Blogging again after a few years! Wow!

      Hard to believe I have found this old blog. And on this old computer we use for VOBB radio, my old email and password still exists. Imagine that!!! Thanks to Trevor Lloyd for his encouragement! He runs a great blog called Boat in a Bag! Check it out! A Boat in a Bag – An Inflatable Adventure

    Well this year my trio The Sharecroppers of Newfoundland, took a break for the summer after 32 years of doing coach tour and cruise ship shows. Of course that was unintended  - taking a break, I mean.  Covid 19 held all those cruise ships and coach tours captive. We didn't do any shows at all. If you go to our web site at  www.thesharecroppers.net  you'll see all the shows that were lined up for us! Sure we would have well passed the 120K cds sold over these 32 years. Sounds like a lot, but if you do the math and ever play on board a cruise ship where they line up after the show, it all makes sense. We're pleased although lately with the people on coach tours, they say to us, "Well, I would but my new car doesn't have a cd player!"

• 
  

     So summer 2020 I put my attention into our radio show on VOBB radio out of Bonne Bay Gros Morne Nat Park Newfoundland!

     Kathy, my darling wife, and I have been volunteer Wednesday hosts for about the last 6 years. VOBB radio at  www.vobb.org is a 24 hr station, and from Monday to Friday, the flagship show on VOBB  called "Bonne Bay Morning with (put in volunteers name here like Anita Best, Gary Noel, Wayne Parsons, Steve Galliot and Charlie Payne, Gene Bellows, Mike & Kathy Madigan and many more....!)" is the main show from 9-11am.

    I try to get interviews - or chats, as we call them, with authors, musicians and just about everyone else! From Lawrence Hill to Buddy Wassiname's Wayne Chaulk, Kathy and I enjoy chatting and discovering all sorts of neat radio stuff. 

   And we have gone international!  I mean VOBB radio is always heard around the world through the internet, but we have a 'sister station' in Cape May NJ. WCFA Radio 101.5FM  picks up our Wednesday morning show and airs it "LIVE" but at their time of 7:30am-9:30am.  www.capemayradio.org 

   Kathy and I normally "winter" in beautiful Cape May New Jersey and about 3 years ago I bumped into a man on the Cape May promenade who stopped to say hello to our Golden girl and dog SCOUT. When he said he detected an accent in my voice, I told him we were from Newfoundland. The man said he had been to Newfoundland but only once in his life! And he shocked me to say he was the 3rd JUMBO JET to land in Gander during the infamous 9/11 when 9000+ passengers descended on the small town of Gander.

       As you know many planes were diverted to Newfoundland airports and he was on one of them. But "BobBass", as he is called on facebook, proceeded to tell me he was treated ROYALLY and so many of the stories he told me were like right out of the musical COME FROM AWAY! And when I asked Bob if he had seen the musical on Broadway NY, he said, "What musical?"

   So I knew there was a story to be told and I approached the good people of WCFA radio and asked if I could interview Bob.  David Mackenzie and Hope Gaines were pleased about this and so we all went into studio and had a wonderful chat with Bob about his amazing experience in Gander Newfoundland and about Newfoundland itself.

   The rest is history. Now WCFA radio airs our Wed morning show as we at VOBB air a Thursday night show from them. Yes, international radio!!!

     So I have been putting my creative juices in radio land! It's fun but hard work too preparing for each two hour show. The music I play has more of a Newfoundland or Celtic flavour which many people enjoy! We have lots of listeners each week and it's almost like interactive radio as we have an OPEN PAGE on facebook at: Mike Kathy Madigan. Like I said, it's an open page so you can say what you want to us, put a photo there, or just tell us you are LISTENING!!!!  It all helps us be more creative during our live broadcast!!!

  Check us out at www.vobb.org and check out our other hosts.......Bonne Bay Morning is a great station!!!  Cheers for now  ~  Mike Madigan

This Island by The Sharecroppers

The Sharecroppers Continue Anniversary Tour -summer 2013

www.thesharecroppers.net
Summer dates soon to be announced!
Promo for 25 years:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEOYr7LOQRM
 Song: Crowd From Up the Hill:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-e4hrDImsLM

One Room School Song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOoAEwEEuNY

Sharecroppers "25th Anniversary One Room School Tour" - Updates

     The Sharecroppers (of Newfoundland)'s 25th Anniversary One Room School Tour is taking place this April 2013 from April 15th-28th. Twelve shows are now booked! Hope to see you by the old potbelly stove with slate, rag and small water bottle. (No sleeves allowed). lol


25th Anniversary One Room School Tour

        Here's our short info ad and One Room School song that I put together! Enjoy. (Thanks to Nfld artist Lloyd Pretty who allowed us to use his wonderful one room school scene.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_IsG4mVfYA
 See you at the show!!

