Clearwater Festival

Subject: RE: Clearwater Festival
From: Wavestar
Date: 15 Jun 01 - 06:01 PM

Hey everyone - Sorry, I won't be there after all, but I hope everyone has a marvelous time!

-J

Subject: Giants walking the Earth
From: Suffet
Date: 15 Jun 01 - 06:31 AM

After reading Evy's message immediately above and my own just before it, I wish to amend my thoughts by saying that giants in addition to Pete Seeger still do walk the Earth. I do not know Randi and Murray Speigel, but I do know the other folks she mentions, and I assure you that each is a giant in his or her own way.

I would especially like to pay tribute to Sol Weber. The man is on a mission and that is to get people to sing, and maybe in the process make the world a better place for all of us. Since I know that the prayers of an infidel like myself count just as much as those of the most devout believer, all I can say is God bless you, Sol!

And need I mention that four of the other people Evy mentions -- Joy Bennett, Steve Mayer, Ellen Weiss, and David Kleiman -- comprise a quartet that has been the subject of numerous Mudcat messages. That quartet is none other than Water Sign. And if you like what you hear at the Clearwater festival, come hear a full Water Sign concert on Friday evening, November 2, 2001, 8 PM, at the Advent Lutheran Church, West 93rd Street and Broadway in New York City. General adult admission is $13, but if you are a member of New York Pinewoods Folk Music Club you can get in for free. To join, stop by the NYPFMC table at the festival. Or show up at Evy's workshop and ask her or Joy Bennett.

Evy Mayer is also a giant in her own way. As the current NYPFMC program chairperson she has been tireless in her efforts to bring top quality folk music to the New York metro area. And on top of that she plays one mean uke.

---- Steve

Subject: RE: Clearwater Festival
From: ukelady
Date: 15 Jun 01 - 12:09 AM

For those interested in Rounds singing at the Festival, there has been a slight change in the schedule. It's Saturday 4:00-4:45 PM. and Sunday 12:45-2:00 PM. Sol Weber, Evy Mayer, and Randi & Murray Speigel, will be assisted by Joy Bennett, David Kleiman, Ellen Weiss, and Steve Mayer. Mudcatters, stop by the NY Pinewoods Folk Music Club table and say hello.

Subject: RE: Clearwater Festival
From: Suffet
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 07:02 AM

A heads up for Mary and all others who enjoy Songs of the Spirit and other Peoples Music Network thingies. We're having our next winter gathering in Ashville, NC, Jan. 25-27, 2002. Our June 2002 summer gathering will be at a camp in Connecticut. Then our Jan. 2003 winter gathering will be in Syracuse, NY.

See us Sunday at Clearwater for details.

Personally, I'll be splitting my time between the Circle of Song and the NY Pinewoods table. Help, I have one foot in the trad-folk world and the other in the topical-political world! To quote Jim Stark (from "Rebel Without a Cause"), "You're tearing me apart!"

It wasn't always that way, however. When I picked up my first guitar 40 years ago the two strands were so intertwined they were nearly indistinguishable. Maybe that's why I love the Clearwater festival so much. It harks back to those days when giants walked the Earth. Actually, Pete Seeger still does!

--- Steve

Subject: RE: Clearwater Festival
From: GUEST,Marymac90
Date: 13 Jun 01 - 02:14 PM

I've been meaning to attend Clearwater again this year, at least for Sunday. Knowing my tendency to leave late for events, (or decide that I'm so late it's not worth going!), maybe I'd better try to get there for Sat, just to make sure I make it there for Sun!!! I plan to spend much of the day (or days) at the Circle of Song, which, to my mind, is one of the best things at Clearwater. I like being with my People's Music Network buds, and with others for whom it's more about getting the whole group singing, than it is about putting on a show for an audience. Clearwater is different from Old Songs, true enough, as each festival is different from all others, but difference isn't bad. It's all about what floats your boat!

Subject: RE: Clearwater Festival
From: CamiSu
Date: 13 Jun 01 - 09:35 AM

Well, unfortunately Steve, I cannot be at Circle of Song Sunday during your set. I just got pitched into a story set to take the place of a teller who can't come. Don't know where in the set I'll be so I can't say "come to Story Grove at x and spend the rest of the set at C of S. But we'll be there all weekend (Xcept me on Sat morning) including Wavestar.

