Funnies

 From Joe Stead.   Get on his list.  joe@joestead.com

 

 

ALAN LOMAX -- PETER KENNEDY --- CECIL SHARP -- BERT LLOYD  ----- WENT ABOUT IT THE WRONG WAY !!!! THERE'S BEEN AN EASIER WAY ALL ALONG!!  NOW HERE'S THE SECRET YOU OLD FOLKIES -----------------

HOW TO CREATE A FOLK SONG

Another excellent contribution from Alex Mogieleff and Stephan Grossman's Woodshed Forum

• All folksongs begin with the phrase: ''I asked my love to take a walk'
• The walk should be:
  • Down by the riverside
  • Past the prison
  • Into the valley
  • Over the sea and far away.

It should NOT be:

• To the store for a loaf of bread
• To Asda
• Along the Champs-Elysee, Park Avenue, or Pennsylvania Avenue
• On rollerblades.
• The conversation along the way should be about:
  • Your racehorse
  • The perfidious British
  • The revelation that you are her/his longlost brother/husband/blacksmith/Lord
  • The inevitable baby
  • Murder
• Places to be mentioned include:
  • Botany Bay
  • The Mountains of ...
    • A Land called Honalee
    • Carrickfergus
    • The valley
    • The fair
  • All of the above in reverse order, Botany Bay always coming last.
• All folk songs repeat the same words in each verse, but move them around until  one person is killed or the ghost appears.  If the ghost appears, it repeats the  original verses and the process begins all over again.   This is known as revenge.
• The chorus of all folk songs is half of the words of the verse moved around some more, and with the addition of some poignant nonsense syllables, all in a minor key. No new information is provided.
• References to work in folk songs should include:
  • Hammers (visionary or steam)
  • Railroad trains, preferably on the same track hurtling towards each other
  • Lots of whales
  • Sowing, reaping, harvesting, babies dropped in furrows, etc.
  • Job categories allowed in folk songs include:
    • Circus work
    • Lighthouse keeping
    • Mourning
    • Gypsying (especially kidnapping)
    • Blowing up British buildings.
  • References to work in folk songs should avoid the following job categories:
    • Insurance
    • Work for any government agency except prisons
    • Re-insurance
• Words that can be sprinkled at random over folk songs:
  • gather,
  • farewell,
  • thee,
  • dead,
  • twa,
  • alas,
  • true love,
  • bonnie, dagger,
  • do Lord.
    and so on.... These apply mostly to ballads:
• True loves are always either:
  • Missing (gone for seven years)
  • Dead (see Necrophilia element)
  • In disguise
  • Your brother/sister (either known or unknown)
  • False (off chasing/married to another)
    
    If it's a happy ending, it's a very rare folksong...
• If your true love is dead, you must:
  • Long to kiss his/her dead lips or other portions of the anatomy (The Tradition of Necrophilia)
  • Never love again
  • Have done her in yourself after spending all night diggin' of her grave
  • Have done him in yourself because he done you wrong
• If you are a sailor, and you meet a fair young lady, you will:
  • Wind up with no money and no clothes, wearing a dress (the Transvestite Element)
  • Get laid after pulling her string
  • Acquire a painful and unpleasant social disease
  • Get shot after she dresses in men's clothing and finds you've been false
    (see Transvestite Element)
• If you are a young lady, and you meet a sailor, you will:
  • Turn him down because he's dirty
  • Turn him down because you don't recognize him
  • Change your mind when you find out he's got money
  • Change your mind after experiencing his sexual prowess
  • Dress up in man's clothing (the Transvestite Element, yet again)
• And LOTS of metaphors!!  Refering to various actions, body parts, etc., should be as circumspect as possible. Birds,flowers,alcoholic beverages,(blud red wine, etc)... may be freely substituted for lips, breasts etc.
  
  And for Male Parts...anything is ok as long as it is longer than it is wide.
• Women who are NOT active heroines in the song may be given away as prizes to men who achieve some goal...such as killing villians, saving ships, etc.
• You are a bona fide folk singer if:
  • you have nine different guitar capos, including a semi-automatic flipoff
  • our first name is one syllable long, or at most is two syllables that end in a vowel, e.g. Doc, Pete, Woody, Joan, Judy
  • you learned the song on a porch, preferably one with a sofa with the insides sprung out
  • you refuse to make an anatomical pun about "The Londonderry Air"
  • you have ''This X fights Y'' inscribed somewhere on your instrument,
    
    e.g.''this E string fights sexism''.
  • you have a dog named after a color.

You are not a bona fide folk singer if:

• you play the Hammond Organ
• your first name is Brittany (unless you are a boy)
• your last name is Rockefeller or Windsor
• you learned the song from your chauffeur or housekeeper, unless her name is Elizabeth Cotton
• you have a sticker on your guitar that reads: "Baby On Board"
• you have a cat (whether it comes back or not) or goldfish (see Entry under whales). You can have a horse as long as you race it in England or France.

 

 

$$$$$$$$$$$$

These were posted on an Australian tourism website and the answers are the actual responses by the website officials, who obviously have a sense of humour.

Q: Does it ever get windy in Australia ? I have never seen it rain on TV, how do the plants grow? ( UK).
A: We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around watching them die.
__________________________________________________

Q: Will I be able to see kangaroos in the street? ( USA )
A: Depends how much you've been drinking.
__________________________________________________

Q : I want to walk from Perth to Sydney - can I follow the railroad tracks? ( Sweden )
A: Sure, it's only three thousand miles, take lots of water.
__________________________________________________

Q: Are there any ATMs (cash machines) in Australia ? Can you send me a list of them in Brisbane, Cairns, Townsville and Hervey Bay? (UK )
A: What did your last slave die of?
_____ _____________________________________________

Q: Can you give me some information about hippo racing in Australia ?
( USA )
A: A-fri-ca is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe.  Aus-tra-lia is that big island in the middle of the Pacific which does not ... oh forget it. Sure, the hippo racing is every Tuesday night in Kings Cross. Come naked.
__________________________________________________

Q: Which direction is North in Australia? ( USA )
A: Face south and then turn 180 degrees. Contact us when you get here and we'll send the rest of the directions.

