{"id":224,"date":"2011-09-19T03:32:32","date_gmt":"2011-09-19T10:32:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/karaashleydeyold.com\/?page_id=224"},"modified":"2016-07-20T18:19:36","modified_gmt":"2016-07-21T01:19:36","slug":"artist-tim-hatcher","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/karaashleydeyold.com\/?page_id=224","title":{"rendered":"Artist – Tim Hatcher"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n<\/span><\/div>\n

Mild mannered, talented and infinitely witty, Tim Hatcher is one those folks who stands calmly like a touchstone when the world gets hectic. Anyone can tell you, just a few words of conversation with him, amidst deadline stresses and last minute mayhem, and even a Tasmanian Devil will feel that much calmer.<\/p>\n

Yet, I knew behind his pleasant demeanor, those twinkling eyes held some secret passion, but for what? The ukulele! And what a wonderful muse it is! With great pleasure, I discuss the wonders of that nineteenth century Hawaiian rajao, with animator and ukulelist, Tim Hatcher.<\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n

TIM HATCHER – ANIMATOR, WRITER AND MUSICIAN<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

KARA: So Tim, why the ukulele?<\/strong><\/p>\n

TIM HATCHER: Back in 2005 when you and I were still at DNA Productions, you may remember that David Tart (animation director) put together a little chamber orchestra with three animators. \u00a0He invited me to join them as well, playing the viola, which I had played as a kid. \u00a0I declined since it had been more than two decades since I’d picked up that instrument. \u00a0But I was entranced with the idea of playing an instrument again, and so on my own I started renting a viola and taking lessons again. \u00a0I had no delusions about joining the DNA chamber orchestra, but that musical impulse had been triggered. \u00a0So after a year of part-time study on the viola I concluded that it wasn’t a good match for me. \u00a0It was too difficult and frankly not very fun. \u00a0I never reached the point of making music that even sounded good, so the rewards were few. \u00a0At some point after I returned the viola to the music store, the idea of buying a ukulele came to me somehow. \u00a0So I got on the internet and browsed websites and ended up buying a soprano \u201cFlea\u201d from fleamarketmusic.com. \u00a0It cost about $149. \u00a0At the time, I knew no one who played the uke and had no idea that a 21st century ukulele renaissance was in its early stages.<\/p>\n

.
\n KARA: Do you remember the first time you heard a ukulele or when it first made an impression on you? <\/strong><\/p>\n

TIM HATCHER: I have no memory of a specific \u201caha\u201d moment with the ukulele. \u00a0When I was a kid in the sixties, Tiny Tim came along with his hit song and severely crippled the uke’s image for decades. \u00a0To this day, uke players are still struggling to overcome the uke\u2019s damaged reputation caused by \u201cTiptoe Through the Tulips\u201d. \u00a0His success was a bit of a mixed blessing because it did raise awareness of the uke, but it also sidelined it as a novelty or a toy. \u00a0It’s still surprising to many people that a uke can be the source of beautiful music. \u00a0It all depends on the hands that hold it. \u00a0By the way, although I spell it as \u201cukulele\u201d, it’s acceptable but less common to see it spelled as \u201cukelele\u201d. \u00a0You’ll hear some people pronounce it \u201coo-koo-lay-lay\u201d, which is a nod to its Hawaiian origins, but to my ear that sounds pretentious unless you happen to be Hawaiian. \u00a0But it’s just a matter of personal choice, of course. \u00a0One of the first rules you learn in ukulele society is that there are no rules.<\/p>\n

.
\n KARA: What does playing the ukulele give you that other art forms like animation and writing have not?<\/strong><\/p>\n

TIM HATCHER: Animation and writing are not performance art so there is no instant gratification as with music. \u00a0The downside is that it’s more nerve-wracking. \u00a0Then there’s the thrill that making music brings….the effect of music on the soul. \u00a0It can be very, very relaxing….but only when I’m playing it alone for my own enjoyment. \u00a0When I’m playing in front of an audience it can be quite the opposite.<\/p>\n

