Why focus on simple, two-chord songs for such an extensive project as The Song Train?
REID: We sensed a groundswell of interest from people wanting to play music, and we have children now, which really got us thinking about how musical knowledge gets transmitted. We wanted to help pass the torch, and realized that the Song Train was a valuable and unique missing piece in the puzzle of learning that suited our talents as performers and that really would help people get going. If you think really long and hard about it, the idea of the Song Train becomes obvious, though not everybody sees its value instantly. Boomer generation people don’t realize how many of the simple songs that enabled them to start playing music were present in schools and in mass culture, something that is no longer the case. We think it all starts with songs in people’s heads. It took us a long time to realize how much was involved in such a seemingly simple concept, and when it was done we realized what a statement it made and what a slice of American music we had captured. It took a while to figur