CamiSu

Subject: RE: Clearwater Festival
From: thosp
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 12:48 AM

i'll be there saturday with fam. n friends -- hoping for good weather and good music and a good time --the count down is on

peace (Y) thosp

Subject: RE: Clearwater Festival
From: CamiSu
Date: 09 Jun 01 - 04:08 PM

I'll see what I can do. I'm not actually on the program this year, but I still have to Stage Manage at the Story Grove, and will be there most times.

CamiSu

Subject: RE: Clearwater Festival
From: Suffet
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 10:47 PM

Hey 'Catters! Wanna meet at the Clearwater festival? I'll be performing from 11:00 to 11:45 Sunday morning, 6/17/01, at the Circle of Song area as part of Songs of the Spirit with Bracha Lieberman, Ben Silver, Sarah Underhill, Marlene Feingold, Eric Levine, Joel Landy, and the rest of the local PMN crew. Come join us for the singing and to say howdy.

--- Steve

Subject: RE: Clearwater Festival
From: Stevangelist
Date: 09 May 01 - 01:17 PM

I was in a smallish crowd (about 60 or so) who sang with Pete and Tao (grandson) Seeger at the Clearwater festival a few years ago. Got to meet Pete and Tao and they were the sweetest guys. The crowd sang with them into, of all things, a cell phone connected to David Crosby's hospital room. Cros was supposed to be singing with Pete that year, but had a liver attack. We sang "Southern Cross" into the cell phone to Cros and he was deeply touched.

Hey. politics or no, trad or no, it is a great time and a fine way to support a cause that so many people don't care about: cleaner waterways and more environmental conciousness.

BTW, I run my PC on carrot juice and a solar panel. I used to use a hamster on a wheel hooked up to a turbine, but the ASPCA busted me.

May The Road Rise To Meet You,

Stevangelist

Subject: RE: Clearwater Festival
From: Suffet
Date: 08 May 01 - 09:34 PM

I just learned from Bracha Lieberman of People's Music Network that Songs of the Spirit will take place from 11 AM to 12 noon on Sunday 6/17/01 at the Circle of Song area. Come and join us in this non-stop a capella musical communion.

--- Steve

Subject: RE: Clearwater Festival
From: GUEST,John Hernandez
Date: 08 May 01 - 09:14 PM

From my own personal experience I can attest that the Clearwater Hudson River Revival is long on both politics and music. You can go for either or for both and you won't be disappointed. My favorite memory is from when they had a whole concert dedicated to the music of Bob Blue. A year earlier they had one dedicated to the music of Sis Cunningham. Where else can you hear stuff like that? No, it isn't a folk festival per se, but it's pretty darn close.

Subject: RE: Clearwater Festival
From: CamiSu
Date: 08 May 01 - 07:03 PM

OK, so take the bus. And volunteering is a great way to attend. Plus you get to be around when everyone else goes home.

Subject: RE: Clearwater Festival
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 08 May 01 - 04:18 PM

Neither Susan nor I was attempting to attack the festival--just trying to describe it to Mudcatters that might be unfamiliar with it. There is little or no traditional music there, but there certainly is a lot of music of other genres.

Mr. Ciganer, aside from making personal and not terribly original puns, appears to have a vested interest in the Clearwater Festival. I don't.

BTW, Phil, if you love the planet, I wouldn't suggest driving to ANY festival.

Subject: RE: Clearwater Festival
From: Tedham Porterhouse
Date: 08 May 01 - 12:32 PM

For me, politics and folk music are inextricably linked and have been since I first heard Woody Guthrie, the Almanac Singers, Pete Seeger, etc. as a small child.

Folk music provided the soundtrack as we marched for disarmament, for civil rights and to stop an unjust war in Vietnam. Folk music continues to supply the soundtrack for many righteous causes, including enviornmentalism. The Clearwater Festival is a manifestation of that.

At the Clearwater Festival, I've also heard a lot of great non-political traditional music.

Subject: RE: Clearwater Festival
From: paddymac
Date: 08 May 01 - 11:49 AM

I've never had the fortune to attend this festival, so I can not speak from specific experience. That said, it's true that politics of any stripe can be over-done in many settings, but, where would folk music be without politics? Are not the two inextricably linked? If you don't like the politics being preached, turn it off and enjoy the music. If you can't do that, then you'd probably be happier doing something else for that weekend. Of course, you could always make the world a better place by launching another festival, without politics, or at least without politics you don't subscribe to.

