Notes from the Road – Southeast Regional Folk Alliance (SERFA) Day 3

Saturday, October 17 – After having to get up early on Friday for the workshop gig I elected to sleep in Saturday and miss the first workshops. Around 10 am I wandered up to get some breakfast and a gallon or two of coffee. I finished in time to hear the closing minutes of the “road dog” workshop headed by Jack Williams and Still on the Hill. Next was the presentation by Still on the Hill and people from the Folk Arts Center itself about Arkansas folk life, history and heritage. I was really glad I kicked myself out of bed for that! Very interesting and, as usual when Kelly and Donna are involved, high energy fun! Amazing instruments and techniques were demonstrated and at the end we were all assigned parts in a mass folk instrument ensemble. Quite unique!

Even though I’d had breakfast only a little while before I followed the crowd in for lunch and still ate my share. Meals are great gatherings at these events, always someone new to get to know. All of the meals have been provided buffet style and have been adequate, but it has been a challenge for those who are vegetarians – not me, of course. I’ve enjoyed the convenience and the staff has been first rate taking care of us.

The afternoon schedule included organizational meetings and mentoring sessions which, while interesting, were not how I wanted to spend my afternoon. Craving some fresh air, I walked out through the extensive and elaborate crafts village where shops offered goods for sale which are produced on site in traditional ways. There was a clothing shop that made 1800’s style men’s collarless shirts on at a time by hand on a foot pedal singer sewing machine. I HAD to have one of THOSE! In fact, I picked one that would be perfect to wear for my official showcase that night. I wandered through jewelry stores, a luthier shop where they were making various musical instruments, a soap shop, wood crafts, etc. Soon I’d satisfied my fresh air craving and headed back to the room to put new strings on the guitar and practice a bit.

Saturday night was my official showcase onstage in the conference center. Like FARM, there is no other activity taking place during the official showcases, so everyone attends. Also, the Folk Arts Center allows outsiders to attend the show for an admission fee. These are 20 minute sets, one right after the other from 6:45 until 10:30. My slot fell after Kim Richardson who I met earlier this year at the national conference in Memphis. She is an excellent performer, very high energy, very funny, a great writer, guitarist and vocalist – not an easy act to follow so I really needed to be sharp!

I chose four songs figuring that with my stories between I’d get 3 done with one in reserve. Kim Richardson did the expected blockbuster job and had the crowd really fired up when it came time for me to step to the microphone. Taylor Cafferty, one of our radio luminaries in attendance, had been tapped as an emcee for these events. He gave me a warm and kind introduction (some of it was even true!) and away I went. Since one of the focuses of the conference had been the building of community through music and having a “sense of place” I began by telling the audience a bit about where Florida through “State of Dreams.” Then I took them to the Keys for the story of the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 and “Hemmingway’s Hurricane,” followed by a bit of Florida moonshining history and “Yellow Butter Moon.” At that point I got the two minute warning and, not having a 2 minute song, I gave a quick intro and did an abbreviated version of “This Old House.” I leave it to someone else to evaluate the performance, but the crowd response was excellent and I really enjoyed the set myself (which I always take as a good sign). I think I will have a couple of videos of the show available and should be able to post some clips in the weeks to come.

So, with my performance done (and once my adrenaline allowed me to sit) I settled in for the rest of the show. Unfortunately I missed most of Laurie McLain’s set as well as Ed Peterson’s. But, based on prior experience I know they were both excellent. As with the previous evenings, there was one exceptional performance after another. Any one of the performers should be welcome in any venue or house concert in the country with stellar results. K.C. Clifford, Jamie Michaels and Louise Mosry all really impressed me. I’d be hard pressed to pick a favorite act for Saturday, but if forced I’d have to go with Bill & Kate Isles from Minnesota. Bill’s song “Hobo’s in the Roundhouse” just floors me every time I hear it as does “Fences.” And, their total shtick and back and forth exchange on the “Kamasutra Polka” is just hilarious.

Soon it was time to head back to the room, have a little coffee and get ready for the private showcases. Only two for me on the last night and everyone approached things with a relaxed approach. I started with a solo set in Bill & Kate Isles’ showcase room following Ben Bedford and K.C. Clifford. While Ben and K.C. played their sets I warmed Kate and Ben’s wife, Kari Abate, with a little of the Irish Whiskey I miraculously had discovered in my bag – wonder how THAT got there?! When it came my turn to play I shared “Welcome Home,” “Break Some Stones” and “It Must Be You” with their crowd which, interestingly, included some of the “outsiders” who had purchased tickets to the official showcases and had managed to find their way back to the cabins for the private showcases – very nice!

