Everyone Loves a Song
An Interview with Bob Raymonda
Songs are magical forces. Like portals they can take you places through time and space. They can take you places you know well or that you have never heard of. Songs can make you think about yourself and they can make you think about the world. Songs are good medicine. A song can level you. Songs record history – oftentimes in ways that offer a different perspective – filing in the gaps where conventional media and hearsay do not.
But, ultimately…songs are fun and they’re for singing.
Meet Bob Raymonda. Songwriter. Songwriting community perpetuator. He’s not only busy with his own musical quest but he also pulls together some of the area’s best to collect in song and share the magic that comes from such endeavors. And as the summer approaches, Bob is ready to share all of this with you through a songwriters series featuring a great cast of musicians.
Chuck Schiele: Tell us about yourself. How long have you been playing music?
Bob Raymonda: I started playing music back in the late 80’s as the front man for the rockabilly band, Haywire. But, after we broke up I took a very lengthy hiatus from music and didn’t start playing solo until 2017.
CS: Please tell us about your path.
BR: I never played an instrument before joining Haywire, but I really wanted to be in the band with some friends and I loved the genre. They told me I could just sing, but I wasn’t comfortable with that. So, I went to the Bebop Shop and bought an inexpensive Hondo guitar. I later learned that it has the dubious distinction of being what they call a lawsuit guitar because C. F. Martin & Company sued them as well as other companies for copying their brand. I couldn’t play a lick, so for the first year the band never plugged me in. Despite that we gained some notoriety locally and actually played live on Daniel Dunn’s radio show, Homegrown that aired on WSCP. Most recently I’ve been playing open mics and gigging here and there. But, my real passion is writing. I love the creative process. And, I’ve always been an artist, from the time I was a kid drawing cars in class when I should have been listening to the over 40 years that I’ve worked as a graphic designer and illustrator. In 2017, as I started looking to retire my business I turned my creative attention back to music, particularly to songwriting as a way to help me deal with childhood trauma and my struggle with depression. I find writing and the creative process in general to be very cathartic, but not all of the songs I’ve written are about that struggle. I also like writing story songs and I look for humor in many situations.
CS: You furnish a songwriting series. Please tell us about it.
BR: Earlier this year, John Freightenburgh, owner of The Yard in Manlius, NY reached out to me about providing music for an every week Sunday afternoon event he was putting on over the course of the summer. He had hosted an open mic there last summer, but since he doesn’t pay fees to the performance rights organizations (PROs) it made it impossible for cover-only artists to attend. I play primarily all of my own original songs, so John, knowing that I have a large volume of original songs, (just over 200) asked me if I’d like to play a few hours each week during the event. My first reaction was to bring back the open mic, but not paying the PRO fees he didn’t want to go that route. John suggested that he’d rather book people to avoid the hit or miss attendance you get with an unscheduled open mic. Everything just fell into place after that. An “Originals Only” venue with the opportunity to play 1 or 2 hours at a time rather than just 2 or 3 songs that you’re likely to get at an open mic just seemed like a great idea. I reached out to some open mic friends I’ve made over the last 8 years and began filling the two hour Sunday slots with local songwriters looking to play their own songs. The calendar is now filled up to the end of August. The “Songwriters Showcase” runs from May 4th to an undetermined date in September. It’s two hours long from 1:00 to 3:00 with the opportunity to go longer if necessary. The format will be “alternating play” between the host and guest performers.
CS: Who are some of the songwriters we might see at your series of shows?
BR: Most notably would be Grammy nominated, Frank Stepanek who will be playing with Julie Clement, local Sammy Award winners Mira Grimm and Mike (Buddy) Manley, local favorite, Rocky Feola, Syracuse music veterans Mark Zane and Bryan Dickenson, Oswego songwriters David Domicolo, Tim Nekritz, Kenny Roffo, Oswego trio, Very Next Accident with Adam Mance, Antonia DAmato and Michael Crispin, Utica/Rome veteran musician, Bob Plunkett, The Allen Brand’s Gregory Allen, Cortland area songwriter, Karen Lang and the list continues, all notable in their own way, Joe B Henson, Lloyd Polak, Ted Shepard, Hendrick, Mike Fischer, Dave Faes, Abby Solves, Andrew Halliday, Jim Foley and Mike Zellweger.
CS: How long have you been songwriting?
BR: As soon as I learned three chords I started writing songs. They were mostly silly rockabilly/country songs. But, in 2017 I dusted off my old Martin copy lawsuit guitar and started writing seriously. So, to answer your question I’d have to say that I’ve really only been writing for 8 years.
CS: What do you think about the songwriting landscape here in CNY?
BR: I had never been one who paid much attention to that until I started playing my songs solo at open mics. From the first time I played at The Road’s open mic on Onondaga Hill to more recently playing at a number of open mics from Cortland to Oswego and Barneveld to Rochester I’ve realized how much talent there is out there. I guess that’s why I’m really excited about the Songwriters Showcase. Of course we have some notable talent, but there are many seldom heard voices that I’m also extremely excited to present.
CS: Please share a highlight or two from your music experiences.
BR: Back in the day, playing live on WSCP’s Homegrown show and hearing the playback on my car radio as we drove home was one of the highlights. Winning a couple songwriting awards in the country and faith song categories of the New England Songwriting Contest a few years back was another and most recently being asked to be one of the guest artists at the upcoming Oswego Music Halls Emerging Artist Showcase. Although at nearly 66 “emerging” seems like a misnomer, but I have always been a little late to the party. Obviously I am honored for the distinction. And, since I really didn’t start performing solo until fairly recently I guess it’s not as far fetched a label as it sounds.
CS: How can folks stay in touch with you and your music endeavors?
BR: I’m on Facebook and ReverbNation. I’ve yet to get into a studio and do some serious recordings and hope to do that soon. With that I hope to expand my reach to other platforms.
