Dear Mike Sauter @WYEP,
Dear Mike,
Thanks for the great 'Beatles Workshop' last night at the WYEP Studios on the South Side. I was the guy in the second row with the pony tail and the two teenagers. When they got home from school yesterday, I told them we had some place to go, that it would last 90 minutes and that it would be fun. Until they arrived they did not know where they were going or what they were doing. Long story short: we all had a great time at your 'Beatles Workshop' for variety of reasons, each particular to our particular relationship to the Beatles.
This is what I signed up for:
"WYEP's in-house Beatles expert Mike Sauter will take you on another 90-minute virtual trip behind the scenes of the music of The Beatles. This session will examine three Beatles songs in depth, including “Get Back” and “I Am the Walrus.” You’ll get a greater understanding of how the Fab Four constructed their music whether you’re a casual fan or a dedicated fanatic."
My daughter, who is 12, liked ‘Get Back’ best because she sang it in her school’s spring concert. She plays the piano and tends to like the more lyrical – ie Paul – songs like ‘Blackbird’ and ‘Michelle’ but I could tell listening to the way all of the songs you presented last night were composed and assembled was pretty absorbing for her. We have the Beatles Box at home and so listen to plenty of Beatles songs and I would say that the experience was better than she would have expected, much more involving and enjoyable. She was chatting happily about the experience on the drive home.
My son, who is almost 14, also plays the piano and you had two of his VERY favorite songs in the mix. I could tell that he was pretty engaged during ‘While my Guitar Gently Weeps’ but your track by track breakdown of the composition of ‘Get Back’ really grabbed him. He composes a lot of music of his own on the keyboards and piano and sometimes jams with a friend who plays guitar and I suspect that revealing Lennon and McCartney’s creative process was pretty eye opening for him. On the way home, he wanted to hear OTHER Beatles songs to see if he could begin to deconstruct them, himself. At his request, we plugged my IPod into the car stereo and started with ‘She’s Leaving Home…’
So, the kids had a good time and the snacks were definitely appreciated!
Finally, my response to the evening. I was surprised and impressed that 90 minutes passed so quickly. Mike, I really had a very good time too for several very different reasons. I think you did a great job of taking us through the Beatles’ creative process with audio clips and historical context. I enjoyed learning when Ringo and George each temporarily quit the band during sessions for two of the songs we heard. I enjoyed your passion for the music and how you introduced my kids to someone else – you, not me – who is also really into music! 
I liked the song selection and progression from song to song, chronologically and in complexity.
Ending with ‘Get Back’ made sense to me since you had so much material to work with, 90+ hours of tape. What always seemed like a catchy but minor song in their oeuvre took on new significance for me. I like the way you structured your discussion, timing things and not digressing, which I know is very hard to do.
Although it was a little slow at first, Mike, once you got into the material – which you know so well – the presentation was smooth and engaging.
Hope this is helpful and stay in touch.
Sincerely,
Paul Rosenblatt
The Vinyl Record Architect
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