Gayle’s Music

Music was always a major part of Gayle’s life. She began playing piano at age 6. She took up the clarinet in elementary school and switched to the oboe in 1965 (in junior high) because they needed someone to play oboe and Gayle was the one who showed the most musical aptitude. She was selected to the Northeast Ohio Regional Orchestra, the All-Ohio Youth Symphony and the All-Ohio State Orchestra while in high school – honors reserved for the finest high school musicians in the state. Gayle also sang in the school choir and served as section leader, responsible for running early morning sectional rehearsals. She studied oboe with Dr. Galan Kral throughout high school and while majoring in oboe at the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music. She graduated Suma Cum Laude (“With Highest Honors”) with a Bachelor of Music Education degree in 1975.

While in college, Gayle spent two summers as the music counselor at Camp Kinni Kinnic in Poultney, Vt. The highlight for her was the production she led in 1975 of Gilbert and Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore. She directed and played the piano accompaniment for the production. [As an aside, one of the cast members having a bit role was Lisa Edelstein, who went on to become a well-known actress. She is perhaps best known as Dr. Cuddy on the TV show House. Gayle always said that she was not only one of the most talented kids at the camp, but one of the sweetest.]

Gayle played oboe professionally with the Ohio Chamber Orchestra starting in 1974 and continuing until sometime in the early ’80s. She also played for the Cleveland Ballet and the Cleveland Opera Company. She was also singing and playing electric bass during much of that time with then-partner Lisa Rainsong. However, the musicians’ union (which she was required to be a member of in order to play with the OCO) would not allow her to play with non-union musicians, so she eventually chose to give up the orchestra and devote her musical talents to playing the bass and singing with Lisa.

Gayle and Lisa performed as a duo for many years, often playing their own compositions as well as contemporary songs and dance tunes, at many venues around Greater Cleveland. Gayle also sang and played bass in numerous musical ensembles along with Lisa, including the bands Sister Rhapsody and Flashback (which performed old standards of the 30s and 40s, covering songs by the Andrews Sisters and Boswell Sisters, among others).

After not playing professionally for a number of years, Gayle was asked to sub temporarily as the bass player for the Swamp Boogie Queens, an all-woman blues band. That eventually led to her becoming the permanent bass player when the band became known as the Swamp Boogie Band. It was around this time, that Gayle decided to switch from her 4-string bass to a new 5-string instrument. There was a period of adjustment, but she spent many hours practicing and never went back. When she also started playing with a new group that she helped to form (Tore Down House), she was initially the only woman, so we called that “The Boy Band.” And since the Swamp Boogie Queens were all women when Gayle first started playing with them, we typically referred to that band as “The Girl Band.” She played with both bands for several years in the mid-2000s. Not having even previously listened to most of the rock and blues music the bands covered, she quickly learned the music and her bass playing was highly regarded. Gayle took particular pride in the frequent compliments she got from both her fellow musicians and audience members, many of whom were themselves musicians and often bassists.

Listen to Gayle’s Music

Songs:

Some of the original songs that Gayle wrote are available to listen to below. There are also a few videos from live performances that you can watch. A few of the songs were written by Lisa Rainsong or others, or are songs for which Gayle composed the music but the lyrics were written by others and are so noted. Gayle wrote other music as well, but no recordings exist of those to my knowledge. Unless otherwise indicated, Gayle is singing and playing bass and Lisa is playing keyboard (and guitar in a couple) and often singing harmony or sharing the lead vocal. Songs where Gayle played keyboard are so noted. Unfortunately, some of the recordings are not the greatest in terms of quality, but they can definitely give you an idea of Gayle’s immense talent as a singer, musician, composer and conductor. _{^{[All original music has been copyrighted and may not be used or reproduced in any way without expressed written permission.]}}

My thanks to the musicians and songwriters whose efforts contributed to the music you are about to listen to. I am especially grateful to Lisa Rainsong for her generosity in providing me with information and giving me permission to share with you what is every bit her music as it was Gayle’s. And indeed, without Lisa, much of this music wouldn’t have existed in the first place.

