Beth McCabe

I'd like to meet:

I'd like to see this read: "Who would you like to meet, sing, and / or hang out with for a while:

My paternal grandfather and grandmother(deceased).
Dan Fogelberg
Ocean researcher Kathleen Crane who discovered deep sea underwater volcanoes in 1976.
President Michelle Bachelet, elected President of Chile on January 15, 2006, making her the first woman president-elect of that nation. She took office on March 11, 2006. She has pledged to fill half the seats in her Cabinet with women. She's a single mother, a Socialist, and a survivor of torture under the Pinochet regime in the 1970s.
Patches The Horse
Massachusetts songwriter Michael Troy
Chanteuse extraordinaire Edith Piaf
Vocalist Bette Midler Performing songwriter June Carter Cash
Comedian Don Rickles
Comedian Craig Ferguson
Comedienne Carol Burnett
Comedienne Lucille Ball
Diplomat Mr. Farngalo, former Liberian Ambassador to Egypt (deceased)
The Dali Lama
Jesus
Gorbachev
Queen Nefertiti and King Tutenkamen
The Mayan Civilization when it thrived
The North American Indian population when it thrived before Europeans arrived here.
Bono the activist.

I continue to learn from all of them.

Music:

CURRENT PROJECTS: (2005-ongoing)
I'm currently recording my first cd with Producer Baxter Taylor, BAX TRAX STUDIOS, Plano TX. Mixed by Johnny Horton, Las Vegas, NV. Baxter was an original member of 1950's-1960's folk group THE WAYFARERS TRIO along with Bill Cheatwood and Mason Williams. Baxter was also a member of THE NEW CHRISTY MINSTRELS. As a BMI songwriter, Baxter co-wrote the no. 1 Billboard Charts (1974) song country rock tune "Marie Lavaux" with Shel Silverstein. The song was covered by Bobby Bare and received popular airplay on country radio. Baxter Taylor, Johnny Horton, Mason Williams, Hoyt Axton, Billy Cheatwood, and Butch Crouch each travelled from the west coast to New York, midwest and southwest in the late 1950's/early 1960's, performing in the early coffeehouse and club circuit, particularly throughout Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, New Mexico, Texas and Louisiana.

THE BOSTON MINSTREL COMPANY (July 2006-ongoing) www.bostonminstrel.com

The Minstrels are a lively troupe of volunteer singers and musicians who have seen how music heals, having visited shelters, residential facilities and prisons each month since 1991. Their interactive pop, rock and folk events touch audiences of about 4,000 each year.

The Boston Minstrels make a strong impact on groups and individuals during shared songfests. A key objective is to motivate individuals in the audience to perform a solo. As singers take the stage, they become the center of “affection” for the entire gathering, and such moments transform entertainment into expressive therapy. Repeating such moments in a community can impact lives in lasting ways.

Led by charismatic Tim McHale, the Minstrels’ first goal at a venue is to generate musical energy, using microphones, amplifiers, and drums. Once the place begins to “rock,” the group sings a few familiar songs, as Tim woos members of the audience to the microphone for a selection from the Minstrels’ songbook. While some sing, others dance, clapping to the beat and singing back up. Whatever anyone has to give is good enough, and Tim keeps everyone from straying too far from the tune.

After an hour of songs, residents and Minstrels form a circle for a couple of closing tunes and spontaneous words of hope and promise at a microphone. In the end, audiences inspire the Minstrels as often as the Minstrels inspire them. Singing together creates safe haven for residents and Minstrels alike, while building bridges between diverse social and ethnic groups.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION:

October 2007: BANK OF AMERICA NEIGHBORHOOD HERO N.E.I. AWARD; Tim McHale was presented a hero award and a $5000.00 monetary award by Band of America and Boston Mayor Hon.Thomas Menino for his work in bringing music to the homeless and sheltered in the City of Boston.

2005: Boston Minstrel Company Chosen for the Massachusetts Catalogue for Philanthropy: The Boston Minstrel Company has been selected as a Massachusetts 2005 Catalogue for Philanthropy charity.

2002- Honored participant in the 2002 Olympic Torch Celebration.

