Spotlight
Byron Anderson – Pass It On!
Just a week before his death at age 87 from the effects of
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Byron Anderson was
demonstrating the passion that is the reason his influence in the Utah
acoustic music community will reverberate for generations.
Since Byron was too weak to leave the house. two young priests were
sent by Byron's church to administer the sacrament to him, an errand
that would normally take five minutes. A half hour passed and Byron's
daughter Lynn went to his room to see what was delaying the priests.
Byron, tethered to his oxygen apparatus and face glowing from the
challenge, was teaching his captive guests their first guitar lesson!
Byron's life was dedicated to learning and then passing it on to
anyone who wanted to learn. Right up to the end he was studying
instructional DVDs on guitar and his newest passion, mandolin. But his
passion extended beyond music to anything where he thought he could
make a difference.
Byron was a volunteer reading tutor at his local elementary school,
and when he sensed a need for more than he could do, he "strong-armed"
many of his retired friends into volunteering with him.
Byron's family felt his passion very early and still remembers fondly
performances of their family band playing "Yellow Bird" with Byron on
guitar, his daughter Lynn on piano, son Doug on bass, daughter Margo
on bongos and Byron's wife Shirley on maracas.
When the children left the nest Byron's musical ministrations
extended to the communities where his work had taken him (Montreal,
Tuscola Illinois, Texas, Charlotte North Carolina, Connecticut,
Chicago, and Omaha). And when Byron retired to Utah in 1985 the Utah
Oldtime Fiddlers became the beneficiary of his passionate mentoring.
Byron served as Salt Lake chapter chairman for many years, constantly
innovating and organizing.
Monthly jam sessions, which Byron felt were important also for
the social interaction that took place, were supplemented by his
invitational tutoring each Tuesday night in his basement. And Byron's
Basement Band turned from a rehearsal band to a performance band that
graced the community with many performances.
Byron viewed instruments as tools and felt strongly that good
tools helped people do good work. More than once Byron bought an
instrument for someone whose demonstrated desire exceeded his ability
to pay for a good instrument.
The Wheeler Farm Fiddle Contest, organized in cooperation with
the Intermountain Acoustic Music Association, is part of Byron's vast
legacy. Byron traveled to the Weiser Idaho Fiddle Festival several
times to study its organization so he could better organize Wheeler
Farm's festival.
Byron worked with Susan Wilcox, of the Utah Suzuki Association,
to make fiddling an integral part of their training. Susan says,
"Byron tried unsuccessfully to get us into the (West Valley City Hall)
foyer for the jam sessions, where we hoped to train young people to
love fiddling and maybe join. But he didn't give up on US learning
hoedowns in our new arena, St. Stephen's Church, down the road.
"He came there before the jams, practiced with us for several
years, and most of all gathered players for a back-up band. Each
year, we still hire OTF backup for our annual concert, and they always
enjoy our massive group of classical youngsters, their energy and
spunk, playing hoedowns with big smiles. We still look forward to this
legacy created by Byron and myself, incorporating Dave Bowen and some
of the OTF each year.
"Byron also arranged a hayride in the West Valley City Parade. We
rode on the Wheeler Farm wagon, advertising 3 banners: WHEELER FARM,
MUSIC FROM THE HEART CHILDREN'S ORCHESTRA, and OLD TIME FIDDLERS! He
loved seeing the kids jump up and down with joy when they found out
they would be pulled by a tractor! Byron seemed to do ANYTHING to put
a smile on the faces of our students. Life was about FUN and
ENJOYMENT, and he knew how to create that for ALL ages.
"Byron is gone, but we will never forget him. We will play
again June 28 at Taylorsvillle Dayzz. This concert is a tribute to
Byron. If you would like to participate call 967-7865.
Byron's favorite phrase was, "the world is run by those who
show up". His daughter Lynn says she imagines that now that he's shown
up in heaven he'll be organizing a jam session to retrain all those
harpists to fiddle and pick. Well, I say "Hallelujah!" when I think of
the fun that we'll have when we cross over and join the heavenly
version of Byron's Basement Band. Pass it on!
By Clive Romney, Kathryn Goates, Susan Wilcox
Byron Anderson Tribute
Karen Riggs
Byron Anderson believed in the value of music. His goal was to
be sure that the old time music arts were not lost with the older
generation of musicians.
He did his best to introduce old time music to children and to
help them understand and appreciate it, as well as learn to perform
it. He invited children to jam sessions. He took musicians, both young
and old to visit schools, to perform and to teach about old time
music.
He planned workshops with skilled teachers and he held weekly
free workshops in his home to help musicians learn to play together.
He always encouraged my son Daniel to learn more and perform
more. He was always willing to go anywhere to accompany my son when he
was asked to perform. People used to think he was my son's grandpa
because they often performed together but my son would explain that
Byron was a friend, not his grandpa.
