Program
Friday evening
6:40 — Susan Mumma: a Seldovia songwriter and performer. She will play some of her own compositions. (music sample)
7:00 — Faolan: a young Irish band from Anchorage featuring the talents of Ahnna Sutherlin, William Sutherlin, Dane Walker, and Willow Feighery.
7:20 — Seafarin’ Strangers: a group from Homer, Alaska who have been playing together in various configurations for years. Sally Wills, Brian Court, Dave Gerard, Knute Tonga and Tim Quinn play an assortment of acoustic music ranging from original songs and a cross-blend bluegrass to contemporary music.
7:40 — Wes Weddell: guitarist and songwriter, travels to us from Seattle, Washington where he has spent time gathering stories from the folks along the way and putting them into song. His debut CD is “Songs to Get You from Here to There.” (music samples)
8:10 — Rob Rurka: guitarist, is a diamond in the rough. He has been instrumental in the phoenix-like development of the local Seldovia music scene and he is a darned good guitar teacher.
8:30 — break
8:50 — Esther Golton: from Talkeetna, Alaska. She has just returned from a national tour debuting her new CD, “Unfinished Houses.” Esther’s whimsical songs feature her golden voice accompanied by unique styling on the mountain dulcimer and flute. She will be accompanied by Seattle singer and songwriter Pam Emerson, who provided vocal harmony on the CD and who otherwise performs with Sin Fronteras, an ensemble that interprets traditional and contemporary folk music from across the Americas.
9:10 — Joe Craven: Hailing from San Francisco, Joe is a multi-instrumentalist with a twinkle in his eye and a contagious love for music of all types. Music is not limited to the guitar, the piano, the drum set or the voice. It is a rhythmic, pulsating, pattern of sound that can sooth or excite the soul. Joe will be showing us that music can be created in unusual ways and that the the physics of music connects the emotions and the theory and can and should be accomplished by anyone. Joe was last heard in Seldovia when traveling with Allison Brown. It was then he won the hearts of Seldovians and Seldovia in turn became one of Joe’s favorite places. That is saying a lot because Joe has traveled the world with the David Grisman Quintet. Welcome home back Joe! (music samples)
10:00 — Ralston Bowles: Songwriter and guitarist, accompanied by Drew Howard (Captain Midnight) on steel guitar, will bring the songs of the heart to the festival. Ralston and Drew are from the Midwest. They each have had long careers in the music business, sometimes as venue host, sometimes as performer, but always into the heart of music. Their style is a blend of folk/rock with a little bit of country. Ralston’s new CDs, “Carwreck Conversations” and “Rally at the Texas Hotel” on Wildflower Records are a lesson in communications and get right to the heart of some of the hard issues facing humanity with songs such as “What kind of friend am I?”, “Fragile”, “What Do You Want From Me Now?”, “Velvet Elvis” and more.
10:20 — Seekbob:one of Anchorage, Alaska’s hottest bluegrass/gospel style groups following in the tradition of Barefoot and the Emeralds. Kalia Yeagle, Emily Mc Laughlin, Garren Volper and Forrest Allen (son of Mary Shallert, famous fiddle teacher extraodinaire) will be a pleasure to host in Seldovia. (music samples)
10:40 — Mamma Tonga Band:a Homer Family Band featuring Mike Tonga, Heather, Tonga, Kristen Tonga, and Burl Tonga.
Saturday daytime
10 am
Tidepool Cafe :: Song circle
Come join our performers and sing; bring an instrument if you have one.
1 pm workshops
Orca Room :: Intermediate Irish Fiddle with Ahnna Sutherlin
This class can be all ages with some fiddle/violin experience required. I will provide sheet music for the tunes I teach as well as some additional tune sets.
Otter Room :: Everyone Live with Joe Craven
Joe Craven believes that music is as much a basic life skill as language and that all people can learn to sing in tune, keep a beat, and participate confidently in music-making. Students will be making music with a variety of found instruments.
Boys & Girls Club :: Playing together with SeekBob
This will be a jam with these musicians.
2 pm workshops
Commons :: Didgeridoo with Shawn Zuke
Workshop participants will be making and playing a PVC pipe didgeridoo. This workshop was a blast last time Shawn was here. Session will be held outdoors if the weather is good.
Orca Room :: Making Sense of Music with Ralston Bowles
Ralson will answer questions regarding the creative process from songwriting to recording, sharing from the collective experience of studio and touring. A low key approach to working with and listening to the inner muse.
