Solstice Music Festival Workshops & Artist Bios – All you need to know!
by Tania Spurkland
June 22nd: Friday Workshops
Beginning at 10 AM sharp
Susanne Summerville, mezzo-soprano, choral conductor and music historian, joined the faculty at UAF in 1978 and retired in 1999 as a Professor of Music. As a writer for international encyclopedias, she has current entries in the New Grove 2000 and the Encyclopedia of Popular Music in the World (“Popular Music in Alaska”). Her recordings include From the Great Land, song cycles by Violet Archer, Ravonna Martin and Corey Field based on the poetry of Interior Alaskan poets Frank Buske, Katherine Doak and Linda Schandelmeier. She is the founding conductor Fairbanks’ Sing-It-Yourself-Messiah, a winner of ASCAP’s CHORUS AMERICA Award for Adventuresome Programming of Contemporary Music and a recipient of the Alaska Governor’s Award for the Arts. Her workshop will be a walk through Alaska’s history of song. It will be a powerpoint presentation of many of Alaska’s early composers and interesting artwork surrounding their works. She says, “We look forward to…..
Popular Music in the 49th State where
We sing of Alaska’s own stories,
Of women and men without fear,
Of those who have faith in the future,
Who live and love on the last frontier.
© Shirley English (Alaska’s Own, 1985)
Beginning precisely at 1:OO PM
Feature Film presented by creator, Dan Crary himself, “THE AMAZING STORY OF THE WORLD’s MOST POPULAR INSTRUMENT”.
Primal Twang is an exciting theatrical journey through the guitar’s colorful and surprisingly controversial 3500–year history. The story of the world’s most popular instrument is brought to life through extraordinary stories, rare historical footage, and electrifying live performances by legendary world musician, Dan Crary and an all-star ensemble of international guitar greats including Grammy-winners: Eric Johnson, Albert Lee, Andrew York, Mason Williams, and Doc. Watson.
June 23rd: Saturday Workshops
Beginning at 1:00 PM
Robin Hopper’s Family Play Party Dance Workshop
Hey kids! Bring your parents, and spend an hour learning some fun musical play-party dances, designed for good old-fashioned family fun! Play Parties date back to the “good-old-days”, when social gatherings centered around singing and dancing. Play party songs are short and easy to learn, with dance steps that are simple to do, and LOTS of fun for all ages.
Finger- Style Workshops
This workshop by John Cook will focus on adding finger style guitar playing into your own style. John will address ‘Travis picking’, ‘drop D’ tuning and some simple neck tapping and harmonics. This is a very ‘hands on’ workshop, with close up demonstrations and examples.
Workshop with Rick Brooks will feature Rick’s own tricks and techniques for finger-style. Rick is a master guitar teacher and Alaskan performer. He is a staff teacher at the Acoustic Alaska Guitar Camp. There will be an emphasis on breaking out of pattern picking and beginning to improvise.
Songwriting Workshop
Cliff Eberhart: One of America’s leading songwriters will be collaborating with Steve Spurgin. Each will bring his own special slant to the art of songwriting.
Steve Spurgin: One of the most prolific and skilled Americana songwriters on earth. Steve is a veteran writer and performer whose new Blue Night Records release continues a career of over three decades of successful songwriting and performing. Steve’s hit songs for Nashville artists have been followed by a string of traditionally themed songs being performed by folk, bluegrass ,and Americana artists all over the world. Spurgin is a seasoned workshop presenter, with great insights into helping his workshop attendees realize their desire to compose and develop the skills and discipline of the successful writer.
Fiddle and Mandolin Techniques
Martin Stevens is an award-winning fiddle and mandolin specialist whose credentials include several years of organizing and coordinating acoustic instrument workshops for children and young people. Combining his performing experience with his formal training in childhood education (he’s an education major at Washington State University), Martin brings a combination of musical skill, a vision for the importance of music in the lives of young people, and specialized training that equips him to instruct both adults and young people in traditional music and acoustic instruments.