.
\n KARA: Your ukulele was delivered at a pivotal moment in your life. What were your thoughts as you took it out of its case?<\/strong><\/p>\n

TIM HATCHER: As it happens, my first uke arrived on my first day of unemployment after being laid off from DNA. \u00a0Even then I had a sense that this was a perfect choice for me, and that it would not be just a temporary diversion. \u00a0That was May 8, 2006.<\/p>\n

.
\n KARA: We know you are also an accomplished playwright but you’ve said that part of your life is on the back-burner for now. Why this decision? Do you miss it? <\/strong><\/p>\n

TIM HATCHER: It’s an overstatement to say I’m \u201caccomplished\u201d as a playwright. \u00a0Yes, I’ve had many productions and I did get a MFA in playwriting from Yale, but I have never had a breakthrough that allowed my writing to become my sole means of earning a living. \u00a0I was able to supplement my income with it for a number of years, but I was never what you’d call prolific. \u00a0And after leaving grad school, I had student loans to pay back and that made it easy to return to animation for an income. \u00a0And once DNA started growing and doing exciting things, it became very appealing to stay there and see where the ride would take me. \u00a0I’m very glad I did, because now I have a respectable career doing something creative that I find fulfilling. \u00a0The fact that it isn’t writing does not bother me. \u00a0I had grown to be somewhat weary of the production process in theater, because one usually feels he or she is compromising again and again, so the sense of artistic fulfillment does not come along often. \u00a0Or at least that was my experience.<\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n

KARA: I saw your credits in the very fun game Cold War: Clambake that was available as an app on Facebook. What are some of the things you contributed to the game. It is very entertaining!<\/strong><\/p>\n

TIM HATCHER: I’m glad you enjoyed it! \u00a0I was one of several people hired to provide creative content for the game. \u00a0That included the creation of characters, situations and spy-mission scenarios with a comedic slant. \u00a0It was fun to create characters and then later see illustrations of them. \u00a0On the other hand, though, to someone who is used to a traditional narrative form, the multiplicity of story threads was a little overwhelming at times. \u00a0There was always the sense that there were no boundaries with regard to time. \u00a0The story never ends, in a way.<\/p>\n

.
\n KARA: About the ukulele, it has such an interesting sound. I often thought of it as a happy instrument. Memories of Tiny Tim and “Tip Toe Through the Tulips” come to mind. But some of the songs are melancholy. \u00a0Do you think the sad song with the high-pitched strings are in opposite or enhance each other?<\/strong><\/p>\n

TIM HATCHER: To me, the primary reason that a uke may not be ideal for slower songs is that it has a relatively low sustain when compared to other stringed instruments. \u00a0That is, once the strings are set to vibrate, the sound fades quickly. \u00a0In slower songs, there is more space between the notes and therefore a greater potential for silence on the uke. \u00a0With a guitar, the reverberation of the strings easily carries the listener from note to note, or chord to chord. \u00a0But I do think sad songs can work just fine on a uke. \u00a0The form and quality of the expression is largely determined by the person playing the instrument. \u00a0The only limitations are in the imagination or abilities of the musician.<\/p>\n

.
\n KARA: What song have you picked that, once played, really gripped your heart? What were you thinking about when you played that number? <\/strong><\/p>\n

TIM HATCHER: That’s a great question. \u00a0I’ve been surprised at how I have gained new appreciation for songs I may have known all my life, but only really got to know well once I learned them for the ukulele. \u00a0For example, one of the first that I learned was \u201cAll I Do is Dream of You\u201d. \u00a0It was written in 1934 and most people know it from \u201cSinging in the Rain\u201d. \u00a0In that film it is performed up-tempo, which I think deprives it of sentimentality. \u00a0In researching the song (as I usually do when I want to perform a song), I found that it was written for a Joan Crawford movie, \u201cSadie McKee\u201d. \u00a0In that film it is performed softly, at a medium tempo (on a ukulele), and is very sweet and romantic. \u00a0That’s the approach I take with it.<\/p>\n