He built the bridge across the generation gap so that he could
help the youth. He was always looking for ways to help the youth get
involved in the music activities and looking for ways to include youth
in the old time music performances.
He was always willing to help anyone learn. He spent a lot of
his time helping others learn how to play as a group or helping groups
improve their performance skills.
He was always trying to learn more and improve his ability as
well. Even in his 80's he was working hard to develop new music skills
so he could share them with others.
When there was no one willing to plan and organize a county
fiddle contest, he volunteered. He knew a contest would build up
enthusiasm among the youth, and would encourage musicians of all ages
to practice and improve their skills. He even wrote a book about how
to plan and organize a contest so that those who came after him would
have an easier job.
We will all miss Byron and his music. Because of his continuous
efforts, he left behind him, both youth and adults that will carry on
the traditions of the old time music that he loved.
Byron Anderson Tribute
Susan Wilcox
Conductor, Music From the Heart Children's Orchestra
The last time Byron played with us at Taylorsville Dayzz in a
backup band he was sporting an oxygen tank. I wanted to think he
would get better and come back again. I paid him, thanked him, and
hugged him, then left to pack for my annual trip to Indiana to see my
own aging parents.
Byron tried unsuccessfully to get us into the foyer of the jam
sessions, where we hoped to train young people with OTHER young people
to love fiddling and maybe join. But he didn't give up on US learning
hoedowns in our new arena, St. Stephen's Church, down the road. He
came there before the jams, practiced with us for several years, and
most of all gathered players for a back-up band. When he was no
longer able to do that, I had to carry on and always thought of him
and wished he was there.
Each year, we still hire OTF back-up for our annual concert,
and they always enjoy our massive group of classical youngsters, their
energy and spunk, playing hoedowns with big smiles. For us, they were
easier and a FUN break from the classics! We still look forward to
this legacy created by Byron and myself, incorporating Dave Bowen and
some of the OTF each year.
The first year we played in Taylorsville Dayzz, Byron was
getting ties with Wheeler Farm set up, and starting the contest in the
barn there. He lived down the street from Wheeler Farm and invited us
to sleep over in his camper, as we were freezing in our tent! He
drove on home to sleep, and we had a BALL in that camper. I was
devastated the next morning when someone told me they were a
bed-wetter, and had graced his camper! He just laughed and blew it
aside. He loved these children.
Every year, I come to Wheeler Farm to pay my dues now, buy
books and enjoy the people, and remember his kindnesses, and listen to
the incredible contest. This year we will enter some students again.
He donated to our group, joined the Suzuki Association as a "Friend"
and was always asking for kids to come to his Tuesday night sessions.
Unfortunately, that was our orchestra rehearsal time, but for a few
years, Hannah Kertesz and her Mom and Dad all came because of Byron.
He inspired the parents to play something and they had so much joy in
adding music late in their lives!
Byron also arranged a hayride in the West Valley City Parade.
We rode on the Wheeler Farm wagon, advertising 3 banners: WHEELER
FARM, MUSIC FROM THE HEART CHILDREN'S ORCHESTRA, and OLD TIME
FIDDLERS! He loved seeing the kids jump up and down with joy when
they found out they would be pulled by a tractor! It was quite the
feat escorting that tractor all the way across town and following city
ordinances at the same time, but he seemed to do ANYTHING to put a
smile on the faces of our students. Life was about FUN and ENJOYMENT,
and he knew how to create that for ALL ages.
Byron is gone, but we will never forget him. I hope we can
continue to play with the Old Time Fiddlers at the Fair, County Fair,
and all the places he called at the last minute to ask us to come help
in! We cherish our ties with the OTF and will play again June 28 at
Taylorsvillle Dayzz. I am going to make this concert a tribute to
Byron. I hope many of you will come and play with us! Call if you
would like to participate: 967-7865
Susan Wilcox, Conductor, MHCO
Byron Anderson, a Tribute by Sherry Adderly
Byron Anderson was born and raised in Canada. He graduated from college with a degree in chemical engineering and moved to the United States to work, finally retiring in Salt Lake City.
I first met Byron while attending a jam with the Utah Old Time Fiddlers in 1984. He played the guitar and mandolin. Byron had many interests in life such as bee keeping, scouting, church activities and music, which was a big part of Byron's life.
He belonged to the Intermountain Acoustic Music Association, the Utah Old Time Fiddlers (he was the Salt Lake Chapter Chairman for some time), served on the Friends of Wheeler Farm board and sang with the Jay Welch Chorale. He also played in a band called "The Cottonwood Gang." in which I also played for 12 years.
Byron was instrumental in organizing many fiddle contests at Wheeler Farm. He loved the old time fiddle music, and contributed much to its preservation. He had weekly jams at his home always encouraging beginners to learn and develop their skills.
Because of all his years of dedication, the Utah Old Time Fiddlers presented him a Lifetime Member Award a few years ago.
It was a pleasure to have worked and played with him over the years, but mostly the best part of it was being friends.