_________________________________________________

Q: Can I bring cutlery into Australia ? (UK )
A: Why? Just use your fingers like we do.
__________________________________________________

Q: Can you send me the Vienna Boys' Choir schedule? ( USA )
A: Aus-tri-a is that quaint little country bordering Ger-man-y, which is ... oh forget it. Sure, the Vienna Boys Choir plays every Tuesday night in Kings Cross, straight after the hippo races. Come naked.
  __________________________________________________

Q: Can I wear high heels in Australia? ( UK )
A: You are a British politician, right?
__________________________________________________

Q: Are there supermarkets in Sydney and is milk available all year round? ( Germany )
A: No, we are a peaceful civilization of vegan hunter/gatherers. Milk is illegal.
__________________________________________________

Q: Please send a list of all doctors in Australia who can dispense rattlesnake serum. ( USA )
A: Rattlesnakes live in A-meri-ca which is where YOU come from. All Australian snakes are perfectly harmless, can be safely handled and make good pets.
__________________________________________________

Q: I have a question about a famous animal in Australia , but I forget its name. It's a kind of bear and lives in trees. ( USA )
A: It's called a Drop Bear. They are so called because they drop out of Gum trees and eat the brains of anyone walking underneath them. You can scare them off by spraying yourself with human urine before you go out walking.
__________________________________________________

Q: I have developed a new product that is the fountain of youth. Can you tell me where I can sell it in Australia ? ( USA )
A: Anywhere significant numbers of Americans gather.
__________________________________________________

Q: Can you tell me the regions in Tasmania where the female population is smaller than the male population? ( Italy )
A: Yes, gay night clubs.
__________________________________________________

Q: Do you celebrate Christmas in Australia ? ( France )
A: Only at Christmas.
__________________________________________________

Q: I was in Australia in 1969 on R+R, and I want to conta ct the girl I dated while I was staying in Kings Cross*. Can you help? ( USA )
A: Yes, and you will still have to pay her by the hour.
__________________________________________________

Q: Will I be able to speak English most places I go? ( USA )
A: Yes, but you'll have to learn it first

 

Keep smiling, keep singing,

 

Joe Stead.

SAT. MARCH 29: EARTH HOUR GOES GLOBAL 8-9pm One Hour of Darkness

From Gene Fischer

 

March 29 from 8 to 9 PM Turn your light out! That means ALL OF US! One Hour of Darkness: Earth Hour Goes Global

 

On Saturday, March 29, from 8 to 9 in the evening local time, hundreds of thousands of lights around the world will go dark for Earth Hour. The one hour event is intended to send a powerful message around the world about how important it is to reduce global warming and how many people care enough to take action.

 

Earth Hour is all about the simple changes everyone can make. Run by WWF, the global conservation organization, Earth Hour was initiated in Australia on March 31, 2007. Earth Hour moved 2.2 million people and 2,100 businesses in Sydney to turn off their lights for one hour.

This collective effort reduced the city's energy consumption by 10.2 percent for one hour, which is the equivalent effect of taking 48,000 cars off the road for an hour.
With Sydney icons like the Harbour Bridge and Opera House turning their lights off and unique events such as weddings by candlelight, the world took notice.
This year Earth Hour is going global.

In Washington, DC, WWF president and CEO Carter Roberts said, "This is the perfect opportunity for individuals, governments, businesses and communities around the world to unite for a common purpose, in response to a global issue that affect us all."
Across the United States, skylines, including those in Atlanta, Chicago, Phoenix and San Francisco, will go dark for Earth Hour.

Andy Ridley, executive director for Earth Hour said, "Powering down a city's skyline and some of the world's most iconic structures and premier properties is a highly calculated and intricate process, and allowances need to be made to account for safety."

"What makes Earth Hour a unique event is that it brings together governments, business and householders who all play a part in switching off the lights. Working together, individual households alongside the world's most magnificent iconic landmarks can make an impact in the fight against climate change," Ridley said.
"On behalf of the WWF International network, I want to commend and thank the mayors and officials in our flagship cities for playing a leadership role in supporting this unique global event and demonstrating their commitment to fighting climate change," says WWF Director General James Leape, praising mayors in the all the cities that have signed up to go dark for Earth Hour.

Some of the Earth Hour flagship cities are - Bangkok, Ottawa, Vancouver, Montreal, Dublin, Sydney, Perth, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide, Copenhagen, Aarhus, Aalborg, Odense, Manila, Suva, Chicago, Tel Aviv, Toronto and Christchurch. They all will switch off for Earth Hour on Saturday March 29, at 8 PM local time.

From Sydney's Harbour Bridge and Opera House to San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, world famous skylines will disappear for one hour - Earth Hour. Among those switching off will be the tallest building in North America, the 110 story high Sears Tower in Chicago, and the CN Tower in Toronto.

In the Philippines, Pasay City Mayor Wenceslao Trinidad agreed to turn off all lights along Manila's historic Roxas Boulevard seaside strip to show support.
In Washington, DC, World Wildlife Fund has named the electronics company HP as the official U.S. technology partner for Earth Hour.

"Collaboration is key when it comes to addressing the effects of climate change," said Pat Tiernan, vice president of Social and Environmental Responsibility at HP. "Furthering our alliance with WWF supports our goal to educate others about climate change and energy efficiency."

HP is committing financial and technical support to Earth Hour as the national technology partner for the event. This effort builds on the company's relationship with WWF to address the causes and consequences of climate change. HP is promoting the event to its employees around the world, providing technology at events in each of the four U.S. cities involved, and turning off the lights at its facilities.
Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore told a breakfast of corporate leaders March 11, "Earth Hour started in Sydney, it's now gone global, and it has firmly established Sydney's credentials as a green leader."

"Earth Hour resonated strongly with our sustainability agenda," said Mayor Moore. "The Stern Report and Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth helped thrust the issue of climate change very much to the forefront of public consciousness, and we saw Earth Hour as an event which could really galvanize action right across the community."
"We saw it as much more than a one off event, and much more than mere symbolism," the mayor said. "We thought it offered a real opportunity to change people's thinking and generate long term behavior changes."
The mayor is encouraging all City of Sydney tenants and residents to take action and make every hour Earth Hour by reducing energy consumption in their day-to-day activities.

In support of Earth Hour, more than 3,500 businesses across Australia and internationally have so far signed up and will be doing their part and turning off their lights. McDonald's Australia has committed to turning off its Golden Arches nationally. David Jones will turn off the lights in its 36 department stores.
Says Leape, "Earth Hour will send a strong signal that people all around the world are deeply concerned and expect their leaders to take action before it's too late. Climate change is a global challenge that requires global solutions and it's clear that the people of this planet are ready to get involved and find the answers."
Sign up for Earth Hour at: www.earthhour.org.
     Diana Krautter

Gig Smorgasboard

So let's see. Saturday 3/22 I was at the Kings Mall Protest and played some banjo with Laurie and Julie Kirby. "Study War no More", "Universal Soldier", etc.

Saturday night I played with Regina and Ed Simmons at a contradance at the 1st Baptist Church in Kingston. The occasion was a wedding done as a Renaissance Feast - venison stew, etc. Mostly I played my wonderful Martin D-35S guitar. It has been awhile since I have been the acoustic guitarist at a dance. With all modesty, I must say it sounded great. It was a lot of fun to follow Regina's excellent fiddling and her husband Ed played some great electric lead guitar. Aside from the usual old English contra tunes, I also played fiddle on "Moonshadow" and sang on "Girl from Ipanema". Finished off the evening with "Irene Goodnight".

Sunday evening was at Baird Hershey's annual "OM for Peace" in Woodstock. After you've OM'ed for an hour, what is there to say? The Lord is risen, the crops will grow, there is a cosmic change in the universe, etc.

Sound Investment

From Sam Lusk - no direct relation.  I'm sorry, just couldn't resist it.

************************ 

If you had purchased $1,000.00 of Delta Airline stock one year ago you would have $49.00 left.

With Enron, you would have had $16.50 left of the original $1,000.00.

With WorldCom, you would have had less than $5.00 left.