2001-Awarded the “Extra Mile Award” from Massachusetts’ Housing and Shelter Alliance for musical outreach.

2000- Founder of BMC Tim McHale was commissioned by First Night Boston to compose the “Boston Millennium Song,” which he performed in opening ceremonies on New Year’s Eve.

1996- THE UNITED WAY: The BMC was recognized for its community service. As a result, Tim McHale, BMC founder, was selected to carry the Olympic Torch as it came through Massachusetts.

1995- The BMC was honored by the Boston CBS affiliate WBZ-TV Channel 4, Boston with an award presented on air by Liz Walker in her “Heroes” community service series.

ALLIANCES: The Boston Minstrel Company has an alliance with Berklee College of Music, Music Therapy Department and seeks talented college interns for practical training with targeted populations. Professor Peggy Codding offers the Boston Minstrel Company program advice, program evaluation and design advice and promotes the company among students and faculty. The BMC is looking to build further alliances with additional academic programs to reach young talent at area colleges -- from performance to outreach.

Alliances with music therapy and education centers around Boston can help us: 1: Achieve Minstrel goals including shifting audiences from sorrow to joy; isolation to connection; withdrawal to participation, and self-abasement to self-esteem. Refine evaluation measures of BMC impact at performance venues. Recruit administrative interns. Recruit additional song leaders. Produce new events, recordings and venues.

COMPLETED PROJECTS:(2005-2006) "I GOT SO CLOSE", artist is BUTCH CROUCH, Santa Fe, NM
Performing songwriter, his first cd , all original tunes, som e with co-writers. www.myspace.com/butchcrouch
I performed the female vocal parts on the cd. Produced and recorded by Baxter Taylor at BAXTRAX STUDIOS, Plano TX, with Neil Fitzpatrick (rhythm guitar), Tony Vinsey (R.I.P.) on harps, fiddle, chat-scat, Dr. Jim Wagner (standup acoustic bass), Christopher Cave(harps), Producer Baxter Taylor (vocal bass harmony) Johnny Horton of 1960's singing group The Gourd Singers, The Goodtime Singers from The Andy Summers tv show engineered and mixed the recorded tracks. The CD was released in 2007.
www.myspace.com/butchcrouch
www.myspace.com/baxtraxrecordingstudio

(September 2004) LIVE @ MACHENRY'S PUB cd, Ft. Worth TX, with THE STEVE LONG BAND
16 regular venue performers and bands. CD Vol.1 - released in 2005. This venue is owned and operated by performing songwriter John Walker, a contemporary of Townes Van Zandt. Recorded and engineered by ever-talented Travis Baits.
www.myspace.com/audioviking
www.geocities.com/longscience
www.myspace.com/noclass
www.machenrys.com
www.myspace.com/machenrys
Here's a link to pictures of the weekend: http://www.savidetup.com/absoluteig/gallery.asp?action=viewi mage&categoryid=188&text=&imageid=4633&box=& amp;shownew=

(2002) BAXTRAX STUDIOS PRESENTS! cd - Dallas Acoustic Musicians Network (DAMN!) Live jam and studio recordings of local influential acoustic musicians and singers from Dallas. No released for public sale yet. Working on it!
www.myspace.com/baxtraxrecordingstudio
www.myspace.com/baxtertaylor

Movies:

Adopt a Dog,"Lassie" MSPCA SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS

Adopt a Greyhound, "Gordon" MSPCA SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS

Television:

Austin City Limits; BRAVO and Sundance Channels, Soul Train, PBS, INDEPENDENT LENS, The Independent Film Channel, The Food Channel, The Food Channel, The Food Channel!! OLN, Comedy Central, Inside The Actors Sudio, CSI Miami, NUM3ERS, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit; The Today Show, 60 Minutes, Re-runs of Gilligan's Island and Frasier, The Three Stooges, and MATCH GAME '73 (Love that Gene Rayburn!) The U.S. Pro Bowlers Tour and Pro Billiards Tour.

Books:

SEA LEGS: Tales of a Woman Oceanographer(pub. 2003); Author: Kathleen Crane, a Program Manager @ Arctic Research Office - NOAA; "The author is one of the first women oceanographers out of the world-renowned Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, CA. She tells how her quest for freedom led her to the sea to research deep-sea underwater volcanoes. She became an unwitting diplomat through her scientific collaborations with Europeans and Soviets during the height of the Cold War. At it's heart, this story is about humanity and the forces that drive people to persevere, despite the odds, and do the things they love."- liner notes.

