Truffles
Truffles is a unique teaching/composition pilot project developed by Oliver in conjunction with young folks from the Smithers area in the fall of 2004. It started with short (20 minute) one-on-one composition sessions. In those twenty minutes, the expectation was to write a fiddle tune. The first week’s session yielded about 18 new tunes composed by the kids. The second week a few months later another 20 or so. The youngest composer was maybe 7, the oldest about 17. A lot of these tunes were built around stories. We would find a story that was meaningful for the kids and take it from there. Spinning yarns, weaving melodies – it’s all cut from the same cloth. “My main task was to get the kids to relax and start the ball rolling – then their wonderful imagination cut loose and sometimes I was barely fast enough to write down the results!”
“When I came away from the first week, I realized I had more than a few tunes on my hands. I had the beginning of a whole new home-grown repertoire. These were catchy melodies. They had everything I look for in a repertoire – a lot of variety, emotional range, humour, hooks. There were tunes that sounded like they came from within a tradition, and there was pure imagination music – a real cross section, everything from lyrical or whimsical songs to Newfie Jigs, French Canadian, Irish, Breton, cartoon music, hymns, pure fancy… a lot of personality. But I wouldn’t expect less from a town that has such a lot of musical personality. And the titles were wonderful in themselves. Tunes like ‘The Dishcloth Rag’, ‘Parents, and their Coffee’, ‘Pepsi and Imp’ (about two hamsters), ‘Dust Bunnies’, ‘The Guide and the Broom’ (about a bewitched wedding), ‘Monsters Under the Bed’, ‘The Brain of the Darkness’. The full range of childrens’ imagination was expressed in this music.
I called the whole thing ‘Truffles’ because these tunes were little nuggets of goodness; besides that, we had a tradition in Smithers of handing out chocolate truffles. In any case, it is very exciting to see the kids digging in and composing freely, just as they would fingerpaint, or draw, or do any fun thing that young humans do.”
Some members of the Truffles gang appeared at the Vancouver Folk Festival, where they composed on stage in front of an audience of about 400. It was like Theatresports. The audience was polled for a suggestion of a title, and away we went. “It was a chance for other young folks to see that composition does not need to be academic or abstract; it can be an expressive activity that is just a natural part of life.
TRUFFLES 2nd edition:
Fiddle tunes by kids from Smithers, BC
liner notes
Truffles is an ongoing children’s composition project. Truffles came out of a series of 20 minute one-on-one tune-writing workshops I conducted in Smithers, BC in the fall of 2004. A lot of these tunes were built around stories. We would find a story that was meaningful for the kids and take it from there. Spinning yarns, weaving melodies – it’s all cut from the same cloth. By the end of a week, I had a pile of eighteen new tunes written by the kids. That is already the start of a common repertoire – a living tradition – the Smithers fiddle tradition in the making.
These are catchy melodies. They have everything I look for in a repertoire – a lot of variety, emotional range, humour, hooks. Some of the tunes sounded traditional and some of them were pure imagination-driven gems. I was blown away by their variety and musicality. These tunes are so different from each other. There is a really wide scope here, everything from lyrical or whimsical songs to Newfie Jigs, French Canadian, Irish, Breton, cartoon music, hymns, pure fancy… a lot of personality. But I wouldn’t expect less from a town that has such a lot of musical personality.
I made a simple demo of some of this music so that kids could hear it in a coherent context with a bit of harmony. That was the 1st edition. Since that time, many young folk in the community have composed more tunes, with and without my help. At this point, my original pile of eighteen tunes has grown to about fifty!
I continue to work with these children, building a tradition of composing for fun and self-expression. This is a chance for young folks to see that composition does not need to be academic or abstract; it can be an expressive activity that is just a natural part of life. It is very exciting to see the kids digging in and composing freely just as they would finger-paint, or doodle, or play hopscotch, or do any fun thing that young humans do. On this 2 nd Edition, the kids themselves are playing more of the melodies, and a number of new tunes have been added. We are never done composing!
One of our traditions in Smithers was for me to come up there loaded down with chocolate truffles. I would hand these out at any opportunity. “You look like you need a truffle?” Mmmmm! These tunes I had collected seemed like another kind of truffles – musical truffles – yummy little musical nuggets that made you feel good.
We hope you enjoy these tunes – better than that, we hope that you learn them and have fun playing them. Best of all – write your own tunes and share them with each other.
Oliver Schroer and the Truffles gang
If you have comments or questions for myself or any of the young composers in this project, feel free to email me: oliver at oliverschroer.com
Check out my website for more about my projects: www.oliverschroer.com
Copyright Oliver Schroer 2005
All of these tunes are by kids from Smithers between the ages of 7 and 17.
THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS
The Music
1. Growing Up
Alexandra Schell
Alex was on a long car trip, and she made up some words. Before you know it, a melody joined in. This sunny and charming song was the result. And it is the only song I know with ‘marmot’ in the lyrics!
Alex: voice
Oliver: guitars |
2. Jason’s tune
Jason Oliemans
Jason’s melody is fiercely independent and determined to go its own way. It reminds me of tunes by the Louisiana fiddler Dennis McGee – a Cajun flavour, but with a serious back-bayou twist.
Jason: melody fiddles
Oliver: backup fiddles, guitars |
3. Dust Bunnies
Emily Clougher
Emily described it all too well. Dust bunnies get swept under the furniture, but they always come bouncing back. You can hear both of those things going on in this melody.
Oliver: all instruments |
4. The Dishcloth Rag
Antje von Seydlitz
A great humorous title that always makes people chuckle. Antje also arranged parts for trombone and clarinet, both of which she plays.