But, if you had purchased $1,000.00 worth of beer one year ago, drank all of the beer, then turned in the cans for the aluminum recycling REFUND, you would have had $214.00.
 
Based on the above, the best current investment advice is to drink heavily and recycle.
It's called the 401-Keg.

Internet Radio Show

I was recently interviewed on an internet radio show called "Imprint" with Terry Doyle. The program can be heard on Catskill Community Radio www.catskillradio.org and will run until March 22.

 

St Patricks's extravaganza- Imprint #68

1.Grisman Stomp (show theme)- The Rubberband

The Boogie Reel/The Controversial Reel- Billy McComiskey

Johnny I hardly knew ya- The Sidetrackers

Farewell to Calingford - Dady Brothers

2.Interview with Bob Lusk (part 1)

I walk the road again- Ira and Laurie McIntosh

Unicorn Song- Hill Brothers

Interview with Lissa Schneckenburger

Irish Girl- Lissa Schneckenburger

Irishman's heart to the ladies- Hilt Kelly and the Sidekicks

3.Interview with Joanie Madden

Fair and Tender ladies- Cherish the Ladies

Wizards and Fairy Princesses- Uncle Rock

Interview with Dady Brothers

How's it going/ Tamlin Reel- Dady Brothers

Chinese Irishman- Mammals

4.Interview with Bob Lusk (part 2)

The music will follow us- Bob Lusk

The Boogie Reel/The Controversial Reel- Billy McComiskey

Grisman Stomp (show theme)- The Rubberband

Camp Songs

Great site for camp songs at http://whenwesing.blogspot.com/

maintained by
Joseph Swift.

Om For Peace

From Baird Hershey

 
It's a simple idea: gather people together and sing a continuous OM as a meditation for peace. On Easter Sunday March 23rd, 2008 at 6:00 PM EDT, people, all over the world, who want to give expression to their wish for peace will gather in groups to join in the sound of many voices singing as one in an extended OM.

Each person, as a meditation on peace, sings their own note at their own rate guided by their breath. Within the group this builds an exquisitely beautiful, rising and falling, subtly changing, continuos chord. Many voices resonating together in one sound.

How to do this? Set a place to gather; yoga studio, mediation center, dance studio, theater, or living room. Spread the word and invite as many people as you can. Begin at 6:00 PM, Eastern Daylight Time, and sing OM as long as the sound wants to go on, hopefully for at least an hour. Even if you can't get together with other people sing on your own knowing that people in other places are singing with you.

People of all faiths and beliefs are welcome. No musical experience is necessary only the willingness to add your voice for peace to the sound of OM.

This is our sixth year. Last year I heard from people all over the country who had participated. Please forward this to anyone who might be interested or your mailing list. And PLEASE let us know how it goes.

Here in Woodstock we will be coming together at Mountain View Studio off of Rock City Road.

A lot of fun with Jim Donnelly and Ira McIntosh at the Kingston St. Patricks parade 2008. It was cold and windy. Bobby Walker from the UC Highway Department did a stellar job constructing the float.

Guinan's Irish Night tradition to continue...

From Candace Coats and Sarah Underhill-

Wanted to let folks know that although Guinan's pub closed in January, that the Irish night tradition will now be hosted by a new venue. It will now be the first Wednesday after the full moon each month. It will start at 8:00pm and end at..well, who really knows.. It will be at The Depot restaurant in Cold Spring,NY. It's located on Main Street. Main street is a steep hill.. just follow Main Street to the bottom of the steep grade and The Depot is on the right.. next to the train tracks. It is easy to get there by Metro North. Just get off in Cold Spring and The Depot is visible right from the train.

Thanks for getting the word out..

Candace

DVD from Post Traumatic Press

From Mike Harelick - He has set up some you tube videos of me and others from the Post Traumatic Press reading

I set up a Playlist, so that as I add other portions of the Reading, people will automatically be able to see them. 

Check out:   Playlist: Veterans' Book Reading ~ Post Traumatic Press 

 

You can see Bob's and Larry's portions by clicking the Playlist link above now and more as I add them.

 

If you're not familiar with YouTube Playlists, it gives you the ability to look at any and all videos in the playlist.  You can even click on a button on the right side of the window to "Play All Videos" -- you will see them in sequence without any intervention from the viewer.  You can also "subscribe" to the Playlist or to the Channel and you will be notified when additions or changes occur.

 

Regards,

Mike Harelick

 

PS.  For those who have not seen some of the other Veteran and PTSD related YouTube and website work I've done,

go to the Playlist above and select More playlists by HillsideAS (<- or just click here).   Note in particular videos of Penny Coleman and Larry Winters.   Also check out "Operation Recognition" for something positive the government has done for veterans.

March Madness Performing Schedule

I have been forgetting to tell people where I am playing this St. Patrick's Season

3/9/08 Irish Historical Music with Bob Burroughs -Cancelled !!!- because they moved the Kingston Parade back a week! Rescheduled for September.

3/9/08 Kingston's St. Patrick's Parade. We (Meself, Jim Donnelly and Ira McIntosh) are on the Ulster County Highway Department's Float as usual. Kick off is 1:00 at Kingston Plaza, goes down Broadway and ends at the Strand about 3 pm.

3/9/08 Chick's Restaurant, Kingston Plaza, Kingston, NY, roughly 4 to 8 pm. (After the parade) Irish Music with Folkloric (Jim Donnelly, Ira McIntosh)

3/15/08 Chick's Restaurant, Kingston Plaza, Kingston, NY, 6-10. pm. Irish Music with Folkloric (Jim Donnelly, Ira McIntosh) Great Corned Beef!

3/17/08 Hurley Mountain Inn, Rt 209, Hurley, NY, 12 noon to 2pm . Folkloric (Jim Donnelly, Ira McIntosh) will be playing there. we had to split up the group for this gig and I will be playing at the Ulster County Infirmary with Sarah Dudley and Ernie Shultis!

3/17/08 Holiday Inn, Kingston, NY, broadcast live over WKNY 4 to 7 pm. Irish Music with Folkloric - the whole group! (Me, Jim Donnelly, Ira McIntosh and perhaps some special guests!) The culmination of our annual Irish bash!

From the New Age Center in Nyack-

 

Sayings of the Jewish Buddhists

 

If there is no self, whose arthritis is this?

 

Be here now. Be someplace else later. Is that so complicated?

 

Drink tea and nourish life. With the first sip, joy. With the second sip, satisfaction. With the third sip, peace. With the fourth, a Danish.

 

Wherever you go, there you are. Your luggage is another story.

 

Accept misfortune as a blessing. Do not wish for perfect health, or a life without problems. What would you talk about?

 

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single Oy.

 

There is no escaping karma. In a previous life, you never called, you never wrote, you never visited. And whose fault was that?

 

Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.

 

The Tao does not speak. The Tao does not blame. The Tao does not take sides. The Tao has no expectations. The Tao demands nothing of others. The Tao is not Jewish.

 

Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. Forget this and attaining Enlightenment will be the least of your problems.

 

 Let your mind be as a floating cloud. Let your stillness be as a woodedglen. And sit up straight. You'll never meet the Buddha with such rounded shoulders.