Heroes:

My musical influences are broad. They are all swimming around together in my musical psyche! I think that I've acquired good ears and listening skills from listening to many incredibly talented musicians and songwriters the good Lord has put on this earth. I include my personal friends who are musicians and performing songwriters that I have had the honor to know personally and share a stage with, as well as many artists whom I've never met personally ;))
Old time 1950's country, early 1960's folk, Mamas & Papas, Burl Ives, Elvis, Mitch Miller, Roger Miller, Charlie Pride, Tammy Wynette, Dusty Springfield, Dan Fogelberg, Jon Pousette-Dart, Jonathan Edwards, Carol King, Carly Simon, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Emmy Lou Harris and Gram Parsons, Poco, Joe Cocker, The Rolling Stones, CSNY, Janis Joplin, The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, J.D. Souther and Linda Ronstadt, The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Aerosmith , The J. Geils Band, Duke and The Drivers, The Charlie Daniels Band, Marshall Tucker Band and James Montgomery Band, NOVO COMBO, FACE TO FACE (Boston) and The Dennis Brennan Band.
Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings, Dolly Parton, Bob Walsh, Duke and The Drivers Band, James Montgomery Band, Early Buckingham & Fleetwood, and Leonard Cohen, Joe Ely, Nanci Griffith, Freddie Fender (deceased 10/14/06 :( - Springsteen, The Miracles, The Staple Singers, Sweet Honey In The Rock, The RichTones, The Dixie Hummingbirds, Blind Boys Of Alabama, Allison Kraus Band, Manhattan Transfer, Lambert Hendricks and Ross, The Womacks, Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, Roberta Flack, Phoebe Snow, Andrea Bocelli, Eva Cassidy
Roseanne Cash, Suzanne Couch, Rosanna Eckert, Etta James, Rebecca Parris, Ruth Brown, Carmen McRae, Chaka Khan, Donna Byrne, Chet Baker, Bobby Blue Bland, Bonnie Raitt, Greg Smith (Dallas), George Clinton, Ike & Tina Turner, The Neville Brothers, Peter Parcek (vocals, guitar)and Mike Fritz (vocals, harps) of Nine Below Zero (Boston, MA), harp players Mike Turk, Toots Thielman, Mike Fritz, Jerl Welch, Jim Fitting.
HOOT - The Harmonica Association of Texas; guitarists Gray Sargent, Duke Levine, Jonathan Kingham, Dallas performing songwriters Marge Troyer, Annie Benjamin, Lewis Hutcheson, Bob "Zen Bubba" Williford, Jack Hardesty, Rick Yost, Ric Pheiffer, Freddie King, and Stevie Ray Vaughn: Leonard Cohen, Joe Perry, Harold Roberts, George Benson, Hans Olson (Arizona), Susan Tedeschi, Jim Hall, Kenny Burrell; pianists Kenny Barron, Tommy Flanagan, Monty Alexander (Jamaica), Joe McBride (Dallas), Dave Maxwell and Pinetop Perkins, bass players David Hutson and John Adams (Dallas), Mark Pucci (Boston), and Ray Brown;
Bands like Little Village, L'il Joe Cook and The Thrills, Alan Wilson and Canned Heat, Little Milton, Milt Jackson, The Tower Of Power, Earth Wind and Fire, Bob Marley, Barry White, Guy Davis, Stevie Wonder; trumpeters Minot Wood, Tom Harrell, Dave Whitney, Jeff Stout, Boston trombonist Gene DiStascio(deceased).
ROCK 'N' ROLL: The MojoMen-Dallas, Duke and The Drivers, Janis Joplin, Jimmy Hendrix, Deep Purple, Led Zepplin, Peter Wolf and The J. Geils Band, Aerosmith, The Cars, James Montgomery Band, Derral Gleason from Austin TX, Rockin' Ronnie Brandt from New Jersey, Fleetwood Mac, Abra Moore, Tim Easton, Rick Yost, The Texas Tornadoes, The Black Crows, Damon Carroll Band-Dallas; HANDS - Dallas, Mercer Woodard, The Finn Brothers, Crowded House, The Beatles, Three Dog Night, The Rolling Stones, Stevie Ray Vaughn, The Clash, Badfinger, Cream, Bob Seager, Boz Scaggs, Little Feat, Marcia Ball, Mink DeVille, The Eurythmics, Los Lonely Boys.
