Magic in Nashville in December - January 14, 2010
I recently returned from a vacation in Nashville, The Music City! Wow!
I had one experience I just have to share with you.
First I need to tell you the background story. In November 2008, while staying at my father's home and preparing for my mother's memorial service, my sister hummed a tune and asked if I knew it. It was familiar to me and I began singing "May the Circle Be Unbroken." She got all excited and said that was it! We looked on the internet to find the lyrics and watched several YouTube videos. One video featured June Carter and Johnny Cash. We also listened to a recording of Joan Baez singing the song.
My sister and I made a couple of changes to the lyrics in the last verse because my mother didn't want us to mourn her. My mother wanted a private memorial service. She wanted people to remember her with all her vibrant enthusiasm and love of life.
We shared with Dad the changed version with the words: "She had told us, do not mourn me, sing and dance the whole night long." We practiced the song together and the next day, at the private memorial service, I sang the verses and my sister and father joined me for the chorus. We were all holding back tears to be able to get those words out.
As we made plans for a memorial book featuring mom's original artwork (she loved painting with oil and watercolors), my father's neighbor suggested I record some songs for a memorial CD.
I liked the idea and my father and sister did too. I feel so fortunate that I got to work on the album with some amazingly talented musicians in Ashland, Oregon--Richard Raven Williams, Heather Hutton and Lauren James. I decided to call my new CD "Love Transforms" and it was dedicated in loving memory to my mother. When my family and I recognized what a quality album had emerged from that labor of love, I realized that I could actually sell copies of this new CD.
Four of the songs on the new album are my originals and "Amazing Grace" is in the public domain. I found out that the song "May the Circle Be Unbroken" has copyright protection so I did research to find out what I needed to do to be in integrity with that.
It was quite a journey to get permission from the publisher to change a few of the words of the copyrighted song "May the Circle Be Unbroken." The process took many months, a lot of emails, a payment of a licensing fee, etc.
First, I did extensive research on the internet. The closest version of the song I could find was the A.P. Carter version by the name of "Can the Circle Be Unbroken" (original Carter family) from a 1935 recording. I wrote Peer International and they submitted my request to the A.P. Carter estate for approval to change a few of the words. After a few months I received permission to use the changed version. I got the signed paperwork all finalized last summer.
Around that time my sister asked me if I'd like to spend Christmas in Nashville. I said YES!
Before my trip to Nashville, I had seriously considered taking "May the Circle Be Unbroken" off the album. I still needed some help to understand all the terms of the agreement with the publisher. I felt I needed to find a lawyer to help me understand it, so I could go about marketing the new CD. I was frustrated with all the details and effort and time it had taken to get the signed agreement in my hands.
Something extraordinarily magical happen in Nashville. On a day while I was in the hotel resting with a head cold, my father called me and said if I was up to it, he encouraged me to take some time and walk through the Country Music Museum. He raved about it without going into any details. He said he would come and pick up my boyfriend Tim and I. It honestly hadn't been at the top of my list of places to visit in Nashville, but with Dad's encouragement and enthusiasm, I got excited and agreed to go. So on Dec. 29th, while visiting the Country Music Museum, I spent a lot of time on the third floor enjoying the music listening booths, the displays of artists' clothing and musical instruments, and learned so much about the history of country music. It really is a wonderful museum. When it was almost closing time, I went downstairs and walked into the large round room of the Hall of Fame and saw the following words carved in stone in the circular dome ~ "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" ~ and I found a plaque on one of the pillars acknowledging A.P. Carter. I stood there in absolute amazement. Wow! I was deeply moved. So this is why my father and sister said I had to visit the museum! They later told me that during their visit earlier that day, they walked into the room and said "Bridget has got to see this!" But they kept it to themselves so I could wander into the hall and experience the wonder for myself.
On my second visit to the museum I asked a man at the information desk if he thought it would be okay if I sang the song in the hall of fame and he said he thought it would be alright if I sang quietly. I smiled to myself wondering if I could pull that off.
Then I spoke to a kind woman on the staff who told me about the sweet spot right in the center of the room where the acoustics were perfect. She encouraged me to go ahead and sing the song. So I did. I softly sang "May the Circle Be Unbroken" in loving memory of my mother. My boyfriend Tim said that he could hear me clearly anywhere he went in the room. I was so filled with emotion, I almost couldn't finish singing the song. But I did! I love you, Mom! The kind woman who had encouraged me to sing was there and heard me and said my mother would be proud.
If you are able to listen to the recording, the whole song is available to listen to for the rest of this month. To see the lyrics of the song, please click on the title.
And if you'd like to purchase a CD, please let me know. For $15, which includes shipping and handling, I'll mail you the "Love Transforms" CD along with an autographed postcard.