 

Deep inside you are ten thousand flowers. Each flower blossoms ten thousand times. Each blossom has ten thousand petals. You might want to see a specialist.

 

Be aware of your body. Be aware of your perceptions. Keep in mind that not every physical sensation is a symptom of a terminal illness. 

 

The Torah says, Love your neighbor as yourself. The Buddha says maybe there is no self.  So maybe we're off the hook.

Pete Seeger Show on PBS

Saw the Pete Seeger, Power of Song PBS special last night.  It was wonderful.  I have sometimes realized that he was a concious influence on me, but after watching the show I realize that he was a great influence, but I also realize that I will never be anywhere in his league.  He has done, and continues to do so much.  I was reminded of what a hot banjo player he was when he was younger.   (He still plays well, of course)  I'm sorry they didn't talk more about his instruments.  His banjo and guitar are both very different than normal instruments.  The banjo has the 3 extra frets and the guitar is a massive instrument tuned way down.
It was nice to see Rick Nestler (for about 1/2 second) - also nice to see Dan Einbender on the Clearwater show that followed.

Hindu Concert

HINDU SAMAJ
PRESENTS TRIPTI MUKERJEE IN CONCERT!

Pandita Tripti Mukerjee, Hindustani classical vocalist and a Prime disciple of Sangeet Martand Pt. Jasraj. Triptiji is truly blessed with a divine voice. Her Pandita award came from University of Karnataka. Most recently, Triptiji was invited to perform at the 2007 Diwali Festival held at the White House. Triptiji is the first Indian musician ever to have performed at the White House, truly a great honor.

Date: Saturday April 5th, 2008 at 7PM

Venue: Hindu Samaj Temple Community Hall, 3 Brown Road, Wappingers Fall, NY 12590

Sponsorship:$150 (2 Free Tickets) & $75 Single (1 Free Ticket) plus a gift coupon.
Preferred Seating Tickets: $15 and $10 for Students with Valid ID
Children under18 free if accompanied by parents.

We all remember Pandit Jasraj's concert of 2006, what a memorable performance that was! We are fortunate to have his disciple Triptiji perform at our temple in a divine setting. Let this be a memorable concert as well.

Contact:
Indu Lal (845) 226-1892 Uma Satyendra (845) 297-8132
Padma Reichwald (845) 569-4911 Suresh Kadhakia (845) 471-7764

Recipes

With my mother's help, updated and corrected some of my grandmother's recipes, especially the one for Rice Pudding, at http://florencelusk.blogspot.com/

Shared Song, Communal Memory: Group Singing

From Mark Rausher

By BEN RATLIFF

Published: February 10, 2008, NYTimes

THEY meet on the first Monday of the month at the Universalist Unitarian Church here, not to worship but to sing. Just to sing. There are song leaders, some with a guitar or a banjo or an autoharp, but this isn't a class or a choir; the singers, not the leaders, choose the tunes. Most hold copies of a spiral-bound songbook of folk music called "Rise Up Singing." They perform songs like "Keep On the Sunny Side" and "This Land Is Your Land." No one minds a voice gone off-key.

From Hawaii to Santa Cruz to the Philadelphia suburbs, in living rooms, churches and festival tents, similar gatherings — called community sings, or singalongs — draw together the average-voiced and bring old songs into common memory.

If there is a natural opposite to gold-plated pop irony and faceless file sharing — music as the American majority knows it in 2008 — this is it. These meetings are earnest, participant directed and person to person: a slow-going, folkish appreciation of American vernacular culture.

Much of this impulse descends from Pete Seeger, who has championed the cause of group-singing for more than 60 years. "No one can prove a damn thing," Mr. Seeger said in a recent interview, "but I think that singing together gives people some kind of a holy feeling. And it can happen whether they're atheists, or whoever. You feel like, 'Gee, we're all together.' "

Amateur group-singing has been around forever, of course, at bars, churches, schools, camps and stadiums. Community sings like the one in East Lansing are pitched halfway between the ritual of the campfire singalong and the self-conscious American folk-music movement of the 20th century.

In 1945 Mr. Seeger founded the People's Song collective, which disseminated its own songbooks, thereby helping to popularize songs like "We Shall Overcome." The folk revival of the late 1950s and the subsequent rise of folk festivals, some of which included song-circles as special events, furthered the idea that singing together could reseed a homegrown culture and empower the ordinary citizen to change society.

In 1973 Peter Blood, a Quaker, political organizer, teacher and folk musician in Philadelphia, put together a homemade songbook called "Winds of the People," which quickly took off in the group-sing scene. "There was a demand for it in the circles we ran in, which were religious and summer-camp circles," said his wife, Annie Patterson. In time Movement for a New Society and other nonreligious activist organizations adopted it for singalong events.

A decade later Mr. Blood and Ms. Patterson were envisioning a more ambitious book. They compiled and cleared the rights to 1,200 songs for "Rise Up Singing," which was published in 1988. Mark Moss, editor of Sing Out! magazine, the pre-eminent journal of the folk movement, and also the publisher of the songbook, said it has sold about 800,000 copies, at $17.95 each.

It's hard to gauge the size of the community-sing movement because by its essentially casual nature it resists documenting. There is no central organization, no comprehensive Web site of regular events. Groups of the kind that use "Rise Up Singing" are not registered with the American Choral Directors Association and have no academic or institutional affiliation.

But Mr. Blood, who now lives in Amherst, Mass., said that by a conservative estimate at least 100 regular singalongs around the country use the book, in cities including Santa Cruz, Calif.; both Portlands; Rochester; Chicago; Milwaukee; and Atlanta. Some of these are easy to find in an online search; some are publicized through regional folk-music society newsletters, church bulletins or strictly by word of mouth.

In East Lansing, Sally Potter, 47, a frank, energetic presence, leads the monthly sing. In early December the event drew about 80 people. Everyone gathered in the rear of the chapel, where the ceiling is low, "so you can get the chills more easily," as Ms. Potter explained.

The chairs were arranged around an open square, the better to hear the blend of voices. The singers ranged from teenagers to the elderly; some had strong, penetrating voices, some murmured with wobbly pitch. They sang about 20 songs, including "Star of the County Down" (18th-century traditional Irish), "The M.T.A. Song" (a 1948 update of the early 20th-century American ballad "The Wreck of the Old 97") and "The Rose" (1979, soft-rock radio).

The force of their voices grew during 90 minutes, with harmony occurring in unexpected places. In between numbers Ms. Potter waited for people to raise hands and politely make suggestions.

"Page 117, 'Julian of Norwich'?" someone offered, referring to a selection from "Rise Up Singing."

"Great!" Ms. Potter responded quickly. "One of my favorite songs."

"Is it 'Nor-witch,' " another voice asked, "or 'Nor-rich'?"

"I don't know," Ms. Potter said, shrugging, though she did. "It's your song."

Some sang the word one way, some the other. But Ms. Potter does have a few guidelines, including this: If someone picks a song, and it takes more than 45 seconds for everyone to learn it, let it go. There were no nonstarters on this particular Monday. In general, Ms. Potter said, she believes that people should get to sing what they came to sing.

