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Roger Kuhns - Performance Monologues and Music
UP COMING 2008 SHOWS:
JUNGLE GOLD - Saturday, February 23 at 2pm
At the Barrington Area Library, 505 N. NW HWY, Barrington, IL
For more info: call Eileen Gallagher at 947-382-1300 or
www.barringtonarealibrary.com
JUNGLE GOLD - Thursday, April 24 at Union College
Schenectady, NY
for more information contact George Shaw at 518-847-2927
CROCODILES IN THE DESERT
In Sturgeon Bay at the Third Avenue Playhouse (920-743-1760)
Saturday 7:30pm June 7 & Sunday 2pm June 8.
TAP located at 239 N. 3rd Ave, Sturgeon Bay, WI
For more information: 920-743-1760
www.thirdavenueplayhouse.com
Crocodiles in the Desert:
It was a once in a lifetime job to find treasure beneath a relentless sea of sand amongst the fading culture of a timeless nomadic people. But in this quest were bornlarger questions. What defines us as the human race? What are our greater responsibilities as global citizens? In the timeless sands of the West African Sahel along the fathomless Sahara Desert geologist and writer Dr. Roger Kuhns sought answers to these questions. In his meanders with two of his best friends, Kuhns was able to practice the fundamentals of survival, live along the ragged edge between wealth and poverty, and experienced loyalties that seemed to fly in the face of common sense. This is a true adventure along old Berber caravan trails, and near the home of a mysterious people who attest to alien visitations. The ecology and the climate of the Sahel and the Sahara are changing, and in trying to understand these changes Kuhns follows the rumors of crocodiles in a land where water is the most precious of resources.
Roger perfoming his "Jungle Gold" monologue at the Third Avenue Playhouse in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin."
Jungle Gold - A Performance Monologue
What could change a person’s life in the rainforests of South America? As an internationally known geologist working for a huge multinational company, Roger kuhns was sent into the jungle help build a gold mine, but what he found would be much more valuable than any precious metal. Kuhns takes you on this real adventure where lessons are learned in the remote corners of French Guyana. After weeks and months in the jungle Kuhns learned about the complex and potentially devastating interplay between the indigineous people, an escaped African slave tribe, the French who sought a simpler life there, and the corporate office that only wanted the gold. As the drama unfolds, the secrets and wisdom learned from the jungle are discovered and a profound impact on Kuhns’ own life and the decisions he had to make is the result. Kuhns’ monologue takes the audience on this remote adventure, and at the same time offers insights into the every day challenges of life.
Three monologues by Roger Kuhns
Jungle Gold - A Review
by Sheila Sabrey-Saperstein
The Peninsula Pulse / April 8, 2005
One of these days someone will write a book about the fascinating
Roger Kuhns or maybe he’ll finally get around to doing one himself. In the
meantime, there is a chapter called “Jungle Gold” that Roger performs as a
one-man show ala Spaulding Gray. It is a densely packed piece of images
and experiences chronicling Roger’s time in French Guyana and his
performance can certainly be compared to that of Mr. Gray’s.
Gray, who recently died, had been heralded as the greatest American
storyteller of his generation. He was a performer who turned his life into a
series of brilliantly insightful monologues. A.F. Waddell, a Gray friend and
future biographer described Gray’s essence: “Add a dash of the metaphysical,
a splash of the karmic; drench it in psychology and sharp social insight/satire;
pour in organic, personal, stream of consciousness storytelling and it results
in an intimate sharing of his life experiences with us.” There are videos of
Gray’s presentations available and you can see that Roger’s performance is a
favorable comparison.
Roger regularly performs “Jungle Gold” around the county and takes it on the
road whenever he can. I saw it not long ago as part of the Emerson Cultural
Series sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Sister Bay.
Roger has extensive experience in technical theatre so his show travels with
a 3-fold screen Gauguin inspired background, lights and sound, which
certainly added to the ambiance and helped create the atmospheres for the
highly descriptive stories he told.
This sure sounded like a great adventure but very remote from any of my
experience and before I saw it (see above description), I wondered what was
going to make it entertaining. The answer was in Roger’s own performance
style that he has worked on and developed particularly over the last several
years. I had seen other kinds of performances of his at The Bridge and The
Third Avenue Playhouse, but he really knocked my socks off at this Emerson
Cultural Series performance of “Jungle Gold”.
One and a half hours of performance is a lot to memorize, especially when it’s
only you on stage. For the life of me I couldn’t catch him looking at his script,
which was present but not obviously so, to grab the next line. This made me
think that some of the performance was improvised, but Roger told me in the
interest of time, he sticks closely to the script.
