PULLING two new reels feat. Todd Moe: "PULLING PAPER, SHAKES, RATTLES & ROLLS"
CLICK HERE TO WATCH MUSIC VIDEO.
CONCERT ANNOUNCEMENT!
OCTOBER 22, Pickens Hall, Heuvelton, NY
TAUNY [Traditional Arts in Upstate New York] presents Gretchen Koehler's "Fiddling With Traditions" - a new fiddle suite of handcrafted tunes inspired by North Country artists at the historic Pickens Hall, Heuvelton, NY on October 22, 7PM. The concert will feature fiddler Gretchen Koehler & pianist Daniel Kelly. "Fiddling with Traditions" is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
Dragon print on Todd Moe’s handmade paper. (Courtesy Todd Moe)
FIDDLING WITH TRADITIONS
Early in 2022, I began a project called “Fiddling with Traditions,” setting out to compose a new collection of tunes inspired by conversations with Northern New York artists. After a creative pause during the pandemic, I was in search of new ways to think about approaching music. With the support of TAUNY [Traditional Arts in Upstate New York] , I conducted interviews with artists from a variety of media from rug braiding to silversmithing. Over the course of this year, I have composed a new suite of tunes, as well as written articles and am currently producing a series of music videos featuring these extraordinary folks. A musical concert is scheduled for October 22 in NNY followed by an exhibit of the “Fiddling With Traditions” artists on display in TAUNY’s Upstairs Gallery in November.
~Gretchen
Paper Maker Todd Moe & Fiddler Gretchen Koehler in Todd’s “office.” (Koehler photo)
TODD MOE, handmade paper, ink, dye, book art
I had the pleasure of a visit with my old friend Todd Moe to talk about his adventures making handmade paper. He describes himself as a lifelong learner who has tried his hand at many things, but when his friend Drew Matott introduced him to paper making, it came with a warning, paper making is addictive. Soon Todd was hooked. By day, Northern New Yorkers know his voice as morning host of “Northern Light” on North Country Public Radio, but in his free time he can be found outside foraging for ingredients to make paper, inks and dyes, as well as creating journals and beautiful paper art.
Journals and paper art by Todd Moe. (Courtesy of Todd Moe)
The beater (left) circulates and grinds the ingredients. A press (right) removes excess moisture from the wet paper. (Koehler photo)
DISASSEMBLING & REASSEMBLING
Todd told me that the steps to making paper are fairly straightforward. In short, it’s a process of disassembling and reassembling. First, he gathers his ingredients, primarily plant material, and blends them into a pulp, boiling first if necessary. He brings the pulp to his barn, dilutes it with rainwater and sends it through his “beater” to macerate it into a soft slurry. After a few hours the mixture is ready to be moved to the backyard, aka “his office.” He dips a wooden deckle and “mould” into the vat of pulp to scoop the particles onto the mesh screen. This special moment is known as “pulling paper.” He flips the deckle, aka “couching” onto a cotton blotter sheet and gives it a gentle press to remove some water. Once he has a pile of paper sandwiched between blotter sheets, he brings the stack back to the barn where his 20 ton press will remove all excess moisture. At this point, the paper can be hung or laid in the sun to finish drying.
PULLING PAPER “Charging” the pulp, prepping the mould & deckle, “Pulling” paper, draining, “Couching” with a gentle press, ending in the reveal of the new sheet.
Todd Moe shows the “fiber” test. (Koehler photo)
FORAGING
Todd loves that he can gather most of the ingredients he needs from the land around his home in Norwood, NY. Like many folks, I thought he’d be gathering leaves to make paper. He explained that he is looking for the most fibrous part of the plant, which is not actually the leaves, but rather the stems. One of his mentors, Velma Bolyard, taught him that if you can tie it in a knot, it has enough fiber for paper making. Some of ingredients he uses are burdock, rhubarb, asparagus, comfrey, flax and moss. He also purchases kozo - a fiber from a small bush known as a “paper mulberry plant” and uses cotton from his worn out clothing. He says that no matter what type of paper he makes, he tries to include a little “DNA” from his home property. I wanted to write him a tune that reflected his harmony with nature and contentment in his work. I imagined him humming a little tune as he foraged... then I smiled, started to hum and grabbed some manuscript to write down the emerging melody.
BURDOCK PAPER: Burdock plant in the forest, leaves removed, stems boiled, Burdock paper dried. (Courtesy of Todd Moe)
“I wanted to write Todd a tune that reflected his harmony with nature. I imagined him humming a little tune as he foraged... then I smiled, started to hum and grabbed some manuscript to write down the emerging melody.”
Prints on handmade paper by Todd Moe. (Courtesy of Todd Moe)
ACCESSIBILITY
Todd does not sell his paper, but rather gives it away as gifts. He knows that people appreciate the gesture, but said he wishes that his friends would be more comfortable using the paper. They often feel it is too special and it sits in the stationary drawer. (Guilty!) This made me think about music in terms of “accessibility.” There are many virtuosic tunes that few players tackle as compared to simpler tunes that can be enjoyed by many hands. I decided right then and there that I would write a “playable” and welcoming tune that I could teach my students, “The Madstop Fiddlers” -a multi-generational fiddle ensemble based in Potsdam, NY. Just as Todd wanted his paper to be used, I wanted my tune to be played rather than sit quietly on a sheet of manuscript.
