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THE HILLSDALE DAILY NEWS, Tuesday, August 23, 1966 7She Makes MusiciHappen/With An Ordinary Carpenter's Hand SawBy Geneva GatesThe portly dark haired lady rose from her seat and walked toward the stage carrying what looked like a badly constructed violin case.She sat down on the straight backed chair and opened the case taking out a cello bow.Then, as the hushed audience waited expectantly, she took out a saw. A SAW?That’s right, a jim-dandy Speed King No. S 51ft hand saw, purchased no less than 22 years ago at the Hickock and Snyder Hardware Store in Waldron.And for all the friends and acquaintances of Mrs. Leon Cox, an obvious treat was in store as she began her part of the Grange program: “A musical sawsolo”, by Mrs. Leon Cox.For me it was “a happening”; a first-time experience; a never to be forgotten, eerie, out of this world listening lesson.Mrs. Cox clamped that old saw between her knees, grasped the pointy end shoulder high with her left index finger and thumb and began carressing the toothless side of the saw with the cello bow, all the while jiggling her right knee up and down.And lo, as from another planet, the strains of a familiar hymn began floatingaround the room. I say floating, because the melody was high pitched and etherial, sort of like a theme song from a television space serial.pecting a seance to begin; or Martians to walk onstage; or a snake to slither out of the wings.But it was fascinating.So much so, that I just had to learn more about the art of making music from a hand saw.And so a trip to Waldron was in order.* + *Mrs. Loon (Geraldine) Cox lives at 126 Mackinaw' St., Waldron with her husband, who works for the Hillsdale County Road Commission, and a daughter, Marilyn, 18, who occasionally accompanies her musical mother on the piano. Two other daughters, Mrs. Nelson (Margaret) Burnett, 29, and Mrs. Richard (Audrey) Andrew's, 23, both of Waldron, also get in on the act.And Mrs. Cox doesn’t think it’s a bit unusual that she plays the saw. “I’ve played it ever since I was Iti and I’m 50 now. I still play ducts with my father”.Geraldine remembers that her dad bought his saw — a real musical saw from Doc Clark in Waldron. “Doc showed him how and then papa showed me”, she said.“At first, I couldn’t make it sound like anything, but my father urged me to keep trying. I remember I’d wait until the whole family went away and then I’d w-ork at it. I was pretty excited when I first learned to play ‘Home Sweet Home’.” About right here, I requesteda demonstration, and sat in awe as Geraldine explained thetechnique involved. She set mecal saw. “There is a difference. The musical saw is tempered differently, but since I had always used my dad’s saw, I hadn’t bought one of my own. And then he up and went to Florida one year and took his saw and bow and everything with him and I didn’t have anything to play. So I just went down to the hardware and listened to the saws. Some have a truer ring to them, and this one seemed just right.” With that, she demonstrated the scale on the saw, and sure enough, it rang just as true asany musical instrument.Geraldine gave $2.75 for her saw', but discovered that bows were another thing. They weiV expensive. About this time, a friend inquired as to why she wrasn’t playing and w’hen she found a bow was needed, gave her $6 towards a bow. Another friend and neighbor, Bryce Jay, made the wooden case that I found so unique.And so, she was back in demand playing solos at church programs, conventions and various other occasions.for a number of years and when her daughters were young, took accordion lessons with them. As a result, she has taught both piano and accordion and has 26 pupils. She is now teaching herself to play the bass violin.Geraldine believes that our talents are given us to use for God. She shares her abilities with the Church of the I’nited Brethren In Christ; Good News Clubs; and the WC7TU, as well as quite frequent appearancesthroughout the county.Not one to be idle, she also sandwiches in her business as a cosmetic firm representative; a big garden from which she “puts up” a basement full of vegetables; is grandma to seven lively youngsters, and teaches anyone interested to play the saw.She explained it was easy and I should bend the saw up lor Sow notes and down for high. The wiggle gives a vibrato to the notes rather than a flat dead sound and I shouldI would a violin.Fine.Now, what about upkeep?Geraldine has never bad anything done to her saw. Well, almost never. A screw fell out of the handle once and it raised all kinds of hob with the tone. But her husband was able to replace it and it was soon back in kilter.Of course, Mr. Cox isn’t allowed to use the saw for repair jobs around the house, “but I really don’t think it would hurt it any”.Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Robinson, live nearby, and musical get-togethers are frequent.It sounds like fun and the sound itself is as new as tomorrow. Maybe I’ll give it ago.With my luck I’d saw a leg off or start a cat fight. But it has its practical side. I sure can’t build anything with my old leftover clarinet.On second thought, I guess I’ll stick to my comb and tissueShe had taken piano lessons use rosin on my bow just as paperAstro Curve Hair Fashions WillTop Out Of This World Fall LookCurves make the big new' in hair fashions for fall.According to the Official Hair Fashion Committee of the National Hairdressers and Cosmetologists Assoc iation, the
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Hillsdale Daily News
Hillsdale, Michigan, US
Tue, Aug 23, 1966
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