- Playing
- Steam Engine Days 2006
- From
- Benji Nichols
This piece is a short narrative on the 2006 'Steam Engine Days' festival held in Mabel, MN (SE Minnesota). The festival, now in it's 53rd year, celebrates all good things midwestern and also recognizes a way of farming that is long falling by the wayside. Original field recordings of steam and antique gas engines pepper the soundtrack of this piece to transport the listener to an almost surreal fall afternoon in a tiny midwestern town.
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Piece Description
This piece is a short narrative on the 2006 'Steam Engine Days' festival held in Mabel, MN (SE Minnesota). The festival, now in it's 53rd year, celebrates all good things midwestern and also recognizes a way of farming that is long falling by the wayside. Original field recordings of steam and antique gas engines pepper the soundtrack of this piece to transport the listener to an almost surreal fall afternoon in a tiny midwestern town.
Broadcast History
Previously not broadcast
Transcript
Each fall for the last 53 years, the tiny community of Mabel, MN (pop. 766) has celebrated one of the great inventions of the 20th century - the Steam Engine. People come from miles around to show off or watch these magnificent old machines glide and putter down the gravel roads of the Mabel Steam Engine Grounds. Old fashioned crop thrashing is celebrated, along with plowing demonstrations, and a slowest tractor race. The smell of fresh sawdust fills the air near an antique steam driven saw mill, and kids enjoy carnival rides while the Lutheran church lunch stand serves BBQs and homemade pie.
Old one cylinder engines are celebrated as well - these once common hit & miss engines were the earliest challengers of horses on Midwest farms- with their unique sound & cantanquerous ways?. They pumped water & powered machinery and were the first of the combustible engines found on many Midw...
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Timing and Cues
:00 - audio up of antique steam tractor & narrative begins.
2:59 - piece ends with steam audio.
Possible introduction themes could include Nostalgia, fall festivals, midwestern traditions, small town stories, agricultural history, etc.
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Josh Raulerson
Posted on January 15, 2007 at 07:53 AM | Permalink
Review of Steam Engine Days 2006
A sound-rich and wonderfully nostalgic little slice of midwestern americana. More "audio postcard" than news feature, but would fit a magazine show nicely. Beautifully produced!