Flat Picking Workshop
Dan Crary is a prolific veteran of dozens, “maybe hundreds” of flat picking workshops. Operating from the idea that, one way or another, “we all teach ourselves how to play,” Dan has designed a practical method for workshop attendees to find their way through the mass of guitar information and hundreds of different approaches, and find their own best approach. Improvising, powerful accompaniment, quicker learning of traditional tunes and creating arrangements are all part of a Dan Crary workshop. It’s designed to keep guitar players fired up and moving ahead for years to come.
Rant and Raven Morris Workshop
Morris Dance – Learn the quintessential folk dance of England with Rant & Raven Morris. Dance in sets with rhythmic clashing of sticks and energetic stepping. Please wear clean comfortable dance shoes. (Children 8-15 welcome with an adult.)
Beginners Irish Gaelic Song Workshop
Learn several simple songs in Irish with Dawn Berg based on Mary McLaughlin’s book “Singing in Irish Gaelic”. All ages.
Morris Dance for Two
Learn a Morris Dance Jig:The Nutting Girl, a dance for one or two dancers and a musician. Dan & Serena Coons with Rant & Raven Morris Dancers. Clean dance shoes and bring a pair of hankies or bandanas if you can. (Children 8-15 welcome with an adult.)
Dan and Serena Coons have been dancing and playing for Morris Sides for many years, beginning with Bedlam Bells in Tempe, Arizona and continuing on with Rant and Raven Morris in Anchorage.
Arranging with James Lee Stanley
Tired of all your songs sounding the same? Tired of hearing one approach to guitar accompaniment –strumming? Come to the guitar orchestration workshop hosted by James Lee Stanley and change your life. Make new friends, have people actually call YOU for dates. Extend your life expectancy. This is the workshop for those who care about making great music and having a little fun on the way. James says, “I will show you how to make your songs and arrangements interesting, compelling and entertaining. Who knows? You might actually get work after this.”
Performer Collaboration lead by Milo Matthews
Individuals in this workshop will create a piece, collaborating their skills into one larger piece to be presented on stage at the end of the festival. This is open to all, festival performers and attendees as well.
Everybody Ukelele
Tim Quinn will be leading a workshop in ukulele playing. Bring your own or you can borrow one of ours to try out this cool instrument and maybe learn a song or two. Don’t be shy. This is great fun.
Suzanne Summerville Powerpoint Presentation
Including: Lorraine Koranda (composer and scholar), Native music in Alaska and The Legend of Denali.
Our Performers Biographies!
The Cindy McKenna Band
Cindy McKenna After nearly 35 years of songwriting, Cindy McKenna has recorded and released a CD “Joy of Life” (2011) and most recently a single called “Stars”. She writes songs based on real life experience, mixing traditional and contemporary folk, with a hint of bluegrass and country.
Lindianne Sarno Renaissance woman Lindianne is an author, pianist, fiddler, guitarist, composer and songwriter. Lindianne just released her CD “American Man, Freedom Songs from the Peace Line”, recorded at Homer’s LoveLifeMusic Productions. Lindianne teaches music, performs and composes in Homer.
Tim Quinn has performed twice at Seldovia’s Solstice Music Festival and is looking forward to coming back! He plays in several groups in Homer: Seafaring Strangers, Relatively Famous, Cindy McKenna Band, Homer Country Folk Band, and Homer Ukulele Society, playing guitar, mando, banjo, and or uke. He is looking forward to heading up the uke jam exploring different types of music that can be done on the mighty ukulele…
Sunrise Kilcher Sjoeberg was born across the Bay and has been singing at least since then. Previously appearing twice at the Seldovia Solstice Music Festival in the band “Relatively Famous”, she’s excited to be back as part of the Cindy McKenna Band. Past musical adventures include many Anchorage Folk Fests, nine “On the Wing” Shorebird productions, Christmas concerts thru the years at Bunnel Gallery in Homer, many World Café’s and most recently Homer’s own Ukulele Society activities. She loves to harmonize, play most any kind of music with most anybody. It’s “Why We’re Here!!!”