The key for the monologist is to keep the audience interested and wanting to
hear more. With few exceptions, Roger’s animation and energy along with
really interesting transitions kept the ball in the air and focused the attention of
the audience. Roger is a pretty laid back kind of guy, and I was delighted that
he upped the energy of his delivery to make me want to listen. He uses a mic
so he is able to speak naturally and still be heard and understood. Roger’s
facial gestures and comic timing really aided in completing a sense of the
characters that we meet and travel with throughout the experience. It was
particularly fun when he would rapidly switch from one to the other. Roger
injected a blood curdling Tarzan “call” at one point that certainly got
everyone’s attention. And then there’s the story of being bitten by a snake
while sitting on a toilet! Now that should get you to go see Roger do “Jungle
Gold”.
Roger is a true Renaissance man and “Jungle Gold” is just the tip of the
iceberg, but a very entertaining tip.
Roger also tells his stories through his original music compositions. "I'm
something of a garage-folk-rock acoustic story teller," he says. His album
"EYE OF THE STORM" is available through the website catalogue.
LIVE IN MADISON
Roger recently performed on WPR's Higher Ground
Like a Rolling Stone...DCC Interview with Roger Kuhns
by Stephen Kastner with Door County Compass
(www.doorcountycompass.com )
EGG HARBOR, WI - It is with great pleasure that I introduce Door County
Compass Music Editor and feature columnist, Roger Kuhns. Rather than try to
write a major article covering the span of his experiences from work as a
professional geologist in South Africa to his lifelong involvement in global
music, I'll ask questions and let Roger tell you himself:
Door County Compass: Roger, you seem to have popped up like a genie
from a bottle... with a mission - Door County music. Where did you come
from?
Roger Kuhns: (laughing) I've just come home after working overseas
for the better part of a decade, living in South Africa for five years. I'm
originally from Madison, but that was a while ago.
D.C.C. What ever made you choose Door County, and how on earth
did you decide to explore the music scene here?
R.K. After flying nearly ten million miles for my old job, racking up 37
moves in my life, I decided to settle down for a while. My wife, Elizabeth, is
from South Africa and is excited about experiencing America. She's a
gemologist, jewelry designer and artist, so Door County is perfect for her. A
while ago we bought a small vacation cottage in Jacksonport, so we decided
to try staying here for the winter. Last month we bought an old house in Egg
Harbor and will live there once we finish renovations. Anyway, while in South
Africa I realized I wanted to start a music company somewhere. When we
arrived in Door County I immediately looked for places that encouraged local
talent. Instead I found many talented young musicians in the area that needed
a way to get on stage. Donna Lash at The Bridge in Egg Harbor asked me to
organize music on Sunday afternoons in her bookstore/coffee house and one
thing led to another...Suddenly, I'm a booking agent in addition to being a host
and performer, singing with my sister Jeanne Yingst. I feel like I've only
scratched the surface in developing this basic cooperative, but we now have
a circuit of supportive coffee houses where artists perform original music on a
regular basis.
D.C.C. I understand you are now working with over 70 musicians. How did
you connect with them?
R.K. I started listening to people playing at open mics to see who was
performing good music, and then drove around Wisconsin, over to
Minneapolis, and back through Madison to get an idea of who was doing
what in the Midwest. See, I'd been overseas for a long time and was a bit out
of touch with the local scene, so I needed to catch up on that. Anyway, I met
some talented folk and we talked about performing somewhere. I sought out
places where these up-and-coming musicians could play. I also invested in a
PA system so I could provide good sound for the performers, and make it easy
for coffee houses that didn't feature entertainment to accept the plan. Coffee
houses seem to be a natural fit, because acoustic solo-players need a quieter
venue where people can listen to the music and the lyrics more than in a bar.
Roger was interviewed by Tony Casdeneda on Madison's university
radio station WORT 89.9 FM
D.C.C. Are you planning to continue this on a year 'round
basis?
R.K. Egg Harbor is our home now, and we plan to live here year
'round. We'll take a trip back to South Africa now and then to see my wife's
family and to keep in touch with the amazing music scene there.
D.C.C. You've organized a circuit that now includes four Door County
coffee houses... What's on the agenda?
R.K. MUSIC! I've booked regional talent for The Bridge through
August, and am working with several other places to do the same thing. The
bookings include people like Bill Schulz, Andy Brawner (pictured right), Jean
White, Sara Jerabek and Eli Mattson. My sister Jeanne and I are singing a lot
too, and promoting an album of mine that I produced last year in South Africa.
I'm hoping that my efforts for organizing good original performers can dovetail
with the established talent, like Julian Hagen, Mark Raddatz and Charlie
Baumgarten here in Door County. There is so much great talent here. I
created my company, musicTOears so more people will be able to find it.
D.C.C. Working as a talent agent with competing businesses and as a
performer can be challenging. How do you deal with this?
R.K. This business doesn't have to be competitive for either the
performers or the venues. There's enough talent around to satisfy just about
everyone. When you start to connect the creative energy of talented people
real magic appears. The American Folklore Theater is a working example of
such magic. I want that to happen with the larger pool of music talent. What
Amy McKenzie is doing with the Third Avenue Playhouse is another example.