I ran over to the Concerts In Your Home room to hear a couple of tunes from Roy Schneider – this guy has the stuff! Make sure you catch his show sometime. I was to finish up in our Florida showcase room and I got there in time to hear a couple of Larry Mangum’s tunes which is always a treat. Gloria Holloway and David Russell were there and we started talking about old cover songs. Larry had done one at the end of his set so while we worked on the Irish Whiskey, David and I played a couple, “Long Black Veil” and “Go My Way” I think were the two. I repeated “It Must Be You” to hear David play lead on it and he did a wonderful and tasteful job.

Things were really winding down, but I had one more stop to make. Kari Estrin always has a last night session at her showcase room and I wanted to stop by and say thanks for all of her hard work. I was too tired to play anymore and there were plenty of guitars already uncased anyway. Fran Snyder played a tune, then Roy Schneider put one on us, followed by David Llewellyn and Louise Mosry. About there the Irish Whiskey and my ability to stay vertical ran out simultaneously. I said my goodbyes and trudged back to the room for a last night of not enough sleep. Larry, of course, was already dead to the world so I quietly squared myself away and conked out myself.

The Departure and Travel Epilogue

Sunday, October 18 - Rest assured that 8:30 came WAY too early. Larry had already made coffee again (good man) and was loading up, anxious to get back to Florida. After infusing some caffeine I began to organize and pack. It’s always so much easier to pack to go home than to leave home. There’s no choosing what to take and you are less concerned about what condition things arrive in at the other end. So it’s more of a “stuff and haul” affair, much quicker. I was soon packed, loaded, showered and ready for Breakfast. I stepped out into the most beautiful cool, clear, sunny morning imaginable – figures, just when its time to leave.

I sat and ate breakfast with Kim Page and her husband Leon and Garrison Doles came over and joined us for coffee as well. We rehashed the conference / retreat and solved most of the world’s problems in short order. It’s a burden to be so wise and all knowing!

Goodbyes take a while, so many friends to hug and thank. But soon the airline schedule dictated that I get started on my 2 hour drive back to Little Rock. I am exhausted, but at the same time energized. The tremendous talent I saw here challenges me to work even harder at my craft and continue to grow as an artist. This was a superb atmosphere for making new connections with other artists and getting a sense of the heart of the Southeast Region moving forward. While actually booking gigs at conferences is great, validating your artistic focus and sharing it with your peers pays untold dividends, financially and otherwise. I see writing and gigging collaborations on the horizon with so many of these fine folks. Thanks again to the SERFA Board under Kari Estrin, John Stoecker and Denise Williams for putting on a great conference. Thanks also to the unsung heroes who worked hard getting the event set up, but were unable to attend themselves, Betty Friedrichsen and Christine Stay and Aiden Quinn of Friction Farm. Lastly, a huge thanks to the Ozark Folk Arts Center – you really treated us great and made us feel so welcome in your home!

Lastly a couple of travel notes. When things are done right (like how the airlines have treated me with my guitar, etc.) I try to give credit where credit is due. The same applies when things are done wrong. Travel Note #1 – avoid the Dallas / Ft. Worth airport at all costs. It is a poorly organized, poorly run and over crowded nightmare. If your only choice is to travel through DFW I suggest you buy a horse. It’ll be faster, much more comfortable and far less infuriating. It ranks right up there with O’Hare and Miami for being a giant pain in the @#!! and makes Atlanta seem like a walk in the park. Travel Note #2 – if you work in the “service industry”, remember that the word “service” literally in your job description. The two ladies working the counter at the Starbucks in DFW across from Gate C20 get my award for least likely to succeed at anything in life if they don’t improve their attitude. When the “Peter Principle” hits you at the counter at Starbucks you are really in trouble. They were obviously annoyed that I would ask what the flavor of the day was and when I was unfamiliar with it and asked whether is was light, medium or bold the woman at the counter sarcastically and with great teenager style attitude declared “I don’t know.” I was also informed they didn’t have any decaf brewed at the moment and were unsure when or if they would. Sure seems like in a time with record unemployment these two would be thankful for a job and be more cautious about losing it. Ok, that’s off my chest

Alright, as I write this I’m finally home in Orlando at 12:30 am, sipping a little o’ the Irish and waiting for my eyes to slam shut involuntarily. Tomorrow I’ll get my Kendall fix!



– see you soon!!