Milo Matthews, an Alaskan Groovlicious bass driven soloist, takes you on an edgy soulful journey that speaks a simple truth that will rock you back into life. Milo’s full mastered sound contains many layers of rhythms, textured effect, and rocking vocal, and if you close your eyes, you would think you were listening to a full band. He is currently living his dream as a Producer, Recording Engineer, Musician and Husband at Love Life Music Productions, a humble and highly creative recording studio residing in the forested woods of Homer, Alaska. Milo began his music career as a busker in the subways of Boston, Mass. Well-known for his mastery of the electric bass, Milo has performed with several bands including the Danny Godinez Band and Salem– both of which have garnered a faithful following throughout Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. Milo has released several solo albums, most recently his sixth solo album “Miles of Eva.”
Hurricane Dave Singer-songwriter Hurricane Dave delivers original songs about living in Alaska, written from the cock-eyed perspective of a relative newcomer. He describes his style as “Acoustic Country with a Smile.” An award-winning songwriter, Dave has been performing professionally for more than 35years, in a journey that has taken him from the clubs of Washington, D.C., to Nashville, Southern California, Florida and points in between. He moved to Anchorage from Fort Lauderdale in 2008 and has declared Alaska to be his permanent home. Dave has two CDs to his credit: “The Cheechako Chronicles – Postcards, E-mails & Tweets From Alaska” and “Bar Stools &Church Pews – Songs For Friday Night & Sunday Morning.” More information at www.HurricaneDaveMusic.com.
Angela Kositz and Lee Pekrul Angela has been a musician for 18 years. She has played with several groups around the Anchorage area and at summer festivals, and was the entertainment coordinator for the 1996 Arctic Winter Games for the Eagle River/Chugiak area. She was the music booking agent for the Talkeetna Blue Grass Festival from 1999 – 2002. Lee Pekrul, a fantastic musician, and Angela played in a band many years ago called Un-group. Just recently they decided to collaborate once again for Seldovia’s Solstice Music Festival.
The John Cook Trio minus one plays acoustic folk-blues, featuring the finger picking guitar style and song writing of John Cook, the acoustic lead playing of Ken Sease and dynamic vocals of Allison Ingram. John and Allison first started playing together in 2004 with the release of the “Out of the Basement” CD, that Ken engineered. Ken began playing with them adding creative acoustic lead parts. Frequently playing many of the Alaska festivals and local venues, they are known for intricate guitar parts and emotional vocals. Following the release of “Nothing More to Say”, they took a 3-year break and have returned to the festival scene and are currently finishing a new CD. John Cook will also be leading a finger picking guitar workshop.
Eric Braendel Alaskan born singer songwriter, brings an original mix of folk and blues to the stage. A multiple award winner in the APRN song of the year competition, he will be joined on stage by his son Sean, who has just returned from a European tour with the Anchorage Youth Symphony. Sean will put away his cello, and dust off his guitar for this performance, which he plays very well.
Tom Begich The bohemian son of a family steeped in Alaska politics and the product of a life of music and art, Tom Begich’s music and poetry resonates with stories and conflicts of the human condition. Tom has opened for recording artists Kelly Joe Phelps, Anne McCue, Samarabalouf, the Santa Cruz River Band, Tim Mason, Stephen Fearing, Don Morrell, Paul Geremia, Randall Williams, Terry Holder, and Kim Richey. Tom has appeared on XM Radio and performed live on numerous radio stations and on the nationally syndicated radio shows “West Coast Live” and “River City Folk”. Tom has released four CDs, “Such a World” in 1997, “Hotel Metropol” in 1999, “Albuquerque Road” in 2001, and “Cool Blue Light” in 2004/2005. Tom is in the studio now with his two latest CD projects, tentatively-titled “Fulton Street” and an as yet untitled compilation of music and spoken word with poet Tim Mason as the Bone Collectors– both expected for release in 2012. His first book of poetry, “Six Truths: 50 Sonnets” is set for publication at the same time.
Rick Brooks For 15 Years, Rick Brooks has been at the forefront of acoustic guitar in Alaska. Rick has performed with some of today’s great acoustic guitarists … Brit-folk legend John Renbourn, Wings (with Sir Paul McCartney) guitarist Laurence Juber, National Fingerstyle Champion and explorer/pioneer Tim Sparks, and Celtic guitarist extra-ordinaire Tony McManus. Rick has opened shows for many of the great solo bluesmen … John Hammond, Paul Geremia and Guy Davis. All of this, after years of playing rock, R&B, and pop music in bands from the farthest reaches of Alaska to the stages of Chilkoot Charlie’s. Previous to this, was years of academic study from advanced harmonic technique (think Bartok, Stravinsky & Schoenberg) to jazz studies with Wendy Williamson. Rick brings all these roots together for his dynamic and eclectic solo performances.