She and I have chatted about the possibility of presenting concerts featuring
original music. Again, with cooperation and sharing our dreams, we can bring
out the best original music in the region. That's what its all about.
D.C.C. What kind of music do you seek out... and, who are your
influences?
R.K. Well, musically I've been heavily influenced by some of the great
lyricists. People like Bob Dylan and Paul Simon are certainly on the list, and
the style and lyrics of Steve Forbert are really important to me. I think the Dave
Matthews Band is doing really great stuff (he's South African by the way), and
Eddy Vedder from Pearl Jam has written some powerful songs. Tracy
Chapman has really found a place in my heart. Eric Anderson and David
Wilcox on the folk scene are superb players and writers, and I grew up with a
lot of the Chicago folk players, like John Prine and Steve Goodman, and
Canadian Bruce Cockburn - I love that stuff. I really like Paul Kelly's rock/
ballad music from Australia, and Myriam Makeba's South African folk music. I
think what Carlos Santana did by putting his cooperative album Supernatural
together is brilliant. Salif Keita is amazing with his African songs, as is
Youssou N'Dour, and Ladysmith Black Mambazo's harmonies take me right
back to the Transvaal where I worked for a while. And, of course, Tom Waits -
that guy can make a cardboard box seem interesting! I listen to all kinds of
music, and it all influences me in some way - especially if I've been into their
environment through my travels and experienced the flavors that seasoned
the music.
D.C.C. How do you describe the music you write and play?
R.K. I play folk/rock, and now and then incorporate a bit of blues and a
bit of what we call "world music" into it. Lyrics are very important to me, so I
spend a lot of time creating images and conveying experience through my
songs. My voice is very folky - no Pavarotti here, so I'm a player... when I get a
following they come for the songs and words. Last year I wrote and produced
my own album in South Africa, "Eye Of The Storm", and got to work with some
of the best musicians in Cape Town. I'm a guitar player, but really love
percussion and bass - so I'm working on those. My sister Jeanne and I sing
mostly my songs in our sets, and she's got a beautiful voice- great at
harmonies. It's music to listen to and to be within, not dance music.
D.C.C. You mentioned Eli Mattson - I heard him play
piano at the TAP variety show earlier this year. I was amazed by his
performance. How can I hear more of him, who is he, where did he come
from?
R.K. Eli is great. He's a natural performer, has a great voice and has
written some really good songs. He's only 19 years old. We began working
together in January. I took him to MadeYaLook studios in Green Bay and we
cut a three-song demo.
Since then we've been working on his sets, writing songs, and getting
him gigs (his performance schedule is on my website). We plan to make a full
album within a year. I'm his manager, so I'm career planning for him, to give
him the best shot at making it in the music business.
That's another side of musicTOears that I offer to musicians - management,
career planning and recording. Last year I studied some music law, and
delved deep into the music business to have a basis to start my business. All
that was done so I can give local musicians a place to go for help and
direction if they want it.
D.C.C. Who else are you working with?
R.K. I've been booking some of the people I mentioned earlier, and
hope to focus on a couple of them to help get their songs on the radio. I'm
starting to work with Sara Jerabek, who's written some really nice songs and
has a beautiful voice that will one day be really strong. I am looking forward to
giving her more places to perform. Getting these people's songs out is really
crucial. In my own experience one of my songs got airplay in South Africa,
and I must tell you, it's an amazing thing to know your own compositions are
being heard by a lot of people. The original music I'm looking for is very
diverse. Because of the venues, most of it is acoustic-oriented, but includes
folk, acoustic rock and pop, blues, blue grass, fusion styles and world music. I
really like rock music and am keeping track of some of the local hot bands, but
right now I'm not booking them into these smaller venues - that's a whole
scene unto itself, a future project.
D.C.C. If I wanted to book one of these artists, how would I go about
it?
R.K. Call me (editor's insert 920-868-1014) . I can set it up. In addition
to booking my own schedule I'm an agent and manager for a select group of
artists. The venues that I currently book pay me a monthly fee. Musicians can
also contact me to get places to play.
D.C.C. You also have a web site. I saw it recently and realized what
you're working toward. I also realized it would be a great opportunity for us to
work together. What are your plans as Music Editor for the Door County
Compass?
R.K. The MusicTOears web site is important to me. It gives musicians
a place to put it all together I don't charge the musicians to be represented on
the site because I want a sense of cooperation and opportunity without risk to
these performers. I built it myself and constantly add features and new
information. I'll eventually have biography sections on each of the musicians.
When I saw what you were doing with the Door County Compass I was quite
excited to link up with you; it's all about synergy!!! If people want to find out all
about original acoustic music, schedules, venues, purchase CDs of this
music, learn about the individuals, and work with me to book them, and so on,
they can now do that through musicTOears and the Door County Compass.
