WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.520 --> 00:00:02.080 It's night Side with Ray. 2 00:00:02.759 --> 00:00:05.480 I'm WBZ, Boston's new radio. 3 00:00:05.879 --> 00:00:10.839 Thank you al our number two of Nightside. And let's 4 00:00:10.839 --> 00:00:15.080 say you live in Watertown and you come out your 5 00:00:15.080 --> 00:00:19.679 front door, open the windows, and you hear music and 6 00:00:19.719 --> 00:00:23.879 you're scratching your head. Where's the music coming from? It 7 00:00:23.920 --> 00:00:28.199 turns out to be coming from the porch across the street. 8 00:00:28.839 --> 00:00:33.200 There are musicians over there playing music. And here's a 9 00:00:33.280 --> 00:00:37.600 gentleman that started this, mister Matt Hannah. Matt, thank you 10 00:00:37.600 --> 00:00:40.920 for joining me here on night Side. Welcome to WBZ, 11 00:00:42.560 --> 00:00:43.679 Thank you, thanks for having me. 12 00:00:43.719 --> 00:00:44.000 Morgan. 13 00:00:44.560 --> 00:00:47.399 So, Matt, tell me about porch performances. 14 00:00:50.200 --> 00:00:53.600 Yeah, So, Porch Fest is something that we started in 15 00:00:53.640 --> 00:00:57.600 Watertown the first year Dismay, and it's something that's not 16 00:00:57.640 --> 00:01:00.200 new to Watertown. It's been done in the New An 17 00:01:00.280 --> 00:01:05.280 area at least for since at least ten fifteen years ago. 18 00:01:05.280 --> 00:01:07.519 It started in Itsaica, New York. And it's just a 19 00:01:07.640 --> 00:01:10.439 day of free music where neighbors can go out on 20 00:01:10.480 --> 00:01:14.640 their porches and have bands come or play themselves and 21 00:01:14.680 --> 00:01:17.280 it's just a great community event. And when we did 22 00:01:17.280 --> 00:01:19.480 in Watertown this May, we didn't know what to expect. 23 00:01:19.760 --> 00:01:22.040 It was our first one, and there was just a 24 00:01:22.040 --> 00:01:24.599 group of us in a room trying to organize it 25 00:01:25.200 --> 00:01:27.079 in January. I'm like, we'll see we can get one 26 00:01:27.120 --> 00:01:30.159 done this May. And it came together. Hoping for like 27 00:01:30.200 --> 00:01:33.159 fifty fifty bands. Maybe we got over one hundred and 28 00:01:33.159 --> 00:01:37.079 fifty bands playing all throughout the city, just on people's 29 00:01:37.120 --> 00:01:40.280 porches on a beautiful Saturday. 30 00:01:40.400 --> 00:01:40.959 It was supposed to. 31 00:01:41.000 --> 00:01:42.560 Rain and had wound up not It was a great 32 00:01:42.680 --> 00:01:44.760 day and people could just walk around the city and 33 00:01:45.000 --> 00:01:49.719 just hear music by you know, singer songwriters, by jazz bands, 34 00:01:49.920 --> 00:01:52.640 by hip hop bands, by fusion bands. It was all 35 00:01:52.640 --> 00:01:56.799 different genres, neighbors and people from traveling around and it 36 00:01:56.879 --> 00:01:58.840 was just a great community event. So yeah, it was 37 00:01:59.239 --> 00:01:59.879 a great success. 38 00:02:00.439 --> 00:02:03.640 Now what instrument do you play? 39 00:02:03.840 --> 00:02:04.560 Me? Personally? 40 00:02:04.719 --> 00:02:06.519 I play piano and. 41 00:02:06.640 --> 00:02:10.599 Guitar, Okay, not at the same. 42 00:02:10.439 --> 00:02:15.120 Time, usually not very well, if I blame at the 43 00:02:15.159 --> 00:02:15.560 same time. 44 00:02:15.879 --> 00:02:20.560 Okay. And what made you have a love of music? 45 00:02:20.680 --> 00:02:25.599 I'm sure it started when you were young, elementary, high 46 00:02:25.639 --> 00:02:26.759 school somewhere in there. 47 00:02:28.639 --> 00:02:28.960 Yeah. 48 00:02:29.000 --> 00:02:32.680 So when I was when I was younger, I would 49 00:02:32.919 --> 00:02:36.919 fall asleep listening to music on the radio. I was 50 00:02:36.960 --> 00:02:41.199 just obsessed with music from an early age. So my 51 00:02:41.840 --> 00:02:43.759 sister can tell you. She would knock on the on 52 00:02:43.800 --> 00:02:45.599 the wall, tell me to turn down the radio because 53 00:02:45.599 --> 00:02:47.919 she's trying to sleep, and I would just stick on. 54 00:02:48.199 --> 00:02:51.120 So yeah, it was just always there as far as 55 00:02:51.319 --> 00:02:52.240 back as I can remember. 