Suzanne Summerville, mezzo-soprano, choral conductor and music historian, joined the faculty at UAF in 1978 and retired in 1999 retired as Professor of Music. As a writer for international encyclopedias, she has current entries in the New Grove 2000 (Fairbanksan Robert M Crawford, composer of “Off We Go into the Wild Blue Yonder”), and the Encyclopedia of Popular Music in the World (“Popular Music in Alaska”). Her recordings include From the Great Land, song cycles by Violet Archer, Ravonna Martin and Corey Field based on the poetry of Interior Alaskan poets Frank Buske, Katherine Doak and Linda Schandelmeier. She is the founding conductor Fairbanks’ Sing-It-Yourself-Messiah, winner of ASCAP’s CHORUS AMERICA Award for Adventuresome Programming of Contemporary Music and a recipient of the Alaska Governor’s Award for the Arts
Robin Hopper You never know quite what to expect from singer-songwriter Robin Hopper….. One moment, you’ll be laughing as she delves into the hilarious aspects of the human condition, and in the next, you’ll find yourself reaching for your kleenex as she tugs at your heartstrings. Robin is an award-winning music educator, and a decorated songwriter; winning Top Five Finalist honors four times in Alaska Public Radio Network’s Alaska Song of the Year Contest, and being named as the Contest’s Overall Winner in 2003. You’ll find her at Alaskan festivals and concert series, as well as points Outside, both as a main-stage performer, and workshop presenter. She has 5 CDs available, with a 6th in the planning stages. Her music is available on CDBaby.com and iTunes.
Rant and Raven Morris Dance Formed in 1994, Rant and Raven Morris is the only Traditional English Morris Dance group in Alaska. They’ve danced on stages, streets, ferries and mountains. Performances include Alaska Scottish Highland Games, Ninilchik and Palmer State Fairs, the Opening of the Sea Life Center in Seward, Northwest Folklife in Seattle, and the Berkeley Morris “Beyond the Pale Ale” in San Francisco. In England, they were honored to take tea with the Mayor Whitby on their way to the Scarborough Faire in 1999 and participate in the Rochester Sweeps Festival in 2006. Regulars at the Anchorage Folk Festival and Anchorage Waldorf May Fair, they often perform for charity or for food and beer, but welcome an occasional paid gig! Come to their workshop Saturday to join in the fun. Chris & Dawn Berg, Serena & Dan Coons, Karin Gustafson, Lyn Lemon, Donna Levesque, Joanne Teague.
Dawn Berg is a singer and dancer with an affinity for the British Isles, beginning with bus trips and pubs sessions while on exchange in England. A voice student of Peggy Monaghan’s, opportunities to sing folks songs at Irish Cultural Performances and jazz and show tunes at Arctic Siren’s Cabarets have given her a strong, clear vocal style all her own. Dawn also leads a monthly song circle at Celtic Treasures in Anchorage the last Saturday of the month. In September of 2011, she joined the Irish Language Study Group to learn songs in Irish Gaelic which she will be teaching on Saturday.