Where are the shows in April?
15th Pasadena St. David's
16th Twillingate St. Peter's Anglican Church
17th Bonavista The Garrick Theater
NOTE ADDED SHOW: 18th April, Lord's Cove Community Center
19th Marystown St. Gabriel's Hall
20th St. John's Gower Street United Lecture Hall
21st Clarenville Clarenville Events Center
22nd Gander St. Martin's Anglican
23rd Grand Falls-Windsor Holy Trinity Anglican Church
24th Kings Point The Firettes
25th Corner Brook All Saints Anglican
26th Norris Point Lions Club @ Norris Point Community Hall
27th Port aux Basques St. James Anglican Memorial Center


The Sharecroppers...Ed,Guy & Mike

Thanks to Sound and Lighting provided by HM Audio Corner Brook!

Sharecroppers Celebrate 25 years -my blog

(By trio member Mike Madigan)

    The Sharecroppers of Newfoundland celebrate 25 years a Newfoundland folk trio! (1988-2013) And by golly it's true too when I say: "it's been 25 years and nar fight betwix us!"  lol. The trio have remained friends, fellow teachers (now retired), and  two of us are even grandparents!

    Life has been good in so many ways and although we have remained  fairly humble in the public eye, our songs about Newfoundland have touched many. Just the other day someone from the Dept of Education asked that our One Room School song be submitted for a resource book to be used in the classroom. I love hearing that.
     Over the years many of our songs like "The Legionnnaires: Lest We Forget", "The Kyle" , "Grenfell", "One Room School" and "Viking Winds" and more have been used in the classroom for projects as well as in various museums/exhibitions etc.

   Who are the Sharecroppers personally? It pleases me to tell you about my trio buddies!

      Guy Romaine hails from Newman's Cove, Bonavista Bay. Guy's dad, Newman Romaine, went to the little one room school there and always spoke of interesting and mischievous times in that one roomer, now a small United Church. Guy's dad worked in construction but also had a fishing license, so Guy and "skipper" would often go out on the Bonavista Bay. Thus Guy loves to write about the simple things of outport life and does a great job. With songs like Yesterday's Fisherman", Life in the Outport, Freddy's Tune, My Cove and One Room School, Guy's poetry is simply beautiful. Here's a youtube example of Guy's excellent poetry with his song "This Island": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcUGK9e5Dwg
      By the way, Guy's dad passed away a few years ago and his funeral was in that very one room school he went to. Talk about full circle. Guy's mom Rita still lives in Newman's Cove and is the sweetest woman on earth.

     Ed Humber hails from Corner Brook and it's no wonder one of his many fine songs is "The Mill Whistle". Ed's dad, Harvey Humber, worked for more than 37 years at the Mill.

      Ed was the most recent to retire from the classroom and most of that time was spent as guidance counselor. The kids loved and respected him then and still do today, as Ed has helped  many find their way through sports as well as his personal guidance.
     Every summer for the past 17 summers Ed guides a tour bus (Executive Worldwide Travel) for a friend and they do a 14 day tour of Newfoundland. He does this just once a summer and because of his finely tuned tour of St Anthony and the Grenfell place, Ed wrote this amazing song about Grenfell which I think is the best ever written about this great English born Newfoundland icon. Have you seen the youtube of this? Beautful!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cf9tL0R9Iqc

    As for myself, Mike Madigan, I've kept a rather low profile (lol) since my roots are actually Irish and French :) The father's side of the family comes from Askeaton,Co Limerick Ireland and he, Leo Wm Madigan, married a french girl from Quebec named Jocelyne Geoffroy. Dad, of course, quickly pronounced her name as  "Joyce Jeffrey" and I think my mom suddenly became Irish!! lol So I'm half Irish and French,  but most mostly Irish! 
     Perhaps you are familiar with the song  I wrote called "My Grandfather's Fiddle" ? It's about my french grandpapa, Jules Geoffroy, who was a town fiddler in St Felix-de-Valois, Quebec. And I believe some of that French and Irish mixture has  definitely rubbed off on me. Know how I know? Well, when I play on my mom's old fiddle the tune "The Saint Anne's Reel" ....or "La Reel de St Anne".... as they say in french, I do so in a very unique way here in Newfoundland. How? Well, I make the Irish and French harmonies blend in together. And come to think of it, maybe I play The St Anne's Reel the best in the world!!  Hmm...I wonder what's  "Blarney" in french? lol