Doug
"It's not how far you've come, it's what you've done with the miles"
Doug Spears
36 Interlaken Road
Orlando, Florida 32804
407-257-4242
dcsnole@yahoo.com
www.dougspearsmusic.com
www.reverbnation.com/dougspears
http://www.myspace.com/dougspears
http://www.sonicbids.com/dougspears

Notes from the Road – Southeast Regional Folk Alliance (SERFA) Day 2

Notes from the Road – Southeast Regional Folk Alliance (SERFA) Day 2

Friday, October 16th – OK, so where was I? Oh yeah, I was asleep. So, this morning I had to get up early because SOMEBODY (Kelly, it was you! Or was it Donna – don’t remember) tagged me for the panel in a workshop on writing about your home place, your culture, etc. at 9:45 am, so sleep was curtailed long before I would have liked! Anyway, Larry got up before me and made coffee (he’ll make someone a lovely husband – oh, hey Christy!) so I was able to open my eyes at least partially.

After a quick breakfast I headed over to the workshop. There were 8 of us on the panel and 12 folks in the room (including the panel) – hmmm . . .. me thinks others felt SLEEPING was more interesting!! On well, that was my knee jerk reaction as well. However, I have to say that the discussion amongst those in attendance was lively and very intriguing. As usual, when I’m on the “teaching” end of things I tend to learn more than anyone else. I swear that Steve Blackwell was in the room. Someone asked, “how do we get people to get out in their own back yards?” For those of us familiar with Steve’s music, does that sound familiar?!! The discussion evolved into the role of music, folk music in particular, in building and maintaining community. Much food for thought in what was brought up regarding the lost art of shared music, ‘self entertainment’ and the passing on of art forms generationally by participation. All of these things played such a large role in people’s leisure / social time before radio and TV and now are rare at best.

While, I was a firm and continuous grouser about the geographical location of this conference and the effect distance was likely to have on attendance, I have to concede that “I get it.” The Folk Arts Center here is uniquely suited for the purposes of SERFA – in fact, it is dedicated to the very thing we all pursue as folk artists, the preservation and perpetuation of our art form. I am proud of our Florida contingent, 6 artists (plus some spouses) and 2 presenters strong. While we had the furthest to travel we have demonstrated the strength and vitality of the folk community in Florida and have carried the banner proudly. Other than Arkansas, we may be the best represented state in the region, though I do not have the official numbers on that. I hope that next year even more folks will make the commitment and take the journey, it is a wonderful place.

I don’t know the actual attendance numbers, but I’m guessing around 75 – 100. In that group are some prominent radio personalities from the region: Taylor Cafferty of WRKF in Baton Rouge who has 25+ years experience as an independent folk dj; Mike Flynn of Folk Sampler, a syndicated folk radio show carried by over 160 stations; and Michael Jonathon, the originator and host of the Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour which is broadcast on radio and televised in 180 countries around the world. It is a unique opportunity to get to interact with these folks one on one and share music with them.

I took some time off to practice and rest in the afternoon. We’ll still haven’t had any sun and the chilly weather with no sunlight starts to drain my batteries in a big way. But, I re-energized by supper time and headed to the restaurant for a bite with the gang before the evenings showcases got under way.

The official showcases were quite good one and all. Jack Williams turned in his usual outstanding performance to tremendous applause. 3 Penny Acre, a four piece group from Fayetteville was also outstanding. Ben Bradford and his bride, Kari Abate, showed why he topped the folk charts with his music this year in their set just before the break. However, it was David Llewellyn that truly blew me away. First, David is just now recovering from a near catastrophic collision between his left hand and a power saw only six weeks ago. It very nearly took his thumb and the entire side of his left hand off and required extensive surgery, pins and a cast to reattach – really not good for a guitar player!! He has only had the cast off for a couple of days and will start rehab next week. Nevertheless, he played beautifully through the obvious pain and floored me with his song of a Welsh coal minor taking his young son down into the mines for the first time to begin a life of hopeless labor. For me it was the stand out show of the evening.

I missed the last few showcases to, again, get some rest and tune up before my private showcases for the evening. I started off in Kari Estrin’s Suite at 11:30 with a very nice crowd that included Kari, David Llewellyn, Ed Peterson (Nashville), Andy Cohen (Memphis), Jan Seides (Austin), our own Gloria Holloway, Ronnie Cox and a couple of others. I was informed by Kari that my song Hemingway’s Hurricane won an award from American Songwriter Magazine! I didn’t even know and haven’t been able to find out what or when! So, I played that and, at Gloria’s insistence, several other of my Florida tunes in my allotted time.

