DANIEL BETSILL, ROGUE ETHNOMUSICOLOGIST:

As a musician, self-styled amateur organologist, student of ethnomusicology and collector, one of my life goals is to collect one of every type of musical instrument devised by mankind.   My aim is not only to obtain the instrument but demonstrate a minimal level of musicianship by learning at least two native songs for the instrument and understand the performance style enough to play improvisation.  Using the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system as my yardstick, I offer the following catalog of my own holdings:

Aerophones: double reed:   Shanai (India), Ken Bao (Vietnam), Baroque oboe A=415 (by H.A. Vas Dias 1983 copied from the Edinburgh Stainsby Jr.), Baroque oboe A=440 (Denner model by Roesler), parlor pipes, Suona (China), Bombarde (Soprano, by Camak)

Aerophones: single reed:   Chalumeax (A=440 Soprano and Tenor, by Moeck), Baroque Clarinet (Martin Clotworthy, student of William Ackerman, England)

Aerophones: brasswind: Trumpet (Yamaha), Trombone, French Horn

Aerophones: fipple flute: whistles (various keys, Susato), Whistle (by Ralph Sweet, Pearwood, key of C), Whistle (by Ralph Sweet, Rosewood, key of D), recorder (baroque system, by Alous)

Aerophones: traverso: fife (Williamsburg, maple)

Aerophones: free reed: accordion (128 bass by Casino, Italy), harmonica (Honer, key of F, A, and C chromatic)

Chordophones: plucked:   Renaissance cittern (DaSalo, by Betsill), Renaissance 8-course lute, classical guitar (Giannini, Brazil), Electro-Acoustic guitar (Ovation Celebrity), Archtop guitar (Silvertone), Archtop guitar (Washburn Orleans), Solid-body electric (Fender Jazzmaster), electric bass (Epiphone viola bass), Archtop guitar (Kay Craft, Florentine body parlor guitar), various dulcimers, various scheitholts, various mandolins, balalaika (prime), Laud (Spanish), Bouzouki (Greek), Oud (6-course, Turkish), Mosobiwa (19th c., Japanese)

Chordophones: bowed:   Violin (Stradivarius model, maker unknown, pre-1900), violin (Knilling Bucharest), viola d'amore (Christofo Choc model, by Betsill), Vielle (Memling model, by Betsill)

Membranophones: struck:   Dumbek (Moroccan, ceramic body), Dumbek (Turkish, carved rosewood), tambourine, Moroccan vessel drums, bones (rosewood)

Idiophones: shaken: maracas (Dominican Republic)

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SONG LIST:

I have for some time wished to compile a database of the songs I have committed to memory with historical and performance notes.   Grouped by instrument, so some songs are listed more than once with specific performance notation.   Date is the year I began serious study of the instrument. This is an incomplete and forever evolving list:

For the fiddle or mandolin (1998):

'Cherry Tree Carol'/ collected by Cecil Sharp/ in D

Dancing Day/ in D

'Christmas Day in da Mornin'/ trad. Shetland Isoands/ in G trans. to D

'Cestnut (A Wassil Tune)'/from the English Dancing Master, 1651/ in Em (G)

'Irish Washerwoman'/ trad. Irish

'Drive the Cold Winter Away'/ listed in the British Broadside Ballad having text "WHen Phebus did rest"/ in Dm

'Newcastle' with 'The Beggar (Am BocKagh)'/ Ruairi Dal O'Cathain/ c. 1650

'The Nightingale'/from Margret Collins' version from Burlington, N. Carolina, 1938/ As recorded by the Baltimore Consort on 'True Lover's Farewell'

'Blue Moon of Kentucky'/ Bill Monroe

'Rorate coeli desuper'/ "A little-known Scot's tune" selected by the editors of the Oxford Book of Carols, 1928. [words: "Drop down ye Heavens]

The Darke is My Delight/ John Morston/ from THe Dutch COurtesan, 1605

Younder COmes a Courteous Knight/ Thomas Ravenscroft, 1609

'O Mistress Mine'/ from W. Shakespere's 'Twelth Night'/ music as in 'Consort Lessons', 1599

For the Renaissance cittern (Italian b-G-d-e tuning), (1995):

'Light of Love'/ from 'New Lessons for the Cottern', 1652

'Howell's Delight' with 'The Parsons Farewell'

For the banjo (2002):

'Adoro Devote' [words: 'Humbly I adore Thee] /French 17th c./ in G

'Come thou Fount of every Blessing'

'Be thou my Vision'

'Hark I hear the Harps Eternal'/ in D

'Berayna'/ as recorded by Fletcher Collins from the singing of Mrs. J.U. Newman, Elon College, N. Carolina, 1939/ other version in C. Sharp under the title of 'The Three Huntsman'/ with added verses as recorded by The Baltimore Consort'

'Turn Around'/ Harry Belafonte and Malvina Reynolds/ with vocal

'Lo How a Rose Er Blooming'/ version as recorded by Pete Seegar/ with vocal

'Can't Help But Wonder Where I'm Bound'/ Tom Paxton/ with vocal

Boots of Spanish Leather' /Bob Dylan/ version based on Nanci Griffith/ with vocal

Stagolee was a Bully/ version recorded by Uncle John Patterson on Folkways 'Folk visions and voices - traditional music of North Georgia'/Collected in Carrol County, 1978/ Banjo in recording tuned f#DF#AD

'Bonnie Kellswater'/ as recorded by the Irish Rovers/ in C/ with vocal

'Bridget Flynn'/ as recorded by the Irish Rovers/ in Em/ with vocal

'Shamrock Shore'/as recorded by the Irish Rovers/ in G/ with vocal

'Leavin' Here, Don't Know Where I'm Going'/ As recorded by John Rakenshaw on Folkways 'Folk visions and voices - traditional music of North Georgia'/ in G/ banjo with vocal

