The Woods 2000

Subject: RE: The Woods 2000
From: Jason LaPrade
Date: 22 Aug 00 - 11:10 AM

My personal favourite highlight was a workshop called writing the blues by Rick Fines. It's unfortunate that it was such a small class (or maybe that's what was special about it). The few people who were there, got many personal insights into Rick that even some of his close friends might not know. It gave me new insights into many of his songs that I've listened to for years.

Doing sound was certainly another highlight (I guess that's why I do it). In particular, Jean and Christina's sound check and performance just fell into place. They're so much fun to work with.

And Jeff -- the zombies after midnight do make the best music! To be asked to play a solo by both Mark and Rick made me feel like a real musician :>)

And as for Tom Leighton, I don't think I've met a more warm and generous (and don't forget hillarious) musician.

Jason.

Subject: RE: The Woods 2000
From: GUEST,Bouzouki Bob
Date: 21 Aug 00 - 09:29 PM

For me, this was the first Woods, and what a thrill it was.My personal heighlight was Haines & Leighton. Mark has such a good voice, and everything is delivered with a great sense of humor. (remember "I'm gonna be a D.J."? I can't remember when I last laughed so hard!)Tom puts his whole body into his music, it is a real treat to watch him preform. A very close second was the concert by Rick Fines. His guitar style was incredible! When any of these three preformers showed up in the "log jam" building, there was magic in the air.I have So many good memories of jamming, meeting new people,and listening to great music. Hats off to Grit And his team for organizing such a superb event.

Subject: RE: The Woods 2000
From: black walnut
Date: 21 Aug 00 - 07:39 PM

real nice, ebbie. you're spot on.

~'nut

Subject: RE: The Woods 2000
From: Ebbie
Date: 21 Aug 00 - 06:40 PM

That Peggy Seeger is a marvel. On her, the constant travel and strain of being on the road looks great. Not to take ANYTHING away from you, black walnut, I think it's because she does make these connections with individuals. She is so present when she's talking with someone that it doesn't wear her out.

When I complimented her on the gown she was wearing- a flowing, multi-tiered sea-foam-green ankle-length dress- she responded by swooping one of the tiers up and hooding her face Madonna-style. Totally charming.

Ebbie

Subject: RE: The Woods 2000
From: black walnut
Date: 21 Aug 00 - 06:01 PM

lord help me, rana...my birthday is october 23. who do i ask? name, number, SIN.... please and thank you!!

~'nut

Subject: RE: The Woods 2000
From: Rana who SHOULD be working
Date: 21 Aug 00 - 05:40 PM

'Nut,

Are you going to ask Mariposa if you can MC the night Mariposa present Peggy Seeger at the Cloud on October 22?

Rana

Subject: RE: The Woods 2000
From: GUEST,jhcole
Date: 21 Aug 00 - 05:10 PM

Wow - so many postings and it's only 24 hours later!! Don't you people sleep? Oh, that's right - most of us don't!! :-)

Yeah, it was more than incredible. I'm taking hilites for the next Old Chestnuts newsletter (hint). For me it was Tom Leighton and Mark Haines and rhythm class and singing Terry Tufts music in 4 part harmony and watching 2 fiddles, accordion and guitar at light speed from 5 feet away (Christina Smith, Mark, Tom and Jean Hewson). And can you imagine 80 folkies doing the Time Warp? Me either - but we did........

Find a way to come. The Woods changes lives........ (of course, maybe you already LIKE your life.......)

jc

Subject: RE: The Woods 2000
From: black walnut
Date: 21 Aug 00 - 05:05 PM

alice....no, there wasn't anything on that topic. and very little mentioned about any of the other seegers.

~'nut

Subject: RE: The Woods 2000
From: black walnut
Date: 21 Aug 00 - 04:46 PM

peggy seeger is my 'thought for the day'. tomorrow, i'll tell you about rick fines. no i won't. i won't be here. maybe wednesday.

oh, did i mention that PEGGY HUGGED ME good-bye? did i? huh? did i?

~'nut (who just took in 6 films for processing. 1 Woods, 6 films. i wonder how many i took of peggy seeger....)

Subject: RE: The Woods 2000
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 21 Aug 00 - 03:47 PM

Sorry Walnut. I saw Peggy having breakfast at a Denny's and she wrote the same thing on my napkin- "For a new friend,Debbie". I've always been baffled about it 'til now.:>}

But seriously...sounds like the experience of a lifetime,'nut! Congratulations.

LEJ

Subject: RE: The Woods 2000
From: Catrin
Date: 21 Aug 00 - 03:46 PM

Black Walnut - I do know how you feel.

I saw Peggy Seeger a couple of years ago at a concert and was introduced to her by a mutual friend. When the show finished she kissed me on the cheek. I'll swear it was quite a while before I washed my face!

But unlike you, I didn't get to spend a whole week! Singing!

Well done that girl.

Catrin

P.S. Thanks for the website - it looks great but probably travelling expenses etc. make it a bit of an impossibility.

Subject: RE: The Woods 2000
From: Morticia
Date: 21 Aug 00 - 02:44 PM

one more gush? I'd have filled 100 threads by now.....I think you've been really restrained.....it sounds wonderful.....shame it's so far away.

