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. I can’t wait to get back down there to start making music with all the talented musicians there and for the lovely audiences there!
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Seattle, WA USA Guadalajara, JAL MX
Ian Dobson Music Newsletter
Hello World!
What an amazing Spring-Summer 2024 season we’ve had so far! Thank you to all of our musical friends that wanted to celebrate their library openings, festivals, school assemblies, outdoor concerts, and private events with us.
Dancin' all around
I gotta say, it’s been super crazy here in the last couple of months!
I've been traveling non-stop since late May, and happily so! From Seattle to Oregon to Kansas and all over Washington, we’ve had so much fun with Steel Drum Parties, Recycalypso Workshops and Tropical Escapes.
I videod and uploaded some of the audience remixes I’ve improvised during these performances. Check'em out! These remixes are created with the audiences' sounds that I capture live during our performances and reflect the audience's creativity, a delightful group music making experience, and a fun way to remember the show.
Did you add your musical voice to any of these show remixes?
Opening of Summer Reading at Muckleshoot Library
Thank you, librarian Robbin!
My Recycalypso workshop/show takes a bit of preparation on the part of the person putting it on. Ms. Robbin from the Muckleshoot King County Library did such an amazing job with these preparations! She generously agreed to allow me to video as she showed off the resources she prepared for Recycalypso. This video is highly-recommended watching for librarians, school teachers, homeschool parents, or anyone else who would like to present my Recycalypso program because offers great ideas of ways to engage attendees prior to my performance.
Click here to watch and be inspired!!
Librarian Robbin
Gig at Clark College
I've had the privilege to perform at Clark College a number of times over the years. It is always fun! Here are some pics that the folks at Clark College took of our performance during their Spring Fest. Thank you Clark College for having us again!
Our Tonala Adventure
As many of you might know, I spent the 2023-2024 Winter season in Mexico. During this time, we had the opportunity to visit a very interesting place: a komil distillery. Among many other things, I learned that this traditional liquor is NOT to be confused with mezcal or tequila!
Please enjoy this short video of our visit.
Let me know if you can make it to any of our concerts, it’s gonna be a blast seeing you!
BOOK NOW FOR THE END OF SUMMER AND FOR FALL
It has been a spring/summer absolutely packed with performances, but as summer draws to a close I have a few more spaces opening up in my schedule. What better time to book that end-of-summer party, back to school celebration for your community, back-to-school assembly where you teach, or any other event in the next few months where you would like some joyous music!
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PACIFIC NORTHWEST BOOKINGS available through early November, 2024
MEXICO BOOKINGS available from December 2024 through April 2025
Follow these steps to book your tropical party TODAY: |
BOOK BEFORE SEPTEMBER 8TH FOR A 2024 DATE AND MENTION THIS NEWSLETTER AND YOU'LL RECEIVE A 15% DISCOUNT ON YOUR BOOKING!!!
That’s all for now, friends. See you next time!
Keep dancin’
Ian Dobson
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People often ask if I can you play Hawaiian music for a concert or private event.
The short but inadequate answer to this question is that yes, I do play Hawaiian music. I play ukulele and sing songs you would hear in Hawaii, and even a few that include some version of the Hawaiian language. I also play marimba and steel drum, which are associated with tropical and Hawaiian music. The problem is that the definition of Hawaiian music that the person asking has will determine whether they ultimately think that I am playing Hawaiian music.
That said, I have never had an unhappy customer for a Hawaiian event where I have performed. In fact, quite a few of them have had me back for many years for their annual luau!
As someone with an academic background in music and musicology and who has been performing professionally for decades, deciding what someone means when they say they want Hawaiian music is not as simple as it seems like it should be. The issue is that, just like in every other area of life (cuisine, agriculture, technology, and especially language), music in any culture is constantly evolving with the influx of influences from other cultures, technological innovations, etc.
If you define Hawaiian music as what existed pre-European contact you are referring to a music that includes mainly shark-skin drums, flutes, a gourd percussion instrument called an "ipu", shackers, and, especially, chanting.