The combined area of Lansing and East Lansing, which has a population of about 165,000 and is home to Michigan State University, has a perfect sense of scale for community projects: it's not too small, not too big, and despite a perpetually slumped economy, it has a great deal of civic pride. It also has a famous guitar store, Elderly Instruments, a folk-music locus open since 1972; the Ten Pound Fiddle Coffeehouse, a folk-concert producer that has put on events for almost that long; and a popular local folk-music radio show on the NPR-affiliated WKAR.

Ms. Potter teaches high school history and economics in nearby Williamston. She has lived in Lansing for the last 23 years, during which time she has owned a restaurant, run the local farmers' market and a used-sporting-goods store, and toured the Midwest in a folk trio, Second Opinion. Her interest in community sings goes back to the Hudson River Clearwater Festival in 1994, where Toshi Seeger, Pete's wife, led a singalong group in a tent. Ms. Potter saw the same people returning day after day to sit cross-legged and sing, and she realized that participation was folk music's core pleasure.

In 2003 she helped found the annual Mid Winter Singing Festival, a two-day event featuring community sings that tend to draw 400 to 500 people each night. This year's festival, the sixth, was last weekend. There was a blizzard the first night, yet 340 people fought their way to the Hannah Community Center, a large building across the street from the Unitarian church.

In the evening events the singers sat in an auditorium and faced the stage, referring to set lists and lyric sheets. The song leaders were folk singers with longstanding local reputations: Claudia Schmidt, Joel Mabus and Frank Youngman.

"I've watched so many concerts, and I know what works," Ms. Potter said. "When people are singing, you're giving them the power, you're giving them the music."

Peter Blood agrees. "A lot of the experience of music in our culture is listening to someone else sing," he said. "What I find exciting about community sings is that people feel they own the music."

"Rise Up Singing" includes rudimentary chord notations but otherwise gives no indication how to sing a particular song; it is essentially used as a book of lyrics. It is not the only book used for participatory singalongs (shape-note singers tend toward "The Sacred Harp," originally published in 1844), and some singalong groups bring their own songs. But it is the breakaway hit of its kind in recent decades.

Dan Zanes, the singer and popular children's entertainer, used to sell "Rise Up Singing," which he called "the ultimate songbook," at his shows. "We don't have that many songs rattling around in our heads anymore," he said, "so we need a guide of sorts."

BookScan, which tracks sales back to 2000 through traditional bookstores, registers about 12,000 copies sold. But Mr. Moss said that most sales of the book have not come from bookstores. Song leaders order it by the boxful, directly from the publisher, or from the authors at quakersong.org.

Mr. Moss said that although Sing Out! magazine did not map or facilitate the movement, he believed that it is "much broader than 'Rise Up Singing.' "

"Often I hear from people that they hate the book for use in those settings because people keep their noses in it," he said.

Mr. Blood and Ms. Patterson organized the songs in it by theme, including "Ecology," "Sea," "Faith," "Hard Times & Blues," "Men" and "Women." (While the "Women" section is full of feminist vigor, the "Men" section is introspective, with songs like "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" and "Let the Woman in You Come Through.") The book includes traditional black American hymns; Cuban, Mexican, Irish and Hebrew songs; Stephen Foster; Jacques Brel; the Beatles; Phil Ochs; Bob Dylan; and Stevie Wonder. There are songs for specific holidays and songs from musicals.

With groovy spot-illustrations and hand-lettered calligraphy, "Rise Up Singing" has a 1970s liberal-progressive feel and an obvious bias toward group-singability, although Mr. Blood admitted that some of the songs were included more for lyrical content than for their significance or popularity. (The couple are at work on compiling a 1,200-song sequel that will include more selections from jazz, blues and rock.)

Perhaps the book's greatest strength is its tacit proposal that there are many, many songs Americans should know by heart. In 1943, when he was in the Army, Mr. Seeger conducted an experiment on his fellow soldiers, asking them to write down the names of the songs whose words and tunes they really knew. In his own memory file he counted about 300, but he was impressed by the competition.

"I was surprised how many the average person knew back then," he said. He supposed that the number of songs crossing lines of generation, class and sex would be much lower today, outside of "Over the Rainbow" and "Happy Birthday to You."

At 88 Mr. Seeger is still a song leader, helping to run a singalong at the monthly meeting of a volunteer environmental organization near his home in Beacon, N.Y. "I like the sound of average voices more than trained voices," he said. "Especially kids singing a little off pitch. They have a nice, rascally sound."

After "Edelweiss," and a beautiful run-through of "Song of Peace," adapted from Jean Sibelius's "Finlandia," the session at the Universalist Unitarian Church wrapped up. It was almost 9 p.m., but nobody seemed in a rush to get home. A scattering of regulars stayed, packing up the cider and cookies.

One of them was Marcus Cheatham, 51, who works in public health. Earlier in the evening he introduced one of his own songs, picking a mandolin to teach the melody. Mr. Cheatham started singing about six years ago, when he joined a church choir and later a "diversity choir" at work, performing on Martin Luther King's Birthday and other holidays. The next step, he reasoned, was attending a community sing.

Asked if his knowledge of songs had grown since then, he corrected the question. "My enjoyment of songs has grown," he said. "I'm not much of a musician at all. If you enjoy it, you can jump in and do it."

"In our little community," he added, "the economy is horrible, and people are scared and sad. But you go to something like this, and you think, 'Wow, our community is resilient.' "

Margaret Kingsbury, 67, a nurse who is involved with peace groups, sounded a similar note. "I honestly believe that this is one of the ways to create peace," she said. "You go away from here, and you're uplifted."

Ms. Potter isn't surprised by such reactions. "I think it's all a result of people needing to come together and find some power somewhere," she said. "It's a political need and a spiritual need. How many people left early tonight? It's a Monday night. They're tired. But people didn't leave. That's how you know."

Veteran's For Peace

I was suprised by an award from Veterans for Peace at a recent reading of Post Traumatic Press 2007: poems by veterans, edited by Dayl Wise at the Woodstock Town Hall. The complete review is at http://dwlcx.blogspot.com/2008/02/woodstock-poetry-society-february-9.html

"Bob Lusk followed with banjo, with "White Crosses" (remember the 1960's "ticky-tacky houses song"?), then with guitar on Johnny Cash's talking blues about going to play music in Viet Nam, then ended with a song about being tired & weary working for peace -- but keeping on. Jay Wenk & Dayl called him back & presented him with a certificate from Veterans For Peace for his work with the Kingston Mall counter-recruiters.

Jay Wenk (right) presenting a certificate of appreciation to Bob Lusk for his work with the Kingston Mall counter-recruitment effort. Photos by Alison Koffler.

Sea Scouts Sing

Thanks to all came out for the Johnny Cash show. It was a great time!

The next day I left for Florida to visit my mom. Monday I sang some sea chanteys for my brother Richards sea scout troop (pack, school?). Yes teenage boys can actualy sing sea chanteys! We did "Boatman Dance", "Haul on the Bowline", "Reubin Ranzo" and their favorite "John Kanakanaka".