That's a pretty powerful combination because the Compass is becoming a
one-stop shop for information on Door County, and music has always been
an integral part of the soul of this place. One thing different about
musicTOears is that it is not just about Door County, it's global. In the past I've
worked with a number of musicians from South Africa, Burkina Faso (West
Africa), India, Australia, Canada, France, UK, Chile, and of course around
America, and eventually musicTOears will expand to represent world music
talent as well, hopefully bringing some of that talent to Door County. The
website keeps everybody in touch.
D.C.C. I understand that you also have another life as a trained
geologist and that you are working on a book.
R.K. Music has always been an integral part of my life, but I also have
this love affair with the planet! I've worked as a geologist and international
program manager for a long time, and hold a Ph.D. in geology from the
University of Minnesota. That pursuit allowed me to work in over forty
countries around the world and to meet some amazing people. It also gave
me extensive experience in international business, natural resources,
environmental and business law, environmental remediation, economics,
team building, leadership, international politics, and social issues. I am very
aware of our fragile environment on a local and a global level. I know we must
work at a local level to preserve a home for our kids, their kids and ourselves.
I'm writing a book on the geology and environmental issues of Door County - I
want to bring home the big picture. Working with geologists is a lot like
working with musicians. Both can be intensely creative and very driven in
purpose. I really enjoy working with creative people. My strong business
background gives me a good foundation upon which to build my new music
company. I've had a few musicians tell me nothing is as tough as the music
business... One time I was in the Congo at a military roadblock with a 15 year-
old illiterate soldier who stuck a loaded AK-47 in my stomach, with the safety
off - I negotiated my way out of that one, so I feel capable of dealing with
music industry folks.
D.C.C. I'm excited about what lies ahead, and pleased that you're
going to lend your talent to the Peninsula music scene. I also want to
welcome you as a knowledgeable player in the Door County conservation
game, and as a valuable asset to the Door County Compass team.
R.K. Thanks very much. I am really excited about the music scene
here, and I know that a lot of really great opportunities can come out of what
we're all trying to do. I love this place, and have been coming here for
decades - it's great to finally be able to come home.
Jungle Gold - A Review
by Sheila Sabrey-Saperstein
The Peninsula Pulse / April 8, 2005
One of these days someone will write a book about the fascinating
Roger Kuhns or maybe he’ll finally get around to doing one himself. In the
meantime, there is a chapter called “Jungle Gold” that Roger performs as a
one-man show ala Spaulding Gray. It is a densely packed piece of images
and experiences chronicling Roger’s time in French Guyana and his
performance can certainly be compared to that of Mr. Gray’s.
Gray, who recently died, had been heralded as the greatest American
storyteller of his generation. He was a performer who turned his life into a
series of brilliantly insightful monologues. A.F. Waddell, a Gray friend and
future biographer described Gray’s essence: “Add a dash of the metaphysical,
a splash of the karmic; drench it in psychology and sharp social insight/satire;
pour in organic, personal, stream of consciousness storytelling and it results
in an intimate sharing of his life experiences with us.” There are videos of
Gray’s presentations available and you can see that Roger’s performance is a
favorable comparison.
Roger regularly performs “Jungle Gold” around the county and takes it on the
road whenever he can. I saw it not long ago as part of the Emerson Cultural
Series sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Sister Bay.
Roger has extensive experience in technical theatre so his show travels with
a 3-fold screen Gauguin inspired background, lights and sound, which
certainly added to the ambiance and helped create the atmospheres for the
highly descriptive stories he told.
This sure sounded like a great adventure but very remote from any of my
experience and before I saw it (see above description), I wondered what was
going to make it entertaining. The answer was in Roger’s own performance
style that he has worked on and developed particularly over the last several
years. I had seen other kinds of performances of his at The Bridge and The
Third Avenue Playhouse, but he really knocked my socks off at this Emerson
Cultural Series performance of “Jungle Gold”.
One and a half hours of performance is a lot to memorize, especially when it’s
only you on stage. For the life of me I couldn’t catch him looking at his script,
which was present but not obviously so, to grab the next line. This made me
think that some of the performance was improvised, but Roger told me in the
interest of time, he sticks closely to the script.
The key for the monologist is to keep the audience interested and wanting to
hear more. With few exceptions, Roger’s animation and energy along with
really interesting transitions kept the ball in the air and focused the attention of
the audience. Roger is a pretty laid back kind of guy, and I was delighted that
he upped the energy of his delivery to make me want to listen. He uses a mic
so he is able to speak naturally and still be heard and understood. Roger’s
facial gestures and comic timing really aided in completing a sense of the
characters that we meet and travel with throughout the experience. It was
particularly fun when he would rapidly switch from one to the other. Roger
injected a blood curdling Tarzan “call” at one point that certainly got
everyone’s attention. And then there’s the story of being bitten by a snake
while sitting on a toilet! Now that should get you to go see Roger do “Jungle
Gold”.
