Hynek's family once farmed corn and beans and raised hogs and cattle in Ellston. After the market could no longer support their small farm, Hynek's family switched focus.
"(My family) changed, and we made it," Hynek said. "Some people, a lot of people, farm-wise, had to go to work, or get out (of farming)."
Hynek's family got into the trucking business as well as other business ventures, such as growing commercial trees, to make their farm work.
This struggle to survive helped inspire Hynek's songwriting over the years and helped shape "Farmer Song" as a story of one couple's struggle and attempt to change their farm into something profitable.
"It's not a story that's just (my family); it's a lot of people," Hynek said. "It's about change, and how do you deal with change?
"That's the really cool thing in tragedy; is how do people emerge from that and come out as winners?"
"Farmer Song," a 22-song musical created out of Hynek's songs, will be presented at The Maintenance Shop Friday and Saturday, April 7 and 8.
Hynek, a doctoral candidate in mechanical engineering at Iowa State University, performs in a band, Pumptown, with his sisters and dad. He said it was his mom who identified the theme of Hynek's songs as all relating to farming and that the songs should be made into a musical.
"I've had a lot of help with (the musical)," Hynek said. "Jane Cox (a professor in ISU's theatre department) has helped me to do rewrites and edit the script and get it to the place where it is."
Cox is also directing the production.
Hynek said he wrote all but one song in the musical. The remaining song was written by his sister, while his mom helped out on the book for the musical.
Hynek said the production has been made easy to perform, with no sets and only props and music that can be played on a single guitar - although The Onion Creek Band will perform for the production's first two nights.
"We tried really hard to make this a musical that could be done by a small community," Hynek said.
In total, eight cast members are involved, with Hynek taking on one of the lead roles.
Hynek said there is humor in the story from some characters and the story relates to many people's experiences.
"All these people's lives are touched by agriculture in some way; everybody's dealt with some of the stuff we talk about in the play," Hynek said. "It's cool to join up and meet all these people and hear their story."
Hynek's musical presents ideas for change in farming, and he hopes other people get to hear the message.
"As a songwriter, the greatest satisfaction comes from hearing your stuff performed," Hynek said. "This is really such a cool experience; I have never really experienced it before.
"My main goal with all this is I am hoping someone will put it on again."
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or cweishaar@amestrib.com.
