Mid Winter Survival Dance Song, Johanastan, circa 1953

new year's song, traditional Johanastan

happy new year again

we were by here not long ago

one more trip around the sun

our time is almost done

happy new year again my friend

Found Document: Crazy People Music

Plains Folk Banjo Johanastan

the Plains Folk are a hardy breed
whose ideals are direct reflections
of the horizontal line of the land and sky

in the evenings they sit on the porch and play the banjo
while the sun streaks across the plain
while children's voices rise from the prairie like a song

(listen to some Plains Folk banjo:)

More Music from Johanastan

A traditional Tuesday afternoon
celebration in Johanastan,
during the cold of winter,
sitting by the fire
eating walnuts and apples
playing banjo
waiting for the kids to get home.

Music from Johanastan: I Should!

Listen to the latest pop hit from Johanastan:

I should I should I should I should

I should I should I should!

I should I should I should I should

I should I should I should!

I should I should I should I should

I should I should I should!

I should I should I should I should

I should! 

I should!

I should!

I should I should I should

I should I should! 

I should I should I should

I should I should I should!

I should!

I should!

I should!

I should!

I should I should I should

I should I should I should!

I should! 

I should I should I should I should

I should I should I should!

I should I should I should I should

I should I should!

Traditional Music of Johanastan

Along the Pacific of Johanastan exists a musical tradition based on tuning to one's environment and mood rather than to a prescribed scale.

During the warm months, it is customary for Pacific peoples to play outdoors, integrating their music into the sounds of the neighborhood.

Listen to some traditional music from the Pacific region:

Music from Johanastan: Exhibit A

In the country of Johanastan, instead of weapons, people carry musical instruments.  When people meet, instead of Hello!, How are you?, What have you been up to?, they take harmonicas and castanets and bells and drums and flutes from their pockets, purses, backpacks, briefcases, and play. In this way, they communicate, learning things about each other that words can not convey.

Listen, for example, to the tuba player and the piccolo player, across the plaza, waiting for the trolley. Can't you hear the losses they have suffered and the new love they've discovered? And what about the woman playing oboe and the man playing bongos, over there at the cafe.  Clearly, they have their differences.

Like everywhere in the world, some people in Johanastan prefer to play alone, down by the river, or on the front stoop, while others enjoy playing in the park among friends.  And then there are those who head out everyday, looking forward to playing music with complete strangers.

Tad Neuhaus, guitar; Joanna Dane banjo

In Johanastan, no one can remember when they started playing music because everyone began as soon as they could hold a rattle.

Sometimes the music people play is beautiful and harmonious. Other times, it is dissonant, off tune, and nonrhythmic.  But to the people of Johanastan, that is not discouraging or irritating. It is just the way things are.