A little song about time

My Early Years

Early Years I do with fond memories  remember my little street band, made up tin whistle a biscuit tin top for a drum played with to slim long artist paint brush’s, a hard cardboard  carton from Cameron’s hardware shop in  ballymoney st for a bass with a broom handle and a gut string the spoons, a black throne stick with bottle tops nailed to it, a tambourine, and sometimes a harmonica up Greenvale st along ballymoney st up alexander st down William st and sometimes spring well st, and a round the old school yard and home that was in 1954 or 55?

I was about 9years old always wanted to play the lambag drum  and the harp, there are so many Instruments in the world, I was lucky to have access to the radio station’s in Europe at the time when I first heard jazz players like Django Wes Charlie the duke and so many great players that was me.  I wanted  to play jazz and perhaps combined it with celtic sounds, most of the great jazz musicians then did not have to go to any university to learn to play jazz, but what a great time to be growing up with music, I remember the first time I sat up on a piano seat my feet could not touch the paddles’ but I always remember the first time I heard JS Bach, now there was music, I really respect  all the great classical composers  but I went down a different road.

I had the chance to learn it from a early age but no, when I was young, spending time with the family at the beach, I would sit and look out to the horizon and words would come to me, one I can remember,
Go’s  
( Sitting down by the sea
With lots of sunshine,
And memory’s so free,
On a Sunday afternoon,)

Ballymena music club? I was never pushed into any type of music, some of the musical school plays were a lot of fun I remember rock and roll, on the radio but I would always tune into the French stations as they were the ones with the jazz. What movies did I watch, were did I watch live music, my first guitar had only 4 strings  a BGDA the 2 Es’ were missing, but still got a sound out of it, we  even put a banjo string on, with one of the first fiddles had only 2 strings so we tune them sounds for the drone sound we wanted, having to leave to come to NZ my music and idles went in yet another direction, growing up and around Ballymena there was always inspiration form songs and instrumentals, ,I never go far without my old guitar, I heard a lot of great Irish traditional music, when I was young, and so many of the tunes were handed down from player to player, after school I had a part time job sometimes working with horses in jack bamber  stables in Ballymena going to the Dublin horse show when I was 11 years old was great music and great  fun, on my return I broke my right wrist but still managed to play the harmonica, and some piano. myself and my younger brother would sometimes do the sat night paper run, I liked going into the pubs and clubs with the papers as it gave me a chance to watch and listen to the live music, and wish I was up there playing.

I remember Sammy Barr’s flaminco dance hall being build I would be up there on stage and imagine I was playing to a full house, and Sammy would say keep working at it Georgee you will get there one day.

I remember the gipsy people when they came to town, they would camp on the out skirts of town, and at certain time you could hear  them play and sing their style of music around the camp fire they were always happy, but that is the way most music should be.


Early years. Sometimes I would go down along the river, past the old castle up high on the moat hill, pass the big oak and chestnut trees, I would sit by the river and play my harmonica and Tw—tin whistle and look up at slimish mountain, and think to myself one day I will play up there, and years after that I was lucky enough to do so.

One of the first boron drums I played was in a old couriosity shop in Portrush Northern Ireland. I don’t know what the skin was made of, but I do know that it was rather light with a good resonance and tone to my ear anyway. The one I have now is hand made in Ballymena Northern Ireland, and am very happy with the sound and response. It is amazing how advanced some musical Instruments are and how many different makes there are to choose from.

As long as I can remember I have been writing poems, songs, and short stories. I can remember being in Belfast when I was young and Derry a lot of great music came out of those cities in the way of Irish traditional.  It all started in the 50’s rock and roll, the 20'S was Boogie Woogie, and the 30's was Swing now everything. Debussy was a great composer also was Erik Satie they all left something for us to enjoy and I shall do my best to do likewise I always wanted to combine Celtic music with western music learning the saxophone was great fun it sounds so good together with the Cello

George Alfred Watson

Levin Music Tutoring -George "Maestro" Watson

George "Maestro" Watson - Prolific song writer and composer is available for Music Tuition in Levin Horowhenua.

 Levin Music Tutoring offers expert tuition in the following genres of Music

- Irish
- Crossover Jazz
- Country
- Rock
- Blues
- Jazz
- Middle of the Road (MOR)
- Most styles (Other than classic)

George "Maestro" Watson can play and tutor the following instruments

- Guitar
- Piano
- Violin
- Mandolin
- Bass
- Keyboards
- Drums
- Percussion
- Saxaphone
- Harmonica
- Tin Whistle
- Electric Guitar
- Acoustic Guitar

Music Tuition is available in Levin either at

- The Local Music Shop
- Georges Home
- Te Takere Centre
- Your Home

Levin Music Tuition is available to local residents at a reasonable rate. You will learn to ujpskill your abilities whether you are a beginner or well seasoned.

Contact George "Maestro" Watson on 021-1769637

"Kiwiana" - Authentic New Zealand Kiwi Music

Kiwiana was inspired by legendary Composer George "Maestro" Watson's love of his adopted homeplace New Zealand.

The term "Kiwiana" refers to anything that has a New Zealand flavour. An example of this is  the buzzy bee toy pictured below. This is a New Zealand iconic toy and most kiwi babies end up with one from a relative. Because its iconic and uniquly Kiwi we refer to this as Kiwiana.

image courtesy of giftsnz.com

The Song Kiwiana contains the words "its all Kiwiana to me" reflecting George Watsons love of New Zealand and his embracing of  local culture and history

If you enjoy these songs please dont forget to subscribe to the Purekiwimusic channel on you tube by clicking here or purchase a song from our public Amplifier Catalogue here - from only $1.99 per track

The Maestro is also available for musical tuition live or over Skype by contacting him direct on 021 -1769637


Bonus - Check out legendary Hillary tribute by George Watson and Dean Ward on the steps of Parliament Building in Wellington New Zealand in 2008 - click here

The "Tararua Shuffle"

The Tararua Shuffle is a perfect example of a song composed by George Watson after being inspired by the beautiful panoramic Tararua Mountain Range.

The Tararuas go from Kapiti to Manawatu in Central New Zealand. The Tararuas are a historically fantastic area  for Hunting Tramping and Kiwi Recreation.

George Watson first landed in Levin at the foot of the Tararuas in the 1960s and immediately fell in Love with this part of New Zealand. "The Tararuas remind me of the rolling countryside of my birthplace Ballymena Co. Antrim Northern Ireland" says Watson.

The Tararua Shuffle is a medium beat composition one of many composed my legendary composer George Watson.

Contact George for bespoke songwriting and composing services. George can work with anyone in the World - either face to face or through Skype

George can also offer musical tutoring in up to Twelve instruments in most styles at reasonable rates

Contact George "Maestro" Watson at Purekiwimusic.com on 021-1769637 or email jazzgv@xtra.co.nz

Sign up to Georges You Tube channel here

Purchase Purekiwimusic tracks on Amplifier

 

You can now purchase songs and tracks by talented Irish / Kiwi legend George Watson through amplifier.

The worlds best collection of Kiwi / MOR / Celtic / Jazz blends


Click here to go to George's Amplifier page

Tracks available from $1.99

20 miles of dirt road 1987