James Lee Stanley has released 21 solo CD’s; as well as three duet CD’s with Peter Tork, A Beachwood Christmas with Tom Paxton, Peter Tork and Pamala Stanley, Two Man Band Two(a duet CD with Michael Smith), All Wood and Stones (a duet CD with John Batdorf) and the newly released All Wood and Doors(a duet CD with Cliff Eberhardt). He wrote the Top Five hit, “Coming Out of Hiding”, as well as the hits “I Don’t Want To Talk About It”; “Plenty of Reason”; “All I Ever Wanted”; and “Make It Tonight”. He scored the Emmy Award Winning CATHY Specials for Prime Time CBS-TV, the Cable Ace Award Winning Tom Parks HBO Special, and the Award Winning Tom Parks Diabetes Documentary, the Love Theme from Key Exchange (a major motion picture). James Lee has produced Mike Pinder/Moody Blues, Nicolette Larson, and Peter Tork, amongst many others. James Lee has shared the stage with everyone from Bonnie Raitt to Bill Cosby, Dionne Warwick to Steven Wright, Art Garfunkel to Robin Trower; sometimes spending as much as 300 days a year on the road. He also spent five and a half years on the TV Show, “ Startrek Deep Space Nine”, as various aliens including the singing Klingon. And he’s still such a nice guy…
Cliff Eberhardt is an American folk singer-songwriter. He is a founding member of the Fast Folk Music Cooperative in New York City. Eberhardt joined Red House Records in 1997 and has recorded five albums for the label, the most recent in 2009, “500 Miles: The Blue Rock Sessions”.[1] In 2011, he released an acoustic album of Doors songs, “All Wood and Doors”, with fellow musician James Lee Stanley on Beechwood Recordings.[2] Also that year, he contributed a cover to “Nod to Bob II”, a Red House compilation honoring Bob Dylan on his 70th birthday. Eberhardt was born on January 7, 1954, in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia. His family had a musical background, and he began playing guitar at an early age. At 15, he and his brother Gregg began touring as a duo. In 1976, he moved to Carbondale, Illinois, attracted by the local music scene, spent some time in Colorado, and then in 1978 relocated to New York, where he became part of the second folk and acoustic music revival. Among the other artists performing in Lower Manhattan coffeehouses at the time were John Gorka, Shawn Colvin, Lucy Kaplansky and David Massengill.
Billy Goat is Seldovia’s own “old timey” group, which has been honing their skills by playing at various Seldovia and Girdwood venues and is a town favorite. The group consists of Kari Hendrick, Kirby Corwin, Jeff Snedgen, and Chris Lillo.
Thunderation
Dan Crary is the musical legend, master of the guitar, a founder and pioneer of flatpicking, and a stylist with an international reputation for innovation, taste, and brilliance. His performance style blends traditional material from a variety of American sources and continues to blaze exciting new territory in his recordings and personal appearances today. Dan is a veteran of tours in more than thirty countries as he connects musically and personally with fans throughout the world. If creativity, quality, and longevity are hallmarks of artistic achievement, then Dan Crary must be recognized as one of the greatest traditional artists of our day.
Steve Spurgin is a native son of the Lone Star State whose song writing, recording, and performing have spanned the globe and earned him wide acclaim and a multitude of fans. As a former Nashville staff writer penning songs for the publishing companies of Gene Watson and Reba McEntire, Steve has several major country music hits to his credit and has received awards from BMI and IBMA, as well as being a “New Folk” winner at the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival. His “performed with” resume’ includes, among others, the super group California, Byron Berline and Sundance, Mason Williams, Freddy Fender, and The Limelighters.
Martin Stevens already packs a musical wallop. He has a decade of experience and a substantial reputation in the Pacific Northwest. He is destined to become a force to be reckoned with in American roots music.
Dan McElrath is a graduate of the Furman University School of Music. He has performed for the past 30 years in venues across America covering a wide range of musical styles from gospel to contemporary jazz. Recently the Dan Mac Quintet has recorded CD’s with vocalists Cat Coward (Out of the Bag-2007), Katie Strock (DanKa-2008) and Voni K (So Nice-2008) all of which can be found on iTunes. In 2010 Dan performed with trumpetist Yngvil Vatn Guttu on her new release “Plan B” as well as with saxophonist Rick Zelinsky on his just released CD “Rick Zelinsky LIVE” (2010). On 12/1/2010 Dan released a bass/piano duet Christmas CD with bassist Ray Booker entitled “An Alyeskan Christmas”. The Dan Mac Quintet just completed its 2011 tour of its CD “Ajazzka” which is a musical jazz mosaic of Alaska composed and performed by pianist Dan McElrath. Dan is one of our stellar sound engineers at this event as well as the accompanist for several of the performers. We are so lucky to have had Dan with us for most of the Seldovia Summer Solstice Music Festivals.
Simone De Biblioteque is a regular at the Seldovia Summer Solstice Festival, but being a creature of the night, and really quite shy of the public, she comes to light once a year to thrill her adoring public with her zanny songs and wicked personality.
Category: Entertainment
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