Hey Diddle Diddle
Hello!
Guten Tag! Buenos Dias! Etc., etc.! It's me, Catherine Aleshanee
Graham, but please call me Cat. I play violin. Sort of. I like Balkan
music. I like dancing to Balkan music. Don't dance too long
to Balkan music. I don't sing to Balkan music. I just throw in phrases,
like... Well, we won't go into that now. Take a look!
I am a poet, but I know it. See?(Actually, I
don't rhyme, though it's prime time.)
Brotkopf
Is German for Breadhead. Not really funny, guys. Daddy is just trying
to call me a bunhead. I told him tell Sue Niemann that and he just said
never get a woman with drumsticks angry. Who's Sue Niemann? Wait for it.
She isn't a bunhead though.
LWW, BKRMA, and AD.
I hate pop, rock, jazz, country, and especially rap. (Actually,
there's a couple exceptions, but if Dad knows that I kind of like a
certain album, he'll play it all the time, then run for cover!) But these
are really cool bands. They play music that is very cool for different
reasons. They have all been seen live at least once by me, which, lemme
tell ya, is much better than their CDs (But both are good!)
The Liberated Wailing Wall is just about the BEST Jewish gospel music.
They sing songs that praise God (See dad's article to find out more!), get your toes tapping,
and sound great. I mean it! They really have a way of making you think
about God, and they are really fun to sing along to. (Three little words;
la, la, and la!) Also, they play really cool songs that I can memorize,
"Get You Up", and "Psalm 39" are two notable ones. The latter made Psalm
39 my absolute FAVORITE!!!!!!!!!!! (Trick for Bible readers: To really
study a psalm, underline it really, really carefully so that it goes
slower. For fast readers like me, you can really study it that way). I
really think that LWW is highly recommended on my list. Also, when my
uncle Gary says a lot of things about really getting in to praising God,
I think I know what he means (Of course, if I keep singing those two
songs in the backyard EVERY NIGHT, my mom, dad, and sister are going to
get really sick of those songs).
Balkanarama plays some absouloutly GREAT SONGS! They, at last count,
have six members, Mike Gordon, Ferko Saxmanov, Eva Moon (more about her
later), Sue Niemann, Matty Noble, and Amir Arslanagic.They all play very
fast. Matty Noble, their violinist, is no exception. And, of course,
what's a song without rythm? They just better watch out that Sue Niemann
dosen't escape when nobody's looking back there. Their guitarist is from
Bosnia. He replaced Tym Parsons, who played great too, and I can't
believe how cool they sound now. And they sounded good before Amir!
("Before Amir". Sounds like a movie!) The other members are no exception
in speed, sound, or song (Everybody sings but Matty Noble). You just
gotta see their website.
Atwater-Donnelly is a very, very, VERY cool duo. And guess what? I've
seen them LIVE. Now I can't decide which I like best. Probably all three
and MANY, MANY, others. But to get back to A-D.
They're so cool. They play the coolest music, and they have, um, how
many? great CDs out. I have two favs.
We even met them! My mom and dad saw them at some sort of house party,
and decided to drag (well, maybe not) us down to see them. I liked 'em
beforehand. Anyway, we made the wonderful mistake of sitting in the front
row. Dad was making a telephone call, but Mom and I and Bunnah (as she is
called on Dad's weblog) were sitting there, and I guess Mom had made a
deep impression on them, 'cause they said hi to us. Also, I made the
mistake of laughing during the intermission, and got teased (for lack of
a better word) by Mr. Donnelly. They're really nice, though. They have a
website, too. As in words
of one of their songs, "We'd love to see [them] again....."
Now, if you are very curious who Eva Moon is, or why I didn't put
anything down about her, It's because she's so interesting (Or at least
someone to talk about a lot) that she needs a whole paragraph.
I'd also listen to an organ toccata by Bach. Or Symphony No. 40 by
Mozart. Or the Fifth symphony by the famous deaf composer. Or Debussy,
Vivaldi, Shoenburg, Copland, Brahams, and Haydn. PS- go try one of
Dad's other web site links!
About Me!
I keep a diary, but I defenently won't let you see that.
Number 1, it's private, number 2, you couldn't read my writing, and
number 3, I go off on so many tangents that you couldn't possibly follow me.
You might think me crazy. I'm not. I just like to dance. Once,
Balkanarama (Fast and lively) did a couple sets at a local bookstore.
First set, I'm just sitting down, watching their incredible violinist,
but by the next set I was dancing so hard I thought I'd die. I was
sweltering, and lucky I was wearing a tee shirt. Wish Balkanarama'd make
a new CD. Dad has tried to explain to me that financial things, and maybe
it's the fact that they have a new gutarist. A replacement. The old one
left. Moved to Fiji. Not that green, I guess. I'm green. I've figured out
that SOME people aren't, but we won't go there. By the way, when I was
dancing, I guess some guy saw me, and complemented me. Nice. But months
later, I found out. He was Tym Parsons' father-in-law!
Cat and the Fiddle
Now that I am telling you that I play violin, so you'll get the
title. I really love taking lessons and practicing. I can play
lots of songs by ear. My favorite is "I'll Tell Me Ma", which is on one
of Atwater-Donnelly's CDs.
Who are Kameron, Caroline, and Jan?
I have three really, really precious to me homeade dolls, Bethany
Kameron (Mom made her), Aubrey Jan, and Eva Caroline. AND, my other doll that
Grandma made a dress for (storebought doll) is named Constanza Selene.
And, I have another doll, Jodie Eva Franziska.
Cat and the...paintbrush?!?!?
I love to draw. I mostly draw women dancing, but occasionally I draw
Balkanarama. Unfortunately, I keep making people look weird. My latest
attempt is supposedly my best, but all I know is that I got the
proportions better. Y'see, in an earlier drawing, Matty Noble was just as
tall as Sue Niemann -- seated. (Sue Niemann, not Matty Noble, was
sitting)
Eva Moon and the Cow
This is the paragraph about Eva Moon, but I haven't done the cow joke
yet. You see, because of her last name, it's a little joke in our family
that we ought to throw a cow over her head, but she'd probably be glad to
know that we'll never get around to it. For one thing, we may hit Sue
Niemann or something. Actually, this is a complete joke. However, we do
make a lot of complete jokes, so don't worry.
I said there were exceptions back in my music column and I meant it.
Eva herself plays in her own band, which bears her name. Dad went and saw
her playing, and picked up her new CD, of which for us he's played
age-appropriate songs. I liked 'em, and it's a pop group, which is why
that fact is surprising. One song drove Mom hysterical, which generally
means it's pretty funny. Me and Dad have so many arguments because we
don't know the words really well, and keep proving that one is right.
Uh-Oh.
At the Northwest Folklife Festival at the Seattle Center, I saw
Balkanarama playing, really late at night. Anyway, I was sort of dancing,
and sort of noticing that Eva Moon was glancing around the audience.
Not to worry I told myself, she probably dosen't see me.
Actually, she did. She told me so herself (What was I doing talking to
her? We were saying hi for reasons unknown to me, but I was able to cross
it of my top ten list of things to do).