DANCE OF THE SANDHILL is a musical metaphor honoring the inspiring mating ritual of the Sandhill Crane. In Japan, cranes symbolize longevity. Many folk talked talk of cranes living a thousand years. They are known to have endured on this planet for millions of years. The curious musical motion of Sandhills affect our own human survival in intriguing ways.
“Our Ability to perceive quality in nature begins, as in art, in beauty. It expands through successive stages of the beautiful to values as yet uncaptured by language. The quality of cranes lies, I think, in this higher gamut, as yet beyond the reach of words.” Aldo Leopold - The Sand County Almanac
MOSAIC
mo.sa.ic (mo-sa' ik) noun a. A decorative design made by setting small colored pieces into a surface. b. The process or art of making such a design. [Middle English musycke; Old French mosaique; Old Italian mosaico; Medieval Latin musaicum. Translation: 'of the muses'.
“Music, in performance, is a type of sculpture. The air in the performance is sculpted into something.”
Frank Zappa (1940-93)
In the making of MOSAIC, The Montana Mandolin Society sets musical pieces from various cultures, genre, and eras into an overall design. The result is an art piece illuminating the complex partnerships of creativity, musicianship and artful arrangements. MOSAIC is a magical venture through what we have come to know as “The Montana Sound”. Each piece depicts the muse in its own image. Savor each moment!
“The Montana Mandolin Society is keeping wonderful musical pleasure. On that time of Kumamoto concert, we discovered Muse!”
Koda Hiroshi - Conductor of The Kumamoto Mandolin Orchestra
Kumamoto, Japan (2002)
The composition "Japanese Music Box" on this CD is part of the soundtrack for the Ken Burns film documentary "Prohibition"!
THE BRIDGER WALTZ
This musical collection reflects profound inspiration from the majestic Rocky Mountains. We hope it give you respite from the various peaks and valleys of our lives and times.
spans a musical time line of mandolin history. This rich variety of music is representative of tunes from the seventeenth century to the twenty-first century. We love this music and you can tell when you hear it. Our mandolin reflect tones as bright and sharp as Montana's mountains as vast and powerful as Montana's wide open plains…..as far as we can see.
Linda Wertheimer on her interview with us, responds to this music….”all of those strings together……”. See what you think.
Waltzes, Classical, Contemporary, Original, and Historic
“It is Gratifying to know that the Mandolin is alive and well in Montana. The Montana Mandolin Society has come up with a great collection of mandolin music. Congratulations on a splendid effort!”
David Grisman
The composition "Maggie's Lullaby" on this CD is part of the soundtrack for the Ken Burns film documentary "Prohibition"!
Every man needs space and freedom to create. One also needs time. I've always found there are never enough hours I the day to do everything I want to. This project was no exception. I had to compete with five wonderful months of Montana's summer at which time I was challenged to canoe a river or climb a mountain or just to hike and gaze at the miles of wide, open spaces.
This recording is a musical journey representing the many miles that I have traveled. Whether it was my first recollections of different musical tones, the discovery of string band and blues music of the rural south or the music of W.A. Mozart, I just wanted to make the music I heard in my head.
One doesn't ever know what direction his musical path will take. Mine has taken me all around this world. I've traveled the back roads of the Appalachian Mountains, the avenues of Nashville Tennessee and wandered the archives of the Library of Congress in search of America's musical heritage.
In this world of global communication with the stresses of a modern day culture, man finds it harder and harder to find a place to rest and to be able to hear himself think. This music is not only a trek through my musical life and styles, but it is a statement to every man's quest to have more “elbow room”. In my travels I have always gravitated to the remote areas of the wilderness to “ listen to the silence”.
I've always considered recordings as audio photographs or paintings, if you will, with each cut capturing a musician at that moment with the many colors and tones of their performance. For each tune on this disc, I've tried to collect the right players for the flavor and tone of that sound, then taken a picture. I hope that something here will make you smile or let you tap your foot. If so, I've done my job.
Meet this Composer- Dennis White
Dennis White is a balladeer, composer, storyteller, actor, Grammy nominated producer and musician. He was raised in the North Carolina Foothills and reflects the true oral and musical tradition of the region. He is a well-seasoned musician with many years of personal appearances as well as radio and television appearances to his credit. His production credits include director of June Apal Recordings. Performance credits include The Grand Ole Opry, Harry Chapin's Cotton Patch Gospel Musical, and the 1996 Tennessee State Old Time Banjo Champion.
Presently, as director of The Montana Mandolin Society, he has conducted appearances on NPR's All Things Considered, The JF Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and a musical ambassador tour throughout Japan. He and his music most recently appeared on the Discovery Channel's 2003 documentary “In Search of Lewis and Clark”.
To commission a composition by Dennis White please contact him by phone
at
406•587•7198 or email:lomcco@aol.com