56 00:02:52.280 --> 00:02:54.000 I just loved music. 57 00:02:54.759 --> 00:02:57.560 Yeah, and if I'm not mistaken, I'm going to stick 58 00:02:57.639 --> 00:03:02.240 with discussions about porch Fest. But a little bird told 59 00:03:02.280 --> 00:03:07.240 me that you as well teach music. I'm sure teach 60 00:03:07.360 --> 00:03:10.800 piano and guitar to people who call you and say, 61 00:03:10.840 --> 00:03:13.360 can you come over and teach little Johnny and little 62 00:03:13.400 --> 00:03:14.680 Sue how to play the piano. 63 00:03:16.360 --> 00:03:19.159 I do teach and Astley. It's not usually little little 64 00:03:19.240 --> 00:03:21.759 Johnny or little Sue, it's grown up Johnny and grown 65 00:03:21.840 --> 00:03:26.520 up Sue. I teach adults. I find it really rewarding 66 00:03:26.599 --> 00:03:29.879 to teach people who, maybe, you know, thirty years ago 67 00:03:30.000 --> 00:03:32.599 they tried it and it didn't go well for them, 68 00:03:32.599 --> 00:03:34.680 and now they've been wanting to do it but regretting 69 00:03:34.719 --> 00:03:37.800 it ever since. So I really enjoy bringing bringing those 70 00:03:37.800 --> 00:03:40.599 type of beginners and intermediate people back into the world 71 00:03:40.599 --> 00:03:44.840 of music. And it's better as an adult than they 72 00:03:44.879 --> 00:03:45.520 may realize. 73 00:03:45.560 --> 00:03:47.759 So that's that's what I have to do you just 74 00:03:47.840 --> 00:03:51.080 described to me as it was in the second or 75 00:03:51.120 --> 00:03:57.759 third grade, and we lived in an apartment building, four 76 00:03:57.759 --> 00:04:01.599 different apartments on four different floors. We lived on the 77 00:04:01.680 --> 00:04:05.639 third and the woman on the floor below us had 78 00:04:05.639 --> 00:04:10.719 a piano, so my mother and grandmother coordinated with her 79 00:04:11.360 --> 00:04:15.520 for me to come by on Wednesday nights for an 80 00:04:15.560 --> 00:04:20.879 hour and take piano. And oh god, I hated it. 81 00:04:21.639 --> 00:04:25.120 I did not want to learn the piano. Let me 82 00:04:25.160 --> 00:04:28.560 see your index finger. You place it on middle C. 83 00:04:28.920 --> 00:04:32.439 That's where you start blah blah blah blah blah. And 84 00:04:32.600 --> 00:04:37.040 I could still right now play if I needed to. 85 00:04:38.079 --> 00:04:40.079 The first four or five songs I had to learn 86 00:04:41.839 --> 00:04:46.360 Birthday Party and Dolly did stand man's neer and come 87 00:04:46.360 --> 00:04:50.399 on boys, join the fun. Baseball days have begun. That 88 00:04:50.879 --> 00:04:54.199 is from when I was in the third grade, and 89 00:04:54.240 --> 00:04:57.560 I haven't been in the third grade for sixty two years. 90 00:04:58.480 --> 00:05:01.639 But I I was made a promise that if I 91 00:05:01.680 --> 00:05:07.759 got through until June, I could stop if I wanted to. 92 00:05:08.600 --> 00:05:11.240 My mother and grandmother expected that I would just learn 93 00:05:11.279 --> 00:05:14.519 to love it and get addicted to it. But they 94 00:05:14.560 --> 00:05:16.759 gave me a finish line to cross. So when I 95 00:05:16.800 --> 00:05:19.879 get to that finished line, hell, of Loujah. I'm done 96 00:05:19.879 --> 00:05:25.920 with piano, but years later I regretted it, and I wish, 97 00:05:26.160 --> 00:05:29.079 I truly wish I had stayed with it, because that 98 00:05:29.279 --> 00:05:31.600 is such an art to be able to sit down 99 00:05:32.759 --> 00:05:37.000 and play the sheet music and do a good job 100 00:05:37.079 --> 00:05:39.360 doing it. I really wish I had stuck with it. 101 00:05:40.879 --> 00:05:43.519 Well, it's never too late, Morgan. You can always jump 102 00:05:43.560 --> 00:05:43.959 back in. 103 00:05:44.720 --> 00:05:49.000 I don't know now, my fingers get a little twinge 104 00:05:49.040 --> 00:05:52.959 of arthritis every now and then. And tell you what 105 00:05:54.319 --> 00:05:56.959 I'll think about it. Matt. That's the best I can 106 00:05:57.040 --> 00:06:01.560 promise you. But before we go any further, tell people 107 00:06:01.600 --> 00:06:03.720 how they can get in touch with you a website 108 00:06:03.839 --> 00:06:04.480 or what have you. 109 00:06:06.120 --> 00:06:10.560 Yeah, so my website is Matt h Music dot com 110 00:06:11.480 --> 00:06:13.319 and yeah, I have some of my music up there 111 00:06:13.360 --> 00:06:15.800 and ways to get in touch me for teaching if 112 00:06:15.959 --> 00:06:21.240 if you're local to me and Watertown. And yeah, it's again. 113 00:06:21.279 --> 00:06:24.560 I love teaching those adults because they're they're just like you. 114 00:06:24.600 --> 00:06:28.519 And I've taken many of those people from that feeling 115 00:06:28.519 --> 00:06:31.519 you were just saying to playing some of their favorite songs. 116 00:06:31.519 --> 00:06:33.600 And if you know, as an adult, you have a 117 00:06:33.600 --> 00:06:36.199 lot more than you might realize, skills you've learned other 118 00:06:36.240 --> 00:06:39.000 skills over the years. Those apply over the music, right 119 00:06:39.279 --> 00:06:41.959 and yeah, and I teach through the songs that people love, 120 00:06:42.839 --> 00:06:44.759 and I think that's an important thing for people too. 121 00:06:44.800 --> 00:06:46.279 When you're a kid, you don't know what you like 122 00:06:46.360 --> 00:06:48.800 and you're those songs you're mentioning. You weren't in love 123 00:06:48.839 --> 00:06:49.480 with them, right. 124 00:06:49.639 --> 00:06:50.839 No, I was. 125 00:06:52.480 --> 00:06:54.360 But when you're an adult, you can pick like, oh, 126 00:06:54.720 --> 00:06:57.759 these are my favorite songs, and we can simplify those 127 00:06:57.839 --> 00:06:59.480 and work your way up through those. So that's a 128 00:06:59.480 --> 00:07:01.120 great way of doing it as an adult, which is 129 00:07:01.240 --> 00:07:02.600 something you don't have when you're a kid. 130 00:07:02.879 --> 00:07:06.759 I was on this subject about three or four years 131 00:07:06.759 --> 00:07:12.680 ago one night and a woman called in because I 132 00:07:12.680 --> 00:07:16.879 had mentioned those very songs, and she said, do you 133 00:07:16.959 --> 00:07:19.639 remember the book you learned them from? And I said, well, 134 00:07:20.199 --> 00:07:23.079 it was a book with a red cover, and those 135 00:07:23.120 --> 00:07:25.360 are the first three or four songs in the book. 136 00:07:25.720 --> 00:07:30.680 And she said, we're still using the same book. That 137 00:07:30.759 --> 00:07:32.959 might have been the third printing and now they're up 138 00:07:33.000 --> 00:07:36.879 to the twentieth printing, but that book is still being 139 00:07:37.040 --> 00:07:41.879 used to instruct people. We had to place your fingers 140 00:07:41.920 --> 00:07:47.079 on the keys, and what the notes represent, and how 141 00:07:47.160 --> 00:07:53.120 to identify arrest note. And it's amazing to me that 142 00:07:54.319 --> 00:07:58.639 all these years later they're still doing it. Is that 143 00:07:58.720 --> 00:08:02.120 a signal? Am I? At the end, it was at 144 00:08:02.120 --> 00:08:05.040 a beat that means no more time. 145 00:08:05.879 --> 00:08:05.959 No. 146 00:08:06.120 --> 00:08:08.720 Sorry, that was from somewhere else in the room. Sorry. 147 00:08:08.720 --> 00:08:10.959 Okay, We'll tell you what. Let me take a break, 148 00:08:12.040 --> 00:08:18.839 and I've got much more to ask you about porch Fest. 149 00:08:19.079 --> 00:08:23.720 I called it porch performances, but porch Fest in Watertown. 