Ranger Champ
CAMPFIRE SINGALONG
SATURDAY, JULY 10 AT 9:30AM
Join Ranger Champ in classic campfire singalongs. Old favorites that everyone loves to sing will raise spirits in a fun and interactive experience.
Before the Victorian Chautauqua even begins, Francis “Champ” Zumbrun captures imaginations in an unforgettable theme song he was asked to create for The Victorian Chautauqua. The commission was conceived to help people pronounce, spell, and learn the meaning of Chautauqua which is not a word in everyone’s vocabulary, according to Mark Stutzman who is on the Victorian Chautauqua planning committee and also the acting creative director for the event.
"It didn't take long to realize that the term Chautauqua could be peculiar to a lot of people," said Stutzman who is charged with promoting the Victorian Chautauqua event. "If people don't know what a Chautauqua is, or they are intimidated by the unusual spelling, someone could assume it’s not for them."
To demystify the "odd and lengthy word," as the song goes, Stutzman asked his friend, Champ Zumbrun, who is a songwriter and musician, if he would be willing to concoct a singalong theme song that would teach people about Chautauqua in a fun way. Zumbrun was the perfect choice since he is a past master of this music genre. Among other songs, Zumbrun recorded and performed his delightful, Groundhog Day, at the 2016 annual celebration held in Punxsutawney, PA.
Zumbrun was eager to develop a catchy tune for the Victorian Chautauqua’s 2021 celebration. When he made the pitch, Stutzman jotted down some sample lyrics that touched on key points of how the song could highlight Mountain Lake Park’s Chautauqua history while keeping it playful and light-hearted. With that loose framework, Zumbrun hit the ground running and expanded the phrases into clever rhymes with an infectious melody. And the song’s stuck-in-your-head hook is a choir rejoicing the word Chautauqua three times consecutively. Zumbrun also worked with sound engineer, Mark Gowans at Budger Records in Frostburg to write a fluid and flashy guitar riff that builds toward the final chorus. The song has a cozy contemporary sound that stems from classic rock origins, according to Zumbrun.
A Tradition Lives On
Champ, a retired park ranger, frequently leads campfire singalongs wearing his vintage-style park ranger uniform. His persona is fashioned after Maryland State Forester Fred Besley, who in 1921, hosted Chautauquaians Henry Ford and Thomas Edison when they camped at Swallow Falls State Park in Garrett County, Maryland. The historical connection could not be more perfect for his musical tribute to the Victorian Chautauqua.
To get the song in front of the public eye, Stutzman planned to produce a music video that would give a visual interpretation of the completed musical number. Zumbrun portrays Ranger Champ as a classic bouncing ball marks the lyrics, a popular technique for singalongs and karaoke.
The video first introduces a fictitious female barker brandishing a megaphone portrayed by Kasey Lambert. Her playful persona is anchored in a parallel fantasy world while Ranger Champ performs with exuberance in a staged environment. Animated historical figures mouth the word Chautauqua and Gowans knocks it out of the park with his electric guitar solo as the song approaches its finale.
From Sketch To Screen
“I immediately envisioned some animated bits à la Monty Python using cutout historical figures to make the video entertaining to watch,” said Stutzman. “In the depths of the pandemic, I wasn’t able to shoot live-action video so I worked on the motion graphics first and fleshed out storyboards to show the talent how it would appear to the viewer.”
The animated historical figures include many who are being portrayed at the 2021 Victorian Chautauqua. The cluster of characters mouth the word Chautauqua and the group grows with each refrain. Some animals that also mouth Chautauqua are tossed in just for fun.
Zumbrun worked for months, and over several recording sessions, perfecting and developing the instrumentals and vocals with Gowans. He wanted the guitar intro to have a “Creedence Clearwater Revival” feel that would be reminiscent of one of his favorite musical genres. Gowans’ mastery of acoustic and electric guitar delivers powerful energy. As the instrumental tracks grew, Zumbrun’s final request was to have a choir singing out the word Chautauqua in harmony. He accomplished this with six voices using a mix of three adults and three children. Among those were Mountain Lake Park Mayor, Don Sincell, his wife Suzie, his sister Mary McEwen, and his three grandchildren, Lydia, Kasey, and Ava. The family of singers belts out a bigness of a full choir. A cameo appearance is made by percussionist, Dunel Petit-Frere who was among the first to be filmed in the recording studio.
Zumbrun is anxious for the song’s early release so people can learn the lyrics prior to his live performance at the Victorian Chautauqua’s Opening Ceremonies. He wants everyone to join him in the first musical number of the weekend. If anyone forgets the words, there will be a teleprompter to keep the audience on track.