Next I headed over to Bill & Kate Isles Present for a round with Bill & Kate and a young writer I’ve just met here, Adam Klein. They were running a bit behind so I got to hear a little of Lauren Lapointe’s set with them and our Larry Mangum. When it was my turn we swapped into the seats and, again, enjoyed a fine audience that included Gary Gordon, Ben and Kari Abate - Bedford, Jan Seides, Kim Richardson, Louise Mosrie, Pete Leary, and a member of 3 Penny Acre who’s name (because I have a small and weak mind) I simply can’t remember. It was a great round and Bill video’d a part of it so hopefully I’ll be able to share that at some point.

Then to Concerts in Your Home with Fran Snyder. Due to the schedule lag at Bill & Kate’s I was about 15 – 20 minutes late getting there which is death for having any crowd. So, Fran, Lauren Lapointe and I sat and swapped songs, guitar pull style, passing Fran’s nice Taylor back and forth instead of uncrating our own. I neglected to mention Fran in my rehash of the official showcases for the evening – he also turned in a stand out performance there. If you haven’t visited Concertsinyourhome.com, you should. It is the ultimate house concert resource in the country. Check it out!

Ok, so its 1:30ish – time to go get off my feet. Larry is already in bed again with the lights out (poor old fella), but I went ahead and turned a light or two on, poured myself a bracer and sat talking to old sleepy head for a bit. After doing a little computer work and reading a few stories in Bob Patterson’s book I called it a night around 3:30. Hmmmm, short of sleep again tomorrow I guess. Ah well!!

Doug
"It's not how far you've come, it's what you've done with the miles"
Doug Spears
36 Interlaken Road
Orlando, Florida 32804
407-257-4242
dcsnole@yahoo.com
www.dougspearsmusic.com
www.reverbnation.com/dougspears
http://www.myspace.com/dougspears
http://www.sonicbids.com/dougspears

Notes from the Road – Southeast Regional Folk Alliance (SERFA) Day 1

Well, on to the next Folk Alliance Conference, this time in Mountain View, Arkansas at the Ozark Folk Center, a State Park facility dedicated to the preservation of the folk arts. It is a terrific facility, if not ideally located to encourage maximum attendance being in the farthest northwest corner of the region, and I’m really looking forward to it.

My day started at 6 am EST, which is actually 5 am where I was headed. With my daughter, Jessi’s, considerable help I had everything prepared and packed the night before, so I rolled out of bed, showered and headed for the airport. Miraculously my travel from Orlando through Dallas connecting to Little Rock, AR was uneventful – was able to get my guitar on board without hassle (thanks American Airlines), my flights were on time, my baggage came through and my rental car was ready and waiting. I even ran into Cheryl Paige and husband Leon in the airport at Little Rock (they were waiting for a shuttle that runs once a day up to the center, but I got a good deal on a car and preferred the independence. So, by a little after 2 pm (Central) I was winding my way northwest out of Little Rock toward Mountain View.

Though the day was grey and overcast, what a beautiful drive. Once out of Little Rock I traveled through farmlands and small towns climbing up into the Ozarks. Its cool here (low 50’s) and the leaves are in full change. Folks in Arkansas are not aggressive drivers so in those parts where there was any traffic it was a low key affair.

My room mate for the trip is Jacksonville’s Larry Mangum who arrived a day earlier. He had left a phone message asking that I acquire some liquid refreshment of the adult variety before I got to Mountain View, which is a small little place and has no liquor stores. I should have taken care of that before leaving Little Rock. I passed 62,000 churches of every conceivable denomination, at times three or four next door to each other in a row (ok, maybe only 50,000, but A LOT) and not one liquor store of any description. No beer or wine in the supermarkets either, I checked. I thought of stopping at one of the Baptist churches to talk to the groundskeeper (they always know where to get locally manufactured whiskey), but just thought I’d better press on. I have a little sippin’ tonic with me and I’ll have to share it sparingly.

The drive took about 2 ½ hours and the last part through the mountains was particularly winding and climbing. However, I enjoy the mountain roads and the scenery. Saw a couple of deer, a red fox and a big hawk soaring the thermals over a big lake impoundment near Greer. Really pretty. But I was getting tired (traveling does that you know) and anxious to get to the center in time to join everyone for supper, so I pushed on through without dawdling to admire the landscape much.