Otter Room :: Mandolin with Brian Court
Basic mandolin styles
Boys & Girls Club :: Fingerpicking with Marion Walsh
Just because you only know three chords doesn’t mean that you can’t fingerpick like a pro! This workshop will take the mystery out of the finger picking. Together, we will explore the basic picking patterns that can be applied to any song. Come to the workshop with a song you are learning, and we’ll find a picking pattern that will make you sound like a master guitar player. (Knowledge of GCD chords needed.)
3 pm workshops
Commons :: Bass guitar workshop with Milo Matthews
Students will learn different methods of playing the electric bass. They will also have some great experiences using a looping device.
Orca Room :: Song writing with Rob Rurka
Songwriting for the beginner.
Otter Room :: Harmonizing with Sunrise Sjoeberg
Boys & Girls Club :: Dobro with Drew Howard
Captain Midnight will give an overview of the resophonic guitar (square-neck dobro), explain its origins in the 1920s, give examples of styles, and demonstrate its features, techniques and repertoire.
Saturday evening
6:40 — Seldovia Fiddlers: a group of young people including Serina Turner, Olivia Turner and their teacher Mary Glover. Their songs include traditional melodies and Irish tunes.
7:00 — Sarahndipity: a family group from Girdwood, Alaska featuring Sarah Bartholmew, Steve Bartholmew, Matt Spence, and Dustin Rider. Traditional bluegrass is featured. (music samples)
7:20 — Marion Walsh:a singer songwriter from Vancouver BC. She sings of her transplanting from the Boston area where she played for years in coffee houses and radio to the west coast, in her CD “House to House.” Her finest instrument is her voice. She accompanies herself on the guitar, mandolin and piano. (music samples; more samples)
7:40 — Relatively Famous: a group from Homer, Alaska . Russian songs and original music will be played by Sunrise Sjoeberg, Marjolean, Cardon, Mike Shellman and Tim Quinn.
8:10 — Shawn Zuke & Milo Matthews: Exotic songstress Shawn Zuke and mega-cool base player Milo Matthews sing a combination of new-age jazz. Original songs with a rockin’ base sound feature the flute, the didgeridoo, guitar, drums and more. (music samples)
8:30 — break
8:50 — Tom Begich: a veteran Alaskan performer with three CDs under his belt and a national touring schedule. Tom’s newest CD, “Cool Blue Light,” is receiving national recognition and taking him to far-away places on a regular basis. Tom’s work reflects mastery of a classical guitar gone folk, excellent songwriting, and lots of heart (he even writes sonnets). (music samples)
9:10 — Ralston Bowles: Songwriter and guitarist, accompanied by Drew Howard (Captain Midnight) on steel guitar, will bring the songs of the heart to the festival. Ralston and Drew are from the Midwest. They each have had long careers in the music business, sometimes as venue host, sometimes as performer, but always into the heart of music. Their style is a blend of folk/rock with a little bit of country. Ralston’s new CDs, “Carwreck Conversations” and “Rally at the Texas Hotel” on Wildflower Records are a lesson in communications and get right to the heart of some of the hard issues facing humanity with songs such as “What kind of friend am I?”, “Fragile”, “What Do You Want From Me Now?”, “Velvet Elvis” and more.
10:00 — Joe Craven: Hailing from San Francisco, Joe is a multi-instrumentalist with a twinkle in his eye and a contagious love for music of all types. Music is not limited to the guitar, the piano, the drum set or the voice. It is a rhythmic, pulsating, pattern of sound that can sooth or excite the soul. Joe will be showing us that music can be created in unusual ways and that the the physics of music connects the emotions and the theory and can and should be accomplished by anyone. Joe was last heard in Seldovia when traveling with Allison Brown. It was then he won the hearts of Seldovians and Seldovia in turn became one of Joe’s favorite places. That is saying a lot because Joe has traveled the world with the David Grisman Quintet. Welcome home back Joe!
10:20 — Billy Goat:features tight bluegrass music by Seldovians Jeff Snedgen, Chris Lelo, Kerry Hendricks and Kirby Corwin.
10:40 — Dan MAC Band: jazz band features Dan McElrath on piano, Katie Strock on vocals, and Lucius Oliver on drums. They feature original jazz pieces, songs of the 30s & 40s, and more.
Note: this schedule is subject to change, right up until the performers go on stage. But this version is probably pretty close.
Photo credit: Thumbnails and artist images for Billy Goat, Dan MAC Band, Susan Mumma and Seldovia Fiddlers from original photos by Mary Glover.
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