150 00:08:24.279 --> 00:08:26.319 Let me give the phone numbers again in case people 151 00:08:26.360 --> 00:08:29.399 in Watertown or other communities want to call in and 152 00:08:29.519 --> 00:08:32.679 talk about the six one, seven, two, five, four, ten 153 00:08:32.759 --> 00:08:36.320 thirty eight, eight, eight, nine to nine, ten thirty. This 154 00:08:36.480 --> 00:08:41.480 is night Side. Please give us a call. I would 155 00:08:41.480 --> 00:08:44.879 appreciate it, and my guest Matt Hannah he as well, 156 00:08:44.960 --> 00:08:48.600 will appreciate it to hear from you here on night Side. 157 00:08:48.840 --> 00:08:52.879 Time and temperature nine p fifteen seventy nine degrees. 158 00:08:54.960 --> 00:08:58.080 Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World 159 00:08:58.240 --> 00:09:01.360 Nightside Studios on w BESY News Radio. 160 00:09:01.559 --> 00:09:06.080 We're talking music here on night Side. There is a 161 00:09:06.120 --> 00:09:08.320 good a good Field story. There are a group of 162 00:09:08.360 --> 00:09:13.399 people that go around the community of Watertown and it's 163 00:09:13.519 --> 00:09:17.080 porch Fest. They go on the various porches front lines 164 00:09:17.120 --> 00:09:21.639 of the homes in Watertown and play music, all kinds 165 00:09:21.679 --> 00:09:26.039 of music. It's almost like an impromptu concert. And the 166 00:09:26.120 --> 00:09:29.200 coordinator is mister Matt Hannah and Matt, we've got a 167 00:09:29.200 --> 00:09:30.720 phone call, so I'm want to take the phone call. 168 00:09:30.799 --> 00:09:34.559 Then I'll go back to talking about the specifics of 169 00:09:34.799 --> 00:09:38.399 porch Fest. But Suzanne, thanks for taking the time to 170 00:09:38.440 --> 00:09:39.519 call in. Welcome. 171 00:09:40.320 --> 00:09:44.320 Well, thanks Morgan for taking by call. I am the 172 00:09:44.480 --> 00:09:49.320 other poor musician, but I've pleased to be while at 173 00:09:49.360 --> 00:09:51.879 dead Way calls Americas back with. 174 00:09:51.919 --> 00:09:55.120 You, okay, and I'm happy you're here. 175 00:09:56.480 --> 00:10:04.039 I had Tiato lessons as child. I had a little 176 00:10:04.240 --> 00:10:07.159 chart in it. I pushed out the third figure of 177 00:10:07.279 --> 00:10:09.759 the second figure that the first, and if I did 178 00:10:09.799 --> 00:10:13.039 it the other way, this is you could tell from 179 00:10:13.039 --> 00:10:17.159 my old age that I'm not a natural pianist, right, 180 00:10:18.960 --> 00:10:24.799 but I have had other you know, I sing and 181 00:10:25.440 --> 00:10:29.200 not too well, and I've had many good times and 182 00:10:29.320 --> 00:10:32.720 bad times listening to music both at Carnegie Hall. 183 00:10:32.679 --> 00:10:39.120 And oh you know, would would this concept work in Newton? 184 00:10:39.200 --> 00:10:42.519 I live in Newton, so would the porch Fest concept 185 00:10:43.200 --> 00:10:45.279 work in your neighborhood? I don't know what part of Newton. 186 00:10:45.279 --> 00:10:46.519 You live in Newton's broken up. 187 00:10:46.840 --> 00:10:50.519 I'm kind of a Newton Lower Falls. That was it. 188 00:10:50.720 --> 00:10:55.399 We do have music, but I'm kind of. 189 00:10:56.840 --> 00:10:58.440 Retired from. 190 00:10:59.120 --> 00:11:00.879 But if a group, if a group of. 191 00:11:00.960 --> 00:11:05.240 Musicians as fabulous, because you know, there's so Mandy, there's 192 00:11:05.360 --> 00:11:09.360 Root sixty, there's Wellesley, there's there's Yeah, I think it 193 00:11:09.360 --> 00:11:10.559 would be fabulous. 194 00:11:10.960 --> 00:11:14.600 All right, Matt, do you think you guys might consider 195 00:11:14.720 --> 00:11:18.519 extending way? A town and Newton almost touch each other. 196 00:11:18.639 --> 00:11:22.120 So what do you say, Eric? 197 00:11:22.200 --> 00:11:25.080 It actually is a Newton porch Fest as well? Uh, 198 00:11:25.159 --> 00:11:27.600 there is someone who are organizes that in your city. 199 00:11:28.120 --> 00:11:32.279 Okay, Well, I had tried to lift watertowns, so I've 200 00:11:32.360 --> 00:11:33.720 visited there too. 201 00:11:33.679 --> 00:11:37.759 So Matt, Matt finished your point, go ahead, So I. 202 00:11:37.799 --> 00:11:40.279 Guess they do it in June. I just looked it 203 00:11:40.360 --> 00:11:42.320 up here. It looks like they had it on doomb first, 204 00:11:43.679 --> 00:11:47.080 and it looks like they have a plant. So there's 205 00:11:47.080 --> 00:11:52.840 still plenty on doing it, all right, Newton Porch Fest. 206 00:11:55.039 --> 00:11:59.120 And is Newton Lower Falls within this schedule? 