Upon arrival I got checked in, registered, found Larry and the room, tossed my stuff out of the car and hustled over to the restaurant for supper. I was in hyper mode and really had to work at winding down as all I could think of was things I needed to do. I wolfed down my buffet meal while said my hellos to all the familiar faces - Jack and Judy Williams, Ronny Cox, Ray Lewis, Kelly and Donna Mulholland, Jaime Michaels, Lauren Lapointe, Denise Williams, Gloria Holloway, Daniel and Ellen Boling, Kari Estrin, John Stoecker, Bill and Kate Isles and on and on and on. My apologies to the many I didn’t list specifically. Then I hustled over to the main conference area to put my materials on the exhibit table, spread out the bags of Cracker Crunch (what I’m calling my Chex mix now) and then whirled back to the room to change before the evening showcases. Whew!!!

I finally managed to settle into relax mode (after a phone call with Ron Litschauer about the mastering progress on Welcome Home and a call home to my bride). I went up to hear the first of the official showcases (mine slot is on Saturday) and enjoyed nice sets from Lauren Lapointe (Savannah, Ga.), Chico Schwall (Oregon) and my buddy Larry Mangum, who did a particularly good set including his tribute to Gamble Rogers, I Knew the Last Troubadour. Then I ducked out for a little rest (coffee) and practice before my private showcases for the evening.

My first showcase was a songwriters’ round in the New Mexico room hosted by Daniel and Ellen Boling. They really went all out setting up the room with chairs, lighting and décor. I was honored to be in the round with Jack Williams and Ronnie Cox, two of the best on the circuit. Jack is an unparalleled writer, singer and, particularly, guitar player. Ronnie, though better known as a actor (Deliverance, Beverly Hills Cop, Murder at 1600 and, most recently, Imagine That) is a tremendous touring folk musician who has earned a lot of attention in the past few years for his musicianship. We had a wonderful 1 hour round swapping tunes for a full room. I thoroughly enjoyed it and had looked forward to it as one of the highlights of this conference. I wasn’t disappointed!

Following us came Kelly and Donna Mulholland, Daniel Boling and Jamie Michaels. I was able to stay for only part of their set as I had a show to do in our Florida showcase room at 12:30 a.m., so at the appropriate time I slipped out. The Florida Room is being hosted by Ray Lewis from Jacksonville. I was following Larry Mangum and enjoyed hearing some new tunes from Larry. When it came my time Roy Schneider (Naples FL) had joined us in the room. I had missed Roy’s official showcase earlier in the evening so after a couple of tunes I invited him to step in for a couple. Wow, great stuff! Roy was a finalist in the Kerrville New Folk showcase this year and I can see why. What a treat to get to hear some of his material! Then I took back over and finished out the set at 1:00 am.

Now, a day that starts at 5 am and ends at 1 am is a long day, I don’t care who you are. So I headed back to the room (where Larry was already trying to get to sleep), had a small snort of that fine amber liquid I’d brought along and read a few stories in “Forgotten Tales of Florida” just released by my friend Bob Paterson in St. Augustine. By 1:45 it was lights out in more ways than one!! More tomorrow.

Doug
"It's not how far you've come, it's what you've done with the miles"

Doug Spears

36 Interlaken Road

Orlando, Florida 32804
407-257-4242

dcsnole@yahoo.com

www.dougspearsmusic.com
www.reverbnation.com/dougspears

http://www.myspace.com/dougspears

http://www.sonicbids.com/dougspears

Notes from the Road – FARM Day 3

Having gotten in so late, I really didn’t expect to be up and about in time for the 9:30 workshops. However, at a little after 8 a.m. I could sleep no more though I clearly needed to. So, down to breakfast I went leaving Judy to another day in the city with our pals.

After a quick buffet breakfast with Steve Jerrett [KOPN FM] I caught the last half of Bill Isles’ creative imagination workshop and then milled about with folks in the exhibits area until the lunch break. I was able to acquire lunch companions (Joan Hellman of AACTMAD and Mary Postellon of the Grand River Folk Arts Society) and enjoyed a good lunch on top of the big buffet breakfast – always good to keep your body fueled when its low on sleep.

After lunch came the Folk DJ panel discussion. Lots of good information offered by the DJ’s on submitting material, appearing for live shows, radio play and contact etiquette came from the 7 DJ’s participating and all were very open and direct in answering questions from the considerable crowd. These workshops are the most valuable, letting you get the word directly from the horse’s mouth on the workings of folk radio, both standard broadcast and internet.

