THE MUSIC OF OUR LIVES Jim Ross, born February 13, 1935, was second in a family of Educators-musicians. His mother played the piano in her classrooms and his Father played many instruments and led a band in college. His Dad would play the piano and the family would gather round and sing. He taught Jim to play the piano, raising the pedals with wooden blocks so that Little Jimmy’s legs could reach them. His Dad also taught Jim’s sister Carolyn to play the flute. They were a musical family. Jim loved music, especially the music of Stephen Foster, which he would play after practicing scales and other required pieces. In Junior High, he joined the Glee Club and performed songs with the Washington Junior High Trio, which his Father recorded. He also played trombone in the Band. At East Bakersfield High School he continued playing in the Band and later joined the Chorus. He sang in a quartet with other Letterman Club members in assemblies. In College he would sing at parties and bars with his Fraternity brothers and he taught Lynn to sing along with the raunchy songs. Zannie (pronounced Z in front of Annie) “Lynn” Dixon, born August 27, 1935, the third daughter, was also born into a musical family. However, it was a different kind of music, more old-timey played by her Grandad, (a third generation fiddler) her Dad, and Uncles. Her Dad also played popular songs on the piano and sang, with her Mom joining in. Singing old songs and popular ones was common in the family, especially on long car trips taken to the mountains or the beach for vacations. Later on, classical music was heard in the household as each girl in turn from the third grade on took piano lessons. Clair de Lune was one of Lynn’s favorites, played by her eldest sister, Gay, as she waited for her turn to learn the magic of playing the piano. She was also inspired by her elder sister, Dot, who played a duet of “The Dromedary” with Gay. At bedtime, as part of the ritual, their Dad would take requests to sing and play favorite songs on the piano “Casey Jones” was a favorite of all the girls. Dad would say “All right girls, just one more” and, of course, that would be the request. Lynn loved to sing in school, especially in Dorothy Cochrane’s music class in Junior High school, but she was too shy to volunteer for the Glee Club until the eighth grade. Jim had already moved on to High School by then. A couple of years passed and Jim and Lynn met in High School, introduced by a mutual friend. She was a Sophomore and he was a Junior. They soon found that they both loved to sing. He was in the chorus and learned a song called “Oh Sweet Mama”, which he taught to Lynn. When his father got a new one, Jim bought his father’s ’41 Chevy sedan and made several modifications, including flipping the column shift to the left side so he could keep his arm around Lynn while he drove. As they would drive around, they sang popular songs, as well as old favorites learned from their parents. Both Jim and Lynn played the piano, and they would play duets of many songs based on the “Heart and Soul” chord progression, among others. However, Jim was the more accomplished pianist and would play the love songs and others that they would sing together. “It Had To Be You,” “Sentimental Journey,” and “I Wonder Who’s Kissing Her Now” were among their favorites. Later on, they purchased Ukuleles and would play them and sing together. Singing together became an important part of their courtship and has continued through the years. During High School their courtship had its “roller coaster” moments – some peaks and some valleys. They decided to test their love with a year apart in colleges, each dating others, but the magnetism remained. The next fall, Jim joined Lynn at San Jose State College. Courtship warmed up a bit, or should we say got “hot and heavy”. They were wed the next March during Spring Break, spent their wedding night in Fresno on their way back to San Jose State to begin Spring Quarter the next day. Lynn sang with her Sorority sisters in the March “Spring Sing” and they won Third Place. Their married life had begun. That summer, Jim got a job surveying with the Bureau of Public Roads in Willow Creek, CA. Lynn, who was supposed to be taking classes in the summer session, couldn’t take the separation from Jim. She dropped her classes, rented a six foot travel trailer, and called Jim to come get her. He clamped a bumper hitch on his ’49 Pontiac convertible and away they went. Four children were born to them in the next six frantic years. Jim’s graduation present was their second child. Even through the hectic times, singing to the kids and with each other was an important part of their lives. On trips, they continued their practice of singing and as the children grew, they joined in. A popular song, as they waited at Railroad crossings was “Freight Train”. “Bill Grogans Goat”, a call and response song was another favorite. Their youngest son Tim’s memories follow: “I remember gathering around the piano and singing a couple of favorite songs. “La Perla” and another one I can’t quite pull up, and maybe “The Keeper Did a’Hunting Go”, “My Heart’s In The Highlands”. I remember singing in the car when we went on trips. It always seemed to make the trip go faster. I remember my friends having fun when we sang songs going to the cabin. Lots of Mom’s fun school songs, and the older songs. I remember Mom playing the Autoharp and when Dad started on the guitar, and when you worked on “The Bramble and the Rose”. I remember playing Mandolin with the band up in Oakhurst. I still break into song and my family thinks I am funny. I apparently follow Mom’s habit of taking a snippet of conversation and pulling up a song about it. I don’t have the repertoire of Mom, but the words often bring up the tune and surrounding lyrics for a minute. In 1966, Jim and Lynn’s eldest daughter, 10 years old, was tragically lost in a small plane crash on her way across the Sierras to attend a church summer camp. There was a mechanical malfunction in the plane. The families of all killed in the crash sued the airplane’s manufacturer. From the proceeds of the settlement, Jim and Lynn put a down payment on some mountain property and the young family