Festival Notes 2014

Eaglewood Folk Festival

I laughed so much during Wendell Ferguson's set, my face hurt.  And, Arthur Renwick commented from stage beside the pony rides, that 1994 is not even 20 years old yet!  I took it as a sign that he wanted me to stop by his open stage to play my first music teacher's original tune I'd once mentioned to him.  But, when I asked my fellow open jammers at the time, original or cover? they said original, so I played The World Just Keeps on Turning.  

At Ian's song circle, he congratulated me for taking a turn, by splaining he'd first heard me do this tune at Molly Bloom's, with Rob Kerr providing the guitar, and he'd swooned.  How romantic is that?  While I'd been trying it out there with uke gals, I'd been trying to remember how my friend Tony always exclaims after I try it, "That song is a    h i t !" ha.

i was so totally satiated by playing that, and a guitar cover, followed by a celebratory beer, I am surprised I even made it to the other performance option of the festival.

At Shelter Valley, BTW, during David Newland's uke workshop, I am sorry to say that I packed up my uke, and walked up the mountain with my raincoat on.  Too much talk, or just the weather?

I was singing with my friend Aimee, and some lady told ME, I have a lovely voice.  ha.  singing with Aimee is liberating, yes. and we have shared many an environment where sometimes there is good music and sometimes there is just the liberating vibe of being able to try any crap lol.

Wasn't it sweet when Susan from Accessibility Matters said you can hear my gift with kids on the radio show?  

More Random Record Keeping

Folk Music Ontario Conference 2014

Drew took this photo and posted it on fb!

This annual conference feels, to me, like a mega-mini folk festival, but with bathtubs and hotel beds for the camping.  I used to say that all the artistic directors of all the Ontario folk festivals attended, along with thousands of musicians that want festival bookings, and that I got to sit in audiences of 5 or 10 to see the showcasing bands that I would watch with a crowd of thousands at Hillside or Mariposa or Summerfolk or Blue Skies or Eaglewood the next summer... but the turn out was small this year.  My guess is about only 800-900 folks attended this time.


I arrived in time specifically for and enjoyed the set from keynote speaker CharlieAngus, MP who reminded us how folk music is needed to tell Canadian stories that otherwise go unheard. I noticed with so many people to chat with after the talk, he wasn't making it to the food table at the SOCAN reception, so I brought him a random plate of samples. What a great way to meet a facebook friend in person, finally! I also really enjoyed taking in the official showcases by Peter Katz, Catherine MacLellan, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer. Steph Cameron, and Trent Severn, as well as the private showcases by Jess Reimer, Trent Severn, Drew McIvor, Coco Love Alcorn. I remember helping to rearrange the lighting before Lindy's private showcase, not to mention repeatedly passing through a hallway jam that included QuiQue Escamilla, and singing along to Scott Cook's "the lord giveth and the landlord taketh away."

You should see the awesome thumb rest installed on Emm Grnyer's u-bass!  Apparently she had it installed by a luthier in Stratford!

Isn't it nice how folk songs travel? In the big Borealis song swap at FMO this weekend, instrument petting zoo Todd Crowley said he played on autoharp and sang a song he learned years ago from a Bobby Watt cassette. On the last verse, "come away from the firelight and lay your body down," the voice of an older man joined in. At the end he asked where I learned it and I told him. Then he told me he had written it -- the great Doug McArthur, another Canadian folksinger! "It was nice to bring this beautiful song full circle back to its source."

Here's the only picture I took all weekend.  It's of some of my favourite room-mates ha.

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Random Band Practice?

Yes, I get an employee discount.  And yes, I sometimes
use it!!

I am hoping that as the weather turns colder, and I am wrapping up my farm "jobs" for the season, I will find more time for developing my own music...  to that end, would you believe I just bought myself a nice, small bodied guitar that fits in my treefort, and fits me, much better than my old, heavy, yamaha solid-top, dreadnaught??  It really rings.  What a sweet new friend!

What I love about this picture that Trish took, is that I reported to the friend buying my old guitar at the shop the day after it was taken, that I was the piano player at the 3 way girl jam/after party; and that Trish was playing guitar, and Stacey alternated between bass and drums.  I had no recollection of holding a stringed instrument.  Was I even there? lol.  I guess I wasn't thinking of time on guitar, because I didn't bring my new little beauty to the festivities...

However, our 3 part harmony was low and awesome, if memory serves, ha.  For sure we jammed on When Doves Cry.  What else?