207 00:12:01.639 --> 00:12:05.559 Newton dot porchbesk dot info and it says here it's 208 00:12:05.600 --> 00:12:08.519 in Auburndale Lower Falls and Lobbing Center. 209 00:12:08.799 --> 00:12:12.320 See that Lower Falls well, my goodness, I tell you, 210 00:12:12.879 --> 00:12:18.360 mister White, your show brings all times of magic. 211 00:12:18.759 --> 00:12:25.519 By well, I'm thankful for that. Call me Morgan, and. 212 00:12:25.759 --> 00:12:28.200 It's is standby on vacation. 213 00:12:27.960 --> 00:12:30.840 Or is it's on vacation. He'll be back on Monday. 214 00:12:31.840 --> 00:12:34.600 Okay, Well, so thank you very very much, and you 215 00:12:34.720 --> 00:12:36.559 have a musical happy weekend. 216 00:12:37.080 --> 00:12:41.879 Suzanne, thank you for the call. Bye bye bye. All right, 217 00:12:42.000 --> 00:12:47.399 And Matt the songs I mentioned, do you remember your 218 00:12:47.480 --> 00:12:52.120 introduction into the first time a teacher told you we 219 00:12:52.200 --> 00:12:56.440 had to place your fingers on the keys and any 220 00:12:56.440 --> 00:13:00.279 of those songs ring a bell in your early days? 221 00:13:00.320 --> 00:13:03.519 Not for me, I'm I'm so. I took about a 222 00:13:03.639 --> 00:13:05.879 year piano when I was a kid, and then I 223 00:13:05.960 --> 00:13:07.600 kind of had a similar reaction to you that I 224 00:13:07.639 --> 00:13:09.279 wanted to be done with that, but I wasn't done 225 00:13:09.320 --> 00:13:12.480 with the instruments, so I self taught myself from that 226 00:13:12.519 --> 00:13:16.159 point up until college. So I kept on playing. But 227 00:13:16.240 --> 00:13:22.360 I i those early ones because they didn't stick in 228 00:13:22.559 --> 00:13:22.960 my head. 229 00:13:23.559 --> 00:13:27.480 Here we go in a road to a birthday party 230 00:13:28.320 --> 00:13:31.799 that was going from middle C to the right and 231 00:13:31.879 --> 00:13:35.600 going from middle C to the left. Dolly Dear sam 232 00:13:35.720 --> 00:13:42.919 E's neer soon you will be sleeping, and you got it. 233 00:13:42.360 --> 00:13:47.639 It's stuck in my mind. People who've heard me here 234 00:13:47.639 --> 00:13:50.639 on BC over the years, you know that the weirdest things, 235 00:13:51.240 --> 00:13:56.279 especially if there's a musicality to them, are embedded deep 236 00:13:56.320 --> 00:13:58.879 in me and won't be yanked out no matter what. 237 00:14:02.840 --> 00:14:09.279 So tell me about other students that you've had. Be 238 00:14:09.360 --> 00:14:12.679 a teacher with pride, pump you chest out and talk 239 00:14:12.759 --> 00:14:17.639 about this person of that person who you've taught how 240 00:14:17.639 --> 00:14:20.639 to play the guitar, how to play the piano and 241 00:14:20.720 --> 00:14:23.840 they've taken to it like a duck to water. 242 00:14:27.080 --> 00:14:27.320 Yeah. 243 00:14:27.360 --> 00:14:29.360 I mean, like I said, a lot of my students 244 00:14:29.360 --> 00:14:32.600 are the same type of Either there's two categories. It's 245 00:14:32.639 --> 00:14:36.639 the people who have your type of experience and they 246 00:14:36.639 --> 00:14:39.399 haven't touched the instrument in you know, forty years or 247 00:14:39.399 --> 00:14:43.639 something like that, and you know, just getting them to 248 00:14:43.679 --> 00:14:46.200 play something like I had a student not too long 249 00:14:46.200 --> 00:14:48.799 ago wanting to learn how to play amazing grace and 250 00:14:49.840 --> 00:14:52.440 you know, just getting them to that first song of 251 00:14:52.720 --> 00:14:55.080 a song that they wanted to play and it sounded 252 00:14:55.159 --> 00:14:58.960 like that real song and it wasn't fully fledged out, 253 00:14:58.960 --> 00:15:01.240 but it was enough and you