Roger is a true Renaissance man and “Jungle Gold” is just the tip of the
iceberg, but a very entertaining tip.
Roger also tells his stories through his original music compositions. "I'm something of a garage-folk-rock acoustic story teller," he says. His album "EYE OF THE STORM" is available through the website catalogue.
LIVE IN MADISON
Roger recently performed on WPR's Higher Ground
Like a Rolling Stone...DCC Interview with Roger Kuhns
by Stephen Kastner with Door County Compass
(www.doorcountycompass.com )
EGG HARBOR, WI - It is with great pleasure that I introduce Door County
Compass Music Editor and feature columnist, Roger Kuhns. Rather than try to
write a major article covering the span of his experiences from work as a
professional geologist in South Africa to his lifelong involvement in global
music, I'll ask questions and let Roger tell you himself:
Door County Compass: Roger, you seem to have popped up like a genie
from a bottle... with a mission - Door County music. Where did you come
from?
Roger Kuhns: (laughing) I've just come home after working overseas
for the better part of a decade, living in South Africa for five years. I'm
originally from Madison, but that was a while ago.
D.C.C. What ever made you choose Door County, and how on earth
did you decide to explore the music scene here?
R.K. After flying nearly ten million miles for my old job, racking up 37
moves in my life, I decided to settle down for a while. My wife, Elizabeth, is
from South Africa and is excited about experiencing America. She's a
gemologist, jewelry designer and artist, so Door County is perfect for her. A
while ago we bought a small vacation cottage in Jacksonport, so we decided
to try staying here for the winter. Last month we bought an old house in Egg
Harbor and will live there once we finish renovations. Anyway, while in South
Africa I realized I wanted to start a music company somewhere. When we
arrived in Door County I immediately looked for places that encouraged local
talent. Instead I found many talented young musicians in the area that needed
a way to get on stage. Donna Lash at The Bridge in Egg Harbor asked me to
organize music on Sunday afternoons in her bookstore/coffee house and one
thing led to another...Suddenly, I'm a booking agent in addition to being a host
and performer, singing with my sister Jeanne Yingst. I feel like I've only
scratched the surface in developing this basic cooperative, but we now have
a circuit of supportive coffee houses where artists perform original music on a
regular basis.
D.C.C. I understand you are now working with over 70 musicians. How did
you connect with them?
R.K. I started listening to people playing at open mics to see who was
performing good music, and then drove around Wisconsin, over to
Minneapolis, and back through Madison to get an idea of who was doing
what in the Midwest. See, I'd been overseas for a long time and was a bit out
of touch with the local scene, so I needed to catch up on that. Anyway, I met
some talented folk and we talked about performing somewhere. I sought out
places where these up-and-coming musicians could play. I also invested in a
PA system so I could provide good sound for the performers, and make it easy
for coffee houses that didn't feature entertainment to accept the plan. Coffee
houses seem to be a natural fit, because acoustic solo-players need a quieter
venue where people can listen to the music and the lyrics more than in a bar.
Roger was interviewed by Tony Casdeneda on Madison's university
radio station WORT 89.9 FM
D.C.C. Are you planning to continue this on a year 'round
basis?
R.K. Egg Harbor is our home now, and we plan to live here year
'round. We'll take a trip back to South Africa now and then to see my wife's
family and to keep in touch with the amazing music scene there.
D.C.C. You've organized a circuit that now includes four Door County
coffee houses... What's on the agenda?
R.K. MUSIC! I've booked regional talent for The Bridge through
August, and am working with several other places to do the same thing. The
bookings include people like Bill Schulz, Andy Brawner (pictured right), Jean
White, Sara Jerabek and Eli Mattson. My sister Jeanne and I are singing a lot
too, and promoting an album of mine that I produced last year in South Africa.
I'm hoping that my efforts for organizing good original performers can dovetail
with the established talent, like Julian Hagen, Mark Raddatz and Charlie
Baumgarten here in Door County. There is so much great talent here. I
created my company, musicTOears so more people will be able to find it.
D.C.C. Working as a talent agent with competing businesses and as a
performer can be challenging. How do you deal with this?
R.K. This business doesn't have to be competitive for either the
performers or the venues. There's enough talent around to satisfy just about
everyone. When you start to connect the creative energy of talented people
real magic appears. The American Folklore Theater is a working example of
such magic. I want that to happen with the larger pool of music talent. What
Amy McKenzie is doing with the Third Avenue Playhouse is another example.
She and I have chatted about the possibility of presenting concerts featuring
original music. Again, with cooperation and sharing our dreams, we can bring
out the best original music in the region. That's what its all about.
D.C.C. What kind of music do you seek out... and, who are your
influences?
