Collab Videos: David Kaynor Tribute

Though it has been an undeniably tough year for musicians, I am glad to have found one enjoyable side effect of the COVID-19 pandemic: Collaborative Videos.

This new quarantine “split screen” trend is WONDERFUL! For me, it illustrates our desire to come “together” as musicians, and our creativity to make it happen. I was recently part of a special project to honor, fiddler/dancecaller/friend David Kaynor for his 2021 Lifetime Contribution Award in recognition of his “enormous contributions as a dance community organizer, musician, caller, and mentor to generations” from the Country Dance and Song Society (CDSS). Some of you may recognize David’s name from the liner notes of my early recordings with a big “thank you!!!” and thoughts about David’s influence on my harmonic development. I have had the pleasure of knowing him for well over 40 years, having grown up in the heart of the New England Contra Dance community in Western, Massachusetts.

Weeks before the award ceremony, musicians and dancers sent in their contribution to two of David’s compositions, a processional to “walk” us into the virtual ceremony and a waltz, to bring it to a close, exactly as would have been done if the meeting had happened in person. Astonishingly (yet not surprising) the Zoom CDSS ceremony had nearly 700 viewers!!!!!

Together, we watched the premiere of Montague Processional, featuring David (living with ALS) processing in his wheelchair, surrounded by masked friends playing his tune. Since we have been isolated for a year, I was not alone in wiping away tears, both from sadness in seeing the reality of his physical condition and admiration for his indomitable spirit. In the second video, Jay Ungar and Molly Mason led us in one of his most popular waltzes, High Clouds. David is a prolific composer and it is worth mentioning that he is still composing tunes with a computer program that allows him to choose notes with the use of his eyes. The folk community looks forward to the release of all of his music over the years. https://www.cdss.org

Please enjoy these videos. To see David’s incredible CDSS award ceremony in its entirety, click here.

Be well, friends,

~Gretchen

Montague Processional (David Kaynor)

High Clouds (David Kaynor)