B'eirth
Encyclopedia
Jon Michael better known as B'eirth or B'ee (born March 25, 1973), is the vocalist and conductor/composer in the experimental psych folk
band In Gowan Ring.
, often performing music (and presumably living) in old-fashioned clothes or costumes, and preferring instruments with Renaissance
roots.
He explains his moniker and artist name B'eirth as a contraction for his "less wieldy" given name, and B'ee as a simpler version still, with a fitting polysemy: His father was a beekeeper
. On his mother's side, he is related to the fourth Prophet of the LDS Church
, Wilford Woodruff
, his Great-great-great grandfather. Despite this, he does not follow the Mormon discipline. He was born in the U.S.
, but is vague about where he was raised, saying it was "further east in green territory" rather than in Salt Lake City proper. He currently lives in downtown Portland, Oregon
, United States
.
B'eirth is proficient at playing a myriad of instruments, including guitar
, cittern
, harp
s (both mouth harp
s and folk harps), harmonica
, recorder
, reeds and flute
s. He is largely self-taught (though says he has didactically studied "16th century polyphony
"), and designs and fabricates his own stringed instruments. He is also, unless otherwise credited, the designer and artist of In Gowan Ring's album artwork.
As a live performer, B'eirth is commonly associated with his easily recognizable "double-necked guitar."http://myspace-567.vo.llnwd.net/00323/76/58/323648567_l.jpg This instrument is actually a guitar/cittern hybrid made by B'eirth himself in 1998, which he calls the Stringed Spade. It is, in his own words:
In November 2005, he released the first self-titled album of his solo project Birch Book - a more Donovan
-sounding classic folk album than any of his previous releases. The project's MySpace
description explains:
In November 2006, Birch Book Volume II, Fortune And Folly, was released on the Denver-based psychedelic label Helmet Room Recordings. As of October 2010, the last Birch Book release has been Birch Book Volume III, A Hand Full Of Days.
B'eirth is a frequent contributor in other projects, appearing for example on Seth Nehil's album Umbra (recorders and reeds), Waldteufel's album Heimliches Deutschland (flute), Backworld's album Of Silver Sleep (recorder) and has performed commonly with Blood Axis
.
Psych folk
Psychedelic folk or psych folk is a loosely defined form of psychedelic music that originated in the 1960s through the fusion of folk music and psychedelic rock...
band In Gowan Ring.
Biography
Rarely mentioned in articles and reviews without an adjective, B'eirth has been called "mysterious," "reclusive," "nomadic," "effusive," and "singular." Much of this attention is due to his cultivated image as a modern-day troubadourTroubadour
A troubadour was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages . Since the word "troubadour" is etymologically masculine, a female troubadour is usually called a trobairitz....
, often performing music (and presumably living) in old-fashioned clothes or costumes, and preferring instruments with Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
roots.
He explains his moniker and artist name B'eirth as a contraction for his "less wieldy" given name, and B'ee as a simpler version still, with a fitting polysemy: His father was a beekeeper
Beekeeping
Beekeeping is the maintenance of honey bee colonies, commonly in hives, by humans. A beekeeper keeps bees in order to collect honey and other products of the hive , to pollinate crops, or to produce bees for sale to other beekeepers...
. On his mother's side, he is related to the fourth Prophet of the LDS Church
President of the Church (Mormonism)
In the Latter Day Saint movement, the President of the Church is generally considered to be the highest office of the church. It was the office held by Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of the movement, and the office assumed by many of Smith's claimed successors, such as Brigham Young, Joseph Smith III,...
, Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff, Sr. was the fourth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1889 until his death...
, his Great-great-great grandfather. Despite this, he does not follow the Mormon discipline. He was born in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, but is vague about where he was raised, saying it was "further east in green territory" rather than in Salt Lake City proper. He currently lives in downtown Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
B'eirth is proficient at playing a myriad of instruments, including guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, cittern
Cittern
The cittern or cither is a stringed instrument dating from the Renaissance. Modern scholars debate its exact history, but it is generally accepted that it is descended from the Medieval Citole, or Cytole. It looks much like the modern-day flat-back mandolin and the modern Irish bouzouki and cittern...
, harp
Harp
The harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
s (both mouth harp
Mouth harp
Mouth harp may refer to:* Harmonica* Jew's harp...
s and folk harps), harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
, recorder
Recorder
The recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes—whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle. The recorder is end-blown and the mouth of the instrument is constricted by a wooden plug, known as a block or fipple...
, reeds and flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
s. He is largely self-taught (though says he has didactically studied "16th century polyphony
Polyphony
In music, polyphony is a texture consisting of two or more independent melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice or music with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords ....
"), and designs and fabricates his own stringed instruments. He is also, unless otherwise credited, the designer and artist of In Gowan Ring's album artwork.
As a live performer, B'eirth is commonly associated with his easily recognizable "double-necked guitar."http://myspace-567.vo.llnwd.net/00323/76/58/323648567_l.jpg This instrument is actually a guitar/cittern hybrid made by B'eirth himself in 1998, which he calls the Stringed Spade. It is, in his own words:
...a standard 6 string on the top neck and 9 strings in 5 coursesCourse (music)A course is a pair or more of adjacent strings tuned to unison or an octave and usually played together as if a single string. It may also refer to a single string normally played on its own on an instrument with other multi-string courses, for example the bass string on a nine string baroque...
(low course single) on the lower neck. I wanted the combination so as to avoid changing instruments between songs during performance. Occasionally I play both necks during one song and sometimes use the cittern neck as resonant strings while the top neck strings are sounding. http://home.comcast.net/~leapday56/beirth.htm
In November 2005, he released the first self-titled album of his solo project Birch Book - a more Donovan
Donovan
Donovan Donovan Donovan (born Donovan Philips Leitch (born 10 May 1946) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Emerging from the British folk scene, he developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelia, and world music...
-sounding classic folk album than any of his previous releases. The project's MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
description explains:
‘Birch Book’ marks an evolution in sound away from the overtly psychedelic towards a simpler, highly effective, direct song based approach ... This album is not what many expect, it is not overly experimental or droning but it simultaneously brings the older mystical folk into the current and points a new individualistic way forward for the artist. http://www.myspace.com/birchbook
In November 2006, Birch Book Volume II, Fortune And Folly, was released on the Denver-based psychedelic label Helmet Room Recordings. As of October 2010, the last Birch Book release has been Birch Book Volume III, A Hand Full Of Days.
B'eirth is a frequent contributor in other projects, appearing for example on Seth Nehil's album Umbra (recorders and reeds), Waldteufel's album Heimliches Deutschland (flute), Backworld's album Of Silver Sleep (recorder) and has performed commonly with Blood Axis
Blood Axis
Blood Axis is an American Neofolk/Post-industrial band consisting of journalist and author Michael Moynihan, music producer Robert Ferbrache and musician and author Annabel Lee.-Early Blood Axis :...
.
Official
Unofficial
- B'eirth interview, from Ptolemaic Terrascope #35 (January 2005)
- B'eirth interview, from music.gothic.ru (2000)