We unfortunately have to report that Darol Anger injured his hand in a bicycling accident in Portland recently and will be unable to hold the workshop scheduled here November 13-16. Darol is looking forward to a full recovery and we wish him well in that process. We hope to be able to bring Darol to Centrum soon to share his remarkable musical gifts!
Centrum partner Seattle Theatre Group (STG) will present Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys on Saturday, October 18, at 7:30 pm at the Moore Theater in Seattle.
And, although Ralph Stanley needs no introduction, we'll go ahead and give him one anyway.
Ralph Edmond Stanley was born, grew up, and lives today in rural southwestern Virginia, in a little town called McClure at a place called Big Spraddle. Growing up, Ralph would listen to his father singing songs like "Man of Constant Sorrow," "Pretty Polly" and "Omie Wise."
He got his first banjoy as a teenager, bought from his aunt for $5 ("Which back then was probably like $5,000," Stanley says.) His parents owned a small store, and his aunt took the payment out in groceries.
Ralph was born in Dickenson County, Virginia, where he still resides when he's not on the road. After 55 years in the business, he's still the best banjo picker and tenor singer in bluegrass music. As a recording artist, he has performed on more than 170 albums, tapes, and CDs. He won a Grammy Award in 2002.
But the success hasn't led him away from his roots. In addition to the many honors Ralph has received as a bluegrass musician, including membership on the Grand Ole Opry, he remains active in his local community; indeed, he sees his music as only one part of his life. Ralph is married to Jimmi Stanley, and they have three children: Lisa, Tonya, and Ralph II.
The Clinch Mountain Boys currently live in scattered communities in the mountains of Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky. They meet up in Coeburn, where their tour bus is parked and head out on the road. Their typical work week starts on Wednesday or Thursday and wraps up on Sunday, when they normally head in home for a couple days of well-deserved rest before starting out all over again.
The Seattle Theater Group is the non-profit arts organization that operates The Historic Paramount and Moore Theatres in downtown Seattle. STG's mission is to make diverse dance, music, film, theatre and arts education an integral part of our rich cultural identity while keeping Seattle's historic Paramount and Moore Theatres alive and vibrant.
In August, 2010, STG and Centrum will co-present Dance This! at Fort Worden State Park, a residential opportunity for young dancers to learn and perform diverse dance styles from around the world.
Tickets are $33.00 or $23.00, not including applicable fees. Tickets are available Friday, August 22, at 10:00 am at all Ticketmaster outlets, at the Moore Theatre box office, or online at www.TheMoore.com.
We've just opened registration on an exciting new workshop here at Centrum.
Somewhere beyond or behind all musical borders lies a creative
terrain where bluegrass, jazz, classical, pop, and various world musics
mingle, played by musicians who care more for inspiration than they do
for genre.
Our Contemporary Stringband Workshop is designed to take you there, and there is no better guide than Darol Anger, along with his fellow faculty members Scott Nygaard, Tristan Clarridge, and Matt Flinner.
Visit our CSW page for complete information on this premium experience taking place November 13-16, 2008 here at Fort Worden State Park.
Happy Independence Day! The next two days--July 4 and July 5 (2008) are filled with public performances at Fort Worden State Park.
We hope you can join us for amazing performances featuring musicians and music from across the continent and beyond.
Complete program schedules and ticket information are available on our 2008 performance page.
[The Pine Leaf Boys in onstage performance]
Led by the incomparable Wilson Savoy, the Pine Leaf Boys--a Cajun/Creole band that is rising so fast they're scorching--will be leading a Cajun dance on Friday, July 4, at 7:30 pm at the Fort Worden Mule Barn Tent. Yes, there will be a bonfire and, yes, gumbo'll be for sale onsite. Tickets are ten bucks; youth eighteen and under get in free.
Information and tickets for this--and all--weekend Festival of American Fiddle Tunes shows are available by visiting our Fiddle Tunes performance page. (Watch for a Santa Claus appearance in this video at 2:48.)
Just in time for the 2008 gathering, we're pleased to announce that we've fired up the internets and have created a Myspace page for Fiddle Tunes. This will hopefully get the ball rolling and provide a space where workshop participants, audience members, program donors, and fiddle tunes fanatics can hang out and share in the good times.
We'll post updates there during the Festival itself, as well as on our main site (www.centrum.org/fiddle) and our Facebook page, As with most good things, though, all of this community stuff works best when you all take it over.
So the invitation is out there. Please, be our Fiddle Tunes Myspace friend, won't you? Or join our Facebook. We look forward to seeing, hearing, learning from you!
Fiddle Tunes is full - unfortunately, we won't be able to accept any more people into the workshop in 2008. We will keep a waitlist, however, and people on the waitlist are guaranteed a spot in next year's workshop. With this in mind, you still might want to register. Thank you for your interest in this gathering.