Subject: RE: The Woods 2000
From: black walnut
Date: 21 Aug 00 - 02:26 PM

permit me one more gush....

peggy wrote on my cd liner, "For a new friend, Debbie".

that's me, my name is debbie.

(maybe she says that to everybody? please say no.)

~black walnut

Subject: RE: The Woods 2000
From: black walnut
Date: 21 Aug 00 - 01:22 PM

catrin, http://www.mgl.ca/~jhcole/thewoods/thewoods.html has information and pictures.

jeffm (my dear friend and talented music partner), good list.

~'nut

Subject: RE: The Woods 2000
From: catspaw49
Date: 21 Aug 00 - 01:21 PM

Well what a time!!! I love reading these kind of reports.....so graphic that I get excited and tired at the same time. Sounds wonderful group.

Spaw

Subject: RE: The Woods 2000
From: Catrin
Date: 21 Aug 00 - 01:03 PM

This sounds amazing - where was it? how much did it cost? when's the next one?.......

Catrin

Subject: RE: The Woods 2000
From: GUEST,JeffM
Date: 21 Aug 00 - 12:11 PM

A general outline of a day at the Woods (as written through a blinding fog of fatigue):

* Wake up (with difficulty). * Feeble attempt at personal hygiene. * Eat (while trying to communicate with others through mono-syllabic grunts). * Classes with staff (professional musicians with incredible talents and insights) in your personal area of endeavor. These last all week. * Eat again. (Language capabilities have improved slightly.) * Schlep tables. * Community time: excellent gathering of entire camp to sing, discuss, and laugh about various topics. Redefines 'group hug'. * Schlep tables. * Workshops (similar to classes, but normally a one-time event). Topics are quite eclectic. All are incredibly interesting, and are often accompanied by much laughter and frivolity. * Free time (swimming, canoeing, practicing, jamming, sleeping, first approaches to beer fridge) * Dinner. * Schlep tables. * Camper's performances; a chance for campers to strut their stuff for others. (Note to future hosts: You will have to endure massive amounts of abuse if you attempt to bring just a LITTLE BIT OF JOY to the lives of others through quality humour and interesting points of information.) * Staff performances (always excellent). * Dancing. (Disco has been replaced by the square and step varieties.) * Song circle and jamming (The remaining zombies at 2AM make the best music). * Raiding of kitchen (eating from vats of peanut butter with your hands). * Token amount of sleep. * The cycle is repeated.

I can't wait until next year!!!

Subject: RE: The Woods 2000
From: black walnut
Date: 21 Aug 00 - 10:22 AM

bodran tony, i send you yet another hug, my dear friend. and crowhugger's mom, in every one of her smiles is another dance. there were a few other 'catters there, too, sophocleese. i assume they're still in bed.

i'm certain banjo bonnie would have something to add, but she's bobbing around in a canoe somewhere for the next few days, smiling and laughing and remembering....

~'nut

Subject: RE: The Woods 2000
From: Alice
Date: 21 Aug 00 - 10:18 AM

awesome. thanks for telling us about it. I have an old songbook for children by Ruth Crawford Seeger. Any discussion about folksongs in public schools today?

Subject: RE: The Woods 2000
From: Crowhugger
Date: 21 Aug 00 - 10:01 AM

'nut,

That's pretty much how Mom summed it up. Plus something about the deeply poignant thrill of singing with so many people who love to harmonize...Quite a hectic pace to fit so much into 5 days...The time of her life...

...you get the idea...

CH.

Subject: RE: The Woods 2000
From: black walnut
Date: 21 Aug 00 - 09:32 AM

standS.

i'm not awake.

~'nut

Subject: RE: The Woods 2000
From: black walnut
Date: 21 Aug 00 - 09:31 AM

tony,

P.S. stand for Peggy Seeger.

~'nut

Subject: RE: The Woods 2000
From: Tony Burns
Date: 21 Aug 00 - 09:19 AM

Sheesh! I was there all week too and all 'nut can talk about is Peggy Seeger. :-)

P.S. It was the best Woods Camp so far.

Subject: RE: The Woods 2000
From: sophocleese
Date: 21 Aug 00 - 09:16 AM

Envy...Envy...Envy...AARGH!

Sounds excellent black walnut. Glad you had a great time and I'm looking forward to hearing from others about the week.

Subject: RE: The Woods 2000
From: Morticia
Date: 21 Aug 00 - 09:09 AM

Wow, that's wonderful BW.....bet you're still flying, aren't you?

Subject: The Woods 2000
From: black walnut
Date: 21 Aug 00 - 09:02 AM

peggy seeger.

6 days and 5 nights with peggy seeger and about 80 other remarkable women and men. surrounded by lake, rocks, flowers, trees, full moon, looncalls....

only just arrived home yesterday evening.

i have just spent amost a week with peggy seeger. ballad classes. songwriting classes. feminism in folk music classes. concerts. dancing. laughing. stories. admiring that beautiful face that inspired the song, "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face". what eyes. what a smile. what strength. and that special intimate breakfast conversation the two of us shared, oblivious to the clatter and chatter around us.

peggy told me that she LOVED my dulcimer playing. it doesn't get much better than that....

~black walnut