built a cabin. The song “Wild Rose Valley” is about that mountain home. At times, the area is referred to as “Connie’s Corner”. Tragedies such as this can push marriages apart, but Lynn and Jim strengthened their determination to pull together and the family bonded closer in their loss. That mutual giving of strength has continued throughout their lives. After 14 years of part time college and full time mothering Lynn had received her teaching credential and started teaching kindergarten, which she continued to do for thirty years. As teachers and other professionals do, Lynn took continuing education units. One summer in the 70’s, she took a class from Professor Gene Bluestein as he began his Summer Folk Institutes at Fresno State, bringing world class musicians in to teach their instruments to students in the morning session and then jamming together, lecturing of folk music, or folk dancing in the afternoon sessions. Lynn had found an old autoharp in the school closet and took the class with Gene as her autoharp teacher. She began to use the autoharp in her classroom. The next year Gene had his son Evo teach the class and Lynn continued with Evo as her teacher, adding to her skills and repertoire of folk music. The following year Jim took up the guitar at the institute. The year after that, their son Tim took the Mandolin class and they would play and sing together which they still do, including Tim’s son Paul, also on mandolin. Their oldest son Rick took a guitar class in High School joined in with his brother, Mom and Dad playing the old timey and folk songs they had learned. Kelly, their daughter would join them singing for friends and relatives weddings. Through the years, Jim and Lynn have been members of the Fresno Folklore Society and the Sierra Music and Arts Institute. They have enjoyed joining in acappella music and playing old time music in both groups. Now they can be founds on Wednesday nights at the Santa Fe Basque restaurant playing at the Kenny Hall jam. Music still plays a very important part in their lives The grandchildren have memories of music with their grandparents. Jill and Connie remember times staying at Grandma Lynn and Grandpa Jim’s house when, at the end of bath time Grandma engulfed them in a big warm towel. She would sit them on her lap and gently rub them dry, singing “Birdie, Birdie Where is your Nest”. Songs sung on trips are remembered too; “Throw It Out the Window”, a song based on Mother Goose rhymes was a favorite. When Lynn and Jim get together with their son Tim they play the old time music together. Now, their grandson Paul is joining them on the mandolin. The beat goes on… THE MUSCIANS Sherron Brown: We met Sherron at a Fresno folklore Society party. She was singing harmony with an informal acappella song circle and we joined in. We’ve been singing with her every chance we get since. She’s the generous “Hostess” at the Wednesday Night (5:30 – 7:30) Kenny Hall Jam at the Santa Fe Basque Restaurant, joining in when we sing. She is a most enthusiastic musician who has taught Chorus in the elementary school (give her a medal!) and now in her retirement is teaching lessons in music theory, composition, and playing instruments. She is also a member of two bands that play for monthly folk dances. She is an extremely valuable worker in the Sierra Music and Arts Institute. We’ve been good friends for many years. Mike Mueller: Mike was introduced to us in 2000 by Bryan Bowers, an expert innovator of the autoharp. Mike was playing autoharp then, and introduced us to the open jam at the Santa Fe Basque Restaurant. Through the years we’ve become close friends, enjoying jamming and breaking bread together at least weekly. Mike plays at least 12 instruments and delights in introducing them to school children in assemblies. Rob Scholnick: Rob came to the Santa Fe Basque Restaurant jam approximately 3 years ago. We were struck by his expertise on the mandolin, guitar, and ukulele, as well as his extensive repertoire of old-time music. As our friendship has grown, we’ve joined Rob and Mike in a pre-jam session before Kenny Hall arrives on Wednesday nights. THANK YOU’S Many thanks to our parents and family members who exposed us to the wonderful world of music and encouraged us to join in and be a part of it. We are grateful to Gene Bluestein for his Summer Folk Institutes, to Evo Bluestein for his music lessons, and to the whole Bluestein family for giving us their friendship, acceptance and encouragement through the years. Thank you to the many Artists who have stayed with us, shared their friendship, expertise, and encouraged us along their way. We are especially grateful to Bodie Wagner, who lived with us those couple of years and shared his music with us, and remains a dear friend today. A special thanks to Bryan Bowers, who bunks with us every time though Fresno, bestowing his friendship and love, stories, encouragement and giving us opportunities to further our musical knowledge. A Big thank you goes to Mike Mueller for his “Baby”, the California Autoharp Gathering. (CAG) It gives many musicians the opportunity to meet, play, and learn new skills. Thank you, Mike, for your generosity and encouragement and for the many opportunities you have provided us for growth, fun, and the boundless friendship and comradery. We’re appreciative of all you have given us through the years. We’re especially grateful that you joined us on this CD and for lending your help and expertise to the production of it. Thank you, Rob Scholnick for giving your time for the many practice sessions that were great fun. Thanks, too for lending your expertise in arrangements of instruments, voices and timing Sherron Brown, we’ve enjoyed your friendship and singing with you for many years. Thank you for joining us to lend your beautiful harmonies to the recording. Thanks to the many people who donated to the Musicians Project for some of “Lynn’s Jam”. You have made this re cording possible. Thank you, Connie Franco, Carolyn Mitchell, Kelly and Tim Olday, and Joan Fryxell and Tim Ross for contributing and getting the ball rolling. Thanks to Steve Ono and Frank Giordano for your much needed advice and your expertise in getting this job done.