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  • 2014 MidWinter Festival (Mini Fest)

2014 MidWinter Festival (Mini Fest)

  • 08 Feb 2014
  • 11:55 AM - 10:30 PM
  • Takoma Park Middle School, Takoma Park, MD
;;sings;; Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but Mini-Fest is so delightful...Hooray! The fabulous FSGW Mini-Fest is TODAY!! Come on down to Takoma Park Middle School, 7611 Piney Branch Road, today Saturday, February 8, from noon until 10:30 pm. It may be cold outside, but inside there will be warm smiles and hot music. Ballads and blues, washboards and waltz, stories and shape note singing, music and Morris dancers and more ? you could dance all day (12 different options!) or try some of the more than 40 workshops and concerts at 7 different venues throughout the school (plus unscheduled hallway shenanigans). It's a sure-fire cure for the winter blues!! Six hours of non-stop fun including lots of family-friendly workshops -- try a ukulele session featuring two young players, or the kids' jam session. Watch and listen to percussive Irish step dancing (featuring some young performers), and much more.

 

We couldn't re-organize quickly enough to dedicate enough space at this year's Mini-Fest as Pete Seeger deserved -- although we hope that someone at the Mini-Fest starts a singalong in the hallways or a stairwell. But we invite you to enjoy an evening of singalong, Seeger-style, led by the DC Labor Chorus, scheduled for 7:30 pm, Sunday, February 9 (the day after Mini-Fest), free, at the Washington Ethical Society auditorium.


Printed copies of the schedule will be available at the door. Please note that this year, because we don't want anyone standing in line out in the cold, everyone -- performers and attendees alike -- will come in through the Cafetorium door. There will be a long table, with performers' check in at one end, and separate lines for those paying cash or by check, and those using credit cards. Please look at the revised schematic.

Ticket prices are listed below. Note that we hope to open the "gate" at 11:30 am; performances/workshops begin at noon. AdultChild

(6-12)Family

MaxDay plus evening (noon to 10:30 pm)FSGW Member$15$8$45Non-Member$20$10$55Day (noon to 6 ONLY) OR Evening (6 to 10:30 ONLY)FSGW Member$10$5$25Non-Member$15$7$40Children under 6 get in free.

You can join FSGW at the door, and get the discount for members.

You will be able to use credit cards at the door.

What does Family Maximum mean in the ticket price section? This rate allows parents and their children to attend for one affordably capped admission price. The Family rate for a family of four is slightly less than four individual tickets, and there is no additional fee for any additional child.

For information about volunteering, the best place to sign up is at either the Friday or Sunday night dance at Glen Echo, but you can also send an email to minifestmessages (at) aol dot com. Please put "Volunteering" in the subject line.

Volunteer slots are full; if you'd like to volunteer (and get in free) next year, please email the Volunteer Coordinator (April Blum) at MinifestMessages(at)aol(dot)com. We will send out a notice to the list of potential volunteers in late 2014 for the 2015 Festival. Applications for craft vendors closed as of Sunday, January 20. If you'd like to be a vendor next year, applications will open on December 1, 2014.

All of the wonderful photos are courtesy of Steve Tuttle (thanks, Steve!), of Tuttle and Tuttle Photography.

Hallways and Lobby.

Perhaps we should warn you.... ahem. Perhaps we should mention that Morris Dancers and Rappersword groups infest.... ahem...appear unexpectedly. And they dance outside, weather permitting. They often wear bells, so sometimes you can hear them coming. You can run, but you cannot hide. 

FSGW encourages those who play instruments to bring them along. One of the real delights every year is hearing music being made in stairwells and at the end of corridors. In fact, we encourage these ad hoc jams by putting extra chairs in appropriate spots. 

Retail therapy will be available. Musical instruments (through House of Musical Traditions) will be available for sale in the Cafetorium, and craftspeople will have tables in the corridors near the main lobby. 

Daytime Cafetorium Performances

Noon to 6 pm -- six hours of music, thanks to Mini-Fest Co-Chair, Charlie Baum (thanks, Charlie B!).

*We start at noon, when Takoma Dave Rothman's banjo fronts Cooking With Gas. They serve up fine music, featuring generous portions of blues, seasoned with jazz, swing, gospel and folk.

*At 1, a shimmering trio of female voices (backed by flexible acoustic instrumentation and a guy on bass!) -- the Blue Moon Cowgirls -- blend front-porch directness with neon-lit sophistication as they sing country music.

*At 1:45, you'll delight in a concert by Shenandoah Run., a nine-member folk group from the DC area, who play both classic and current songs in the style of the collegiate folk groups of the 1960s.

