Childrens Educational Assemblies (CEA) Please visit us at www.educationsong.org
OUR mission is to continue to bring our programs to schools and children’s camps everywhere, and inspire young students to remain excited and aware of Americas landscape, history and musical heritage by presenting the material as a creative, live interactive cultural arts performance
Influences
well, there are so many....... consider this a start. Trains, the ocean, the wind and rain, lyle lovett, John Prine, Bob Dylan, John Hiatt, Brian Burns, Hank Snow, Hank Williams, Marty Robbins, Sun House, Muddy Waters, Ella, Billie Holiday, Bonnie Rait, Jerry Jeff Walker, Ernest Hemmingway, Ray Bradbury, Batman & Robin, Lucielle Ball not so much Desi Arnez but the cat could play a mean bongo drum. Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, Woody Guthrie and family, Jack Lemon, Henry Fonda, Phil Oches, Pete Seeger, Cisco Houston, Everything Jon and Alan Lomax recorded for the library of congress, Dizzy, Lois Armstrong, Andrea Segovia, John Steinback, Oscar Wilde, Neil Diamond (yea thats right I said Neil Diamond ) Willie Nelson, Emmy Lou Harris, Ramblin Jack Elliott, Muhamad Ali, Jack Daniels, tires on a highway, tires on the gravel, the buzz of a neon light and mop water hitting a bar room floor.
yup, thats a good start.
Sounds Like
well... he sounds like Ronnie Brandt ............."If Robert Frost were a Rock & Roll Poet, Rudys Thread is the Album he would have made." impulse magazine,
Wait ! heres a favorite quote, We swear this is not made up..
"Ronnie Brandts vocals are gravelly, sounding as if they've been torn from his throat against his will as he ponders his journey through life. Having said that he also knows how to have a really good time while he's doing it!" Borders Music Book Store Concert Series 2005
Ronnie Brandt Musician at Large
Something keeps callin me, somethin keeps callin my name
Ronnies first memory of hearing live music was when he was five years old in Plainfield, N.J. in the mid 1960s
I was all of 7 years old and my dad let this doowop group practice in our living room because they had nowhere else to rehearse. I couldnt believe the sound these guys made, it was an incredibly powerful influence on me. (That group went on to become George Clinton & Parliament)
In the early 70s his father owned a gift shop in Asbury Park New Jersey right in the middle of where all the music clubs were.
You could walk down the side walk and look into some of those places and watch the bands play all afternoon, and thats pretty much what I did. My Older brother and his friends played music in our basement, they gave me a guitar and taught me some chords.
Ronnie fast became interested in folk, country, rock and blues and learned tons of songs, he was mostly influenced by singer/songwriters such as Hank Williams, The Carter Family, Bob Dylan, Springsteen, John Prine, Jerry Jeff Walker, Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt and so many more. He loved the music but it was the words and stories that got Ronnie hooked.
By the time I was 13, I had read Woody Guthries Bound for Glory, Kerouacs On The Road, and had my own copy of Carl Sandburgs; American Song bag. I also discovered poets e.e. cummings and Lawrence Ferlingetti. I also discovered the library of congress recordings by John and Alan Lomax THAT stuff sent me reeling!
As a junior in high school, Ronnie started writing words and music. By the time he graduated high school Ronnie was playing in clubs all over the east coast of America. Growing up on the NJ shore he became a favorite in clubs along the beach strip such as Mrs. Jays, The Fast Lane and the legendary Stone Pony. At 19 he left to go on the road with Freewheelin, a country rock band based out of Dallas Texas.
Ronnie spent a few years on the road touring throughout the entire mid western United States, opening for national acts, playing concerts, night clubs, beer joints and honky tonks. After spending some time in California he returned home to the east coast, and worked as a solo doing festivals, live radio shows and colleges. He played mostly NJ, PA as well as Manhattan, and put together a string of rock & roll bands and also played solo acoustic with just a guitar, harmonica and his voice.
Man, I guess I played every club and hole in the wall on the east coast, I wanted to record some of these songs on disc, Ive got so many tunes, hundreds of demos... through a friend of mine, my music was heard by the musicians who helped me record my first CD, including Grammy Nominee Eric Bazilian ( What if God was one of us) and Rob Hyman ( Time after Time)of the Philadelphia group The Hooters..
The result was a 12 song collection of songs By Grammy Nominated Producer Skip Drinkwater entitled " Rudys Thread" . 2 years later Ronnie released another CD Dig A Little Deeper. Both are released inthe USA and Europe ( Line Records) Ronnie’s new CD "Show Me Some Heart" is completed in June 2007 and can be purchased on his website www.ronniebrandt.com as a digital download, there are also unreleased songs available there that cannot be found anywhere else, He is also completing a childrens CD for his popular History through music program and a new collection of original material, " see www.educationsong.org "Continuing his desire to write and perform American music. Ronnie created a school program for elementary and middle school kids to educate them about our rich American history and landscape. Its a great way to give back to the community and help educate kids about our musical heritage by such songwriters as Woody Guthrie, The Carter Family, Hank Snow, Marty Robins, Johnny Cash and many more. The kids and teachers have fun and This Land is Your Land has become a favorite addition to many a schools assembly line up.
So...here is an artist on the road forward, and as his own lyric suggests.............
He has.... Miles behind him...and miles to go
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thanks for the Friendship!
The Fourth Annual Wave Gathering Emerging Artist Music Festival will be held in Asbury Park, NJ on June 19th, 20th, & 21st. All artist submissions for the 2009 Wave Gathering Festival are currently being accepted thru Sonicbids.com Deadline for submissions: May 1, 2009
Ronnie, Greetings from Tom and Linda in Michigan. Thanks for the add. We really dig your sound so much. Sure you have heard it but your music is reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen's and John Mellencamp's best stuff. Keep up the inspiring music and songwriting, Ronnie!! Love , your fans Tom and Linda
Went with the family to see Bruce Springsteen in Manchester Wednesday night. Got back at 1am and put Rudy's Thread on the CD player. My sister in Law said "My God who is this" - so I explained. You have another fan - the music said it all - great stuff
Hey Ronnie; Good to hear from ya Bro !!! That would be kool if you can get out to one of my Shows. Let me know and we'll hook up man !!! Hope ya had a great Memorial Day weekend... Best Regards, Juke ;-]~~ p.s. Say HI to Beth for me when ya see her !!!
Hi Ronnie. We are keeping OK. Freezing over here. Off to France in a couple of weeks to look at properties (it's warmer there). Still playing your CD's. They are getting well worn in. LOve the new songs you have posted. Still photographing the bands and loving the music (you guys work really hard !! I just I just watch, listen and CLICK.