AMERICANA/ROOTS/FOLK ROCK: Dan Fogelberg, SunVolt, Lou Vargo, Uncle Tupelo, Steve Earle, Janis Ian, Jenni Mansfield-Peal, T-Roy Miller, Tom Kimmel, J.D Souther, Andrew Gold, John Pousette-Dart, Linda Rondstadt, Tom Waits, James Mullix-Beavers, Jonathan Edwards, Carol King, James Taylor, Tom Rush, Tom Petty, John Prine, Carol Elliot, CSNY, The Eagles, Pure Prairie League, Elvis, CSNY;
ARIZONA BANDS: Dead Hot Workshop, Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers, Freddy Gildersleeve and Steve Easterling, Stephen Ashbrook, Hans Olson, Gloritone, Dialectics; COUNTRY/COUNTRY ROCK /BLUEGRASS: The Amazing Rhythm Aces, The Louvin Brothers, EmmyLou Harris, J.D. Souther, Linda Rondstadt, Joe Walsh, Gram Parsons, Shake Russell and Dana Cooper, Tammy Wynette, Rex Trailer, Eleven Hundred Springs, Cowboys and Indians, The Doris Daze, Tommy Alverson, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Brian Burns, Hank Williams, Brooks and Dunn, Tim and Molly O'Brien, Dolly Parton, Allison Brown, Rebecca Lynn Howard, Julie Lee, Susan Gibson, Vince Gill;
FOLK/CELTIC: Joan Baez, Joan Armatrading, Natalie MacMasters, Eileen Ivers, The Old Blind Dogs, Paul Brady, Gallus (Ft. Worth), Mary Black, The Chieftains, Maura O'Connell, The O'Bobs (Dallas), Bill Nash, Emily Aronson, Don Conoscenti, Mark Erelli, Slaid Cleaves, Cindy Bullens.
I grew up canvassing Harvard Square, Cambridge, singing acapella 4-part harmony on street corners with my Elementary and Junior High school girlfriends from Jazz Band. I'd love to find out where the ladies are now! We'd find a doorway and sing out!
Harvard Square was different then; many more street performers were out doing their thing than there are these days. Competition for prime doorways was great! (There were some doorways that had great acoustics for harmony singing, such as the old, main doorway to the Harvard Coop on Mass. Ave. I remember seeing Tracy Chapman there before she became so famous.) The girls and I would walk around listening to street musicians and spend many, many nights listening to the roots and folk music coming out of CLUB PASSIM, a place I revere. (www.clubpassim.com)
My dad always had big band and swing music on in the house so that has always been in my musical psyche. My mom loved Elvis's music. The "Blues After Midnight" radio program had always been on in my house and WUMB being on the airwaves for so many years helped provide the folk soundtrack to my life for which I am grateful, and a member.
I worked at Tech Hifi in the Harvard Square, MIT, B.U. and Lechmere locations for 4 years after high school. Loved it! It was a great job and I had customers from all walks of life in Boston and New England - people who love music and gear: professors, mothers, teenagers, Swiss yodellers and alphorn players, performers like Peter Wolf, Joe Perry, Steven Tyler, Shirley Lewis, Laurie Sargent, jocks like Tank and Charles Laquidaira (sp?) from WBCN, all sorts of people buying equipment, record player cartridges and styli, recording tape, first generation BETA VCRs, CD players, computers, monitors, etc when they were first invented. The guys who started Rounder Records, Ken Irwin and Bill Nowlin came in for stuff. It was one of my favorite times in life.
Tech Hifi went into bankruptcy as most electronics chain stores do, and we all lost our jobs. I scrambled and became a bookkeeper somewhere, eventually going to college. I love discovering new music, learning about artists and turning my friends onto them.