.
\nThe very concept of letting a song \u201cgrip your heart\u201d….I think that’s what performing a song is all about. \u00a0You are truly telling a story when you sing a song, and in a sense you are asked to make the song your own, to convey it as if it’s YOUR experience. \u00a0Usually this is done in subtle ways, of course, but if a song doesn’t \u201cgrip your heart\u201d, then maybe it’s not the song you should be singing, if we’re talking about solo performance.<\/p>\n

.
\nOne of the most moving songs I’ve played on the uke is one from 1995 by Amanda McBroom called \u201cErrol Flynn\u201d. \u00a0It comes from her own experience as the child of a man who worked in the movies as an actor, but never made it big. \u00a0He was always \u201cfour of five names down below Errol Flynn\u201d. \u00a0It moved me deeply the first time I heard it–sung by Barbara Cook in concert–but has lost none of its power all these years later. \u00a0Another is the old Irish song from 1808, \u201cBelieve Me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms\u201d. \u00a0The melody is actually from the 18th century. \u00a0It\u2019s got to be the most powerful and perfect love song I\u2019ve ever heard. \u00a0(\u201cThe heart that has truly loved never forgets, but as truly loves on to the close, as the sunflower turns on her god as he sets, the same look which she turned as he rose.\u201d)<\/p>\n

.
\n KARA: I’ve noticed there is a simple innocence in the combination of voice, ukulele and old song. Is that part of its charm for you or something else? <\/strong><\/p>\n

TIM HATCHER: That’s definitely part of the appeal. \u00a0Yet I can see that when it’s just a single instrument and a voice, there is definitely a burden on the performer to make it interesting. \u00a0A singer backed by a band or orchestra has less chance of boring an audience, I suspect, because of the power in all of that sound. \u00a0But there is power in keeping it simple and intimate, too. \u00a0I enjoy the challenge of tailoring a song and a performance to the smaller scope of a uke, rather than just trying to mimic whatever arrangement your most familiar with. \u00a0For example, one can sing \u201cHey, Soul Sister\u201d on a uke with no other musicians, but you have to remember that there is no band filling in the background for the listener. \u00a0You’re a solitary voice and you could sound silly trying to sing it as if you’re a rock star. \u00a0But everyone has to find out what works for him or her.<\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n

Tim’s parents: Bill and Jean Hatcher<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

.<\/p>\n

KARA: If you could take one song with you on a long journey, what would it be and why?<\/strong><\/p>\n

TIM HATCHER: If I were limited to one song, it would be an obscure song from the forties called \u201cJust a Prayer Away\u201d, and I can’t mention that song without the backstory. \u00a0In World War II, my mother and father met while they were in the service. \u00a0For a time, my father was stationed in Guam, and my mother was back in the states, but became ill and was confined to a military hospital for over a year. \u00a0One day the Red Cross visited each patient’s bed and invited them to record a message on a little cardboard record that would be sent by mail to a loved one. \u00a0My mother sang this song for my dad, a cappella, signing off with the words, \u201cBye for now, Bill\u201d. \u00a0They married after the war ended, and when I was a kid I would play that record and sing along. \u00a0I still have it, in fact.<\/p>\n

.
\n(\u201cThere’s a happy land somewhere, and it’s just a prayer away.<\/p>\n

All my dreams and plans are there, and it’s just a prayer away.<\/p>\n

Where the stars look down on a friendly town filled with laughing children at play.<\/p>\n

Where my heart will sing for it knows one thing, I’ll be home at the close of each day….\u201d)<\/p>\n

.
\nKARA: Nice! I like that so much! Who is your favorite composer to perform and why? Which is your favorite to just play in the quiet of your home? <\/strong><\/p>\n

TIM HATCHER: I’m a big fan of songwriters from the early 20th century, such as Cole Porter, Hoagy Carmichael, Harry Warren, Irving Berlin, Walter Donaldson and Gus Kahn. \u00a0Porter is probably my favorite because his lyrics are often a wonderful mix of humor, sophistication and cleverness.. \u00a0On top of that, his melodies are sophisticated, interesting, and very singable.<\/p>\n