For the lute or guitar (1998):

Three Scot's dances/Anon. 17th c./ as recorded by Paul O'dette on 'Robin is to the Greenwood Gone'

Minuet and Passicalle from 'Liure de Guittarre Dedie Au Roy' / R. De Visee

For the scheitholt or dulcimer (1999):

Rorate coeli desuper/ ibid

'The King of Love' with 'si bheg si mhor

'Liza Jane' [also Liza Up the Simmon Tree or Goodbye Liza Jane]/ early 1900's

For the baroque oboe (1997):

Rorate coeli desuper/ ibid

For the Deutche Schalemi (1997):

Various M. Praetorious and Susato

For the chalumeau (1995):

Rorate coeli desuper/ ibid

For the piano (1981):

Prelude to the Suite Bergamasque - Claude Debussey

'Gondellied' from 'Songs Without Words'/ F. Mendelsshon

Piano concerto in Eb (fragment)/ F. Hayden

Piano concerto No. 13 'Pathetique' (fragment)/ L. Beethoven

For the Highland Bagpipe (2004):

'The Rowen Tree'

'Scots wa Hae' (both in progress!)

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GROUPIE:

The various musical ventures of which I have been a part. "The apparel oft proclaims the man. . ."

Visage.  1988-89
The ubiquitous highschool garage band (actually, we practiced in a garden shed, so we were a shed band) I played guitar, my newly bestowed fender jazzmaster, in homage to my idol (then) Robert Smith of the Cure. Reed, the bassist, was the organizer. We played mainly for the skate parties cenetered around Reed's enormous half-pipe in the back yard. Visage played but one public gig at the Aledo (Texas) community center with two other bands. We sucked, but hey. . .

Minor in piano performance, University of Georgia. 1991-2
I had piano from age six and this was my idea of continuing it into my college years. After but two terms of study with the renound yet abrasive Margret Strahl, the allure faded and I succumbed to other branches of The Arts.

Lauda Musicum. 1995-98
Atlanta early music group founded by Martha Bishop, Gambist and ASO alum, and Randolph James, then organist/Chiormaster of St. Bart's Episcopal Church, where we performed. I was the youngest and least-experienced of the 10+ members but played the widest variety of instruments, from chalumeau and shawm to cittern and harpsichord continuo. A great education in part playing and ensamble, a setting entirely forigen to a 15-year piano isolationist.

The Kevin Dunn experience (my name). 2001
Are u Existentialist-ed? A short lived project with Kev on guitar, girlfriend Pricilla on keyboards, me on bass and Pricilla's sister's girlfriend Susan, a.k.a. Sue-pie, on drums. Susan who went on to win a Grammy for package design. We did 60's R&B covers in a reggae/ska style. Great fun.

Emory Gamelan Ensamble. 2002-2006
Fun! I was a groupie for years and when I moved closer in town to Emory I accepted the offer to join. I can thank the director Stephen Everett and his wife Yayoi, for the referral of my first instrument commission, the current biwa project. I play saron and slenthum in the group. Since I joined the group we have played on stage at the ASO (before a performance of the Messiaen Symphony for Onde Martenot with pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet), at the Atlanta and Savannah Asian Cultural festivals, there in the company of Indonesian dignitaries, for a Wayang Kulit (shadow-puppet play) put on at Emory with guest musicians from Indonesia, and for excerpts of an original composition by Steven, who besides being a gamelaner is internationally known for his composition in electronic music and multimedia. Check it: http://www.emory.edu/MUSIC/COMPUTER/Emory_Javanese_Gamelan_Ens.html

New London Theater. 2003-2005
This is a Snellville (where my workshop is) community theater. I am no actor, but was recruited through connections at my church, St. Matthew's Episcopal, to play fiddle for severel productions over the past few years. I started with 'A Christmas Carol', a natural for my fiddle repitoire, which leans heavily on 17th and 18th c. english dance music. Just the thing to get in the mood for the Holidays! I have played also in productions of 'The Ledgend of Sleepy Hollow' and 'A Cotton Patch Gospel' Their site is http://newlondon.homestead.com/

Betsill and Carey. 2003-2005
We don't really have a name. I met Rachel at the North Georgia Foothills Dulcimer Association Jamboree a few years ago and was entralled by her singing and self-accompanying of anglican hymns. We did an open-mike last year (playing an early-american spiritual and english broadside on banjo and dulcimer) and got invited to do the pre-concert show for this coming year's (2004) gathering. So we are officially an "act". Practicing furiously but with much self-entertainment.

The band. . . Tomorrow.
The BAND? ? ! ! (John Belushi voice) The as of yet unnamed project with me on bass, Web-designing UGA-era friend Jesse on effects guitar and architect work-place cohort Chris on drums. Kind of acid-house dub meets modern-day surf band grunge. We'll keep you posted.

Massed Pipers 2005.
Going to Edinburgh!! I'm a budding member of my friend Evan's pipe band, The Atholl Highlanders out of Stone Mountain, who are marching in the 2005 Edinburgh Massed Pipers and I hope to join them, though my serious study of the instrument has just recently commenced. Check them: http://usahpd.com/

Kevin McFoy Dunn and the Common Article III. 2007
KMcFD (guitar, vocals), Malcom Dunn (bass), DJ (keyboards), Robert Schmid (drums). Kevin's MySpace site:

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=83940533

Check out this silly-ass picture of the Univox I play:

Bring it HOME.