Following the panel discussion was a more informal meet and greet reception with all of the DJ’s giving everyone an opportunity to connect a face with a CD, provide their latest product and give a little pitch about their material. Much like the national conference, but on a smaller scale, this is much like speed dating. It helps the shyer folks get over the hesitation to approach DJ’s with their CD’s – that’s the expressed purpose of the reception so all DJ’s have their hand out so to speak. I had already put mine in the hands of most of the DJ’s on Thursday or Friday, so I could be a little more relaxed and just socialize.

Another unique feature of FARM I forgot to mention. Each day, before and after the official showcases, there are two rooms of “Performance Lane” showcases. These are 10 minute slots for artists attending who were not selected for an official showcase performance. Sort of like a sign up open mic I attended a few of these and was, again, impressed with the caliber of performances from very experienced and well established artists.

Saturday night’s official showcases were, again, exceptional. I hesitate to highlight anyone for fear of implying someone else was not as good – not at all. However, I particularly liked Mark Dvorak’s set (his trio actually) and the performance of Tom Kastle, who rendered his interpretations, accapella, with guitar and with concertina, of traditional maritime ballads. Great stuff.

Well, it’s the last night so no reason to crash early, though I have to admit I was feeling very fuzzy around the edges. I spent a lot of time in the hallway chatting with this one and that about one thing or another (gig swapping, etc. and generally yucking it up) and then went into the song swap room to listen (no guitar) a while before trundling off to bed. However, at one point I stepped back out into the hall (to go refill my covert flask of amber liquid). I was corralled by Heather Styka and Amy Dixon-Kolar who had concluded they’d prefer a smaller song circle elsewhere and invited me to join them. So, I went and grabbed the guitar and we connived our way into an unused (and probably off limits) board room. Fully assembled, the group included those mentioned, as well as Andrew Calhoun (Waterbug Records), Jane Godfrey and David Hawkins, as well as some listeners, Dave Humphreys (Two Way Street Coffeehouse in Chicago), Randy Styka (Heather’s proud Dad) and a couple of hotel guests who just happened to hear a couple of tunes in the lobby and begged to be included for the private show.

My now not so secret amber liquid (Dalmore single malt, if you must know) was quite popular with the gathered and I soon had to dash upstairs for another refill. All so well worth it! We played and laughed the night / morning away. Before we knew it 4:00 a.m. it was. We unanimously called it a night and wandered off to find horizontal comfort. My head finally hit the pillow with a satisfying thud at about 4:30. What a tremendous finale to a really rewarding conference.

Sunday Checkout

Well, all good things must end. I forced myself out of bed at about 10:15 and began packing up. After a shower to try to wake myself better I went downstairs to collect my display materials. Lots of goodbyes to those in the lobby checking out and beginning their drives home. I was the one having traveled the farthest to be there so I was one of only a few going to catch a plane – most had a long day on the road ahead of them.

Many many thanks to Sandy Andina, Susan Urban, Joan Hellman, Annie Capps and all of the FARM volunteers who really put on a great conference. As a result of my visit I’ll be doing a Midwest tour in the summer of 2010 and am really looking forward to it! Thanks again FARM, I’ll be back!


Doug
"It's not how far you've come, it's what you've done with the miles"
Doug Spears
36 Interlaken Road
Orlando, Florida 32804
407-257-4242
dcsnole@yahoo.com
www.dougspearsmusic.com
www.reverbnation.com/dougspears
http://www.myspace.com/dougspears
http://www.sonicbids.com/dougspears

Notes from the Road – Folk Alliance Midwest, Day 2

Notes from the Road – Folk Alliance Midwest, Day 2

Ok, so the weathermen in Chicago are no better than those in Orlando. The rain kept up throughout the day Friday. But, it really doesn’t matter as I’ve been indoors all day anyway. Friday started off with a leisurely breakfast in the room with Judy as the first workshops at 9:30 weren’t of pressing interest to me (mostly just general peer group discussions). So, after coffee and room service I finally got dress and headed down for the 11:00 a.m. House Concert workshop / discussion with Fran Snyder.

