We spent our Saturday at Caramoor’s American Roots Music Festival. And because Americana, jazz and blues were on the table, we decided to ask folks what topic they’d choose if they wrote a blues song. From Roe vs. Wade to the environment and even a beloved dog, there was no shortage of blues topics at this music festival.
Tahra Delphi, Patterson, NY
Katonah Connect: If you wrote a blues song, what would it be about?
Tahra Delphin: I’m so plugged in right now, and it’d be about Roe vs. Wade.
KC: What would it be called?
TD: Mama’s Got Somethin’ to Say
KC: I like it! And what would Mama say?
TD: I think Mama has quite a lot to say. Mama’s got something to say to daughters. Mama’s got something to say to other mamas. Mama’s got something to say to the patriarch, to the men and the boys….
Jane Althoff, Lake Ariel, PA
Katonah Connect: If you wrote a blues song, what would it be about?
Jane Althoff: My dog.
KC: What about your dog?
JA: How much I miss him.
KC: Awwww……what would the song be called?
JA: My Boy-O
KC: Tell me more about your dog.
JA: His name was Gromit.
KC: When did he pass away?
JA: Twelve years ago.
KC: And you still miss him that much?
JA: Yeah, he was like our kid. He traveled all over the country with us. He saw more states than most people I know.
KC: What kind of dog was he?
JA: He was a Spitz/Jack Russell mix and 23 pounds. He loved people, and he loved most animals, except for cats.
Jeff Schreider, Stamford, CT
Katonah Connect: If you wrote a blues song, what would it be about?
Jeff Schreider: Our environment and how we are destroying it. Not just our environment, but we’re destroying everything for the next generation. We’re destroying it for the kids, we’re destroying things for ourselves, we’re putting ourselves closer to the tipping point that we’re not going to be able to get back from.
KC: What would your song be called?
JS: Ocean Blues
KC: Is there anything else you’d put in a blues song about the environment?
JS: We’re destroying oceanic beings, such as octopi and dolphins, for food, and we’re also ruining our agriculture for generations to come. I think a song about the environmental blues would talk about our oceans and what we are doing to our climate.
Doug Lago, Lake Ariel, PA
Katonah Connect: If you wrote a blues song, what would it be about?
Doug Lago: I have to think about that for a minute.
KC: Go right ahead.
DL: I’m gonna go sit in this chair, it’ll be my thinking spot…..okay I’m ready.
KC: Go for it.
DL: It would be called The Substantially Depressing, Low Down, Mind Messin’, Right Wing Ruined My Country Blues!
KC: Wow! And what it would be about?
DL: It would be about what happened yesterday. People talk about September 11, but I talk about November 9, myself – that’s when there really was a stolen election.
DL: Actually, if I had to write that blues song, it would be more like a Bob Dylan song where I’d need 43 versus just to get to where I need to be.
Gia Miller is an award-winning journalist and the editor-in-chief/co-publisher of Connect to Northern Westchester. She has a magazine journalism degree (yes, that's a real thing) from the University of Georgia and has written for countless national publications, ranging from SELF to The Washington Post. Gia desperately wishes schools still taught grammar. Also, she wants everyone to know they can delete the word "that" from about 90% of their sentences, and there's no such thing as "first annual." When she's not running her media empire, Gia enjoys spending quality time with friends and family, laughing at her crazy dog and listening to a good podcast. She thanks multiple alarms, fermented grapes and her amazing husband for helping her get through each day. Her love languages are food and humor.