know, just to light 254 00:15:01.320 --> 00:15:02.799 up on their face when they could do that and 255 00:15:02.840 --> 00:15:05.759 realize that, yeah, I can actually do this, even though 256 00:15:05.799 --> 00:15:10.039 I tried decades ago and it didn't fit because they're 257 00:15:10.080 --> 00:15:12.320 in a different place now. And then there's the people 258 00:15:12.360 --> 00:15:15.200 who have been for decades going along on their own, 259 00:15:15.200 --> 00:15:17.360 but they've never been really happy with their skills. They 260 00:15:17.360 --> 00:15:21.240 wish they were better, and those people will have what 261 00:15:21.360 --> 00:15:23.559 they I have one student who I've been teaching for 262 00:15:23.600 --> 00:15:26.320 many years now, and he calls them his Holy Grail songs, 263 00:15:26.360 --> 00:15:28.240 and as we check those off, you know, he'd been 264 00:15:28.240 --> 00:15:30.600 trying on his own for thirty years to play them. 265 00:15:30.639 --> 00:15:32.879 And then you know, in a couple of years, we've 266 00:15:32.879 --> 00:15:35.440 worked our way up to these and now he's got 267 00:15:35.519 --> 00:15:38.159 like three or four what he calls Holy Grail songs 268 00:15:38.240 --> 00:15:41.480 under his belt, and he's getting ready to do a 269 00:15:41.600 --> 00:15:44.200 concert for his family at this point of about like 270 00:15:44.240 --> 00:15:46.039 twenty twenty songs. 271 00:15:46.080 --> 00:15:46.559 Wonderful. 272 00:15:47.720 --> 00:15:51.039 Yeah, and his family is he's been practicing really hard 273 00:15:51.080 --> 00:15:53.639 because his family is not forgiving, he says. So it's 274 00:15:53.679 --> 00:15:54.519 the ultimate test. 275 00:15:55.759 --> 00:16:01.440 We've ignored you with the guitar because you mentioned both instruments. 276 00:16:02.000 --> 00:16:04.519 What was it about the guitar that attracted you when 277 00:16:04.519 --> 00:16:07.559 you first put your hand on the neck of a Gibson. 278 00:16:10.039 --> 00:16:12.919 So piano was my first my first one, and then 279 00:16:13.000 --> 00:16:17.600 I discovered guitar. It wasn't in college for me, so 280 00:16:18.960 --> 00:16:21.320 I I, you know, I don't know what it was 281 00:16:21.360 --> 00:16:24.200 about it. I just came across an old guitar that 282 00:16:24.279 --> 00:16:27.559 someone was getting rid of. And I was a tinkerer. 283 00:16:27.600 --> 00:16:31.519 I was a I studied competition mainly in school, and 284 00:16:31.960 --> 00:16:34.840 I just loved now picking up I played the piano, 285 00:16:34.879 --> 00:16:37.679 but I loved tinking around on the computer and figuring 286 00:16:37.720 --> 00:16:41.360 out different sounds and just picking up anybody's random instrument. 287 00:16:41.399 --> 00:16:45.679 But when I got guitar, it's it was something where 288 00:16:45.679 --> 00:16:48.360 I felt like it I could use my piano skills 289 00:16:48.360 --> 00:16:50.080 on it. I did a lot of finger picking, so 290 00:16:50.120 --> 00:16:52.200 I could do a lot of that fast finger work 291 00:16:52.759 --> 00:16:54.480 that I couldn't do if I, like picked up a 292 00:16:54.519 --> 00:16:56.480 trumpet because I had to blow into it or something. 293 00:16:56.559 --> 00:16:59.919 So that transferred over easier for me. But it gave 294 00:16:59.960 --> 00:17:02.360 me the whole world of different options that I couldn't 295 00:17:02.360 --> 00:17:06.039 do on the piano, and it just from there it 296 00:17:06.160 --> 00:17:08.440 stuck around and it's been part of my life ever. 297 00:17:08.519 --> 00:17:10.519 James College, So yeah. 298 00:17:10.079 --> 00:17:15.799 My grandmother had a friend who was the landlord, and 299 00:17:16.000 --> 00:17:20.559 potentially people would check in and check out of his 300 00:17:20.599 --> 00:17:27.960 apartment building, and invariably people would leave things, and somebody 301 00:17:28.039 --> 00:17:32.960 left a guitar. Now I'm about eight, nine, ten years old, 302 00:17:33.799 --> 00:17:36.799 and he gave it to me. But