Here however is my Grandfather's fiddle on Youtube that Jim Yetman from Bryant's Cove nicely illustrated for me:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37H-ojP-_d8

                                     Where did the Sharecroppers start? And why the name Sharecroppers? We are asked that all the time.
     Well The Sharecroppers started when Ed, Guy and myself were all teaching at Pasadena Academy. Our students one April day in 1988 knocked on the staffroom door at recess. They wanted to know what the teachers were going to sing at an upcoming cabaret the school was preparing for.
     So the three of us got together and practiced two Newfoundland songs,... and something very different for a third song. That different song we decided to do was "Sharecroppers Dream" by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Notice the name??!! The name Sharecroppers stuck, and because the trio went over so well that night, we were asked to perform at countless churches, schools, Legion halls and concerts... and the rest, as they say, is history!

     All three of us are retired from the classroom but are still enjoying the music side and entertaining each summer. We give our Newfoundland Cultural Experience show to many coach tours and the occasional cruise ship during the summer, as well as  a number of Newfoundland festivals.......which can all be seen at our web site http://www.thesharecroppers.net/ 

    I also hope the crowd from CBC's Land and Sea read what I blog because I'd love to get a copy of our Bristol England trip we did for Newfoundland tourism in '96 at The International Festival of the Sea. Land and Sea followed us all over Bristol where we did 13 shows in 4 days. CBC did a nice segment on The Sharecroppers in that show.

     And I hope Mr Geoff Stirling reads this, for I'd like to thank him personally for listening in 1993 to our 1st cd (NATURAL) I sent him with the One Room School song. He phoned me at 5 am Newfoundland time from Arizona a couple of times. Imagine that!    Geoff, out of his love for Newfoundland, gave us $20,000 worth of free advertising on NTV and  then did a vignette of our song One Room School that played for 17 months straight - three times a day! He also did wonders with our song about the  KYLE, the  famous Newfoundland coastal boat that is still grounded in Harbour Grace.  Many folks in Newfoundland and all around the world have now seen these vignettes on NTV because the station's having gone satelite in the 90s. Congrats NTV!

    Yes, 1988 to 2013.... it's been 25 years a Newfoundland folk trio! We have also produced three cds as well: Natural (One Room School), This New Founde Lande, and "Home,Boys!" We feel we have truly been blessed in so many ways.
     Yes, may there be many more years to come in sharing our Newfoundland cultural experience with Newfoundlanders and tourists here and all around the world! Isn't Newfoundland just a wonderful place to be? God Guard Thee Newfoundland!

    Now please enjoy this little anniversary you tube video I produced using one of our original Celtic sounding instrumentals called Caplin Run. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEOYr7LOQRM

Take care and  please feel free to write me with any comments or suggestions for this summer!
Cheers,
     Mike Madigan (mike_madigan@yahoo.com)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRriwelHRjw

The Stray Birds -a trio worth hearing

     Every now and then you come across a trio that just amazes and wows you!
     Just recently (at the great coffee house Burlap and Bean) I heard a threesome named The Stray Birds that I wish could come to the Writer's Festival in Woody Point, Newfoundland. I would say this trio is just as talented as The Once, another wonderful trio I heard for the first time last summer.
      After The Stray Birds' performance, I bought their two cds and told one of the members that I thought the sound and performance was really "cd perfect!" And of course what I mean here is that every instrument and sung harmony note was played perfectly. And it was all acoustic. They had this one rectangle shaped microphone in front, and the trio leaned in when the harmonies were needed. There were smaller mics for the banjo and fiddle, but it was a pleasure to hear this great natural sound coming from the instruments.
       The girl in the trio, Maya de Vitry, is very gentile looking when she talks and plays her fiddle and claw hammer-style banjo at the side. But when she leads a song from the middle of the trio, her entire face and body take on a deep expression of desire to create musical poetry, and her voice is a real surprise. It's powerful and comes from deep within. She's fascinating to watch, but she's not in any way distracting or contorted. She is just 'singing perfection'!!
       I wish I could play bass like Charles Muench. He plays it with perfection. It's a pleasure to watch him both pluck and bow this old friend. I like the way he finds every possible note to add to the music, but he's not showy. And his vocal harmonies are awesome as he leans in. He has real stage presence.
     Oilver Craven, the lead singer, is a genius on guitar, fiddle and vocals. He plays his guitar with great expertise and it's a joy to watch his strum or finger picking. A master at work.
      The trio played many of their original songs, and the lyrics and instrumentation all blended in wonderfully. Every now and then they would play a song like No Part of Nothin' that really stirred up the room with amusing lyrics and a great beat. You can't ask for a better show with something for everyone. Even their rendition of The Saint Anne's Reel with two fiddles competing as well as the big bass taking a turn at it, was a fascinating show of musicianship.
     My wish? I would really love others to see this trio and experience the wonderful evening they offer. Let me know if you do.