Lusk Music Party

Synopsis can be seen at http://bobluskmusicparty.blogspot.com/

Johnny Cash Tribute

We've had some very nice newspaper articles about the tribute from Ulster Publishing and the Ulster County Press. Unfortunatly weather is supposed to be bad. We'll see. Fingers are crossed. And I'm off to Florida the next day (:>)

Johnny Cash Tribute Concert

The music of Johnny Cash and June Carter will be the focus of an evening tribute at the A.I.R. STUDIO Gallery on February 9th from 8-11pm. Bob Lusk, local musician and fan of Cash will use his deep distinctive voice with his Martin D-35S guitar to authenticate songs including "I Walk the Line" and "40 Shades of Green." He will be accompanied by Cecilia St. King, who will be singing as June Carter. (Cecilia will also perform a set of her own original songs including “Water not Weapons.” )

Lusk cites the famous duo as being an inspiration for his own music. “I loved his ability to express his feelings through song,” says Lusk, “Plus, because we have such familiar personal histories, I always felt a connection with his music. We both have southern roots, served in the military in Germany, and we were both opposed to the Vietnam War.”

As a result of this similarity, Lusk created “John-Bob Dollar Bill”, a persona he uses for his Cash tribute concerts. “ (John-Bob” is a common southern nickname.) Despite his fair Celtic heritage, Bob with his large frame, dark clothes and hat bears a resemblance to Cash, paying homage to Cash’s nickname “The Man in Black”.

Cecilia St. King has long loved the Carter family, the quintessential American country music family. “Children of friends in Nashville looking at a photo of Johnny and June asked me why I was in a photo with Johnny Cash”.

According to Lusk, “Cash was both a Grammy Award winner and sold over 90 million records over 50 years of his life. I hope to capture the essence of this legend, but of course I’ll have to start out saying: "Hello, I'm not Johnny Cash."

Lusk and St. King plan on singing many signature songs including “Jackson”. John Sebastian’s “Darlin' Companion”, “I Still Miss Someone”, and of course “A Boy Named Sue”.

A.I.R. Studio Gallery (Artist-In-Residence) is located on 71 O'Neil Street in Kingston. Admission is $10 per person/2 for $15. Admission includes munchies, coffee, tea, juice & seltzer.

Party Hearty

A wonderful time at the Lusk Family Music Party yesterday.  I'm still recovering and will write more details soon, but for now just a big thank you to my friends old and new who came - I had a wonderful time - hope you all did too.

 

Bob

So long John

From Bob Horan

 

  Folk singer/songwriter John Stewart has died. He apparently had a massive stroke yesterday; he was 68 years old. He replaced Dave Guard of the Kingston Trio in the early 60's. His biggest pop success came when he wrote "Daydream Believer" which was recorded by the Monkies later in that decade.
 John wrote big songs about little people and made every day folk come alive in his songs.  He wrote "Americana" before the musical category was coined. He was and is a big influence on me. I will miss him.

 

"..only once around and they nail the top down on the long wooden box in the ground. Only once around you know all that I've found is right here in my own hometown.."  - from You Long To See Cheyenne By John Stewart

Rich Bala - Barefoot Boys

Heard Rich Bala, Tom White and the Barefoot Boys on Wanda Fischer's Folk Show on WAMC tonight.  They sound better than ever.  They have a new CD and a bunch of concerts coming up.  Check their schedule at http://www.richbala.com/.  Rumor is that they supply chocolate at their concerts.  You'll hear good music anyway.

Fw: Irish Greats at Rosendale Cafe

Don't go to this one, because I want to make sure I can get a seat!

 

From Sarah Underhill-

 

Irish Greats at Rosendale Cafe

 

Appearing at the Rosendale Cafe, Main St. Rosendale 845 658 9048

Fri Mar 7 8:00pm $15.00

Andy M. Stewart and Gerry Obeirne

This is a Scottish / Celtic Alert. The boys are in America so let's welcome them. Called one of Celtic music's most gifted singers and arguably the best songwriter in the entire folk tradition, Andy M. Stewart has been delighting audiences with his music and humour for more than three decades. Born in Ennis, County Clare, along Ireland's music-rich west coast, Gerry O'Beirne is a renowned singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist (6 and 12 string guitar, tiple, and ukulele, slide guitar among others). Gerry grew up in Ireland and in Ghana in West Africa, and has since lived in England, California, and Mexico. Gerry's own compositions blend the passion found in traditional music with the freshness of contemporary song. "Andy M. Stewart is among the finest interpreters of Scottish Folk songs and a wonderful songwriter." The Boston Globe "The instrumentals are out of this world. A self taught master of the 6 and 12 string guitar, the playing of O'Beirne is superlative and subtle beyond words." - The Sunday Times "O'Beirne's guitar playing is always a thing of wonder and his lyrics have become increasingly poetic and emotionally deep."

Saugerties Piping Weekend

You don't have to be a piper to enjoy this weekend.  Wonderful place just to drop by and jam.

From: Ernie Shultis

To: boblusk@hvc.rr.com

Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 10:27 PM

Subject: Saugerties Piping Weekend

Happy New Year everyone!  As we shovel our sidewalks, thaw out our frozen fingers and hibernate when the sun goes down at 4:30 in the afternoon eventually our thoughts turn to spring and the Saugerties Piping Weekend!  The dates this year are April 25-28, 2008.  The prices will be the same as last year and are as follows:Friday dinner thru Monday brunch: $210.00 (room and board)Friday dinner thru Sunday brunch: $140.00 (room and board)Individual meals (if you don't wa:  Breakfast $3, Lunch $4 and dinner $10.If you just want to come and enjoy the music and you aren't interested in staying the night or having a meal with us and maybe jam along the cost is always: FREE.There are 7 rooms that are set up for couples, first come first served.  So far all 7 are open.  Also there are nearly 30 rooms that are set up for single occupancy.The site will once again be at St. Joseph's Villa/Falling Waters, 43 Spaulding Lane, Saugerties, NY 12477.If you're interested in attending the weeke!
nd please forward a $25.00 non-refundable deposit check (US funds) made out to myself: Ernie Shultis.  My mailing address is 4055 Rt. 32, Saugerties, NY 12477.  I can be reached via e-mail: cmcpiper@gmail.com or phone (518) 678-3375We welcome Northumbrian smallpipes, Scottish smallpipes, Uilleann pipes, Cornish pipes, and what ever other pipes you may have lurking around.  In the past participants have brought harp, fiddle, mandolin, tin whistle, concertina, guitar, bodhran, dulcimer, didgeridoo, ukulele, etc.  So stay warm this winter with thoughts of Saugerties!  Thank you, Ernie Shultis

Jugband Jazz Jam at New World

Friends,

We're starting a third Wednesday
JUGBAND JAZZ JAM
Wed, January 16th at 7:30pm at
NEW WORLD HOME COOKING (back room),
Rt. 212 between Saugerties and Woodstock.

The Celtic Jam at New World has moved to every Monday and our first Wednesday Old Time Jam is still going strong.

Come early for some hot food at our favorite area restaurant, then stick around for the spicy music.
Download directions at http://www.newworldhomecooking.com/pages/where.html
Visit http://www.newworldhomecooking.com/ for more details on the restaurant.
THANKS to owner/chef Rick Orlando for making the space available.