R.K. Well, musically I've been heavily influenced by some of the great
lyricists. People like Bob Dylan and Paul Simon are certainly on the list, and
the style and lyrics of Steve Forbert are really important to me. I think the Dave
Matthews Band is doing really great stuff (he's South African by the way), and
Eddy Vedder from Pearl Jam has written some powerful songs. Tracy
Chapman has really found a place in my heart. Eric Anderson and David
Wilcox on the folk scene are superb players and writers, and I grew up with a
lot of the Chicago folk players, like John Prine and Steve Goodman, and
Canadian Bruce Cockburn - I love that stuff. I really like Paul Kelly's rock/
ballad music from Australia, and Myriam Makeba's South African folk music. I
think what Carlos Santana did by putting his cooperative album Supernatural
together is brilliant. Salif Keita is amazing with his African songs, as is
Youssou N'Dour, and Ladysmith Black Mambazo's harmonies take me right
back to the Transvaal where I worked for a while. And, of course, Tom Waits -
that guy can make a cardboard box seem interesting! I listen to all kinds of
music, and it all influences me in some way - especially if I've been into their
environment through my travels and experienced the flavors that seasoned
the music.
D.C.C. How do you describe the music you write and play?
R.K. I play folk/rock, and now and then incorporate a bit of blues and a
bit of what we call "world music" into it. Lyrics are very important to me, so I
spend a lot of time creating images and conveying experience through my
songs. My voice is very folky - no Pavarotti here, so I'm a player... when I get a
following they come for the songs and words. Last year I wrote and produced
my own album in South Africa, "Eye Of The Storm", and got to work with some
of the best musicians in Cape Town. I'm a guitar player, but really love
percussion and bass - so I'm working on those. My sister Jeanne and I sing
mostly my songs in our sets, and she's got a beautiful voice- great at
harmonies. It's music to listen to and to be within, not dance music.
D.C.C. You mentioned Eli Mattson - I heard him play
piano at the TAP variety show earlier this year. I was amazed by his
performance. How can I hear more of him, who is he, where did he come
from?
R.K. Eli is great. He's a natural performer, has a great voice and has
written some really good songs. He's only 19 years old. We began working
together in January. I took him to MadeYaLook studios in Green Bay and we
cut a three-song demo.
Since then we've been working on his sets, writing songs, and getting
him gigs (his performance schedule is on my website). We plan to make a full
album within a year. I'm his manager, so I'm career planning for him, to give
him the best shot at making it in the music business.
That's another side of musicTOears that I offer to musicians - management,
career planning and recording. Last year I studied some music law, and
delved deep into the music business to have a basis to start my business. All
that was done so I can give local musicians a place to go for help and
direction if they want it.
D.C.C. Who else are you working with?
R.K. I've been booking some of the people I mentioned earlier, and
hope to focus on a couple of them to help get their songs on the radio. I'm
starting to work with Sara Jerabek, who's written some really nice songs and
has a beautiful voice that will one day be really strong. I am looking forward to
giving her more places to perform. Getting these people's songs out is really
crucial. In my own experience one of my songs got airplay in South Africa,
and I must tell you, it's an amazing thing to know your own compositions are
being heard by a lot of people. The original music I'm looking for is very
diverse. Because of the venues, most of it is acoustic-oriented, but includes
folk, acoustic rock and pop, blues, blue grass, fusion styles and world music. I
really like rock music and am keeping track of some of the local hot bands, but
right now I'm not booking them into these smaller venues - that's a whole
scene unto itself, a future project.
D.C.C. If I wanted to book one of these artists, how would I go about
it?
R.K. Call me (editor's insert 920-868-1014) . I can set it up. In addition
to booking my own schedule I'm an agent and manager for a select group of
artists. The venues that I currently book pay me a monthly fee. Musicians can
also contact me to get places to play.
D.C.C. You also have a web site. I saw it recently and realized what
you're working toward. I also realized it would be a great opportunity for us to
work together. What are your plans as Music Editor for the Door County
Compass?
R.K. The MusicTOears web site is important to me. It gives musicians
a place to put it all together I don't charge the musicians to be represented on
the site because I want a sense of cooperation and opportunity without risk to
these performers. I built it myself and constantly add features and new
information. I'll eventually have biography sections on each of the musicians.
When I saw what you were doing with the Door County Compass I was quite
excited to link up with you; it's all about synergy!!! If people want to find out all
about original acoustic music, schedules, venues, purchase CDs of this
music, learn about the individuals, and work with me to book them, and so on,
they can now do that through musicTOears and the Door County Compass.
That's a pretty powerful combination because the Compass is becoming a
one-stop shop for information on Door County, and music has always been
an integral part of the soul of this place. One thing different about
musicTOears is that it is not just about Door County, it's global. In the past I've
worked with a number of musicians from South Africa, Burkina Faso (West
Africa), India, Australia, Canada, France, UK, Chile, and of course around
America, and eventually musicTOears will expand to represent world music
talent as well, hopefully bringing some of that talent to Door County. The
website keeps everybody in touch.