.
\n KARA: After a long day of work what do you look forward to when you pick up a piece by these composers just mentioned?<\/strong><\/p>\n

TIM HATCHER: They often have an innocence and optimism that is so endearing. \u00a0And songs from that era–or from any era–are like time capsules that carry the vibe of their times. \u00a0Pulling out a song like \u201cOn the Sunny Side of the Street\u201d, from 1929, and playing it on the uke just takes you back in time 82 years, especially if you have the original sheet music right in front of you, as I often try to do. \u00a0(\u201cGrab your coat and get your hat. \u00a0Leave your worries on your doorstep. \u00a0Just direct your feet to the sunny side of the street\u2026\u201d)<\/p>\n

.
\n KARA: On your website “Vo-do-de-o Days” you have some really nice videos of various performances, from the comfortable setting of your home and also a black-tie event. They are all great but I especially like the tux-attired performance because your interaction with the audience was really special. Why did you choose that particular piece and why did you want to share it with them?<\/strong><\/p>\n

TIM HATCHER: It was largely a question of timing. \u00a0I had to choose from the few songs I felt I could whip into shape by the time of the event. \u00a0I’d been practicing that number, \u201cSouth of the Border\u201d, for a long time, so it was an easy choice. \u00a0I did a second song that night which didn’t turn out as well. \u00a0It was Joni Mitchell’s \u201cFree Man in Paris\u201d. \u00a0It works well on a uke, but I stumbled a few times during the performance which is always a big disappointment. \u00a0By that I mean I stumbled on the lyrics once or twice, which throws off the rhythm, of course.<\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n

KARA: When do you let go of the technical and let the music flow? Does the extra research help you get into the song? See where its coming from, the composer’s motivation?<\/strong><\/p>\n

TIM HATCHER: That moment of letting go has to happen on its own. \u00a0I always want to let go of the technical, but it’s not something I can plan. \u00a0I have found that once I get the technical elements down pat, it will take flight sooner or later and I can \u201cride\u201d it. \u00a0It’s rather like the uke is your surfboard and the song is the wave. \u00a0You hope to eventually hit a wave just right and find yourself being carried along by it. \u00a0Or maybe it’s like breaking a horse. \u00a0One day you just realize it’s doing what you have wanted it to do for so long.<\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n

KARA: Your website has a very interesting name , “Vo-do-de-o Days”. Where does the name come from?<\/strong><\/p>\n

TIM HATCHER: It doesn’t have a specific meaning, but \u201cvo-do-de-o\u201d was somewhat common in jazz numbers from the twenties and thirties. \u00a0It was probably plucked from the same tree that grew \u201cboop-boop-a-doop\u201d and \u201chotcha-cha\u201d. \u00a0I’m not sure where it originated, but there’s a song from 1927 called \u201cCrazy Words, Crazy Tune\u201d which uses it in the chorus and has it as a subtitle. \u00a0The song is a complaint about a ukulele player: \u00a0\u201cCrazy words, crazy tune! \u00a0All that you ever hear him croon is Vo-do-de-o, vo-do-de-o do!\u201d<\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n

KARA: Your website also has a lot of information about the numbers you perform. I think you enjoy doing the research as much as or almost as much as playing the pieces. Am I right? <\/strong><\/p>\n

TIM HATCHER: Yes, you are. \u00a0I get a kick out of learning more about the songs I like and in doing so discovering more about the composers and the story of their lives. \u00a0It’s fascinating to me that a person can create a song and leave it behind when they die, and that song can go on to entertain us, in small numbers or large, for a moment or for a lifetime.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n

KARA: There is an incredible ukulele community, right? How did you discover them? Was it a surprise? <\/strong><\/p>\n