      One final mention concerns the venue Burlap and Bean. Not only is the coffee wonderful, but the place knows how to present a great atmosphere. No bar scene here! The audience is here to listen and enjoy! Wish there were more places like it.

     Now folks,... I am going to do something here that I almost hate to do because it's never like being there. But if you promise to USE EARPHONES or at least have GOOD speakers, then listen to this. Do NOT use LAP TOP speakers....don't ruin this experience with this little camcorder. Yes, PLEASE use earphones because this is actually a good you tube capture of this trio! The song is one of theirs called "I dream in Blue".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RxMn8OvYvY

     Hope you enjoy it. Let me know if you can at   mike_madigan@yahoo.com

Cheers,

   MikeMadigan of The Sharecroppers of Newfoundland

PS. As for the trio mentioned above called  The Once, here's a youtube with Newfoundland photos that captures this group's ability to deliver a great song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TZRXMqbLII

      

Our "One Room School" song gets a facelift!

Our popular One Room School song from our 1st cd NATURAL (1993) got a facelift from a friend who is really talented in making those you tube videos. Jim Yetman, from Newfoundland, captured the theme of our nostalgic song in this worth-the-watch video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOoAEwEEuNY
     The days of the one room schools in Newfoundland still seem to attract attention, and if you visit you tube you'll see a lot of clips of one room school stories and documentation. From the cod liver oil and cocomalt thoughts, to  remembering the old outhouse, the one room school remains engraved in our memories.

     The Sharecroppers of Newfoundland, my trio that's celebrating its 25th Anniversary as a Newfoundland folk trio this 2013, invites you to stay tuned for an announcement on our web site that will mention where in Newfoundland we are performing our anniversary shows. Hope to see you then!
     Drop into www.thesharecroppers.net in the new year to catch where those shows are. Cheers~Mike Madigan ( mike_madigan@yahoo.com )

(PS....

For other excellent videos of our songs and lyrics,... and many of Jim Yetmans's,... drop into the great Newfoundland music site called GEST and explore our music and thousands more at http://www.wtv-zone.com/phyrst/audio/nfld/ashare.htm Thanks again!~Mike)

Writer's Festival 2012......honest stuff !