Subject: RE: Clearwater Festival
From: GUEST,bbc at work
Date: 08 May 01 - 11:42 AM

I'm afraid you won't see Sandy & Caroline this year. The fee is high & few people bought traditional music at last year's festival. Although I *loved* the festival several years ago, I haven't found many performers there in recent years who I wanted to hear. We'll be at Old Songs.

bbc

Subject: RE: Clearwater Festival
From: Dani
Date: 08 May 01 - 11:21 AM

Please, please, childrens. We have to set an example here. When we're expecting company, I want you to be on your best behavior.

I have wonderful memories of the one Clearwater Festival I was able to attend, and some of it did indeed include folk music. Well, it helps that Pete was singing, but there you are. Politics, art, music, folk, fried onions and french fries, the environment: sometimes these things overlap, and show us how the great weaving works.

Dani

Subject: RE: Clearwater Festival
From: CamiSu
Date: 08 May 01 - 10:02 AM

Yes, Dave & I will be there, at story grove--wherever the hell we end up. We keep moving. If you don't find music you like, come over to the grove and listen to the stories. We have all sorts, from traditional to very new. I am not a performer this year, and have to take my Austrian exchange student/son to the airport Sat aft, BUT would love to see some 'Catters there. (I will be there all day Sunday) And I do hope to drag Jessica along so I will have someone to take my place when I drive to LI--ugh!

CamiSu

Subject: RE: Clearwater Festival
From: GUEST,Phil Ciganer
Date: 08 May 01 - 09:52 AM

I was the co-founder, with Pete and Toshi Seeger, of the Great Hudson River Revival, aka the Clearwater Festival, more than 20 years ago.

While folk music has always been, and remains, at the core of the Revival, it has NEVER been called a "folk" festival.

The goal of the Revival has always been to promote humanity and enviornmentalism. Jimmy Carter was the president when we founded the Revival and it was imperative then. Since, we've lived through the Reagan, Bush (senior) and Clinton years and humanity and enviornmentalism have remained imperative. Now, we live in an era when both the president and vice-president of the U.S. made their personal fortunes in the oil business and both remain politically beholden to big oil.

Thus, the political imperatives of the Revival are more important than ever. They are also completely compatible with folk music.

BTW, if you love this planet, beware of the Greenhaus gasses that are destroying the ozone layer.

Phil

Subject: RE: Clearwater Festival
From: thosp
Date: 07 May 01 - 10:01 PM

i expect to be there with friends and family ( on saturday only) and i hope to meet a few catters there ------

peace (Y) thosp

Subject: RE: Clearwater Festival
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 07 May 01 - 09:39 PM

It's no coincidence that the adjective "folk" no longer appears in the Clearwater Festival's advertising.

Subject: RE: Clearwater Festival
From: Tedham Porterhouse
Date: 07 May 01 - 04:14 PM

The festival may be high on poitics, after all it specifically celebrates the revival of the Hudson River, and generally has an enviornmental theme. H

However, it is most certainly not low on music. A check of their website reveals a long list of performers, including many who perform traditional music.

The website is at... http://www.clearwater.org/festival.html

Subject: RE: Clearwater Festival
From: Wavestar
Date: 07 May 01 - 04:06 PM

Well, politics or no, my parents (CamiSu and husband) will be there, being Stage Managers for the Story Grove. I might even be there, if I have a free moment, and I'll hope to see Sandy and Caroline Paton there at the Folk-Legacy booth again this year. It was lovely to meet them last year.

-J

Subject: RE: Clearwater Festival
From: Susan of DT
Date: 07 May 01 - 03:48 PM

This festival is high on politics and low on music, which may please a lot of people, but if you are looking for traditional music, this is NOT the one to go to. We won't be there.

Subject: RE: Clearwater Festival
From: Suffet
Date: 07 May 01 - 12:43 PM

And if you are there on Sunday, June 17, you can hear me and many of my Peoples Music Network comrades in the Songs of the Spirit. It's an open a capella performance which all are welcome to join. It will be at the Circle of Song area, but I am not certain what time. Check the schedule when you get to the festival.

--- Steve

Subject: Clearwater Festival
From: ukelady
Date: 07 May 01 - 10:28 AM

Another great Festival is happening June 16 & 17. It's at Croton Point Park, in Croton-on-Hudson, NY. Information: www.clearwater.org I'll be there with The Rounds Galore and More Singers. If you like to sing rounds, come and join us at The Circle of Song: Saturday 4:30-5:45 PM, and Sunday 12:45-2:00 PM. Please visit the New York Pinewoods Folk Music Club table, and say hello.