Jim Austerman is a musician and composer. He plays many types of instrumental American and European compositions. His style has been coined as "New Tyme Music."

12 MP3 Songs in this album (54:27) !
Related styles: Easy Listening: Polka, World: Eastern European, Solo Instrumental

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Details:
Track 1. Solitary Rose
My grandparents, Harvey & Ruth Headley raised me for a number of years in their peaceful little house in San Bernardino, California. "Grommie," the name that my cousins and I always called her, was what the Bible refers to a "Virtuous Woman." (Read Proverbs 31:10-31) For me, as a child and an adult, I was always amazed with all the things that Grommie could do, and do them so well. Among her many talents, besides being a wonderful mother to me, and a wonderful wife to my grandfather Harvey, she always got the most admiration from her large, magnificent flower garden. I remember very well during the years that she raised me how people would intentionally pass by our house just so they could stop and talk to her about the beautiful flowers that she grew. Her garden was filled with many types of flowers, too. Her favorite flowers were her roses. She was so talented at growing them that she would enter some of them in the National Orange Show every year in San Bernardino, California. She had many ribbons for her long hours of hard work in her garden. Not only is "Solitary Rose" the title of this CD, it's also the title song, and I chose to do this song using my electric piano and strings because those were Grommie's favorite instruments. I also chose to use the electric piano because it was Grommie that got me started in music at the age of five. She was always there to encourage me, and support me in my music and piano studies. Grommie was as beautiful as a rose, both inside and out. She always stood up for me and kept me safe. I wait for the day that I'll see her again. In my heart, she'll always be a Solitary Rose.

Track 2. Iowa Steamboats
One day I was surfing around on the internet looking at old pictures of steamboats, and it reminded me of an old photo I had when my kids were little. It was a photograph of the steamboat at Disneyland in California. As I read more about these charming old vessels, I discovered that they were used for just about everything many years ago. They were used extensively on the Mississippi and Des Moines Rivers, as well as many others. I was more focused on the Mississippi and Des Moines Rivers because these are the rivers that our family live by. I chose to call this song Iowa Steamboats because we live closer to the Des Moines River. As I sat in my music room composing this melody, I tried to imagine what it would have been like to be sitting on the riverbank watching one of these huge graceful boats passing by. I sincerely hope you enjoy listening to this song as much as I enjoyed composing it.

Track 3. Cottonwood Seeds
Our family lives on a acreage in SW Minnesota near the Iowa border. Our house sits across the street from the Cottonwood County Line. We have some very big Cottonwood trees on our property. One afternoon, I was sitting outside with my wife Veronica, and one of my sons Jes, and was watching these cottonwood seed floating around in the air. They just seemed to be waltzing around. I was so taken by their flowing movements that I just had to compose a waltz named after them.

Track 4. The First Time We Met
This is a song that I composed for people everywhere who love to think back about the first time that they met each other.

Track 5. Once Upon a Dream
I've been told for many years that I'm a dreamer. And you know what? I am. Chances are, you are too. Many things in life first started off as a dream. For me, music is one of those things.

Track 6. Faded Memories
One day, not too long before I was beginning to work on this CD, I was looking at an old family photo album. I was reminded how some memories begin to fade away over time. Then, I thought, "If I look at these photos more often, and take the time to think back, these faded memories will become fresh again.

Track 7. Steel Rails
When I lived with my grandmother Grommie, and my grandfather Harvey, whom I always called "Papa," we lived exactly two blocks from the Santa Fe Railroad Station. It seemed that absolutely every neighbor near us worked for the railroad in some fashion. Grommie had a beautiful German Shepherd named "King." King and I were best friends. We were together all the time. We used to go "exploring" all around our neighborhood. One of the places that we both loved going to was the railroad depot to visit the "Old Timers" that were sitting around playing "Bones." That was the name they used for dominoes. King and I both loved to sit around with them and watch them play and listen to their stories. They had their domino tables sitting just outside their shack next to the steel rails. I used to dream about King and I taking long journeys on the trains that passed by everyday.

Track 8. Ocean Waves
San Bernardino, California, is very hot during the summer months. As kids, we used to fry eggs on the sidewalks. Sometimes, when Papa had the weekend off, he and Grommie would take me to the beach. I absolutely loved it there. The ocean air was so exhilarating to breathe, and the waves were so fun to watch as they came crashing into shore. Those days were some of the faded memories that I was talking about previously.

Track 9. Days Gone By
This was another song that I composed as I was sitting in my music room reading about those old steamboats, and the photographs of people during that time era. I hope you get the feeling of those days gone by from my song, too.

Track 10. First Light
First Light is the first song that I composed for this CD. I was thinking about those trains traveling across the desert early in the morning as dawn broke.

Track 11. Grandma Gracie's Polka
My wife Veronica and I play music at many different venues. One year, at the Cottonwood County Fair, we were playing, and a very nice woman asked me to play a polka for her. I did. Then, she seemed so happy that I asked her if she would like me to write a polka for her. She said, "Yes." Her name is Grace Clark, but most people call her "Grandma Gracie." She's a very nice lady, and I'm happy to have composed this polka for her.

Track 12. When the Kids Were Young
As I alluded to previously, I'm a dreamer. I dream of having my kids back at home with us again when they were young. I miss that more than words can explain. Thankfully, for Veronica and I, we still have one son that lives at home with us. He's taking college classes, but he's still our little boy, if you understand what I'm talking about. So, this was the tune that was rolling around in my head as I sat in my music room thinking about all our kids when they were young. If your kids are still with you, be sure to cherish every moment you can with them because they'll be gone before you know it.