the thing to 303 00:17:36.880 --> 00:17:41.400 me was huge. Now, you see people on TV and 304 00:17:41.440 --> 00:17:45.359 you get the concept. You put your fingers around the 305 00:17:45.400 --> 00:17:51.279 neck and you press down on the different strings and 306 00:17:51.640 --> 00:17:55.680 you know where your other hand goes to play it. 307 00:17:56.440 --> 00:17:59.240 But I just never got it, and it wound up 308 00:17:59.240 --> 00:18:02.960 collecting deaths in my room. And that's another instrument. Gosh 309 00:18:03.039 --> 00:18:07.160 darn it. I wish I had taken it seriously or 310 00:18:07.200 --> 00:18:10.720 more serious than I did and learned to play the 311 00:18:10.720 --> 00:18:11.519 gosh darn thing. 312 00:18:13.240 --> 00:18:16.039 You can't blame an eight year old bill too young 313 00:18:16.079 --> 00:18:16.720 to understand. 314 00:18:16.960 --> 00:18:24.039 Thank you. Now I feel better. Ari was only eight, 315 00:18:24.200 --> 00:18:28.480 and between that and the piano, the TV was much 316 00:18:28.559 --> 00:18:32.000 more attractive to me. Tell you what, let me take 317 00:18:32.240 --> 00:18:37.200 another break throwing a quick hit of news. Anyone out 318 00:18:37.200 --> 00:18:42.079 there who wants to call in and talk about porch Fest. 319 00:18:42.599 --> 00:18:46.720 It's in the community of Watertown, we heard as well, 320 00:18:46.759 --> 00:18:49.839 it's in the community of Newton. Maybe you have it 321 00:18:49.920 --> 00:18:52.759 in your community, or maybe you would like to have it. 322 00:18:53.799 --> 00:18:57.880 The person who created this is Matt Hannah, and he's 323 00:18:57.920 --> 00:19:01.079 my guest between now and ten o'clock. If you want 324 00:19:01.079 --> 00:19:04.079 to call in six one, seven, two, five, four, ten 325 00:19:04.200 --> 00:19:07.599 thirty or eight eight, eight, nine to nine, ten thirty. 326 00:19:08.160 --> 00:19:10.240 You know, Matt, you're being heard in thirty eight states 327 00:19:10.240 --> 00:19:15.960 and parts of Canada. So maybe somebody from across America 328 00:19:16.079 --> 00:19:19.240 wants to start one of these in their city, town, hamlet, 329 00:19:19.279 --> 00:19:22.319 whatever the case may be. If you do call in, 330 00:19:22.599 --> 00:19:25.119 maybe Matt will give you a heads up on how 331 00:19:25.119 --> 00:19:29.039 to start it where you live. So on that note, 332 00:19:30.200 --> 00:19:33.039 let me throw it to Rob Brooks, who's my producer 333 00:19:33.720 --> 00:19:37.839 and an excellent producer. He is here on night Side 334 00:19:37.880 --> 00:19:43.200 time and temperature nine twenty nine seventy nine degrees. 335 00:19:45.519 --> 00:19:50.599 If you're on night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's. 336 00:19:50.039 --> 00:19:53.880 News radio, Dan's off will be back on Monday, I promise. 337 00:19:54.079 --> 00:19:58.359 I'm Morgan. I've been part of night Side for five 338 00:19:58.440 --> 00:20:02.880 of the past six nights Side shows, and my guest 339 00:20:02.960 --> 00:20:07.400 tonight at this moment is mister Matt Hannah, and he 340 00:20:07.839 --> 00:20:13.079 has helped coordinate porch Fest and the concept is he 341 00:20:13.240 --> 00:20:18.920 and musician friends of his go around Watertown and play. 342 00:20:19.119 --> 00:20:23.960 Play all types of music, whether you like classical music 343 00:20:25.000 --> 00:20:29.680 or you like something much more contemporary jazz, what have you? 344 00:20:30.640 --> 00:20:35.799 And Matt I just recalled a song I had to play, 345 00:20:36.240 --> 00:20:39.279 had to learn to play the first song I learned 346 00:20:39.319 --> 00:20:46.799 to play with both hands on the keyboard and give 347 00:20:46.799 --> 00:20:52.240 me a second. Now give you the lyrics. Paype hadn'ts 348 00:20:52.279 --> 00:20:58.039 dead and gone, but his magic lingers on when his 349 00:20:58.200 --> 00:21:05.000 tunes were one of best. He wrote jolly tunes like this, 350 00:21:06.079 --> 00:21:08.160 and I had to play it both with my right 351 00:21:08.200 --> 00:21:14.000 and left hand simultaneously. And that's it. I've gone through 352 00:21:14.039 --> 00:21:18.720 the entire litany of what I recall from my days 353 00:21:18.759 --> 00:21:21.079 on a piano, gone. 354 00:21:20.960 --> 00:21:21.839 Through the whole catalog. 