[De Temps Antan in rollickin' onstage performance]
French-Canadian roots band De Temps Antan will give a mainstage performance at McCurdy Pavilion on Friday, July 4, at 1:30 pm. The band features André Brunet (fiddle, guitar, tapping), Eric Beaudry (guitar, mandolin, bouzouki, tapping), and Pierre-Luc Dupuis (accordion, harmonica, jaw harp), all current or former members of the internationally acclaimed group La Bottine Souriante. Tickets are available by following this link or by calling Centrum at 360.385.3102, x117. Reserved seating's twenty bucks, with youth eighteen and under free with advance reservations.
De Temps Antan will follow performances that include such musicians as Wendy MacIsaac, David Maclsaac, Harold Luce, Adam Boyce, and Paul Bradley.
The music of De Temps Antan is a rich blend of traditional French-Canadian and Acadian songs, original compositions, instrumental pieces, and French-Canadian response songs, all driven by the energetic beat of French-Canadian ‘podorythmie,’ the foot-tapping that replaces drums in traditional music from Québec. The members of the band offer a fresh and vibrant perspective on the music of their ancestors—and on the joie de vivre that has come to define the music of their province.
Just a heads up - the Fiddle Tunes workshop is filling at a unprecedented rate, and we're approaching capacity. If you've been waiting to register, we suggest doing it today. http://www.centrum.org/admin/register.html
First time Fiddle Tunes faculy member Earl Murphy, who won a fiddle contest in 1926, has a nice photo in the April 28 issue of The New Yorker. Nancy Hartness reports from Georgia:
"We had a great weekend with Earl playing at the Second International String Band Festival of Gordon County. It was a good trial run for Fiddle Tunes. Although Earl has been around a lot of musicians for years, I don't think he'd ever experienced the sense of community like that this weekend with the old time bands who were there. He especially enjoyed meeting Jim and Joyce Cauthen who will also be at Fiddle Tunes. He also enjoyed reconnecting with Rich Hartness and Tolly Tollefson who he'd met a year ago when they visited us here in Athens."
Here is a link to the photo of Earl and Art Rosenbaum from the New Yorker.
http://www.newyorker.com/online/2008/04/28/slideshow_080428_bilger/?slide=3#showHeader
The photo is part of an article by Burkhard Bilger about field recordings, old 78s, reissues, and the strange and obsessive people in the world of record collecting. The article's not on-line, you'll have to buy the mag if you want to read it, but it's worth it, it's a great read if you're a old time musician - of any age.
Whether
you are a workshop participant, performance attendee, donor, volunteer,
resident, or interested observer, we hope you will take a moment to visit our new Facebook page.
Facebook allows each of you to connect with us and extend your experience at Centrum. Upload your photos and videos. Talk about your past or upcoming workshops, review performances and readings. In large measure, 'our' page is 'your' page.
So take a look, and let us know what you think. We're exploring whether or not to create specific social networking sites for each of our major program areas. What do you think? (Now you have your first discussion topic on Facebook.)
We know that you Irish fiddling fans have been waiting patiently for us to find just the right voice for this year's faculty.
Your wait is over. We're able (and excited) to announce that the amazing Irish fiddler Paul Bradley will be making the trip over the pond to be with us at the 2008 Festival.
Paul's fiddle style is highly energetic and evocative. Though favoring raw passion to technique, it is technically challenging, distinctive and distinguished. His recent solo album 'Atlantic Roar', received a five-star review in the Irish Times.
To learn more, visit our faculty page.
When we redesigned this site last year, we had a vision that at some point, we could invite community members to post/write for the site, sharing their passion with other members of the Centrum community.
That time is NOW!
If you are passionate about fiddle tunes and would like to share your knowledge and a sense of discovery with others, we want YOU. Please contact Keven Elliff at keven at centrum dot org for more information.
Vermont. Alabama. New England. Cape Breton Island. North Carolina. Mexico. Argentina.
These aren't just places. They are cultures comprised of stories, histories, relationships, and songs. We're honored to have a collection of master musicians from these and many other parts of the world join us for the 2008 Festival of American Fiddle Tunes. Tim O'Brien. Harold Luce. James Bryan. Lee Stripling. Jim and Joyce Cauthen. And many, many more.
These amazing artists will come to Port Townsend in July to serve as friends, guides, and inspirations. They are the keys to the cultures behind the place names.
To lean more, visit our 2008 Festival faculty page.
...and once you're inspired, don't forget to register for the Festival!
Registration has opened for Centrum's 2008 workshops. Follow the links in the top right column to learn more, or bookmark http://www.centrum.org/admin/register.html, which is our new launch page for registrations.
New in 2008, we've upgraded the software we use to handle registrations, which will give you more information, more quickly than ever before. As always, your feedback will help us improve how we serve you.
New Food
Also new in 2008, we are excited to announce a new food partner at Fort
Worden. Bon Appétit Management Company is bringing their passion for
great food inspired by a deep commitment to sustainability and locally
grown and produced fare. They share our own belief that food serves a
much larger purpose for the community. Breaking bread together helps
create a sense of community and comfort. We can't wait for you to come
to Fort Worden to experience a new era in excellent cuisine. Learn more
at http://www.cafebonappetit.com/fortworden/.