Here is an example of what this music may have sounded like:
This would likely have been accompanied by hula dancing, but only by big muscular men. I have only worked with one group in the Pacific Northwest that offers entertainment similar to this. I do not believe that they are still performing, however.
If your idea of Hawaiian music is ukuleles with beautiful vocal harmonies, that type of music is really a product of the colonial era and of the accelerated cultural exchanges that any seafaring society experiences. The use European harmonies in singing was mainly introduced by missionaires. The ukulele was introduced by Portuguese settlers to Hawaii in the late 19th century.
Or maybe your idea of Hawaiian music is the Hawaiian-born Don Ho, most famous for his song and album Tiny Bubbles. Ho was of very mixed ethnic origins, as are most contemporary Hawaiians. His ancestors were native Hawaiian, Chinese, Portugues, Dutch and German. Or maybe your concept of Hawaiian music includes Elvis Presley songs. Maybe it includes Jack Johnson, a popular, Hawaiian born-and-bred musician of the past several decades... or Bob Marley since his music and reggae in general are very popular in Hawaii... or maybe Jason Mraz, who's music also seems to lend itself to a Hawaiian vibe. And then of course there is Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, who's incredible voice is so associated with Hawaiian music, except that some of his most popular songs are covers of North American popular music: Over the Rainbow, What a Wonderful World, Country Road, etc.
Here are my ideas of Hawaiin music and how best to provide ambiance for a Hawaiian event.
Instruments: steel drums didn't originate in Hawaii or even Polynesia generally. However, they are a very common type of entertainment at Hawaiian-themed parties. They are also common now in Hawaii. Steel drums and marimbas have a lot in commin with the log drum, which is a very traditional Polynesian instrument from the pre-European era. I consider that, at this point, steel drums, marimbas, and vibraphones are part of the Hawaiian tradition. One important proponant of marimba and vibraphone in Hawaiian music is Arthur Lyman. Lyman was an Hawaiian jazz vibraphone and marimba player who's group popularized a style of faux-Polynesian music during the 1950s and 1960s which later became known as exotica. Check out the video below for an example:
Song Selection:
In terms of repertoire, my approach to Hawaiian-themed events is to generally select songs that audiences associate with a tropical vacation and, most importantly, are probably familiar with. People almost always prefer to hear songs they know! I perform a good helping of songs by Hawaiian artists like Iz and Jack Johnson, as well as others, such as songs from the Hawaii-focused Disney film Moana. I also typically perform Jimmy Buffett, Bob Marley, and other non-Hawaiian artists who are nevertheless associated with tropical sounds and VERY well known and loved by audiences.
If you want an accurate musical representation of pre-European-contact Hawaiian music I am not the best choice. However, if you want some very accessible and fun entertainment for a Hawaiian event my solo or group performances are a great option with decades of experience and happy Hawaiian-event-planning clients!
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[Verse]
G Em
Almost Heaven, West Makaha,
D C G
high-ridge mountain, crystal-clear blue water.
Em
All my friends there hanging on da beach,
D
young and old among them,
C G
feel the ocean breeze.
[Chorus]
G D
Country road, take me home,
Em C
to the place I belong,
G D
West Makaha, Mount Ka'ala.
C G
Oh, take me home, oh, country road.
[Bridge]
Em D
I heard a voice,
G
in the morning calm, she calls me,
C G D
as though to remind me of my Home far away.
Em F
Driving down the road,
C
I feel the Spirit coming to me,
D D7
from yesterday, yesterday.
[Verse]
G Em
All my memories hold Heaven on high,
D C G
brown-skinned woman, clear blue island sky.
Em
Daytime sunshine, oo-ooh so bright,
D C G
midnight moon a-glowing, stars up in the sky.
[Chorus]
[Bridge]
[Verse]
G Em
Almost Heaven, West Makaha,
D C G
high-ridge mountain, crystal-clear blue water.
