-down the best up by itself. It is Center or Music-Go-Round. Both questioner at press best to cut that leg places have a helpful staff and a conferences.” - J.Hallett to length AFTER wide selection of percussion you add the brushes and other accessories like Cohen said he relished "covering heavier wood blocks, non-wood blocks, cow strong, passionate debates over public accoutrements bells, and more cow bells. You policy," and he lamented that "the like the cymbal, wood block and know a good music store when you partisan political bickering has gotten drink holder. I used Gorilla Glue to tell them you are building a more bitter and more ideologically secure rubber crutch tips to the washboard trap set & the clerk does charged" in recent times. "I especially not go screaming down the aisle. three legs. love when just average citizens come The cymbal: this might be the Traditionally percussion brushes down to the Statehouse and give most expensive part of the rig, were made of bunches of light steel legislators a piece of their minds." unless you can catch a rock wire and were retractable. I drummer wandering away from his thought the heavier plastic brushes He covered an endless parade of set-up. I went into the Columbus sounded better. They were cheaper, colorful politicians and most Percussion Center on North High too. Experiment at the music store appreciated those who, so to speak, Street across from Graceland and see what you like. could talk in quotes, such as former Shopping Center and told the clerk Other Accessories: The drink Democratic Sen. Harry Meshel of that I was looking for a beat-up old holder came from K-Mart. This is a Youngstown. piece of crap cymbal, preferably real collector’s item. Most cars now one having been run over by a have more built in drink holders "I always remember when he said truck. His eyes lit up and he said he than seats for passengers. we taxed everything but flatulence had “just the thing.” The cymbal on and indigestion. When you're a radio I added a dangling glasses case to Dave Browning’s rig is much nicer. reported, you know that's good stuff hold kazoos and stuff. The tin cans I found a long threaded bolt at were added before I had a good to put on the air." the hardware store, the same cow bell. A percussion cow bell For Cohen, the time has come to diameter as the hole in the cymbal. sounds better than a real cow bell, leave the Statehouse and its I used a washer on top of the and there is less chance of being characters behind and attend to his cymbal, and a couple of nuts on the stepped on while you are getting it. passions -- Clippers baseball games, threaded bolt hold the cymbal at The desk bell is from Staples, and it yard sales, traveling and camping the top. is the most difficult accessory to with his wife, Randi, and their I screwed and glued a piece of play, especially if you have been daughter Hannah, writing and wood to the front of the washboard drinking, because it requires a frame – the same end as the one precise hit. singing songs. with the third leg. I drilled a hole Possibly the most important Bill Cohen has vertically down that piece of wood accessory is the carrying handle signed off on the so that the big bolt holding the located right behind the cymbal radio and signed cymbal was close to vertical when mount. This essential accessory on to retirement. the washboard was standing on its allows you to pick up the whole rig in Good for him, bad own three legs. one hand and run when necessary. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. for us.

WWW.COLUMBUSFOLKMUSICSOCIETY.ORG" PAGE 7 The Columbus Folk Music Society P.O. Box 1233620735 Columbus, OH 4321243220

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