All artists agree that house concerts are the future for folk, acoustic and singer / songwriter music. And, all presenters and audience members who have been exposed to house concerts agree that it is the best way to hear the music. However, all report falling attendance numbers at shows and all have frustration about how to turn that tide. Though the economy may certainly be a factor, most presenters in the discussion did not feel like money is the issue, though for some acts the difference between an artist donation of $15 and $12 might increase the audience by 10% or 15%, which in most cases is a wash on the door receipts, but increases the number of folks hearing the music and possibly joining the mailing list and / or buying CD’s. The challenge, most everyone agrees, is continuing to motivate people to leave their cocoons of computers, flat screen TV’s, and other life demands competing for their time to hear live acoustic music. Clearly the quality of music and settings are there, but the trick is to get the core group “reinvested” in supporting the series.’ While no clear answers or solutions were offered in the short time of the discussion, it was comforting (I suppose) to know that folk clubs, long standing house concerts and high caliber artists in all parts of the country are experiencing the same trends and struggles. We in Florida are not alone. Without exception, all the artists who spoke up said they would still rather play for a small crowd of 15 – 30 at a house concert than rely on the venues to provide a platform for their material. So, all you presenters and potential presenters out there, take heart! Let’s keep on keepin’ on and work together to find creative ways to grow our audiences.

Judy spent the day out with friends we have here in Chicago, so I took some time midday back in the room to rehearse and plan for my showcase. Short presentations like this are much more difficult than full shows. You have only a four or five song window to capture and hold your audience. It only takes one misstep in the performance (whether it be choice of material, manner of presentation or quality of performance) to lose a substantial sector of your audience with no time to win them back. I settled on a four song set (giving myself time for my stage patter and stories that are an essential part of my show) of (1) Do You (uplifting, upbeat, positive message) (2) Yellow Butter Moon (good story, catchy tune, fun lyrics) (3) Hemingway’s Hurricane (another good story, powerful message and driving rhythm) and (4) This Old House (nice melody and heart warming sentiment).

In all of this activity I kind of (not kind of, actually) skipped lunch. Figured I’d eat a very early dinner so I’d have no issues singing by show time. So I attended another workshop and networked with the radio DJ’s, presenters and artists I ran into in the hallways. Time well spent. As always, my homemade Chex Mix (actually made this time by my daughter Jessi under my direction) is a hit and folks are scarfing bag after bag. I’m thinking of calling it “Cracker Crunchies” for future events – what do you think?

The Midwest is a good region for my music – something Jack Williams told me a while ago. While the material is Florida based, the stories, messages and emotions are universal and seem to strike home particularly well here. I’m looking forward to getting to tour up in this part of the country and am having some good discussions about that with presenters and local artists that are the key to making that happen.

I cut out at 5 pm to go get some dinner. I was starved so I selected a homestyle buffet close by and, as you might guess, having skipped lunch, over ate. So bloated with mashed potatoes and roasted chicken (plus some apple cobbler and ice cream) I waddled back to the conference center to shower and prepare for the evening. BURP!!

The keynote speaker for the conference was Claudia Schmidt. If you’re not familiar with Claudia, you should be. More than three decades as a touring professional have found her traversing North America as well as Europe in venues ranging from intimate clubs to 4,000 seat theatres, and festival stages in front of 25,000 rapt listeners. She is familiar with the mediums of radio and TV, including regular stints on Public Radio International's "A Prairie Home Companion" in its early incarnation, and starring in an hour-long documentary called "I Sing Because I Can't Fly," produced by KTCA TV in St. Paul. She participated in the delightful Les Blank movie "Gap-Toothed Women," contributing a song as well as an interview. She wrote an award-winning score and performed in the Goodman Theatre's 1992 Chicago production of Brecht's "Good Person of Szechuan." In 2006 & 2007 she has been a lead performer along with Ruth McKenzie and Prudence Johnson in “The Gales of November.” The “Gales” is a musical retelling of the Edmund Fitzgerald tragedy from the point of view of three wives of the doomed crew of the Great Lakes ore-carrier. Her music has also recently appeared in the documentary, “Motherhood Manifesto” produced by John DeGraaf and the folks at moveon.org. She has recorded fourteen albums of mostly original songs, exploring folk, blues, and jazz idioms featuring her acclaimed12 string guitar and mountain dulcimer playing. Check her out at http://claudiaschmidt.homestead.com.

Anyway, her keynote address was TERRIFIC. Claudia has a delightful, wicked and stealthy sense of humor which she uses to great effect in conveying her message which was the role of the folk community in service and keeping the spirit of roots music alive and thriving. She wistfully recalled her early days in folk music when artists seemed less competitive and so much of what we do now wasn’t driven by technology. She urged less of a sense of the individual and a return to the sense of community that makes this music so powerful (preaching to the choir, of course, at a gathering like this). Bemoaning the technology of all of the “i” products she pointed out that when they finally came out with something called “We” they spelled it “Wii”, again missing the point! I thoroughly enjoyed her presentation!