Affirmative Action Blues (Words and Music by Lisa Rainsong)

Assertive (Not sure if Gayle or Lisa wrote it)

Cocoon

Constantly (Unknown if Gayle or Lisa wrote the first half, which Gayle sings. Lisa wrote the second half which she sings)

Cycle Dyke – Live performance with Sister Rhapsody from April 19, 1980

Do You Remember? (Words and Music by Lisa Rainsong)

Don’t Call Me Girl

God Bless The Earth (Music by Gayle, Poem by Valerie McClelland) Gayle played all of the instrumental parts on synthesizer and sang most of the vocals herself, utilizing a pitch-change effect for the low part.

Growing Pains (Words and Music by Lisa Rainsong)

I Will Gayle played all of the instrumental parts on synthesizer.

I’m Not Gonna Beg You

Laid Off – performed live with Sister Rhapsody in 1980. Written by Lisa Rainsong

Left Side of Sanity – Lyrics by Karen Tiger (“Flash”) Fort (the drummer in the band Flashback); music by Gayle and/or Lisa. Laura Rickard joins Gayle and Lisa on saxophone and the third vocal harmony part.

My Lady Gayle played all of the instrumental parts on synthesizer. That’s Gayle singing! We used a pitch-change effect to get her voice lowered to sound male.

My Rock Two versions

Never Gonna Lose Myself Again (Unknown if Gayle or Lisa wrote this; also not sure if Lisa or someone else played guitar)

No Encores With Laura Rickard on sax and vocal harmony.

Oak Trees

One In a Million Gayle played all of the instrumental parts on synthesizer and sang all of the vocal parts.

Perfect Gayle played all of the instrumental parts on synthesizer.

Parma Polka Gayle’s parody of her hometown. With Sister Rhapsody, from the very late 1970s or very early 1980s. The tape was warped so there are occasional funky, out-of-tune notes.

Prisoner Written by Lisa Rainsong. Gayle – lead vocal and bass, Lisa – vocal harmony and keyboards, Laura Rickard sax and vocal harmony. Live coffeehouse performance from 1986.

The Bonds of Trust

You Deserve A Woman Like Me Written By Lisa Rainsong. Lisa sings the first verse and Gayle the second.

You Don’t Belong to Me Written by Lisa Rainsong; Lisa sings lead and Gayle harmonizes throughout.

You’ve Blown It All Gayle played all of the instrumental parts on synthesizer and sang all of the vocals.

Instrumental Pieces:

Gayle played all of the parts on synthesizer and bass on all of these pieces except for the oboe/keyboard composition. Some of these were composed to submit to an online music service that tried to connect composers with people looking for original music for movies, TV shows, etc.

Angst

Carvin’

Desdemona’s Air

Intuition

Keyboard Sketch – An unnamed piece that Gayle never finished.

Poopy Dog

Unnamed Oboe and Keyboard Composition (unknown if Gayle or Lisa composed it) Gayle is playing oboe and Lisa is playing Keyboard.

Choral Pieces:

In addition to performing and composing, Gayle was also an excellent conductor. Utilizing all of her skills, talents and knowledge as a musician and teacher, she was able to take groups of non-singers and turn us into respectable choirs to sing, at times, some rather challenging music. Here are four examples, all from either the actual performances or rehearsals for various Cleveland Womyns’ Variety Shows from the late 1980s – early 1990s.

Draw Down the Moon – Two versions

Words Of Power (music by Gayle, Poem by Marion Weinstein) Gayle on oboe.

Oboe Performances:

College Senior Oboe Recital:

These are recordings from Gayle’s Baldwin-Wallace Senior Oboe Recital (the recording quality is not very good, but it certainly is good enough to hear how talented she was on the oboe).

Sonata for Oboe and Piano in D Major by Camille Saint-Saens – Piano accompaniment by Robin Guy

Oboe Quartet in F major, K. 370 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Accompaniment by unknown fellow students (the very beginning of the piece is missing)

Oboe Sonata by Henri Dutilleux – Piano accompaniment by Robin Guy

Baldwin-Wallace Symphonic Wind Ensemble Concert:

Serenade No. 10 in B-flat Major, K. 361 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – November 10, 1974. Gayle Pilat, Principal Oboe

Update Log:

To assist you in finding music to listen to that you haven’t already heard, I’m including this log of newly added songs:

Date	Song
11/1/2022	Cocoon
11/2/2022	Do You Remember
11/2/2022	Growing Pains
12/30/2022	Constantly
1/2/2023	Never Gonna Lose Myself Again
1/2/2023	You Deserve A Woman Like Me
1/23/2023	Laid Off
1/23/2023	Cycle Dyke
10/2/23	The Parma Polka