      Did you attend the writers' festival in Woody Point this summer?
      I really enjoyed the Writer's at Woody Point Festival 2012 in Woody Point, Newfoundland this August. There were excellent writers and musicians there, and Steve Brunt and Gary Noel, organizers, are to be commended. Shelagh Rogers, who I finally got to meet at Peter and Robert's house, was charming. I also met the daughter of the late Peter Gzowski and she was pleased to hear of my once 8 minute radio interview with her father concerning my 1960 unopened can of Dunlop Fort tennis balls. I still have them, by the way...still unopened too!
      The evening my trio, The Sharecroppers performed, was August 25th and we were pleasantly accompanied by Newfoundland writers Tara Manuel and Donna Morrissey in the beautiful Warehouse Merchants Theatre. Both women gave outstanding very humorous introductions to their works, but Donna stole the show. Tara's reading of her twenty minute story was interesting too, but as it progressed it got darker and darker and by the end, many of us were wondering why she chose such a risque piece. But I guess it is a writer's festival afterall!
       One of the highlites of the week for me and many was the Al Pittman tribute....both the special night hosted by Clyde Rose as well as his reading of Al's "Seabreeze Lounge" poem as a Project Bookmark. Clyde read Al's poem with 100% heartfelt emotion that day with everyone standing around where the Seabreeze used to be. I was touched by his comments and friendship.
     The evening tribute to Al Pittman was the best of all the Writer's Festival, I thought. The acting performance of Al's poetry by the art students was amazingly well done. They made his poetry come to life, and the expressions on those actors' faces were perfect, profound and  professional!
        I thought our own eight original tunes performed by my Sharecropper Trio the night of August 25th was well received. It gave us a chance to put our poetry to music with songs like Yesterday's Fisherman, My Grandfather's Fiddle, The Simple Things, Grenfell, A Traditional Song, The Hangashore, One Room School and This New Founde Lande. I suggested later to Gary Noel if we ever did this again, it would have been nice to do a longer set and finish off with some good ole Irish-Nfld pub style songs since everyone had a drink in their hands anyways. But I think our host Angela Antle was a bit too eager to get everyone out to the Legion for 11pm.
     The last evening I attended -  which was Sunday night- was quite a show with Shane Murphy and Sandy Morris. Shane and Sandy ended off the evening with a Jimmy Hendrix song Hey Joe and it was electrifying! You might even say it was "sum shockin' good!"!! I watched them (Sandy, Shane, two drummers and a bass player) from only 15 feet away. I always knew Sandy Morris was a good guitar player, but it's the first time I had ever seen him in the rock mode. Both he and Shane (the master of rock perfection) played wild heavy sounds with smooth fingers! It was fun to watch and quite frankly, I had never seen this great guitar playing up that close! It was awesome, thrilling, loud and magnificent!
    The group All the Wiles were excellent too. It was nice to see them getting the crowd going too.
      I would like to commend Jenny Galliott of Galliott Studios for her beautiful art gallery turned into a coffee and Spirits lounge of poetic readers and guest musicians. Great job, Jenny and everyone loves your place. Great venue and I hope you also sold tons of your beautiful artwork and pottery!
      I have a few criticisms I'd like to share. Not all the writers were good readers! I'd suggest some get others to read their work like Clyde Rose did of Al Pittman's. Of course Al is deceased but sometimes it takes someone else to read a good piece of literature other than the author himself.
       I also attended Alan Doyle's second evening. Although I am not a fan of his often harsh singing style, he delivers quite a vibrant show. But I couldn't understand why Corey Tetford's guitar that second night was so dominant. I asked Max Simms about this and he said Corey's guitar was not controlled by the master board but was amplified right from the stage. Too bad as the excellent fiddler was drownd out continuously. Perhaps all instruments should be controlled from the soundman's board. Max and crew do a fantastic job, as we all know and appreciate!
        Finally...one more criticism. Although  it was good to see locals attending the events,  there were not enough. Is it the price of tickets? I think so. One may as well call a spade a spade. Maybe special prices should be given to the folks who live in Woody Point and nearby towns. The Heritage Theatre that Charlie Payne runs is a beautiful  wooden venue with good acoustics. My trio played there 3 years ago to a crowd of 57 and last year at the Legion to well over 150 folks, mostly locals. I think pricing is a factor. Something to re-think perhaps?
        Writers at Woody Point 2012 was a wonderful experience. I'm glad I was there attending and participating. I'm also glad Kathy and I have a home and 82 year-old house there too...for I believe Woody Point is the gem of Bonne Bay in Gros Morne. Don't you?
Cheers!
~Mike Madigan (mike_madigan@yahoo.com)
        
      

Back in Woody Point, Newfoundland

Well, it's good to be back here in Woody Point. Just doing Sharecropper shows and two Passing the Time's in Trout River and a show at Jenny Galliot Studios called "A Woody Point "Time" with folk singer Mike Madigan" has been wonderful. Everyone I know goes to work....but I go to play......is so true for me. Kathy and Scout have been wonderful and patient with me and my "focus" moods. Each show is a wonderful experience but takes thought and ideas!
   Next is a show on Aug 19th and then The Writers Festival on Aug 25th.....an event I am truly looking forward to experiencing.  The Sharecroppers play two 20 minute sets while authors Tara Manuel and Donna Morrissey do the authors' presentations. I haven't sung my song The Kyle in quiet a while, so I'd like to sing it that night for the writers.  That's the abandoned coastal steamer that is still grounded in River Head in Harbour Grace. They actually repainted this ship in 1997 for the Cabot year! Wonderful as my last verse to my song written in 1977 suggested they do this!
     We're at www.thesharecroppers.net so drop in and see. Next year...2013...we are doing a 25th anniversary tour. More to come later. We started this trio in 1988 and next year 2013 will be 25 years together!! Amazing!!!
I'm at mike_madigan@yahoo.com if you need to get in contact with me!!
Cheers
Mike