D.C.C. I understand that you also have another life as a trained
geologist and that you are working on a book.
R.K. Music has always been an integral part of my life, but I also have
this love affair with the planet! I've worked as a geologist and international
program manager for a long time, and hold a Ph.D. in geology from the
University of Minnesota. That pursuit allowed me to work in over forty
countries around the world and to meet some amazing people. It also gave
me extensive experience in international business, natural resources,
environmental and business law, environmental remediation, economics,
team building, leadership, international politics, and social issues. I am very
aware of our fragile environment on a local and a global level. I know we must
work at a local level to preserve a home for our kids, their kids and ourselves.
I'm writing a book on the geology and environmental issues of Door County - I
want to bring home the big picture. Working with geologists is a lot like
working with musicians. Both can be intensely creative and very driven in
purpose. I really enjoy working with creative people. My strong business
background gives me a good foundation upon which to build my new music
company. I've had a few musicians tell me nothing is as tough as the music
business... One time I was in the Congo at a military roadblock with a 15 year-
old illiterate soldier who stuck a loaded AK-47 in my stomach, with the safety
off - I negotiated my way out of that one, so I feel capable of dealing with
music industry folks.
D.C.C. I'm excited about what lies ahead, and pleased that you're
going to lend your talent to the Peninsula music scene. I also want to
welcome you as a knowledgeable player in the Door County conservation
game, and as a valuable asset to the Door County Compass team.
R.K. Thanks very much. I am really excited about the music scene
here, and I know that a lot of really great opportunities can come out of what
we're all trying to do. I love this place, and have been coming here for
decades - it's great to finally be able to come home.
Roger was interviewed by Tony Casdeneda on Madison's university radio station WORT 89.9 FM
D.C.C. Are you planning to continue this on a year 'round basis?
R.K. Egg Harbor is our home now, and we plan to live here year 'round. We'll take a trip back to South Africa now and then to see my wife's family and to keep in touch with the amazing music scene there.
D.C.C. You've organized a circuit that now includes four Door County coffee houses... What's on the agenda?
R.K. MUSIC! I've booked regional talent for The Bridge through August, and am working with several other places to do the same thing. The bookings include people like Bill Schulz, Andy Brawner (pictured right), Jean White, Sara Jerabek and Eli Mattson. My sister Jeanne and I are singing a lot too, and promoting an album of mine that I produced last year in South Africa. I'm hoping that my efforts for organizing good original performers can dovetail with the established talent, like Julian Hagen, Mark Raddatz and Charlie Baumgarten here in Door County. There is so much great talent here. I created my company, musicTOears so more people will be able to find it.
D.C.C. Working as a talent agent with competing businesses and as a performer can be challenging. How do you deal with this?
R.K. This business doesn't have to be competitive for either the performers or the venues. There's enough talent around to satisfy just about everyone. When you start to connect the creative energy of talented people real magic appears. The American Folklore Theater is a working example of such magic. I want that to happen with the larger pool of music talent. What Amy McKenzie is doing with the Third Avenue Playhouse is another example. She and I have chatted about the possibility of presenting concerts featuring original music. Again, with cooperation and sharing our dreams, we can bring out the best original music in the region. That's what its all about.
D.C.C. What kind of music do you seek out... and, who are your influences?
R.K. Well, musically I've been heavily influenced by some of the great lyricists. People like Bob Dylan and Paul Simon are certainly on the list, and the style and lyrics of Steve Forbert are really important to me. I think the Dave Matthews Band is doing really great stuff (he's South African by the way), and Eddy Vedder from Pearl Jam has written some powerful songs. Tracy Chapman has really found a place in my heart. Eric Anderson and David Wilcox on the folk scene are superb players and writers, and I grew up with a lot of the Chicago folk players, like John Prine and Steve Goodman, and Canadian Bruce Cockburn - I love that stuff. I really like Paul Kelly's rock/ ballad music from Australia, and Myriam Makeba's South African folk music. I think what Carlos Santana did by putting his cooperative album Supernatural together is brilliant. Salif Keita is amazing with his African songs, as is Youssou N'Dour, and Ladysmith Black Mambazo's harmonies take me right back to the Transvaal where I worked for a while. And, of course, Tom Waits - that guy can make a cardboard box seem interesting! I listen to all kinds of music, and it all influences me in some way - especially if I've been into their environment through my travels and experienced the flavors that seasoned the music.
D.C.C. How do you describe the music you write and play?
R.K. I play folk/rock, and now and then incorporate a bit of blues and a bit of what we call "world music" into it. Lyrics are very important to me, so I spend a lot of time creating images and conveying experience through my songs. My voice is very folky - no Pavarotti here, so I'm a player... when I get a following they come for the songs and words. Last year I wrote and produced my own album in South Africa, "Eye Of The Storm", and got to work with some of the best musicians in Cape Town. I'm a guitar player, but really love percussion and bass - so I'm working on those. My sister Jeanne and I sing mostly my songs in our sets, and she's got a beautiful voice- great at harmonies. It's music to listen to and to be within, not dance music.