*At 2:30 Rick Franklin and his Delta Boys perform blues and ragtime music and songs from the 1920s and 1930s, especially in the Piedmont style of blues.

*At 3:15, Howard Bass, Tina Chancey and Susan Gaeta perform as Trio Sefardi. These three musicians share a love of, and a wide-ranging expertise in, Sephardic music -- Jewish music that started in Spain and developed in the Eastern Mediterranean.

* At 4 pm the international dance company Shannon Dunne Dance will fill the hall with the compelling percussive performance of sean-n?s Irish dancing -- musicality, community, tradition, spontaneity, joy, improvision, and entertainment!

*Closing out the daytime performance track at 5 pm, there's a bit of sass and a lot of hot musicianship -- Blue Panamuse has its roots in, and takes its repertoire from, the classic blueswomen and the swing-era bands that started on radio in the 1920s.

While listening to the music in the Cafetorium you can browse for CDs (through Camsco Music) and musical instruments (through House of Musical Traditions), or enjoy a sandwich from Subway. The Cafetorium is the only room in the school where you may eat and drink while listening to music. (The school prohibits food and drink in the Gym, Auxiliary Gym, or any classroom.)

Main Gym: Programmed by Chair April Blum. At noon, local favorite Ann Fallon will call a Barn Dance to old-time music by AP &The Banty Roosters. Easy circle and line dances, guaranteed to make you smile. No partner needed, just show up and join in. Next, an introduction to Border Morris, taught by Joanie Blanton and members of local Morris teams. Sticks and bells -- what's not to like!! At 2 pm, English Country Dancing (think Jane Austen) will be led by caller Tom Spilsbury with wonderful music by Liz Donaldson, Bruce Edwards and Becky Ross on piano, bassoon and concertina, and fiddle, respectively. Next, a Tango workshop -- instruction and dance, featuring Tango Mercurio Community Orchestra. At 4, the colorful costumes and high energy of Eastern European Folk Dance -- demonstration and dance party by Carpathia Folk Dance Ensemble.

And at 5, Lisa Brooks and Dan Kahn will teach Scandinavian Schottis, with music by Sonia White and Catherine Chapman.

Auxiliary Gym, features a variety of dance styles with local bands and callers, programmed by Chair April Blum. 2011 At noon, an hour of Open Waltz, with music by Firefly. Then an Introduction to Modern Western Squares called by Eva Murray, with music by AP & The Banty Roosters. Then two hours of back-to-back Contra. First, caller Bob Hofkin to music by The Sligo Creek Stompers followed by George Mercer calling to theMousetown Badboys. At 4, new to Mini-Fest this year, is an hour of Cajun dance featuring music by the Cypress Trio. The last hour will be Wreck-Tangles -- dances in odd formations, or with an unusual number of couples -- led by Janine Smith with some fine old time music by Barb Schmidt and Todd Clewell.

Workshops/Concerts -- Rooms 104, 108, 114 and 118

Room 104 -- American Roots

 FSGW welcomes Kim Forry to the Mini-Fest team this year. Kim has programmed the "American Roots" track with some very fine performers:

*At noon, a lighthearted Washboard Workshop led by Jess Eliot Myhre of the Bumper Jacksons -- bring your own washboard (although we may have a few "loaners").

*From 1-2, Neil Harpe offers Mississippi Delta blues, guitar, and vocals.

*From 2-3 Dede Wyland offers a vocal workshop, which will include (time permitting!) how to keep your voice healthy, breath support, and simple techniquest to improve resonance, projection, and vocal quality.

*Then a 30-minute sing-along ukulele workshop, with Dottie Hurley and friends.

* At 3:30, a one-hour concert of old-time music, focusing on the music of Pennsylvania fiddler Sarah Armstrong, by Barb Schmidt and Todd Clewell (they'll also be playing for "Wreck-Tangles" in the Auxiliary Gym from 5 to 6 with caller Janine Smith).

*Starting at 4:30, "Bluegrass on the Fly" -- how to improvise in a bluegrass band or jam setting -- survival skills, tips, tricks and techniques, led by Tara Lindhardt, Lynn Healey, and John Brunschwyler of the Stone Cold Ramblers.

*At 5:30, "Sean-n?s to Flatfoot" -- a discussion and demonstration of the links between Irish step dancing and Appalachian flatfooting, by Shannon Dunne. Shannon will also be appearing in the Cafetorium from 4 pm to 5 pm.

Room 108 -- Traditional Song

Lisa Null has programmed a magnificent array of traditional song for Room 108.

