Rudyard Kipling once called Lake Michigan one of the last great remaining wildernesses. Unfortunately, most Milwaukeeans only get to see it as they drive along the lakefront or if they are brave enough to swim in its chilly waters.
If you long for a taste of the history of Lake Michigan, or a chance to see tall ships and schooners ply the waters, then there is a local artist who can fulfill that dream. His name is David H.B. Drake, and his songs speak about the history of Lake Michigan and the interesting vessels that plied it.
At first glance, he looks more like Santa Claus than anything else. His white beard hangs low and he looks awry without a red suit and that sack of gifts for good little boys and girls, but he is no Saint Nick. Drake is one of Milwaukee's most interesting folk singers.
Drake's story is just as interesting as the lyrics to some of his songs, an adventure that has spanned nearly three decades.
Drake first got interested in singing during his days at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee when he and his brother were in the glee club, of which Drake was the president.
While he was at UWM, Drake took a deep interest in the arts and was fortunate enough to participate in the first year of the university's inter-arts major in 1969. The theory behind the idea was that an artist could be much more well rounded if they are proficient in all other arts.
Drake spent his time at UWM taking courses in theater, dance and music. To this day, Drake takes pride in the fact that he had the ability to land numerous jobs due to the many skills he learned while he was at UWM, including construction of sets and intricate lighting concepts.
One of those jobs was at the King Richard's Faire (now known as the Bristol Renaissance Faire) where he served as a member of the Ring of Steel, a troupe of professional sword fighters. The group needed a fill-in and they called Drake based on his knowledge and ability to duel swords. His theater training allowed him to quickly adjust to the choreography and he was cast in a Robin Hood scenario.
At that point, Drake was asked to be a troubadour in a roving band, due to his guitar playing abilities. One experience led to another and another, until the HMS Bounty came to town.
The tall ship came into Milwaukee and Drake was once again asked to participate in an on-ship show due to his experience in swashbuckling. The choreographer of this onboard fight sequence asked him if he could sing sea songs.
The venerable Drake answered yes, and for the first time, sang songs of the Great Lakes.
"It's every boy's dream to sail up the Great Lakes singing," Drake says, who always had a connection to Lake Michigan. "I've always loved water, my father was a sailor, and I've been fascinated by the simple fact that you can travel around the world solely by the power of wind."
The notion that a sailboat can travel around the planet without burning a drop of fossil fuel is a staggering thought, one that Drake says has fueled his love for folk music, especially the genre that encompasses the Great Lakes.
Since Drake broke into folk music of the lakes, he has spent a lot of time traveling all over Wisconsin. Most of the year he splits between singing at schools and singing with the folks at the Denis Sullivan, the three-masted schooner that was handbuilt in Milwaukee.
Drake has committed himself to sing at schools throughout Wisconsin. During his performances, he also teaches students about the history of the state in a program called "Wisconsing."
"I travel all around the state with my show about the history of Wisconsin, and I coordinated it to a slide show projector and re-wired it to a foot pedal," says Drake. "Not only do I sing a song, but I can illustrate what I sing."
The show not only features his own folk creations, but interesting pictures of Wisconsin's past. He sings at school as far south as Illinois where his productions change to a "Heartland" theme. During the shows, Drake plays a handmade banjo, guitar, concertina and even a Native American flute.
As for actually participating in singing on the open waters of Lake Michigan, Drake joins the Wisconsin Lake Schooner Project as an artist in residence.
On selected days, Drake conducts shanty sing-a-longs featuring ditties that were belted out on schooners of yesteryear.
Drake explains that there are two distinct types of songs that were used when men worked on the schooners. "A shanty (also spelled as 'chanty') is very literally an acapella work song performed on a ship while work is being done. It is the only time you sign on a ship, such as when you are raising a sail."
The distinct beat of these types of songs is a correlation to the lyrics; the song paces the work. Drake cites, "Row, row, row," as an example of the chanty. The song ends immediately when the work ends.
The other type of maritime folk singing was known as f'castle (or forecastles). According to Drake, "These were the songs played when not on watch. They were the songs about the girls, drinking and hanging around. This is generally where people's impression of sailors came from."
{INSERT_RELATED}"Truckers sing about their trucks, well, sailors sing about their ships and girlfriends," adds Drake.
Because of Drake's commitment to his singing, he has been credited with numerous awards including "Folk/Acoustic music artist of the year for 2002" from WAMI (Wisconsin Area Music Industry). He was given a WAMI in 2001 named as the Family Music Artist of the year.
Drake has nine albums out, the most recent was produced in coordination with the Wisconsin Schooner Project called, "A Schooner Songbag." The album features seventeen songs about Wisconsin's flagship schooner, the Denis Sullivan, and the history of the Great Lakes. The album features special guest Pete Seeger who sings the last track, "the Denis Sullivan."
If you would like to hear Drake sing, you can see him on Schooner Shanty Sails at the Wisconsin Lake Schooner Project. He'll be appearing on Fri., July 26 and Fri., Aug 30.
For more information go to www.davidhbdrake.com.