Crowd From Up the Hill

Here's an opening full track from our latest cd Home, Boys! called Crowd From Up the Hill. It's a song about friends from Pasadena Newfoundland who like to get together every now and then and sing all the Irish songs they know....and right till the break of day (then have a hearty breakfast). Yet many of them have never been to Ireland!
So to Bill on the whistle, Colin on the mandolin, Mike on the guitar and Milton on the bodhran, a warm hello! Ed Guy and myself love this song .....and the photos accompanying the song, tell the tale of a fine group of people in Pasadena as well as our trio, The Sharecroppers, celebrating its 24th year this summer 2012. I hope there's a crowd in every community or cove in Newfoundland that loves to sing too! Hey, I know there is!
Check this you tube I did of our song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-e4hrDImsLM

--------

Enjoy!!!! Mike of The Sharecroppers (of Newfoundland)

Some Shockin' Sad - Lloyd Candow, my friend, passes

I heard the sad news that Mr Lloyd Candow died on Friday Dec 3rd,2010. But happily he did not die alone but at the Western Memorial Hospital in Corner Brook with his son Chris by his bedside. That was always my worry, ...that this witty humorous old gentleman would die alone in his cabin in Pasadena. I thank God he didn't.

Lloyd Candow will always be remembered by many as the man who wrote the Newfoundland song "Some Shockin' Good". It's a cute song about the grandkids from "Upalong" travelling back home to stay with their grandparents and all the neat stuff they do back home in Newfoundland...which of course is all "Some shockin good!"

But to me Lloyd will be remembered as the man I used to visit often in his little recluse cabin in the woods. I enjoyed his wit, his humour, his outlook on life, and his inventions. He was truly an entrepreneur who made up games that should have been marketed. He was also a creator and collector of witty sayings and,... after telling him many times that he should write a book,... he did!

Lloyd Candow complied a 139 pages of witty sayings,... all one finger pecked on a computer his son Chris gave him as a way to pass the time. He made a special friend named June in Australia through an internet chatroom and both of them put together an entire manuscript...cover and all...and published it in Calgary since a local publishing firm in Corner Brook asked too high a price. The book was called: "A Collection of Some Shockin' Good Smiles - For Seniors!" and it was a hit. Some stuff was pretty risque, but when I mentioned that to Lloyd his response to me was, "Hey you young pup...what are you reading that for? It's for Seniors!"

I'm not sure where Lloyd got them but he said to me one day, "Mike, I'm reading a book about anti-gravity and I just can't put it down." Well Lloyd's book is like that......you just keep turning and turning the pages with the big print for Seniors and smiling.

I'm not sure when Lloyd was born, but this octogenarian was at least 84 and was born in a part of Corner Brook, Newfoundland, called Georgetown, Bay of Islands. His good friend and buddy since youth, Dr. Charlie O'Connell, said this of Lloyd: "Lloyd Candow is a true son of Newfoundland. He loves the people, the songs, the music and the culture that makes this island what it is. I am some shockin' lucky to be among his friends."

I too was happy to be his friend who got to know him, help him, and laugh with him. I'm sure if Lloyd could still be around, he'd be singing his own words from his famous song,

"A grand old place to visit, we'd stay here if we could,

It's nice to live where everything is some shockin' good."

Lloyd, may you rest in Peace.

My sincere condolences to his son Chris and all his other family members and friends!

Grand Bruit, Newfoundland, I'll miss you!

I had only been to Grand Bruit once in my life and now it is gone forever.

Yes, this little community on Newfoundland's South coast is now resettled and exists no more. What I feel bad about is that of all the communities I have visited in Newfoundland, I thought this little place was the best. It had character, beauty, history, peace, solitude, and a small population. But what made it picture perfect was how it looked from from Cindy Billard's house and cabins on the hill. You could see everything and walk from one end to the other in about 12 minutes. See the painting above next to the arial shot? No roads, no cars....yet the paths were paved. It had won the Tidy Town Award as each property was kept wonderful and clean. The old merchant's house just across a small causeway was old, slanted
and immense. There's definitely history and the Newfoundland way of life there for sure!