Em
All my friends there hanging on da beach,
D
young and old among them,
C G
eating fish straight from the sea.
[Chorus] x4
[fade out spoken]
G D
Huuhuu. Huuu-tah.
Em C
Good fo' be back.
C D
White san', clean watah.
C G
Hô boy, the mountain...feel the makani...
whew, what a place.
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Yesterday, just before doing my regular Sunday Steel Drum Party, I participated in a pre-mothers' day Zoom performance for the Tabernacle M.B. Church in Tallahassee, Florida. It was a blast!
Spring has sprung and I am back in Seattle for a few days to perform at the Boats Afloat Show on Lake Union, tomorrow, Saturday!
Please pardon the new newsletter formatting. I am getting the newsletter set up on a new platform.
I will only be around for about a week, into the very beginning of May. If you have been thinking about throwing a party between now and around May 12th, please reach out and let's get you some live, tropical music to take your party to the next level!
How about a Cinco de Mayo party!?!
Please let me know before Monday, May 2nd. After your party :) I'm heading back to Guadalajara for several weeks, then I'll be back at the beginning of June. Lot's of demand for June, but there are still dates available from June through the rest of the summer. Let's enjoy life this summer!
Upcoming Shows
***Boats Afloat Show
4/30/2022 3pm to 6pm, Chandler's Cove, 901 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109
I'll be playing for a yacht christening party at the Outer Reef Yachts booth.
Artist: Ian Dobson Solo
Click Here for Tickets and Details
***Ian Dobson's Virtual Steel Drum Party
5/1/2022 4pm to 4:30pm PST
Please click here to get your free ticket!
Keep dancin’
Ian Dobson
CLICK HERE for full schedule
I’ve just returned from the Caribbean and Panama Canal on Holland America’s Statendam where I was performing and teaching steel drums to passengers. I met so many great people and they were so excited to learn about the music of the region. For a number of them studying steel drums was on their bucket list. What an honor to help them achieve an item on their list! Below is a video with a few sights and sounds from this musical adventure…
I’m happy to be back and headed into (potentially) the good weather season in the Northwest. We have a number of great events in the next few weeks, and several are open to the public.
Many Voices, One Land 2012 program
Sponsored by the King County Library System
I’ll be performing 4 shows as part of the King County Library System’s “Many Voices, One Land” 2012 program. Translated from Caribbean English, Pan Leggo means “steel drum party.” In the show I share the joy of exploring other cultures through music by recounting my quirky musical journey from Seattle grunge kid to Steel Drum musician. In the process audiences learn some music and cultural history and gain insight into being resourceful and creative. My interactive web site provides learning opportunities before and after the show.
More information is at:
http://www.kcls.org/manyvoicesoneland/
PUBLIC PERFORMANCES FOR MANY VOICES:
Today, Fri, March 23, 5pm – 6pm
Crossroads Bellevue Shopping Center, 15600 NE 8th St. Bellevue, Washington
If you haven’t been to Crossroads it is probably the coolest “mall” around. They have a great stage in the middle of the building and have many live music and cultural events there. The performance features Ian Dobson's Pan Leggo trio with me, Christian Krehbiel, and special guest Ernesto Pediangco on percussion. This is an all-ages show and is great for kids!
Sat, March 31, 2pm – 3pm
Vashon Library, 17210 Vashon Hwy. S.W., Vashon Island, Washington 98070
This is an all-ages show and is great for kids!
SCHOOL AND OTHER PERFORMANCES:
Wed, March 28, 2:30pm – 3:30pm
Sammamish Teen Center
If you know a teen who is a member of the Teen Center tell'em to come on down to the show.
Thu, March 29, 12:45pm – 1:45pm
Cedarcrest High School, 29000 NE 150th St., Duvall, WA 98019
If you know a student at Cedarcrest tell'em not to miss this show.
It would be great to see you at one of these shows!