*The Traditional Song track begins with an interesting but overlooked tradition -- songs of Baltimore's own Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller (Young Blood, Yakety Yak, Jailhouse Rock and Hound Dog, among others), rendered with soul and chutzpah by Donna Fletcher, Phil Fox and Severn Savage.

*Next, a rare 30-minute concert by singer extraordinaire Peter Brice.

*Then a set by Martha Burns whose mournful renditions of "the old songs" are matched by her puckish sense of humor and winsome ways with an audience.

*At 1:45, wonderful duets by Kathy Westra and George Stephens.

*At 2:30, swapped songs and duet or two (or more) by Darriel Day and Jocelyn Winkler.

*And then an hour of Irish songs, featuring Connie McKenna, Melissa Weaver Dunning, and Betsy O'Malley.

*At 4 pm, "Songwriting and the Tradition" with Janie Meneely, Bob Clayton, and David Diamond.

*At 4:45 it's Riki Schneyer, a wonderful singer with impeccable musicianship and a lot of soul (and a staff member at the recent Youth Traditional Song Weekend in Massachusetts).

*The afternoon closes with a song swap -- old time and historical songs by Andy Wallace, with Bruce Hutton and Chris Romaine.

Room 114 -- Favorite Folk From Far and Near!

 Another new FSGW Mini-Fest programmer this year is Molly Graham Hickman (also an At Large member of the Board of Directors!). Molly and Linda Goodman (Room 118) have made a special effort to program "family-friendly" workshops this year.

*At noon, Matt Holsen and Bruce Lebovitz -- multi-instrumentalists with decades of musical experience -- will play in a dizzying array of styles -- from Duke Ellington to John Prine to Flatt & Scruggs. They don't rehearse (and they don't apologize).

*Next Karen Ashbrook (hammered dulcimer and wooden flute) and Paul Oorts (harp, guitar, and accordion), who perform as KA/PO present music from in and around Belgium. Then they will be joined by members of the Sligo Creek Hedge School Teens for some Irish sets!

*At 1:30, Andrea Hoag and Melissa Running present the elegant, intricate, and heart-lifting traditional music of Sweden on fiddle and nyckelharpa (key fiddle).

*Valeri Georgiev will dazzle us with the traditional music of Bulgaria. Master of the kaval (Bulgarian end-blown flute), Valeri is a member of the DC-based group Lyuti Chushkis.

*Next Boys' Night Out, an acoustic trio, will play a toe-tapping mixture of vocals and instrumentals in the bluegrass, folk and "old-timey" genres.

*A 30-minute family-friendly concert by Bruce Hutton. A big hit with children, Bruce brightens the room with his banjo, ukulele, mouth bow, and his own hand-made "limber-jacks" -- not to mention his great sense of humor! Bruce will be joined by Molly Hickman for a few tunes.

*Dance and song for all, led by DeLaura Padovan Community-style dancing for all ages. If you can walk, you can dance; if you can talk, you can sing. (she'll also be calling half of the evening dance).

*At 4:45, Tara and Maren Padovan-Hickman (children of DeLaura Padovan and Steve Hickman) offer high-energy Zimbabwean marimba music.

*And this track ends with music by The Squeezers -- Jim Besser, Tom Sanford, Gus Voorhees, and Randy Stein, who celebrate the incredible versatility of bellows-driven free-reed instruments. 

Room 118 -- "Back to the Future"

FSGW would like to thank Linda Goodman for her energy and willingness to tackle programming year after year.

*"Back to the Future" opens at noon with a concert by Whitney Street, who play an eclectic mix of Irish, Scandinavian, International and jazz standards as well as O'Carolan tunes.

*Next is a piano concert by Ian Walters -- spirited, updated blues, standards, and contemporary tunes, in a variety of styles, including boogie woogie, honky-tonk, and New Orleans stride.

*At 1 pm, come explore the mysteries of the lowest voices in the band. Yes, it's for those of you who like to rumble -- "How Low Can You Go?" String bass, washtub bass, jug, and bass uke. Led by Ralph Gordon, a highly regarded session musician well known to the contra crowd; Jim Bunch ("Gutbucketeer"), who plays washtub bass, jug, and washboard with several local bands; and Marv and Kathy Reitz. Marv plays horns and jug. Kathy plays a big bass and a little ukulele bass. They've been on the faculty of Augusta Heritage Swing Week for about 20 years.

*At 2 pm, a concert by Miles Spicer and Friends.

*At 2:30, Miles and Nick Spicer will lead a Kids' Jam. All ages welcome -- get together with kids who play instruments and jam! Singers also welcome. Significant adults will provide backup.