I hope somehow I can return to this community. If anyone knows how, please let me know as there is no ferry service there now.

Grand Bruit...a place of no roads, no pollution,... and now - no people. Sad indeed.

Ben Sands, a wonderful singer from Ireland

Whenever I look at the picture above, I smile. Here is Kathy, the love of my life, Ben Sands, and me sitting at the table, happy as can be. We were over at LLoyd Hollets house for a meal with Ben and his lovely wife. Ben promised to us that evening that he would sing a song off his cd that we love called Lady Take your Time. It's a beautiful song that means so much to us....a song about decision making....and a decision we made for ourselves and our future. And I'm glad Kathy and I did. Ben may or may not be aware, but his song drove home the fact of being happy and being together.

So Ben sang the song in Woody Point that special evening and we ended up buying a house in Woody Point that summer. It's all connected.

Ben is a wonderful man who told me that sometimes the musician is also the listener, the doctor, the therapist, the "friend" to many. I know what he means. But it's good to have poets who are good singers and "friends" to listeners like us.

If you like good music and well written lyrics, I suggest you try a cd by Ben Sands. He's at www.bensands.com
You'll love him.

A cinquain on "Wine"

Well, actually I am waiting for a cinquain on wine. This other Mike Madigan I bumped into on the blog site lives in California and writes about his love for wine. So I recently wrote him this:

Hi Mike,
I was wondering who are your readers. I was once in a class in the 70s where a prof taught us a poetry form called the Cinquain. Seemed pretty elementary, I thought. He basically said it was five lines, each line increasing by one word until you reached the last line which was one word again. The method was first line - topic....using one word. Second line was two words describing topic. Third line was three words expressing an action of the topic. Fourth line...and most crucial line, was four words expressing an emotion about the topic. Then the fifth line, back to one word, was to be a synonym of the topic. Then the prof said to us, "Okay, try a cinquain...any topic will do." So I chose to write a cinquain about my younger sister Angela. I wrote this in class:
Angela
My sister
Growing up fast
Without my being there
Miss

The prof gave me an A+...and said the last line was especially good, as it served a double purpose.
So Mike Madigan, if you were to write a cinquain about "Wine", what would it look like?

So I am hoping this other Mike will write me about wine in cinquain form.

I read about former student Ryan Cleary today

I read today that a former student of mine, Ryan Cleary, has resigned from the NDP. Good for him. I've no doubt it was an eye opener for him (as he says) but I think journalism is his passion. In fact I think he can do more for Newfoundland politics with his pen than with his mouth. However his mouth is pretty darn good too.
I remember Ryan as a student at St Francis High School in Harbour Grace. Quite the thinker and in those days of one-finger typing and black ink stencils, I moderated our newspaper called "The Spindrift". Ryan was clever, a go getter, and just a smart kid. In fact he was more than just a smart kid...he was intelligent. I liked that about him. Years later when I read The Independent I enjoyed his articles and his ability to slice and dice and bring out the full flavour on the political scene. His keen eye and Johnathan Swift style of writing made me think. Journalism was and is his passion for sure!
As a teacher you hear lots of stories of former students and what they are doing these days. Some are opening mines and some are opening minds. Ryan Cleary has opened mine for a long time. I look forward to his next illuminating article.
Now, where in the old trunk did I put a copy of a 1977 Spindrift, I wonder?

Amazed at Let Them Be Kids

I'm in Woody Point today checking on my new house there near the lighthouse and dropped into the Post Office and Library to sign up. The wonderful librarian there told me all about the Let Them Be Kids project. I will not be able to attend their 25th special day of September they have in Trout River for the playground construction, but I offered three cds of our music (One Room School cd) (and our two latest ones) to sell and keep 100% of the sale. Hope folks will buy them for at least 10 dollars each.
Good luck to all who are making this playground a success and most of all to the kids...play often, play fair, and play well!
Cheers~~~Mike Madigan (box 56 Woody Point Bonne Bay Nfld A0K 1P0) mike_madigan@yahoo.com www.thesharecroppers.net

Living on the Humber River

The Humber River is quite the beautiful place to live next to here in Steady Brook Newfoundland. I'm staying for the month of August in a beautiful chalet where I can literally throw in my salmon line. Yes, I have a license too! The chalet is made of wood, has about 15 windows, and overlooks the Humber River. Now and then a canoe or small boat will go by and work up the 4 mph flowing current.
It's great and what's really wonderful is my special friend, companion, confidante and wife will be with me on August 7th to share in the joy here. (No, that's not 4 people I'm referring to!! )lol
My mom's old fiddle adorns the fireplace mantle and my big bass fiddle rests in the corner. The stereo system here is good and I have been practicing both those instruments as well as my guitar in this special acoustically sound place.
Well my coffee is ready and I must go in the canoe today.....who knows....maybe it'll be salmon for supper!