Antje: melody fiddle, trombone, clarinet
Oliver: guitar |
5. Parents and their Coffee (Eltern mit Ihrem Kaffee)
Katherine Clougher/Kayleigh Cuell
Some of these titles knock me out. There is a strong sardonic twist to this kid’s perspective on adults’ cherished morning ritual.
Katherine, Kayleigh: melody fiddles
Oliver: guitars |
6. L’Eponge Mordu
Robin Lough/Katherine Clougher
We had such a good time writing this at the end of a lesson. The girls were quite preoccupied with the fact that their horse had eaten a sponge. Chewed it and spat it out - just like that. So this is what they wanted to write a song about. You can hear the horse chewing. And of course the big moment is the “Bleaghhh!!” But they wanted to give it a French flair – hence the title. And the tune is French Canadian as can be.
Oliver: all instruments |
7. Silver String
Katelyn Olynek
Katelyn’s seriously groovin’ tune always reminded me of the band The Who. So I did up a treatment with lots of loud guitars!.
Katelyn: melody fiddles
Oliver: Guitars, backup fiddles |
8. Runaway Flower
David Clougher/ Oliver Schroer
David came up with the first part very naturally. I finished it…. It is the most hauntingly sweet melody. Not what I expected from 8 year old David, who considers himself an explosions expert. Sounds a lot like a gospel hymn… should be an old pump organ playing. And what are those touches of Waltzing Matilda?
Oliver: all instruments |
9. Monsters Under the Bed
Megan MacLeod
Megan talks of this slightly crooked jig appearing under her fingers as she played around one day. So many tunes are like that. Doodles turn into drawings turn into paintings.
Megan, melody fiddles
Oliver: guitars, backup fiddles |
10. The Brain of the Darkness
Kiri Price
Kiri is an original thinker. When he came in to see me, we only made minor adjustments to his very unique and aptly named melody, which always reminded me of the English prog-rock band YES. Even in the midst of the darkness, there is a ray of hope, however. That cheery recorder line (originally played on the fiddle) is played here by Kiri’s mom Karen.
Kiri: melody fiddle
Oliver: guitars
Karen Daoust: recorder |
11. Hummingbirds
Lauren & Carly Allen/Melissa Stam/Madeline Lough
We talked about these remarkable birds, and wrote a tune to capture that spirit. Light, airy and ultra pretty. I especially like the feathery end part...
Oliver: all instruments |
12. The Guide and the Broom (a tragic wedding tale)
Emma Cuell/Jennifer Hutter/ Bailey Lyttle
A lot of our tunes were very intermingled with their stories. This one started as a tune/story about a frog! At some point, one of the kids said “This sounds like a wedding tune”. And then Jennifer came up with the idea that at the altar, the groom tragically and without warning turned into a broom. His new bride then had to guide him back out of the church because as a broom, of course, he was eyeless. The story got so exciting, we almost lost track of the tune, but it turned out to be a very pretty one indeed.
Emma, Jennifer, Bailey: melody fiddles
Oliver: backup fiddles, guitar |
13. Fussel
Kayleigh Cuell/ Robin Lough
For me this charming melody relates to cartoon music and old jazz.
Kayleigh is learning German from me, one arcane expression at a time. Fussel was one such word. It means ‘piece of lint or fuzz’. The strange word you hear at the beginning of the tune is more German trivia; it is a made up but perfectly legitimate word that means ‘the lack of consciousness in little squirrels’ tails.”
Kayleigh, Robin: melody fiddles
Oliver: guitar, voices, shaker |
14. Cat
Madeline Lough/Megan MacLeod
Like me, these two girls are cat fans. When we originally recorded this In Melisa Park’s bedroom up in Smithers, we also recorded Melisa’s Siamese cat talking. But those files got accidentally nixed. So I had to do the miaowing instead.
Madeline, Megan: melody fiddles
Oliver: guitar, miaow
|
15. Pepsi and Imp
Madeline Lough
I just love the name of this tune. Refers to two hamsters who lived short but exciting lives. Madeline has written a tune that would be a hit in Newfoundland… it has that total Newfie sound. I can’t wait to play it for the boys out there.
Oliver: all instruments |
15. Coconut Koala
Madeline Lough
This hit from Madeline stands in a long tradition of riddle tunes. The tune also has a Coconut Koala dance to accompany it!
Madeline: voice
Oliver: Guitar |
17. Inside Me
Jenna Banner
A joyous groovy Cajun kind of tune from Jenna.
Jenna: melody fiddles
Oliver: Backup fiddles |
18. Song for Oma
Melisa Park
A deep and soul-searching air from Melisa.
Melisa: melody fiddles
Oliver: guitar, backup fiddles, recorder |
19. Feathery Flakes
Lauren & Carly Allen/Melissa Stam Madeline Lough
The melody came first, and later the girls added the pizzicato part. Big fluffy flakes were falling when we got to the teaching studio. And this tune seemed like a natural thing to write about. Sounds like snow…
Oliver: all instruments |
20.
Waltz D' Amour
Natasha VanderKwaak
A real gem from Natasha. This is a very quirky tune that goes to some unusual places. To me it sounds quite like traditional tunes from France...
Oliver: all instruments |
21. Leaving Home Megan MacLeod
Megan was looking out the window one day, when this air came to her. It captures a certain mood perfectly. She played it beautifully for me with the harmony as well… The piece is really symphonic in scope. Should have cellos and basses….so I couldn’t resist adding the lush strings.
Megan: melody and harmony fiddle
Oliver: strings |