See you soon,
Jay & Molly

Farewells

I sing at too many memorial services. Over the weekend I sang the Parting Glass for Ron Osenenko's farewell at the Colony Cafe and a Hindu Shri Ram chant for Robert DeRivera's service at the Unitarian Fellowship.  Both men were nice guys, the salt of the earth and I wish I had known them better.
 

Obit - Ron Osenenko -Woodstock Music Store

I have posted too many obituaries here in the past few years. This one is a personal shock. I considered Ron to be a good friend. I loved hanging out at his store and chatting. He recently showed up at my Phil Ochs performance at the Colony Cafe. It was the first time he had heard me perform and he was very enthusiastic. He took some great pictures of me that night. He was the kind of store owner you love to buy things from because you really believed he tried to give you a good deal. I say that as someone who grew up in retail.
I'm in shock. I will post more details when I hear about them.
Bob

Driver dies after crash on Route 28
By Kyle Wind, Freeman staff
12/28/2007

WEST HURLEY - A co-owner of the Woodstock Music Shop and brother of the Middletown Times Herald-Record Executive Editor Derek Osenenko died after a one-car crash on state Route 28 Wednesday evening.
State police at Ulster said that at about 7:30 p.m., Ronald J. Osenenko, 58, of Woodstock, lost control of his car while eastbound on Route 28, drove through a snow bank, struck and drove through a wire fence, and collided with a small tree.
Osenenko was taken to the Benedictine Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Police said the autopsy, which was performed Thursday afternoon, indicated Osenenko lost control of his vehicle due to "medical reasons," but specific results of the autopsy were not immediately available.
No other cars were involved in the accident, police said, and no other injuries were reported.
"He was a great guy, he had a great sense of humor, and he loved this town," said Derek Osenenko, who co-owned the Woodstock Music Shop on Rock City Road with his brother since Ronald Osenenko moved back to the Hudson Valley in 2003.
According to his brother, Ronald Osenenko ended a 25-year career in marketing when he moved to Woodstock from South Florida. Prior to pursuing opportunities in Florida, he worked for Citicorp in New York City and Texas Gulf in Stanford.
He moved back to the region to be closer to his brother and sister-in-law Joanne and to return to his lifelong love of music.
Osenenko played the guitar since his early teens, his brother said.
The Woodstock Music Shop specializes in unique string and percussion instruments, accessories, and vintage vinyl LP records.
"People came (to the Woodstock Music Shop) to play, chat, listen, and share stories," said Derek Osenenko, who described himself as "more of a listener than a player" and "not nearly the musician my brother was."
In a statement by Derek Osenenko on the shop's Web site, he said his brother should be remembered "for his love of music and his musicianship."
While his family in the area is small, Derek Osenenko said his brother will be missed by numerous friends he made since returning to the Hudson Valley and patrons of the music shop. And he will, of course, miss his brother too.
"There is emptiness now I've never felt before," Osenenko wrote in the statement on the shop's Web site. "I could not have had a better brother."
Born in Queens, Osenenko "spent the first half of his life in New York City," according to his brother, and he graduated from Long Island University with a bachelor's degree in psychology.
According to obituary information provided by the Lasher Funeral Home, he spent many years honing his photography and graphic design as well, and Osenenko was described as "a skilled, creative photographer and a fervent reader, largely of books on architecture, photography, and music."
Private funeral services will be held Monday, followed by burial at the Woodstock Cemetery, according to the funeral home.
©Daily Freeman 2007

Fw: Peace On Earth

From: office@ashokan.org
Jay Unger and Molly Mason

We've been playing a tune of ours called, "Peace On Earth," a lot lately to
help reduce seasonal stress and focus on the important things in life. We
decided to send it to the people on our email list, so we recorded it in our
home studio.

You can hear an MP3 at
http://www.jayandmolly.com/resources/music/peace_on_earth.mp3, or download a
higher resolution MP3 at http://www.jayandmolly.com/mp3_downloads.shtml.
"Peace On Earth" was inspired by "Old One Hundredth," a 16th century melody
associated with Psalm 100. We hope you'll enjoy it, and we wish you a warm
and happy Holiday Season with time to focus on the things that are important
to us all--friends, family and the opportunity to serve others.

Season's Greetings,
Molly & Jay

Unions Assist Folksinger/Storyteller Bruce "Utah" Phillips

Unions Passing Resolutions to Honor, Assist Folksinger/Storyteller Bruce "Utah" Phillips

From: George Mann
email: georgeandjulius@att.net
phone: 212-923-6372

The great folksinger and storyteller Utah Phillips (http://www.utahphillips.org) has had to retire from performing due to chronic and serious heart problems that have plagued him for years. In recognition of his great love for and work on behalf of the union movement and working people of the United States, several union locals have passed resolutions honoring Phillips and attaching donations for his "retirement fund." Unable to travel or stand the rigors of performing a two-hour concert, Phillips has seen his main source of income vanish just when his medical problems are demanding more money for treatment and medications.

In response, Local 1180 of the Communications Workers of America (NYC), and both the Detroit and the James Connolly (Upstate New York) Branches of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) have recently passed the the following resolution:

Bruce "Utah" Phillips is a truly unique American treasure. Not just a great folksong writer and interpreter, not just a great storyteller, Utah has preserved and presented the history of our nation's working people and union movement for audiences throughout the world. His recorded work keeps these songs and stories alive. He has spoken up against the injustices of boss-dominated capitalism and worked for peace and justice for more than 40 years.

Now Utah finds himself unable to continue performing due to severe heart problems. We wish to honor and recognize his great talent, spirit and love for the working people and the union movement of the United States. Therefore, we move to pass this resolution in gratitude for all he has done and will continue to do in his work and life. We also wish to contribute $____ to Utah Phillips in appreciation and in solidarity as he and his wife, Joanna Robinson, deal with his health and the loss of his ability to work.

This news is being released with the hope that other unions, anti-war and labor-affiliated organizations will respond in kind by passing this or similar resolutions in appreciation for all Utah Phillips has done for the cause of unions and peace.

Another way that organizations and individuals can help is by purchasing some or all of Utah's vast catalog of songs and stories. All of his CDs and more information are available at his website, http://www.utahphillips.org, and Utah has begun posting podcasts up there that you can download and listen to! You can also order his CDs online (credit card sales) through http://www.cdbaby.com, b ut be advised that prices are cheaper and more of that money will go into Utah's hands if you order directly from him. More info on his website.

Here's the address for CD orders and to send a donation:
U. Utah Phillips
No Guff Records
P.O. Box 1235
Nevada City, CA 95959
(530) 265-2476
Utah has given so much of himself to the labor and peace movements. It is great news that some unions and many have chosen to give something back to him, to allow him and his wife, Joanna Robinson, to rest easy, work on his long-term health, and not have to worry about where money will come for the medicine and bills he has to pay. Please forward and post this release widely!

In Solidarity, George Mann

Fw: Youngest Cajun accordion player

I generally don't like to post too many video's but what the heck. 