Back on Newfoundland soil

Well I'm back. If I look at this in reverse, it took me twenty hours to cross the gulf and only 18 hours to get to North Sydney from West Chester Pennsylvania. Funny, eh? Took longer to cross the Atlantic Ocean from Nova Scotia to Newfoundland than it did to drive from down south.. I crossed on the Atlantic Vision which I now call the Atlantic Delusion!
I'm staying in a boarding house in Corner Brook! Neat place...5 bedrooms, kitchen, computer room, tv room, nice couches, basement, washer and dryer and private parking. Location...Broadway! Near McHugh's pub. Near the Newfoundland Emporium. Near the Mill which blows its whistle faithfully at 8 am and wakes me up in time to make coffee for the other 4 guests here. All are under the age of 32; I guess that makes me the father type. They are all nice people and one is an exchange student/researcher from Asia.
I look forward to every Sharecropper Performance we have this summer. If you are near Pasadena on July 16th, come to the beach at the Oasis Grill. We play there at 9pm till 11pm.
If you are on the Northern Peninsula in August, come to Woody Point on Aug 14th at the Heritage Theatre there for our show at 8 pm. If in Cow Head on the 16th, our show is there at Shallow Bay at 8 pm. They should all be entertaining!
You can have a brew at these three places too. That means you can raise a glass during "Fine Girl Ye Are!" or sing along to our well loved One Room School song!
Hope to see you this summer. Please be sure to say hello! You can check our progress at www.thesharecroppers.net
But best of all this summer, my beautiful wife Katie Rose is coming to Nfld to be with me on July 1st. I'm all smiles!!!
Have a great summer 2010!

They Call me A Wry Man by Ged Blackmore

If you know of my friend Ged Blackmore or even the Folk of the Sea, you will know we are dealing with an extraordinary human being. Ged was a highschool principal in a couple of schools that I taught in, and I know well his leadership, passion and kindness towards others. His musical accomplishments with fisherfolk during the cod moratorium will always be remembered as he took that hardy crowd not only across Newfoundland but Canada itself.
His song They Call Me a Wry Man has always touched me with its lyrics and moving musical score. I was delighted to see many of Ged's own musical masterpieces compiled on a cd charismatically titled "All We have is Now". I was even more pleased that our wonderful native Newfoundland actor, Gordon Pinsent, was asked to narrate and sing this song They Call me a Wry Man.
I can say so much more.... but I will leave you with some lyrics and the tune itself
if you email me at mike_madigan@yahoo.com

They call me a wry man that kicks 'gainst the goad
But I'm just a wise man that's tired of his load
I sowed in the ocean, took fish from the sea
Bringing gentlemen riches and me - poverty!!

Vikings Winds - my song written up in L'Anse aux Meadows, NFLD

You know of course the Vikings settled in Newfoundland around 999AD ! I've spent many hours exploring this Viking UNESCO World Heritage site way up the Northern peninsula of Newfoundland, and it is breathtaking. The remnants of the old sod huts are still there next to the replica ones they have built to Viking precision. Of course the land, beach and hills have never changed for a 1000 years.
When you leave the interpretation centre and walk down to the settlement and water, you really do enter an earlier milleninum. To think Leif, Eriik's son of course, lived on our lisand of Newfoundland long before John Cabot discovered it in 1497! Thought provoking, isn't it?
Although my Sharecropper Trio's second cd is appropriately named This New Founde Lande, the song I penned right there next to these Viking sod huts is named Viking Winds.
It's now a song captured on video by my good friend, Lynda Bruton, who first met our trio when we played aboard her visiting cruise ship to Newfoundland. Please have a look at her marvelous photography and her professional video, and enjoy my original song, Viking Winds. May the Vikings enter your dreams tonight!
(scroll down this page of songs till you see it):
http://www.downhomekitchen.com/posts.php?id=18392&page=2