TIM HATCHER: The global ukulele community has been growing steadily for a few years now, thankfully, but when I first decided to pick up a uke and learn it, I had no awareness of that community at all. \u00a0After I started playing I began searching the web for resources and found one website after another devoted to ukes and uke players. \u00a0When I got involved with the local group, the Dallas Ukulele Headquarters, there were only about a dozen active members even though the group had been around for about ten years. \u00a0Now, though, the group’s website has 464 registered there. \u00a0(www.meetup.com\/ukulele-84) \u00a0And this year was the third year of the Lone Star Ukulele Festival, held in Dallas in April. \u00a0It was orchestrated by a few of the members of the Dallas Ukulele Headquarters, Noel Tardy and Mark and Kathy Levine.<\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n

KARA: Tell us a little about the group. What is the most interesting thing you have learned from someone in the group?<\/strong><\/p>\n

TIM HATCHER: The group is comprised of the full spectrum of players: beginner to advanced, liberal to conservative, young and old. \u00a0Some are singers and some are not. \u00a0Some crave the spotlight and others wouldn\u2019t dream of stepping up to a microphone. \u00a0But we are united by a love of this little instrument and an itch to meet up with other uke players and have some fun. \u00a0The most interesting thing I\u2019ve learned–well, that\u2019s an open-ended question. \u00a0I\u2019m always picking up one thing or another from the other members, but I am learning the most from just watching myself over the years, as I continue to study and practice and perform and see how I respond, and grow and change. \u00a0The most amazing thing I\u2019ve learned about myself is that I absolutely hate to perform in front of an audience, and I sort of love it, too.<\/p>\n

****Readers: Here’s\u00a0Tim Hatcher\u00a0performing “The Girl in the Little Green Hat”<\/a> on YouTube. \u00a0Once there, side links also display other great songs Tim performs!\u00a0****<\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n

KARA: Learned any Cole Porter yet? \u00a0<grin> Pretty please?<\/strong><\/p>\n

TIM HATCHER: I set out to memorize a Cole Porter number just for you but my focus was pulled onto another song I\u2019d been trying to learn for about a year, \u201cThe Girl in the Little Green Hat\u201d. \u00a0I found myself entering the home stretch on that one so I felt the need to give it my all. \u00a0But I\u2019ll get to a Cole Porter song SOON.<\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n

KARA: No complaints. I love \u201cThe Girl in the Little Green Hat\u201d and I\u2019m very happy to post it here! Cool! Is there anything else you would like us to know about your artist’s journey? Something you have learned along the way?<\/strong><\/p>\n

TIM HATCHER: The most valuable lesson I have learned in my journey with the ukulele, which is true on almost any artistic path, is that there is great joy and value to be found in sharing your art or your music with one person here and there, or a tiny audience in a living room, regardless of whether you ever share it on a huge scale to great critical and financial success. \u00a0Or just doing your thing all alone, watching yourself grow as a musician or an artist, even if you are the only observer–it all has value. \u00a0And along with that comes the understanding that once your art becomes the primary source of your income, then it has become a job to which you have become a servant. \u00a0When a labor of love becomes a labor of necessity, the fun can get sucked out of it.<\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n

KARA: Thank you so much, Tim, for stopping by and sharing your experience of finding your muse within a most wonderful musical endeavor. I cannot wait for the next installment on your blog. For more information, check out Tim\u2019s blog, http:\/\/vo-do-de-o.blogspot.com the Dallas Ukulele Headquarters and the Lone Star Ukulele Festival.\u00a0Thanks again, Tim, this was truly a pleasure! <\/strong><\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n

To my readers, please feel free to post a comment or question. There may be a delay as I sift through the daily spa-m I get but I will post yours as soon as possible. I appreciate you!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mild mannered, talented and infinitely witty, Tim Hatcher is one those folks who stands calmly like a touchstone when the world gets hectic. Anyone can tell you, just a few words of conversation with him, amidst deadline stresses and last minute mayhem, and even a Tasmanian Devil will feel that much calmer. Yet, I knew … Continue reading “Artist – Tim Hatcher”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-224","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/karaashleydeyold.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/224","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/karaashleydeyold.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/karaashleydeyold.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/karaashleydeyold.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/karaashleydeyold.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=224"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/karaashleydeyold.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/224\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1128,"href":"https:\/\/karaashleydeyold.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/224\/revisions\/1128"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/karaashleydeyold.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=224"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}