I wish you a very happy and healthy and prosperous New Year!
Love,
Bridget
I had one experience I just have to share with you.
First I need to tell you the background story. In November 2008, while staying at my father's home and preparing for my mother's memorial service, my sister hummed a tune and asked if I knew it. It was familiar to me and I began singing "May the Circle Be Unbroken." She got all excited and said that was it! We looked on the internet to find the lyrics and watched several YouTube videos. One video featured June Carter and Johnny Cash. We also listened to a recording of Joan Baez singing the song.
My sister and I made a couple of changes to the lyrics in the last verse because my mother didn't want us to mourn her. My mother wanted a private memorial service. She wanted people to remember her with all her vibrant enthusiasm and love of life.
We shared with Dad the changed version with the words: "She had told us, do not mourn me, sing and dance the whole night long." We practiced the song together and the next day, at the private memorial service, I sang the verses and my sister and father joined me for the chorus. We were all holding back tears to be able to get those words out.
As we made plans for a memorial book featuring mom's original artwork (she loved painting with oil and watercolors), my father's neighbor suggested I record some songs for a memorial CD.
I liked the idea and my father and sister did too. I feel so fortunate that I got to work on the album with some amazingly talented musicians in Ashland, Oregon--Richard Raven Williams, Heather Hutton and Lauren James. I decided to call my new CD "Love Transforms" and it was dedicated in loving memory to my mother. When my family and I recognized what a quality album had emerged from that labor of love, I realized that I could actually sell copies of this new CD.
Four of the songs on the new album are my originals and "Amazing Grace" is in the public domain. I found out that the song "May the Circle Be Unbroken" has copyright protection so I did research to find out what I needed to do to be in integrity with that.
It was quite a journey to get permission from the publisher to change a few of the words of the copyrighted song "May the Circle Be Unbroken." The process took many months, a lot of emails, a payment of a licensing fee, etc.
First, I did extensive research on the internet. The closest version of the song I could find was the A.P. Carter version by the name of "Can the Circle Be Unbroken" (original Carter family) from a 1935 recording. I wrote Peer International and they submitted my request to the A.P. Carter estate for approval to change a few of the words. After a few months I received permission to use the changed version. I got the signed paperwork all finalized last summer.
Around that time my sister asked me if I'd like to spend Christmas in Nashville. I said YES!
Before my trip to Nashville, I had seriously considered taking "May the Circle Be Unbroken" off the album. I still needed some help to understand all the terms of the agreement with the publisher. I felt I needed to find a lawyer to help me understand it, so I could go about marketing the new CD. I was frustrated with all the details and effort and time it had taken to get the signed agreement in my hands.
Something extraordinarily magical happen in Nashville. On a day while I was in the hotel resting with a head cold, my father called me and said if I was up to it, he encouraged me to take some time and walk through the Country Music Museum. He raved about it without going into any details. He said he would come and pick up my boyfriend Tim and I. It honestly hadn't been at the top of my list of places to visit in Nashville, but with Dad's encouragement and enthusiasm, I got excited and agreed to go. So on Dec. 29th, while visiting the Country Music Museum, I spent a lot of time on the third floor enjoying the music listening booths, the displays of artists' clothing and musical instruments, and learned so much about the history of country music. It really is a wonderful museum. When it was almost closing time, I went downstairs and walked into the large round room of the Hall of Fame and saw the following words carved in stone in the circular dome ~ "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" ~ and I found a plaque on one of the pillars acknowledging A.P. Carter. I stood there in absolute amazement. Wow! I was deeply moved. So this is why my father and sister said I had to visit the museum! They later told me that during their visit earlier that day, they walked into the room and said "Bridget has got to see this!" But they kept it to themselves so I could wander into the hall and experience the wonder for myself.
On my second visit to the museum I asked a man at the information desk if he thought it would be okay if I sang the song in the hall of fame and he said he thought it would be alright if I sang quietly. I smiled to myself wondering if I could pull that off.
Then I spoke to a kind woman on the staff who told me about the sweet spot right in the center of the room where the acoustics were perfect. She encouraged me to go ahead and sing the song. So I did. I softly sang "May the Circle Be Unbroken" in loving memory of my mother. My boyfriend Tim said that he could hear me clearly anywhere he went in the room. I was so filled with emotion, I almost couldn't finish singing the song. But I did! I love you, Mom! The kind woman who had encouraged me to sing was there and heard me and said my mother would be proud.
If you are able to listen to the recording, the whole song is available to listen to for the rest of this month. To see the lyrics of the song, please click on the title.
And if you'd like to purchase a CD, please let me know. For $15, which includes shipping and handling, I'll mail you the "Love Transforms" CD along with an autographed postcard.
I wish you a very happy and healthy and prosperous New Year!
Love,
Bridget