We look forward to seeing you at Fort Worden in 2008.
[Tim Eriksen playing guitar and singing I Wish The Wars Were All Over outside]
Tim Eriksen, along with Riley Baugus and Dirk Powell, leads a weekend workshop November 16-18 in the music of the southern Appalachian Mountains. The workshop's capstone will be a rousing old-time dance at Fort Worden's USO building. For workshop registration, follow this link or call us at 360.385.3102, x114. To buy tickets to the Saturday night, 7:30 pm concert and dance, follow this link or call us at 360.385.3102, x114.
With great saddness we announce that Jerry Holland must stay home this summer to begin immediate treatment for renal cancer. Though our disappointment is extreme, our concern for Jerry's best-possible future is much greater yet. Those who wish to follow his treatment and recovery and to contribute spirit and resources, web links will be found everywhere surrounding Jerry's name. We wish him the best possible outcome; our hearts and minds are with him always.
Jerry's good friend and chosen accompanist in high-powered Canadian music, Daniel Lapp, will step forward in his own behalf and run fiddle workshops all week at Fiddle Tunes. Daniel is a Canadian champion fiddler and a massive collector of elegant and unusual Canadian tunes. Daniel grew up in a musical house, and he has arranged to bring part of that household to Fiddle Tunes to help him out on the piano. His mother, Charlotte Lapp, has been playing for over 60 years and is a great spirit among fiddle camps and workshops all over Canada. She will arrive at Fiddle Tunes on Wednesday to help with the band labs and workshops and concerts and dances and jams and parties and all the rest. We welcome Charlotte with open arms!
I must point out that it would be foolish to wait much longer to register to attend Fiddle Tunes 2007. The last few spaces will be filled soon.
FIDDLE TUNES WEEKEND
November 15–18, 2007
For the second consecutive year, the Fiddle Tunes party returns to Fort Worden in the fall! The Fiddle Tunes Weekend is a total-immersion workshop presenting many regional styles of fiddle music, particularly the songs of the Southern mountain region.
The program will be jam-packed with workshop classes, tutorials, and open jams, culminating in a faculty concert on November 17 that is free for participants. A public dance in the USO building follows the concert.
We'll taking registrations shortly. Stay tuned for more info very soon!
Continue reading "Coming Soon: Fall Fiddle Tunes Workshop" »
Here's a post of hot topics from your faithful and tireless program manager, Warren Argo. Thanks to Keven at Centrum for setting up the pathways for me to reach you all this way.
Exciting faculty addition! Dirk Powell, artistic director, has just invited the fabulous trio, The Creole Cowboys, to join the faculty here in July. This is the Real Deal from the families of Broussard and Garnier, and I expect to post details on these lads soon. If spending a week with these fellows and learning about their music and culture seems like fun to you, then join us now. The workshop is nearing capacity, but there is room for a few more participants, and our large faculty will help to keep workshop size reasonable.
Finally we can reveal the names of the Corps of the Tutors! The tutors will work closely with the band labs this year to assist participants with matters of technique and access to details of playing and style. We have invited the following stunning and highly experienced group: Catherine Alexander, Laurie Andres, Sheila Blech, Claudette Boudreaux, Sandy Bradley, Maggie Brunjes, Greg Canote, Jere Canote, Kevin Carr, Clyde Curley, Linda Danielson, Jim Erlandson, Jamie Fox, Mark Gaponoff, Richard Mandell, Chrissie Marshall, Tony Mates, Eric Merrill, Jeanie Murphy, Caroline Oakley, George Penk, Joel Savoy, Erin Shrader, Matt Sircely, Josie Sokoloff-Toney, Molly Tenenbaum, and Cathie Whitesides. Also invited are David Cahn to lead the beginning band lab and David Romtvedt to lead the kids' band lab. Looks inviting, doesn't it?
You may count on my writing in further detail soon. Farewell!
We're pleased to announce that tickets are now on sale for Centrum's summer performances at Fort Worden State Park in Port Townsend. Highlights of the 2007 summer season include:
Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Paul Moravec and Trio Solisti anchor the Port Townsend Chamber Music Festival, led by new Artistic Director Helen Callus.Information on ordering tickets is available on our Information Center site.
Centrum is seeking a Development Director to develop, nurture, and manage over 1,500 individual and institutional relationships to inspire $1,200,000 million in annual charitable giving. If you're interested in joining a dynamic and passionate team, read more at The Centrum Information Center blog.
Mark your calendar for June 29-July 6, 2008!
We hope you can join us for one of the nation’s finest celebrations of traditional music, led by Artistic Director Dirk Powell. The Festival consists of a weeklong residential workshop where musicians live, jam, and learn with musical voices from around the North American continent. At the end of the workshop (and in a special 4th of July show), the artists/faculty take to the stage for public performances in Fort Worden's WWI-era balloon hangar.
06/28/09-07/05/09: Festival of American Fiddle Tunes
06/28/09-07/05/09: The Festival of American Fiddle Tunes