*Given the fact that Eleanor Ellis is a master of Piedmont blues, a DC-area blues elder, and a founding member of the DC Blues Society and the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Founcation, her ageless, supple, and expressive voice comes as a continual surprise, delight, and inspiration. Eleanor's exquisite and refined guitar is a joy to listen to, and the combination of voice and guitar is plangent and fresh

*Dead Men's Hollow draws from bluegrass, country, blues and gospel. Amy Nazarov, Belinda Hardesty, Caryn Fox, Jared Creason, Marcy Cochran, and Mike Clayberg sing in tight harmony, backed by traditional buegrass instrumentation -- fiddle, banjo, mandolin, bass, and guitar.

*"Toss the Feathers" is a traditional Irish folk tune, typically played with a tin whistle and fiddle. It's also the name of the duo Tina Chancey and Valerie Loomer. They play traditional Irish music on period instruments, including theorbo, cittern, and Renaissance fiddle and viol.

*Katherine Fahey is a screen printer, paper cutter, and performer. She makes, and will be showing, a shadow puppet "Crankie" -- a long roll of paper mounted in a special box. While Katherine sings ballads telling the story, the scenes change as the roll is scrolled past the audience. The scrolls are beautiful and the shadow puppets are fascinating and graceful. It's a rare treat to experience an Appalachian Crankie!!

*At 5:30, Slaveya will fill the room with beautiful black, white, red and gold costumes, and fantastic a cappella Balkan vocal music.

Room 122 -- Storytelling   

FSGW sponsors a monthly storyswap, and Mini-Fest is proud to offer a full track of storytelling again this year -- "Jack and the Microwave -- Defrosting Old Stories." Tim Livengood, this year's Storytelling Program Chair and an At Large Board member (thanks, Tim!) will bookend this track at noon and 5:30. Featured tellers include:

*The young and very talented Twinbrook Tellers (in two sessions, at 1:30 and 3:30).

*Laura J. Bobrow (Jack and the Gryphon) at 12:30 pm;

*Jane Dorfman (Out of the Frying Pan) at 1 pm;

*At 2 pm, a very special guest storyteller -- Baba Jamal Koram -- "De Story Man" -? the best of what storytelling is and how it's presented. Organic storytelling, as practiced by Baba Jamal, is a natural extension of personality, experiences, definitions, and intent -? a recognition of the individuality of the audience and a sensitivity to place and time.

*Cricket Parmalee (Superhero? Body Image? More?) at 2:30;

*Bill Mayhew (The Iliad and Other Greek Stuff) at 3;

*Margaret Chatham(The Questin' o' Cleena) at 4;

*Anne Sheldon (Caution: Women with Spindles) at 4:30; and

*Richard Roth at 5;

Jams Room -- Room 184, programmed by Co-Chairs Charlie Baum and April Blum, begins at noon with a Gospel Sing, led by Kathie Mack, followed by a Shape Note Singing led by FSGW regulars. At 2 pm, it's Sea Chanteys, led by Maritime Voices. Then the ever-popular doo-wop vocal workshop, led by the masterful Flawn Williams. From 3:30 to 5, members of Archie's Barbershop will play some fine Blues, and at 5 pm, there's a rollicking Irish seisi?n led by Mitch Fanning.

Evening Activities

In the Main Gym, an entertaining evening dance from 7:30 to 10:30 ? Callers Janine Smith and DeLaura Padovan with music by The Major Minors -- seven young musicians -- Rebecca Weiss and Kaziah Brachfeld on fiddle, Tara Padovan-Hickman and Maren Padovan-Hickman on marimba, Steven Bluestein on horns, Eli Stopak on saxophone, and Ben Miller on piano, percussion, and guitar. Wow!!

And in the Cafetorium, "Ad Astra," an outstanding evening program, put together by Charlie Baum featuring:

*The Chromatics, a full spectrum a cappella sextet, where the harmony of the spheres includes classic covers and outrageous originals. (They began with a group of friends at NASA-Goddard!)

*Glyn Collinson and Andrew Marcus. They offer high-energy 21st Century British roots music--Glyn is a descendant of English source singers, a songwriter, and a designer of equipment for space exploration.

*Tim Livengood -- a great storyteller who has organized the Storytelling room for the Mid-Winter Festival for several years. By day, he's an astronomer.

*Meridian -- Colin de la Barre and Olivia Gale come to us from Gloucester, Massachusetts. Their heavenly harmonies are actually created near the New England shore. Not everybody works with NASA, you know.

If you want to sample BOTH the dance and the concert, please do so!

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