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Join me for a conversation with musician John Thomas and long time friend Charmaine Stewart who transcribed John’s songs to create a new music book.
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Joining me on the program are John Thomas and Charmaine Stewart who together recently published a music book written for guitar with a collection of John’s songs from his life and musical career. Charmaine listened to the recordings and transcribed his songs by writing out the musical notations, time signature, key, chords and lyrics using a music software program called Finale. In addition the book also contains entertaining stories behind the many songs which are written about various friends and life experiences giving the background inspiration. Besides being an accomplished musician, John is a painter, teacher and film and theatre producer. He earned an MFA in film from the San Francisco Art Institute after which he started the Thomas Brothers Film Studio with his brother Charley at Pier 9, and in 1974 he produced the documentary film “Day of the Dead”. After living in New Mexico for many years he moved to Durango in 1986 and opened the Durango Kid retail store while teaching at the Fort Lewis College Art Department. John also supported himself by painting over 800 images of Old West scenes on furniture and along the way wrote and produced The Cowgirl Opera with Tami Graham in 2010. Charmaine studied piano and voice at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where she earned a Master of Music degree. She also studied guitar and was on the faculty at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music where she served as the Director of the Young Guitarist program. She has also previously arranged four guitar books for Hal Leonard Publishing. Charmaine has lived in Durango for the last ten years although she has known John for thirty years when she first approached him about making a book and after all this time it has become a reality! John is happiest when he is sharing his music with family and community members singing on the banks of a river. The Music book John Thomas; A Songwriters Diary will be on sale at Maria’s bookstore.
John and Charmaine treat us to three on air songs from the book during this interview!
To find out more about John and The Cowgirl Opera visit www.cowgirlopera.com
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