D.C.C. You mentioned Eli Mattson - I heard him play piano at the TAP variety show earlier this year. I was amazed by his performance. How can I hear more of him, who is he, where did he come from?
R.K. Eli is great. He's a natural performer, has a great voice and has written some really good songs. He's only 19 years old. We began working together in January. I took him to MadeYaLook studios in Green Bay and we cut a three-song demo.
Since then we've been working on his sets, writing songs, and getting him gigs (his performance schedule is on my website). We plan to make a full album within a year. I'm his manager, so I'm career planning for him, to give him the best shot at making it in the music business.
That's another side of musicTOears that I offer to musicians - management, career planning and recording. Last year I studied some music law, and delved deep into the music business to have a basis to start my business. All that was done so I can give local musicians a place to go for help and direction if they want it.
D.C.C. Who else are you working with?
R.K. I've been booking some of the people I mentioned earlier, and hope to focus on a couple of them to help get their songs on the radio. I'm starting to work with Sara Jerabek, who's written some really nice songs and has a beautiful voice that will one day be really strong. I am looking forward to giving her more places to perform. Getting these people's songs out is really crucial. In my own experience one of my songs got airplay in South Africa, and I must tell you, it's an amazing thing to know your own compositions are being heard by a lot of people. The original music I'm looking for is very diverse. Because of the venues, most of it is acoustic-oriented, but includes folk, acoustic rock and pop, blues, blue grass, fusion styles and world music. I really like rock music and am keeping track of some of the local hot bands, but right now I'm not booking them into these smaller venues - that's a whole scene unto itself, a future project.
D.C.C. If I wanted to book one of these artists, how would I go about it?
R.K. Call me (editor's insert 920-868-1014) . I can set it up. In addition to booking my own schedule I'm an agent and manager for a select group of artists. The venues that I currently book pay me a monthly fee. Musicians can also contact me to get places to play.
D.C.C. You also have a web site. I saw it recently and realized what you're working toward. I also realized it would be a great opportunity for us to work together. What are your plans as Music Editor for the Door County Compass?
R.K. The MusicTOears web site is important to me. It gives musicians a place to put it all together I don't charge the musicians to be represented on the site because I want a sense of cooperation and opportunity without risk to these performers. I built it myself and constantly add features and new information. I'll eventually have biography sections on each of the musicians. When I saw what you were doing with the Door County Compass I was quite excited to link up with you; it's all about synergy!!! If people want to find out all about original acoustic music, schedules, venues, purchase CDs of this music, learn about the individuals, and work with me to book them, and so on, they can now do that through musicTOears and the Door County Compass. That's a pretty powerful combination because the Compass is becoming a one-stop shop for information on Door County, and music has always been an integral part of the soul of this place. One thing different about musicTOears is that it is not just about Door County, it's global. In the past I've worked with a number of musicians from South Africa, Burkina Faso (West Africa), India, Australia, Canada, France, UK, Chile, and of course around America, and eventually musicTOears will expand to represent world music talent as well, hopefully bringing some of that talent to Door County. The website keeps everybody in touch.
D.C.C. I understand that you also have another life as a trained geologist and that you are working on a book.
R.K. Music has always been an integral part of my life, but I also have this love affair with the planet! I've worked as a geologist and international program manager for a long time, and hold a Ph.D. in geology from the University of Minnesota. That pursuit allowed me to work in over forty countries around the world and to meet some amazing people. It also gave me extensive experience in international business, natural resources, environmental and business law, environmental remediation, economics, team building, leadership, international politics, and social issues. I am very aware of our fragile environment on a local and a global level. I know we must work at a local level to preserve a home for our kids, their kids and ourselves. I'm writing a book on the geology and environmental issues of Door County - I want to bring home the big picture. Working with geologists is a lot like working with musicians. Both can be intensely creative and very driven in purpose. I really enjoy working with creative people. My strong business background gives me a good foundation upon which to build my new music company. I've had a few musicians tell me nothing is as tough as the music business... One time I was in the Congo at a military roadblock with a 15 year- old illiterate soldier who stuck a loaded AK-47 in my stomach, with the safety off - I negotiated my way out of that one, so I feel capable of dealing with music industry folks.
D.C.C. I'm excited about what lies ahead, and pleased that you're going to lend your talent to the Peninsula music scene. I also want to welcome you as a knowledgeable player in the Door County conservation game, and as a valuable asset to the Door County Compass team.
R.K. Thanks very much. I am really excited about the music scene here, and I know that a lot of really great opportunities can come out of what we're all trying to do. I love this place, and have been coming here for decades - it's great to finally be able to come home.