Keep dancin’
Ian Dobson
I’m out on the Holland America ship the Statendam performing and teaching steel drums. I am especially enjoying the teaching part! The passengers are so eager to get a chance to learn about and play a bit of Caribbean music, and I love to share that adventure with them. I feel like I’m in my element! It is a great chance for me also to develop a curriculum for a short, relatively informal steel drum class.
Some of the other crew members and I had a little adventure in Costa Rica today. We had rehearsals and such and weren’t able to do any of the excellent organized excursions that Holland America offers. So we tried to do it ourselves. However, this particular stop is a container port in the middle of the jungle. There is almost nothing there. A group of us started walking and since I speak Spanish I sort of became the leader. The port officials were discouraging us from walking, but they let us walk out of the port but said we had to take a taxi back in. We walked some distance in the hot, sticky, tropical heat with the rain forest all around and big loud semi trucks zooming past. We went to a restaurant and had some wonderful fresh juices and watched the iguanas and listened to the wonderful tropical birds. Then we started back but realized the taxis weren’t coming by and my roommate (a piano player) and I had to play a set in like 40 minutes. I told everyone else that Simon and I were just going to go ahead and run back. So I’m sprinting through the tropical heat and figuring I’ll just tell the port officials that they have to let us in. Just before I get to the port entrance I see a taxi coming the other way. I flag him down and we go back and pick everyone up and go into the port in the Taxi. Simon and I rush into our rooms to change and get ready only to find a note that our set has been moved an hour later.
So, I figure I’ll hop off the ship again and use the internet in the terminal right next to the ship. I do that and arrive back at the gangway about 5 to 7 minutes before crew all aboard. Unfortunately I arrive just after a tour bus filled with hundreds of passengers disgorges itself, so there is a huge line/group of passengers waiting to get on the ship. I figure it is important that I get on so I sort of merge with the line and think nothing of it. Then at dinner my boss’s boss tells me I’m in the doghouse. I had no idea what she was talking about. Apparently the captain or one of his security guys was watching me and decided I cut in the line. I have unwittingly gotten very much on the radar of the captain unfortunately. I think he is a very good captain, but it’s rough when I feel like I am working hard at my job and really knocking it out of the ballpark (and uniquely qualified for what Holland America is looking for) but you still unwittingly get in trouble. Ship life is definitely unique. Anyway, the passengers and great people I work with and especially my steel drum students make it all worthwhile.
Hello Caribbean Music Lovers,
We have a last minute show that should be a lot of fun at Crossroads Shopping Center. If you haven’t been there it is probably the coolest “mall” around. They have a great stage in the middle of the building and have many live music and cultural events there. We will be the opening act for their 21st Annual Cultural Crossroads Festival!
Friday, November 4th, 4pm to 4:50pm, Market Music Stage, Crossroads Shopping Center.
A big thank you to our sponsors: King County Library System & Bellevue Friends of the Library.
More information is at:
Our showcase at the big booking conference went fabulously, as did our awesome pirate-themed show in Longview. We performed at a benefit for the Columbia Theater in Longview. I drove by the theater the next day. It’s a real classy old place! We had some wonderful musicians from the Longview area sitting in with the band for most of our set. It must be something in the water this fall... the pirate parties are elaborate, have impeccably-costumed guests, and are just generally over the top!
Click here for excerpts from the showcase of our theater show Ian Dobson’s Caribbean Escape.
Click here for some excerpts from our showcase of my school show Ian Dobson’s Pan Leggo.
I hope to see you at Crossroads!
Keep dancin’
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Hello Everyone,
I have many more private events this month but only two more public ones… so I’d love to see you at one of them! Both of these events are all ages and fun family environments.
I want to invite everyone out to what is truly one of the best happy hours in the Seattle area. Plus it seems to be the most economical, which we can all appreciate these days. I’m playing tomorrow (Wednesday, August 10th from 5pm to 7pm) at the Sorrento. When I did this last month it was a really fabulous event. The hotel closes off the courtyard in front of the hotel to traffic and puts out tables. Did I mention how tasty the food was? Wow! I’m playing as a solo but will probably have a guest or two sitting in with me.