Showtime. My plan was executed to great effect and response! Other than the fact that the mounds of mashed potatoes and chicken, even 3 ½ hours later, made it a little hard to hit and maintain the long high notes in “Do you”, the showcase set went exceptionally well and I was complemented throughout the remainder of the evening by presenters, DJ’s and artists alike. With the pressure off I was now free to sit, imbibe and listen to the other showcase artists that followed. I didn’t hear everyone (those that came before me) but I have to say the caliber of performance was exceptional. Debra Cowan was a standout presenting traditional tunes, some accapella, with tremendous power and presence.

After the showcases folks started to gravitate towards separate rooms for song circles and jams and I settled into one to enjoy the camaraderie. In my particular circle Rich Baumann was the “everyman” playing fiddle behind many who shared a song, including a wonderful job backing me on “It Must Be You.” Steve Jerrett played some great 12 string guitar on two of his originals which, not remembering the titles, I’ll call “The Billy Goat” song and the “Grandpa” song, both wonderful tunes. Anne Capps played a beautiful love song and commented how much she missed her husband and music partner, Rod, who couldn’t be there. A duo, Beaucoup Shakti (Sharon Bousquet and Heather Collmer, from Fairfield, Iowa were also particularly powerful. Maggie Ferguson put us all in stitches with a hilarious Halloween tune “Bats.” And, in the midst of it all, Ryan Baddour of The Flipside video taped various messages of information and advice from us for his daughter Nikki and Sasha who are just learning guitar and the craft of music. My advice, “don’t trust boys who play guitar and play what makes you happy, not what you think will make someone else happy.”

Totally exhausted I stumbled upstairs at abut 2:30 a.m. Saturday – back to the networking, etc.!!

Doug
"It's not how far you've come, it's what you've done with the miles"
Doug Spears
36 Interlaken Road
Orlando, Florida 32804
407-257-4242
dcsnole@yahoo.com
www.dougspearsmusic.com
www.reverbnation.com/dougspears
http://www.myspace.com/dougspears
http://www.sonicbids.com/dougspears

Notes from the Road – Midwest Folk Alliance Conference – Day 1



Good morning from Bolingbrook, Illinois, southwest of Chicago. It’s cool (40’s – 50’s) and rainy since we got here (Judy’s tagging along for this one), but relief from the hot and humidity is welcome regardless of its packaging. We arrived just after noon yesterday on Southwest (one of my favorite airlines – very musician friendly) and though it was rainy and windy at Midway we landed on only the second bounce (ok, it was a jarring landing, but any landing you walk away from is a good one).



The FARM conference has a long history having begun meeting in 1991. This is my first visit, precipitated by my selection as an official showcase artist, and I didn’t really know what to expect. I had heard mixed reviews by folks who had attended this conference in the past regarding the size of the gathering, the programs and value to the artist. But, FARM has experienced a renewal of commitment under its leadership and, though I have nothing to compare it to since I’m a Newbie I’m thrilled to be here. The attendance is around 100 with a very good representation from venues, house concert presenters and Folk DJs – on a percentage basis compared to artists, about the same as the National Conference in Memphis. In just the first few hours I’ve gotten to spend time with folks I would not otherwise have met or would only get to see for a minute or two in the madness of the National Conference.



The first night the presented a new feature of the gathering. Concerts In Your Home (Fran Snyder) produced a special invitational showcase for non – official showcase artists and some special guests. Ten acts were presented over about 2 ½ hours. Though all were quite good and entertaining, I have to admit my favorites were Claudia Schmidt and Joe Jencks. Great talents both and certainly folks I would recommend without hesitation to any venue, house concert, festival, etc.



This morning things start of with workshops and peer group discussions on various topics. I’m looking forward to some of the business oriented workshops and to sitting over coffee with new and old friends alike.



My official showcase is tonight. One thing that distinguishes the smaller regional conferences over the national is that the official showcases are done one at a time in one room – no other activity at the same time and, therefore, everyone is in attendance. That’s a good feature for the artists chosen and somewhat guarantees that the folks you really want to hear you are in the room (illness or exhaustion excepted). While I have a table display set up in the main hallway of the conference, its not one that I have to be with so I’m free to roam.



Stay tuned!


Doug
"It's not how far you've come, it's what you've done with the miles"
Doug Spears
36 Interlaken Road
Orlando, Florida 32804
407-257-4242
dcsnole@yahoo.com
www.dougspearsmusic.com
www.reverbnation.com/dougspears
http://www.myspace.com/dougspears
http://www.sonicbids.com/dougspears