From Doctor Romo
http://www.biertijd.com/mediaplayer/?itemid=2763

Romo

Phil Ochs night 12/14/07

Had a wonderful night at the Colony Cafe with the group "Flames of Discontent". They are - the event organizer John Pietaro on electric banjo Laurie on lead bass and Angelo on the drums in back.

Ron Osenenko from the Woodstock Music Shop took some photos - they are at http://bobluskphotos.blogspot.com/

Sonny Ochs, Phil's sister was there and a lot of old folkies.  It was great doing Phil's songs.

Fw: Bearfoot Concert Fundraiser for Native Youth-January 8

from Liz Toleno

Hello, everyone!
We hope you can join us for a special treat--the Alaskan Bearfoot Band in concert fundraising for  Dancing with the Spirit: a bluegrass music program for kids
in Native villages in Alaska and Canada Tuesday, Jan. 8, 7:00 pm at St. John's Episcopal Church, 209 Albany Ave., Kingston, NY 12401
$10 per person, students K-12 free
Silent Auction starts at 6:00 pm with Alaskan salmon hors d'oeuvres
www.dancingwiththespirit.org
www.bearfootband.com

PRESS RELEASE
              Bearfoot, an amazing young Alaskan band, will be performing to benefit a bluegrass music program for Native American youth in Alaska and Canada.  The concert will be held Tuesday, Jan. 8th at St. John's Episcopal Church in Kingston at 7 pm with a silent auction with salmon hors d'oeuves starting at 6 pm.
             Bearfoot features harmony singing, twin fiddles, exquisite mandolin and guitar solos and solid bass playing bluegrass, blues, jazz, old-time and folk music.  This young Alaskan band started when they were 14-17 years old as 4H Music Camp counselors.  They won the Telluride Bluegrass Festival a year later in 2001.  They've gone on to travel the United States, Canada, and Ireland--and have done 65 Bluegrass Camps for Kids along with their concerts.  They have 3 CD's to their credit and a website www.bearfootband.com
         The concert will benefit Dancing with the Spirit, a new bluegrass music program for kids in Native villages in Alaska and Canada.  Thru camps and school programs, young people take classes in fiddle, guitar, banjo, mandolin, and bass—plus sing, dance, and form bands.  Music can bring success and hope to villages struggling with alcoholism, drugs, and suicide.  The Rev. Trimble Gilbert from Arctic Village says, "In the old days we fought tribal wars with arrowheads.
It's a different type of war now—against drugs and alcohol.  I believe we can win with music."  Dancing with the Spirit is a program to connect youth and elders through music.  Music builds confidence, self-esteem, and the closeness of a family.  Students can spend hours and hours playing guitars and fiddles, singing and dancing.
      The Dancing with the Spirit program hopes to get instruments in the hands of young Natives, teach them to play, train village musicians as teachers, write a music curriculum, and package the program so that it can be easily duplicated nationally and internationally.  The program's website is www.dancingwiththespirit.org
        Bishop Mark MacDonald, former Bishop of Alaska, and now the first Indigenous Bishop of Canada, will be at the concert--along with the Rev. Belle Mickelson, director of Dancing with the Spirit.  Belle will be teaching this music to Kingston youth at St. John's Episcopal Church Jan. 3-6.   Tickets for the 7 pm Bearfoot Concert on Jan. 8th are $10; K-12 students are free.  The 6 pm silent auction will feature Alaskan arts and crafts and Alaskan salmon dip.  Tax-deductible
contributions can be sent to Dancing with the Spirit, Episcopal Diocese of Alaska, 1205 Denali Way, Fairbanks, Alaska  99701
       For more information on these events, call the Reverend Duncan Burns at St. John's Episcopal, 845-338-3731 or email the Rev. Mickelson at bellemickelson@gmail.com.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope you can come to this show!

Liz

Fw: Dan Fogelberg

From Drew Ferraro

 

I don't know if any of you are aware, or care, but I thought I would pass around the word that another hero has moved on.

 

Dan Fogelberg died Sunday morning at 6:00 at his home in Maine.  He was 56.

 

There are a lot of heros we all have;  some matter to us more than others.  I remember the moment I heard that John Denver had died.  Shock is all I remember.

 

Even though I knew that Dan discovered that he had advanced prostate cancer in May of 2004, I always wondered...... more so in the past day or two, if he would make it.  Still, it is a shock.

 

Amongst the things he said recently, was to stop being afraid to have yourself checked by your doctor.  In his case, he referred to a prostate exam, but it refers to all of us, man or woman: Don't neglect your health, do the right thing, whatever it is; fear won't save you.  Action will.

 

To a slightly different twist, I happed upon one of his lyrics that I know I heard before but forgot to listen:

 

"Death is there to keep us honest / And constantly remind us we are free".

 

But he was, apparently known -recently- for saying something else that hit home too:

"You've got to just follow your heart and do your best work … There is no doubt in my mind or heart that everything I've done is exactly what I intended to do."

 

Value your heros, there are things that we can learn and emulate.

But do not worship them - if you worship them, you will miss out on becoming a hero

to yourself. 

 

Be good to yourselves.

The future really is now.

All we have.....is now.

And then it is gone.......

 

Peace,

Stay in Tune,

~  Andy/Drew

 

LUSK ANNUAL MUSIC PARTY

On Saturday, January 26, 2008 the Lusk family will have our Annual Mid-Winter Folk Music Party at 61 Wurts Street, Kingston, New York. It starts at 6:00 p.m. and runs until people leave, which is usually pretty late.
All kinds of music and musicians are welcome, but no amplifiers please. Usually there is a healthy mix between folk singing, fiddle music, blues and bluegrass, with several different jamming spaces available, so people can find their niche, or float from one to the other. It's not a big food party, (it's a music party!) but we have the basics - you won't go hungry - and you can bring a dish to share if you wish. Also, this is an open party, so feel free to spread the word.

No illegal drugs please, although moderate alcohol use is fine. All smoking must take place outside, (preferably down the block, over the river and through the woods.)

For directions and more info go to http://bobluskmusicparty.blogspot.com/ Any questions please call (845) 338-8587, but no rsvp is necessary. If you call the night of the party we may have trouble hearing the phone!

You Are Invited To:The 10th Annual COCKTAILS & CAROLS!!! in the Historic Rondout

You Are Invited To:The 10th Annual COCKTAILS & CAROLS!!! in the Historic Rondout

Yes, Folks, it's that time once again for:

~You are invited ~

Date: Saturday, December 15, 2006

Time: 4:00 ~ 8:00 P.M (or ???).

Starting Place: 90 Ravine Street~Kingston

We will carol from: Liz's<Jerry's<Bob & Penny's

Herman&Andy's<??????

10th Annual Cocktail Party ~

Singalong ~ Getogether

~ Get all warmed up for the Holidays with

The Rondout Caroling Crew!

Bring your holiday music

Or sing along with ours ~

Messiah scores welcome (We've been saying this for years.

One year, we actually had some!)

RSVP ~ for caroling route

please join in the fun of this wildly popular, progressive singing, cocktailing party (and still have time for your other Saturday night activities!)

the first stop is Liz's house at 90 Ravine St (between Spring St and W.Pierpont St.) from there, we will progress to other great homes in the neighborhood, singing as we go.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~