Click here for more information.
Here’s a picture from last month at the Sorrento:
On Saturday I’ll have my duo in Sammamish from 2:15pm to 3pm. This should be a very interactive show with lots of kids participating. Fun!
Click here for more information.
Last night I went down to a new club in Ballard and sat in on steel drum, percussion, and vocals. It was a great session and I’m planning to be back next Monday, August 15th. Music starts around 9:30pm and I’ll be sitting in with some of the hottest local jazz/Latin/Brazilian musicians in town. The bar is called Paratii.
Click here to listen to a little sampling of some of my musical adventures in the past few weeks with my band. Enjoy!
Keep dancin’
Ian Dobson
CLICK HERE for full schedule
As I mentioned, my drive to my first gig in Nebraska was a bit of a haze. I remember stopping somewhere in the mountains in Montana late at night and finding a hotel to sleep in. Turned out it was next to the train tracks, crude oil trains running back and forth all night... I slept for maybe 4 or 5 hours then got on my way again. Things got a little dicey later on Sunday with my wakefulness so I had to stop and take a nap in my car. By Sunday night I really wasn’t sure if I would make it for my first gig, but with help from the lovely and talented Anne Heneberry (who made hotel reservations for me on Sunday night as I exhausting my driving capacity for the day), I was able to make it to a hotel within striking distance of my first gig the next day. I was already so grateful for me new (used) Toyota Sienna with all its bells and whistles that I'm not used to, like cruise control. They sure did come in handy during the driving. I'm pretty sure that I will destroy the cargo area of this vehicle sooner rather than later with all the gear loading and unloading and its plastic trim. We'll see how it lasts and whether I need to move back towards a real cargo vehicle soon, but for now surely am enjoying the bells and whistles!
One of my most vivid memories of the marathon trip to Nebraska was driving into Sunday night not knowing if I would make it to my first show the next morning and finding a radio station that was all Native American singing and drumming. Driving off into the unknown darkness listening to this haunting and beautiful music so rooted in this new and flat land that I have rarely traversed.
I showed up at my first school gig the next morning not terribly confident that everything would go smoothly.
But all of my performing instincts just kicked right in even though I was dog tired. The show was a great success! The staff were quite friendly and the principle even invited me to stay with his family if I came back through the area on my tour or future tours. Wow, was I surprised that the first show went so well!
I was off and running! After the first week of touring I took stock. Sitting in a cafe in Canby, MN. I realized I had driven something like 2500 to 3000 miles in the past week and performed 12 solo shows in front of perhaps 1000 to 2000 students total. It was a HUGE challenge to get ready for the tour. It used to take me between 1.5 to 2.5 hours to set up and at least 1 hour to break down. In this first week I had had 15 minutes to set up at most shows. My new Fender Expo line array PA system didn’t sound quite as good as my Bose system but it sure did set up quickly and fills a gymnasium well. And I realizing that when I'm playing in echo chambers most of the time the added audio quality isn't really missed … well, maybe just a bit on the high end is missed. Anyway, all my work seemed to have paid off and I was able to get set up in the time I had and the shows were ROCKIN'!! Forget being big in Japan, I felt I was big in the Midwest with the K-8 crowd!
Now the trick was to settle into life on the road and figure out what to do on the weekends. Sisseton, SD, my first weekend stop, was not inspiring me at all. Here are some pictures of downtown Sisseton and the shuttered theater to give you some idea of why I was lacking inspiration.
Post by Drum Talk TV.
I hope everyone is having a happy, PANtastic holiday season! I am back in town after a wonderful and rewarding 7.5-week, 76-show solo tour around the Midwest. After driving 10 or 11 thousand miles and so many wonderful experiences I am excited to share my tour tales with everyone and very much looking forward to bringing more of my musical ideas to life in 2015.