“I decided that I would write a playable and welcoming tune. Just as Todd wanted his paper to be used, I wanted my tune to be played rather than sit quietly on a sheet of manuscript.”
A variety of handmade paper with natural ingredients made by Todd Moe. (Koehler photos)
Todd Moe foraging for burdock for making paper. (Koehler photo)
THE GRATITUDE OF PULLING PAPER
Todd enjoys bringing the deckle up and out of the vat of pulp. Even following his recipes, each piece of paper is unique. This process of “pulling” paper started me thinking of how I pull and push my bow across my fiddle strings. I could see how gentle and flowing his movements were as he worked. I made mental notes that this composition would feature long, sweeping bow strokes, perhaps a slow reel to match this lovely energy, with a hint of Nordic flavor, to honor Todd’s Norwegian heritage.
FOR THE LOVE OF IT
From start to finish, Todd finds making paper meditative, therapeutic and calming. Todd’s quiet joy was absolutely contagious. He shared that he pauses to say thank you to Nature as he pulls the paper and bears witness to the moment it all comes together. When I initially approached Todd about being part of Fiddling With Traditions, he was hesitant, telling me that there were many others who were more skilled and experienced than he was. I reminded him that I was looking for inspiration to jumpstart my composing. I appreciated how Todd was feeling. I remembered reading that the word “amateur” comes from the Latin meaning “amare,” which means to love, in other words, to do something because you love it. I could think of nothing more inspirational than hearing Todd talk about his beloved pastime and wondered if I would be able to compose a tune that conveyed such pure happiness and gratitude. I felt so much brightness after spending time with Todd.
“Todd pauses to say thank you to nature as he “pulls” the paper and bears witness to the moment it all comes together. I wondered if I would be able to compose a tune that conveyed such pure happiness and gratitude.”
Paper hung to dry. (Courtesy of Todd Moe)
THE RATTLE
Todd said that he loves how paper touches all of his senses. He picked up a piece of his “Pond” paper and we looked at the color and all the little flecks of ingredients on the sheet. With our hands, we could feel the slightly bumpy texture. As we brought the paper to our noses, we could smell the faint scent that the plant “Sweet Flag” offered! That was fun! Who knew!? Then he laughed and said he was not daring enough to explore “taste” at this point. I laughed, too.
He then picked up the paper and gave it a quick shake, explaining that that sound was called “the rattle.” He said if you hold up a paper towel and shake it, there is nothing to hear in contrast to his Pond paper that was good and stiff. My ears were thrilled! What a sound! As Todd rattled the paper, I noticed it was almost identical to how I use my wrist to do a quick “bowed triplet” in Celtic music, sometimes called a “stutter bow” or a “shake!” I was absolutely going to write a tune with an abundance of them! But what about my slow reel idea? I guess two tunes, one slow and one fast, were in order!
“As Todd rattled the paper I noticed it was almost identical to how I use my wrist to do a quick “bowed triplet” in Celtic music. I was absolutely going to write a tune with an abundance of them!”
A sample of Todd Moe’s natural inks. (Courtesy of Todd Moe)
Color wheel of handmade inks by Todd Moe. (Courtesy of Todd Moe)
LONG LASTING
Unlike commercial paper that uses trees for pulp and acid to break it down, his paper is environmentally friendly and will actually outlast commercial products. It feels meaningful to Todd to make something long lasting and he cherishes the idea of leaving something tangible behind after he is gone.
As a traditional artist, I often think about the timeline of my tradition. In the same way I look back to my roots, I imagine that fiddlers of future generations will look back to this point in time. Perhaps a future fiddler will appreciate a tune that a humble, enthusiastic paper maker inspired a curious, sensitive fiddler to compose way back in 2022. That was quite something to think about.
A scroll of paper and books made by Todd Moe. (Koehler photo)
“Like Todd, as a traditional artist, I often think about the timeline of my tradition. Perhaps a future fiddler will appreciate a tune that a humble, enthusiastic paper maker inspired a curious, sensitive fiddler to compose way back in 2022.”
Here’s the official music video below!! Enjoy!!
LISTENING GUIDE (Video above)
The piece starts with a quiet moment of gratitude, as Todd says thank you to nature and sets off to the forest to begin foraging.
We begin the set with a slow reel called "Pulling Paper.” I imagined Todd humming this tune (I hummed it to compose it) with a big smile on his face as he foraged in his gardens, forest and around his lovely pond in Norwood, NY. I tried to capture his sense of contentment, harmony with nature, sense of wonder as he wandered around looking for materials. I pull my bow as gently as Todd moves in each step of the paper making process.
I composed a "playable" tune, rather than a piece that was virtuosic and only accessible to a few players. I hope this tune is played by many hands around the North Country and beyond.
The slow reel breaks into a high energy Irish reel that like paper, the bow on the strings is full of organic texture. The melody in my left hand features traditional fingered “rolls” and my right hand plays lightning fast, bowed triplets, sometimes called a "shake”- to imitate the way Todd rattles a slip of paper to assess its stiffness. Thus, the humorous title is "Shakes, Rattles & Rolls." This tune is a celebration of things that bring us joy.
We end the piece as we began, with a moment of gratitude as the adventure continues.
To Todd- These two tunes are so very special and reflect the time we spent together discussing paper and walking around your beautiful forest. Thank you for being a part of “Fiddling With Traditions.” Couldn’t have done this without you. ~Gretchen
Handmade paper and ink by Todd Moe. (Courtesy of Todd Moe)