355 00:21:22.400 --> 00:21:25.480 That's it. The catalog's done. Did that song ring a 356 00:21:25.480 --> 00:21:27.599 bell to you? 357 00:21:27.640 --> 00:21:27.720 No? 358 00:21:28.359 --> 00:21:31.599 No, those like I said, those type of teaching ones 359 00:21:31.640 --> 00:21:36.680 were not very influential in my personal career with music. 360 00:21:36.799 --> 00:21:38.200 Yeah. 361 00:21:38.519 --> 00:21:44.599 Now tell people, if I live in Watertown and I 362 00:21:44.640 --> 00:21:48.440 want you guys to show up, how many people come 363 00:21:48.480 --> 00:21:50.799 with you? Do you come by yourself or there's a 364 00:21:50.839 --> 00:21:56.480 core of four half dozen of you that just go 365 00:21:56.559 --> 00:21:58.359 in the front lawn and perform. 366 00:21:59.759 --> 00:22:02.880 So, yeah, I might not have done a good enough 367 00:22:02.960 --> 00:22:06.279 job explain this before, so it's not just me performing. 368 00:22:06.799 --> 00:22:11.640 So what this was was one hundred and fifty different bands, 369 00:22:11.680 --> 00:22:15.079 so not just me, It was all simultaneously throughout the city. 370 00:22:16.000 --> 00:22:18.880 There are one hundred and fifty different groups of performers 371 00:22:18.920 --> 00:22:22.359 that signed up to perform, so it's not just me. 372 00:22:22.920 --> 00:22:26.079 It was lots and lots of other people. So people 373 00:22:26.240 --> 00:22:28.319 offer up there. What it was is so there was 374 00:22:28.359 --> 00:22:31.759 a website and people could log in to host if 375 00:22:31.799 --> 00:22:34.559 they wanted just to offer up their porch, and then 376 00:22:34.559 --> 00:22:36.640 there was a way to offer up your services as 377 00:22:36.640 --> 00:22:39.200 a musician or as a band, and then we matched 378 00:22:39.200 --> 00:22:42.240 people up to put them together and made a whole 379 00:22:42.240 --> 00:22:46.440 big schedule with all these performers. So it was a 380 00:22:46.480 --> 00:22:48.759 lot bigger than just me. So if you think about 381 00:22:48.799 --> 00:22:51.599 the one hundred and fifty bands, and if there's now 382 00:22:51.759 --> 00:22:53.640 three people in a band, you know that was about 383 00:22:53.680 --> 00:22:56.039 four hundred and fifty people plus the host. It was 384 00:22:56.079 --> 00:22:58.640 like five hundred people all involved on this one day. 385 00:22:58.799 --> 00:23:02.319 So it was much bigger than just a handful of ums. 386 00:23:02.799 --> 00:23:04.519 And this is true for all the porch befts that 387 00:23:04.960 --> 00:23:07.720 people organize themselves in different cities as well. So I 388 00:23:07.759 --> 00:23:11.359 only organize the one in Watertown, Okay, Newton, the one 389 00:23:11.359 --> 00:23:12.119 in Newton. 390 00:23:11.839 --> 00:23:12.720 And all the other cities. 391 00:23:12.799 --> 00:23:15.839 Those are just people within their city organizing it themselves. 392 00:23:16.359 --> 00:23:18.640 So someone's listening and they look up and they don't 393 00:23:18.640 --> 00:23:22.240 have one in their city. You can start organizing it yourself. 394 00:23:23.000 --> 00:23:26.359 There's a there's a great website called porchfest dot info, 395 00:23:26.799 --> 00:23:28.960 and that guy there is great at helping people start 396 00:23:29.000 --> 00:23:33.119 off up their own websites or and starting to organize 397 00:23:33.119 --> 00:23:34.400 it yourself if you're interested. 398 00:23:34.720 --> 00:23:40.119 Okay, now I heard about you through my friend of 399 00:23:40.200 --> 00:23:45.599 over forty years, Fred Grandinetti, and he has a show 400 00:23:45.799 --> 00:23:50.680 on the Watertown cable station, and you've made an appearance. 401 00:23:51.319 --> 00:23:54.400