In fact, if you have kids in your life, or even if you don’t, I would love for you to join our steel drum party to celebrate Noon Years Eve! I will be performing with Christian Krehbiel and Ernesto Pediangco and we will play festive music from around the world. We will even have a countdown to noon! This is a great way for kids who need to go to bed before midnight to ring in the new year.
I sure hope you will come and bring the kids! And if you do come, I hope you will encourage the kids to invent their own Noon Year’s Musical Instrument. This instrument can represent something that your child wishes for in 2015 or it can just be a fun, cool sounding instrument. And by "kids" I mean people ages 0 to 95 :)
**Wednesday, December 31st, 2014, 11:30am to 12:30pm, King County Library System-Bellevue Library (Room #1), 1111 110th Avenue NE, Bellevue, WA 98004
Details
Noon Year's Steel Drum Party @ Bellevue Library
Celebrate the noon year with a steel drum party and songs and sounds from around the world. Featuring Caribbean steel drums, percussion from around the world, and children’s original recycled-musical-instrument inventions! Seating is limited. First come, first seated. Sponsored by Bellevue Friends of the Library.
More information at:
http://www.kcls.org/calendar/detail.cfm?view=event&lib=ALL
Here are the instructions for how to make your New Year’s Musical Invention:
1. Think of a wish for 2015 (optional).
2. Look around you in your house. Find interesting-sounding recycled materials from the recycling bin or elsewhere. The only rules are A. NO GLASS, B. NOTHING SHARP (so make sure and remove sharp edges from tin cans, etc.), C. MAKE SURE THE ITEM IS CLEAN. Listen to the sounds they make. If you have a wish for 2015 decide how to make an instrument that sounds like your wish.
3. If you want you can combine materials as well using tape or other methods. How would that tea box sound taped to the top of the plastic yogurt container? How would it sound to use noodles, beans, or other food items to turn your recycled item into a shaker.
4. Maybe you want to decorate your recycled instrument with paint or any other method? This is a great opportunity to show your wish for 2015 with your decorations!
5. When you finish, figure out all the ways you can make sounds with your recycled instrument. Can you hit it with your hand to make a nice sound? Can you hit it with a stick and make a cool sound? What happens if you hit it in different spots, does it make different sounds? Is it louder when you play it one way then when you play it another way? Can you shake it and make a sound? How many different ways can you shake it?
6. Come up with a name for your instrument. You can name it with your wish for 2015. For example, “MorePlayTimeWithFriends” could be a name. If you don’t want to name it your wish you could give it a name that describes what the instrument does. For example, one student who made a really fun looking shaker called it the supercalafradjashaker. Or the name can have nothing to do with the sound of the instrument. You can call your instrument “Frank” if it looks like “Frank” to you. You can name your instrument anything you want, just be creative.
7. Practice your instrument so you learn how to play it. Remember, you are the world’s expert on playing your instrument.
8. Bring your instrument to the Noon Year’s Steel Drum Party and help Ian and his friends make music to ring in the New Year!
Age Limit
Family program, all ages welcome!
Ticket Details
Free! No tickets required.
Artists
Ian Dobson’s Steel Drum Party with Ian Dobson, Christian Krehbiel, and Ernesto Pediangco
I have so much to tell about my amazing Midwest tour! It is hard to know where to start. I plan to create several blog entries over the next few months to tell the tale. Please enjoy the following first instalment. Just click on the link below:
https://iandobson.ning.com/profiles/blogs/2014-ian-dobson-s-recycalypso-midwest-solo-tour-part-1
And please click on the link below to see a newspaper article written about my show in South Dakota:
https://iandobson.ning.com/profiles/blogs/recycalypso-beat-for-students-by-del-bartels-from-the-pioneer-rev
I sure hope to see some of you at the Noon Year's Eve show! It will be so much fun. Please enjoy your last few days of 2014... that is plenty of time to make your New Year's Musical Invention to bring down to the show.
